Several years later…
Twilight lay on the familiar thick red quilt next to the same tree where Rainbow had asked her out on a date all those years ago. A single candle sat to her left, its small flame flickering in the wind. Though while a thick blanket of snow covered the ground this time of year, it never stopped her from faithfully recreating their spot. A thick white blanket sat upon her back, keeping her warm from the light wind and the cold. Another blanket sat across from her, neatly folded for Rainbow.
They had spent each anniversary of their wedding at this very spot, though this was the first time that she would spend it alone. While she sorely missed her wife, she was happy that she had achieved her dreams of joining and flying with the Wonderbolts. They were off on a tour around the country, and as fate would have it, today’s date put them pretty far away from Ponyville. Rainbow had tried to convince Spitfire to change the schedule but it was already set in stone. Twilight had accepted that she’d be alone on their next anniversary, knowing that Rainbow would have done everything possible to be at her side.
Spike had gone off on a journey to find himself and his purpose in life. It had been quite the surprise when he sprouted wings, but of course it was only natural for one of his age. While she sorely missed him, he was steadfast in his resolve to find out who he was. She knew he’d be back eventually. Scootaloo was in her last year of school, and while she still struggled to fly, that never stopped her from chasing her dreams of being in the Wonderbolts, especially since Rainbow was their newest recruit. Rainbow had promised that she would help her get a job working for the Wonderbolts once she was old enough, a job that would keep the two of them close.
It had been just over two months since she’d last seen Rainbow. She had wanted to follow her and the Wonderbolts on tour, but her duties as a princess and as a mother kept her from following her heart and her wife across the countryside. She tilted her head back and looked up into the sky, praying for any sign of her lover in the twilight sky, but alas, she didn’t see anything. Her ears flopped down in disappointment, though she knew she shouldn’t feel this way. Still, it was hard not to when your heart yearned for your better half. Rainbow was due back in just under three weeks, though she felt like that was three weeks too many.
Twilight thought back to their wedding day. She’d give anything to experience that wonderful day once more. All her friends, family, and all the princesses had gathered in Princess Celestia’s throne room for the ceremony. To profess her love for her best friend in front of so many was daunting to be sure, but Rainbow’s wondrous smile gave her the strength she needed to stand before such a large crowd. Twilight’s dress was considerably more complex and intricate, complete with lace and pure-white crystals while Rainbow had worn something a little simpler, yet just as elegant.
She stared off into the distance and watched as the sun disappeared. The moon rose into the sky shortly after, its arrival silently reminding her that she was just as alone as the moon was in the night sky. Twilight sighed once more, unable to keep herself from feeling lonely.
“Hey there, egghead,” came a familiar voice from behind.
Twilight’s head whipped around, unable to believe her ears. Rainbow leaned against the tree, still clad in her Wonderbolts uniform. “Rainbow? What are you doing here?” She pushed herself up in an instant and wrapped her forelegs around her wife in a hug that spoke volumes of her love.
“What, you think I’d miss our anniversary?” she asked, panting as she hugged her back. Her chest heaved up and down as she worked to catch her breath.
Twilight let her go. “B-But your show? How did you manage to get away?” she asked, astonished that she had been able to fly such a far distance without stopping.
“I gave one of our backups a chance to fly with the team. You should have seen how excited they were when I told them they were flying tonight in my place.” Rainbow slipped out of her uniform and hung it and her goggles on a low branch.
“How long did it take you to fly here?” Twilight asked as she led Rainbow to their quilt and blankets.
“Too long, but hey, you’re worth it. I couldn’t stand being away from you on our anniversary. Thing is, though, I have to leave super early tomorrow morning to make it back in time for our next show.” Rainbow sat down across from her, only then noticing the neatly-folded note that lay next to Twilight. “Hey, is that…” She chuckled, picked up the note, then unfolded it. Her nostrils flared as a smile broke out on her face. “Meet me under the tree with the single candle,” she slowly read aloud. “You kept it all this time?”
“Of course. I would never throw away something that signifies our love, even if it is a worn and tattered note.”
“I was terrified that you would say no, you know.” Rainbow lay down and pulled the spare blanket over her shoulders. “I didn’t want to ruin what we had, but I saw an opportunity that I just couldn’t miss.” She tucked her hooves and tail underneath the blanket.
“And do you think it paid off?” Twilight smugly asked.
“Eh, kinda. At least it got me a half-decent snuggle buddy,” Rainbow said with a smirk.
“Half-decent!” Twilight feigned shock. “I’ll have you know I studied the art of snuggling for months because of you! I consider myself the leading expert on all things to do with snuggling, by the way,” she said as she shot a smirk back at Rainbow. “Speaking of which…” She fished a book out from under her blanket and placed it between them for her to look at.
