> The Spell to Happiness
>  by ScientistTrixie
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun threw an orange light across her bedroom, the light slowly fading away as it set over the horizion. Twilight smiled, her horn flaring briefly, a purple glow illuminating the room as candles across the room flickered to life. A heavy leather bound book lay before her, with two golden stars and a swirl embroidered on the front. 

She had locked herself away for most of the day, the book before her being her only companion. So many spells lay hidden between its many pages; so many untold secrets just waiting for her to discover them. She almost drooled in excitement as she flipped a page with her hoof. She stopped suddenly, her interest piqued by the lack of words upon the page. 

There wasn’t much on the page; the word Invisibility was centered at the top, and there were a few scattered details defining how to cast the spell directly under it. She studied what little theory there was, but she couldn’t quite grasp the mechanics of the spell. From what she gathered, it seemed to force light around her, rendering her completely unseen to the naked eye. 

She closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself as she bit her lip in concentration. She gathered her magic, firmly holding the spell before releasing the magic with a flash of light. She gasped as her magic swept across her body, a feeling not unlike being drenched in cold water flowing across her fur. 

She frowned as she opened her eyes, intently studying her hoof with dismay. Distantly, she heard a bell ring downstairs, her front door creaking as it swung open a few seconds later. A strong wind swept up the staircase, her candles flickering in the breeze before standing tall once again. 

"Twilight?" Spike called upstairs, his voice drifting through her open bedroom door.

"I'm upstairs!" She called back, smiling as she listened to the sound of his tiny footsteps walking up the wooden stairs. She frowned as she returned her gaze to her hoof, holding the offensive appendage up to the light. 

"Maybe I did it wrong?" She thought, sighing quietly as she reexamined the spell. She mouthed the words to herself silently, her brow creasing as her eyes narrowed. 

Behind her Spike stepped into the bedroom, his eyes crossing right over her. He scratched his head, shrugging as he stepped toward the bathroom, knocking on the closed door with a tiny fist. 

"Twi?" He said, pressing an ear close to the door. "You in there? They didn't have any quills at the Quills and Sofas shop." 

"I'm right here Spike!" She said, glancing up as she huffed in frustration. She quirked an eyebrow as the tiny dragon jumped, his hands rubbing together nervously. He sucked in a breath, his eyes darting from the wall to the floor as he shuffled toward the door. 

"Wh-where?" His voice wavered, his eyes wide as he slid closer to the door, his tail twitching nervously. 

Twilight grinned devishly as she lifted a hoof, slowly waving it in her assistants face. His eyes gazed right past her as she stiffled a giggle, his pupils shrinking ever so slightly. She lowered herself to the ground and quietly approached him, a smirk on her muzzle as she bit her lip. 

"BOOO!" She screamed, stomping her hooves against the floor with a mighty thud. 

Spike screamed, shooting a foot off the ground. Before Twilight could blink, Spike had turned tail and bolted down the stairs and out the front door, screaming that there was a ghost in the library. Her giggles erupted into full blown laughter as his screaming faded away.

Twilight collapsed onto her belly, laughing so hard that she snorted several times. Her horn flared brightly, and she felt the feeling of cool water sweep over her body once more. As she came back into view, she smiled as she thought of all the things she could do with this spell. She'd apologize to Spike when he returned, but for now, she had some pranks to plan.

~The Next Morning~


Spike still hadn't returned by the time she had woken up, so the next morning found Twilight walking around Ponyville looking for her draconian friend. She had already visited his usual haunts, mainly the botique and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but she had not found him yet. 

Currently, she was heading to the rock quarry Rarity and Spike visited when they were jewel hunting together. She had a good feeling about him being there, probably helping the unicorn of his affection, as the white pony hadn't been in her boutique either. 

She sniffed at the air, the delicious scent of freshly-picked apples teasing her nostrils. She gazed at the many apple trees lining the road, her eyes caressing each and every red fruit. Her thoughts were broken as the familiar sound of hooves hitting bark suddenly rang through the air, coming from just beyond her sight line.

She stepped off the road and gazed between the trees, where she could just make out the orange fur of her favorite farm pony. The mare was hard at work bucking the apple trees, trying to round up the last bit of apples before the start of cider season.

Twilight grinned devilishly, used the invisibility spell, and quietly made her way towards her friend. She leaned around a tree, a giggle on her face as Applejack grabbed a large bucket from her cart between her teeth, carefully placing it below a tree laden with beautiful red apples. 

Applejack twisted, her blond hair flying over her shoulder as she slammed her back hooves into the tree with all her might, a mighty crack echoing through the apple grove. Apples fell from the tree, bouncing off the ground below the tree. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes darting between the ground and the bucket that now hung from the cart behind her. 

“Wha' tha..?” She removed her Stetson, sweat beading on her brow as she eyed the bucket for a moment. She shrugged, quickly rounding up the stray apples and loading them into the cart. She grabbed the bucket again, carefully placing it below the next tree in her path. 

She turned, her back legs lashing out to slam into the tree once again. She stared as the apples hit the ground, rolling to a stop at her hoof. Her eyes twitched as she turned, glaring at the bucket, which once again, was hanging from the cart. 

She stomped over to the cart, grabbed the bucket between her teeth angrily, and slammed it onto the ground underneath the next tree. She lowered her muzzle, staring intently at the bucket. Several minutes passed by, the only sound being the wind blowing through the trees around her. She jumped suddenly, her heart beating wildly as an apple thumped to the ground. She let out a nervous laugh as she glared at the offending apple, her gaze returning to where she had just been looking. With a gasp, she saw that the bucket was hanging from the cart. She lifted her head, her expression blank for a minute. Her eye twitched, a furious look slowly growing on her face until she was glaring murder at the offensive wooden object. 

“Wha' in Celestia's name is goin' on here!” She screamed to nopony in particular, panting heavily as she stared at the bucket. She stopped, taking a deep breath as she mentally counted to ten. She let loose a deep breath, a strained smile appearing on her face. 

“Ah'm just to hot today! Yea, the sun's just messin with me...” She said, mumbling to herself as she turned, trotting toward the barn in the distance. If she had been listening closely, she might have heard the stifled giggling of the town librarian from under one of her apple trees. 

Twilight stood up with a grin, her horn glowing as she dispelled her magic. She turned tail, giggling madly to herself as she hopped the fence back onto the trail, dust kicking up behind her as she trotted off toward the quarry. 

~Later that same day~

Twilight trotted back into town, a frown on her muzzle. She had searched every inch of the quarry and hadn't found hide nor scale of Spike or Rarity. She waved as she passed ponyvilles mail mare, a grin on the wall eyed mare's face. She waved back happily, the remains of a muffin clutched in her hooves as she flew past. 

She walked further into town, a sigh escaping her lips. Her throat itched dryly as she swallowed. She smiled as Sugarcube Corner came into view, her throat begging for a drink.

She trotted into the bakery, flinching as a pink missile stopped just mere inches from her face. 
“Twilight!” Pinkie screamed directly into the poor unicorn’s ears. Twilight flattened her ears, glaring at the energetic pony for a moment before breaking into a small smile. 

"Hey Pinkie. Have you seen Spike?" 

Pinkie cocked her head, giving Twilight a strange look. 

“Yes? Little baby dragon, purple with green belly? This tall?” She said, sitting on her rump as she lifted a hoof.

Twilight stared at Pinkie, an eyebrow raised for a moment, before sighing. 

“I meant have you seen him today?” 

“Oooohhh... Nope!” She said, turning away to bounce into the kitchen. "Bye Ditzy!" Pinkie yelled, waving her hoof as the pegasus soared toward the doorway, her head thunking against the wall as she missed the door entirely. She shook her head, her eyes spinning as she turned toward the pair. She waved at Twilight, grinning around the bag of muffins in her mouth, her wings fluttering behind her as she passed through the door. 

Twilight just stared at her, blinking rapidly. She could have sworn she had just passed Ditzy Doo, not even five minutes before... 

She narrowed her eyes for a moment, a calculating look on her face as Pinkie Pie vanished into the kitchen. She grinned slowly, her horn flaring brightly as she faded from view. She turned, inching her way toward the kitchen quietly.

She silently pushed the door open, screaming as a bucket fell from the above her, water pouring all over her coat. Before Twilight could shiver, a bag of flour exploded in her face, instantly covering the invisible unicorn in a stick white mess. 

She stood still, stuttering in shock, her eyes locked on the pink mare before her laughing her head off. She growled, a fierce look in her eye as she turned, stepping out of the kitchen with her horn alight. The flour vanished from her coat, blinking out of existence as she silently locked the kitchen door behind her. Her horn flared brightly as objects around the room drifted through the air, arranging themselves into an elaborate trap for the element of laughter. 

Twilight giggled to herself as she crouched down behind the counter, her horn flaring as she unlocked the kitchen door, eyeing the door patiently. She waited quietly... and waited... and waited. 

“What are we waiting on?” A familiar voice whispered from beside her. 

“I've set up a prank for Pinkie Pie. The minute she steps through the kitchen door's, she'll kick that rope, which will release an anvil onto that scale,” She said, pointing to each object in turn. “raising the other end that's weighed down with that candle, burning through that rop... Pinkie?”

“Yes Twi?” Pinkie said, her eyes locked on the door before her. 

“How did you get out of the kitchen?” 

"I'm not sure." 

"Oh." 

"Yea."

Twilight stood suddenly, her ears flattening against her mane as she stepped away from Pinkie, her eyes narrowed, a scowl on her muzzle. She stomped her hoof, snorting at Pinkie, as the pink mare pointed down. 

Twilight glanced down, a curse on the tip of her tongue as she the rope beneath her hooves snapped, releasing the anvil onto the perfectly positioned scale. The scale tipped, raising the lit candle to the thin string, which snapped under the heat, releasing it's hold on a spring loaded catapult. A moment later, Twilight was smacked in the face by a messy, albeit delicious, cherry pie. 

She stood still for a moment, her temper flaring as she slowly wiped the cherry filling from her eyes, glaring at Pinkie Pie. 

“I hope you know...” She trailed off, magic cleansing her face once again. “This means war!” She said, her eyes burning with a fierce fire. Pinkie Pie nodded, snapping off a smart salute as the unicorn vanished with a pop. 

Twilight appeared on the other side of the counter, huddled behind the counter. She snuck a peak over the counter, her eyes going wide as she saw a fully assembled miniature castle sitting in the middle of the bakery. Pinkie's eyes could be seen peaking over the wall's of the small castle, black paint under her eyes with a camouflage helmet upon her head. 

Twilight narrowed her eyes, several pies lifting into the air behind her. She launched them over the counter, a shrill whistling sound echoing through the air.

“Return fire!” Pinkie screamed, launching a return volley of chocolate cupcakes. Twilight leapt to the side, cheering as she avoided the flying desserts. Her horn flared as she returned fire with an air strike of frosting bombs, raining sugary shells down on her sworn enemy. 

~Three Hours Later~

The bakery was a disaster. Frosting covered every surface, with numerous wrappers dotting the battle-scarred bakery. The small castle lay in ruin, and the counter was missing several large chunks, taken out by Pinkie Pie's destructive chili-cakes. Twilight and Pinkie sat at the last remaining table in the bakery, pouring over a hastily drawn up cease-fire. 

Twilight had already signed the parchment, and was patiently waiting for Pinkie to sign the treaty, effectively ending the battle. 

Pinkie nodded, finally signing the treaty after clarifying several key points of the treaty, finding them all acceptable. 

Pinkie stood, pushing her chair behind her as she stretched out her hoof, a goofy grin on her face. Twilight smiled, biting her lip as she shook Pinkie's hoof, an electrical sizzle crackling through the air. Pinkie's hair poofed out even further, her eyes going wide as Twilight giggled, rolling her hoof over to reveal a joy-buzzer. 

“I got you!” Twilight screamed, laughing loudly as she looked around the bakery. Her laughter slowed, until she was biting her lip in worry. “Wow... We really did a number in here didn't we?” 

“Yep!” Pinkie said, a smile on her face as she bounced in place. She darted from surface to surface, scraping frosting off the walls and counters and stuffing her hooves into her mouth. 

“I guess we better start cleaning?” Twilight said, sagging slightly as horn flared, a mass of frosting lifting itself into the air.

“No I've got this!” Pinkie said as she suddenly leapt into the air, her muzzle open wide as she swallowed the sugary mass whole. 

Twilight blinked in confusion, staring at her friend with a mixture of awe, surprise, and nausea. 

“Ho-How did you just... Never mind...” She said, huffing as she shook her head. “Well Pinkie, I'm going to head over to Rarity's to see if she's seen Spike.” Twilight said, giggling as Pinkie bounced across the room. 

“Alright Twilight! I need to restock the bakery, since we kinda used all the desserts as ammunition.” She said, giggling happily as she placed a tin full of cookies on the empty display shelf. 

Twilight smiled as she trotted out the door, the smell of fresh cookies and cakes already filling the air around her. Twilight smiled as she spotted the door of the boutique swinging shut, the bell above the door closing with a quiet jingle. She trotted across the street, a hoof raised as she knocked lightly on the door. 

“Just a moment, please!” A pleasant voice called out, followed a moment later by approaching hoofsteps. The door swung open a second later, revealing Rarity's smiling form. 

“Oh, why hello there, darling; I was just coming to see you,” Rarity stepped back, beckoning Twilight inside. 

Twilight stepped inside, a relieved smile on her muzzle as Spike ran to her, from where he'd been laying on Rarity's couch watching her sew. 

“Twilight!” Spike's face lit up, a broad smile on his face. “I was so scared when I couldn't find you yesterday! There's some kinda ghost living in the library!” He said, shivering slightly. 

“Oh Spike!” Twilight giggled, giving her assistant an exasperated look. “That wasn't a ghost, you silly dragon; that was me! I discovered a new spell and was testing it when you walked in!” 

Spike stood still for a moment, before turning to give Rarity a sheepish grin. Rarity raised a brow at the small dragon, a skeptical look on her face.

“Big horrible ghost? You had to fight several of them off with your flame breath?” Rarity said, stifling a giggle as Spike's cheeks flushed red. Twilight and Rarity shared a laugh as Spike slowly edged out of the room, refusing to meet either of their eyes.

“Oh, that poor dear. I hope I didn't embarrass him too much. I actually thought his stories were quite cute. He told me about how he was forced to fight off several large ghosts, and how he lost you in the ensuing scuffle.” Rarity said, gazing toward the doorway the baby dragon had just slipped through. 

“He'll be fine, Rarity, and thanks for keeping an eye on him. Did he sleep here last night?” She asked, gazing at the design on the dress Rarity was currently working on. Rarity blushed slightly, turning away from Twilight to cover her cheeks. 

“O-Oh, yes he stayed here last night. He was too scared to go back home, and we couldn't find you yesterday.”

“Did he sleep on the couch?” Twilight asked, looking for a blanket or a pillow. 

Rarity blushed even harder, her mouth opening and closing as she quickly snatched up a small bunny-sized sweater from a design rack. 

“Do you think you could drop this at Flutters for me, dear?” She asked, levitating the small sweater toward Twilight. “I've been meaning to take it over to her, but I've just been so busy with my new dress.” She shook her head, giving Twilight a pleading stare. 

“Oh yes, I can do that for you!” She agreed, a smile on her muzzle as she accepted the small sweater from Rarity. She examined it for a second before tucking it into her saddlebag. “It this for Angel?” 

“Yes, it is; you know how Fluttershy loves that aggressive little miscreant. Thank you very much Twilight. I'm sorry if I seem rushed, but I simply must finish this dress!” She said, flipping her mane over her shoulder as she turned a critical eye on her dress. 

“Alright, I'll head over to Fluttershy's now, and if you see Spike before I do, tell him I expect him home tonight, please.” Twilight said, a smile on her face as she waved goodbye to Rarity, her tail flicking behind her as she set off toward Fluttershy's cottage. 

Behind her, Rarity peered through the mail slot, watching her friend leave before calling out. 

“Spikey? You can come out now! She's gone...”
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Twilight trotted down the dirt path out of Ponyville, the small sweater twisting in her magical grip. She lowered the sweater, a smile on her face as Fluttershy's cottage came into view through the trees. She approached her friend’s house, her eyes narrowing as she saw a rainbow-colored tail flash across the window. She dove into a bush, her eye peaking between the leaves, quietly watching the small cottage. 

A mischievous grin appeared on her face, her horn flaring as she cast her new spell, grinning as the familiar feel of her magic swept over her. She sneaked forward, slowly tiptoeing to the open door, edging her body around the cottage until she was pressed firmly against the doorway. Inside she could hear the loud rambunctious tone of Rainbow Dash, overpowering the soft demure tone of Fluttershy. 

She slipped into the cottage, slidin around the edge of the room until she was crouched behind the couch, peeking over the edge with a devious grin. They appeared to be in an intense conversation, judging by Rainbow's flushed and frustrated appearance. 

“I just mean... I don't even know if she'd consider us good friends... We never spend time together, at least not without the rest of the gang. Everyone else has plenty of time alone with her, except for me.” She lowered her eyes to the ground, her hooves pulling at her mane. Twilight peaked over the couch, her eyes darting to Fluttershy, before drifting to stare at the back of Rainbow Dash's head. 

“Dash... I-I never get to spend time alone with her either.” Fluttershy hesitantly pointed out, her head lowered between her shoulders. “I think you should just tell her. Wha-What's the worst that could happen?”

Twilight glanced around uncertainly, her hooves itching for the doorway, but her curiosity held her still. She frowned as Rainbow suddenly tensed, her entire body rigid. Dash tensed up, her wings held stiffly at her side as she stared at her hooves for a moment. 

Twilight clapped a hoof over her mouth as Rainbow darted towards her, her wings flapping mere inches over her head. She sat frozen as the door behind her slammed shut, her eyes closed tightly. She slowly opened her eyes, her head turning slowly toward the door, her head cocking as she spotted Rainbow at the doorway, her hoof pressed firmly against the door.  Twilight's heart sank as she realized she had just been trapped inside the cottage with a mare who desperately wanted privacy. 

Rainbow turned, slowly walking back to her seat before throwing herself into the chair. Her mane hung limply over her face, her eyes hidden behind a rainbow curtain. Fluttershy sat in her chair, her hooves pressed together as she smiled at Dash, patiently waiting for the cyan mare to continue.

“If I told her... She couldn’t answer.” She said, her shoulders slumping as she sighed. She huffed as Fluttershy cocked an eye at her, prompting her to continue. 

“If I tell her how I feel and she tells me she doesn't feel the same way, I'll at least know that we will still be able to be friends. If she doesn't answer, I won't know where we stand. I won't know if I just came on too strong, or if she just doesn't like me...” She explained, her voice cracking heavily as she shuddered. “I can't  happy just being friends with her, and I can't imagine my life without her. 

Twilight's heart sank as she listened to Dash speak. She edged towards the door, slowing as her curiosity peaked. If Twilight had to bet on which of her friends Dash was in love with, she would have guessed Applejack. When the two of them got in their competitive moods, it just felt like unresolved sexual tension to her, and she could easily see the two being together. 

“You know Twi-Twilight. She may be slightly... headstrong... but she'd never stop being your friend, even if she doesn't feel the same way about you... I mean, that's my opinion. I think you should tell her... If you d-don't mind me saying so.” Fluttershy said, pressing her hooves together nervously. 

Twilight sat behind the couch, her jaw on the floor as her eye twitched. She turned, her eyes darting to Dash, hoping against hope that the mare would be joking. She was sitting quietly, slowly nodding in agreement. Her mind raced, heat spreading across her chest as she felt her cheeks burn. 

“Deep down I know you're right... But Flutters, when I see her, she makes me feel all tingly inside, and I'm just so happy... I don't worry about anypony or anything! I see her, and suddenly she's the most important thing in my world... You know, when I'm practicing my new moves, I think about her more than I do about being a Wonderbolt...” She trailed off, her eyes inspecting her hooves intently, avoiding Fluttershy's sympathetic smile. For Dash to say she thought of Twilight more than the Wonderbolts proved the depths of her feelings far greater than she could ever explain.

“The chance of me ruining that scares me... scares me so much I clam up.. I can't think straight around her. When I'm flying, I find myself flying past the library daily, just to catch a glimpse of her...” She chuckled, a small grin appearing on her face. “I got so lost in thought one time that I actually crashed straight into the library!” Rainbow’s voice had taken on a sorrowful quiver, as if the mare was a mere moment from breaking down. 

Twilight knew Fluttershy would catch the sadness in her voice, and sure enough, she was already pulling Dash to the door. “Come on. Let's go fly for a little. Just me, you, and whatever you wanna talk about.” Rainbow Dash stared at her for a moment, her eyes roaming across Fluttershy's face before a genuine smile appeared on her face. 

“Thanks, Flutters.” Dash said, a smile on her muzzle. “Please don't mention this to anyone... I'm gonna need a little time before I work up the courage to tell Twi... I'm not sure how she'll react to this, but I have to tell her.”

Twilight froze, her fur standing on end as a chill ran down her spine. She stared at Dash helplessly, her chest beating strongly against her chest. 

“I love you, Twilight...” Dash said, a large smile on her face, her wings arched behind her as the pair trotted toward the couch, and unknown to them, closer to Twilight's hiding spot. Fluttershy stepped on Twilight's rearleg, stumbling over the invisible limb as Twilight yelped loudly. Twilight's eyes went wide, her horn flaring as she ripped the door open, a strong wind blowing through the room. A moment later, a bright light filled the room as the unicorn popped out of the room, reappearing in the library in a blink of the eye. 

Twilight raced around the room, her horn glowing as she closed all the curtains, shrouding the room in darkness. She retreated to her bedroom, her hooves tracing a familiar groove in the floor as she started pacing. 

No matter how many times she wrapped her mind around Dash's affection, she couldn't understand her feelings. To think that the athletic, sleek, sexy pegasus had a crush on a clumsy, plain, bookworm was beyond her. She was flattered by Dash's feelings, but she was scared that she wouldn't return the feelings, or she would let Dash down. 

Twilight slipped onto her haunches, her horn glowing as a book floated into her grasp, her hooves gripping the book close to her chest. She sighed, her heart slowing as she gripped the hard book against her fur. Her ear twitched as a dulled giggling filtered into the library, drawing her attention. 

She quietly made her way to her window, peeking through a small gap in the curtain. A yellow and cyan pegasus were flying circles around Ponyville, their mane's flowing in the chilly wind outside. Twilight watched for a moment, her eyes trailing Dash's confident form, a blush burning its way onto her cheek as her eyes drifted to the mare's feminine curves. She shook her head, pulling away from the window with a sigh. 

Where Rainbow was quick to jump into a problem, Twilight preferred a slow and measured approach. She liked to have everything already worked out, while Dash liked to rush into any given situation without a plan. 

“Ugh!” She screamed, her horn flaring as she slammed the book she held on her table in frustration.  “This isn't getting me anywhere!” Twilight looked at the book she was holding, a smile growing on her muzzle as her brain kicked into gear. “Books! Books never fail me!” 

She ran around the library, her horn flaring as stacks of books floated from their shelves, floating behind her as she scanned title after title. She would learn everything she could about love and dating, and then, she would figure out if Rainbow and her would be a good couple or not. Until then, she would have to avoid Rainbow Dash at all cost. 

With a sudden tree-shaking bang on the side of her library, Twilight realized just how hard it would be to avoid Rainbow. 

> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	
Several days later...


Twilight growled, pushing another book away from her with her horn. Books were failing her, and her nerves were running ragged. It had been several days since Twilight had found out Rainbow liked her, and so far she had yet to leave her towering stacks of books. Her friends had come by several times to coax her out, but Twilight kept telling everyone that she was working on a very important project. She wasn't even sure what day it was by now, having only slept when her eyes grew heavy. 

As she finished the last book in the library on love, she stood, her knee's creaking from being prone for so long. She walked downstairs, calling for Spike. When he didn't respond she sighed, knowing he was at Rarity's. She missed the little dragon, and missed her friends even more, but she was slightly hesitant to leave her home. If she called a group day for them Rainbow would be there and Twilight wasn't sure she could face her just yet. 

Every time Twilight thought about Rainbow her feeling's jumbled more and more, until the poor mare couldn't make head nor tails of her emotions. On one hoof, she was terrified that they wouldn't work out, but the more Twilight used that as an excuse to stall the inevitable, the more holes she found in her reasoning. On the other, Twilight was almost sure she shared Rainbow's feeling. Whenever the unicorn thought about her, her knees would grow weak, and her heart would beat out of control.

She froze as a knock sounded on the front door. She tiptoed over and peeked through the blinds, revealing Pinkie pie bouncing in place. Twilight sighed and opened the door, giving her friend a smile. As the pink mare saw her, she pulled a trumpet from behind her back and blew it loudly, causing Twilight's ears to ring. 

"God Pinkie! What was that for!" Twilight asked, a scowl on her face, which slowly turned to confusion as Pinkie pulled out a very official looking scroll. 

Pinkie cleared her throat as she pulled the scroll open and began reading. 

"Hear ye, Hear ye! Today marks the 7 day anniversary of the Cease-fire of the war between the Pie and Sparkle armies. There is a celebration for this momentous occasion tonight. I would be honored if you would join us, as co-honored  guest to the festivities."

Pinkie rolled the scroll back up and shoved it into her mane, where it simply disappeared, looking at Twilight expectantly.

"What do you mean it's the seven day anniversary? It's only been two days since.." She trailed off as Pinkie just gave her a smile. "I'll be there Pinkie. I need to get out of the library anyways."

"YAY!" Pinkie screamed, shooting off into the sky like a firework. Amazingly, she even completed the impossible feat with a colorful explosion. As Twilight gazed at the shower of confetti, she noticed how low the sun already was. 

"Oh my. I better get ready.." She thought to herself, turning tail and heading to her bedroom. Moments later, Twilight sighed as her mane sat smooth and silky upon her back once again, no longer bushy and frayed from lack of care. She grabbed her saddlebag, slid a book into the pocket and trotted out of the library, closing the door behind her. 

As Twilight approached the Sugarcube, she could already hear the music echoing around the town square. The sound of all the people talking, and laughing created an indistinguishable buzz. As she entered the bakery, her eyes looked for the familiar colors of her friends. 

