Winds of the Past

by Fantasia

Day 332 - Putting the "Her" In Hero

"Whew-ee!" Pinkie sat straight up, her mane and tail poofier and frizzier than usual. "Did anypony else feel that?"

She turned shakily towards Applejack, the two of them rattled to their cores by the sudden, cannon-like boom that exploded outside the apple family's farmhouse window. It was the middle of the night, and the two of them were well into their sleepover.

The apple family and pie family couldn't explain it... but they always had felt closer than most ponies—almost like family.

Almost.

"Ah reckon all of Ponyville did, why, a blast that big must'a woken the whole town up."

Applejack turned back to her friend, her brow instantly furrowing at the sight of the pink earth pony lost in concentration. Her mane and tail came alive with a mind of their own, wriggling and seemingly reacting to... something.

The farm pony cocked her head worriedly. "Er... Pinkie Pie—?"

"I recognize it!" she exclaimed suddenly, taking her friend aback. "There's a rainbow scent in the air, a-and the boom made my mane even poofier! Only... I don't feel happy." She slunk back to the floor, the smile on her face slowly disappearing. "This rainbow wasn't made out of happiness... but rather out of..." Her eyes narrowed. "Desperation."

Applejack snorted, cracking a smile. "What, no "Dun dun dun," this time?" she teased.

"This is no time for jokes, Applejack," Pinkie remarked, standing up from the bedroom floor. "Rainbow must be in some serious trouble!" Before Applejack could protest, Pinkie added, "Meet me at the hospital, AJ!" as she galloped off into the hallway. "I gotta let everypony else know! Chances are they all felt it too..."

---

Rainbow's eyes opened groggily... only to snap shut a moment later as she winced... sucking in a sharp breath as sharp bits of hay pricked the open wound on her shoulder at the slightest movement.

Her eyes slowly reopened as the memories of the night's events came rushing back to her.

She breathed out a slight huff from her muzzle, staring up warily into the sky. How am I still alive...?

Nudging her own body again, she forcibly rolled herself out from the haystack—pulling Twilight out as well with her injury-free foreleg—the sharp hay causing some blood to seep.

Exposure to the cool air stung her injury, forcing her eyelids shut as she lightly clenched her teeth.

The two landed with a flat thud, Rainbow lying beside Twilight in the grass and dirt, and letting in and out a few calming breaths.

Oh crud— She pushed Twilight from her body and rolled onto her side, throwing up in the nearby dirt.

With a few soft breaths, Rainbow stood up, her whole body shaking and trembling... her mind feeling so light right then. Her forehead and cheeks burned feverishly as she craned her neck towards the ground, nudging Twilight up, and eventually over her back.

She looked over her shoulder, softly grumbling, "I am so putting you on a diet..." before carrying on to find a hospital of some kind.

---

Underneath the nighttime sky, the interior of the Ponyville hospital was calm—not a single sound to be heard. The lobby was clear, save for one, pink-maned earth pony mare flipping through a magazine, her cheek resting on her free hoof.

Her hoof was about to turn the next page, when the door burst open suddenly, startling her.

Her attention turned to an out-of-breath, injured, and trembling pegasus... carrying another pony—a unicorn—upon her back.

She ran up to them instantly, Rainbow taking note of her concerned gaze.

"You," she wheezed out; "y-you're a doctor, aren't you?" She looked back over her shoulder, back at Twilight just as the nurse pony nodded slightly. "I have an emergency."

The earth pony blinked. "I..." She snapped out of her stupor, taking in everything about the scene before her. "I can see that. I-I'll go notify the staff," she said, hopping to her hooves before running off.

Moments passed, and Rainbow stood among the grueling silence, impatiently waiting.

She took another glance back at Twilight worriedly. "What is taking them—?"

Her question was met by the sound of frantic hoofsteps, coming from the hallway to her left.

A few of what she assumed were nurses approached her and Twilight... one of which being the very same pink-maned mare. They carted a stretcher with them, and wheeled it beside her, taking precaution when lifting Twilight from her back.

They lied her down, and wasted no time carting her away.

Rainbow attempted to follow, but her steps were cut short by the nurse she recognized.

"I'm sorry, but... you'll have to stay here for the time being while Doctor Horse and the others run some tests on your friend."

Rainbow looked back at her, looking completely exasperated for a moment before tearing her gaze away, letting out a small snort of frustration. "Unbelievable," she simply murmured, under her breath.

The nurse ignored the comment, continuing to be patient with her.

"It's how these sort of things work. Doctors need their space, and can't afford to be distracted."

Rainbow bit her lip as she nodded stubbornly, her ears folding. "I just... really want to be there for her..."

"You'll see her again when she wakes up, Rainbow Dash."

"What?" Rainbow perked back up immediately. 'You know my name?"

"Well, you were our most popular patient when you still lived here, Rainbow."

Rainbow blinked however, stupefied. "I was? Er, y-yeah!" She gave her head a quick shake. "I... suppose I did crash a lot, didn't I?"

She put on a sheepish front, the nurse smiling back at her, bemused.

"I remember you hated being here, because you'd have to give up training for a few days. You'd be back at it though the moment we gave the okay."

Rainbow's smile fell, and she stared back at the nurse with a look of surprise. "How come I didn't just read?"

"I didn't know you enjoyed anything other than flying, to be honest," the nurse replied, taken aback. Rainbow snorted at that.

Guess Twi really opened me up to a lot, she mused, smiling slightly.

"So perhaps you can tell me what happened to the two of you in the meantime. I heard you had moved to Canterlot—"

"I-I did, sorta. I mean, I still have a second home here, but... I met her, the unicorn I ran in with—she's a student of Celestia's, and I sort of live with her."

Living together? she thought, for a moment at a loss for words. "Are you...?"

"Engaged?" Rainbow gave a confident nod. "Totally."

"Oh, no no! I-I simply assumed the two of you were dating. I never would have thought—" Rainbow looked at her funny. "I-I mean, you both just look so young!" she added, a little flustered.

Rainbow's expression changed swiftly into one of understanding.

"I love her— er, Miss...?"

"Oh, um... Redheart," she replied. "I suppose it has been a while," she supposed, under her breath.

"Right... well, uhm... Nurse Redheart... Twi and me really love one another, and, well... why wait, you know?"

"Twi?" Redheart questioned.

"Sorry. Twi's just what I call her. Her name's Twilight."

"Ah, well... that's a nice name, and from what I saw, she's quite the catch. Well, nevertheless... I'm happy for you, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow's mind blanked, staring back at Redheart in surprise. "You are? I-I mean, I just, well... I was such a pain back then... wasn't I?"

Redheart gave a solemn nod. "You were, I'll admit."

Rainbow sighed, her ears folding as her head slumped downwards. I figured as much...

"But," continued Redheart, smiling warmly at her, "that was then. You're a different pony now, I can tell."

Rainbow slowly lifted her head, staring back at Nurse Redheart in disbelief.

"Y-you think...?" she uttered simply.

Redheart nodded, causing her heart to swell. She averted her eyes as a soft smile grew, thinking back to all those months ago... "You know, my... my friend Pinkie Pie told me ponies would see a difference in me... Thank you."

"Yes, well... You can thank me, Rainbow... by telling me just what exactly you and your fiancée were doing to injure yourselves like this."

Rainbow's eyes widened, her face blushing lightly. "R-right... So, um... remember how I told you that Twi's a student of Celestia's?" Redheart nodded, so she continued. "Well, she sent us to research some strange magic in the Everfree, but..." She drifted off, hesitant to continue.

Redheart cocked her head.

"P-point is! We ran into more than our fair share of trouble. A lion-scorpion... thing, a, a hydra... killer plants!"

Redheart's lips slowly parted as Rainbow's voice rose with every word.

"Then, after fighting back a chicken... snake... We ran into a pack of... I dunno... wolves I think."

Redheart couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You poor things..." she softly uttered.

"We barely made it out with our lives... Twi saved me with her magic, I think—I can't really explain it, but... I think it's why she passed out."

"Well... let's just be thankful you both made it out in one piece. Now you can both rest easy." Rainbow nodded in agreement.

"Speaking of," Redheart continued. "It looks like you could use some bed rest yourself. You were out there as well, and..." Her eyes narrowed. "Are those bite marks on your shoulder?"

Rainbow looked to her shoulder, taken aback. Sure enough, she could make out indentations from the creatures' wooden teeth, and thin trails of dried blood that crusted her fur, and stained her sweatshirt.

She turned back to Nurse Redheart with an apathetic shrug.

"It's no biggie. I mean, it sorta stings when I walk, but... I really just need to take a breather."

Redheart simply stared back at her, having half-expected a response like that.

"I'm no stranger to your stubbornness, Rainbow Dash, but... we really should treat your shoulder as soon as possible."

"And what, with stitches and disinfectant?" Rainbow grimaced, feeling all the more nauseous at the thought. She placed a hoof over her wound, clasping tightly. "N-no... no thanks... Besides, I need to know that Twi will be alright, and... I wanna be there when she wakes up. My own problems can wait 'till then."

Redheart's stern expression softened at that, and she smiled reassuringly.

"I'm sure your fiancée wouldn't wish to see you in your current condition, Rainbow. She cares about your health too."

Rainbow laughed softly, maintaining her own smile as she continued. "Seriously though. I'm not sleeping until I know Twi's okay."

The smile fell from Redheart's face. She doesn't even know what she's saying... She looks like she's about to fall over...

"Very well. Come with me then."

She motioned the younger pony along, and soon the two were traversing the halls of the hospital.

As Rainbow limped alongside her, the older mare decided to strike up a small conversation with her.

"So is this Twilight's first time visiting Ponyville?"

"Mm? Oh, um... it sure is. I mean... she's yet to actually see any of it, but... I would like to show her around, if and when she makes a full recovery—a-and feels up to it, of course."

"I hope it doesn't end up underwhelming her. Ponyville is nothing like Canterlot."

"I know, but... Twi's a pretty modest mare, with surprisingly simple tastes." A small, confident smile formed across her lips. "I just know she'll love it here."

Nurse Redheart nodded, and after a moment more of walking, she stopped before an open door, which lead into an operating room.

Rainbow glanced up at her warily for a second before stepping hoof inside, and looking all around her for Twilight.

However, there seemed to be no sign of her.

From the hall, Redheart waved over a fellow nurse.

"What's going on?" Rainbow demanded, beginning to turn around. "Where's—?"

Her eyes widened just as she was hit from the doorway with a heavy dose of sleep magic. Her eyelids lowered instantly, and found herself struggling to stay on her hooves. "What...?" she only managed to utter out before falling unconscious.

An aura surrounded her, and caught her before she fell smack dab against the floor... floating her carefully on over to the empty bed.

---

"Twilight!"

Rainbow shot up from where she lay, immediately feeling and taking note of the weight of the sheets over her lower half, and the general atmosphere of the hospital room she found herself in.

She breathed in then out deeply, doing so for several straight moments as her nerves calmed... slowly relaxing as they became aware of their surroundings.

An annoying trickle worked its way down the side of her face—annoyingly, agonizingly, causing her to rub at the spot before running the length of her foreleg across her forehead. She grimaced slightly at the damp feeling, taking the blanket in her other hoof to dry it off, when a sudden, sharp pain shot through her foreleg, her dampened hoof reflectively grabbing at the sudden pain in her shoulder.

Her eyes squeezed shut, breathing in sharply through her muzzle.

The pain soon subsided, and she opened her eyes slightly, peering down at her shoulder that she found wrapped tightly in bandages.

She frowned at this, gazing back down at the sheets. "I told them that... that I wasn't going to sleep until..."

Her eyes widened.

"Twilight!"

Rainbow practically tripped out of her bed as she hobbled to the floor with her other three fore and hind legs, and proceeded to look around for... something: a clock, or a calendar... Anything she could use as an indication of the time passed.

Rainbow deadpanned. Of course there isn't... Well, she decided, turning her gaze to her room's door. Guess I'm just gonna have to—

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door handle turning, and the door opening, the same red-maned nurse pony she had met earlier now standing in the doorway.

"You!" Rainbow exclaimed. "You... y-you knocked me out!"

Redheart raised a hoof in defense. "A fellow nurse did, Rainbow Dash." She motioned to the top of her head. "No horn, see? And, please... allow me to explain."

Rainbow huffed, her eyes fixed into a glare. "Alright. I'm listening."

"You were refusing help, Rainbow Dash, asking that you be there when your fiancée woke up... but for all I knew, she might not have woken up for days!"

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Well... Has she awoken?"

"Unfortunately, no..."

Rainbow averted her eyes to the ground, her gaze growing sadder.

"Fortunately, however... she's stable, and will no doubt wake up soon, so..." Rainbow looked up again, this time with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, and a growing smile. "You're in luck. You'll still be there for her when she comes to."

