Cheated Dreams

by Kodeake


13. Complications

Cheated Dreams
Chapter 13
Complications

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Twilight had taken the aura off the necklace for tracking down the unicorn who had enchanted it. It had been two weeks since Rainbow had accepted the truth. It had been two weeks since Twilight had told Ponyville she'd ruined Rainbow's career for some still-unknown reason. It had been two long, arduous weeks.

And she was no closer to finding the enchanter.

No matter what book she read, what tests she ran, what she tried, she was still unable to locate their mysterious unicorn.

The time was beginning to take its toll on both Rainbow and Twilight.

Twilight, the ever-dedicated and studious young unicorn was locked in her library pretty much every day all day, researching and reading and testing for hours on end. For the most part Ponyville was content to allow her to stay that way; the last they'd heard she'd destroyed her best friend's life, for a reason none of them could comprehend. The only time she pulled herself from her books were her daily visits from Rainbow Dash, the pegasus having made a habit to make sure Twilight was a least taking care of herself while working on a way to fix the problems Rainbow still saw as her own. When Rainbow was there Twilight allowed herself to momentarily forget about the puzzle placed before her. Instead she could once again enjoy life, something she'd not done on her own since taking Spike out to look for gems the day after the storm. Though Rainbow repeatedly assured her there was no deadline, she could see the pegasus's patience wearing thin.

Every day Rainbow came back to the library. It had started with her usual manner; flying in through an open window or through the upstairs balcony. While Twilight would have preferred her using the door, she didn't push the matter and had no real problems with it. However, after the first coupled days of no progress, Rainbow had started using the door, coming during business hours when the door would be unlocked and she could come in, where she would almost always find Twilight sitting at her reading desk, muzzle buried in the next book that may offer some useful bit of insight.

However, the past couple days, Rainbow hadn't come in at all. Instead she stood at the front door and knocked. The change in behaviour worried Twilight to no end, but when pressed the pegasus would brush it off and insist Twilight take better care of herself and focus less on the Wonderbolts.

Rainbow Dash, while not at the library, was likely to be found either at work or in her home napping the day away. Her training sessions had been completely cut from her life since she'd been kicked out. No matter how much hope the aura discovery had given her, she still couldn't bring herself to train again.

Her friends were all worried about her, thinking she was going into depression from the loss of her dream. Which was probably right, but Rainbow refused to admit or see it. What confused her friends, however, were her daily visits to the library. They'd all had some unpleasant things to say about the town librarian when they'd first heard of her betrayal, and had offered Rainbow their support. For the first couple days none of them really knew where Rainbow was, just that she always claimed she was busy when they tried to get together. One day, however, Rarity had seen Rainbow fly in through the library's window, smiling brightly as she dove through the small opening. When questioned about it later, Rainbow had simply flown away – back to the library.

Within the walls of the tree, she'd discussed convincing their friend's of the truth with Twilight. While Rainbow was positive it could be done, Twilight wasn't so sure. Bringing up the argument that they'd already told their friends Twilight was guilty, and attempting to change the story would only raise more suspicion and lower the chances of them believing it. Besides that, the unicorn had said, AS great as it would be getting along with their friends again, she needed all her time and effort to be focused on finding a way to fix things. According to her, their friends would be nothing but a hindrance at that point in time, and she didn't want to spare the time to try convincing them, time she would much rather spend researching.

Rainbow had been unwilling to keep up the lie, her guilt weighing heavily on her mind and soul, but Twilight would not budge on the matter. She still didn't understand why the unicorn was so adamant on keeping their friends out of it, but she was sure Twilight had a good reason for keeping them out of the loop that she wasn't willing to say, and she'd allowed herself to leave it at that. The likely hood of them believing just Rainbow was next to zero after the first time she'd gone to them, so she relented and refused to answer any questions their friends posed about her daily trips to the library. Eventually they learned to stop asking, and not too long after that Rainbow had begun secluding herself to her home when not at work or Twilight's library.

Her seclusion had many ponies worried, including herself. Not even Rainbow herself fully understood her desire to be alone, but she knew she didn't like it. She just didn't have the energy or will power to do anything about it. The only thing keeping her going to Twilight was a feeling she had yet to place her hoof on. it was an odd mix of guilt, dedication, and something else. While she pondered over her reasons for her self-imposed seclusion and her new feeling, time had continued to pass. Her patience wore thin, and the hope she'd gained from discovering the aura was drying up. What little hope she had left of restoring her former title and dream of being a Wonderbolt was silenced by the soul-crushing dread of never again fulfilling her dream. The fear that whoever had enchanted her necklace would never be found.

Now, two weeks later, her hope had finally run dry when Twilight had informed her that she was stuck running in circles with her research. Faith gone, nothing was left in the young pegasus's mind but directionless anger and sorrow.

“I don't know where else to look!” Twilight nearly yelled, slamming another book closed under her magical influence. “No tracking spells or locating spells can tell me how to track using aura. There hasn't even been any further developments on the subject. Old spells, new spells, experimental spells, nothing!”

Rainbow sighed heavily, sinking into the couch as she watched Twilight rummage around her bookshelves for a text she had not yet scavenged. “Still nothing?” She asked rhetorically.

Twilight froze when she heard the tone carried in Rainbow's voice; flat. Hopeless. “Don't worry, Rainbow; it's just a minor setback. I'll have you back in the Wonderbolts before you even know it.”

“If you say so,” Rainbow grumbled in reply, sinking further into the cushions of the couch.

“What's the matter?” Twilight asked, turning away from her work and frowningly deeply. “You're not usually so... mopey.”

