I’ll Bring You Home
Chapter Twelve; Mother Earth
Rainbow Dash sighed, watching as the moon began to peak over the horizon far behind her. For a moment she found herself wondering if it was the same moon that was rising over Equestria. If it was even the same time back home at all. The thought struck a chord in her, and she frowned. It had been a long time since she’d spent any real time in Ponyville, but she had never before felt so disconnected as she did now, staring up at stars she wasn’t even sure were the same ones she knew. For the first time since her journey had begun, Rainbow Dash was homesick.
“Are you okay?”
Startled by the sudden voice, Rainbow twisted her head back, giving her passenger a cocksure smile. “Never better. Just thinking, is all.” It wasn’t entirely a lie; she felt better now than she had since it happened.
Twilight frowned at the predictable response, but relented with a slow nod after a moment. “If you’re sure,” she said, tilting her head up to the darkening sky. The sun hadn’t fully set yet, but it had long since disappeared behind the silhouette of a mountain looming ominously in the distance.
Their destination had come into view on the horizon a couple hours prior, and while at first glance it had appeared to be an ordinary mountain, it quickly became clear it was anything but. The closer they came the larger it got, until it dwarfed even the mountain Canterlot was built into. It stuck out from the smaller mountains around it, making them look like hills next to its stature. Entire towns could fit on the smallest of its rocky outcroppings, and the forests coating its slopes were as dense and larger than the Everfree. In the fiery glow of sunset, lakes could be seen shimmering on plateaus that jutted out from the sides.
Above it all, obscuring the peak from view, was a dense covering of clouds, dark gray and rumbling with an unnatural energy. The occasional lance of lightning struck the mountain side, flashing through the thick layer of clouds that coated the upper half of the rocky spire. If its purpose was to ward off curious creatures from getting too close, it certainly did its job well. Even just looking at the roiling mass of storm clouds made Rainbow nervous; if they’d seen a storm like that rolling in from the Everfree there would be no attempt made to stop it; Ponyville would have been evacuated and the storm allowed to run its course. To fly anywhere near was suicide.
“I don’t know about you, kid, but I don’t want to try climbing that thing in the dark. We should find a place to make camp near the base,” Hurricane called over the winds that strengthened the closer they got.
Rainbow nodded. “A cave or something would be nice; that storm looks like it’s pretty bad.”
“May as well put up a ‘no trespassing’ sign,” Clover remarked, though she chewed her lip nervously. “Looks like the storm covers the entire mountain; I see rain near the base. I don’t know how high up we’ll be able to fly before we have to land.”
Twilight tapped Rainbow’s shoulder urgently, attracting the pegasus’s attention before pointing downward. Rainbow followed her hoof, eyes widened as she saw it. “Hey guys; check it out.”
Just far enough away from the base of the mountain to be free from the storm, there was a small log cabin built in a clearing alongside a stream. No trails lead to or from it, and it seemed abandoned, with no smoke rising from its chimney.
“I don’t know; that’s the kind of place little fillies get lured to in all those fairy tales.” Clover shuddered. “It never ends well.”
Gale scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You see a better option? I’d rather not spend the night huddled in a cave. That’s assuming we can even find one. I vote the murder shack.”
Chuckling, Rainbow nodded her agreement. “My bits are on the murder shack. How about you, Twi?”
“It’s not a murder shack,” the unicorn said dismissively. “It’s just a shack. Really more of a cabin though.” They all gave her a flat look, and she shrugged. “Fine. Murder shack. Beats the dirt.”
“Sorry babe; you’ve been outvoted.” Gale tilted her wings and began her descent towards the small clearing, much to her passenger’s displeasure. “We stay the night in the murder shack.”
Clover groaned, slumping forward and holding on tighter in preparation for landing. “I thought you were supposed to be supportive of me.”
“Hey, I support you plenty. I just don’t want to spend all night on a rock because you’re a scaredy cat,” Gale quipped, reaching up and patting the unicorn’s shoulder. “Besides, even if it is a murder shack, we’re already dead.”
Rainbow coughed.
“Most of us are already dead.”
“Gee, thanks. That makes me feel so much better,” Clover muttered. “Just remember this conversation when we find ourselves in a super cliche horror story, and don’t come crying to me.”
Gale chuckled. “Relax; you know I’ll keep you safe. Besides; we have two other perfectly good meatshields. They’ll buy us plenty of time to escape.” She laughed at the glares she received. A laugh that proved to be infectious, as soon all four the them were stifling giggles.
