Her Frontier

by FromTheMoon

Remembering Loyalty

Chapter 15: Remembering Loyalty

"...Rainbow Dash..."

"Rainbow Dash..."

"Hey Rainbow Dash! Come on wake up!"

Rainbow Dash's eyes shot open as she let out a loud scream. The world was blurry as her pupils began to adjust themselves to the light. "Hey Rainbow Dash, are you alright?" The panicked pegasus paid no heed to the voice that was speaking. When her eyes finished adjusting themselves she looked around her surroundings. She was no longer plummeting towards a watery death, instead she was sitting on wooden steps with a book in her hooves.

"You sure you didn't hit your head on your way over here Rainbow Dash?" A glance down revealed the source of the voice. A familiar lavender colored pony stood at the bottom of the steps looking up at her.

"Twilight?" Rainbow looked in disbelief at the pony who she once considered her friend. "Is that really you?"

Twilight Sparkle gave her pegasus companion an engrossed look. "Of course its me. How many other purple alicorn princesses do you know?"

"Uh..."

"Wait let me answer that for you, none. As for alicorn princesses however you know three others. When it comes to how many other purple ponies you know, fifty-seven."

There was no doubting it anymore, Twilight was definitely the one speaking to Rainbow Dash. How exactly that was possible was what left Rainbow Dash confused. "Twilight how did I get here?"

"Get where?"

"Here! How am I in your library back in PonyVille!?" A quick glance around her confirmed Rainbow's assumption that she was indeed in Twilight's library. "I was all the way in the North West flying from a swarm of..."

"Woah woah woah! Hold on, you were in the North West, as in the North West Frontier?" Rainbow Dash nodded her head quickly. "I'm sorry Rainbow but I don't think that's possible. The North West Frontier is days away from PonyVille by train. Besides you told me before you dozed off that you came here from Sugar Cube Corner. Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?"

Something strange had just happened, for a moment it sounded like Twilight had spoken in two voices. "Don't you remember Rainbow Dash? You came over here so that we could go have dinner together. You said that I agreed to pay for both of us which quite frankly I don't remember agreeing to at all. I was busy reorganizing the pony history section of the library so you decided to read one of the Daring Do books while I finished."

Everything seemed unreal to Rainbow Dash. "Wait, so what you're saying is that I've been here the whole time while you worked?"

Rainbow Dash dropped the book and put both hooves to her mouth. She had also just briefly spoken in two voices. "Correct. I was coming to tell you that I was finished but I noticed that you had fallen asleep. I assumed you were just coming off whatever sugar high you were on from over at Sugar Cube. Anyway I'm famished, want to get going?"

Not knowing what else to say Rainbow Dash got up the steps and made her way down to meet Twilight. "Sure I guess. Besides if you're buying then who am I to pass up on free food?" She let out a brief false laugh.

"Same old Rainbow Dash." Twilight gave her a warm smile before opening the front door of the library and stepping outside. She turned to one of three guards who were standing guard outside of the library. "Come along sir's, me and my friend are ready for you to escort us to our destination." They acknowledged and moved into formation around her.

Before Rainbow followed her friend out she glanced back over to the book on the floor that she had supposedly been reading. She read the title of the book and became confused. "Huh? That's weird." She said out loud.

"What's weird Rainbow Dash?"

"That book I was reading, I thought I finished that Daring Do a year ago."

"Unless you can perform time traveling spells then that is highly unlikely Rainbow Dash. That Daring Do book was just released last week."

Something was definitely off but Rainbow Dash couldn't put her hoof on it. She shrugged her shoulders and headed out of the library.

---

The walk through PonyVille could of been described as, weird. The town seemed so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time. While there wasn't any drastic changes there were still some pretty big differences. One of them being that when Rainbow Dash had left PonyVille for EverGlade it had been summer. The town looked liked it was currently in the last stages of winter. "Definitely weird." Rainbow Dash muttered.

Twilight had picked her own favorite restaurant in town to have dinner at. Both friends walked inside and where they were shown to their table. Rainbow Dash noticed how the wait staff as well as the other customers had looked Twilight's way when the Princess had arrived on scene. Rainbow Dash and Twilight didn't even have to wait in line with the other potential customers. Once the pony running the reservations up front had seen a mare with both wings and a horn he had ushered Twilight along with her companion into the restaurant.

