//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: TwiDash 
// by MrPengu1n 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight and Rainbow flew across the sky above Ponyville, scanning the ground for any sign of Chrysalis, "Where do you think she went?" Twilight mused.
Rainbow thought about that, "Well, she was near the Everfree when I-er, when she hypnotized me," Rainbow thought aloud, "That's probably where her colony is hiding; nopony would ever willingly go in there."
Twilight nodded in agreement, "You're probably right, let's go with that, it's the only thing we've got as of now."
Rainbow nodded at her point and the two soared towards the clearing in silence. After a few moments, Rainbow's eyes were drifting towards her flying partner, who was still intently scanning the ground. "You're a good flyer for your first time," she observed.
Twilight, just realizing she was being watched, looked over and then looked away, smiling bashfully, "Thanks," she said modestly, "But I know you're flying slower than usual for me."
Rainbow nodded and chuckled, then angled her wings to glide right underneath Twilight, "Why not speed this up?" she offered.
Twilight nodded, flying was much harder than it looked! At least she would never have to do it again once these fake wings disappeared. She stopped flapping and allowed herself to drift down, wrapping her forelegs around Rainbow's body below her wings.
Almost immediately, Rainbow took off at an incredible rate, zipping across the sky in an instant. Twilight was screaming out of both fear and delight, an odd combination, but a very fitting one for being together with Rainbow Dash.
After a short time of flying, they reached the pathway which followed the Everfree Forest edge, where the clearing would be located. Rainbow averted her course and followed the path, Twilight clinging onto the back of her for dear life. There, down in not exactly the same place, but close, stood Chrysalis, all alone. "There she is!" Rainbow announced.
Twilight looked down at her. Why was she simply standing there? Why wasn't she hiding? Why hadn't she left yet? "Careful, Rainbow, it could be a triiiiiiii-!"
Her sentence was cut off as Rainbow enthusiastically dove down towards the ground, landing deftly a short distance away from Chrysalis and inadvertently sending Twilight sprawling on the ground. She quickly got up, dusted herself and her false wings off, and stood in a confrontational stance alongside Rainbow.
"Give us back the sphere!" Rainbow demanded, teeth bared and snarling. Twilight was impressed; she could be very intimidating sometimes.
Chrysalis merely smirked, "What, you mean this old thing?" she asked, holding up the glowing golden sphere. She casually inspected it, then shrugged and said, "Fine."
Rainbow and Twilight were caught off-guard, "W-what?" Twilight asked, incredulously confused.
"I said 'fine'," Chrysalis repeated, rolling the sphere towards them a short distance, "Take it," she then smiled evilly and flicked her forked tongue, "I dare you."
Twilight looked down at the sphere, then at Chrysalis, then at the sphere, then at Chrysalis and shook her head, "No!"
"Twilight!" Rainbow voiced, confused.
"Rainbow, it's s trick," Twilight insisted, "She wouldn't just give it up."
"No trick," Chrysalis said reassuringly, inspecting her hooves with disinterest, "If you want it, come and get it; I won't stop you."
Rainbow looked at the sphere; it lay in the grass just a few feet away from her. She took a small step towards it. Chrysalis did nothing aside from blowing a bit of dust off of her hooves. She took another tiny step towards it, eyes darting warily towards Chrysalis, the sphere, and back again.
Twilight stood adamantly still, "Rainbow, I'm telling you, it's a trick, don't pick it up!"
"On my word," Chrysalis said, making a crossing motion with her hoof over her heart, "You can pick it up; I won't stop you."
Rainbow didn't know what to do. Chrysalis was a perfect liar; you could never tell whether she was telling the truth, or part of it, or a complete lie. That's what truly made her so dangerous, she had complete control over her emotions. They were probably locked up in a cage where her heart should be where she poked them for fun. Nevertheless, she did nothing but stand there smirking as Rainbow took foal-steps towards the sphere, nearing it inch by inch. Finally, she was close enough to swipe it, and still Chrysalis did nothing. She stretched out her hoof experimentally, then withdrew it, and still Chrysalis did nothing. Finally, not being able to take it anymore, Rainbow reached out and rolled the sphere closer towards her, and picked it up, holding it in her hoof. Chrysalis smiled, flicking her tongue, but besides that did nothing, keeping her promise.
Rainbow Dash, not knowing what to think, took a step backwards, then another, and another, but still Chrysalis did nothing besides stand still and smile knowingly. Finally, Rainbow Dash was back at Twilight's side, holding the sphere, and Chrysalis hadn't moved.
The two mares did not take their eyes off of her as Rainbow passed the sphere to Twilight. Chrysalis rocked on her hooves, now thoroughly bored. Rainbow let out a laugh, "I guess you're getting slow, Chrysalis!"
Chrysalis shrugged, "Maybe," she said, still wearing that evil little smile.
Twilight was highly confused, but she wasn't about to miss this chance. Shrugging with acceptance, she nodded and said, "Well...alright, then...see you later, I guess..." and she slowly turned around with Rainbow, beginning to walk away.
Chrysalis nodded, "Goodbye, then," she said, waving her hoof.
Rainbow instinctively waved back, then stopped herself and turned around, the two mares looking back at Chrysalis all the while. Slowly and awkwardly, they began walking away, until finally facing fully forward and walking away, "Well that was easier than I expected," Twilight observed.
A large flash of bright green light suddenly shone in front of them, momentarily blinding the two. It faded after a moment, and there stood Chrysalis, who had teleported in front of them. "Oh wait," she said, smiling evilly, "I almost forgot, I can't let you take that."
Rainbow spluttered angrily, "You said you'd let us go!" she objected loudly.
Chrysalis waved her hoof, "Ah, ah, ah," she chastised, "I said I'd let you pick up the sphere," she smiled evilly, and her eyes began glowing with a sickly green light, "I said nothing about letting you keep it."
Rainbow's eye twitched; she wanted to walk right up to her and sock her one in the sour kisser, but she couldn't move.
Wait, what? She really couldn't move! She could only stare into Chrysalis's eyes as the green light intensified.Twilight too could not move; she felt her muscles clench up and she dropped the sphere as the green light coming from Chrysalis's eyes grew brighter and brighter. She heard Chrysalis begin to laugh evilly as the light grew brighter and brighter until it filled up her entire field of vision.
"Look into my eyes," Chrysalis's voice was the last thing they heard.

