The two royal guard unicorns straddling the door to the throne room nodded almost imperceptibly at their approach and swung the heavy doors silently open with a soft glow of magic. Princess Celestia offered them a regal smile and stood to greet them. Twilight’s face broke out in a wide grin. She flung the still snow-spotted scarf off herself with a flick of her horn, and it settled down across Rainbow’s back. The unusually mild autumn had broken to winter with a vengeance. Rainbow smirked and offered the monarch a quick bow.
“Hello, my little ponies,” Princess Celestia stepped deliberately and gracefully down the steps toward the mares. Twilight sped ahead of Rainbow to meet her at the bottom. “I am very appreciative of you coming on such short notice, my faithful student. I trust your journey was pleasant?”
Twilight looked back at her marefriend. “Well, Rainbow was going to fly me here, but the snow kinda forced us to take the train instead.” Rainbow offered Twilight a smile. In that smile, Twilight could clearly perceive the pegasus saying, “It’s alright, I don’t mind.” The level of nonverbal communication that went on between the two of them seemed to be expanding exponentially, a fact that made Twilight giddy with joy, curiosity, and more than a little fear.
“It is good to see you, Rainbow Dash. I was not expecting your arrival, but you are most welcome. Will you be staying in Canterlot while Twilight assists the research team?” Princess Celestia’s slow, practiced steps closed the distance between herself and the sky blue mare, who was busy attempting to fold Twilight’s scarf with her hooves and teeth. At the princess’ approach, she dropped the scarf from her mouth.
“Nah,” she waved a hoof dismissively. “I just came to see Twilight off. I’ve got weather-duty in Ponyville that’s gonna keep me busy. Start of winter’s a busy time for me.”
“Well, you and all of Twilight’s friends have my invitation to visit Twilight during her stay. I know she will appreciate the company of her companions.” She glanced at the lavender mare and caught sight of the look she and the pegasus exchanged. Centuries of experience and politics left little hidden from her perception. Her regal smile faltered; a true smile broke through and her eyes danced with warmth. “Or perhaps I should say the company of more than friends?”
Twilight and Rainbow blinked at each other and stared unbelieving at the monarch. Princess Celestia barely stifled a chuckle. “I’m surprised at you, Twilight! I would have expected to hear about this in a friendship report.” Still smiling, she turned around and headed back towards the center of the room. “How long have you two been seeing each other?”
“Er… About four months,” Twilight answered, following the princess with Rainbow a short distance behind them. “I, uh, was a little hesitant to tell you.”
“My, whatever for my student?” The princess looked over her shoulder, true happiness still evident in her eyes.
“I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.” Twilight confessed, bowing her head slightly.
“This is nothing but good news, Twilight Sparkle. I had been hopeful you would find your path to emotional happiness in Ponyville and I am delighted to have been proven right.” She turned to address her student’s marefriend. “I hope you will stay for the evening, Rainbow Dash. I will be sure to not have a second room prepared for you.” Both mares flushed and looked away from each other quickly. The princess failed to stifle her laugh.
Rainbow and Twilight entered the latter’s suite. Both were full and feeling lazy after the large affair dinner had been. Twilight’s baggage had already been unpacked by servants, so the two sat next to each other on the plush bed. “The digs here are amazing.” Rainbow marveled at the room. Velvet curtains, mahogany with inlaid gold, polished stone-work, all of it hoof-made.
“I think I’d rather be back in the library,” Twilight sighed. Rainbow’s gaze shifted and settled on Twilight. ’Now here’s the most beautiful thing in the room,’ she thought briefly before dismissing it to focus on what Twilight had said.
“Hey, it’s okay. You told me weeks ago you needed to be here to help research this, uh, magic field thingie whosawhatsits…” A giggle was forced from the lavender mare.
“Leyline magical field mapping and utilization.” She offered.
“Yeah, that thing.” Rainbow grinned. “You said you were the only pony for the job, and it’s not like it’s gonna take forever. You’ll be back in your library before you know it.” Twilight sighed again.