"Sure must be nice having ponies kiss up you all the time." Rainbow said in a low murmur.

"Oh not really it starts to lose it's charm after the fist hundred or so ponies. After that it just becomes repetitive seeing them all try and get on your good side." Rainbow's face was reddening, she hadn't expected Twilight to hear that. "Really makes you think though about the loyalty of ponies to one another in Equestria. Before my coronation I was loved by those around me but that's it. One crown and a pair of wings later and suddenly it seems like the whole of Equestria loves me now including those who have never even met me or even seen a picture of me. It's all so mesmerizing and a bit confusing to say the least." Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash and saw a look of confusion on her friends face. "Oh look at me, here I am supposed to be enjoying dinner with one of my best friends and all I've managed to accomplish in the span of a few minutes is confuse her. Sorry about that Rainbow Dash I didn't mean to bother you with my own burdens."

Rainbow was definitely confused but not from her friends ramblings. When the pair arrived at their table, which was located right in the middle of the restaurant surrounded by the other patrons, they were left alone with menu's. The friends looked over what they wanted to order in silence. Rainbow couldn't help but stare at the alicorn across the table. Something in the back of the pegasus's mind kept screaming at her but she couldn't figure out what it was.

"Hey there honey, you two ready to order yet?"

"Clover Leaf!?" Rainbow Dash looked to her side expecting to see her unicorn friend. Instead an elderly earth pony mare waitress stood in front of her.

"Have you made your choice yet your highness?" The waitress looked at Twilight while simply ignoring Rainbow Dash. "If you wish I could assist you by recommending some of the house specials."

Twilight closed her menu and shot their server a smile. "No that won't be necessary Ms. I already know exactly what I want to order. What about you Rainbow Dash? Have you decided what you want to order?"

The waitress turned her attention to the Pegasus at the other end. "Yeah, I'll just have what Twilight's having."

This response made Twilight clap her hooves joyfully. "Okay so that'll be two tulip and strawberry salads please with water to drink." Both friends closed their menus and handed them to the waitress.

Just as the waitress was about to leave Rainbow Dash put a hoof out to momentarily stop her and spoke to her in a hushed voice. "Hey, instead of water let me have your strongest Apple Family hard cider."

The waitress smiled and whispered back. "Oh don't worry honey, I know you ain't for all that fancy salad and stuff that your friend ordered. I'll make sure to send you an order of hay fries along with the salad. Despite her taste in good food your friend there seems like an awfully nice pony." The earth pony mare walked away without saying anything else. Rainbow's vision blurred and for a brief moment it looked like the waitress had taken on the form of Clover Leaf.

Rainbow Dash felt her heart rate begin to speed up. "What the..."

"So how have things been with you lately Rainbow Dash? It seems like we hardly get the chance to talk any more because of my extended castle stays. I've been meaning to work up the courage to ask Princess Celestia if I can perform royal work from the library or maybe even town hall."

"Me? Oh you know just same old same old. I've just been hanging around PonyVille doing weather jobs and stuff like that. What about you Twilight? What you been up to?"

Twilight didn't answer right away. She seemed to play with her hooves for a few moments before finally speaking. "Oh you just royal...princess...duties." A slight frown appeared on Twilight's face. "Rainbow do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Ask me what Twilight?"

"It's just that...hmmmf! It's just that Princess Celestia has decided to put me in charge of next years kingdom finances. I'm expected to make budget cuts but I just don't know what to cut from the kingdoms spending! Everything seems so important and no matter what I do some pony is going to end up on the losing end. The Princess said I need to make the decision on my own but I was wondering if maybe you had any ideas?"

Rainbow wanted to say something in response but realized that for whatever reason she couldn't speak. Her whole body went numb and began moving by itself. Rainbow Dash had lost all control of her senses. Her body now acted on it's own and it began to speak back to Twilight as Rainbow could only watch as the scene played out in front of her.

"Twilight..."

"I know I know i'm a terrible pony and a terrible Princess for having to ask my best friend to share some of my own burden. It's just that...i'm...really scared...i'm scared that what I end up doing will be the wrong choice and that every one will hate me, Equestria, the Princesses , my friends..." Twilight at this point was choking back her tears.

"Its just that I wanted to ask you because..." Twilight took a deep breath before continuing. "...because you've always been so loyal and I just figured that nothing I did would ever get you to stop being my friend."