“It's just...” Rainbow paused, searching for the words to describe how she felt. “I don't even know what the point is anymore. I mean, Ponyville is convinced you ruined my life and wants nothing to do with you, the Wonderbolts already kicked me out with no chance to try again, and you're stuck on this research. And even if we do find the unicorn who enchanted it, what will that accomplish? For it to hold any ground they'd have to confess to Spitfire, and even then I'll still have cheated in the entrance competition, and there's no guarantees they'll let me try again, at least not until next year.”

“You can't think like that!” Twilight protested firmly, temporarily abandoning her work to come over and sit on the couch next to the depressed pegasus. “Focus on what happens after we find the unicorn; we can prove this aura came from them easily enough, and the only plausible reason for them to have had the necklace would be to the place the enchantment. At the very least we have a strong circumstantial case, enough so that Spitfire would be a fool not to give you another shot. And even if you have to wait until next year's contest, so what? Everypony will know you were framed, and life will go back to the way it was before, only you'll be a Wonderbolt.”

Rainbow batted idly at the silver bolt hanging around her neck as she sat up, making room for the unicorn to sit on the couch. Letting out a breath of air, Rainbow responded with, “How can you be so sure? Maybe the only reason I won... maybe it was because...” she trailed off hesitantly, but she'd said enough.

“Rainbow!” Twilight gasped. “You can't possibly think you only won because of some enchantment!”

The pegasus didn't answer, instead opting to turn her head away and gaze out over the shelves coating the library walls.

“Rainbow?” Twilight called in concern. Still she ignored the unicorn next to her. “Rainbow, please; look at me,” she repeated, a little firmer, but still to no avail.

“What if I couldn't do it without the necklace?” Rainbow whispered shakily.

“That's not true and you know it,” Twilight stated firmly, forcefully grabbing and turning Rainbow's head around to face her. She was shocked to see the dark trails running down her cheeks. “You know it's not true,” she reaffirmed quietly.

Rainbow sniffled, shaking her head out of Twilight's grip and once again turning away, bringing a hoof up to wipe the tears from her eyes. “But what if it is?” She stressed. “What if I'm only as good as that enchantment?”

“You are the most amazing flier I've ever seen, Rainbow, and I've seen the Wonderbolts preform,” Twilight started, smiling and placing an encouraging hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. “You're the only pegasus capable of preforming a Sonic Rainboom. You're the Element of Loyalty. You've helped save Equestria more times than anypony knows. You've done things most ponies couldn't even dream of. You are the fastest pegasus in the world, Rainbow, and the Wonderbolts should feel honoured you'd even want to join them. You don't need an enchantment to do anything/”

Twilight's encouraging speech and hopeful smile was met by Rainbow shrugging the lavender hoof from her shoulder. “You're just saying that to make me feel better, like any 'good friend'; you don't actually mean any of it.”

In an instant of confusion, anger, and concern, Twilight dd what came naturally to her after being told such a thing. Some base, primal part of her brain took over, and she was powerless to stop it. She lifted a hoof, reeled back, and sent it flying forward, connecting with Rainbow's jaw and emitting a loud smack as Rainbow's head was wrenched to the side by the sudden, unexpected impact. What lasted less than a second felt like forever as Twilight watched herself, as though she was in slow motion, punch her best friend square in the jaw. Even as the shock registered in her mind at what she'd done, Twilight was unable to stop the words that came next. “Never say that again!” She struggled to keep herself from screaming and alerting the dragon napping the day away on the upper floor. “I would never lie to you, ever!”

Rainbow was snapped from her self-deprecating thoughts by the surprisingly painful blow. The pain coursed through her muzzle, her face twisting to a grimace as she reached a hoof up to the spot where she'd been hit. She turned her wide eyes onto the pony who'd struck her, now looking just as shocked she she was.

“R-Rainbow...” Twilight gasped, leaning herself away from her friend out of fear she'd do it again. “I-I'm s-so, so sor-”

The pegasus shook her head firmly, knocking loose whatever had jammed when Twilight hit her. “No... no, I needed that. I'm sorry I said that; I know you wouldn’t lie. It's just... it's so hard for me right now. I mean, it's been two weeks, and I'm not even sure if I could do it again if they gave me the chance.”

“You didn't need to be punched!” Twilight protested, appalled at her own actions, as reflexive as they were.

Rainbow laughed. “Hey, don't worry about it; I'd have punched me too. Though... you hit pretty hard for an egghead,” she noted, rubbing her chin tenderly.

“Oh Rainbow, I'm so sorry. I didn't do any damage did I?” Twilight asked fearfully, craning her head around to make sure the pegasus was fine. Rainbow swirled her tongue around in her mouth. When she didn't taste any blood, she shook her head.

“Nah; I'm fine. It'll take a lot more than that to do any damage to me.”

Twilight smiled in relief. Though she was still surprised - and a little angry - at herself, though she was glad it seemed to have knocked some sense into her friend. However, she could tell it was only a temporary solution, and unless the spell to find their enchanter was handed to them on a silver platter by the pony who had framed her themselves, it was going to take something a bit more... meaningful. If nothing was done Rainbow would only slip back further into her depression. It was then that Twilight got another idea. One that held a little more permanent of a solution. Permanent enough to hold Rainbow's emotions at bay until she'd solved the riddle of the aura.

“Rainbow, I want to show you something,” Twilight began. “But... first I need to know if you trust me.”

Rainbow quirked her head to the side, her sore jaw forgotten as Twilight posed the odd question. “'Course I trust you; why wouldn't I? And what does that have to do with you showing me something?”

Twilight thought for a moment, seemingly second guessing herself for a split second before reaffirming her decision. “Well, it involves me digging around in your mind a little...”