//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6 
// Story: Reaction 
// by SC_Orion 
//------------------------------//

Twilight grunted as she submerged her head underwater, the soapy water hitting her forehead made her grit her teeth, but it was more tolerable than it had been before. She clenched her eyes shut, then exhaled into the water and pulled her head back above the surface. She inhaled, then shook her head, sending her mane flopping to the right side of her head. She ran her hooves through her mane, straightening it, then she grabbed the bottle of soap and poured a large glob out over her head and neck.


She leaned backward against the crystal wall, then started massaging the soap into her mane, head, and neck. After she finished, she took a deep breath, then dunked her head under the water again, then she ran her hooves through her mane, straightening it out and washing the soap suds out. She rubbed the soap out of her coat, then surfaced and blew air out through her lips, sending little droplets of water flying as it rolled down her muzzle. She leaned back again and pulled her tail above the water, then poured soap on it and lathered it up, then she pushed it beneath the water and ran her hooves through it.


A few minutes later, she stood up and stepped out of the bathtub, not even bothering to let the water fall off of her before she stepped out. She manipulated the stopper with her hooves, then watched the water drain away. She sighed and held her head even with her body, then let her wings fall from her sides. Both waterlogged wings touched the floor, and she felt the rapidly cooling water run down them and drip off onto the crystal floor, where it would be absorbed.


She wasn't sure how long she stood there, but eventually the chill made her shiver. She pulled her head back up, then walked over to the towel rack. She bit down on the towel, then stepped away from it, pulling the towel off. She caught the towel with a wing before the long cloth touched the floor and soaked up any of the water.  She fumbled with the troublesome towel, then eventually managed to drape it over her back. She pinned it to one side of her with her wing, then bit down on the damp cloth and pulled it around the other side of her. She stopped, then pinned the towel against that side and pulled on the opposite side. After a minute of repeating the process, she had dried her back and body. Drying the rest of her coat only took a couple more minutes.


She sulked over to the mirror and glared at the mare who looked back at her. Her mane was still heavy and darkened from residual water that hadn't dried, and her eyes were heavy with exhaustion. She pushed the thoughts aside and the glare left her lips. She lifted a hoof to her head, then pushed her bangs aside and looked at her missing horn. It hadn't healed as much as she had hoped over the past week. Doctor Manner was surprised as much as she was, though, he didn't even have any commentary on it or suggestions. She suspected she knew the reason it hadn't fully healed, but she didn't want to voice it. Not with Rainbow Dash around, at least. She didn't want to bring up that aspect of her physiology.


She pressed her eyes closed and dropped her hoof to the floor. She inhaled deeply, then sighed. She opened her eyes and extended both of her wings out, then sat down on her haunches as she looked at them. She had barely managed to explain away their bad condition to Doctor Manner, as it was, she doubted he actually bought her explanation. She had no idea how Rainbow hadn't called her out on it at the time, but she suspected it was because the mare wasn't paying much attention out of courtesy.


Twilight had insisted Rainbow go to the checkup with her, and the pegasus obliged her. She was clearly uncomfortable with the whole ordeal, but she didn't complain much. For the most part, Rainbow sat in the corner and said nothing while Doctor Manner examined her, nor while they discussed a few things. Twilight noticed Rainbow's ears perk up a few times when she talked to Doctor Manner about a few things, namely her exhaustion.


Twilight shook her head, then laid down on the floor and rolled over onto her back. She pulled her wing over her stomach, then ran her hooves through it, attempting to straighten each feather out. She had improved since her first attempt, but only just. After a few minutes, most of her feathers were properly realigned, but they were still in poor condition, and more than a few feathers needed to be plucked due to damage. She laid her head back on the floor as the memory of attempting to remove a damaged feather replayed itself in her mind. She ended up removing a good feather, despite using the edges of her hooves to pull at it.


She laid in silence for a few minutes while she straightened the rest of her feathers in her other wing, then she let them fall onto the floor. She looked up at the ceiling unblinkingly, knowing that it was supposed to be a good day. Everypony was in the castle, down in the dining room, waiting for her. Pinkie Pie had spent all night decorating, according to what Rainbow said Starlight told her. The thought should have provoked a smile from her, she knew it should have, but all it managed to do was bring a tear to her eye. It wasn't even a tear of happiness.


Twilight folded her wings, then rolled over onto her stomach and stood up. She looked at herself in the mirror and felt shame. Her mane, despite having been washed and straightened was still a mess. She instinctually wanted to grab the brush with her magic. She had to force herself to grab the handle with her mouth. She turned her head and leaned away from her body, then awkwardly planted the brush in her mane, which was running down her neck. She spent a few minutes running the brush through her mane, and more than a few times she winced in pain as she struggled to brush the rest of her mane. Eventually, she spat out the brush and used the mirror and her hooves to brush her mane and tail. When she finished, it had taken her exponentially longer to brush her mane than it would have it she had her horn.


The alicorn pushed herself up then leaned against the sink. 'Pinkie Pie's throwing this party, and that means there's definitely going to be sugary sweets...' She closed her eyes as her stomach shifted at the thought. She needed something more solid than that, her body all but demanded it of her. The thought of eating nothing but Pinkie's sugary confections made her queasy. She rubbed her stomach with one of her hooves, then opened the cabinet with her wing. She pulled out a cup and her toothbrush, along with toothpaste. All three items fell out of the cabinet. The cup rolled off onto the floor and the tube of toothpaste slid into the sink.


She stared at the tube of toothpaste emotionlessly, then she pulled it out of the sink and placed it on the counter. She bent down and picked the cup up with her mouth, then tentatively sat it on the counter. She reached out with her wings and sat the cup up straight, then she flipped the faucet on and let the water run so that it would heat up. She listened to the stream of water flowing from the faucet and hitting the crystal for several seconds, then she put the cup under the stream. Once the cup was filled, she turned off the faucet and sat the cup down on the counter.


After a couple of minutes fidgeting with the tube of toothpaste and managing to waste at least three days of its contents, she shoved her toothbrush into her mouth and brushed her teeth vigorously. 'It's the perfect excuse to avoid all that sugar,' she mused in disgust. She brushed her teeth, then spat out the toothpaste and washed her mouth out with water from the cup, then she dumped the remaining water into the sink.


She closed her eyes and let herself relax at how refreshing the minty toothpaste was, then she opened her eyes and put the items back where they belonged. She looked at herself in the mirror. She still felt tired, the result of waking up several times during the night and then not falling back asleep quickly. 'They're waiting on me...' she reminded herself. She swallowed and tore herself away from the mirror, then walked over to the bathroom door.


She looked at the handle with dread. Her friends were all expecting her to leave the bathroom, leave her bedroom, make her way down to the dining room, and celebrate with them. They were all expecting her to be happy and to have a good time. She didn't want any of that. She didn't feel like celebrating, she didn't feel like leaving her bedroom, she didn't even feel like leaving the bathroom. 'I'll just... ruin it for them.' She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cool crystalline door. 'Not leaving is an option, nopony... except Starlight... can reach me right now.'


She mulled over the idea of not leaving for a few seconds, then decided that it was the worst option at her disposal. Leaving was the better choice, they all expected to see her, even if she wasn't in a good mood, they would want to see her. She sighed and pulled away from the door, then slowly opened it and stepped out into her bedroom. She left the door open, then walked halfway to the bedroom door before stopping. 'It's so quiet and peaceful... Pinkie, please... please don't...' She sighed, not wanting the silence to end, but not wanting Pinkie to not be herself just for her.


She walked over to the door, then opened it and walked out of her room. "What took you so long?" A raspy feminine voice chuckled while she shut the door.


The sound of Rainbow's voice brought a smile to her mouth and banished her prior feelings of dread. She sighed and shook her head. "Hey, you okay?" Rainbow asked.


Twilight licked her lips and looked at her hooves. "I... don't know," she answered.


A second later she felt Rainbow wrap an arm around her neck and felt the air rippling from Rainbow's wing beats as she hovered beside her. "Still not sleeping well?" she asked with worry.


Twilight hesitated, then quickly nodded. "Yes..." she said under her breath, halfway hoping Rainbow had heard it, and at the same time, hoping that the pegasus hadn't heard it.


Rainbow grimaced and landed. "I thought that..." she shifted her weight on her hooves. "That... staying with you until you fell asleep was helping?"


Twilight bobbed her head and pressed her lips together. "It... helps me fall asleep," she answered evenly. "I'm still waking up and... my stomach is still acting up," she admitted.


Rainbow's brow creased as she thought about it. She looked up at Twilight, "Maybe Zecora has something that can help you? I mean, she did give you that medicine when you were sick..." she trailed off.


Twilight sighed and shook her head. "Maybe," she agreed.


"Well... maybe we can go and talk to her about it sometime today," Rainbow offered.


Twilight turned to her and smiled wryly at her. "Do you really think I should be going into the Everfree in my... condition?"


Rainbow smirked and chuckled. "Hey, you know I'll keep you safe. You wouldn't have to worry about anything, no hydra or dragon's gonna take me down!" she bragged.


