//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Endings & Beginnings // Story: Facets of the Equestrian Sky // by Cirrus Sky //------------------------------// Endings & Beginnings ~ Stars ~ Surprises ~ Sweets “…and this is where I live.” Twilight opened the door to the library and disappeared from view, her guest following behind. “Great, now how am I supposed to track them!” Rainbow grumbled. Her mind running away with possibilities that could occur. Deciding to keep watch on the tree, she stayed on her cloud above the library. * “I’m sure living in a library suits you well.” Andromeda smiled at the younger pony. She’d had the full tour and been quite impressed with the basement lab and the selection of books. “Oh, it’s perfect for my research and as it is a public library, my friends can come in and drag me out if I’m getting too isolated.” As she spoke Twilight was preparing tea, the blue unicorn sat back and enjoyed the difference. From introverted and studious filly to friendly and clever mare. With her nose out of a book, or notes or simply her own little world, she wasn’t unattractive. ‘I’ll have to compliment the change.’ Andromeda promised herself, taking a sip of the newly proffered tea. “Now, I’ll let you get settled in and I can show you the sites I found.” * “What about that site?” Andromeda pointed to a spot on the map struck through quite violently. “Ah heh, ‘Rommy, that one is shall we say too unstable for any structure and leave it at that yes?” Twilight shuddered and muttered something about snakes. “Alright, well, from your detailed notes I can see that I don’t even need to look at them. My patron and the board can have this and decide where to go from there.” She smiled, all the work had already been done so more time to spend getting to know this changed young mare. “So, I hear the filly who was ‘Here to study, not to make friends’ has some now?” She smiled to take any barb from the question. “Yes, you know, I should introduce you. An old friend meeting my new ones!” She realised her words and blushed. “I mean, if it’s ok to be your friend?” Andromeda smiled and gave Twilight a hug. “Of course it is! It is wonderful to see such a change. Princess Celestia wasn’t the only pony concerned that you were isolating yourself!” The pair of them left the library to meet the residents of Ponyville. From her aerial vantage point Rainbow Dash saw Andromeda and Twilight hug as they left the library. “Too late!” she said, deciding to follow. * The day was turning to night as the two unicorns left Sweet Apple Acres, “So, those are all my friends and their families.” Twilight said, “And yes, Apple Bloom got me with the ‘look’ when I first met her.” Andromeda groaned. “That apple pie was so good, but I really shouldn’t have finished it after all those other apple foods.” She patted her full stomach. “So we’ve met Pinkie Pie the party pony, it seems like I will be having a welcoming party… Rarity the very talented designer, Fluttershy and all her lovely animals.” ‘Except one’ Andormeda thought remembering a certain rabbit and a powerful kick… “Plus Applejack, her family and their many apple products.” She smiled to Twilight, “It seems that you really landed on your hooves here. I know I’ll certainly enjoy living in Ponyville.” She paused for a moment and looked up at the sky, a thought striking her. “I thought you said you had another pegasus friend?” “Yes, Rainbow Dash, I haven’t seen her in a while. She might still be sleeping…” Twilight trailed off, a warm feeling was interrupting her thoughts. “Oh like that is it?” Andromeda giggled and tapped the now blushing Twilight. “Not quite that far ‘Rommy” she blushed deeper. “Aww come on now! It’s not as if I didn’t notice the looks certain colts gave you at school!” Andromeda gave her a teasing look. “Aheh, um, I’mnotreallyintocolts.” Twilight sputtered, it had seemed like the best way to end the uncomfortable conversation topic but as her mouth shod the words she realized it probably wasn’t. “Well, it looks like one filly has been studying her mind as much as her books.” Andromeda smiled understandingly. “So, your other friends know? After all, I’m a nice safe bet, soon I will be back in Canterlot and far enough away that you can carry on pretending…” “No ‘Rommy, I told Rarity and Fluttershy, Pinkie