Mamihlapinatapei
A mare sat atop a lonely hill under the endless expanse of starry sky that stretched from horizon to horizon. Silhouetted against the moon, she stared into that sparkling vista above, her chest heaving with a wistful sigh. The air hung heavy with an intangible anticipation, and not for the first time she wondered if she was wrong. She’d thought her mind made up, but as the zeroth hour approached doubt wracked her mind.
However, the time for second guessing was cut short as a familiar sound graced her ears. Suddenly the hill wasn’t quite so lonely, a pair of feathered wings cutting the air, and one mare became two.
“What’s up?”
The first mare looked over at her company, and smiled as she remembered why she was there.
There was a bang that shook the wooden walls of Golden Oaks library, and Twilight groaned as books rained down around her.
“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” she greeted dryly, turning her page in a purple glow. “What can I do for you today?”
“Heh… uhhh… oops?”
Twilight glanced up for only a moment, eyes landing on the cyan devil that seemed to be on a crusade against books. She laid sprawled out on the floor at the base of a bookshelf, half-buried beneath a mound of literature. For a moment, Twilight thought maybe she’d absorb some of the information through osmosis if she stayed there long enough. Her hopes were dashed, as they often were, when Rainbow jumped out of the pile and caught herself on her wings, the resulting breeze scattering yet more loose papers around the already messy room.
With the slightest twitch forming in her eye, Twilight snapped her book shut and yanked the feathered menace to the ground by her tail. “What can I do for you today?” she repeated tersely.
Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck bashfully, scanning around the chaos she’d caused. “I uh… was wondering… errr… y’know what, never mind. I’ll help you clean up.”
Twilight blinked. “You’re offering to help me clean?” Her eyes narrowed. “Who are you and where’s Rainbow Dash?”
“I dunno, but I see you’re still you - complete with bad jokes and everything.”
Twilight let out an exaggerated gasp. “Well, maybe you are Rainbow Dash after all; she couldn’t fly straight either!”
“Ow, that stings, Twi-” she held a hoof to her supposedly-wounded heart “-big words from an Egghead.”
“Says the Featherbrain,” Twilight shot back with a teasing smirk as she stood from her desk, horn glowing bright. “But, since you were kind enough to offer your help, I’m going to put you to work.”
Rainbow’s smile fell as a mountain of books she definitely wasn’t responsible for appeared from seemingly nowhere. “H-hey now-”
“These-” Twilight grunted as yet another stack was added onto the rapidly growing pile in the middle of the room “-are the returns from this week. Spike’s been busy between Rarity and keeping an eye on the Crusaders, and I haven’t had the time to put them away myself. According to my schedule, I was going to do that tomorrow morning, but… well, since you were so generous as to offer your time…” she trailed off, her words sickly sweet and dripping with a venomous honey.
Turning from the Leaning Tower of Nerdiness to the Queen of Nerds, Rainbow swallowed thickly. “Heh… uhh… uncle?”
“Uncle?” Twilight echoed, tilting her head. She frowned, slightly. “I-if you really don’t want to… I can do it by myself… all alone...” her frown grew into a proper pout, and Rainbow realized too late that she should have looked away as this full-grown unicorn mare broke out the biggest, most pleading puppy-dog eyes she’d ever seen, bar none. Not even Scootaloo could hold a candle to the Queen of Nerds and Princess of Books. She struggled to tear her eyes away, but before she could a single, solitary tear rolled down Twilight’s cheek and the spell was completed.
With a defeated, disheartened, utterly contemptuos moan, Rainbow mimicked a perfect Rarity-branded faint, falling into the mountain of books that would soon prove to be her demise. “Fine.”
“Yay!” Twilight cried, clapping her hooves together happily in a display that could be described by no word other than ‘cute’. Although ‘adorable’ could put up a good fight. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun.”
“Yeah… fun…” Rainbow rolled over, burying her face in a hardback, waiting for the blush in her cheeks to fade. When she managed to lift her head up, she was greeted to the view of the back of Twilight’s head, her tail swishing back and forth happily as she busied herself with her books.
Rainbow sighed and eventually pushed herself off the pile, looking along the exposed spines as though searching for one that would catch her interest. Not that any of them would; reading was lame and, by extension, so were books. And so were the ponies who read them. She shot a glare out of the corner of her eye, her look softening as she saw the smile on Twilight’s face. The unicorn had started humming an upbeat tune to herself as she shelved the fallen literature at an almost alarming rate.
Okay, most of the ponies who read them were lame. Some were pretty alright.
