Rainbow Reflections

by Bookish Delight

7: Supporting Each Other

Pay attention to your Dash.

The words echoed in Twilight's mind as the light from the barrette faded. She placed it on the nightstand next to her, and looked up at the ceiling.

She still couldn't sleep.

Twilight dug into her saddlebag again, and floated Rainbow's letter in front of her, examining it much like she did the barrette. After a full minute of doing so, she made a decision.

She got out of bed, flew over Spike, and crashed. Swearing under her breath, she picked the letter back up. Good, it wasn't damaged. Ruffling her feathers, she elected to walk the rest of the way to Rainbow's room.

Questions plagued Twilight as she entered the hallway.

Would she still be too nervous from before? Am I too nervous from before?

She turned a corner, Rainbow’s door within sight.

What would I even say to her? 'Hi, Rainbow. I like you, and based on what someone from another universe who's you but also not you has told me, it seems you like me too. Wanna go out?' Sure, that'll go over just great.

She stopped near the door to Rainbow's room. The door itself was ajar.

Maybe I should just... play it by ear? 'Wing it'? Twilight rolled her eyes. Great, the one thing I'm terrible at. 

She sighed.

But right now it's the best option I've got.

As she approached Rainbow's door, she could hear a rhythmic thumping sound. Brows furrowed, she quietly pushed the door open and went inside.

The room itself was empty, but the thumping came from the balcony. Twilight went further, cool air brushing around her, and took a look outside.

She gasped when she was treated to the sight of a ball bouncing up and down atop a familiar-looking silhouette.

An upright, flying, short-haired, human-looking silhouette. 

"Rainbow?" Twilight asked, venturing forward. "Is... i-is that you?"

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash answered, sending the ball into the air again. "Oh, hey, Twilight!" she said, landing on all fours. "Something wrong?"

"Um..." Twilight rubbed her eyes. When her vision cleared, the blue pegasus she expected was standing right where she should have been. She stifled a sigh of relief. Maybe she was sleepier than she thought. "No, no, I'm fine. I think."

"Oh. Well, good-ow!"

The ball had returned from the air. And onto Rainbow’s head, sending her to the ground. Twilight gasped, running over. "Oh my gosh! Are you all right?"

With an annoyed groan, Rainbow picked herself up. "Yeah, Twi. It's just a ball." She chuckled. "I'll be fine."

"O-oh, yes, of course you would be." She eyed the ball. "What are you doing with it, though?"

Rainbow shrugged. "Eh. Got bored. Started walking around outside again. That's when I found an old hoofball in one of the side rooms." She scooped it up, rose back into the air, then bounced it up and down with her hooves. "Got me thinking — you know, this could be a pretty good training tool."

Rainbow gave the ball an extra-hard flip-kick, rocketing it vertically into the sky.

"Could really help the pegasi keep their balance and speed in the air. Ponyville doesn't have a team yet, right? I'm thinking maybe we should start one. What do you think?"

Twilight's face lit up. "Rainbow, I think that's a great idea!"

Rainbow's face lit up right back. "'Course you do. You always know a good idea when you see it. And I'm full of 'em."

Twilight suppressed a giggle.
 
"Hey, I saw that." Rainbow stretched out her hoof, catching the hoofball cleanly on its descent. "What should we call the team, though?" She put her hoof to her chin in thought. "The Rainbooms? Wait, no... something that sounds closer to 'Wonderbolts!'" Rainbow cackled. "They'd flip once they found out! They sponsor the Cloudsdale team, you know."

Twi didn't hold back her giggles this time. "Maybe you should actually form the team first, then worry about the finer details."

Rainbow set the hoofball down, and landed. "Yeah, you're right."

"Glad you agree. So..." Twilight hesitated. "...do you have a minute?"

"For you?" Rainbow replied. "Sure! What's up?"

Twilight inhaled deeply and silently. This was it. Just wing it. Wing everything.

"Oh, just a couple of things." She presented Rainbow with the envelope. "So, the other Rainbow you asked about earlier? This is from her to you." Twilight paused. "Um... from you to you? Ugh, I'm still trying to figure out how pronouns work with this stuff. Anyway, I promised not to look, so don't open it until I leave."

Rainbow took the envelope, looking at both sides. "Awesome. Do the princesses know about this?"

Twilight shook her head. "I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to tell them what's in it. I trust your judgment."

"Got it." Rainbow put the letter on a small stand to the side. "Hey, Twilight? You never answered when I asked earlier. Probably 'cause all of us were grilling you, but... what was my other self like?"

Twilight could see herself back in the blue bedroom with all of the flight paraphernalia, clear as day.

"She was... let's just say you two had a lot in common. In similar but different ways."

"Hmmmm." Rainbow put her hoof to her chin. "Sorry, Twi. Wish I could say I follow you, but..."

"Well, for example? She couldn't fly. Outside of when my crown took over, I mean. But she still wanted to be a Wonderbolt. They have their own academy, in their own Cloudsdale. I saw the city with my own eyes."

"Wow!" Rainbow said. "Seriously? Is it as cool as ours?"

"In some ways, even cooler." Twilight winked. "Don't worry though. Your other self is all sorts of jealous about you too. Something about 'awesomeness stretching across universes'?"

Rainbow laughed. "Yep, that sounds like me, alright."

"To a T," Twilight said, laughing as well. "But she was also sweet and kind. And I, for one, am glad to know there are things that stay consistent no matter where Rainbow Dash is, or what she is."

Rainbow's face tinted crimson. "Twi, you're doing the thing again."

"The 'being weird'? I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. Really." Rainbow looked away, her lips curling into the tiniest of smiles. "I... actually don't mind so much."

"There are other things I could tell you about her, but they'd take a long time to delve into," Twilight said. "I'll tell you them in time, I promise. But will what I just said work for now?"

