//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Rainbow Rambles // by bats //------------------------------// Rainbow sat at Twilight’s desk in the library while Twilight lounged on the couch reading.  The quill, gripped sideways in the pegasus’ mouth, worked its way across the pages of the book in slow, careful movements.  The sensation of writing like this was difficult to overcome at first, but Rainbow had gradually gotten used to it.  She wrote diligently, stopping only to dip the feather into its pot of ink or for the mare to straighten out any developing kinks in her neck.   On one of these neck stretches, she glanced over at her marefriend.  Twilight’s position had shifted from the dignified ball she’d been in when she started reading; four legs tucked underneath with her tail wrapped around.  She was now half off the couch, her head and shoulders on the floor with her flank on the edge of the cushions and her hindlegs akimbo in the air.  Her book floated with magic half a foot in front of her eyes.  Rainbow barely suppressed a laugh.  Speaking carefully around the quill, Rainbow said, “That’s a good look for you, Twi’.”   Twilight spasmed at the sudden comment, her flank slipping off the couch and thumping to the floor.  She stood up quickly, and hastily straightened her mane and coat.  She cleared her throat a few times, in an attempt to dismiss her embarrassment.  She regained her composure quickly, smiling as the faint haze of red faded from her cheeks.  “How’s the writing going, Rainbow?”   Rainbow set the quill down in the ink pot and licked her dry lips before responding, “It’s okay, I guess.”   Twilight walked around the couch to the other side of the desk.  “Is it helping at all?”   Rainbow sighed, giving the page she was working on a sour look.  “…I don’t know.  At first I didn’t think keeping a journal would help me figure any of this out.  But after I started, it got easier’n easier so I thought it might.”  Her brow furrowed in contemplation, as she rifled through the couple dozen filled pages at the front, more to confirm their existence than to garner any content.  Letting the pages settle back to the most recent entry, she rested both forehooves on the desk, stooping down.  “But now that I’ve gotten down some of my thoughts and stories, it feels like I haven’t answered any questions.”   Twilight smiled and took one of Rainbow’s hooves in her own.  “Well, you did say you were having trouble making sense of your own thoughts, so at least you had the chance to straighten some of those thoughts out.”   “You’re right,” Rainbow replied, her brows still together and her voice reluctant.  “But I’m not even sure what this jumble has to do with anything.”  She used her free hoof to prod the book before resting her chin on it.  “All I’ve learned is my head’s about as messy as my house is.”   Twilight chuckled and patted Rainbow’s hoof.  “It’s okay.  The point of doing this is to get you thinking about these things more critically.  It should make it easier for you to really get to the heart of the matter.”   Rainbow sighed deeply.  “I’m ready to get to the heart of the matter now.  I just don’t know where to start.”  She glared at the book.  It was at the start a nuisance, then a friend, and had recently morphed into an enigma.  She snapped it shut.  She shook her head slowly and looked up at the lavender mare who was patiently holding her hoof and smiling warmly.  Her brow unknit itself and she smiled back.  To Twilight she looked happy, but also a little lost.  “I’m sorry, Twilight.  I’m sure you’re just about sick to death of me running around in circles.”  Twilight began to tell her mare that it was okay, but Rainbow cut her off.  “Let’s get out of here for a little while.  I’ve got an idea of something to do.”   Twilight nodded, happy to see Rainbow’s eyes brighten as she spoke.  “Alright,” she said and levitated her book back onto a shelf.  Rainbow stood and cantered over to the door, looking over her shoulder back at the unicorn.  Twilight caught a look of amusement in Rainbow’s face and raised an eyebrow. Rainbow’s grin widened.  “You’ll see,” she quipped cryptically.  They exited the tree and Twilight turned her back on the sky blue mare so she could lock up.  As soon as the key had finished turning in the lock, Rainbow grabbed her in her forehooves and took off into the sky.  