“I’m gonna miss you, Rainbow.” The pegasus wrapped a wing around her mare. The soft, silken feathers were more comfortable than the bedding and Twilight could feel the strong, dense muscles underneath grip and hold her close. To her, it was the most soothing place in all of Equestria.
“I’ll miss you too, Twi’.” She placed a delicate kiss on Twilight’s forehead just next to her horn. “I scheduled with Cloud Kicker to have weekends off for a while. I’ll come see you every week like I promised.” Twilight leaned into Rainbow and wrapped her hooves around the pegasus’ middle.
“I know you will. I wish you could stay with me. Or I could have stayed in Ponyville.” Rainbow smiled sadly.
“Duty calls.”
“Yeah.” The two sat silently in each other’s embrace as the sun finished setting and Luna’s moon took its place in the sky. Their silence turned from bittersweet to comfortable. The comfort turned to something more urgent when Rainbow began trailing kisses down Twilight’s neck and the two retired to under the blankets.
Rainbow awoke to find herself hopelessly enmeshed with Twilight. Hooves crossed and grasped around each other and the pegasus could feel strands of long, straight mane weaving through her feathers. Eyes half closed, she puffed a breath of hair to dislodge a lock of indigo hair from her face and smiled. ’Oh, if only I could wake up like this every day,’ she thought. The notion occurred to her that after Twilight’s business in Canterlot was concluded that may become a possibility. Her smile deepened. She nuzzled in closer to her lover and nibbled the tip of a purple ear.
Twilight stirred and pulled her mare in close, a half asleep moan rumbling in her throat. She yawned and stretched, opening a bleary eye. “Wh-time izzit?”
Rainbow glanced out the window. The snow had stopped the previous evening and the sky was the harsh, steel-gray-tinted blue that always meant it was bitterly cold. “Eight or so by the sun.” Twilight giggled sleepily.
“There’s a clock, silly.”
Rainbow glanced around and caught sight of the intricately carved clock on the wall. She chuckled at herself. “Eight fifteen.” Twilight stretched again, using the motion to snake her forehooves around a sky blue neck and into a sleep-tossed chromatic mane. She pulled Rainbow’s muzzle in close for a kiss.
“We should get up; you need to head back to Ponyville soon, huh?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow breathed the word out as a sigh. The two disentangled and stood. Twilight went to the vanity and began brushing out her mane while Rainbow took first turn in the bathroom. The two switched, although Rainbow didn’t approach the vanity. Instead, she opened the closet door and looked inside for a few moments in contemplation.
“Everything alright, Rainbow?” The cyan mare glanced up briefly as Twilight stepped out of the bathroom and then returned her gaze to the closet.
“Yeah…” Twilight was surprised to find unease in her marefriend’s voice. “I, uh, have something I wanna give you.” She leaned into the closet and removed a velvet box with her teeth. She stood and Twilight was again surprised to see the uncertainty in her hoofsteps. Twilight’s face was blank as she levitated the box over. She paused before removing the lid.
Inside was a midnight blue dress. Twilight could clearly tell it was Rarity’s work. The style was elegant, but not flashy and could be worn to either formal or casual events with ease. Her eyes traced along the sides, finding flashes of barely visible stars embroidered on with silver thread. They were placed sparingly and from a distance would simply add a shimmer to the dress. All of them were six-pointed to match her cutie mark. Marveling at the dress, she rotated it in the air to see it from all angles and let the stars shimmer. She caught sight of the collar, which was clasped by a brooch. The brooch was a cloud with a lightning bolt extending out in yellow, red, and blue.
“Oh, Rainbow…” Twilight’s eyes traced along the contours of the present. “This is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen…” Rainbow chuckled.
“You’ll need it, I think. There’s bound to be a ton of stuffy royal dinners and whatnot that you’ll have to go to. And plus, you’ll need it to match mine when we go out on Fridays.” Twilight blinked and looked at her marefriend.
