Amor

by 314

Éros

The cool, crisp, and clean air nipped at Rainbow’s coat as she stood at the doorstep to her house. Her wing twitched with an old pain when she ruffled it to try to muster a bit more warmth. She glanced at the letter in her hoof again to make sure she had the time right, then tossed the scrap back into her cloud house and shut the door.

”I wonder why Twi was so insistent I stay in my house until now.” Then, as she trotted out to where the clouds dropped off, she looked out and saw why. Down below her, a flame burned brightly against the falling night. A full moon shone overhead, but the fire was still clearly seen against the ground. It hadn’t been there hours earlier after she had seen Twilight, so she must have done something. It didn’t take a genius to know it was for her.

Rainbow spread her wings and gave them a test flap, judging how the wind would affect her flight. “Alright then, let’s go see what my marefriend has in store for me tonight.” Taking a step forward, the pegasus let her body tip over the edge and go into free fall. She hurtled to the ground below, speeding up with each passing second as she let out a whoop of happiness from the thrill shooting through her. Too soon, she had to flare her wings and slow her body down just enough to land without incident. The flame flickered, but stayed lit.

Stepping forward to take a better look at what exactly she had before her, she saw a long piece of wood stuck into the ground, with a bundle just above her head topping it off. That was on fire, providing the illumination of the area around her. Unlike what she might have expected, it was a very real fire, not just some magical image. The light it cast reflected off a pane of glass laying at the base of the torch, flashing into Rainbow’s vision.

She knelt down to look closer, only to find it was a picture frame with a scroll rolled up beside it. And the picture captured inside was one she knew very well. She rubbed her left hoof unconsciously as she saw herself in a bathtub with Twilight, both of them laughing and soaked with an equally wet floor all around them. Her wing and front hoof were bandaged in a cast, but the ugly bruising that had covered her body had all but disappeared. Their last bath together when she was injured.

“I wonder what this has to do with anything,” she wondered aloud, eyes flicking over the ground around her to try and find the alicorn. She failed to spot any sight of another pony, so she looked at the scroll instead, hoping it would give her clues. Her hooves carefully opened it, only to notice that it was one of Twilight's journal entries. Dated about a year ago.

What is love? That question has been spiraling around my head for the past week. I've read almost every book on it in the library by now, but even working through the romances doesn't give me much to go on. And yet everypony talks about it. My parents love me, and so does my brother and my friends. But this... this feels different. Rainbow doesn't feel quite like a friend anymore. I look to the future and see that, in a few short hours, she'll be back to her house and we won't see each other every day. I can barely stand the thought of it. Some might call her brash or uncaring, but there's no denying how happy she makes me. And when she goes, I don't know if I can cling onto that happiness. The obvious solution is for her to not go, but how could I do that? Which brings me back to love. I've always heard the old adage "If you love something, let it go. If it comes back, it's yours." But what if I'm letting something go before I know if I love it? Do I love Rainbow Dash, or am I just confused in my feelings? I don't even know what to think.

Wow, the Princess was quick on that letter. I decided to ask her opinion and all she said was three words. Go for it. So I've made up my mind. I hope Rainbow likes Cavallino.

Rainbow sat down on her rear, staring at the piece of parchment she had just read. She had read several of Twilight's journal entries, but never this one. If only she had known then what was going through that brilliant mind of hers. "Well at least I said yes." Rainbow shifted on her hooves, trying to decide what to do with the objects. "Should I fly them up to my house?" she wondered, only to have her problem resolved for her. Another flame sprung up in the distance, no doubt containing similar artifacts. Glancing up again at the orange fire, she left the journal and photo, assuming that whoever extinguished the torch would collect it. She took to the sky once again and flew to the next area, this time lit by a strange green fire.

“Come on out Spike, I know you’re here somewhere,” she called. She didn’t expect a response and she didn’t get one. Odds are the little dragon was already running to light the next torch, wherever that was. ”Alright Twi, I have no idea where you’re taking me, but I trust you.” Instead, she looked down to see what was waiting for her. Instead of a single picture, there were two, both instantly recognizable scenes. Each had a scroll loosely taped to it.

