The Amethyst

by Surry

The Amethyst

Its surfaces, as brightly violet as her mare's eyes, were just as equally beautiful, too. Rainbow kept the amethyst stone, the one Twilight had given to her, at the end of a short, golden necklace which hung loosely around her neck at all times. Even in the depths of extreme flight, she made sure the pendant remained directly beneath her collarbone, just above her heart. It was comforting, most of the time, yet gnawing all the same.

Twilight had left Rainbow crying at the library when she left on such short notice, taking with her very few things. They only had a day to prepare, and the pegasus had helped the princess pack, just so they could have a few more precious hours together. Celestia had sent a letter, telling Twilight with great urgency that she was to be meeting with several envoys from other countries, and that her presence was required.

She would be gone for a full month, and Rainbow was devastated.

It would be the longest time they had been apart from one another since nearly two years ago, the time when they began their relationship.

Fortunately, Twilight had a backup plan.

It was the stone, one that she had requested be created by Princess Celestia a few months prior, purely on a whim. Not only was it advanced magic; terribly weak, delicate, and difficult to maintain, but it also required Rainbow to be in possession of it always. The longer the amethyst was close to her heart, the stronger and more potent its magic grew.

Its secret, locked deep within, was an advanced teleportation spell.

"Damn it!" Rainbow whimpered, stomping a heavy hoof into the grass. "It's not fair! Three whole weeks, and NOTHING!!"

A strong, warm breeze blew underneath the tree where she sat, blowing her multi-colored mane to the side of her face in brief, fleeting waves. The sun, a dull vermilion in the western sky, was finally setting for the day, and the lake before her remained relatively stagnant, save for an occasional ripple set in motion by the wind.

Just like that, another fruitless day was gone, number nineteen by her count. She hadn't so much as received a letter from her, not even from Spike himself. Her lips weakly quivered, as she was quite prepared to cry, but it was in moments like these that she twiddled around the stone hanging from her necklace.

"Stupid... just stupid," she mumbled, forlornly gazing upon the amethyst. "Why haven't you sent me anything, Twilight? I miss you."

It was difficult getting their last conversation out of her head.

Rainbow, don't worry. It'll be over, and I'll be back before you know it.

I love you. Please remember that.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do," she whined. "While I'm forced to sit here and wait for this stupid spell to work."

The longer it stays close to your heart, the longer I can stay when you need me. It's a very fragile spell, and needs time to grow. Every week that passes, with the stone remaining tied to you, will give you about ten minutes.

Rainbow peered up from the pendant, carefully watching the grass upon the hill falter in the breeze. The amethyst stone was dimly flickering, lighting the underneath of her chin and muzzle with a faint, violet glow. According to Twilight, that meant it was working.

"So, I should have almost half an hour with you, right?" she asked herself reassuringly. "At least, when I'm ready to use it. I would've sent you, like, ten letters by now, if you hadn't told me you'd write to me first. What gives, anyway?"

I'll write to you first, Rainbow. That way, you'll know when it's okay to bring me back for our little 'visit'. Got it?

The pegasus pressed her back into the coarse bark of the tree, letting her head lazily rest against its face. Her eyelids began to sink, letting her focus more on the pleasant scents around her, subsequently imagining a preoccupied Twilight. She was nervous on the day she left, and that was how Rainbow remembered her; a scene of a frantically pacing alicorn filled her mind's eye.

She inhaled deeply, then sighed.

"Oh, Twilight..." she whispered. "Why won't you answer me? I want to use this stupid stone, but not if you're busy, or meeting with somepony important. I can only imagine how mad you'd be at me, but it almost seems like it would be worth it right now."

Rainbow touched a light hoof to her lips, remembering Twilight's last, passionate kiss with her before she left. She could almost smell the alicorn's flowery scent, using solely her imagination, but it could have just been the grass around her playing tricks on her psyche.

I love you. Please remember that.

That same line, like a broken record player, plagued her mind over and over again with its incessant beauty. Every time she imagined Twilight saying those words, the stone flickered once more over her chest.

"I-I... love you too," she again whimpered to herself. "But, Twilight... Ten more days? Do I really have to wait that much longer if you don't write to me before then? I'm seriously considering just using it now. What's the worst that could happen? You'd break up with me? Celestia would be angry?"

Rainbow sternly picked up her head, sarcastically nodding to one side.

"You could just blame it on me, anyway. I really wouldn't care. It'd be worth it, I think."

With the wind beginning to die away, she calmly stood up and prepared to begin her trek home.

