So... they were no longer in any sort of trouble? That's what the princess had lead to her believe, wasn't it? It seemed that way, but Twilight didn't know for certain. All Twilight did seem to know at that moment was that the princess had asked to have a convenient little chat with somepony whom it'd be easier questioning a brick wall than it would her.
Twilight sighed. This whole day up to the moment Celestia had arrived at her doorstep had been a mess, and Twilight couldn't make heads or tails of it. Heck, even now, it was still a mess. It went from wanting to leave early—a simple enough desire—to discussing their possible punishment and getting... a tad bit angry with Rainbow once or twice. Now the Princess was in her home, seated around a blazing fireplace in the tower's den... and she was having more than a tough enough time taking it all in.
Rainbow's voice entered her mind, bringing the mare out of her thoughts. She glanced over and sure enough, Rainbow was going on about something... Something that, as she listened, began to recognize. Of course Rainbow would choose this as a topic of conversation...
"Seriously, Princess, she even yelled at me for the billionth time like, right before you showed up, complaining about how I was wasting all her food and how "The food was for the two of us, and I ate it all," blah blah blah."
What were they even talking about beforehand? She supposed, had she not been zoning out, that Celestia could have asked about her morning, or something along those lines. Or Rainbow was simply stating something to embarrass or make her look bad. Either way... the latter thought was certainly ringing true and Twilight found herself with no choice but to intervene. "But it was!" she interjected, much to the surprise of Celestia and Rainbow. "And you are eating all our food!"
"Oh yeah?" Rainbow retaliated. "Well... uhm, you uh... i-if you were really concerned about that, you never would've given me anything to eat."
"Well maybe I only shared with you so you'd quit your constant whining—"
"Calm down. Both of you." A moment of silence came and went before Celestia spoke up again. "Neither of you should be arguing with one another like this."
"But Princess—!"
"She started it—!"
The two young mares exchanged confused glances with one another before Twilight decided to speak first. "Oh so I was the cause of this? Is that right?"
"I dunno, maybe you were," Rainbow answered, followed with a shrug. "Perhaps you should have labeled yours, or something."
"Label my... what?" Twilight stared at her, stunned. Rainbow had said some senseless things in the short time they had known one another, but that... "That doesn't even make any sense!"
"Will the two of you please stop this pointless bickering?" Celestia spoke again, this time raising her tone, and almost immediately both mares did as they were told. Though their arguing had ceased, their eyes remained fixed on one another, glaring each other down.
Celestia sighed, wondering, as she watched their behavior, how the two managed to survive the previous day together. She looked down at the unicorn sitting beside her, and lowering her voice, she said, "Twilight, my student... you shouldn't blame Rainbow for what she did, if she was not aware to begin with."
Rainbow grinned the second she heard Celestia's words. "Yeah Twi, no blaming me! Princess's orders," she said, briefly sticking her tongue out, and bringing Twilight's attention back to her. The act however, only left Twilight more confused than anything, and left her wondering why she did such a thing.
Though she simply passed it up as Rainbow's lips being dry, what Rainbow had said before managed to get under her skin. After deciding what she'd say, Twilight opened her mouth to speak... only to turn her attention back to the princess when she discovered she had beat her to it.
"As for you..." Celestia began, turning her attention towards Rainbow. "I ask that you show a bit more consideration for Twilight... She has been good to you after all, has she not?"
"Well...!" Despite multiple shortcomings and arguments with one another, Rainbow hated to admit it, but... yeah, she supposed Twilight had. "Er, yeah... she has," Rainbow admitted in defeat, allowing her head to hang slightly and letting out a tiny breath of air. "Sorry," she added, letting out a nervous chuckle as she placed a hoof behind her head, her lips forming an apologetic smile as she now focused on the studious mare sitting across from her.
The lone act had caught Twilight's attention, and while Rainbow's eyes had the habit of drifting between her and the floorboards, Twilight's eyes remained fixed on her; feelings of confusion, yet... astonishment swelled up inside her. The new, and... rather uneasy behavior, was an unusual sight for her in the time she had known Rainbow. Though perhaps even more unusual for the mare, was the fact Celestia had brought this on.
She didn't know what to think, or even say at that moment, if she even should've. However, she realized two things at that moment: she really was lucky to have Celestia looking after, and, at that moment, a new feeling overcame her; a feeling she was certain had never felt before. One she couldn't quite describe... But she liked it.
Hopeful thinking perhaps, but at that point, Twilight found herself wishing this would signify a new start for the two... or that their relationship improve, if only a bit.
As her mind filled with these thoughts, she almost didn't realize Celestia had continued speaking, and with a quick shake of her head, returned to reality, listening in on what her teacher had begun to say.
"I do not know what it was that caused yesterday's events, but the two of you were brought together because of it," Celestia went on to say. "I can understand how stressful this situation may seem, but having senseless arguments won't change it any."
Twilight and Rainbow softly nodded as Celestia finished, her words lingering in both of the young mares' thoughts. Celestia was right. Hay, they knew she was right. Twilight had agreed to make her home a home to somepony without one... well until she was fit to return home, wherever that may be. But here they were arguing over what exactly? No, Celestia was right. No more pointless arguing, or losing her temper... If this were to work, she'd have to become more tolerant of the pegasus... even if it'd pain her to do so... she'd give it a shot.
"You're right..." Twilight acknowledged in a soft tone, her eyelids lowering as her gaze fell to the floor. "Sorry Princess."
Celestia nodded, gazing down at the two with a caring smile. "Now then... perhaps we can get along a little better?"
Neither of them wasted any time deciding their response as they both replied, "Yes," in unison, seemingly surprised at first that each of them seemed to agree on the subject. But they both agreed, and that was enough for Twilight. Enough to know that Rainbow was willing to cooperate and hopefully make this whole situation easier on the both of them.
Looking one another in the eyes, neither spoke, unsure of what either should say. Biting her lip, Twilight's eyes fell to the floor for the briefest moment, debating what to say—she supposed an apology would suffice... or maybe she should simply wait for Rainbow to speak up. It wouldn't have surprised her if Rainbow had wanted to get the first word in. But to her surprise, Rainbow seemed no less certain than herself, leaving Twilight with no other choice but to say something. Anything to break the silence...
Letting out a small breath of air, and deciding what exactly to say, Twilight turned to face her. "Sorry Rainbow... I keep telling myself I shouldn't be so hard on you, and yet everything you do causes me to... to..." Her voice slowed to a stop, realizing she was at a loss for words. She knew what to say, how to say it, yet... she found herself unable to do so. Whether it was due to feeling uncomfortable, or at the moment, embarrassed; Twilight didn't know. All she did know was this had all sounded so much easier in her head...
Making matters worse, she realized Rainbow was still staring at her, awaiting what couldn't be said. Great... she mused, lowering her head and letting a faint, flustered groan escape her lips, followed by a light hit to the forehead, subsequently brushing a corner of her mane up as her hoof ran through it.
Similarly, Rainbow equally found herself at a loss of words. With one eyebrow raised, she couldn't help but wonder, So... I cause her to break down and slam her forehead repeatedly?
"I cause you to do... that, huh?" Rainbow asked, cracking a grin and doing whatever she could not to burst out in a fit of laughter right at that moment. But Rainbow wasn't that far off. After all, Twilight did find herself falling victim to those habits nearly every time the pegasus got on her nerves. So she nodded.
"In a way, yes..." Twilight replied, the voice she had so desperately needed moments ago now returning to her. Her hoof fell from her forehead, though she soon found herself clutching her other foreleg as she looked off to the side, nervously biting at her inner bottom lip.
