//------------------------------// // Moving Right Along // Story: Dreams and Nightmares // by Geographew //------------------------------// As it turns out, Ponyville doesn't have a flying stadium. It's not really much of a surprise, considering it would have to be the biggest building in town. But apparently Rainbow has been training in the place the competition is being held: in that open field on the outskirts of town. Rainbow is ready, strong, and confident. There's no way she's not getting first place. We've worked day after day, working her core, her wings, and her balance. She's in her prime. And, not to brag, but I like to think I got her there. There are about fifteen flyers, and Rainbow is the last one. Her routine is relatively simple. Just a few moves, but they're hard. Well, they would be hard, if Rainbow wasn't such a good flyer. At the moment, she's almost done with the routine. Everyone is awestruck in the audience, especially the judges. I'm sitting among the onlooking crowd, and I'm extremely proud of Rainbow. She looks totally in her element. As her routine comes to an end, she lands softly on the ground, bows, and trots off happily in my direction. I run to meet her at the front of the makeshift stands. "You did awesome, Rainbow!" I congratulate her. "Thanks! I couldn't have done it without you, Twi. Thank you." She says sincerely. "You're still up for coming to Canterlot later today for my finals, right?" I ask. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't miss it for the world." She promises. I smile with gratitude. It means the world to me that my best friend is there to send me off. "Well, fillies and gentlecolts, we've reached a decision!" The announcer calls. Rainbow and I turn our heads to face him. "The following four contestants will advance to regional competition:" Rainbow's face is locked in tense anticipation. "Thunderlane, Cloud Kicker, Flitter, and Rainbow Dash. Thank you all for competing, you were all wonderful!" Rainbow and I cheer and embrace. "You did it, Rainbow!" I shout. "I'm so proud of you!" "We did it, Twilight! Not just me! Now I've got a real shot at joining the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow cheers. "You're awesome! Thank you!" A small blush creeps across my cheeks. It feels nice to help others. But truly, Rainbow's talent is what brought her here. She just needed a little structure to her training. --- I passed my final. Rainbow was there to congratulate me as I was there for her. I owe her a lot, since she's the reason I've been getting sleep at all. Heck, were it not for her, I'd likely have keeled over with stress by now. Yet here I am, lying in bed, wide awake, which isn't unusual for me, of course. But I'm not having nightmares. I'm not having a panic attack. In fact, I'm not unhappy at all. I'm actually quite happy. I'm staying up thinking about my wonderful day. Seeing Rainbow getting that much closer to her dream was wonderful, and being able to overcome my own obstacles felt amazing. But the real reason I'm staying up is because of two little words: "You're awesome!" Rainbow said them to me this morning. Or was it technically yesterday morning? I'm not entirely sure how late it is. Rainbow said those words to me just after she'd been chosen to advance to regional competition. On their own, those two words hold relatively average meaning. But for some reason, when they're put together, and Rainbow Dash is saying them, and it's directed at me, it means so much it's keeping me up at night. I'm absolutely giddy, and I have no idea why. But for some reason, the fact that Rainbow said I'm amazing has made my day even more than passing my finals. I get out of bed and quietly leave my room. I sneak down the hall and enter Rainbow's room. She's sleeping on her right side, as usual, facing away from the door. I close the door as quietly as I can behind me and gently climb into bed with the sleeping pegasus. She shifts around a bit. "Twilight? You okay?" She asks. "I'm fine, Rainbow, go back to sleep." I say with a happy sigh. "Nightmares? Panic attack?" She asks. "Neither. I just wanted to be with you." I say. Rainbow stays still for a moment, likely pondering my peculiar actions, which, to her credit, are very peculiar. After a few seconds, she rolls over and goes back to sleep. I lay a foreleg across her barrel and slowly drift off to sleep. --- A knock comes at the door and I'm awoken from my sleep. The sun is just peering in the window in Rainbow's room, and I'm in bed with her, my foreleg draped over her. I smile lazily and close my eyes, ready to fall back asleep. Another knock comes at the door. I slowly stand and walk down the stairs and to my front door. Standing before me with her signature smile is Pinkie Pie. "Hey Twilight! Have you seen Rainbow Dash?" She asks. What time is it? "Hey, Pinkie." I