//------------------------------// // An Honest Facade // Story: Well My Marefriend's a Princess! // by All Art Is Quite Useless //------------------------------// Twilight watched as Rainbow Dash faded into the evening sky. "I... love you too, Rainbow Dash." Twilight sighed, her lips parted. She could still feel the distinct buzz that had come from kissing Rainbow for the first time—something she had wanted to do for years. Why was it that when her opportunity came up, it was only so they could put on a show? Rainbow had no idea how Twilight felt, and now instead of bottling away her feelings, Twilight had to parade around with Rainbow as if she was her lover, and get a taste of what that would be like, only to have it taken away from her? Rainbow was right, this was hard on her, just not for the reason she thought. Twilight was left wondering about so many things as she wandered off to clamber into bed. Why had she been the last one for Rainbow to ask? Was it because she just couldn't look at her in that way? Did she really find her that unattractive? Had Rainbow enjoyed their kiss? For Twilight, it had been like velvet, soft and beautiful, and she hadn't wanted it to end. What if Rainbow hadn't got any of that? Or even worse, she had, but just thought it came from Twilight's ability as an actor, rather than any genuine affection towards her? There had to be a way she could outline her feelings. She'd just have to make it a little more obvious. Surely, Rainbow Dash wasn't so oblivious that she wouldn't recognise a mare that wanted her when they were staring her right in the face? Twilight felt her hooves stomping heavier than usual as she walked up the stairs to her bedroom, remembering that this was Rainbow Dash she was talking about. Twilight threw her covers back and allowed herself to fall onto the bed, nestling herself deep in the sheets and putting the covers around her with a short burst of magic. It was a fair amount of tossing and turning later when Twilight actually managed to drift off, and even then her dreams were plagued with unanswered questions and thoughts, and she awoke several times during the night. At 7am she realised she could no longer sleep, and rolled out of bed onto her hooves, not bothering to fix her mane as she walked down the stairs, through the main corridor and straight out of the castle. The ground was cold against her hooves, but she didn't care, she needed coffee. Walking the short trip to Sugarcube Corner served to wake her a little, but she could still feel fatigue clawing at her. She would have to get a decent night's sleep tomorrow, or she would be useless during Rainbow's party. Arriving, she went to open the door, but found that it was still locked. She considered knocking, but concluded not to disturb the Cakes. As she turned to leave, she heard a sound from upstairs, and found Pinkie poking her head out of the window. "Hey, Twilight! Wait there! I'll open up," Pinkie's words anchored her to the spot, and in less than a minute she was downstairs unlocking the door. "Sorry about that," she said, "what can ol' Pinkie do for you, huh?" "Just a white latte, Pinkie, and an espresso, if you don't mind." "Two coffees?" Pinkie tutted, "Sounds like someone didn't get their recommended seven hours and forty minutes last night!" "Well, the reason for that is—wait, seven and forty? I thought it was eight?" "Silly Twilight, the average dream is twenty minutes long!" Pinkie shook her head in disapproval, "Silly Twilight." Twilight chose to ignore how little sense that made. "Anyways, yeah, the reason I couldn't sleep. So get this: Rainbow Dash comes to me last night—" "And tells you that she bumped into her old classmate from flight school who's a really, really big meanie and that in the heat of the moment talking to her she claimed to have a princess who was a princess and that after that the classmate said to her 'oh, well if you have a princess marefriend, I wanna meet her at this party!' and then Rainbow was like 'heck yeah, you're on!' and then Rainbow went around and tried to hit on every single princess she could think of but none of them worked and then she landed on you and it's really awkward for you because you secretly have feelings for her but you've never told her?" Twilight took a few seconds to process that. "...Yes. How did you—" "Rainbow came to me first. I'm the one who suggested she ask you!" "Pinkie!" Twilight snarled, "Why would you do that?!" "Becauseeee," Pinkie bounced in place, skipping up to Twilight and jumping on the spot, "this is your chance to win her over! Don't tell me you haven't already thought about it... You, her, pretending to be a couple, if you can just show her how great that feeling is and get her used to it, you might not even have to tell her that you've liked her since the day you met her and never had the courage to say anything because you thought it might ruin your friendship!" "Pinkie, can you please stop saying things like that? I know what I've told you already, you don't need to be so comprehensive when you remind me." Pinkie stopped bouncing, a strong gaze affixed to Twilight. "But seriously, even if you do have to tell her, don't you think this is a great way to open her up to the concept? If you can make this good for her, then maybe she'll start to see you as more than a friend too! Or at least be capable of doing that. If anything, this