Several seconds passed with neither saying a word, until Rainbow decided it was a good enough time as any to get a word in; and taking advantage of the silence, she did just that. "Yeah, well... I suppose I shouldn't just be thinking of myself here," she admitted, rubbing a hoof behind her neck and surprising Twilight as she spoke. "I guess I ended up roping you into all this because I was probably flying recklessly or something... when you didn't want anything to do with any of this, or me." She glanced down at the floor as her lips formed a fake smile. With a halfhearted shrug, added, "Hay, you probably still don't—"
"That's not true..." Twilight replied in a faint tone, her eyelids half-lidded and gazing downwards, past Rainbow. Hastily turning red, she prayed Rainbow hadn't heard her just then—hay, she herself wished she hadn't heard that. With her luck however—the same luck that brought a pegasus crashing into her home—it was unlikely Rainbow hadn't heard her... and she was right.
Rainbow's foreleg froze, her gaze quickly returning to Twilight, as she let out a baffled, "Huh—?" in response. Though before a chance to properly question anything, Celestia, having remained passive as the two talked, decided to intervene.
"Well," she began, "I suppose that's enough for now. It's good to see the two of you have reached an understanding." She smiled, finding herself rather impressed with both their behavior. Minutes ago the two were at each others' throats, but now they were forgiving, and willing to work together... if only a little. Maybe there stands a chance of this working after all...
But for now, there still remained questions that Celestia had been meaning to ask since she had first heard of the pegasus's arrival, and now having the chance to do so, she calmly asked, "Rainbow... how are you feeling?"
"Feeling?" Rainbow repeated in question, a bit taken aback by what the princess had asked her and it only made her wonder why she had even asked such a thing in the first place. Did she look as though something was wrong with her? Or on second thought, perhaps she was referring to her physical injuries? Rainbow could only assume that's what she must've been getting at. "Well my body feels sore in some places, that's for sure," she explained, smiling nervously as she placed a cautious hoof over her lower back. "It's sorta hard for me to move about, so Twi here usually carries me about with her magic."
"Is that right?" Celestia chuckled slightly, moving a hoof to cover her growing smile. "Actually I was referring to the incident yesterday... and how you're taking losing your memory..."A brief pause followed and during that time, Twilight thought over what the princess had said. It surprised her that the princess had been so direct about this, much less asked about it. Though, truthfully... she would have been lying if she had insisted she hadn't wondered about it numerous times the day before and would have questioned it directly too, had she only found a moment to before it slipped her mind.
Well, Twilight supposed it didn't matter now. She would be getting an answer any minute now, so long as Rainbow complied anyway.
"So if it's okay with me asking," Celestia continued, "I'd like to learn how you're taking this. If you're worried at all—"
"What's there to be worried about?" Rainbow questioned, though abruptly, and right away Twilight assumed this had been a sarcastic remark from the mare, but she had sounded completely serious. "I bump my head, lose some memories, bang myself up a little... no biggie. I have someplace to stay, have somepony nice looking after me, and it's not like it's permanent or anything. I'll recover my memory eventually anyway," Rainbow finished with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Well that's..." Celesta started, when Twilight finished for her, stating what her and the princess had both been thinking.
"Optimistic," she said. Well, among other things. It was already made clear to her the way Rainbow was. But now Twilight could add a sense of childish optimism to the list. "A bit too optimistic actually, Rainbow. This may be permanent..."
"Yeah, well... I hear ya, but I'm pretty sure this isn't," Rainbow simply said, laughing off Twilight's concern. "Look, you said I could crash here for a while until I regained my memories, right? So I guess we'll see whether they return or not."
Crash here? That part in particular had caught the princess's attention. So her student had allowed this pegasus to reside here. That was certainly unusual of her... "Twilight?" Twilight turned, curious as to what the princess wanted to know from her all of a sudden. "You said that?"
Right! I never mentioned... Great, it had slipped her mind. Well, on second thought, she had mentioned it in her letter she had written up the night before— Oh, right! How could I forget about that? Without a word, Twilight scrambled to her hooves, and dashed out of the room to fetch what would hopefully answer some of the princess's questions.
Twilight's abrupt leaving however, only left the two exchanging confused glances. Though, neither Celestia nor Rainbow could deny that they hadn't expected this from her. Still, why she had suddenly trotted off left the two with a multitude of questions, soon followed by an awkward silence.
"So, uh..." Rainbow placed a hoof behind her neck, "Is she usually so... eh, you know..." Her voice slowed to a stop and soon Rainbow found even she had no idea how to put Twilight's behavior into words. She supposed awkward was one way of putting it. Brash, and not exactly what you'd call social, perhaps a little temperamental... strike that; way temperamental.
"Twilight's... different than most others. She's..." Celestia paused, seemingly unsure of what to say, or how to say it. "Not like you and I."
"Yeah, you don't say?" Rainbow grinned, letting out a soft chuckle.
"She can be difficult sometimes, but she can also be a very kind, and understanding individual," Celestia explained, though her smile soon went from warm to sheepish as she went on to say, "Lately though, she's become increasingly involved in her studies; it seems to have gotten a bit out of control... I've told her to go out, make some friends, but she's come to prefer solitude I suppose."
Not surprising... Rainbow mused, smiling at the thought.
"But please," Celestia continued, looking Rainbow squarely in the eyes. "Give her a chance, and maybe..." Her eyelids lowered as her voice became that of a whisper. "You can change her for the better."
"I— Wait... wha—?" Had she heard correctly? First Twilight, now her teacher... what was with everypony muttering things around her? "What did you—?"
"Got it!" Twilight's voice rang through the den and a brief second later, the unicorn reappeared, skidding to a stop beside Rainbow and holding a rolled up piece of parchment in her magical grasp. "Here... I, I wrote this last night," she said, panting as she hovered the piece over to the princess. Falling back on her haunches and wiping a foreleg across her brow, Twilight continued to catch her breath, while the two couldn't help but wonder if she had ran back and forth between... wherever it was she had gone off to. It sure looked like it. Nevertheless though, Celestia graciously accepted the parchment and unrolled it as Twilight went on to explain, "I had planned on having Spike send this to you, but then you showed up, and well..."
She placed a hoof behind her head, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Point is, this should help you understand some of what happened yesterday."
"How very kind of you to do so. Thank you, Twilight."
"Uh-huh," Twilight nervously replied. She found that was all she could say at that moment, until a thought occurred to her. She never had answered Celestia's question from earlier... "So uh, sorry about running off like that..." she apologized. A good enough way to begin, she presumed. While Celestia went on reading, nodding slightly at her student's remark, Twilight hesitantly continued. "To answer your question from earlier... I did. Yesterday, Rainbow, she... insisted that she stay here with me, hoping that doing so might bring back some memories, and it seemed like a good idea at the time..."
Weakly, Twilight added as she closed her eyes, "Sorry, Princess..." Sorry for a number of reasons. For one, not telling her sooner. Here the princess was, talking with the two of them, and Twilight couldn't help but feel like a complete scatterbrain over the fact she had yet to bring up something as crucial as the two living together!
And from the way the princess had asked her, Twilight assumed she wasn't all too thrilled with her decision of taking Rainbow in. Well, that's what Twilight had assumed, anyway.
"Sorry?" Princess Celestia almost sounded surprised that her student apologized for her actions... and admittedly, she was surprised. Twilight had no reason to apologize. "You needn't apologize so often, Twilight. It is alright."
"But I—" Twilight paused, her wide eyed gaze returning to meet Celestia's. "Really?"
Celestia nodded, tucking the letter under her wing as she went on to explain, "Watching over this one until we can learn where exactly it is she comes from and granting her a place to stay is not something to be ashamed of." With a reassuring smile, she added, "Aside from a few minor mishaps, you thought rationally and with others in mind, went about handling this situation to the best of your ability... doing what you thought was best. You've done a fine job, my student."
