With an impatient sigh, Rainbow Dash paced up and down the crystalline corridor of Twilight's castle. The clopping of her hooves rattled along the great hall as did the sound of her exaggerated breath as she let out another tired groan.
"Urgh, come on, Twilight, the table booking is in half an hour. I thought you were supposed to be all organised and stuff." The cyan pegasus grumbled as she paused before one of the corridor’s many doors, in particular the one containing her marefriend.
The pair of them had been dating for six months now, and the romantic meal they'd planned tonight was to celebrate just that. Rainbow herself had been ready for almost an hour, intent on not being beaten in anything, even getting ready for a date. She was also just as eager to make tonight as special for her marefriend as it was for her - that was if Twilight would ever come out of her room.
"Eerm...just a second Rainbow," Twilight called. A slight shuffling was heard and a sharp, "Ouch!" preceded her words.
Rainbow Dash eyed the door skeptically, her ears perked at the sound of whatever it was that Twilight was doing.
"You said that five minutes ago. Please don't tell me you don't know how long a second is?" Rainbow asked jokingly, giggling to herself slightly.
"What, of course I know... It's an expression Rainbow," Twilight snapped back; only a small hint of embarrassment in her muffled tone.
"Yeah I know, still what's taking you so long. We're gonna be late! And I thought you hated being late?" Rainbow pressed, a curiosity two parts playful and one part slightly concerned peaking in her mind as she moved right up to the door.
In that moment Twilight's hushed shuffling stopped, as if she were listening intently to the movements of her pegasus marefriend.
"Twilight, you sure you're okay in there?" Rainbow asked, pressing a hoof to the door.
"Yeah everything's perfectly fine, why wouldn't it be?" came the sheepish voice of Twilight.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, "Twilight, I know you well enough to know when something's bothering you. I'm coming in," she stated bluntly.
"Wait no…!"
They were the only words that could escape the purple alicorn’s lips as Rainbow Dash abruptly pushed open the door.
Instantly, Twilight threw up her forehooves to cover herself. Yet it was a futile gesture, and did nothing to stop Rainbow from seeing the dress that hung loosely from her side, her messy mane and her tattered feathers. She found it far harder to ignore that last one, being such an experienced athlete as she was. To see anypony's feathers like that was a shock, let alone her marefriend’s. Still, Rainbow couldn't understand Twilight's reluctance to be seen like this. Did she not trust her?
"Urm Twilight, what's wrong exactly?" Rainbow asked skeptically, gesturing to the frazzled alicorn with a hoof and trying her best not to gawk at the sight of her messy feathers.
Twilight let out a heavy sigh as her hooves dropped and she slouched in defeat.
"What's wrong? Look at me, I'm a total mess," she admitted shamefully.
Rainbow Dash cocked her head curiously.
"Of course you are, I thought the whole point of a makeover or...whatever you what to call this was to fix that though?" the pegasus stated.
"That's the problem, I can't fix it,” Twilight exclaimed, waving her hooves in frustration as she looked herself over.
"Well yeah, I can see why you might say that. It has been almost an hour since you..." Rainbow began, only to be cut off by a stern look from Twilight. "Okay, okay. What is it that you can’t do?"
At Rainbow's question, Twilight only sank down slightly more. "It's not the dress, or my mane, it's just..." she trailed off, blushing slightly.
Rainbow stepped closer, a look of loving sympathy replacing her wry smile as she sat down next to the timid alicorn. Who, she had to admit, looked impossibly cute while blushing like she was.
"Come on Twilight, you can tell me," she said kindly, taking her marefriend's hoof in her own.
Twilight sighed, but seeing Rainbow’s concerned expression she relaxed slightly.
"It's the wings I... I never learned how to preen them properly," she confessed shamefully.
Rainbow's look once again turned to one of shock at the idea of somepony who'd never learned how to do something so important. She had to restrain herself from blurting something stupid. Yet, the thought that Twilight wasn't actually a pegasus and not born with wings helped her understanding. It did little to soften the look of surprise on Rainbow's face however, and Twilight shrunk back again at that sight.
"I tried to learn how to do it, I read so many books on the subject but most of the techniques didn't really account for anypony in my situation," she continued to admit, her voice fading as her head drooped.
At those final words, Rainbow Dash finally found her voice and wrapped a wing about her marefriend.
“So you're telling me you’ve never preened your wings properly before?” she asked, slight surprise still evident in her tone no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
"I know, I know. To a pony like you I don't want to imagine how stupid this all sounds." Twilight muttered, sinking her reddened face into her forehooves.
"It's not stupid Twilight, in fact for somepony with as much to deal with as you I'm surprised you even had time to worry about it," Rainbow reassured her.
"Really?" Twilight asked, looking back up at the cyan pegasus hopefully.
"Well maybe not that last part, you're the princess of worrying after all. But that doesn't make you stupid," Rainbow corrected with a small smile.
"It still doesn't change the fact that I can't take care of my wings. I mean that’s like somepony not knowing how to dress themselves or brush their teeth."
"Well, for one we don't normally wear clothes Twilight, and two if you were a pegasus maybe. But you're not, you're more than that," Rainbow Dash told her, and the smile on Twilight’s face grew slightly.
"What's more than a pegasus?" she asked out of curiosity.
"Oh, only the most awesome mare I’ve ever met." Rainbow stated confidently, then blushed slightly. "She's also the kindest, most beautiful and... Well, I'm pretty sure right now that I’m in love with her," she added, rubbing a hoof over the back of her neck.
"Thanks Rainbow," Twilight told her appreciatively, nuzzling her side.
"Well what are marefriends for?" Rainbow Dash said, dismissing her previous embarrassment with a wave of her hoof as she nuzzled Twilight back. Then she paused, "Hey, give me your wing."
At those words Twilight's expression turned to slight confusion, and she tentatively extended her left wing to the pegasus.
"Wait, why?" the purple alicorn asked, even though she had nagging idea.
"So I can show you how to preen them of course. Why else?" Rainbow stated, as if Twilight should know.
"Wait, I thought that was a very personal thing. You know, only done by the pegasus themselves?" she asked skeptically; the information she had learned from reading about preening coming back to her.
"Yeah, usually it is. Unless you're teaching your foal how to do it or something. But..." Rainbow paused as her hoof brushed over Twilight's wing softly, ushering a small shiver from the alicorn. "It’s often something a pegasus likes sharing with their very special somepony," she added with a loving glance.
Twilight looked down at Rainbow's hoof as it trailed through her rough feathers with a masterful grace perfected by years of experience. She couldn't help but feel incredibly honored by the contact, and she had to fight to slip away into pure relaxation.
"Do I really mean that much to you?" Twilight asked, her voice almost a purr, even as she realised how important this must be to Rainbow.
The pegasus nodded swiftly, "I actually think you mean a lot more. Now, are you going to lay back and enjoy yourself or what?" Rainbow teased, before moving her muzzle down into Twilight’s feathers.
Whatever skill that Rainbow had with her hooves was put to shame by that - even the slightly sharp twinges of her pulling out damaged quills was more enjoyable than painful.
"Wait, Rainbow what about the date?" Twilight suddenly exclaimed.
Rainbow looked up from her wings, spitting a purple feather from her mouth.
"I think it can wait. Your wings certainly have for long enough," she responded, that same loving smile curled upon her muzzle.
Despite everything, Twilight couldn't agree more. All she could do was sit back, relax and enjoy what may possibly be the best reason for having wings she'd ever experienced.