Before the mirth faded they had landed amongst the trees near the edge of the clearing. The ground was covered in bright purple flowers, much like the rest of Elysium, and the stream next to them flowed quietly with crystal clear water. In the center of the clearing the small log cabin, surrounded by a dense garden contained within a wooden fence that looked to be rotting away. Lush green plants seemed to grow with reckless abandon within the fence, making it look like a captured jungle. All of it was shrouded in the shadow of the mountain beyond, lending an even eerier look to it all.
“Looks abandoned,” Gale said, trotting up to a gate and finding what used to be a latch almost entirely rusted away. She pushed it open and the hinges groaned with years untold.
“Oh great, an abandoned murder shack,” Clover commented dryly, dismounting and circling around to the side of the building. “You sure this is better than a cave?”
Twilight slid off Rainbow’s back, approaching carefully. “Why would this place be abandoned? I mean, this is the after-life. Where would they go?”
“Maybe they just moved into one of the towns?” Rainbow offered with a casual shrug, wincing as the muscles in her back twinged painfully. She stretched her wings, gritting her teeth as she felt a dull ache pulsing through them.
Twilight noticed the look. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Rainbow sighed as Twilight’s glare only intensified. “Just a little sore; been flying a lot recently. Not enough napping.”
“Uh-huh…” the way the unicorn trailed off made it clear she didn’t believe a single word of it. When Rainbow turned away, however, Twilight was forced to let it go.
“Maybe they just got tired of living alone?” Clover offered from around the corner, a sliver of hope cutting into her tone.
“Don’t you think it’s strange, though?” Twilight asked, running her hoof along the fence. She raised her eyebrows when she felt the familiar tingle of magic contained in the wood. “Wait…” she squinted into the garden, lighting her horn.
Rainbow watched her curiously. “You find something?”
“Woah! Girls, check it out!”
Clover came running around the corner upon hearing the shout. “Gale?” She called, glancing around. “Where’s Gale?”
“She’s right-...” Rainbow trailed off as her hoof pointed at the empty space Hurricane once stood in, right in front of the open gate. “What the… Gale?”
“I’m right here!” The missing mare’s voice called from within the jungle of a garden. Suddenly her head appeared, floating above the gate. “You’ve gotta see this.” Her head pulled back and disappeared once more, as though sinking into a pool of water.
Twilight’s eyes widened. “It’s an illusion… this place isn’t abandoned.” She was the first to follow Gale into the garden, Rainbow Dash and Clover watching as she disappeared as soon as she stepped over the threshold, the air seeming to ripple. The two mares left outside shared a glance.
“Murder shack,” Clover said insistantly. “It’s a murder shack.”
Rainbow smirked. “Always wanted to be in a horror film.” She didn’t hesitate to jump into the garden, and Clover was left standing alone in the clearing, jaw hanging open.
“I’m going to die…” she said aloud. “...again…” With a begrudging sigh the clearing was left empty save for the quietly babbling brook.
Inside the garden the view changed drastically. What was once an untamed mess of plant life became a neatly organized garden, lit in the warm light of several lanterns placed among the crops. Rows of flowers and vegetables and plants of all shapes and sizes grew in patches of soil surrounded by either decorative rocks or fenced in by smoothly polished wood. A path of stepping stones wound amongst them all, leading up to the front door of the cabin, which had changed as well. What was once a rickety, run down shack of a building was now a pristinely polished wooden house. Instead of being made of logs, it looked as though the walls were grown naturally; wooden vine-like tendrils twisted together to form a single solid mass in the shape of a cabin. As though the entire thing had sprouted from the earth like a tree.
“Hello?” Gale called curiously, already at the base of the steps leading up to the door. “Anyone home?”
“What are you doing!?” Clover hissed, rushing over to her wife. “You’re going to get us killed faster!”
Rainbow watched them, chuckling slightly before her eyes returned to her surroundings. It reminded her of Fluttershy’s cottage, only with less animals and way more flowers. Some she recognized, most of them she didn’t. Every colour and shape seemed to be growing from somewhere, and each one seemed to glow like the rest of the flowers in Elysium.
“It’s beautiful…” Twilight trailed off in awe, reaching a hoof out and gently running it along a blue flower’s petals. “I wonder who lives here…”
Gale knocked firmly on the door, leaning over and trying to catch a glimpse into the glassless window. “Hello?” Suddenly the door opened, and she took a step back.