She did a fine job? That's what she had heard alright, but hay, Twilight still couldn't believe it! Princess Celestia had congratulated her on how she went about looking after Rainbow... even if she wasn't completely sure as to why. To Twilight, she had done barely okay... but then again, Rainbow was still in one piece and would be getting the help she needed, they were both seemingly out of trouble, and Celestia seemed pleased... Maybe she hadn't done such a bad job after all... "Oh uhm, t-thank you, Princess," Twilight said, graciously accepting Princess Celestia's words. But there was still one question on her mind...
"B-but... well, you aren't going to leave her in my hooves, are you?" Not that she was entirely against the idea, but it made sense she would be taken away now, taken to live somewhere else... the palace perhaps, where Celestia could keep an eye on her personally and monitor the situation herself. It seemed likely, it made sense...
However there was no way Rainbow would ever go along with the sudden change... and it was for that reason, Rainbow would have to remain here, with her, for the time being anyway. Now she'd only need to convince Princess Celestia of allowing her to keep watch over the pegasus. It wasn't a task for a student, obviously, but if Celestia had freely admitted to her doing a fine job, then perhaps just maybe, she would allow it.
Unbeknownst to Twilight however, Celestia had already decided. "She'll stay here, with you."
"Alright, but at least consider—wait... you said she can stay here?" Twilight blinked a couple times, staring absentmindedly at the princess and baffled by the fact Princess Celestia had allowed such a thing. Either Celestia saw her as the only one capable of dealing with a pegasus such as Rainbow, or realized just how stubborn Rainbow was and thought it'd be easier to simply have her stay. Either way...
"She can stay..." Twilight muttered aloud in thought, and right then, felt her heart hammer against her chest as blood rushed to her cheeks. Unknowingly, her lips formed a smile. A new feeling rose up from deep inside her, and although she was unsure of the feeling, she could tell it wasn't a bad one. Something about Rainbow staying made her feel... nice, and soon a warm feeling overcame her...
"You can stay!" Twilight exclaimed, full of excitement as she turned to Rainbow, and before she could even begin to realize what she was doing, found herself standing up on her own two hind legs and lifting Rainbow by the bases of her forelegs along with her in a tight embrace; and she continued, holding her close enough that their muzzles brushed against one another for the briefest moment and staring back at her with the same silly grin she thought only somepony like Rainbow could make... Guess it had rubbed off on her.
Rainbow simply stared blankly back at her, not even sure what to think. Only that the entire act was... unexpected. What happened to the Twilight she had come to know? It seemed like she was simply caught in the moment, but... why? Since when did Twilight actually want her living here?
"Gee Twi, I-I'm happy too, but uh, by any chance, could you maybe let me down? This is ah, really starting to hurt..." Being lifted off the ground by somepony who could barely lift her off the ground, with trembling forelegs and clearly no idea what she doing was starting to take its toll on the young pegasus.
Regardless of whether or not Twilight had forgotten about her injuries, regardless of how she was holding onto her... it was causing tremendous pain to shoot up through her body... and Rainbow could only bare it for so long.
Then it occurred to Twilight what she doing, and she immediately let go of her.
She stifled a quick gasp with a hoof as took a step back with her other hoof against her cheek. "Oh my—" She caught herself, remembering whose presence she was in and went on to make sure Rainbow was okay, all the while in her thoughts, scolding herself, and sputtering a near-endless string of the word sorry... Well, until she ran out of breath anyway.
So she grabbed another one and continued with another onslaught of apologies... until she could have sworn she heard Rainbow say it was okay... that she didn't need to apologize. She almost couldn't believe it. "Excuse me? I don't have to? But Rainbow, I acted—!" Well actually, she had no idea what exactly she just did, or why she did what she did. She had permission to watch over Rainbow and she'd be staying here, so what? Was it really that important to her? "Look, I don't know why I did that, but I shouldn't have done that... whatever it was that I did. You're injured and I should never have lifted you about like that..."
"Twi, it's fine, really. You were just excited—"
"But why? What reason could I possibly have for—?" She paused right as she noticed Rainbow form a small, humored smile. "I-I don't like you!" she said, being quick to defend herself, and cheeks burning red.
"Sure you don't," Rainbow replied in a sarcastic tone, causing the mare to become even more flustered and her entire body to burn bright red which Rainbow was quick to note. Perhaps she had gone a bit too far...
Or perhaps she shouldn't have mentioned that in front of Twilight's teacher and lone ruler of Equestria! Twilight let out a quiet groan. Rainbow really needed to learn when to talk, or when not to spout out jokes about her... She could only hope Celestia hadn't caught on to what Rainbow had suggested.
And she hadn't... but watching the scene unfold before her, other thoughts began to surface, and one of which was becoming clear... The two were becoming friends...
Even if neither had come to realize this. It was already clear Twilight wasn't sure what to make of this. How to act, what to say, why she acted the way she did, or why she felt the things she did... it was all new to her. Nothing but a foreign concept to the young unicorn. It was however, only a matter of time before she realized it and the more time the two spent together, the faster the two of them would hopefully come to this realization.
"So, um, Princess... why exactly are you allowing this again?" Twilight asked, hoping to change the subject. And truth be told, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested in finding out herself. "Allowing Rainbow to reside here, I mean."
"Oh, well..." Celestia snapped back to reality, taking notice of Twilight, and Rainbow quietly grumbling and attempting to brush off the pain from earlier. "You see, my duties as both princess, and serving as a teacher for you leave me with little time to look after somepony such as Rainbow."
She supposed what Celestia said had held some truth to it. Rainbow was a hoofful after all. But even so, the idea didn't sit all too well with her. "So, you're leaving me in charge simply because you don't have time... is that it?"
"You could also say I wish not to disrupt Rainbow, who seems rather content, here with you."
Twilight opened her mouth as she prepared to speak, ready to retort against what she had said... when it hit her. What Celestia had said just then, had been her own reasoning as well, and it made sense. "Okay, okay... I get it."
Princess Celestia nodded, then stood, as the conversation between them drew to a close. She had seen and learned all that she needed... "So I'll be leaving you in charge of her. Think of it as an... assignment."
"A-an assignment? Princess...?" So looking after Rainbow was now an assignment for her to undergo? That's how she wanted Twilight to see this? What was she even supposed to learn—?
"One that will teach you to look after others."
"Oh..." So that's what she was supposed to learn? "But what does that have to do with my magic studies? Or anything for that matter?" It didn't seem to matter. It didn't affect her magical studies, or her ability to control or manipulate magic... it was just her, learning how to care for somepony. It occurred that perhaps, just maybe, Celestia made this an assignment so she wouldn't be split between her regular studies and looking after Rainbow... and making this her only assignment would make things easier on her.
"Twilight Sparkle..." Twilight broke away from her thoughts and looked up towards the princess at the mention of her name. "You are a brilliant young mind... However, there is something in which you lack." She paused, momentarily glancing over at Rainbow. "Rainbow, Twilight isn't the only one... I expect you to learn from this experience as well."
Rainbow stifled a grunt and turned to Celestia, a puzzled look plastered across her face. Celestia wanted her to learn something? Sounds boring... was her only thought before the pain soon snapped her from her thoughts.
Though Twilight wasn't so easily distracted.
Lack? "I... lack something?" That left the mare without words, and unsure of what Celestia was even getting at. She didn't lack anything... or so she insisted on telling herself. If it was caring for others, it was already made clear she would work on it. It was an assignment of hers now, after all. But if she had meant something else... She stood now, slowly rotating a hoof in a circular motion toward the princess, as if motioning her to explain. "Which is...?"
What Twilight got however, wasn't the answer she had been looking for.
