I Can Hear you Scream
Part 2
Rainbow Dash's chest heaved with a heavy sigh as she stared down at the cloudless night sky, reflected in the surface of the lake. Gentle waves lapped against the sandy shore and the very tips of her fore-hooves, the biting cold contrasting with the humid heat of a summer night. The regular shocks to her system kept her mind from wandering too far into places she'd rather not visit at the current moment.
“Stupid move, Dash,” she muttered to herself, watching the warped twinkling of stars in the crystal clear waters. Turning down slowly, her eyes came to rest on the wavy reflection of her own face, back-lit by the full moon acting as a sort of spotlight.
The pegasus snorted derisively. “You just had to go and mess it all-” she cut herself off as she gasped sharply, a slightly larger wave rushing up and splashing gently against her flank. It left behind an icy chill in her fur and a slightly annoyed grimace on her face. At the very least it had derailed her thoughts.
With her mind once again unoccupied she gazed out across the lake, pausing as she caught a glimpse of movement that was not the gentle flow of the waves. Eyes growing wide, Rainbow scanned over the lake carefully, looking for the motion that had caught her attention. A second alter she spotted it; reflected in the water was a silhouette of a pony flying above the lake. A very distinct pony with large wings and a very noticeable horn.
Rainbow threw her head up, confirming that there was indeed an alicorn flying across the night sky. An alicorn that was steadily losing altitude as she came in for a landing. Thinking quickly Rainbow stood and dashed away from the water into a nearby patch of bushes a dozen or so yards from the lake. Praying the darkness of night hid her, she watched as Twilight Sparkle landed on the beach and looked around.
“Rainbow?” She called gently, her voice carrying easily over the calm night air.
For her part Rainbow simply shifted deeper into the bush, wishing desperately for the mare to go away. She couldn't face Twilight now, not after what had happened in the library.
Twilight let out a long, slow sigh as she sat back on her flanks, back turned to Dash's hiding place, and looked out across the water. “I thought I saw her here just a second ago...” she muttered, kicking a hoof through the sand.
“Please just leave, Twilight...” Rainbow breathed near silently.
“Rainbow Dash!?” Twilight called again, cupping her hooves around her mouth and shouting, her voice piercing the night. When the pegasus refused to respond, Twilight once again breathed a heavy sigh and fell onto her back with a soft thud.
For a few tense moments Rainbow watched with baited breath as Twilight lay there, motionless save for the steady rise and fall of her chest. Then moments turned to minutes, and before she knew what was happening Rainbow's head was sagging, her eyelids growing heavy.
Just as she was about to nod off completely a new noise caught her attention, just barely louder than the waves on the lake. Rainbow's ears perked up as she focused in on it, her ears swivelling until they both pointed her towards the alicorn still laying on the beach. A quiet, small sniffling emanating from her still form.
“Is... is she crying?” Rainbow thought, her heart twisting painfully as her assumption was proved true by a strangled sob. The pegasus bit her lip as her mind locked itself in a fierce debate between the desire to remain hidden and and the confrontation and the urge to help a friend in obvious distress.
It was a very short argument.
Taking a breath to steady herself, Rainbow stood from the bushes and stepped out, the rustling in the dead quiet of night instantly alerting the crying alicorn to her presence. Twilight's head whipped around, her sniffling stopped short as her eyes landed on Rainbow.
“Rain-”
“Hey Twi...” Rainbow cut her off, rubbing the back of her neck guiltily. “What's.... what's wrong?” The pegasus chided herself mentally as soon as the words left her lips; they both knew full well what was wrong.
“Twi, I don't know what I was thinking and-” Rainbow started.
“Rainbow, listen, you don't have-” Twilight sat upright as she cut her friend off.
“I'm sorry.”
“To be sorry.”
They finished at the same time, staring at each other with wide eyes and chewed lips as an awkward silence descended on the beach.
“Why?”
