//------------------------------// // Chapter Fourteen // Story: Dreams and Disasters // by Quillery //------------------------------// Dreams and Disasters by Quillery Chapter Fourteen Kamikaze As an athlete, Rainbow Dash was built for many things. Years of training had conditioned her in ways most pegasi would have broken themselves trying to achieve. Her speed was unmatched, her agility was probably the talk of cities far and wide across Equestria and beyond. Even her strength was well above the average pegasus of her level. So, of course her ability to handle a few simple drinks was laudable. After a few appletinis with Octavia, Dash had moved on to stronger substances. The bar had a large and varied selection and she took the opportunity to sample some of the fare that wasn’t offered back in Equestria. Octavia eventually left her to her devices to meet back up with Vinyl, and she enjoyed the endless tab as much as she could. After a short bout with what the bartender had to serve, she slammed down her third round with a refreshing ‘ahh’ and wiped her mouth with the back of her hoof, smiling. “That hits the spot, doesn’t it Twi?” she said. Dash turned to her friend, frowning at what she saw. Twilight had both her front hooves resting on the bar. They were shaking slightly as they balanced on the metal edge. In front her were three empty martini glasses, one overturned in a small puddle of spilled drink. Twilight turned her head suddenly towards her. She was smiling widely, her eyes bright and shimmering in the lights of the club. Her cheeks were burning red, and her upper body swayed and rocked as she tried to remain upright on her stool. “This stuff is g-great!” she slurred. “I nee—whoa—need to do this more often!” Dash’s frown deepened. “Uh, Twi? Are you alright?” “Yep!” Twilight said immediately. “I feel... amazing!” Dash shook her head. “No, Twi. I’ve only had a few rounds and I can still see straight. You’ve only had three measly appletinis and you look like you’re about to fall off your seat.” Twilight giggled, followed by another loud hiccup. “Na-nah; you’re worryin’ too much. I ‘ave per~fect balance. Watch!” Twilight lifted her hooves from the bar and held them out. She did the same with her legs, and Dash watched as she balanced herself on the small seat. “Yes, you’re very good at that. Now why don’t you sit down like a normal pony before you—" Twilight suddenly tilted sideways. Dash reacted as fast as she could, but it seemed that her own drinking had dulled her reflexes at least a little bit. Her hoof missed Twilight by a hair, and time slowed to a crawl. Twilight’s mane scattered in the air for the brief moment she was held only to the powers of gravity, before she landed square on her back. Her legs went upright and rigid as Dash hurried to help her friend. “Twi! Are you alright?!” “Dash...” Twilight wheezed. “I’m here, Twi.” Dash took one of Twilight’s outstretched hooves in her own. Twilight turned her head to Dash, staring. “I think I melted...” Dash stared in dumbfounded shock for a brief second before she rolled her eyes. “Geez. You’re such a lightweight, Twi!” “No, no, I’m not,” Twilight insisted. “I am well within the healthy body-weight range for my height and age group.” Dash snickered. “Sure you are, Twi. I think I should get you to bed. You’ve had enough for tonight.” Dash gripped Twilight’s hooves tighter and tugged her up. Twilight resisted at first, pulling back against Rainbow’s efforts. “Aww,” she pouted. “But I was starting to have—hic!—fun.” “You did, Twi. You did a great job having fun. But any more fun, and you’ll be praying to Celestia for death in the morning.” Twilight snorted, and let up resisting long enough for Rainbow to get her to her hooves. “That’s silly, Dash. Why would I ever do that?” “Let’s just say I’ve got some experience in this.” “You’ve prayed to Celestia before?” Dash facehoofed. This is gonna be a long night. ***** Getting an inebriated Twilight out of a dance club was harder than Dash thought. Getting her away from the crowds of music lovers was a greater challenge still. A quick flight would have solved their problems in seconds, but Dash was nothing if not a responsible flyer. A lifetime of Wonderbolts after-show parties was enough for her to know the dangers of flying while intoxicated. The last thing she needed was a F.U.I to tarnish her chances of ever joining the team of her dreams. And so, being the responsible friend, Dash focused on getting her friend back to