"Yeah, absolutely!" Rainbow gave a boisterous nod. "Thanks heaps. I appreciate it."

Twilight exhaled and smiled, some of her nervousness fading. "I'm glad. Anyway, here's the other thing. I..."

This time it was Twilight's turn to look away shyly.

"I do think it's been a while since we spent some time together. I mean, you're right. There've been quests and villains and otherworldly adventures and this whole princess thing..."

"Y-yeah," Rainbow said. "And even when that stuff's not happening, you're always in your books." Rainbow's gaze met the ground. "And I guess I'm afraid to ever try and pull you out of those."

Twilight did a double-take. "Afraid? Really?"

"Hey, I've seen ponies try! The consequences are... kinda intense." Rainbow chuckled sheepishly, dusting her hoof along the ground.

Twilight opened her mouth to retort, but stopped. She had to admit that what Rainbow said had genuinely never crossed her mind before. She wondered how many other ponies were affected by the tunnel-vision she'd been prone to since she was a filly.

"I'll work on that," Twilight said. "I promise. Anyway, yes, we've been apart too long. I want to change that, and I know exactly how we can start."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow said. "All ears."

Twilight fluttered her new wings. "Well, here's the thing. Every time I try to use these stupid new wings, it ends up nearly being the death of me. Seriously, you don't just give somepony brand new appendages they've never had before and expect them to be experts."

Rainbow laughed. "Yeah. I mean, I know they're part of the the whole Princess package, but if you're not already familiar with the basics..."

Twilight nodded, remembering the human Rainbow taking to her new wings like a duck to water. "I'm sure you know what I'm getting at, then."

"Sure. You need lessons, right?" Rainbow spread her own wings. "You came to the right mare! Well, more so than usual. I guess when we get back from the Crystal Empire, I'll meet you at your library and-"

"No!" Twilight shook her head quickly. "I-I mean, no, that's okay. Absolutely no library, and no books at all. We can meet in the clouds a little ways from Ponyville, away from other ponies. I don't want any distractions between us, so you can concentrate on helping me start flying for real — and what's more, I want speed lessons." She flashed a gentle smile, her eyes projecting a hint of challenge for good measure.

Rainbow barely withheld her elation at Twilight's request. "Really? You're serious? Just you and me, flyin' all day?"

Twilight gave a reassuring nod. "Uh-huh! Just you and me, flying all day. As many days as it takes. I want to know what it's like for you. So one day, I might have half a chance of keeping up."

This time, Rainbow utterly failed at holding back a squeal. "You've got yourself a deal!" she said, zooming towards Twilight and wrapping her in a huge hug.

For Twilight, the chilly night instantly became warmer. "Great. The weekend after next, then? I still have to do the stargazing thing, unfortunately. But after that, I'm all yours."

"Sweet!" Rainbow broke away, still tittering. "This is going to be so. Awesome."

Twilight giggled. "I'm counting on it. Well, I... guess that's it. Talk tomorrow?"

"Sure. Night, Twilight."

Twilight watched Rainbow turn her attention to the letter on the stand, then went to leave.

She got as far as the doorway. "Twilight?" she heard Rainbow say, in an almost pained voice.

Twilight turned around, a sudden pang in her heart. "Yes, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow shifted from side to side. "I... I just want to apologize again about earlier. You know, when I lost my head and stuff."

Twilight shook her head. "No apology necessary, Rainbow."

"No, I need to! 'Cause it's not just because of that! It's because..."

Twilight could see Rainbow visibly fighting for words. When she at last spoke, her voice was tinged with resignation.

"Look, I-I wanna get this out there before we do start spending more time with each other. You're my best friend, a-and I want you to know that I'm always gonna look out for you because of that. But... I know that also means there are some places I can't go. Some things I can't be."

"Rainbow?" Twilight stepped forward. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, whoever you're into? Whoever you're with? You're... you're with. You're into. And it's cool by me. I can totally accept it. You being happy is always awesome."

Rainbow stepped forward, her eyes and smile as sad as her voice.

"And you know how much I like things that are awesome."

Twilight's heart twisted. Just looking at Rainbow, she could tell that the pegasus was doing all she could to hold back tears.

Enough was enough. Nothing would be gained from both of them being too scared to say anything. If Twilight would have to be the first, then so be it.

"I do know, Rainbow," Twilight replied. "And I'm glad you think so highly of me. However, there's a pretty big thing wrong with what you just said."

"H-huh?" Rainbow said. "W-what's that?"

Twilight's eyes twinkled in the moonlight. "I'm not 'with' anyone."

Rainbow's eyebrows shot up. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Y-you're not?"

Twilight shook her head. "Never have been. Though that's not to say I've never thought about the prospect."

Twilight stepped forward again, until she was directly in front of Rainbow, and lidded her eyes with an inviting smile.

"If you know anyone who might be able to change that? Feel free to let me know. Keep in mind, though, that I have pretty high standards."

She took one step closer, leaned past Rainbow's face, and spoke softly in her ear.

"One might say I won't settle for anything less than pure awesome."

Twilight pulled back, and saw Rainbow's saddened look was completely wiped away. In its place was happiness and hope — as as well as a gigantic blush.

"I'll, uh, be sure to keep my eyes open," Rainbow Dash said, grinning ear to ear.

"I appreciate that. Good night, Rainbow," Twilight said, sauntering out of the room.

---

Once she was back in the hallway, Twilight let out her second huge sigh of the night. Only upon feeling the breeze in the large hallway of the castle did she realize how heated she'd been while talking to Rainbow.

Still, Twilight concluded, I think it's safe to say that went pretty well.

As Twilight returned to her room, she heard the rhythm of the hoofball again — this time at double speed.

For a start, anyway.