"Twilight! Over here! Can you see me?" Twilight giggled as a certain pink pony waved her over frantically. 

"Hey girls!" Twilight said as she walked over. 

Only Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were present, and for a second Twilight wished she had stayed home. Pinkie handed her a cup full of Applejack's Cider, winking at her as she did so. Twilight smiled, knowing Pinkie was dipping into her almost year round stores of cider for this party. Twilight took a sip of the Cider, her eyes watering slightly as she corrected herself. Pinkie seemed to be dipping into her hard cider tonight. 

"Where's everyone else?" She asked looking around the party. 

"A-applejack's busy prepping for next cider season, Rarity's making her dress still, and Fluttershy is busy taking care of a new group of bunnies." Rainbow answered, stuttering slightly, her muzzle already a rosy red. Twilight cocked an ear at Rainbow and saw the ponies cheeks color ever so slightly.  

"Well those old silly fillies will just have to miss out on the bestest party ever!" Pinkie screamed as dashed into the kitchen, no doubt to bring out the refreshments.

The two ponies laughed as Twilight's eyes drifted around the party, smiling and waving as different ponies caught her eye. Before long the pony was on her second glass of hard cider, enjoying the silence with her cyan friend more than she thought she would have. 

Twilight glanced over as a low whine came from the blue pegasus next to her. Rainbow was shuffling her hoof on the ground, and was looking at the ground intently.  
"You alright Rainbow?" Twilight asked, already knowing what the pony was probably thinking.

Rainbow's head snapped up, almost as if she had forgotten that her friend was standing before her. 

"I-i..." She trailed off and took a deep breath. "I want.. actually I need to tell you something Twilight." 

Twilight's ear flattened slightly, and her eyes narrowed slightly, a faint blush appearing on the pony's muzzle and for a moment Rainbow returned the blush.

"I'm listening." Twilight said, slightly shocked at her own confidence. Even though there was music playing, and ponies crowded all around them, for all they knew, they could have been the only ponies present. 

"I've been trying to work up the courage to tell you this all week, but I could never get a hold of you." The mare said, making Twilight feel guilty. 

"I.. that is I. Yo- um.." Rainbow said, stuttering slightly as she grew nervous. She lowered her muzzle, her mane covering her eyes for a moment. She looked so unsure of herself, and deep down Twilight felt guilty making Rainbow spell it out to her like this. 

"Never mind." Rainbow said, a catch in her voice as she started to turn and leave the bakery. She made it just outside the bakery before Twilight caught up to her. 

"Rainbow." Twilight said, moving in front of the pegasus, blocking her path. "Please talk to me. I can't help you if you won't talk to me." 

Rainbow stood still for a moment, her wings tense, as if she was fighting the urge to run away. 

"I love you." She spoke so quietly, at first Twilight wasn't sure she had spoken."But saying that doesn't do any justice to how I feel about you. When I see you my legs go weak, my wings turn to rubber, and my mind goes blank. No matter what I do, you're on my mind. I-" 

Up until this moment, Twilight's mind had not been made up one way or the other. But in a heart beat, she knew what she had to do.

The pegasus grew silent as Twilight kissed her, her lips meeting the mares in a blissful silent act of love. Rainbow leaned into the kiss, melting into the unicorns embrace, her wings unfurling, nearly hitting several nearby ponies. 

"You talk to much Dash." Twilight said a slight smile on her face. Rainbow stood frozen, a huge grin on her face. Her stance changed, growing happier before her very eyes.

"That.. was... AWESOME!" Rainbow screamed, shooting into the sky in exhilaration, a rainbow trail sparkling in her wake. 

Twilight smiled as she watched the pegasus flying happily, feeling a heat in her heart unlike anything she'd ever felt before. And she had been worried. She wasn't sure where their relationship would take them, but she knew deep down it would be a hell of a ride. 




> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight awoke to the sound of knocking, not from downstairs, but from her bedroom window. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, throwing her covers aside as she stood. She trotted across the room, throwing the latch open with her magic. A Cyan head peeked into her room, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Did I wake you up?" Rainbow Dash asked, her smile growing as she took in Twilight's messy mane. 

Twilight just grunted in reply, before she turned and headed downstairs. Behind her she could a light flapping as Rainbow hovered behind her, sending a gentle breeze down the staircase. Rainbow tilted her wings, flying a graceful circle around the library, drawing Twilights attention. The mare came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes gazing upwards. 

Twilight never noticed how graceful her pegasus friend could be. She'd never seen this graceful side of her, only the rough and tumble show pony everyone else saw. Rainbow's eyes were closed, and she was obviously enjoying the feeling of air running through her mane. She blushed slightly at seeing such a.. well such an intimate side of Rainbow. 

"Twi? Equestria to Egghead?" 

Twilight jumped as Rainbow waved a hoof in front of her face. 

"Umm.. Nothing!" Twilight said, blushing slightly as Rainbow arched an eyebrow at her. 

"Alright.. Well I was wondering if you uh.. wanted to go to the Wonderbolts show?" She asked, arching her wings as she bounced in place. "You know with me? As a date?" She said, her cheeks coloring slightly. 

Twilight bit her lip, glancing over at a large stack of books that needed to be sorted. 
"Actually, Dash I have a lot of.." She trialed off as Rainbow's face fell, her eyes drifting to the floor. "free time and I'd love to! Is it today?

"YES! I mean yes!" Rainbow screamed, flushing slightly. "It's in Canterlot though so we would need to leave soon if we wanna make it in time the half ti-" She said, glancing at the sun, yelping as Twilight grabbed her hoof, pulling the pegasus to the middle of the room. 

"Don't worry about the train. I'll get us there!" Twilight said, brushing her side against Rainbow, smiling as her horn began glowing brightly.

A moment later, the pair had appeared at the train station in Canterlot. Rainbow looked over at the mare next to her in amazement. 

"What?" Twilight said, glancing uncertaintly at Rainbow.

"You just teleported us all the way to Canterlot!" Rainbow exclaimed, smiling as Twilight looked around embarrassed. 

"It was nothing. So when does the Show start?" Twilight said, changing the subject. 

"Well I thought we would have had to wait on the train to arrive here but since were already here we can actually make it before the show starts." Rainbow jumped into the air, her wings snapping open as she floated above Twilight. The pair set off, heading in the direction of the large arena, the same arena that had previously held the rodeo Applejack participated in.

Rainbow flew for a little while, before landing next to Twilight, smiling at the unicorn. The pair walked quickly though the busy city streets the clopping of their hooves lost among the hustle and bustle of city life. As they neared the streets that would lead to the arena, Twilight stumbled as Rainbow's flank hit hers.Her eye's turned to the pegasus pony, who was stammering an apology, her cheeks red. 

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to trip you I..I. was just trying to be playful!" She had her ears flat against her head. 

Twilight just looked at the mare before she began laughing. Rainbow smiled slightly as Twilight stepped in front of the pegasus, blocking her path.

"You know I think there's something I need to tell you." Rainbow's eyes widened slightly, a slightly scared look on her face. Twilight chuckled to herself. "You're It!" 

Rainbow blinked as Twilight galloped off toward the arena. "Oh. you. are. on. Egghead!" The pegasus screamed as she took to the air, quickly gaining speed as she tore after the Unicorn, who she could hear giggling even from the air. Rainbow took a dive, mere inches from Twilight's running backside. Rainbow stretched out a hoof, giggling as she tagged her, which turned to gasping as her hoof sailed right through the mare. 

"What the hay?" Rainbow said, blinking as Twilight faded from view, into a cloud of purple smoke. 

"Missed me!" Came a voice from behind her, where Twilight was standing grinning, her tail flicking back and forth excitedly. 

Rainbow lunged at the mare, growling in frustration as she passed through her once again. The pegasus stomped the ground glaring as the pony dissolved into wisp of smoke. 

"Missed me!" Came the same taunt, but from two different ponies. Rainbow's eyes flew wide as she sat there staring at two Twilight's, both of them sharing the same toothy grin. 

Rainbow glared at the two, stepping forward slowly, until she was nose to nose with the ponies. She reached forward and waved her hoof, causing both ponies to dissolve once again. She huffed again, growling as she heard a girly giggle from behind her. She whirled around coming nose to nose with the real Twilight, who was all grins. 

"Now you gotta kiss me!" She said, her voice husky and breathless from the short game of tag. Rainbow just looked at her shocked, surprise on her muzzle as Twilight stepped forward lightly kissing the mare on the cheek. If possible her grin grew even larger as Rainbows cheeks flushed a deep red, her wings arching into the air.

Rainbow started spluttering, raising a hoof and pointing at the unicorn.
"Oh calm down it was just a little magic." Twilight said, winking at Rainbow. "Anyways.. We're here!" She said, pointing over her shoulder, where the stadium stood, blocking most of the sky.

As they entered the stadium, Rainbow still grumbling, they handed there tickets to a large stallion standing at the entrance. He grabbed the tickets, glancing at the name on the tickets. He studied a small clip board hanging on the wall next to him for a moment before he asked the two mares to step out of line. 

"Is something wrong, sir?" Twilight asked, glancing at Rainbow. 

"No nothing like that, I just have a note from the manager asking me to call him if Rainbow Dash showed up for today's events." The stallion said, smiling at the mares as he disappeared through a side door. 

A moment later, the stallion returned with his manager in tow. 

"Hello ladies, if you'll just follow me right this way." He turned, holding the door he had just entered through open for the mares. 

The pair followed the manager through the hallways, passing mares and stallions as they weaved through the crowd. Eventually the trio came to a stop at a locked door, with the words "employes only" stamped across it. The manager slid a key into the door, pushing it open quickly. 

"Please wait right here." The manager said, a smile on his face as he trotted off. 

A moment later, a mare came through the doorway the manager had left through. 

The mare had a mane that looked like fire, and eyes of golden orange. Beside her, Twilight heard Rainbow suck in a deep breath. 

"Rainbow Dash!"  The mare said smiling, who Twilight now recognized as Spitfire, the captain of the Wonderbolt's. "It's so good to see you! Last time I saw you it was at the Gala, right?" She said, running a hoof through her mane. 

A moment of silence passed, and Twilight looked over to see the cyan pegasus staring at Spitfire, her mouth open in shock. 

"Rainbow." Twilight said, nudging the pony with her flank. Rainbow grunted lowly, her eyes not leaving the mare before her, who was looking slightly confused at the pony. "You're staring." 

Rainbow shook her head, her rainbow mane flying as she laughed nervously. 

The wonderbolt captain chuckled slightly, grinning at the now blushing unicorn. 

"Anyways.., I asked the ticket ponies to watch out for you so I could make you an offer!" She said, grinning as Rainbow finally seemed to click into the conversation. 

"What is it?" Rainbow asked, a grin on her muzzle. 

"We want you to fly with us!" Spitfire said, her eyes gleaming. 

Twilight folded her ears against her head, waiting for the screams of joy. It took her by surprise when she heard Rainbow answering in the negative. 

"I'd love to, really I would, but I can't. It's been a dream of mine to fly with the Wonderbolts, but I can't today." 

"Are you sure?" The surprised mare asked, her eyes wide. 

"Yes. I'm on a date right now and this is supposed to be a day for just me and her." She said, bumping Twilight with her flank. Twilight blushed as she looked at the mare beside her. For her to turn down a chance to fly with the Wonderbolts, especially at such a wide watched event, meant that Rainbow really liked Twilight. Twilight nuzzled the back of Rainbows neck for a second causing her wings to flex slightly. 

Spitfires eyes widened ever so slightly, and a large grin appeared on her muzzle. 

"I understand Rainbow. Maybe another day we can catch up and you can show me some of your moves." Spitfire said, tossing her mane over her shoulder. "Well at the very least I insist you and Twilight stay in our V.I.P booth."

"How did you know my name?" Twilight asked, looking at Spitfire with a lifted brow. 

"You're Princess Celestia's prize student. I doubt anyone in Equestria doesn't know who you are." The mare said with a chuckle. 

"Oh.. Right." Twilight said, as she scuffed at the ground with her hoof.

"I'll get the manager to take you to our booth and you can watch the show from there." Spitfire said as a stallion stuck his head into the room. 

"Sorry to interrupt but it's almost time for us to start the show, Capt." The stallion said, winking at the two mares. 

"Alright Soarin. Sorry ladies I'll make sure we come by after the show." The mare said as she stepped toward the door, where the manager was now waiting. 

"Bye Spitfire!"

"Cya after the show!" Rainbow called out at the same time as Twilight said goodbye, causing the two to look at each other and break into giggles. 

The manager waved the two over and led them through a series of hallways and turns, until the pair stepped out into the warm sunlight at the top of the stadium. He led them to a large V.I.P. booth, which was station at the very top of the Arena, giving it the best possible view. 

As the pair entered the booth, Twilight turned to the manager. 

"Why isn't anyone using this booth?" She asked curiously. 

"Well it's the Wonderbolts personal booth, and since they'll be flying, they can't exactly sit here." The manager said with a grin. "It's usually only used for different shows that are held here. If you can excuse me I need to make sure that everything's running smoothly." He said, glancing between the two ponies. After a moment of awkward silence, Rainbow waved her hoof toward the door, and the manager smiled before he backed out of the booth. 

"That was.. that was weird." Twilight said, still gazing at the door. She turned as Rainbow gasped, the pegasus zipping from spot to spot examining everything in the large booth. 

"Twilight! They have kegs of Applejack's cider!" Rainbow said, already filling a mug full. Twilight shook her head, grinning at her friend. The day was hardly half over, and had already surpassed Twilight's highest expectations. 



> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So... what do you think was up with the way the manager was acting?" Twilight asked a few moments later, grinning as Rainbow sat next to her, already working on her second glass of Cider, and holding a bowl of pretzels. 

"What do you mean?" She asked, her eyes roaming over the stadium seats. 

"Well he was acting like ponies normally act toward... well toward Princess Celestia?" Twilight responded, hoping Rainbow agreed with her. 

"Oh. Well you are the student of the Princess herself, as well as the Element of Magic, and the four time savior of Equestria. Your practically royalty now Twi." The mare said, poking Twilight in the shoulder with a hoof. She frowned as the Unicorn's face fell, her eyes dipping to the ground. "What's wrong Twilight?" 

"I hate being treated like something special." She said, glancing up. "When I first became Celestia's student, ponies would bow to me, and act as if my word was law, and it used to scare me. I was afraid I would say the wrong thing and upset somepony. I had a few ponies try to hurt me when I was younger, and it was all just to get to the Princess." She answered, her eyes flashing for a moment as she relived the memories. She nervously ran a hoof through her hair, picking at imaginary knots in her mane.  "I prefer my nice private life I have now with all my friends... and you." She added, trying to brighten the tense mood that had developed. 

"Don't worry Twi. We'll be back home soon and we can have all the privacy you want. And if anyone thinks they can hurt you, they've got me to go through first!" Rainbow exclaimed, puffing her chest out and flexing her wings.

"My Hero!" Twilight threw her hooves together, batting her eye lashes at Rainbow, a smile on her muzzle. 

Before she could reply, a loud cheer rose up from the stadium. The pair turned, casting their eyes to the field below them. Twilight giggled at Dash as the pegasus sighed when the Wonderbolts stepped onto the field, dressed in their matching flight suits. They lined up, waving to the crowd around them as they took wing, one by one. 


Several hours later...


Twilight smiled as Rainbow landed next to her, complaining about her throat hurting. 

"Maybe if you hadn't spent the last hour of the show trying to scream tips to Soarin, your throat wouldn't hurt as much you silly filly." Twilight reprimanded, giggling as Rainbow stuck a tongue out at her. 

"Well I didn't expect him to need them obviously!"

Twilight just shook her head, smiling as the pair walked out of the V.I.P. booth and merged with the crowd around them. Twilight glared as pony after pony bumped into them, almost causing the unicorn to stumble several times. Rainbow arched a brow at the mare next to her, smiling as she lifted a wing and draped it over Twilight's back. Twilight turned her head, looking at Rainbow before she blushed slightly and snuggled into Rainbows wing hold. 

"Did you have fun today?" Rainbow asked, pulling Twilight next to her. 

Twilight sighed as she grinned at the pegasus holding her.
"Yes I did Dashie. It was really interesting once you started explaining some of the aerodynamics, and it let me know how hard it is for you to do some of your tricks back home!" The unicorn said, a proud smile on her muzzle as she bumped flanks with the pegasus next to her. "I wish I could fly like you sometimes." Twilight said, gazing into space for a moment before shaking her head. 

Rainbow's cheeks colored at Twilight's kind words. She grinned as an idea wormed its way into her mind as Twilight expressed her desire to fly. "Well the date's not over yet is it?" 

"Not necessarily. It's only a little after lunch, and we don't need to catch the train so we could just find something else to do."  Twilight glanced upwards, judging the time by the suns position overhead. 

"Well what's there to do in Canterlot? I've never been here long enough to just see the sights." Rainbow grinned as Twilight's eyes lit up and she sat back on her haunches, clapping her hooves together as she started listing the many activities they could do. 

Rainbow gazed at the unicorn before her, her eyes trailing down the mare's body, hesitating on her Cutie mark. 

"Dash?" Twilight's voice broke through the Pegasus's thoughts. 

"Uh... yea?"

"Did you hear a word I said?" Twilight said, narrowing her eyes. Rainbow opened her mouth to respond when Twilight continued. "Or were you to busy staring at my flank?" 

"I wasn- I di- It's." The cyan ponies muzzle turned bright red as she stammered. 

Twilight broke out in a giggle, poking her with a hoof as she laughed. 

"I'm playing Dash. I know you were staring." She said, winking at the still blushing pony as she turned and trotted off, heading toward the towering structures that made up the Princess's castle. 

A few moments later, Twilight caught the faint sound of whistling, and turned as a furry missile slammed into her, sending her and Rainbow rolling down the street, a blur of purple and cyan. The pair were giggling loudly, smiling as they came to a stop. Rainbow was atop Twilight, holding the unicorn down with her hooves. The giggling slowly died down as the pair realized the position they were in. 

Rainbow looked down at the purple mare beneath her, who was currently blushing and biting her lower lip. Twilight was staring at her, her eyes wide and her tongue darting out to moisten her lips. Rainbow lowered her head, her lips about to brush Twi's...

"Twilight Sparkle? Rainbow Dash?" A voice called out, from a few feet behind them. 

"Yes Princess Celestia?" Twilight murmured, her eyes not moving. Rainbow felt a breeze below her, and suddenly Twilight was gone, a panicked look on her face. 

"OH MY- Princess Celestia! What are you doing here?!" Twilight asked, her eyes wide as they darted between the princess, who was standing a few inches away with a amused look on her face, and the smirking face of Rainbow. 

"This is my palace, is it not?" Celestia responded, grinning at the dumbstruck look on her students face. Twilight glanced past her teacher, noticing for the first time that Twilight had made it all the way into the castle, before being tackled inside by Dash. 

"Oh." 

"Please come inside. It's been a while since I've had a chance to speak with you directly my dear." Celestia said, turning and stepping further into the castle. Behind her she heard Twilight whine slightly as the mare spoke. 

"Um... actually Princess. I was hoping to take a walk through the royal gardens with Rainbow today." She said, blushing as Celestia gave her a knowing smile. She felt a nudge at her flank, and smiled as she turned to the Cyan pony. 

"We would be honored to join you for dinner, if that is okay with you, your majesty?" Rainbow said, bowing down on her front legs, fanning her wings out. 

"That would be delightful. It seems we have some happy news to speak of later?" Celestia asked imploringly, her tone almost hopeful. 

"We do," Twilight said, grinning as she ran her hoof lightly over Rainbows. "But for now, if you'll excuse us we have a date to finish in the gardens." Twilight said, grinning at Celestia as she led Rainbow toward a small door, just off from the main room. 

"I will see you at dinner than, my faithful student." Celestia said, smiling as the pair waved and stepped through the doorway, their hooves clip clopping through the hallway. The princess smiled, pride swelling up in her chest as she turned, making her way through the castle straight for her little sisters room, eager to spread the good news. 

> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several hours passed as the pair walked through the gardens, and before long, the sun began to set. As their shadows stretched across the ground, Twilight glanced towards the castle, where she could make out a familiar figure standing on the balcony of the tallest tower. 

Twilight gazed at Princess Celestia, a small smile gracing her muzzle as she sat down to watch her mentor lower the sun. 

"You love her, don't you?" Rainbow calmly asked, sitting down next to her. 

"Yes, I do. But not in the same way that I love you." Twilight said, glancing over for a moment, before turning back to look at the castle. "She was my first friend, you know?  I will always hold a special place for her in my heart. If it wasn't for her, I never would have met the cutest, fastest, and most daring pony ever anyways." She said, nudging Dash in the side.

"Yeah, if it wasn't for her, then I never would have met Pinkie." Dash glared at Twilight for a moment before breaking up in laughter. 

"There's Princess Luna!" Rainbow exclaimed, pointing a hoof into the sky, where they could see the dark figure of Luna gliding through the air, a long star-filled mane flowing behind her as she landed next to her sister. 

"We better head to the dining hall, then." Twilight said as Rainbow stretched her legs and jumped into the air.

As the pair entered the castle, Rainbow landed next to Twilight, brushing her with her wing.  Twilight leaned against her, nuzzling the cyan pony’s neck, sending a shiver down her back.  She impishly grinned at the pegasus before nipping her on the neck. 

"Hey!" Dash yelped, and poked Twilight in the ribs, who squeaked in response.  A large grin appeared on Dash's face as she unfurled her wings and slowly approached the stuttering and trembling mare. 

"No, Da- Stop it-" She started laughing as Dash ran a feather over her rib cage, tickling the unicorn. "Please, mercy!" She screamed between laughs, as Rainbow needled and poked her ribs. 

Laughter rang out through the hallway, not from the trembling unicorn, but from the two approaching alicorns. Dash looked up, grinning at the Princesses before bowing to them, finally letting Twilight stand, who was grinning ear to ear with a light blush on her cheeks. 

"Hello Princesses." Twilight said, bowing to the two before her.  She suddenly shrieked as a feather suddenly ran over her ribs once more, and shot an evil glare at Rainbow Dash, who pointed a hoof at Princess Luna. Twilight turned, and sure enough, Luna was levitating a feather beside Twilight, grinning at her reaction. 

"We... I did not know you were ticklish, my dear Twilight." Luna laughed, as Twilight’s blush deepened. Twilight lowered her eyes to the floor, and mumbled something incoherently to herself. 

Twilight trotted off, leaving the Princesses and Rainbow to follow her to the private dining hall. 

"So, Rainbow Dash, we saw your sonic rainboom at the wedding.  It was most... beautiful?" The princess said, searching for the right word. Ahead of her, Twilight slipped into the dining hall, a slight grin on her muzzle. 

"Thank you Princess! I’ve only been able to do it three times." Rainbow grinned, her chest puffing out slightly. The trio stepped into the dining hall, still chatting to each other. As they sat around the small dining table, Rainbow glanced around the room. 

"Wait... Where's Twilight?  You… you don't think she's mad at me, do you?" Rainbow stammered, her ears falling as she started to look around desperately. She glanced under the table, and trotted to the door and glanced up and down the hallway. 

"I doubt she's mad at you Rainbow Dash." Celestia said, her brow furrowed at her student's puzzling behavior. "Come, let us begin our meal and await her return." Celestia said, tapping her hoof against the table twice. 

Behind her, several ponies entered the room, holding large trays of food, which were quickly deposited on the table. Rainbow walked back to the table and sat down. She looked at her food, then at the empty spot next to her. 

"Um... Princess?" Rainbow said, looking toward Celestia. "If it's ok, I'd like to wait for Twilight.”

Celestia smiled at the pegasus before her, nodding as she regally chewed a salad that had been placed before her.  Hearing something odd, her ears perked up as she glanced over at Luna, whose ears were cocked to a spot just behind the pegasus.

Rainbow looked down at her plate, and pushed the sandwich away from her with a hoof.  She turned, gazing toward the door again, the itch to go find Twilight rising in her chest. Suddenly the plate in front of her bumped into her chest, causing her to glance at it. She looked up to the two princesses, who were watching the plate with surprise. 

"Did you..." The pegasus trailed off as she watched as the plate slowly rose into the air.  Rainbow glanced at the two alicorns before her, and after seeing no magic coming from either of them, she started looking around for Twilight.

"Twilight?" Rainbow said, looking around for her signature purple glow. She glanced under the table again, and started trotting around the room, looking for the mare. 

The plate followed her every step of the way, and as Rainbow finished looking around the room, she felt a muzzle press into the back of her neck, lips slowly drifting across her fur. She shuddered slightly, and turned to look behind her, conveniently hiding the blush creeping on her face from the princesses. 

"What in the hay is going on?!?”  She cried, slapping her hooves over her eyes. She slowly lowered her hooves, and yelped in surprise as Twilight's face appeared out of thin air inches from her own. Twilight fell to the floor, snorting with laughter as Rainbow jumped into the air, her chest heaving. She glanced over at the Princesses, who were giggling behind their hooves. 

"Nice one, Twi. How'd you do that?" Rainbow said, nervously drifting back to the ground beside her. 

"Oh, it's an invisibility spell that I learned just a few days ago.”  She trailed off, blushing as she remembered her first experience with it.  She felt guilty about finding out about Rainbow's feelings for her like that, but at this point it didn't matter. 

She grinned at Rainbow, and said, “I wasn't mad at you, I just thought I had to get you back for earlier!" She turned to the two other mares in the room. "Thank you both for not telling her I was in the room." 

Rainbow turned to the two princesses, indignation on her face. "You knew she was in here?" 

"Well… no, not at first," Celestia said, a grin on her face as she glanced at Luna, who shook her head with a grin. "We weren't sure until she used a levitation spell on that plate, but even then we did not know she was invisible, merely that she was somewhere in the room. That was an impressive bit of magic, Twilight." Luna nodded her head in agreement. 

"Thank you Princess." Twilight blushed at their compliments. 

"Please, call us by our names.  There's no need for such formality between friends." Luna said, glancing at her sister for approval. She was met with a warm smile, agreement on her face. 