The door to the library was unlocked, just as it had been for the last three weeks. As the sun had nearly finished setting, Rainbow made her way in unannounced, now a fairly regular thing. Spike, whom Twilight had left in charge of various chores while she was away, was preparing two uniquely different sets of dinners off in the kitchen. One was composed of various gems, and the other was chiefly vegetarian; at least, that was what Rainbow's delicate nose told her.

Quietly, she made her way up to Twilight's bedroom, the place where she had spent a majority of her nights since the alicorn left. It had become commonplace for the pegasus and dragon. Some nights, Rainbow could sleep in her own home, as usual. But others, she would often come into the library uninvited, though always apologetic and grateful to Spike for letting her stay. Twilight's bed felt almost as familiar as her own now. Never once removing the amethyst hanging around her neck, it remained close to her chest, even as she slept.

Without really giving it much thought, she had made a habit of the last few days by coming into her mare's room and quietly sitting upon her bed, making its interior walls glow a brilliant purple with every loving thought of her. She never seemed to snap out of her daze, at least not until Spike would routinely walk in.

Today was no different, and as the dragon had finished making both of their suppers, he made his way up the stairs and into Twilight's room as well. He could usually see Rainbow's angst by the way she stared glumly at the floor, so he always attempted his best to lift her spirits.

"Uhh... hey, Rainbow," he greeted her meekly, holding her dinner plate in one clawed hand. "Did you get a chance to use the stone yet?"

Her nose flicked one way as the scent of his vegetable medley wafted over to her, yet her eyes remained stoic. Without receiving an immediate response, he made his way over to her and set the plate by her side, unceremoniously.

"I'll... take that as a 'no'," he said, disappointed.

He offered her a quick smile before turning away, getting the hint that she didn't want to be bothered, and was stopped only a few feet from the door when she finally spoke up.

"Thank you... Spike," her voice barely crept over a whisper.

He turned to her, uneasily but confidently, and tried to think of something.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked quietly.

"I... guess it couldn't hurt," she responded.

He nodded in agreement, walked over to a table, removed its chair, and brought it promptly to her side. The room itself was still and quiet, but the light show her amethyst was producing gave them more than enough visual stimuli. Quite sure of himself that her answers would only be very succinct, he decided to start with some simpler questions, finally taking his seat in the chair.

"That thing's got enough power, right?" he remained quiet as well, hoping not to offend her in any way. "I know you keep that thing on you all the time, as if your life depended on it."

"Sometimes, I feel like my life does depend on it, Spike," she whispered back. "I just... don't know what I should do. I feel like if I brought her back now, she might get mad at me, or Celestia might throw a fit with her. I don't want any of that to happen. Maybe I should just wait out the last days, anyway."

"C'mon," he shrugged his shoulders. "Twilight wouldn't be mad at you. She loves you, Rainbow. It's definitely a different kind of love than what I'm accustomed to, but it's love all the same. Don't you get that?"

"But what if she's in trouble for something already?" she asked, quickly glancing up at him. "What if that's why she hasn't written to me yet?"

She instinctively clutched the pendant with her hoof, feeling its magical warmth outwardly radiating as she became more worried.

Spike spent little time thinking.

"I doubt that's it," he argued in a friendly sort of way. "The two of us know our egghead better than anyone else. I'm sure she's been desperately trying to write you this whole time, but has just never been able to take a breather from everything that's going on. I read the letter myself. Six separate representatives? All from countries who already had tense relations? I'm sure Twilight is just doing what she does best, making everyone behave civilly and friendly. Wouldn't you agree, Rainbow?"

He saw her crack a weak smile, and the amethyst briefly flickered once again at the thought of Twilight being bogged down by her duties.

"Yeah," she finally relented. "You're right, Spike. I'm sure she is too. I'm sure she's just got too much on her plate right now to send me a letter. Maybe she just got so busy that she completely forgot to send one at all."

"Hey now, that's not what I said," he retorted. "I said that's she's probably trying her hardest. Trust me, Rainbow. She would never forget about you."

The violet light of the amethyst flared again in one, particularly bright instant. Rainbow's smile grew too.

"Thanks, Spike," she said to him, finally picking up her vegetable-filled plate with both hooves. "I think I'll have this now."

"Good," he said simply as he stood up. "Just so you know, I'm sleeping downstairs for the night. I would like some help with a few chores in the morning, but I understand if you'll be busy. I'm totally okay with that."

She eyed her supper for a moment, then nodded to him with a modestly stronger smile.

"I'll help you," she agreed.