Twilight smiled genuinely and shook her head. "Maybe you could go without me?" she asked. "I'm not supposed to... strain myself. You heard what Doctor Manner said." Her smile faded.


Rainbow looked at her solemnly, then nodded. "Alright..."


Twilight looked away from her and stared at the end of the hallway. She waited a few seconds, then started walking.





Five ponies and one baby dragon were all sitting around a large crystal table. Most of them were relaxing, despite the large quantity of pink and purple confetti and streamers covering the whole room, table, chairs, and all, even the floor was covered in the delightful paper. It all but looked like it had snowed party materials inside the room, all thanks to one bubbly, pink earth pony. Nopony minded it, though, although they found it strange that she was attempting lying in the confetti and rolling around in it. The silence was broken by light conversation and giggles from the mares and dragon.


"I've not seen a hair of Twilight this week! She's just cooped up here all the time?" Applejack drawled in her southern accent.


"It is to be expected, darling," Rarity quipped as she closed her eyes and sipped her tea. A smile graced her lips after she swallowed the warm liquid.


Fluttershy bit her lower lip, then turned away from Applejack and looked at Starlight Glimmer, who sat patiently while waiting for Twilight's arrival. "Um... Starlight?" she asked.


Starlight blinked and turned to face the timid mare. "Yes, Fluttershy?"


"Is..." Fluttershy looked away from Starlight and at the floor. She twirled her pink mane between her hooves. "Is Twilight... doing okay?" she asked. Starlight looked at Fluttershy blankly. Fluttershy glanced at Starlight, then looked back at the floor. "I-I mean, you're around her more often than most of us..."


Starlight shook her head, "No it's just... It's... hard to say. I mean, she's okay, but... she's not that great." Fluttershy sighed and sank down into her chair.


"Twilight!" Pinkie exclaimed and jumped into the air. Everypony turned to the doorway and smiled at Twilight, who was frozen in the doorway. For a few seconds, fear gripped her, then Rainbow elbowed her. Twilight blinked, then smiled at everypony. No sooner had Twilight stepped into the room than Pinkie Pie pulled her into a hug that undoubtedly would have brought a dead pony back to life. Rainbow whistled inconspicuously and flew away from Twilight and the pink pony while the other ponies present stood from their chairs and made their way over to the pair. "Oh! I'm sooo happy to see you again Twilight! It's really been terrible not seeing you every day and it was just awful not being able to throw you a party because you were in the hospital and sick and you almost died and we were all so worried!" She paused to inhaled.


"P-Pinkie..." Twilight grunted.


"But then you got better but you had to have that surgery and they removed your horn and then you were in a coma for a week and then you were awake but I still couldn't throw you a party because you were in the hospital but then you got better and they released you! But I still couldn't throw you a party because you weren't feeling well, but now you're feeling better so I threw you this party! It would have been better but I knew that you probably wanted something small and private, otherwise I would have invited all of Equestria!" Pinkie rambled off, then released Twilight.


Twilight collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. For a few seconds, she sat on her haunches, attempting to process the wobbly world, then the floor rose up to meet her head. Everypony sharply glared at Pinkie. Pinkie squeed and shrunk back. "Oops..." She smiled nervously.


Twilight groaned. "It's fine..." she mumbled. "I'm happy to see you too, Pinkie..." She pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her temples with her hooves. Rainbow landed beside her and extended a hoof to her. Twilight flashed her a smile, then pulled herself up with Rainbow's help. She swallowed and smiled at everypony. "Girls..." she said softly. One by one, each of the six other ponies there wrapped their arms around Twilight and hugged her, then Spike jumped onto her back and wrapped his arms around her neck.


"We missed you, Twilight," Applejack said.


"And we're glad you're doing better," Rarity added. "Although this place is a mess now," she added with a hint of disgust.


"It's for a good cause," Fluttershy mused as she nuzzled Twilight.


"It's your 'congratulations for getting released from the hospital after saving Ponyville from that reactor meltdown' party!" Pinkie exclaimed. Everypony hummed at that. A few seconds later, the group hug broke up. Twilight smiled fondly, happy that her friends were there for her. "Let'sssssssssss party!" Pinkie Pie jumped back and pulled a party cannon from hammerspace, then it erupted and more streamers and confetti joined the ones already present.


Twilight couldn't help but giggle at her antics. 'I'm going to sleep well tonight,' she thought with a smile.





Twilight suppressed a yawn as she walked through the castle's hallways. Despite being tired, she felt better. A lot better than she had in several weeks. 'That was actually comparable to waking up next to Rainbow...' She glanced at the pegasus walking beside her. She was grinning and relaxed. Twilight smiled and looked back forward. 'I wish I could wake up next to you every day... but... I'm deluding myself. It wouldn't be good for me...' She sighed, the thought stealing more than a little of her joy. 'I want that... but... I know that in my state of mind, it's not good for me...' She smiled once more, remembering that morning. 'If she actually returned my feelings, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing...' She shook her head. 'Or maybe-'


"That was fun," Rainbow commented. Twilight stopped and looked at her. Rainbow paused.


Twilight hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded enthusiastically. "It was. I needed that," she answered with a happy smile.


"You feeling better then?" Rainbow asked.


Twilight pursed her lips in thought, then nodded to herself. "Right now, yes. I'm still tired, but that's not a surprise..."


"So I guess you still want to stay here while I go talk to Zecora?" Rainbow asked.


'I would rather you stay here...' Twilight thought. After a few seconds, she reluctantly nodded. "Yes, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to be in the Everfree Forest right now, even with you there."


"I guess I can understand why you'd think that," Rainbow responded. They both watched each other for a few seconds, then Rainbow turned away and hovered in the air. Twilight took that as her cue to resume walking.


They walked in silence for several minutes while they navigated the castle's hallways, then eventually they arrived at their destination. Rainbow landed and walked up to the door, then opened it and motioned Twilight into her room with a hoof. Twilight rolled her eyes at Rainbow as she walked passed the slightly bowing pegasus. Twilight immediately walked over to her bed, then fell down on it and sighed into the covers. She listened to the sound of Rainbow's hooves clopping against the crystal floor as the mare drew close, then she felt the bed shift from her weight. She pulled her head up and laid on her cheek so that she could look at her. Rainbow was lying beside her, just out of reach. If Twilight rolled over onto her side, she would find herself lying against her.


Twilight slid her muzzle away from Rainbow and stared at the wall. Twilight felt Rainbow run her hoof along her back. She closed her eyes and sighed.


"You doing okay?" Rainbow asked as she continued running her hoof along Twilight's back.


Twilight laughed. "You know, I'm really starting to hate that question..." Rainbow pulled her hoof away from Twilight and looked at her carefully. Twilight opened her eyes and lifted her head from the bed. She turned towards Rainbow Dash and looked at her expectantly. Despite her best efforts, her eyes wandered to Rainbow's prismatic mane, then to her deep magenta eyes. Twilight blinked and laid her head back down on the bed.


"I thought you were doing better, Twilight..." Rainbow trailed off softly, concern edging into her normally brash voice.


Twilight took a deep breath. She needed to let it out, to get it out of her system. She knew she needed to, but no words came, even when she opened her mouth. Even when she looked at Rainbow, she couldn't find her voice. She lowered her gaze to the bed and tilted her muzzle back towards the wall, then looked up at the crystal. "I-I'm fine," she lied.


Rainbow groaned, then scooted closer and pushed Twilight over onto her side. The alicorn looked at her in confusion. Rainbow ignored it and shifted her weight onto her side, then wrapped her arms and legs around Twilight and pulled her close. "No, you're not." She ran a hoof through Twilight's mane. Twilight closed her eyes, then cautiously laid her head on Rainbow's neck. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me."


Twilight sighed. "I guess you're right, but I don't want to bother you..." she trailed off sadly.


Rainbow huffed. "You're bothering me by not talking to me."


Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," she apologized. She folded her hooves between their chests, then pulled her legs between their bodies. "I just... You know I like... this," she said softly. She closed her eyes and softly nuzzled Rainbow's neck, eliciting a smile from the pegasus as her coat rubbed against the pegasus's coat. 'Should I tell her or should I just...' She took a deep breath. "I wish you would... sleep with me every night," she said gently.


Rainbow stopped stroking her mane for a second, then she resumed running her hoof through the alicorn's mane. "Is that all that's bothering you?" she asked, still mulling over what Twilight had said. 'If that's all that's bothering you, it's an easy... fix...' She was still uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping with Twilight again, let alone every night, despite enjoying it.


Twilight opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow's prismatic mane. "You're not... mad at me?" she asked.


Rainbow held her tighter to reassure her. "No, of course not," she replied. "I... can do that..." she said reluctantly.


"But... you don't want to," Twilight said dejectedly.


Rainbow pulled back from Twilight, forcing the alicorn to remove her head from her neck. Twilight looked at her sadly. "I didn't say that," she replied evenly. "I'll... sleep with you," she said. "If it really matters that much to you." 'What am I getting myself into... Twilight...'