figured it out and Applejack ‘Has tha way o’knowin’’ She looked down and scuffed the ground with a hoof. “In fact, Rainbow is the only one I didn’t tell.” Andromeda gave her a hug. “Well, now I can see that you are most grown up and well-rounded and sensible, I look forward to calling you colleague when we build our facility!” Twilight beamed at the prospect. “However, I want to meet this pegasus and you have to tell her at some point!” The lavender mare pouted. “She will be asleep by now, come on, I’ll show you my favourite stargazing spot.” “Stargazing Twilight Sparkle? I have you know I am a professional now!” Andromeda huffed in and overdramatic manner. Twilight led the way to a hill just beyond Sweet Apple Acres and settled down in the grass. “I love to come out here and just admire the sky. Sometimes I take notes but mostly I just watch, from dusk until late in the night.” Andromeda joined her on the grass and looked up. “Yes, I think Ponyville really is the perfect place…” * Neither unicorn noticed the single grey cloud floating above, it had lost them as they entered the farm. The pilot knew the farm ponies would have noticed so it had skirted around from dinnertime until now. “I knew she’d go up here.” The cloudstuff muttered, a loud growl followed it. “Quiet belly! We had to miss dinner! Now don’t give the game away!” she circled the star watchers. Soon it got too much to bear and the cyan pegasus swooped. “Twilight Sparkle!” She nearly screamed. “I spend all this time with you, I save you from snakes in the Everfree, you KISSED me TWICE and you still won’t be my marefriend and now here you are with a stupid sexy unicorn and I can’t STAND it ANYMORE!” Enraged Rainbow took a deep breath, ignoring the shock on Twilight’s face and the look of amusement on the devastatingly attractive (in her opinion, so she digs unicorns? Who knew?) mare beside her. Preparing to start again an unfamiliar icy blue magic held her in place. “As flattered as I am,” the other unicorn was saying, “I am afraid I just don’t have such feelings for other mares.” She smiled, “though it does seem I can attract pegasus ponies effortlessly, better warn Lat about that.” Twilight, mouth agape just stared between the two blue ponies. “You see, my young flying friend, my full name is Andromeda Ascendant, but marrying after I had published a number of papers meant that professionally I am Doctor Star.” She smirked at that. “Latitude is a real sweetie about that, but boy does he butt heads with anyone who chats me up.” Rainbow pulled a face, “Oh, he’ll be fine with a filly, it’s only stallions he scares off! Now Twilight, while I hold this rambunctious Rainbow, why don’t you tell her what you have been telling me?” Twilight gulped and turned to face Rainbow, ‘Funny, she looks even better with that blue glow around her’. Looking her right in those rose eyes Twilight cleared her throat. “Rainbow Dash, I don’t know when it truly occurred, my research has been inconclusive. However I have come upon the irrefutable conclusion that I love you. You are loyal and warm, you have depths as mysterious as the sky you adore. I find your company fills a gap in my life and heart I never knew was there. I feel safe and protected when I am with you, content like never before. In short, I love you, would you be my marefriend?” The words tumbled and there were tremors at times, rising and falling but nevertheless strong in their intent. Andromeda dropped her magic and Rainbow landed on the ground with a slight thump. Her jaw dropped after being released from confinement. “A buh?” was all the mare could muster. “Uh muh? Y-you love me? Like for real?” Her mouth was slow to say the words but they came eventually. “You mean all this time? I, you we?!” she sat down. “I mean, really?” Twilight nodded and tentatively stepped forward. “Really.” With that she closed the gap and did something she had longed to do for quite a while. She gave Rainbow a proper kiss. They kissed for quite a while, relishing the chance to be intimate after so long skirting warily around each other. A slightly uncomfortable cough pulled them from their reverie and a grinning Andromeda gave them a look. “Well, as much as I agree you two have a lot of relationship to catch up on, I am not one for fillies gone wild, nightscape edition. So, if