"Awesome," he chirped, casually putting the chair back where he found it. "I'll leave you alone then. I can see you need some time to yourself. About your dinner... just tell me how 'bad' it is in the morning."

The pegasus rolled her eyes, slightly amused. "I'm sure it's not that bad."

Without another word between them, he gave a casual wave, and slowly shut the door behind him. He would've left her a lit candle, or something to that effect, but the glow of her shimmering pendant gave off more than enough ambient light. The sun had set now, and she became vaguely aware of the moon shining through the window, floating aloft in the heavens. In that moment, the sudden realization of just how much time she had wasted sitting alone struck her.

Rainbow made quick work of her supper, leaving not a single scrap untouched, as she considered leaving leftovers very rude. Her own thoughts began to consume her full concentration as she finished, though it was admittedly welcomed. Lately, much of her free time had been spent with Scootaloo or visiting her other friends, making serious attempts to take her steadfast mind away from the alicorn she loved.

"Damn," she cursed again, tiredly rubbing her closed eyes. "This is too hard for me. What if I just brought her here after another hour or so?" She stopped, then shook her head, quickly throwing out the idea. "No, that's dumb. That's super dumb. What if I take her right out of her bed or something?"

The ticking of Twilight's clock, hanging off on the far wall, suddenly took her attention.

"Nine-thirty—" she quickly looked away, quietly gasping in surprise. "It's nearly her bed time now!"

Rainbow swiftly stood up, beginning to panic as her heart started racing. Twilight had always been a stickler for going to sleep at a decent hour, and the pegasus was sure -official business or not- that she would not allow herself to stay up longer than was necessary. With doubt and anxiety still looming over her, she ran over to the main desk and pulled out its heavy drawer, searching for the last note her mare left that morning. When at last she found the crumpled piece of parchment, she tried unrolling it flat as best as she could over the wooden counter top.

It had terribly messy hoofwriting, sloppily written, as Twilight was in quite a frantic state of mind when she wrote it on the morning she left. Split into two halves, the upper portion of the note held a message specifically addressed to Rainbow, while the lower contained the exact incantation for the spell she was after. For nostalgia's sake, she gave the top half another once-over, probably the seventh time by her count.

Dear Rainbow,

I'm writing this for your future use, so there's no way you can forget the spell once I'm gone. Sorry if this is a little messy too, as I'm trying to get the last of my stuff prepped and ready to go. I have absolutely no idea what our schedule will be like yet, and I honestly think I'll be nervous the whole time without you by my side. I know you'll trust me when I say that I'll be very much looking forward to our visit.

P.S. I love you with all of my heart.

P.P.S. Don't go getting yourself hurt while I'm gone, or I'll seriously kill you when I get back.

P.P.P.S. Sorry about that. I wouldn't really kill you, but I'd still be a little disappointed. I love you... again.

Rainbow quietly sniffled, smiling as she read the last line.

"That's my egghead," she whispered.

Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, she hastily skipped to the bottom of the sheet. Some words were more garbled or crumpled up than others, and it was at this time Rainbow became sincerely grateful that she had asked Twilight to repeat it verbally once for her.

"I think I can piece it together," she said hesitantly; her vision narrowed as she read it. "It's still gonna' be a little tricky, but it's definitely worth a shot, anyway. I just gotta' be confident, and I'm sure everything will be fine."

She snatched up the parchment, making a snappy retreat to the far end of the bedroom. It was where she would have the most space to work with, should anything happen to go wrong. Carefully placing the sheet on the floor, plenty straight and legible enough for her to read, she began to gradually remove her brightly glowing necklace. It was the first time since the day Twilight left that she had taken it off, and she only just now noticed how deceptively heavy it was. Cradling the pendant upon one hoof, she was able to fully gaze in awe at its true, lustrous splendor. While she was by no means an expert on magic, she could easily tell it was completely saturated with mystical energy, nearly overflowing with her deep love for Twilight.

"Alright," she exhaled, letting the last of her apprehension vacate her body. "This is it, Rainbow. All or nothing. Whatever happens, just be prepared to face the consequences and make the most of what little time you have with her. It doesn't matter what we do, as long as we're together."

With her small bit of mental preparation out of the way, her attention fell briskly to the floor, focusing on the crumpled piece of paper. Enough time had been wasted.

She spoke clearly and thoughtfully on every word.

"This stone, by Princess Celestia, is imbued with her truth and my love
Its power, fragile, yet bright, will bring what I wish from above.
And my heart, through trial and trial, is something none can disavow
For Princess Twilight Sparkle, is what my heart truly desires, now."