They spoke the same question in unison, each looking uncertainly at their own hooves. The waves splashed quietly against the shore, seemingly unaware of the tense silence going on just a few short steps away. The serene sound brought with it a calmness that stilled the ponies' tongues, one waiting for the other to answer.
Eventually, Rainbow's impatient personality got the best of her. “Why not?” She repeated, so quiet and gentle one could be forgiven for thinking it was the water itself that spoke.
“Because...” Twilight trailed off, still staring down at her fidgeting hooves. “Because.... I...” her speech devolved to mumbles that even she herself could barely recognize as words, let along understand. Sniffling, she forced herself to raise her head and meet Rainbow's questioning gaze. “Because I don't want you to be,” she said, her voice firmer than she thought possible.
The statement knocked the breath from Rainbow's lungs. More questions than could be reasonably answered swarmed her mind, as though she'd thrown a rock at a beehive. Her tongue felt like it'd been glued down and she struggled to speak, to ask for even one of the answers she wanted.
Twilight, however, wasn't done. “I... it's true, what I said back in the library. I didn't know why I'd turned to the romance in Daring Do so often. I didn't know why I had so many problems falling asleep, or why I was so lonely all the time. I knew I had so many friends and family, to me the idea of being lonely was absurd. Just because I was away from you girls so much didn't change how much you all care for me, and it could never change how I feel about all of you.
“The idea of seeking out romance was... an idle fantasy. A way to end the seemingly endless pit of loneliness I found myself in. I saw it as a more of a last resort, a way to sidestep the problem, not the answer. But... when... when you said you felt the same. When you... kissed me, I-”
She cut herself off with another forceful sniffle. A few shimmering tears traced their own lines in her fur as they slid down her cheeks, falling into the dry sand below.
“Twi..” Rainbow lifted a hoof without thinking, as though to take a step forward. Her heart and body yearned to move, to rush forward and comfort the mare in front of her. To hold her tight and never let go. While her body pushed forward her mind held her hoof still, frozen in the air and locked tight, tensing in fear; a fear of the unknown. Of something new. Of change.
The next words from Twilight's mouth forced her hoof to the ground. “Do... do you regret it?”
In a single motion Rainbow bolted forward and wrapped the lavender alicorn tight in a feathered embrace. “No,” her answer came as a whisper in her friend's ear, and Twilight's body relaxed immediately. She clung to the pegasus, her only piece of flotsam in the storming sea of emotions.
Rainbow's heart thundered wildly in her chest, though it was different than the pounding after a hard workout or routine. It wasn't the same as a nervous thunder before a performance. It was... gentler, almost. As though her heart didn't want to disturb the pony in her wings. In that moment, her mind cleared, and the fear, the doubts, the second guessing fled from the pure, uncontrollable feeling of joy she got simply from holding Twilight close. From feeling the mare's breath against her neck to their coats touching.
For several long moments they stayed like that, neither moving, neither making even an attempt to part, to stop the feelings they shared. Twilight could feel, above all other sensations that bombarded her mind, the pit in her stomach, the physical manifestation of her loneliness lightening, fleeing from their embrace as a shadow runs from the light. When it was at last nothing but a haunting memory to match those of long nights spent alone in her empty bedroom, only when she was sure it would not return did she slowly loosen her grip on her pegasus friend – or, perhaps, friend was no longer appropriate.
Rainbow felt the action and, with some small hesitation, allowed the alicorn to escape their embrace, if only on the silent promise that there would be another. Through the dark trails of tears long forgotten, Twilight smiled, her smile growing into a toothy grin as she beamed at Rainbow.
“Thank you, Rainbow,” she all but whispered. “I...”
For her part, Rainbow merely returned Twilight grin with a small smile of her own, patiently awaiting the alicorn to gather her thoughts into words. Though perhaps she was only stalling so that she could do the same.
“I think...” Again Twilight trailed off, chewed her lip, tried to put words to her feelings. As Rainbow opened her mouth, no doubt about to say something, the words burst from her; “I think I want to kiss you.”
