Rainbow Reflections

by Bookish Delight

Last: Opening Hearts

Twilight woke to repeated rocking and shaking, with a hissing voice to accompany both.

"Twilight! Twilight!"

"H-huh?" Groaning, Twilight turned over, hoping against hope that she was still dreaming.

More shaking followed, however, dispelling the notion in seconds.

"Come ooooooon, Twilight." The hissing voice got a little louder. "Wake up already!"

Twilight groaned again and turned back over, opening her eyes halfway — just enough to barely see a blue pegasus smiling at her.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Rainbow Dash said.

Twilight's sleepiness turned to annoyance. "'Sleepyhead,' nothing! Princess Celestia's raising the sun outside!" Twilight pointed out of the window, where Celestia could clearly be seen doing exactly that. "Why are you waking me up at the crack of dawn?"

Rainbow's confident smile didn't waver.

"'Cause I wanna show you something awesome."

Twilight's annoyed look didn't budge either. "And this couldn't wait until after breakfast?"

Rainbow shook her head, and Twilight noticed that her expression was surprisingly... subdued.

"Everypony else'll be around you then," Rainbow replied. She stepped forward, looking directly into Twilight's eyes. "And while I like our friends too, what I've got isn't for them. It's just for you."

Twilight stared at Rainbow, still half-wondering if she was dreaming. She had never seen Rainbow look or sound like this — not even in her most vulnerable moments.

Curiosity overrode all other impulses with impunity. Twilight yawned, stretched, and said, "Twenty minutes."

"You got it," Rainbow Dash said. "Meet me outside!"

Rainbow flew out the room's balcony, laughing, and... was that a squeal Twilight heard as well?

Twilight plopped her head back on her pillow. If her curiosity hadn't completely taken her over before, it would have then. Had last night had more of an effect than she thought?

She got out of bed, preparing her cleanliness spells on the way to the mirror.

After all, any questions she had certainly weren't going to be answered lying down.

Soon after Twilight walked out of the Crystal Castle's gates, she could hear Rainbow again.

"Twilight! Up here!"

Twilight looked up to see Rainbow Dash waving from above. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and flapped her wings, sending herself skyward. She headed towards Rainbow, who dipped down, grasped her hoof, and gently guided Twilight upward with a smile.

"Only till we can get you doing this for yourself," Rainbow Dash said. "Keep your wings in sync with mine, and keep your eyes on me. That should be enough to keep you from veering off."

Twilight smiled back. "Thanks, Rainbow."

Twilight saw a tint of red on Rainbow's cheeks for a split second before Rainbow looked away from Twilight and towards the clouds.

"Uh-huh."

With Rainbow leading the way, the two ponies flew on. Twilight was amazed at how deliberately Rainbow paced herself. Rainbow usually alternated between climbing and staying level, but this time she held back on her usual stunt flying.

Instead, Rainbow did slow, wide turns. She sometimes slowed down and took quick looks back, just long enough for Twilight to catch up before accelerating back to cruising speed.

Twilight greatly appreciated Rainbow's restraint. Usually when she flew, she lost sight of Rainbow almost immediately, but it never happened once here. Following the rest of Rainbow's advice, Twilight flew slow and steady, flapping her wings in tandem with the athletic pegasus.

Their flight continued until they arrived at a secluded cloud cluster high above the Crystal Empire. Once they both perched, Twilight gasped at the sight of a sparkling city, only sparsely populated with ponies at this early hour.

"I never thought to check the view from up here," she murmured.

Rainbow shrugged. "Till recently, there wasn't one, remember?"

Twilight considered Rainbow's statement. It had only been a short time since the Empire was saved and released from its invisibility spell. "Good point."

"I've been wanting to talk to Princess Cadance and your brother about that. There's all sorts of ways the Empire could be covered from the sky if they want to get some pegasi up here. Both for defense and weather management."

"That's a great idea, Rainbow!" Twilight said. "We should set up a meeting."

"Sure, we'll work it out. Anyway, think you'll be cool up here while I get things ready?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, sure! But... what are you getting ready?"

Rainbow Dash grinned, then was hard at work, zooming around the skies and pushing clouds in all directions. Still, she managed a reply as she worked.

"After we talked last night, I couldn't sleep, and Princess Luna asked me to hold off on the hoofball until morning. She was afraid the noise would wake ponies up."

Twilight giggled.