“Rainbow~” Twilight sang, smiling sweetly over at her temporary cleaning partner. A book stack was placed on Rainbow Dash’s back, between her wings, and the pegasus grunted under the surprisingly hefty pile. “Those go on the mathematics shelf next to you. Sorted by author and alphabetized, please.”
Rainbow was wrong. Very, very wrong. Lame wasn’t the right word for Twilight Sparkle. That mare was nothing short of a slave driver. A true monster in pony form. A demon disguised as an average unicorn. A-
“Oh, and these are on the biology shelf next to that one.”
Another load of books was dropped unnecessarily hard on her back, and Rainbow hurried to the shelf with the ‘mathematics’ plaque on the front before her spine broke under the increasing strain.
Several eternities later - or perhaps just over an hour - the floor of the library was cleansed of stray books, and even the loose papers had been picked up, sorted and stacked neatly on Twilight’s desk. It almost looked as though a rainbow-maned hurricane had never blown through.
Almost. The fact that the aforementioned hurricane was still in the building told of the mess that had just been cleaned.
“Alright, it’s official; I hate books,” Rainbow Dash proclaimed firmly, wiping at the sweat that had accumulated on her forehead. “They’re lame. And heavy. And boring.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well you wouldn’t have had to pick them up if somepony hadn’t knocked them down in the first place.”
“Yeah, speaking of, where did that pony go? I’m gonna give ‘em the ol’ one-two for putting me through that,” Rainbow said, rearing up on her hind hooves and punching the air. She snorted. “Didn’t even help. The nerve.”
“Gee, I wonder.” Twilight giggled, and Rainbow smiled at her as she fell back onto all four hooves. “What did you come here for, anyway?”
Rainbow bliniked. “Huh? Oh! It was nothing, really; ‘Shy bailed on me, something about a sick bird, and Pinkie was busy, so I was wondering if you wanted to hang out. Y’know; watch me practice my stunts and stuff. Because who wouldn’t want to, right?”
“So I was your third choice,” Twilight said flatly. “Thanks.”
“Look at it this way; you were my third choice. That’s, like, only two spots away from number one! A bronze medal ain’t nothin’ to sneeze at, and you’re ahead of, like, everypony in Ponyville.”
Twilight looked at her. “I’m flattered.”
Her tone was anything but.
“Aw don’t be like that, Twi; there’s only so much of me to go around. Gotta prioritize, and we just hung out, like, yesterday. I need to spread me around a little. Don’t wanna overload your little egghead with my awesomeness.”
Twilight’s horn glowed threateningly. “Your ‘awesomeness’ could still shelve a few more books if you keep going.”
“Ah-heh… I’m good, I’m good.” Rainbow chuckled nervously, watching as the light faded from Twilight’s horn. She breathed a sigh of relief when no more books were thrown at her. “So hey, that didn’t take too long. And I did come here to hang out, soooo….”
Twilight’s ears perked at that, and their eyes met. A moment of silence passed with them simply staring at one another. Neither broke the contact, but neither asked nor answered the question.
Eventually, Twilight looked away. “I’d like to, but I have to get dinner started; Spike will be back soon…”
“Oh.” Rainbow frowned at the disappointment she heard in her own voice. “That’s cool. I’ll get out of your mane, then. See ya later, Twilight.” And then she was gone, just like that, and Twilight found herself staring at the open window.
“What?”
Twilight’s lip twitched upward at the familiar flat, unimpressed tone. “I learned a new word,” she repeated, slightly louder even though she knew perfectly well Rainbow had heard her.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought you said.” Rainbow brought a hoof to her temple. “You asked me to meet you out here because you learned a new word?” She shook her head, dumbfounded at how unsurprised she was, and a chuckle slipped through her lips.
“What?”
“Twi, that’s…” she laughed again, and smiled at the impossibly nerdy alicorn. “That’s so like you it’s creepy. You sure you haven’t been replaced by a changeling that knows you a little too well?”
Twilight huffed, puffing out her chest indignantly. “I’ll have you know an extensive vocabulary is exceedingly important when dealing with all manner of political-”
“Twi, stop - it hurts how nerdy you are.”
With an exaggerated roll of her eyes Twilight nodded. “Very well, I’ll get to the point then- I think you’d be interested in this particular word.”
Rainbow Dash raised a single eyebrow. “Really?”
From her vantage point shrouded in the vibrant green leaves of a bush, Rainbow Dash peered out at the nearly empty street. Nearly empty. A few ponies were still there, wandering seamingly aimlessly. Waiting. Watching. Had somepony tipped them off? Had something been let slip? That must have been the case; else why would they be so content to just wander the street outside the library? It was a library; nothing interesting to be seen, so then why were there still ponies here even as the sun started to dip below the horizon?
