• Published 16th Nov 2013
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I'll Always be Here for You - The Abyss



After Rainbow finds Scootaloo trudging beneath her house in a vicious snowstorm, she takes her in, only to discover something shocking.

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Tense Moments

“Mmm… that was a good dinner, Cadence!” Twilight said, pushing her empty plate away from her. They had all just finished a hearty dinner consisting of a full salad, bread rolls, and to top it all off, Cadence had cooked a scrumptious pumpkin pie for dessert. “I never knew you could cook so well!” Twilight sat back with a pleasantly full stomach on her cushion, looking around the cozy table with a tired smile.

Everyone had barely been able to fit around the small table that she and Spike used, nearly crammed up against each other. Twilight had made it to the table first just so that she would be able to eat next to Rainbow, and she hoped that she hadn’t appeared too eager. Scootaloo was sitting to Rainbow’s left on the corner of the table and Cadence sat across from them with Spike to her left.

“Well, I had to find something to occupy my spare time with,” Cadence said as she grabbed the dishes with her magic. “Don’t tell Shining I said this, but things get a little boring up in our castle. He’s always so busy, so I like to surprise him with a special meal every now and then.” She trotted around the table and headed towards the sink, everyone’s dirty dishes floating in front of her. “Enjoy the food, little one?” she asked as she passed Scootaloo.

“Mhm!” Scootaloo said with a nod. “It was really…” A small yawn cut her off. “…really good. Thanks for making it!”

“Oh, it was nothing…” Cadence said. With a couple of quick spells, she had the dishes cleaned and put away back in the cupboards.

“Woah, you have got to teach me that spell, Cadence!” Twilight said, her eyes wide in surprise.

“Yeah, you should definitely teach her that!” Spike cut in with a hopeful look. “If she can clean the dishes in a couple of seconds like that, then that means that I won’t have to do the dishes anymore!”

“All in good time, Twily…” Cadence said, giggling at Spike’s little outburst. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was already getting pretty late. “Say, isn’t it past Scootsies bedtime?”

“…Scootsies? I don’t– wait. I have a bedtime now?” Scootaloo asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion as she looked back and forth between Twilight and Rainbow. “…really?”

“Yes, really,” Twilight said with a gentle smile. “I think it may help you stop having nightmares if we get you on a schedule like this.” She stood up and walked around the table, using her wing to gently guide Scootaloo towards the stairs leading up to Rainbow’s house. “I’ll be back in a bit, guys. Once I put Scootaloo to bed I’m gonna take a quick shower before bed.”

“Alright, see you soon!” Rainbow said, waving Scootaloo goodnight. Once the filly waved back, Rainbow caught Cadence’s eye and nodded. This is it… she thought when Cadence nodded back. Looking at Spike, Rainbow chuckled nervously and said, “Hey, um… Spike? Cadence and I are gonna hang out on the top deck for a bit and look at the stars. You wanna come?” She knew for a fact that he hated the cold and much preferred the warmth of his bed, especially on a cold night like this.

“Nah, thanks though,” Spike said. “I’ve got a few comics waiting on the couch that I wanna re-read before I go to bed.”

Perfect… “Okay, c–cool!” Rainbow stuttered. Chill, Dash, chill! “We’ll see ya tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, okay Dash. Have a good night you two…” he said with a yawn. He gave one of Cadence’s forelegs a brief hug then walked out of the kitchen, making a beeline for the couch. He lit a few candles with his fire breath, pulled a blanket around them, and cracked open the first of several comic books.

Rainbow knew it was time. With a short nod, she motioned towards the stairs and followed Cadence as they made their way to the top of the library, all the way up to the sun deck. Cadence pushed open the trapdoor and climbed through, then helped Rainbow up a moment later. Rainbow closed the trapdoor behind them and walked to the railing, her gaze flicking from star to star.

It was cold outside, yet the lack of the wind made it a little more bearable. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, lending Rainbow an uninhibited view of the night sky. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute and the cold was doing nothing to help calm her nerves. She fluffed her wings and pulled them tightly to her side in an effort to conserve what little warmth her body still had.

As she tried to calm down enough, Rainbow heard Cadence’s horn light up. Wondering what she was doing, she was just about to turn around and ask when Cadence sat down next to her, levitating a thick blanket over their shoulders. Rainbow smiled gratefully at her, then wrapped the edge of the blanket tightly around her.

A minute passed in silence, then two.

