Canterlot Castle was just as ginormous as usual. Huge, spiky towers jutted from the roof, extending high into the sky and disappearing above the thunderheads. Each one of its dozen towers was similar yet distinct; some were sparkling ivory with beautifully grown vines clinging to them and others were stone—I even noticed a few cloud-crafted towers patched in for pegasi! A cool breeze rolled through, carrying with it the mouthwatering aromas from the castle kitchens. It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't eaten anything all day. My stomach growled painfully and I couldn't help but wonder if Princess Celestia was going to offer us something to eat.
As the rest of us watched Fluttershy make her way out of the carriage, the castle doors opened up to reveal a tall gray stallion with a dark red mane. His armor was the same gleaming gold that most other Celestial Guards wore, but where the others all had bars on their collars, he wore a large bronze star. With a smile on his face, he waved to the guards pulling our carriage and started down the steps toward us. “You girls must be the ponies Princess Celestia sent for, yes?” he asked pleasantly, walking straight up to Twilight, who grimaced. “Twilight Sparkle? I'm Captain Iron Hoof.”
The unicorn shrank back for a moment. Her ears were still soldered to the sides of her skull. “Oh, uh, yes. Hi...” she mumbled. She cleared her throat and stood up a little straighter, but her frown stayed firmly locked in place. Looking around, she asked: “Why didn't she meet us out here herself?”
Iron Hoof's lips thinned and he gestured for us to follow him with a hoof. “The Princesses are... in talks...” he said as he led us up the stairs. “I'm sure she'll explain when you see her, ma'am.”
“Talks?” Applejack snorted, “I thought this was important stuff, Twilight! Big Mac and Apple Bloom can't handle the farm on their own for long, even with Spike helping them out.”
The Captain's posture seemed to falter for a split second. “I assure you that your presence wasn't requested whimsically,” he said quickly. His ears dropped as he looked around stairwell. “There's been trouble with the Confederation of Dragon Tribes,” he whispered, “I don't know the exact details, but it's bad.”
Fluttershy's eyes inflated like balloons and she nearly stumbled backwards down the stairs. “Oh my,” she whispered frantically, hiding behind her mane. “D-d-dragons?” She looked ready to bolt back to the train—summons or no summons.
Rarity's face fell. “I'm sure it's nothing, Darling,” she said, wrapping her foreleg around the yellow pony's neck. “How bad could it be?” she asked as Iron Hoof opened the castle door. A fierce roar echoed down the halls of the castle, causing half the guards in the entryway to freeze instantly, their hackles raised.
Iron Hoof gulped. “Very.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” I asked, pushing my way through the doors. I set a course for the source of the roar, but before I made it more than a few steps, a gray hoof stopped me.
“Not yet,” the Captain said. “The Princesses don't want anything potentially counter-productive disturbing their... negotiations.” Another cacophonous dragon roar filled the halls; it was so loud, I could feel the vibrations in my bones.
“Right...” I said, shifting my weight to my back legs. The dragon's earth-quaking howl still rang in my ears and I briefly wondered if Fluttershy might have had the right idea. “Negotiations...”
“Quite.” Iron Hoof took a deep breath and shook his head slowly, mumbling something incoherent to himself. “I'm sure our scaly guest will pause his ranting for dinner, though,” he said after a minute. “In the mean time, I'll show you to your rooms.”
“Ooh!” Pinkie Pie squealed, immediately bouncing in tow. “We get rooms?”
“The Princesses wished for you to have appropriate accommodations,” Iron Hoof answered without looking back. He steered us down a brightly lit hallway and the guards that filled it immediately stepped to the side and saluted. “While she only called for Miss Sparkle, I had a felling that the rest of you girls might show up, so I arranged for our most sumptuous guest rooms to be prepared for your arrival.”
I elbowed Applejack. “What's 'sumptuous' mean?” I whispered.
She looked at me and shrugged.