They knew. They had to. And they were ready. Ready to catch her - the awesomest, coolest, radicalest pegasus ever - in one of her weakest moments.
Rainbow felt her wings twitching, urging her to fly away. Away from here, away from the prying eyes and her shameful secret that would surely ruin her reputation if word got out. Nothing was worth that embarrassment, not even the treasure the unassuming Golden Oaks library held. For a moment, she considered it, but then she realized that would be running away. And Rainbow Dash didn’t run away from anything. But she could still hear the whispers, dancing in the back of her mind; ‘You’ll never guess where I saw Rainbow Dash going’ and ‘I saw her in the library, you know what that means!’.
She shook her head and banished the voices, the rustling of the bush forcing her back to reality. Once more she scanned the street, and most of the ponies had passed by. The only ones left weren’t looking her way.
Now!
Fast as she could - which was, as usual, impressively fast - Rainbow bolted out from her hiding spot and all but slammed herself up against the side of the old oak tree, half-hidden in a divet in the bark. Her eyes were trained on the one pony who might have seen her, if only they turned around. But they didn’t, and she shimmied around the tree and slipped quietly through the door, opening it just a crack and closing it just as quickly, careful to do so gently to avoid bringing attention to herself.
Once inside, Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief, the breath she’d forgotten she’d been holding fleeing her lungs. The library was closed for the evening, and its occupants wouldn’t dare tell a single soul about her business there. That much she’d made sure of through a devilishly clever mix of threats, begging, and pleading. Though most of the threats seemed to have little to no effect, she knew better. They were the most important part of her strategy, the begging and pleading more of a bluff than anything else. And if all else failed, she had some juicy blackmail material lined up.
“You’re late again.”
Rainbow Dash was pulled from her thoughts by the slightly disgruntled voice, and she looked ahead - and down - at the little green dragon, tapping his foot expectantly.
“Eh. Being on time is overrated,” Rainbow said, waving a hoof dismissively. “Where’s Twilight?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Where she always is; upstairs. Waiting for… what’s in your- hey!”
Rainbow brushed past him, ascending the stairs without laying a hoof on them in a few short flaps of her wings. She heard Spike call after her about something but shrugged it off as she made her way to the door to Twilight’s bedroom. Not even bothering to knock, she stepped inside. “Hey, Twi.”
Twilight looked up from her book, laid open on the floor in front of her. A smile spread her lips as she stood from her cushion. “Rainbow! I was worried you weren’t coming.”
“Well it’s not like I have anything better to do,” Rainbow replied with a casual shrug, kicking the door closed behind her. “Just got held up with something.”
“Hiding in a bush again?”
Rainbow sputtered, cheeks glowing red. “W-what? N-no way! It was… something awesome. Way awesome. Too awesome to describe. Y’know how it is.”
Stifling a giggle behind her hoof, Twilight’s horn lit, and Rainbow’s eyes widened as she felt something tugging loose from her mane. A branch lowered in front of her, a few strands of rainbow hair still wrapped around it.
“Ah-heh… Must have been from that new stunt I’ve been practicing. Haven’t quite gotten it down yet. Heh… hehe…”
“Riiiight.” Twilight tossed the twig away, rolling her eyes. “I don’t know why you insist on keeping this a secret. I mean, everypony already knows you started reading Daring Do.”
“I mean, yeah, but that’s just the reading thing. Totally uncool, but I can live with it. But… this? This is beyond uncool, Twi. This is… lame. Nerdy. I am not those things.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “And I am?”
“‘Course you are!” Rainbow cried, waving her hoof in a vague, all-encompassing gesture. “I mean, for pete’s sake, Twi, you live in a library! Can’t get much nerdier than that. You’re like… the Alpha Egghead.”
“And lame, according to you-” she held up a hoof and stopped Rainbow’s objection before it could leave her lips. “If that’s how you feel, you’re more than welcome to leave.”
Rainbow recoiled at that, her jaw flapping uselessly for a moment before her thoughts had time to catch up and tell her what to say. “N-no! I-I want to do this, I just… That’s not how I meant it, and I-” she was cut off by a snort, and her eyes narrowed.
Under the pegasus’s scrutinizing glare, Twilight finally lost her composure as she broke down into a fit of giggling laughter. “Relax, Rainbow; I get it. I’m just giving you a hard time.”
“Oh, har-har, laugh it up,” Rainbow grumbled, harrumphing and turning her head away, conveniently hiding the blush rapidly spreading over her face. “And here I was thinking you were cool. That was super un-cool, Twi.”