is a great opportunity." Twilight felt a frown over take her as she asked herself the same question once more. "But what does it mean that she didn't even think to go to me? It's even worse that you had to tell her, she didn't even have the idea on her own." "Honestly? It probably means that she's either never thought about you as a potential marefriend to the point that she didn't even consider the idea, that she thought you were the one who would hate it so she was doing everything to avoid having to ask you, even to the point that she never even consciously thought to, or she forgot that you're a princess. I mean, that is only a recent thing. Honestly, my bits would be on the former, but that doesn't mean you can't change that!" "But how do I do that?" Twilight asked, tilting her head. "I already tried kissing her last night, we even made out. I told her it was to practice for this weekend. When we were finished, she just called me a 'great actor'! She has no clue how tactless she is sometimes!" "Have you considered making her work for it?" Pinkie asked, miming an imaginary chalkboard and pointing at the space in the air with a hoof, "Dashie as an interesting creature, if you hand her anything on a platter she typically isn't that interested. However, if you make her work for it a little, the satisfaction she gets from achieving something seems to heighten her buzz." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?" "It's obvious! Whenever she comes in for her morning coffee, she's so proud of herself for having got up in the morning that she downs it before it's even cool!" "Don't you think that might just be her in a rush and wanting to wake up?" "Nuh-uh! She usually sleeps at one of the tables for about ten minutes after, so it can't be!" "...Huh. Noted." Blinking, Twilight realised all that Pinkie had done for her. "Thank you so much, Pinkie Pie. I'm gonna try and make something out of this, but either way I'm really grateful." "Well stop yakking and start wooing! You've only got a day!" Pinkie zipped behind the counter, quickly preparing her coffees. "Here! Drink, drink! Go!" Feeling pressured, Twilight downed the espresso and grabbed the cup of latte as Pinkie pushed her out of the door. "Thanks, Pinkie!" "Go! Go! Make Rainbow want you!" Twilight was filled with a new energy as she made her way back to the castle. She was going to do just that, and Rainbow wouldn't see it coming. Rainbow woke up that day to find that she had slept wonderfully. Everything was falling into place. She still had a couple of days left off work, and with Twilight by her side, she just knew this would go off without a hitch. Rainbow blasted through her morning exercises before taking a warm shower, feeding Tank and going out to take a few laps of Ponyville. She wasted away her day with flying; for the first time in a week, Rainbow felt truly relaxed, and she wasn't at all worried about what this weekend might hold. She was a little trepidatious about the whole practice thing, but if Twilight could fully devote herself to it, so could she. When half the day had gone by, she had an idea. Heading home to grab her bit bag, she flew into a local jewelers, a plan forming in her mind even as she began chatting with the sales assistant. When she was finished, she had a large grin on her face, this was perfect. Gift bag in hoof, she flew straight to the castle to meet Twilight. When she arrived she knocked on the front door, only for Twilight to emerge wearing an evening dress. It hugged her figure, really accentuating her curves, and Rainbow couldn't help but trace them with her eyes despite herself. She was definitely wearing mascara, and her wing feathers were perfectly aligned. Rainbow tried to say something, but her words were quickly caught in her throat. Twilight's blink was overly pronounced by her eyeshadow, and her eyes felt more prominent. "Are you going to come inside, Rainbow?" "Y-yeah, sure." Rainbow realised she was just limply standing like an idiot, staring at Twilight, and made her way through the door, finding herself in close proximity with her friend. "I got you something," she said in what came out as a breathy whisper, "just to say thanks for everything you're doing for me." "Really?" Twilight asked, her eyes travelling to the small bag, "how sweet of you." With those words, she leaned in and pecked Rainbow on the cheek. Rainbow wasn't sure if it felt more natural this time or not, but she didn't put up a fuss. In all honesty, it didn't disturb her. "I got you these," she said, fumbling with her hooves as she produced a little box from the bag. The pair walked over to the table as Twilight levitated the box before her, opening it and spotting the two amethyst earrings sitting inside. "Rainbow! You shouldn't have..." "Well, I thought they'd go nicely with your coat, and—" Rainbow's words were cut off with the rest of her breath as Twilight pulled her into a crushing hug. There was no doubt about it, she had definitely got stronger since becoming an alicorn. Rainbow allowed herself to be squeezed, enjoying the comfort and warmth even as her spine made a series of little clicks, causing her to gasp in sudden relief for an ache she didn't even realise she had. "Thank you, Rainbow," Twilight said, "I love them." That made Rainbow's heart flutter, she was worried that Twilight might see them as a bribe or something. "I'm really