"Thank Celestia..." Rainbow smiled softly before a sudden thought occurred to her, and she raised a hoof to scratch the back of her head. "So uh, guess I should say sorry then, for being sort of unreasonable, a-and ah, rash earlier..."

"It's nothing I'm not used to, Rainbow Dash. I'm just relieved that we were able to get you patched up, and that you're in much better health than when you first walked in. Your goggles are there on the nightstand," she noted, drawing the young pegasus's attention to them. "I'm sorry to say though, that we had to dispose of your sweatshirt. The doctors had to cut through it to avoid any further agitation to your shoulder, but they all decided that it shouldn't be an issue, seeing how tattered the whole thing was anyway."

Rainbow's gaze sunk at the news, replying with a humorless chuckle. "Right..."

"Though, you'll still have to take a bath at some point, to wash off that poison joke you were exposed to. We actually have bathtubs in each of our bathrooms specifically for patients who were exposed to poison joke."

"I take it ponies are exposed often?" Rainbow asked.

"You'd be surprised, Rainbow."

"Huh..."

Silence began to set in between the two.

"Hey, Red...? Got any pain relievers or anything? My shoulder's aching pret-ty badly."

"Your shoulder is only aching because of how much you're moving it. Please—" Redheart pointed past the younger pony. "—return to your bed, and try and rest for a moment—"

"Actually... I was going to go see Twilight, if that's alright with you."

"As a matter of fact, no, it isn't. Now please."

"If I may intervene in the matter," a third voice chimed in. "Might I recommend letting her see her friend?"

Rainbow peered over Redheart's shoulder, and Redheart herself turned around, only for both of their mouths to softly fall open at the sight of Celestia, in all her regality, standing in the doorway.

"Princess?" they both exclaimed.

"Hello to the both of you. Rainbow, it's... good to see y—"

"Where the hay were you?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Nurse Redheart scolded, turning to face her. "Remember who you're talking to."

"It is alright, Miss." Celestia lowered her gaze, glancing away in regret. "I was late, Rainbow, I admit. I saw Twilight's magic strike the moon, and knew then that the two of you were in danger... but the Everfree Forest is immense, and the two of you were constantly on the move...! Not to mention my duties to Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria kept me from dropping everything to come to your aid. Ponies depend on me day and night, and would have been in disarray without me there, so I had to inform Cadance of the danger you two were in... She didn't hesitate to take my place, however tired she may have been, on the grounds that I get to you and Twilight as quickly as possible. It took some searching, but then I felt the sonic boom you created, and it lead me here... to Ponyville."

"Then how come you're only just showing up now? Its been hours after all, right, Red?"

"W-well... it's pretty early in the morning now, yes."

"I had to cast a spell on the forest, to dispel the dark magic that had been unleashed upon it from my old castle."

"Yeah, speaking of... I have a few things I think you should know about this quote and quote dark magic..."

"And I have a feeling that I know exactly what they are... I'm not proud of whatever you discovered in that castle, Rainbow... Just know that I regret all of it, and... I'll answer any questions you may be having, but... only after we check up on Twilight. What do you say?"

Rainbow remained steadfast, her expression refusing to lighten up. "Lead the way... Your Highness," she eventually replied, albeit bitterly.

"Very well." Celestia let out a small sigh before turning to the nurse pony that stood beside them. "Miss...?"

"Oh, uhm... Redheart!" she hurriedly blurted out. "M-my name is Redheart, Your Majesty."

"Do you think you could point us in the direction of Twilight Sparkle's room?"

"O-h, well... T-though you are princess, i-it would be inadvisable, what with Rainbow Dash in her current state."

Rainbow opened her mouth to argue, but Celestia beat her to it.

"It'll only be for a little bit," she reasoned, "and she'll be under my watch. Besides..." She peered down at Rainbow with a knowing smile. "A few injuries have never kept these two apart for long."

---

Celestia turned the handle to Twilight's room with a touch of her magic, opening the door for both herself and Rainbow.

Rainbow herself ran in the moment she could squeeze through.

She cantered over to Twilight's bedside, and upon reaching it, set a hoof over the sleeping mare's.

She frowned, staring down at the peaceful look on her girlfriend's face, and the still-spotted horn that drooped down between her eyes.

"I'm here, Twilight," Rainbow told her, leaning down to nuzzle her cheek. "Everything'll be okay. You'll... wake up soon."

"I'm... glad to know that Twilight has somepony who cares for, and loves her as deeply as you do." Celestia took a couple steps closer and Rainbow tensed up. "That she has somepony to be there for her when she wakes—"

"Nightmare Moon has been the cause of everything... hasn't she?"

Celestia stopped where she stood, taken aback. "I... I don't—?"

Rainbow spun around, bearing an accusing glare. "The nightmares! The... the headaches, the fact that... that this is the second time in a week that she's fallen unconscious, and no matter how many times the staff at these places reassure me that she'll regain consciousness, I...!" Her shoulders fell, her voice quieting. "I can't help but feel like she won't..."

Second time...?

Celestia pondered the smaller pony's words for a moment, before putting the thought aside for the time being.

"You and I both know that she's a strong mare, Rainbow. She'll come back to you... She always will." Rainbow looked off begrudgingly, unconvinced. "As for whether or not Nightmare Moon is behind Twilight's ailments, I cannot say. She does have the power to cause nightmares here on Earth, but... the spell I cast on her mind should have kept her mind void of any and all danger..."

"Wait, wait, hold on..." Rainbow held a hoof up midway, beseeching her to slow down. Her brow furrowed. "You cast a spell on her mind?"

"To block out the dark forces that were attempting to weave their way into her mind, Rainbow."

"Dark forces?" Rainbow remarked, dubiously. "You mean Nightmare Moon?"

"I mean... that it wasn't magic I recognized, Rainbow... so I did what I could to keep it at bay."

"Well clearly it didn't last..." Rainbow sighed, turning her gaze away. "I take it that you never told Twi either... since, you know... you didn't bother to tell me that my own best friend, and future wife was being targeted by something dangerous!"

"In hindsight I should have, but at the time, I had believed that... there would no longer be any further incidents."

"But you knew that Luna had her sights set on her this whole time... didn't you?" Rainbow glared back at her.

"Luna...? Rainbow, I..." Celestia's expression turned crestfallen. "You know the truth now... about how she was possessed by Nightmare Moon, and... and how I had to banish her. So then, why would you suggest—?"

"Because, Princess. We ran into Luna's lingering spirit, or... whatever the hay it was, in your castle. Twi called it the Pony of Shadows."

The revelation gave the alicorn pause.

"How... can you be certain it was my sister's spirit?"

"Twilight was sure, and plus I... talked to her. She... said something about the stars setting Nightmare Moon free... and so she took control of Twi's mind, and opened a gateway for that monster... all so that she could be one with her body again. It even climbed out from the spot where she laid, passing right through her all shadowy like, with no features except for its two white eyes and long, crooked wings... I... I think it even drained Twi of most her magic when it passed through her..."

Celestia remained at a loss for words, after a moment softly uttering, "I don't believe it... A-all this time, Luna... was still here, in Equestria..." A small smile tugged at her lips. "The kind-hearted, sensible side of her that I used to know..."

"Uh, hel-lo? Did you miss what I said about her taking over Twi's mind just to be whole again?"

"Who knows the toll centuries of separation from her physical body, and isolation in that castle has had on her mind... If I had only known, perhaps I could have reasoned with her..."

"Yeah," Rainbow scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well... she's one with Nightmare Moon now... and no longer trapped on the moon."

Celestia's expression grew contemplative, as she brought a hoof to her chin. "But... that doesn't add up. For starters, Nightmare Moon is incapable of absorbing ponies' magic into herself. Unless she has learned a trick that I am unaware of... the only creature I can think of with such a power, was a certain centaur that plagued Equestria in its past. The second thing is... you said it had no discernible features, and yet... Nightmare Moon has several..."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "So are you saying I'm lying?"

"I am saying that... the stars that the prophecy refers to... are not the ones on Twilight's flank. It would seem that both my sister, and Nightmare Moon were mislead by this being you speak of, because those stars... are merely a sign that she's destined."

Destined...? Rainbow tilted her head. "Destined for what?"

"You see, Rainbow... Twilight has the power to unite these stars... and to see them for what they really are—you, her friends... the sparks."

Rainbow's ears flopped, and she shook her head hopelessly. "I'm not sure I understand..."

"The stars are what she sees when she sees only the best in another pony... when she realizes what makes a friendship... truly magical—such as loyalty."

Rainbow however, remained no less confused.

"So... I'm one of these... stars?" she asked.

"I saw it the moment I met you, Rainbow. How quickly you were growing attached to Twilight, I mean."

"Y-yeah... Hey, so wait... Is that why you pushed for Twi and me to live together, and for her to look after me while I recovered?"

"I needed the two of you to grow as friends and for Twilight to see how important you were to her. Of course I couldn't have predicted that the two of you would fall in love, but... I'm happy you did."

A moment of silence set in between the two as Rainbow scratched the back of her head, still mulling over everything she had been told.

"So, uhm... exactly how many of these stars are there?"

"Six, including yourself and Twilight."

"Ooohkay, so..." Rainbow thought it over in her head. "If I'm loyalty... then who's Twilight? Magic?"

She smiled at the thought, however... Celestia remained straight-faced.

The smile slowly slipped from Rainbow's face.

"You're serious."

"Magic completes it, Rainbow," Celestia explained simply, and in turn, Rainbow turned away, incredulous.

"This is way too much to accept, I mean... Twi and me... along with four others, are, like... prophesied to be the ones to save your sister?"

"And whatever threats may plague Equestria in its future."

"But why us?" Rainbow swiftly turned back around. "I mean... you're like, the strongest pony in Equestria! Why can't you defend it?"

"I used to, and I still do what I can, but more often than not magic is not enough when it comes to foes like Nightmare Moon. I know from the first time I fought her... I had no choice but to use the Elements of Harmony, and as a result... the act severed my connection with them."

"So you've been searching for a suitable replacement... One with the power to unite others, and you found Twilight, and Twi found me; and together... our friendship has what it takes to restore balance... Maaan," Rainbow sighed out, turning and walking back to Twilight's bedside. She gazed down at the sleeping unicorn. "Twi suspected you wanted us to wield these... elements, but... I wasn't so thrilled. I mean... I didn't ask to be some hero!"

"Sometimes we are thrust into lives we never asked for, Rainbow."

"Did you ask to be a princess?"

"Well, my role as princess was more of an inheritance, as Luna and I come from a long lineage of royalty—"

"But did you ask to be immortal? Or to raise the sun and moon every single day, or...! Or..." Her voice softly trailed off.

"Honestly, Rainbow? No. I was against it at first, I mean... me?" Celestia held a hoof over her heart. "In charge of the sun? I was overwhelmed; and that's putting it lightly!"

"But you did it anyway, because the world depended on you, didn't it?"

"The needs of everyone I knew and cared about, in and outside of Equestria... outweighed my own."

Rainbow nodded slightly, pursing her lips. "You gave up your shot at a normal life..."

"If I hadn't, the world would have fallen into disarray, Rainbow. Nighttime would reign supreme, and life would be nothing but chaos and war..." Rainbow bit her lip and averted her gaze to the bed.

"In the end, I don't feel like I gave up a chance at being happy... because I found happiness in knowing of the safety and joy I bring my subjects."

Celestia stared down at Rainbow for a moment more as the smaller pony said nothing, nor moved an inch. Her gaze then faltered, turning downtrodden. "If I have any regrets... it's the mistakes I've made, the ponies I've lost... The ponies I weren't truthful with..."

"No, it's... okay," insisted Rainbow, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean... I forgive you. What kinda pony would I be if I didn't? I mean... I'm sure if you had told us, Twi would have freaked out and spent all her time trying to find these ponies, or would have stressed out about her destiny or something."

She brought a slight, humored smile to her lips, which she then shone in Celestia's direction.

One that Celestia herself was quick to reciprocate.

"I wanted things to play out," the alicorn princess continued to explain, "and for your friendships to blossom naturally... rather than forcefully."

"Thanks for that."

A moment passed between them before Celestia spoke up once more.

"I want you to know, Rainbow... that I would like you to choose."

"Choose?" Rainbow cocked her head.

"Your own destiny."

"But... I don't understand, I mean... Equestria's depending on me to defend it, isn't it? So..."

"I never had a say in the matter, Rainbow. Although I would have chosen to serve Equestria... my own destiny had already been laid out for me. We both know the path life has chosen for you... but friends don't force things upon one another, so... You may choose a quiet life with Twilight, or risk your life... fighting alongside her. Whatever choice you make however... I want you to know, Rainbow, that I'll support it, and I alone... will be the one to deal with Nightmare Moon—"

"No," Rainbow stated plainly, "you won't."