Twilight tilted her head and smiled at her fondly. "I... I'd really appreciate that, Rainbow Dash..." she whispered. "But... don't do that just because you feel obligated to-"


Rainbow laid her head on the bed and looked at the wall that the bed was against. "I'm doing this because I care about you and I want you to be happy," she answered. Twilight slid her head up against Rainbow's chest and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, Rainbow felt Twilight yawn. "You want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" she asked.


Twilight went out of her way to nuzzle Rainbow's chest as she looked up at her. "You're still going to talk to Zecora?" she asked with a hint of sadness.


"She might have something to make you feel better," Rainbow replied.


Twilight sighed sadly then nodded. "Okay," she said calmly, then smiled.


Rainbow flashed her a smile, then pulled Twilight up on her and repositioned their bodies so that their heads were lying on the pillow. The whole time, Twilight kept her head against Rainbow's neck. When she finished repositioning them, Rainbow tentatively laid her head against Twilight's head. The alicorn nestled under Rainbow's jaw and slid her muzzle against Dash's neck so that her head was firmly pressed between both of their necks. Rainbow fidgeted her wing under Twilight until she freed it from under the alicorn, then wrapped both of her wings around Twilight's back. Twilight all but cooed in delight as Rainbow's feathers trailed through her fur.


In a few minutes, Twilight's heartbeat and breathing slowed down considerably, and the mare felt completely relaxed. Rainbow watched the clock and let herself relax for ten minutes, then she carefully pulled away from Twilight. She eventually pulled her arm and wing out from under Twilight, then used them to help pry her hind leg out from under the alicorn. Once all of her limbs were free, she slid away from Twilight and made her way over to the balcony. 'I should stop by my place and grab my saddlebags first...' Rainbow spared a glance at the alicorn and smirked, then stepped outside and spread her wings.





"Zecora!?" Rainbow called out before realizing that it was probably a bad idea. She winced at the thought of attracting monsters to Zecora's home. She knew she could handle anything the Everfree threw at her, but she was worried about the zebra. She glanced around, looking at the tall trees and underbrush that made the Everfree Forest a treacherous place to explore, to say nothing of the foul monsters within that were capable of devouring a lesser pony whole.


The forest canopy was thick, which made flying above difficult, which trapped her beneath the canopy so long as she was searching for Zecora's hut, and the darkness that deterred most ponies from entering the forest made slowed her search considerably. "I should have just brought Fluttershy along..." she groaned at the realization and grimaced.


She pressed on down the path that she knew led to Zecora's hut, pausing only briefly to listen for any signs of danger, or the zebra herself. No signs of danger nor signs of Zecora presented themselves. She shook her head and pressed on. Eventually, she fought her way into a clearing and smiled, finally finding the target of her search. Zecora's hut was a hollowed out tree, that somehow was still alive. She wasn't surprised by the fact that the three was still alive, the Golden Oaks Library was built inside a tree very similar to it. "Yes!" she exclaimed as she jumped into the air a little. She beat her wings and zoomed across the clearing before stopping at the door to the hut.


She landed and knocked on the door with her hoof. "Hey, Zecora? Are you in there?" she called.


"Rainbow Dash? Is that you I hear?" Zecora called. A few seconds later, the door was opened and the small, youthful Zebra smiled at her happily from the doorway. "Rainbow Dash my friend! It is a difficult journey to travel alone, please, come in and make yourself at home." The zebra stepped aside and ushered her inside with a hoof.


Rainbow smiled at her as she stepped inside. "Thanks, Zecora."


Zecora chuckled as she shut the door. "Why, it is no problem dear. But I must ask, what brings you here?" she asked as she walked over to the cauldron in the center of the room.


Rainbow looked at the zebra wryly and shifted her weight on her hooves. After a few seconds of silence, Zecora turned to her to investigate. "It's... Twilight," Rainbow said. "She's having trouble sleeping, and her stomach is still bothering her..." she trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "She gets tired really easily, and she seems... I don't know... weaker than normal?"


Zecora frowned and hummed in thought. After a few seconds, she rubbed her chin with her hoof, then paused and looked intently at Rainbow Dash. "I have cures for insomnia and herbs to calm her stomach, but as for her other problems, I cannot help her." Rainbow grimaced at that. Zecora walked over to a shelf and withdrew a large ceramic bowl, then walked over to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow looked at the bowl and its contents curiously. Zecora picked up one of the leaves and held it out to Rainbow. "Use these leaves to make her a tea. Make sure she drinks it before she goes to bed. It will help her stomach and calm her mind so that sleep will come to her." She put the leaf back in the bowl and extended it to the pegasus.


Rainbow smiled and lifted the bowl from Zecora's muzzle. "Thank you, Zecora." She lifted the flap on her saddlebag, then she carefully placed the bowl down in it and closed her saddlebag.


Zecora bowed slightly. "It is no trouble, Rainbow Dash. Tell Twilight I hope she gets well soon, and that she should fulfill her specific alicorn needs, lest it should spell her doom."


Rainbow frowned at her. "What do you mean?"


Zecora momentarily grimaced. "If you do not know, then she has not said, and it is not my place to tell. Ask her, but whether she will say or not, I do not know."


"Uh... okay..." Rainbow replied lamely. For a few seconds she hovered, then she flew to the door, opened it and flew out. Zecora walked to the door and watched her fly away, then she turned around and shut the door behind her.





Rainbow gracefully landed on Twilight's balcony without making a sound, then she folded her wings and walked over to the door. She opened it and immediately closed it as soon as she stepped into Twilight's room. She spared a glance at Twilight to see if she was still asleep, then she flew over to the nightstand and lowered her saddlebags to the floor. She bent down and opened the flap, then lifted the bowl of leaves and set it on the nightstand. 'It's as good a spot as any,' she reasoned.


She leaned back down and bit down on her saddlebags, then she walked across the room and stepped out into the hallway. She quickly and quietly walked across to her guest room, then slid inside and closed the door behind her. She flapped her wings and flew over to the other wall and set her saddlebags down. 'It's probably a good idea to keep them here since I'm going to be here for... a while.' She nodded to herself then landed on her bed and sat down on her haunches.


'What did Zecora mean about Twilight having specific alicorn needs?' The question had bothered her the entire trip back from the Everfree. Twilight had never mentioned anything specific about being an alicorn. She never really talked about it at all. Rainbow frowned. 'I guess it makes sense that you wouldn't want to talk about how long you're going to live... But you never mentioned any specific needs from being an alicorn either...' She groaned and fell back onto the bed. She let her wings fall out across the bed and stared at the ceiling. She blinked. "Twilight, you've been an alicorn for over three years, and you really haven't shared many details of what its like with us," she realized.


She frowned and rolled over, then beat her wings and flew out the door, she barely paused to close it. She slid back into Twilight's room and locked the door behind her, then landed and walked over to Twilight. She sat down on her haunches beside the bed. Twilight was facing the other direction. She glanced at the balcony, then stood up and walked over to the door. A few seconds later, she locked the door and walked back over to Twilight's bed. She carefully put her hooves on the bed, then pulled herself up onto the bed, then she laid down on her stomach beside Twilight.


She slid her hooves under the pillow and laid her head down on it. 'I guess I'm just going to wait for you to wake up, then...' A few minutes passed. She tilted her head towards the sleeping alicorn. "Twilight?" she whispered. The alicorn mumbled something inaudible. Rainbow pulled her hooves out from under the pillow, then put one on Twilight's shoulder and lightly shook her.


Twilight groaned and nuzzled the pillow. "What is it Spike?" she asked.


"How do you mistake a hoof for a claw?" Rainbow asked. Twilight pressed her eyes together and groaned, then opened her eyes and tilted her head over to look at whoever wake her. She blinked and frowned, then stretched out her hind legs and rubbed her eyes with her hooves. Twilight rolled over so that her body faced Rainbow. "Seriously, how did you think I was Spike?" the pegasus asked.


Twilight shook her head. "I'm used to him waking me up when I'm sleeping, not... you."


Rainbow winced. "Sorry, I should have just let you sleep..." she trailed off, pushing herself into a sitting position.


Twilight shook her head. "No, I'm glad you woke me up. I don't want to sleep the day away. Again." She pushed herself up into a sitting position, mimicking Rainbow. "Did you talk to Zecora?" she asked. She yawned and licked her lips.


Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, she gave me some leaves or something and said to make a tea for you with them before you go to bed."


Twilight smiled thoughtfully. 'I do enjoy those teas Zecora gives me...' She frowned. 'Some of them aren't actually that good, though...' She shook her head. "That will be simple enough," she mused.


"That's good because I really have no idea how to do that," Rainbow said with a nod of her head.


"I'll have to show you then," Twilight giggled.


Rainbow bobbed her head. "She said to tell you hi." 'How am I supposed to ask you this?' "Um... she also said something about you having alicorn needs that you need to take care of?" Twilight's expression fell until it became unreadable. "What... does that mean?" Rainbow tentatively asked.


Twilight slowly looked away from her. "It's... not important," she answered.