glad you appreciate them, Twi." Breaking the hug, Twilight walked over to a nearby mirror, holding them up against the sides of her ears. "Want me to wear them tomorrow?" "I mean, I didn't get them for you just so you would have them to wear tomorrow, you can wear them whenever you want." "I know that," Twilight smirked at herself in the mirror before turning to face Rainbow, batting her eyelids as she continued to hold the earrings up. "What I'm asking is..." she continued in a slow, deliberate tone, "do you think that they would look nice on me?" Twilight twitched a hind leg as she said this, causing the dress to billow a little, drawing Rainbow's attention back to it. "...Is it weird if I say yes? I mean, I'm meant to say yes, right?" Twilight looked as if she was about to completely break character. "Yes, Rainbow, you're meant to say 'yes'," she bluntly answered. "Then yeah, they'd look awesome on you!" Rainbow knew it was the truth too, she just didn't know how to say it. Twilight always looked great, after all. Twilight seemed to consider this response for a little while, then nodded. "Well either way, I love them, and I'm really grateful. Have you eaten, by the way?" "Me? Uhh, I had a bit of toast this morning, and a protein shake. That's about it, really." Twilight's eyes seemed to flash concern for a small second, and Rainbow could almost sense the chastisement on her lips, but she relented before she had even began. "Well that's good, because I've prepared something for us." "Hold on, you cooked?" Rainbow asked, eyes wide. "Yes I cooked!" Twilight snapped, "Why, is that a problem?" "N-no, it's just I always thought Spike did the cooking." "Well Spike is staying with Big Mac tonight, so it's just us. Besides, I can cook just fine. It's a simple scientific process, after all." Rainbow Dash gulped down her next response before it could land her in more trouble. "We're eating here, then?" "Of course!" Twilight smiled, already in better spirits, "I set us a table and everything, come on." Rainbow followed Twilight through the castle to the joint kitchen and dining room. On the main table, there was a spread of small red candles creating a soft light, rose petals scattered in patterns over the centre, and a small stick of incense burning off to the side. Rainbow had to admit, it all looked very enticing. She quickly found her way to her seat, breathing in the scent as Twilight rushed about in the kitchen. After a few moments of just sitting patiently, Rainbow spotted Twilight trying to do fifty things at once, her head swiveling as she checked on everything. "What are we having, anyway?" "Mushroom risotto!" Twilight called out, apparently now doing battle with the steam of a pot. Rainbow watched for a few more moments, but when Twilight nearly dropped a pan full of mushrooms, she dived in to save them. Twilight's magic caught the magic just before Rainbow could, and she reeled away from the food stand off against her. "I don't need your help, Rainbow." "Hey, let me give you a hand. This is a lot of work for you to do on your own." Twilight shook her head, using a large spoon to swirl the rice in the larger pot before it could stick. "No, it's fine, just let me do it." "Twi, the onion and garlic look like they're about to burn, the rice is on the wrong heat, and that's way too much vegetable stock." "...Since when do you know how to cook?" Twilight asked, stopping everything to stare at Rainbow. Rainbow flew up and grabbed Spike's chef hat from its place on the wall, sticking it over her head. "Since when am I not awesome?" "Fine, fine," Twilight waved a hoof at the kitchen, "you can help out a little." "Great!" In a flash, Rainbow was flitting between every pot, pan, and utensil in the kitchen, filling, stirring, emptying, and combining. Looking back, she saw Twilight watching the manic flurry of activity. "You can grate the parmesan, if you want." "Oh, gee, thanks," Twilight laughed, picking up a block from the side and pressing it against the grater. "Glad to know that I'm of some help." "Hey, you can test the wine too," Rainbow winked, passing her the bottle of white wine as she stirred just under a fifth of it into the pot. "Now that sounds like a valuable contribution!" Twilight announced, grabbing a pair of glasses from the cupboard. "You want some now?" "Yeah, screw it, why not?" Rainbow smiled, allowing Twilight to pour her a glass. When they each had a filled glass in hoof, Twilight held up hers. "To pissing off Tidal Wave." "To pissing off Tidal Wave!" Rainbow repeated, taking a hearty gulp of the fairly strong wine. They both started giggling as the covered risotto pot let out its steam. Looking back to the table, Rainbow had to appreciate the effort Twilight had made to make this appear as real as possible. It was nice, really, almost like a normal date. Part of her wondered why they would need to practice dating when they were only going to a party, but Rainbow supposed it was part of building the experience, and it helped if they had at least one story to tell of a night they spent together. By the time dinner was ready, the pair of them had almost gone through their first glass of wine. Rainbow noticed that a second bottle was laid out, and couldn't help but wonder just how much Twilight planned on drinking tonight. She guessed a couple of drinks would make the kissing and stuff feel a little less