“Um, how long does Princess Celestia think we'll be staying?” Fluttershy asked, carefully avoiding the piercing gazes of the armored ponies around her. “I-I don't think I can stay very long; my animals need my help!”
Iron Hoof grimaced. “Well, honestly, Princess Celestia did say that your presence wouldn't be necessary for the entire duration,” he said. “Actually, Twilight Sparkle is the only pony that could help her, but that all friends of hers would be welcomed nonetheless.”
Twilight's head cocked to the side. “Really?” she asked. “What does she think I can do?”
“I don't know,” the Captain groused. “I just follow orders and relay information.”
We turned a corner and entered another hallway decorated with expensive paintings and marble statues of famous ponies. A large, ornate painting hung off one wall depicted six very famous ponies all posing in front of the Equestrian flag. I easily picked out Commander Hurricane from them. I smiled; the last Commander of the Pegasi had been as tough as nails—he'd once fought off a full grown dragon with only his hooves! Next to Spitfire, Commander Hurricane had been my role model for years. I'd grown up imagining I was his wing-pony, battling armies of griffons and manticores. Kinda hard to believe a pony that awesome had settled down with little old Clover the Clever. It's funny—even then, in the painting, it seemed his eyes were drifting over to the unicorn clothed in rags. My heart lurched as I took in her all-too-familiar warm smile; maybe I'd followed in the commander's hoofsteps a little too well...
I caught my gaze drifting over the figure of my super-smart, incredibly powerful unicorn and bit back a sob. Stop. I shook my head. Just... just stop. You're a grown mare, Dash; you can talk to her later.
“Hey,” Applejack bumped my leg. I guess she'd caught me staring. “Seriously, girl, what happened between you two?”
I didn't look her in the eyes; instead, I continued down the hallway with the others. “Nothin', A.J. Just.... stuff...”
There was a long pause, filled only with the idle chatter of Iron Hoof's cheerful explanations of each spectacular artifact we passed. Then, right as I was beginning to think that Applejack might have dropped the subject, she said: “You wanna talk about it?” Her words were soft, like she was afraid I might run away if she was too loud or something. “I know you said you didn't on the train, but you were all worked up at the time...”
I sighed and tried not to let her pity put me back in that horrible place I'd been in earlier; I didn't know if I'd be able to get out of there again. “No,” I said after a moment. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but I can handle myself, okay?”
“Well, if you're not gonna talk to me, then talk to her, okay?”
I nodded. “I will. That was the plan, anyway.”
“Alright,” Applejack said uneasily, biting her lip. “Just promise me you wont do anything crazy, okay? This ain't like you—I'm worried.”
“I'll be fine.”
She didn't look convinced, but before she could say anything else, we arrived at the end of the hall and Iron Hoof stopped us. “Ah! Here we are: the Stone Tower!” Iron Hoof said, happily pointing at a stone door with an intricate gold design on it. I noticed that there weren't any chandeliers or electrical lights in the room, only wall-mounted torches and windows that showed the rolling green hills and valleys below. “This tower was specifically designed with all the comforts of Earth Ponies in mind,” the Captain said, smiling. “Every room is on the ground floor and made of granite.”
“Wouldn't that make it a hall?” Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing into the large stallion's face. Her brow crumpled in thought as she began tapping a hoof on her chin. “Or a wing? Maybe a department?”
Iron Hoof's smile faltered for a moment as he backpedaled to reclaim his personal space. “Uh, perhaps?”
Pinkie seemed to be satisfied with this answer and unceremoniously charged through the doors with a shriek of joy. Iron Hoof's eyes shot wide as she bolted into a random room. After a moment, she called out: “Hey guys! I've got a roommate!”
“I say!” the voice of an old stallion echoed through the chamber. “What is the meaning of this? Let me go!”
Iron Hoof's ears drifted downwards and he looked at us with pleading eyes. “That would be Mr. Axle Grease,” he said in a choked panic. “He crafted the world's first flight-chariot nearly a hundred years ago!”