"I'll let you discover that on your own," came her vague response, though it only left Twilight with more questions. But Celestia spoke up again before Twilight was given the chance to ask any. "Now, first thing's first, we need to get you and Rainbow back to the hospital."
Oh that's right! Twilight slapped her forehead and scolded herself over the fact she had forgotten something so important. Hay, Princess Celestia was right. Even if the princess's words had been lost on her young student, now wasn't the time to question them. No, what mattered most was getting Rainbow back there, and hopefully without a single mishap this time around. "Okay..." she agreed, and as the princess nodded and turned to leave, another thought suddenly popped into the young mare's head. "But Princess... you—you're saying that... you're not going to help me, or her... That this is all something I must handle on my own?"
Twilight's final question left the alicorn frozen in her tracks. She glanced back over her shoulder at her student who looked back at her with almost baffled eyes... seemingly worried she would be left to deal with this all on her own. She had placed all this responsibility on her shoulders and never once mentioned how she would help—if she would help at all. She felt foolish having never brought this up until now, when she did indeed intend to help. "Both myself and members of the royal guard will be out delivering and gathering information from neighboring towns and cities. If she did fly in from somewhere else, we'll be sure to let you know," she finished explaining as Twilight's spirits lifted a little knowing she wouldn't be... completely on her own as she dealt with this.
"Sorry for not informing you sooner, my student."
"Oh, no need to apologize, Princess. It's... fine, really," Twilight assured, though she wished Celestia had mentioned this earlier... but at least she had brought it up, and now she knew others would be helping out too... That's all that mattered.
"Now let us go." Princess Celestia motioned both to follow her before proceeding to the exit herself. "You two may ride with me."
Well, that was new. Twilight had never been given the opportunity to ride with the princess before. Or, come to think of it, she had hardly ever ridden in any means of transportation before. Or with royalty, for that matter. The idea alone made Twilight a little excited, and at the same time, glad that she would no longer have to fret over carrying Rainbow through the cobblestone streets on their way to the hospital.
Breathing out a sigh, and watching as Celestia walked up the stairs to the tower's entrance, Twilight turned to face Rainbow who seemed more concentrated on shaking off any lingering pain from earlier. "You heard her, Rainbow... Come on."
Rainbow winced for a brief moment, straightening her back and stretching her aching forelegs one after the other. With a sigh of relief, she relaxed her muscles and let her shoulders droop before turning to Twilight. "Aw... already?" she groaned, hoping perhaps they could have gotten another hour or two before heading back.
"Rainbow—!" Twilight nearly yelled, when she caught herself. "I mean, uh... yes, Rainbow, it's that time already. Now please, come along..."
"Ugh, fine..." She groaned, wishing she could just waste the day here, within the tower instead. But this was something she had to go through... and the sooner she got it over with, the better. Well at least Twilight would be accompanying her... that was something. "Well?" Rainbow began to say, from her spot on the floor. "Go on, do your thing."
"Do my... what—? Oh, you mean carry you... Right." Her horn lit up, and used her magic to carefully lift the pegasus from the floor and into the air. "Well, I think that's it then." She tightened the saddle around her body and double checked all the pockets and sleeves to assure that she had all that she needed, and took one quick glance around the room before heading for the exit... when something stopped her.
"Twilight?" a voice called out to her from the nearby staircase leading upstairs, and right away Twilight and Rainbow recognized who it belonged to. Twilight spun around, unintentionally causing Rainbow to as well, as she noticed her assistant watching from behind a small opening between the stairwell and the den where the two were situated.
"Spike?" Twilight questioned, cocking her head. She could had sworn he had been upstairs while they were meeting with the princess. "How long were you...?"
He stepped out into the open and walked over to them, watching Rainbow from the corner of his eye. "Long enough to know she'll be staying here—"
"Only until she's able to return home," Twilight was quick to correct. She figured that must have been when Spike entered the scene, but why he had chosen to stay hidden still made little sense to her. "You know you at least could've come out and said hello."
"Well at the moment it didn't seem like a good time to interrupt," he replied. Spike stopped before Twilight, suddenly finding his gaze wandering and unable to face Twilight directly. He clutched his arm as he quietly added, "You know... you got pretty excited when you found out she'd be staying..."
He saw that? Well it shouldn't have surprised her, considering that happened right after it was revealed Rainbow would be staying. But she found herself growing flustered over the fact he had seen her whisk the pegasus off her hooves. Something she still had no idea why exactly she even did it to begin with.
"Look, Spike I— Believe me when I say I have no idea why I did that."
Spike shifted a suspicious glance in her direction. "You don't, huh?" Somehow, he doubted that.
"Well actually Spike, it's because she—" Rainbow replied with a hint of witticism, though was quickly interrupted by Twilight before getting the chance to finish. There was no way she'd allowed her to finish that statement.
"Be quiet, Rainbow." Twilight huffed out in annoyance. Now so wasn't the time. The two of them were already running late, and as troublesome as it seemed, this would have to wait until later. "Look, Spike, can we please talk about this some other time? When I check by here later perhaps?" She placed a hoof below her chin, glancing over her shoulder. "I'm sure the princess is wondering what's keeping us..."
"Go on then," Spike said, forcing a smile and waving them off. "You shouldn't be keeping someone like Celestia waiting."
"Oh uhm, well... alright," Twilight said with a questioning glance, surprised by his rather sudden shift in tone. "I'll be seeing you later then, I guess," she told him, while in her head, she mentally shrugged. Whatever was bothering him, if anything at all, hopefully it could be resolved later.
"Come along, Rainbow," Twilight added as she turned and began trotting towards the doorway, hoisting the pegasus above her while she went on about... something; Spike couldn't tell what, nor did it particularly interest him.
"Alright, but seriously Twi, I'm telling you I'm fine! My body's not even in that much pain! I mean, I don't see why I have to go back there when I could just rest here instead..." Her voice continued—Twilight shaking her head once, and saying things in response that Spike couldn't quite make out—until at last, they had left.
From high above, the door to the Ivory Tower shut behind them, and for a moment, Spike stood motionless. Silent and still, cast aside. He stood in thought, unsure of how to feel, or what to think. Twilight had said she'd talk with him when she got home. That was if she wasn't too preoccupied with her new found obsession.
He sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes. No, Twilight would never break a promise like that. She would be back eventually, he'd just have to wait until that moment came. But what was there to do until then? He supposed he could do some work to pass the time. The kitchen was most likely a mess, especially if Twilight had tried her hoof at preparing something; and he had made a small dent in the bathroom, though for the most part, it remained a soggy, soaking mess. Peering back up at his surroundings, he settled on doing just that.
Still, as he slowly walked to the kitchen, he couldn't help but think back to moments earlier... the look Twilight had given him.
Oh yes, he was the odd one... No, this wasn't a matter of him acting odd, it was simply a matter of being unable to express how he felt—about all this. He didn't have a problem with Rainbow, or her staying here even! What he did have a problem with was her seemingly stealing his one and only caretaker—and friend—away from him...
"Ah... this is nice." Rainbow let out a relaxed sigh as she stretched her hind legs out, resting them on the seat in front of her. Both mares sat facing forward in the back row of a two-row carriage, Celestia taking the front row which remained cut off from the back by means of a glass window. "So much better than being carried around by you." She slouched down in her seat, allowing her head to sink into the plush velvet backing of the seat, barely turning to her right to have a better view of Twilight. "Hey, speaking of not being carried around by you, I guess you no longer have to do that, huh?" she joked, lightly nudging her with a hoof.
But Twilight had barely paid her any attention. It seemed her mind was focused on other matters, and all she could manage was a muffled, "uh-huh..." in response.