"She said something about if you don't, it would spell doom," Rainbow retorted.


Twilight groaned then brought her hooves to her temples and massaged them. "It's not something I want to talk about, Rainbow."


Rainbow scooted closer to Twilight and laid an arm around her neck. "Is it something I can help you with?" she asked gently. Twilight shook her head then leaned against Rainbow's shoulder. "What is it?"


Twilight glanced at the bed. 'She said she won't hate me... She'll still be my friend, and... she deserves to know.' She swallowed. "What do you know about... me? About alicorns, I mean."


Rainbow tilted her head away from Twilight. "You're..." she trailed off, going over what she knew about the princesses. "You're a princess. You all have wicked strong magic, you're really strong, and you all have wings like a pegasus... You have really long lifespans, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are like... what, eight thousand years old or something?" she asked lightly.


Twilight giggled. "I've never actually asked them," she admitted.


Rainbow snorted. "And... Princess Celestia raises the sun, Princess Luna raises the moon, Princess Cadance... is the Princess of Love, you're the Princess of Friendship..." she trailed off in thought. "Oh! And you all have a super cool ability to heal your bodies!"


Twilight smiled forlornly. "That's... mostly true," she replied. "We are really resilient and can heal very quickly... We have very long lives, I'll... probably outlive everypony I know, save for the other princesses..." she trailed off sadly. "I really don't look forward to that," she said. Rainbow squeezed her. Twilight leaned away from Rainbow and shook her head. "Our magic, ability to heal and longevity are all tied together, along with out metabolisms," she explained. "It's mostly based on our magic, but... it's complicated." She shook her head.


"Okay?" Rainbow asked.


"How do I explain this?" Twilight asked. She frowned in thought. "There are four types of ponies, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and alicorns. Each race has magic, unicorns have what is generally referred to as active magic, while pegasi and earth ponies have more passive magic. Alicorns have the magic of each race, along with their own special magic. The reason Princess Luna's and Princess Celestia's manes and tails flow is because of their alicorn magic. Princess Cadance, Flurry Heart, and I don't yet have enough alicorn magic for that to happen..." She smiled sheepishly. "I'm getting off topic..."


"It's fine..." Rainbow replied.


"Are you even listening?" Twilight asked.


"Yes," Rainbow answered. "I may not understand all of it, but what you've said isn't that complicated..."


Twilight smiled. "Well, as I get older my alicorn magic will mature. Eventually, I... should be as tall as Princess Celestia, and my mane and tail should behave like hers." It would be a very long time into the future, and she wasn't sure if she'd ever actually get to see it. "If I live that long. I may not because of the radiation poisoning," she commented dryly.


Rainbow rubbed Twilight's side. "Don't say that," she said forcefully.


"As you said, we-I- am incredibly resilient. I honestly didn't expect to survive being exposed to that much radiation. Regardless, it's taken a toll on me, and on top of that... well..." she trailed off with a high pitch. "It doesn't help that... those requirements Zecora spoke of... I haven't fulfilled in... nearly two months, when I should be... fulfilling once every two weeks. So, I'm not as healthy as I should be anyway..."


"What... you say it's something that you need? Like... what kind of need?" Rainbow asked at length.


Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's a specific dietary requirement of alicorns that... well... It's... meat..." she trailed off softly and tensed up.


Rainbow blinked and turned to look at Twilight. "Meat?" she repeated cautiously. "As in... meat meat? Like... what gryphons eat kind of meat?"


Twilight hesitated at Rainbow's unease, then nodded. "Yes..." she said in a low voice. "I... don't like it either, but..."


Rainbow turned her body to face Twilight, then pulled the princess against her body. "That's the big secret?" she asked. "You need to eat meat?" she asked in disbelief.


"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you-"


Rainbow shook her head. "It's... it's fine." She shifted her weight. 'She... eats meat... that's...' She didn't know what to think of it. On one hoof, it was disgusting, on the other hoof, it was something she needed according to her. "Why didn't you ever tell us before?" she asked.


Twilight shook her head. "You... you know. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie... Both of them... And none of you really would look at me the same way as before..."


Rainbow grimaced. "This... doesn't change anything, Twilight." She leaned over to Twilight and nuzzled the alicorn's neck, eliciting a giggle from her. "Do Starlight and Spike know?" she asked as she pulled back.


Twilight nodded. "Yes... Spike... is the one who fixes it for me, and Starlight... well, she figured it out on her own. Pretty easily, actually..." She paused and pressed her forehead against Rainbow's chest. 'I guess it's not entirely bad that I lost my horn,' she mused. "I... didn't expect you to react... so... indifferently."


Rainbow shifted her weight. "Well, I mean, I did grow up being friends with Gilda, so... And on top of that, you said it's something you need. And... that's making you sick?"


Twilight grimaced. "Technically it's not making me sick, it's just... slowing down my recovery."


"Why haven't you kept up with it?" Rainbow asked.


Twilight groaned. "I was... busy, and then the reactor incident and then I was in the hospital for several weeks... I was released but I didn't feel well enough to try to eat something that solid, then... you've been with me for the past week and I don't... want to... bother you with it."


Rainbow pulled back from Twilight and looked down at her with a gentle smile. "Well... it's a little late for lunch, but... you need to eat, so..."


Twilight pulled away from her and grimaced. "Rainbow-"


"Nope!" Rainbow replied. "I'm not having you get sick on my watch, okay? We're going to go down to the dining room, and Spike's going to fix you that meal, then you're going to eat it."


"Rainbow-" Twilight huffed. "Fine... I... am kind of hungry..." She smiled sheepishly and looked at the bed.





Spike silently pulled the lid off of the platter and scampered back into the kitchen without saying anything. Both Twilight and Rainbow eyes the slab of flaky golden-brown apprehensively. Twilight tentatively picked up the knife in one wing and the fork in the other, then closed her eyes as she slid the fork into the salmon. She tentatively extended a wing, then presses the knife into the fish and peeled a chunk of the meat away from the rest of it, then lifted the fork and brought it to her mouth.


Rainbow shifted her weight as she watched Twilight slide the meat into her mouth and pull the fork out. She looked away from Twilight while the alicorn chewed, and she turned her attention to her plate of pasta. She quickly picked up the fork and stuck it into the heap of long, thick and hollow pasta noodles, then pulled the fork back to her mouth and chewed on the food. She glanced at Twilight to see the alicorn peeling off another chunk of meat. She turned her attention back to her pasta and forked more of it into her mouth.


They ate in silence for a good ten minutes, then they eventually finished and sat in silence, both of the mares staring at their empty platters. "How... was it?" Rainbow tentatively asked.


Twilight shifted her weight. "It was..." She shook her head. "Good..." She turned to Rainbow. "And your pasta?"


Rainbow nodded. "It was good... Spike is a great cook."


Twilight nodded. "He is," she said simply.


"Are you feeling better?" Rainbow asked.


Twilight bobbed her head. "A little," she said as she turned back to the empty platter. 'That was... satisfying at the very least,' she thought.





"Well, if that's all you need, Twilight, I'm going to bed," Spike said with a wave of his claw. He hopped out of his chair and walked over to Twilight.


"Thank you, Spike," Twilight said to the young dragon.


"No problem," Spike replied nonchalantly. He hopped up beside Twilight and hugged her. Twilight returned the hug with a nuzzle. After a few seconds, the pair parted and Spike hopped down and headed off to bed. "Goodnight Twilight! Goodnight Rainbow!"


"'Night Spike!" Rainbow replied.


"Goodnight, Spike," Twilight cooed. Both Twilight and Rainbow watched as the dragon disappeared down the dark corridor. Rainbow went back to tapping her hooves on the table while waiting for Twilight to finish her tea.


Twilight turned back to the table and cupped the steaming cup of tea in her hooves. It barely had any smell to it, let alone taste. The tea didn't really remind her of anything, but it did make her mouth and throat tingle. Her stomach also felt content from drinking about a fourth of the cup's contents. She took a quick drink, then set the cup back down on the table and leaned against the crystal chair. She looked up at the darkened ceiling and tried to suppress a yawn.


"You ready for bed?" Rainbow asked from the chair beside her.


Twilight pulled away from the backrest and nodded. "Yeah..." She pulled the cup back to her mouth and drank more of the steaming herbal tea. She swallowed it and mulled over the nearly nonexistent aftertaste, attempting to figure out what herb it was.


Rainbow hopped out of her chair and walked over to Twilight. She glanced at the cup of tea and frowned. "Zecora didn't say anything about how much of that you should drink, but it's probably better if you drink it all," she coaxed.


Twilight pulled the cup of tea back to her lips then downed the rest of the cup's contents. When she finished, she placed the cup back on the table and wiped her mouth off with the back of her hoof. "Happy?" Twilight asked. Rainbow shrugged. Twilight carefully stepped off the chair. Rainbow walked up beside her. Twilight slid her body up beside the pegasus and cooed.


"You really like me, don't you?" Rainbow asked.


Twilight felt heat rising to her cheeks. "Well... um..." She shuffled her wings and pulled away from Rainbow. "I-I do," she said softly.