"I must know; how did you hide your horn's glow?" She inquired, the thirst for knowledge on her face. 

"I actually was unaware that my glow would not show up. I was hiding under the table when I cast the spell, and when it didn't cast a glow, I slipped out." The mare said, giggling. 

"Um, Twi?" Rainbow said, glancing at the mare. "Can we eat now?" A deep growl rumbled from her stomach as she spoke.

"Oh yes, let's eat." She said, grinning as Rainbow dug in. 

A comfortable silence fell over the four as they ate, no one wishing to speak with full mouths.  After they had eaten their fair share, a conversation broke out about Twilight's studies and Rainbow's pursuit of joining the Wonderbolts. Eventually, the topic drifted closer to home, and Celestia asked her student about her budding relationship. 

"So, how long have you and Rainbow been together?" Celestia asked, happiness evident on her face. Beside her, Luna frowned.  

"Well, it is a recent development," Twilight said, smiling at the mare next to her as she grabbed Rainbow's hoof in hers. "We just became marefriends a few days ago, and this is actually our first date." 

Rainbow smiled as Twilight acknowledged their relationship with words for the first time. She knew they were dating, but it set her heart a flutter to hear Twilight say it, especially to someone as important to her as her mentor. 

"Well, congratulations on your new relationship! If I may be so bold... Are these new feelings, or have you been keeping secrets from me?" Celestia asked, grinning as her student blushed slightly. Beside her, Twilight felt Dash stiffen slightly. She kept a neutral expression on her face, but Twilight could tell she was just as curious as the princesses. Twilight cocked her head as Luna looked away from them, a deep frown on her face.

I'm not sure, honestly. I didn't know I liked her until..." She trailed off, staring at Luna until she returned the unicorn's gaze. "Is... Is everything alright Luna?" Luna sighed, her shoulders  sinking as she lowered her head.

"I apologize if I seem... uncomfortable. I did not have the thousand years of change to get used to... same sex relationships as my sister did." Luna said, glancing at Celestia who was busying herself with her salad. "Back before... before I was banished. Same sex relationships were... uncommon to say the least. You were supposed to find a stallion and have children, just to make sure your family line would... live on." Luna said, a pleading tone in her voice. 

"Please, Twilight. You must understand, I do not disagree with you and Dash being together, I support you completely. It's just...  something I have to adapt to." Luna explained, a smile on her muzzle. "I am still trying to get used to the new things I find in this world around me." She beckoned with a hoof, motioning for Twilight to resume her story. 

Twilight smiled, nodding at Luna's foreleg waving. "I understand Luna. Thank you. Anyways, she told me at a party the other day. Deep down, I think I've liked Rainbow since I got to see her do her second sonic rainboom, and I'm not sure if I told you Celestia, but the only reason I'm your student is due to Rainbow." She said, smiling as Rainbow and Celestia both gave her a confused look.

"When I was taking my entrance exam to get into your school, I was so nervous because I couldn't make Spike hatch. But suddenly a beautiful rainboom went off in the sky, and it startled me so much I lost control of my power. If it hadn't been for her, I never would have met Spike, or you, or any of my friends. I owe her my entire life." Twilight finished, turning to look at the mare sitting beside her. 

Rainbow sniffled slightly, grinning at the unicorn before her. She felt affection rush through her and she pulled Twilight into a hug, grinning as she returned the embrace. 

Twilight pulled back, giving the pegasus a concerned look. "Never think that I don't love you Rainbow. You mean the world to me, and you may not know it, but you are my first relationship of any kind, and I may not always know how to express my feelings. When we get back to Ponyville, I promise that I'll study up on it!

"You egghead…" Rainbow said, giggling at Twilight. "Love isn't something you study, it's something you just do!" Twilight cocked her head at her marefriend, before looking to Celestia and Luna who were nodding as well. 

"She's right, Twilight. You can read all the books in the world and never know love. Love is something you feel and do without thinking." Celestia said, smiling as Twilight silently mulled over her words. 

"Well, my little ponies, it is very late. Would you like to stay in your old room for the night, Twilight?" Celestia said, gazing out the window where the moon sat, full and beautiful, casting a silvery glow over the land. 

Twilight shook her head, her mane flying. "I'm sorry Princess, but I actually have... other plans." She said with a smile and turned to Luna. "May I ask a favor of you, Luna?" She asked, stretching her hooves as she stood. 

"Of course." 

Twilight stepped up to Luna, and whispered her request into the princess’s ear. Twilight backed away, looking hopefully at the night princess, who was grinning at the mare as she nodded. 

"I believe that can be arranged." With a farewell, Luna stepped out of the room, her hooves clacking against the marble floor into the distance. 

Twilight turned to Celestia, who was trying to stifle a yawn behind her hoof.

"Thank you for dinner, Celestia. I was happy to catch up with you and Luna, and if you would excuse me and Rainbow, we will be heading to the sun tower." Twilight said, grinning at her teacher. 

"Think nothing of it, Twilight Sparkle!  I am always happy to see you, and I hope you have a fair trip home tonight." She hesitated, studying Twilight's face before speaking. "Before you go... I need to talk to you for a moment." 

Twilight cocked her head at her mentor, before nodding. "Of course Princess." 

Celestia turned, her tail swaying behind her as she walked to the other side of the small dinner hall, leaving Rainbow Dash alone to wait for her. "I am afraid, I have some grave news to tell you Twilight." 

"Is everything alright?" Twilight said, glancing behind her at Dash worriedly. 

Celestia nodded, nuzzling Twilight reassuringly. "We have reports from Ponyville, and several other towns that border the Everfree forest that changelings have been sighted on the edges of the forest." She lifted a hoof as Twilight gasped. "Now, as of yet, it is not a problem. I just wanted to let you know that... there is a chance that we will have to call on you and your friends once more." She said, gazing at the unicorn with a smile. "For now, just push it from your mind. Go and enjoy the rest of your night. By now, Luna should have your request waiting for you."

Twilight lifted an eyebrow as she smiled at Celestia. "How did you know?" 

Celestia shot a coy smile at the mare, giggling as she turned toward the doors her sister had exited through a mere moment before. "Good night Twilight. Good night Rainbow Dash!" She called out, raising her voice so the pegasus could hear her parting message. 

"Goodnight Princess." Rainbow said, bowing to the sun princess as she left the room. She turned to Twilight, a question on her lips. "What was that about?" 

Twilight hesitated, knowing Dash would overreact to the news of the changelings. "She was just asking about my request from Luna. She's gonna meet us at the top of the Sun tower."

Dash cocked her head, giving the unicorn a sideways glance as they headed toward the dining hall doors. "Why are we going to the Sun tower? Especially at this time of night?"

Twilight smirked at her. "You'll see when we get there. Come on!" Twilight giggled as she galloped into the hallway, leaving a rainbow-maned pegasus behind her. Before Twilight was out of sight, she heard the sound of Rainbow flying beside her, a grin on her face. The pair came to the entrance of the tower, and began to climb the stairs. A few quiet minutes later, the pair stepped onto the balcony of the tallest tower in the castle, the beautiful night sky on display before them. 

Twilight silently stood, her eyes roaming the night sky, leaning against her marefriend.  Rainbow opened her mouth to ask why they were up here, when suddenly a bright light flashed before her eyes and she felt herself standing atop a cloud, with Twilight standing next to her. 

Her horn glowed brightly and a gentle wind rose up, pushing the small cloud across the sky, away from Canterlot, and toward the distant lights that made up Ponyville. Rainbow was looking at her, surprise on her face. 

"Did you ask Luna to make this cloud for us?" She said, understanding in her eyes.

"Yes. I was thinking about what you said earlier, and I wanted to have a chance alone with you to make this night special. I thought we could ride this home and talk." She said, scuffing the cloud with her hoof, not quite meeting Rainbow’s eyes. She yelped in surprise as Rainbow hugged her unexpectedly. 

"That's really sweet, Twi! Come here." She laid down, patting the cloud next to her with a hoof as she stretched out a wing. As Twilight snuggled up to her, she laid her wing over the mare and pulled her close.

"Wow, you’re so warm Dash!" Twilight exclaimed, smiling as warmth flooded her body. 

"Well, I have to be," She chuckled at Twilight's confused look. "I spend so much time flying high in the air, I'd freeze if I wasn't built to stay warm."

"Oh… good point." Twilight said, her eyes trailing to the sky above them. Rainbow gazed up, her eyes scanning the sky above them. 

"I've always loved the night sky. It's amazing flying and having ponies cheer for you, but the solitude of the night has always called to me in a way I can't define. I practice my best tricks at night." Rainbow said, grinning at Twilight.

The pair dissolved into small talk for a few minutes, the light of Canterlot growing fainter in the background. Twilight grew silent, gazing at Dash as she nervously chewed on her lip. 

"Twi?" Dash said, noticing Twilight's nervousness. 

"I want to kiss you." Twilight abruptly said, a hoof reaching out and slowly stroking Rainbow's mane. Rainbow giggled at the mare beside her. 

"We've already kissed at Pinkie's Party, remember?"

"That doesn't count because we were drunk. I want a real first kiss." Twilight said, growing closer to Rainbow with each word. 

Their lips met in a passionate embrace, and Twilight pulled Dash closer to her. Twilight opened her lips hesitantly, tracing her tongue over Dash’s lips, which opened a second later. Rainbow ran a hoof down Twilight's back, melting into the kiss even more than their first drunken one. As the two kissed, fireworks exploded overhead, throwing warm glows of many different colors over them.

They pulled away as they ran out of breath, gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes. 

Dash spoke first. "Rarity was right!" She said, giggling as Twilight looked at the mare beside her. 

"About what?"

"Rarity said if you get a kiss from the one you love, you see fireworks! And she was right!" Rainbow said, waving a hoof at the fireworks exploding in the air. 

"Wait a minute... I don't think she meant real fireworks..." Twilight trailed off as the pair looked over to see a familiar pink pony standing on a nearby cloud, holding dozens of fireworks as she struggled to light the next batch. 

Pinkie looked up, a large grin on her face as she noticed the pair staring at her.

"SURPRISE!" she screamed, jumping up and down on her cloud. 

"I felt a back itch, tail twitch, AND a throat cough! And everyone knows that means a first kiss! So I grabbed my First Kiss firework pack and came as soon as I could! You two look so cute together I can't believe it! Did you like the fireworks, most ponies do but I wasn't sure, and then when I saw ya'll looking at me I just decided to yell SURPRISE! Which I already did!" Pinkie said, somehow not breathing once throughout her entire speech. 

"PINKIE!" Twilight screamed, cutting the ecstatic pony off before she could begin talking again. 

"Yes, Twilight?" Pinkie asked as she bounced on the cloud like a trampoline. 

"How did you get up here?" Twilight asked, an eye twitching as Rainbow collapsed in silent laughter. 

"I'm not sure..." Pinkie said, freezing impossibly in mid-air, a hoof thoughtfully scratching her chin. 

Twilight just glared at the pink pony before joining Rainbow Dash in laughter, with Pinkie Pie following seconds later. 
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow and Twilight were happier than they had been in years. The pair had seen the Neighagra falls together, traveled north to visit Shining Armor and Princess Cadence in the Crystal Empire, and even had another dinner date with the Princesses. They spent almost every day together, and when they weren't out on a date, they were staying at Twilight's home, usually curled up reading together. 

The weeks passed quickly, and before they knew it, the pair had been dating for close to three months. At the moment, Rainbow Dash was just arriving at Twilight's, for what Twilight thought was a normal dinner date. She was sporting a rather large grin on her face as Twilight stepped out onto her balcony.

"What's got you so happy?" Twilight asked, giggling as Rainbow hovered in place. 

"Oh, nothing important." She said as she drifted into Twilight's bedroom. "Has anything unexpected happened today?”

"Um... no?" Twilight said, cocking an eye at the pegasus. "Why?" 

"Oh, no reason!" She exclaimed, busying herself by studying the bookcase next to Twilight's bed. Before she turned, Twilight could have sworn she saw her face fall for a split second. 

"Rainbow? What's wrong with you?" Twilight asked, stomping a hoof as she stepped in front of Rainbow.

Rainbow sighed, and glanced at the floor. 

"I had a surpri..." She trailed off as she saw a large flash of light come from the balcony she had just come from just a minute ago. 

"Now, who could that be? The entrance to the library is downstairs…" Twilight asked, and trotted over to the door.  She threw it open, and gasped as Princess Celestia stepped into the room. 

"Hello, my faithful student." She said, grinning at her student’s dumbstruck expression. 

“What...what are you doing here?" Twilight asked, frantically cleaning the room with her magic.  In seconds, the room was spotless. "I mean, I wasn't expecting you!" 

"Calm down, Twilight. I am actually here to grant Rainbow Dash her special request." The princess said, smiling as her gaze drifted over to a beaming Rainbow. 

"What special request?" Twilight asked, glancing between the alicorn and the pegasus. 

Celestia arched an eyebrow at the cyan pony, who blushed slightly, her grin never leaving her face. 

"Rainbow wanted to speak with me privately after our dinner last week, and she asked me to bestow upon you a very special gift. I see now that she was keeping this a secret." Celestia said, amusement evident in her voice. 

"Rainbow, you didn’t have to do anything for me!" Twilight trailed off, smiling as Dash stepped forward and hugged her. 

"You don't even know what it is yet!" Rainbow said, leaning against the excited unicorn. 

"Oh? What is it?" Twilight asked, turning to Celestia.

"How about I just show you?" Celestia asked, her horn aglow with her magic. 

Twilight sat down, stilling herself as Celestia bowed her head, her mane flowing in an invisible breeze. 

As Celestia's horn brushed Twilight, a bright flash blinded the occupants of the room. As Twilight blinked, trying in vain to clear her vision, she suddenly felt an intense itch in her back, as if her muscles and bone structure were changing beneath her skin.

She glanced over her shoulder, and nearly fainted in shock as she watched pale white bones grow from her spine, quickly covering themselves in a mass of red muscle. Veins quickly crept along the muscle, which was quickly hidden by skin, which was in turn covered by her deep purple fur. 

She rolled her shoulder, trying to get rid of the strange sensations, and yelped in surprise as her newly formed wings shot out from her sides, clipping Rainbow Dash in the head.

"What the hay!" Twilight screamed, her head twisting and turning as she studied herself, admiring the two beautiful wings protruding from her back. They were deep purple, with violet and rose colored feathers along the edges. "Did you make me into… into an alicorn?" Twilight asked, looking up to Celestia with hope and wonder in her eyes. 

Celestia laughed, her eyes sparkling as her mane flowed behind her. “I’m afraid not, Twilight. Even though you may look the part, you are certainly not an alicorn. I have only given you temporary wings, much like the wings you gave your friend, Rarity." She smiled as Twilight experimentally stretched her wings, flapping them slowly. 

"Wait, how do I know how to move them? They aren’t part of my natural biology, so how am I able to control them?" She flexed her wings, demonstrating her muscle control. 

"With Rarity's wings, she was able to use them because they were so large she had to just flap them to do what she wanted. With your wings, you need experience to be able to use them correctly." Celestia explained, grinning as Twilight took on her student-learning look. "Your wings will be gone by tomorrow morning. And since I wanted you to have enough time to enjoy them with Rainbow Dash, I transferred some of my memories of flying to you. You'll instinctively know how to use your wings, but Rainbow will have to show you some of the more advanced techniques." The princess said, nodding her head at the cyan pegasus who was staring at Twilight's wings in amazement.  

"Wow, a biological spell, combined with a memory manipulation spell... That must have taken forever!" Twilight said, tilting her head. 

"Well, Twilight, you must forget that my sister is one of the top magic users in Equestria. The moment I told her of Rainbow Dash’s special request for Twilight, she poured herself into experimenting with different spells. I, uhhh… I actually walked in on her having four wings at one time..." She said, shuddering at the disturbing thought. Celestia glanced outside, eyeing the sun as she trotted to the doorway. "I apologize my little ponies, but I must be getting back to the castle. I have an aid waiting outside my chambers because I told him I needed to freshen up." She said, giggling to herself as she extended her wings to their full extent. 

"Farewell, Princess Celestia." Twilight said, bowing to her mentor. Beside her, Rainbow copied her movement, and thanked the princess profusely. 

Celestia took to the sky, her horn glowing with a beautiful golden haze. She flapped once, and vanished in a flash of light. 

"Come on Twi, I'm gonna teach you how to use these things!" Dash said, flexing her wings as she spoke. Twilight followed nervously, uncertainty on her face as she followed the pegasus onto the balcony. Twilight gulped suddenly as she glanced over the edge, noticing for the first time how tall her balcony really was. 

"I'm not sure I can do this, Dash." Twilight nervously said, shuffling her hooves together as she began to tremble in fear. Rainbow lifted Twilight’s chin with her wing, and smiled gently as their eyes met. 

"What's wrong, Twi?" Rainbow said, beginning to think that maybe her awesome gift was a bad idea. 

"I’m not sure if I can do this…" Twilight said, uncertainty clouding her heart. Rainbow smiled at the mare, pulled her forward with her wing, and kissed her passionately.  As she felt her wings snap to attention, she broke the kiss and looked over her shoulder in confusion.

"Why are my wings so stiff... oh." She said, blushing as she faced Rainbow. Dash was blushing slightly too, knowing that Twilight was thinking of the times that her wings had reacted in the same way. 

Changing the subject, Rainbow said, "Don’t worry; I'll be right beside you every step of the way!  Just watch my wings and copy what I do!" Rainbow tilted her wings, flapping them as she slowly rose into the air, and before Twilight knew it, Rainbow was hovering beside her. 

Twilight nodded shakily, a steeled look crossing her face as she planted her hooves, tilted her wings, and began to flap. Her hooves slowly left the balcony as Rainbow cheered her on. She threw her arms out as she leveled out beside Rainbow, which threw her off balance and caused her to slowly tilt to the right. She focused intently, and flapped furiously to right herself. 

"Good job, Twi! Now, just follow my lead!" Rainbow said, grinning as she slowly drifted forward. 

Twilight chewed her lip, and before she could blink she was zooming past the cyan pegasus. Rainbow blinked, a challenging smile appearing on her face. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour later found Twilight and Dash flying high in the sky, the clouds far below them. Rainbow was leading Twilight somewhere, but no matter how much she begged Dash to tell her where they were going, she remained silent. In the distance the pair were approaching a large bundle of clouds, but as they got closer, Twilight was able to make out different buildings on the clouds, with pegasi flying here and there. 

"You’re taking me to see Cloudsdale?" Twilight excitedly asked, her eyes widening as Dash nodded back at her, a large grin plastered on her face. 

"Well you took me to see your hometown, so I figured you should see where I was raised." Rainbow said, smiling as she rolled around a cloud. Twilight giggled at the mare's antics and smiled, and as they gained altitude, she could see the stadium where the Best Young Fliers competition had been held in. 

Rainbow drifted, her wings stiff as she lazily landed on a free-floating cloud. Twilight landed beside her and instinctively tucked her wings into her side. She grinned at Rainbow, who was looking at her marefriend with pride. 

"Over there…" Rainbow paused, and pointed at a large building, with a rainbow pouring off the top of it. "Is where Fluttershy and I went to summer flight camp!" Twilight sat back, her eyes following the mare's hoof as Rainbow pointed out building after building. "That's where I pick up my weather schedule, and next door to that is the Pegasopolis Gym." 

"What's so special about the Pegasopolis Gym?" Twilight asked, her eyes examining the building. 

"It's the premier gym for pegasi." Rainbow answered, stating the obvious. She shrugged as Twilight glared at her. "It has special equipment to make you a better flier." She said, glancing at the mare beside her. 

"Special equipment? Like what?" The unicorn had a familiar studious gleam in her eyes. 

“Weights, water training, wind tunnels..." She trailed off as Twilight nodded, stepping close to the edge of the cloud. "I'll make a deal with you, Twi. If you can stay aloft in the wind tunnel at its highest speed, then I'll pay for our next date of your choosing.  But if you can't stay aloft, you pay for our next date of my choice." She said, raising her hoof. 

Twilight watched her carefully, her eyes darting to the gym before they narrowed and returned to the pegasus before her. "I hope you enjoy paying for a science conference!" She said, shaking Rainbow's hoof. 

Rainbow wrinkled her nose in disgust, and growled as Twilight threw herself off the cloud, soaring toward the gym below them. Twilight didn't even make it halfway to the gym before a rainbow blur rocketed by her. 

Twilight landed in front of the gym and made her way through the front door. As she entered the gym, Rainbow was already signing herself and her guest in. She took the clipboard between her teeth and passed it to the large pegasus behind the counter. As he took it from Dash, his eyes darted to the doorway. His eyes grew large and he glanced first at Twilight's wings, than her horn. 

"Calm down, Speed. This is Twilight Sparkle, a naturally born unicorn. Princess Celestia cast a spell on her that allows her to have wings temporarily." Rainbow said, expertly guessing why the pegasus was gawking at her marefriend. He nodded, relaxing as he faced the smirking cyan pony. 

"Can you get a pegasus to meet us at the wind tunnel? I wanna test these bad boys out!" She said, laughing as Twilight gingerly extended her wings. 

"They'll meet you there, Dash." Speed said, trotting off as Rainbow wound her way through the gym floor. 

"There sure are a lot of ponies here." Twilight said, her eyes filled with pegasi of every color. Her skin crawled as one by one each pegasus would catch sight of her and fall silent, there eyes locked on her horn. She shuddered slightly, and bit her lower lip as she pressed against Rainbow dash. Rainbow grinned at the mare beside her, her grin falling as she saw the look on Twilight's face. 

"Twi, what's wrong?" She stretched her wing over her marefriend, shooting a glare at the ponies around them. Most still stared, but a few ponies had the decency to turn and continue their earlier conversations. 

"They’re all staring at me..." She trailed off, relaxing slightly as they passed through a doorway, into a nearly empty room. A single mare stood inside, a smile on her face as the pair approached her. 

"Hello Rainbow Dash, Miss Sparkle. My name's Windy." The mare said, introducing herself to the pair standing before her. "Who's gonna be in the tube today?" She asked, glancing between the two. She smiled as Miss Sparkle stepped forward. 

"Please come with me, Miss Sparkle. You may head into the viewing room, Rainbow." Windy smiled at the pair as she trotted off, and entered a doorway Twilight didn't notice until she opened it. As they walked through the doorway Windy had just went through, Rainbow extended a wing and blocked Twilight's path. Twilight looked at her in confusion, and then relaxed as Rainbow stepped forward and kissed the unicorn on her lips, coaxing a slight groan from her. 

Rainbow ended the kiss with a hoof, a grin on her face.  

"What was that for?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, just because." Rainbow grinned at the purple pony and stepped forward, swatting her muzzle with her tail as she walked past. Twilight entered a large door, which sealed shut with a hiss behind her. She looked around in confusion for a moment, and examined the large room. A red square was on the ground, and against the far wall was a large red rune. Behind her sat a large net to catch those who couldn’t handle the tunnel’s strength.

"Please step forward to the red square, Miss Sparkle.  In a moment I will start the tunnel, and your partner will be in control of the wind speeds." The mare pointed to her left, where a glass wall separated her from Rainbow. Twilight nodded, relaxing her wings and rolling her shoulders as the window shut. A whisper of wind came from the end of the room, pushing her mane back and running over her feathers. 

She arched her neck, lowering herself into a takeoff position as the wind speed slowly increased. She flapped her wings and lifted off the ground.  The wind speed increased some more, and then she heard a voice behind her. 

"One!"

Twilight jumped, almost squealing as the voice echoed in her ear for a moment. The wind blew faster and faster, and she quickly went from a slow drift to pumping her wings as hard as she could.

"Three!" She glanced over at Rainbow, who was smiling encouragingly at her. Twilight stuck her tongue out at the mare, whose face took on a look of shock, and suddenly the wind speed went up two notches. 

"Four!"

"Five!"

Before long the, wind speed had increased several more times, each time the struggle to fly growing harder and harder. 

“Nine!" 

Her wings ached, and she was flapping her wings as hard as she possibly could. Sweat poured down her face and she knew her mane lay in wet ropes down the back of her neck. She glanced at her marefriend who was looking at her with a mixture of surprise and, if Twilight wasn't mistaken, lust. Twilight smiled, a devious idea in her mind. 

Rainbow looked on, watching the sweat drip down Twilight's body. Her hair was ruined and was laying across her neck in wet clumps. She was panting and had a brilliant flush to her cheeks. Rainbow had never seen the mare before her look quite so sexy. Twilight's eyes were half closed and she darted a tongue out slowly licking her lips as she glanced over at her rainbow-maned pony. Rainbow felt heat rush through her, and for a moment she was astounded. As the flying unicorn smiled, Dash grinned as she realized that her marefriend was playing her. 

"Two can play at this game!" She whispered to herself, and glanced at Twilight, who was once again focusing her eyes on the opposite wall. 

Twilight heard a faint tapping, almost inaudible over the roar of the wind assaulting her ears. She looked to the window from earlier, which was still closed. Glancing to Rainbow, her eyes flew open as she saw her marefriend. Rainbow had turned around, her flank pressing against the glass. She twitched her tail to the side, and gave the struggling unicorn a full view of her muscular plot. Twilight growled as she felt her wings stiffen, which caused her to lose control and fall back into the net behind her.

The wind cut off slowly, allowing the mare struggle to free herself from the net. As her hooves hit the ground, she threw the door open with her magic, storming out of the wind tunnel. Rainbow was standing just outside, a large grin on her face, which quickly fell as she saw the look of pure anger on Twilight's face. Before the mare could speak, she squeaked in surprise as she was yanked into the air, her body surrounded by a magenta glow. 



She sputtered, trying to speak, but no sound would come out. Her face turned red, and she tried to angle herself to see Twilight's face, but the mare was walking so fast Rainbow could only float helplessly behind her.  Rainbow blushed as the pegasi around her glanced at her curiously, giggling slightly as she knew most of them were convinced Twilight was an alicorn.

As the pair reached the streets, Twilight hesitated for a moment. Rainbow looked at her, her mouth trying to move for a moment before she remembered that she had been struck silent. She glared at the back of Twilight's head for a moment, and glared even harder as the mare twisted her head, looking this way and that way with a sly grin on her face. 

