//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Rainbow's Letter // by Silver Moon //------------------------------// “No distractions,” Twilight said serenely as she lit a candle with her magic. She closed the curtains with a purple glow as she walked away. “Today is too important,” she continued with a look of ferocious determination on her face. “Re-shelving day!” she finished dramatically as she pulled all the books in her library off their shelves and dropped them on the floor. She picked up the first one, but before she could truly start her attack on disorginization, she was interrupted by a yellow blur that burst in through one of the closed windows. “Fluttershy!” she cried out in shock and irritation brought on by the sudden disruption of her airtight schedule. “What are you doing? You know today is re-shelving day!” “Oh, I’m sorry Twilight,” Fluttershy said, her eyes wide with emotion. Her breathing seemed ragged and a few tears stained her pale face. “I know you said not to interrupt you, but this is really important.” “More important than re-shelving day?” Twilight asked skeptically. But her composure softened as she took in the discomfort her friend seemed to be in. Fluttershy nodded, barely holding back more tears. “Fluttershy, are you OK?” the unicorn asked, her books lying forgotten on the floor. Fluttershy shook her head quickly. “No. I’m not. I’m-” Fluttershy broke off with a small sob. She shook her head, seeming unable to find the words she needed. “Just- just take this,” she said, shoving Twilight the letter she had been holding. Curious, the unicorn started to unwind the paper with her magic, but was stopped by an uncharacteristic shout from Fluttershy. “Don’t,” she almost screamed. “Don’t. Not- not yet. Wait, please. I- I need to get the others. You don’t want to read it alone. And the others need to hear it, too.” Fluttershy turned around and lifted her wings, about to take off. Yet she was halted by another inquiry from her purple friend. “Does this have anything to do with Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy hesitated for a moment, frozen by… By what? Fear? Anxiety? Pain? Twilight could not tell. But then the Pegasus shook whatever the emotion was off and whispered a single word without turning. Without waiting for a response, she took to the air and flew away. Silence followed Fluttershy’s departure as the simple word echoed in Twilight’s mind. It was such a small word, yet it could explain so much. She stood without moving for several moments, her books, her previous mission, her other thoughts, all shoved from her mind by this small, simple word. Finally, Twilight could stand the silence no longer and breathed out the word herself, tasting it, what it could mean, what it could hold. She had said it many times before, but this time it held the power to turn her world upside down. “Yes.”