“Relax,” Applejack laughed, stepping through the tower's entryway, “I'll take care of her; can I assume our room in the one with our names on the door?”
The Captain nodded and voiced his thanks before the door closed. “Oh, don't worry about Pinkie Pie, Darling,” Rarity chuckled at his worried face. “She may be excitable, but she'd never hurt so much as a fly!”
“Right.” He took a deep breath before passing the doorway and leading us deeper into the castle. “Let's get a move on then, shall we?”
“Wait,” Twilight said suddenly. She gave him a confused look. “Aren't we all staying together?”
Iron Hoof shook his head. “Her majesty wished for you all to be as comfortable as possible, and stone beds are hardly the best things for unicorns to sleep on—especially unicorns with status like yours!”
“Oh. Okay...” Her whole body seemed to sag now; her tail hung limply behind her; her hooves nearly dragged across the floor as she walked; head drooped so close to the floor that she could have been sniffing it—and all the while, she walked alone and talked to no one.
I saw my chance and I refused to let it slip by. I hurried to catch up, but Rarity stepped in next to Twilight before I could and nudged her, whispering something I couldn't quite make out. My eye twitched and I fought the urge to growl in frustration. I glared at a bust of Celestia as we walked by it. Really? I wanted to shout. What did I ever do to you?
I lagged behind as Iron Hoof took us through another maze of hallways. His voice droned on in the background, a chorus of unintelligible murmurs joined the cacophony of the guards and high-horses chattering in the halls. Rarity's lips never stopped moving while she walked. Whatever she was saying appeared to be helping Twilight, though, because as she turned her head, I saw the beginnings of a smile on her face.
Despite the situation, it was nice to see.
It didn't take long to reach the unicorn suites and I couldn't help but gasp—solid gold. There was solid gold everywhere. Every visible surface looked to be carved from the most expensive materials that could stand to be used. Silver knobs, crystal windows, glittering gemstones—and that was just the front door! Who knew what was inside; from the looks of it, I bet that even the light bulbs in there were made of diamonds!
“Impressive, huh?” Iron Hoof asked, “This is the White Gold Tower. It's the second tallest tower in Canterlot—and the most expensive to upkeep. Plush furniture, jewel-encrusted designs—heck, there's a rumor that even the toilet paper in there's laced with strands of golden thread!” He laughed when he saw me cringe. “I don't know how true that is,” he said, shrugging, “but knowing that room, I wouldn't doubt it.”
“Uh... sounds great?” I said slowly, trying not to imagine the pain it might cause somepony to wipe down there with strands of metal. Some ponies just love to throw their money around, I guess.
Rarity charged at the doors with crazed zeal. She carefully examined the jewels inside, doing that weird—and, honestly, kinda creepy—laugh she does when she's about to go crazy. “It's beautiful!” she exclaimed. I swear, if she was any happier, she'd be licking the glimmer right off of the rubies. “I simply cannot wait to see more!” She wrapped a foreleg around Twilight's neck and dragged her inside, ignoring her victim's surprised yelp. Silence followed.
“Well then,” the Captain said, blinking. “She was certainly... excited.”
“Yeah, that's Rarity for you,” I said, brushing my mane out of my eyes. “She gets pretty hyped up over stuff like this.”
“So I see. Shall we move on?”
I shrugged. I obviously wasn't going to be able to get anywhere near Twilight while Rarity dragged her around on tour of Fancy HQ. “Lead the way.”
I think Iron Hoof picked up on the fact that nopony was listening to his ramblings, because he led Fluttershy and I in nearly complete silence. A cold chill snaked its way down my spine as I realized that, once he left, I'd be alone with Fluttershy for the first time since that incident on the train. I gulped. Don't get me wrong, I knew I needed to apologize, it's just that... well... apologies are hard—especially when it's to somepony like Flutters, who you made cry. I looked over to the pony in question, who was busy staring at the floor while she walked, eyeballing it like it was the most interesting walkable surface in the world. I hoped she wasn't still sore over what happened.