Twilight stretched out her wings, and took to the sky, the sun glistening off the sweat on her fur. Rainbow looked on in awe, screaming as she was suddenly rocketing through the air, coming to rest just behind the flying unicorn. Twilight stopped as the pair came to a comfortable height, her eyes darting here and there before they stopped on a thick cloud. She darted into the cloud and hid herself from view, and then released Rainbow. 

Rainbow glanced around, a white cloud filling her entire view. She knew Twilight was nearby, but the mare was hidden in the fluff. 

"Twilight?" She called hesitantly, her head twisting and turning. Her neck involuntarily arched as she felt her marefriend’s lips run down her neck. She moaned in disappointment as the feeling vanished, but that was quickly replaced by a moan of satisfaction when Twilight suddenly kissed her on her lips.
She felt a hoof brush her spine, running between her wings. As Rainbow melted into the kiss, she felt a hoof start to stroke her cutie mark. Once again, Twilight vanished into the cloud behind her, leaving the pegasus gasping and desperately wanting more. 

She flapped her wings, rising out of the cloud, and glared playfully at the smirking purple pony, who was stretched lazily out on the cloud. Rainbow pounced on her marefriend, and softly kissed the unicorn’s neck. Twilight gasped in delight as Rainbow started planting small kisses all across her neck. 

Rainbow bit down gently, drawing a breathless gasp from Twilight. She groaned as Dash softly nibbled on her neck, blood rushing throughout her body. Rainbow ran a hoof down Twilight’s side, her hoof sliding across her sensitive cutie mark, which earned a blush from the mare below her. Twilight groaned as Rainbow kissed her, pushing her tongue into Twilight’s open mouth. Twilight suddenly grabbed Rainbow and rolled on top of the cyan pegasus. Twilight held her down and was just about to nibble on her marefriend's ear when suddenly she heard a loud rumbling.

Startled, Twilight jumped up and glared down at the cloud below her, expecting thunder. However, when the sound repeated itself, Twilight glanced at Rainbow, who was holding a hoof to her belly; her cheeks redder than Twilight had ever seen. Twilight stared at the mare, and then she fell to her knees, laughing so hard tears came to her eyes. Rainbow glared at her for a moment, before she broke into laughter herself. 

"What a mood-killer, Dash!" Twilight said, grinning at the pony beside her. 
"Come on, Twi. I'll take you to the best restaurant in all of Cloudsdale!  And afterwards, we can have some alone time…" Rainbow shot into the sky, leaving Twi alone on the cloud. 

Twilight stood, stretching her wings as she launched herself into the air, a happy laugh escaping her lips as she rose into the air, vanishing into the distance chasing after a beautiful rainbow. 
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a brisk flight, the pair arrived at a large building that had a small river of liquid rainbow pouring from the roof. A large sign identified the building as The Proud Pegasus. Rainbow smiled and took a deep breath as she recalled several fond memories of her favorite restaurant. Twilight scrunched up her nose, the smell of liquid rainbow burning her nostrils. Rainbow giggled at Twilight’s expression and held the door open as she waved the unicorn inside.

They entered the restaurant and sat themselves down in a booth with an amazing view of the city. Rainbow reached forward and grabbed her menu and started to flip through it. Twilight glanced at hers, reading the different salads and sandwiches as she examined the diner. Their server, a crème-colored pegasus, trotted up and was about to take their order when she recognized the two ponies in front of her. 

“Excuse me, but are you Twilight Sparkle?” The mare asked, eying the unicorn’s wings. 

Twilight's eyes widened as she looked at the pegasus as she frantically tried to recognize her. 

“Yes, I am, but do I know you?” Twilight asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. 

“No, but I think everypony knows you!” The pegasus said, clapping her hooves together as she suddenly recognized Rainbow Dash as well. “Ah, and Miss Dash as well!  We can't have you sit here; come with me and we'll get ya'll set up with the VIP table!  Just give me a minute to prepare it!” 

Twilight shook her head and tried to tell the waitress that they were just fine where they were, but she had already trotted away. Rainbow giggled at Twilight’s exasperated expression. A moment later, the mare returned, and beckoned them to follow her outside to their new seats right on the edge of the cloud. 

As they approached the table, Twilight could see for miles around, and she glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who said,

“At least we get to see the most beautiful thing in Cloudsdale!”  She waved a hoof, gesturing at the beautiful view in front of them. Twilight turned, her eyes raking the distance. 

“What's so beautiful up here?” Twilight asked curiously as they took their seats. 

Dash shifted, suddenly becoming very interested in her wing. She mumbled something under her breath. 

“What was that?” 

Dash sighed and mumbled something incoherently again. 

“Come again?” 

“I said: You are!” She said, as she glared at the unicorn. 

“Awe… Dashie thinks I'm beautiful!” Twilight said, tossing her mane forward and peering at her marefriend through her bangs. Dash turned red, her expression deepening. Before Twilight could say anything else, their waitress was back, looking expectantly between the two. Dash glanced at her menu, and ordered a salad. Twilight glanced down at her menu nervously, not sure what she wanted. 

“I'll have the same!” She blurted, and handed the mare her menu. Twilight glanced across the table, and giggled lightly as Rainbow tried to fight the blush on her cheeks. “Dash, I must confess that you look adorable when you blush.”

Dash smiled, grinning at Twilight’s words. The pair fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments, and then Dash began telling Twilight several stories about her time in Cloudsdale, before she moved to Ponyville. 

“So, why did you move all the way to Ponyville?” Twilight asked as she watched a cloud drift by, chased by a group of young fillies. The silence stretched on for a few moments, and she looked over to see Dash staring off into the distance. 

“Fluttershy and I had been roommates throughout flight school, and after we graduated, she moved to Ponyville, and I couldn't exactly leave my best friend by herself, ya know? So I just followed the silly mare here.” She said, her eyes glistening ever so slightly. Twilight wanted to ask her about it, but felt like it would be a touchy subject.

Their waitress arrived and placed two large bowls in front of them. She also pushed a miniature black rain cloud over the table. 

“Is there anything else I can get for ya'll?” She asked, smiling helpfully at the couple. 

“No thank you.” Twilight answered, smiling as the mare retreated back into the restaurant. Twilight leaned forward, and bit into the salad with relish as her stomach began to grumble. Her eyes widened as she swallowed, surprised at the sweet taste. 

“Wow, this is really good Dash!” Twilight said, smiling as she chewed. She grabbed the small black cloud, held it over her glass, and gave it a quick squeeze. She yelped as the cloud gave her a minor shock. She shot the cloud a glare, and stuck her tongue out at the giggling pegasus across the table. 

Rainbow leaned over and grasped the cloud in her hooves and gave it a gentle prod. A clear stream of water rained from the cloud, pouring into Twilight's glass. A smile formed on the mare's face as she took a sip from the glass. 

“Why didn't it work for me?” Twilight said, poking her lip out in an adorable pout. 

Rainbow grinned at her, shaking her head slightly as she pushed her empty bowl away with her hoof. “You can't just force the rain out of them, you have to coax it out!” She grinned at the mare across from her, who was already buried snout-first in her salad. Twilight glanced up, blushing as she wiped a stray leaf from her muzzle. 

“Hehehe…sorry Dashie...” She said, her cheeks burning as she looked away, admiring the beautiful Cloudsdale skyline. The sun was setting in the distance, the clouds taking on a beautiful orange tint. 
“I understand why you eat so much now!” She blurted out, slapping a hoof over her mouth in embarrassment. Rainbow just narrowed her eyes at the mare, a grin pulling at her muzzle. 

“I just mean with the energy you need to fly, your calorie intake has to remain elevated so you can go about your day!” She backpedaled, her ears laid back ever so slightly.

“Its fine Twi; I know what you meant!” Dash said, patting her hoof. “Are you finished eating?”

“Yes, I'm finished. Thank you for an amazing day; it was a lot of... fun.” She said seductively, her cheeks flushing slightly as her mind drifted back to what happened on the cloud.

She blinked as she noticed a cyan hoof waving in front of her face. 

“Helloooo…Rainbow to Egghead?”

“Wha..?  Wait, what?” Twilight said, focusing on the smirking pony before her. 

“I asked if you were ready to go.” Rainbow said, smiling as Twilight nodded repeatedly. Rainbow beckoned with her muzzle, and tossed a few bits onto the table as she stood. 

Twilight trotted after the pegasus, and brushed her spine with a wing, sending a slight shiver down Dash's back. Dash stuck her tongue out at her marefriend, and poked the unicorn in the side with a feather. Twilight squealed in surprise, and bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. They stepped to the edge of the cloud and jumped, launching themselves into the sky. 

She smiled at Rainbow, flying a loose circle around her as she flew. Before long, Twilight fell in beside her, the cool breeze of the night whistling past her. She gazed over at the mare flying next to her, her smile slipping as she saw Dash's expression. Where moments ago the mare was all smiles, her face looked determined now, her eyes shifting from side to side every so often. 

Twilight lagged behind, following the pegasus in silence as dusk slowly turned to night. Without a word, Dash turned, heading toward the ground in a silent dive. She glided into the shadows of a large building, and waited patiently as Twilight landed beside her. Twilight opened her mouth, questions dying in her throat as Dash looked her in the eye, slowly shaking her head. 

Rainbow stepped forward and silently gestured to a cloudhouse across the street. Twilight stepped forward, putting a hoof on Dash's shoulder, giving the pegasus a concerned look. Eventually Twilight tore her gaze from her and gazed across the street to where Rainbow was pointing. 

Two pegasi were visible, sitting at a table in what she guessed was the living room. From this distance, she could make out a beautiful deep blue mare, and a pale white stallion. Twilight narrowed her eyes, watching silently as the mare stood, disappearing from the window. A moment later, the door opened, revealing the mare clutching a bag of trash in her teeth. As she dropped the bag into a trash can, she flipped her mane over her shoulder, her tail flicking to the side as she trotted back into the house. 

Twilight stared at the mare, her eyes locked on the mare's rainbow-colored mane. 

“Rainbow... Are those your...” Twilight asked as she turned to look at Rainbow Dash, but all she saw was a quickly fading rainbow. “...parents?” 

Twilight stood still, her gaze shifting between her fleeing marefriend and the cloudhouse across the street. She sighed and threw herself into the sky, and by the time she had risen above the buildings, Rainbow’s trail was already fading off into the distance. 
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She pumped her wings as she soared through the sky, her eyes locked on the fleeing pegasus. After flying for several minutes, she watched Dash awkwardly land on a cloud.  Twilight landed a few feet away, eager to rush to her lover's side, but didn’t because she was scared that Dash would rebuke her.  As Twilight stood in silence, she noticed that the moonlight made Rainbow’s coat glisten. 

Twilight stood uncertainly, gazing at Dash's back as the pegasus tried to fight back tears. She stepped forward, stretching a wing out to pull Rainbow into her embrace, holding the pegasus tight to her body.

Without warning the mare broke down, tears pouring down her muzzle as she threw herself into Twilight's embrace. Twilight tightened her hold on the mare and nuzzled her with her muzzle. Her heart broke as sobs racked her marefriend’s body, her shoulders convulsing as she cried. Twilight rubbed her back, staying silent as she felt her fur being soaked with tears. Twilight stayed still, rubbing her hoof through Dash's fur, her cheek resting against Dash's head. 

She leaned Dash backwards, resting Rainbow’s head against her chest. Dash buried her head in Twilight’s fur, her bangs covering her eyes as tears slowly trickled down her cheeks, dripping onto their coats.  Slowly the mare below her pulled away, still sniffling as she rubbed a hoof across her nose, her eyes refusing to meet Twilight's.

“I guess I never told you what happened with my...” She started, blinking in surprise as Twilight put a hoof to her lips. Twilight leaned forward, kissing the mare lovingly on the lips. She stood, ruffling Dash's rainbow mane as she smiled at the mare before her. 

“We can talk about this later. You have all the time in the world to tell me about that.” Twilight said, smiling as she beckoned with her head. Dash stood, rubbing a few tears out of her eyes. Twilight flapped her wings, rose into the sky and hovered a few feet above Rainbow, a hoof extended to the mare below her. “Let's fly for now.”

A phantom smile appeared on Dash's face as the mare nodded. She grabbed Twilight's hoof and threw herself into the sky, pouring her sadness into her flight. Twilight remained hovering for a moment, smiling as Dash flew low circles around her. 

Without a word the pair flew, not for speed like their races earlier, but for comfort. They drifted slowly, so close at times Twilight could feel the whispering embrace of Dash's feathers lightly brushing her. Twilight smiled as she glanced at Dash, who was gazing at the mare with a steely look. They stared at each other for a few moments before Dash blinked suddenly, looking away as her cheeks burned crimson. 

Twilight grinned, bumping into Dash as she tilted her wings. Dash looked at her, a smile finally on her face as she flapped her wings, zooming ahead of the unicorn. As Rainbow passed her, she trailed a wing down the mare's back, giggling as Twilight twitched in pleasure. Dash stuck her tongue out at her, shaking her rainbow mane over her shoulder as she did. Twilight darted forward and clipped Dash with her wing as she dove into a cloud. 

“Catch me if you can!” Twi said, her voice echoing from inside the large cloud. Dash growled lightly and tucked her legs into her body as she shot forward, blindly flying into the cloud. She raced through the white fluff, a purple flash of fur catching her eye. She exploded from the cloud, her eyes darting here and there looking for her marefriend against the dark night. 

Dash yelled in surprise as Twilight tackled her from behind, sending the pair giggling across the cloud top. They laughed loudly, relaxing against each other. Twilight grinned as she entwined her tail with Dash's, smiling as the purple in her tail almost perfectly matched the purple in Dash's. She leaned against Dash, sighing in happiness as Dash kissed her neck tenderly. She leaned back, letting her head slide into Dash's lap as she snuggled against the warm pegasus's body. 

Dash looked down, running a hoof through Twilight's mane as she smiled down at her. Twilight closed her eyes, pulling Dash closer to her with her hoof as she snuggled into Dash's side. Twilight laid there for what felt like hours, snuggled up against her marefriend. 

Dash sighed nervously, her eyes studying the unicorn snuggled against her. 

“When I was little, just having started flight school, I didn't have any friends.” Dash said, her eyes losing focus as she gazed off into the distance. “Fluttershy was the first friend I'd ever made, and believe it or not, she wasn't always a timid mare like she is now. She used to be a lot more outgoing, and wasn't nearly as afraid to talk to ponies.” She trailed off, her mind drifting through memories. Her hooves tightened unconsciously, gripping at Twilight’s fur weakly. 

After a few moments, Twilight prodded her and asked, “What happened?” 

Dash sighed, her eyes focusing on Twilight below her. “I did.” Her eyes glistened as she looked through Twilight, guilt and pain clear in her conflicted expression. 

Twilight cocked an eye at her, giving the pegasus a confused look as Dash explained. 

“I've told you about how I got my cutie mark... Well, I never exactly told anypony what happened when I went to make sure Fluttershy was safe on the ground.” She said, a slight blush creeping up on her face. “When I found her, she was surrounded by creatures of all sorts, kinds I hadn't ever seen up close, having lived in Cloudsdale my entire life.”

“When I saw that we both had gained our cutie marks on the same day, I guess I got a little carried away... and before I knew it Fluttershy and I were... kissing.” She trailed off as Twilight gasped, a hoof covering her mouth. Dash lifted an eyebrow at her, her head cocking to the side ever so slightly. 

“Sorry, I just always thought that you and Fluttershy had feelings for each other, and after we got together I just assumed I had been wrong...” She trailed off, red creeping onto her cheeks as Dash smiled at her. 

“After our kiss, we started dating for a while and during the later years of flight school, we continued seeing each other. She started to come over to my house more and more and... I hadn't told my parents about me being into mares. I just didn't think my dad would take it well...” She trailed off, her eyes glistening as she wiped them with a hoof. 

“I was right. One day, when my parents were both at work, Fluttershy and I had snuck some of my dad's cider, and before we knew it, we were both drunk... Things went farther than I normally would have allowed, especially not knowing exactly when my parents would be home...” She trailed off as Twilight hugged her. 

“Kissing?” Twilight said, a weak hope in her chest, which was crushed as Dash shook her head.

“Did you..?” Twilight frowned, a strange feeling rising in her chest as Dash nodded her head. 

“Don't worry Twilight… Things between Fluttershy and I will... we’ll never be anything more than friends now.” She said, trying to reassure Twilight. 

“And that's when my dad got home.” She said, pausing as Twilight gasped in horror, several facts clicking into place inside the unicorn's head. “He screamed a lot. Called Fluttershy and I a lot of horrible names... He literally threw Fluttershy out of the house.” Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, trailing down her muzzle where Twi wiped them away.

“He disowned me, kicked me out of the house and told me to never come back; that I was never welcome there. My mom just sat there, nodding her head to everything he said... So I just left. For the longest time I slept on whichever cloud I could manage to hide away during the day, only eating what the flight school provided for their daily meals.” Twilight remained silent, her heart breaking as she imagined what Dash went through.

“Fluttershy had long since stopped talking to me, and from what I had seen, she'd become even more timid than she is now. But one day, when I was hiding my cloud for the night she found me. She apologized for everything that had happened, and invited me to stay in her dorm with her.”

“Why did Fluttershy have a dorm?” Twilight asked, curiosity creeping into her voice unintentionally. Fluttershy had mentioned her dorm days before, but Twilight had always assumed she had meant during her senior year, not before. 

“Her parents were always away, so she was able to get a dorm room for the upperclassman ahead of time. So we became roommates. It was pretty awkward at first, but eventually we were able to move past it all and become friends again. After school was over, Fluttershy moved to Ponyville to be closer to her animals, so I followed along, staying in her cabin for a few weeks until I was able to snag a job as a weather pony.”

“And a few years after that, you came into the picture!” Dash finished her sad tale with a smile, grinning as a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. 

Twilight remained silent, gazing at the mare beside her. She kissed Dash, and the mare melted into her embrace. “Why did you tell me all this today?” Twilight asked, gazing at the pegasus below her. 

“It wouldn't have been fair if you had found this out later, and it's all in the past anyways. I'm happy with you Twi; happy enough to try again after the uh... well less than happy end to my last relationship.” She said, sighing as she stretched her wings out behind her. 

Twilight smiled, nuzzling Dash's cheek. “Thank you for being honest with me. I'm sorry about your dad.” 

Dash shook her head, waving a hoof at the unicorn. “It's not your fault Twi. I'm sorry I ruined our night with my problems.” She groaned as Twilight prodded her. 

“The night is still young, Dashie. And I've still got a few hours with these babies.” Twi said, flapping her wings behind her. 

Dash smiled as she stepped forward, nuzzling Twilight as the pair walked to the edge of the cloud. Together they jumped off, flying into the dark night inches from each other, their feathers brushing each other as they flew. They looped and circled; there bodies gracefully dancing through the brisk night air, their coats glistening in the midnight moon light. 

The pair turned, growing closer until there were embracing each other as they soared, higher and higher into the sky, the stars growing closer and brighter by the second. Their bellies rubbed together as they pushed higher, the lights of Canterlot and Ponyville visible in the distance. The pair hovered silently, hugging each other above the clouds, the moon glowing in the sky. 

Twilight leaned forward, happiness pouring into her kiss as she pressed her muzzle against Dash's. The pair gazed at each other, and as if on a silent command, they leaned back, diving into the clouds, intertwining in a beautiful, graceful circle as the earth rushed up to meet them. Twilight screamed in joy, her yell echoing into the darkness as Dash screamed with her. 

When the pair were feet from the ground they separated, gliding over the green grass of Equestria, their hooves clipping the long grass. They flapped as one, their bodies racing in the direction of Ponyville, the home of the two happy mares. 

> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight was flying, her hooves skimming over the clouds below her, her marefriend at her side. Her wings were stretched outwards, her muscles flexing as she pumped herself higher and higher into the sky. She banked left and right, her body swaying against the wind as the clouds flew by, wind whistling in her ears as her mane waved behind her. She glanced to her side just as Dash dove at her, tackling her out of the sky and onto a cloud, the soft fluff below her softening the impact. 

“Twilight...I want you…” Rainbow moaned with lust.

Twilight groaned as Dash pinned her against the cloud, her mouth placing kisses all over her body.  Each kiss she placed sent an electric thrill down Twilight’s body.

“Twilight!” 

Rainbow kissed further down, grinning up at the unicorn above her as she slowly pushed her marefriend’s legs slowly apart with her hooves. She kissed the insides of Twilight’s thighs, wrapping her hoof in her tail.

“WAKE UP, TWILIGHT!” 

“Calm down, Dashie…” Twilight whispered groggily, looking into Rarity’s eyes. Twilight blinked a few times in confusion, her mind catching up quickly. “Wait…Rarity?” 

She sat up, her secluded cloud instantly becoming her bedroom, and saw a white unicorn glaring at her from beside her bed. Twilight stared at her blankly, the gears in her mind grinding to a halt. 

“Honestly dear, it's past lunch time. I can't believe you’re still asleep... and not even showered after your... late night activities.” Rarity sniffed, giving the unicorn a pointed look. Twilight cocked her head, giving the unicorn a confused expression. 

“Come now darling, you sleep past lunch, you smell of sweat, and your mane is simply a wreck.” The fashionista said, her hoof pointing at the various signs. Twilight stared, her jaw dropping as she realized what Rarity was insinuating.

“Oh wait, you think we had sex!?” Twilight yelped, disbelief on her face. Her cheeks burned red as she remembered her dream from moments ago. “It wasn't like that at all, Rarity! Princess Celestia gave me a tweaked version of the spell I used to give you wings, so I was out late last night flying with Rainbow.”

Rarity just lifted a brow, nodding slowly as she smiled at the unicorn. “It's none of my business to pry into your personal affairs, Twilight. You and Rainbow are free to do whatever you like, but I just think that it's a little early for a mare such as yourself to be... physical. Anyways, I came here,” She said, speaking over Twilight's weak protests. “To invite you to come to the bar with me and the rest of our friends.  We haven't seen much of you and Rainbow lately, so it would be nice if we could all have a night out together.” She sat down on her haunches, waiting serenely as Twilight glared at her. 

“I don't know, Rarity. I need to spend some time in the library, I haven't been paying nearly as much attention to my books as I should ha...” She trailed off as Rarity narrowed her eyes.

“Rainbow has already agreed to come with us.” 

“Well, I guess it won't hurt anypony if I step out for a few hours tonight.” Twilight said, avoiding the smug grin on Rarity's face as she examined her hoof. “What time will we be leaving?” She asked, arching her neck to glance in the mirror across the room. 

Rarity glanced outside, her eyes examining the sun's position. 

“Hmmm…I'd say we'll be leaving just after dinner, so it seems that you have a few hours.  I'll be back to pick you up after dinner.” Rarity said as she stood and trotted over to the door.

Twilight sighed, stretching her hooves as she got out of bed. She trotted into her bathroom, giggling as she examined her messy mane in the mirror. Her horn aglow with magic, she turned her shower on, the warm water filling the bathroom with steam. 

Several minutes later, she stepped out of the shower, her mane hanging limply down her back. Her horn glowed again as she drew all of the water out of her mane and into a condensed ball of water. She levitated it over to the sink and released her magic, letting the water pour down the drain. She shook her mane over her shoulder and trotted down the stairs, humming a little tune to herself. 

“Good afternoon, Twi!” Spike greeted her, a smile on his face as he gripped an amethyst in his tiny claws. 

“Hey, Spike!” She smiled fondly at the baby dragon, her eyes glancing around the library. She frowned as her tail brushed a bookcase, a thin layer of dust sweeping into the air. 

“When's the last time we cleaned the library?” She asked, examining the bookcases around her. 

Spike swallowed his jewel and tapped a claw against his chin as he thought. 

“I believe it was before you and Rainbow Dash started dating?” Spike said, chuckling at the mare's dumbstruck expression. 

Twilight glanced at the sun, mentally gauging the time as she turned to Spike.

“Well, tonight the girls and I are going to a bar, but right now you and I are gonna clean this place!” She exclaimed, already pulling books from the cases with her magic. Spike sighed as he fell into the familiar activity, quickly climbing the cases that were devoid of books and sweeping them with the duster.

Even though they worked quickly, the activity took them quite a few hours, and before Twilight knew it, it was almost time for Rarity to meet her. She thanked Spike for his help, levitating a large ruby in front of him that she had been saving for him.  He giggled happily as he jumped for the jewel, his claws scraping the bottom of the gem as Twilight levitated it just out of his reach. 

She shrieked in surprise as Spike lunged at her, his claws bared. She squeezed her eyes shut, and laughed as the baby dragon relentlessly tickled her underside.  She ran around the room, Spike clinging to her side as he ran his fingers across her fur, finding all her ticklish spots, the mare snorting with laughter.

She released the jewel, panting slightly as Spike picked it up and walked away smugly, the red gem grasped in his tiny claws. As he walked away, she grabbed a nearby book and had just sat down with it when somepony knocked on the door.

“Spike! Can you get that?” She asked as she opened the book. She ignored Spike's grumbling as he made his way over to the door and opened it. Judging from Spike's silence, Rarity was standing at the door. 

“Hi, Rarity!” Twilight greeted her friend, her nose buried in a book as her fellow unicorn entered the library. 

“Hello Spikey wikey. Twilight, are you... Why aren't you ready?” Rarity asked, her voice taking a concerned edge to it. “You’re not skipping out on us, are you dear?”

“Wha… No; I am ready!” Twilight said, giving herself a once over. 

Rarity's eyes grew wide, and her tail twitched back and forth. “You. Will. Not. Go. Out. In. Public. Like. That.” She said through gritted teeth, her eyes sparkling as she approached the scared unicorn. Fear washed over Twilight, the hair on her nape standing on end as the unicorn advanced. 

Twilight stood, the book she had been levitating fell to the ground as she slowly backed up, her flank bumping into the bookcase behind her. Rarity stepped closer, her horn aglow as she effortlessly lifted the lavender unicorn into the air. Twilight yelled, her own horn blazing as she broke Rarity's hold, her hooves fighting for purchase on the floor as Rarity grabbed her by the tail. 