“Aw, what’s wrong? I thought you liked pranks?” Twilight asked, still chuckling. “Or do you just like pulling them, and not so much having them pulled on you?”
Rainbow whirled around, a shocked gasp frozen on her face. “Prank? That wasn’t a prank, Twi. Pranks are funny. Like scaring ponies on Nightmare Night or-or replacing your ink with the disappearing stuff.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Twilight smirked. “Well I thought it was funny. Maybe you just didn’t get it? You see, I made you think I was offended, and you got all flustered, and you’re cute when you’re flustered.”
Once more, Rainbow was forced to turn away to hide her blush - missing the fact that Twilight did the same. “I’m not cute, egghead,” she mumbled, rubbing the blood out of her cheeks before turning back. “B-but anyway, about the… uh… thing…”
“Ah yes.” Twilight smiled, just as glad for the sudden change in topic. “The thing that you find so horribly lame you can’t let a single soul know about, the-” her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper “-book club.”
Rainbow made a fake retching sound. “Can we please not call it that? Just… the club, or better yet, let’s not call it anything. Just two ponies, hanging out, that’s it.”
“Two ponies, hanging out, reading and discussing books. Hmm…” Twilight tapped a thoughtful hoof to her chin. “If only there were a word to describe such a thing. Like a… a gathering of some sort, where ponies come together to partake in a communal activity. You know, I could have sworn there was a word for that.”
“Egghead,” Rainbow muttered, brushing past her and all but collapsing onto a cushion laid out for this very meeting. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Twilight giggled again, settling down on the cushion next to Rainbow’s. “Careful; it’s starting to sound like you don’t want to gush about Daring do.”
Wings flaring wide, Rainbow leapt up and struck a pose. “The Rainbow Dash does not gush. She merely acknowledges others as awesome as she is when they do awesome things.”
“You mean like the time Daring was sneaking through that Zebrecan tomb and-”
“Just barely managed to avoid the poison dart trap, only for the walls to start closing in?” Rainbow finished excitedly, seemingly abandoning any modicum of composure she’d had. “Oh. My. Gosh. That was so cool! The way she used the darts to jam up the gears was super smart!” She sighed, fluffing her wings as she settled back down. “Man, Daring really has it all; the moves, the looks, and the brains. She’s the whole package, huh Twi?”
There was no response, and Rainbow looked over. “Twi?”
The unicorn’s ear didn’t so much as twitch, focused on something behind her. Rainbow tilted her head, following her gaze under she saw what Twilight was staring at, and a deep red hue coated her face as she yelped. In an instant the wing that had fallen over Twilight’s shoulders was snapped back against Rainbow’s side. “S-... sorry…”
The sudden lack of soft, gentle feathers snapped Twilight from her daze, and her eyes flicked to Rainbow’s face. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out. For a moment the feeling of a wing wrapped around her shoulders remained, filling her chest with a familiar warmth. Eventually, she found her voice. “It’s-”
“Ah, shoot.” Rainbow jumped to her hooves. “I totally forgot; I gotta do some… uh… work… paperwork! Yeah, there’s rain comin’ up and I gotta… yeah… sorry; I’ll catch ya later Twi.” Their eyes met for merely a moment before she leaped out the window.
“Fine…”
“Alright then.” Rainbow fell back onto her haunches, crossing her forelegs over her chest. “What’s so incredibly awesome about this word you felt the need to drag me out to the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night to tell me about it?”
Twilight chewed her lip, looking back out at the stars as a way to look at anything but her friend. “It’s… I was reading a book,” she started slowly, pausing to gather her thoughts - and her courage.
“You? Reading? Now I know you’re pulling my leg. You never do that!”
“Rainbow!” Twilight groaned, playfully punching her shoulder. “Would you let me talk, please?” Her smile faded. “This is important.”
Slowly, Rainbow nodded, her face growing serious. “Important?”
“Yeah, I…” she took a breath. “I was reading a book, and it was talking about how some words can’t be translated into other languages. It… it mentioned one that’s considered the hardest single word to translate.” Her hooves were shaking. Was it that cold out?
Twilight lay awake, staring at the dark ceiling and listening to the steady clickety-clack of the wheels, the groaning hum of the engine, several cars ahead. Hoping against hope that the rocking of the train would put her to sleep.
She knew better, though. Every time she closed her eyes she was back there. Back in the darkness. In the caves. With cruel green eyes taunting her from the inky black. And that laugh. That haughty cackle that would haunt her in her dreams for weeks to come.
