//------------------------------//
// Raised Spirits 
// Story: The Journal of Raiden 
// by Cloud Shimmers 
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	Raiden and Hurricane were sprawled out on the ground of the courtyard, each panting from their finished sparring.
"In all the time I've sparred with soldiers," Hurricane said, "Nopony has ever caught on that quick to our techniques, you've done in a week what takes most years." She sighed.
Raiden smiled, "Perhaps because of a grand teacher?" he smiled. Over the course of the week, Raiden and Hurricane were inseparable., eating together, staying up and conversing about different techniques as well as each other. Every day it was the same. Every day that they sparred; Hurricane had been the last one standing. But today was different; both Raiden and Hurricane were breathless.
"Perhaps." She smiled, "Or it could be that you've kept me up late with idle chatter." She laughed.
Raiden sat up. "So now that I'm your equal on the battle field, there's still a week left before you depart my friend, has anything in our capitol peeked your interest?"
Hurricane rose, standing, "Perhaps," She eyed the great mountains behind the castle. "Do any beasts reside on the peaks?"
Raiden groaned, "Your always looking for a fight then, you must jest?"
Hurricane chuckled, "I do, let's wander the streets. If anything peaks my interest, I'll be sure to let you know-" She was interrupted.
"Raiden!" Clover shouted, "You've been ignoring your studies all week, slacking with the Commander;s daughter!"
Raiden laughed sarcastically at his friend, "If you ever pulled your head out of those books, I'm sure you would've heard the master give us time off for the landsmeet!" He glared at her.
"Well at least I've been doing something practical, while you've been out here every day playing soldier!" Clover raised a hoof at him.
Hurricane butted in, her eyes held furry; "Your friend is a passionate fighter, throwing his entire soul into the way he fights! Oh but all of that knowledge wouldn't make up for a soul now would it?"
Clover gasped, "Well, at least I have some knowledge, all of that brute force must keep the colts away!" She threw a low blow, which slid right off Hurricane.
"Ah, but you feel no affection to the one who cares for you most!" Hurricane shouted, "And now he no longer loves you!" Hurricane turned around, "Raiden, can we go now?" 
Raiden nodded, then looked at Clover, "Of course Hurricane, let's be away from cruel words like hers." He walked beside Hurricane.
Clover had been confused by Hurricane's words, "Raiden? N-no that's silly." She continued to speak to herself, "I have no time for love, I'm learning from the greatest magic user Unicornia will ever see!"

Twilight was brought back into the real world once again, it was so hard for her to believe that a week in the journal was less than a minute. She rubbed her eyes; her whole body felt sore, like she hadn't moved in the week she was gone. She climbed from her bed out the door. After what happened with Rainbow Dash she needed the advice of her mentor.
Twilight climbed the tower into her mentor's room, not wanting to disturb her by teleporting. She rapped a few times on the door.
"Come in." A voice said from the other side.
Twilight opened the door, "Good evening Princess." Twilight feigned a smile.
Celestia smiled, "Yes it is my faithful student." Celestia was gazing through a golden telescope. "How can I help you Twilight?" She smiled warmly.
"Well," Twilight sighed, "My friend Rainbow Dash was said something to me today that has me on edge."
Celestia looked away, "Don't tell me she was mean? She is the element of Loyalty, why would she be mean to you?" Celestia looked at Twilight with concern.
"Oh, no." Twilight assured her teacher. "N-no, it was something a bit more complicated." She struggled with the words; "She uh, told me she liked somepony."
Celestia was a little confused, "and you're afraid that she'll be spending all of her time with his new pony?"
Twilight shook her head, "I just know that the other pony is confused, she isn't sure if she loves Rainbow back."
Celestia thought for a moment, "Tell this other pony to try and imagine a future with Rainbow Dash, all of the love and support they would receive from her." She winked at her student, "Perhaps I'll be invited to their wedding?"