The Captain led us down another series of hallways—I wondered how he kept them all straight, I mean, Canterlot Castle is huge! We climbed a few sets of spiral staircases and passed a huge steel door marked “Armory” before the walls began to turn into clouds. “I apologize for the state of your quarters,” he said, looking around at the darkened cumulus. “A storm's been blowing in from the north side of the Everfree; I heard that the weather teams are having a heck of a time just stopping it from turning into a hurricane!”
I shrugged. “White or gray, a cloud's a cloud.”
Iron Hoof nodded and stopped. “Regrettably, this is where I must leave you behind,” he said, motioning to the floor, which transitioned to cloud just a few steps ahead. “Your room is at the top. I'll send somepony up when dinner's ready.”
“Okay.” I looked up the long set of stairs. The black maw shifted and swirled like a manticore's throat. So, Twilight got golden toilet paper and I got a soggy floor, huh? It briefly crossed my mind that I probably could have been sleeping in a mansion by now if I'd taken Spitfire's offer. I shook my head and turned back to the cheerful Captain. “Thanks.”
Iron Hoof bid us good day and disappeared down the stairs. After he was gone, I noticed how quiet everything was—that stallion's words had been filling a gap I hadn't even noticed. Beside me, Fluttershy was still staring at the floor. I bit my lip and shifted my weight. Something broke the silence, something soft but not unfamiliar.
“What was that?” I asked.
A lump formed in my throat as she pawed at the ground. “I'm sorry...” she whispered, her voice nearly overshadowed by the low rumbling of the walls. “I didn't mean to upset you earlier. I just... You looked so... I thought I could help...”
I sighed and looked away. “Aw, Shy...” I tried not to groan, but I guess I didn't try hard enough. “C'mon... It-it's not your fault! Don't be sorry; I was the one who was a jerk.”
“Okay...”
I looked around. Nopony could be seen, but I wasn't sure how far off Iron Hoof was. Fluttershy played with the ends of her mane. I needed to end this—as sorry as I was for blowing up at her, I knew that the longer this went on, the more she'd push me about earlier and the more likely it was that somepony would hear us. “Look, Shy, can we, uh, talk about this later?”
Instead of speaking, she just nodded her head a little bit.
“Good!” I said. I coughed to clear out my throat, but the lump held tight. I felt like I'd swallowed a lemon that just didn't wanna go down. “Uh, I mean okay! C'mon!”
Fluttershy fell in line behind me and we began climbing the stairs again. Nobody talked; the walls rumbled softly and occasionally lit up with small bursts of lightning, but those were the only sounds we heard. The path ended at a nondescript door marked only with a nameplate. I opened the door and peered inside, where nothing but darkened clouds and a couple of raised masses awaited.
I stepped inside and poked one of the giant globs of cloud that was obviously meant to be a bed. The soft substance gave way to my hoof with little resistance and slowly flowed back into place when I took it off. Frowning, I examined the rest of the empty room. “Not even a window...” I grumbled at the void. “It feels so... empty.” Thunder rolled from overhead, adding an ominous tone to the lonely room. A bolt of lightning ripped through the ceiling and shot out the door, missing a panicked Fluttershy's ear by mere inches. She jumped higher than I'd ever seen her fly, shrieking in absolute terror as her wings locked up and she fell to the floor, shielding her head with her hooves. Eyes wide as saucers, the buttercup pegasus stammered an apology before saying something about sleeping on the ground tonight and tearing down the stairs like Pinkie Pie after an ice cream carriage.
Whatever; at least that meant she wasn't gonna go around sticking her nose in my business anymore.
I tossed my book onto my rumbling thunderhead of a bed and breathed out a sigh. Daring Do looked at me with a frown on her face that was perfectly framed by her slicked back ears and mud soaked wedding gown. “Looks like it's just you and me tonight,” I said, flopping on the bed and staring at the ceiling.