An earth pony mare stepped out, her coat a rich, earthen brown and mane striped in vibrant greens. She looked across her garden, and the four ponies looking at her. “Hello,” she greeted casually, and her voice reminded Rainbow even more of Fluttershy. A gentle melody that drifted through the air like the music of a glass harp. Though she was significantly less fearful looking than the butter yellow mare would have been faced with strangers outside her house.
“Ah, I’m sorry to bother you,” Gale said quickly, scratching the back of her neck. “We were just passing through, and were wondering-”
“Would you like a place to stay the night?” The mare asked, tilting her head curiously. “The sun’s setting.”
Clover shook her head, turned around, and marched back through the garden. “Nope. Thanks, but we’ll be on our way, we- hrk!” A sky blue wing shot out and caught her by the neck, swinging her around so she was facing forward again. Gale shot her a look.
Watching with a mildly amused smile, the mare stepped out of the cabin and down the front steps. “What brings you out here?”
“The mountain,” Rainbow said, pointing with a wing. “We’re heading up it.”
“Ah.” The mare grinned. “So you must be Rainbow Dash. And… Twilight, I presume?” She asked, her piercing sapphire eyes falling on the unicorn.
Twilight shared a cautious glance with Rainbow before nodding. “Yes, but how did-”
She chuckled. “Cronus told me I might be seeing you. My name is Gaia.”
“Gaia!?” Clover shouted suddenly, jaw dropping. “Y-you’re Gaia?”
Gaia looked to her. “Indeed I am, Clover Cleverhoof. I’m glad you were able to escape the Halls.” Her eyes switched to the pegasus. “You must be very happy to have your wife back, Hurricane Gale. It has been many centuries, has it not?”
“It has, but-”
“Shush.” Gaia commanded, and Gale fell silent. “All you need to know, is that I know. Now, you’re here because you’re after the Poppy of the Soul that resides atop Mount Othrys, correct?” She received nods from the mares, and turned. “Then come inside. It is much too late for you to begin your journey; traveling the mountain path in the dark is not wise. You can stay here for the night.”
As Gaia disappeared into the cabin, the other four mares were left confused and more than a little hesitant. Eventually, Rainbow shook herself from her stupor and stepped up to the door, glancing behind her. “Come on; she said Cronus let her know, that means she’s probably some kinda god or something, right?”
“It’s Gaia!” Clover practically shouted. “Have you actually never heard of her? Terra? Mother Earth?”
Rainbow shrugged. “Not really? Never came up in any of the books I read. Who is she?”
“Gaia, or Mother Earth, is usually depicted as the goddess who created… well… everything,” Twilight explained slowly. “It’s said all life comes from her, and one day returns to her. Most historians consider her an analogy for the planet itself, but…”
“Yeah, but what do historians know?” Gaia asked, making them all jump as she stuck her head out a window. “Come on now; I have tea.”
With a shrug, Rainbow stepped into the cabin, and the others quickly followed her. Inside was just as organized as the outside; neat and immaculately clean, shelves lined with books were without a spot of dust and there were several potted plants that looks just as healthy as those in the garden. The shack itself was a small, one-room design, with a kitchen along one wall and a living area to the left of the door, complete with several chairs and a rug. A hall extended from the back wall, splitting off into several doors. Inside it looked exactly like the outside; all made of what looked to be living wood, intricately woven together. Leaves randomly stuck out from the walls, and Twilight felt at home for the first time.
Gaia stood in the kitchen, five mugs in front of her and a kettle on the stove. “Take a seat,” she said. “Tea will be ready shortly.”
Reluctantly sitting down, there was an awkward lull as they waited for the literal goddess to make them tea. When she finished, she looked around confused for a moment. “Oh, silly me.” She stomped her hoof, and from the ground sprouted thin vines that rose up and wrapped around each other, growing taller and weaving together until there was a living table between them. She set their cups in front of each of them, then summoned herself a chair in the same manner and sat herself. “So, how are we all doing?”
Clover cleared her throat hesitantly. “Are… are you really…?”
Giggling, Gaia nodded. “Indeed, I am the goddess of life. If it grows it is mine. Though I’m afraid I didn’t create the world, or anything; similar to how your Solar and Lunar goddesses did not create their celestial bodies. We are merely born from that which we represent.”
Twilight felt like she should be taking notes. “Earth ponies especially attribute their creation to you, given their latent magic. Is that true?”