Celestia stared back at the younger pony, incredulous. "I want you to have your say, Rainbow."

"Yeah," Rainbow retaliated with a determined grin, "and I'm saying that... you won't have to face her alone."

"I... don't understand. I put both of your lives in danger by sending you to that castle... all because I saw Twilight as somepony who could unite the elements... who could undo my mistakes... And now that we, if what you said is true, may be facing a new threat, along with my sister's impending return, I... cannot force this upon either of you. I-it's far too dangerous."

"Hey, well... Danger's my middle name, you know. And besides..." Rainbow turned and walked back over to where Twilight lay asleep. "Nightmare Moon, and whoever, or whatever she had allied herself with made a big mistake by coming after my mare, and hay! They even manipulated your sister's ghost! Talk about uncool."

"Rainbow... Think about what you'd be giving up."

"I'm thinking about how miserable our lives will be if I don't. You know, Twi, she... told me that... she'd still defend Equestria, if it depended on her... I, I tried talking her out of it. I told her that she already was special, but... I just know that this is who she wants to be. And I just know she'd be peeved at me for not fighting alongside her, or supporting her... I hate how much it puts her life at risk, but... she's always supported my choices, so... it'd be kind of uncool of me not to support her here, and besides... it's like she said—if we're fighting together, then we can watch each other's backs, so..." She cracked a soft smile. "It's funny. Apparently I was always this... high-flying hotshot, but after meeting Twi, I've really learned to take things in stride. On the other hoof, I feel like Twi's become so much more outgoing since meeting me—like we've switched lives or something... and now I'm the one telling her to take it slow. It's easier said than done though, I know."

The whole while, Celestia listened intently.

"Perhaps your influence on her has made her more adventurous, but... Rainbow... Would you prefer she stay cooped up forever? I understand that you love her—and if I am to be honest, it's been ages since I felt a love as pure and strong as the the one the two of you share with one another. However... confined to a city for her entire life, never witnessing anything outside of the books she has read... is no way for anypony to live."

"I guess you're right... Hay, maybe being a hero will show ponies the good I'm capable of..."

Celestia's expression took on a look of worry. "I'm afraid I don't...? Do ponies perceive you in a negative way?"

"Hm?" Rainbow looked over her shoulder slightly. "Um, sorta, I mean... It's something I've been wanting to clear up for a while, and... I think that... being a hero to them, and Equestria, will do just that."

'I hope so too, Rainbow."

Silence set back in between them.

"Tell me, does... does Twilight hold any resentment towards Luna, for what she did?"

"Resent...?" Rainbow began to ponder. "Oh! Um... right." She turned back around fully, bearing an embarrassed look. "She, uh... has no memory of her possession, and still believes it was some sort of... evil magic that took control of her mind, and stole away most of her magic."

"Then you didn't tell her?"

"Twi totally admires both you and Luna so much that I couldn't bring myself to."

"So then... I take it you'll keep my actions, and lies... a secret as well?"

Rainbow crossed a hoof across her chest, nodding solemnly. "Cross my heart, hope to fly... stick a cupcake in my eye."

She finished her promise by holding her hoof over her eye, leaving Celestia speechless, a puzzled look on her face.

"Why would you...?"

"It's just something my friend Pinkie Pie likes to say." Rainbow smiled assuredly, waving it off. "She's random, I know."

"I see, well... I don't mean to make you lie to her, Rainbow, so you know."

"Hey, it's like you said. You want things to play out naturally, so... the less she knows, the better."

"I only hope she'll understand..."

"Twi can be pretty level-headed—er, most of the time. She'll understand, Princess," Rainbow replied, walking back to Twilight's bedside. "You know... looking down at her like this, I can't help but feel like she's some fairy tale princess, who was cursed by the evil queen, and put into a deep sleep—but hay, if that were the case... all I'd need to do is kiss her and she'd come back to me... Too bad this is the real world, huh?"

"Rainbow, I—"

At that moment, the door to their room opened partway, with Nurse Redheart looking in at the two of them.

"I'm sorry," she swiftly apologized. "Am I interrupting?"

"Actually..." Celestia glanced back at Rainbow for a moment, and the look on the young pegasus's face told her they were both thinking the same thing. "Your timing is impeccable. Miss Redheart."

"You're here to ask us to leave... aren't you, Red?"

"Well, actually Rainbow... Some ponies have come to see you. They're waiting for you in the lobby—if you'd like, I can tell them that you're unavailable."

"Er, no, no no, it's fine, I just... Did they say who they were?"

---

"Rainbow Dash! You're okay!"

Pinkie wrapped her forelegs around her, effectively lifting her up off the ground in a bone-crushing embrace, their faces pressed cheek to cheek as she nuzzled her deeply.

"Y-yeah, Pinkie, I, I-I am," Rainbow stammered in response, blushing out of sheer embarrassment, and wincing slightly from the pain her shoulder was beginning to cause. "Uh, Pinks? Think you could set me down? I-I'm sorta still in pain, you know?"

"Oh." Pinkie froze on the spot, her friend's words slowly dawning on her. "Whoops."

She let go of Rainbow, dropping her to the cold, hard floor without an ounce of self-awareness... the other three wincing as Rainbow herself sucked in a sharp breath, bringing a hoof to her flanks.

"And, uh, what about... um, what's-her-name?" Pinkie asked as she looked off, tapping a hoof against her chin in thought.

"S-she's fine too, Pinkie," Rainbow replied assuredly, turning her attention towards the others stood by the entrance.

Fluttershy... she thought, taking note of her first, and... Her gaze shifted to the orange earth pony and alabaster unicorn. Who are they again...?

She slowly got to her hooves, putting on a nonchalant front. "So, uh... what brings you all here?"

"You, Dashie!" Pinkie proclaimed, pointing a hoof into her chest. Her cheery demeanor faded, instead taking on a more concerned look. "Ponies saw you in the streets, all injured and carrying another pony on your back. They tried reaching out to you, but you didn't respond..."

Rainbow blinked, staring back at her dumbstruck. "I didn't notice anypony in the street. I must've been more out of it than I thought... Then again," she supposed, "I was bleeding out pretty profusely..."

The mare in the cowpony hat was the first to speak up, first letting out a nervous chuckle. "Right... W-well, we ourselves didn't notice right away. It was initially Pinkie Pie who—"

As if on cue, Pinkie sprung out in front of her. "Felt the intensity, and smelled the scent of that rainboom you made! It made my tail go all stiff, and my mane go all frizzle frazzle!"

"Er..." Rainbow's head tilted. "Rainboom?"

"A sonic one!" she exclaimed. "Only... this one gave me chills..." She proceeded to wrap her forelegs around herself as she continued to explain, "I was already with Applejack, so I went and grabbed Rarity and Fluttershy, and together we all came here to check on you!"

Right... mused Rainbow, that was their names...

She turned back to the four with a puzzled expression.

"Why?" she simply asked.

The question caught the group by surprise.

Pinkie's brow crinkled slightly, her smile wavering. "Why? What do you mean why?"

"I mean, I get you and Fluttershy. You guys have always been my friends, through thick and thin. What I don't get is why you two care."

Both Rarity and Applejack's expressions grew a little guilty, taken aback by her bluntness.

Noting the hurt looks on their faces, Rainbow hurriedly added, "S-sorry... I didn't mean it like that, I just..." She breathed out, calming her nerves. "I-I was a real blockhead when I lived here, and I know how most ponies in Ponyville feel about me..."

Her ears fell limp as her gaze sunk to the floor. "You guys have every right to hate me—"

"Now, hold yer horses, Rainbow Dash. While you may have been a hoofful, and a troublemaker, and a thief... a braggart—"

Rarity set a hoof on her friend's shoulder, stepping forward.

"What Applejack is trying to say, Dear, is that the past is the past. True, we may not have been friends, and we didn't exactly fancy your company... but we certainly never hated you, Rainbow Dash."

"Why, we all knew you had some baggage. Fluttershy once mentioned your fillyhood to us, and Ah think it made us all understand you a bit more. Me especially..."

Pinkie nodded sorrowfully. "It made life on a rock farm sound fun..."

"We wanted to reach out to you, Rainbow Dash—figuring all you needed were friends... but you never made it easy. We all held out hope that you would change, but you just kept... pushing us all away, and treating everypony poorly... Until one day you, well..."

"You left," Fluttershy said, timidly speaking up.

The others all nodded softly, in agreement.

"...And then one day," Applejack went on to recount, "Pinkie Pie arrived with you in town. We knew she went lookin' for ya, but we never thought she'd actually succeed in bringing you back."

"It came as a surprise to all of us," Rarity continued. "We knew Pinkie would just laugh it off, and that... Fluttershy would be too kind to not forgive you. The rest of us though... couldn't be certain if you truly were a changed mare, or if... you were ever going to change."

"Because of this, I guess we were less than thrilled to see ya... an' honestly, Ah do feel awful about it." Applejack looked at her with a sorrowful expression. "We should have given you the benefit of the doubt."

All the while Rainbow felt her heart swell, her chest growing tighter with every word as even her eyes began tearing up.

Guys...

Rainbow blinked away whatever tears had gathered in her eyes, and unwittingly let out a sniffle.

"It... i-it's okay, Applejack," she assured them all quickly, holding back her tears as her voice trembled with every word. "All this time I-I thought that... that none of you wanted anything to do with me... when, in reality, y-you always wanted to be my friends..." She looked between them all with a growing, grateful smile, letting out a weak laugh. "Now I get why Pinkie Pie brought you all here..."

"Aw, Dashie..." Pinkie sprang forward, embracing her friend before motioning back for the other three to join in.

"Everypony!" she exclaimed. "Group hug!"

The others all followed suit without hesitation, wrapping their hooves around one another, and providing a bit more comfort to the downtrodden pony that they could now, without any doubts... safely call their friend.

Rainbow herself, cried freely, no longer attempting to hold back her tears. After all, they were her friends... and she basked in the warmth and comfort that they provided her.

She felt safe around them, and felt like... she could show them her true colors.

Something she normally only ever felt comfortable doing around Twilight.

After a few moments, the four of them broke off the embrace, stepping back to give their pegasus friend some space, and unsure of what to say to one another next.

"S-so, um..." Rainbow scuffed a hoof along the floor, deciding to be the first to break the silence. "I really pulled off a, uh... sonic rainboom, huh?" she asked, reminded of a memory as it flashed through the forefront of her mind.

"A sonic rainboom! We're so very proud of you, Honey."

That's right... The memory of her mom's words echoed in her head, serving as a much-needed reminder.

"S-sorry..." She quickly put on a sheepish expression, meekly scratching the back of her head. "I-it's just been ages since I last did one. I, ah... sorta forgot what it felt like."

Well, it wasn't a complete lie.

Fluttershy remained silent, seeing through her little lie.

Oh, Rainbow...

Pinkie sprang up into the air, exclaiming, "Mhm! You sure did! I'd recognize the feeling from a mile away. Literally!" she added with a wink.

Rainbow stared back at her, stunned.

"W-well," she replied after a moment, "it's not like I did it on purpose or anything..." She grew silent, thinking back. "I think a different kind of magic of hers must've affected me or something... I mean, I just did what I could to save her," she admitted with an honest shrug.

"And I'm ever so grateful you did."

Rainbow looked behind her with a friendly smile at the voice she recognized, coming face-to-face with Princess Celestia.

She looked back ahead, only to find that all eyes were on her, staring bewilderingly back at her, before switching to Celestia.

"Princess?" the four all gasped at once, their mouths agape before snapping back to reality, kneeling down toward the ground.

"It's alright, guys. You don't have to do that whole kneeling thing, really. Me and the princess, we're cool." With a small grin, Rainbow swiftly spun around and raised her good hoof, reaching out towards Celestia.

Celestia gazed down at it simply, bearing a slight, bemused smile.

Rainbow's grin began to falter, "Come on, Princess," she murmured.

"I do not follow."

"I want you to bump hooves with me."

Celestia mouthed a silent "Oh," before nodding, their hooves lightly clacking together as they connected briefly.

"See?" said Rainbow, spinning back around, and noting their awed expressions. "Totally cool."

"You may rise, my little ponies," Celestia spoke up from behind her, and with that, the four stood back up.

Rainbow merely stared at her friends in disbelief.

"What the hay, guys?" she exclaimed. "You really needed to wait until she gave the order?"

"She is the princess of Equestria, Rainbow Dash," remarked Rarity, still in awe of the regal pony stood before them.

"Well Ah'll be... Rainbow Dash, friends with the princess of Equestria."

Rainbow blushed bashfully at the compliment, waving it off. "I-it's no big deal, guys, really—"

"No big deal?" Pinkie sprang forward, blurting into her face, "You never told me that you were friends with the princess, of all ponies!"