“Yours?” Rainbow’s nervousness seemed to worsen, but she returned to the closet and pulled out a second box. Twilight levitated the lid and removed the dress. The style and cut were identical, but the subtle, shifting silver thread took the form of lightning bolts, small and spaced apart to match her own dress. The brooch around the neck was emblazoned with Twilight’s cutie mark. Twilight’s eyes danced across the second dress as well, and she began turning both in the air together to admire them. “You hate dresses,” she stated flatly, regretting she had said it the moment it left her lips. Rainbow’s nerves seemed to be taking their toll on her.
“I, uh, don’t actually.” Rainbow shifted her weight back and forth between her hooves. She was looking at a single spot on the floor. “I stayed away from a lotta girly things, because I was worried about what somepony might think of me, that it would hurt my image, y’know? But it’s nice to be fancy-lookin’ sometimes.” She glanced up from the floor to look directly at Twilight. Her nerves had receded as she spoke. “Fancy dinners aren’t really my thing, and it’s not like I wanna start hosting tea-parties or something.” Twilight giggled. Rainbow ran a hoof through her mane. “But I do wanna go out on the town with my beautiful marefriend.”
Twilight smiled warmly and wrapped her hooves tightly around Rainbow’s neck. “I love it, Rainbow,” she whispered, “I love the gift and the idea. It’s something I can look forward to every Friday. Thank you. Thank you so much.” Rainbow relaxed, letting the tension her nerves had caused melt off her shoulders. She returned the embrace.
“I just don’t want you to think I’m gonna drift from you,” Rainbow’s voice was small and wavered. She hugged Twilight to herself tightly. “We’re gonna be far away from each other, and I don’t have the best history for holdin’ onto mares. But that’s not gonna happen. I won’t let it. You’re too important to me.” The lavender unicorn hugged tighter. Her eyes were swimming with threatening tears.
“I’ll finish as soon as I can, so I can come back to you.” She whispered urgently. “You’re too important to me for just weekends.”
With a few hours to go before Rainbow needed to head out, they called on a servant to have breakfast delivered to Twilight’s suite. The two talked and laughed as they ate. The impending separation had lost some of its hold over the two and they simply enjoyed each other’s company like it was any other day. The morning was an oasis filled with small gestures; a lingering eye, the soft touch of a hoof. When they had finished their plates, both felt as if they were back in the library. The feeling stayed with them the rest of the morning. The lavender mare showed Rainbow around her favorite haunts in the castle and the pegasus flew Twilight up to the clouds to reveal the most spectacular view of Canterlot she’d ever seen. Bundled up against the cold breeze, Twilight snuggled into her lover for warmth and they whiled away their remaining time. When Rainbow needed to head back to Ponyville, neither of them got very emotional. They already had.
After Rainbow set off through the cold, still air Twilight sighed and headed back into the castle. A stallion was waiting for her. “Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight turned and regarded the unicorn. He had a tall, muscularly built frame and chiseled features. His white coat shone almost as brightly as the princess’ and his dark, ash grey mane was swept back in curls that appeared at the same time to be deliberate and effortless. At his size and bearing, Twilight’s initial impression was that he was a member of the royal guard. A quick analysis revealed the cut of his suit suggested a level of wealth usually above that of a guard but lower than royalty. A handkerchief jutting from his sport coat’s pocket was embroidered with the coat of arms for Canterlot University, and a quick glance displayed a quill and parchment cutie mark on his muscular flank.
“You must be Scriber Vim. I mean, Doctor Vim.” She smiled at the stallion. She discovered he had a very kind smile when hers was returned.
“Please, call me Scribe.” He offered a hoof. “It’s very nice to meet you, Doctor Sparkle.” Twilight giggled and raised her own hoof.