I wondered when a good time to talk to Twilight would be. Without any way to keep track of the time, it would be impossible to guess when we'd be called down to dinner, and I really wanted to get to her before then. I knew that enough time had to pass that Rarity would be settled in enough to go bug some famous fashion designers or flirt with a guard or something. I propped my head up with my forelegs and resigned to giving her fifteen minutes.
With that taken care of, I reached for Daring Do and the Quest for Love and opened it back up, searching for my bookmark. I never thought I'd be so hooked on such a silly story about romance and other girly gunk, but I just couldn't help but root for Daring; I really hoped that she'd tell Rosetta about her feelings soon, so that they could be happy together.
Daring Do squinted at the menu for a long while and fought the urge to growl in frustration. Her vain attempts to decipher the needlessly overcomplicated names of the dishes served only to create a throbbing pain in her head. The silence that filled the dining hall didn't seem to help, either. Stallions in three-piece suits sat across ornate crystal tables, facing beautiful mares dressed in flowing regal gowns. Daring gulped and looked down at her own dirtied explorer vest—and the sandy-yellow wings that poked out of it; not for the first time in her life did she feel horribly out of place.
Closing her eyes, Daring tried to focus her thoughts on having a fun evening. “It's for her,” she whispered under her breath. She opened her eyes and watched the unicorn's scroll across the laminated paper that confounded her so. Feeling a painful lump, Daring cleared her throat and clicked her hooves on the table. She eyed the silverware, taking in the utencils' bright shine. Her eyes wandered across the hall to the restroom sign and followed a waiter down an aisle to a food-covered table.
“Excuse me, Madame, but are you ready to place your order?”
Daring jumped at the unexpected intrusion of a heavily accented newcomer. A wiry stallion in a tuxedo stood before her; next to him floated a pencil and a pad of paper. Naturally, the first thing Daring's eyes anchored to was his expertly twisted, pencil-thin, mustache, and she couldn't think of anything but how silly he looked as it bounced about while he talked.
“Huh?” she said stupidly. Resisting the urge to slap herself, the pegasus shook her head with fervor. “Uh, y-yeah.” Once more, Daring stared at the menu; Prench characters floated off the paper and swirled around her head, tickling her ears with sounds unheard. “Uh... I'll just get a dandellion Sandwich...” she said, giving up.
The waiter snorted, his face contorting into a look of unabashed resentment a moment before exploding into laughter. “This is a proper restaurant,” he said with a tone usually meant for young foals. “We do not serve something so... insulting to our patrons.”
Daring's ears slicked back instantly. “Uh, right...” she said, smiling sheepishly. Rosetta cocked an eyebrow at her, but Daring continued regardless, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “I was just kidding.” In the corner of her eye, she watched as a staunch server placed a heaping plate of vegetables before his charge; atop the greens, cheddar cheese melted happily, dripping down the sides and pooling at the bottom of the dish. “I'll have what he's having!” she said quickly, slapping her menu shut and all but throwing it at the waiter.
“Er... yes, Madame,” the stallion said slowly. After a moment of furious scribbling on his pad, the waiter bid them adieu and headed off toward the kitchen, mumbling something about “barbaric thunder-heads.” The words dug into Daring's heart, but she tried to ignore them and focus on Rosetta—who appeared to have not heard them.
Once the waiter was out of earshot, Rosetta began chuckling quietly into her hooves. “You have no idea what you ordered, do you?” she asked between giggles.
Daring relaxed a little as her friend's laughter washed over her. Smiling, she shrugged at her fellow professor. “Not a clue,” she conceded, staring straight into Rosetta's amethyst eyes. She felt a silly grin stretch across her face. Then, before she could stop herself, she blurted: “But I don't care, because any meal with you is a good meal.”
