A little while later, Twilight’s orchid eyes fluttered open, her body having managed to regenerate and heal most of the wounds Opalescence had inflicted onto her. The first thing Twilight saw was Rainbow Dash setting up a stage nearby, humming to herself while aligning the crimson curtains to hang just right. The Pegasus would continually make adjustments to the curtains before flying down and striking a pose on the wooden stage and then going back to make more changes.
Oh, good grief. She always has to make sure she looks so cool and amazing. Twilight rolled her eyes, pulling herself up off the ground and having Dash’s towel slide off her back. Hmm? Oh, right, the towel that I thought was Rainbow Dash herself. Ugh…sometimes, I can be so silly. To think I actually turned Rainbow Dash into a towel. Come on, Twilight, what’s wrong with you? It’s probably all the hits your body is taking in this stupid competition. Such physical exhaustion and bodily harm cannot be good for a pony’s mental stability.
“Now, the camera’s flash is going to light up the whole stage, so I have to make sure the brightness of my stunning eyes doesn’t mess up the rest of my awesome physique.” Rainbow Dash mused to herself, flapping her wings furiously while streaking back and forth in front of the stage now, holding her hooves in front of her face at an angle, as though holding an invisible camera. She made a few clicking sounds with her tongue, continuing to crazily fly around the stage. “Yup, I need a yellow backdrop to bring out the darkness of my eyes, while my blue body helps the contestants stand out on in their own right.”
Twilight licked her hoof and began to run it through her messy mane, forcing stray hairs and loose ends to flatten while she curiously watched Dash’s surprising concern for aesthetics. “What could the next part to this silly competition be? Um…oh, right. If we’re going in order, I think that…style is next?” She racked her brain, thinking back to the start of the competition, and gave herself a little nod. “Yes, style. But, exactly what does Rainbow have in mind this time?”
Inserting a large, yellow cardboard background on the back of the stage, Rainbow Dash smiled and dusted off her hooves. “There, perfect! Now, I’m all ready for my photo-shoot!”
“A photo-shoot? Rainbow Dash? Wow, wasn’t expecting that.” Giggling slightly, Twilight’s horn glowed as she magically folded up Rainbow’s special towel into a neat little square. Setting the colorful drying bath item on her backside, Twilight began to trot over to join her friend. “Either she’s been watching Rarity too much, or all Pegasi were simply made for the camera. Fluttershy knows what I mean.”
Before even taking two steps, Twilight paused and noticed that the tortoise was still hanging around. His shell was gleaming, apparently not having been affected at all from Opal’s vicious attacks, and his saggy eyes continued to stay focused on every move that Rainbow Dash made. Twilight was steadily growing more and more fascinated by the reptile’s passionate motivation in continuing the completion, despite knowing he didn’t have a shot in the entire universe of winning. The orchid unicorn began to draw comparisons to each other the harder she thought about the tortoise’s goals.
“Hey, little guy, mind if I have a word?” Never one to feel silly for talking to an animal, having an owl back at home she frequently talked to, Twilight trotted up to the tortoise and nimbly sit down beside him. The tortoise leisurely drew his eyes up, taking a good five seconds before giving Twilight his undivided attention instead of Rainbow Dash. “See, I’ve been thinking more and more about this little game of Dash’s, and just why the two of us are even competing. It’s rather an interesting concept to try and comprehend, since I think we’re both fighting for different things.”
Her eyes shifting between the azure flying pony and her curious reptilian counterpart, Twilight sighed a little bit and continued her speech. “The thing is, I think it’s pretty clear that neither you nor myself can win this. I don’t wish to sound mean, but…well, just look at how badly we’ve been humiliated up to this point! Without my magic, and since you’re…well…um, a tortoise…” Twilight flushed a little, hoping her current partner-in-crime didn’t take offense to that. When the tortoise didn’t make any sign of minding, the purple pony continued on. “…it’s highly unlikely that either of us can win. So, why do you think we keep trying? Why do we keep trying to win something that is so far out of our reach, and we know we can’t have it?”
Huh…wait, what exactly did I mean by that? Twilight glanced over in Rainbow’s direction once more. Even though I started all this silliness under the pretense of teaching Rainbow Dash a valuable lesson, I’m starting to question exactly WHY I wanted to do that in the first place. Was it because Dash is one of my best friends? But, if that was so…why don’t I just let her do what she wishes? Isn’t that what a good friend would do? Ignoring the confused look on the tortoise’s face as he stared up at Twilight, the pony pressed against the temples of her forehead and tugged at her mane through the internal battle that was prospering inside her mind. But…but…as a good friend, I have to be there for Dash and show her what’s right and what’s wrong! Plus…well, I care for her. I…I…what’s wrong with me?