"So I went out flying. I went as I high as I could go. And the moon was out, and full, and all of its light was shining down on this place, and it got reflected everywhere! I looked at it, and it was..."

Rainbow stopped and flew in front of Twilight.

"...Twilight, I'm not even going to pretend it wasn’t the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Plus, the last time we were here and we saved this place? All those crazy lights happened, and those were even more awesome!"

"I agree," said Twilight, her heart warming. "They were indeed beautiful. I wish I could have seen what you saw last night. But, I was kind of fast asleep."

"Good news for you, then!"

Rainbow flew to each cloud, and stuck her hoof into each one. A light spring rain fell from every cloud Rainbow hit.

"I saw all that light last night, everywhere, and I said to myself, 'Hey, I'm me. I'm Ponyville's weatherpony! I can totally do better.'"

Rainbow pushed one final cloud into place. Rain soon fell from it just like all the others.

"So I'm gonna do better."

As the rain fell, what few ponies were walking about the Crystal Empire in the daylight looked up, curious of the weather. Soon, a large and beautiful rainbow shone over the Empire in its entirety. Specks and lines of color appeared across select structures and parts of the ground, lending the surroundings a much more colorful view than before.

Twilight marveled at the sight. "You're right, Rainbow," she said, turning to turned to look at her friend. "This is beautiful. I'm so glad you-"

"No..." Rainbow flew amidst the clouds. She did not look nearly as happy as Twilight. In fact, she didn’t look happy at all. "No, no, no... this is all totally wrong!"

Rainbow pushed clouds around, kicked at them, adjusted the strength of the rainfall, but all to no avail. Growling in frustration, she bucked a nearby cloud hard, and a mini-thunderstorm flashed briefly.

She hovered in front of the small storm, looking absolutely defeated.

"I... I should have known I'd mess this up," Rainbow said, her voice cracking. "Stuff like this always happens when ponies are watching and it counts."

Twilight didn't reply. She was too busy studying the skies, the rain, and the rainbows that had kept moving about as Rainbow kept adjusting the clouds.

Rainbow squinted at her. “Twi, what’re you-”

"Eureka! Rainbow, you're amazing!” Twilight cheered, clopping her hooves together excitedly. “A total genius! I can't believe you were... wow."

Rainbow looked at Twilight, dumbfounded. "Amazing genius how? Sure, those rainbows were nice, but that wasn't what I was going for at all! I totally screwed up!"

"No, Rainbow, you didn't!” Twilight countered. “Everything checks out! Your math! your angles! They were perfect!"

The tiniest glimmer of hope appeared in Rainbow's eyes.

"Wait. You're saying you know what I was trying to do? And I was doing it right?"

By now, Twilight was all smiles.

"If this were anywhere else in Equestria, we wouldn't be having this conversation!” she said. "But Princess Celestia and I have talked about the Crystal Empire in great detail. This place has unique magical properties not seen anywhere else. If you really want to put on the show I know you were trying to put on, then there's only one place and one way to do it. Which is at the same place, and in the same way the Crystal Heart did!"

Twilight flew over to Rainbow, and grasped her hooves. Rainbow tensed briefly... then relaxed.

Rainbow’s hooves were warm. As warm as the smile Twilight hoped she was giving Rainbow.

"I don't think either of us alone measure up to a Crystal Heart,” Twilight said. “But... the two of us together might be the next best thing. If you're willing to try."

Rainbow's determined smile matched Twilight's pound for pound.

"I never 'try'," Rainbow said. "I get it done. So how do we make this happen?"

Twilight pointed. "Go ahead and move those clouds again."

Rainbow sprang into action. "Where do you need 'em?"

"All over the Empire."

Rainbow froze. "Wait. All over?"

"Yep! Everywhere except the Crystal Palace." Twilight rubbed her hooves together. "We've got special plans for it."

"You got it!" Rainbow exclaimed, and, once again, clouds were moved in all directions.

As the clouds were rearranged, rain fell across the Empire, covering buildings and, with the aid of the sun, causing rainbows to appear on homes, on the streets, everywhere one could see. By the time Rainbow Dash was finished, the view from above was kaleidoscopic.

Rainbow flew back and dusted her hooves, admiring her work. "Now that," she said, "is awesome."

"I concur," said Twilight. "And now for the final touch. But I'll need your help for this one too."

Rainbow blinked. "What do I gotta do?"

"Ordinary crystals will refract normal light just fine. But the Crystal Castle is another matter entirely. It needs powerful magic to produce a reaction. Magic brought from happiness, hope... and love."

