Twilight sat alone with her thoughts, on a small, grassy hilltop... overlooking the spot where Spike's funeral was taking place.
Two days had passed since that incident...
There was nothing left of their old home—the library had been reduced to literal ashes due to her magical outburst.
She had only been awake for a few minutes in a hospital bed when she was relayed the news.
She merely stared back at the nurse with a blank look before asking, "Where's... where's Rainbow Dash?"
"We discharged her some hours ago. She seemed healthy, apart from her... loss... s-so we let her go. She said she... wanted to hit the skies, and we both know how she is—"
Her mind was still in a haze, but she knew a bad attempt at levity when she heard one.
"I want to see her," Twilight demanded sternly.
The nurse in charge of her shook her head.
"It's... inadvisable we let you go in your current state—"
Twilight cut her off, yelling in anger, "Let me see her!"
Other staff came running in moments later at the sound of the outburst, to which Twilight paid little mind.
She only focused her efforts on climbing out of the bed she was in. The moment she set her hooves on the floor however, she felt the need to steady herself.
A dizzying sensation swept over her as everything surrounding her grew blurry, and darker for a moment.
The nurse who had awoken her—Nurse Redheart—held out a hoof, asking, "Are you alright, Princess?"
Twilight huffed, and shrugged the hoof away as she regained her senses.
"I... need to go."
"Well..." Nurse Redheart bit her lip, and glanced back at her coworkers. "You're the town's princess, Twilight; we won't stop you. We only wish to make sure..."
Twilight blocked out the rest. She had heard enough of this, and the voices were making her head ache even worse than before.
She wanted to teleport out of the room, to see her friend... and talk about everything that had gone down, before she had blacked out...
So she focused on her horn, hoping to teleport outside... only for nothing to happen.
Not only did nothing happen, she felt... sick—like she, all of a sudden, had a searing headache.
She set a hoof on the bed to steady herself, before gazing up warily at the nurse for an answer.
The explanation hit her like a ton of bricks.
"You overloaded your horn during the incident," the nurse had explained, as gently as she possibly could have. "Too much magic spilled out of it, I... I'm afraid if you'll ever want to conduct magic again... you'll need to undergo a horn transplant."
A soft wind blew through her bangs as she sat on the hilltop, staring listlessly... reminiscing on it all.
A horn transplant...
Those were never guaranteed to be successful... And magic, well... magic was who she was.
Without magic, what reason did she have to... even be alive...?
Her eyes grazed the funeral scene, seeing all of her best friends there, sans Rainbow Dash.
They were all dressed in black, Rarity in particular having been hit the hardest. So much so she wasn't even wearing one of her elaborate outfits, and was only just barely dressed for the occasion.
And poor Pinkie Pie, thought Twilight, planning this funeral... What a thing to ask of a party planner, after she had been so exited to plan one in honor of their victory in Whinnyapolis...
Hay, they probably all hated her.
After all, it... wasn't like Spike was the only casualty...
The odds in her head of the five of them ever forgiving didn't seem very promising, and hay... why the hay should they?
The townsfolk sure as hay seemed apprehensive, angry... and even downright scared of her when she had left the hospital. Some shot her venomous glares, or... steered the other way of whatever direction she trudged herself in.
After everything... she hardly felt any emotions whatsoever; and when she noticed, she shrugged it off, gazing down instead at the dirt road.
She kept walking until she reached a small hilltop where she wouldn't be a bother to anypony...
If they hated her because they had no idea it had been a changeling intruder, then the fact didn't bother her so much. The small misunderstanding would be cleared up eventually, and everypony would learn to trust her again.
If they hated her however, because of the destruction she had wrought upon her hometown, or the heartache she had caused so many ponies by leaving so many, including Spike, alone—when he had practically been a surrogate brother to her... she couldn't blame them.
It had been stupid of her to run off to Whinnyapolis without him. Everywhere she usually went, after all... he followed.
And to think it was safe because Ponyville hardly ever faced invasion, nopony ever getting seriously hurt...
I was stupid, she mused, smiling bitterly at how foolish she had been. It was bound to happen, and she should have been more prepared.
A hoof of hers clutched a clump of grass. Stupid, stupid, stupid...
The wind picked up slightly, carrying some leaves along with it.
They blew by her, Twilight feeling the momentary anger leaving her system.
She gazed back down at the funeral.
Celestia, she thought. Spike's... really dead—
"Twilight?"