Twilight’s cry quickly resolved itself into joyful laughter.   Twilight cast the cloud-walking spell on herself and indicated she was ready to be put down.  Rainbow lowered her onto the puffy, white platform hovering over Sweet Apple Acres.  Rainbow alighted next to her and pulled a picnic basket out of a lump in the cloud with her teeth.   “So you planned this, did you?”  Twilight laughed, still flushed with exhilaration from the flight.  Rainbow set the basket back down, sat on her haunches, and gave a single nod with a self-satisfied grunt.  Twilight opened the basket and floated a couple of cucumber sandwiches out before sitting down next to the sky blue mare.  From their vantage point they had a clear view all the way to the Everfree Forest which sparkled dazzlingly in the midday sun.  They ate in silence, letting the view speak for itself. The two washed down their sandwiches with some Sweet Apple Acres’ cider that Rainbow had managed to save through extreme acts of willpower.  The cloud had kept the cider chilled to the touch, condensation sticking to each glass in fat droplets. Twilight exhaled appreciatively after a long draught and smacked her lips.  Rainbow giggled and bumped her mare in the shoulder.  The unicorn rolled her eyes and bumped back.  Her horn faintly glowing, Twilight levitated another pair of sandwiches from the basket and Rainbow deftly caught hers and wolfed it down in much the same way as the first.  Twilight chewed slowly, savoring both the taste and the growing anticipation on the pegasus’ face. Eventually, Twilight was done and Rainbow pulled a few choice books of Twilight’s from the basket and they read together.  They settled on the latest in a fantasy series Twilight had gushed over and eventually got Rainbow to try out.  They laid back against the cloud and Twilight floated the book in front of them.  They took turns reading sections aloud, Rainbow always changing her voice for different speaking parts and making Twilight giggle so much she’d miss whole paragraphs and pester her marefriend into repeating them. After reading a few chapters and getting to a good stopping point, Rainbow coaxed the unicorn onto her back and flew around their cloud, performing some of her slower maneuvers and eliciting shrieks of amused terror to rival any amusement park.  The laughter never left Twilight’s voice as they somersaulted, cartwheeled, and looped through the air.  The afternoon waned towards early evening, giving the sky a haze of orange, and they settled back on the cloud and sat close. Twilight leaned into Rainbow and rested her head on her marefriend’s shoulder.  Rainbow rested her head on Twilight’s and wrapped a gossamer wing around the unicorn’s middle.  They sat together and listened to the breeze. After a long, comfortable moment, Twilight broke the silence.  “This is beautiful, Rainbow.”  Twilight nuzzled Rainbow’s neck.  Rainbow chuckled and hugged Twilight closer with her wing. The studious mare gave a giggle before speaking once more “Thanks for bringing me up here.  What was the occasion, or were you just being spontaneous?”   “That hurts, Twi’.  Assuming I can’t do something nice for my marefriend without a reason.”  Her warm voice and the soft nuzzle delivered to Twilight’s head betraying her statement.  “Actually, it was something from the journaling.”   “Oh, really?  You didn’t make it sound like it was helping at all before.”   Rainbow shook her head a little, willing herself to not dwell on her frustrations at the moment.  “Not anything like that.  What happened is I started digging up dates and names to try and make some sense of my past marefriends.”  She shifted her position, standing up straight and looking at the lavender mare directly.  She cleared her throat and did a passable impression of Twilight when she was delivering a lecture.  “As of today, the two of us have been dating for three months and four days, making this the longest relationship I’ve ever been in.”  She slouched back down and grinned at Twilight.   Twilight blinked slowly, her face a little slack with surprise.  “Really?  It doesn’t feel like we’ve really been together that long.…”  She stopped herself and winced, checking Rainbow’s face for signs that she’d hurt the mare’s feelings.  She was surprised again to find Rainbow smiling wider.   “Exactly what I was thinkin’.”  Twilight’s confusion grew as the pegasus hugged her.  