"I never thought paperwork could be so tedious," Rarity complained as she and Rainbow walked towards Carousel Boutique, "I mean, really, thirty minutes to fill out a single page?"
"That's what I'm saying," Rainbow exclaimed, "But nopony ever listens to me!"
They walked in silence for a few moments, neither sure of what to say to the other. Rainbow was the first to break the silence.
"So, since I'll be staying with you at the Boutique, where will I be sleeping?"
Rarity paused. She hadn't even thought about that. How that one crucial detail had slipped her mind was beyond her, "I suppose we could share my bed, at least until I can set up another room for you to sleep in."
Rainbow felt her face warm up when Rarity mentioned sharing a bed with her, even if only for a little while.
'Wait. What am I blushing about?' She thought to herself, 'I just spent the last three months sleeping next to her. Why is this any different?'
'Because she's asking you to,' another voice in Rainbow's head replied, causing the pegasus to turn an even deeper shade of red.
Shaking her head to clear it, Rainbow turned back to Rarity, "Are you sure? I can always sleep on a couch or something."
"Nonsense," Rarity said, "I will not allow my friend to sleep on such an uncomfortable piece of furniture when my bed is big enough for four ponies to sleep in." She placed her hoof against Rainbow's mouth, interrupting her, "I will not hear anything else. You are sleeping with me, and that's final."
When Rarity said that, a parade of unlady-like images flashed through Rainbow's head, 'NO! Bad Brain! Quit doing that! I don't want anypony to see me with a ...'
It was too late. Her wings were already popped out, and she couldn't retract them.
Rarity noticed this, "Rainbow, is something wrong with your wings?"
"NO!" Dash quickly exclaimed, "I mean, I was just stretching them. They haven't gotten much exercise lately, and I thought now might be a good time to work them out."
Rarity laughed, "Why don't you go ahead and fly then? I know you must be itching to be back in the air."
"Are you sure?" Rainbow asked, happy that Rarity was giving her a chance to get away from this embarassing situation, but also nervous about the fact that she had to take off with a wingboner.
"Of course. You are a pegasus after all, and pegasi belong in the sky just as much as they belong on the ground."
"If you really think I should," Rainbow said before awkwardly taking off with her still-stiff wings,"See you later, I guess."
Rarity dismissed Dash's clumsy takeoff as her not flying for three months, despite the fact that she had been flying just fine not even an hour ago. She quietly hummed The Art of the Dress to herself as she walked towards Carousel Boutique. Along the way, she got quite a few looks from ponies who were going about their errands. Most of them thought she was a new mare in town, but three or four of them did a double take when they realized who she was.
"Opalescence! I'm home!" Rarity called out as she walked in the front door of the Boutique.
Opalescence came running out of the kitchen, closely followed by Sweetie Belle and her parents. Sweetie was the first to get to Rarity, despite Opalescence's head start. Disappearing in a flash, Sweetie reappeared on Rarity's back, her face pressed into her mane as she held onto her sister's neck. Rarity could feel the warm tears wetting her mane, but did nothing to stop them as tears of her own began to flow.
"I m-missed you so m-much," Sweetie said between sobs, "The doctors said they w-weren't sure if you'd ever wake up."
Rarity went to use her magic to pull Sweetie around before remembering that her horn was... Out of commission, "Sweetie, you know I would never leave you like that. We may fight, but I will never do anything so cruel as to leave you without saying goodbye first. I promise."
"Really?" Sweetie asked, hopefulness in her voice.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye," Rarity chanted as she did the motions.
Across town, in Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie shuddered, her Pinkie Sense telling her someone just made a Pinkie Promise.