“So…” Cadence said softly, breaking the silence. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

Here we go… “I, er… I have thi– this friend, right?” Rainbow started, mentally kicking herself for sounding so weak. “She asked me for advice the other day, and, um… she told me that she might have feelings for another…” She gulped nervously, pulling the blanket closer to her. “…for another mare.” Unbeknownst to her, Cadence’s eyes widened in excitement. “This friend of mine, she… she really loves this other mare, but she doesn’t… doesn’t know if the one she likes would love her back…” As she talked, her shoulders slumped and she bowed her head, her ears flicking back at the possibility of Twilight turning down her affections.

“Hm… yes, I see…” Cadence murmured, running a hoof over her chin. “And this friend of yours, what’s her name?”

Rainbow almost said her own name out of reflex but caught herself at the last second. “I– She said that she’d like it if I kept it a secret for her, sorry…” That was close.

“That’s fine, I guess,” Cadence said. “You know… I think that Twilight would be very happy with you…”

“Yeah, same– wait, what?!” Rainbow’s head shot up in shock. How can she know? she thought, panic running through her mind. She tensed up, preparing to fly away to save herself the embarrassment of spilling her guts out in front of Princess Cadence, but she quickly shoved those feelings away. Rainbow closed her eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for Cadence to speak.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to see through that little facade of yours, Rainbow?” Cadence asked gently, giving her a playful nudge with a wing. “I am the princess of love after all…” She waited for Rainbow to respond, and when she didn’t, she decided to continue. “I can literally sense how much you love her, Rainbow, and I know that you love her a great deal.”

“I… yeah, I might like her, maybe a little more than I should…”

“Rainbow, feelings of love are nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I know, and it’s not that; I’m just really nervous, is all…” Rainbow trailed off, looking everywhere but Cadence. Her gaze eventually came to rest on the moon far off in the distance. “I messed up big time…” she whispered after a full minute of silence, her voice full of pain and regret.

“Oh?” Cadence asked softly, knowing all too well that she had to tread carefully.

“Yeah… back on Hearth’s Warming Day, I was getting all sorts of mixed signals from Twilight, so I acted like a numbskull and asked her if she was into me out of the blue. Now that was an awkward situation! Anyways, to make a long story short, she said no. Every time I think about that moment, it... it hurts me, and I regret asking her that stupid question every day. The only time I don’t feel that pain is when we’re together…”

“Let me guess… you just want to spend every single second with them, right?” Cadence asked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, I know the feeling…” Cadence said, thinking of her husband for a few brief moments. “Anyways, I want to hear you describe Twilight for me.”

“Um… why?”

“Just trust me, alright? I want to hear what you think about her…”

Rainbow took a long, deep breath and decided that it wouldn’t hurt. Besides, there was nopony around, and Twilight was probably still in the shower. Just as she opened her mouth to start talking, she heard something coming from below them. Wondering what it was, she peeked over the railing and looked at the part of their houses that connected the two, seeing nothing but empty air. Shrugging, she sat back and gathered her thoughts for a few moments. A small breeze rolled in, her nose catching the faint scent of strawberries. Slightly puzzled, she brushed that thought away and began to speak.

“Twilight is… well, she’s everything and more to me. I can’t stand not being around her, and when I am, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I love it when she holds me in her hooves,” she said, her voice getting stronger and firmer with each passing second. Rainbow felt butterflies start flitting about in her stomach, but the sheer amount of affection and love she felt for Twilight pushed them back. “When I’m out in public, I always keep a tough act going because I don’t want ponies starting to think I’m weak. I had a time in my life where I was made fun of, and I… I learned to act tough so I wouldn’t get picked on…” She trailed off as she stared off into the distance. Several seconds passed before she started speaking again.

“But when I’m with her? I feel safe, secure. I know I can drop my act around her and just be myself because I know that she won’t judge me. I love that about her; about how I can just be myself and relax… It’s kinda hard acting tough all the time.”

“Mhm…” Cadence nodded with a small smile. “Shining was the same way for a while until I managed to get him to relax around me and let his guard down…” She glanced at Rainbow. “Oh, er… sorry for the interruption. Please, continue…”

“A… alright. When we snuggle, I…” She felt herself blush as she remembered just how awesome it felt snuggling with Twilight. “I feel safe. Whenever we get the chance to snuggle, I would always be the big spoon because, I think, unconsciously I knew that was what I expected of myself. When we were up in Canterlot for the trial, I had asked to be the little spoon that morning, and with the few minutes I had, I felt something I’d never felt before. I felt like that was my place: in Twilight’s embrace. She had a leg holding my forelegs to my chest, her tail was laying around my flank, and best of all, her wing was wrapped around my belly… I loved it; I really loved every single second of it…” Rainbow closed her eyes, relieved that she had gotten that off of her chest. A few moments later, she looked over at Cadence and giggled nervously when she saw her smiling at her. “I… I just don’t know how to tell her I like her…”

Cadence took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Taking a moment to fluff her wings, she paused for a few more seconds then let a sly smile creep onto her face. “You know, I think I want to hear you really say it.”