"Uh-huh, huh?" The pegasus grinned as her gaze returned to that ahead of her. "Man I am so not looking forward to later... Think they'll just let me lie in bed all day?" After a few moments passed and still no reply, Rainbow turned to face Twilight. "Hey... hello? Twi? You listening?" she asked, lazily waving a hoof past her eyes.
"What am I supposed to learn from you?" Twilight finally asked, never once glancing back at the pegasus, and remaining indifferent to the ponies around her. All she could focus on was what Celestia had said about the two learning from one another. It made no sense. Rainbow was... well, not exactly knowledgeable for one thing. Or in her current condition, anyway.
"That's what made you go all silent on me?" Rainbow smirked. She should have known by now it was Twilight she was talking to, and if she had learned anything from their time together, it was that Twilight was always one to sweat the small stuff. Though it had occurred to Rainbow that perhaps she did have a reason to worry. Somepony as smart as she was... suddenly being told there was something she had yet to learn. And that something was to be taught to her by some memory-ridden pegasus whom she had only know for over a day.
But that pegasus had no idea what she was even meant to teach her... Still, Celestia said there was something both of them could learn... guess that meant she'd be learning something too. Rainbow shrugged. Whatever it'd be. Still, Twilight wasn't the only one and at the least, could remind her of that. "Well, hey, she said I could learn something from you too!" She paused, looking away in embarrassment, realizing now just how little that helped anything. "Only well... I guess it's different in my case what with no memory and all..."
She just realized that? Twilight questionably glanced over at the rainbow-maned mare. If that had been an attempt to make her feel better about all this, it hadn't been a very good one.
"But you do seem pretty smart..." Rainbow continued, turning back to face her. "Hay, you could probably teach me anything!"
"Sure, if you were willing to listen." Which Twilight couldn't help but feel she wouldn't be. Twilight narrowed her eyes as she concentrated on the prismatic mare. "But you... What could you teach me?"
"Well..." Rainbow thought about it for a moment herself before coming up with an answer. "I have wings!" she exclaimed, pointing a hoof over her shoulder.
"And I have a horn," she replied, mimicking Rainbow by pointing a hoof at the horn atop her head. "Your point?"
"They're something you don't have!" She stretched out one of her wings for a moment—brief enough for Twilight to take notice—before wincing and quickly bringing it back to her side. "I could... kind of talk to you about them. Maybe attempt to teach you something about them—"
"I already know enough about wings, thanks," Twilight rebutted, passing off Rainbow's offer without a second thought. There's nothing she could tell me I haven't already read about...
"You do, huh?" Rainbow shrugged, turning her head straight. "Alright..." Well that idea didn't last long. Still, it had been worth a shot. "Well anyway, I'm sure it'll come to you, sorta like my own memories. Just gotta give it some time, and by then, maybe you'll know what it is you're supposed to learn, or maybe you'll have already learned it."
"Well maybe that's how you prefer to go about things, Rainbow, but I refuse to just sit around and wait for something apparently oh so important that I'm supposed to learn to just... come to me."
So she hated waiting... Rainbow shook her head before lying back against the seat. Maybe she was meant to teach her a little patience then?
The carriage slowed to an abrupt stop as Rainbow finished her thought. It seemed they had already reached the hospital, and soon her suspicion was proven correct. She watched Twilight glance out the window to her right, and sounding no less enthusiastic about this than Rainbow, said, "We're here."
"Oh joy..." Rainbow grumbled under her breath while rolling her eyes, which Twilight managed to take notice of.
"Hey," she softly said, nudging Rainbow's shoulder with a hoof. "I'll be with you, remember?"
"Oh joy," Rainbow repeated, this time in a joking tone... only to remember having been told to ease up on the... remarks about Twilight.
And taking quick notice of the narrowed-eyed, unamused glare from Twilight, now seemed like a good enough time as any to start. "Sorry," Rainbow said, grinning sheepishly, a hoof meekly scratching at her right cheek. "Uh... thanks, Twi... I appreciate it."
"Uh-huh," Twilight replied, simply rolling her eyes. The more she was around Rainbow, the more she had come to expect Rainbow to say those sort of things, and the less it seemed to bug her. Though at times it came off as insulting, Twilight began to realize that, deep down, Rainbow didn't mean any of it—she was the one who pleaded for her company, after all.
Even so, she wished Rainbow would ease up a bit, and in ways, it seemed she was starting to. That was a start, she supposed.
"Well anyway, it'll be over before you even know it," Twilight added with a reassuring smile, hoping the things she said would ease Rainbow's, and even her own nerves a little. Neither of them were looking forward to this, but they could at least convince one another—and themselves—it wouldn't be so bad.
She returned to gazing out the window while allowing her magic to unlock the carriage door. "Alright... well, come on; we can't spend all day cooped up in here, can we?" she said with a sigh, pushing the door open and stretching both her forelegs and hind legs out before stepping out herself, then turning to get Rainbow, enveloping her body and carefully maneuvering her out the door.
Once outside, and levitating the pegasus behind her, she trotted up to the front row door of the carriage where Celestia had been seated. Twilight tilted her head up at the princess, visible through the open window, and readied to say her goodbyes and thank her for everything... when Celestia spoke up first.
"It was a pleasure seeing you again after all this time, my student," Celestia said, casting a benevolent smile down at the two mares, and peering up at Rainbow for a quick second, added, "I'm glad to have met you as well, Rainbow."
"Yeah, uh... me too?" Rainbow replied with a nervous grin, not sure what Celestia was even getting at, or why she'd even be glad they did meet in the first place. Eh, probably just being polite or something.
"Thank you, Princess," Twilight said, happily smiling back at her. "It was really nice of you. Rainbow and I, we uh, really appreciated it." Whether or not Rainbow actually had remained unknown to the unicorn. Though she wasn't about to tell her Rainbow hadn't.
Celestia nodded. "Now before I go, I ask of one last thing from you."
One last thing? There was still more that Celestia asked of her? Twilight broke her smile, now inquisitively looking back at her teacher. "Yes, Princess?"
"I would like for you to write to me about how things are going, and that also includes any news concerning our lost friend here," she explained, and though Twilight listened, one word stood out to her in particular.
Friend...? Now what had she meant by that? Rainbow wasn't a friend. She didn't have a need for friends, nor did she want any. Though the princess could have meant it in a number of ways, she nevertheless loathed the word, the idea behind it... Becoming attached to some pony out of personal affection, wasting away time day after day, and devoting time to them... distracting you from what really matters.
Like now... she thought, letting out a sigh, and scolding herself for allowing that word to consume her... allowing it to catch her off guard... There were more important matters that needed to be addressed. Celestia had mentioned that she... write to her, and Twilight was interested to know more. "Write to you... So you mean, like a progress report?"
"In a way, yes..." Celestia said, confirming her student's own suspicions. "Now I ask only that you write when you feel the need to," she added. "Do not worry over when or how often you write to me, so long as you keep me informed on how things are going."
"Oh uh, yes! You can count on me, Princess," she assured her with a look of confidence, before her mind once more drifted off in deep thought. Funny how I already wrote something similar the night before... Who would have guessed she'd insist on me writing more of those letters.
While Twilight remained silent in thought, Celestia chose that moment to discuss another matter, particularly with the pegasus who idly floated in the air above them, darting her gaze back and forth as if looking for anything to pass the time. She thought back to their earlier meeting together, when she skimmed through Twilight's letter, and remembered a detail; one she was certain Rainbow would be interested to know would soon be resolved. Turning to catch Rainbow's passing gaze, she said with a smile, "Twilight wrote that she had difficulties providing a proper bed for you last night."