strange. Rainbow wondered if it would also heighten that buzz in her chest, that one she couldn't decide whether she liked or found unpleasant. She had never felt it with any other mare, and she didn't know if it was a strange attraction, or the feeling that she shouldn't have been doing those things with her friend, but it freaked her out a little. Twilight, on the other hoof, appeared to be perfectly calm and in control of the situation, even as they began eating and she started to knock back her second drink, taking more time with it than the first. Rainbow was happy with the food, and very aware that it had just as much her influence as Twilight's while eating it. It was something that they had made together, and that made it all the more satisfying. Dinner was mainly accompanied by silence, save a couple of appreciative noises aimed at the good food and wine. Rainbow was sure that what came next would involve a lot more talking, but for now she was happy to just drink in the moment and enjoy her friend's company. It was the nicest time she had had in a while now. Rainbow Dash bolted out of the window, not sparing a look behind her. Memories of the night before came flooding back to her, and if one thing was absolutely certain, it was that the wine had definitely helped to loosen them both up. Considering where Rainbow had woken up, maybe a little too much. Rainbow remembered talking to Twilight, playing and laughing with her, and then eventually they had started with their 'practice'. Kissing and cuddling had turned to something hot, heavy, and passionate, and Rainbow could scarcely remember just how much they had done before going to bed together that night. It wasn't worth dwelling on. Whatever happened, they were definitely more than prepared for tonight. They'd be meeting each other in Cloudsdale at seven this evening, and at the party, they'd do just what they had spent all this time getting ready for. But before all of that, Rainbow Dash needed a long, warm shower. Twilight had chosen to remain 'in character' since meeting her in Cloudsdale, her reasoning being that anyone they passed on the way there could potentially be on their way to the party, and that it was easier to stay in routine than to slip in and out of it whenever they needed to. She hadn't said much on the night before, but from what she had said, she didn't remember going to bed with Rainbow, or at least, she hadn't mentioned it. This relieved Rainbow somewhat. She felt more close to Twilight since this had all started, and she didn't want to scare her off by telling her that they may have slept together, and that it was all due to her and her stupid problem. There were many ways to lose a friend, Rainbow figured that one had to be pretty damn high on the list. Still, Rainbow didn't feel as awkward as she thought she would. Before Twilight had arrived at their meeting place, Rainbow had kept fidgeting, considering leaving once or twice. As soon as Twilight had shown up, she felt strong and confident again, her calming presence did a lot for her. It was odd, speaking to her in such an open and unguarded manner, much unlike what she was used to from their interactions, and the little pecks on the cheek never ceased. Rainbow might have even given her one or two, just to see what it felt like. When they finally arrived at the gates of the cloud manor, Twilight let out a small laugh. "Don't say anything, Rainbow, but my castle has to be twice the size of this place. I wouldn't be surprised if she already knows that." "Heh, this just gets better and better," Rainbow snickered, holding the gate open for her like a good marefriend would. "No, no," Twilight gestured at her, "you go in first, then she'll be even more shocked when she sees me." "Nah, let's go in at the same time," Rainbow smiled, wrapping a wing around her. "If you say so, Dashie," Twilight winked, and together they ascended the half flight of stairs leading up to the door, Twilight slamming the knocker with her magic as they walked. After as much as twenty seconds of waiting, Tidal Wave opened the door, her eyes instantly drawn to Rainbow. "Rainbow Dash! I didn't think you were going to turn u—" her eyes flicked over to Twilight, held in Rainbow's feathery embrace, wearing her tiara, "P-princess Sparkle..." "Please," Twilight smirked, extending a hoof to shake, "Princess Twilight is fine." "Ah, yes, excuse me, Princess Twilight, I forgot my manners there," jerking around, she called out with an unsettled voice, "Sky, darling! Rainbow Dash and her partner Princess Twilight Sparkle are here!" Suddenly, Rainbow heard a shift of voices from inside. "Princess Sparkle?" "Rainbow Dash bagged a princess?!" "See, I told you she wasn't full of shit! That'll be twenty bits, please." Rainbow Dash wore the mother of all shit eating grins, and impressively, Twilight's almost matched hers. Ignoring the loud comments from inside, Tidal motioned to the inside with a hoof, bidding them entry. "Shall we, Twi?" Rainbow slapped her flank against Twilight's, eliciting a small gasp. "I think we shall," Twilight laughed, the pair skipping straight past Tidal in perfect sync, leaving her with her jaw hanging low and her eyes almost bulging. "That's it," Twilight whispered to Rainbow as they walked into the main room, "just pretend she isn't here and be the life of this place, the rest will take care of itself." "Rainbow