How could she possibly fall asleep now, after all of that?
All around her, she heard the peaceful snores of her friends from their own bunks. Felt their presence, knew they were there with her.
Knew they weren’t always.
Twilight groaned, rolling over and shoving her face into her pillow. There it was again - that niggling little thought in the back of her head. The one that just loved to remind her of what happened. Of her darkest moment, when her friends had abandoned her.
She shook her head. “Stop.” Her voice came out as a feeble whisper. It wasn’t their fault; it was her own. Acting like a crazy mare, throwing accusations around without any proof. They’d have been crazy to believe her, and she knew that.
And still, when she closed her eyes and found herself back in the crystal caves, she saw her friends’ backs, walking away from her. Leaving her there. “Stop.”
Suddenly the calm of the train car was broken by shuffling sheets in the bunk above, and Twilight held her breath, cursing herself for waking up one of her friends. They were all exhausted, and she’d-
“Twi? Are you awake?”
For a moment, she debated pretending to be asleep. She didn’t need to keep anypony else up with her own thoughts. But suddenly the silhouette of a head dropped down from the bunk above, barely illuminated in the dim light of the moon outside. Bright, cerise eyes peered at her through the darkness, meeting her own.
“Thought so,” Rainbow said.
Twilight sighed as she sat upright in her bed. “I-it’s nothing, Rainbow; go back to sleep.”
“Mmmm… nah.” She jumped down from her bunk, catching herself on her wings to afford a silent landing. “You’ve been tossing and turning for, like, an hour, so somethin’s bugging you.”
The words struck Twilight and she winced as realization dawned on her. “I’m sorry I kept you up; I’ll be quiet so you can sleep.”
“You’re not listening, Egghead; I know something’s bothering you, and I’m not gonna get any sleep ‘till I know what’s up.”
“You don’t have to-”
Rainbow growled. “I want to,” she interrupted firmly, glaring daggers at the stubborn mare and daring her to argue further. “Spill it.”
A protest dying on her lips, Twilight nodded, sliding over to sit on the edge of the mattress, motioning for Rainbow to her. She knew, perhaps better than anypony else, that once Rainbow Dash had her mind set on something, changing it was a fool’s errand. “It’s… it’s just hard to sleep, with everything that happened.”
Nodding, Rainbow chuckled. “Yeah, it was pretty intense, huh? I get the same thing after my stunts, this rush, and I can’t sleep for a while afterwards. Something to do with adrenalin, I guess.”
Twilight was close, so close, to just grabbing onto the offered answer and being done with it. But something stopped her. She didn’t know why, but… she felt she had to tell Rainbow the truth. “It’s not that. I… when I… when I close my eyes I’m back there.” She swallowed thickly, a shiver running down her spine as the images rushed back to her. “In those caves, in the dark. All alone…”
Suddenly, Rainbow stiffened, cursing under her breath. “I knew it. Twi, I am so, so sorry.”
“W-what? Why-”
“I can’t believe I just-” Rainbow cut herself off, realizing her voice was growing louder by the second. She hushed herself, leaning closer. “I’m sorry, Twilight; I shouldn’t have left you like that. None of us should have. We-”
Twilight shook her head quickly, reaching over and putting a hoof on her shoulder. “No, Rainbow; you all have nothing to be sorry for. I should have been calmer and talked things through instead of throwing a tantrum like that. It’s not…” she trailed off as that same little thought clung heavily to her mind, telling her she was-
“You’re lying.”
“What?”
Their eyes met, and she saw a fiery passion burning behind Rainbow’s pink irises. “We have a lot to be sorry for, Twilight, and you know it. Listen to me-” she took Twilight’s hooves in her own “-I’m sorry, Twilight. I was stupid, and blind, and what happened to you is on me. You gotta let me apologize - let me make it up to you.”
“Rainbow-”
“No ‘buts’,” she added quickly.
Twilight’s jaw dropped, gaping at this infernally stubborn mare who’d seen right through her to things she barely saw herself. In that moment, she could feel Rainbow Dash looking right through her, and her vision blurred.
“Seriously, Twi; whatever you need me to do, let me know.”
“I…” Twilight swallowed thickly, struggling to force down the tears threatening to fall. “Right now I… could you… just a… a hug?”
Rainbow nodded without hesitation, and before Twilight knew it she was wrapped in a tight embrace, one she eagerly returned. Just that feeling, of being held, of being close to somepony, seemed to wash away the looming loneliness that had plagued her. Or maybe it was just who was holding her.
“Y’know,” Rainbow murmured, feeling the mare in her arms relax slightly. “This is probably the lamest thing you coulda’ asked for.”