“Twilight, please. It is nice to meet you as well, Scribe. Your paper on leylines has many potential applications and I’m excited to be part of the research team.” Scribe’s smile was contagious. Twilight found herself grinning as they walked through the castle towards the research wing. “I’m sure you’re aware, but I wrote a dissertation on leylines a few years ago. It was theoretical since at the time there was no method for observing them.” Scribe nodded enthusiastically. “To think a pony can actually see leylines now!” She grinned and looked at Scribe. She was once again struck by his frame and face. It was no wonder she first took him as a guard; there was a certain quality to his appearance that reminded her of Shining Armor. “I must say, you’re not the type of stallion I was expecting you to be…”
Scribe chuckled. “Not too bookish, am I? My dad was expecting a hoofball cutie mark through the first half of my colthood.” Twilight giggled. The mental picture of the white stallion decked out in a hoofball uniform fit very well. She was surprised to discover a feeling of warmth creep into her cheeks. “You’re not quite what I was expecting, either.”
“Oh? What sort of mare were you expecting?”
Scribe’s smile widened. “The protégé of Princess Celestia herself? I don’t know what type of mare I was expecting. Somepony intimidating? You’re certainly intimidating by reputation.” He waved a hoof through the air as he spoke, a small flourish that might appear over-the-top but seemed to suit him just fine. They neared a staircase leading down to the research halls and Scribe led the way. The stonework grew less polished as they descended and the illumination dimmed as the source shifted from windows and orbs of suspended magic to torches. Twilight always liked this part of the castle, where the ostentation gave way to practicality. The lavender mare found herself humming. The excitement of research and discovery was taking over.
Entering one of the many rooms in this part of the castle was always underwhelming. One wall was lined with bookshelves that stood largely empty. A stray few books brought down by the researchers themselves as reference were propped up on a single shelf, and a few stacks of blank parchment and quills were left haphazardly on others. A few other research assistants were milling about the room and looked up as they entered. Scribe introduced Twilight around the room. Once settled in, the time quickly passed. Twilight was flattered to discover her dissertation was a primary reference for the research assistants and academic discourse came quickly and easily. At the end of the day when she retired to her suite her head was brimming with ideas.
“Booyah!” Rainbow bucked the final cloud to mist and strutted, a look she couldn’t quite pull off while suspended so high in the air. Not that anyone would have the nerve to call her on it. “Who’s the fastest? Who’s the greatest pegasus in Equestria?” Cloud Kicker rolled her eyes and prepared to be subjected to another bout of Rainbow Dash’s usual boasting but was surprised to find the blue pegasus stop and give her a sheepish look. “Er, sorry Cloud.” Rainbow scrunched up her face and stared down towards Ponyville crossly. “I’m getting worse, aren’t I?”
Cloud Kicker was taken aback. She raised an eyebrow and scratched her mane with a hoof. “What’re you talking about, Dash?” Rainbow started and looked back up at the purple pegasus. Cloud Kicker guessed that Rainbow had forgotten she was even there. “You feelin’ okay?”
Rainbow gave the mare a half-hearted smile. “I’m fine, Cloud. You did some great work today.” Cloud Kicker’s face shifted from puzzlement to worry.
“Now I know something’s wrong.” She expected to get a chuckle out of Rainbow and was further baffled and worried when the cyan mare grimaced. “Rainbow, seriously, are you okay?”
Rainbow sighed. She weighed the options and decided to open up to Cloud Kicker. “Listen Cloud, I know I’m usually a jerk to you.” The purple mare blinked. This day was just getting stranger and stranger. “You know I’ve been seeing Twilight Sparkle, the librarian, right? Well, it’s pretty serious and I’ve not been in any serious relationships before.” Cloud Kicker nodded, deciding to simply wait and hope she could make sense of things eventually. “I’ve got a bunch of hang-ups and issues from when I was a filly, and one of ‘em is my arrogance. When I’m around Twi’, I’m not like that an’ I wanna be that pony all the time…” She glanced back towards Ponyville and towards a certain tree. “But Twi’s in Canterlot on business an’ I’m getting worse an’ worse without her here.” Rainbow hung her head. “I’m sure I’ve been impossible all this week, and I’m sorry, Cloud. You get the worst’a me.”