their hotel safely... the hard way. It was a lengthy walk before they were far enough away from the festival before the music began to fade on the wind. They had made it back to the road along the canal, which was almost deserted. Dash noted a few uniformed ponies strolling down the road, lighting up the street with the glow of their horns. It seemed pointless, however, as the sky was clear, and the moon above bathed the quiet street in a silvery glow. “Oh… It’s so pretty...” “Yeah,” Dash said. “It’s something alright.” “You were right, Dash. The music festival was a... a wonderful idea.” “You think so?” Twilight nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever danced like that be—ooh—before. Everypony was cheering my name, thanks to you...” Twilight shied away and scuffed the ground with her hooves. Dash gulped. “Uh... well... it wasn’t all me, y’know. You did all the work, I just... uh... motivated you is all.” “Well. You’re a wonderful motivator.” Twilight lifted her head and met Dash’s gaze again. She stared with half lidded eyes, and a smirk on her face. Dash’s eyes widened as Twilight took a shaky step towards her. Her breathing quickened, and she found herself swallowing a second, larger lump as her friend got closer. “Hey, Dash?” Twilight said softly. Her breath danced through the air and ruffled the fur on Dash’s neck. “Y-yeah?” Dash stammered. Dash was so focused on Twilight’s eyes, that she didn’t notice Twilight raise a hoof into the air. She brought it up quickly and quietly and in a blink, bonked Dash softly on the nose. “You’re it!” Twilight shouted playfully. She spun on her hooves and darted down to the road, giggling all the way. Dash stood still. Her eye twitched for a moment, as the gears in her alcohol-affected mind attempted to process what was happening. She shook her head free of her daze, saw Twilight getting further away, and finally understood. “Oh, you are so on!” Dash righted her hooves on the cobblestone street and launched into a sprint. Flying while intoxicated was one of her greater worries, but a quick jog in the cool Antlerdam air after her friend was perfectly okay. After all, who was she to turn down a challenge? Twilight had made a good head start, but as Dash caught up, she noticed that Twilight’s balance was hardly perfect. Each other step was accompanied by a stumble or an awkward skip that slowed her down each time, and after a few missteps, Dash found herself neck and neck with Twilight. “C’mon, Twi! You can do better than that!” “I... I’m doing muh... my best!” Twilight wheezed. “’Fraid that’s not gonna cut it.” Dash grinned as she edged over and gently nudged Twilight. “You’re it!” Dash tore away from Twilight and doubled her efforts to gallop down the road. She let out a victorious squeal. Her laughter was cut short when a bright flash of purple illuminated the nearby area for an instant. She quickly turned back and saw that Twilight was gone. When she turned back, she screamed “whoa!” and dug her hooves into the ground. She skipped off the rocky street as she tried to slow herself down. Pain lanced through her hooftips with each bump, but she managed to bring herself to a stop with some quick wingwork. Unfortunately, her sudden stop put her put her snout to snout with Twilight, who was now standing in front of her. She swayed on her hooves with a goofy grin on her face as she tried to balance with a hoof raised in the air. The limb bobbed around, before she poked it at Dash’s forehead. “Got you...” she said. Her voice was drained of its previous energy, and now sounded groggy and lifeless. Dash frowned. “I don’t think using magic in your condition is a good idea, Twi.” Twilight giggled. “You’re just saying that because you lost.” “Hey, I know the dangers of flying after a few drinks. I doubt magic is much different.” Twilight puffed out her cheeks, her brows arching in a frown. “Okay... Mom,” Twilight said. Dash chuckled. “How’s about we just enjoy a nice, quiet walk back to our hotel? You look exhausted, and anymore running and you’ll fall asleep in the street.” Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but instead was overtaken by a loud yawn. She smacked her lips when she finished, and nodded her head slowly. “I guess you’re right. Beating you was pretty exhausting.” “Yeah, yeah,” Dash said blithely. “Beating somepony like me would tire anypony out.” Twilight snickered quietly as Dash guided her to face the correct direction, and they set off again. She enjoyed the stillness in the air, punctuated by the clatter of their hooffalls. Dash especially enjoyed the moments where Twilight’s drunken swaying led her to wobble into her sides. The brief bits of contact brought heat to Dash’s face, but this time, she didn’t fight it. With Twilight at her side, in the moonlit night of Antlerdam, she didn’t care if her affection showed. Twilight was far too busy keep her her balance, and Dash predicted that if three drinks was enough to affect Twilight like this, her memory would most certainly have a few holes in it the next morning. A breeze blew over the street. Dash breathed in the mountain air, her mind calming. She felt refreshed in its presence. Twilight, on the other hoof, had other opinions. Glancing over, Dash saw that Twilight’s fur was bristling in the wind. Her ears were twitching and Dash heard a familiar clattering noise from Twilight’s mouth. Dash smirked. “You just don’t like the cold, do you Twi?” “I’m f-fine…” Twilight huffed. “Good thing I got the cure for that.” Dash extended her wing and draped it over Twilight’s back, pulling her closer. “I’m starting to wonder if you’re taking advantage of my feathers, Twi.” Twilight’s rose tinted cheeks burned brighter. “It’s not like that! Canterlot was really warm throughout the year, so I never got used to really cold weather.” Dash chuckled. “It’s alright, Twi. It’s no biggie.” Dash took another breath of the cool breeze. This is really nice. Dash glanced at Twilight under her wing. Should I go for it now? The moment seems right. Dash’s thoughts were broken by another one of Twilight’s hiccups. She sighed. Maybe not. It wouldn’t be right to ask her when she’s like this. I should just enjoy the moment. It’s probably as close as I’ll be able to get to her without either of us freaking out. Another wind drifted over the road, and Twilight drew closer into Dash’s wing. As she did, she let out a yelp and stumbled. Her legs shot out in front of Dash’s and tangled together. Dash’s eyes went wide as she ran into one of Twilight’s flailing limbs and lurched sideways. Her wing’s flared up in instinct as she fell away from Twilight in a tumble. Her sides clipped the raised lip of the wall beside her as she rolled overtop of it and over the edge. Her brain processed what was happening, but her attempts to react were dulled. Before she knew it, she was falling down from the wall and crashing into the river below. Ice cold water stung every inch of her body as she attempted to right herself in the water. She quickly broke the surface and breathed deeply. Her head was spinning, and her sides ached as she tried to get her bearings. The canal water was calm, besides the ripples her landing had caused. The small waves rapped against the carved stone walls as she bobbed in the water. A giggling sound from above prompted her to look up. Twilight’s head was poking over the edge of the wall. Her front legs hung on the edge, propping up her head as she gazed down with an amused, drunken expression. “Told youuuu…” ***** Walking into the hotel lobby soaking wet with a giggling Twilight was not how Dash pictured ending her night. It was hard enough to move her alcohol addled friend through the doors, and it was an added torture to try and do so while dripping with water in the frigid Antlerdam air. Having a resistance to cold was one thing, being wet in the middle of the night was another. Dash dragged Twilight past the front desk. Bucky was still there and looked up at her approach, raising an eyebrow. “Strange, we don’t usually get rain this time of year.” “Oh, it isn’t that,” Twilight said. “Dashie here just had an unfortunate meeting with gravity.” Dash grumbled as Bucky turned his attention to her, eyeing her up and down. After a moment, his eyes widened. “You didn’t fall into the river, did you?” Dash looked away, and Twilight giggled again. Bucky, too, decided to let out a little chuckle. “I take it you both had a good night?” “I guess so…” Dash said. “Coulda done without the midnight dip, but at least that will save me a shower in the morning.” “Did you find the music festival alright? “Yeah. Took a bit, but we found it. It was pretty cool. We even ran into a friend of ours from back home.” Bucky grinned. “Yeah, that’ll happen.” Bucky glanced at Twilight. “What’s up with her?” Dash turned to Twilight as well. She hadn’t stopped smiling since she climbed out of the river, and her swaying hadn’t lessened since they left the club. Dash rolled her eyes