At the last word, she set her pendant down upon the center of the floor, far away from any other objects or furniture. Its vivid display of violet lights barely changed in the slightest, and the room remained eerily still, causing her to painfully grimace in utter confusion. There was no reaction at all from the amethyst.

"D-did I say it wrong?" she asked aloud. "But I said it perfectly, flawlessly, and with absolutely zero mistakes."

Her necklace remained motionless upon the floor, and she could not help but glare angrily upon it. She openly struggled to refrain from gritting her teeth, but even managing that was proving extremely arduous.

"Why won't it work?" she mumbled; her voice gradually trailed into whimpering. "Damn this stupid stone... it won't even listen to me. Why can't it just bring you here, Twilight? Doesn't it know how much I love you? What was the point of carrying it around all that time, anyway?"

She sat down, staring longingly at the purple gem, anticipating her true love to spontaneously appear out of thin air at any second. However, as the minutes began to tick by, she slowly slumped downward until she could bury her tears into the crook of her foreleg.

"C'mon... Twilight," she wept, her nose brushing on the wooden floor. "I just need to know you're okay. I need to know you aren't lost somewhere, looking for help. I need to know that you're coming back to me."

She could no longer bear to watch the glow, knowing in her mind that the whole point of even having the amethyst was completely fruitless. Sinking down into the silence, and letting her memories wander once again, she imagined Twilight's preoccupied face for a second, enduring time. With a bit of mental prodding, she forced her private images of her mare to change, turning her frown into a warm, glowing smile. The new Twilight, whom she pictured as quite happy and relieved to see her, spoke only those all too familiar words.

I love you. Please remember that.

Rainbow lightly giggled at her mental images. "Of course, Twilight. You know I'll always remember that."

Just then, a dull humming began to rise above the silence. It was so quiet at its beginning that she initially thought her ears were playing simple tricks on her, but it continued to grow. She lazily picked up her head, and was quite stunned to see a myriad of infinitesimally small particles begin to rise from her violet amethyst, that were all the same, deep shade of purple. Like millions of stars converging upon a black hole, every particle started to coalesce around a single focal point, taking with it plenty of magical energy from the stone beneath.The light became too intense for her tired eyes, and she was forced to look away in that instant, placing a swift hoof over her face to shield herself. Like a setting sun, the glow began to fade away, little by little, until only the familiar, shimmering glare of her pendant remained. The hum died off too, but she heard a slight tapping noise immediately take its place, alerting her that something new had entered the room. When at last she removed her hoof from her hidden eyes, it was difficult, nearly impossible to comprehend the beauty which she finally beheld.

It was Twilight, standing imposingly over the amethyst, with some kind of otherworldly majesty and grace which Rainbow had never before seen from her. Her body was ornately adorned with various pieces of golden accessories, bright jewelry, and yet more golden clothing. She wore crystal horseshoes, the only lavish items she had taken with her on her trip, and her familiar, golden crown. Her entire frame was truly a symbol of opulence and power, but when Rainbow finally looked into her eyes, she saw only a weak, defeated mare.

Twilight was absolutely exhausted.

"H-hey," Rainbow was quickly on her feet, "Twilight... you're here!"

The alicorn remained silent, but slowly staggered toward her; Rainbow could see she was physically spent, and that her spirit had long since faded. She offered only a fragile smile to her pegasus, one that had been worn by weeks of hard work and negotiations. It was quite apparent that she wouldn't be able to stand for much longer.

"Woah, hold on," almost instantly, Rainbow was at Twilight's side. "Let me help you get these stupid things off of you."

With little protesting, Twilight stood much like a motionless mannequin, letting her mare undress her with great care and love. The first article removed was her silk wrappings, inlaid with intricate patterns of deep, violet colored stitching, loosely hanging around her back and shoulders. Rainbow was careful with her clothing, making sure with every step not to have it tattered or ruined, but she remained diligent nonetheless. Twilight's heavy necklace, made with brilliantly vibrant, golden links was the next item she took off, causing Twilight to briefly work a kink out of her neck. The last piece, finally and gratefully removed, was her bejeweled crown, still as shimmery and magnificent as on the day of her coronation. With everything laid out for her departure, Rainbow finished by quickly sweeping up her crystal horseshoes out from under her, mindfully setting them beside everything else.

"Twilight, I'm sorry you—" she tried to speak, but immediately jumped in surprise when she saw the alicorn begin to collapse. She managed to catch her instantly, using one, brief thrust of her wings to close the gap. Had she been a fraction of a second too late, Twilight would have lazily fallen face-first upon the hardwood floor. Yet, her nimble-footed nature had once again served her well.