Gasping in fear, Daring immediately covered her mouth. Stupid! she berated herself. Were she not in public, she probably would've slapped herself for doing something so carelessly asinine. That was so stupid!
For a second, Rosetta's features seemed to darken. Her smile morphed into a deep, grimace and her nostrils flared. Then, just as quickly, it was gone—replaced by a wide, toothy grin and leaving Daring Do wondering if she'd just imagined the whole thing.
“I enjoy eating with you too, Darey,” she said. Her voice cracked, but Daring thought it only added to the mare's cuteness. They locked eyes and shared a look of mutual happiness.
Daring smiled as her heart soared. Oh, yeah, she thought to herself, I've got this in the bag!
I couldn't help but grin as I closed the book. Hugging it close to my chest, I fell back onto my bed and imagined Daring Do bravely announcing her feelings to Rosetta. Sure, the bookish unicorn might be a little apprehensive at first, but she'd give Daring a chance and they'd totally fall in love! I squeezed the book tighter. “Awesome!” I said, my voice escaping in a short, way to emotional, squeal.
I jumped to my hooves and surveyed the room carefully. Racing across the floor, I tore the door open and revealed the empty hallway. “Phew,” I said, leaning against the door; it shut with a click. “That was a close one...” I wiped a few beads of sweat off my forehead. I'd really dodged a bullet, there. What if Fluttershy hadn't decided to spend the night downstairs? “She'd never look at me the same again, that's what.”
Taking once last deep, calming breath, I tossed Daring Do and the Quest for Love back onto my bed. I figured more than enough time had passed that I could go talk to Twilight while Rarity did her girly Rarity thing. I ran a hoof through my mane—I'd need to look my awesomest if I wanted to impress Twilight—and, satisfied, I opened the door to start the short walk back down to the unicorn suites.
I descended the stairs without any problems and found myself in a hall decorated with canvas paintings and deadly weapons. An engraved plaque on the nearby iron doorway reminded me that this was the outside of the castle armory. I took a left down the hall and continued passed several bickering guards. One of them grumbled something about a bar in southern Canterlot and the others grunted their agreements.
A few empty halls later, I found myself staring at the familiar giant golden gate that my horned friends had just traveled through. After searching for a moment, I located the knob and opened twisted it. The corridor beyond was astounding. Red velvet decorated the ceiling and walls, the soft carpeting stretched out before me like a pitch black racetrack. Statues and memorabilia of famous unicorns either stood proudly by the doors or hung from the walls.
“Wow...” I whispered to myself. Glittering diamonds lit the way as I walked through the hall. If Applejack was here, I was sure she'd be whistling at how expensive everything looked. An pegasus in a servant's uniform was scrunched down on the floor, furiously scrubbing something on the carpet, but he was the only other pony I came across.
It didn't take long for me to find Twilight's door. A jewel-encrusted affair, the golden door was interrupted only by a crystal nameplate that held the names of the room's occupants. My eyes seemed to stick to Twilight's name. I felt my stomach twist into a knot. What if she didn't want to talk? What if she told me to go away? I gulped hard; what if she told me she hated me?
I shook my head and took a deep breath. What she said didn't matter, I just wanted her to say something to me. I just needed to know that she wasn't gonna keep giving me the silent treatment for forever. She could tell me she hated me, that she never wanted to see me again, I just needed to hear her voice. I needed... I needed something—I wasn't sure what, exactly, but I needed something.