Dash!" the shout of her name came from everywhere at once, ponies coming up to her to hoof bump her, hug her, and exchange hellos. Throughout every interaction, Rainbow remained tethered to Twilight, making sure they were always touching each other in some way. When Rainbow got a chance to take in the room, she had to admit that it was spectacular. Tidal wasn't lying when she said it could use more furnishing, but the size of the rooms and the architecture itself were both brilliant, and the front room in particular fostered enough space to be used as a makeshift dance floor, something which half of the fifty or so ponies there were already utilising. Wasting no time, Rainbow pulled Twilight straight out onto the floor, the rhythm upbeat and techno as they began to dance together, starting slow but becoming more adventurous and risque as time went on, eventually writhing their bodies against one another, sometimes jumping and dancing, at other times slowly grinding as they made eyes at each other. It wasn't long before Tidal and her fiance joined in, and apparently they had their dirty dancing routine down to a tee, because all of the wolf whistles Twilight and Rainbow had been receiving seemed to transfer onto them as they managed to perform something that looked almost choreographed despite being so carnal. Seeing this, and desperate to get the upper hoof back, Rainbow started jumping and dancing around with reckless abandon, incorporating her wings and utilising aerial maneuvers in order to stun and wow her audience, much like she did at her Wonderbolt shows. It succeeded, but not in the way she had intended. Ponies stopped looking at the couple to stare at her, but only at her, as Twilight wasn't involved. Did that make her look like a show off, or someone who didn't involve their marefriend in things? Rainbow quickly ended her little performance, drawing a few moans of disappointment from the other party-goers. Thinking fast, she finished her act with a flourish of her wings, before swooping down and kissing Twilight full on the lips from midair, leaning down at her as she held her head up. This was it, their first test of whether they could pull it off in public, and Celestia was their connection perfect. They made out like they were a real couple, their tongues pushing together without care or concern for who might be watching, even though they knew that was the entire point. As far as anypony was concerned, they were totally loved up and living in the moment, and that's exactly what they wanted ponies to think. Their kiss went on to the point that it was almost excessive, and in all honesty Rainbow knew she didn't want it to end. There was something thrilling about this whole situation, about putting it to Tidal Wave, about being watched, about winning, and to top it all off, it really was a good kiss, as strange as that was to admit. So when it got to the point that they probably should have stopped due to being in public, Rainbow landed on her hooves and deepened the kiss, drawing a soft moan out of Twilight as her tail flicked around in mania. Even though she couldn't see, Rainbow knew that this image was being burned into the minds of everypony there, especially Tidal. When it had been over thirty seconds, they stopped, pulling away and lightly panting, though Twilight definitely gave her the eyes afterwards. Rainbow would never be as good as putting it on at her, but after something as hot as that? She was able to return them in earnest. If asked, she'd deny to Twilight how much she had enjoyed that kiss, and just how much of it she thought came from the situation, and how much came from her. Turning around, she flashed a fake glare at the stiff winged stallions in the crowd. "What? You never seen me kiss a princess before?" A moment, then she grinned. "Oh yeah, I guess you haven't," she finished, her eyes settling on a seething Tidal Wave. The party progressed as any did, drinks were consumed, food was ordered, and in little time, most of the attendants found themselves outside, hanging around the pool. It was a large, deep swimming pool, and the water looked refreshing, but Rainbow and Twilight found themselves sharing a sun lounger, basking in the evening moonlight. Both had drank a little, but were nowhere near drunk, and throughout the party had managed to turn quite a few heads with their various escapades. What made things even better was Tidal and her fiance's tendency to be a suck up to the pair of them, just because Twilight was in fact an alicorn princess, and that made her powerful. Honestly, Rainbow wanted to go and rub it in her face, but Twilight had told her no, that the direct approach wouldn't work and if she wanted to really get under her coat, everything she did had to be sneaky. It wasn't Rainbow's style, definitely, but she could handle that. She already had a plan of how she could really make this night hers and hers alone, and now it was just waiting for the perfect time to implement it. Leaving a little smooch on Twilight's cheek, Rainbow rose to go and get a couple more drinks. As she walked, Tidal Wave made a beeline for her from across the garden, and instantly engaged her in conversation. "So, Rainbow, how do you like it here? Does it feel nice, sitting in the lap of luxury?" Rainbow stopped where she was, giving Tidal an incredulous stare. "Uhh, yeah, it's a nice manor, sure. Isn't really a castle, though, is it?" "Oh you think you are so slick!" Tidal shouted, slamming her front hooves against the ground with each word, "You think you can just waltz in here with your princess and show me up? Well I've got news for you, bitch, this is my house, and this is my celebration, so stop trying to be bigger than your horseshoes!" "Wow," Rainbow snickered, "if it's got you this worked up then it must be working. 