It was a beautiful dawn in Ponyville. The birds were quietly chirping, a gentle breeze blew through the dewy grass, and the sunrise painted the sky full of beautiful oranges and purples.
On such a beautiful morning, two ponies were up and about in the Castle of Friendship. One pony, the resident purple pony princess, was happily curled up on a couch in the library, basking in the heat of a roaring fire, reading an adventure novel. Moments later, she was joined rather unceremoniously by a cyan pegasus, who casually draped herself over the alicorn. She put her book off to the alicorn's right, threw a forehoof around the alicorn’s neck, and snuggled in.
“Agh!” Twilight yipped. “Rainbow, you startled me half to death! There’s another whole half of the couch.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow commented casually. “But you’re way more comfortable.”
“Ugh.” Twilight sighed in mock exasperation. “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”
“Oh don’t I know it.” Rainbow smirked back.
"So what are you reading, Dashie?"
"Fifty Shades of Hay."
"W-what?!"
"Yeah! Some of the things in this book look really interesting, wanna try?"
"WHAT?!"
Rainbow bit down on her lower lip, but failing to contain her exuberance, burst out into raucous, body spasming laughter.
"Chill Twi, I'm only messing with you.” Rainbow laughed, giving Twilight a quick peck on the cheek, which was currently bright red, mirroring the rest of her face. “I would never read that. No, what I'm reading is a surprise.~"
Twilight harrumphed.
“Not even a hint?” She asked hopefully.
Rainbow tightened her hug around Twilight’s neck and leaned further in. “Not even a hint.”
“You’re no fun.” Twilight pouted.
“Is that so, egghead? Want me to show you just how fun I can be?” Rainbow challenged with a smirk, shuffling lower on Twilight’s body and kissing from the base of her horn down the back and side of her neck.
“Uh, Rainbow Dash… I don’t think we should… What are you do-”
Finally Rainbow reached her goal. Finding the place directly between Twilight’s wings, she began gently nipping at the skin. Twilight promptly burst out into a fit of laughter and started bucking her body around, trying to escape. It was for naught though, as Rainbow had straddled the lower part of her body and all Twilight could do was flail her wings and forehooves around.
“Rain… Stop… Can’t… Breathe!” Twilight spasmed, still stuck in a laughing fit.
Rainbow got off of Twilight, plopping down next to her on the couch, a wide grin on her face. Twilight glared back at her, breathing heavily and sweating.
“Did you know, Twilight…” Rainbow bit her lower lip to contain the power of her smile. “The space right between the wings is the most ticklish part of a pegasus? Now you do.”
“I’m so gonna get you back for that.”
“You’d have to catch me firs-”
Dash yelped as Twilight tackled into her, the two wrestled on the couch for a moment, before Rainbow ended up on top, pinning Twilight’s wings with her forehooves, and Twilight’s forehooves with her body weight.
“Pinned ya.~” Rainbow boasted, only to experience Twilight’s lips pressing against hers. Dash found herself relaxing her hold as their tongues danced, and then was immediately broken out of her trance as Twilight threw her body weight to the side, ending up pinning Rainbow in much the same way she had pinned Twilight.
“And now I…” Twilight gave Rainbow’s nose a quick peck. “Have pinned you.”
Rainbow struggled for a few moments, unable to get out from the larger pony’s weight.
“That was a dirty trick.” Rainbow pouted.
“You would have done it too if you’d thought of it.” Twilight bantered.
“Hmm… True.”
“And now I win.”
“Maybe… Or maybe you’re forgetting something else.” Rainbow smiled mischievously.
“Oh yeah?” Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Like what?”
“Like your other ticklish places!” Rainbow smiled, tickling Twilight’s ribs.
It did the trick. Twilight released her grip on Rainbow’s wings, and with some powerful flaps, and some assistance from her hind legs, Rainbow rolled over. The two mares collapsed onto the floor, laying side by side, staring up at the ceiling and breathing heavily.