“Spike! HELP ME!” She screamed, her eyes wide with terror as Rarity dragged the unwilling pony up the stairs, her hooves grabbing at any hoof hold she could find. “She's gone crazy! Sweet Celestia, Spike, snap out of it!” 

Spike was still in a daze next to the door, his eyes half-lidded as he stared at Rarity, his tongue rolling out of his mouth. 

Several minutes later, after giving Twilight her best makeover, the fashionista unicorn turned Twilight so that she was facing the mirror. Twilight gasped, her eyes going wide as she stared at the mare in the mirror. 

It was obviously her, but the changes that the fashionista had made were amazing. Twilight’s mane hung down her shoulder; glitter making it sparkle with life. Her eyes popped with a hint of eye shadow, giving the mare a dignified, but sexy look. 

“I look amazing, Rarity. Thank you so much!” Twilight squealed in delight, grinning as she imagined Dash's expression. 

Rarity nodded, smiling at the ecstatic unicorn. “Well dear, I just thought you might want to look your best for your marefriend.” She said, bumping Twilight with her flank as they descended the stairs. 

“I'm heading out for a while, Spike. Can you watch the library for me?” Twilight asked, grinning at the dumbstruck look on the dragon’s face. 

“Uh... yea.” Spike said, his mouth hanging open as he looked between the two beautiful ponies. Twilight giggled at Spike’s reaction as the pair of ponies trotted out of the library. Twilight glanced up at the stars, smiling as the moon twinkled in the night sky, throwing a beautiful silver glare across the world.

They walked through the streets of Ponyville and made their way down a side road that Twilight hardly ever ventured down. As they neared a large building with several neon signs in the windows, a green flash caught Twilight's attention. She turned, glancing down a small side alley next to the club. She stepped forward, lowering her head to examine the small green flames licking at the grass beside the building. 

"Twilight dear, the entrance is over her." Rarity called, breaking Twilights focus. She turned, glancing at Rarity before returning her gaze to the grass. However, the fire was already gone. She frowned, her feet clopping over the dirt as she returned to her place beside Rarity. 

Rarity glanced at Twilight, smiling at her as they entered the club. Twilight blinked a few times, scanning the packed club before her. She saw her friends sitting in one of the corners, and she giggled as she saw Rainbow Dash floating in the air, arguing with Applejack. Beside her sat Fluttershy, who was timidly watching the argument through a gap in her pink mane. Across from them sat Pinkie Pie, the party pony vibrating with excitement. Twilight and Rarity trotted over, and as they approached the table, Twilight wrapped her magic around Rainbow, flipped her over, and levitated her over to her. 

Dash squeaked in fear at the sudden loss of control, her eyes flying wide in surprise as she realized that she couldn’t move, and then she suddenly came to a stop at eye level with her marefriend. Twilight giggled, and tenderly kissed the surprised pegasus before releasing her. Dash flapped her wings, righting herself as she playfully glared at the unicorn. She landed next to Twilight, and the three made their way to the table.

Twilight greeted the rest of her friends and sat down. Using her magic, she lowered the noise around them, dropping the music from an ear-shattering level to background noise level. She smiled, her eyes sweeping over her friends as Pinkie waved for a round of drinks. A server stepped forward with a tray of drinks levitating behind him. He floated a tall glass in front of each mare and left without a word.

Twilight lifted her glass, and smiled as her friends did the same. Together her friends toasted, the clinking of glasses ringing throughout the booth.

“To friendship!” They cheered together, while Dash and Twilight added, “And new relationships.”

The five friends threw back their drinks, while Fluttershy sipped on hers. The drink burned going down Twilight's throat, causing her eyes to water slightly. Dash giggled at her expression, smiling as she finished her own glass. 

Twilight set her empty glass down on the table, and then Pinkie leaned forward, a devilish grin on her face, and asked, “So, did ya'll really buck last night?” 

Twilight turned beet red as Dash’s eyes suddenly went wide.  Their friends broke out in laughter, giggling at Dash and Twilight's reactions. 

“PINKIE!” Twilight shouted, glaring at the giggling mare. 

Pinkie suddenly slapped her hoof down on the table, cutting off all laughter as everypony looked at her.  She stared at Twilight with one eye half-closed as she pointed at her, and asked, “Was she better than me?”

Twilight stared at the earth pony, her eye twitching slightly as her friends burst into laughter again. She slapped a hoof over her face once she realized it was a joke, and she joined the rest of her friends in merry laughter.

> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon enough, Dash got restless with all of the pointless small talk around the table; she wanted to do something other than sit and talk. She huffed and laid her muzzle on the table and gazed up at her purple unicorn. Twilight glanced at the bored mare, giggling at her pathetic display. 

“Well girls, I think we’re boring poor Dashie out of her mind.” She said, prodding the mare in the side with a hoof. Rainbow glared at her, wrinkling her nose at the mare. 

“Let's go dance!” Dash suggested, a pleading look on her face. Twilight giggled as Pinkie shot up, a large smile on her face as she nodded enthusiastically. Dash lifted herself into the air, holding onto Twilight’s hoof as she pulled the mare to her feet.

As the song ended, Rainbow flew over to the DJ, Vinyl Scratch, and whispered something in her ear.  Smiling, Rainbow flew back to Twilight and led her down to the dance floor.

There were a few moments of silence as Vinyl changed discs, and then the music rang throughout the room, the thumping of the music echoing over the hoof beat of the crowd. Twilight grinned as she saw Pinkie bounce across the dance floor, her mane bouncing over her shoulder in time with the beat. 

Twilight bit her lip nervously, her ears flattening against her head as Dash looked at her expectantly. The pegasus stepped to Twilight's side, slowly bobbing her head to the music as her body swayed to beat. 

Dash grinned as Twilight awkwardly shuffled from side to side, trying to mimic her moves. 

A grin on her face, Rainbow stepped closer to Twilight and draped a wing over her. 

“Just follow my lead, Twi.” Dash whispered into Twilights ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Rainbow swayed to the beat, her body rubbing against the unicorn’s as she danced. Twilight blushed as Rainbow's wing drifted over her cutie mark, pulling her flank tighter to the mare. 

Their eyes locked, the dance floor fading away as they moved even closer, their tails intertwining. They leaned against each other, their hooves clicking across the dance floor as the music boomed. 

After several minutes, Twilight and Dash broke apart as Pinkie appeared, somehow squeezing between the two of them. 

“Come on, you silly fillies! Vinyl took a break a while ago!” She yelled, smiling as the two mares before her looked around for the first time since entering the dance floor. Sure enough, the dance floor was mostly clear, save for one or two ponies standing on the edge. 

Twilight blushed furiously and hurriedly trotted back over to their booth quickly, her cheeks burning. She sat down, sinking low in her seat as Pinkie and Dash sat down, both giggling behind their hooves. Twilight grabbed her drink and swallowed half of it in a single gulp, and gasped in surprise as the alcohol burned her throat. Dash laughed at her marefriend’s lack of experience with alcohol and tossed back her drink, smiling as she set her empty glass down. 

Across from her Applejack laughed, holding a shot of her famous whiskey, Applejack Daniels. 

“Ya'll call that drinkin'?” She said as she tossed the drink back with ease. She shot a cocky look at Dash, whose wings bristled as she accepted the unspoken challenge.

“I could out-drink you any day of the week!” She said, her chest puffed out. Applejack leaned forward, a grin on her face as she stood. 

“Com' on then; prove it!” She said, motioning for the pegasus to follow her as she trotted over to the bar. Dash glanced after the farm pony, and looked uncertainly at Twilight. 

“Go on, Dash! Show her she can't beat a future Wonderbolt!” Twilight said, pointing a hoof at the now-smirking Applejack. “I've got the other girls to keep me company!” 

As Rainbow flew over to the bar, Fluttershy meekly said, “Actually Twilight it's.. uh.. just me now.” 

Twilight turned and looked where Rarity and Pinkie had been moments before. Her eyebrow arched as she scanned the bar. She grinned as she spotted Rarity sipping at some wine as she talked to a fancily dressed stallion at a booth across the room. 

“Where did Pinkie go?” She asked, missing the pink pony’s vibrant colors. Fluttershy pointed toward the back of the bar, a grin on her face. 

Twilight turned, a hoof covering her mouth as she spotted Pinkie holding a pool stick uncertainly. Two stallions were all smiles, sure that they would win as they placed their bits on the table. The stallions laughed as Pinkie clumsily dropped her pool stick, grabbing it just before it hit the ground. They waved her forward, smirks on their faces as she lined her shot up. 

Twilight and Fluttershy laughed as Pinkie hit the cue ball, the ball instantly knocking all the balls into the pockets. The two stallions stared at her in shock as she gathered up her winnings and trotted off. 

Twilight grinned at Fluttershy, her cheeks having a slight rosy tint to them as she emptied her drink. She seemed to take some courage from the drink as she sat up straighter. Fluttershy looked at Twilight for a moment before glancing toward Dash at the bar. 

“I.. uh I don't know if Rainbow told you... but she and I...” She trailed off, suddenly becoming interested in her mane. 

“Don't worry Fluttershy, Rainbow already told me about you and her.” She said, smiling at the mare across from her. 

“I wanted to make sure you knew. I hope this doesn't change anything between you and I? Or you and Dash?” She said, glancing at the rainbow mare. 

“Of course not, Fluttershy. Even if Dash had never told me, it's still in the past. I'm sorry that you didn't work out, and I hope you are okay with us dating.” She glanced at the pegasus, mentally gauging her reaction. 

Fluttershy blushed for a moment, her eyes lowered to the table. 

“I was a little shocked at first... I'll admit that there are times I miss her, but after... well, after we broke up, I kinda realized that her fast-paced life is a little too... loud!” She said, a smile on her face as Twilight visibly relaxed. 

“I know what you mean.” She smiled as she glanced at Dash, who was currently nose-to-nose with Applejack. Twilight grinned as the pair grabbed their shots and slammed the empty glasses down, shoving their faces back together as the grinning bar stallion refilled their drinks. “I never believed that someone like Dash would be good for me but I... I don't think I've ever been happier, you know?” She smiled as Fluttershy nodded.

They sat together silently, a comfortable silence between the mares as they slowly drained their drinks.  Twilight sighed as she glanced at Dash once again, drawing Fluttershy's attention. 

“Everything alright, Twi?” She asked, her voice booming for the usually shy pegasus. 

“Yea...” She trailed off for a minute as her ears flattened against her head. “I love Dash more than I know how to tell her. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I'm not sure if she knows how I feel about her.” 

Fluttershy cocked an ear at the unicorn, smiling to herself as she spoke. 

“Just tell me how you feel about her, and we'll see if I can help you tell her.” Fluttershy said as she leaned forward, propping her muzzle up on her forelegs as she gazed at Twilight. 

“When I'm around her, my entire head feels empty, like I can't think, but at the same time, she's all I can think about. How she feels; what she's thinking? I used to have fun with her but now, it's like my eyes are opened.” She said, gazing into the distance. “She's so beautiful when she flies ya 'know? The sun catches her coat and it turns just the most beautiful shade of blue, and her mane almost seems to glow. My heart swells just from looking at her, and I know she'll never understand how I feel.” She said, a frown growing across her muzzle as she looked at Fluttershy who was smugly smiling over her shoulder. 

“What are you smiling at?” Twilight asked in confusion as she turned to look behind her.  Her eyes widened as Rainbow Dash stepped closer, her lips meeting Twilight's in a passionate kiss. Twilight flushed, a tingle running down her spine as her tail twitched of its own accord. Rainbow pulled away, giggling as Twilight stared at her wide eyes and blushing. 

“What you said was beautiful…” She said, swaying ever so slightly as she gazed at the mare, happiness radiating from her eyes. 

“How long were you there?” Twilight asked quietly. 

“Eh, right aroun' the time I waved to Shy and she asked you to tell her ya feelings for me!” She said, laughing as Fluttershy busied herself with her drink.  Twilight glared at her before turning back to Rainbow. 

“Don't worry Twi; I kno' exacly how you feel.” She said, slurring her words slightly, hugging the mare closer to her. “I love you, Twilight.” She whispered.

Twilight stood still for a moment, her eyes watering slightly as she fought to speak. “I love you too, Rainbow.” 

They broke the hug, glaring at their friends as they simultaneously awed at the display of cuteness before them. Twilight glared at them before turning her gaze at the farm pony laughing to herself beside Dash. 

“So who won in the drinking contest?” Twilight asked, giggling as Dash and Applejack glanced at each.

“Well Dashie poo was matchin' me drink fer drink, so the bartender cut us off.” Applejack said, a slight slur in her words.

“Well if nopony has any objections, I would be happy to head home.” Twilight said, grinning at the swaying pegasus beside her. The rest of her friends agreed, and they made their way out of the club. 

Twilight sighed as she took in a deep breath, the sharp scent of alcohol already leaving her nostrils. Her horn flared with a magenta glow as she gently pulled Dash to her side. The pegasus grinned at her, and gave her a sloppy kiss. Rarity giggled at Rainbow’s display of affection, and Applejack turned her attention to the prissy unicorn. 

“Well' na wha' are you laughin' at Miss Rarit'?” The earth pony said, bumping the white mare with her flank. 

Rarity glared at her, using her magic to straighten her tail as she walked. 

“I was laughing at a pair of ruffians who don't know their limits when it comes to alcohol.” She said, smirking at the earth pony. Applejack stared at her for a moment before laughing. 

“Sound' like somepony jus' don' kno' how to let loose and have a lil’ fun!” She said, giggling as Rarity growled at her. Her horn illuminated the dark street as she grabbed hold of Applejack's hoof, throwing the pony off balance. Applejack landed flat on her side in a puddle of mud, the brown liquid soaking her orange coat as she struggled to her feet. 

“Now, THAT was fun, Applejack; I guess you were right!” She said, laughing as Applejack took a step toward the unicorn. Twilight and Dash glanced at each other, while Pinkie sat down and held a box of popcorn out to Fluttershy. 

Rarity gasped as Applejack charged her, the unicorn turning tail and running down the street, with Applejack close in pursuit behind her. As they vanished into the darkness, Pinkie stood, stretching her legs as she sighed.  

“I'm gonna go make sure Applejack makes it home safe. I'll see everypony in the morning!” She said, giggling as she hopped her way after the two mares. Twilight and Fluttershy called out their goodbyes, while Dash leaned against Twilight with a grin. 

“Do you need any help getting home, Shy?” Twilight asked, her gaze shifting to the yellow pegasus. 

Fluttershy shook her head with a smile. “I'll be fine, Twilight. Thank you for the offer though.” She said with a giggle as she lifted herself into the air, her wings flapping in the night sky. 

“Come on Dashie.” Twilight said, directing the mare toward the library, grinning as Dash glanced toward her cloud home in the distance. The drunken pegasus stammered incohorently, her words slurring even more as the alcohol seeped into her bloodstream. Twilight figured that she wanted to fly back to her cloud home, so she said, “No you're staying with me tonight. I don't trust you to fly to make it home by yourself.” 

Dash grinned at her marefriend with a dumbfound expression on her face. 

“Whateva' you sa’, Twi!” 

Twilight shook her head, giggling at the pegasus's childlike behavior. They walked in silence for a moment, enjoying each other’s company. As they approached the library, Twilight's horn flared as she opened the library door, the lights inside the library flickering on as they entered the building. 

She shut the door behind them, directing Rainbow up the staircase as she followed behind her. Rainbow entered her bedroom, her body swaying as she fell onto the mattress. Twilight giggled as the mare stretched out, her mane cascading over the covers in a jumble of colors. She lifted Dash into the air with her horn, giggling as the pegasus grunted at her. 

Twilight laid down, her horn glowing as she slowly lowered the pegasus back down to her side. Rainbow gazed at her, a smile on her face as she leaned forward, trailing her lips across Twilight's. Twilight sucked in a breath as Rainbow pressed her lips against hers.

Twilight gasped as Rainbow broke the kiss and rolled on top of her, pinning her forelegs to her sides. Rainbow kissed the mare greedily, her lips moving down the unicorn’s collarbone as Twilight bunched Dash's hair in her hooves. Rainbow grinned down at her as she kissed lower and lower on Twilight's body. Twilight sucked in a breath as Rainbow kissed her flat on her belly. 

Twilight closed her eyes as she felt Rainbow’s warm breath on her stomach, sending a chill down her spine. A minute passed without any movement from Rainbow, causing Twilight to slowly open her eyes. She glanced down at the pegasus, her eyes narrowing as she took in Rainbow's sleeping form, her tongue hanging out of her mouth. 

“Oh, you’ve gotta be bucking kidding me!” Twilight growled in frustration, glaring at the sleeping mare. Her horn flared as she gently picked the pegasus up and lowered her beside her. She pulled her blanket over them and smiled as she snuggled against the pegasus’s warm body. She giggled briefly as she imagined how Rainbow would feel the next morning before she closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep and steamy sleep. 


> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Twilight woke up, she smiled as she noticed that her nose was firmly pressed into Dash's mane. She pushed herself up and gazed down at the pegasus below her. Rainbow's eyes were closed, her mouth hanging open ever so slightly as she lightly snored. Twilight slid off the bed, making her way into her bathroom as quietly as she could. 

She showered quickly, washing the smell of alcohol off her coat. As she dried herself, she stepped into the bedroom to find Dash sitting up blearily, her hooves pressing against her head. 

“Good morning, Rainbow!” Twilight said, giggling as Dash groaned. 

“Ugh… Don't yell at me...” She trailed off as she threw a pillow over her head. 

Twilight bit her lip, her horn flaring as her magic encased Rainbow's hung-over form. The glow seeped into her body until it vanished completely. Dash slowly sat up, her eyes wide as she swung her gaze to Twilight. She pressed a hoof to her head and smiled as the pounding in her head slowly vanished. 

“Did you... how... what!?” She stammered in confusion, her hooves waving through the air.

Twilight smiled as she turned around and happily trotted down the staircase. Behind her she heard Rainbow follow her down the steps, her hooves clacking against the wood. As Twilight entered the kitchen, she saw Spike sitting at the table with two extra plates of food. 

Twilight cocked an eyebrow at the tiny dragon, who simply smiled smugly in her direction. 

“Good morning Twi; Dash.” The dragon said, lifting a spoon to his mouth that was loaded with gemstones. “I figured Dash would have stayed the night, so I went ahead and made you both some breakfast!” He said, smiling as he waved a claw at the hay pancakes on the table. 

The mares sat down, thanking Spike as they dug into their food. Soon enough, Spike gathered his bowl and walked over to the sink, placing it inside.

“It sure was nice of Spike to make us breakfast!” Rainbow said as she chewed the last few bites of her meal. 

“I know. That's why he's my number one assistant!” She said, smiling as dragon walked back into the room, nervously scratching his scales with his claws. “What's wrong, Spike?” 

He swallowed loudly, shuffling his fingers together idly. “Um… Will you cast that Mustache spell on me again, Twi?” 

Twilight cocked her head at him, a curious grin on her face. “Uh... Why?” 

“I have a plan to finally get Rarity to notice me this Hearts and Hooves Day, but I need a mustache!” He said, blushing furiously. Twilight giggled, concentrated her magic, and granted her assistant’s wish.

The baby dragon jumped for joy, his claws clapping together as he hugged Twilight. He turned, his tiny feet scraping across the library as he darted out the doorway. As his purple tail vanished from sight, Rainbow cursed, her cheeks blushing a deep crimson as she lifted herself into the air. 

“ Oh, crap, I gotta go! I have uhhh… weather duties!  Yeah, weather duties!  I’ll see ya later!” She zipped forward and gave Twilight a brief kiss just before she rocketed out of the library. Twilight yelled after her, her ears laid back in disappoint as Dash flew out of the library. 

She snorted, her eyes narrow as she glared at the rainbow trail that her marefriend had left behind. She galloped outside, her tail flicking through the rainbow as she looked around town. All around her ponies were walking together, snuggling against their special somepony. Her eyes widened as she realized what day it was. 

It was Hearts and Hooves day! How could she forget the most important day for couples? She turned and sprinted back into the library, her horn flaring as she yanked her bedroom door open. She scurried into her bedroom, her magic pulling a small box out of her closet as she smiled. The box opened, revealing a slip of paper, which she cradled like a priceless book. 

She scanned over the paper, and with a grin on her face she put the paper back inside the box and slid it into her saddlebag. She trotted down the stairs and went outside. Her ears flattened momentarily as she pondered where to go. She knew Rainbow had probably darted off to get her a present, but she had no idea where to find the pegasus. 

She hummed to herself as she trotted through Ponyville, her eyes scanning the clouds above her, which were being attacked by an entire squadron of the weather team. They bucked the clouds, scattering the fluff across the sky until the sky was completely clear of clouds. She frowned, her eyes scanning the sky ponies for a rainbow mane. 

She sighed as she slowed to a stop, her eyes drifting to the shops around her. She jumped, biting off a scream as a pink blur slammed into her side. 

“Hey Twilight!” Pinkie chirped, a smile on her face as she bounced in place. Twilight glared at her, a smile appearing on her face. 

“Hey Pinkie. Have you-” She started to say before Pinkie interrupted her. 

“Seen Dashie? Nope! Come on!” She grabbed Twilight's tail and began to drag the stuttering mare down the street. Twilight dug her hooves into the ground, growling as Pinkie dragged her inside the bakery. Twilight growled lowly, her hooves covering her eyes as Pinkie dragged her behind the counter and into the kitchen.

Twilight pulled her tail from Pinkie's teeth, giving the exuberant mare a stare that could peel paint. Pinkie just looked back with an oblivious grin, before darting across the room. She peeked out through the small window in the kitchen door, her eyes wide as she scanned the room. 

“Quick, show me the goods!” She ordered, her eyes switching to Twilight for a moment before returning to the window. Twilight arched a brow, her mind drawing a blank. 

“The goods?” She opened her saddlebag curiously, scanning the items in her bag before turning to the hyperactive mare. “All I have with me is a book and Dash's present.”

Pinkie trotted over and gazed into the bag dejectedly. Twilight swore she heard the mare mutter something under her breath before she suddenly perked up. 

“What did you get her?” Pinkie asked, her mane bouncing as she bounced around Twilight. The unicorn grinned, her horn flaring as she lifted the box out of her bag. She pulled it open and held the contents out for Pinkie to examine. Pinkie's jaw dropped as she looked at Twilight in surprise. 

“Oh my god Twi, she's gonna love that!” Pinkie said, her eyes twinkling with glee. 

“I hope you're right, Pinkie.” Twilight eyed the box, before slowly sliding it back into her saddlebag. “Do you know where she went, by any chance?” 

Pinkie shook her head, her frizzy mane flying in all directions. “I haven't seen her today.” She suddenly froze, a large tremor running up her back and into her mane. “She'll be at the park!” She blurted out, a grin on her face. 

Twilight just stared at her for a moment, before shrugging and trotting out of the kitchen. Behind her she could hear pans and pots flying, and suddenly Pinkie was trotting along beside her. She grinned at the mare as they exited the bakery. 

The pair trotted through the streets of Ponyville, giggling and chatting as they walked. Twilight snorted, giggling at a joke Pinkie had just told her when the park came into view. She sped up, her hooves pounding the dirt as she raced into the park. She saw ponies of all colors and sizes, but none that matched her Rainbow. 

Her ears fell as she glanced back at Pinkie, who was waving at a group of ponies who had just arrived. Twilight couldn't help but frown as she saw Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity trotting towards them. She waved to her friends, still searching for a specific rainbow mare. 

Her eyes flew open as a familiar cyan blur shot across the park, diving straight at her. She shrieked as Dash tackled her, scooping the unicorn into the air as they twirled upwards, her hooves holding Twilight tight to her chest. Twilight grinned as Rainbow slowly lowered the pair to the ground below. 

“I'm sorry I dashed off this morning, but I had to get your present ready for today!” she said, practically bouncing in place as her wings fluttered ever so slightly. She grinned, tucking her wings into her side as the rest of their friends joined them. 

“That was super cool, Rainbow! You think you can scoop me up like that?” Pinkie asked, bouncing around Dash with awe in her eyes. Rainbow shook her head, sighing as she grinned at Pinkie. 

“Hold on, Pinkie. Before we do anything else, I want to give my present to Twilight.” Rainbow said, gazing past her friends to the smiling unicorn. Twilight blushed, a warm grin appearing on her face as Rainbow dug into the saddlebag slung over her shoulder. 

“Close your eyes!” Rainbow commanded, grinning nervously. Twilight closed her eyes, her smile growing even larger. She heard Rainbow withdraw something from the bag, and she could hear somepony suck in a deep breath. Her smile faltered ever so slightly, and she fought to keep her eyes closed. 

“Open them.” Rainbow said after a moment of silence. Twilight opened her eyes, gazing at Rainbow's hoof. A large feather sat atop her hoof, the blue almost perfectly matching that of her fur. Twilight bit back a gasp as she lifted her eyes to Dash's.

“Um… Not tryin' ta interrup or anythin but wha's so special bout a feather?” Applejack asked, her hoof scratching her head as she looked on with confusion. 

“That's not just a feather. That's one of Dash's remiges..” Fluttershy whispered, drawing blank stares from Applejack and Pinkie. “It's one of her flight feathers.” She grabbed her mane, pulling it in front of her as she hid behind it. “It's a very special way for pegasi to show that they wanna be with someone for life. Imagine if Rarity gave her horn to someone, or if Pinkie gave away her party cannon!” Fluttershy said, darting back behind her hair as she finished speaking. 

Pinkie and Rarity stared at each other in amazement, before Pinkie spoke up. 

“Well I have 13 more party cannon's but I understand what you mean.” 

“Are you sure you wanna give this to me?” Twilight asked, gazing at Dash with concern. 

Dash remained silent, a smile on her face as she studied the mare before her and held the feather out to her. “There are a lot of things I haven't been sure of in my life, but this isn't one of them.” 

Twilight smiled, her horn flaring as she levitated the feather to her side. She stepped forward, kissing Dash on the lips as she safely tucked the feather into her saddlebag. Rainbow smiled, melting into the unicorn’s kiss as Twilight broke contact. She stepped back, withdrawing Dash's present with a magenta glow. 