With that said, Celestia had her attention... and all Rainbow could do was look down on the unicorn who was seemingly oblivious to all around her, and wonder about what the princess had said, a curious expression written all over her face. She wrote about... that? Rainbow's disbelief hadn't lasted long, remembering who it was that wrote the letter. Still, it made her wonder. Just how much had Twilight written in that letter of hers, anyway?
"I'll have a bed sent over later this week," Celestia continued. "One with the texture of a cloud, made specifically for pegasi. It should arrive before you're discharged from the hospital." As she finished, Rainbow felt a subtle smile tugging at her lips, and soon it couldn't be contained, expanding into a large grin.
"You mean it?" Rainbow asked, now beaming with excitement over the gesture. After last night, the idea of getting a warm, cozy bed to sleep in was great news to her. Though puzzling as well. As kind as the offer was, and although she appreciated it... it made her wonder why Celestia would go through the trouble of having a bed delivered when it was unclear how long she'd be staying.
"Well eh, that's cool, I guess," she added with a shrug, stifling her grin. She wasn't about to humiliate herself showing gratitude over a bed. Talk about uncool.
Celestia nodded, smiling wholeheartedly at Rainbow's tough demeanor. Because behind it, she knew how Rainbow truly felt, and for the briefest moment, she had shown it. The lengths she went to hide it however, amused her. Calm and collected, brash, mischievous... and yet, this pegasus could prove herself essential to Twilight... to Equestria if she only remained with Twilight; and she'd make it easy for Rainbow any way she possibly could... to avoid discomfort, or another potential argument with her student.
If only keeping Rainbow content was her sole concern, but soon another rose from her memory. It had been brought up briefly in her letter. Nothing more than a mere mention. But what it had mentioned gave even the princess an uneasy feeling. Her student had mentioned nightmares... when the sun had begun its gradual descent from the sky. Though Twilight had summed it all up as nothing more than visions brought on by yesterday's events, Celestia feared otherwise.
Days had passed since their Summer Sun celebration, and in another year's passing, it would mark their thousandth. One thousand years since her banishment... The days draw nearer... could it be but a mere coincidence? The recent happenings, this ordinary pegasus—a promising young symbol of loyalty—entering her student's life when she may need it most... no, this was more than a mere coincidence...
"Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow..." she spoke, grabbing Rainbow's attention, while Twilight on the other hoof, hardly took notice of Celestia's voice as it passed by her ears; her brow furrowed as her eyes focused on the cobblestone pavement below her hooves.
"I must be on my way now," Celestia confided with the two of them, her mind focused on other matters. She smiled, adding, "I wish you the best of luck during these next few days."
"Oh uh, thanks," Rainbow replied first, though in her mind, wished Celestia could stay, if only a little longer. As dull and... uncomfortable being rendered motionless mid-air and forced to sit still was for her, she'd endure it if only it meant prolonging her inevitable hospital stay a minute or two longer. Heck, she'd take Twilight's magic slathering over her body causing it to go numb, and an occasional snicker to pass her lips any day over some doctor prodding her coat with needles, forcibly bandaging her wings and limbs up after making a considerable amount of incisions, most notably—and painfully—in her wings.
At least, that's how she remembered it.
But even if the worst was over, even if she'd most likely spend the next few days stuck in bed, even if Twilight would be with her every step of the way... those memories were enough to send shivers down her spine, and again she wished nothing more than to simply rest up at the tower instead. But no, she grumbled in thought. Twilight's reasoning was simple: her recovery needed to be monitored and looked after by those certified, and Twilight claimed she was unfit to do so. Rainbow had disagreed of course, which only led to more arguing between them.
Celestia turned her head straight, raising a hoof and signaling the guards onward. "I'll be seeing you, Twilight, Rainbow," she said, audibly enough that Rainbow heard and gave a slight nod in response, though Twilight's mind was focused elsewhere...
Then, in a moment's passing, Celestia's carriage began pulling out of view, until the two were left alone outside the hospital with nothing more than the sounds of the city, and distant, bustling voices of ponies to accompany them.
Rainbow tolerantly waited for Twilight to budge, at least an inch... or to say something, anything! She glanced from one direction to the next, examining the crossroads that interlaced with the hospital pathway; the mares and stallions that walked the early morning streets that were up were few and far between, and hardly paid either of them any mind.
This is what had gotten Twilight so agitated? Unbelievable... Rainbow mused. Here she was earlier this morning, fretting over... what? A few ponies on their way to work? The thought made Rainbow smile to herself. From the looks of things, most of the populace wouldn't be fully awake for a while yet.
Well if there was one thing she could say she liked about Twilight, that caused her to smile, for better or worse, it was often her anxious, and rather... fretful nature. Speaking of...
Her eyes once more looked down upon the mare holding her afloat. She stood unresponsive, seemingly unaware of the world around her, and mulling over... whatever thoughts were gnawing at the back of her mind. Thinking back, she had been like that since Celestia last addressed her, about those letters—Rainbow rolled her eyes. She froze up because of that? she thought, allowing a small groan to escape her lips and if it hadn't been for Twilight's magic constricting her movements, would have hit her forehead in sheer astonishment at the realization.
"Uh, Twi...?" Rainbow questioned, only for the unicorn to stay completely oblivious, lost in thought. Rainbow let out yet another groan at this. If only she could move a foreleg, just an inch... enough to prod the mare's shoulder and snap her out it.
Instead she closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh as she tried again, raising her voice as she spoke. "Twilight!" This time, it worked as the mare jolted from her thoughts and spun around, surprisingly not looking the least bit ticked off, but rather seemed more surprised than anything.
Twilight pointed her head up at the pegasus, cocking her head and raising her eyebrows as she did so. "You... you used my name?"
"Uh, well... yes?" Rainbow replied, sharing a similar look of confusion. Needless to say, she hadn't expected Twilight to react as calmly as she had. "Look, I only use it to grab your attention when you go silent on me like that, so don't go gettin' used to it... I still prefer the nickname, you know?"
"Figures..." Twilight's head drooped and ears flattened, the mare letting out a sigh as she decided to move onto other subjects. "So then, what was it you wanted again?"
"Your attention, Egghead," Rainbow repeated, followed up with a sudden, teasing laughter. "You were kinda zoning out there."
"Oh... but wait, if that's true, then...!" Her eyes widened in realization, swiftly looking all around her. "The princess! Where—?" Twilight paused. It hadn't taken her long to spot the speck of a carriage as it was pulled down the road by a pair of unicorn guards.
"Oh no..." Twilight muttered under her breath, eyes becoming pinpricks and rubbing a hoof up along the side of her face. "No... no no no no, come back!" she shouted out, galloping several feet down the street and catching Rainbow in a state of surprise as she was unexpectedly whisked along. "Come back..." Her eyes lingered on the sight ahead of her for a few more seconds until her body came to a halt, her eyes fell to the stone pavement, her body following suit.
"Ugh... stupid stupid stupid," she muttered out, taping her forehead repeatedly against the pavement, her body now lazily sprawled out, flat against the ground. "How could I, her student... ignore her like that?"
The magic around Rainbow's body began to ease up, and slowly, yet steadily, the pegasus was lowered to the ground. Touching down, Rainbow carefully stretched out her forelegs and ever so slightly arched her back before letting her shoulders droop. She let out an exhausted sigh, turning to face the mare who had been tasked with watching over her, now with her face planted firmly against the street. Seriously? she thought, looking upon the grumbling mare with that of a deadpan expression. And she was worried about making a scene?
Rainbow took another look around her. Surprisingly, no other ponies were seen walking the street, or ones linked to it, ponies seen earlier having already moved on. It was just the two of them, alone in the streets... one of which now uttering obscenities into the vacant street. She so doesn't realize how lucky she is right now...
Rainbow shook her head, leaning over the exasperated mare with a small grin plastered on her face. Seeing Twilight talk to herself... Well, it was amusing to say the least, if not a bit expected of her.