“H-hey, uh, Twi…” Rainbow began, turning to look at the alicorn. Twilight turned to match her gaze, only to see Rainbow’s ears flattened against her head and her forehooves shuffling awkwardly. Her face was pulled into a rictus, and as soon as their eyes met, Rainbow Dash looked away.
“Yes, Dashie?”
Rainbow Dash inched closer. “I just wanted to say… Twilight, that I-I.. I lov-”
“Problem! Big problem!” Came the voice of Starlight, teleporting into the library with a familiar pop. “Twilight, there’s a giant angry mob outside the castle!”
Starlight glanced around quickly, before catching sight of the two mares on the floor together, panting and sweating, two books haphazardly thrown to the side.
“Oh uh… I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“Nope!” Rainbow Dash zipped to her hooves, face flushing. “Twi, I can handle this. You stay.”
Without another word, Rainbow Dash flew out the nearby window.
“Did she… was she about to say…” Twilight muttered to herself, before gazing at the window Rainbow Dash had just exited through.
There was indeed a giant crowd of ponies in front of Twilight’s Castle. There were maybe two hundred ponies, quite a few Rainbow recognized, and quite a few more that she didn’t. And standing between the crowd and the castle was… Applejack and Spike?
Rainbow swooped down and landed next to Applejack.
“Applejack, what the hay is going on here?”
“Oh thank goodness you’re here Rainbow Dash. Somebody let slip what Twilight did to Thunder Chaser, and now all these ponies are here calling for an explanation on how a princess is getting away with murder.”
Rainbow Dash turned to Spike, who had tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry! It slipped out by accident!”
Rainbow Dash clapped a hoof over her face.
Of all the things…
“Okay, I get why Spike’s here, but why are you here, Applejack?”
“I uh…” The farmpony stared at the ground. “I heard the excitement and thought I should try to contain these desperados as best as I can so you or Twilight didn’t have to get involved. Partially because I felt it was the right thing to do… but mostly because I really want to make it up to you and Twi… and Scootaloo.”
Rainbow Dash felt her building anger suddenly dissappear.
“And I need to fix my mistake.” Spike added solemnly. “Partially because Twilight is already in a bad state, but also because all these ponies would terrify Scootaloo, and I want to be a good big brother to her.”
Rainbow felt her heart warm slightly. She’s never really had a strong connection with Spike, but at that moment, she felt her respect for him increase exponentially.
“Alright.” Rainbow muttered to herself. “Alright.”
“Listen!” Rainbow took to the air, and began shouting at the crowd. “Princess Twilight isn’t taking visitors or questions right now so I need all of you to head home!”
“We need answers!” shouted one pony.
“How could she?!” shouted another.
“Oh course that nepotistic tyrant already pardoned Twilight, didn’t she?” shouted a third.
“Hey!” Rainbow Dash yelled back, hackles raising and blood starting to boil. “Don’t insult the princess like that!”
“She had no regard for law!”
“She plays favorites!”
“Terrible leader!”
“And what about her own personal bitch of a cum dumpster Twil-”
Rainbow Dash’s blood ran cold as she spotted the mare who said it.
You can insult me...
A mare in the middle of the crowd.
You can throw me down and spit on me...
Light gray coat, dark gray mane.
But you NEVER insult my family.
Flying down as fast as she could, she tackled that pony, rolling around in the dirt before pinning her.
“Excuse me, what the FUCK did you say about Twilight?”
The mare blinked back in response, the air having been knocked out of her.
"Remember why you are even in this crowd. Because you want to go after the most powerful pony alive who easily killed in our defense. Which she did to defend innocent ponies and foals. Three innocent little fillies that would probably have been tortured to death by now."
Rainbow Dash leaned closer, her maw inches away from the mare’s left ear.
"Do you really think it's a smart idea to be calling her that, especially right next to two of her best friends? One being a pony that can easily shatter that sound barrier and one that can shatter every bone in your body with two hooves tied behind her back, right outside her door?"
"Y-you wouldn't..."