With that thought in mind, I reached a hoof out and set it on the knob. I opened the door and was immediately assaulted by the pungent smell of fancy perfume. The sour, choking scent swirled its way through my nostrils and burned my throat like a strong alcohol. “Stupid rich ponies...” I grumbled softly, resisting the urge to gag before opening the door completely. I gasped; I felt like I was walking straight into a picture from a hotel magazine. “Woah...:
The room looked fit enough for a princess to sleep in. Everything gleamed in the light of Celestia's sun, which was beautifully framed by the crimson silk curtains that hung over the panoramic window by the balcony; it seemed that the Canterlot weather team had managed to at least keep the sunset clear of the growling thunderheads. The pinks and reds produced as the world dimmed shone on the photos and portraits that covered the walls, tinting the colors within and casting shadows on the meticulously cleaned carpeting. Oak chairs with cushions at least a foot thick stood gleaming at beautifully stained desks upon which sat stacks of books taller than me. In the corner, sitting on an ornate frame carved with the faces of the Solar Sisters, was the biggest and fluffiest mattress I'd ever laid eyes in. Ordinarily, I'd have to fight to keep myself from jumping on a bed that sweet, but I didn't have to try very hard today—somepony was already in it.
She lay with her back to the wall, her mane a tangled mess. Rays of sunlight beamed on her mane, casting it in a beautiful glow. She was nearly motionless, like a sleeping angel—only the slight twitching of her tail or the occasional sniffle gave hint to her continued subsistence.
Dang, listen to me; I really have been reading too much.
A cursory glance at the rest of the room confirmed we were alone. I took a few more steps inside and closed the door. The lock clicked and I breathed a sigh of relief—the last thing I wanted was Rarity coming in and chewing me out again or something. I set my eyes back on the figure of the bedded pony and cleared my throat.
“Twi?”
Silence answered. I walked closer to the bed and sat down.
“Twilight?”
Still nothing. Not even a twitch of an ear. I felt my heart sink deep into the pit of my stomach and I wondered if I'd come down here for nothing.
“Twilight, c'mon!” My voice cracked. “This isn't fair!”
I stomped on the floor when she still didn't answer. I landed off balance and swung my wings out to catch myself, but a tearing pain ripped through my muscles and I fell anyway. My eyes stung as I grabbed a hold of the nightstand and climbed back up to my hooves. I looked back over at Twilight—she hadn't even moved. An incredible heat grew in my cheeks; I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, like I was repeatedly being struck by a hammer. Again, I heard the slam of the compartment door—felt the pain of landing on my head after getting thrown.
“I tell you I love you and this is what I get?!”
Growling, I tightened my grip on the little wooden table and toppled it over, sending an expensive-looking porcelain lamp crashing to the floor. The room darkened considerably as it hit the ground and exploded into a million glass shards.
“Say something!” I screamed, shaking her bed.
She still didn't move.
Growling, I leaped onto the bed and grabbed her shoulder; she didn't resist when I turned her over and latched onto her face with shaking hooves. “Dang it, Twilight!” I choked, holding her head still. “Look at me!”
I saw the tears on her cheeks; I honestly don't remember if they were hers or mine. I didn't really care either way anymore. She sniffled and my legs collapsed under me. I fell like a sack of potatoes. My face collided with soft fur and I burrowed as deep as I could into its warm embrace, fighting the sobs that were forming at the back of my throat. “Twilight...” I moaned. My chest ached—it couldn't have hurt worse if Big Mac himself had decided to buck me across Sweet Apple Acres. “Please...” I froze when a hoof gently settled on my back. It wasn't words—it wasn't eye contact or even a hug. There was no pressure behind it; she wasn't patting me or holding me close. It was just a hoof.
But it was something.
I looked up at a blurry world of lavender, fighting the rising sense of hope in my gut. My lungs had somehow forgotten how to breathe properly; I swallowed and tried to fill them without gasping. The hoof raised and settled itself on my cheek before wiping the tears from of my eye.
“Twi...” I said—or tried to, anyway; the air that should have carried my words floated out of my mouth like a stagnant river, slow and unmoving.
Twilight's eyes closed for a moment, then opened slowly. “Rainbow...” she whispered. Quick as a cannonball, her forelegs wrapped around my shoulders and squeezed. My vision filled with indigo hair as she nuzzled into my shoulder. “I'm so sorry!”