Cloud Kicker shook her head slowly, eyes wide. “C’mon, let’s head back to town.” Rainbow fell in line next to the purple mare, still hanging her head. “I’m not gonna lie and say you’re not full of yourself, at least around me, but you’re not getting worse. If anything, you’ve been less of a pain this month.” Rainbow lifted her head, listening closely.
“You’ve still been raring to boast, but you’ve been on time, considerate, and you’ve been delegating. Remember Tuesday, when you had Blossomforth head the team for repositioning the remaining clouds while we took care of breaking up the extras? Two months ago you would’ve tried to do it all yourself and the rest of us would be cleaning up after you. I thought maybe Twilight’s knack for organization was rubbing off on you.” Rainbow looked forward at nothing, lost in thought. “And even your boasts haven’t been that bad. A coupla weeks ago you actually apologized when I got fed up with your ranting, and since that time you’ve cut yourself off before you ever really got going. And we’ve never had a conversation like this before.” She turned to face Rainbow as they slowly flew. “So what d’you mean you’re getting worse?”
Rainbow sighed and avoided Cloud Kicker’s gaze. “I guess I’m still not any good at introspection.” Cloud was unsure whether Rainbow was actually addressing her. Rainbow turned and faced her before continuing. “Maybe I am gettin’ better. I’m trying to, anyway. I guess I just miss Twi’ an’ I’m feeling down.” She tapped her chin with a hoof. “I miss her, and it’s easier to keep my ego in check around her.” The two’s slow flight had brought them directly over town hall. The cyan mare waved a hoof in the air, as if to physically dispel a cloud of thoughts. “Anyway, thanks for listening Cloud. If I start givin’ you or anypony else a hard time gimme a smack to snap me outta it.” She smiled and offered Cloud Kicker a hoof, surprising her again in a day full of surprises. The purple mare tentatively took the sky blue hoof in her own and shook it.
“Don’t tempt me, Da—err, Rainbow.” Cloud stumbled over herself. For some reason she didn’t feel like calling her boss ‘Dash.’ “You keep that mare’a yours happy. She’s been good for you.” Rainbow grinned and nodded. The two parted ways and Rainbow glided over to the lake. It was homework time, even if her study partner was in Canterlot and she’d have to practice alone. The pegasus started her practice routine smiling widely. She was happy. Happy to be in the air, happy to be getting better, happy that it was Thursday night and she would be leaving for Canterlot the following day.
“I’m bushed.”
Twilight yawned and rubbed her eyes with a hoof. Before she had joined the research team, they had been spinning their wheels attempting to devise an experiment to prove the newly developed leyline mapping technique was actually revealing leylines and not picking up magic interference, veins of mineral deposits, or any other number of potential red herrings. The following days since her arrival had been a flurry of work. Scribe’s developed research had wide reaching implications, but Twilight was somewhat surprised to discover that she was considered Equestria’s leading expert on leyline theory. With her presence, the team’s ability to develop a controlled experiment had greatly risen and every day they made strides.
Scribe glanced up from his roll of parchment and offered Twilight a smile. The lavender mare smiled back. His smiles were very contagious. “We’ve been burning the candle at both ends, haven’t we?” He glanced at the two assistants, both graduate students whose eagerness generally offset their lack of experience. Both looked about as peaked as Twilight. Twilight had been a little embarrassed to learn that one of them was the same age as her. Being personally taught by the Princess had its advantages towards advancing in academia. “How about we cut out early? It’s Friday; I’m sure an early weekend will help us keep the momentum going through next week.” The two assistant’s perked up and relief was evident on their faces.