"Do you want to talk about it?" Rainbow inquired.


Twilight quickly shook her head. "No..." she whispered. "I don't want to make things worse between us," she replied.


Rainbow groaned and shook her head in exasperation. "Twilight, you... we need to talk about that," she said. Twilight turned her head away from the pegasus. Rainbow glanced at her wing and spread it out, then she loosely put it over Twilight's back.


Twilight glanced at her, and her eyes twinkled from the soft lighting. "Please don't," she pleaded.


Rainbow's expression softened. "Twilight, relax, I'm not going to stop being your friend, no matter what you say."


Twilight swallowed. "I don't want to talk about it right now."


"Then sometime?" Rainbow prodded.


"O-okay," Twilight squeaked. "S-sometime, but... Can it wait for a week or so?"


Rainbow scrutinized Twilight's crestfallen expression and tentatively nodded. "Okay," she reluctantly agreed, not wanting to hurt Twilight.


Twilight sighed and slowly scooted herself closer to Rainbow Dash. She closed her eyes when their coats met. Rainbow tightened her wing around Twilight's barrel, then stepped forwards. Twilight sluggishly stepped forward with her, and after a few steps, they fell into sync as they walked through the castle's hallways, making their way to Twilight's bedroom. Twilight stumbled a few times, especially with the stairs, but they eventually made it to their destination.


Rainbow opened the door and waited for Twilight to walk inside. After Twilight entered, Rainbow followed her and closed the door behind her, then looked over the familiar room. Twilight walked over to the bed, then laid down on top of the covers. Rainbow took a few steps towards the bed, then paused. She frowned, then turned around and locked the door, then flew over to the balcony and locked it. She turned back to see Twilight looking at her curiously.


Rainbow grinned at her. 'Now or never...' She casually flew over to the bed, then pulled back the covers and slid beneath them. Twilight blinked a few times, then spread her wings and hovered in the air. She pulled back the covers, then slid beneath them and momentarily winced at the cold. She quickly forgot the pain as soon as she pressed her back up against Rainbow's body. Rainbow slid her hind leg under Twilight's body, then slid an arm under her neck. She pulled Twilight closer, then pulled the covers over them and then wrapped her wing, arm, and leg around Twilight.


Twilight melted into Rainbow's embrace and closed her eyes. She pressed up against Rainbow's body as much as she could and pressed her head against Rainbow's neck, then pointed her muzzle down at her body. 'Please put your head over mine, Rainbow...' Twilight opened her eyes and bit her lip. After a few seconds, Rainbow laid her head atop Twilight's so that the alicorn's forehead was against her chin. Twilight sighed contently and closed her eyes again, feeling safe and protected by Rainbow's embrace. She could feel Rainbow's heartbeat and the rise and fall of Rainbow's chest against her back, and she took comfort in it.


Rainbow snaked a hoof over to Twilight's hooves, then pulled up and folded them back. She pinned Twilight's forehooves against her chest, then pressed Twilight's hind legs against her body with her hind leg. Rainbow pulled her head back from Twilight then put her mouth beside Twilight's ear, "Goodnight, Twilight," she whispered softly, then she slid her head back into its prior position.


"Goodnight, Rainbow Dash," Twilight cooed.





Princess Luna struggled to catch herself, so taken by surprise was she by the lack of ground in the dreamscape. After a few seconds to react, she spread her wings and caught an invisible and nonexistent breeze. She peered downwards into the unending abyss, she could see no ground beneath her, but the evening sky stretched on to infinity, filled only with fluffy white clouds. She blinked and turned around, scanning the dreamscape for the dream's owner. She frowned and flew up higher, then finally spotted the subject of her search.


She gracefully flew through the air and slowed to a hover beside the cloud. She regarded the site with curiosity, Rainbow Dash laid on the cloud, looking up at the never-ending sky. A short distance away from her, and lower down into the cloud than the pegasus, Twilight slept. She wasn't sure what to make of the development. She lit her horn with magic, then manipulated the dreamscape. A cloud formed beneath her, and she landed on it, then she used her magic and walked across the air over to Rainbow's cloud. After a few seconds, the pegasus took note of her. "P-Princess Luna?" she asked as she quickly stood up and bowed.


"There is no need for that, fair Rainbow Dash," Luna said with a smile. Rainbow quickly rose from the bow and rubbed her mane. "Being the bearer for the Element of Loyalty, you are practically royalty yourself, even if only in heart."


Rainbow looked at her in confusion. "Thanks... I think?"


Luna laughed softly, then turned to look at Twilight's sleeping form. After a few seconds, Rainbow followed her gaze and looked at Twilight. "I have yet to visit her dreams tonight, but they have felt more peaceful than normal," she commented.


"That's good," Rainbow said with a nod.


"Indeed it is," Luna agreed with a nod of her own.


Rainbow shifted her weight and stared at the cloud. "So um... why are you here?" she asked. She looked back up at Luna, expecting a simple answer.


"Your mind seemed troubled and I thought you might wish to talk," Princess Luna answered gently.


Rainbow snorted, then fell backward onto the cloud. She spread out her wings across the cloud and sighed. "Right."


Luna walked closer to her, then laid down beside her. "Something troubles you," she noted.


Rainbow turned to her and nodded. "Yeah, I guess... well... yeah..." she turned away from Luna and sat up. "I mean... there's a lot that's bothering me right now."


"I will not tell a soul of anything you confide to me, Rainbow Dash," Luna said warmly.


Rainbow bit her lip, then sighed. "You... Twilight said that alicorns eat... meat," she said, uncertain of what outcome to expect from the Princess of the Night.


Luna pulled her head back and looked at her solemnly. After a few seconds, she nodded. "Alicorns do indeed eat meat... Though not often, but it is a necessary part of our diets."


Rainbow grimaced, but at the same time found it comforting to know that it wasn't just Twilight and that they didn't eat meat very often. "Twilight said it had been two months since she ate any meat, is that bad?"


Luna looked at her gravely. "Very," she said seriously. "It would explain many of her current ailments, though not all of them. I shall have to speak to her about this when I talk to her."


Rainbow shook her head. "No, it's fine. She... ate some today."


Luna tilted her head and studied Rainbow's mixed expression. The pegasus looked curious and disgusted at the same time. "Is that how you fond out?"


"No... I talked to Zecora. Twilight had been having problems sleeping, and her stomach was bothering her. She gave me some leaves to make a tea for Twilight to help, then mentioned something about alicorn dietary requirements." Rainbow snorted at Zecora's vagueness. "When I got back I asked Twilight about it."


"And she told you?" Luna asked.


Rainbow glanced at Twilight and nodded. "Yeah..." She turned to Luna and clenched her jaw. "She's... not going to be in trouble for that, right? I-I mean, we're not in trouble for-"


Luna shook her head. "No, it is fine. It is her prerogative to share that trait with you if she so chose... It is not exactly public knowledge, however. There are many ponies who know, but... it is not something that we talk about..." she trailed off grimacing.


Rainbow chuckled nervously. "R-right..."


"It is not a threat, Rainbow Dash." Luna shook her head, appalled by the idea of Rainbow taking her words as a threat.


Rainbow flashed her a smile, then turned back to Twilight. "That's not actually Twilight, right? This is just a dream, right?"


Luna nodded her head once, then stood beside Rainbow. "Yes, this is your dream, and that Twilight Sparkle is just part of it. I could connect your dreams if you wish."


"N-no... I... No, thank you," Rainbow replied. She quickly inhaled, then turned to face Luna. She wanted to ask the alicorn a question, but it was a silly question. 'Of course she knows how Twilight feels about me...' She grimaced, then turned back to the smaller lavender alicorn. 'I... might as well bring it up,' she decided. "Do you... know..." She trailed off groaning, drawing Princess Luna's gaze to her. "Has Twilight talked to you about me?" she asked.


Luna pursed her lips, then slowly looked back at the sleeping mare. "She... has," she said vaguely, not wanting to betray Twilight's trust.


"What did she say?" Rainbow asked with curiosity.


Luna looked at her sternly. "Rainbow Dash, I will not betray Twilight's trust in me to keep things between us, and I would hope that you would not abuse our friendship in such a way."


Rainbow slumped down at that, then sat on her haunches. "That's... not helpful," she said with annoyance.


Luna thought about it for a few seconds, then sat down beside Rainbow. "Love is not my area of expertise, but she has... asked me a few questions," she admitted. "If you would like, I can try to help you." She glanced at Rainbow, who hesitantly nodded. "How do you feel about her?" she asked.


"I... don't know." Rainbow shook her head slowly. "She's my friend, and I care about her. I don't like seeing her sad, in pain, hurting, or unhappy. It... makes me feel sad or hurt. I want her to be happy, but... who doesn't want their friend to be happy?" She looked at Luna questioningly. Luna's expression was unreadable. "I'm taking time off from the Wonderbolts to help her get better, but what if she doesn't get better?"


Luna grimaced. "If she never gets better, will that change anything?"