'Sides, didn't you only invite me here so you could make me look like an idiot? You didn't expect me to turn up with Twilight, or any princess for that matter, you thought I was full of it." "I still think you're full of it," Tidal spat, "I find it awfully convenient that one of your best friends just happens to be a princess, and that she's the one you turn up with, apparently now your marefriend. I don't even think you're telling the truth, I think you're putting it on." "Oh, is that what you think, huh?!" Rainbow yelled, unsure whether she was more insulted by the insult to her acting ability, the accusation of being a liar, or here accusing Twilight of anything in general, "well we'll just see about that!" "...What do you mean, see about it? What are you going to do change my mind? Face it, Rainbow, you might have fooled everypony else here, but you haven't fooled me. And you know what? Me and my husband to be have an announcement to make in a few moments, and after that, this night really will be all about me and him, just as it was supposed to be." "You're so full of it, you know that?" Rainbow locked eyes with her, a small smile on her lips, "this night was meant to be a reunion, something for all of our old classmates from like ten years ago to catch up with. Yet here you are trying to make it about yourself. You wanna know why you're doing that, Tidal? Because you're completely self-centred, and you can't let ponies go two freakin' seconds without remembering who the most privileged is!" "You don't know what you're talking about, Rainbow, of course I realise this is a night for everyone." "Do you, though? I mean look, I used to be a bit of a jerk, I'd boast about myself a lot, and heck, I'm even a bit of a jerk now, but at least I'm upfront about it! You pretend to be a nice mare, pretend to care about other ponies, but really they're all there to make you feel better about yourself!" "You make some very interesting points, Rainbow, but frankly, I don't care." Tidal closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, and when she reopened them she bore the image of perfect calm, accompanied by a small, ugly smile. "Let me tell you something, Rainbow Dash. You were talented in flight school, and we both know that, but you know what I always found really adorable? You thought you mattered. Even now, you've spent your entire life devoting yourself to a sporting company that you'll only fly with for fifteen years, and then you'll go on the scrap heap. Equestria's fastest flier, forgotten about. You might work all of your life for a split second of fame, but do you know what I did? Nothing. That's right, I did absolutely nothing, and I still have all of this. The difference between me and you? I was born to succeed, you were born to break your back trying and trying again. The fact that you think you could ever compare to me is simply laughable." Rainbow said nothing, she didn't even move. "I'm going to go and sit with my fiance now. Soon, we'll make our announcement, this party will wrap up, and I'll hopefully never see you again. Are we clear?" Rainbow Dash slowly nodded her head. Tidal walked up to her and patted her on the withers. "Good, I'm glad to hear so. Don't worry, Rainbow, you still got to make your little crayon mark on my party here today, but I'm the one that everypony will remember." As soon as she was gone, Rainbow Dash ran. She ran into the house, she ran along the corridor, she ran all the way to the cloakroom where their effects had been put upon arrival. Digging around in her bag from yesterday, she found the box for the amethyst earrings. Pushing it aside, she found another, larger box. Twilight hadn't seen this box yet, but she was about to. Grabbing a tray of drinks and snacks and hiding the box in the middle, Rainbow made her way back to the sun lounger, sitting next to Twilight, rather than laying and allowing them to entwine their bodies as she had earlier, and presumably last night. Her heart was like a jackhammer. She knew what she was going to do was meant to be a last resort, but Tidal Wave's words had pushed her over the limit. If only she had realised what she just set in motion. Twilight didn't know, Twilight wouldn't know until it was upon her, and then whatever happened happened. It wasn't long before the clink of cutlery against glass had everyone in silence. The list of attendees had risen to over seventy, and every single one of them looked towards Tidal and Sky, who were stood at the edge of the pool, right in the centre of everyone's vision. It was no surprise to Rainbow that Tidal began to speak first. "Now, first of all I just want to say a massive 'thank you' to everyone who managed to turn up tonight, it means a lot to my husband and I, and we're immensely glad that you could all make it, and that we've all had an opportunity to catch up with each other!" She received a few 'woo's' in response, but the noise didn't last for long. "Now, as you probably