She looked at the box self consciously, wondering if it was good enough to give Dash. She bit back her fear and pushed the box forward, smiling as Rainbow settled herself onto her haunches to open the present. Rainbow giggled as Twilight set it in her hooves, quickly pulling the box apart and examining the contents. 

“Whoa…” Rainbow looked up at her with wide eyes, tears already forming in the pegasus's eyes. 

“What is it?” Rarity asked, craning her neck to try to see the box. Rainbow withdrew a piece of white paper, the golden trim catching the sun's light. 

She cleared her throat before reading. 

“Dear Miss Dash, 

You are cordially invited to fly with the Wonderbolts in our show for the Summer Sun Celebration in Canterlot in the coming month. After our meeting last month, I spoke with the rest of the Wonderbolts and they have unanimously agreed to allow you to fly with us. If you would like to fly with us, please respond with your measurements so we can have our tailors begin making your honorary Wonderbolt uniform. We will have a schedule sent to you with the days that we will be practicing for the show, and if you so wish to join us, you will need to attend aforementioned practices. 

Sincerely, 
Spitfire

Rainbow finished, tears of joy sliding down her face as her friends looked on speechlessly. Twilight looked on nervously, chewing on her lip as she shuffled side to side. 

“I'm sorry; I know it's not as good as yours but I thought you w-” She stopped as Dash broke into laughter, her body shaking as she collapsed to the ground. Her ears narrowed as Rainbow continued to giggle, her shoulders shaking with the force of her laughter. Slowly Dash stopped laughing, and pulled herself into a sitting position. 

“Calm down Twi; I love it!” She said, her eyes sparkling with joy. “It's the best present I've ever gotten! How did you get them to invite me to fly with them?” She asked curiously, cocking her head at Twilight. 

Twilight blushed as she smiled. “I didn't do anything. I sent them a letter simply reminding them that you saved them twice already, not to mention all of Canterlot saw your Sonic Rainboom at the Royal Wedding. They sent that letter back before I had to pull any strings.” 

Rainbow seemed to smile even larger as she lifted herself into the air, the letter safely tucked inside her saddlebag. She drifted to Twilight's side, snuggling into her shoulder as she landed beside her. The rest of their friends stepped forward, smiles on their face as they sat down in a circle around the couple. 

Twilight giggled as she noticed a mustached Spike in the distance, who was nervously watching Rarity, apparently waiting for the mare to head off alone. 

Rarity turned, stifling a giggle as he wiggled his eyebrows at her from the other side of the park. She stood, stretching her legs for a moment before she bid her friends farewell and trotted over to Spike, a slight blush on the baby dragon’s face as she approached. 

Pinkie giggled at Spike, before standing as well.

“I'm going to have to head back to the bakery, girls. Mr. and Mrs. Cake need my help with the bakery.” She waved goodbye to the rest of her friends before hopping away, quickly vanishing into the town square. 

Fluttershy and Applejack remained sitting, snacking on a few apples the farm pony had brought with her.

Rainbow nudged Twilight in the side, causing the mare to glance at her. Rainbow beckoned to the street with her muzzle as she got to her hooves. 

“Well AJ, Fluttershy. Rainbow and I are gonna head back to the library and have some dinner.” Twilight said, smiling as Applejack waved her hoof in a 'get going' gesture. Fluttershy waved goodbye, a smile on her face as a familiar white bunny nestled himself in her arms. 

The couple turned, their hooves sliding over the fresh grass as they wound their way through Ponyville. Rainbow gazed at Twilight, a smile on her face as she opened her mouth. “You like your gift?” She asked curiously. 

“The feather?” Twilight asked. “I really love it Rainbow. I wish I had gotten you a better present, but I’m very glad you like it.” She said, blushing as Rainbow nuzzled her cheek. 

“Anything to do with the Wonderbolts is perfect, Twi. They're the most important thing in my life!” She said, her eyes sparkling as she gazed off into the distance. 

Twilight snorted as she giggled at her marefriend. “That's not what you told Fluttershy!” 

Dash looked down, her face scrunched up in confusion. “When did I tell Fluttershy you were that important...” She cocked her head, gazing at the ground. 

Twilight kept walking for a moment, giggling to herself before she realized Rainbow had stopped walking. She turned, studying the mare worryingly for a moment. 

“What's wrong, Rainbow?” She asked, her voice full of concern. 

"When did I tell Fluttershy that?" She demanded, pointing a hoof at Twilight agitatedly. 

Twilight froze, her body going tense as she lowered her gaze to the road before her. "It was... it was before..." She trailed off, flinching as Dash yelled. 

"Before what!" She froze, her eyes narrowing at the unicorn. "Before we started dating..." Dash glared at Twilight now, taking an uncertain step backwards.  “You spied on me?” Her voice cracked as she stared at Twilight. “You were there when I told Fluttershy how much I loved you... That was you that ripped her door open like that!” She said, anger and pain seeping into her voice. 

Twilight sucked in a breath, her heart beating fast as she tried to come up with an excuse. 

“Even worse than spying, you heard my deepest feelings for you and avoided me for an entire week!” She said, talking over the stuttering unicorn. Tears were leaking from her eyes as she yelled at Twilight, her face crumbling. “You didn't think about how I felt about you avoiding me, did you? I convinced myself I was imagining things, but I knew it! If that's how you felt, Twilight, than maybe you shouldn't have changed your mind!” She stomped her hoof into the ground, tears falling to the ground below her. 

She glared at Twilight who was crying openly now, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to think of a suitable response. 

“I wasn't trying to sp-” She started saying, only for Rainbow to cut her off. 

“But you did! Instead of coming to me afterwards and explaining yourself, you avoided me! You made me think I had no chance with you and that I was wasting my time, Twilight! I cried a lot that week and all because you were being selfish!” She said, her wings arching as she glared at the unicorn. “I'm out of here!” She yelled, flapping her wings as she rocketed into the air. 

“No! Please, Rainbow come back!” She begged, her horn flaring as she tried to grab the pegasus out of the sky. Her horn died down as her spell missed, leaving Twilight standing all alone in the middle of the street, tears streaming down her face as she watched Rainbow Dash fly off into the distance.


> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight ran, her hair flowing behind her as she strained to keep Rainbow in sight. Her hooves pounded the dirt below her as she darted through the streets of Ponyville. She never looked away from the sky, her eyes locked on the remnants of a beautiful rainbow in the sky. She ran, shoving past stallions and mares alike. Thunder rang out overhead as a storm slowly rolled into town. 

She heard ponies yelling to her, but all she could hear was Rainbow's voice repeating itself in her ears. 

“I cried a lot that week and all because you were being selfish!” She had screamed before rocketing into the sky without another glance at the unicorn. 

Twilight was broken out of her thoughts as she stumbled, yelping as she fell into a large puddle. She stood, wincing as her leg screamed in protest. She arched her head skyward, searching in vain for Dash. Her fur dripped with muddy water as the day's events crashed around her. 

She fell to her haunches as sobs wracked her frame, her shoulders drooping as she wept. Tears streamed down her face, mixing into her muddy fur as she stared despondently at the puddle before her. The world around her seemed to fade away as she stared into its murky depths.

She gasped as somepony stepped up behind her, a smile on their face. She bit back sobs as a hoof came to rest on her mane, slowly stroking her back as she leaned into the comforting embrace. She turned, her eyes closed tightly, as she was pulled into a reassuring hug. 

“Please don't leave me Dash, I'm so sorry!  Forgive me, I wasn't trying to hurt you, I love you more than you know...” She wrapped her hooves around her, tears spilling down her cheeks as she trailed off into inaudible sobs. 

“Come on Twi. Let's get you inside and out of this rain.” The mare said, patting Twilight on her back as she broke the embrace.

Twilight froze, her eyes opening in surprise as her voice ran through Twilight's mind. Even in her despair, she would know Rainbow's voice anywhere and this was not her’s. She looked up, tears springing to her eyes as she looked into the gentle smile of Fluttershy. Her ears fell as she looked around, almost hoping to see Rainbow's smiling face. Fluttershy nodded knowingly, a hoof held out to the purple pony. 

Twilight stared at her for a moment and slowly grabbed her hoof, gasping as pain shot through her leg as she stood. Fluttershy braced her against her side, her wing covering the unicorn as they began the walk to Fluttershy’s cottage.

They walked in silence, the sounds of their trotting broken only by Twilight sniffling occasionally. They came to the small wooden bridge, their hooves thumping dully against the wood as they crossed over the small creek in front of Fluttershy's home. Twilight stared at the ground, lost in thought as Fluttershy pushed the door open with a hoof, pulling the wet unicorn inside behind her. 

Twilight sat down on the floor as Fluttershy trotted into a side room, returning a moment later with a large towel clenched between her teeth. She reared back onto her back legs, gently rubbing the towel through Twilight's fur. Twilight hardly noticed; she was studying the cottage so intently. It was in this very place that she had found out that Rainbow loved her... and more importantly that she loved Rainbow.

Fluttershy nudged her, smiling as the unicorn looked at her confusedly. She guided Twilight to her couch, a frown spreading across her muzzle as the unicorn winced again. As Twilight sat down, she gently gripped the mare's leg in her hooves, slowly pressing down on the limb in different places until Twilight flinched and pulled the leg back with a groan. 

“You've sprained your ankle Twilight. I'm going to get some supplies and bandage your leg, alright? I mean...if you want me to?” She said, waiting until the mare nodded slowly. 

Twilight watched Fluttershy leave the room, her eyes lingering on a picture on the wall. Her horn flared weakly as she gripped the frame in her magical grip, lifting it from the wall as she floated it into her out stretched hooves. It was a picture of their group, taken a few months ago in the Crystal Empire. She smiled as she studied the photo, her heart pounding painfully as her eyes stopped on Rainbow Dash. 

Out of all her friends there, Rainbow was the only one not looking at the camera. She was staring at Twilight, a small blush visible in the picture. 

“She's loved you for a long time, Twilight.” Fluttershy said, smiling from the doorway as she observed Twilight holding the picture frame.

Twilight jumped, fumbling with the picture frame as she almost dropped it. She looked at Fluttershy curiously as she stepped forward, holding a bag filled with different medical supplies. 

Fluttershy sat down and gently placed Twilight's injured leg in her lap. 

“Do... do you wanna talk about it?” Fluttershy asked hesitantly, as she rubbed a thick cream onto her hooves. She leaned forward, gently working the cream into Twilight's ankle. She winced at first as she remained quiet, before nodding. 

“Rainbow and I got in a fight after you and the girls left earlier today.” She said, watching as the Pegasus worked on her ankle. She could almost sense the pony’s next question. “I learned of a new spell that could turn me invisible... I scared Spike so badly with it that he ran out of the library screaming about ghosts. When I went looking for him, I eventually found him at Rarity’s...” 

She took a deep breath, staring at Fluttershy for a moment before turning away. 

“She asked me to deliver a sweater for Angel to you... and when I was on my way I saw Rainbow in the window...” She trailed off, swallowing nervously as Fluttershy's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “So I used the spell... I snuck inside and was going to scare her... but by the time I realized what you two were talking about, Rainbow had shut the door... I... I didn't know what to do!“ She said, fresh tears streaming down her face as she closed her eyes. 

Fluttershy stared at her for a moment before she nodded, wiping her hooves on a small towel she had brought with her. 

“When my door flew open like that I thought it was just the wind... I'm not angry with you, Twilight.” Fluttershy said, studying Twilight's hoof as she unwrapped a few feet of clean bandages.

Twilight looked up in surprise, wiping tears away as she looked at the yellow pony.  

“Rainbow hates me now... She thinks I was avoiding her for a week but I wasn’t... I wasn't trying to hurt her. I just needed time to think!” She yelled, desperately searching Fluttershy's face for a hint of forgiveness. 

Fluttershy remained quiet, silently wrapping the unicorn's ankle as she vented.

“Please Fluttershy... You know me! You know I wouldn't hurt her like that... I love her too much!” Twilight yelled, sorrow drowning out the desperation in her voice. Fluttershy eyed the mare for a moment before she quietly scoffed at her. Twilight's eye's widened as her jaw dropped ever so lightly. 

“You say you love her so much Twilight, yet here you sit, on my couch trying to convince me! It sounds more like you're trying to convince yourself that you were in the right!” Fluttershy said, examining her handiwork. She turned, trotting into the other room. A moment later, she returned, feigning surprise. “Your leg's all fixed up, so why are you still here?”  

Twilight opened her mouth, stuttering out a response as Fluttershy interrupted her. 

“If you love her so much Twilight, go tell her that! Don't waste your time here and lose her!” She said, gesturing at the door.

Twilight sat up suddenly, a fire burning deep in her chest as she turned Fluttershy's words over in her mind. She stood, putting weight on her back hoof slowly, expecting a sudden spike of pain, but no pain ever came. She stood up straight, determined to set everything straight. 

“Thank you, Fluttershy. I think I needed that more than I thought.” She said, smiling as the Pegasus wilted suddenly. 

“Oh, good; I thought I was over doing it for a minute there.” Fluttershy smiled, trotting over and hugging Twilight briefly. 

Twilight stepped forward, her horn flaring as the door swung open noiselessly. She galloped off, favoring her back leg as trees passed by in a blur. Fluttershy's cottage fell into the distance, the shops and buildings of Ponyville slowly appearing through the trees. She slowed to a trot as she scanned the skies above the town, grinning ever so slightly as she spotted Rainbow's cloud house drifting over the Everfree forest. 

She galloped through town, winding her way closer to her marefriend’s cloud house with each step. Soon enough, she found herself shuffling nervously below the cloud house, her ears laid back against her head. She sucked in a deep breath, and teleported to the entrance of Rainbow’s house.

She stepped forward, knocking on the cloud door with a hoof. 

“Rainbow Dash? It's me... Twilight... Can we talk?” She said, nervously running a hoof over her mane as she waited. A minute passed and no pony answered. She knocked again, a little harder than the previous time, her head cocking to the side as the door slowly swung open. 

She peered inside, fidgeting as she examined the empty interior. She stepped forward, slowly pushing the door open as she called out once again. 

“Rainbow Dash?” She stepped further into the house, her feet sliding over the clouds silently. The house was nearly devoid of furniture; a bookshelf, table, and couch made up the room's decor. Her eyes watered as she examined the photos scattered across the table. Various pictures of Rainbow and Twilight were scattered haphazardly across the cloud table, as if they had been shuffled through recently.

Her heart sank as she spotted the box she had given Dash earlier carelessly thrown under the table, the box torn and ripped in places. Her horn flared as she pulled the box to her, slowly rotating it in her magical grip. She choked back a sob as she held the box to her chest, the pain of their fight returning as she saw her gift so carelessly thrown away. 

“Why are you in my house?” A voice called out, pain evident in the voice. Twilight looked up; jumping slightly as she dropped the box she was holding. 

“I want to apologize, Dash...” She trailed off as Rainbow averted her eyes, tears slowly building in her eyes. 

“Get out, Twilight!” She said, stepping forward as she spoke. Twilight took an uncertain step backwards, Dash's words hitting her like a slap across the face. 

“Please Das-” She said, tears brimming in her eyes once again. 

“No! Not right now, Twilight... Go…Just please go...” Rainbow said, stepping forward, her ears flat as she lowered her head to the ground. 

Twilight whimpered, tears running down her face as she stepped back further, stepping out of the house entirely.

“I am sorry, Rainbow. I didn't mean to spy on you...” She trailed off as Rainbow glared at her.

“You don't even know why I'm mad at you!” Rainbow yelled, her anger building as she stepped forward, nose to nose with Twilight. “I could care less about you spying on me! What hurt was the fact that for a week after you found out I loved you, you avoided me!” She said, her voice cracking as she spoke. Twilight stepped back, her ears flat against her head as she backed away from the smaller pony. 

Rainbow flared her wings, her eyes swimming with anger as she yelled at the unicorn before her. 

“It would have hurt less if you had just slapped me and told me you weren't sure if you liked me like that!” She said, stomping her hoof against the fluffy floor. 

Twilight lowered her head, a sob stuck in her throat as her back leg suddenly hit empty air. She let a surprised squeak as her back half slipped off of the cloud, her hooves desperately trying to gain traction on the empty air below her without luck. 

Rainbow blinked suddenly, her eyes wide in surprise as Twilight slid off the cloud completely, her eyes wide in terror. She leaped forward, her hoof hitting the edge of the cloud as she tried to grab Twilight's hoof. She launched herself over the side of the cloud and saw that Twilight was already halfway to the ground. 

She dove, her wings pumping as she rocketed through the air, fear clutching at her heart. She whistled through the air, her hooves out stretched as she gained on Twilight's falling form. Twilight was only a few feet from Rainbow when she was blinded by a magenta flash. When she looked back, the unicorn had vanished. Rainbow cursed, her wings flaring as she pulled out of the dive, her hooves clipping over the grass below. 

She looked around, her eyes wildly searching for a hint of purple fur. A sob erupted from her chest as she looked from side to side, her mind racing. 

She had almost killed Twilight. That thought alone was enough to stop her in her tracks. All she had wanted to do was vent at her, but she ended up backing the mare off her cloud. Her heart thudded in her chest painfully, almost as if each pulse was a reminder. 

“Rainbow?” A timid voice called out from the edge of the field below. 

Her ears perked up as she spun, and noticed Fluttershy trotting over to her.  Fluttershy looked on in surprise, her eyes wide as Rainbow turned to her with a hectic look in her eye. 

“Did you see where she went?” Rainbow said, her eyes still scanning the field around them. 

“Who?” Fluttershy asked as she glanced around. She didn't see anypony else in the field. 

Rainbow paused, her ears drooping as she bowed her head. “Twilight. She came to see me, to try to apologize and I... I didn't listen to her...” She trailed off, a miserable look in her eye. 

Fluttershy trotted forward, patting Rainbow on the back consolingly. “Don't worry, Dash. She'll come back to you. She was at my house earlier telling me how sorry she was for hurting you and came rushing over here... What?” She said, a frown appearing on her face as Dash choked back another sob. 

“I almost killed her Shy...” She trailed off as Fluttershy's eyes widened, a hoof covering her mouth. “She came in and I was surprised... I wasn't angry at first; I just asked her to leave, and she said she was sorry for spying...” She spat out that last word, almost as if it was horrible to have in her mouth. 

“She made me mad. I started yelling, saying I could care less about the spying; what really had hurt was her avoiding me!” She said, almost begging Fluttershy to understand. “I kept yelling, and she kept backing up, and before I knew it, she had backed off my cloud...” 

“Did you catch her!?” She blurted out, voicing her fears as she covered her heart with her hoof. 

“No... She teleported away before I could...” Rainbow said, her voice thick with emotion as she sunk to the ground. “I... I don't know where she went.” She said as she laid her head on the ground pathetically. 

“Come on Rainbow. We'll head into town and see if we can get the girls to help find her.” She said, trying to motivate the Pegasus beside her. 

Dash lifted her head, gazing into the distance before nodding her head a few times. 

“…Yeah, let's go...” She said, her wings flaring as she lifted herself into the air, waiting for a moment as Fluttershy flew to her side. The pair flew off, quickly leaving Rainbow's house behind. 


~Twilight Sparkle~


Twilight slammed into the ground, rolling a few times before sliding to a stop. She screamed in surprise as she landed on her already injured leg. She lay still for a moment, pain washing over her body as she stiffled another scream.  She slowly pushed herself off the ground, favoring her back leg as she swung her head around. 

She was in a large forest, and there was something strangely familiar about it. Through the trees, she could make out ruins in the distant, a memory stirring in her mind as she limped forward. As she cleared the tree line, a familiar bridge leading across a large foggy ravine came into view, sending new worries down her spine. 

She was in the Everfree forest. She was injured. And judging by the snapping of twigs behind her... she wasn't alone. 







> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight limped forward, grinding her teeth together as she gingerly placed a hoof onto the rickety old bridge. She moved forward, grunting with each step as her hooves scraped against the ragged wood. She cast a glance behind her, her eyes searching every shadow and every tree. She stumbled, her hoof breaking through a rotten board with an ear splitting crack.

She grimaced, slowly lifting herself to her hooves as she carefully stepped over the space where the board used to be. She stepped lightly on each board, slowly putting weight on each one to make sure it wouldn't break underneath her weight.  As she safely reached the other side, she sighed in relief.  Before her were the long-forgotten remains of a tower, and as she examined it, her eyes went wide as a familiar voice called out to her. 

“Well well well... If it isn't Twilight Sparkle, the famed Element of Magic!” 

She froze, her breath catching in her chest as she slowly turned around. On the opposite side of the ravine sat a purple unicorn, a smile evident on her face even from here. Twilight closed her eyes, and slowly opened them, staring at the tree line in disbelief. 

“What's wrong? Don't you recognize yourself?” The doppelganger said, turning her body to show off her six-point star cutie mark. “Does this help?” She asked, sarcasm dripping from every word. 

Twilight narrowed her eyes, her horn flaring magenta as she lowered her head. 

“Oh no... She's going to attack you!” A voice rang out, erupting into laughter as Twilight's jaw dropped, her horn dimming slightly. Several feet away, another doppelganger stepped out of the forest, a smirk on her muzzle as she stepped to stand beside the other.

Twilight's horn fizzled out as the forest behind them suddenly revealed Twilight after Twilight, all of them laughing and talking, every single one of them an exact match of Twilight Sparkle. Fear gripped her heart as they simultaneously grew silent, their eyes all focused on her. 

“You hurt her so badly, Twilight. She can’t, and never will, forgive you for avoiding her like that.” The first Twilight double said, her eyes narrowed as she stepped forward, slowly crossing the rickety bridge. 

“Stay back! I will defend myself!” The real Twilight yelled, her horn flaring once again as she took aim at the approaching creature. 

“Oh, we know you will, Twilight. Always ready to defend yourself, without a thought about anyone else's feelings.” A double said, slowly moving across the bridge. Twilight flinched, hearing the unspoken accusation thrown in her face. 

“Poor Rainbow Dash... You hurt her feelings so bad she pushed you off her cloud!” Another Twilight added, stepping forward to cross the bridge. 

“No! It wasn't like that! It... It was an accident!” She said, uncertainty biting at her mind. She stepped back, shaking her head from side to side. She turned, only to shriek in surprise and fear as more of the creatures moved in behind her, slowly boxing her in. 

“Face the facts, Twilight! She pushed you away! She rejected you! If she still loved you, she would have tried to save you!” A copy said, stepping forward menacingly. 

“No...no! That's not true! Dash wouldn't ever try to hurt me... No matter what I did to her...” She said, pulling at her ears with her hooves. 

“She's the fastest flier in all of Equestria! She singlehoofedly saved the Wonderbolts and Rarity... Makes me wonder...” A double said, tapping her chin with her hoof. “Where was your savior?” 

Twilight shook her head, tears springing to her eyes as she fought to ignore the evil creatures. 

“I'll tell you where she was... At a front row seat to watch you die!” The original copy said, her mellow voice changing to a snarl as she stepped forward. She reached out and roughly grabbed Twilight's chin in her hoof. 

Twilight looked at the creature, tears streaming down her face as it examined her. It pulled its forearm back and smacked her across the cheek as it roared with laughter. Twilight cried out in pain, a hoof reaching to caress her cheek as she turned, glaring at the creature. 

Her horn flared brightly and a blast of pure magic shot through the air, slamming into the creature's chest, rocketing the creature through the air. It slammed into the ground, a look of pain and bewilderment on its face. 

Twilight turned from side to side, her horn aglow as her eyes darted from creature to creature.

“The worst part is? She'll miss watching you die!” One of the copies said as it lept forward suddenly, its body twisting in the air to slam into her. She cried out in surprise, her horn blinking out as she fell to the dirt.

She looked up, lifting her forearm as a hoof stomped down, slamming into her forearm roughly. The creature ground her forearm into the dirt, a sadistic grin on its muzzle as the rest of the creatures laughed. Several of the copies stepped forward, and began to kick and stomp on her as she cried out in pain.

“Enough... That's enough!” A voice called out, echoing across the suddenly silent clearing. Twilight coughed weakly, her sides aching as she slowly turned her head to the source of the voice. 

The mare she had blasted stood before her, a burn splashed across her chest as she glared at the unicorn before her. She looked over Twilight, beckoning toward her with her head. 

Twilight yelled, fighting against the creatures as they grabbed at her forearms, lifting her until only her back legs dragged against the ground. 

The double stepped forward, staring at Twilight for a moment before turning. Her back legs slammed into Twilight's chest, a vicious snap ringing through the air as she crumpled to the ground. 

Twilight gasped for breath, a tiny dribble of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. Her horn flared suddenly, a ball of magenta light shooting off into the night sky. She rolled onto her back, her eyes glazing over as she stared at the ball of light above her. The light flew through the air, vanishing into the distance. A small smile appeared on her face as her mind drifted to the last few weeks that she had spent with Rainbow. 

Just the thought of her lover sent a numbness throughout her entire body, chasing the pain away. She could see the prismatic mane waving in the air; the rainbow left behind the pegasus wherever she flew. She could almost feel Dash's feathers against her side. She leaned against the light embrace, her cheek rubbing against the cool feathers. As she realized what she was doing, she blinked in surprise and looked up to see a familiar pair of eyes staring into hers. 

“Oh Twilight... What did they do to you?!” Rainbow asked, concern and anger evident in her eyes. 

Twilight gasped, her eyes full of hope as she looked up at the mare standing above her. 

“I'm sorry... Rainbow! I'm so... so sorry! I was.. so scared I... wouldn't get to tell you!” She whispered, wincing as each breath she took sent another jolt of pain through her chest. Rainbow shushed her, rubbing her cheek tenderly as she looked at her. 

Twilight stared into her green eyes, swimming in her marefriend’s gaze as she visibly relaxed against Dash's embrace. Rainbow stood, her wings flaring as she glared at the creatures around them. She stepped over Twilight's bruised and battered body, shielding the unicorn with her own as she pawed at the ground, preparing for a fight. 