Both ponies blushed madly at the bold, rather tactless proclamation. And though neither were surprised, and both knew the answer, Twilight still fought the urge to avert her eyes. Anything Rainbow could have said in that situation would have been meaningless so - throwing words to the wind - she merely nodded gently.
Twilight's heart seamed to skip a beat at the motion of permission and a giddiness overtook her. In near perfect unison the two ponies leaned forward, slowly, each faltering as their hooves shook, from nerves or excitement neither could know. Perhaps a mix of both. Electric shocks danced down their spines as they each felt the other's breath against their muzzles.
In a burst of confidence brought on by the thundering of her heart and the fluttering in her chest, Twilight closed her eyes and pushed herself forward, pressing her lips against Rainbow's. Perhaps more forcefully than what was necessary. The pegasus didn't seam to so much as notice the force as she pressed back in equal measure. Instinct took over and Twilight brought her wings up, wrapping them around Rainbow much like the pegasus had done for her.
Rainbow shuddered slightly as she felt Twilight's wings circle around and press gently into her back, the alicorn's impressive wingspan surrounding her almost entirely. It felt like a blanket, wrapped in a tight, warm cocoon around her, fending off even the harshest cold and bringing with it a sense of impenetrable security. The pair of lips pressed against hers didn't lessen the illusion any and she wondered if her big, empty hotel room beds would be any better if they could kiss her like Twilight could.
The thought was derailed just as quickly as it appeared as she felt a gentle, hesitant prodding at her lips. Her eyes flew open wide when she realized what it was and she saw Twilight's questioning, almost fearful gaze. Her heart gave her little choice in the matter as she slid her eyes shut and parted her lips.
Stealing a quick breath through her nose, Rainbow sent her tongue forward to meat Twilight's as it hesitantly probed deeper. The pair were both reluctant and inexperienced but slowly found their own rhythm to which they danced, locked together at the lips as they both raised onto their hind hooves.
Twilight moaned throatily into the kiss and pushed forward harder, catching her partner off guard and sending them tumbling backwards – straight into the icy water of the lake.
Rainbow yelped, ending their kiss as the water soaked through her coat and wings, instantly chilling her to the bone.
“Oh my gosh! Rainbow I'm so sorry I just- aaahh!” Twilight shrieked as a sky blue hoof grabbed her around the waist, the pegasus rolling over so she was on top and Twilight had her back pushed into the water. “Rainbow!”
Giggling happily, the pegasus grinned down at her pinned princess. “We're even now.”
“Rainbow,” Twilight whined, feeling a gentle wave splash at the back of her head and shivering gently. “I'm going to catch a cold.”
The pegasus seemed to think a moment, before sighing. Shifting her weight, she rolled over again, bringing Twilight with her and once again putting the alicorn on top and – more importantly – safely out of the water's reach. “There, better?”
“Now you're going to catch a cold!”
Rainbow smirked, bringing her hooves up and wrapping them around Twilight's back, pressing their bellies together as she leaned her muzzle up next to a lavender ear. “It'll be worth it,” she whispered, breathing deeply of the alicorn's scent.
For her part Twilight was perfectly content to simply lie there, but the suddenly cool nighttime breeze blowing across her soaking back forced her to stand with a heavy sigh. “It's nice, but we should both be heading home.”
“Home?” Rainbow echoed warily, remembering her vacant house up in the solitude of the sky. After tonight, that was the absolute last place she wanted to be.
Twilight seemed oblivious to the trepidation in her friend's voice as she helped the pegasus to her hooves. “Yeah...” glancing out towards her library, a small frown crossed her lips. “Rainbow?” she asked hesitantly, rubbing her foreleg nervously.
“Hmm?”
“Would... would you like to... spend the night? At the library? With... with me?”
“O-oh...” Rainbow's eyes opened wide at the implication. “Um...”