"Careful, Twi," she said fearfully, letting her sit on her bottom. "It's okay; you're home now."

Her lilac eyes were empty, tired and wandering, but Rainbow still saw her mare's beautiful soul behind them. She sat on the floor as well, pulling Twilight into a warm embrace... and said nothing as she began to whimper. All her heart could do, as perpetually tired as it was, was grieve and release. The alicorn quietly began to cry, and the light of the amethyst had long since faded. All was still, silent, and dark in her bedroom. Rainbow felt her tears begin to seep into the fur on her neck, but she paid it little mind. Instead, she patiently waited for her mare to speak.

"I-I'm... so sorry, Rainbow..." she faintly whispered. "I tried... so many times to write to you... but I never could."

"Shhh..." Rainbow lightly hushed her, lovingly running a hoof over her straight, purplish mane.

"I tried so many times," Twilight continued, "but I was always too tired to do anything after I was done. I've been working so hard, Rainbow."

"Don't worry about it," the pegasus whispered into her ear. "All that matters is that you're here with me now."

It was somewhat difficult to see without the continuous, luminescent glow of the pendant, but she attempted to help Twilight up anyway. It was quite evident she desperately needed her bed.

"C'mon, Twi," she led her on. "Let's get you comfy."

Rainbow received only a lazy nod and a quiet "okay" from her.

Offering no resistance, Twilight complied and followed, mirroring her mare's every move until she came to her bedside at last. She lifted one, unsteady hoof first and found the top comforter, then weakly leaned up onto the mattress with the rest of her exhausted frame. Straightening herself out and stretching her wings only once, she relented with a long sigh of relief, and finally allowed her muscles to loosen and unwind into a comfortable position. It took Rainbow only a few, anxious moments to enter from the other side, eagerly joining her under the covers. She lifted the blankets fully over the alicorn first, making sure she was snugly and cozily wrapped up underneath, before slowly inching her own way in.

In the dim lighting, a byproduct of the moon's rays, she finally saw the relief in her mare's violet eyes when a tiny smile broke across her lips.

"Thank you... Rainbow," she whispered, eyeing the pegasus' lips herself. "I'm sorry I'm so tired, but this was probably the best time that I would have to come visit anyway, as hard as that may be to believe."

"For the last time, Twilight," Rainbow said; she scooted in, lightly pressing the weight of her furry chest into Twilight's. "You don't have to be sorry. I know you were busy. I'm totally cool with that, silly."

Twilight's eyes remained fixed on her lips. "W-where's Spike? Is he here?" she asked.

"He said he was sleeping downstairs for the night," Rainbow whispered back, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "So, I guess that means you're all mine for the next half hour. I just want you to relax, alright?" Twilight's eyes dilated in response to her running a hoof around her waist. "I've waited weeks to kiss you, and now, I finally can."

Twilight had to admit that her head felt heavy, but laying down in her own bed eased her pain more effectively than the one at the embassy. Rainbow's suggestive touching was also causing her blood to boil, forcing her to move in for her target. They softly brushed their muzzles into one another first, something they had customarily done as a signal before sex many times, but they had no intention of getting too heated with the short time they were given.

They only slightly tilted their heads, advancing with their tongues first, and met somewhere in the middle with their lips lightly resting upon one another. Rainbow lapped at hers more aggressively, coaxing Twilight to press back into her mare's mouth even more fervently. They needed a moment every now and then to take a tiny gulp of the other's saliva, and it was at one of these opportunities that Rainbow playfully bit Twilight's upper lip, much like they had on their first few passionate encounters. After dating for well over two years now, leading with their tongues had simply become the norm.

At the feeling of Rainbow's teeth, Twilight pulled away for a moment and smiled, re-positioning one of her hooves around her mare's waist as well. She eventually worked her way up to Rainbow's back and wings, caressing her athletic, yet gentle frame with a tired hoof.

"What was that for?" Twilight asked quietly; her face had flushed red.

"I dunno'," Rainbow answered with a smile of her own. "Maybe being away from you for this long brought out an old part of me."

"Well," Twilight quickly bit her mare's lower lip before finishing, "... maybe I like it.

...

... Let's keep going."