Twilight blushed furiously, 'Does she know?' Twilight pictured what it would be like to snuggle with Rainbow at night, or to wake up and see her smiling. The whole thought process made her heart flutter a bit, but then her mind went somewhere that she feared. Raiden stopped loving Clover because of how distant she was; 'Oh Celestia, What if I've pushed her away? What if she doesn't love me, OH NO!' Tears formed in Twilight's eyes, she hugged her teacher, "What if I pushed her away? What if she hates me now?" Twilight sobbed, "I've ruined my best chance at lo-" A hoof was covering her mouth.
"Twilight, where did you get such a silly idea?" Celestia hugged back.
"A book." Twilight sniffled, "A journal actually?"
Celestia blinked, "Twilight, you took somepony else's journal?"
Twilight shook her head, "I found it in the Star Swirl the Bearded section, it had my families crest printed on the cover."
Celestia's eyes widened, "How odd, who did it belong to?"
"An ancestor of mine, his name was Raiden." Twilight dried her tears, "He thought he was in love with Clover the Clever but she pushed him away. He was friends with Commander Hurricane when she was only a Major. That's as far as I got in the journal."
Celestia blinked, "How odd I've never heard of him, why isn't he mentioned in the Hearth's Warming Eve legend I wonder?" She put a hoof to her chin.
"I wondered that too, but something was even weirder. He mentioned Equestria; which hadn't even been founded yet."
Celestia's eyes grew even wider, "Twilight, I would like you to finish reading the journal and report back to me, if its no trouble."
Twilight nodded, "Of course princess, and I'm sorry for my out burst."
Celestia hugged Twilight, "Please come talk to me more, you're the closest thing I have to a daughter Twilight and I hardly ever get to see you." A tear slipped down her face.
Twilight was smiling, "And you're closer to me than my own mother, of course I'll come visit you more often."
Celestia released her hold on Twilight. "And bring your new Marefriend along too."
Twilight giggled, "sure!"
"And grand-foals soon?" She put on a puppy dog face.
"Princess!" Twilight was a hue of bright red.
"I'm just kidding sweety." She patted Twilight on the head, "Go talk to her okay?"
Twilight nodded. She left the tower feeling much better than when she entered, She went to her room and began to pack her things into her saddle bags. "I'm in love with Rainbow Dash, I'm in love with Rainbow Dash." She sang to herself. She stopped when she heard a knock at the door, "That must be her!" Twilight opened the door and flung her arms around the pony.
"O-oh." FlutterShy squeaked. "I'm happy to see you too Twilight." She hugged back, but had a solemn look on her face. "C-can we talk? I-if its an okay time?"
Twilight blushed, "heh, sorry FlutterShy, I-uh, thought you were somepony else." She moved, letting the other pony in. "Sure come on in."
Twilight spent the next twenty minutes comforting Fluttershy; who had a nightmare about Angel being hungry. She had been quietly sobbing on Twilight's bed for those minutes and had even spilled her tea on the tile floor. "I was just so frightened for him, I tried flying home in the dark but Rarity stopped me. I just needed somepony to talk to, thanks Twilight."
Twilight patted her friend on the shoulder, "Of course, and remember; Spike is taking good care of Angel, all right?"
Fluttershy nodded, "I know."
Twilight was wondering something, "Fluttershy, why didn't you just talk to Rarity? She's your best friend right?"
Fluttershy nodded, "Because she hates it when her beauty sleep is interrupted, And I saw you walking down the hall and heard you singing." She got up and smiled, "I really do feel much better, thank you Twilight." She began walking to the door, but it flew open before she could get to it.
Rainbow Dash was standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers. Her eyes widened when she saw FlutterShy; she dropped the flowers and looked at Twilight with tears forming in her eyes. She flew down the hallway crying her eyes out.
Twilight ran to the door, she couldn't see the cyan pegasus any more. "Rainbow Dash!!" She shouted down the hall.
"Twilight, my heart has and always will be yours, Love Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy read the card on the flowers. "That's so, well, girly for her. She must really be in love with you Twilight." She then noticed how bad this all must look, "O-oh my goodness. She thinks we, oh my." FlutterShy apologized to Twilight.
"Its okay, I'll talk to her first thing in the morning, then everything will be all right!" Twilight was completely panicking inside of her head. She showed FlutterShy out and leapt on the bed, crying herself to sleep.