someone could lead me back to the Library I can leave you two in peace.” Both mares blushed a little. “We’ll take you back now. Then I think me and Rainbow need a long chat.” Twilight was smiling ear to ear. Sunlight streamed through the window, waking up the purple occupant of the bed. Twilight smiled and stretched. Last night had come and gone and her research demands had been fulfilled. She could say for a fact that kissing certainly did make you tingle from hoof to tail tip. Rolling out of bed and checking the days schedule she thought back to the night before. “So you really thought that Twi’? I mean I spent so long thinking you wouldn’t be interested.” Rainbow hadn’t taken her eyes off her new marefriend since they had left the library. “Rainbow, everything I said I meant, I was just unsure of how you felt.” A mutual embrace later and they continued their walk. “We do need to tell our friends though.” Twilight said, Rainbow came to a halt. “Ah, ok. It won’t be as awkward as asking one of them out…” she trailed off and Twilight gave her, ‘the look’. “So who did you ask out before me Rainbow Dash?” Her eyebrow arched to a near impossible point. “ahmphnnack” Rainbow muttered. “Didn’t catch that then Dashie.” “Aphmnnuck” “Speak up?” “Applejack…” Twilight nearly fell over, “So I guess that didn’t work out?” “No, she said she was flattered but just didn’t feel that way about me. Besides we would have competed each other into early graves.” Rainbow chuckled at that. Laying a kiss on Twilight’s cheek she smiled. “It was a long time ago. Before you came to Ponyville “ “Well, we still have to tell our friends. We have a lunch planned for tomorrow, we can tell them then.” Now the time was looming. Rainbow would meet her at the library and they would go to lunch and make their announcement. Twilight gulped at the thought and decided to busy herself with the morning chores. Spike was cleaning in the basement and Andromeda had gone to meet the Mayor to discuss the observatory plans so she didn’t have anyone to distract her. Around about midmorning a familiar thump against the Library heralded Rainbow’s arrival. A practiced draconic hand caught the displaced books and some carefully placed magic bracing prevented any shelves from falling. “Come on in Rainbow!” Twilight called. Spike re-shelved the books and went back to checking Library business. “Hi Twi’,” Rainbow said with a quick hug, “ready for today’s plans?” She gestured to Spike, the little dragon had his back to the two ponies but something about his bearing suggested he was listening in. “Ready as I’ll ever be I suppose.” With a little brush against Rainbow for confidence Twilight looked over at Spike. “Um, Spike? Can you come here a minute?” “Sure Twilight, what’s the matter?” He walked over to the two ponies. “Well uh, I, we, have some news for you.” Twilight drew closer to Rainbow. “You see I’ve been doing some research lately and me and Rainbow had a little chat.” She took a breath. “Weareanitemnow!” she nearly yelled, quite gleeful. Spike looked confused for a moment as he translated her rushed words. A smile slowly filled his face, “Way to go Twilight! Dating the coolest pony in Ponyville!” He high hoofed Rainbow and gave Twilight a hug. “Uh Yah. Don’t forget radicalest Spike.” Rainbow smirked. “ThatwaseasierthanIthoughtitwouldbe…” Twilight gushed as she fainted. “Twilight?” a worried pony and dragon said… The cyan pony gently prodded her marefriend. The unicorn simply giggled and rolled over, muttering about something. “I guess we wait for her to calm down then.” Rainbow said, looking at Spike. “Yeah probably.” He gave Twilight a once over, “She was like this for an hour after graduation. She’s pretty highly strung.” He grinned. “Me and the Princess played chess while we waited. You want to play a board game?” “B7” “Aww man! That was the flagship! You win Rainbow!” Spike glumly folded up the partition to see his few meagre hits. “When did you get to be such a good strategist?” “Well, when you plan out awesome stunts you gotta know how to scheme!” She chuckled and ruffled Spikes spines. Spike grinned and batted away the hoof. He playfully butted the pony but turned serious after sighting his guardian. “You look after her ok?” His face was sombre, “I don’t want her to get hurt.” “I wouldn’t dare Spike. She