Twilight snapped awake, gasping for breath, "Rainbow, Rainbow?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. Where was she, what had happened? Her memory was cloudy; Rainbow, Chrysalis, the sphere...
She opened her eyes and gasped to see that she was back in her home, in her bed, curled up in her sheets. Her false wings were gone.
It had all been a dream, She thought, not sure what to feel. Rainbow...

Across town, Rainbow Dash snapped awake from an amazing dream; she had finally gotten to be with Twilight! But now she looked around at the walls of her cloud home in disappointment. Her lip quivered, It's not fair, why can't we be together? She sniffed, wiped at her face, and climbed out of bed. It was nothing but a crazy dream, it never would be.
Sighing dejectedly, she walked away, preparing to get ready for the day.

Twilight took a sad shower, made a sad breakfast, and got her sad schedule for the day. She couldn't stop thinking about her dream. She had never looked at Rainbow Dash any way other than as a good friend, but that dream had forever changed her opinion of that crazy Pegasus. She had gotten to see a glimpse of them together, and she had liked it. Why'd it have to be a dream? But it must have been; Rainbow wouldn't ever actually see her that way, she wasn't like that.
Sighing dejectedly, she munched on a slightly soggy bowl of oats and milk and looked over her schedule for the day. First, Pinkie Pie had asked for help on some party or other, and then, Rarity had wanted her to model for a dress...
She dropped the scroll and put her face on the table. She just didn't feel like doing anything other than lying down and trying to go back to sleep. Maybe then she and Rainbow could be together.
She laid there, face on table for Celestia knows how long, until finally somepony knocked on her door loudly. She let out an enormous sigh and slid her face off the table, allowing it to collapse onto the floor. She didn't bother standing up straight, and instead trudged towards the door, dragging her face on the ground the whole way.
She opened the door and still did not lift her face, instead mumbling loudly around the floor, "Mmmph mmmph,"
"Hiya, Twilight!" greeted Pinkie Pie warmly. She was wearing a clown nose, but Twilight wouldn't know that since all she could see was floor. "Ready to go plan that party?"
"mmmph mmmph?" Mumbled Twilight.
Pinkie Pie looked down at her depressed friend, "Hey, is something wrong?"
"mmmph," Twilight answered.
Pinkie Pie knelt down next to her friend, wrapping a hoof around her shoulder protectively, "Hey now," she said warmly, "It's alright, tell Auntie Pinkie all about it."
Twilight slid over next to Pinkie's body, finally taking her face off of the floor, "Oh, Pinkie," she sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm just feeling a little sad."
"Well why's that?" Pinkie asked obviously, rubbing her shoulder friendlily.
Twilight looked up at her clown nose, sighed, and said, "I-I had this dream, about-" she stopped herself, then continued hesitantly, "somepony, and..." she gulped and continued, "We were...together, if you know what I mean."
Pinkie Pie nodded understandingly, but she didn't really understand, "So you're upset...?"
"Because it was just a dream!" Twilight answered, "And...I didn't want it to be."
"Well I can fix that!" Pinkie Pie announced proudly, picking Twilight up and placing her on her hooves. Not giving her a chance to react, she began pushing Twilight out the door, intent on fixing her friend's problem, "Let's go!"
"N-no, Pinkie!" Twilight objected. grinding her hooves into the ground weakly, "Stop!"