I don't know how long we laid like that, crying into each other's coats, but it was a while. I managed to worm my hooves around her back so I could hold her in my forelegs like she was me and we whimpered together into the dimming light of the bedroom. I clung to Twilight like a filly would a favorite stuffed animal—I don't know how better to describe it. Holding her close to me, squeezing her tightly, just made me feel so much better. I knew it was silly, but it helped, so I didn't question it.
Eventually, the crying stopped and Twilight eased her grip on me. I sat up on the bed and she followed suit. Her shoulders sagged a bit and her ears were still slicked back—and I imagined I fared no better—but she looked me right in the eyes. “I'm sorry,” she said again, wiping her nose with a hoof. “I just... You surprised me, Rainbow. I... I panicked. I'm sorry...”
I nodded slowly, looking down at the covers of the bed; star patterns decorated the material, giving the dark cloth an eye-catching design. “I'm sorry too.” I tried to speak clearly, but the words came out barely louder than a whisper. “I got carried away. I thought that... that you might...” I sighed and mushed a star under my hoof. “Bah... Nevermind...”
I heard the air escape from Twilight's lungs. “I just...” she tried, but stopped mid sentence. “I wasn't expecting you to say that, you know?” she finished lamely. I looked up to see pink spots on her cheeks. “Or for you to... to... do what you did.”
“Yeah...” I rubbed the back of my neck. “So... I guess you don't feel the same, do you?” I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice, but I still sounded like I was attending a funeral.
Twilight shifted on the bed, her hooves tapped on the covers. “Rainbow, I... I don't know...” she said softly. She stared at the bed while she talked. “I just... This was so unexpected and... and I need some time, okay?”
I nodded. Well, I guess it's not an outright 'no...' I thought. All the same, it wasn't exactly a 'yes,' either. Still, I gave an honest attempt at a smile, even though my stomach continued to squirm. “Sure, Twi,” I said, sitting up a little straighter. “Take all the time you need.”
Twilight smiled at that, her beautiful face framed by her gorgeous amethyst eyes and adorable muzzle. It wasn't The Look, but it was something. She opened her mouth to speak, but a pounding on the door interrupted whatever she was going to say. The sound of a key sliding into a lock echoed around the room and, after a moment of jangling, the door opened.
“Twilight!” A white unicorn with an expertly styled purple mane ducked her head inside and I fought the urge to groan. “The Captain says—“ Her eyes widened. “Oh!” she said, surprised. “I am truly sorry; I didn't mean to interrupt anything!”
My wings flared instinctively and I cringed for a moment before I managed to force them back down. The pain from my sprain was the only thing that stopped me from opening my mouth and telling that mare just how sorry she was going to be for interrupting.
“It's fine, Rarity,” Twilight said quickly, almost jumping as she got off the bed. She held no reservations in crossing the room and taking a firm hold on the door. “You said something about Captain Iron Hoof?”
Rarity frowned. “Yes,” she answered. “Dinner's ready in the banquet hall... What were—”
“Dinner sounds fantastic!” Twilight interjected, grabbing the dressmaker and practically shoving her out the door. “We should get going! Don't want to keep the princesses waiting, do we?” Once Rarity was out the door, she turned to look at me; a distant kind of smile sat upon her face. “I promise, we'll talk about this more when we get back home, okay?”
I nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“Okay.” And with that, Twilight walked out the door.
I sighed and stepped off the bed, careful not to upset my wing. I wasn't sure what exactly was going through Twilight's head, but I hoped it was something good. She's gonna think about it... I thought, casting my gaze out the window for a moment. A weatherpony zoomed across the sky, bucking a cloud into nothingness and revealing another piece of the sunset. I couldn't help but let a small smile force its way onto my face. After Twilight threw me out of her compartment, I'd thought I was done for; now, I had something to hope for and things were finally looking up.
I paid no attention to the soft rolls of distant thunder as I closed the door behind me and hurried down the hall to find dinner.