“Yo, Twi, you feeling alright? You have that silly look on your face that you usually only have when you can’t make up on your mind on what book to read.”
A pair of cyan hooves playfully swished around in front of Twilight’s face, causing her to break out of her momentary daze as her eyes refocused. She immediately saw Rainbow Dash’s grinning face hovering in front of her, the Pegasus having finished setting up her stage to her liking. Seeing Twilight sitting nearby with the tortoise, Rainbow had figured she would see how she was feeling after her bad run-in with Opal and her toy. The look on Twilight’s face whenever she was deep in thought always amused Dash. The way Twilight puckered up her lips and narrowed her eyes, combined with scratching her chin with one of her hooves constantly got a chuckle out of the rainbow-maned mare.
“Gah! Rainbow! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me?” Twilight growled and took a slight scoot backwards away from Dash’s hooves dancing in front of her eyes, not very amused at being the scapegoat to Rainbow’s teasing again.
“I didn’t sneak up on you. I flew right up to your face, Twi. It’s not my fault you like to daydream with turtles and not notice your friends fly right up to you.” Dash’s already-smug look evolved into one of gleeful mockery, her wings fluttering and causing her to once more close the gap between her and the annoyed unicorn. “What were you thinking about anyway? About how your mane is going to look when you get your picture taken with me? You unicorns are all the same, I swear.”
“Ugh. For the last time, Dash, he’s a tortoise. Second, I wasn’t daydreaming about my mane and whatever. I was thinking about…other stuff.” Twilight’s cheeks turned a cherry red as she considered telling Dash about her thoughts. What would she think of her if she decided to quit? What would she think of her if she knew she was waffling between a lot of thoughts she couldn’t understand? Ultimately, Twilight decided that she couldn’t tell Rainbow Dash anything. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. Twilight would just finish up Dash’s games and, win or lose, she would find a way to turn it into another life lesson. She always did, after all.
Dash cocked one of her eyebrows in amusement, studying each and every movement and motion that Twilight made. All this time, Dash was trying to have fun with her friend, but deep in her heart, she still struggled to figure out what Twilight was actually trying to prove. Nothing she had said so far made much sense to her. But, the longer that Twilight lingered around, the more Dash’s heart went out for her. Despite all her bravado and teasing, Rainbow Dash didn’t enjoy seeing Twilight get hurt or make an utter foal of herself. Being the element of loyalty, Dash cared very deeply for all her friends. She simply had a very different way of showing her feelings.
Eventually, Dash’s shoulders shrugged and she started flying back to her stage. “Whatever you say, Twi. Just know that my offer still stands. You’re free to quit at any time, and I won’t think any less of you for doing so. It’s hard to keep up with a pony like me.” She flashed another grin back at the unicorn.
Her ego is large enough to hold all the books in my library and then some! Twilight said, her eyes rolling up toward the afternoon sky as she was forced to adhere to more of Dash’s general teasing. But, I suppose that’s…just who she is. I can’t change her, after all. What kind of friend would I be if I were to try and…change her? Suddenly, like a bag of rocks, it hit her. Twilight finally figured out what was worrying her and just what she had been trying to do this entire time.
“I…I’m trying to…change Rainbow Dash,” she whispered under her breath, feeling her ears sag and droop over her skull while her head sadly looked down at the ground. “This is what I set out to do. It was never about showing her right from wrong, was it? No…it was all just a selfish need of mine to change who Rainbow Dash is and make her a pony that she’s not, so to satisfy…my own ego. Nothing more than to be proud of a stupid accomplishment that I could write to Princess Celestia about. This is Rainbow’s decision, and right or wrong, I need to support her. That…that is what a friend would do. A real friend. I’m so ashamed of myself for getting caught up in trying to teach Dash a lesson.”
Assembling her cast of flying animals on the stage and preparing to explain to them about the test of style, Rainbow Dash noticed that Twilight was not present. Her eyes darting off to where she had last seen her, Dash saw the tortoise struggling to make its way up onto the stage, which included an excessive amount of a dozen steps. Rainbow then saw Twilight staring at the ground, looking incredibly depressed and dejected. It seemed like small water droplets were sprinkling down from her eyes now and then, too. Dash immediately widened her eyes and looked nervous. Twilight was crying.