“Well you’re certainly curious. If I recall correctly, the legend states I molded the earth ponies from clay and breathed life into them to tend to my fields in my absence, yes? Well, where’s the fun in knowing all the answers?” She chuckled to herself, despite the notably disappointed frowns the two unicorns in the room sprouted. “I’m afraid I’m not all that interesting. You four, on the other hoof, interest me greatly.” Leaning forward over the table, Gaia’s eyes shone with a curiosity both Rainbow and Gale knew well, her bright blue eyes landing intently on the oddity in the room.
“Cronus told me a lot about you,” she said, narrowing her eyes at the only living pony present. Rainbow shifted awkwardly under the intense gaze. “To make it through not only his trials, but to delve into the Halls and return with not one, but two who had all but lost themselves to the curse.” The mare sipped idly on her tea. “Fascinating.”
Rainbow found it difficult to meet her eyes, instead looking into her own cup of tea and scratching the back of her neck. “Heh… yeah… fascinating’s one way to put it. Most ponies call me crazy,” she added quietly.
Gaia’s look switched to Twilight, and Rainbow swore she saw a predatory grin form. “All for you, her dear friend.” The way her words dripped with honey told Rainbow how much Cronus had told her. Or perhaps she already knew. “It’s quite an honour.”
“Yeah…” Twilight trailed off, a contemplative look of her face and a faint blush on her cheeks. “Doesn’t matter that I didn’t ask her to,” she shot a look at the pegasus. “She just does what she wants.”
“Isn’t that what she always does?” Gaia asked with a hint of humour in her tone. “I may live in Elysium, but I still keep tabs on the mortal realm. You and your friends caused quite a stir, even on this side.” She set down her tea and leaned back. “Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty. You have to be fiercely loyal to the ponies close to you in order to claim such a title. Seeing how far she’s willing to go for you… well, if she’s representative of the other Elements I’ll bet their power is greater now than it has ever been. My tree must be doing well.”
A sharp gasp echoed around the room. “Your tree?” Twilight asked urgently. “As in the Tree of Harmony?”
Gaia blinked. “Why, yes; my tree. I planted it eons ago and spent a great deal of time raising it. I’m glad to see my effort has paid off; Discord’s forest has been well contained, and the Elements were even able to seal his magic for a thousand years.”
“Discord’s forest?” Rainbow asked incredulously. “You mean the Everfree?”
“Is that what you call it now? Yes; the Everfree is the seed of chaos in the word that gave rise to Discord. The tree was planted in an effort to contain that chaos; unchecked it would have consumed the world, as is the nature of disorder.”
Gale leaned over to her wife. “You know what they’re talking about?”
“No idea, but isn’t it fascinating?”
“The box!” Twilight cried. “The tree, when we returned the Elements, it gave me this… box. Do you know anything about it? What it is? What’s in it?”
Humming in thought, Gaia tapped her chin. “I might, but…” she grinned mischievously. “Wouldn’t it be more fun to find out for yourself?”
Twilight deflated slightly. “I… I tried but… I never figured it out. I knew it had something to do with the Elements, and therefore us, but I never found anything that could be used as one of the keys.”
“Well, it seems you’ll have another chance to uncover the Tree’s secrets.” Gaia waved her hoof dismissively. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
Crestfallen at the lack of a proper answer, Twilight hung her head. Gale spoke up in the silence. “Can you tell us anything about the mountain? If we’re going to be climbing it I’d like to know what we’ll be up against.”
“Nothing you can’t handle, I’m sure,” Gaia said shrugged casually. “Though… perhaps I should tell you a little more about the flower.”
“Any information you have would be helpful!” Clover piped up eagerly, eyes wide and attentive.
Gaia chuckled quietly. “The Poppy is said to be a marriage of life and death, and not only because of the magic it contains. The King of the Underworld asked me to make him a flower that was capable of showing his affection for the mortal mare he loved. However, I alone was unable to produce such a flower; my magic does nothing but bring life. To bridge the gap between living and dead, I needed the help of my brother, Thanatos. Together, we created the Poppy of the Soul. The King picked one, and confessed his love to the mare that would become his wife.
“Then…” she sighed, shaking her head. “When his wife was taken from him, the
King had every last reminder of her stricken from the Underworld, including the flower. I was able to save a few, and planted them atop Mount Othrys, hidden from his rage and grief by the eternal storm. What this means for you is relatively simple.” Gaia’s smile returned, and her eyes landed on Rainbow Dash. “To pick the flower is not enough. It needs a catalyst to bring forth its magic. In order to properly harvest a Poppy, it needs to be given to another in a demonstration of pure, honest love.”