The pegasus nodded warmly in agreement, leaning in eagerly for another deep kiss, finally sighing in satisfyingly sweet relief when their lips met again. Their breathing came easily now, with each warm, light breath upon their faces, being comfortably exchanged through their nostrils with every short contraction of their jaws. In one subtle act, Rainbow tugged on Twilight's back, pressing their torsos even further into each another. Moving their mouths along with their chests, they began to rub against one another, feeling every follicle of their soft coats freely mingle. The more intimate they grew, so too did the length and weight of each deep kiss, causing them to softly whimper into their other's muzzle as one would try to overpower the other, and vice versa.

After nearly a minute of wrestling tongues, Rainbow began to run hers around the full, inner circumference of Twilight's mouth, tasting every bit of her cheeks' squishy lining. Not wanting to be outdone, the alicorn fought back with equal fervor, and plunged her appendage as far back into Rainbow's warm cheeks as she could comfortably manage.

However, Rainbow was eagerly waiting for this.

She quickly threw one of her back legs over Twilight's hips and pushed upward, still holding her in a tight embrace, yet delicately easing her onto her back. Twilight tried to fight against it briefly for a second time, but her wings eventually unfolded underneath her, and she calmly let it happen.

Rainbow had finally asserted dominance over her mare, though in a blissful, loving sort of way. It was all simply meant for her to be as comfortable as possible, and laying on her back after a long day seemed to be working wonders. Not to mention, it was even more comforting having Rainbow bear the fullness of weight upon her, and she loved every bit of it.

"Mmmm..." Twilight lightly moaned, gladly allowing Rainbow to take advantage of her.

Her back legs had long since lost all feeling, completely under her mare's influence. Ever so often, her eyelids would sporadically flutter open due to her increasing pleasure, a direct result of Rainbow's rather abrupt advances. However, it was about the time her breathing slowed too much that the pegasus forced herself to stop.

Rainbow pulled away her drenched lips and lightly opened her eyes, meeting Twilight's listless, sleepy gaze. The alicorn's cheeks had completely flushed full of a hot, red color, signaling that their exchange might have been a little too much for her tired body to handle. Rainbow frowned for a split second at her staggered breathing as uncertainty worked its way into her features.

"I'm... sorry," she finally whispered. "Was that a little too much?"

Twilight leaned up and kissed her cheek, still softly panting, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I don't think it was that," she softly replied. "I just wasn't expecting it. That's all."

It was Rainbow's turn to blush. "My bad... I guess I got a little carried away."

As the pegasus settled into her mare, she backed off slightly, working her head down until she rested upon Twilight's neck. As she nuzzled her nose into the area right under her chin, the alicorn barely stifled a fit of giggling, unconsciously squeezing Rainbow even tighter while doing so.

"I'm glad to see that still works," she cooed.

"Oh..." Twilight sighed, "I've missed that so much, Rainbow."

Finally getting a wanted rise out of her, the pegasus eased her head down and rested her cheek upon her mare's lightly oscillating chest, closing her eyes as if she were comfy enough to fall sleep. Like slow ocean waves, Rainbow allowed her head to lift and fall in sync with Twilight's slowing breathing, listening intently with her one ear pressed into her lavender coat.

"Hmm..." she sighed deeply through her nose, "Y'know, I love that sound, Twilight."

The alicorn looked down at her, blissfully unaware of what she was talking about.

"And... what sound would that be?" she inquired.

Rainbow allowed her ear to settle even further into Twilight's coat.

"Your heart," she whispered happily. "I love the sound it makes. I've missed it so much."

Now helpless against her emotions, Twilight's tears at last broke to the surface. She was able to hold back the brunt of it, but two small droplets formed at the corner of each eye and trailed off down her cheeks. Her body's tension released yet further, letting the heat of their moment fill her with the same kind of warmth an alcoholic might experience from drinking the heaviest liquor. She soon found herself intoxicated, locked in a nigh euphoric state of infatuation for her sweet, little pegasus laying on top of her.

Then, something almost instinctual took over her.

With Rainbow's ear at about the level of her mouth, she closed her eyes and gave it a long, loving lap of her tongue, neatly matting her fur down. Her mare's ear twitched at first in response, but soon stopped as Twilight continued to lovingly lick her over and over. Rainbow could not help but smile again, looking at the moon through the window and rubbing her cheek into Twilight's chest, remembering this almost motherly quality about her. The alicorn remained on her emotional high, happily cleaning up the fur on her mare's ear while Rainbow continued to drift off into her own state of bliss. The pegasus sighed blithely through her nostrils, nostalgically remembering the times like these that they used to share.

"Hmmm..." she faintly hummed, still contently listening to Twilight's heartbeat. "You're sure in a lovey-dovey mood tonight. You haven't done this in a really long time."