Rainbow blinked back at her, before smiling nervously, averting her eyes. "It... never crossed my mind, Pinkie... sorry. I... I, I don't really see her as an idol like so many others do, but rather... as another pony—a-and I've made friends with a bunch of ponies in Canterlot over the past year."

"Then I suppose a year away from Ponyville... has been good for you, Rainbow," Fluttershy remarked softly, drawing her attention.

Flutters...

Her look saddened, a pang of guilt being sent across her heart at the solemn tone in her friend's voice.

"Listen, I—"

"Huh."

Before she could get in another word, Applejack cut her off with her own response.

"And here Ah thought Canterlot was full of inconsiderate snobs."

"I believe you mean absolutely chic and couture, Applejack. La crème de la crème."

Applejack gave her friend a humored look. "Uh... you do know those words mean nothing to me... don't ya, Rarity?"

Rarity deadpanned back at her.

Rainbow turned back to the two of them.

"No, Applejack's right, Rarity. Canterlot is full of snobs."

"Told you so," the earth pony chided, Rarity rolling her eyes.

"But the city also has its good ponies, and even the snobs have their soft sides. Really, if you only get to know a pony, you see a whole new side to them... good or bad." She smiled fondly as she began to reminisce. "Twi and I learned that from the time we spent together that first week..."

"Twi?" Rarity inquired. "Is she by any chance the pony you rescued from the Everfree?"

Rainbow nodded as her mind began to wander. "She is..."

She glanced back over her shoulder for a brief moment. "Speaking of... I should really go check on her." She turned back to face the other four with an apologetic smile, already beginning to back out of the lobby. "Sorry, guys... I'll be back in a jiff, okay?"

"Rainbow—!"

Applejack started after her, only for Celestia to hold out her foreleg.

"Rainbow will be back soon, do not worry." She smiled assuredly, looking off, back to where Rainbow had darted off to. "She's just worried, for you see... this pony is someone very important to her."

---

"I was hoping you'd be awake, but..."

Rainbow's heart sank at the sight of her girlfriend, still unconscious.

I guess you need more rest... she supposed glumly, gingerly placing a hoof on her head, and leaning down to lightly kiss her forehead.

"I don't know if you can somehow hear this, but... I just made a couple of more friends. Turns out... I'm not as hated as I thought. Pretty cool, huh, Twi?" Her lips lifted into a brief smile. "I think they'd all like to meet you. Maybe when you wake, if you're feeling up to it... I'll introduce you. How's that sound?"

She gazed down at her fiancée, receiving no answer.

"Right..." She sighed, turning to walk away. "Rest easy, Twilight... When you wake up, I'll be right here beside you... I promise."

She took one last glance over her shoulder, before softly shutting the door, and heading back out into the hall.

---

With heavy hooves, Rainbow walked out into the front lobby, half-expecting her friends to be waiting there for her. To her surprise, however... the whole room was empty.

Her gaze saddened, her heart slowly sinking. Guess they had better things to do...

She let out a half-heartened sigh, looking off. May as well take a bath for the time being...

And she proceeded to do just that, stepping back out of her own hospital room's bathroom some time later, towel slung over the back of her neck. She let out a rejuvenated sigh, feeling so fresh and renewed. Especially after the night we had, she mused, drying her mane briefly before tossing the towel onto her hospital bed, and heading back out the door.

As she walked back out into the lobby, she failed to notice a certain filly approaching her, her steps hesitant.

"Rainbow Dash...?" the young filly asked in a nervous tone.

Rainbow's ears perked up at the soft voice—raspy like her own—as it struck a familiar cord.

Who...?

She raised her saddened gaze to meet an orange-coated filly, sporting a messy, purple mane... and an expression riddled with uncertainty.

Rainbow cocked her head, furrowing her brow. "Um... hi—"

"I'm really sorry!"

The exclamation startled Rainbow out of her skin. "Y-you're...?"

"Sorry," she repeated in a huff. "There, I said it. I acted poorly, and I'm sorry..." She bowed her head, peering off regretfully. "I don't expect you to forgive me, I just... really had to get that off my chest."

Rainbow stood unflinching, remaining no less confounded.

"Get... what—?" she started to ask, when, right then, her mind flashed back to her first visit. That's right... I remember now... Pinkie had been giving her that tour around town, when she had begun doubting herself... and in that moment of weakness, Pinkie had brought along a filly—an apparent admirer of hers.

"I just... couldn't stand the thought of you leaving!" the little filly continued to explain. "But after you saved that pony..." She looked up at her with a look of uncertainty in her eyes. "She would've died had you not been there... right?"

"Uh..." Rainbow stared into her worried expression, at a loss for words.

"R-right..." was all she could eventually muster, ears flopping as her gaze veered off.

The filly nodded begrudgingly, gazing back down. "Then I guess moving really was for the best..."

The two slipped in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say next.

"Kid... I don't get it. You've always looked up to me... but why?" Rainbow's brow crinkled in slight confusion as she professed. "I mean, I was a pretty big jerk, wasn't I?"

She turned back to the younger pony, only to find her staring back at her with a look of shock.

"Jerk?" she repeated, then shook her head insistently. "N-not to me, Rainbow Dash! And I most certainly never saw you being one."

The eyes of a child, I suppose, mused Rainbow, forming a soft smile.

"Come here, Kid," she said, pulling her in for an embrace with a foreleg.

The act took the filly by surprise.

"You... y-you don't hate me?" she uttered.

Rainbow shook her head, leaning down to nuzzle the filly's head.

"Never," she replied in a soft voice.

The young filly blinked, slowly taking in her words as a smile fastly grew, and she returned the hug, wrapping a foreleg around the older mare's.

"You know," Rainbow began, as the two separated, "earlier today... I swore I hardly had a single friend in this town."

"Are you kidding?" the filly once again exclaimed. "Tons of ponies adore you, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow smiled at that, rolling her eyes and passing it off as more of her naivety. "Hey, Kid? Did... did you happen to see Princess Celestia anywhere? Or for that matter, four ponies named Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity?"

"Hm? Yeah, I think I saw them mixed in with the crowd outside."

Rainbow furrowed her brow slightly.

"Crowd?"

"C'mon," the filly replied, tugging at her foreleg, and urging her along. "I'll show ya!"

"What? H-hey!"

Rainbow tried to protest, but the younger pony refused to let up.

What am I getting myself into...? she internally groaned, dreading whatever awaited her on the other side of the hospital's doors.

As they opened, and she stepped outside, she was greeted immediately by strong sunlight hitting her in her face. She instinctively winced, raising a foreleg just above her eyes. Guess I'm not quite used to—

"There she is!" Pinkie's voice rang out.

There she...?

Rainbow's thought trailed off, her lips parting and eyes slowly widening at the sight of seemingly dozens of ponies lined around the front of the hospital before her.

Festivities were in full swing, with picnic tables full of food and decorations in her honor everywhere. Banners with... somewhat crude drawings of her face, and balloons in every color of the rainbow.

What in the...?

Pinkie pronked up to her from out of the blue, bearing a giddy expression.

"It's the least I could do on such short notice!" she explained, stopping excitedly before her. "Well, be honest. What do you think?"

Rainbow snapped out of her awe, looking around with a growing smile. "Pinkie... this is... amazing, I just..." Her smile faltered at the memory, her ears flopping as she turned back to face her friend. "The last time you threw a party in my name, it didn't go so well..."

Pinkie's own smile faltered, and she gazed down regretfully, brushing a hoof of her own along her other foreleg. "I remember... and I'm sorry about that... Buuuut," she supposed, perking right back up, "that was then, and this is now! C'mon, Dashie!" She sprung forward, looking back at her with a wide grin, waving her forward. "Don't you wanna meet everypony?"

"I..." Rainbow stared back at her, as several questions still lingered in the back of her mind. "How'd you convince them all to come, Pinkie?"

"Oh, I didn't. A lot of them witnessed what you did in person, and have been waiting for a chance to talk with you, and congratulate you! You're a hero to them now, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow's doubt and confusion were swiftly replaced with a skeptical look of cynicism.

"So I did something selfless, and now the whole town wants to be my friend?" She scoffed, looking off. "Right..."

"It's more than that, Rainbow Dash," Pinkie began to insist, stepping back on over.

"Pinkie Pie's right, Darling," remarked Rarity, as she, Applejack and Fluttershy all came up to her.

"Like with us, they saw a brand new side to you," added in Applejack.

"They're willing to give you a second chance, Rainbow Dash," said Fluttershy lastly, as she walked up beside her oldest friend, resting a gentle hoof over her left foreleg.

Rainbow looked between each of her friends, her gaze coming to rest upon Fluttershy in particular.

"Then I guess I should probably let them, huh?" she asked with a meek smile.

The scene was too much for Pinkie, who literally began shaking with excitement.

"Three cheers for Rainbow Dash!" she exclaimed, throwing her forelegs around the four of them, and pulling them in for a second group hug.

Celestia watched the group from afar with a content smile.

"Princess?" A gray-maned, brown-coated mare approached her tentatively, switching between the princess herself, and the festivities in the distance. "Beg my pardon, but... what are you doing here?"

"Do not worry, Mayor. I'm simply here for a student of mine. She was carrying out field research for me in the Everfree Forest... when she was gravely injured."

"Oh my word."

Celestia turned to her assuredly. "Is it alright. She's expected to make a full recovery."

"Oh, well... that's good. So, then... why is Pinkie Pie throwing another one of her parties? This time so close to the hospital?"

"To celebrate a friend of hers," Celestia replied simply, the mayor's face turning skeptical.

"Who, that rainbow delinquent?" She snorted, turning her scrutinizing gaze towards the crowd. "Whatever for?"

Celestia grew silent for a moment, the memory of her friend's words playing out in her head.

"I'm afraid I don't...? Do ponies perceive you in a negative way?"

"Hm?" Rainbow looked over her shoulder slightly. "Um, sorta, I mean... It's something I've been wanting to clear up for a while, and... I think that... being a hero to them, and Equestria, will do just that."

"That rainbow delinquent," she finally replied, "is the one who saved my student."

At that, Mayor Mare backpedaled, stammering as she tried to explain, "O-oh I, I... I, did-didn't—! W-what I meant was...!"

Finding herself at a loss for words, found herself with no other choice but to bow her head in shame.

Celestia turned her attention back to the ponies, watching as Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy walked together, before Rainbow swooped down to greet them, and Pinkie hopped up alongside them.

Right then, her eyes sparked with realization, and her expression saddened into a content look.

She won't be needing me anymore...

She sighed softly, raising a hoof to her chin in contemplative thought.

---

Later that night, after the festivities at long last began to die down... Rainbow crept away long enough for a chance to check back in on Twilight once more.

Along the way, she noticed Nurse Redheart in the hall that lead to Twilight's room.

Rainbow reached out to her, grabbing her attention as she asked, "How is she?"

Redheart replied with a less-than-enthusiastic sigh.

"Well, her injuries have healed... but she has yet to awaken."

Rainbow frowned, lowering her gaze disappointingly. "I see..."

She bit her lip, hesitating before then asking, "Uhm, c-can I—?"

Redheart nodded before she could finish, suspecting what she was going to ask. "Maybe you being there for her will be just what she needs," she mused, carrying on... and leaving the pegasus alone with her thoughts.

"Maybe..."

Softly, she stepped into Twilight's room, closing the door before walking over to her bedside.

Moonlight filtered in through the blinds, and illuminating the content look on her girlfriend's face.

Twilight... Rainbow stroked a hoof along her head. "I wish I could see... what's going on inside your head..."

---

Day 71

Dead leaves were swept through the streets by a light Autumn breeze. Fillies and colts dressed in various costumes roamed the streets excitedly, paying different households a visit in search of candy and sweets.

Nightmare Night was in full swing, and Twilight and Rainbow's residence was no exception.

"Have a happy Nightmare Night, everypony! Stay safe!" Twilight called out after a group of ponies as they left down the stairs. She closed the doors and walked back inside, setting the candy bowl aside.

"Rainbow! Spike! You two almost ready to head out?"

"Heh, sure am, Twi!" exclaimed Rainbow, voice rising in volume as she flew up out from the stairwell. She landed before Twilight, dressed as a character from some low-budget horror flick. A sleek, black wig concealed her rainbow head of hair, while her body was dressed within a red undershirt, and a black cloak of sorts... with two large, red hoofprints adorning the insides.

"Well?" She formed a lopsided grin. "What do you think, Twi?"

Twilight smiled back at her wryly. "Do you want my honest opinion, or...?"

"Don't forget about me, guys!"

Spike hurried down the stairs, coming up beside them in what Twilight could only describe as a raggedy old prospector, sporting a cane with a hoof-shaped ornament adorning the tip.

