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Chapter 1: The Incident1,067 words
Chapter 2: Aftermath1,520 words
Chapter 3: Next Morning1,281 words
Chapter 4: Emotions, Part I2,016 words
Chapter 5: Emotions, Part II1,751 words
Chapter 6: Damage1,437 words

Chapter 2: Aftermath

Chapter 2: Aftermath
Love Conquers Hate...Right?

Twilight twisted and turned in her bed, plagued by nightmares. Again and again, she saw herself looking down, felt the cold hoof of fear seize her heart, and, as if by their own decision, she felt her wings freeze up.

And then falling...falling...

Each time, Twilight woke up, just a few meters from going two-dimensional on the ground. She would lay there, panting, as her rational and logical mind re-asserted itself. Then, she would drift off into another uneasy slumber, eventually seeing herself at that flight again.

Finally, she awoke and said, “Who am I fooling? I'm not going to be able to sleep anytime soon.” Instead, Twilight rose from her bed and started pacing, her eyes eventually coming to rest on her crown. She fixed the crown in her mind, thinking of all the responsibility that came with it. This was her method of meditation. She would focus on all the ponies that needed her, and that, inexplicably, would calm her down and help her focus on the task at hoof.

She closed her eyes, drawing deep breaths. This time, the meditation was not working the same as it had in the past. Instead of calming her mind and granting clarity to a small frame of her life, the meditation encouraged thoughts of her friends. She thought about the reactions of the ponies to her being crowned as Princess. Sure, they were all happy for her. Sure, they all supported her. However, over time, they started to get distant. It was slow, and Twilight didn't even notice for the longest time. It had started, perhaps inevitably, with Rarity. Over time, Rarity – and the other ponies – started to treat Twilight with much more respect and courtesy. At first, Twilight didn't mind. In fact, she even liked it. It is always nice to be respected, she had thought at the time.

However, things changed. Twilight's friends gradually drew further and further away, to the point Twilight felt like she didn't even know her friends anymore.

The only exception was Rainbow Dash. Despite Twilight's elevation to the highest office in the land, Rainbow was unfazed. Rainbow had always been a simple pegasus when it came to friendships. Twilight Sparkle had been one of her best friends. Now, Princess Twilight Sparkle was one of her best friends, as well. Sure, there may be rules about how to address her in public, and how to conduct herself around the Princess in public. But while in private, none of these rules applied, because nopony was around to enforce them. No need seeking out complications in life, which is already way too complicated.

Twilight's mind returned, unbidden, to the events of the day. She remembered her flight on that afternoon, and how if Dash had been any slower or not there at all, Twilight likely would have been nothing but a spot on the ground. She also reflected on the thought she had just before Dash's unexpected– yet very welcome– intervention.

This is it. I'm finished. I am going to die.

Twilight felt bad that she was foolish enough to forget the main principle that Rainbow had hammered into her mind, causing the other mare to worry so much about her. Even now, she could hear her words echoing: And until you are comfortable in the air, DO NOT LOOK DOWN! Panic will seize you. Twilight also felt ashamed that, in that moment, she forgot all of her training and magic and instead...well, gave up. Outshining all other emotions, though, she felt a very strong bond to the mare that had saved her.

Rainbow Dash had gone out for a little late-night flying. Maybe unusual, but she had no better way of clearing her thoughts at her disposal. When Rainbow returned to her house in the skies, she had taken a shower, lit a fire (it was cold), and settled into her cloud-bed, hoping for a good night's sleep.

How wrong she was.

Rainbow estimated that she had lain in her bed awake for two hours, while her mind had run amok, thinking up all kinds of dreadful scenarios. In most of them, Rainbow Dash had failed to catch up with Twilight, and she had to watch Twilight die on the ground.

Rainbow jumped up after watching her friend get her entire skeletal structure shattered for the fifteenth time. She threw open the door and flew out at great speed.

So, here she was, darting around the clouds just under the speed of sound, mindful of the ponies below that might get pissed off if a Sonic Rainboom awoke them from their slumbers. Rainbow Dash hoped that exhausting herself would force her overactive mind to shut up.

After two to three hours of fast-paced and more than slightly reckless flying, Rainbow turned back to her home. When she approached the floating house, she noticed that the door was closed. Rainbow was pretty sure she had left it open, but she didn't worry about it. With a yawn, she pushed the door open to reveal...Twilight, anxiously pacing back and forth in Dash's small living room.