Twilight unintentionally ignored her, still quite busy lapping at her ear. In fact, her licks seemed to lengthen in stride.

"Not gonna' talk to me, huh?" Rainbow asked rhetorically.

Only the sound of Twilight's tongue delicately sliding over her ear served as an answer. Shrugging one of her shoulders in acceptance, she allowed the alicorn to continue, simply because there wasn't really so much to protest about. It only tickled slightly, obvious enough by her ear's constant twitching, yet she still found herself dozing off. This was all she had wanted since Twilight had left her.

"Why do you act like this sometimes?" she asked more seriously. "You're way too good for me."

Twilight finally stopped licking, only to answer her this one time.

"Because you're mine... and only mine," she lovingly whispered, quickly returning to the informal preening session of her pegasus.

"Oh," Rainbow blushed again. "Well, that's a good enough answer for me."

In the middle of one particularly deep lick, Twilight was interrupted when Rainbow lifted herself and advanced over her, once again coming face to face with her mare. She gave her another weighty kiss upon the lips, but suddenly pulled away, keeping their eyes locked.

"Aww," Twilight pouted, "But I wasn't finished yet."

"It's okay," Rainbow assured her. "I'm not done either. I just wanted to ask if you'll get in trouble for any of this. I had no idea when I should've brought you back, or if Celestia would be angry, or if—"

"It's alright," Twilight quickly interrupted her. "I was just going to my bed anyway, though it's not nearly as nice as being in my own... with you."

Rainbow held back a small giggle. "I guess there's no way you're coming home early then," she mused.

"I... wish I could," she replied hesitantly, taking a brief moment to kiss her mare's cheek. "But I'm afraid I have to stay the whole time."

Rainbow rolled her eyes, shrugging it off with a laugh. "Oh well, I'm getting all the Twilight I can handle right now. I'm sure we'll have more time 'together' when you get back from your trip. But for now...

...

... I have something special in mind."

Twilight cocked a less than suspicious eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

Rainbow shifted her weight, leaning slightly above her mare now, and kissed her neck in response. Twilight giggled at first, but then stopped when she kissed her again on her collarbone, and startled even further when she kissed the area on her chest.

Twilight let out a deep, weighty gasp for air as Rainbow continued to go lower.

The pegasus kissed the area around her navel, moved further down her abdomen, past her waist, and finally came to a stop. Twilight tried to look down to see what she was about to do, but Rainbow had long since been lost under the covers of her bed.

"W-wait... Rainbow," she whispered faintly, "D-don't do tha—"

She gasped breathily a second time as she felt Rainbow's tongue, quickly throwing her head back into the pillow as her body nearly lost all motor function. Once again, she was completely helpless under the spell of her pegasus, and her quiet panting only increased in intensity.

Three lovely hours had gone by since Twilight arrived, and for Rainbow, they had been her best hours of the last three weeks. The half-hour mark when her mare was supposed to leave had long since passed, but she was afraid to bring up the subject. She now had Twilight's back and wings pressed against her chest, and their lower legs mingled under the covers like some woven tapestry. Her own soft breathing was accompanied now by the alicorn's light snoring, as she fell soundly asleep after their passionate exchange. The flowery scent of Twilight's mane flooded her nostrils, and much as her mare had done for her, she could not help but lightly lick her lavender-colored ear. The princess didn't so much as fidget, for her body was far too exhausted to give any reflex against Rainbow's gesture. While preening Twilight's ear, she enjoyed the warmth that naturally blended between the two of them as well.

The moon's light had since moved on, shrouding the two in near total darkness, and Rainbow could feel her eyelids begin to droop as well. She knew soon she would be right behind her mare to the land of deep slumbering, and was attempting to squeeze every last second out of the precious time they had left together.

"I wonder why she's stayed this long," she whispered, in between licks of her mare's ear. "I thought she should've been gone forever ago."

"Hmm?" Twilight softly murmured, still mostly unconscious.

Rainbow stopped licking for a moment to give her a kiss on the back of her head.

"I said 'I love you', silly," she replied elatedly. "Now, just go back to sleep."

Twilight gave a lazy nod of her head in agreement, never once opening her eyes. Her ear at last flicked to the side.

"I... love you too... Rainbow," she mumbled under her breath.

The pegasus finally allowed her eyes to close, settling comfortably into the bed, and held one of her forelegs over Twilight's chest and a hoof delicately over her heart.

"I know," Rainbow quietly responded. "Because you're mine, too."

