Vanilla Twilight
By: Quillery
It was the evening after the Summer Sun Celebration, and a hush had settled over the valleys of Equestria. After Pinkie's all-night Summer Sun party, and being forced to work overtime on what should have been a holiday the day after, Rainbow Dash wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. Instead, she lay on a cloud, looking up at the stars, her mind troubled.
A flick of her prismatic tail sent the cumulus drifting slowly through the night air. She floated along, high above the village below. Everypony was most likely tucked away in their beds, happily dreaming—everypony, except her.
Dash watched as the stars danced across the vast night sky, shining their light onto the lands below. She could swear the stars were but a hoof away, waiting in anticipation to grace the world with their gentle, luminous kiss.
She was glad she did not live in a big city like Canterlot. The few times she had been there, the nights had been dull and lifeless; only a few lonely stars were bright enough to pierce the veil of light cast by the city below. Nights in Ponyville were both more quiet and more peaceful than in the capital, and Rainbow Dash was never more thankful for that than tonight.
If you’re so great, why are you still single?
She scoffed as those words intruded on her thoughts again. Her day had been going perfectly fine until a co-worker had confronted her about her ego. Since then, that question continued to plague her, even after the rest of the conversation had been reduced to a forgotten echo. Why didn’t she have a special somepony of her own?
She sat up swiftly, swatting the side of her cloud. Because I’m Rainbow Dash! That’s why! I don’t need some sappy thing like love. That’s for ponies like... like... Rarity! Not me.
She took a slow, steady breath and released it before relaxing back into the softness of the cloud. She lifted a hoof, tracing a shape in the sky above. She sighed. Then why did what she said hurt so much?
It was silly, of course. How could she, the most awesome pegasus in all of Equestria not have a special somepony? Who could even fill such a position? Not one of her co-workers, obviously; while the other weather ponies were dedicated to their work in the sky, none of them shared her passion for flight. To her, the sky wasn't a job or a career. It was her life. She needed a pony who loved the sky in the same way she did.
So really, who in Ponyville could fill such a void in her life? If not those she worked with, then who else? These questions had danced in her head throughout the day, leaving her dazed and restless. They gnawed at her, and would continue to do so until she laid them to rest.
She hated feeling like this. She needed somepony, anypony to talk to, to help her understand her own thoughts, or at least distract her from them until she could sleep. The moon loomed high above, indicating it was some time past midnight, but one of her friends might still be awake.
She arched her back and unfurled her wings to their full length. A gentle wind flowed through her feathers. With a single flap, she brought herself from the cloud into the air, where she let the current carry her along. She had many thoughts on her mind, and as she rose into the open sky, she realized at least one thing: she wasn’t going to answer them here. With that, she leaned forward and let the wind take her, soaring into the night over Ponyville.
*****
The clear sky above the plains gave way to the shimmering canvas of stars above, lighting up a familiar sight just beside the Everfree Forest. The hillside was brushed over with grass and thatch. Countless sprigs of dainty trees were lined with dozens of flowering blossoms and bird feeders. As the home of one of her oldest friends, the little cottage had been one of her favorite places in all of Ponyville ever since she moved here.
Even from high above, she could see that there were no signs of life within. The windows were dark, and she saw no creatures scurrying about as they did in the day. Waking Fluttershy was not something Dash wanted to do, even though she knew she could confide in the caretaker. To wake her now, though, would be taking advantage of her endless supply of kindness, not something a loyal friend would do. She shrugged her wings and continued on, leaving her friend to sleep peacefully.
An errant draft from the forest picked up, carrying her along in its wake. She drifted through the air, gliding along over the winding hills and countryside that surrounded much of her home. Wooden fences encompassed the lands below, caging off sections of fields and tilled earth. Below her, Sweet Apple Acres stretched on for miles. Even from this high up, she couldn’t see all of it; the farm was as big as the rest of Ponyville combined. It really is an amazing view. I wonder what Applejack would say if she could see it like this.