“Twilight, what are you doing here? And how did you get in here?” Dash asked, not unkindly.

“I teleported here!” Twilight answered like it was the most obvious thing in Equestria.

“Okay, but that does not answer my first question: Why?” Rainbow inquired, and her voice make it clear she was running short on patience.

Twilight sighed, and drooped her head. “To be honest Dash, I do not quite know. I have been having nightmares of this afternoon's...incident, and I thought that this place might hold a few answers.”

At hearing this, Rainbow softened and said, “You too, huh?” When Twilight nodded, Dash continued on, saying “I haven't gotten any sleep either. I should feel happy, having saved you, but all that I can think is 'What if?', you know what I mean?”

Twilight nodded, understanding. The very same question had been plaguing her all though the night.

Eventually, Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash sat on Rainbow's only couch in her entire house, staring into the flames Rainbow had set there early in the afternoon. The flames had died, but the hot coals remained. It was a simple matter for her to coax them back into a roaring inferno. They spoke of many things, most of which had little meaning.

“So, Princess,” Rainbow Dash said after a while. She smirked when Twilight bristled. “How is life as a Princess?” You always avoid talking about it to us.”

Twilight thought carefully about her answer, eventually deciding to tell all of the truth and nothing but the truth. “Well, it is lonely work. Mostly just administrative work like checking taxes, expenses, and making sure that the military is all fed and have weapons. It is all very dull, in reality. However, there are advantages. Namely, knowing that I am the role model to everypony in Equestria.”

“I noticed that you never have guards. Why? Are you not considered as important as Celestia and Luna?”

“No, I am considered just as important as both Celestia and Luna. However, I hate the idea of ponies following me around, prying into my personal life and glaring at anypony that looks at me twice. I do have a guard of approximately twenty guardsponies assigned to protect me, but I usually dismiss them.”

“How did they react to the incident today?”

Twilight glanced around, and in a voice that reminded Rainbow of a filly sharing a illegal activity she did while her parent's backs were turned, said “I have not told them.”

Rainbow Dash smiled and chuckled. “Heh, that's hilarious. But, in all seriousness, isn't the guard's goal to protect you from danger of all kinds? After all, it would be terrible if something happened to our glorious leader!”

Twilight shot Rainbow a glare, then said, “It's all right. What they don't know won't hurt them.”

Rainbow was shocked that Twilight said this. “My Twilight, I have never known you to act with so much irresponsibility.”

Twilight giggled. Changing the subject, she then said “I don't know if it is just me, but all of my friends seem to have gotten distant after the coronation. All except for you.”

Rainbow Dash smiled warmly, detecting that now was not the time for a sarcastic remark or crude behavior. Instead, she wrapped one of her strong wings around the young and confused Alicorn, and said in a soothing voice, “Like I keep saying Twily, I will always be there for a friend.”

Twilight leaned against Rainbow Dash and muttered, “Don't call me Twily, only Shinning Armor can call me Twily.” With that, she closed her eyes and began to sleep.

“Good night, Twilight,” Rainbow said softly. She then closed her eyes and drifted off as well.

With that, the young Princess and one of her best friends slept long and deep through the rest of the night.

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Kodeake

Kodeake #1 · Nov 22nd, 2013 · · ·

Writing needs work, you can use more contractions, needs less capitals (Not EVERY noun needs one) but flows well, even if it's pacing is a bit irregular.

I'll keep track of this, but you're gonna have to earn that like.

Fox-Sama

Fox-Sama #2 · Nov 22nd, 2013 · 1 · ·

The chapters seem a little short but I am liking tis

mint20

mint20 #3 · Nov 22nd, 2013 · · ·

3521506
Um, thank you? I'll work on it.

Dashie98

Dashie98 #4 · Nov 22nd, 2013 · · ·

Deffinetly need to find an editor for this. The mistakes you make dont detract from the story much but they are still alightly annoying for readers to interpret. For example "Sure, they WERE ARE happy for her." Makes no sense as it is. Now if you said
Sure they were, no are happy her. It would have made alot more sense to a reader or if you wanted too just used one instead of both

Still this is a good idea and you deffinetly keep your works interesting so i think ill be following this ^.^

mint20