Spike cracked a soft grin. "I'm the master's faithful servant, Torgo!"

Twilight stared dryly at the two, before bringing a hoof to her forehead. "Ugh, you guys... Couldn't you have at least chosen a good horror movie?"

"Aw, what are you talking about, Twi? It's so bad that it's good!"

She rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's coy remark, relinquishing a soft sigh.

"Alright, well anyway... you two better get a move on."

"You don't need to tell me twice!" exclaimed Spike, hurrying towards the front doors. "Oh boy, my very first Nightmare Night...!"

Twilight watched him for a moment with a warm smile, before turning back to face her girlfriend, and planting a swift kiss on her cheek. "Thanks again for taking Spike out for treats tonight," she whispered sweetly as she pulled back.

Rainbow looked hopefully into her eyes.

"Sure you can't come with us?" she asked.

"You know I would love to, Rainbow... but one of us has to stay behind and hand out candy. Besides... I'll only be without you guys for a few hours. Now go, Master—have fun."

Rainbow chuckled at that. "We'll be back before you know it, Twi, okay? Stay safe!" she added, before galloping off towards the opened doorway.

Twilight waved them both goodbye until the doors to their tower closed, leaving her alone in the heavy silence.

The night carried on as normal for the next hour or so, with visitors coming and going sparingly.

Twilight sighed, shutting the door, and walking over to her cushy window seat, plopping herself down to resume her novel, Somepony Wicked This Way Trots. A bit of light reading, she had decided, looking for something to fit the mood of the season.

A small shudder ran through Twilight as the wind picked up for a moment, producing a chilling howl.

She pictured in the back of her mind just how chilly it must have been out there.

Hope it's not too cold out there, she mused, softly biting her lip in worry.

A sudden and loud bang sounded out against the front door, snapping her from her thoughts, causing her to jump up from her comfy position.

Her heart pounded at the jolt it gave her. Was that the...? N-no, it couldn't have been the wind...

Her heartbeat steadily calmed as her mind began to rationalize.

She shook her head hopelessly. Kids...

She got to her hooves, hurrying over to the doors, and encompassing them in her magic.

"Okay, everypony, here you—!" Her eyes widened, her smile dropping and sentence dying on her lips as a small chill ran down her spine. "Go..."

Where she had expected a group of ponies to be stood eagerly... instead found herself staring back at nothing.

She cracked a nervous smile. Guess it really was the wind...

She closed the door, and had only managed to walk a few feet when another loud bang rang out... her heart skipping a beat in startlement.

Oh, I get it... Somepony's playing a prank on me, she reasoned, remembering how popular pranks were this time of the year. I see how it is... Play a prank on the studious little bookworm...

She turned, igniting her horn, and cast an intangibility spell on the doors.

She then waited... readying herself to charge the doors.

As soon as the third bang sounded from somewhere outside, Twilight smirked. Got you, she thought, and galloped through the doors... only to run straight out into the night air... not a pony in sight.

Her brow slowly lifted, as she looked around in befuddlement. "What in the...?"

The street below lay still, and she took note quickly of the fact that the wind had died down considerably.

Before her, off in the distance... the whole city of Canterlot was eerily silent.

Her brow furrowed in wonderment. "Where... is everypony—?"

"That was some trick you just did, Sparkle..."

Twilight turned and gasped, coming face-to-face with a ghostly apparition of a pony, stepping towards her through the door... their face concealed behind a Nightmare Moon mask. Whoever they were, their voice sounded distinctly like a mare's, only airier, and spoken with a sneer—as though each word were being spoken spitefully, with nothing but contempt for the pony before her.

The masked figure took another step forward, and with it, spread a puddle of black goo that proceeded to widen out, quickly encompassing the space around them.

Twilight in turn, scrambled backwards instinctively.

"W-who are...?" she stammered. The figure opposite her cocked their head.

"...you don't remember?"

Twilight remained too spooked to utter another word.

"I see..." the shadowy figure quietly mused. "This really is a dream of yours... A dream my dark nature has already begun to infect... And I'm talking with a figment of that dream... A memory."

Twilight shook her head, desperately wishing to understand.

"What are you talking about? Am I... asleep?" She slipped into thought, looking up all around her, up at the night sky. "W-when did I...?"

The masked pony snorted. "It's no surprise that our minds would become linked like this... If memories and dreams truly are tightly linked... Then I wonder, in this dreamscape... just how much I can alter your memory."

Before Twilight could do so much as react, the strange pony stomped their other hoof, shaking the tower to its very foundation.

Drywall crumbled down from the ceiling as the resulting shockwave rocked all the furnishings and shelving back and forth. Twilight herself let out a startled breath, bracing herself as the sounds of forming cracks and splintering wooden beams filled her ears.

"So I can forever tarnish the way you remember something..." the masked pony observed, peering up as well at the crumbling interior of the Ivory Tower. "Turn a happy memory into a nightmare... or erase it completely so that it never happened in the first place." They directed their gaze back at Twilight, cocking their head. "When you wake, this day will be the way I've made you remember it."

More of the tower crumbled away as Twilight lost her footing... the stairwell itself beginning to crumble, and steepen.

She grit her teeth and lifted her head, glaring angrily at her mysterious foe.

"At least I'll remember who's responsible!" she yelled, and lunged at the pony... only to phase right through them.

The shadowy figure glanced over their shoulder, back at Twilight who fell to the blackened floor of the tower foyer, reeling in pain. They removed their mask as they did—a byproduct of the dream as it faded away into nothingness, and revealed a pair of stark, white eyes.

Twilight all the while grasped her head, pain wracking her brain as she lay steeped in the darkness that continued enveloping the rest of her world within a black void.

"I told you that our minds are linked, Twilight," her assailant continued to explain, eyes peering out from the shadows, and piercing the thick blanket of darkness. "I see everything you see... feel everything you feel. So it stands to reason... that the same would happen if you were to touch me."

A tear fell from her eye as her body trembled, her muzzle sniffling.

"It... i-it's horrible..."

"It's made me stronger. Your sugary sweet dreams of friendship, they... do nothing but make you weaker! And now they're bleeding into me... filling me with so much contempt for you, Twilight. Your memories are nothing more than a distraction to me! Making... making me long to be whole again, to be... more than just... anger, a-and hate!"

Through the pain and her attacker's condemning words, came a faint voice from somewhere in the distance.

She couldn't quite pinpoint it, but knew it was there.

"...gotta... up, Twilight!"

Twilight's brow crinkled in confusion. Wh...w-what...?

"And it infuriates me!" the stranger stomped their hoof as their voice raised in volume. "You're pathetic, Twilight Sparkle. You refuse to give in to your anger, to your... inner darkness, and instead spend all day dreaming of being somepony's bride. How you're ever supposed to grow into the savior of this world is beyond me..."

Sa...vior—?

She felt a sudden weight on her shoulders—like a couple of hooves—as her body sunk deeper into the dark void.

"Well... I may be unable to end your life, here in this realm of dreams... but make no mistake, I will come for you. You and this world's princesses!"

"...open... eyes, Twilight!"

There's that voice again... Twilight realized, slowly doing as the voice instructed, the words filling her with warmth. It feels so... familiar...

"In the meantime," her enemy's voice sneered, "I'll go through and blacken your precious memories, one by one. I'll remove your closest friends from each and every—!"

A light blossomed forth, emanating from all around Twilight, and absolving the darkness that ensnared her.

"Ngh..." The figure recoiled, scowling as they brought a foreleg to shield their own face. "Meddlesome pest!"

A look of realization washed over Twilight as her eyes slowly grew bigger.

Rainbow...

---

"Ray... R-Rain..."

Twilight sat up suddenly from the mattress, basked in a cold sweat.

"Rainbow!"

"I'm here, Twilight!" Rainbow reached out reassuringly, after having stepped back in surprise. "I'm here..."

Twilight breathed steadily... her heart hammering away inside her chest.

"Twilight...?" Rainbow questioned worriedly. Twilight turned to look up at her with a frightened look in her eyes. "What is—?"

Her girlfriend lurched forward, shutting her eyes and wrapping her forelegs tightly around Rainbow's withers, Rainbow herself startled as she found herself all of a sudden being pulled down a bit.

She sniffled, squeezing her eyelids tighter, and coming to rest her head in the crook of her girlfriend's neck.

Rainbow could only blink her eyes, slightly taken aback by the actions of her girlfriend... and, after a moment of standing completely still, closed her eyes, and lowered her head against Twilight's mane, wrapping her own forelegs securely around her back.

And the two stayed like that, for several moments before Twilight ended up being the first to break the long silence.

"This is real..." Twilight murmured eventually, causing Rainbow to frown.

"Twi... What exactly was it you saw while you were dreaming?"

"I was... dreaming about... all of the days we've spent together, Rainbow. You, me... Spike—" She pulled back from Rainbow in a panic, holding her hooves against the pegasus's chest. "I forgot all about Spike! H-how long has it been—?"

"O-only a day or so," Rainbow answered swiftly, and assuredly. She set a comforting hoof over Twilight's own left hoof, watching as the panic slowly faded from her girlfriend's face. "It's pret-ty late in the evening right now... probably around the same time we first entered the forest."

"Then we need to get back to Canterlot ASAP, Rainbow." Twilight turned away from her, grabbing the sheets and blanket that covered her lower half, and pulling them back.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hey!" Rainbow stepped in front of her, setting a hoof on her shoulder, and keeping her from moving another inch. "Where do you think you're going, Twi?"

"Everypony must be so worried... a-and not to mention Celestia—!"

"Celestia's already here, Twilight," Rainbow explained, giving her girlfriend pause. "She really did come looking for us after all."

"She... You mean... she's here, in this...?" She took a moment to look around for the first time since coming to. "Are we in a hospital?"

Rainbow nodded, placing a bit of pressure on her girlfriend's shoulder, urging her to lie back.

Twilight took the hint, begrudgingly easing back into bed.

Looks like we may be heading back to Canterlot sooner than I had hoped, thought Rainbow with a sigh, disappointment creeping in. "Anyway," she continued, putting the thought aside, "we can talk about everything in a bit, but , before we do... Could you tell me more about the nightmare, Twi? You looked so distressed earlier, and... I tried shaking you out of it, but..." Her ears flopped ashamedly as she averted her gaze to the floor.

"I see..."

Twilight set her head back onto the pillow, staring up at the ceiling in thought. "So those were your hooves I felt..." Rainbow turned back to her questioningly. "Rainbow, I..."

Her voice took on a grave tone. "I think the Pony of Shadows visited me in my sleep."

Rainbow's eyes instantly widened.

"What... makes you think that?" she asked, as hesitation crept into her voice.

Twilight continued to stare up at the ceiling, oblivious to her girlfriend's body language.

"She talked to me as if I knew her, and seemed surprised when I didn't recognize her... At least, I think they were female... Their figure and voice seemed to suggest a mare..."

Rainbow silently gulped. It couldn't have been Luna, or Nightmare Moon for that matter! No, it... Could it have been the pony Nightmare Moon's aligned herself with?

"There was something else though," Twilight continued as she slipped deeper into thought. "She... she said that... she would come for me... M-me and the princesses..."

Rainbow's brow lifted as she turned to face her, visibly shaken.

"After you? W-why!? It already stripped away most of your magic! Was... w-wasn't that enough?"

Twilight shrugged, her defeated gaze sinking to her chest. "Apparently our minds became connected due to what happened in the Everfree... and now my memories and feelings of you are keeping her distracted, so... s-she tried to change the way I remember them, a-and even erase you a-and Spike from them! I... I think she may even have succeeded..."

Twi...

Rainbow gazed longingly at her, seeing her girlfriend so distressed, and yearning for nothing more than to find something she could do to help...

"How?" she eventually asked. "I mean, you still remember me, right? So, I don't see how—?"

"It was the memory of our first Nightmare Night... I dunno, maybe she was drawn to that one specifically, but... no matter how hard I try... I just can't seem to remember it the way it really happened..."

"You can't...?"

Rainbow's head dipped, mane concealing her crestfallen gaze. Inside, an anger began to boil.

"S-she... stole away one of our memories—?"

Her gaze snapped back to Twilight—her nerves reassured suddenly from the feeling of her girlfriend's hoof being placed over her own. Twilight herself had sat back up, and was looking her directly in the eyes.

"It's not just my memory, Rainbow—it's yours too. So... even if I do forget... you, you'll be there to remember for me... won't you?"

Twilight finished with a soft smile that put her girlfriend's nerves at ease, and the anger she felt to diminish completely.

"I..." Rainbow gazed hopelessly into Twilight's eyes, her resolve weakening. "O-of course I will, Twilight, I just... don't ever want it to have to come to that! I, I-I mean... if she erases me from your memories... how am I ever gonna convince you that we're—?"