slur, and I clear my throat. "She's upstairs, sleeping." "Ooh, are you having a sleepover?" Pinkie asks, cocking her head to one side. "Sorta," I chuckle. "Rainbow's been staying with me for a little over a week now." "Are you going for the world record?" Pinkie asks. I laugh. "Yeah, Pinkie. We're going for the world record." I muse. "Good luck! You've got a long way to go." Pinkie warns, walking past me and toward the stairs. "The world record is 239 days!" I roll my eyes with a smile. Moments later, a sleepy Rainbow Dash follows Pinkie down the stairs. "Hey, Twi." She greets. "I'm gonna go hang with Pinkie today. See you later!" "This doesn't get you out of training!" I tease. Rainbow scoffs and sticks her tongue out at me. The two walk past me out the door. Wait, did I actually sleep with Rainbow last night? --- It's brutally cold outside. It makes my errand today all the more justified. With winter coming, I decided to take the short trip to the Carosel Boutique, since winter is just around the corner. I'm standing in the scarf isle, and I've found the most amazing rainbow-colored scarf. I've already found one for myself, and I'm considering getting this one for Rainbow. She didn't bring any clothes with her from her house, so I assume she'll need it. I drape it over my back and make my way to the checkout counter, where Rarity is waiting happily, flipping through a magazine. She sets it down and looks up at me, smiling. "Hello, Twilight, dear." She sings. "Scarves, hmm? An excellent choice." "Well, I have jackets and blankets." I explain. "I've been wanting a new scarf for a while now." I levitate the scarves off my back and put them on the counter. "Oh, two?" She says, eyeing the rainbow-colored scarf. "That one looks like it'd be perfect for Rainbow Dash." "As a matter of fact, I'm buying it just for her!" I say, perhaps a bit too excitedly. "Ah, yes." Rarity says, a giddy smile plastering her face. "Pinkie Pie tells me you've been living together for a little over a week now." She raises an eyebrow and gives a subtle smirk. "Are you two... An item, so to speak?" I'm taken aback. My heart starts racing. An intense blush creeps across my face and I struggle to make a coherent response. "What? Oh, uh, no, that's--" I stammer. "No, we're just friends. What gave you that idea?" We're not 'an item.' We're just friends. Well, we're best friends, but still, that's a preposterous assumption. "Well, you are living together. And now you're out buying her gifts." Not to mention I slept with her last night. "I'm sorry if I offended you at all." "Oh, not at all." I assure. "It's just surprising, is all." Mostly because I've never even thought about it. As far as I know, nobody even knows I like mares. Of course, not that it's all that uncommon. "Besides," I say. "I don't even know if she likes mares." Rarity puts on a deadpan face and cocks an eyebrow. "You really think there's much doubt?" She says flatly. She's right. Rainbow has never shown interest in stallions, and she is a bit tomboyish. "Well, either way, it doesn't matter, because we're not...together. Well, I mean, we are living together, but I mean we're not...dating. A couple. Just friends." I throw a few bits on the table for the scarves. "Oh, sweetheart. You don't have to pay for these." She says. "Why not? I always pay for my clothing." I promise. "Oh, this is special, darling! It's a gift for your special somepony!" She teases. "She's not my special somepony!" I retort, taking back my bits and turning to walk out of the boutique. "Don't forget to invite me to the wedding!" Rarity shouts after me, before slipping into a fit of giggles. My cheeks turn bright red and I roll my eyes. --- "So I went over to Carousel Boutique today." I say. I'm incredibly bored doing this report on Pre-Discorian Equestria, mostly because I know it all already. I'm looking for anything to divert me, and Rainbow Dash is the perfect distraction. "Yeah?" She says, briefly looking up from her novel. Since she finished the Daring Do series, she graduated to the Lightning Scar series, which, much to my satisfaction, is about magic. Fake magic, but it's better than nothing, right? "So I go to buy a scarf from Rarity, and she asks if you and I are dating! Isn't that ridiculous?" I ask. Rainbow puts the book on her belly and laughs. "Oh man, that's rich. Pretty awkward too, huh?" Rainbow asks. "Oh yeah. Besides, where would she even get that idea?" I ask, looking for validation. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised." Rainbow says, shrugging. "We kinda do act like we're dating." "What??" I say, surprised. "We-- what? How?" "Well, first of all, we live together. It's not really weird, except we're not related and we're both single, and I've got a feeling both of us aren't into Stallions." I blush intensely. How is she figuring this out? "And second off, we sleep in the same bed almost every night. Though, I guess nopony knows about that, right?" "I--I assume not." I say. She does make a good point. "We're not dating, though, right?" "Last time I checked, nope! We're just friends, helping each other out. You train me for the Wonderbolts and let me live in your house, and I calm you down when you freak out." Rainbow says. It's exactly what I needed to hear. "Now I can tell you really don't wanna do that report thing, so let's go train!" I'm glad I have Rainbow to keep my head straight for me. A knock comes at the door. I stand and open the door. It's Derpy Hooves, with the daily mail. "Hello, Derpy!" I greet. "Hi, Twilight!" She says happily. "I've got a letter for you from Princess Celestia." "Thank you!" I say, taking the envelope. She nods and walks away. I open the package. Contained is a book, and a brief letter. My Faithful Student, Included in this package is An Introduction to Quantam Mechanics. I know relatively little on the subject myself, but it's a field in which I believe you'd be able to make significant contributions. Give the book a read, and tell me what you think. Yours, Princess Celestia. Huh. A book on quantam mechanics. I've never really done any reading on the subject. This should be interesting! I think I'll get started as soon as I'm done with Rainbow's training. --- Quantam mechanics is hard. Very hard. In fact, it's probably the most complicated subject I've ever delved into. But that's not even the worst part of it. The worst part is that Rainbow Dash completely understands it. I have no idea how, or why, but Rainbow Dash completely understands Quantam mechanics. It's mortifying that a pony with absolutely no background in chemistry and physics can so easily grasp one of the world's most complicated subjects, when I can't. She's been helping me try and understand it for a few weeks now. We have a study session almost every day, and I'm starting to catch on. Today is the regional competition for Rainbow, and we've made the short trip to Cloudsdale. I've been to the Cloudsdale Stadium once before, and it's still magnificent. Rainbow seems only slightly nervous. It is a pretty huge competition. Coming from a small town like Ponyville, Rainbow really has no idea what she's up against. The last time she was at flight school was just under ten years ago. Who knows how competitive it's gotten since then? Rainbow pulled some strings and got me into the contestants' area. It's a good thing, too; I think if I weren't there, Rainbow would be a lot more nervous. She's leaning against a cloud pillar, trying her best to seem calm and composed. "You're gonna do great, Rainbow." I assure her. She looks around, and puts on a confident smile. "I know I'm gonna do awesome. It's me we're talking about here." She says, a little too loudly. She leans close to me and whispers, more sincerely, "Thanks, Twilight." A stallion walks over and taps Rainbow on the shoulder. "Contestant number twenty-five, you're up." He tells her. She gives me a nervous smile. "Wish me luck!" She says, turning to leave. She flies out from between the flaps of the curtain. I walk a few yards down the perimeter of the stadium to where I can get a good viewpoint, and I lean against a cloud pillar. "You won't need it." I say quietly, with a smile. I stand there and watch her routine for what has to be the thousandth time. It's similar in structure to her first routine, but includes much harder moves. It's incredible that she can do these maneuvers so smoothly and flawlessly. She isn't kidding when she says she's the best flyer in Equestria. Her routine comes to an end and I meet her behind the curtain. "Rainbow, that was awesome!" I congratulate. "Thanks, Twilight! It's all thanks to you." I blush. In reality, Rainbow is the perfect student, with a will to learn and an unmatchable aptitude. "You were for sure the best one out there." I say quietly. "Thanks, Twi." She says with a grateful smile. The voice of the announcer comes over the loudspeaker. "Fillies and Gentlecolts, we've reached a decision. The ponies who will be advancing to national competition are: Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, High Flyer, and Checkered Flag. All of the competitors' routines were excellent, and choosing just four was a difficult task. Thank you all for coming." Rainbow and I embrace and cheer. There's just one more hurdle now until Rainbow is officially a Wonderbolt. There's a cramp in my chest and I break the embrace. "Congratulations, Rainbow." I say with a smile. "Why don't we go out to dinner to celebrate?" "Sure! I know an awesome place." She says. "Come on!" --- Rainbow Dash uses the word "awesome" a lot, but when she described The Amore as such, she really meant it. All I got was spaghetti, and it's easily the best I've ever eaten. "Everything taste