Rainbow continued, speaking softly, “The time’s flown by and I’ve been so happy being with you.  I’ve never gotten bored.  I wake up every day wanting to know you better, see your face, make you smile.”  She pulled back from the hug, holding Twilight’s shoulders with her hooves and gave her an appraising look.  “It’s never stopped feeling like we just started on a big adventure.”   Twilight’s smile was almost as bright as the setting sun.  “…You’re right, Rainbow.  It feels just like we’re on an adventure.  I’m happy we can share that adventure together, and I’m happy to help you every step of it.”  Her eyes dropped to her hooves, and she began idly kneading a lump of cloud.  “I wish I could help you more, though.  You know I haven’t really dated anypony else before, Rainbow.  If I had more experience, maybe I’d know how to help you get through this.”   Rainbow crouched down and nuzzled Twilight’s chin, bringing her gaze up so their eyes locked.  “It’s okay, Twilight.  I know you’re trying to work through stuff, too.  I can see you stressin’ about a lot of things, even when you try to hide it.”   Twilight stared back, searching Rainbow’s eyes for frustration or annoyance and being surprised to find none.  “Really?  I thought that maybe you’d be upset.  That you’d think I didn’t want this.”  She dropped her gaze again.  Her marefriend’s understanding look gave her the courage to voice doubts that had been plaguing her mind.  “I really want us, Rainbow, but I’m confused about a lot of things.  I know I like mares, but I also know I like stallions, too.  And I don’t know how those desires work, or how they might manifest themselves later.  And I’m scared of moving too fast, or too slow, or ruining things.”  She sighed, partially in relief from giving her demons voice.  “I love the way things are right now and part of me doesn’t want anything to change, but I know things always do and I don’t know how to control it, and—”  A soft blue hoof cut her off.   “It really is okay.  Those are fears everypony has, and I’ve got a share of ‘em, too.  You said we’d work on what’s bothering me together, and there’s no reason we can’t work on what’s bothering the both of us together.”  They shared a smile.  “This big adventure’s gotta take teamwork.”   Twilight stood and hugged her mare earnestly.  “You’re the best marefriend a pony could ask for, Rainbow Dash.”  The Pegasus returned the hug.   “That’s my line.”   They settled back down to watch Celestia’s sun finish its journey over the horizon.  Twilight smirked.  “So how on Equestria did you know the exact length, to the day, of past relationships?”  Rainbow grinned sheepishly. “I, uh, kinda found an old little black book of mine.”  A light blush colored her cheeks and Twilight laughed. “Just how many marefriends have you had to keep one of those?”  Rainbow coughed and pretended not to hear the question. The sun finished its descent, casting brilliant bands of gold and burgundy across the sky.  Twilight wished wistfully that Rainbow had also packed a dinner.  Rainbow tugged a second hidden basket from the cloud and Twilight nearly fell down to the apple orchard laughing.  After a dinner of Spike’s famous roasted eggplant, Rainbow flew them back to the tree, taking several detours through the moonlight.   Back on the ground, slightly punch-drunk from the flight, flushed, and glowing from the day with her marefriend, Twilight invited Rainbow to stay the night.  Although still early evening, she led Rainbow directly to her bedroom.  When Twilight invited the mare to sleep in her bed, something that had become the usual tradition whenever she stayed the night, Rainbow could see in her eyes she wasn’t talking about sleeping.  Glad that Spike had moved into one of the spare rooms a few weeks previously, the two crept under the sheets together and into each other’s burning embrace.     As the morning sun streamed through the window in Twilight’s bedroom, the two lovers woke entangled.   “Hey,” Rainbow said, her voice rough and cracking more than usual from sleep.  She pulled Twilight closer to her chest, placing a series of kisses on the unicorn’s head.  Twilight blinked the sand from her eyes and smiled.  She snuggled into the embrace, her forehooves scrunched together against the mare’s cyan chest.  She ran a hoof in slow circles through Rainbow’s coat.   “Hey, yourself.”  