Rainbow thought about it for a few seconds, then sighed. "I don't know. Will it?"


"If she does not get better, would you abandon her?" Luna asked evenly.


Rainbow blinked and looked at her incredulously. "No! I wouldn't... leave her like this. I... might not have a choice, though. I'm still a Wonderbolt, and-"


"She is a princess, Rainbow Dash. I could very easily order Spitfire to allow you to stay with her indefinitely," Luna said in a conversational tone.


Rainbow opened her mouth but found she didn't know how to reply to that. "I... know?" she said lamely. She blinked and shook her head. "I know she's a princess, and I know she's important... but I wouldn't... well... I'm helping her because she's my friend! Not because of some obligation!"


"I never said you were," Luna said evenly. After a few seconds, she turned away from Rainbow and looked at the sky. She frowned, then lit her horn. Over the next few seconds, the light blue sky faded to violet, then the moon rose, and stars joined the skyscape. Rainbow said nothing. "I have always found the night more relaxing than the day," she commented.


"Flying at night is pretty cool," Rainbow replied.


Luna nodded in agreement. "Indeed it is."


Rainbow tightened her jaw, then relaxed. "You promise that anything I tell you here will be a secret?" Luna looked at her and nodded seriously. Rainbow's lips pressed together and she bobbed her head. "I'm... sleeping with Twilight right now."


Luna raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I... that is unexpected," she said, still processing it.


Rainbow looked at Luna sideways and grinned wryly. "She says it helps her sleep better..."


Luna slowly nodded. "I... see. And... what about... you?" she asked at length.


Rainbow smiled. "It's nice," she admitted. "Twilight... likes to cuddle," a wave of disgust rolled over her as the word rolled off her tongue, then the disgust was replaced with neutrality."I... kind of enjoy that too."


"Does it bother you?" Luna asked gently.


Rainbow shrugged, then tilted her head to the side. "Did you know that she asked me on a date?" Luna remained silent but nodded. "You probably know what I said, right?" Luna slowly nodded. Rainbow sighed and shook her head. "I regret saying no, but I don't... feel anything more than just... friendship for her. Starlight told me how much it hurt her, and that hurt me. I didn't mean to hurt her," she said glumly. "I'm trying to make it up to her because I care about her. Romance and love aren't my things. They're not... cool. They're weird and mushy." She shook her head in exasperation. "But I am curious about what a date would have been like... Where would we have gone? What would we have done? What would she have... said?"


"You could ask her, you know," Luna commented as she watched the moon.


"On... a date?" Rainbow asked hesitantly. Luna shrugged. "Yeah... no." Rainbow quickly responded. "I don't want her to think I feel the same way about her when I don't. That would... hurt her, and I don't want to do that."


"As I have said, I have no experience with matters of love," Luna replied. "But I do know that she appreciates you being there for her."


Rainbow smiled at that, then frowned. "She's... an alicorn," she said sadly. "She's going to outlive all of her friends, isn't she?"


Luna grimaced and nodded. "That is a likely outcome, yes, although there is a chance that because you five bore the Elements of Harmony with her, you could all have extended lives. There is also a chance that the radiation's effects will kill her before you all pass."


"What?" Rainbow asked seriously. "You... She's getting better, though! She can't just... die!"


"It is a very slim chance," Luna hastily corrected. "It is likely Twilight's lifespan will still extend centuries beyond your own."


Rainbow swallowed and found her mouth dry. "How is she going to cope with that?" She asked pleadingly.


"She is a strong mare... The fact she is enduring so well is evidence of that," Luna answered.


'What if her horn never grows back?' Rainbow almost asked. She didn't ask the question because she knew that asking it wouldn't help anything. Instead, she sighed. "Thanks for the talk, Princess Luna."


Luna smiled at her. "If you ever need to talk, know that I will listen and help you as much as I can."





The first thing Twilight noticed when she started coming to was that she was enveloped in a warm, comforting embrace. She felt safe and protected. She scooted back against the source of warmth and comfort. She hummed contently and enjoyed the feeling of softness against her back. She fidgeted a hoof testingly, only to find it was firmly pinned against her chest. She shifted a leg and then a wing, eliciting a soft groan from the pegasus holding her.


She smiled gently when she realized she wasn't alone. She knew that voice, even if it was just a groan. It could only belong to Rainbow Dash. She slowly peeled open an eye. The dark blue blanket was tucked up against her neck, and her muzzle was angled down so that she would have seen her body if it wasn't for the cover. She blinked and nudged her head forward, only to succeed in causing Rainbow's grip on her to tighten. The gentle increase in the firmness of the embrace made her heart stutter, and her breathing quickened. She closed her eyes and nestled back into Rainbow's neck, enjoying feeling Rainbow's muzzle holding her in place.


As minutes passed, more of her senses returned to her, and her smile only grew. Her stomach felt normal for the first time in weeks, and she hadn't woken up once during the night. She had slept the entire night. She felt well-rested and ready to take on the day, but she was content to lay there, rather than end the moment. It was peaceful and serene. It almost felt like a dream, but she knew it was real, and that only caused her smile to grow. She inhaled deeply, the only thing that would have made the embrace more enjoyable would have been if she was facing Rainbow. She sighed, knowing there was always next time.


More minutes passed. Their combined body heat trapped beneath the blankets and beneath Rainbow's wings threatened to lull her back to sleep, but the warmth only succeeded in making Twilight feel more content and safe because of Rainbow shifting her weight and nuzzling into Twilight's mane. The feeling nearly made Twilight giggle, but she suppressed it so she wouldn't wake up Rainbow Dash.


Over the course of the next half hour, Rainbow's shifting became more pronounced. Eventually, she nuzzled Twilight again, then yawned. "Finally wake up?" Twilight giggled.


Rainbow blinked a couple of times to process everything. She let go of Twilight's limbs and stretched out her own arms and legs, then she folded her wings to her sides and hummed. She pulled her head back from Twilight's, and the alicorn tilted her head up to look at her. "Morning, Twilight," Rainbow greeted with a slight smile. Twilight beamed back at her, then rolled over so she didn't have to strain her neck to look at the pegasus. Now that Twilight was facing her, their muzzles were uncomfortably close. Rainbow slowly pulled her head back away from Twilight, hoping that the alicorn hadn't noticed.


Twilight for her part just gazed off into Rainbow's eyes. She was entranced by the beautiful magenta rings. She was no artist, nor a connoisseur of art, but she didn't think anything could ever rival their beauty. She blinked a few times and forced herself to look away from their brilliance. She found herself looking at Rainbow's chest. She absently ran a hoof up to where she was looking. The way Rainbow's fur moved from her hoof was beautiful, just like the pegasus herself. She looked back up at Rainbow. Rainbow was looking down at her and watching her questioningly. She slid her hoof back around Rainbow's neck, then pressed her snout into Rainbow's chest and nuzzled her. She smiled at how the pegasus's silky coat tickled her nose.


Rainbow faked a cough. "Uh..." Twilight pulled back, then laid her head over Rainbow's neck. "Somepony's in a good mood today..." the pegasus commented absently, pondering how warm Twilight's neck was.


Twilight smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I just... I feel good this morning."


"Well..." Rainbow rubbed her mane with a hoof. "That's... not a bad thing," she said cautiously.


Twilight rubbed her neck along Rainbow's neck. "Sorry that I made you uncomfortable," she apologized. She stopped nuzzling her, 'This probably isn't helping any,' she thought dryly.


Rainbow stared at the wall. "It's..." she trailed off, deciding not to say anything one way or another. She shook her head, then wrapped her limbs around Twilight and rolled over onto her back, catching the alicorn by surprise. Twilight pulled her head away from Rainbow and looked down at her quizzically. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"


Twilight bit her lip and looked out the crystal window. "You know you don't have to be with me all the time, right?" she said quickly.


Rainbow nodded. "I know, but..." She shook her head. "I don't really have a lot to do. I've taken care of most of it since I had the week off and all that."


Twilight looked back at Rainbow. "Is that why you spent most of yesterday with me?"


Rainbow nodded. "I guess I could go hang out with Applejack," she said. "It might do you good to come along too, you know."


Twilight bobbed her head. "Maybe..." She hummed as she thought about it, then she smiled and nodded. "I think it would be good for me to do that. And if I start feeling sick, she'd understand if I had to leave suddenly..."


Rainbow grinned, then brought a hoof up and rustled Twilight's mane. The alicorn closed her eyes and pouted, shying away from her touch and earning a chuckle from Rainbow Dash. After she finished, Rainbow ran her hoof through Twilight's mane, then let it fall on top of the covers. Twilight looked at her sharply, but Rainbow had trouble taking her seriously with her mane in such disarray. She flashed the alicorn a smile, then pulled her other hoof out from beneath the sheets and pushed herself up into a sitting position, causing Twilight to slide off of her. Twilight unwrapped herself from around Rainbow, then rolled off of her. Rainbow quickly got out of the bed, then walked around to Twilight's side. "So, breakfast?" she asked.


Twilight looked at her and smiled. "Sugarcube Corner?"