Twilight gasped for breath, her chest screaming as she struggled to breath against her broken ribs. Her eyes went wide as a double stepped forward, throwing itself at Rainbow Dash. Dash was a blur of movement as she turned, slamming her back hooves into the creature's chest. 

Twilight gasped, her horn flaring as a creature behind Dash stepped forward. She gripped the creature in her magic, slamming the creature into the ground roughly, before throwing it back into the crowd. Rainbow looked back at her, surprise and concern on her face. 

“Take it easy, Twilight, I can handle these things myself!” She said, eying the crowd around her. 

Twilight nodded absently, her head resting on the ground as she breathed deeply. Magic crept up her horn, casting a magenta glow across her face. Dash yelped in surprise and confusion as Twilight's magic grabbed her, lifting her helplessly into the air, her hooves flailing uselessly. 

“What do you think you are doing!?” She asked in fear, her voice cracking as she looked at Twilight, her eyes wide in surprise. 

“Defending myself... from an... imposter!” She said, her teeth clenching as she slammed the fake Rainbow into the ground, a small dust cloud rising into the air. She eyed the dust cautiously, her horn glowing dangerously. 

A chilling laughter rang out across the ruins, echoing into the darkening night around them. 

“How'd you know I wasn't her?” The creature asked.

“My Rainbow... doesn't have... green eyes..” She said, trailing off as the dust cleared, revealing Rainbow Dash smirking at her. 

The imposter laughed, her voice changing as she eyed the unicorn before her. 

“You still don't recognize me? I'm hurt, Twilight...” The creature said, laughing horribly as green flames exploded around her. Through the flame's, Twilight caught sight of Rainbow's wings peeling away, her fur melting away as the creature grew taller, bursting out of Rainbow's form. 

“Chrysalis!” Twilight shook her head, her eyes wide as she stared in horror.

“Oh, how sweet! You do remember me!” She said, lifting herself into the air, the buzzing of her wings filling the air. “Don't worry, Twilight; I remember you as well!” She screamed, her horn flaring as she picked Twilight up in her magical grip, slowly squeezing the unicorn until Twilight screamed out in pain. 

Chrysalis laughed, her horn flaring brighter as she gripped even tighter, Twilight gasping as pain filled her chest. Her eyes went wide as she fought for breath, her horn glowing weakly as she tried to overcome the spell crushing her. She could feel her body begging for air, her eyes watering as she gasped for air. Stars appeared before her eyes, her vision slowly fading into black as her head fell forward. 

Suddenly she was falling freely, her body slamming into the ground painfully. She sucked in a deep breath, crying out in pain as her ribs burned in her chest. She looked up, tears clouding her vision as hope suddenly bloomed in her heart. Where Chrysalis stood just a moment ago, Rainbow Dash hovered, her face flushed with anger. 

~Rainbow Dash, Ten minutes earlier~

Rainbow stood silently, her head hung low as she studied Ponyville from above. Below her, the town bustled here and there, and even in the dying sunlight, lanterns and street lamps threw a warm glow across the entire town. Her eyes widened as caught sight of Rarity waving toward her, beckoning for the pegasus to land. 

She dove suddenly, wind whistling through her ears as her wings snapped to her side. She fell like a stone, her tail flicking through the wind before she ripped her wings open, a cushion of air slowing her enough for a comfortable landing.

“Have you found her?” Rainbow asked, her voice cracking as she looked around them.

“No, I’m afraid not, darling. Don't worry though; she'll turn up.” Rarity said, a reassuring smile on her face. 

Rainbow's face fell, her teeth clenched as she nodded. “I know she will, Rarity. I'm just scared it'll be too late when she does turn up.” 

Rarity opened her mouth to reply but gasped as a small ball of magenta light floated down onto the street, quickly moving toward the two of them. 

Rainbow looked up, her wings flaring as her eyes fell on the small globe, a sudden calm filling her heart and mind. She stepped forward, her hoof outstretched toward the pulsating ball, only to be stopped by Rarity. She turned, giving the unicorn a strange look. 

“Don't touch that! We don't know what it is!” Rarity said, vainly pulling on Dash's hoof. 

Rainbow laughed, pulling her hoof free of Rarity's grasp. “I may not know what it is... But I know who sent it!” She said, eyeing the ball before her. She stepped forward, a hoof passing through the ball, a wisp of magenta energy zipping across her skin. She frowned and leaned forward as she examined the ball. 

Her eyes went wide as the ball leaped forward, filling her view for a moment before slamming into her body, vanishing altogether. She stood still, looking around for a moment before turning to Rarity, her shoulders slumped and her tail hanging low. 

“I thought that m...” She trailed off suddenly, her pupils shrinking as a magical force suddenly gripped her mind. Suddenly the pegasus was no longer in Ponyville, but in a dark forest. A familiar bridge stood before her, with the ruins of a forgotten castle across a foggy chasm.

She stood among the ruins, her eyes wide with panic as several unicorns began to step out of the forest, their mouths moving in phantom whispers. They marched across the bridge, circling her as she flared her horn in defense. 

She was being held by two of the creatures, her body aching all over. A creature with a large black burn turned, its back leg's lashing out. She fell to the ground a few feet away, crying out in pain as her breathing became hard, a knife like pain in her chest. 

She blinked in confusion as her body rolled of its own accord. She was looking at the night sky, her head refusing to turn as a bright light built just above her eyes. Suddenly the ball of light exploded from her horn, shooting into the sky, quickly vanishing into the distance. 

Rainbow blinked, closing her eyes in confusion. Rarity was bent over her, a worried look on her face as she slowly sat up. 

“Oh, what happened?” Rainbow asked, rubbing a hoof across her head. She stood suddenly, her entire body rigid as she turned toward the Everfree forest. She looked around, her eyes locking on Rarity. 

“Find Spike. Tell him to send a letter to Celestia. Tell her Twilight is in the Everfree forest, at the old castle, and she's...” She trailed off for a moment, a tear leaking down her cheek. “She's hurt really badly.” 

Rarity gasped, her hooves clattering over the road as she sprinted towards the library, quickly disappearing into the town proper. Rainbow crouched and threw herself into the air, a brilliant rainbow trailing along behind her. She pushed herself faster and faster, a faint white cone appearing around her body as she sped through the air. 

She screamed through the air, a scream of pure anger and sorrow as the cone around her exploded, an ear-shattering boom shattering the night sky, accompanied by an explosion of color. She flew forward, her entire body painting a brilliant rainbow across the sky. 

She prayed silently, her mind willing her wings to move faster and faster. 

“I hope I'm not too late. Hang on, Twilight; I’m coming for you.” 
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dash stood, her shoulders shaking in anger, her eyes locked on the prone form of Queen Chrysalis. Twilight gingerly pulled herself to her hooves, her head turning to see Chrysalis stand, a trickle of blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. 

"Take another step and I will break you!" Dash snarled, her wings bared as she crouched protectively over her marefriend. Rainbow’s fur stood on end, her eyes wide as she stared at Chrysalis. 

Twilight sucked in a deep breath, gritting her teeth as she forced herself to her hooves. 
She gingerly stepped forward to stand next to Rainbow, stumbling as a fresh wave of pain shot through her body. She gasped, her breath coming short as she looked up, her heart fluttering as she took in Rainbow's concerned expression.

"Are you okay, Twi?" Rainbow asked, her voice cracking as she looked into the unicorn's pain-filled eyes. Twilight slowly nodded, keeping a wary eye on the changelings surrounding them. 

Dash’s eyes trailed across Twilight's chest, her eyes lingering on the dark bruises already visible beneath her bloodstained and matted fur. She turned, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Chrysalis. 

Chrysalis stood, staring almost uninterestedly at the two, a smirk on her muzzle. She stepped forward, her hooves kicking up small puffs of dust as she stalked closer to the pair. Rainbow snarled at her, her clear and unspoken threat echoing across the small clearing. 

“Oh, how intimidating.” Chrysalis said in mock fear, her eyes rolling as she flared her wings behind her. “Let's see if you can last as long as your little friend here.” 

Twilight swallowed heavily as the changelings stepped forward, their eyes shining menacingly. Rainbow smirked, rolled her shoulders, and cracked her neck as she prepared for the imminent fight. A changeling threw itself forward, it's mouth open in a snarl as it bared its fangs at her. 

“Rainbow! Look out...” Twilight screamed, trailing off as the pegasus spun around, her back hoof slamming into the creature’s muzzle with a resounding crack. The creature flew back several yards and fell to the ground in a heap.

Rainbow jumped out of the way just in time as a changeling slammed into the ground where she had just stood, its wings buzzing as it lifted itself into the air for another attack. The creature suddenly froze in the air, its body surrounded by a magenta glow.  It yelped in surprise and pain as it was suddenly thrown through the air, slamming into a nearby tree with a wicked crack. 

Twilight stepped forward, breathing slowly as she gazed at the creatures surrounding them. She closed her eyes; her horn flaring as the wind suddenly picked up, making debris circle around her in a terrifying display of power.

Her eyes snapped open, a bright white glow replacing her lavender eyes. Her horn flared brightly, sending the debris circling her flying through the air like missiles. The rocks slammed into most of the changelings, knocking them off of their hooves. 

The sound of her magic echoed through the courtyard as her horn grew even brighter. Several sections of the ground started to crack, a bright white light spilling from them. Twilight grinned savagely as she slowly rose into the air, followed by large sections of the ground. 

A sudden snap rang through the clearing, a scream of agony following a second later. Twilight’s eyes changed back to their usual color, and her horn went dark. She slowly fell back to the ground, and her heart jumped in her throat as she saw that Chrysalis had pinned Rainbow to the ground.

Rainbow was pinned beneath Chrysalis, her back leg twisted at an impossible angle.  The Queen sneered, grabbed Rainbow’s back legs, and twisted the broken bone as Twilight watched in horrified shock. The pegasus screamed in agony, her cries echoing across the silent clearing. 

Seeing her marefriend being tortured like that in front of her pushed her over the edge. Her horn flared suddenly, a magenta light forming and tightening around Chrysalis's throat. Chrysalis yelped, her front hooves scrambling at the light surrounding her throat. 

Twilight lifted her head, her horn flaring brightly as she slammed Chrysalis into the ground with an earth-shaking crack.  Twilight breathed heavily, her sides shaking as another changeling stalked towards her. She turned, her back leg lashing out as the creature jumped at her, a sharp pain ripping through her body above her hip. 

She yelped, collapsing to the ground as the creature flew back into the crowd, slamming into several of its companions. Chrysalis stood, her eyes flaring a sickly green. She stepped forward, her eyes locked on Twilight. 

“Twilight; I’m coming!” Rainbow screamed, her voice full of pain. Twilight gave her an odd look, her eyebrow raised as Dash lifted herself into the air. Rainbow darted forward, wincing as her broken leg flopped uselessly in the wind. She scooped Twilight up in her forearms, a jolt of pain shooting through Twilight's body as Rainbow’s forelegs slipped under her belly. 

Rainbow Dash panted, her wings beating heavily as her head twisted and turned, searching for something. Her eyes narrowed, staring at the ruins before her. She darted forward, her wings flapping against her side as she darted into the castle, the cries and shrieks of anger slowly fading away. 

“Where are... we going?” Twilight asked, wincing at the dull pain in her side. She twisted, trying to see her side, only to flinch as pain wracked her body once again. 

“We’re going to hide.” Dash said, biting her lip as she glanced down at Twilight. She stopped, her eyes sweeping over the room for a moment, and saw a large hole in the floor. Behind her she could hear the changelings closing in, the buzzing of their insect-like wings vibrating through her bones. She darted into the hole, her eyes scanning the passageway as she pulled Twilight close to her chest. 

~Canterlot~

It had been a good day. The nobles had been strangely silent, and very few ponies had visited her in the day’s court session. Princess Celestia trotted through the hallways of the palace, a serene smile on her face. She passed by guard after guard, greeting each of them by name. 

She stepped out of the hallway, emerging onto one of the castle’s numerous balconies. She gazed down at the courtyard below her, smiling as she watched several ponies cross the greenery. 

Her smile grew as a familiar green wisp faded into view, a scroll appearing a moment later. She caught the scroll in her magic, quickly unfurling the scroll as she walked. She read the scroll, her smile fading as her wings flared suddenly, the scroll falling forgotten to the floor. Her mane whipped through the air, darting back and forth as if angry, almost as if her mane was alive. 

A guard stepped forward, his eyes narrow as he looked toward the fallen scroll. He gripped the scroll in his magic, re-rolling the scroll and floating it before him. 

“Is everything alright, Princess?” The guard asked, snapping to stand at attention as Celestia turned toward him. She stared at him for a moment, her gaze seeing through him, before she spoke. 

“No, Iron Side. Alert the guard; we must head to Ponyville at once!” She turned, galloping through the halls of the palace; her hoofbeats fading off into the distance. 

Iron Side turned, sharing a glance with the guard beside him. As one they turned, galloping through the palace, heading toward the barracks to report the Princess's orders to their commander.  

~Castle Ruins~

Ahead of the pair was a small staircase, partially blocked by fallen rocks. There seemed to be a gap just large enough for her and Twilight to slip through, and hopefully remain hidden until the changelings left. Rainbow slipped through the dark hole, pinning her wings tight against her side. 

Rainbow awkwardly pulled her marefriend through the hole and set her down, wincing as the unicorn gasped in pain. Dash sat down beside her, her back leg held at an awkward angle. She glanced ahead, her eyes trailing across the opposite wall, large cracks and sections of the wall missing.  

“We should be safe here...” Dash said, trailing off as she studied her forelegs. Her cyan fur was speckled with blood, soaked through in different places. Her eyes widened, her head snapping to Twilight. The unicorn laid limply on the floor, her side glistening in the dim light. 

“No... No no no no no...” Rainbow said, limping over to her marefriend as quickly as she could. Her eyes trailed down her marefriend’s side and saw a gaping hole on the side of her chest, just under her rearleg. Blood slowly dripped from the wound, staining Twilight’s fur a deep crimson. Tears sprang to Rainbow’s eyes as she applied pressure to Twilight's side, nearly laughing in relief as Twilight hissed in pain. 

“Rain...bow...” Twilight said weakly, her voice rasping as she attempted to lift her head. She turned her neck, gazing at Rainbow with glazed over eyes. 

“No! Stop it Twilight!” Rainbow cried, tears springing into her eyes as she stared into Twilight’s eyes. Beneath her fur, the mare was unusually pale, slight tremors running through her body. 

“I... love.. you... I always will... and... I'm..sorry...” She said, her voice growing weaker. “Please... run... You can still... fly out of here...” She coughed suddenly, a deep rattling cough, fresh blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. 

“No! You can tell me how sorry you are when we get out of here!” Dash said, tears streaming down her face as she glared at the unicorn below her. She wiped her tears away; Twilight’s blood smearing across her cheeks.

Twilight screamed as a changeling suddenly appeared in the hole, a snarl on his lips. A magenta glow weakly formed around him, shoving him away from the hole. A second passed, and a dull magenta glow covered the hole, humming slightly. The changeling threw himself at the light, bouncing off the shield with a dull ring. 

“Stop it, Twilight! You need to save your strength!” Rainbow screamed, staring at the weakly-breathing unicorn. 

“I... saved... you this... time... go!” She said, life returning to her eyes as her horn flared brightly, the opposite wall crumbling under her magic. A hole appeared just large enough for the pegasus to squeeze through. Behind them, changelings beat their hooves across the shield, causing a small crack to form in the magical shield. 

“I won't leave you, Twilight.” Dash said, eyeing the hole for a moment, before shaking her head. “We'll hide here until they lose interest and leave.” She said, her gaze returning to the shield covering the small entryway. “Then I'll get you to the hospital, and everything will be fine!” She said, lowering her puffy eyes to gaze at Twilight. 

“Right?” She asked, panic creeping into her voice as Twilight remained silent. She sobbed openly, her shoulders heaving as she pressed against Twilight. She watched as the shield started to crack under the assault of the changelings.

“Right..?” She repeated, begging for an answer to her question. She glanced down, her eyes watering as she took in Twilight's closed eyes. If it wasn't for the feeling of her side moving beneath her hooves, she would have thought...

“Right.” A voice whispered weakly, a forced smile on Twilight's face. Twilight lifted her head, her tail flicking weakly as Rainbow chuckled hysterically, relieved that her marefriend was still holding on. Twilight's leg twitched, pain shooting through her body as she whimpered. 

Twilight gasped as her vision blurred, blackness slowly spreading across her vision. She shuddered, her vision fading as a bright light exploded outside the hole, filling the small room with the bright light of the sun. Rainbow shouted something, but her words were muffled, and all sounds faded away as she blacked out. 
> Chapter 16
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash blinked rapidly, her eyes watering as a light as bright as the sun suddenly flared across her vision. She pulled Twilight closer to her chest, tears running down her cheeks as a loud voice suddenly boomed through the castle ruins. 

“Take Twilight Sparkle and get yourselves to safety! Go now!” The voice roared, anger and boundless power evident in the bodiless voice. A surge of power rippled through the structure, shattering the wall behind her with an ear splitting crack. Rainbow’s eyes went wide as magic swirled before her, condensing into a ball before expanding with a massive roar. A silvery portal appeared before her, through which she could just make out the waiting room of the Ponyville hospital. 

Rainbow licked her lips, her eyes falling to the mare in her lap. She pressed a hoof to Twilight’s chest, a spark of hope filling her as she felt the weak thump of the unicorn’s heart. She slid her arms under the mare's neck, cradling her in her grip as she limped to the portal, slowly pushing a hoof through the strange material. 

Her hooves went numb for a brief second as she limped through the portal, briefly stumbling as she lost all feeling in her body for a second. She steadied herself, pulled Twilight's motionless body closer to her chest, and pumped her wings as she suddenly appeared in the hospital.

“I need a doctor! Please, anypony, help!” She screamed, her eyes darting to the mare in her arms as the sound of hoofsteps filled the corridor. A doctor came galloping into view, his eyes focusing instantly focusing on Twilight's slumped body. 

His horn shone a brilliant blue as he gently lifted the mare out of Dash's arms, her body drifting to a nearby gurney as the doctor screamed orders to the nurses around him. 

“We need to get her into surgery, now!” The doctor thundered, his hooves clacking on the linoleum floor as he pushed the stretcher down the hallway. Rainbow lowered herself to the ground, limping after them as they wheeled the gurney out of the waiting room and into an empty surgery room.

Rainbow Dash looked on helplessly, her cyan fur stained red. She stared at the doors leading to the surgery room. Images of Twilight's bloody fur were burned into her eyes, her breath coming raggedly as she took a step closer to the doors, straining her neck as she struggled to look into the surgery room. 

“Rainbow Dash.” A calm voice called out from behind her, drawing her attention away from the doors. She turned reluctantly, her eyes widening as she saw Princess Celestia stepping toward her, her white fur as spotless as ever. Her horn flared a bright golden light as a wheelchair rolled forward, rolling to a stop in front of Rainbow. “Will you come with me, please?”

Rainbow Dash glanced back at the door before nodding stiffly. She folded her wings in, her tail twitching behind her in irritation as she limped forward, letting herself fall into the wheelchair with a huff. Celestia's horn flared dimly as the wheelchair followed the princess’s billowing mane through the hospital corridors. She wrestled with her mounting anger, her eyes narrowing as Celestia smiled and nodded at each and every mare and stallion they passed. 

Princess Celestia ducked into a doorway, the wheelchair following obediently behind her. Rainbow cocked an eye at the doctor waiting in the small room, who nervously smiled at her as she glanced over at the Princess. The wheelchair rolled into the room, sliding to a stop in front of the mare. 

“I asked Doctor Stable to take a look at your leg.” Celestia said, calmly grabbing a magazine in her magical grip and flipping it open to a random page. Rainbow Dash glared at the alicorn, her eyes blazing with barely restrained anger as Celestia ignored the angry mare. 

Doctor Stable's horn glowed a bright yellow, his magic coiling around Dash's leg with a cool embrace. Rainbow let her eyes slowly drift to her leg, staring at the magic twisting around her leg.  The doctor's horn flared as his magic applied pressure to the injured leg, a series of light pops ringing through the room. She hissed as her leg bone slowly shifted, her broken leg straightening out as the bone slowly melded back together.

“If you can repair my leg that easily, Twilight should be okay… right?” Dash hesitantly asked, her eyes jerking to Princess Celestia as a loud ripping sound rang throughout the small office. Celestia stared at the torn halves of the magazine, her eyes unfocused as she quietly set the magazine remains on the table beside her. 

“Ahem... It's not that easy with unicorns. Their magic actively fights our healing magic, and results can be... unpredictable at best.” Doctor Stable said, running a hoof through his mane as he cast an uncertain look at the Princess in the corner. “We have the best doctors in Ponyville looking after her though.” Stable smiled reassuringly at Dash before heading out of the small office. 

Rainbow watched him leave, before turning to Princess Celestia. “You can do something, can't you? You’re the holder of the sun! Surely you can... help her...” Rainbow said, her face falling as Celestia slowly shook her head. “Well, like the doctor said, she'll be fine... right?”

Celestia opened her mouth, an obvious reassurance on her tongue before she closed her mouth. “I am not sure, Rainbow Dash. My student is one of the strongest ponies I know. But it is up to her…”

Rainbow Dash nodded, her eyes falling to stare at the ground. Her ear twitched as the pounding of hooves echoed into the room, inaudible shouting heard from the hallway outside. 

A mare burst into the room, her eyes tight as she turned to face Princess Celestia. 

“Princess... Miss Sparkle is not responding well. If we cannot stop the bleeding soon...” She trailed off as she glanced over at Rainbow Dash. “If we cannot stop the bleeding soon, she will not make it through the night.” 

Princess Celestia nodded, her eyes closed as she looked at the mare at the doorway. “Thank you for letting me know, Nurse Redheart. Please, do whatever you can for her... I'll pay for it myself.” The nurse nodded and quickly left the room. Turning to look back at Rainbow, Princess Celestia said, “Come, let us see how Twilight is doing.”

Rainbow Dash followed the alicorn out of the room, her mind a whirlwind of anger, sorrow, and most prevalent amongst her feelings... fear. They traveled through the hospital, Celestia once again greeting every pony that crossed their path. Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide as Nurse Redheart pushed open a doorway, revealing a bandaged and unconscious Twilight. 

Rainbow darted forward, speeding to Twilight's side, her eyes rapidly wondering over the unicorns body. Her fur was cleaned, bandages wrapped around several sections of her body. A blanket covered her lower half, but Dash was sure that her lower half was just as damaged. 

“She will make it right?” Dash asked, staring at her marefriend, her eyes watery. 

“She will have to,” Celestia said, her eyes roaming the walls around them. 

Rainbow gritted her teeth, a dull pounding filling her ears as she shot a venomous glare at the alicorn beside her. “You have to save her! You can’t just sit here and do nothing!” She yelled, slamming her hoof on the floor angrily. “She goes on all the time about how amazing you are, but when the time comes when you are really needed, you just fold up and let other ponies do your work!”

Celestia looked as if she had been slapped, and Rainbow could have sworn that she saw a sad expression appear on her face, if only for a moment. 

“You lied! You said she'd be fine!” Dash suddenly screamed, anger evident in her voice as she turned, glaring at the alicorn, her hoof trembling as she pointed it accusingly at her. 

“I know I did!” Celestia thundered, her voice booming at the angry pegasus. Her mane snapped behind her, flicking angrily in an invisible wind. “You think you're the only pony who cares for Twilight?! She is like a daughter to me, yet you accuse me of not caring for her!” She trailed off, her anger spent, replaced by a deep sorrow. 

Rainbow landed and glared at Celestia as tears came to her eyes. “I swear, if Twilight dies...” She trailed off, sobs wrecking her thin body as Celestia stepped forward. 

Princess Celestia lowered her head to nuzzle the sorrowful pegasus. “I am sorry, Rainbow Dash. But this is up to Twilight now... I cannot force her to come back to us.” Celestia lifted her head, a single tear falling down her face as she turned to leave the room. Behind her, she faintly caught Rainbow's last whispered words. 

“Please Twilight... Don't leave me...”


~Twilight Sparkle~


The unicorn sat quietly, her head gazing at the midnight sky above her. Her eyes trailed across the stars, picking out each and every inaccuracy among the constellations. She shook her head slowly, her eyes drifting to the ground before her. 

She sat upon a small island, the mass of land slowly drifting through space. She felt completely at ease, a smile on her face as the stars above her slowly winked out, the sky becoming darker and darker. 

The island seemed to pick up speed, drifting ever closer to the sky, until she could almost reach up and drag a hoof through the milky blackness. She cocked her head as the sky suddenly ripped apart, a white glow filling its space as she drifted closer. 

A sudden urge gripped her mind; an urge to throw herself into the glow. Her tail nervously flicked back and forth as she slowly stretched a hoof skyward. She pulled her arm back as a fierce scream suddenly filled the air. 

"No! You lied! You said she'd be fine!" The bodiless voice screamed, filled with anger. She could feel her ears flatten as her heart fluttered against her chest. A moment passed and she slowly stretched her hoof out once again. 

She froze as the voice returned. 

"I swear, if you let Twilight die..." The voice trailed off, a soft weeping filling the silence around her. A second phantom voice joined the first. 

"I am sorry, Rainbow Dash. But this is up to Twilight now... I can't force her to come back to us." The voice was mystical; an ancient sadness hidden within it's comforting tone. She turned, her eyes scanning in every direction for the source of the voices. 

She narrowed her eyes, blinking as the judged the darkness below her. Her heart raced as she fought the urge to close her eyes, a deep fear rising in her mind as she peered into the blackness. If she wasn't mistaken, she would almost bet that the void below her was suddenly lighter. 

"Please Twilight... Don't leave me..."

A spark fired in her chest, heat flashing across her heart as the usually confident voice echoed brokenly through the darkness. She stepped closer to the island's edge, her eyes studying the space below her. Above her the white glow was almost blinding, mere feet above her horn now. 

She smiled as images flashed across her mind, each and everyone centering on a familiar pegasus. She stood on her back legs, her forelegs stretched out to either side of her as she closed her eyes. She leaned back, wind whistling past her back as gravity took hold. 