know, me and Sky have just purchased this house, and are currently in the process of doing it up. It set us back a fair few bits, but it's all going to be worth it in the end. The thing is, the more sharp among you have probably noticed that this house is pretty dang big for two ponies, right?" It appeared that the crowd was getting the message, as they all seemed to lean inwards in anticipation. Rainbow mentally locked in her choice, she knew what she was going to do. "Well there's a reason we've chosen to go for a place of this size, and that's because we're looking towards the future. Namely, we're going to be parents soon!" It was like each deafening cheer in succession made the grin on her face an inch higher, time to take it away. Right as the screams began to die down, Rainbow dug her hoof into the middle of the tray, pulling out the box and opening it, stooping down on her hind legs and straightening the front ones as she presented the box to Twilight, who laid staring at her in a stupor. Rainbow didn't have a speech prepared, she didn't have anything prepared, but she had to do this. In this moment, she would pour all of her anger at Tidal and love for her friend into one big, false speech, and it would be glorious. "T-twi..." she started, her nerves shockingly real. More and more ponies began to catch on to what was happening, and they soon fell silent. "Twilight," she repeated, looking around, "Wow, I've never been afraid to speak before... Usually, I can't get enough of my own voice." Rainbow didn't look, but she could imagine that Tidal was about to burst a blood vessel. "Twilight, I've known you for a long time, a real long time... And in that time..." Come on, think, think, "I've come to, uhh, appreciate, so many different things about you..." Maybe Twilight was playing along, maybe she wasn't, but her smile was absolutely adorable. "Things like your smile, and the way it changes only for me... And your eyes, the way they shine when you're happy, or excited to read something—which I guess are the same thing, really. The way you tell me off when I do something wrong, but then quickly show me how to do it right, patiently, over and over, even if I won't listen." The party was her stage now, and the words came more and more naturally, to the point that she wasn't even thinking about them. "You've got such a big heart, Twilight, and you've always shared that with me so well, I know I can rely on you when I need you, you've always come through for me, no matter what I've asked you to do, or how hard it's been. I mean, sure, maybe it's been awkward at times," she chuckled, "and weird, and maybe we've had some experiences that we might rather forget about, if you didn't like them, that is, but the point is that we've always done these things together, we've always looked out for one another." Turning, she looked to everyone else there, holding out a hoof and pointing at Twilight. "Me and Twilight are part of a very special group of friends, but our connection is the strongest thing I've ever felt, and I can say that with my hoof to my heart. I will always love her, not only for all she's done for me, but for the arguments, for the getting to know her, for the amazing times we've shared together, and even the dull moments, it'd always be miles better than being without her." Looking back to Twilight, she could feel the words pouring out of somewhere other than her head. Her breath was short, she wanted to stop, but she still had more to say. "Twi, every day I've known you has been better than the last... and I... I wanna have more days, just like those. So what I'm trying to ask you is..." "Oh for heaven's sake! This is low, Rainbow, this is really low." Tidal shouted. There was an instant response from the crowd. "Shut up! Don't interrupt her!" Rainbow didn't notice any of it. "Twilight, would you do me the honour of marrying me?" Twilight was a statue. After about twenty seconds of the entire party collectively holding their breaths, a pair of tears seeped from her eyes, joined by a single word. "Yes. Oh my gosh, yes, Rainbow!" Leaping forwards, she embraced her, and Rainbow twirled her around in a circle on instinct. She forgot that it was all fake in that moment, she didn't care. For some reason, it just felt right. In the background, the entire party erupted with a cacophony of cheers, louder than anything they had heard before, and Tidal Wave called out once more, trying to steal her thunder back. "And we're having twins!" She drew a few heads back with that announcement, but before anypony could respond, Twilight spoke again. "And I'll have us married by Celestia!" That was it, that was all she had to say. She moved in to kiss her then, and there was something different about it than every other time. Rainbow forgot why they were at the party. Rainbow forgot that Twilight wasn't her marefriend. Rainbow didn't try to understand why there were tears streaming from her. There was magic in that kiss. "This is bullshit!" Tidal screamed out, angrily gesticulating to the point that she looked like she might fall over. "This was meant to be my moment!" Right then, Sky Splitter turned to her. "What do you mean, your moment?" "Uhh, I... I meant ours! Our moment!" Another shout from a guest. "Oh, please stop it, Tidal. We're all happy for you, but every moment is your freakin' moment, it always has been! Why don't you