Twilight blushed furiously. “N-not like that! Just... well-”
“It'd be nice to not have an empty bed for once?” Rainbow offered, her smile not even faltering as she remember all those large, warm, plush, empty beds. The finest hotels in Equestria, and yet, so long as somepony was there with her – no, with Twilight there – she'd rather sleep in a cave than any of those beds.
Again a rosy hue rose to her cheeks, but Twilight nodded slowly. “I you wouldn't mind?”
Quick as a flash Rainbow leaned in and pecked the alicorn on the cheek. “I'd love to.”
With matching smiles and a silent look passed between them they spread their wings and took to the sky. Together the flew across the sky, letting the wind dry them, only taking their eyes off one another when they had to. Rainbow Dash looked up to the clear sky and the twinling stars, and her grin widened as an idea came to her.
“hey Twi?” She called, restraining a gleeful laugh as she imagined her idea playing out. “Trust me?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow at her partner. “Of course, Why-”
In one smooth motion Rainbow rolled onto her back and flew underneath the alicorn, slowing climbing until their were face to face and their chests nearly touched. She craned her neck up, whispering; “Follow my lead” into her ear.
Twilight nodded, and Rainbow pulled ahead slight, just enough to guide them as she started pulling up. Slowly they turned until they were flying almost directly up into the sky. Making sure to keep an eye on Twilight, Rainbow started leaning forward more until they'd done a slow, large loop. The loop lead to a roll and a dive and another loop.
Before long the two were properly soaring through the sky in what could almost be described as a dance of wings. With every flap the very tips of their feathers brushed together and Twilight's grin grew, large and toothy, and she couldn't help but let out a shout of joy as they rolled together. Rainbow slowed so they were once again face to face, the word spinning around them, but they only had eyes for each other.
Slowly Rainbow leaned forward, pressing their bodies together and wrapping her hooves around Twilight's barrel as their lips met in another kiss. The world kept of spinning around them, moments passing like minutes to the couple in the sky. Neither cared, neither noticed. Too busy caught up in each other's embrace, each other's lips against their own. In that moment they were in their own world, away from the empty beds and lonely nights.
Though they both suspected those would soon become a thing of the past.
They parted just in time to land on the balcony of Golden oaks library, though they never fully leat each other go; even as they walked inside a feathered wing from each pony lay over the other's back in a gentle embrace.
Twilight giggled, looking back out at the sky. “That was a lot of fun... thank you, Dashie.”
Rainbow blushed, rubbing at the back of her neck bashfully. “I... I liked it too.” Her blush deepened as she looked towards the sole bed in the room. “So uh...”
“Hmm?” Twilight tore her eyes away from the sky, following the pegasus's gaze before she realized. “Oh... yeah.”
“How do you wanna do this?”
Twilight frowned a moment before sighing. “Honestly? I haven't thought about a single thing since the lake, and I don't want to start now. What would you say? Just do whatever 'feels right'?”
“You? Acting without thinking?” Rainbow asked, faux surprise lingering on her tone. “Who are you and where's Twilight?”
“Getting in bed,” the alicorn grumbled, though her glare couldn't hide her smile as she lifted the blankets and crawled into bed. “Now...” she trailed off, giving Rainbow a half-lidded gaze, “come sleep with me.”
Rainbow's eyes widened and she had to forcefully keep her wings pinned to her sides.
“Ha! You should see your face!” Twilight snickered, though she still patted the bed next to her enticingly.
“Whatever, Egghead,” Rainbow mumbled, quickly trotting to the edge of the bed and climbing on, finding it much smaller than it looked once two ponies were in it. It was... comfortably snug, she decided, as she felt her wing brush against Twilight's, the two shuffling awkwardly to find some sort of comfort in the confined space.
A few moments of shifting found the two lying face to face, each on their own pillow. Offering an embarrassed smile, Twilight leaned forward gently and nuzzled the muzzle in front of her. Rainbow blushed at the action, fighting the urge to pull back on instinct alone. Usually, when things were that close to her face, they weren't quite so soft.
“Hey Twi?” Rainbow asked in a voice barely above a whisper, as though speaking too loudly would break the peace she felt.