She stretched out her back, freeing her hooves to snake around Rainbow’s neck.  In a swift motion she rolled onto her marefriend, pinning the pegasus to the bed.  Rainbow chuckled and pulled Twilight’s head closer.  The two shared a slow, invigorating kiss.  “Last night was wonderful, Rainbow.”   Rainbow flashed a cocky smirk.  “I am the most awesome pony in Ponyville, Twi’.”  Twilight giggled and nibbled on Rainbow’s ear.   “I suppose so,” she whispered.  Rainbow shuddered at the touch and ran her hooves through Twilight’s tangled mane.  A soft groan escaped through her muzzle as a lavender hoof ran under a wing.  The two remained in bed through breakfast time and after a couple showers they found themselves sprawled on the couch, wrapped in each other’s limbs.  Rainbow grumbled.   “I don’t wanna move, but I have to huh?”  She looked to her marefriend, hoping she’d have a good excuse for staying in.   Twilight smiled at Rainbow while playing with her multi-colored mane.  “Probably.  Anything on your plate today?”  The pegasus sighed, knowing no reprieve was in sight.   “Not much.  Got some clouds to clear out comin’ in from the Everfree, and I told Pinkie Pie I’d taste test a new recipe or two.”  She stretched, not wanting to get up but knowing she’d need to.   “Sounds fun.  I’ve got some organizing to do in the library, and Princess Celestia asked me to look over a piece of magical research that’s about to be published in Canterlot.”  Rainbow finally roused herself and stood.  “So I’ll see you for homework time?”   Rainbow gave Twilight a lingering goodbye kiss.  “Wouldn’t miss it.”  She gave her mare a smile and headed out the door, taking off for the edge of the forest. With Rainbow gone, Twilight lounged on the couch, her thoughts blissful and scattered.  After a few minutes of reveling in her emotional euphoria she managed to drag herself to her hooves and get to work.     Rainbow found her sky-clearing duties went faster than normal.  She wasn’t sure if it was simply the distraction of her memories or if she actually was physically lighter to match her spirit.  Cloud Kicker would have been more pleased with her expediency if not for the constant bragging.   “Oh, yeah!  Who’s the fastest pony in Equestria?  Rainbow Dash, that’s who!”  Rainbow bucked the final cloud apart and puffed out her chest.  She crossed her hooves behind her head and hovered in the air, flipping her mane out of her face and smirking.  Cloud Kicker rolled her eyes.   “Rainbow Dash, everypony knows you can work quickly if you want to,” Cloud snapped, putting extra emphasis on the last two words.  Rainbow’s eyes snapped open and she smiled sheepishly at the pastel purple pegasus.   “I guess I was layin’ it on a little thick huh?” she chuckled.   “Ya think?”  Rainbow scratched her head with a hoof and smiled bashfully.   “I’ll tone it down, Cloud.  I’m just in a good mood.”  She somersaulted once and hovered closer to Cloud Kicker, offering a hoof.  “Forgive me?  It’s hard to be this awesome and not talk about it.”  An eye-roll and a headshake later, Cloud Kicker took the offered hoof.   “It’s alright, we’re done for the day anyway.  Honestly, Dash, you need to get that swollen head looked at.”  Rainbow chuckled as the two turned to fly back toward’s downtown Ponyville.  “Off to spend more time with that mare of yours?”   Rainbow grinned.  “I gotta go over to Sugarcube Corner first, but after that yep.”  She puffed out her chest and puffed a hot breath on her hoof, polishing it in her coat.  Cloud rolled her eyes.   “Rainbow Dash, Don Juan extraordinaire.”   “That’s me!  Catch ya later, Cloud.”  She turned towards the bakery and took off in a blur.  Cloud Kicker huffed and continued on her way at a sedated pace.   As she flew towards Sugarcube Corner, something was nagging Rainbow.  ‘Hrm,’ she thought, ‘I was kinda being a jerk to Cloud back there, wasn’t I?  I wonder wh—’ Rainbow’s rumination was interrupted as she entered the shop only to have a bucket of water fall on her head.  She glared wetly at the pink pony collapsed on the ground howling with laughter.   “Really, Pinkie?  The water bucket?  You need some newer pranks.”  Still giggling the earth pony bounded to her hooves and over to Rainbow.   “Ooh, got any ideas?  Fluttershy’s on the way to taste test, too!”  Rainbow’s glare vanished and an evil grin spread across her face.   “Got any catapults?”   “Do I?!?!”   