Twilight jumped slightly at the sound of a familiar voice, as it had somehow managed to creep up on her.
How? she thought, turning to meet the voice. Who'd notice me all the way out—? Oh.
Rainbow Dash.
She sat in the grass beside her, a slight look of concern on her face, and slight crease in her brow.
Twilight's eyes immediately panned down to the scarred area on her body... where her right foreleg had once been.
"Ah, jeez, Twilight, you're making me blush." Rainbow set her hoof over the wound, shielding it from view, and all the while bearing a sheepish smile. "Don't stare, alright?"
"Oh, uhm..." Twilight awkwardly forced her gaze away, looking as far to the left as she possibly could. She rubbed the back of her neck anxiously.
Rainbow chuckled at that, and slowly lowered her hoof back to the ground.
A couple moments passed before either of them spoke.
"It's uhm, good to see you again," Twilight remarked, throwing caution to the wind.
At that, Rainbow's heart felt like doing a somersault.
She looked at her friend with a relieved smile.
"Ditto," she said, much to Twilight's own relief, and the realization that they were happy to see one another, gave them the courage to ask the one thing still on both of their minds.
"Are we still friends?"
"Of course we are!" they replied without a second's hesitation, both at the exact same time. Seeing that, they both broke out in embarrassed blushes. "I mean, only if you want to be!" they clarified, again at the same time. "Of course I want to be!"
They stared at one another.
"Okay," Rainbow declared, a little annoyed, "this needs to sto—oomph!"
She found herself being thrust into her friend's forelegs... and practically being crushed in a bone-crushing embrace.
"I'm so glad," Twilight mumbled into her friend's shoulder.
Rainbow blinked, then looked over at her friend, garnishing a warm smile. She eased into the embrace, returning the hug with her one foreleg.
"Well, ah, i-in times like these... we need to stick together. Plus," she added in a joking tone, "I'm loyal to you. Remember?"
"Even though I tore off one of your forelegs?"
The blunt question caught Rainbow off guard for a brief moment.
"I, uh... W-well," she stuttered with a slight laugh; "I don't need it. I'm always using my wings, so..."
Twilight felt the weight on her shoulders lift a little.
"Although, sure... it might be a little difficult to eat, or, ah... r-read books; but, um... Hey, the way I see it, I still have one left!"
Twilight's heart sunk.
"You should have both..." she murmured, to which Rainbow's voice took on a more serious tone.
"You lost control of your magic, Twilight. It... was what it was."
"Yeah, there's... just no controlling it, is there?" Twilight chuckled humorlessly, sniffling before continuing. "Because I'm just a-a... stupid, incompetent pony who can't, under any circumstance... keep her stinkin' magic under wraps!"
"That's not true at all, Twilight! You're not stupid, you're like... radical, I guess—b-but my point is! Magic's like, a totally hard thing to control."
"Yeah, because you just know so much about magic, don't you?" Twilight scoffed, looking off. Rainbow's gaze sunk, her ears lowering.
After a moment, Twilight bit her lip, turning back to face her friend... hoping she was still beside her.
She was.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. I didn't mean—!"
"It's... it's okay, Twilight. We're all still dealing with the aftermath of what happened, so..." She turned to look back at her directly. "Shouldn't you be down there?"
"I'd just make things awkward for everypony," she replied, then exhaled a snort. "They no doubt hate me for... inciting the changelings in the first place, or for leaving Spike all alone."
Rainbow rolled her eyes, giving her friend a light tap on the foreleg. "They do not, Twilight. AJ, Rares, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy are all still your best friends. Hay, I just saw them before I came looking for you. They don't hold any of this against you."
Twilight looked back at her skeptically.
"The changelings needed somepony to stand up to them," her friend continued, "and nopony could've predicted that they would've done what they did..."
"I should have." Twilight's gaze fell, and she breathed out a small sigh. "Celestia, in hindsight it... seemed so obvious that an attack was inevitable..."
"Maybe," Rainbow supposed, "but an attack against you, Twilight? Nopony could've seen that coming... not even Madame Pinkie."
Twilight turned to her, unamused.
Rainbow smiled apologetically, sheepishly rubbing the nape of her neck. "Okay, that was a bad joke, I admit."
Twilight said nothing, opting to look back ahead instead.
"The whole town hates me, Dash. Even if... I'm not at fault, I'm sure as hay still being held responsible."
"So let me clear the air with them. I'm not about to let anypony tarnish my best friend's name."