When she opened her eyes the next morning, she had been half-expecting her mare to still be lying in her embrace, yet immediately frowned in utter disappointment when she found that her hooves were empty. The sun had made itself known, peering its shimmering gaze through the window at her back, but it was clear by glancing around the room that Twilight was simply gone.

Giving a lengthy yawn, Rainbow perched herself up and looked over to where she had set Twilight's things, and only became more glum at the fact that all of her golden clothing had been returned along with her. Once again alone, she sat quietly on the bed for a few minutes, twiddling her hooves to the sound of the near silent ticking of the clock. Her stomach rumbled once, but she ignored it, instead pondering when during the night she left.

"She was here for an awfully long time," she said, breaking the silence. "I just hope she made it back okay."

With one of her hooves, she reached up and touched the ear that Twilight had spent a good amount of time preening. It felt perfectly smooth to the touch, as her fur had been completely slicked back. It also made her smile.

When she finally stood up, she heard a slight crinkling noise, caused by that of a crushed piece of parchment under her back hoof. She turned, quickly swiped it up, and placed it upon the bed so she could read it. It was already flattened, and she recognized it as the same piece of paper that Twilight had written the original message on, but it had a new one written on the back. Twilight's statement was short and brief, but nevertheless genuine.

Dear Rainbow,

Don't get mad at me, but I may have left something important out from the last time I saw you. When I said a week would give you ten minutes— well, that was just an estimate. The spell actually varies in strength depending on the love bestowed upon it by the user.

I'm glad to know just how much you love me.

P.S. I love you just as much. Please remember that. I'll see you again before you know it.

She nodded with a warm smile and picked up the paper with her mouth, setting it on the desk just a few steps away from the bed. A whiff of a cooking breakfast caught her attention, but she paid it little mind.

"I know you do, egghead," she said quietly to herself. "It'll be a quick ten days, then we'll pick up where we left off."

Nonchalantly making her way over to the center of the room, she noticed the amethyst lying upon the floor as well, splintered into several brilliant, violet shards. It wasn't immediately apparent how it could have broken, but Rainbow guessed it was simply a matter of over-usage. If what Twilight had said was true, then it could have very well shattered under the pressure of her love.

"Oh well," she sighed dismissively, twiddling the shards into one neat pile. "At least I got some good use out of it. Maybe Twilight can fix it when she gets back."

She held a hoof over her heart, the exact spot where the pendant had remained for the last few weeks, reminiscing about all the time she had spent watching it glow. Although, it always led back to thoughts of her princess, so far from home.

"She is my egghead, after all," she said with a chuckle, her grin growing even wider.

The trip to the door was a short, gleeful one, and she threw it open rather aggressively. Taking a deep breath of the heavenly aroma of baking food, she began to trot merrily down the steps, suddenly feeling better about the whole day ahead that she was beginning to plan. The whole library was somewhat of a mess, with books strewn about everywhere.

"Awesome, something to do!" she chirped at the sight.

"Morning, Dash!" came a familiar voice from the kitchen. "You still want to help with those chores?"

She swiftly paced across the sea of books and peeked in to see how breakfast was coming, watching the dragon prepare a few, clearly separate dishes. He was standing upon a tall stool, in front of a rather small stove which was set ablaze. The sound of something sizzling echoed throughout the kitchen and into the library itself.

"Wow, that smells great!" she exclaimed. "And yeah, I'm all about helping you today."

"You sure are in a better mood this morning," he noted, quickly setting an egg-timer.

She found her way to a nearby table and took a seat, twiddling her ear with her hoof again. "Yeah, I don't really know why though. I just feel so good about today."

He hopped down, letting their food continue to cook as he walked over to her. With a tiny smirk working its way up his cheek, he folded his arms.

"I bet I know why," he admitted.

"Yeah, and how's that?" she asked skeptically.

"Well, for one thing," he pointed to her chest. "You aren't wearing your necklace anymore. That's kind of a big hint."

She reached up to cover her neck as her cheeks flushed red, not anticipating in the slightest he would figure everything out so easily. However, she decided to let it go, exposing her bare coat once more. Her embarrassment began to fade as well when he smiled at her and turned away, going back to his aforementioned business of preparing their food. She smiled at him as well, knowing he would keep it a secret between them only.

A sight outside a nearby window begged her attention, and the sunny day outside looked just so alluring and pleasing that she wanted to go out and spend the entire day flying, yet a promise was a promise. She knew that somewhere, over vast distances, far beyond her reach, her princess was thinking about her too. Her work may have taken precedence, but she would always have time for Rainbow, and Rainbow would always have time for her.

"Pffft... ten days?" she asked herself. "Easy peezy."