“The Art of the Snuggle? Who wrote this?” she asked, her tone filled with curiosity. “Sounds like something we would have read.”
“Believe it or not, but I wrote it. I wanted to surprise you with it when you got back as our anniversary present. I used what I learned with you to write it. Go on, see for yourself!” she said with pride and excitement.
Rainbow opened the book up to the first page and read aloud, “Dedicated to the love of my life and best friend, Rainbow Dash. May our love last forevermore.” She glanced up at her. “Simple, yet elegant.” She looked back down at the book and flipped to the table of contents. “Wow, you really put some thought into this. How long did this take you to make?”
“Many, many months. I had to go back and change a few things as we explored–”
“Each other’s bodies?” Rainbow asked as she cut her off.
Twilight felt her cheeks warm. “In one regard, yes,” she finally admitted.
“Heh, knew it.” Rainbow shut the book and pushed it back towards Twilight. “We’ll definitely have to read it together soon, but there’s something else I want to do first.” Twilight couldn’t help but blush again from Rainbow’s gaze. She knew what she wanted. She wanted it too. Rainbow leaned in to steal a quick kiss from her lips like she’d always done, but Twilight desired more. When her wife tried to pull away after a mere two-second kiss, she grinned and pulled her back in with a hoof.
While she and Rainbow had made out many times, the soft touch of Rainbow’s lips upon hers never failed to make her muscles loosen and lose all strength, almost as if her subconscious mind wanted to keep her there for as long as possible. It was the gentle yet earnest energy that Rainbow put into their expression of love for one another that made her yearn for it to never end. If only she could find a spell to suspend their need to breathe would she be able to truly show Rainbow just how much she cared for her.
If only she could cast any spell.
She faltered, a pit growing in her stomach as she was reminded of her inability to use magic. The crack on the side of her horn had never healed, forcing her to learn how to live as an earth pony. While Rainbow had helped her learn to live like a pegasus, she struggled to do even the most menial tasks with her hooves and wings.
The princesses had tried everything they could, but even after many tireless nights, none could figure out a way to restore Twilight’s magic. Each time she tried to perform even the most rudimentary of spells resulted in a headache that made her bedridden for days. How could she be a princess without magic? How could one deserve to call themselves an alicorn, much less a unicorn, without the ability to use magic? Those questions had plagued Twilight’s mind for all this time, but at the end of the day, she knew that losing such an intimate part of herself was well worth it if she could spend just one more day with the love of her life. Every day past that was simply a blessing.
Rainbow pulled away with a look of concern. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I know I’m a bit out of practice, but–”
“It’s not that; you were great! It’s just…”Twilight gulped, her mouth feeling dry. “I was just thinking about my magic. I’m sorry that I ruined such a nice moment, but–” She stopped talking and looked back up into her eyes as Rainbow’s hoof found hers under the blankets, only then noticing that Rainbow was looking up at her horn.
Rainbow’s eyes narrowed as she leaned back in to take another look. “You know… the crack looks a little smaller.”
“It does?” Even if Rainbow was fibbing, she still felt a glimmer of hope where it hadn’t existed before. She appreciated her kind words for it showed her that Rainbow didn’t mind her ruining their moment.
“Have you… tried to use it lately?” Rainbow gently asked.
Twilight shook her head. “No. I haven’t felt it since that… night on the mountain. Every time I reach out to try to use my magic, it hurts. Imagine the kind of headache one would get from drinking too much hard cider. Double that, then imagine being bucked on the side of the head.” Her throat tightened, making her stumble and choke on her words. “That’s how it feels when I try to cast even the simplest of spells. The pain lasts for days.”
Rainbow’s shoulders drooped for a few moments before her eyes lit up. “Hey, what if you just have to push through that pain? What if you’re stopping right before the spell releases?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Isn’t learning how to use magic just like working out at a gym? Like, don’t you have to start at the lowest weight and work yourself up to heavier stuff?” Twilight nodded slowly as she tried to figure out where Rainbow was going. “And just like when I do a sonic rainboom, you remember how I have to get past that barrier to make it happen?” Twilight nodded once more, still perplexed. “Okay, hear me out!” Rainbow stood up and started pacing back and forth. “What if you just overexerted yourself to the point where it took you so long to recover that you have to start back at square one? What if you just need to push through that barrier?”
Twilight wilted at the thought. The idea of suffering such terrible pain for days, especially on their anniversary, made her stomach twist and turn. Part of her told her to accept her lot in life and to not try to stay comfortable, but the more she thought about it, the more Rainbow’s theory had merit. That idea sent a spark of hope that made her heart beat fast.