Rainbow turned to her friend with a reassuring smile.
Twilight gave her a halfhearted one in return.
"I appreciate that, Rainbow Dash, but..." She drifted off.
Rainbow urged her on. "What?"
"I can't conjure magic anymore, Dash."
Rainbow's lips slowly parted. "You can't...?" she softly uttered.
Twilight peered over at her friend.
Her brow was raised, and she had a slight look of doubt on her face.
Twilight gazed back on ahead, barely nodding.
"Guess it... burnt out because I used so much of my magic. My horn just couldn't handle it."
As she gave her explanation, Rainbow's eyes gazed up to look at her friend's horn. The scorched bone, which hadn't stood out to her until now, became increasingly apparent.
She gulped, turning her gaze back to her friend... feeling a few shivers run down her spine.
"You can fix it though... r-right?"
"If I get a horn transplant, yes..."
"And... you're going to, aren't you?"
Twilight let out a heavy sigh.
"These surgeries often go either way... Some unicorns are left without magic, and just... learn to live with it—"
"But you're still going to try anyway, right? I mean..." Rainbow's voice softened. "You really have nothing to lose, a-and if it means being able to conjure up magic once more, well... I wouldn't hesitate!"
"I know you wouldn't, Rainbow Dash. I just..." She bit her lip, her brow furrowing. "I just can't help but wonder what I'll do with my life if I lose my magic."
"If you do," Rainbow assured her, "you'll continue being a great leader, role-model, friend, and... even inspiration to so many ponies."
Inspiration... Twilight thought about it, then turned to address her friend. "Do... you still admire me, Dash?"
"Uh, duh," she replied with a smirk and roll of her eyes, as if it were obvious; "Of course I do, with or without magic! Now, come on." She leaped up from the ground, extending her hoof to her friend.
Twilight took it, and slowly stood up as well, all the while looking at her funnily.
"You haven't said your goodbyes to Spike yet... have you?"
"N-no, I..." She stared at Rainbow, taken aback, before looking off once more towards the funeral scene.
Things seemed to be wrapping up, from what she could tell.
"I figured you'd like some time alone with him," explained Rainbow. "Plus, I... understand that... you're not ready to face our friends yet."
Twilight averted her eyes guiltily.
"But I just know," she continued, "that they'll be thrilled to talk to you again, whenever that ends up being."
"I hope so, Dash," Twilight replied gravely. "I really do..."
The two proceeded down the hill, Rainbow's uneven steps capturing Twilight's attention.
"You really should be using your wings," she remarked in concern. Rainbow shrugged.
"Eh, I sorta want to get used to walking around on three hooves. Counter-productive I know, but I can't fly everywhere. There'll be times... where I'll have to walk."
"Well... you're one of the strongest ponies I know. If anypony can master this, it's you, Dash. Even so, I..." She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip nervously before asking, "Dash, have... you considered a prosthesis?"
Rainbow turned to her with an eyebrow raised. "Pro... what-now?"
"You know... Like an artificial body part."
"You're suggesting I get like a... mechanical foreleg?"
"Well..." Twilight looked ahead nonchalantly. "More or less... What do you think?"
"I think you're confusing me with Filthy Rich, Twilight. I mean, I don't have that kind of cash."
"Then let me pay for it!" she implored, turning to her suddenly, anxiously. "Or... or ask the princesses! For you, I'm... sure they'd be more than happy to cover the cost."
"I don't know..." Rainbow's lips pursed as she furrowed her brow. "I mean... The surgery doesn't... hurt, does it?"
Her question brought a slight smile to Twilight's lips.
"Not if you accept the anesthesia. There will be a slight pinch, however... Why do you ask?" She lowered her eyelids as she leaned in teasingly. "Is the big, brave Rainbow Dash... afraid?"
Rainbow silently gulped, staring back into the eyes of her friend.
"W-who, me?" she asked, leaning away incredulously. "Pfft, of course not! I'm just... wary of... having a metal arm, is all."
"Is that so? Here I thought you'd find it cool. Well... if you don't want to, Dash, I won't make you. I just, well... if you want me to get a horn transplant, then I want you to get a new foreleg. I think it's only fair."
Rainbow nodded understandingly, remaining a little undecided.
"I'll... consider it," she replied, after a moment.
The two walked up to the spot where Spike had been laid to rest, located within a small cemetery. A tall headstone sat before his grave, with a short epitaph that simply read: An unwavering caretaker to some, and beloved friend to all, he showed us not all dragons were to be feared.