just let them have this?" With that, Tidal Wave stormed away, leaving the newly engaged couple to be congratulated by everypony present. Her husband looked after her, and for a moment he appeared as if he might follow, but eventually he came over to cheer for them too. For the first time, Rainbow Dash couldn't have cared less about her victory. "So, you could have warned me," Twilight walked ahead of her as they left, the night all but gone. "How did you even afford that ring?" "Eh, it's a rental," Rainbow shrugged as she flew, chuckling to herself. "Yeah, sorry about that though." "It's fine," Twilight mumbled, walking on. Rainbow Dash flew in front of her with a burst of speed, blocking her path. "Twilight." "What is it, Rainbow?" she grunted, looking away. Rainbow put a hoof to her face, moving her neck until she reluctantly faced her. "Thank you so much. For everything you've done tonight, and the last few nights... And, well, ever, really. I meant everything I said back there, apart from the marriage thing, maybe. You really are the best mare in my life, and I do love you more than anything." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Not in that way though, right?" Rainbow's face burned scarlet. "Well, I mean, I don't think so... I think we're great friends, and... Uhh, I dunno, I think my stupid party thing confused us both, and I'm sorry about that." I'm not confused, I like you. Twilight stopped herself from saying it, her fear was all too real. "Tell me something," Twilight said, focusing solely on Rainbow, "Do you feel any attraction towards me whatsoever?" Rainbow laughed. "Well of course I do! You're beautiful, Twi, inside and out. But that doesn't mean that I'm gonna jump you, I care too much about our friendship for that." I wish you'd just fucking jump me already. Again, Twilight held her tongue. "Hey, Rainbow, you said you'd owe me for this, right?" "Well, I mean, yeah, sure." Rainbow nodded. Twilight figured this was her last shot to know, she either tried this or she forgot about the whole thing for good, everything from the joy of being with her to the feeling that came from that declaration of love, gone. "What if I said I had a way for you to pay me back?" A brief pause. "Go on?" "There's a royal summit in Canterlot in a couple of months, and Celestia's been asking me to find a date for it for ages, putting a lot of pressure on me. Do you think you could maybe do for me what I just did for you?" "...What, pretend to be your marefriend?" Twilight simply nodded. "Well, I have already got some experience..." Rainbow snickered, "Sure, I'd happily do that, Twi. No problem." Here it was, make or break time. "Do you think we could use some more practice first? Pulling it off in a royal setting might be a little more challenging, after all." "What, you mean more kissing and dating and stuff?" Rainbow asked, her eyes suddenly very interested in the floor. "Pretty much," Twilight grinned, "Unless that's a problem?" "N-nah, I think I could handle that." Now it was Twilight's turn to lay a hoof on her, slowly brushing her lips against Rainbow's as she stroked her mane. "Good, because we've got two months of this ahead. Think you can handle that?" Rainbow kissed her back, just as light and experimental as she had, as if they had never done it before. Somehow, just like after the proposal, this one felt different for both of them, electric. "I think I could." Rainbow straightened in place, "Rainbow Danger Dash can handle just about anything you throw at her." "Rainbow Danger Dash bolted from my room this morning after sleeping with me," Twilight winked, very happy with the result of her question. "Y-yeah, about that... Do you remember if we, you know?" "No, I don't think we did," Taking wing, Twilight softly brushed her lips against Rainbow's ear, causing her entire body to twitch, "yet." "O-okay, you know what?" Rainbow shouted as she moved to catch up with her, already flying away, "This whole royal business doesn't make us even! I say after something this big with this much practice, you're gonna owe me another fake date!" "Oh, really?" Twilight teased, "What are you gonna do, take me to meet your parents?" "I just might!" "Fine, then I'll do the same," Twilight laughed, speeding ahead. The pair raced through the clouds, neither of them really trying to take an advantage over the other, both of them happy to enjoy the calm serenity of the night sky, mixed with the crisp air and the energy of their flight, as well as their chemistry. Somewhere back on Typhoon road, Tidal Wave was likely still sat in her manor licking her wounds, but hopefully she had learnt at least something about humility and kindness. Maybe it was unfair of them to steal her moment, but she had held the spotlight her entire life, one moment out of it shouldn't have hurt her too badly. Rainbow Dash and Twilight? Maybe they'd learnt, well, something, and neither of them were completely sure what, but there was no doubt that they were both very glad that they had learnt it. Besides, they had the next two months to continue learning now, and perhaps by the end of that time, they will have managed to sift through their confusion and work out exactly where they stand. Now, however, was a time of laughter and affection. They had both found these qualities in one another, they had learnt to share them, and above all, they had truly earnt them.