Cheated Dreams
Chapter 22
Confessions
The sun was going down behind the mountain as Twilight and Rainbow made their way out of the local guard station. As they had suspected, there was more than enough evidence to get arrest warrants put out for the siblings who had pony-napped them, but nopony knew where they had gone. Twilight had made a copy of the recording stored on he necklace, giving the copy to the guards for evidence. While they would have preferred the original, the sound quality on a crystal was much better, and Twilight wouldn't give up the necklace. After they had made their statements the guards had offered to place them both in custody to protect them, should Neon and her brother try again, but they'd both agreed the last thing they needed was to spend the night in a guard station.
So they found themselves walking into a familiar hotel in the waning light of the sun. Neither had the energy for the trip back to Ponyville, by train or by flight, and Cloudsdale was far out of question. They stumbled wearily up the the receptionist, who gave them only a cursory glance before nodding in understanding. She reached into her drawer and handed them the same key they'd had the previous night without question. Twilight smiled in thanks as Rainbow escorted her up the stairs, her now bandaged hoof still giving her problems walking. Rainbow hadn't escaped without medical attention either; her muzzle now featured white bandages crisscrossing over the bridge of her broken nose.
“I... am going to bed,” Twilight declared as she threw the door open, walking in behind Rainbow before slamming it closed.
“Right behind you Twi,” the pegasus agreed, yawing loudly as they stumbled their way through the dark hotel room and into the bedroom.
Neither even questioned it as they clambered into bed, throwing the blankets haphazardly over both of them. Without thinking they pressed themselves close together, their coats rubbing and sharing the heat beneath the blanket.
Twilight let out a light, relaxed sigh as she felt Rainbow's wing extend under the blanket, wrapping around her barrel and holding her tightly. Without the wakefulness required to question or even ponder her motivations, Twilight simply allowed herself to revel in the feeling and closed her eyes. Just as sleep was about to take her mind, she felt a gentle pressure against her cheek, heard a quite “'Night Twi” then left the conscious world.
Rainbow smiled, leaning in a softly kissing Twilight on the cheek “'Night Twi,” she whispered, feeling the unicorn's body go slack against hers. She was soon to follow her friend to the realm of dreams, letting the bed's soft embrace and the heat of the mare next to her lull her to sleep.
-_-_-_-
Twilight awoke slowly the next morning, her mind stirring to life as she realized she was lacking something. That something, she soon remembered, was the pegasus sleeping next to her.
Opening her violet eyes blearily, Twilight frowned when Rainbow Dash was not lying next to her, her feathered wing no longer wrapped securely around her body. With some effort Twilight managed to roll herself out of bed, barely landed on her hooves – minus one injured one – and stumbled her way drowsily towards the door. She reached out with her magic, now only giving her a minor tinge of pain rather than the full on headache she'd gotten the previous day, and opened the door, revealing a room bathed in sunlight. She'd been sleeping for a while.
She saw the pegasus she was looking for sitting in front of the window, tail occasional flicking about behind her as she gazed out over the cityscape from the second floor of the hotel. Twilight silently came up beside the mare, sitting next to her and joining her in her gaze. “What's up?” Twilight asked curiously, trying to spot what her friend was looking at.
“Tomorrow is the Wonderbolt's first show since this year's recruitment drive,” Rainbow explained. “If we don't sort this out today, I'll have to wait until next year for another chance, if I even get one.”
Twilight frowned in understanding. “I'm sure we'll fix it today. We just need to go to Cloudsdale and play the recording for Spitfire. At the very least she'll be forced to reconsider her choices.”
“Yeah... we'd better leave soon if we want to make it to Cloudsdale. It's almost noon.”
Twilight nodded, but neither of them got up just yet. They both knew there was one more topic they had to cover that morning, and judging from Rainbow's silence, Twilight would have to be the one to bring it up. “What was last night about?” Twilight asked quietly, watching as the sun approached its zenith.
Rainbow chuckled. “Before or after we were pony-napped?”
“You know what I'm talking about. You kissed me last night,” Twilight deadpanned, glancing over to see Rainbow still focused out the window.
“I thought you were asleep,” she admitted quietly.
“Well I wasn't, and I want an explanation,” Twilight said, her voice taking an authoritative tone, as if saying she wouldn't let it go.
Rainbow sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “When you showed me your memory of watching me compete to join the Wonderbolts, I saw and felt everything you did. It was hard to tell which feelings were yours and which were my own from seeing it again, but there was something both of us had. I didn't know for sure what it was until I was flying us to Cloudsdale. When you... when you fell, when I was trying to catch you... for a second I thought I wouldn't be able to make it in time. I started thinking... what I would do if I couldn't catch you. What would happen if I lost you and...” she paused, blinking the tears from her eyes. “I couldn't take it.”
“Rainbow?” Twilight asked timidly, reaching out a hoof and placing it gently on the mare's shoulder.
Rainbow ignored her, taking a deep breath before continuing. “After that... I really started thinking about it, and I realized I had feelings for you. I'd had a hunch before but... that was definitive. I realized what the feeling I got in the memory was and... I realized you had it too, but I could tell you didn't know what it was. Hay, I still don't know. The kiss last night was... wishful thinking, on my part. I thought you were asleep, and that maybe... maybe it would be the only chance I got.”
With a final deep sigh, Rainbow finally turned her head away from the window to look deeply into Twilight's eyes. “So I want to know, for sure, would you be willing to give us a shot?”