“Hmm?”
“Wanna go on a date?”
Twilight struggled – but ultimately failed – to hold back a snort of laughter. “I dunno, Dashie...”
Rainbow frowned at her. “Seriously?”
Again Twilight giggled. “What?”
Glowering for a moment, Rainbow eventually humphed and rolled over when Twilight's playful smile remained on her lips. “Fine. Be that way.”
“Aww, Rainbow,” Twilight said, her voice still full of mirth as she slid across the sheets. She sidled up until her chest pressed into the pegasus's back, draping a foreleg over her barrel. Gently, she leaned in a placed a delicate kiss on the back of Rainbow's neck. “I'd love to go on a date with you.”
Rainbow smiled, reaching a hoof up and clutching the lavender one wrapped around her. “Thanks...” she trailed off, her wings fidgeting slightly.
Twilight felt the motion and made to back off. “Oh, sorry, I didn't-”
“I-it's okay,” Rainbow interrupted, holding Twilight still by her hoof as she forced her wings to steady. “I'm... comfortable, like this.” Her face felt like it was on fire, but a smile still spread her lips.
Hesitating a moment, eventually Twilight pulled the pegasus tighter into her slightly-larger chest. “Alright.”
Rainbow sighed. Her wings were pinned to her back. For a pegasus, the feeling was akin to being – quite literally – tied down. But the softness of Twilight's coat against her feathers, the warmth eminating from the mare – she'd never felt quite so free.
She yawned, the steady, duel beating of her's and Twilight's hearts lulling her to sleep. “G'night, Twi.”
“Sleep well, Rainbow.”
Twilight groaned, the golden shoes upon her hooves weighing heavily and making each step a constant mental and physical battle. Guards on either side of the giant regal hall saluted her as she passed by, and she lacked the energy even to give them her usual smile. The day had taken its tole and she looked forward to nothing more than a soft bed – and an even softer companion.
The thought struck a nerve and she groaned, noting her pulsating headache. That wasn't going to be fun, but it would be worth it.
Rounding a final corner, she let out a long, happy sigh as she saw her chamber doors at the end of an overly-long hall. Not long now and she'd be free from her duties.
That's when she heard it; the sound that heralded yet more stress and exhaustion. The sound that promised she'd be going to bed with a splitting headache. She heard the rushed clattering of hooves running down the hallway behind her. Still distant, she looked ahead to her door, forcing her tired legs to carry her just a bit faster. Maybe, if she was lucky, she'd make it there before whoever it was – and she had a pretty good hunch who – could catch her.
By time the pony rounded the corner at the end of the hall she'd almost broken out into a very un-princess like gallop. Almost. Maybe, if she had, she'd have made it. Instead, just as she reached out and put her hoof on the door handle, a shout met her ears. “Princess! Princess Sparkle! Please wait a moment!”
Sighing and hanging her head in defeat, she turned around at the familiar voice. “Hello, Mr. Bit,” she greeted – somewhat shortly. “I was just about to retire for the evening. Is there something you needed?”
“I do apologize, Your Highness, but I'm afraid it's a mater of importance.”
Twilight held back her sigh; she knew exactly what he wanted, and it was anything but important. “Well then I'd be... happy, to help.”
“Wonderful! I'm sure you remember our chat just last week before you went away for the week?”
“I do.”
The stallion nodded happily. “Excellent! I'm ever so sorry to ask, but I don't suppose you've made a final decision on my idea? The tax year is ending soon, and if at all possible I'd like to implement it before the next starts so that we all may properly benefit from the new regulations.”
Twilight audibly sighed, lifting a hoof to her temple and rubbing in slow circles. By 'we' the stallion obviously meant him. “Mr. Bit, may I be frank with you?”
“Of course, Princess,” he answered happily.
“Excellent. See, the truth is I haven't even considered your idea. In fact, while you were explaining it to me last week, I wasn't even listening.”