Twilight couldn’t help but to smile into her friend’s shoulder. “Oh? What were you expecting?”
“I dunno. Asking me to come help clean the library once a week or somethin’? That sounds like you, Egghead.”
“Maybe I should have asked for one of your trophies, Featherbrain.”
Rainbow gasped. “You’ll pry them from my cold, dead hooves you monster.” The smallest giggle slipped through Twilight lips, and the sound brought a relieved smile to Rainbow’s face - and a warmth to her chest unrelated to the mare held tight against it.
Eventually, the hug grew a bit too long, and Twilight pulled herself out from Rainbow’s arms, sniffling slightly. “Thank you, Rainbow. I… I really needed that.”
“Heh, yeah well, tell anypony it happened and I’ll deny it, ya hear?”
Twilight laughed, and Rainbow smiled, and their eyes met once more in the inky black. They held each other’s gaze for what felt like minutes, until eventually Rainbow stood and stretched, hoping the darkness covered her blush. “We should get some sleep,” she said, glancing back. “You gonna be able to?”
“I… yeah, I think I will.”
Rainbow nodded approvingly. “Good. G’night, Twi.” With that she jumped back up onto her bunk, leaving Twilight to gaze out the window. Slowly she lay back down, her cheeks still radiating heat and her heart still beating harder than usual.
“The suspense is killing me,” Rainbow deadpanned. She winced at the glare she received, holding up her hooves defensively. “Sorry, sorry; forgot this was a serious thing. Go on.”
Twilight snorted. “I wanted to tell you about this word because…. Because I think it applies to me. To you. To us.”
“Awesome?”
“Rainbow!”
“What? A word that applies to both of us, that you just now learned? It’s gotta be awesome, right? I’m awesome. You’re awesome. We’re awesome, and you didn’t know the meaning of it because you’re too much of an Egghead?”
Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “No, Rainbow, I’m talking about… it’s… well it’s hard to explain.”
“Really? A word that’s famous for being hard to explain, is hard to explain?”
“Do you remember my coronation when I became a princess?” Twilight asked suddenly, cutting cleanly through Rainbow’s usual brand of snark. “Specifically, the party Pinkie threw after the official coronation?”
Immediately, Rainbow’s face lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree, and she looked away. “Y-yeah, why?”
An idle smile danced on the corners of Twilight’s lips as her eyes surveyed the grand room she occupied. What was usually a gran, opulent, stuffy ballroom had been utterly transformed, courtesy of the best party planner she knew, into a venue fit to house a proper celebration.
Streamers and balloons all but coated the ceiling and piles of confetti covered the ground, and Twilight snorted when she imagined how the uptight nobles would react to such a party.
Words like childish or uncouth came to mind, but those things suited her just fine. She’d had the grandiose, royal, snobby ceremony already, and that was about as much as she could handle. Now it was time to relax and have fun with her friends and family, and they all seemed to be enjoying Pinkie Pie’s brand of revelry just fine.
Although Rarity was looking a little green as she watched the mare in question vacuum up a cake large enough for five ponies.
Twilight just chuckled under her breath, leaning back against the wall. Her new wings were fanned out against it, and she still couldn’t make them do anything except what they wanted to do. It was a choice between smacking ponies with her added appendages or sitting out for a few minutes until they folded back on their own, and she really didn’t feel like poking somepony’s eye out.
Still, even if she was relegated to being a spectator for now, watching her friends having fun was enjoyable in its own way. One in particular easily catching her eye and holding her attention, and before too long a scarlet hue burnished her cheeks as she realized she was staring. Her blush grew brighter as Rainbow Dash turned and their eyes met. Twilight’s head snapped down immediately, but the damage had already been done, and with a timid glance up she saw that the pegasus was already approaching.
“You just gonna stand there and watch, Egghead?”
“I thought you liked being the center of attention?” Twilight bit back on instinct alone, surprising herself with how routine their banter had become even as she struggled to keep the blood out of her face.
Rainbow just shook her head with a smirk. “Eh, I figured I should step out of the spotlight for a bit. This is your day after all; I’d hate to upstage you.”
“How generous,” Twilight snarked.
“Heh, don’t mention it. Seriously though; what’re you doing over here?”
Motioning to her wings, Twilight sighed. “I’d prefer not to knock anything over if I can help it.”
“Ah. Still haven’t gotten the hang of ‘em, huh?” Rainbow asked. Twilight nodded shyly, and she chuckled. “Well don’t worry about it too much; it’s not every day a unicorn sprouts wings. I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea what to do with a horn if I grew one.”