"My go-to fix for making a fully grown dragon leave Ponyville was to kick it in the face. Do you think I'm afraid of holding back? Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"N-no?"
"Then shut the fuck up."
A harsh silence had descended among the crowd. Rainbow stepped off the mare, adrenaline fading, and realized she had just assaulted somebody while trying to defend her girlfriend killing somebody else.
Not a good look for us.
"Rainbow Dash!” The voice of an unknown mare called out. “Please! I need to speak to you and Princess Twilight! It's about Firefly, Scootaloo's mother!"
Rainbow Dash whipped her head around, catching sight of the mare who had just spoken. The mare was a blue unicorn, with a two toned mane consisting of white and a light blue. Her mane was unkempt and flat.
"Wait wha- Trixie?"
Rainbow Dash took to the air and blinked hard, catching sight of the mystery mare's cutie mark.
"You're not Trixie, who are you?"
"Please, I have information about her that you need to hear, but it shouldn't be exposed out in front of a crowd."
Rainbow bit her lip and turned around to gaze at Applejack, who wore a pained expression.
"Dash, you made everything here twice as bad, but go. I got this."
Rainbow Dash landed on the ground in front of the unicorn. "Follow me." She ordered simply.
Three ponies sat inside the library. Two sitting stock still, clearly agitated, and one shaking like a leaf and holding a mug of warm cocoa in her hooves.
“That’s uh… quite a mob on your front lawn.” The mare quipped.
"Yeah, it kinda showed up. Obviously, they refuse to leave." Dash snarked, instantly wilting after a glare from Twilight.
"But that's not why you came.” Twilight added. “Ice Pack, right? You said you have info on Firefly. She's in the Battered Mare’s home though."
"She... was.” Ice Pack paused. “I came to bring the news that she... passed early this morning in her room."
"Oh... we had no idea she had existing medical conditions. Were... were they from Thunder Chaser?”
"No. She, um... She committed… she intentionally overdosed. Mixed antidepressants and… and pain pills and took the whole bottle.”
There was another silence spanning several moments as Twilight and Rainbow gasped and processed what Ice Pack had said.
"Celestia's sake, that's horrible!” Twilight replied. “When were you informed? We never saw it in the papers."
"No one told me. I... was the firs... I was the first to know. I walked in... and she... right in front of me..." Ice Pack broke into tears, body spasming as she sobbed. “I was the nurse assigned to her… and I saw her las… her last breath leave her body.”
“Oh Celestia…” Twilight muttered, before draping a wing over the wailing unicorn. “I’m so sorry. That must have been horrible.”
“I just…” Ice Pack paused as her body spasmed again. “I didn’t even know Scootaloo, but I wanted to make it up to her because… Thunder Chaser was assigned to me too, and he knocked me out to escape…. So I quit and…” Ice pack let out a wet sniffle and wiped her nose. “I felt responsible so I got a job at the mare’s home and asked to take care of Firefly… and now…”
Ice Pack felt onto her side and curled up. After a moment she locked eyes with Rainbow Dash.
“So m-much suffering has come to you two because of me. A-and I’m so sorry! If I hadn’t been d-dumb in the first place Thunder’d still be locked up and…”
Ice Pack broke down, desparing wails filling the air.
“Stop.” Rainbow said forcefully.
Ice Pack instantly stopped crying and both her and Twilight stared intently at Rainbow. Twilight lifted an eyebrow, unsure whether she should try to hush Rainbow or not.
“Listen Ice Pack, I’ve spent the last year dealing with all sorts of guilt complexes and I need you to sit up, stop crying, and stop blaming yourself right now. I don’t blame you, I know for sure Twilight doesn’t either, and nobody can give you crap about being knocked out in an escape attempt.”
Rainbow stuck out a hoof, which Ice Pack gingerly took. Rainbow helped her pull herself to her hooves and then promptly pulled her into a hug. Breaking apart after a few moments, Rainbow Dash looked between Ice Pack and Twilight, a frown tugging at her lips.
“So now… what do we tell Scoots?”