And, she figured, a good enough opportunity to have a little bit of fun with her—and make her feel better! Getting her back on her hooves was top priority, of course. Still, she could help and have an... eensy amount of fun too, she concluded.
"Come now, Twilight... it's not like you meant to, or anything." Rainbow's voice entered her mind, trying as it could to mimic Twilight's own voice. It came out rather stuck-up and snobbish, but Rainbow deemed it a good enough impersonation.
Well, she had, anyway. Not a second had passed before Twilight spoke up, bringing an abrupt end to Rainbow's short-lived amusement.
"I know it's you, Rainbow," she muttered out, her voice muffled as her face remained buried deep in the pavement. "Oh what does it matter if it's you or some inner voice telling me this... The point remains that I still did." Her eyes squinted tighter together in an attempt to shun away the thoughts forcing their way into her mind. "I can only imagine what she thinks of me now..."
"Yeah, so can I..." Rainbow said, allowing a small chuckle to escape her stifling hoof. "Look, I know she doesn't think anything bad of you—"
"Oh yes, and you know this because...?" Twilight hardly waited for Rainbow to give an answer before sighing and shakily sitting up to face her, her voice quavering as she continued. "I ignored her, Rainbow. Me, her student—"
"She was only saying goodbye you know... I'm pretty sure she thought you were listening anyway," Rainbow chimed in, though her words were quick to fall on deaf ears as Twilight went on.
"What kind of student ignores her teacher like that?" Her voice continued, abandoning the shaky, quavering tone of her voice for a louder, more stern tone, stressing the words as they came. "Well, me apparently... now that I'm stuck with you."
"Me?" Rainbow leaned back, a hoof over her chest and a baffled expression written all over her face, taken aback by what Twilight had accused her of. "Hey, it's not my fault you can't pay attention!"
"Oh really?" Twilight inquired, lifting an eyebrow. "Yesterday, you were all I could think about... Then today, I go to say my goodbyes to Spike, only to warn him about falling out windows!" She quietly groaned, hitting her brow with a hoof, allowing it to slide down her face. "Oh but that's not all. Then the princess stops by for no other reason than to make you into my new to-do list. Then she tells me I should do this, and this, and this and this..." she grumbled, waving her forelegs about in front of her before eventually allowing them to drop to her sides and exhaling a shaky breath of air.
And for a moment, there was silence.
"Then I spend a moment, just one measly little moment thinking; thinking about what I could write, what would be worth writing about... and next thing I know, I hear your voice, and when I look around me, she's gone..." Twilight managed a single, weak ironic laugh. "I don't know what's worse, Rainbow... The fact that I can't quit thinking about you, or that..." Her cheeks unknowingly reddened as she averted her gaze and placed a hoof behind her neck, letting loose a sigh in defeat. "I don't seem to mind..."
Rainbow's eyes only grew once she heard those words uttered by Twilight herself. There was no way Twilight had been telling the truth just then. She actually didn't mind? No... that couldn't have been true. Not after ranting on about how she was affecting her judgement and clouding her thoughts... She isn't that crazy, Rainbow reasoned in thought, her lips forming a smirk. Sure, she's kind of crazy, but not...
"Oh, why did I just say that?" Twilight groaned in annoyance, squinting her eyes shut and falling back on the pavement. Several seconds passed with nothing more than the occasional chirping or carriage wheels rocking along the faraway roads to break the silence. She opened her eyes slightly, immediately being greeted by near-blinding rays of light from the mid-morning sun, and was quick to move a foreleg over her eyes. Staring up at the sky above, half-lidded, Twilight quietly muttered, "How did today end up like this...?"
Yeah, definitely crazy, Rainbow thought, forming a humored smile. Shaking her head, she leaned over the still unicorn, prodding her exposed stomach with a hoof. "Look, Twi—" Then she heard it. Though it had lasted for a mere second or two, Twilight had let out a giggle in response to her hoof.
At first Rainbow backed away, surprised to say the least. Looking down at the mare lying below her, Rainbow took notice of the remnants of a smile, still tugging at her lips. It was at that moment when it occurred to her. Twilight was ticklish.
That gave her an idea.
With a small, mischievous grin creeping its way across her face, Rainbow lifted both her hooves and before Twilight realized what Rainbow was about to do, was sent into a fit of giggles. "R-Ra-Rain..." Twilight stuttered out between giggles. "Bow-ah-hahaha! Her giggles quickly became boisterous fits of laughter as she scrambled to remove Rainbow's hooves from her underbelly, but to no avail.
"So... nerdy little egghead is ticklish, huh?" she teased with a smirk, continuing her hooves' assault. Despite the uncontrollable laughter and flailing limbs, Twilight managed an innocent shake of her head while her body squirmed and shook, a blush forming in her cheeks and tears at her eyes.
"Really? Sure looks like it," Rainbow said with a chuckle, gazing over the trembling unicorn pinned to the stone pathway with her hooves. "You know... you've tickled me 'til my body's gone numb with that magic of yours one too many times, Twi. Now, it's my turn." Twilight's eyes widened for a moment in fear. She frantically squirmed her body and flailed her limbs harder than before, desperate to free herself... but it was no use. When her hooves even so much as made contact with Rainbow, they went on unnoticed.
Her horn sparked and sizzled, sparks of magic flying from the tip, but she couldn't focus long enough to cast a spell. It wasn't helped by the fact that Rainbow was still injured... somewhat anyway, and she wasn't about to take the blame for injuring her further. On the outside, she continued to laugh; on the inside however, she groaned at the realization that she was now completely at Rainbow's mercy...
Twilight's eyes scrunched tight, longing to say something, anything to get Rainbow to stop. "N-no-oo... no!" she managed to say, the words fumbling out of her mouth. "St-ah-hahaha... st—"
"I'm sorry?" Rainbow tilted her head slightly. "Trying to say something, are we?"
"Y-ye-yes!" Twilight sputtered out, throwing her head back an instant later in another fit of laughter.
"Oh, well then... out with it," Rainbow prodded, never once easing up her assault.
Twilight mentally rolled her eyes. Rainbow was clearly teasing, knowing she could barely form a sentence but yet... she was right. She had to say something. So she said the first thing that came to mind. At least, she tried to. "Ra-Rai-Rainbow, s... st-ha-op!" Twilight cried out, her words mixing with bits of laughter, and an infrequent snort or two.
"Huh?" Rainbow looked at her puzzled, her brows furrowed in curiosity "St... ha-op... oh, stop!" she exclaimed as it dawned on her just what exactly Twilight had been trying to get across. "Is that all? Hm... okay." As she finished, Twilight's face lit up, though only for a moment. "But," Rainbow continued, "if I stop, then... you gotta stop beating yourself up so much, alright?"
Rainbow's hooves slowed to a stop, granting Twilight a moment a catch a breath, and rid her system of any lingering laughs. With one last deep breath, she opened her eyes slowly and almost immediately gazed up at Rainbow with an inquisitive expression, her mind racing with thoughts. For starters, what had Rainbow meant by 'beating yourself up'? She never once abused herself like Rainbow was suggesting.
Noticing Twilight's curiosity and remembering who it was she was talking with, Rainbow simply smiled warmly back at her as she went on to explain, "I meant that you shouldn't get so upset over every little thing that happens." Twilight wanted to protest, wishing to get a word in, though Rainbow wasn't about to let that happen.
"So you never got a chance to say goodbye to the princess... so what? You'll see her again before you even know it!" Rainbow beamed, broadly grinning. "So you accidentally ignored her for like, two seconds... Twi, she didn't even notice." Twilight looked away, reluctantly allowing Rainbow's words to sink in. "I'm sorry about all this, but... sheesh Twi, look at yourself! You're lying in the streets, acting like it's the end of the world!"