"Hope you're resting well, Buddy..."
Rainbow's deflated tone snapped her friend out of the sudden trance she found herself in.
The site of her friend's grave had chilled her to the bone, more so than she thought it would.
She supposed she had been in denial over his death, and simply told herself that things die, that it was all a part of life, and that... there was no sense in lamenting his death.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she collapsed onto her hindquarters, staring brokenhearted at the gravestone.
Spike was gone.
"Celestia," she wept, "he—h-he's really..."
Rainbow quickly came up beside her, and for a few moments, just sat beside her. She extended a wing, embracing her friend with it. Twilight couldn't help herself, and leaned over, resting her head on her friend's chest, clinging dearly to the mare's coat with her hooves.
Rainbow raised her one foreleg, and with care, wrapped it tenderly around her friend as she began sniffling.
"Let it come, Twilight," she said. "Let out what you're feeling..."
"I... I just..." Twilight's jaw trembled, and her eyes shut tighter. She buried her face, and shook her head, her words laden with heartache.
Rainbow nodded softly, and for the next half hour or so, just listened, and stayed with her until she could no longer cry.
Eyes red, puffy, exhausted, and cheeks stained with tears... Twilight now simply rested her head against her friend's chest
She felt tired, and she felt... sick too, but she also felt... strangely better—and not entirely from all the tears that had been shed.
Maybe it was the comfort that her friend's embrace provided her, or... maybe it was her friend's resolve to stay with her. Whichever the case... she suddenly felt... like she was in love.
Maybe she was simply trying to fill the sudden hole in her heart, but it dawned on her that... she was beginning to see her friend in a whole new light.
Suddenly Rainbow's name sent her heart aflutter, and every moment they had spent together—that morning, and afternoon... and even that night on that balcony... all of a sudden held all the more weight.
Twilight pulled back from under Rainbow's chin, nuzzling it with her muzzle in a brief motion, before sitting up and staring at her sweetly... still reminiscing fondly on those memories.
She leaned forward in one swift motion, and kissed the fur of her friend's cheek.
She pulled away a second later, her eyes half-lidded and her entire body burning up.
Rainbow's eyes however, were wide, and she turned to face her friend in astonishment... her breath caught in the back of her throat.
Eventually she remembered to shut her mouth, and swallowed hard, staring at her friend with a million questions running through her head, and a profuse blush in her cheeks.
"T-Twilight...?" she eventually stammered out.
Twilight smiled warmly.
"Thank you, Dash."
Rainbow Dash blinked. Is that it? She was just... thanking me? Well duh, of course she was. She put on a nonchalant front, and returned the smile. Now's not the time to get all lovey-dovey anyway...
"I'm here for you, Twilight," Rainbow ended up saying. "This will all get better in time."
Twilight nodded and closed her eyes, leaning in to rest her head under Rainbow's.
With you in my life, she mused. I know it will...
They began to collect themselves not long after, and said their final goodbyes to Spike, wishing him well in the afterlife.
Even though I don't necessarily believe in one, thought Twilight, as she stood beside her newfound crush, I'll pray, for Spike's sake...
She rested a hoof on the gravestone, being sure to add, "We'll both... avenge your death, Spike. We'll make sure... that it wasn't in vain."
"She's right, Spike," Rainbow chimed in. "And don't worry, bud... I'll look after Twilight for you—if that's alright with you, Twilight." She looked to her friend for confirmation.
"W-well, I... don't exactly have a place to stay anymore. I-I have money, sure, so food's not a problem—t-though it'd have to be takeout. I mean, I never learned to cook, so..." With her head hung low, she smiled meekly up at the pegasus.
"Hey, it's cool." Rainbow gave her a playful wink. "I never learned either. Don't worry... We can just order pizza or something."
Twilight snorted softly at that.
"Sure, Dash. That sounds nice."
The two stood around for a moment more, before turning their attention back to their friend's gravestone.
"We'll be sure to visit often, Spike. Maybe with the rest of our friends next time."
"Mm-hm." Twilight agreed, with a quick nod. "We... w-we will, Spike."
The two soon left for the town, Rainbow being sure to shield Twilight from any dirty looks that came her way.
And after several minutes of walking, they eventually came to stand before the ruined remains of Golden Oaks.
Rainbow urged for her to turn the other way, but Twilight didn't budge, and instead just stared.
"Come on..." Rainbow beckoned. "You don't want to be reminded of this place... do you, Twilight?"