Rainbow grinned. "That sounds good to me. Maybe Pinkie will be free for a few minutes, that might be nice."


Twilight pushed herself up into a sitting position and nodded. "Maybe," she agreed as she pushed the covers away from herself and hopped out of bed.


Rainbow spread her wings, then hovered in the air. "Well, I'm going to go take a shower, then I'll... come back here and wait for you to finish, I guess."


"Alright then," Twilight agreed. Rainbow turned and flew over to the door, then landed to unlock and open the door, and finally flew out and shut the door behind her. Twilight spread her wings and glanced at both of them in turn. She bit her lip and folded her wings, then clenched her jaw. 'I'll get around to that tomorrow,' she thought. She started walking towards the bathroom, then glanced at the door Rainbow left from. 'As long as you're not around,' she added. She pushed open the bathroom door with a hoof, then stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She turned around, then locked the door.





Twilight and Rainbow made their way through Ponyville, the former walking slowly, and the latter flying a short distance behind her. Everypony that saw them smiled and waved at Twilight and Twilight happily waved back. The entire town was happy to see her out and about, it had been a sorely missed sight.


Twilight couldn't help but smile. She had missed the fresh air filling her lungs and gentle warmth of the sun against her coat. 'I forgot how nice this was,' she realized. 'I guess you really don't know what you have until you lose it...' She couldn't help but think back to her accident. She glanced up to look at her head. Her bangs hid the injury, and even if she didn't feel it throbbing with pain, she knew it was there because of her lack of horn. She shook her head and quickened her pace.


Rainbow saw Twilight moving away from her, then sped up her flight to catch up with her. In a few seconds, she leisurely flew beside the alicorn. "What's wrong?" she asked.


Twilight glanced at her and slowed her pace. Rainbow matched Twilight's change in speed. "Nothing," she said calmly. "Just testing out my legs," she added with a smile.


Rainbow shrugged. "Eh, walking is overrated. Everypony knows flying is the best way to travel!" To prove her point, she soared up into the air. Twilight paused when Rainbow's shadow fell over her, then she looked up at the pegasus as she descended with the grace of a leaf falling from a tree. Rainbow once more hovered beside her. "You should try it sometime," she chuckled.


Twilight rolled her eyes. "Maybe for you, it is," she commented.


"You're not a bad flyer yourself, you know," Rainbow said reassuringly.


Twilight smiled and started walking again. "I'm not as strong as I used to be."


"Eh, a few weeks of flying and you'll be strong enough to fly between Ponyville and Canterlot again," Rainbow said nonchalantly.


Twilight smiled at the thought. "I wouldn't mind visiting Canterlot for a while... It would be a nice change of scenery."


Rainbow slowed her flight and frowned. "Like... a vacation?" she asked.


Twilight paused and looked back at her. 'A vacation... that would be nice. That... might actually be something I need? I mean, I'm technically on vacation right now. Sort of? I'm not really doing anything... Although, I'm still at home, so maybe I should go to another city. It might be nice to go back to Canterlot for a couple of days...' She smiled and nodded.


Rainbow leaned away from Twilight. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"


"Princess Celestia would be more than happy to have me in Canterlot, and I could stay at the castle... I've haven't had that many chances to use my bedchambers there since I became a princess," Twilight said in a conversational tone.


Rainbow looked at Twilight quizzically. "Bedchambers?" she asked in a testing and unsure voice.


Twilight nodded, then stopped and looked at Rainbow blankly. "Technically it's my own tower... I'll have to show it to you sometime. Maybe I could show you my old tower too." She smiled fondly at the thought.


"Oh." Rainbow landed and walked beside Twilight. "Are you sure you really want to go, though?"


Twilight came to a stop and looked back at Rainbow. "You seem... concerned?"


"Well..." Rainbow stopped and fluffed her wings. "Do you really think you're doing good enough for that?" she asked with uncertainty.


Twilight turned around to face Rainbow Dash. She studied the pegasus's unsure expression. She nodded absently. 'It would only be for a couple of days... But everypony had made an effort to stop by last week... It would be a two-day travel to Canterlot and back...' She grimaced and looked up at Rainbow. "I'll have to think about it," she said glumly. "I don't really want to leave Ponyville, but it would be nice to see Canterlot again." Rainbow's stomach growled, and the pegasus rubbed her mane and looked at Twilight sheepishly. "Well, breakfast first," she chirped.





The door to Sugarcube Corner opened, and the bell above the entranceway dinged, alerting everypony in the store to the new arrivals. Twilight felt apprehensive as she walked inside. 'It's not like last time...' she told herself. She pressed her wings against her side and closed the door after Rainbow walked inside. Twilight calmly exhaled and turned around. She came face to face with a happily smiling Pinkie Pie.


"Hi, Twilight! Hi, Rainbow!" Pinkie greeted. The bubbly, pink earth pony held a pencil in her twisted mane, which Twilight purposefully ignored. "Yesterday was really fun. Did you come by for another party Twilight? I could always throw you another one and invite everypony again!"


"Pinkie..." Rainbow groaned.


Pinkie twisted her head to look at Rainbow. "What do you need, Dashie?" she asked simply.


"Breakfast," Rainbow said dryly. "I'll take a muffin."


Pinkie's face lit up. "Ooooh! What kind of muffin would you like-"


"Blueberry," Rainbow quickly answered before the pink mare could start rambling.


Pinkie turned back to Twilight with the same oblivious smile she had before Rainbow cut her off. "And what would you like, Twilight?"


"I'll have a blueberry muffin too," Twilight answered under her breath. She squinted. "Actually, make that two blueberry muffins for me," she said louder.


"Okay! Three blueberry muffins coming right up!" Pinkie exclaimed as she bounced back into the kitchen.


Twilight glanced around and looked along the exterior wall for a place to sit down. The place was mostly deserted, though there were a few customers hanging around the counter, waiting for their orders to be completed so that they could take them to go. Twilight walked over to the farthest table, then set on the chair against the adjacent wall. Rainbow sat down across from her and looked out the window. Twilight shifted her weight and put her hooves on the table. After a few seconds, she looked away from the counter and stared at her hooves. 'This is just like when I asked her out on a date... Maybe this wasn't the best place to go,' she mused.


A minute later, Pinkie bounced out of the kitchen, carrying a tray on top of her head. The earth pony's unnatural ability to balance the tray while jumping would have perplexed Twilight if it had been any other pony, but since it was Pinkie Pie, she wrote it off as just another of Pinkie's normal traits. "Here you go!" Pinkie said cheerfully as she bounced the tray off of her head, then bit down on it before it could crash to the floor. She quickly slid the tray onto the table, then pushed the two plates off and over to Twilight and Rainbow. She threw the tray back into the air. The tray flipped once, then landed on top of Pinkie's mane, and the earth pony cheerfully bounced away.


Twilight shook her head, then pulled the plate closer to herself. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had picked up her muffin and was happily chewing away at it. Twilight glanced at her and smiled. Rainbow's cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk that had an acorn in its mouth, and she was smiling. Fortunately, Rainbow had her mouth closed. Twilight shook her head, then grabbed one of her two muffins with her hooves and took a bite of it. She smiled and closed her eyes as she chewed.


Rainbow finished her muffin in under a minute, leaving Twilight with a muffin and a half to finish. She watched Twilight for a bit, but the alicorn kept glancing at her nervously. She decided it was better to look out the window, realizing she probably made Twilight uncomfortable by watching her eat. Eventually, Twilight finished her muffins, and almost immediately, Pinkie Pie appeared back at the table. "How was it?" she asked.


"It was good," Rainbow answered for both of them, nodding happily.


Twilight stood up and looked around briefly. Pinkie walked over to her and wrapped her arms around the alicorn. "It's good to see you out again, Twilight. It just wasn't the same while you were in the hospital or cooped up in your castle," Pinkie said gently.


Twilight smiled happily and returned the hug. "Thanks, Pinkie." She nuzzled her neck, eliciting a giggle from the pink mare. After she finished, she pulled back from Pinkie. "Thanks again for the party yesterday, I really needed that."


Pinkie smiled brightly at her. "Well of course you did! It had been for-ever since you had a party!" she giggled.


Twilight smiled and shook her head. Rainbow slid out from her chair. "Well, I think we decided we were going to go visit Applejack today... So, take care of yourself, Pinkie."


"Okay. Just be sure to keep Twilight out of trouble, you hear? I don't want to find out she was hospitalized again!"


Rainbow smirked. "Don't worry," she assured. Pinkie looked at Rainbow happily, then bounced back to the kitchen. After Pinkie disappeared, Rainbow looked over at Twilight. "Applejack's?" she asked. Twilight nodded.





Twilight hummed contently as both Rainbow and herself walked down the road to Sweet Apple Acres. She enjoyed not feeling exhausted from all the walking she had done so far, although she did feel a slight sense of tiredness creeping over the back of her mind. She pushed it off as being relaxed. "You don't think she'll mind us stopping by, do you?" she asked.