The first was of the two of them once again laughing with each other, only in a different setting. The pasta in front of them and the sauce smearing Rainbow’s cheek told her it was their first “date” at the restaurant. They still got the same table whenever they went. Rainbow had even carved their initials under the table one night. It was a place full of good times. She had a sneaking suspicion of what the letter would contain, but she still opened it and carefully read every word within.

A DATE! I HAD AN ACTUAL DATE! I can't remember all that just happened, but all I need to know is that I am happy. Rainbow said yes and loved the restaurant (note that). The food wasn't even important, though it was quite delicious. What mattered is that I got to spend a few more hours with Rainbow. She's actually asleep behind me. I should tell the princess about this!

Congrats. What kind of princess just writes congrats? Maybe I should send her a message when it isn't two in the morning. But how can I sleep when Rainbow said yes! We're dating! I get to be around her as much as I want. Wait, am I supposed to do that? I think so? To the dating section of the library!

Upon finishing the significantly shorter entry, Rainbow laughed to herself. She had actually read this one already, as it had been laying on Twilight's desk when she woke up. The owner of said desk had been downstairs, passed out among so many books on dating. She hadn't even woken when Rainbow carried her to bed and left for work.

Dash refocused on the present and looked down at the other photo and journal, remembering that event just as fondly. A Pinkie Pie party. Not just any party, because there were too many to remember. But this one was the one she had insisted on throwing after finding out Rainbow and Twilight were now a couple. There hadn’t been much they could have done do to dissuade her, but it was nice to just be able to talk about such things freely among friends. Now she was eager to read what Twilight had written about the party, hastily unrolling the scroll and causing a tiny tear in it.

Why are all of these journals written late at night? And they tend to be written with a slumbering pegasus behind me as of late. Not that I'm complaining; every second with Rainbow is a second of awesomeness wonderfulness awesomeness. That party was a crazy one, even if there were only six of us. Seven, counting Spike. Honestly, I was scared at first. I didn't know what they would think of me being a... fillyfooler. I hate that word, but it works. Rarity and Applejack were the ones I was most concerned about, but, as Princess Celestia always tells me, my worries were unfounded. Which makes me glad. Pinkie just leapt at the opportunity to throw the party. Fluttershy gave us some chocolates and a smile. Applejack simply had a laugh with Rainbow, happy for the both of us. And it should come to no surprise to anyone that reads this that Rarity was dramatic. There wasn't a fainting couch this time. But they all accepted us in their own way. I'm happy I don't have to loose my four closest friends in exchange for one marefriend. Because I don't know who I'd choose.

A smile touched Rainbow's lips as she set down the journal entry. Getting these tiny glimpses into the life of a mare she knew so well already was something special. it sent her on a path of nostalgia too, though not quite as in depth. "I wonder if I should start a journal." Rainbow gave a chuckle at the thought, then searched the plain in front of her. She wasn’t surprised to see the next torch ahead flare up with flame. Green again, evidence of a frantic dragon running along the path. Rainbow took pity on him and Twilight and walked towards the next location. ”If I outrun him, Twi will never let me hear the end of it.”

Even with the slower pace, she was moving faster than usual in an attempt to figure out the mystery of the night. The walk turned into a jog as she tried to reach the torch as fast as she could. It almost felt like a Daring Do book, travelling from torch to torch to find a hidden treasure. In short time, the area around her was lit by the torch in front of her. She tried to find the picture at this place, but there wasn’t one to be found. Instead, a feather lay on the ground. A blue feather, shimmering with a special lacquer, and hung onto a silver link chain.

”What? What? Twilight, what is this leading me to?” She lifted the necklace with a hoof and ran the tip of her other one along the ridges and crests of the feather. The day she plucked the primary out of her wing to give to Twilight was fresher than all the other memories, partially due to the pain, but mostly because she still couldn’t think of any greater thing to show her love for Twilight. And in return, the alicorn hadn’t taken it off since, not to shower, not to exercise, not even to attend a meeting of Canterlot nobility. And yet it lay in her hoof right now, and Twilight Sparkle was nowhere to be found.