Dash saw no indication that anypony was awake within the Apple home, not that she was surprised. Farm ponies worked long hours, and Applejack was no exception. While she was easily the one she considered her best friend, even friendship had its limits. Applejack was dependable, but she knew what would happen if her dependability was stretched too far. She could see it now, swooping to the window to wake the sleeping farmer, just to lay her own problems on her.
Now, Rainbow, she would say. We’ve been friends fer a long time, but you know Ah gotta get up early to work tomorrow!
Not cool, Dash thought. Best to leave her be, or else she might rope me into helping.
The wind tugged Rainbow along through the sleeping village. Ponyville Square was a quiet scene from above in the evening. The smells of baked goods brought a smile to her lips, as well as the pangs of hunger. Dash tilted her wings and drifted down to meet its source.
Sugarcube Corner was hard to miss. Even in the dark, its bright pink coloring lent a vibrant and festive quality to the quiet neighborhood.
Rainbow Dash had other considerations to make upon approaching the bakery. Pinkie Pie was certainly inside, but she wasn’t the only one; the Cakes also slept within the candy-covered home, and disturbing them would be more trouble than it was worth, especially with those two foals. Even if I managed to find Pinkie’s room without waking everypony else, then what? She’d probably throw a party to cheer me up, no doubt.
She shook her head. I don’t think I’m up for that tonight. Besides, Pinkie has to sleep sometime.
With a half-hearted flap of her wings, she let the wind take her away from Sugarcube Corner and the village center. A shimmer of light drew her attention towards the edge of the city. Despite the darkness, a single building stood out from the rest, emitting a faint radiant sheen through the veil of night. The ridiculous purple frills made it stand out from the nearby homes, but that was to be expected from the fussy, fashion-crazed owner.
The light ignited a spark of hope in Dash. Rarity was awake! She dove through the air, only to stop as she approached the window that shed the single beam of light into the dark streets outside. Her friend was indeed awake, but she was not lazing about through the night as Dash had hoped. Instead, she was sitting at her sewing machine, her magic glowing around the device as she fed spools of fabric through it.
As Dash watched, her friend’s head drooped forward, only for her to sit up sharply, squinting and blinking. Her bright blue eyes were half lidded and underlined with dark circles while her mane hung limply beside her, its usual curls flat and worn.
Always working, huh, Rarity? Dash thought. She probably would be the best pony to talk to about this, but she would never get to sleep if I bothered her now. She retreated from the window. Good night, Rarity. I hope you finish soon.
Dash twisted back into the wind and let distance reduce the glistening boutique to nothing but a faint glint behind her. Her mind was weary. Usually, a simple dose of cool atmosphere would cure her worries, or at least lessen them enough for her to push them out of her mind. Fat chance of that happening tonight, she groused to herself.
She flapped her wings wearily, just enough to keep her afloat in the breeze. The sound of rustling leaves washed over her, and she quickly spotted the source, a single oak resting on a lonely street. A sign hung from a wooden post in front of the great tree, shifting and creaking in the wind, bringing a harsh counterpoint to the rippling leaves above.
A lone lantern lit the path in front of the tree, and a second flicker of light danced within the branches above. It looks like Twilight might still be awake, she thought. Dash broke away from her lethargic glide and dove into the branches.
She navigated the tangle of wooden limbs with practised ease, having crashed through them far too many times before. As she approached the shifting light, it slowly became clear exactly what it was. A single candle sat on the balcony, twisting in the wind but never fading. It cast a warm, glowing light against its surroundings, including the lone mare beside it.
Twilight Sparkle was lying down on a blanket in the middle of the modest porch, surrounded by several stacks of books. She was looking through a gilded telescope and humming quietly as she adjusted it. Dash recognised it as the same instrument they had used to watch the meteor shower all those months ago.