"I do." Twilight stepped forward, into the ashen circle of earth, and remnants of what used to be its trunk. "This used to be my home... and plus I... have to face what I did."
Rainbow reluctantly accepted her friend's decision.
Twilight walked around the place for a bit, murmuring, "There's really nothing left... is there?"
Rainbow bit her lip, then shook her head, stepping forward. "Everything either... went up in flames, or was... obliterated by your magic. I, ah. think my foreleg's evidence of that... I'm really sorry, Twilight."
Twilight nodded, having expected the reply.
She scuffed a hoof through a mound of ash. It was cold, and... clammy to the touch, but something also felt solid—like something was hidden beneath the ash.
She brushed aside more of the dirt, and quickly unearthed an object that... made her blood boil.
"Of all the things to survive..."
Rainbow cocked her head. "Twilight?"
Inwardly, Twilight seethed, her teeth gritting in frustration because there, before her hooves, lay Sombra's horn.
"Sure, there's nothing left of that... changeling intruder, or of Spike's body... but Celestia forbid this should burn up as well!"
"What are you talking about, Twilight?" Rainbow walked up beside her. "What's...? Oh."
Twilight rose one of her hooves up off of the ground, and held it above the horn.
Rainbow's brow lifted upon realizing what her friend was about to do, and was quick to intervene.
"Cadance!" Rainbow blurted out.
Twilight froze, her hoof inches away from grounding the horn into dust.
Her brow furled.
"Cadance...?" she repeated, perplexed.
"Y-yeah... Cadance. I mean... you borrowed this from the Crystal Empire, right...? So... they're probably expecting it back in one piece, you know?"
"I..." Twilight clenched her hoof, bringing it down slowly. "I... D-darn it!" Her eyes shut tight, and she slammed her hoof into the dirt beside it. "Darn it... You're right, Rainbow Dash."
She turned woefully towards her, drained of her resolve, and brandishing a weak smile.
Unsure of what to say, Rainbow simply returned the smile.
"I just... It isn't fair, Dash," she said, turning back around to scoop the horn up in her hoof.
"I know it isn't, Twilight," she replied, then grew panicked at the sight of her friend wincing in pain the moment her hoof wrapped itself around his horn, her head ducking forward.
Rainbow stuck out a hoof.
"Twilight!"
She blurted out her friend's name, but was quickly silenced by Twilight raising her hoof.
"I'm... I-I'm okay," she breathed out. "I just... felt really lightheaded there for a second."
"Huh." Rainbow nodded softly, then stepped over, placing her foreleg around her friend's shoulders. "Maybe you just... need to lie down?" she suggested.
"Mm-hm... You're probably right... Still..." Twilight turned to her with a look of worry on her face. "Where do you suppose I go?"
"My place of course!" Rainbow exclaimed, sporting a grin.
Twilight merely tilted her head.
"N-no, no, I... wouldn't dream of imposing—"
"You wouldn't be!" Rainbow insisted, then paused, shaking her head. "Listen, Twilight... When I promised Spike that I'd look after you, this is what I was talking about."
Before Twilight could get a word in edgewise, she continued. "If you need money for food, I've got you covered. If you need a pony to talk to, I'm all ears; and if you need a place to stay until we build you a new home, well... you can count on me."
She finished the declaration with a lopsided smile that melted Twilight's heart.
She gave in with a tiny nod of her head, suspecting that she was smiling like a fool back at her, but she couldn't help it.
"I could so kiss you right now..."
Rainbow's heart skipped.
She swallowed hard, masking her curiosity by jokingly asking, "On the lips this time, or...?"
Twilight's ears perked up, and her eyes flew open upon realization of what she had let slip.
Rainbow smiled meekly, still wearing a blush. "Sorry, Twilight," she apologized, her ears folding. She was probably just showing her gratitude again, and... "That was a poor joke, I know."
Twilight smiled, and still feeling embarrassed, stammered out, "A-actually—"
"W-well, anyway... Come on," Rainbow exclaimed, taking Twilight aback. "Let's go. We should probably be getting back to my place after all, don't you think?"
She laughed nervously, Twilight staring back at her funnily all the while.
"Oh... kay," she agreed, bemused... watching as her crush took flight before her eyes, stopping a little ways away, before then gazing back down at her with a look that urged her to follow.
Well, I... suppose there'll always be time for that later, Twilight decided, joining up with her.
If she returns my feelings, t-that is!