“W-what!? But-”
“And do you know why that is, Mr. Bit?” Twilight asked tersely, cutting of the Stallions indignant questions.
He frowned – though he obviously would have preferred to be glaring had it not been royalty he was talking with. “Why?”
Twilight knew this would lead to some nasty things being said behind her back, but it may just end little last-minute meetings like this in the future. And the longer this conversation went on the longer she'd have to wait. “Because your 'idea' is nothing more than you wishing to open a loophole that would rake in even more bits for you and punish the farms in the Lower-Canterlot area. You are a greedy stallion, Mr. Bit, with eyes only for your own money and money you wish to make your own. And the fact that you would take this greed to me – the Princess of Friendship – is honestly quite insulting.
“Both Celestia and Luna have rejected your proposal, and I have absolutely no intentions of making a different decision. Now you have two options; either you can continue to appeal this matter in the courts – where either Celestia, Luna, or myself will deny it as many times as we need – or you can accept that the bits you have are more than enough.”
The stallion's jaw hung low at the Princess's tirade, and to his surprise she wasn't quite done.
“Unless there's anything else, I have a date tonight, and after dealing with the Griffon Ambassador all day I'd rather not be in an even worse mood than I already am. Good night, Mr. Bit.” With that Twilight turned, opened her door, and closed it just hard enough to make her point clear.
For a few moments there was silence in the hall as Mr. Bit stood is stunned silence. Eventually his ears perked, and he turned to glare at the snickering guards around him. With a beat-red face her hurried out of the hall with his head low.
Twilight let out a long, low groan as soon as she closed the door behind her, falling onto her flank as she immediately kicked the golden shoes from her hooves.
“Heya Princess.”
Twilight jumped at the sudden, familiar voice, head whipping around until she spotted the source laying on her bed, an impish grin on her muzzle. “Rainbow?”
The pegasus nodded and jumped off the bed, flying over before landing and offering the aliocrn a hoof. “The one and only.”
“Why are you here? I thought tonight I was going to meet you in Fillydelphia?”
“Well, that was the plan. But news travels fast and I'd heard the Griffons had come in early and I figured you'd be pretty tired after dealing with them all day. So, being the awesome marefriend I am, I cancelled out dinner reservations and came here to you instead.”
She couldn't help the grin on her face as Twilight leaned in and kissed the pegasus. “So should I get our chefs to prepare me a meal for two?”
“No need,” Rainbow answered happily. “Because I'm just that awesome I also stopped by Ponyville and-”
“You didn't!”
Rainbow smiled and opened a pair of saddlebags resting by the balcony window. “Oh but I did. Ta-da!” She pulled out two greasy white bags. “Hay Burger hayburgers. Oh and Pinkie gave me some cupcakes to bring too... and Applejack gave me some apple fritters.... and I think Spike gave me some banana loaf... and-” she was cut off as her lips were captured in a brief but fiery kiss and she felt the bags of food lifted from her grasp.
When they parted a few seconds later, Twilight grinned. “I might just love you, you know that?”
“Heh, well, don't expect it every day,” she said, stretching her wings and giving them a flap. “The flight really kills me after a show.”
Twilight ran a hoof through the blue feathers, sending a shudder down Rainbow's back. “Well, I'll see what I can do about that tonight. First though; food. I'm starving!”
“Same.”
Twilight began unpacking the rest of Rainbow's saddle bags, looking out her balcony window towards the setting sun. Though she was miles from her home and her friends, she no longer felt the crushing loneliness that had once held her heart in its iron claws. Though she still missed her friends and her library, the hole in her life was filled whenever she hears Rainbow Dash's voice or felt the pegasus brush up against her.
“Hey Twi?”
The alicorn looked over and couldn't help the light blush that came to her cheeks. While she'd been distracted Rainbow had found a small, round table and placed it in the middle of the room along with a plush cushion on either side. In the middle stood a single golden candle holder with a long white candle.
“Oh, we are so cuddling tonight.”
Rainbow's blush could light up the room. “I had hoped so.”