She fluttered through the branches quietly, freeing herself from their restrictive confines to land on the porch with a soft clatter of hooves. Twilight’s head jerked suddenly from her telescope to face her with a look of surprise that quickly softened into a smile.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash!” Her smile quickly faded to confusion. “What are you doing here so late?”
She rubbed her hooves awkwardly. “Just flying around,” she replied, trying not to sound as lame as she felt. “No big deal.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “At two o’clock in the morning?”
She cleared her throat. “Well, I could ask you the same thing,” she said, in a flimsy attempt to deflect the question.
“Well,” Twilight began, indicating her telescope. “I have a feeling Luna’s got something special planned tonight.”
“Oh,” Dash said quietly. “That sounds cool... I guess.” She glanced again at the glimmering lights. It was a spectacular sight, but it wasn’t anything she hadn’t seen before. “What do you think she’s got planned?”
Before Twilight could answer, a burning light flew across the sky from behind the moon. It fell towards the earth before vanishing in the distance. Dash stepped towards the edge of the balcony, away from the obstructing branches. Whoa.
“Would you like to join me, Dash? You look like you’d enjoy stargazing.”
“What do you mean?”
Twilight peered at her, a knowing smile creeping on her face. “I know that look. You enjoy looking at stars, don’t you, Dash?”
Dash turned her head away. “It wasn’t that! I was... thinking.”
Twilight smiled wryly. “I bet. So, did you want to join me?”
She motioned her closer, indicating the telescope.
The pegasus smiled warmly and walked over to it, walking over to the astronomical device. “I guess it could be fun. I’ve never used a telescope to look at stars before. Me and Pinkie use one to scope out pranks, but not much else.”
“Oh really? You don’t know what you’re missing.”
Dash leaned down, placing her eye to the lens. The canvas of lights she had always known expanded in a field of colors, magnified beyond what her eyes could see normally. She moved the telescope around, attempting to track the falling stars. They’re so fast, I can’t even follow them with this thing.
A soft giggle grabbed her attention. Twilight had a hoof to her mouth, trying to stifle her mirth. “You look like you’re enjoying the show.”
Dash nodded, smiling. “Yeah, its amazing.” She shrugged her wings, waving a hoof dismissively. “I mean, it’s not as amazing as I am, but it’s pretty close.”
Dash returned her attention to the telescope. The light show had only intensified in the brief moment she looked away, and a pang of regret tugged at her for missing it. Almost immediately, another set of lights streaked by. She gasped quietly in delight as she watched the cosmic wonders. I should have done something like this sooner.
A mire of grey obscured her vision. The bulbous mass of darkness coalesced across the scope, and she tore her head away from the lens. “Hey, what gives?”
“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, a hint of worry creeping into her voice.
“I think your lens is dirty. I can’t see anything anymore.”
“What? That isn’t possible, I just cleaned it before I started.”
Twilight wandered over to take control of the telescope. Mumbling under her breath, she tilted it up and down to point it at different sections of sky. When Dash looked up as well, to continue watching the stars normally, she noticed a familiar blob of grey.
“Uh, Twi,” she continued, “I don’t think it’s the telescope.”
“What do you...”
Dash pointed. There, a massive, darkened cloud approached. It cut a disgusting canopy through the once pristine midnight sky, blotting out the stars.
“Where did that come from?” Twilight asked, “I thought tonight was supposed to be clear.”
“It was. I cleared it myself. But that’s not a pegasus cloud.”
Twilight glanced back with confusion in her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“That’s an Everfree cloud. There’s no way a pegasus cloud would move that fast without being actively pushed, and I don’t see any pegasi up there.”
Twilight stomped loudly on the wooden balcony. “But that’s not fair!” she pouted, “I’ve been waiting for weeks for tonight! What Luna has planned won’t happen for another year!”
The unicorn swiftly trotted inside and returned with a stack of papers. “We’ll just have to go somewhere else to watch it!”
She unceremoniously flopped the stack to the ground and began reading each of the pages one by one before discarding them. Her eyes darted side to side as she read at an incredible rate.