"That's simple, Rainbow," Twilight replied, in a determined voice. "I just won't fall asleep."

"You won't...?" Rainbow stared at her stupefied. "Twilight... Spike told me about the last time you attempted something like that. It can't be good for you."

"As opposed to...?" Twilight's gaze soured, and she crossed her forelegs a little indignantly. "Rainbow, it'll only be from now until tomorrow evening."

"Ooohkay..." Rainbow cocked her head, playing along. "And then what?"

"We stop this Pony of Shadows for good."

How'd I know she was going to say that...

Rainbow sighed, having half-expected an answer like that.

"Riiiiiight... Twi, you do realize that your magic's still, well..."

Twilight peered up at her droopy horn, then back at Rainbow, garnishing a sheepish smile.

"Okay, so... I may have forgotten about that."

"Twi..."

"B-but it's like you said! All I need to do is take a bath, right? So... no biggie."

"Uh, yes biggie! Twi... we have no clue what we're even up against, what her strengths are, or... where we should even start looking for her."

"...I do," Twilight admitted, after a long pause.

"You... do? Why?" Rainbow asked warily. "Twi... What's tomorrow evening?"

A small, confident smirk adorned Twilight's lips.

"The Grand Galloping Gala."

Rainbow paused, looking at her skeptically.

"The... Grand Galloping Gala... Twi..." she began, giving her head a shake. "Isn't that supposed to be some stuffy banquet for the rich and entitled members of high society? And also!" she added before her girlfriend could get an argument in edgewise, "If I'm not mistaken, don't I distinctly remember you expressing distaste in going when I asked about it?"

"W-well...!" Twilight huffed, nodding begrudgingly. "I may have, yes... b-but I was thinking! She said she would come after the princesses, right? Well, there's only one place Celestia and Cadance will both be, and that's—"

"The Gala," Rainbow stated plainly.

"The Gala, exactly!" Twilight's face broke out into a dire expression. "Think about it... Everypony in Canterlot will be there. It'd be easy for her to blend in, perhaps even disguise herself using my magic. Rainbow," she stated, grabbing her girlfriend by the shoulders. "This 'Pony of Shadows' has been inside my head. It no doubt knows that that's where they're both going to be!"

"Twi... even if that's the case... Shouldn't we just leave this up to the princesses then? I mean, believe me, I want to hurt her for what she did to you, and is doing to you, but... if she attacks the gala, then wouldn't the princesses—not to mention their guards—be better equipped to handle the situation? They're like, leagues more powerful than we are, anyway."

Twilight stared back into the eyes of her girlfriend, the disappointment on her face quickly becoming evident. "We could, Rainbow..." she agreed with a shrug of her shoulders, lowering her gaze. "Hay, maybe they'd even succeed too! But... the Pony of Shadows is partially my responsibility, and... she has my magic. Magic she'll no doubt use to hurt ponies... hurt me..." She lifted a gentle hoof to the side of her girlfriend's face, as she looked directly into her eyes with an air of determination. "I know you don't want me putting myself in harm's way, but... what if the princesses don't succeed? You said it yourself, Rainbow. We don't know how strong this foe of ours is, and I want to protect everypony close to me, no matter what... but I just... can't spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder for my sake and yours. We... need to stop this before it begins."

"So... we're going to take her on then, in... what?" Rainbow's brow furled. "The middle of a gala, with hundreds of innocent ponies standing around?"

Twilight shook her head. "Mm mm. We just wait for her to reveal herself; and the moment they do, we do our best to try and isolate her from the rest of the crowd."

"So we become vigilantes?" Rainbow gave her girlfriend a worried look that urged her to reconsider. "Twi, I love heroes as much as the next pony, but I just—"

"Not vigilantes, Rainbow—we won't take the law into our own hooves, we'll enforce Celestia's, and fight the battles she and Equestria are unable to."

"Uh huh..." Rainbow remained no less skeptical. "And what makes you think that we'll be able to?"

Twilight looked back at her, for a moment, unsure of how to put it into words. "...When we're together, I just feel like... there's nothing that we can't accomplish." A soft smile crept upon her lips, her confidence in her plan growing with every word. "We'd die for one another... right, Rainbow? That's how we braved the Everfree—we were pushed to the very brink."

"We narrowly survived, Twilight!" Rainbow exclaimed, exasperated. Twilight flinched, her girlfriend's outburst taking her aback. Her face dimmed as her heart sunk, ears flopping as she peered off.

The sight made her pause, and rethink her words.

"But..." she continued, Twilight's ears perking back up as she tentatively turned back to her face her... a small, hopeful look burgeoning within her eyes. She internally sighed at the sight. Looks like Celestia was right...

She feigned a soft smile. "I suppose there really is nothing that the two of us can't overcome... is there?"

Twilight's own smile slowly grew. "We really do make a great team." She lowered her eyelids, leaning forward all of a sudden to lovingly embrace her girlfriend. Rainbow herself blinked, left speechless by the whole thing.

Twi...

Rainbow's surprise faded, and her expression eased into a content smile. She started to close her own eyes as she returned the gesture, tenderly wrapping her own forelegs around her girlfriend's back.

"I... I know you don't exactly like the idea of fighting to protect all of Equestria..." Twilight murmured, her face buried in Rainbow's shoulder.

"Hey, well... it's like you said, Twi—it is our home, and..." Rainbow shrugged, softly nuzzling Twilight's head in turn. "I guess I sorta realized there's a lot more to protect than just you, Spike, and the girls."

"What happened to you while I was asleep?"

Rainbow grinned softly.

"...Am I interrupting?"

The two of them turned to see Celestia, stepping partway through the entrance into their room.

"P-Princess!" Twilight stammered in surprise, pulling away from Rainbow, and swiftly making herself more presentable.

Celestia greeted them both with a kind smile as she proceeded to turn on the light switch. "It's good to see you are awake, Twilight."

"I-it feels good to be awake, Princess," she replied, laughing softly in agreement. "I, uhm... R-Rainbow informed me you were here, but... it's uh, still a relief to see you." Her smile softened, her gaze falling to the bedsheets. "To know you really did come looking for us..."

"Of course. After all, you're both two of my closest friends."

She nodded, her face growing more serious. "Princess, I... I know why you taught me about the Elements of Harmony."

"You...?" Celestia's stared back at her dumbfounded, her lips softly parting. She looked to Rainbow, who appeared no less surprised by her student's confession.

Don't look at me, she mouthed. I didn't tell her anything.

Twilight turned to Rainbow, whose attention snapped back to her the moment she reached over, taking her closest hoof in hers. "You want Rainbow and me to wield them... don't you? T-to save your sister?"

"I... should have known a mind as sharp as yours would catch on sooner than later. I am sorry... I shouldn't have kept this from you, Twilight."

"Truth be told, Princess... I only put it together once I stumbled upon your old journal in the castle library... I didn't mean to peek! It was Rainbow who—"

"Gee, thanks, Twi," Rainbow grumbled sourly, glancing over at her girlfriend.

"I'm only being honest, Rainbow," Twilight replied, Rainbow rolling her eyes.

"I see..." Celestia brought a hoof to her chin. "So that's where its been all this time..."

"Princess?" Twilight's brow furled in slight worry, tilting her head.

Celestia snapped from her thoughts as the sound of her student's worried tone, swiftly putting on a pleasant smile. "It is nothing, I assure you. It is true, however, that I have made many mistakes... as I have told you once, long before. Banishing Luna to the moon was just another one of them, and when I met you... I thought maybe you'd be the one to save her. I still do."

"Then please," pleaded Twilight, urgency creeping into her voice, "give them to us. R-Rainbow and I... we'll wield them! We'll... w-we'll save Princess Luna!"

"And I'll be eternally grateful. But, Twilight... I cannot simply give the two of you the elements. You must both be chosen by them first." Twilight remained there distressed, not about to take no for an answer. That was, until her mentor spoke back up. "Do not worry, my little ponies. I believe the two of you already are chosen."

Twilight paused, her frustration melding into a look of confusion.

"We... are?" she asked bewilderingly, looking towards Rainbow for an explanation, then back again towards her mentor with her head cocked.

Celestia nodded. "You needn't worry. The elements will reveal themselves to you in due time, and I do believe the time will be soon. For the time being, however... focus on the relationships you hold near and dear with one another, and with those around you. You do have a wedding coming up soon, after all... do you not?"

That's right... Twilight's eyes widened as both she and Rainbow looked at one another, seemingly thinking the same thing. We...

"We do," they each answered softly.

"So, in the meantime... please leave these threats to me."

Twilight reacted instantly, about to argue when Celestia ushered her with a hoof. "So long as I am alive... no harm will come to you or your friends, is that clear? Do not stress over what destiny has in store for you... and simply enjoy the time you still have with your friends."

"I...!"

Twilight's resolve weakened, and she nodded simply. "Okay."

Rainbow looked up at her, dumbstruck. There's no way she really means that, I mean... Nightmare Moon maybe, but... we just talked about stopping the Pony of Shadows together...

Celestia breathed out a sigh. "Well, that's a relief..."

"Well, it's like you said, Princess," replied Twilight with a convincing smile, "we do have a wedding coming up."

She smiled back at the two of them. "Now then, if you are feeling up to it... why don't you get cleaned up? The water should return your horn to normal, and then we can all travel back to Canterlot together in the early morning, if you'd like."

"Sounds good to me," Twilight agreed, grabbing and removing the sheets and blanket from her lower half. Rainbow stepped aside to make room for her fiancée as she now sat on the side of the hospital bed.

As she was about to step down, Celestia's voice captured both their attention.

"You know... I, um..."

Both Twilight and Rainbow's brows raised in surprise of their princess, who, for the first time since meeting her, now appeared semi-anxious.

Princess...? they both wondered, exchanging befuddled glances.

"I really do feel awful about this whole ordeal," Celestia confessed, bearing a regretful look. "I-is there any way I can make it up to the two of you? I was hoping to be able to ask the two of you once you were both together, and now that you're awake, Twilight... Is there anything I can possibly do? Anything at all?

Twilight couldn't believe her ears as a sly smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "A-actually, Princess—"

"Ooh, how about this! I know this is a small start, but, if you'd like... The Grand Galloping Gala is tomorrow evening. I realize that it isn't the most... lively of social gatherings, but I think perhaps that it's exactly what the two of you could use after the night you've both had. It'll be safe, and quiet... Cadance will be there, as I'm sure so will your brother, being captain after all... So what do you say, Twilight? Rainbow? It would mean a lot to me if you accepted—and that way, if any threats did come our way, I'd be there to shield you both from any and all of them."

Twilight and Rainbow stared back at the older pony who had seemingly read both their minds, mouths slowly falling open.

"Um..." they both started, all the while thinking, Well that was easy.

They looked at each other quickly as their jaws snapped shut, putting on nonchalant fronts.

"We'd be happy to!" they replied, almost simultaneously.

Celestia smiled happily. "I'm glad to hear it. Now, then, if you'll excuse me. I... suppose I should give the both of you some privacy."

"Well," Rainbow began with a heavy sigh, a couple moments after Celestia had shut the door behind her, "that went better than expec—"

"Hay yeah it did!" agreed her girlfriend in a hushed whisper. "We're in now, and one step closer to stopping this Pony of Shadows for good."

"Aren't you worried though, Twi? I mean, you heard what the princess said. Cadance, your brother, and who knows how many other ponies are all going to be there. Doesn't that make you worried?"

Her words gave Twilight pause. She slipped into silence, the smile falling from her face.

"Of course it does, Rainbow. But, with you at my side..." She squeezed her hoof tightly. "I'm not afraid, because the two of us? We can do anything, so long as we're together. It's like Princess Celestia said, Rainbow—we're chosen, which means that our strength comes from the bond that we share."

"I just... don't know how we're supposed to beat her, you know?" Rainbow replied with a defeated shrug. "I mean, I like to think that I can kick serious flank, but..."

Twilight solemnly nodded. "I know, Rainbow... Well, look at it like this. We still have a whole day to come up with a plan. Hay, Moon Dancer is not only a technician, but also an O&O strategist. Maybe she'll be able to help us..."

"Seriously, Twi?" Rainbow deadpanned. "Ogres and Oubliettes? We're sorta talking about life and death here!"

"Yeeaah, I know, but... you know Spike and Moon Dancer, Rainbow. They treat it like it's a matter of life and death!"

Rainbow gave her eyes an exasperated roll, Twilight giggling as she stepped down from the side of her bed, stopping to nuzzle her girlfriend as she passed by her. "I won't be long," she noted lovingly.

Rainbow smiled warmly, returning the nuzzle.

"I know you won't, Twi," she whispered, relishing in the warmth and tenderness of her girlfriend's soft touch.