A few minutes later, Fluttershy opened the shop’s door.  The tinkling of the welcome bell was muffled by the sound of a piece of twine pulling taught and snapping.  A large blob of cream cheese frosting flew through the air and splattered across the yellow mare’s face and mane.  Pinkie and Rainbow collapsed in hysterics.  Fluttershy’s bewilderment cracked and she joined in, giggling softly.  After getting cleaned up, the two pegasi sampled a handful of experimental treats.  The pumpkin treacle needed some work, but the chimicherrywhatevers were finally edible.  Pinkie’s take on a dessert Reuben left the two puzzled and slightly sick.  After several glasses of water and some vigorous tooth brushing, they tried the final treat and both mares agreed her sour cream cupcakes were sure to be best sellers.  After saying goodbye to Pinkie, Rainbow wanted to stretch her wings so she floated just above and to the right of Fluttershy as they traveled  together to the latter’s cottage.   “So how are things going with you and Twilight?  If uh...  If it’s okay that I ask…”  Fluttershy smiled nervously.   “Things are awesome, ‘Shy.”  Rainbow’s expression shifted from cocky to pensive.  Fluttershy was one of her oldest friends and she was used to sharing her problems with the yellow mare.  After a brief consideration, she decided to be honest.  She flipped over to fly upside-down, “Well, things between the two of us are awesome, anyway.  I’m havin’ my own problems.”   “Oh?”  Fluttershy gave her a look full of concern.  Rainbow smiled inwardly at her friend’s immediate and heartfelt compassion.   “Before Twi’ and I started dating, I never really had a relationship that didn’t fizzle out really soon.  It kinda goes back to when you reminded me about how much I bragged about dating back in Flight School, and what Pinkie said about not wanting to lose friends.  I’ve gotten over a little of it.  I’m takin’ this relationship seriously.  But I’m worried I’m gonna start pushing her away without meaning to.  Or that there’re other hang-ups I don’t know about.  I’m afraid I’m gonna mess this up ‘cause I can’t figure myself out.”   Fluttershy listened to her friend intently.  Rainbow’s speech unsettled her.  “Y—you’ve changed, Rainbow.  If uh, you don’t mind me saying so…”  She lowered her head, skittish.   Rainbow’s expression grew puzzled, but there was no anger in her expression.  When she spoke, her voice carried a hint of hopefulness.  “Whaddya mean?”   Fluttershy cleared her throat, pushing her nerves as far back as they would go so she could say what she needed to. “It’s not all the time, but when you aren’t around a bunch of ponies you act more like when I first met you.”  She paused, steeling herself to go on.  “I remember when we were fillies in Flight School.  You were always athletic and competitive, but you were really soft-spoken and modest, too.  Then one day you started, uh…bragging a lot.  It was really sudden.”  She flushed and looked like she was worried Rainbow would strike her.   Rainbow put a hoof to her chin as she flew, her eyes far away.  “I don’t remember any of that.  Do you remember what was goin’ on at the time?”   Fluttershy swallowed and got her emotions back in check.  “It was a long time ago, Rainbow.  I…I think it was around the time you had a falling out with that peach-colored mare.  Gosh, I can’t remember her name.  She had a red mane, and you two used to be close friends…”  Fluttershy frowned, trying to remember the name when Rainbow beat her to it.   “Cloudy Moon?” Rainbow had stopped dead in the air, drifting a few paces behind the light yellow pegasus.  Shock and recognition were clear in her eyes.  Fluttershy paused and turned around, trotting back to meet the sky blue mare.   “That’s right,” she said softly, “Is everything okay, Rainbow?”   Rainbow shook her head and set a determined expression on her face, her eyes searching.  “Do you know if I changed before or after Cloudy and I fell out?”   Fluttershy paused to consider, intimidated by Rainbow’s piercing look.  “I’m, uh, I’m not sure.  I think it happened right around the same time, though.”   Rainbow’s head reeled.  She shook her head forcefully before turning to face the library.  She quickly spouted, “Thanks, ‘Shy,” before disappearing in a rainbow-colored blur.  Fluttershy looked on, mystified.   Rainbow flew into the library through an open window, landing at a gallop and rushing through the rooms.  