“No, that’s too far. The cloud is too wide for that one. Maybe this one? No, that won’t work either.”
Dash walked over to Twilight to see what she was doing. She found one of the discarded pages, revealing a list of locations.
“Er, Twilight. I know the hills around here. We’d have to go almost to Canterlot to get a clear view. And that cloud looks like it's getting bigger.”
Several more papers were tossed aside, prompting Dash to look up. Twilight had already worked through most of the pile. Her mane began to fray and her eyes were wide and frantic as she leafed through the remaining pages. As the pile of rejections grew, Dash was steadily losing sight of a positive outcome.
The last time she’d seen Twilight like this, she had mesmerized the entire town to chase after a stuffed doll, and if she were allowed to continue tonight, there was no telling what could happen. Well, if Twilight can’t find a way, then it’s up to me.
The village was surrounded by rolling hills in every direction. Any one of them could serve as an adequate vantage point for stargazing if not for that cloud. Judging by Twilight’s copious maps, she must have planned several alternatives, but nopony could plan for an Everfree cloud. It was moving far too fast, and while it did not appear to be a storm cloud, in Dash’s opinion, it would soon envelop the entire sky and ruin any chance of Twilight getting her wish.
As she stared at the unnatural stratus, however, an idea began to form. If there was one thing she knew aside from flying, it was clouds. This bully of moisture might have had a mind of its own, but it hung ominously low to the ground—far lower than she would have allowed her own clouds to fall, unless fog was on the schedule.
Dash glanced at Twilight, who seemed to be sinking further into a frenzy. She was nearly at the end of her notes, floating the stacks of books and parchments around her head. It wouldn’t be long before she ran out and started thinking up something drastic.
“Hey, Twi. How much of this can you afford to leave here?”
Twilight snapped her eyes towards her. “What do you mean?”
“If I said there was a perfect place to stargaze, where that cloud couldn’t get in the way, but you had to travel light, what would you take?”
“I would say you’re crazy,” Twilight replied curtly. Dash shot her a stern glare, prompting her to try again. “But if I were to take something, I guess I would only need a notebook or two.”
The pegasus nodded, a grin flashing over her features. “Okay then. Get those together; we’re going for a little trip.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “A trip? Where?”
“Just get your things. You’ll see soon enough.”
Dash was glad her fervor in getting things moving again was enough to bring Twilight out of her spiral. With a quick flash of her magic, Twilight packed her saddlebags and draped them on her back. She looked at Dash expectantly.
“What about the telescope?”
Dash shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Where we’re going, we won’t need it.”
“Ok, then... Where are we going exactly?”
The pegasus walked over to the edge of the balcony. A gentle breeze wafted through her mane, the spectrum of colors dancing behind her. She extended her wings, flapping them a few times to wring out any soreness. With a single beat of her feathery limbs, she brought herself into a hover above the porch.
She gazed out over the village below. The gloomy Everfree cloud was rapidly approaching, blocking out the starlight above the sleeping town. Dash smirked.
“You aren’t afraid of heights, are you, Twilight?”
“No, but what does that have to—”
She fluttered her wings, zipping through the air over to the bookish unicorn. The branches of the great oak rustled at her speed. Twilight yelped as the cyan mare seized her by the barrel and lifted. In the blink of an eye, Twilight Sparkle was airborne, her legs dangling underneath her.
“Rainbow Dash!” she shouted, “What are you doing?”
“Saving your night. It’s faster if we fly.”
“Are you sure you can carry me?”
“Concerned about our weight, are we?”
“N-no,” Twilight stammered, her cheeks glowing a faint red, “but these books aren’t exactly light.”
The pegasus grinned at her friend’s insecurities. She beat her wings in a steady rhythm, beginning her ascension. As she climbed higher, she felt her passenger squirming in her grip.
“I’d recommend not moving like that, unless you want me to drop you,” she warned, tightening her hold on her friend.