“Uh…I need another…ten minutes!” Dash exclaimed, giving a confident nod to her flying contestants, “I totally forgot to…uh, do my mane just right! There are totally a few strands out of place. So, yeah, just chill for now and take five. Or ten, your choice.” When the animals all gave Dash a confused look, the Pegasus just grinned before flying over to see Twilight. “Hey, Twilight, what are you doing? Are you alright? You’re crying and stuff and…uh, well, are you okay? Anything I can do to help?”
Slowly shaking her head, Twilight just gave a garbled sigh and choked back more tears. She really didn’t know why she was crying. It was so silly to cry over such a silly matter. Surely Rainbow Dash didn’t care or else she would’ve made it loud and vocal when she’s had the chance. Yet, in her own heart, Twilight felt sick at making another mistake involving her friends. It was such an unusual feeling for the purple unicorn, but whenever she did something that ultimately turned out to be wrong, it hurt her.
I…have a fear…of failure, Twilight thought, sniffing and rubbing her nose with the side of her hoof. But, that’s not all. My friends mean everything to me, and when I do anything at all to hurt them, it hurts me as well. Without my friends, I wouldn’t be anything. I think…I’ve developed a fear of loneliness as well…maybe that explains the nightmares I have now and then…
“Uh, hello? Earth to Twilight?” Rainbow Dash craned her neck underneath Twilight’s drooped head, frowning and pressing her nose right into the unicorn’s while staring into her soggy eyes. “Twilight, come on, don’t ignore me! You totally hate it when I do that to you, so at least acknowledge me or something!” Trying to liven Twilight back up with a playful jab, Dash’s mouth curled back into her typical grin. “What’s wrong? You crying over realizing that you’re just never going to win and get a chance to be the pet of the totally awesome Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow Dash. What is her weakness? Surely she has one. Everypony has one. Ignoring Dash’s attempts to get her to talk, Twilight continued to stare down at the ground and at the tiny puddle of teardrops she had created. I never spend enough time to really get to know more about those that I say I care about. Oh, what a terrible friend I am! All I care about is books and knowledge. Rainbow Dash must despise me, deep down inside. That’s probably why she’s allowing me to play her games; it’s to have a good laugh at my expense. I’m pitiful, and I deserve that mockery.
“Fine, DON’T talk to me! See if I care!” Gritting her teeth, Dash stuck her nose in the air and turned around. “I don’t need you to give me attention. I have my awesome flying wannabe pets all anxiously waiting for me to pose for pictures with them. Yeah, and you know what, Twilight? You aren’t going to get to get one with me! So there. Ha!” She took a step towards the stage, then almost immediately whipped her head back around, as though expecting Twilight to be looking back up and ready to give her a heavy scolding.
Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash. All my friends. And yet, I still don’t know THAT much about them. Not enough, I should say. I know that Applejack is very prideful, yet always honest, hardworking, patient, and spirited. Rarity is generous and beautiful, Pinkie Pie is a ball of energy and fun, and Fluttershy is a sweetheart who could make friends with any animal. Tilting her head slightly, Twilight circled her hoof around the dissolving puddle of tears and sighed again. But, what of Rainbow Dash? She and I…are like water and electricity. We just don’t mix at all. She loves running around, getting dirty, playing sports, pulling pranks, and being the life of the party. I’m more reclusive, with a love for books and a passion for learning, and I certainly am not the physical type. I…I really want to get to know Rainbow Dash more. I really do! But…how?
“Okay, that does it! I’m really going up onto the stage this time, Twilight! I hereby disqualify you from my games, and you can forget about EVER being my pet! Er…well, you had less than a one percent chance anyway, but still!” Dash’s eyes blazing, she stomped a hoof in front of the purple mare and started to form a rather pouty face. Her bottom lip stuck out as she tried using as harsh a voice as possible to get Twilight’s attention. “You hear me? I mean it, really! You’re out, Twilight! You lose. You failed the test. So…goodbye!” She started to take a step backwards, but only took one as she kept her eyes locked on Twilight, hoping for a reaction.
What do I think of Rainbow Dash? Well…I know her personality and most of her hobbies, but that’s not enough! I want to know more! What’s inside her heart? Is it the same as what’s inside her head? Ha, there must be a LOT of room inside there. Twilight stifled a giggle at the tease. Maybe…if I want to get closer to Rainbow Dash…I have to ACT more like her. Yes, that’s it! If I want to get closer to my friends, I just have to involve myself more in their lives! That shouldn’t be too hard; I’m always open for learning new things! I’ll make up for trying to change who Rainbow Dash is.