Rainbow glided across the sky slowly, exceptionally sad about her dream the night before. Sure, she had had dreams about Twilight before (some 'better' than others) but never one so...real.
She sighed, It was just a dream, forget about it. But she didn't want to forget. She found a nearby cloud and laid down on it, pulling the fluff up and over her body, to make a little cloud hut she could lay in. She blocked out all the light and curled up in her little cloud cave. Maybe if I go to sleep here I can dream about Twilight again. She sighed and closed her eyes; it was worth a shot.
"Pinkie! S-stop it!" Twilight cried out from below her.
Rainbow's eyes snapped open and her ears perked up. She shoveled a bit of cloud out of the way below her and looked down. There, directly below her, was Twilight being pushed down the path by a smiling Pinkie Pie. Rainbow gazed lovingly over Twilight, sighing blissfully just at the sight of her. But what was Pinkie Pie doing?
"Come on, Twilight!" Pinkie objected with her sweet voice, "If we're going to make your dream come true, then trust me!"
Dream? What were they talking about. Rainbow dove out of her cloud and landed deftly in front of the two, giving a small shiver at the sudden rush of cold. "Hey guys, whatcha doing?"
Twilight, at the sight of Rainbow, blushed and looked away, "Oh, um, h-hey, Rainbow," she greeted nervously.
Rainbow Dash was confused at her demeanor, but on the inside was feeling giddy to be standing close to her. She ignored Twilight's odd behavior and asked, "What's up?"
"Twilight's sad because she had a dream she wished wasn't a dream," Pinkie Pie explained quickly, "So we're going to make her dream come true!"
"Pinkie!" Twilight objected loudly, "Shush!" she tried shushing her, blushing furiously.
She had had a dream too? "What dream?"
"She and somepony were together, if you know what I mean," Pinkie explained in a low voice, though she didn't know what she meant herself.
Twilight ground her face into the dirt, embarrassed beyond words.
Rainbow didn't know what to feel. Thrilled that Twilight had a crush, or scared that it wasn't her? "That's...interesting," she said slowly, saying the first thing that came to mind.
Twilight screamed incredulously, muffled by the ground.
"Who was it?" Rainbow asked, hooves itching with anticipation and anxiety at the same time.
"I dunno," Pinkie shrugged, "She never said." She immediately knelt next to her friend and picked up her ear so she could hear better, "Who was it, Twilight?"
Twilight did not move.
Rainbow, sensing she wouldn't get an answer, said, "Well...good luck with it," and took flight, drifting some ways away before darting behind a tree, peeking out at Twilight.
Pinkie Pie hadn't noticed Rainbow Dash hide behind the tree. She picked up Twilight and set her on her hooves; her face was the same color as a choice pick Apple's Apple Farm apple.
"You kinda froze up there!" Pinkie Pie observed, "What's up?"
"Pinkie," Twilight hissed, looking side to side nervously. Rainbow strained to hear. "The somepony...was Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow gasped, slapping a hoof over her mouth to muffle it.
"Oooooooh," Pinkie Pie mouthed, "Well she was just here! Why didn't you say anything?"
Twilight sighed, holding back tears, "You don't understand, Pinkie, I-" she said nothing, her lip quivering. "I'm going back home," she managed to get out, and sprinted away, back home. Pinkie Pie stood there, confused as to what she had done wrong.
Rainbow Dash was ecstatic. Her adrenaline started pumping and a smile spread across her face. She rocketed off into the sky, cheering loudly. A rainbow colored trail followed her, and she performed a Sonic Rainboom unknowably.