okay over here?" A voice comes. Rainbow and I look to find a waitress standing there, smiling pleasantly in the low light. She has a light gray coat and a wavy black mane. Her cutie mark is a feather. She looks oddly familiar. "Oh, hey High Flyer!" Rainbow greets. She was one of the other contestants that advanced to national competition. "Everything tastes great, thanks!" "Hello, Rainbow Dash!" Her voice is pleasant, and sounds charmingly innocent. "You were awesome today. You looked just like a Wonderbolt out there." Rainbow blushes modestly. "Thanks... You were awesome too, you know!" Rainbow says. "So you're working as a waitress?" "Yes ma'am! Just paying the bills until I make it big as a flyer. Though with you out there I might be here a while." She jokes. "I'll bet they make us both Wonderbolts!" Rainbow says confidently. I levitate my tea and take a drink. "That'd be nice, huh?" High flyer says with a chuckle. "Well, I'll let you lovebirds get back to your meals. Enjoy!" I choke on my tea and High Flyer gives a mischievous laugh, winking before she walks away. "I like her." Rainbow declares. She notices my coughing fit and raises an eyebrow. "You okay, Twi?" I finally cease coughing. "I'm good, thanks." I say with an embarrassed smile. I can feel my cheeks heating up. "So it was you, her, Checkered Flag, and Lightning Dust?" "Mmhm!" Rainbow confirms through a mouthful of pasta. "Lightning Dust..." I say, racking my memory. "Wasn't she that troublemaker at the Wonderbolt Academy?" Rainbow swallows her food. "Well, sorta. We got along pretty well, but she had a habit of taking things too far." She explains. "She's a good flyer though." "Well then you'll just have to be better." I say confidently with a smile. I've been hanging around Rainbow too long. "I've never met Checkered Flag." Rainbow says. "I think he's from Canterlot. His dad's a racer, I know that much." "You think he paid his way into the competition?" I ask quietly. "Nah, he was actually pretty good. But I bet it gives him an advantage to have that kind of reputation." She says. "I'm not worried." I don't know if I'm worried or not. I don't know what to expect. --- My home has never been particularly quiet. Today is no exception. Pinkie Pie took the liberty of throwing a surprise congratulatory party in my house. It's a relatively small one, for Pinkie's Standards, as only our little six-pony friend group is attending. She decorated the whole library while Rainbow and I were gone, and I assume she only started after she heard Rainbow had advanced. Which was about five hours ago. She really does live up her cutie mark. Streamers line the ceiling and a huge banner that reads "Congratulations Rainbow Dash!" sweeps across the middle of the room. A song that I immediately recognize as Pinkie's favorite is playing in the background. The last time Pinkie did this I was a lot less enthusiastic. Maybe Pinkie's rubbed off on me too. "I'm real sorry we couldn't make it to the competition, Rainbow." Applejack apologizes. "Aw, don't worry about it." Rainbow assures. "But you can bet your hindquarters we're gonna be there for the nationals!" Applejack promises. "Thanks, AJ. It means a lot." Rainbow says with a sincere smile. "I can't wait to see you perform with the Wonderbolts!" Pinkie says. The music seems a little loud right now, and the lights are a little bright. I know this feeling all too well. These are the first signs of a panic attack. I make sure no one is paying me much attention and I go upstairs to my room. It's quiet here, and the only light comes from the moon outside. It's better, but it doesn't do much to help. I pace around for a few moments before a heartstopping creak comes from my opening door. It's a dimly lit Rainbow Dash, and even with the low light I can make out her look of concern. "You alright, Twi?" She asks. There's a lump in my throat that prevents me from speaking. I simply shake my head. Rainbow gently closes the door behind her and walks towards me. "Panic attack?" She asks. I nod. "Any idea what brought it on?" I shake my head, and Rainbow comes to me and takes me in a warm embrace. My heart rate slows just a bit and I take a deep breath before sitting down. Rainbow joins me. I bury my muzzle in her shoulder. I really have no idea why I'm so worked up; usually my panic attacks have a trigger. This one seems to have come out of the blue. "There you go." Rainbow whispers. "Everything is okay. You're okay." My heart rate slows some more, as does my breathing. I'm starting to believe Rainbow. "That's better." Rainbow says. She places a gentle kiss on my head. "Are you ready to go back to the party now?" I nod, finally opening my eyes. I stand clumsily. "Thank you." I say, starting to regain my composure. "Hey, Rainbow?" "Yeah?" "You're awesome." I say with a faint smile. "I know." Rainbow says dramatically.