Twilight slowly sat back on her haunches, holding a foreleg behind her head and discovering she was having an increasingly difficult time looking the pegasus in the eyes. "I mean, what would Celestia think if she saw you like this?"
Celestia...? The mention of her name caused her eyes to widen at the thought; a gut-wrenching sensation swelling up inside her. She hadn't thought of that...
"Alright, I get it..." Twilight admitted, breathing out a sigh. "That was foolish of me... But it's just, so much has happened—!"
"Which is why it's good to relax! Laugh a little," Rainbow said. "After all, didn't it make you feel better?"
Did it? She thought over Rainbow's words carefully. She supposed it had felt nice... triggering a warm, cozy feeling beneath her fur. No, not just nice; it felt amazing to laugh like that. Not since her fillyhood had she felt so carefree, not since...
Twilight shook her head. "Y-yeah..." she stuttered out in agreement.
"Great! I knew it'd lighten you up," Rainbow said with a relieved grin, lighting tapping her companion in the shoulder with a hoof. The grin soon faded however as she now looked at her with concern in her eyes. "So uh... no more acting crazy, alright?"
"I wouldn't call my earlier behavior "crazy," Rainbow," she stated in a defensive tone, placing a hoof of her own over Rainbow's and removing it from her shoulder.
"Okay yes, whatever... you weren't acting crazy," Rainbow admitted, subsequently rolling her eyes. "But... you know what I mean," Rainbow continued, only to have a musing silence fill the air moments later. Twilight gazed directly back at the pegasus with a quizzical look.
"I meant no more collapsing in the streets, smart one," Rainbow explained.
"Oh," Twilight's gaze returned to the street, biting her inner lip and rubbing her left foreleg with her other hoof. "Right..."
Another moment of silence ensued, during which Twilight straightened her back before standing up on all fours. Taking a swift look around, she noted how bare the streets had become... not that she wasn't thankful they had been granted a bit of privacy. Better the streets were bare than have it look as though Rainbow and her were some escaped mental ponies from the nearby... Hospital! Right...
Again, she had forgotten, but they were here now, and the thought was fresh in her mind. She picked Rainbow off the ground and smiling up at the stunned pegasus, said, "Come along, Rainbow," as she turned and trotted down the street. "I still need to get you back to the hospital... and it's about time I did that."
Rainbow groaned, taking note of Twilight's foreleg as they stopped before the familiar building once more, noticing it was outstretched in front of her and now pointing towards their destination. "Alright... but just... please make this stay interesting for me, alright?" Rainbow asked, her tone almost pleading.
"Oh don't worry about that. I've brought several things along that I just know will keep your mind occupied," Twilight stated reassuringly, thinking back to the custom saddle she had strapped around her body. Though most of its contents were books, she hoped Rainbow might have been an avid reader before they met, and maybe, just perhaps, she'd enjoy a good book or two during her stay—
Well she supposed Rainbow could give reading a try, anyway.
"Yeah well, knowing you, you probably packed some weirdo egghead stuff, or something," Rainbow remarked with a laugh, and cuing an eye roll from Twilight. "But uh, whatever you brought along, I'm sure it's better than nothing," she continued, taking sudden interest in the sky above, watching a rather captivating cloud float on by. "So... thanks, I guess." Unbeknownst to Rainbow, her cheeks had grown ever so brighter.
"Oh uhm... you're welcome, Rainbow," Twilight replied, finding herself surprised over Rainbow's sudden display of gratitude. Needless to say, it wasn't the first time, but if there was one thing she had come to learn about Rainbow, it was that she wasn't exactly one to show appreciation.
The walk seemed to drag on, with Twilight unconsciously taking her time. She had her reasons—not looking forward to her stay anymore than Rainbow was one of them—but there was one slightly more important to the unicorn. "Hey, uh, Rainbow," she began. "About earlier... regarding the pincess—"
She had expected Rainbow to respond rationally, to question what was on her mind. Instead, she received a heavy sigh. "This again?" Rainbow questioned, allowing her eyelids to drop into a deadpan manner. "Look, Twi, I thought we talked about this—"
"W-we did!" Twilight assured her, with a sudden raise of her voice. Then, with moment of silence, her tone began to simmer down, and she added, "It's just, well, while I was... eh, zoning out... what exactly did she say?" She turned her head to look towards Rainbow, yearning for an answer.
That's what was bugging her? Rainbow smirked at the realization. She supposed Twilight would have asked sooner or later. But yet, she already explained what she had said... unless Twilight hadn't heard her. Thinking back, it became increasingly apparent that she hadn't.
"Uh, well..." Rainbow thought back to the few words she had exchanged with the princess. "She pretty much just said her goodbyes..." she explained, and believed that was it, as her voice began to trail off... only to remember something else. "Oh, and that I'll be moving in with you! Yeah, she's getting me my own furniture and everything!"
Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide and swallowing down a gulp, unsure of what she had heard. "S-sh-she w-what?" Princess Celestia was... moving Rainbow in with her? No, no way in Equestria that was true. Well, okay, sure Celestia had allowed Rainbow to stay with her, but nopony said anything about Rainbow moving in with her! "Why would she—?" Twilight began to question as her hooves once again began carrying her weight down the pathway, never once taking her eyes off the pegasus. "I mean what reason would she have—?"
"Twilight!" Rainbow's voice entered her mind, alerting her just in time as she took notice of the view ahead of her. Now staring wide-eyed though the double glass doorways, she realized she had unknowingly been one hoofstep away from walking smack-dab into the building's entrance, and immediately took a few hoofsteps back.
Sheesh... this girl... Rainbow thought with an amused smile, remaining watchful of the mare below her. "Alright look, I won't be "moving in," okay?" Rainbow assured her, who upon hearing those words, snapped her head back towards the pegasus; the look on her face was torn somewhere between relief and bewilderment.
Twilight parted her lips ready to speak, ready to question what Rainbow had meant, when Rainbow beat her to it. "I'm pretty sure she's just trying to make my stay more comfortable. Said she'd have a cloud bed delivered sometime before I left the hospital, that's all."
That's all...? So that was all then. Princess Celestia was simply working to make Rainbow's stay more enjoyable. At least it made sense... though it failed to ease her mind. Now she'd have to find a place for the bed supposedly being delivered... one of the spare rooms would suffice she supposed, seeing as how there was little-to-no space left in her own room. But that only meant wasting more of her time preparing a room for Rainbow to reside in, filling it with whatever Rainbow could possibly need—
Her fretful thoughts however, soon slowed to an abrupt stop, and what she did next, she couldn't believe.
As Rainbow suggested, she let out a laugh. To any other pony within hearing range, it may have sounded contrived and awkward, and barely audible due to the stifling hoof held over her lips. But to her, it was a laugh. After all, here she was, pointlessly worrying over something that perhaps wasn't such a big deal after all. No, she'd worry about getting Rainbow situated when the time came, but for now, she had other matters to attend to.
Like getting Rainbow inside this Celestia-forsaken hospital before sundown. Who would have thought it'd be so difficult?
Well, it shouldn't be, Twilight thought, raising a hoof to the door and as she was about to push, someone inside opened it for her. Her head tilted up, her gaze meeting a stallion's, dressed in the usual white hospital attire, and distinctly familiar.
"Twilight Sparkle?" At the mentioning of her name, Rainbow let out the faintest snicker, though it had gone unnoticed. For the most part.
Shifting his gaze away from Twilight and towards the floating pegasus, he asked, "And... Rainbow?"
Both mares nodded, now sharing a similar look of curiosity.
The stallion stepped back with a welcoming smile and ushered the two in.
"Welcome back."