“I knew what I was feeling when we had dinner the other night, so... I want to say yes as much as you want me too, and I don't have a reason not to,” Twilight admitted with a shy smile, sliding her hoof from Rainbow's shoulder to across her back, leaning into her gently as they turned out the window once more.
“Awesome.”
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
Twilight sighed, removing her hoof from Rainbow's back and turning to the door, standing up and making her way to it. “Who's there?” She called as she reached the entry way.
“Royal Guard, Ma'am,” came the gruff response of a well-trained guard. Twilight opened the door, smiling pleasantly at the white pegasus in golden armour.
“Can I help you?” She asked as Rainbow walked up beside her.
“We don't need anything more from you, no. I'm here to let you know there haven't been any signs of either of the ponies who pony-napped you. The Guard strongly recommends that you enter our witness protection program until we find the criminals. However, if you still refuse, I have to advise you to keep a keen eye out and to not leave the city. If you wish, we can station a few guards in the hotel until the mess clears up,” he explained, making Twilight frown.
“Thank you for the offer, but I think we'll be fine. We were actually about to head out to Cloudsdale,” she explained, sharing a knowing glance with the pegasus beside her.
The guard seemed honestly confused by the notion, but regained his senses and shook his head. “I have to ask that you not do that. We need you to be here should we find them for identification purposes. If you have pressing matters in Cloudsdale, I can send somepony to inform them of your situation,” he explained, sounding apologetic that they would be unable to leave the city.
“What!?” Rainbow asked, stomping up to the guard. “We have to get to Cloudsdale today! Before the Wonderbolt show tomorrow! We need to get a message to Spitfire!”
The guard nodded in understanding, but remained firm. “I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave. My apologies, but whatever business you have with Spitfire will have to be taken care of after a proper investigation has taken place.”
“We have to get there-” Rainbow started, only to stop when she saw the thoughtful look on Twilight's face. “Twi? You got something?”
Twilight grinned as she limped as quickly as her injured hoof could carry her back into the bedroom, before coming out a few moments later with a silver bolt on a chain. “Get this to spitfire. Tell her... never mind, I'll write it down.” Placing the necklace in the stallion's outstretched wing, she dashed back into the room, scribbled something on a piece of paper and rolled it up, offering it to the pegasus. “Please, be sure she gets it today.”
“Of course, ma'am, I'll see to it,” the guard said, wrapping the chain of the necklace around the scroll and grabbing them both in his mouth before trotting hurriedly down the hall and out of the hotel.
“How is that going to help? Doesn't that thing need a unicorn to activate it?” Rainbow asked as Twilight walked back into the room, sitting down on the couch and spreading out, sighing as she took all weight off her bandaged hoof.
“I modified it a bit. If the unicorn who casts the spell is adept at such magic, they can rig it to play under certain circumstances, the instruction to achieve the conditions to make it play are written on the scroll. All she needs to do is submerge it in clouds and touch it. After that, it'll play like normal and she'll have all the proof she needs to put you back on the team,” Twilight explained with a smile. “As long as it gets to her soon enough, you'll be back on the team by the end of the week.”
Rainbow grinned at the news, sitting down next to the unicorn. “That's awesome! As soon as they find those two we'll be out of here and I'll be a Wonderbolt!” She cheered, wrapping Twilight in a quick hug.
“I just hope they can find them... and you may need to repeat your performance from the competition,” Twilight said as she broke the embrace. She was about to say more when her stomach emitted a loud rumble. She blushed in embarrassment, making Rainbow laugh.
“Sounds like you're hungry.”
“We didn't exactly eat anything since breakfast yesterday,” Twilight explained sheepishly.
Rainbow nodded her head in understanding, before suddenly smiling as she got an idea. “Hey, since we're going to give this a shot, how about we go to breakfast as our first date?”
Twilight's cheeks flushed even more at the prospect, but she nodded eagerly. “I'd love to go out to breakfast with you.”
“Well then, your home town, any good breakfast places nearby?”
“Well, there is one place...”
-_-_-_-
A half hour later, Twilight and Rainbow Dash found themselves sitting at a table in Doughnut Joe's bakery, munching on the pastries of their choosing.
“In didn't know Joe did breakfast stuff, but these scones are delicious!” Rainbow exclaimed, emphasizing her point by throwing the remaining pastry into her mouth and chomping down on it.
“Glad you like them!” Joe said, walking over to their table and setting down a tray of danishes. “As good as my doughnuts are, just selling them won't exactly pay the bills.”
“Well I'm glad you branch out. I'll have to make this place a regular stop when I come to Canterlot,” Rainbow said as she eagerly attacked the fresh prey delivered to her on a silver platter.
Twilight rolled her eyes at the improper display, nodding her thanks to Joe before snatching a pastry for herself. Once it was clear of the ravenous Rainbow, she gently took a bite, eyes lighting up as the sensation hit her taste buds.
“So,” Twilight started, quickly taking another bite before continuing “As our first official date, what do you want to do?”
Rainbow, caught off guard by the question, remained quiet for a moment, chewing slowly and hiding her indecision behind the guise of proper manners. “Well... I dunno, I'm not normally one for mushy date stuff, so... whatever you want to do, I guess,” she said with a shrug.
“I guess we could-” Twilight started, only to cut herself off as she stared wide-eyed at the door to the pastry shop, the bell above tinkling quietly. Rainbow frowned, following the unicorn's gaze, her jaw dropping as she saw what her friend was looking at.
“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire said, walking over to their table.