Her ears splaying across her head, Dash’s body drooped in front of Twilight. “Twi…come on, please talk to me? I’m…I’m sorry, okay? Whatever I did, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean any of what I said just a few minutes ago. Or during the past test. Or…really, during the entire day. Just, please, don’t ignore me! I really hate being ignored!” She weakly nudged her forehead against Twilight’s shoulder, now going from a pouty face to an eye-shimmering cute face instead. “Oh, don’t make me act like this, Twilight. Ugh, it’s hurting my face!”
Finally lifting her head back up, Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash. Putting her recent thoughts to the test, the unicorn forced a rather excessive grin onto her face as she playfully tried to push the Pegasus away. “Ha, gotcha! I’m just fine, you…uh, you silly…mare? Well, uh…yeah, I totally got you. So, take that!” She then turned away and crossed her hooves in front of her chest, trying to maintain an aura of ‘coolness’ around her that she was trying to mimic from watching Rainbow Dash strike so many poses from before.
Rainbow Dash was immediately taken aback, the pony whipping her head back as though she had been bopped on the nose. Whoa! Did she just play me? And…is she daring to show ME up? Oh, it is SO on now! I don’t know what got into her, but if Twilight wants to play that way, fine! I’m game for that. Deciding to call Twilight’s bluff, Rainbow Dash smirked and casually trotted in front of the acting mare.
“Nice trick, Twilight, but that just cost you a few more points,” she said, shaking her head and pretending to be disappointed. “With all your last place finishes and all your point deductions, I just have to tell you something that you really need to know: there’s no prize for last place. So, with that being said, you ready to quit now?”
“Quit? Ha, I’m just getting started!” Still wracking her brain for constant information on how to act like Rainbow Dash, Twilight wished she had a pair of sunglasses. “Bring on the next test, Rainbow. I’m no quitter, and once I’m through with you, you’ll see that…uh…well, you’ll see that…er…oh! You’ll see who the real loser is…loser!”
Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Dash just rolled her eyes and snickered. “You’re calling me a loser now, when you’re the one that’s competing to be my pet? Oh, yeah, I’m the loser alright, and I’m totally going to see that even more when you come in dead last overall.” Motioning towards the stage, Dash gave Twilight a playful smack on the shoulder. “C’mon, you crazy egghead. Let’s just see how photogenic you are when you’re next to the coolest pony in the world.”
“After you, you insane featherbrain.” Twilight followed along after Rainbow Dash, her heart already fluttering at her new change in attitude. It was different and very weird to be acting in such a manner, but already it seemed that Dash was acting more playful and amused around her than before. While she figured her flushed cheeks and accelerated heartbeat was from Dash teasing her, the more she hung out with Rainbow Dash during this day, the more she thought about her and nothing else but her.
Once everyone was up on stage, including the tortoise, Dash went on to explain the style test. “In this test, each of you gets the privileged opportunity to pose in a totally awesome shot with ME! Let’s just see how each of you stacks up when in my wicked presence, shall we?” Pointing to an automatic camera set up to take pictures at random intervals in the center of the stage, Dash jumped up on her hind legs and flexed her wings while pulling out her shades. “Twilight and the turtle, you both are big failures, so you both are last. Everyone else, get in line and make sure you’re ready for the moment of your life!”
“Tortoise, Rainbow Dash. He’s a tortoise.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Sitting back with the tortoise, Twilight watched as Dash took random, cool shots with each of the eight flying creatures still in the race. The falcon, eagle, hawk, bat, owl, hummingbird, flamingo, and butterfly all took very different pictures, but in each one, Rainbow Dash looked to be having a great time. She was smiling brightly, striking a rather excessive pose, and making sure to stand out even more than the would-be pet. When each click of the camera sounded out, Twilight would quickly shield both her and the tortoise’s eyes from the side glare, but always managed to see just what kind of pose Dash had conjured up beforehand.
Finally, when the butterfly fluttered off the stage to await Rainbow’s judging, the Pegasus turned to Twilight. “Well, Twi, it looks like you’re up! Ha, ready to pose with your old friend Rainbow Dash in a picture? This should be priceless. Try not to make me too look too bad, alright? There’s only so much I can do with just me and nopony else.”