means a whole lot to me, and I am the element of loyalty!” Spike hugged her. “Aww, you two are getting along.” A sleepy Twilight said from the spot she had been sleeping on. “Ah, you’re up!” Spike glanced at the clock. “New record. One hour and thirty minutes!” he cheered as Twilight blushed. “I’ve only done it twice before Spike.” The clock rang the hour. “Lunch Time!!!!” Pinkie shouted from the front door. “Waugh! How long have you been there?!” Twilight landed on her rump again. “Just now sillies. I came to collect you for lunch and shocking announcements! Toooo the café!!!” * The others were already at the café when Twilight and Rainbow, led by the exuberant Pinkie arrived. “Darlings! I ordered the usual, after all we always have the same thing!” Rarity called to them as they approached. “Thanks Rare,” Rainbow said, shuffling into place, beckoning Twilight beside her. Pinkie appeared in her usual seat and the six friends commenced to chatting. After a while Twilight looked at Rainbow. The look in her eyes was urgent and wary. Rainbow nodded and cleared her throat. “Girls, I… We have something to say.” “We are, um… howshouldIputhis? Ah, Together now.” Twilight finished. “Called it.” A faint and shy voice said. Fluttershy was smiling from ear to ear. “Well about time too Darlings.” “Ah already knew from Rainbow.” “Well duh!” The two ponies looked at their friends in shock. “You all figured it out! How!” Twilight sputtered. Rainbow’s sheepishly looking at the ground. “Well, Rainbow asked me for advice sugarcube, was only t’other day though. Ah’m guessin’ the others knew a mite longer.” “Well, I uh, I’ve known Rainbow a very long time and although she always went for more… athletic types I knew what she really would work with was her opposite.” Fluttershy’s wings flittered a little. “When you came to Ponyville and I heard how she ‘met’ you I just knew it would only be a matter of time.” By this point Fluttershy had withdrawn behind her mane. “Well, that explains you two. Now Rarity?” Twilight narrowed her eyes at her fellow unicorn. “Oh you know, I know these things dear!” she wittered breezily avoiding the piercing glare. Risking a peek at Twilight she gave up “Oh alright! I read your diary ok! You shouldn’t have filed it in the trashy romance section!” Twilight blushed deeply. “I didn’t mean to, I just sort of teleported all the books back to their shelves when somepony came in when I was…researching. I did wonder what happened to that diary.” All eyes focused on Pinkie, who had once again acquired a box of popcorn (The glowing kind. No pony dared ask what flavour that was.) she grabbed another hoofful into her mouth. “Pinkie Shenshe!” she said through the puffy kernels. The friends shrugged and returned to their gentle teasing of the new couple. The lunch went off without a hitch, Rainbow and Twilight were free from worry as to their friends reactions and attitudes. Although Rarity now wanted to make them matching outfits and Pinkie had been told that a wedding was a little far off to plan just yet. The next few days were full of fun for the friends and their guest. A group of six saw off the astronomer with promises to help on her return. Celestia was informed of the relationship between Loyalty and Magic and two congratulatory letters had come from the sisters. Now only parents remained. That could wait a few days. For now there was a lot of more personal research to get to. That evening, as Ponyville slowly crept to bed and Luna’s night began its wondrous display a pair of ponies lay on a cloud floating above a certain special spot. Warm in each other’s embrace they silently watched the night sky. “You’re right Rainbow, watching the stars from a cloud is really nice.” “Of course I’m right, everything is better on a cloud!” Rainbow replied, planting a kiss on her marefriend. “Is it really?” Twilight asked shyly, initiating a deeper kiss. The Facets of the Equestrian sky had brought them together, made them closer and now watched over the athletic pegasus and the bookish unicorn as they slept in the embrace of a cloud under the stars. . ~~~~ Hope you enjoyed the story. I will write some other stories around this and as a direct sequel, so watch this space! Rate, comment. Critics welcome. :) So I fixed the ending. I hope it is a better fit. Thanks for reading!