“S-sorry, I’m not used to flying like this.”
“Don’t worry, you’re in good hooves.”
She felt compelled to tighten her grasp. When she did, Twilight’s mane brushed the underside of her neck. Her mane is really soft, she thought. Must be one of Rarity’s weird shampoos. She gripped tighter, letting its pleasant scent fill her senses.
“Uh, Dash.” Twilight wheezed. “You’re holding a bit too tight.”
Heat radiated through Dash’s cheeks as she loosened her hold on Twilight. Why did I do that?
She shook the thoughts from her mind, trying to regain focus on the task at hoof. The Everfree cloud loomed above, giving Dash reason to go faster and higher. As the wind rushed past her, she felt a strong pressure around her own hooves. Glancing down, she saw her passenger had drawn her limbs tightly together, shrinking herself as small as possible. Her front hooves had clasped onto her own, and Twilight was clinging to them for dear life. Dash chuckled.
A sudden dampness on her back prompted her to look up. The rogue Everfree cloud was only inches above. It was fast, but hardly fast enough to best her. She leveled her trajectory and increased her speed. The land below her became shrouded by the cloud as it continued its attempts to blot out the night sky. She laughed heartily as she gained distance from the dark blob, leaving it behind in her colorful contrail.
“D-do you need to fly so fast?”
Dash looked down again, and noticed that Twilight was shaking. She slowed her pace slightly. “Sorry, Twi. I just had to get away from that cloud. I didn’t really want to fly through it.”
“Are we almost there at least?”
“See for yourself.”
A modest hill was the only noteworthy landmark for miles—on the ground at least. Hovering high above it was Dash’s cloud house, dotted with carved nimbus columns and arches. Liquid rainbows poured from it, raining down towards the ground before vanishing into the air.
“Wait, why are we coming here?” Twilight inquired.
“You’ll see.”
Free of the cloud ceiling above her, she rose higher again at the sight of her home. Her wings buzzed in the air as she came to a hover above the roof. To her, this was the best place for her to gather her thoughts, and she wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
She shifted forward, bringing herself and Twilight over the flattened veranda. She loosened her grip on her friend, looking forward to unloading her cargo. The unicorn wasn’t as heavy as she jokingly mentioned, but carrying anypony for such a long distance would be tiring to any pegasus, athlete or not.
“How long does that cloud walking spell last?”
“About a day,” Twilight replied.
“Heh, that’s plenty of time, then.”
She felt her friend nod, and Twilight’s horn glowed again, surrounding herself in its purple light. Twilight emanated a pleasant warmth as she cast the spell. Dash lost herself in its glow, feeling its heat radiate through her tired body.
“Um, Dash? I said you can let me go.”
Dash shook herself from her daze. “Sorry, Twi. I zoned out for a sec.” Nice going, Rainbow Dash. You’re gonna creep her out if you keep this up. Stupid brain. She let her friend down as her mind spun in circles. What is wrong with me?
The gentle poof of disturbed cloud broke her from her thoughts. Dash stared at her friend, testing the resiliency of the cloud with a prod of her hooves. Dash fluttered to the cloud beside Twilight, burying the errant thoughts for now. She didn’t know why she was doing such things, but she wouldn't let them distract her while Twilight was around. She gestured out over the landscape. “See, Twi? Best view in Ponyville.”
Twilight peeked her head over the edge, and quickly stepped back. “It certainly is... high.”
Dash chuckled. “Yeah, my place is pretty awesome.”
Twilight stepped away from the edge, and Rainbow Dash turned her attention to the sky. As the moon began to shift from its position, it gave way to the stars behind it. A flurry of streaks fell through the sky, glistening brightly as they burned and soared towards the horizon. Canvases of color painted themselves on the inky black, tinting the rich purple with blues, reds, and even yellows.