Rainbow’s heart all but stopped in her chest. Gale grinned toothily. Gaia seemed on the verge of laugher, and Clover’s eyes were wide.
Twilight nodded slowly. “So, we’ll have Gale pick the flower and give it to Clover. That should work, right?”
“Y-yeah!” Rainbow agreed urgently. “No problem there!”
“Indeed.” Gaia tipped her cup back, and frowned when she found it empty. A sudden crack of thunder rumbled from outside, and they all looked to the window. The moon had well and truly risen by now, the sky pitch black save for the shining stars. “But it’s late,” she said, standing from her chair. “And you all have a long journey ahead of you. You should rest.”
Gale stood, realizing for the first time the exhaustion that suddenly descended upon her muscles. “What the-...” she trailed off, holding a hoof to her head. For the first time in thousands of years, she felt tired.
“The storm,” Gaia said, hearing the unasked question as she gathered their cups. “Its reach extends far beyond the mountain; you’ve been flying through its effects for quite a while now. And before you go reaching for that ambrosia-” she glared as Clover retracted her hoof from her bags as though it’d been smacked. “-you should know you’ll be needing it. A good night’s rest will be sufficient for now.”
Trotting to the small kitchen, Gaia motioned with her head. “I have two spare bedrooms; both the doors on the right. Each has two beds…” she hesitated, stomped her hoof, and nodded to herself. “Now they each have two beds.”
“We appreciate it,” Twilight said gratefully, standing and levitated both her bags and Rainbow’s behind her as she made her way to the first door. “Goodnight, everypony.” She disappeared into the room, and Clover wasn’t far behind her, a pout on her face as she looked longingly to the amber liquid contained in her bags. Entering the second room, she poked her head out one last time.
“Thank you, Gaia,” she called, smiling brightly. “It’s an honour to meet you.”
The goddess chuckled. “Not nearly as high an honour as meeting all of you. Now rest; I’ll guide you to the mountain trail tomorrow.”
Gale nudged Rainbow with a wing as they both filed into the narrow hallway. “Hey, kid.” Rainbow looked up, swallowing nervously when she caught sight of the other mare’s serious expression. “I’m not gonna be the one picking that flower.” Gale turned and marched into her room, slamming the door shut and forcing Rainbow’s protest to die on her lips.
Rainbow sighed. She’d been expecting as much as soon as she’d heard what needed to be done. Just as she was about to head into the room Twilight had entered, Gaia cleared her throat forcefully.
“Can I talk to you a moment?”
Hesitantly Rainbow returned to the main room of the cabin. Gaia had her back turned, busying herself by making another pot of tea. “Yeah?”
“You necklace,” Gaia said, “Where’d you get it?”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow, placing a hoof over the amethyst star. “Same mare that showed me how to get here. Called herself Harvest.”
Gaia chuckled, shaking her head. “No she didn’t. But… well, I suppose it’s wisest to stick to that story. However, rest assured you won’t be overheard here, and I’ve never been a fan of that contract anyway. It was Celestia, right?”
“I…” Glancing around suspiciously, as though they were being overheard, Rainbow paused. Eventually, seeing no reason to lie when her bluff had already been called, she nodded. “Yeah. Said I’d need it. Twi said somethin’ about her horn and a focus or… something. I dunno.”
“The importance of that item cannot be understated,” Gaia said firmly. She turned finally, a steaming cup in her hoof. “Whatever you do, do not lose it or damage it. If you do, it will be impossible for Twilight to leave Elysium.”
Rainbow grunted. “Yeah, I know. She told me she’d need to, like, attach her soul to it. I ain’t gonna lose it.”
“No, you won't.” She sipped her tea with a smirk. “Cronus told me how you crossed the Lethe. That pendant in your teeth to remind you. He said Twilight was the only thing you could remember at first.”
Rainbow shuddered at the memory. She could remember first crossing the bridge, remembered the feeling of forgetting things. Then it went blank until she emerged on the other side with nothing left in her head except Twilight’s name. It was a strange, unsettling feeling to remember not remembering anything.
Seeing the look on the pegasus’s face, Gaia snorted. “Well, I shouldn’t be surprised; for you to come so far for her… it’s admirable, truly.” Another crack of thunder lit up the sky out the window, and Rainbow yawned. “You should get some rest; with that physical body you’re probably exhausted.”
“Yeah…” Rainbow flexed her wings, felt the muscles in her back seize. Cringed at the sight of her feathers. “That all you wanted?”