She bit her lip, trying to decide what to do. She took a step forward, then felt a slight crunch underhoof from crushing parchment. Wincing, she realized that she had forgotten to even check for anything more. She opened the coiled paper, hoping for something, anything that might ease her racing heart. The writing inside was messier, not Twilight's usual tight and neat writing. Ink spots dotted the paper as well, more numerous than before.

Rainbow Dash gave me one of her primary feathers. I don't even know what to say right now. When she had given it to me, i didn't quite know how special it was, but a quick bit of research and a letter to Princess Celestia remedied that. I could barely breathe when I read what it meant. I already committed it to heart, but writing it down will just help me remember it better.

Pegasi gifting their primaries to one another is a practice that stretches all the way back to the time of Commander Hurricane. If a soldier wearing the primary of someone they loved died, then they could identify the body and return it to the family. When the warfare was over, the practice continued with a slightly altered meaning. Because soldiers were no longer dying, it was given as a token that meant the giver always wanted the recipient to return to them. It was meant as a token of undying love, particularly when given its past use. Another aspect is the pain the giver goes through in order to give the feather. Plucking a primary is excruciatingly painful, due to the nerves that run along the wing. And even after that, the missing primary makes flight slightly more difficult.

As a test, I tried to pluck one from my wing. The pain that shot through me forced tears from my eyes before I could even get a decent grip on it. While it might have been the place I pulled, I cannot imagine someone willing to go through that for me. Rainbow did it for me. She purposely put herself in pain so that I could have a special gift. I don't even know how to say thank you.

"And I still don't regret it," Rainbow added as her own afterthought.

A flicker of light in the corner of her vision made her turn to see the new torch. It was off to her right and at a higher elevation, almost as if it was on the side of a hill. She slipped the chain over her neck, tucked the scroll under a wing, and dashed off, more determined than before to run the path she had been set.

She skidded to a stop in front of the glowing green flame, and looked down. Again, there was no picture. Not even a scroll this time. Instead a simply flower greeted her. A white lily to be precise, the same one she had given Twilight earlier that day when they parted. Her favorite. It was perfectly preserved, not a single blemish on the gentle petals. Without a second thought, Rainbow scooped it up and tucked it into her hair, just behind her ear.

Eyes scanned the landscape around her, looking for the next location to be revealed to her. ”Wait, I was going forward in time. And this flower was only from today, so Twi’s gotta be around here somewhere.” She opened her mouth to yell, only to stop short when, above her on the hillside, four torches lit up with orangey fire. From their light, she could see the unmistakable shape of Twilight sitting in between them. The sight of her made Rainbow leap into the sky and fly as fast as she could, sliding to a halt just in front of the pony.

“Well hiya Twi. Lovely night out here.” Then, without giving her a chance to respond, Rainbow ducked down and gave her a quick smooch on the cheek. “I’ve got something of yours.” She slipped the feather from her neck and gave it back to her marefriend, Rainbow tickling her under the ear as she put it on. She giggled, losing the calm demeanor she had maintained all through her wait.

“Glad to see you finally showed up. Care to join me?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow at how nervous her voice sounded, but the other joined it at seeing the old-fashioned phonograph, complete with elegant brass bell.

“Only if you tell me why you dragged that thing all the way out here,” she gestured with her head at the music player, her mind still completely stumped as to why Twilight was acting the way she was. A path reminding her of past memories together? A night under the stars and full moon? A phonograph for doing Celestia-knows what?

“I thought we might dance!” she chirped, a stronger smile crossing her face and the nervousness changing into eagerness for a moment.

”There’s the Twilight I know.” Rainbow walked over to the device, tilting her head at it. “Dance? What kind of dancing?”

“Um, partner dancing. I can’t really do it by myself.”

“Well duh, it’s called partner dancing for a reason.” She flicked the needle down onto the record and gave it a spin. Classical music started to come out of the device, violins, harps, and a number of other instruments filling the quiet night. “Reminds me of when I couldn’t take a bath by myself. Now I don’t mind.”

Twilight let out a giggle, a bit more forced than normal. Or at least that was how it seemed to Rainbow. “I guess it does. Do you want to get started?”