She heard a giggle behind her and turned to see Twilight settling in with her things, removing her books and quills from her bags. They too, flashed purple briefly, before being laid carefully on the cloud in front of the unicorn. They rested placidly on the clouds, pages blank and waiting to be filled.
Twilight was watching her as she lay down on the soft cloud beneath her, still smiling. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say you’ve never seen a meteor shower before.”
Dash grinned sheepishly and brought a hoof to the back of her head, rubbing it gently. “Yeah, well, I’ve never seen them be so cool before.”
“Well, you were right about this place being perfect. Thanks for bringing me.” Twilight smiled, and Dash could almost feel its warmth. A simple statement, a simple gesture, was nearly enough to bring the pegasus to her knees.
“S-sure,” she sputtered. “N-no problem at all.”
Twilight motioned to a vacant spot beside her. “Come sit down. The show is about to start.”
Dash went still. She stared at the spot which Twilight had indicated, watching her lavender hoof circle along the top of the fluffy mass, but any attempts to move towards it failed. She stood, staring vacantly, her rapid breathing the only indication that she was still awake.
“Hey, Dash, are you alright?”
She shook her head briskly to clear the rampant thoughts from her mind and flashed a smile at her friend. “Yeah, I’m cool. Must just be tired.” She regained control of her legs and slowly walked over to where Twilight was sitting and sat beside her on the cloud.
A brisk wind rustled across the roof, bringing a strong chill with it overtop the mares. She heard soft clattering beside her and saw that her friend was quivering.
“Are you ok, Twi? You look a little cold.”
Twilight forced a smile between her chattering teeth. “A l-little. I f-forgot my b-blanket at home.”
Dash had blankets of her own inside, but leaving to fetch one now would cause her to miss precious seconds of time watching the stars above, and more importantly, time with Twilight, and that was something that her mind refused to allow. Before she knew it, a folded wing spread open and draped itself over the shivering unicorn.
“Heh, us pegasi don't have much of a problem with cold. Nice warm feathers, for one thing.”
She gasped softly and felt a shock of cold as she pulled her friend’s body against her own. Glancing over, Dash saw a look of surprise flicker across the unicorn’s face, only for it to slowly fade into a warm and grateful smile. When it did, Dash let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding.
“I, um, thank you, Dash. That was really nice of you.”
“N-no problem,” she stammered, blushing. “What kind of Loyalty would I be if I let my friend freeze on my roof?”
She managed a cocky grin, flashing her teeth wide to mask her growing unease.
“You really are a good pony, Rainbow Dash. I’m glad to have you as a friend.”
Friend. Dash’s stomach twisted. I’m Twilight’s friend. What else would I be? She glanced at Twilight again, who had returned her eyes to the sky, oblivious of the pain she had suddenly, unknowingly inflicted.
Twilight muttered noises of wonder under her breath, her eyes growing even wider than before. Dash followed her gaze and saw that the sky was host to a glowing aurora. The aura of colors painted themselves across the sky as far as the eye could see, rippling in and out of existence over the mountains far to the north.
Beyond that, in the inky dark, each glimmering dot seemed to have a life of its own. They shone almost as bright as Celestia’s sun, each casting their light onto all of Equus itself. As one winked into sight, two more quickly joined, over and over as tens became hundreds, and then thousands.
Sparkling lights joined the chorus of colors, falling through the sky far far more frequently than before, cutting streaks of bright yellow in the sky as the celestial bodies tumbled down to the earth. To her, it was almost like watching a fireworks display, but to use such a comparison now would be nothing but an insult. Whatever had crafted this event was far more than a simple multi-colored explosion. No, whatever this was, was nothing less than art.
“How did I miss seeing this before?” she asked.
“Have you forgotten what day it is?”
Dash stared quizzically at her friend, pondering. There were no birthdays or celebrations today. The one thing that she could recall, although she doubted its relevance, was the Summer Sun Celebration the morning before, but that—
“Wait a minute.” Her voice was rapt with realization. “If yesterday was the Summer Sun Celebration, that means...”
