A bright harvest golden sheen spilled over the horizon, providing a fanfare announcing the end of another idyllic day in Equestria. Princess Celestia had been experimenting with ways to make the beginning and end of the day rival the beauty of her sister’s night sky, and this evening’s sunset was spectacular.
Twilight Sparkle knelt before the balustrade surrounding the observation platform of Golden Oak library, commanding a near-perfect view of the sky over Ponyville. She rested one foreleg on the top rail and folded the forehoof back so as she could rest her chin, and sighed wistfully at the beauty of the setting sun as she scanned the sky for a trail; the same distinctive trail she had waited for every evening for weeks now.
She had already decided that this evening would be the time she would make her move, but had told herself the same every evening for at least the last four weeks, if she was counting, which of course she wasn’t. Much.
Every time so far, she had planned what she would do, how she would look sophisticated and nonchalant, and every time she had found an excuse to back down. Tonight would be different, she promised herself; the sky was just beautiful, the perfect backdrop.
She had read up as much as she could on the subject, but books on initiating such a liaison hadn’t proved to be terribly helpful. It sounded so easy, but her mind raced as she considered each and every way such an approach could go wrong. She had put it off so many times now, that she started to worry that if she didn’t manage to summon the courage, her inevitable faux pas would just simply be worse, but still she doubted she had the courage.
Twilight scanned the sky, desperate for the first sight of the trail she knew would be appearing at any moment, but equally dreading the decision her head knew her heart wanted her to take.
“Please be there …” she whispered to nopony as she felt her tummy turn over once more, increasingly uncertain as to whether her nerve would hold.
Just then a rainbow trail streaked across the sky to stop at a cloud, a cloud in the same place as there was every evening. Rainbow’s cloud.
Twilight spread her wings, ready to go fly and join her up on that cloud, in just the same way as she had every time she had seen Rainbow arrive over the last few weeks. Every other time, she had stopped to listen to her self-doubt, furrowed her brow, furled her wings and lowered her head with a sad sigh before turning to some menial task to distract from her lack of resolve.
Today would be different, she told herself and threw herself into the air, heart racing.
She didn’t think, she just did it.
This time, she was not going to allow her indecision to control her shot at happiness. Or rejection.
She faltered. What if Rainbow said no?
Her wings wanted to turn her around to avoid the potential of Rainbow laughing in her face for holding such feelings, but for once, she refused to listen to its killjoy overtures and continued her slow climb up to the cloud.
As she approached she could see a rainbow tail swishing languidly over the end of the cloud. Her nerves were really starting to get the better of her now, but she was so close she reasoned that Rainbow was probably already aware of her, and if she turned back, she could face ridicule; Equestria’s newest Princess unable to summon the courage to even talk to her friend and ask her for a date?
What was it Rainbow called her? An egghead. Perhaps she was happier with the company of books rather than other ponies after all? At least she never felt awkward around books.
She growled inwardly, hating herself.
It was now or never.
“Hey Rainbow” she called uncertainly, approaching from just behind her friend’s peripheral vision.
“Oh, hey Twi” she replied, ”Didn’t expect to see you up here.”
“Er, no” she said, silently adding, “me neither.”
“Hey, you’d better come and join me before you fall out of the sky” offered Rainbow graciously, moving over to one side, giving her room.
“Oh, er, thanks” she replied, blushing crimson at the invitation, especially noticing how little room there was on the cloud.
Twilight’s lack of familiarity with her wings resulted in her delivering more of an ungainly crash rather than the graceful landing she had so wanted to demonstrate, ending up bumping into the bemused weather pony. Immediately she began apologising over and over, although she couldn’t help blushing even more deeply as she felt Rainbow’s warmth close to her. The cloud was clearly only meant for one, yet here they were, close as peas in a pod, and Twilight trembled as she felt a wave of guilty pleasure course through her.
“Kinda neat up here this time of day, don’t ya think?” Rainbow chimed in, glossing over her friend’s evident discomfort. She shifted her gaze slowly from the dying golden rays of the setting sun to Twilight’s face accentuated by the soft light, and the two exchanged a look that made Twilight gasp inwardly. Rainbow wasn’t about to make some trademark comical quip about her poor flying ability, or tease her for being an egghead; no, this was a look Twilight had never even dared to dream of and words caught in her throat.
“Please wrap a wing round me, Rainbow” she wished to Celestia, unable to speak the words even if she had the courage.
Rainbow looked deep into her eyes, and could see her irises dilating as the novice Princess looked back at her in an unmistakable display of attraction. She had been around with numerous mares and stallions alike and was able to read Twilight like an open book.
“You know” she complimented casually, “That was a pretty gutsy piece of flying for somepony who’s only just got their wings.”
Upon receiving such unexpected praise, Twilight had to look away in the naive hope that if she couldn’t see Rainbow, Rainbow wouldn’t see her blushing. She could sense she was being observed closely and not in a critical way, this realisation making her shiver with anticipation.
Her introspection was broken swiftly by the gossamer touch from the tip of a cyan wing gently lifting her chin and turning her head slowly to meet its owner.
“You’re new to this, aren’t you?” she said softly, and Twilight found herself unable to do anything but nod dumbly, desperately praying she wouldn’t be rejected. For somepony who had taken on Nightmare Moon and Queen Chrysalis, she felt suddenly more defenceless than at any other time she could remember.
Rainbow sensed her vulnerability and extended a wing over her. Twilight’s pulse raced and she couldn’t stop a smile spreading across her face as she took the opportunity to snuggle in closer and ease her trembling; suddenly it didn’t matter that she couldn’t speak.
As Twilight gave way to the night, the couple satisfied an emptiness that each had felt for the other for such a long time, but neither had ever spoken out loud.
High above the secluded privacy of their cloud, the Princess of the Night summoned a new constellation into glittering existence, one that looked suspiciously like two cutie marks entwined.