//------------------------------// // Thrill of Discovery (TwiDash) // Story: Friends and Lovers // by Donnys Boy //------------------------------// "Thrill of Discovery" (TwiDash) The intrepid explorer Daring Do crept along the clouds of the ancient pegasus ruins that floated high above the ground below. The ruins had appeared one morning just a scant few days ago, full of mystery and the promise of adventure, and immediately Daring Do had felt the call to exploration. What she’d found inside was even better than anything she could have dreamed of--scores of crumbling columns carved from cloud-magicked stone, glittering gems that had belonged to lords from the olden days, booby traps of the most ingenious and devious designs. Slowly, carefully, she approached a large tapestry that hung on a far wall. It was comprised of the most elaborate design that the blue pegasus had ever seen, including golden threads that sparkled under the sunlight that was filtering down through the holes in the roof of the cloud-building. But even though the tapestry was truly beautiful to behold, that wasn’t why it held Daring Do’s interest. It held her interest because it was a tapestry. And if there was one thing she knew about tapestries, it was that they always hid secret passageways. Or secret treasure. Or secret scrolls. Secret something or other, at any rate. She was almost there, now. She licked her lips in anticipation. Just a little closer …. “Rainbow Dash!” Daring Do heaved a heavy sigh. She glanced over her shoulder, to where a unicorn stood by a bookcase and wore an exasperated look on her face. “Aww, c’mon,” the pegasus groaned. “What’s the problem now?” Twilight Sparkle frowned, in a way that was both very familiar and very irritating. “My magical scans from earlier suggest the area you’re standing in is composed of highly unstable cloud matter. It’s just plain too dangerous to be over there.” Rainbow rolled her eyes and flared her wings. “Dangerous? Danger’s my middle name!” “Your middle name is Gertrude,” replied Twilight flatly. “Ugh, don’t remind me!” Dash shuddered. “Besides, you oughta be thanking me, not giving me a hard time. You never would’ve been able to even see all of this if I didn’t know how to navigate pegasus cities and stuff like that.” Twilight’s face softened a bit at that. “You’re right, Rainbow. And I really am grateful that you agreed to go on this archeological survey with me.” She glanced off to the side, a tiny smile on her lips. “Plus, I knew none of the other girls would appreciate these ruins as much as ...” But Rainbow Dash wasn’t listening anymore. Now that Twilight’s gaze was no longer on her, she was back to sneaking towards the tapestry and whatever secrets that might lie beyond. It was so close, she could practically taste it. She reached out with a cautious hoof and, just as that hoof grazed the silky fabric of the tapestry, the clouds below her gave way. Rainbow fell. Instinctively she grabbed onto the tapestry, and it got yanked down with her as she began plummeting earthward. Terrible mistake. The huge, heavy piece of cloth smothered her, and as she struggled against its oppressive weight, she found that she couldn’t quite open her wings. With a loud growl, she flexed her wing muscles as hard as she could, but still the tapestry refused to-- Suddenly, she stopped falling. She hung suspended in the air, frozen, for a beat or two, then very slowly she felt herself begin moving upward. It wasn’t long before she landed on a bed of nice, solid clouds. She managed to throw the tapestry off of her in time to see the gentle purple glow of magic fade away. Dash swallowed thickly and let out a slightly shaky laugh. “Thanks for the save, Twi. For a moment there, I thought I was gonna--” “Stupid!” Twilight’s voice lashed out like the crack of a whip and, when Rainbow glanced up, she found the unicorn glaring down at her with blazing eyes. “That was so stupid! You’re so stupid! I told you not to go over there--I told you it wasn’t safe--but did you listen?” Dash shrank back, almost involuntarily. “Twi-Twilight?” “No, you didn’t! Of course you didn’t! You never listen! Because you’re Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash doesn’t listen to anypony!” Twilight held onto her glare for a few moments longer and then, suddenly and without warning, she burst into tears. Her sobs echoed off of the high ceilings of the ruined building, and Rainbow just sat and stared in silence. The tapestry lay right beside her, forgotten and utterly unimportant. After Twilight’s sobs finally gave way to more muted sniffling, the unicorn whispered, “You could’ve … you almost …” And it was then that Rainbow Dash understood. She wasn’t always the most observant of ponies--nor the most sensitive, to say the least--but she wasn’t completely clueless. Quietly she clambered to her hooves and, hesitantly leaning forward, gave the other pony a comforting nuzzle. “I’m all right, Twi,” she said, struggling to keep her voice low and gentle. “Everything’s all right. And ...” The words stuck in her throat, but she forced them out. “And I’m sorry. For making you worry and all.” Twilight shut her eyes and nodded. “I … I’m sorry, too. I probably overreacted.” “Maybe a little.” Rainbow chuckled. “I know it’s hard for you, Twilight, but you can’t control everything. Y’know? Sometimes stuff just happens, and it's nopony's fault.” “I know. I just can’t help thinking, though, what if something happened to you?” Her eyes snapped back open, and she blushed. “I--I mean, to any of you girls. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. I wouldn’t be able to--” Rainbow Dash cut off the unicorn with a kiss. She could both feel and hear Twilight suck in a sharp breath, and for a terrible, endless moment, Twilight didn’t move and Twilight didn’t react. Then, just as Rainbow was about to step back and begin babbling apologies, the pegasus felt a foreleg wrap around her neck and pull her forward. Holding on tightly, Twilight returned her kiss with a desperate, grasping intensity, and Dash found herself breathless and panting by the time the kiss finally ended. Twilight Sparkle stood there, just as breathless, and stared at the other pony with an expression in her eyes that Dash had never seen there before. “You are … you are absolutely incorrigible. Do you know that?” Rainbow had no idea what that word meant, but she knew by Twilight’s grin that it was a good thing. So she just grinned in return before darting forward for another kiss. Author's Notes: Another one adapted from something written for a TMP writing prompt? Eeeyup! The prompt that inspired this one was "An ancient pegasus ruin floats into the skies above Ponyville."