Twilight snorted. “Knowing you? You’d stab somepony with it. Or crash and get yourself stuck in a tree. Actually…” she trailed off, covering a giggle with her hoof as the image of a horned Rainbow Dash stuck in a fence flitted through her mind. “That’s something I’d pay to see.”
“You’re hilarious,” Rainbow grumbled.
“I know.” Twilight held out a hoof to admire. “Sometimes I impress even myself.”
Rainbow made a show of rolling her eyes. “Says the mare who can’t even control her own wings. D’you want a hoof with those?”
“Are you going to teach me how to use them?”
“Soon as you figure out how to move ‘em. But for now I can fold them for you, just-” she circled around, and Twilight jolted as she felt a pair of hooves press into her back.
“Rainbow-”
“Just… relax for a second - you being all tense isn’t gonna help.”
Twilight quickly scanned the room to see if anypony was watching them, trying desperately to ignore the heat rising in her face as Rainbow’s hooves ran along her back and wings. Nopony
seemed to be paying attention, and she sighed, allowing her muscles to relax. As soon as she did, however, she yelped as Rainbow pressed into the small of her back, right between her wings.
Jumping out from under the pegasus’s hooves and whirling around, Twilight opened her mouth to yell. Only to stop as she looked back and realized her wings were neatly folded against her sides. “How-”
“Why yes, I am amazing. No, no; no need to thank me, it’s just what I do,” Rainbow said, taking a bow. She glanced up and waggled her eyebrows. “I know my way around a pair of wings.”
Twilight recoiled at the suggestive tone dripping from her voice, face practically glowing.
However, even Rainbow couldn’t keep up such a facade, and soon she was doubled over laughing rather than bowing, clutching her gut as she gasped for breath. “Twi, Twi, you gotta- gotta go find a mirror.”
“Let me guess, I ‘need to see the look on my face’?”
“It’s so good.”
Twilight huffed and rolled her eyes, brushing past her. “Thank you for helping with my wings.”
Suddenly the laughter died and Rainbow straightened herself out. “Hey, hold up; I didn’t help you out for free ya know.”
“Excuse me?” Twilight turned, a single eyebrow raised.
Rainbow puffed out her chest, smirking. “My services come at a price - and a big one, since I’m so awesome and all. I helped you out, so you gotta pay me back.” She winked, and Twilight rolled her eyes.
“And how am I to pay you back, praytell?”
On cue the music faded as the record was swapped with another, and Rainbow held out a hoof. “Once dance from a Princess oughta do it. I’m not too picky about which Princess - I bet Luna would have some good moves, but I heard there was a new one I wouldn’t mind getting to dance with.”
Stifling a giggle, Twilight accepted the offered hoof and was quickly pulled into position. “Is that so? Were you hoping to make a good impression and get some royal favours? Or perhaps you intend to use the opportunity to kidnap the new Princess and hold her for ransom?”
“Kidnap,” Dash said simply, nodding her head. “Definitely kidnap.”
“Well in that case I’m afraid I can’t get you a Princess.” The music started, and as one they started moving, at first just swaying to the rhythm. “The best I can offer you is a dance from a nerdy librarian.”
Rainbow pursed her lips, seeming to think about it for a moment before eventually shrugging. “Eh, a bit lame, but I suppose it’ll do. Who knows; that librarian might become a Princess herself, one day.”
Twilight threw her head back and laughed as they started dancing proper, sweeping around their little corner of the dancefloor. “Investing in the future, are we?”
“You know it.” Rainbow glanced to the side, making sure she had enough space before swinging Twilight out wide and spinning her around before coming back together. Neither cared about the blushes they could both feel on their own faces, as well as see on their partner’s. Their eyes were all but glued together, looking away only to ensure they weren’t about to run into anything as they danced to the music that filled the room.
Twilight allowed Rainbow to lead them, and her grin only grew as she was spun and twirled at the behest of the pegasus. She’d never been a particularly graceful dancer on her own, but with Rainbow’s aid she felt at least competent. And even if she didn’t look graceful, it didn’t matter.
She was having fun, and if the look on her face was any indication, Rainbow was, too.
In a moment of boldness in time with a swell in the music Twilight took the lead and it was Rainbow who was swung out wide, their hooves separating only a moment for her to spin around before connecting again. Around and around, again and again, the pair danced like they were the only ones in the room. Spinning. Twirling. Eyes locked together. Hooves holding the other close.