Dash dismissed her marefriend’s odd attitude for the moment, focusing on just having a fun time. She swept over to Twilight’s side, and gave her a rather large—and slightly too-tight—hug. “Mmm,” she hummed, burying her nose into the mane in front of her. It smelled different, like Twilights had used a fancier and scented shampoo. Lavender, if her nose could be trusted. “I suppose partner dancing will involve me holding on to you?”

Carefully pulling herself out of the pegasus’s grasp, Twilight backed up a few steps. “Yes,” she replied, smiling at the thought. “The first thing we have to do is get on our hindlegs.”

“Like Scootaloo does for ballet!” With that, Rainbow focused and pulled herself off the ground, standing up almost completely stable. She started to walk around a little, moving in little arcs and circles as she did so. “She taught me a few things about it.”

“Well I never learned how to ballet, so I’m afraid you’ll have to help me.”

“Aww, an excuse to help a damsel in distress? How could I resist!” Laughing, she walked back over to Twilight and pulled her up on her hindlegs. As she did so, she couldn’t help but notice that something was once again amiss with Twilight: her legs were shaking and had a tiny, tiny layer of sweat on them. ”What is she hiding?”

Soon, the pair stood facing each other, one leaning against the other more than standing on her own. The music played sweetly behind them as they tried to figure out what they were even doing. But in the close proximity, a certain mischievous pegasus took the opportunity to kiss Twilight on the nose, laughing as she went cross-eyed to stare at it. “So, Twi, teach me how to dance.”

“The first thing is to wrap our hooves around each other so it’s harder to fall over.” A simple twist of their hooves and that was done, entwined in each other’s embrace even more. “We have to step in perfect harmony or we’ll stumble and fall over.”

“Step how?” Twilight blushed at the question, bringing another smile to Rainbow’s face.

“Um, you just kind of step. Like this.” She demonstrated by half-sliding a hoof along the ground, then moving the other so that she was in the same position. The movement was awkward and stiff, as if she wasn’t used to doing it. Rainbow completed the motion with her, then looked up to meet those perfect purple eyes.

“You have absolutely no idea how to dance, do you?”

It took all her strength to not burst out laughing at how red Twilight’s cheeks turned. She opened her mouth to argue, then simply closed it and shook her head. A tear started to form in the corner of her eye and panic shot through Rainbow at the sight. ”Oh no. Don’t freak out Twilight don’t freak out Twilight don’t freak out Twilight.”

“I just wanted to make tonight special! I did my best and I had this dancing idea and then I was going to—” A hoof at her lips shushed her.

“Tonight’s already special. I get to spend it with you. As for dancing, well, if you haven’t learned how to dance on four hooves, I doubt you’ve figured out how to do it on two wings.” Leaving Twilight mystified, she stepped back, dropped down to four legs again, and scampered over to the phonograph. “Jazz, jazz, there has to be some jazz here,” she muttered under her breath. Finally, the pegasus found what she was looking for and held it up triumphantly. “Jazz!”

“Jazz?”

“Yup! And it’s even one I know! Moondance was one of my dad’s favorite songs. And I know just the mare to share it with,” she added, giving Twilight a wink. “There couldn’t be a better night for it.”

“But what does jazz have to do with dancing?” she asked, still uncertain of the turn the night had taken.

“We dance to it. Duh.” She set the record on the phonograph, hit the needle to play it, then flew over and dragged Twilight into the sky. She let out an eep, then remembered to flap her wings. The first notes of a piano began to play as they looked at each other in the starry night.

Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes

“What do I do?” she asked, still confused as to what Rainbow was doing. Her plans had been messed up and she had no earthly idea of what was going on.

“Just relax and feel the music. Jazz isn’t about being all flowy or elegant; it’s about having fun.”

Spotting that Twilight was still just flapping her wings in confusion, Rainbow grabbed her by the shoulders, hooked onto her front legs, and spun the two of them around in the air. She started to sing along with the song, not caring who heard her.

A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies

The sound of that sweet, totally Dash voice made Twilight smile and she began to lose track of time, only focusing on her marefriend, the music, and a little gift she had tucked away behind the phonograph.

All too soon, the music disappeared and she found herself back in Rainbow’s hooves, not even flapping her wings. She looked up to meet that gaze, those magenta pools of love staring back at her.

“Have fun?” she asked, chuckling as she did so.