Rainbow gulped. “Uh… say what?” she asked dumbly, already knowing exactly what Cadence wanted.

“I want to hear you say that you love her.”

Rainbow stared at Cadence for a few seconds then wilted, unable to hold the alicorn’s fierce gaze. “Alright…” She lowered her voice until it was naught but a whisper. “I love her…”

“Louder.”

Rainbow cleared her throat, a small smile finding its way onto her face. “I love her,” she said, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson.

“Louder, and with more conviction!” Cadence said, raising her voice. “Make me believe that you love her!”

“I do love her!” Rainbow said, stomping a hoof on the deck. “I love Twilight Sparkle!” She stood up and flapped her wings as hard as she could a single time, her heart racing and throbbing with love. She settled back down and wrapped the blanket back around her, then said, “I still need a way to ask her out, though…”

“Why don’t you just ask her out on a date at Pinkie Pie’s party tomorrow night? I’m sure that there’ll be a good opportunity or two for you to get some private time, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess… I don’t want to mess this up, so… can you teach me what to say?” Rainbow asked hopefully, looking up into Cadence’s eyes. She noticed a strange glint in them, sending a shiver of excitement down her spine.

Cadence grinned. “Hehe, I’d be more than happy to…”


Twilight stepped into the shower, closing her eyes and smiling as the hot water cascaded down her neck and back. She’d just put Scootaloo to bed, and after wishing her sweet dreams, she had walked into Rainbow’s bedroom to wash all of the day’s dirt and grime from her. Besides, she didn’t want to push Rainbow away by smelling bad, especially when they were going to snuggle soon.

Twilight lit her horn and used her magic to pour a good bit of her strawberry-scented shampoo all over her, then worked it into her coat and mane, making sure to clean every bit of her body. She stepped back under the shower head and let the water rinse the soap suds from her, and once she was clean, she turned the water’s temperature up a bit. After a minute passed, Twilight shut the water off and stepped out of the shower, using a quick spell to dry herself off.

I wonder what the others are up to… she thought with a small smile, wondering if Rainbow was as excited as she was to cuddle with her. The sooner the better… the sooner the better… Twilight quickly made her way down the stairs and back out onto the balcony that connected their houses. As she quietly shut Rainbow’s front door behind her, she heard soft voices coming from above her, making her pause. Flicking her ears upwards, Twilight instantly recognized Rainbow’s voice, then Cadence’s a few moments later.

“I messed up big time…” Twilight heard Rainbow say. What is she talking about? Twilight lit her horn and cast a spell that allowed her to hear things more clearly, and as she focused the spell on the level above her, she heard her two friends like they were sitting right next to her.

“Yeah… back on Hearth’s Warming Day, I was getting all sorts of mixed signals from Twilight,” Twilight heard. Mixed signals? What’s she talking about? She still had no idea what Rainbow was going on about, so she started listening again. “…ow that was an awkward situation! Anyways, to make a long story short, she said no. Every time I think about that moment, it hurts me, and I regret it with every waking moment. The only time I don’t feel that pain is when we’re together…”

“Let me guess… you just want to spend every single second with them, right?” Cadence asked.

“Yeah…” Twilight heard Rainbow’s voice drift down from above.

“Oh, I know the feeling…” Twilight heard Cadence say. “Anyways, I want to hear you describe Twilight for me.”

Why would Cadence want Rainbow to describe me? She already knows me! Twilight cocked her head to the side, puzzled. Unless… Twilight’s eyes shot wide open as one possibility occurred to her, one that was most favorable. There’s no way that Rainbow and Cadence are talking about her liking me romantically… right? Oh please oh please oh pleeeeeeeaaaase say what I want you to say…

Twilight so desperately wanted to hear everything, and more so, not be discovered in the process. Lighting her horn, she cloaked herself, making herself invisible to the naked eye. Only those who knew how to detect the spell would be able to find her, so she was confident that she was safe. The spell finished hiding her from view a moment later, and as it ended, it made a soft popping noise, scaring her, for she had forgotten that that would happen.