She looked to Twilight, who was nodding approvingly. “Yes, today is the day we freed Princess Luna from Nightmare Moon. Today is the anniversary of her return.”
The two mares turned back to the sky. To think that Princess Luna would stage such an elaborate spectacle was amazing, and for Dash to have one of the best seats to see it was, well, doubly amazing.
“It’s also,” Twilight added, a hint of solemnity overtaking her voice, “the anniversary of when I met you all. And the day we all became friends.”
Dash felt a sinking feeling in her gut. She turned away from Twilight, unable to face her at this revelation. The rest of them had spent the time together in between the planning of yesterday’s festivities, but had anypony really taken the time to realise that it had been such a special occasion? I certainly didn’t. For Twilight, it was so much more. The day she bonded with all of her friends, her first friends.
I should've remembered such an important date, especially one so close to Twilight. What kind of Loyalty am I?
She felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked over to see Twilight smiling at her. All the negative thoughts washed away as she peered into those violet eyes. Being here with Twilight made everything seem okay, and for her that was enough.
“I guess this night is extra special for everypony then,” Dash said.
“It is.” Twilight nodded. “I’m glad we spent some time together during the Summer Sun Celebration yesterday, because everypony was so tired today. I wasn’t sure that we would be able to celebrate anything tonight.”
“I wonder what the others would think of this.”
“I don’t think they would appreciate being woken up so late.” Twilight started to giggle, when a sudden yawn overtook her. Twilight brought a hoof to her mouth in an effort to stifle the spasm, but the damage had already been done. Her cheeks tinged red at such a silly gesture, and Dash found it hard not to laugh at the goofy expression that forced itself onto her face.
A blazing streak of white raced across the sky from high above Canterlot, falling over Ponyville before vanishing in darkness.
“Wow!” Dash exclaimed. “What was that?”
“Judging by the brightness, I’d say something made of phosphorus.”
Dash scratched her head. “Phospher—what?”
Twilight laughed. “Phosphorus. It burns really bright when ignited. Luna knows her chemistry.”
“Huh. That’s pretty cool. I wonder how fast it was going.”
Twilight opened her mouth as if to say something, but paused. She smiled, nudging Dash. “Are you showing interest in astronomy, Dash? I have a few books on it if you want.”
Dash shook her head. “Nah. Books are cool and all, but this is way more fun. Living it, y’know?”
“I can teach you more, if you’d like.”
Dash returned the smile. “That’d be awesome.”
*****
Twilight’s explanations carried into the night. She wasted no effort in pointing out every light, spark, and color that showed itself in the sky. Dash listened intently to every word, basking in Twilight’s presence as Luna’s celebration reached a brilliant crescendo.
Eventually, the rays of the dawning sun began to peek over the horizon. The pantheon of celestial bodies began to fade as it fled with the receding darkness. The aurora was the last to go. The multi-colored sheen sparkled against the dwindling night sky, each brilliant shade glowing vibrantly before being consumed by the morning light.
The pegasus squeezed her wings excitedly as the spectacle came to a close. “That was awesome.”
She felt a weight pressing against her side, and her ears perked at a soft whistling sound beside her. She looked down and saw that Twilight was asleep, her nose buzzing a cadence of quiet snores. Her head had tilted over into Dash’s neck and was snuggled against her as the unicorn slept soundly.
A fury of warmth rushed into her face as she realised what was happening. She was glad that Twilight was asleep, at least so she didn’t see her in this embarrassing state. All of her thoughts that evening had been torn apart every time Twilight had crossed her mind, and it had driven her mad.
Friend. Twilight had said that earlier. That word had become such a powerful aspect of her life in the past couple years. She had bonded with ponies she would have never spent time with before and made old friendships even stronger. She had shared so many adventures with her new friends.
So why did that word hurt so much now?