“For now,” Gaia waved her away with a hoof. “Go rest. We’ll talk more on the way up the mountain.”
Rainbow followed the direction, turning into the first door in the hall. Twilight was already laying on one of the two beds against the back wall, a book lay open in front of her. She looked up as the door closed. “What did Gaia want?”
“Eh, nothin’ much. The usual; I’m alive, be careful, yadda yadda,” she lied, walking over and all but falling onto the empty mattress. It was softer than any bed she could remember; an impressive feat, given that it seemed to be made of a large green leaf wrapped around whatever plant was used as the stuffing. Rainbow sighed, melting into it.
Twilight smiled gently at her. “You look tired.”
Rainbow peeked one eye open, raising an eyebrow. “What gave it away?” She groaned, rolling onto her back. “My wings are killing me. I’ve been flying non stop for days. How are you not tired?”
“No body, remember?” Twilight giggled, but was cut off by a yawn. “Actually I… am a little tired. We’re close enough to the storm for it to start affecting me. It’s weird; I haven’t been tired since I died. It feels strange now.”
“Then enough reading,” Rainbow grumbled. “More sleeping.” She tried to roll away, but hissed in pain when her back seized. She reached up, rubbing at her shoulder. “Heh. Guess I’m really not used to having a passenger.”
Twilight winced empathetically. “I’m sorry. Did you want some help?”
“Help?”
Rolling her eyes, Twilight stood up and jumped off her bed. “Roll over.”
“Twi, what are you-” as soon as Rainbow was laying on her stomach again Twilight climbed atop her, straddling her back. She felt like her face was going to burst into flames, but before she could ask any more questions she felt a pair of hooves press firmly into her back, right between her shoulder blades. A moment of silence passed, then a low, rumbling groan filled the room.
Twilight smirked. “I’ll take that as a ‘keep going’.”
“Celestia, yes,” Rainbow practically moaned, all but melting under the unicorn’s ministrations. She grateful Twilight couldn’t see her blush from this angle, but she wasn’t about to stop it.
Twilight’s eyes unfocused slightly as she worked absentmindedly. She didn’t really know what she was doing, but the pegasus beneath her certainly didn’t seem to mind. As long as she could help, at least a little. “You really tense…” she trailed off with a humourless chuckle. “Who wouldn’t be? You've been carrying so much stress looking for me here.”
“Nnnoooo,” Rainbow sighed quietly. “Longer. Haven’t really relaxed since… y’know.”
Twilight cringed. “I’m sorry.”
“Knock it off with the apologizing already.” Rainbow’s wings flapped weakly as Twilight’s hooves worked down from her shoulders.
“I’m s-”
“Twi.”
Twilight giggled. “Right. No more apologizing. Got it.”
From then on time passed in a comfortable silence, broken only by Rainbow’s pleased sighs and the occasional grunt from the unicorn when she found a particularly difficult knot. Of which there were plenty; she could literally feel Rainbow’s stress.
Eventually, Twilight sat upright, and the pony beneath her was little more than a pegasus shaped puddle. “Better?” She asked.
“So much. For something so uncool that felt great,” Rainbow said, yawning and stretching as Twilight hopped over to her own bed. Their eyes met, and Rainbow once more became aware of the colour in her cheeks. She looked away, scratching the back of her head. “I uh… thanks. I needed that.”
Twilight smiled. “I could tell. It’s the least I can do; you did carry me all the way here, after all.”
“How d’you know how to do that, anyway?”
“I got bored during a spa trip with Rarity,” Twilight explained casually, shrugging. “They had a few books on therapeutic massage. Oh, and one time Fluttershy needed some help with Henry and showed me the ropes.”
Rainbow blinked. “Henry? Like… the bear, right?”
“Yeah… that was an interesting afternoon.”
Opening her mouth the response, Rainbow was cut off by a yawn. She smacked her lips, blinking wearily. “We should get some sleep. Big day tomorrow, right?”
“Probably…” Twilight hesitated a moment, squinting slightly at her own hooves.
“Twi?”
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. Her horn sparked to life and the lantern above the door was extinguished, sending the room into darkness. “Good night, Dash.”
Rainbow frowned, struggling to see the other mare through the dark. She heard Twilight shifting as she crawled under the blanket, and as her vision adjusted she saw the back of her head. “Twi?”
Despite the fact she knew perfectly well Twilight couldn’t fall asleep that fast, Rainbow sighed and nodded to herself at the lack of a response. “‘Night, Twilight,” she said, settling deeper into her bed and closing her eyes.