at her and turned back. “She just had three drinks too many.” “How many did she have?” “Three.” Bucky frowned. “Huh. I thought ponies were tougher than that.” “I’m plenty tough!” Twilight complained. Dash chuckled. “Sure you are, Twi. As tough as a bookworm.” Twilight descended into quiet mumbles and Dash glanced towards the stairs into the hotel. “Which floor was our room on? I can’t remember.” “Third floor,” Bucky said. “Room three-ten.” “Thanks. C’mon, Twi. The sooner you get to bed, the better.” Twilight grunted a response and followed her. At the stairs, Dash let Twilight go first, first out of courtesy, and second, in Twilight’s current state and what had happened so far, it was better to be safe rather than sorry. Thankfully the climb to the top went along with little incident. Exhausted, tired, wet, Dash was finally glad that the day was coming to an end. When they arrived at the door, found herself staring at it. She turned to Twilight. “You have the, keys, right?” Twilight’s head swayed a moment before her face showed any sign of awareness. She shook her head and nodded. She turned to her bags and probed it with her magic, eventually finding a polished bronze key. She inserted the key with a flourish and opened the door. Her magic popped loudly as it fizzled out, and Twilight shouted, “Ta da!” “Yeah, Twi. That’s really great. But you should keep it down. Other’s are probably sleeping.” Twilight stuck out her tongue at her and trotted inside. Dash heaved a weary sigh. Now at the door, her hooves felt lined with lead horseshoes as she tried to lift her legs. Each step was a struggle as she crossed the threshold into the room and ensured that it was closed and locked behind her. When she turned around, Twilight was already sprawled out on the bed, snoring loudly. Dash smirked as she walked past the bed, watching Twilight quietly. She found the bathroom on the right and reached inside to snag a towel. She draped it over her head and scrubbed as much as the water from her mane and coat as she could. Finishing that, she tossed the towel onto a rack, and turned to her bed. Except that it wasn’t there. Dash glanced around the room. It was up until now that she hadn’t noticed how large the room actually was. The living space wasn’t cramped by any stretch, but there was only room for one queen sized bed. The only bed. Twilight’s bed. Dash’s mind raced. Why didn’t Twilight say we only had one bed? Dash swallowed a lump. Just breathe, Dash. It’s just a bed. It doesn’t mean anything. Twilight probably doesn’t care one way or the other, or she would’ve gotten a room with two. Dash edged towards her side of the bed, tugging at the covers. She crawled in, taking care to face the opposite wall. Yeah, I can do this. Just face this wall and pretend she’s not there. It doesn’t have to get weird. Twilight mumbled something in her sleep and returned to snoring. Dash sighed and turned her head. Twilight had rolled onto her back, and her nose twitched violently with each snore. Her mane was already a tangled mess, and a tendril of drool danced at the edge of her mouth. Even when she looks like that, I can’t stop looking at her. Agh! Why does this have to be so hard !? Dash lashed at her own head, striking with dull blows in frustration. Why can’t I just say it to her?! Dash’s internal tirade halted when Twilight started cooing in her sleep. She rolled again, this time towards Dash. Her hooves flopped out across the bed, bridging the gap between them. Dash stared at them, her mind dull. She reached out and grabbed a hoof in her own. She waited to see if Twilight would stir, but she didn’t. Dash propped herself up with a leg, leaning towards her sleeping friend. Her hoof in her grasp, and Twilight sleeping peacefully beside her, Dash had only one thought on her mind. I might not be ready to admit it to you right now. But I can at least admit it to myself. Dash sat up and moved slowly. She crawled across the bed in steady movements, until she was hovering over the sleeping Twilight. With a gentle brush of her hoof, she parted Twilight’s scattered mane, smiling. She leaned down, slowly and carefully, and placed a kiss gently on Twilight’s forehead. Twilight’s head twisted upwards and she murmured something unintelligible. Dash sighed and returned to her side of the bed. She clutched she sheets as hard as she could in her hooves. I love you Twilight. One of these days I’ll be able to admit it to your face, but for now, this will have to do...