“Could you try one more time? For me?” Rainbow asked with a comforting smile.
Twilight stood up and steadied herself, her eyes locked on the space between them. Her knees shook with nervous anticipation. The mere thought of being able to use magic again sent little nervous tingles down her legs and spine. She noticed Rainbow’s tail swishing back and forth in excited anticipation, pushing a smile to her lips.
With a single deep breath, she closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, pushing harder than ever before, even harder than when she was a filly at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Seconds passed as a headache grew at the base of her horn, spreading throughout her head. The pain grew worse with each passing second until a stabbing pain drove her to stop. The tip of her horn felt off and radiated heat like never before.
“Why’d you stop? I saw something!” Rainbow blurted out. “You were so close!”
“W-What? But I–” Twilight blinked a couple of times, confused.
“I saw a spark! Tiny, but still a spark!” She stood up and nudged her on the shoulder like a teammate in hoofball would. “Come on, you can do it!”
“You really saw something? No fibbing?” she cautiously asked.
“I swear on my love for you that I did.”
Hope surged within Twilight’s heart. After a few deep breaths, she spread her forelegs shoulder-width apart and closed her eyes. Right before she started to search for the magic within her mind, she felt Rainbow’s lips upon her own, then heard her whisper into her ear, “I love you, my little bookworm. Show me your magic.”
Twilight pushed as hard as she could, this time ignoring the stabbing pain. It felt as if someone was driving a spike through her head. Her horn grew warm, then hot, but still she pushed on. Her knees began to tremble and yet she kept going. As the feeling of nausea built within her core, an invisible wall began to crack within her mind. She focused all her energy on that wall, and right as she was about to give up, the wall shattered into a thousand pieces. Her breath quickened as she bathed in the wondrous warmth of her magic, finally feeling that comforting sensation and thrumming of power coursing through her mind. She bit back the rising bile and doubled down, so close to victory that she could almost taste it. Focusing on her love for her wife, she thought of only Rainbow as she finally felt the spell finish and release. The mental strain lifted immediately, and through blurry vision she watched in awe as a single pink heart a few inches across slowly drifted down in between them. I… I did it!
Rainbow caught the floating heart between her front hooves and held it as gently as if she were holding a baby bird. It slowly spun around on its axis, hovering mere inches above her hooves. It popped a few moments later, winking out of existence. “I knew you could do it, Twi!” she exclaimed. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”
“Awful and amazing.”
“I know how that feels,” Rainbow laughed. She looked back up at her, her eyes going wide a second later. “Twilight! The crack; it’s smaller!”
A cold shiver ran down Twilight’s back. “Really?” She looked up at her horn, but couldn’t see it because the crack was just out of her vision. She lifted a hoof to feel it. It was warm to the touch, but Rainbow was right; she could barely feel the crack anymore. “I wonder if it’ll heal the more I practice…” she murmured, already deep in thought about the possibilities.
“I’m sure it will.” Rainbow stepped forward and pulled her into a ferocious hug. Tears of joy stained Twilight’s back, but she cared not for she was whole once more.
“So, my Princess of Snuggles, what’s your first order?” Rainbow asked with a cheeky grin as she bowed.
“Well, for starters…” Twilight lay down, fluffed her feathers, and held her left wing open. “My first order will be that you come snuggle and spend all night with me.”
“It would be my honor and my pleasure.” Rainbow lay down next to her and snuggled up against her side, eliciting a hum of content from her wife. “Anything else, my princess?” she asked in a joking tone.
“Oh, but of course!” Twilight draped her wing across Rainbow’s back, pulled as close as she possibly could, then nuzzled her cheek before laying her head against hers. “My second decree is that we practice the advanced levels of snuggles and cuddles from my book. I need more, uh… practice with another expert snuggler for my second book on snuggles.”
“Uh huh…” Rainbow saw past her fib with ease. “You just wanna snuggle with me as much as you can, don’t you? You know you don’t need a reason to show me some lovin’.” She unfurled her right wing and draped it across Twilight’s back.
“Oh, that gives me an idea! My third decree is that we must snuggle at least for a half hour on every day ending in Y,” she said with a smirk.
“But every day ends in–” Rainbow chuckled. “I see what you did there. Consider it done.”
A cold breeze ran through the clearing, almost extinguishing the little candle. Twilight felt Rainbow shiver. While she wasn’t particularly cold, she didn’t want the wintery weather to ruin their night. “Say… do you remember what you asked me all those years ago in this same spot?”
“Of course, I remember it like it was yesterday.” Rainbow grinned. “Wanna snuggle at my place?”
“Always.”