---

Minutes ticked passed as Rainbow laid back on the hospital bed, hind legs dangling off the side of the bed, and forehooves resting on her belly. Her eyes were half-lidded as she stared up at the ceiling. It wouldn't be long she said, she grumbled in thought. I really wanna show her—oh!

Her ears twitched at the sound of the door handle turning, and the bathroom door clicking open.

She sat up intently, her face beaming proudly.

"You look better already, Twi," she remarked, her eyes singling in on her girlfriend's now-spot free horn, looking just the way she remembered.

"I feel better too," Twilight replied with a soft smile. "Feels good to just... wash away everything that happened in that forest."

"I hear ya..."

Twilight walked over to her bed as Rainbow hopped down from it. She watched for a moment as her girlfriend pulled back the layers of sheets before preparing to hop in.

Rainbow reached out and grabbed her closest hoof before she could.

"Hey... come with me," she said. Twilight stared back at her inquisitively.

"What do you mean, come with me? I'm in no shape, Rainbow—"

"You look fine to me," Rainbow replied, triggering her face to lightly redden, finding herself without words right then and there.

"Now come on... play hooky with me, if only for a little bit." She put on a charming grin. "Didn't you say you wanted to see Ponyville?"

"I did, but..." Twilight averted her eyes, her ears flopping. "How do you plan on getting us outside? The staff here—not to mention Princess Celestia—more than likely don't want me to just... up and leave yet, so the front door's a no go."

Rainbow pondered the idea for a bit, pursing her lips and looking around. Her eyes passed by the window, and a mischievous smile of hers quickly grew, a lightbulb going off above her head.

She flew over, and opened it with a hoof, looking back over her shoulder at Twilight.

Twilight looked back at her with a coy smile.

"They really outta stop putting windows in hospital rooms, I mean, isn't that how a lot of break-ins and assassinations happen in fiction?" She glided out the open window as Twilight walked over, and hovered just outside. "Or break-outs in our case." Twilight giggled at Rainbow's wordplay, accepting the hoof that she held out for her.

Only a few steps away, Twilight whispered in hushed excitement, "This is so exhilarating, Rainbow."

Rainbow looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. "If you say so, Twi," she replied with a bit of a laugh, when a sudden shot of pain cut her off.

Twilight's expression instantly took on a look of worry. "What is it?"

"My shoulder," Rainbow explained, looking down at it worriedly, "w-where one of the wolves tore into me. They stitched it up, but it still..."

"Stings?" Twilight surmised. "It must be the nighttime air. Here—" She lowered her head and helped her fiancée raise her foreleg as quickly, and painlessly as possible up and over her shoulders. "—you can lean on me."

She raised her head, garnishing a lopsided smile back at her... and after a couple of moments, the pain began to fade away.

Rainbow smiled gratefully, and leaned in to thank her cheek with a nuzzle, Twilight happily returning the gesture.

"After all," she continued. "It's the least that I can do for you, after saving my flank earlier."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to lose that," Rainbow agreed with a laugh. Twilight chuckled in agreement. "Besides," she added, "if it hadn't been for your magic, I'm not sure we would've made it out."

"Sure... but, it was your wings—"

"H-How about we just agree that we both helped each other," suggested Rainbow, knowing that, if she didn't, they'd be at this all night.

Twilight looked back at her, momentarily taken aback, before nodding. "That works," she agreed, with a content smile.

The two slipped into a comfortable silence, Twilight in particular looking up and around her in awe of her surroundings. For Rainbow, the buildings and general feel of the town were nothing new, nor special... but to Twilight...

She took in every detail of the town and its denizens with wide-eyed wonderment and curiosity. Although it was dark and hard to make out every detail—the only sources of light being those of the ones resonating from the insides of ponies' homes and businesses, and the very moon itself—that didn't stop her from eagerly taking in every little detail about the quaint little town.

It was homely, and rustic—with a welcoming sort of vibe to it. Simple, two-story homes with straw rooftops, fertile dirt roads, windmills, and even a river that ran through the center of town—not unlike her own secret getaway in Canterlot.

The sounds of nightlife softly grew louder, the casual conversation of ponies slowly growing closer.

As they approached the center of town, several ponies caught Rainbow's attention. Some she recognized, while others wore unfamiliar faces. She instinctively tensed, feeling their eyes on her as she and Twilight entered the scene... but knew that she could also breath easy around them now, and focused on guiding Twilight towards the location she had planned on taking her.

Alright... It shouldn't be much farther— Her movements stopped, and her thought ceased at the sight of a certain pony—one she hadn't seen since first coming here.

Ditsy waved at her from across the street, accompanied by a brown-coated, earth stallion.

A little surprised at first, Rainbow waved back... unsure of what else to do.

"Friends of yours?" Twilight's teasing tone brought her attention back to her girlfriend.

"I... I think so, yeah."

"That's good." Twilight smiled, raising her head a bit to nuzzle Rainbow's jawline.

"See?" she whispered. "Ponies like you."

Rainbow stared ahead at them, unable to find the words for a brief moment. "Yeah, I... guess they do."

The two continued walking towards their destination... Rainbow's mind stewing over the fact.

"Were you exaggerating to me, Rainbow? Ponyville seems so nice."

"It was pretty rough when I first visited," Rainbow confessed. Her ears flopped ashamedly, peering off.

"Well... time has passed, Rainbow. Maybe they've changed, like you've changed." Twilight placed a hoof gingerly over her chest. "Maybe they see what I see in you."

Rainbow bit her lip and shook her head, turning to face her. "They only see that because of you, Twi. They're only treating me like a hero—"

"You are a hero."

Rainbow chuckled, smiling thankfully towards her. "—because of you. You really brought out the good in me, Twi."

"Aw, stop... You're spoiling me, Rainbow."

Rainbow's one shoulder dropped exasperatedly at her tease. "Come on Twi, I'm trying to be serious with you."

"Then quit saying such sappy things," she argued simply.

Rainbow blinked, taken aback. "What is happening right now...? Did you cast a role reversal spell or something?"

Twilight pumped the air with her foreleg as her eyes sparked to life. "Totally, man!"

At that, Rainbow turned away, letting out an embarrassed groan... her fiancée's laughter filling her ears.

"Seriously though—" Twilight continued before Rainbow cut her off, turning back to face her.

"Oh, now you want to be serious."

Twilight shied away, scuffing a hoof along the dirt road. "Do you think we'll be in trouble for, well... checking out early?"

"I'm pretty sure Celestia will cover for us," Rainbow figured, shrugging off her girlfriend's worry.

Meanwhile, back inside the hospital... Nurse Redheart ran up to the princess after briefly entering Twilight's room, panic written all over her face.

"Princess, the two of them, they're... well, t-they're gone!"

To her surprise however, Celestia didn't didn't seem the least bit phased. Instead, she simply lifted a hoof to her chin. "Considering Rainbow, that isn't too surprising. The two of them have a sort of disdain for hospitals—Rainbow especially. Do not worry," she assured her. "They'll both be back before too long."

---

"Ah... such a nice night to be out." Bon Bon sighed out contently, leaning her head back and closing her eyelids, relishing in the cool, nighttime breeze. "With my best friend, that is."

She reopened her eyes, and turned back to the pony she was with, giving her a sly wink.

"Best-est friend," Lyra corrected, in turn nuzzling Bon Bon's cheek.

A couple ponies passed by them, and the topic of their conversation just so happened to catch Bon Bon's attention, giving her pause.

"Who would'a thought that pony had it in her to do something so selfless."

"Right?" his mare companion agreed. "I actually got a chance to talk with her earlier. She's like, a whole new pony!"

Bon Bon shook her head in disbelief.

"Isn't it crazy, Lyres? Everypony's talking about that Rainbow Dash like she's some sort of hero."

"That's because she is a hero, Bonnie," Lyra insisted, her friend remaining less than convinced.

"I fail to see how," Bon Bon admitted. "She saves one pony—who I guess means a lot to the princess... and suddenly the whole town seems to forget about all her past misdeeds."

She huffed out, as Lyra stared back at her in stunned silence.

The mint-green unicorn turned her gaze away, muttering, "That pony means something to me too..."

Now it was Bon Bon's turn to look surprised, as she turned her stunned gaze towards her closest friend.

"She's a friend from Canterlot," Lyra went on to explain. "Name's Twilight. She's what gave me the courage to return here in the first place."

Bon Bon lowered her gaze, contemplating her friend's words. I see... She softly bit her lip. "Even so..."

"Come on, Bonnie," Lyra urged playfully, "give Rainbow Dash a chance. She's really not such a bad pony once you get to know her."

Bon Bon nodded begrudgingly. "I doubt she'd want me anywhere near her after the way I talked to her last time," she confessed, looking off with a saddened sigh.

"I'm sure if you forgive her misdeeds, she'll forgive yours," remarked Lyra, to which Bon Bon nodded once more knowingly.

"Alright," she finally gave in. "Alright, fine. If I ever even see her again. Where do you suppose that mare is?"

"With Twilight probably."

"They're really that close, huh?"

"Mhm! Closer than we are!" exclaimed Lyra, throwing her forelegs around, and hugging the earth pony around her shoulders, pressing her cheek to hers.

Bon Bon chuckled. "That's pretty close," she agreed, closing her eyes and nuzzling her friend back. "What happened to them in the Everfree anyway?"

"Hm?" Lyra blinked, for a moment taken aback by the question. She stepped back from her friend, articulating with her hooves, "Word is they were ambushed, then attacked by some kind of monster!"

Bon Bon's breath froze in the back of her throat, her heart skipping a beat at the news.

"Apparently this monster drained Twilight's magic, and might even be on its way to Canterlot to attack the princess!"

Bon Bon's right eye twitched.

"Of course the princess is here in Ponyville at the moment, not that the monster knows this—" Lyra gasped. "Maybe the monster does know this, and it's on its way here right now! Not that it's any match for the princess, of course—"

"Lyra," Bon Bon interrupted, placing a hoof to her excited friend's lips. "Stop talking."

Lyra's smile fell as she stared back into the serious look within her friend's eyes, and nodded compliantly.

"Did either of them say anything about it being a... bugbear?"

Lyra cocked her head as Bon Bon withdrew her hoof. "Bug-what now? Mm... no, I don't think so..."

Bon Bon sighed internally. Well that's a relief... For a second, I thought it might have escaped Tartarus... But wait... if it isn't the bugbear, then... "What did attack them, Lyra? Any idea?"

Lyra pursed her lips, scratching the back of her mane. "Not sure... Some kind of shadow creature I think..."

Shadow creature? Now that's odd... I don't remember there being anything in the monster-hunting archives about shadow creatures...

Lyra shrugged her shoulders before continuing to walk on ahead. "Or something dark and mysterious anyway. Eh, not like it matters. Celestia will stop it with a sunbeam straight to the face!"

Bon Bon watched as her friend continued on unknowingly without her, so sure of herself... Celestia was strong, sure, but this was precisely why she had established their monster-hunting agency to begin with. Some monsters were strong... and their princess, well... she wasn't invulnerable—

"Bonnie?"

Lyra's voice snapped her from her thoughts, and she looked to see her friend staring inquisitively back at her, a few yards ahead of her.

"You coming?"

Bon Bon feigned a quick, reassuring smile.

"Of course, Lyres."

She cantered up to rejoin her friend, and soon the two resumed their walk, but her thoughts only continued to worsen with every step.

Rainbow Dash, I... I know that we've never seen eye to eye, but... She peered up worriedly into the night sky. I do hope you know what you're doing, for both our sakes...

---

"Weeell?" Rainbow drew out the word excitedly in anticipation as she continuously looked between it, and her girlfriend with a growing grin. "It's pretty cool, huh?"

"It's a treehouse," Twilight deadpanned, gazing up at the sight before her.

Rainbow's shoulders dropped in dismay. "It's not just a treehouse, Twi. Didn't you notice the sign back there with the image of a book on it?" "Here," she said, "let's go inside."

They continued forward, Rainbow opening the door for the two of them, and once inside, Twilight's mouth fell open the moment her girlfriend hit the light switch.

"Wow..." she uttered breathlessly.

Her eyes marveled at the sight of rows of books upon books, stored within cubbyholes carved out of the tree's walls themselves, and storing untold knowledge—knowledge, as well as stories, that she had yet to either read, or were privy only to Ponyville's citizens.

"Told you it wasn't just a treehouse," Rainbow remarked teasingly, Twilight rolling her eyes at the comment, but otherwise remaining too entranced by all of the books to really pay her comment much mind.

"This is incredible, Rainbow. I-I mean, it's not as impressive as Canterlot's libraries—" Rainbow's ears sank a little at the words. "—but they're not as homely as, well... this. P-plus there's books that... I don't think I've ever even heard of, a-and ones that I think are only exclusive to Ponyville." She turned away from the wall of books in favor of her fiancée, brandishing a loving smile in her direction. "Thank you, Rainbow."