She found Twilight pouring over some scrolls at her desk, taking notes.   “Twilight!” she half shouted, her face a mix of shock and understanding.   “Rainbow!  Is everything alright?!”  She hurried around her desk and grasped Rainbow’s shoulders in her hooves, searching her face for signs of catastrophe.  Feeling a bit guilty from causing such a fearful reaction, Rainbow took a deep breath to calm down.   “Everything’s fine.  I was just having a conversation with Fluttershy and I realized something.”  She smiled and angled her head towards the floor, looking up at Twilight with contrition.  Twilight released her marefriend and took a few breaths as well, letting the sudden rush of adrenaline and fear work its way out of her system.   “Oh…Okay…”  She breathed in again and out slowly, finding her center.  “What did you realize?”   Rainbow took another breath.  “I told you about Cloudy Moon, right?  Well Fluttershy told me that before I asked her out and we drifted apart I used to not be so arrogant.”   Twilight chuckled.  “Fluttershy called you arrogant?”   “Not directly, no.”  Rainbow grinned briefly, before looking at a wall, not really seeing it.  “But that’s what she meant.  And that’s what I am…”  She paused.  Twilight’s eyes had widened a little.  She hadn’t expected such a flat acceptance.  Rainbow turned her head back to address Twilight directly.  “But, she said that I used to not be.  And she said that since we’ve started dating it goes away sometimes.”   Twilight blinked.  Her mind worked quickly as always and pieced together a tapestry of events from the previous months.  She was close, too close to have seen it without guidance, but it was clear as day.  Rainbow’s bravado and boasting vanished when the two were alone, or with small groups of their friends, but rebounded sharply around others.  It was like she was two different ponies.  Twilight’s head spun from the revelation, less from the content than the fact that she had been unaware.  “…I can’t believe I didn’t notice.”   “So it’s true, isn’t it?”  Rainbow looked into Twilight’s eyes, pleading for confirmation.   Twilight regathered her thoughts.  “…Yes.  I don’t know if it’s because of Cloudy, but your bragging—”   “My arrogance.”  Rainbow cut across Twilight’s statement with finality.  Twilight sighed and nodded.   “Your arrogance, then, does go away when you’re with just me, or just a few friends.  You still boast a little, but it’s self-deprecating.  With others, you’re serious.”  Rainbow was lost in thought.  She nodded somberly.   After a long pause, she began again.  “Well, this doesn’t change a lot, but I know a little bit more about myself now.  I got a new angle to look at my past from.  And it gives me something to work for.”  She turned from Twilight and shuffled to the window, looking out.  “I got a good look at myself today, and I don’t think I wanna be this pony anymore.”  Twilight frowned and her brow knotted with concern.  She moved next to her lover and put a hoof on her shoulder.   “I don’t want you to change.  I like who you are, Rainbow.”  Rainbow looked back at the lavender unicorn and gave her a tired smile.   “I like who I am when I’m around you, too, Twilight.  I wanna be this pony all the time.”  Twilight smiled and pulled her mare into a warm embrace.  The two stood at the window hugging for a long while.   “I’ll help you do that, every step of the way.”  Twilight whispered.  Rainbow’s smile and grasp both deepened.   “Thanks, Twi’.”  Eventually the two separated.  After a moment of just looking upon her marefriend with affection, Rainbow asked, “So how’s this thing for the Princess goin’?”   Twilight looked away and her brows once again knit together with worry.  “Well…I think I might have to go back to Canterlot for a few months.”  Rainbow blinked.     Author’s note:  And that’s a wrap for chapter three.  Now with added feature: a plot!  A big thanks for the warm reception this has received so far, and I hope everyone continues to enjoy it.  A shout out to my editors, Doctor Strangelove and Echriedz even though Doc threatened me with bodily harm if I thanked him again.  He does MMA; I should probably take those threats seriously. Also, there’s an open invitation for any writers out there to expand Rainbow and Twilight’s first time into a clopfic with my full permission.  DO IT. <