“Can we do that again?”

“Any time you want. But you’re probably a bit tired right now with how much you had been dancing. Looks like you knew all along.” Rainbow gave Twilight a little kiss on her forehead, despite it slightly glistening with sweat. The sight reminded her of how nervous she been acting earlier, even back to how she had arrived. It was too odd for Twilight. Something was off still, but she couldn’t place what it was.

“Heh, I guess I did.” Twilight’s gaze dropped from Rainbow as she glanced back over to the sound device. ”Is now the right time?” she wondered, biting her lip as she struggled over the choice.

Meanwhile, Rainbow was content to just be holding her marefriend in her arms, slowly flapping up and down in the refreshing air of the night. It had been a while since she had gotten to just cut loose and dance, but it was definitely something she would have to do again soon. Her eyes unfocused and she looked up at the stars above, marveling at how beautiful they looked tonight. She couldn’t remember a more perfect night: completely cloudless, a gentle night breeze, a sparkling full moon, and a beautiful mare in her hooves.

A faint tingling noise and a tickling against her skin caused her to look back from where her gaze had wandered. Twilight’s horn had lit up with magic, levitating something up to them. She turned to look at the alicorn, a question on her lips, but she was beaten to the punch.

“So I know you’re probably wondering why I set all of this up. The torches and the memories and the dancing and, well, everything.” Twilight chewed the inside of her cheek in thought, but Rainbow was content to let her take her time, knowing that whatever she was going to say would be important. “I just wanted to make tonight really, really special so that you would remember it forever.” She took a deep breath, then continued.

“Rainbow Dash, the past year that we’ve been together has been without a doubt the best year of my life. Through the ups and the downs, the Pinkie Parties and the evil villains, and the lonely nights and lazy summer days. Nowhere was too far for you. And you wanted nothing more than to have me at your side every step of the way.

“And just you Dash! How do I even start? You can be a little brash at times, perhaps a little headstrong—”

“That’s a tiny bit of an understatement.” They shared a laugh, then Twilight continued.

“Okay, perhaps a lot headstrong, but you’re also an incredibly caring pony. I’ve never seen a better leader among ponies when it comes to you and your weather team.”

“You’re biased.”

“Probably. But it doesn’t change my opinion. When you had that crash last year... well, the moment I saw you injured I realized I'd do anything to stop it from happening again. Maybe that was just being a good friend. But then when you stayed with me for those three weeks, I didn't have a single down moment. I was happy the entire time, and I didn't want that to stop. I didn't want to give you up. I can’t even put it into words how awesome you are. I feel like the luckiest pony alive to be in a relationship with you. And, well, you’re also rather hot.”

They both laughed, though both of them also had blushes visible from miles away. “What I’m really trying to say is that I love you Rainbow. I absolutely love you. With all my heart. I can’t even fathom not loving you anymore and I don’t want to go on through my life without you.”

“Twilight?” Rainbow asked, having a suspicion of where it was going, but still not certain.

“Rainbow Dash,” she said, levitating out the small box she had levitated up to them. She snapped it open, revealing a shimmering golden band designed to go just above a hoof. “Will you marry me?”

Not one thing made a peep in that moment. At least, not until Rainbow’s arms wobbled and weakened too much to hold up who she was carrying. With a squeak, Twilight fell out of her grasp and hit the ground, then began to roll down the side of the hill before she could stop herself. Rainbow fluttered gently to the ground with wings working on instinct and eyes off into the distance and focusing on nothing.

“Yes,” came the whispered response, then she blinked and looked around. “Twilight! Where’d you go?!” Knocked out of her reverie, Dash flew up in the air again, only to spot the figure of her marefriend—no, fiancée—at the bottom of the hill near the torch. “I’m coming!”

She reached her in seconds, opting not to pick her up like she had already done. A slightly achy Twilight looked up at her, nerves returned in full force. “Was that a no?”

Not caring about how shell-shocked she was still, Rainbow scooped up the alicorn into her arms and spun into the air with her. One set of lips met another in a passionate, no-holds-barred kiss. They broke it after a few moments, the biggest smiles of their life plastered on their face. “No Twilight, it was a yes. An absolute yes.”