The music slowed, and stopped, and both Rainbow and Twilight were left panting, grinning, giggling. Still together. Muzzles inches apart. Neither pulled away, and before she knew it Twilight was leaning forward. Inches became centimeters. Her eyes flicked down for only a moment, just enough to see Rainbow’s lips coming closer - just enough to see that she wasn’t the only one moving forward. Knew she wasn’t the only one with the longing look she saw in Rainbow’s eyes. Centimeters became millimeters became a hair’s breadth, until she could feel the breath on her nose. Her head tilted to the side, and she closed her eyes, and-
With a loud, distinct pomf, Twilight’s impressive wings popped open, the force and sudden change in mass sent her tumbling backwards, crashing onto her back.
“Ow…” she groaned, rubbing the back of her head. A sky blue hoof popped into her field of view, and she followed it back to its source.
Rainbow was visibly straining herself to keep from laughing. “You okay?” she muttered, lips pinched shut.
Accepting the hoof and rolling her eees, Twilight hoisted herself back upright, dusting herself off. “Y-yeah, thanks.” She glanced around and noted that virtually everypony was looking at her.
“You really need to practice controlling those things, Twi. They’re gonna get you in trouble soon.” Rainbow swallowed the rest of her mirth, smiling brightly as their eyes met again. “Anyway, thanks for the dance. I’m gonna go grab something to drink. You want anything?”
Twilight frowned. “Y-yes, please…” she trailed off watching as Rainbow trotted away quickly than strictly necessary. An angry glare was thrown back over her shoulder at the feathered criminals still fully extended. “Why now?”
“Mamihlapinatapei,” Twilight said slowly. She blushed and looked over, finding an incomprehensive look on her friend’s face.
“Mami-what?” Rainbow scratched the back of her neck. “Twi, I don’t speak… whatever the heck that is.”
Twilight nodded. “I didn’t expect you to; it’s a very old language from… well, that’s not really the point. The point is…” she paused and took a breath. “The point is what the word means.
“It translates roughly as a look shared between two ponies.” She forced her gaze to meet Rainbow’s. “Hoping that the other will do something they both desire but are unwilling to start.” Twilight leaned forward, their muzzles a hair’s breadth apart, just like they were once before. She could feel the heat radiating from Rainbow’s cheeks. This time she wasn’t letting the moment slip through her hooves.
“T-Twi, I-”
Twilight shushed her effortlessly, just barely keeping their lips from touching. “Do you understand?” She searched Rainbow’s eyes for the answer she was so desperate to find, waiting with baited breath.
Slowly, Rainbow nodded. “Y-yeah, that…” she swallowed thickly, licking her lips. “I know what that’s like.”
With that answer in mind Twilight darted forward and closed the insignificant gap that had remained between them, their lips meeting as she finally took the plunge. In that moment her worries and doubts were washed away. It felt like her nerves were on fire in the best possible way as she burned every sensation into her memory. The feel of Rainbow’s lips against her own, the smell of rain that clung constantly to her coat, the taste as their kiss deepened. It was all as perfect as it could possibly be, and Twilight didn’t hesitate to wrap her hooves and wings around Rainbow in an embrace she had craved for longer than she realized.
Rainbow meanwhile was more focused on exploring Twilight’s mouth with her tongue. It was so easy to lose herself in the act, her heart pounding in her chest just like it did after a Rainboom. She could have stayed there like that for hours, and for a second it felt like she would. Until, eventually, Twilight pulled away, and Rainbow was left panting, grinning like an idiot.
“Twilight, that-”
“I didn’t want to look back in fifty years and wonder what could have been,” Twilight said, a slight frown tugging on her lips as she thought back to all the times she and Rainbow had shared that look. All the chances she had. From the slightly guilty look on Rainbow’s face, she was thinking much the same. “When I learned about that word - realized how often we had those moments - I didn’t want to wait any longer. I’m more than ready to start it.”
She took a breath and straightened her shoulders, a smile splitting her features and lighting up the night. “I love you, Rainbow Da-oomph.”
In a blur of rainbow mane and sky blue feathers Twilight was tackling to the ground, landing in the soft, cool grass. Before she could react a familiar pair of lips were on her own, communicating emotions their owner found difficult to put into words. Twilight stared up into the cerise eyes of somepony who was now much more than a friend, eyes shining against the backdrop of a starry sky.
The kiss was shorter than the one before it, but no less sweet, and when they parted Rainbow lowered herself so their bellies were pressed together, their noses touching. “I’m not good with the mushy stuff,” she said, a hint of a chuckle in her words. “But yeah; I’m pretty sure I love you too, Twi.”
They shared a look, and neither hesitated to lean forward and join their lips once more