Tears were now streaming down Twilight's face. Rainbow Dash handed her a napkin to wipe her eyes with. "Oh look at what I've done. I've ruined what was supposed to be a pleasant meal between friends. You must hate me now don't you Rainbow Dash? Some princess I turned out to be."

"No." Rainbow Dash got up from the table and moved towards Twilight's side.

"Rainbow Dash? What are you..." Rainbow slapped Twilight hard across the face with her hoof before making her back to her seat. "Rainbow Dash what gives!? That really hurt!" The rest of the restaurant patrons stared in disbelief with their mouths open as three royal guards rushed towards the princess's attacker. Twilight put a hoof up to stop them. "Stand down sir's i'm alright."

"Are you sure mi'lady?" One of the white stallions asked.

"I'm quite sure, i'm in no imminent threat at the moment. Now please return to your posts, I would very much like to continue dinner with my friend." The three guards bowed and left the scene as the other patrons went back to their own businesses. Twilight turned back to look at Rainbow Dash who was playing with the silver ware. "Well?"

"Well what?" Twilight pointed to the pink hoof shaped bruise on her cheek. "Oh right, that..." Rainbow Dash put her two for hooves together and took a deep breath. "Well some pony had to smack some sense into you! Look Twi, I can tell you right now that there is nothing in this world that will make me stop being your friend. I will always be loyal to you, always. The same goes for all our other friends too, we will always be there for you Twilight through the good and the bad. Through out all of our adventures me, Apple Jack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy have always put our faith in you. Maybe it's time you started putting a little faith in yourself. Princess Celestia made you her star student for a reason. You know what? I know that one day you'll be a greater princess then either Celestia, Luna, or Cadance combined!"

"You really mean that Rainbow Dash?" Rainbow Dash simply nodded her head. "Thank you Rainbow Dash, really you don't know how much that means to me right now."

Rainbow Dash suddenly regained control of her body and her senses. Her eyes went wide and she put her hooves up in front of her face. In her mind she had watched what had just occurred play out like a motion picture. "Twilight, what just..."

"Here you are Princess Twilight, one tulip and strawberry salad with a glass a water." The waitress took the food off a platter on her back and put it down in front of Twilight. The earth pony mare then made her way to Rainbow Dash. "Here you are Rainbow, tulip and strawberry salad with some hay fries on the side. Oh and one mug of the strongest Apple Family hard cider this place has." After setting Rainbow's dinner on the table the waitress left the two friends be.

"Oooo looks this looks delicious!" Twilight levitated her fork and knife and began digging into to her food. Rainbow Dash simply sat and stared her friend in silence.

It took some time but Rainbow Dash finally found her voice to speak again. "Twilight, this isn't right."

Twilight looked up from her plate and swallowed down her food. "What isn't right? Your order? Yeah I wondering that myself. I don't remember you ordering any hay fries or hard cider. If you want we can get the waitress to..."

"No! I'm not talking about my food, i'm talking about everything!"

"Rainbow Dash, what in Equestria are you talking about?"

"I'm not supposed to be here right now! I'm supposed to be in EverGlade right now! I'm supposed to be helping them fight off a changeling attack. I'm need to get back to Sheriff Silver Point, the mayor, Whisky, and Clover Leaf. I need to make sure that Top Notch is safe..."

Twilight wanted to speak but Rainbow Dash put a hoof up to stop her. A tear fell into her salad as Rainbow Dash looked at the confused alicorn in front of her. "Most importantly though is that I'm not supposed to be your friend right now Twilight."

"You don't want to be my friend Rainbow Dash? But you just said..."

"I KNOW WHAT I SAID!" Rainbow yelled at the top of her lungs. "We're not friends Twilight, at least not right now. It's not that I don't want to be your friend. I don't know exactly what's happening but this time that we got to spend together as friends again makes me wish that this was real but something in the back of my mind I know that it's not."

Rainbow Dash looked around expecting to see the other ponies in the restaurant staring at them. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and looked in disbelief. The other patrons weren't looking their way. Instead they seemed to be frozen in place. "What's going on?"

"Isn't it obvious Rainbow Dash?"

"Huh?

"It's finally time for you to wake up. Good bye Rainbow Dash..."

Author's Note:

My apologies for the short update this week after the small hiatus.

Comments

[Rainbow87dash]

That's one fucked up dream