"You've never let me fall before... Catch me, Dashie"

> Chapter 17
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight’s ear twitched as sound slowly faded into her consciousness, the mostly silent room broken only by a light snoring. She sat quietly, a small grin on her face as she listened to the familiar sound. She opened her eyes, blinking in the dim light as she looked about the room lazily. She looked down, a weak smile growing on her face as her eyes fell on a messy rainbow mane. 

Her grin grew larger as Dash softly snorted in her sleep, scratching at her nose with a hoof as she turned her head. Twilight's smile fell as Rainbow faced her, revealing puffy eyes and faded tear streaks. She appreciated Rainbow being there to make sure she was alright, but she wasn't stupid; she knew the moment she was released from the hospital, Rainbow would be out of here, and...out of her life. 

She frowned, hesitating for just a brief moment before extending her hoof, slowly sliding it under Rainbow's, gripping at her hoof tightly, cherishing the moment. Dash's eyes opened slowly and closed again as she yawned loudly, scratching idly at her nose with her other hoof. Her eyes trailed down, slowly focusing on her hoof, before snapping up to Twilight's face. Her eyes flew wide, her mouth dropping open as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. 

“You're awake! You're awake!” Rainbow screamed, leaping out of the chair beside the bed as she buried her head in Twilight's neck. Twilight wrapped a hoof around Rainbow, patting her on the back as she mumbled something incoherent into her neck. She frowned, wincing as the IV in her foreleg pulled at her skin. She opened her mouth, coughing roughly as her throat scraped together dryly. 

Rainbow pulled away from her, quickly wiping her eyes dry before holding a glass of water to Twilight’s lips. Twilight drank greedily, sighing as Dash pulled the cup away from her. 

“I'm fine... What happened?” Twilight mumbled, her eyes scrunched up as she probed her foggy memory. The last thing she could remember was arriving in the Everfree Forest. 

“You don't remember?”

Twilight shook her head, drawing a cock-eyed look from Rainbow. 

“You were in the Everfree Forest. You ran into changelings, and they... they hurt you... You were stabbed; there was so much blood, and…and…” Rainbow trailed off, her voice dying in her throat. 

“I remember,” Twilight said, shivering slightly as she rested her head against her pillow. She sighed, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her body, hissing in pain between her teeth. 

“Are you alright?” Dash asked, her wings flapping quickly behind her as she leaned over Twilight worriedly. 

“I'm fine,” Twilight said, her eyes closed tightly. 

“No you're not; you're in pain!” Rainbow said, her hoof pointed accusingly at Twilight. Before Twilight could respond, Rainbow had vanished through the doorway, the door slowly swinging open behind her. Twilight slumped back against her pillow, a light groan escaping her lips as her head hit the pillow. 

A few moments passed in silence, before suddenly being broken as Rainbow zipped back into the room, the sound of hoofsteps echoing through the hallway behind her. A nurse stepped into the doorway, a smile on her face as she entered the room. 

“Miss Sparkle, I am happy to see that you've finally woken. Miss Dash tells me you are in pain?” The nurse said, examining the clipboard at the end of the bed. 

“Hello Nurse Redheart. Like I told Rainbow, I feel fin-” She sucked in a breath as another spasm of pain shot through her body, her hip on fire. She chuckled weakly, avoiding the narrowed eyes of Nurse Redheart. 

“Yes, well, my hip seems to be hurting a fair bit.” Twilight sheepishly admitted. The nurse stepped forward, tugging at Twilight's blanket with her mouth. Once the cover was below her hips, Nurse Redheart examined the hip with a gentle hoof, pressing on the tender skin carefully. Redheart nodded as Twilight flinched slightly, a satisfied smile on her muzzle. 

“Your hip is healing nicely, although the skin will be rather tender for a while. I need to check a few things, and then I can give you a pain killer and we'll get you feeling better, okay?” Redheart said, a smile on her muzzle as she examined the machines beside Twilight's bed. 

Twilight silently shot a glare at Dash, who smiled innocently back at her. 

“I told you I was fine...” Twilight huffed, glaring at Rainbow Dash. She smiled innocently back at her, a smug grin on her face. 

“And I knew you weren't!” Dash said, glancing over at Nurse Redheart. “You were hurting Twi, I'm sorry if you're mad at me, but I didn't wanna leave you hurting.” 

Twilight shook her head, smiling as she chuckled weakly. “I'm not mad Dashie.”

Twilight turned to face Nurse Redheart, a curious look on her face as she stared at the jumble of machines around her. 

“Do you know when I will be able to leave?”

“Well...” The nurse said, twisting a few knobs on the heart monitor beside her. “You were severely injured, Miss Sparkle. You suffered severe blood loss, coupled with muscle damage. We were able to stop the bleeding, but your muscles will have to heal over time.” She turned, facing Twilight fully. 

“I cannot say exactly when you will be allowed to leave, but at the current rate of your healing, I can safely say it will not be too long.”

Twilight nodded, her ears flat against her head. Dash placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, a gentle smile on her face. 

“I will be right back with the painkiller, but it will put you to sleep, so take this time and talk if you need to.” The nurse said, a warm smile on her face as she left the room, her tail flicking behind her.

The room was silent for a moment, Twilight avoiding Dash's eyes by examining the room around her. Dash stared at her, her eyebrow raised as she shot Twilight a confused look. 

“…Twi?” Dash said, her face falling as Twilight didn't respond, the unicorn stubbornly staring at the wall. “Are... are you mad at me?” 

Twilight lowered her head, sighing heavily as she finally turned to face Rainbow Dash. 
“I don't want you here,” She said, her voice lifeless and dull.

“Wha... why?” Dash said, her voice cracking as she stared at the bed-bound unicorn. 

“I didn’t want to get my hopes raised... I know the minute I get out of the hospital you're gonna leave … You're only here because you feel like you owe it to me...” She met Rainbow’s eyes, her own narrowing as she took in Rainbow's confused expression. 

“Why the hay would I leave?” 

“We broke up... Even I know what happens now...” Twilight said, her voice a whisper. Her eyes went wide as Dash started laughing, her jaw falling open.

“We didn't break up, you egghead!” Dash chuckled. She wiped a tear away from her eye, giggling at the dumbfounded expression on Twilight's face. 

“But we fough-”

“Yeah, we did fight, and we will probably fight a lot. But just because we fight doesn't mean I won’t still love you. You'll always be my egghead, egghead.” She said, leaning forward and nuzzling Twilight. 

“I'm so sorry, Rainbow. I really didn't mean to hurt you; I just didn't know what to do. I love you so much, and I can’t imagine my life without you.” Twilight said, sniffling slightly as she tightly hugged the cyan pegasus. 

“Ahem,” A voice called out, drawing the couple's attention to a blushing Nurse Redheart standing in the doorway. “I apologize for interrupting, but I have the pain reliever ready.” 

She stepped forward, popped the needle into the IV tube, and quickly emptied the contents of the needle into it. Twilight thanked her, staring at her arm as the cool liquid entered her bloodstream. Rainbow squeezed her hoof reassuringly, giving Twilight a small grin. 

Twilight blinked, her eyelids growing heavy as her vision swam. Slowly her eyelids closed, sleep claiming her once again. 


~Ponyville Hospital~


Twilight stayed in the hospital for another two weeks, in which Rainbow Dash never once left her side. She was visited daily by the rest of her friends, and she was even visited by both of the princesses on two separate occasions. 

Her hip healed nicely, leaving a very faint but, as Dash described it, sexy scar. She was allowed to walk short trips around the hospital, but had so far been unable to leave her hospital bed for any extended time. She was glad she was allowed to leave her room, even if it was just for a few minutes. 

Twilight giggled as Dash waved her forelegs exaggeratedly, her wings flaring out behind her as she spoke. 

“And than Daring Do leapt from the top of the cliff, her wings still wrapped tight against her sides by the rope Ahuizotl had snagged her wit-” Dash looked towards the door as somepony knocked lightly. 

Twilight turned from Dash as Nurse Redheart entered her room, carrying a clipboard in her mouth. 

“Hello, Nurse Redheart, do I get to go home today?” Twilight asked, giggling as Redheart shot her the same look she had given her the last thirteen times she had asked that question. However, to her surprise, Nurse Redheart nodded and laid the clipboard beside her.

Twilight smiled happily and picked it up. She glanced over the sheet, smiling as Nurse Redheart explained what was on the document. 

“These are your discharge papers, along with activities you should stay away from until you are completely healed. Unfortunately, until you are healed, we must ask that you refrain from using magic. You will also be required to check in with the hospital every two weeks until we are happy with your progress.” Nurse Redheart said, a warm smile on her face as she passed Twilight a pen.

Twilight frowned, gripping the pen between her teeth as she pulled the board close to her mouth. She scrawled a signature across the paper, glaring at her messy writing. 

“Sorry... I'm not really used to writing without my magic…” She said, blushing slightly as Redheart took the clipboard from her. 

“That's quite alright, Miss Sparkle. Have a nice day, and remember; no magic!” She called over her shoulder as she trotted from the room, leaving Twilight to smile happily at Dash. Dash was dancing in place, an excited grin on her face. 

Twilight pulled herself out of her bed, smiling as Dash took her place beside her. They walked through the hospital, waving at the few nurses they recognized as they made their way through the hospital hallways. 

“It's good to be allowed to go back home now.” Twilight said, flipping her mane out behind her. They stepped through the hospital doors, a smile on her face as she took a deep breath. 

“I bet. Spike will be glad to see that you're out!” Dash said, giggling as Twilight's eyes went wide at the thought of her assistant. Twilight sped up, trotting ahead of Rainbow. Her tail flicked behind her as Dash's eyes slowly slid down, her gaze lingering on her marefriend’s flank. She blushed as Twilight glanced at her, arching a brow at the pegasus. 

Dash looked away, clearing her throat as she sped up to pull alongside Twilight. Twilight giggled at her, a smile on her muzzle as they passed through the town, their hooves kicking up small dust clouds as they made their way towards the library. As the large tree slowly came into view, Twilight shot a challenging look over at Rainbow, narrowing her eyes at the pegasus. 

Rainbow grinned, her tail twitching behind her as she shot forward, her hooves digging into the ground as she galloped beside Twilight, the two giggling as they raced toward the large tree. Twilight pulled ahead, her eyes narrowed as she pulled ahead of her marefriend. Her horn flared briefly as she gripped the door's handle, wincing as her hip twinged slightly. She released her magic, her hooves scrambling to slow her as she barreled towards the door. 

She slid to a stop an inch from the door, a hoof raised to her lips as Dash slammed head first into it. She bit back a laugh as Dash swayed dizzily, her mane flying in the air as she shook her head. She shot a glare at Twilight, before spinning around and slinging the door open, her head lowered as she sulked into the library. 

Twilight followed her inside, giggling quietly as she stepped forward. She shrieked in surprise as a blur slammed into her foreleg, squeezing it tightly. She smiled down at Spike, nuzzling him as he looked up at her with happy tears in his eyes. 

“I'm so glad you're okay, Twilight,” He said, his voice quivering lightly. He released her leg as he pulled at his tail, staring up at her as his face fell. “I thought you had…died…” 

Twilight frowned, rubbing her muzzle against his cheek reassuringly. “Don't ever worry about me leaving you, Spike.” She glanced up at Rainbow, who was halfway between smiling and pouting.

“I'll never leave either of you like that again.” 

She smiled at both of them, her eyes widening as she looked past the two, finally taking note of the streamers and party favors hanging on her walls, balloons were floating around, and party games were on the table. She tensed slightly, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as she scanned the room, her ears laid flat against her neck. 

“Spike...” Twilight whispered, her eyes locked on the kitchen door. 

“Yeah?”

“Where's Pinkie Pie?” She whispered, glancing toward the dragon at her side. 

“Here I am!” Pinkie screamed, appearing from behind Spike's back, her frizzy mane bouncing atop her head as she jumped out from behind him. “Where'd Twilight go?” She asked, glancing at Dash, who was currently rolling on the ground howling with laughter.

Dash lifted a hoof, pointing at the ceiling above them before slamming said hoof against the ground, snorting in laughter. Pinkie Pie looked up, giggling at the purple unicorn flat against the ceiling, her hooves dug deep into the wood. Her mane was frazzled, her eyes wide and dilated. 

“How will you enjoy your party from up there?” Pinkie asked, bouncing around the room as she stared at Twilight. 

Twilight glared at her, slowly relaxing as Dash flew up and pulled her into her forelegs. Rainbow slowly lowered her to the ground, nuzzling Twilight's neck as she touched the ground. She blushed as Rainbow giggled, smoothing her mane down before stepping out of her grip. 

“Why didn't you tell me there was a party planned?” Twilight asked, an eyebrow raised at the pegasus beside her. 

Rainbow Dash shrugged, a smile on her face. “You never asked! I haven't had a chance to talk to Pinkie since she last visited you in the hospital. Anyways, I knew there would be one; I just didn't expect it to be so... soon.” 

Twilight nodded, her gaze shifting to the pink pony bouncing around her living room. 

“Well, if this is a party, where's everypony else?” She asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously as she examined the room before her. 

“About to knock!” Pinkie chirped, her tail bouncing beside her as she danced in place. Right on cue, somepony knocked on the library door, before waiting a moment and entering. 

“Well Ah'll be! Pinkie was righ' on the money when she said you'd be outta the hospital today.” Applejack said, a happy grin on her muzzle as she entered the library, tipping her hat at Twilight and Rainbow. Rarity and Fluttershy entered behind her, the pair speaking quietly between themselves. 

“Darling, that hospital bed did not do your mane any favors.” Rarity said, inspecting her hair with a critical eye. Her horn flared brightly she picked at strands of Twilight's mane, ignoring her protest. 

“I think she looks just fine.” Fluttershy said, smiling happily at Twilight. Twilight grinned appreciatively at her, and then flinched as Rarity tugged on a split end in her mane. Rarity sighed and released her hold on Twilight's mane as Twilight playfully glared at her. Twilight yelped as a pair of hooves came down on her sides, effortlessly hoisting her into the air. 

She shrieked, shooting a fierce glare at Pinkie Pie as she deposited her in a seat before a small pile of presents. 

“You know you didn't have to buy me anything!” Twilight protested with a faint smile, glancing between her friends. 

They all ignored her, so with a smile, she grabbed a small orange box from the top of the pile. Her hoof tore into the paper, revealing a small wooden chest. Her name was elegantly engraved in the top, spiral patterns adorned across the wood.  She gasped as examined the box, flipping the small latch on it as she opened it. It was empty inside, but had a dark blue material lining the inside of the box. 

“Oh my Celestia, Applejack I love it!” She said, smiling as she set the box to her side. 

Applejack waved away her thanks, a smile on her lips as she nodded at Twilight. 

Twilight looked at the presents for a moment, her tongue between her teeth before she picked a large pink present from the middle of the pile. She pulled the wrapping paper off, throwing it to the side as she lifted the box’s lid. She stared inside in confusion, before glancing over to Pinkie Pie. 

“It's empty...” She trailed off as she realized Pinkie Pie was no longer beside her. 

She shrugged, her eyes drifting to the box once again. She yelped in surprise as Pinkie's hoof suddenly appeared inside the box, holding a blue and purple cupcake atop a small plate. Twilight stared at the offered cupcake for a moment, before lifting the plate off of Pinkie’s hoof. The pink foreleg slid back into the box, and before Twilight could speak, Pinkie Pie was clapping excitedly from her previous spot beside her. 

Twilight stared in shock for a moment, her eye twitching as Rarity slowly levitated the box and cupcake from her hooves, only to be replaced by a large yellow box. After Twilight failed to move, Rarity cleared her throat. Twilight remained still. Rarity huffed, her horn flaring baby blue as she slit the paper open, neatly removing the paper as she folded it into a small square. 

Twilight shook her head, slowly pulling the box apart. Inside was a beautiful birdhouse, shaped exactly like her library, complete with a small Twilight and Spike inside, and a flying Owlicious. 

“Oh, thank you Fluttershy! It's beautiful!” She said, her hoof prodding the small doorway, which opened and closed with ease. Fluttershy beamed, a smile on her face as she took the birdhouse from Twilight, gently placing it on the table beside her. 

“Me next, darling!” Rarity said, eagerly pushing a small box into her face. 

“Okay okay, calm down Rarity!” She said, giggling at the look on Rarity's face. She tore the paper from the box, revealing a beautiful dress, stylized around her cutie mark. The fabric was a brilliant purple, with pinkish red highlights across the dress. 

“Wow, Rarity, this is beautiful!” She smiled, holding the dress in her hooves. “I'll have to find a nice occasion to wear this soon!” She ran a hoof across the fabric, completely missing the knowing look Rarity shot Rainbow. 

Rarity pulled the dress away from Twilight, gently floating it to the table. “Go ahead and open Rainbow Dash's present dear.” 

Rainbow held out a small blue box, her cheeks burning a dull crimson. Twilight gave her an odd look, before accepting the box from her. She eagerly tore the paper off, the box lid coming off moments later. She looked inside, her eyes widening as she glanced to Dash. Rainbow blushed brighter, avoiding Twilight's eye as Twilight reached into the box, cradling the small object in her hooves. 

“Oh Dashie...” Twilight murmured as she looked back up at Rainbow. “Thank you...” 
> Chapter 18
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She gazed into the box, tears brimming in her eyes as she glanced up at the pegasus before her. Dash smiled shyly at her, a fierce blush on her cheeks as she stared into Twilight's eyes lovingly. Twilight slipped the lid back onto the box, quickly setting it aside as she leapt forward, tackling the mare into a fierce hug. 

"I love you, Rainbow Dash!" She whispered, her muzzle inches from Dash's ear. She pulled away, kissing her marefriend quickly, drawing a light giggle from Pinkie Pie. The pair blushed as they remembered the presence of their friends. 

The room was silent for a moment, broken by Twilight awkwardly clearing her throat. 

“So... sleepover anypony?” She asked, her eyes going wide as her friends cheered in approval. She shot a glance at Dash, motioning for the mare to meet her upstairs the first chance they had. Dash nodded, a grin on her face as Pinkie Pie vanished into the kitchen, returning a moment later with several cups of steaming hot chocolate. 

She passed the cups around, grinning as the six friends sipped contentedly from their drinks. Twilight smiled, a sigh escaping her lips as she sipped at the warm beverage. The group sat, giggling and talking amongst themselves as Rainbow and Twilight stole glances at each other. Rarity cleared her throat, giggling as she glanced at the two. 

“Are we just going to sit here and watch you two stare at each other, or are we going to do something?” Rarity asked, giggling as Twilight blushed, her attention snapping away from her marefriend. 

“Umm... We could play a game?” Twilight ventured.

Pinkie Pie cheered, bouncing in place as the rest of the group nodded or shrugged. Twilight grinned, her horn flaring for a moment as her head suddenly pounded. 

“Ow..” She groaned, rubbing a hoof at the base of her horn. “Would you mind grabbing the games off the shelf, Rarity?” She nodded, her horn flaring a light blue as the boxes levitated into the air, drifting to settle in the space between the friends. Twilight leaned forward, nudging the boxes beside each other.

“Okay, look's like we could play Sorry, Ponopoly, Risk, or Apples to Apples.” Twilight giggled as Applejack sat up straighter, a broad grin on her face as she excitedly reached for Apples to Apples. 

“Oh, heavens no.” Rarity said, snatching the offending game in her magic and swiftly depositing it back on the shelf. Applejack frowned, huffing as she crossed her arms and shot a glare at the prissy pony. 

“I happen ta like that game!” Applejack protested, glancing to the box on the shelf behind them. 

“I know you do, but so does Applebloom. I am always forced to join in and play that game with the girls when they stay at the boutique, and I would rather not play it tonight.” She said, ignoring Applejack's frown as she peered at the other games. 

“Ohhhh, how about Ponopoly?” Pinkie said, holding the box in her hooves as her ears twitched excitedly. 

“I would rather not play Ponopoly...” Twilight said, shuddering slightly. “I still remember the marathon game we had the last time Pinkie played it...” The group, minus Pinkie, simultaneously shuddered. 

“So it's between Risk and Sorry.” Dash said, pushing Ponopoly aside, where Rarity quickly snatched it up and deposited it back on the shelf. “Which one do you like Fluttershy?” 

“Oh, I don't mind which one we play. They are both fun...” She trailed off, retreating into her hair as she peered at the games. 

“Let's play Risk!” Twilight said, shooting a glance at Dash, a sly smile on her face as she winked at her. Dash smiled back, quickly agreeing with Twilight. 

Pinkie Pie ripped the box open, quickly passing out the army tokens and colors to each player. They placed their pieces on the board, smiling challengingly at each other as they rolled the dice to see who would go first. Pinkie ended up rolling the highest number, marking her as the first player.

They quickly snatched up the unclaimed territories, giggling as their armies started fighting each other, territories trading hooves each and every turn. Fluttershy ended up being a ruthless commander, quickly doubling the size of her territories. Twilight and Dash stole glances between turns, only halfheartedly paying attention to the game. Before long, their armies were crushed, reduced to a single unit each. 

Twilight sighed as her last unit was defeated, effectively ending her participation in the game. 

“Well I'm out. I'm going to the little filly's room.” She said, speaking to the group in general as she stepped past Dash, flicking her with her tail. Dash followed her with her eyes, grinning as she saw Twilight grab her present in her mouth, her eyes reluctantly trailing to the board before her as Twilight vanished from her view. After another round, Fluttershy crushed Rainbow's last unit, booting her from the game also.

She zipped into the air, glancing at her friends as she drifted toward the staircase, clearing her throat slowly. “I'm gonna go check and see if Twi is alright.” She zoomed up the stairs, a sparkling rainbow trail left behind her; silence left in her wake. 

After a moment, Rarity spoke up. “You realize that they were attempting to lose as quickly as possible right?” She asked, glancing at the ponies around her. 

“Eeyup,” Applejack giggled, examining the board before her. 

“And that they are probably talking about whatever Rainbow's present is right now?” 

“Yea,” Pinkie Pie said, rolling the dice in her hoof. 

“Alright.” Rarity said, shaking her head. 

~Upstairs~

Rainbow Dash flew into Twilight's bedroom, a grin appearing on her face as she caught sight of Twilight leaning against the balcony railing just outside the bedroom window. Rainbow quietly trotted up, a loving smile on her face as she quietly approached her marefriend. 

“So what does this mean... for us?” Twilight asked with a smile as Rainbow sat down beside her. 

“Well... um It means that...” She trailed off, mumbling slightly. “I'm... asking you to.. you know..” 

“I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know,” Twilight said, feigning ignorance. She grinned as her marefriend scowled at her, the pegasus breathing deeply as she focused on Twilight. 

“I know that I'm not normally the mushy type... but seeing you laying in the hospital...” Rainbow trailed off, scratching the back of her head. “It killed me inside. I don't wanna imagine not knowing how you're doing... how you're feeling... if you miss me.” She took a deep breath, pulling Twilight closer to her. “Will you make this easy on me, and marry me?” She asked, reaching into the box and offering the ring to Twilight. 

“You never even had to ask,” Twilight said, tears in her eyes as she held a hoof out. Rainbow smiled, slipping the ring over her hoof as Twilight admired it. The ring was beautifully crafted; the diamond sparkling as it caught the moonlight. Twilight threw herself on top of the pegasus, capturing Rainbow’s lips in her own. They broke apart a minute later, gasping for breath, their cheeks flushed a heavy red as they stared into each other’s eyes. 

Twilight looked down at the ring once again, before looking back at Dash. 

She smiled, her eyes sparkling as she pulled Dash closer to her. She leaned forward, kissing Dash with a fiery passion, not stopping until Dash pulled away gasping, her wings stiff, her cheeks shining a brilliant red. 

Dash stared at her, desire obvious in her gaze, her mouth open as she panted quietly. She tore her gaze away from Twilight and sat up, gazing out over the town before them. They sat beside each other silently, leaning against each other happily. Minutes passed, neither breaking the silence, until Twilight slowly turned toward Rainbow. 

“Should we go tell the others?” Twilight asked. 

“Honestly?” Dash asked, chuckling as Twilight cocked her head at her. After a moment of silence Twilight nodded, shaking her head at Rainbow's antics.

“Honestly, I'm having trouble not screaming it to the world.” She replied, kissing Twilight on the nose. 

Twilight stood, a smile on her face as she kissed her fiancée, her tail running under Dash's chin as she passed her, her hips swaying as she reentered her bedroom. Behind her, she could hear Dash curse as she awkwardly tucked her wings into her side, following on hoof a moment later. Twilight giggled, her hooves clacking on the stairs as she descended into the main room. 

Their friends were still sitting in a circle, the board game neatly boxed up and back on the shelf. They turned to face the two, smiles on their face as Twilight and Rainbow beamed at them. 

“So...?” Pinkie asked, giggling at the pair. “Where'd ya go?” 

Twilight grinned, nudging Dash with her shoulder. Dash smiled, sharing a glance with the pony beside her before speaking. 

“I asked Twilight to marry me.” She said, her cheeks aching in an ear-to-ear grin. “She said yes!” She yelled, grinning as Twilight nuzzled her affectionately. 

Pinkie Pie cheered, yelling loudly as she turned to face Applejack. Applejack sighed, cursing quietly as she dug into her saddlebag beside her. Pinkie pie laughed, holding her hoof out toward the farm pony. Applejack pulled a small bag of bits out of the saddlebag, tossing them toward Pinkie without a word. 

Twilight's jaw dropped, a scowl on her face as she stared at her friends, all of who were smiling innocently.

“Seriously? You bet on Dash proposing to me?” She said, glaring at her friends who bust into laughter. Twilight stared at them, before breaking into laughter with them. Her friends gathered around her, expressing their delight at the proposal, hugs and words exchanged between the group. 

Twilight smiled as she caught her fiance’s eye. It felt strange to imagine her life without Rainbow, and until recently, that's exactly how she had lived. She thought back to that day, so many months ago, when she had first learned of Rainbow’s feelings for her. If it wasn't for that, she might never be standing here, amongst her friends, with the love of her life at her side. It was funny how something so small could lead to one of the happiest moments in her life. 

And it all started with a spell.