Twilight perched and turned her sights towards the Crystal Castle.

"None of that comes easy. So even as a princess, I'll need all the help I can get." She took a deep breath, concentrating on the castle's peak. "Hold on to me, Rainbow. And just... think of what makes you happiest."

"Alright," Rainbow said, holding Twilight from behind. "I'll brace ya."

Twilight smiled. "Thanks."

She closed her eyes.

---

Normally when preparing spells, Twilight would concentrate to her fullest. This time, however, she let her mind go, let the gates loose, and let memory after memory flood her mind.

All the memories, all the days, reaching all the way back to when she and Rainbow had first met. She felt warmth fill her with each thought.

Flying through storms. Getting her butt kicked in soccer. Showing Rainbow through libraries. Stargazing at night. Preparing for a dance.

"You're a laugh, Twilight Sparkle. I can't wait to hang out some more."

"You don't learn this kind of thing by reading! You learn by doing! And I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure you're not a stranger."

"If you ever think I need to slow down, just tell me, and I'll do it. I left you hanging once... and I never want to do that again."

"The Fall Formal Princess should be someone with heart and determination. You proved that you've got 'em both."

"You're right, Twilight. I shouldn't knock something until I've tried it."

"You're on my level of awesome. We've known each other for less than a day... but it really feels like we've been friends forever."

Then, suddenly… Rainbow's voice in her mind.

"My happiest thoughts?"

New words she'd never heard before.

Twilight gasped.

"They're of you, Twilight. They've always been of you."

---

Twilight's eyes opened, her irises replaced with a sea of colors.

A rainbow-colored beam shot from her horn, zooming for the Crystal Castle. It swirled around the castle, bathing it in light, before striking the heart of its spire.

The effect was instant and dazzling.

Every hue in the visible spectrum spread across every single crystal in the city. The Crystal Empire was no longer speckled with color — it utterly bathed in it.

Stunned citizens poured out of their houses. Some shielded their eyes, some smartly wore sunglasses — but all stared, awed at the sight. Even the Princesses and the remaining Elements of Harmony joined in viewing the spectacle. Rarity looked especially ecstatic.

Twilight exhaled, then turned to Rainbow with a tired, but accomplished, smile.

"I guess we did it."

Rainbow looked amazed, but not at the colorful crystals on display. Her gaze was thoroughly transfixed on Twilight.

"You... you knew exactly what I wanted to do this whole time," Rainbow said. "You did get me."

"Rainbow, I've always gotten you," Twilight replied, slightly amused. "Well, no, okay, that's wrong. It took me a while, but eventually I learned who you are, and why that's great. It's not just because of the awesome things that you do, but the awesome pony that you are.

"Besides, I'm not the only one who clearly gets somepony." Twilight looked across the Empire. "Not everyone thinks of using the laws of science and magic just to impress a girl."

Rainbow froze. "Uh, that's... I mean, um, I..." She twiddled her hooves.

Twilight's grin went wider. "That was what you were trying to do, right?"

Rainbow huffed, then simply smiled and sighed, looking out at the Empire.

"Twi, there's... there's a lot of stuff I never would've been able to do if not for you, you know? I mean, sure, I couldn’t do stuff without other ponies too, but especially not you.

"I used to hate the idea that maybe I didn't have to do everything on my own. That maybe I could let other ponies pick up the slack. And that maybe being awesome twenty-three hours out of the day instead of twenty-four wasn't the end of the world. But you got me to be alright with that stuff.

"And once I was? So many things opened up! I could come down from my cloud and talk to the other ponies without getting bored. That always made 'em mad, though I wasn't tryin' to." Rainbow laughed. "Heck, if not for you, Ponyville would still have one weather pony instead of a weather team."

Twilight did a double-take. "Ponyville's weather team came about because of me?"

Rainbow blushed. "I figured if I worked with my flight crew all year round, they'd make less screw-ups and be easier to work with come Winter Wrap-Up. Y'know. Organization and stuff. And it worked out."

Twilight giggled. "Wow, you weren't kidding."

Rainbow shrugged. "Hey, what can I say? You get me thinking. And even when I screw up about it, you still take me seriously. Far as I'm concerned, you're on my level of awesome, Twilight."

She turned to Twilight, smiling wide. "And you know how much I like things that are awesome."

Twilight smiled right back. "How much?"