She couldn’t understand it. Why did the fate of only being Twilight’s friend seem so painful? Why did she feel unsatisfied with that? Why was being with Twilight causing her so much confusion over a simple night of stargazing?
Then there was her wing. She should have felt uncomfortable with a pony coming so close to her; instead, it felt good. Twilight was pressing into her in a peaceful sleep, and she didn’t want it to end! One thing dominated Rainbow’s mind, the one thing she never would have expected but now could not ignore: am I falling for Twilight?
Her heart raced as the realization rushed through her head. I can’t have a crush on Twilight! her mind screamed. We’re friends! And she’s an egghead! How can Rainbow Dash, future Wonderbolt, be seen with an egghead? They don’t let sappy ponies into the Wonderbolts...
She felt Twilight shift under her wing. Dash sighed happily as she repositioned the feathered limb over the unicorn. So why can't I stop looking at her?
What if she doesn’t feel the same way? Her heart skipped at that. She could not be certain if Twilight would feel that way about mares, or about anypony really. The librarian was not as outgoing as most ponies. Any time she was not with her friends, she was in her home, nose buried in an endless mountain of books. It wasn’t exactly healthy—but it was who she was.
How could Dash even approach a relationship with a friend? How would the rest of her friends react? Getting involved with a friend has its difficulties, and if something goes wrong... She shuddered at the possibility. What if the awkwardness makes Twilight isolate herself again?
No, she thought. Twilight wouldn’t do that, no matter how she felt. Plus, Dash had her newly minted love of books, so they had common ground, and after tonight, the sky was also something they could share. But would it be enough?
She wasn’t certain what to make of this. Her friend was now cuddled up beside her, snoring peacefully. She fought back the urge to panic, if only to prevent waking the unicorn. With every one of the her friend’s soft breaths, Dash felt her own tension ease away.
Whatever conflicts had arisen within her mind were instantly deflated by the presence of her sleeping friend. There was something more here, something worth telling somepony about, if only to get the worries of her mind and heart out and onto paper.
She saw Twilight’s books, sitting just inches in front of her. Dash carefully reached out a hoof and pulled one of the journals towards her. Opening it to a blank page, she slowly turned her head to snatch the quill that Twilight had tucked behind her ear.
She didn’t have anything firmly in mind, certainly not a fully formed lesson, but something like this, something as powerful as this, could only be written from the heart. She dipped the quill into ink and penned her thoughts to the one pony she thought might understand.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I used to think that I needed a specific type of pony to share my time with, one who loves the sky in the same way I do. What I found instead was somepony who made me appreciate it in a whole new way. For the first time in my life, I don’t feel completely alone in the love of the sky. While I’m not certain exactly what I found, or what it might lead to...
Movement pressed against her neck, as Twilight began to rouse from her timid slumber. Dash smiled fondly, letting the quill drop from her mouth and leaned into the waking unicorn.
“Hey, Twi,” she said quietly.
“Mmmmyea?” Twilight replied sleepily.
“Do you want to go watch the Cloudsdale Cloud Carving contest tomorrow?”
“Hmm... What’s that?” Twilight yawned loudly, pushing harder into Dash’s side as she moved in closer to the source of her warmth.
“Well, y’know how sometimes you see clouds that look like stuff? It’s not completely random. Sometimes pegasi like to shape clouds like an art project. And tomorrow there's a competition, and I’d thought you’d like to go with me.”
She listened to Twilight’s steady breathing, each breath ruffling the fur across her neck. She waited patiently for an answer, her heart racing faster each second that passed without one. She began to wince in preparation for the impending rejection, when another yawn escaped her friends mouth.
“That sounds lovely, Rainbow Dash. I’d love to.”
Relief heaved its way from the pegasus’ nose, and she drew in her wing tighter around her dozing friend. Twilight’s head slumped against her, gentle snoring vibrating from her muzzle. Now that her friend was finally and fully asleep, she retrieved the quill in her mouth and took it back to the letter.
Wherever it goes, I’m glad that I finally found it.