Rainbow blushed, rubbing a hoof along the back of her neck. "Heh, well... you know... Figured you could use something to take the edge off after the night we had... and the night that we're going to have, I guess," she murmured with a solemn shrug.

"You're right," supposed Twilight, her gaze lowering. "This is the proverbial calm before the storm, isn't it? The last night we'll have to just... relax before..." Her words trailed off, leaving behind a heavy silence.

"Twi..." Rainbow bit her lip, averting her eyes for a second in hesitation, before reaching out reassuringly. "We can still leave this up to Celestia. She said it herself that she wouldn't let any harm come to us."

Twilight contemplated her girlfriend's words, giving them some serious thought as she nodded her head begrudgingly.

"I know we can, Rainbow... and it's not like I don't have faith in Celestia either, I just... She doesn't know about the Pony of Shadows' involvement in all this... does she? What she's capable of..."

"Well, ah... n-not entirely, no..."

Twilight gripped her hoof, holding it close to her heart. "I'd never forgive myself if I let something bad happen—to the princesses or you."

"Twi... Haven't I told you to quit being so hard on yourself? To stop beating yourself up? I mean, this Pony of Shadows isn't your fault."

"Isn't she though? She used me like a blueprint, Rainbow, using me to give herself form—!"

"Which wasn't your fault, Twilight!"

Twilight stared up at her hopelessly.

"I..." Her resolve slowly weakened the more she continued to stare into Rainbow's eyes, and managed to smile slightly.

"Y-you're right, Rainbow, I just.." She breathed in, then out deeply. "I just feel like... everypony is really counting on me to be a hero like you, Rainbow. You know, somepony worthy of being an element bearer..."

"And you will, Twilight. I know you will, Celestia knows you will, and if everypony else knew, they'd say that they know you will too. Being taken advantage of the way that you were makes you no less worthy, I mean... hay—" She grinned meekly, in a way that melted her girlfriend's heart. "—look at all the things I've done, and I'm still no less worth—!"

Twilight leaned forward, embracing her and holding her closely against her.

Rainbow simply blinked, as she stared dumbfounded over her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Thank you," murmured Twilight, her voice muffled somewhat by the pegasus's own fur.

Rainbow's expression slowly softened up in understanding. A warm smile formed on her lips as she nuzzled her back.

"You have nothing to prove, Twilight," she whispered to her. "Heck, you wanting to protect everypony just proves that you're already a hero! Now all you have to do is not let 'em down."

Twilight pulled back enough to meet her gaze, chuckling softly. "I'll do my best, so long as... you're always there to have my back?" She looked hopefully into her girlfriend's eyes.

"Always and forever. Twilight," Rainbow replied reassuringly, grinning softly, and bringing a hoof up to cover her right eye.

Twilight smiled at her girlfriend's words, and at the action that sent her heart aflutter. A pinkie promise, huh... The realization made her blush as she moved her head forward, and in one swift motion, kissed her gingerly, bringing a hoof to cup her cheek.

Rainbow's eyes widened briefly, but she didn't protest, instead returning the gesture as she wrapped her hooves around her comfortingly.

The two soon parted, Rainbow asking under her breath, "What... was that for?"

"Do I need a reason to kiss my girlfriend?" Twilight smiled coyly as she draped a hoof of hers along fiancée's chest, and that's when it struck her that something felt off.

No fabric, she realized. Only fur...

Her smile was swiftly replaced with a puzzled expression as she stepped back a bit, looking her once over.

Rainbow could only smile somewhat nervously, as she stared back at Twilight.

"Er... everything okay, Twi?" she asked worriedly. Twilight shook her head.

"Your hoodie," she pointed out. "I hadn't really noticed until now, but... you're not wearing it."

Rainbow's lip parted, but no words came out, finding herself caught off guard by her words.

"Erm, y-yeah... I, uh... About that..."

She rubbed a hoof along the back of her neck, averting her eyes as the room fell back into silence.

Twilight tilted her head inquisitively. "They... had to throw it out, didn't they?" she asked in an understanding tone.

Rainbow nodded, biting her inner lip. "That thing was trashed anyway, I mean... it had all these stains and tears in it... At least the goggles survived, though... even those I think took a few hits..."

Her ears flopped as she turned back to Twilight ashamedly.

To her surprise however, her girlfriend didn't seem the least bit upset.

"That's alright," she simply said. "I can always buy you another, whenever the Wonderbolts decide to put on another show, that is. Although..."

She reconsidered, playfully adding, "I forgot how good you look without any clothes on."

Rainbow's face immediately turned beet red, her eyes widening. "T-Twi!"

Twilight giggled, shaking her head softly as she continued. "Seriously though, Rainbow... don't worry about it. It's just a sweatshirt, one that I bought on a whim for you, to conceal your injuries because I was too embarrassed to be out in public with a featherbrain like yourself... Now though..." She stepped closer once more, closing her eyes, and nuzzling her fiancée's cheek so tenderly. "I want to be everywhere with you Rainbow Dash... and for everypony to see us together. I want to have your back, as you have mine, and walk by your side forever and always... and nopony, not even Nightmare Moon, nor this Pony of Shadows are going to get in the way of me cherishing the rest of my days with you... or us fulfilling out destinies together."

A proud smile adorned Rainbow's lips. "That sounds more like the Twilight I know."

Twilight pulled back enough to meet her gaze, and for Rainbow to see the happy smile on her face, and teary sheen in her eyes.

"Now, since we've got some time, and are sorta surrounded by books..." A determined grin parted Rainbow's lips. "What's say we start finding ways of restoring your memory?"

---

All was quiet in the Castle of the Two Sisters, save for the occasional creaking of wooden beams, or the slight whistling of wind as it slipped through the cracks that were present throughout the stone walls.

That was, until the door to the castle's library crept open, Princess Celestia stepping cautiously into the room.

A small light emanated from the very tip of her horn, casting away the shadows that engulfed the room, and lighting her way through the darkened, and treacherous remnants of her old castle.

"Luna?" she called out tentatively. "Are you... still here?"

She waited with baited breath for several long moments, looking all around her warily for any hints of another pony's presence.

"It's me, Luna, your sister! 'Tia..." Her gaze slowly became crestfallen. "Please... if you can hear me... won't you please just... give me a sign?"

Several more seconds passed, and with each passing second, her heart sunk further and further.

The sixth room, she lamented, and not a single sign of life...

She breathed out in disappointment. I suppose Rainbow really was telling me the truth. I just had to confirm it for myself... but it would seem that Luna's mind really has rejoined with her body.

Celestia continued on deeper into the library, soon coming up to a long wooden table, and found herself peering down at the tattered old journal that lay on its surface.

She set a hoof on the cover, and smiled softly, as the sight of it carried with it a wave of nostalgic memories. So this is the journal the two of them stumbled upon... I must've been in such a hurry to leave that day, that I forgot to safeguard this...

She set her hoof over the back of the chair nearest to her, and tilted it back, causing the whole room to rumble for but a moment before the bookshelves to her right started moving in opposite directions... revealing a hidden room.

Still safe, she thought in relief, before scooping the journal up in her magic, and proceeding forward.

The interior of the hidden room had a cozy feel to it as she stepped inside. Pillows were strewn across the room, a single, smaller bookshelf stood against the wall to her left, chock full of her favorite stories from when she was younger... and two orange and blue stained glass panels, displaying both abstract portraits of the daytime and nighttime respectively, stood proudly against the back wall. A lounge seat perfect for reading positioned itself against the far wall, and in the center of it all, was a lone lectern.

As Celestia stepped closer, she was all of a sudden struck with the memory of a time she had long since forgotten... the memory playing itself out before her very eyes.

"'Tia!" Luna's voice rung out excitedly.

She remembered the scene as though it had taken place just the other day, and stared wistfully at her younger self as she lay sprawled out on one of the large pillows, reading contently.

'Tia?" Luna's voice repeated itself.

The sound of the bookshelves parting caused her younger self to flinch, then sigh dramatically, slowly lowering the book from her face.

"Luna..." her younger self grumbled, snapping the book shut.

"I had a feeling you'd be here, 'Tia!" She ran up to her as her younger self sat up fully from one of the pillows.

"Well, it is sorta my private chamber, Luna," she had replied sarcastically, with a roll of her eyes. "You know? The place I go for a few extra hours of shuteye, or for some me time?"

"Oh, I know, 'Tia, but... I was thinking... since moving here... We haven't really spent a whole lot of time together, and, well, what with how big and maze-like this castle is..."

Her younger self let out a irritable groan. "Cut to the chase, Luna."

Luna flinched, averting her eyes to the floor as she timidly traced circles with her hoof, searching for the right words.

"I-I was thinking maybe we could have a slumber party or something! Y-you know, like the civilian ponies do!"

Her younger self raised an eyebrow, peering down at her sister skeptically. "A... slumber party... Urgh, Lulu..." She stared down at her incredulously. "Those are typically held during the night—"

"I know, Sister, but... the night basically is daytime for me! Plus, I... rarely ever get to see you, and... after Starswirl disappeared... I feel like you're the only friend I really have..."

"What about your nighttime forays into the unknown, or your gallivanting through the dreamscape?"

"The guards I travel with, they... I don't know, I... get the sense that they're somewhat afraid of me, o-or at the very least intimidated by my presence... I don't know..." She shrugged her shoulders as her younger self got up and stretched her limbs, then turned and returned her book back to it proper place on the shelf where it belonged.

"Uh huh, uh huh, go on," she had said. "I'm listening."

"R-right, well, um... t-the dreamscape doesn't fare much better. To tell the truth... it would seem that a lot of the ponies dream of you, dear sister."

Celestia's younger self snorted at that. "No surprise there. After all, I do have a way of lighting up their life, so to speak."

Luna chuckled humorously in agreement.

"So, ah, a-anyways... I was hoping that maybe today, the two of us could spend the day togeth—"

"Yeeeaah, no," her younger self was quick to cut her off. "You know that our duties don't allow us to just... goof off like normal ponies, okay? Because we aren't normal ponies, Luna. We just aren't..." She passed her younger self without a sparing glance, all the while muttering, "If you're looking for something to do, why not ride down the castle slide for the umpteen time? I know how much you enjoy doing so. Now, if you'll excuse me, Sister... I have to fulfill my duty of raising the sun."

Her sister's voice lost its enthusiasm, taking on a more dejected tone-of-voice.

"Okay," she replied, scuffing a hoof along the floor as her older sister's past self exited her hideaway.

"I'll just be here then... if you ever change your mind."

A few tears dripped onto the cover of her old journal, as it now rested on the lectern.

Oh, Luna... she openly wept. You... y-you really were waiting here all this time. Wai-wait-ting f-for me... for me to find you, w-weren't you?

She clenched her jaw to stop it from trembling as more and more tears continued to roll freely down her cheeks.

I've s-stayed up countless nights, if only to... to make it up to you. To make up for failing you as a sister, a-and, and as a friend, like I had promised I would start b-being to you, but... but I got caught up in my obligations as ruler, a-and instead Nightmare Moon was able to get to you first all the way back then, a-and even now. W-well...

She sniffled unwittingly as she regained her composure. She rubbed a foreleg back and forth across her eyes, drying them as a flame slowly ignited from deep within her heart. One that burned brighter, and hotter with each passing moment.

I-I... I swear I'll save you, Luna. I swear I'll find some way to bring you back.

She glared up at the stained glass panels, feeling more determined than ever before. Somehow, someway... I swear I'll make it up to you.

Author's Note:

Bonus ending scene for this chapter, and sneak preview for the next chapter.

Comments

[Vaguely Demented]

Maybe I glossed over it but what was the poison jokes effect on Rainbow?

[Fantasia]

9952934
Her ability to fly well, same as it was in the show. I mean, seeing as Twilight has the same affliction, it only makes sense Rainbow's would have the same too. Also, it was sort of exemplified, albeit vaguely, by her inability to fly away from the timberwolves until Twilight was able to use magic that derived from her love for Rainbow—not unlike Cadance's ability to do so, which gave Rainbow the boost of speed she needed, but was still only able to fly upwards in a straight line before crashing back to Earth.

[Vaguely Demented]

9953165
Fair enough. Though as I recall it messed up her flight because it changed her wings to face the opposite direction. So I was expecting a reaction to her limbs being rearranged.

[Kichi]

They should had talked to Celestia about the dream and the memories... Maybe they could had found a way to protect them or get a copy of the memories

[Silver_Linings]

I'm glad to see this back yet again. This was the first Twidash story I ever read and I've been with it since 2015. Thank you for sticking with it for so long. It's one of the best out there.

[K-O-D-E-X]

Time skips be jarring.