Just as Twilight was about to respond with her usual scolding, she remembered just what she was supposed to be doing. “The only pony who will be looking bad after this picture is you, Rainbow! You simply cannot beat the amazing beauty we unicorns have in front of the camera. Prepare to be stupefied, Dash!” Trotting right up to Dash’s side, Twilight immediately tried to jump up onto her hind legs, to try and be flashy just like her cohort.
She’s STILL messing with me with that attitude of hers? Huh. Well, okay, I’m still game! Let’s keep playing ball, Twilight. Without missing a beat, Dash leaped up onto her hind legs as well and thrust her wings back out, her left ones very nearly knocking into Twilight and sending her crashing down.
“Hey, watch it!” Twilight huffed, purposely trying to throw her flank against Dash’s to try and give her the same fate of nearly being knocked over as well. When her right flank smacked against Dash’s left, the Pegasus narrowed her eyes and ran her tongue over her lips.
“Trying to hog the shot from me, huh? That takes guts, Twilight, I’ll give you that much.” Whipping her tail around, she smacked Twilight right in the rump with it. “Sadly, it won’t do you any good. Be a good girl and stand down now.”
Uttering a slight squeal at getting spanked by Dash’s tail, Twilight once again immediately retaliated in kind. Her own tail whipped right back around, slapping Dash’s butt in the same manner. “How about you stand down, Rainbow? These pictures are supposed to show off your pets, not yourself!”
“Yeah, my pets, not a clingy unicorn unwilling to just quit already!” Starting to lose her patience, Rainbow Dash was now basically just struggling to shove Twilight down so she would be standing over the top of her. Twilight refused to back down, and was soon grappling with her friend just as the camera was starting to tick down for its next shot.
With both mares now looking away from the camera and growling while glaring into the other’s eyes, they continued to stand on their hind legs while falling all over one another. Twilight’s hooves and Dash’s hooves continued to smack and push one another at the chance to be the lead in the picture, Dash’s arrogance and Twilight’s determination making it so neither one would back down. It wasn’t until Rainbow Dash decided to cheat by stepping on Twilight’s lower right hoof that they wrestling match would finally come to an end.
“D-D-DASH!” Twilight flailed her hooves around wildly as she toppled forward, slamming her chest accidentally into Rainbow Dash and making them both topple down hard on top of the stage. Dash landed with a grunt on her back, while Twilight crashed down right on top of her. “UGH! Rainbow Dash, you rotten, cheating, obnoxious…”
Sweaty and angry, the gasping unicorn could feel her accelerated heartbeat slowly mix with Dash’s as their chests pressed gently against one another. Their heated groins roughly slammed one on top of the other, Twilight was left staring down into Dash’s fiery rosy pupils. Both faces were flushed and crimson to go with messy manes from the immature batting session both had on one another. For the moment, though, as Twilight Sparkle stayed laying atop the mare she had nothing in common with, she heard something click. Not just from the camera, but from inside her heart.
Rainbow Dash…that passion…I can feel it boiling inside of you. Ready to explode. Your arrogance…it makes you who you are. It makes you…perfect. Twilight’s eyes drifted to within micrometers of closing, her face drifting closer and closer to making contact with Dash’s. You continue to hold me…over and over again…and each time, the warm and fierce hold that you embrace me with is…simply something that I cannot understand. It’s something I have never felt before. Rainbow Dash…
Twilight…you crazy little egghead…what are you thinking? That kind of complex things go on inside that big head of yours? I don’t know, but…I kinda wish that…I knew. Dash’s eyes widened for a split second, just before they started to drift shut as well, her body relaxing while her hooves drifted around to embrace the mare atop her once again. That determination…I can see it resonating inside of you. You never quit…and I have to keep rescuing you…is it because I’m so loyal? Or…something else? Twilight…
Closer and closer the two mares drew to one another, until their lips were but a breath apart. The tips of their noses touching, Dash could feel beads of cold sweat dripping down from Twilight’s forehead and onto her own face. And she didn’t care. Through all the craziness, through all the absurdity, through all the confusion behavior that she had witnessed from Twilight today, she wanted to see the apex of those endeavors. She wanted to know what was inside Twilight’s head. Even if both minds were desperately trying to stop it from happening, the determined and passionate hearts would not be denied.
Twilight Sparkle’s lips soon found Rainbow Dash’s, and both sets of eyelids closed shut simultaneously a second later as their bodies molded into one.