Twilight smiled; she was worried she wouldn’t have a chance to shower before Rainbow was due to arrive. “That sounds like a good idea, Scribe.” The assistants were already sorting their papers and putting them away as she stood and stretched out her back. Scribe stood and stretched as well. He did not appear nearly as done-in as the other three. Quick murmurs of goodbye and the assistants hurried out, leaving Twilight and Scribe alone.
“Well, Twilight, any plans for the night?” He levitated his papers over to a shelf as Twilight did the same.
“Er, yes actually.” Twilight found herself flustered.
“Oh? That’s too bad; I wanted to pick your brain some more over dinner. Next time, I suppose?”
“Sure, next time.” Twilight finished sorting her papers and caught sight of the happy smile on Scribe’s face. She found herself once again returning it. “I’ll catch you Monday, Scribe.” The white stallion waved a hoof and she hurried out of the room.
She returned to her suite quickly and stepped into the shower, letting the steaming water pour over her face. Her mind trailed over the last week. Working with Scribe had proven to be an unexpected pleasure. He was charming which was a quality she did not always expect to see within the bubble of academia. And there was no questioning his intelligence. She had been plagued since receiving Princess Celestia’s letter that she’d be miserable for months, but things seemed to be going smoothly and quickly.
She shook her mane out of her eyes and dipped the back of her head under the stream. ’Piece of cake. Just a few months of research and experimentation with a handsome stallion.’ She jerked her head out of the stream. ’Handsome stallion? Where’d that come from?’ She mulled it over. No doubt about it; Scribe was a very handsome stallion. She sighed in frustration. He was good looking, kind, and a great listener for certain. And she had found they had many shared interests and a similar foalhood. The sexual tension made sense intellectually. She sighed again and magically squeezed some shampoo from the bottle onto a hoof and worked a thick lather into her mane.
She shifted her thoughts with some effort to the evening ahead. She may have a small amount of attraction towards Scribe, but the thought of seeing Rainbow again sent her emotions soaring. The week had gone by quickly in a lot of ways, but it had been painfully slow waiting to see her marefriend. Her shower finished, she brushed out her mane and retrieved the velvet box from the closet. The sight of the dress banished the lingering gloom from her mind. She snapped the brooch into place as there was a knock on her door. Cantering over, she opened it wide with magic and was greeted by the sight of the cyan pegasus. Her mane had been delicately braided; twists of different colors looping together in flowing swirls. The lightning bolt dress hugged her in all the right places, aided by the pair of sky blue wings folded gently along her back. Twilight’s breath was taken away.
“Hey, Twi’.” Rainbow smiled. The smile was far more infectious than Scribes. Twilight approached the pegasus and pulled her into a burning kiss.
“Celestia, I’ve missed you,” she breathed after the kiss broke. Rainbow chuckled low, panting slightly.
“I missed you too, Twi’. C’mon, let’s go and make up some time.” She turned towards the door and unfurled a wing. Twilight stepped under it and felt it close around her and draw her close. A quick flick of magic and the door closed behind them. They walked out the castle and into the brisk weather, drawing heat from each other’s presence. The quiet worries plaguing her mind about Scribe were silenced. ‘Twilight, you definitely think too much.’ She giggled to herself and rested her head on Rainbow’s shoulder.
Author’s Note: Chapter four! Here it is! I know there was a bit of a delay compared to the first three, so I’m sorry for the wait. Some school work picked up, I’m in the process of starting my own business, this time of year is especially hard for me, and if you didn’t catch the blog post one of my cats was chased under my car by a neighborhood cat and had her pelvis broken. She’s recovering after surgery and all indications point to a full recovery; she might not ever be as fast or nimble again but she’ll live to a normal kitty life. I’m not sure how quickly chapter five will be forthcoming, but I’ll try to keep the ball rolling. Here’s a little Nightmare Night present to make up for it:
Doctors note: Sorry this wasn’t out when he planned, I didn’t get to it until late in the night, and it wasn’t all stuff I could just go through and change myself without feeling like I was taking over his story, hopefully it’s up to snuff with what you guys expect from us.