Twilight looked up in fear, praying that they hadn’t heard her. She saw Rainbow’s head pop out over the edge of the balcony and look around, but thankfully she didn’t see her. Twilight sat stock-still, knowing that any movement might give away her location, especially since her weight was making an imprint on the cloud she was sitting on.

Rainbow sat back a moment later, making Twilight sigh ever so softly in relief. She had no idea what Rainbow would have done if she caught her eavesdropping on her. A breeze rolled in behind her, making her shiver. Twilight would have gone and grabbed something to warm her up, but there was no way that she was going to move from this spot until she heard everything that Rainbow had to say.

“Twilight is… well, she’s everything and more to me…” Twilight heard Rainbow’s voice say softly, making her breath catch in her throat. Her eyes locked on the balcony above her, she felt her stomach twist itself into a knot and back again.

“I can’t stand not being around her, and when I am, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I love it when she holds me in her hooves,” Rainbow said, her voice getting stronger and firmer. “When I’m out in public, I always keep a tough act going because I don’t want ponies starting to think I’m weak. I had a time in my life where I was made fun of, and I… I learned to act tough so I wouldn’t get picked on…”

“So that’s why she acts like that…” Twilight whispered to herself. She cocked her head upwards when she didn’t hear Rainbow keep talking, and several seconds passed before she started speaking again.

“But when I’m with her? I feel safe, secure. I know I can drop my act around her and just be myself because I know that she won’t judge me. I love that about her; about how I can just be myself and relax… It’s kinda hard acting tough all the time.”

Twilight zoned out. Rainbow… she– she likes me! Like, likes likes me! She couldn’t help but let out a soft squee before she started listening again.

“…e snuggle, I… I feel safe. Whenever we had the chance to snuggle, I would always be the big spoon because, I think, unconsciously I knew that was what I expected of myself. When we were up in Canterlot for the trial, I had asked to be the little spoon that morning, and with the few minutes I had, I felt something I’d never felt before. I felt like that was my place: in Twilight’s embrace. She had a leg holding my forelegs to my chest, her tail was laying around my flank, and best of all, her wing was wrapped around my belly… I loved it; I loved every single second of it…” Twilight heard Rainbow giggle nervously, making her blush. She loved it when she laughed like that. “I… I just don’t know how to tell her…”

Oh Rainbow… all you have to do is ask me out; you know I’d say yes! Twilight thought, raising a leg, reaching for the balcony above her. She pulled it back a moment later as she remembered Rainbow’s words from earlier. Oh no… oh no no no no… She had already asked me if I liked liked her, and I told her no! Twilight’s shoulders slumped as she looked down. She felt tears start to well up in her eyes, but they were quickly abolished by Rainbow’s next words.

“I love her…” Twilight heard Rainbow’s voice drift ever so softly towards her from above. To her, Rainbow’s voice was like an angel singing from on high, especially with those words. Did she… did she say what I think she said? she thought, hopefulness filling her. Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back up.

“Louder, and with more conviction!” Cadence barked, raising her voice. “Make me believe that you love her!”

“I do love her!” Rainbow firmly said. “I love Twilight Sparkle!” After a short pause, Twilight heard Rainbow say, “I still need a way to ask her out, though.”

“Why don’t you just ask her out on a date at Pinkie Pie’s party tomorrow night? I’m sure that there’ll be a good opportunity or two for you to get some private time, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess… I don’t want to mess this up, so… can you teach me what to say?” Rainbow asked hopefully.

“Hehe, I’d be more than happy to…” Twilight heard Cadence say. Feeling as giddy as a filly on the eve of Hearth’s Warming Day, Twilight darted back inside Rainbow’s house, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She sat down, pressing her back up against the front door as her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. No doubt Rainbow was going to come here, and Twilight knew that she was going to be here any minute now.

Twilight’s stomach felt like she had hundreds of butterflies flapping about, trying to escape their small prison. She heard Rainbow’s hoofsteps coming up from behind the door, so she quickly darted away from the foyer and into the kitchen. “Oh, what to do, what to do…” she muttered, her mind trying to figure out a way to make it look like she had been busy in the kitchen for a little bit. Not knowing what else to do, Twilight started pulling open cabinet after cabinet, looking for the one that held Rainbow’s glasses. She knew exactly which one it was, but she purposefully avoided it. As her left hind leg started shaking nervously, Twilight heard the front door open and close behind her. “He– hey, Rainbow!” Twilight called out, her voice shaky and weak as she made herself visible moments before Rainbow came into view.

“Hey, Twilight. What’s up with your voice?” Rainbow asked as she walked around the corner.