The sun was high in the sky, sometime in the afternoon, and Twilight laid in her bed, sobbing into a pillow. It's not fair, it's not fair! She didn't ask to have that dream, she didn't ask to feel these things, why was she so sad?
A loud knocking resounded through her house, emanating from the front door in the library below. She knew she would have to go answer it. She got up and wiped her eyes, "Coming," she called halfheartedly.
She walked down the steps into the library. In my dream this place had been a mess, she remembered. She went to a specific shelf and climbed up to the highest one, finding a certain book. Could it be? She took the book and opened it.
Inside there was nothing but pages, no sphere.
She sighed, sniffed, and replaced the book where it had been. It was really nothing but a dream; it had never happened.
She went to the door and opened it, stiffening in surprise and nervousness when she found Rainbow Dash on the other side.
"H-hey, Twilight," Rainbow greeted, "Whatcha doing?"
Twilight didn't know what to say, "Nothing," she said. It was better than nothing. Wait a minute...
Rainbow nodded, "Well, Pinkie Pie told me you weren't feeling great, so..." she fumbled in her saddlebags and withdrew what looked like a movie, "I just got this; can I come in?"
Twilight couldn't believe this was happening. She looked at the movie; Sherlock Hooves. "Rainbow, you hate that movie!" she said, smiling at her friend's suggestion.
Rainbow tilted her head and kicked at the ground, "Well, yeah..." she conceded, "But you like it."
Twilight giggled bashfully, but inside she felt like she had butterflies in her stomach. Happy butterflies. She opened the door wider, "Please, come in."

Some time later, Twilight and Rainbow were seated together on the couch, sitting comfortably close to each other. The movie was playing on an old projector brought up from the basement. Spike had been given the day off, but he had been taking it easy all day anyway. Twilight gasped every time there was a plot twist, but Rainbow Dash was just confused the entire time.
The movie finally ended, and Twilight sighed in satisfaction, "What a great movie!" she mused, turning towards Rainbow, "What did you think?"
"Wait, I'm confused," Rainbow said for the fortieth time, "You mean he didn't actually die?"
Twilight giggled, "No, Rainbow," she said softly, "He saved himself with that little metal thing, remember? It took the pressure off of his neck, which saved his life."
Rainbow thought hard for a few moments, then started as she finally got it, "Oooooh," she mouthed.
Twilight giggled, amused by her friend's antics. Rainbow pretended to look offended, but then broke down in laughter of her own. They shared a laugh for a moment, and then calmed down with a satisfied sigh.
Twilight smiled at her friend warmly, "Thank you, Rainbow Dash, I feel much better now."
Rainbow smiled, "Yeah, well, you know what they say..."
"What?" Twilight asked.
Rainbow opened her mouth, but nothing came out, "I was hoping you'd know."
Twilight looked at her and then they both shared another laugh. "You know...I had a dream about you last night," Twilight confessed, forgetting that Pinkie Pie had already informed her about that.
"Me too," Rainbow said, forgetting as well.
Twilight sat up, "Really? What about?"
"Well..." Rainbow said, thinking back, "There was you, and me, and Chrysalis-"
"Me too!" Twilight said, "And there was a sphere-?"
"Me too!" Rainbow said, the two looking each other in confusion, "Did we have the same dream?"
"Maybe," Twilight mused, "But how...?"
Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle looked at each other, not knowing what to say next. They both remembered the key detail of the dream at the same time.
"Did you-?"
"Yeah."
"And were we-?"
"Yeah."
"So should we-"
"Probably."
"Alright."
"Alright."
Rainbow Dash and Twilight kissed, both of them reacting the same way at the same time. Rainbow wrapped her hooves around Twilight's shoulders, and Twilight put her hooves on Rainbow's face. For a moment, they stayed there, blushing as they embraced each other. But soon, they broke apart, their mouths bridged by an arc of saliva.
Rainbow Dash broke it with her tongue and observed, "Well that happened fast,"
Twilight shrugged, "It was really the only thing left to do."
Rainbow nodded and smiled, "Continue?"
Twilight smiled and nodded, "Let's."
The two kissed again, falling over onto the couch.

Chrysalis could do this all day.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash stood there, both of their pairs of eyes filled with swirly green light at they were victimized by her hypnotic magic. She laughed evilly and applauded herself on her great success, "And to think, Rainbow Dash gave me this power willingly!" she gloated. She had put the two mares in a dream world, fooled into thinking it was real life. The sphere lay down at her hooves, unswervingly shining with its warm golden light.
Chrysalis cackled evilly as she peered into the minds of the two mares, seeing their shared dream. Watching some movie, completely oblivious to anything around them. "This is too easy."