The slightest of tears could be seen under Rainbow's eyes.

"More than anything in the world."

Twilight spread her forelegs. Rainbow accepted the silent invitation, and the two fell into a welcome embrace. Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her friend, speaking softly in her ear.

"There've been so many things I haven't been able to do without you, either. Get outside of my library, smell the open air. See the world for what it is, and try to understand it. But most of all, to have confidence in myself... and in the ponies around me. You've always been a light in my life, Rainbow Dash. You taught me that there's as much magic in myself as there is in friendship."

She moved back to foreleg's length, looking straight at Rainbow.

"And you know how much I like magic."

Rainbow leaned in, grinning. "More than anything?"

With a serene smile, Twilight slowly nodded.

"In the world."

Twilight drew her face close to Rainbow's and decided, for once, to just stop thinking.

She closed the gap.

The moment their lips met, Twilight instantly felt warmer than she'd ever been in her life. That warmth only grew once she realized that Rainbow was returning the kiss.

She was right after all, Twilight thought.

Barely able to support herself, completely unable to think, Twilight sank lower into the cloud, pulling Rainbow with her. The two came to rest on their sides, still kissing, still holding one another, refusing to part in any way... until they needed to breathe.

As they slowly, reluctantly parted, Twilight gave a quick, firm lick to Rainbow's lips, turning Rainbow's face near-crimson in the process. Twilight smiled in satisfaction.

"I... I guess this means... we're a thing now," Rainbow said, in between gasps for breath.

"Looks like," said Twilight, gasping along with Rainbow.

Rainbow didn't reply at first, still staring at Twilight with an entranced smile. Then, suddenly, she put her hooves to her head. 

"Augh, this is so annoying!"

Twilight's hooves quickly went to her Rainbow's in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just that this should've happened years ago! But do you know how hard it's been to say all the stuff I just did?"

Twilight chuckled sardonically. "Especially since I was none the wiser?"

Rainbow laughed. "I guess that didn't help much, but it wasn't all your fault. Besides, better late than never, right? At least now we know we make a pretty good team."

Twilight ran a hoof through Rainbow Dash's mane while looking at the rainbow that shone above them.

"We always did," Twilight said, before giving Rainbow another quick, and eagerly accepted, kiss.

This close to Rainbow, Twilight could feel her — stiff, nervous, but slowly relaxing. She could feel Rainbow’s heartbeat, her breathing. Twilight basked in her airy scent as she nestled against her soft coat. It was with a sort of heady joy that Twilight realized she didn't want to leave unless she positively needed to.

"Hey," Rainbow Dash said. "So, uh, I've been thinking."

Twilight giggled. "Dangerous. I speak from experience."

Rainbow giggled back. "You got that right. But seriously. Any day after we're done with flight lessons, we're both gonna be way hungry. How about we go out to eat after those? I know all sorts of killer places in Equestria to get our grub on." She gave her wings a tiny flap. "Happens when you're a world-famous flier."

Twilight mock-gasped. "Why, Rainbow Dash, are you asking me on a whole lot of dinner dates all at once?"

"Hey, you know me," Rainbow sad. "Fast and efficient."

"Well, in light of your initiative, I accept. That is, if you want to be seen in public dating royalty."

"Pfft." Rainbow waved a hoof. "Like I’d be seen dating anything less."

"Oh! So you were waiting for me to become a princess!"

Rainbow sputtered. "I-I, uh..."

Twilight simply laughed, giving Rainbow an extra squeeze. "Rainbow, I'm kidding."

Rainbow blushed in relief. "Yeah, well... sometimes it's hard to tell."

"I agree." Twilight winked. "And that habit's going to take a while to break. You'll just have to always share your true feelings whenever the mood strikes, and trust me from there."

"I guess I can give that a shot." The two rolled on to their stomachs, looking at the now bustling Crystal Empire. The storm had passed and the rainbows had faded, but they had already done their part.

"Hey, Twilight?"

"Yes, Rainbow Dash?"

"Do you think I might be able to visit my other self someday?"

Twilight "hmm"ed in thought. "I don't know. Maybe if we're lucky. Even if we somehow managed it, though, what would you say to her?"

"Before she and I go conquer the world with our awesome? Just one thing."

Twilight was about to ask what, but was cut short by Rainbow's hoof on her muzzle, a knowing nod and smile... and one last kiss.

"'Thanks'," Rainbow said.

The two snuggled together, enjoying the warmth of the morning.