Rainbow rolled her eyes. "It's Applejack. She won't mind, I mean, it's not like we're going to cause her any problems. We're not going to get in her way, although she may be busy apple bucking."


Twilight grimaced and tilted her head side to side as she thought about it. "Probably..." she grumbled.


"You don't sound very happy about that," Rainbow noted.


Twilight sighed and shook her head. "She's always so busy with the farm, I mean... I know she's a farmer, but..." She paused. "She's not... doing ridiculous things again, right?"


"I'm sure she's just busy with all the trees," Rainbow replied.


"If I had my horn, I could help her with that..." Twilight trailed off softly.


Rainbow looked at Twilight sadly. She steeled herself, then landed beside Twilight and put a hoof on her shoulder. Twilight stopped and smiled at her sadly, then looked down at the ground. Rainbow bit her lip, then walked around and stood beside Twilight. 'What am I supposed to say to her now?' "Uh... I doubt Applejack would accept your help anyway," she commented with a forced laugh.


Twilight snorted and shook her head. "She can be stubborn," she agreed. A few seconds passed, then she started walking again. Rainbow made it a point to stay beside her while they made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. Eventually, they arrived, and as expected, nopony greeted them at the gate. They both looked around in an attempt to spot somepony but neither of them saw anypony. After a few seconds of hesitation, they made their way over to the farmhouse and walked up the steps. Twilight walked over to the door and knocked. A few seconds passed in silence, then they both heard hoofsteps from behind the door. The hoofsteps were light, not like Applejack's hoofsetsp, but like a small filly's hoofsteps. A few seconds later, and the door opened.


"Well hi there, Twilight!" Applebloom greeted, looking up at the princess with a chipper smile. "What brings you two out here? You looking for my sis?"


Twilight nodded politely. "Yes, we were hoping to spend some time with Applejack today," she explained.


"Oh! Well," Applebloom looked away from Twilight and frowned in thought. "Well, I think she's still out in the east orchard."


Twilight smiled her thanks at the small filly. "Thanks, Applebloom." She turned away from the door.


"Uh... Twilight?" Applebloom said tentatively.


Twilight paused, then turned back to face Applebloom. The light yellow filly with wavy red hair and a light pink bow was looking at the floor and running her hoof in circles. Twilight looked at her curiously. "Yes, Applebloom?"


Applebloom glanced up at her. "I... uh... wanted to thank you. For saving Ponyville," she said evenly. "I know you were in the hospital for a while... I wanted to visit you, but Applejack wouldn't let me..."


Twilight tilted her head and smiled at the filly. "Oh, Applebloom..." She leaned down and hugged her.


Applebloom returned the hug with an even stronger one, wrapping her arms around Twilight's neck and squeezing. "We were all real worried about you, Twilight. All the school foals wanted to throw you a parade or something in your honor, but Cheerilee wanted to wait until you got better," she said. She smiled. "Diamond Tiara actually wanted to have a statue of you put up... Come to think of it, I think that everypony's still planning on doing that."


Twilight blushed and pulled back. "That's not necessary, Applebloom, just knowing that you appreciate it is enough..." She smiled fondly at the filly.


Applebloom pouted at her. "But we all really wanted to do something nice for you! I mean, you... you saved Ponyville, and... lost your horn..."


Twilight shook her head and sighed. "I guess I can't really stop you if you want to do that," she replied gently. 'Actually, I could, but that would be rude.'


Applebloom beamed at her. "I'll have to talk to Cheerilee about it again then!"


Twilight shook her head. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, Applebloom."


"Take care, Twilight!" Applebloom said joyfully. "And... I hope your horn grows back," she added somberly.


Twilight grimaced and nodded, then turned away from the door. She sighed and looked at the floorboards, her ears drooping.


Rainbow rubbed Twilight's shoulder reassuringly. "That was nice of them, wanting to throw a parade in your honor. And a statue? Heh, I'd love to have a statue of myself!"


Twilight looked at Rainbow and couldn't help but chuckle. "Well... let's go find Applejack."


Rainbow pulled away and spread her wings. "I can look for her from the air if you want to search on the ground. It would be quicker that way," she said.


Twilight thought about it for a few seconds. 'It would be quicker, but you'd have to leave me and...' She grimaced and sighed. "That's fine," she said evenly.


Rainbow watched her for a few seconds, then beat her wings and flew off. After a few seconds, Twilight spread her wings out and glanced at them, then she shook her head and started walking. After a few minutes of aimless wandering, she heard a familiar sound. She listened intently for it to repeat, then smiled. She took off in the direction the sound came from in a leisurely pace, and a few minutes later, she came across Applejack as she bucked a tree. The tree shook from the impact, then several apples fell from the tree and landed in buckets that had been placed around the tree. 'It's fascinating how she can tell the tree which apples to drop...' She shook her head and smiled. "Hi, Applejack!" she greeted.


Applejack wiped sweat from her brow with a hoof, then looked up from one of the wooden buckets and smiled at Twilight. "Well hi there, Twilight!" she greeted in her friendly rural accent. "What brings you all the way out here?" she asked as Twilight walked over towards her.


"Oh, I'm just out getting some fresh air today." She nodded and looked around at the trees. "That and I just wanted to spend some time with you," she added.


"Oh. Well, I'm a little busy, but if you don't mind walking and talking while I work, I don't mind it at all," Applejack replied.


Twilight nodded. "I would... offer to help, but..." she trailed off, smiling sadly.


"None of that now, Twilight!" Applejack retorted with a firm look at the alicorn. "Don't you worry about that, I can handle this myself!"


Twilight laughed happily and shook her head. "Rainbow should be around here somewhere... I'm kind of surprised she didn't find you before I did."


Applejack walked over to another tree and bucked it. "It's awfully nice of her to take some time off to help you and all that." She grunted as her hooves connected with the tree, causing the tree to shake and a vast quantity of apples to rain down into the wooden buckets.


"Yeah..." Twilight agreed in a soft voice, earning a raised eyebrow from Applejack. "She's really helped me. I really appreciate her... effort," she added.


"I'm sorry that I haven't been able to help you more than I have, but I've just been so busy on the farm lately," Applejack apologized with a weak smile.


"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm doing..." Twilight grunted and bobbed her head. "Better," she finished.


"I'm really glad to hear that," Applejack said. She walked over to a bucket of apples and bit down on the rope, then lifted it up and walked over to a nearby cart. She carefully sat the bucket down, then scooted it all the way into it. Twilight tentatively walked over to a bucket of apples and eyed it carefully. She leaned down and bit down on the rope, then grunted as she lifted it. Applejack looked at her firmly. "Now don't you go hurting yourself, Twilight," she warned. Twilight smiled awkwardly, then cautiously and slowly made her way over to the cart. She sat the bucket down in it and breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed it back. "I think that's enough for now, thanks," Applejack said as she spat out a rope handle and scooted another bucket into the cart.


"That... was harder than I'd like to admit," Twilight replied with a worrying smile. "The radiation really took a lot out of me," she added gravely.


"I'll say!" Applejack agreed. "And after that surgery, you were unconscious for a week!"


"Oh, hey Applejack!" Rainbow yelled from overhead.


Both Twilight and Applejack looked up at her. "What took you so long?" Twilight asked.


Rainbow flew down to the ground and landed. "Eh, all these trees look the same..."


"You got lost, didn't you," Applejack accused dryly.


Rainbow laughed nervously. "A-anyway..." She turned to Twilight. "Looks like I don't have to go find you now, so that's nice."


Twilight nodded, then turned back to Applejack. "Applebloom said she wanted to visit me while in the hospital."


Applejack grimaced and nodded reluctantly. "She did. I said no to her because I didn't think it would be good for you." Twilight smiled wryly at Applejack. The earth pony shook her head, sending her tied up blond mane flying. She walked over to another nearby tree and scrutinized the branches. "Hey, Rainbow. Think you can give me a hoof with the bucking?" she asked.


Rainbow groaned, "Yeah, yeah... Fine."


Applejack ignored her and pointed to another tree, "If you can get that one, I can get these two, then we should be good to take a couple carts back to the barn."


Rainbow quickly flew over to the tree and turned around, then looked back at the tree and bucked it. The tree barely shook, and a single apple fell from the tree. Applejack watched her and chuckled. "I'm a pegasus, not an earth pony," Rainbow Dash grumbled.


Applejack shook her head and bucked her tree, causing all of the ripe apples to fall out of it into the buckets she had set up. Rainbow huffed and bucked the tree behind her even harder, causing a few more apples to fall.


Twilight giggled as she watched them and sat down. In a few minutes, Applejack had put her two trees' buckets in a second cart and walked over to Rainbow's trees. The tree still had several apples on it. Applejack smirked at Rainbow, who backed away. Applejack kicked the tree with a single hoof, and all the remaining ripe apples fell out of the tree. Rainbow snorted, then bit down on a rope and carried the bucket of apples over to the cart. After a few trips, all the buckets were in it. Applejack hooked herself up to one cart, and Rainbow hooked herself up to the other cart, then Twilight stood up and walked over in between them as they made their way back to the barn.