“Oh, I–” Twilight cleared her throat a couple of times. “I just have a dry throat. Can you remind me where the glasses are?” She cracked a small smile and sat down, her tail twitching back and forth.

“Heh, it’s the one that’s right behind you, Twi,” Rainbow said with a little giggle, pointing to the one up on the wall. “Here, lemme grab it for ya.” Without waiting for Twilight to respond, Rainbow pushed herself into the air and grabbed a glass out of the cabinet. She landed just a mere foot away from Twilight and set the glass down beside the sink. “You know you don’t need to use a glass, though, right? You can just stick your head under the…” She trailed off, for she had just realized something very, very serious.

Twilight smelled like strawberries.

Rainbow paused and stared into Twilight’s eyes, every sniff reaffirming what she knew in her mind: Twilight had heard everything she had said. Not daring to take a breath, Rainbow’s muscles tensed up and her heart suddenly started beating a lot faster than it had been than when she had been talking to Cadence.

“Under what, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, breaking Rainbow from her reverie.

Rainbow faked a yawn as adrenaline flooded her body, making her ready for action. “Oh, heh, um… under the faucet. I do it all the time, ya know.” She giggled nervously, letting her ears flick back. “Ya know, I think I’m gonna head to bed now.”

“Okay, I’ll be up in a minute,” Twilight said. She grabbed the glass and filled it with water, then took a small sip. “And Rainbow?”

“Yeah?” Rainbow stopped and turned around half-way, dreading the possibility of Twilight admitting that she heard her say that she loves her.

“Thanks,” came Twilight’s simple reply, followed by a smile.

“N– no problem,” she replied. Rainbow flicked her wings open and flew to her bedroom, landing on the bed. She tugged the sheets open with her mouth then crawled under the covers, facing away from the bedroom door. Twilight walked in about a minute later, and as she felt the bed dip down towards where Twilight had just lay down, she noticed that she had laid down on the other side of the bed.

Twilight waited a minute in silence as she waited for Rainbow to come snuggle with her. As the next minute passed in silence, she wondered if Rainbow was going to snuggle with her at all. It had been a couple of days since they’d been able to spend some time together, and Twilight didn’t want to miss a chance like this. Looking over her shoulder, Twilight saw that Rainbow was still facing away from her. She bit her lower lip, trying to decide whether or not she should snuggle with her, especially after what she had just learned.

She probably hates me now… Rainbow thought, every muscle in her body tense. For whatever reason, her nervousness would not dissipate, and with her body so tense, she knew it’d be hours until she’d be able to fall asleep. I probably scared her off; that’s why we’re not snuggling… She couldn’t help but let off a soft groan, but it sounded more like a pathetic whimper to her.

Twilight cocked her ear towards Rainbow the moment she heard her whimper. It had been so softly she thought her mind might have been playing tricks on her, but she had a feeling that wasn’t the case. Before the rational part of her mind told her to stop, Twilight slid over to Rainbow, fully intent on comforting her from whatever plagued her mind.

Lifting the sheets, she snuggled up against Rainbow’s back and laid her head on top of hers, fitting the pegasus’ head into the crook of her neck. She gently pulled Rainbow’s forelegs up, then wrapped a leg around them tightly. Twilight felt Rainbow tense up, but that didn’t stop her from laying her tail around her flank. To top it all off, she carefully unfolded a wing under the sheets and wrapped it around Rainbow’s belly, just how she liked it.

Rainbow lifted her head off of the pillow and roughly said, “Twilight, I… um–”

“Shhh… I’m here, Dashie,” Twilight gently whispered back. She tightened her grip on Rainbow ever so slightly, then relaxed, using her magic to tuck the sheets in around them.

Rainbow was about to ask what she meant but decided against it, instead choosing to just enjoy being held by Twilight. Wait… if Twi heard what I told Cadence and didn’t like it, then why is she cuddling with me? She reasoned with herself, starting to relax as her worries slipped away into nothingness. Snuggling deeper into Twilight’s embrace, she let a small smile slip on her face as she thought, And if she didn’t hear me talk to Cadence, then everything’s alright! Rainbow took a deep breath and relaxed, her mind finally at ease.

Everything’s gonna be okay… Rainbow thought as her eyes drooped, threatening to fall asleep. Ahhhhhh, this sure feels great… Rainbow’s eyes shot open and she tensed up again. Aaaaaaaand she’s holding me exactly the way I told Cadence! Ponyfeathers! Twilight totally heard me tell Cadence I love her!

Her breathing quickened to the point where she was nearly hyperventilating, and as she lay there trying to figure out what to do, she felt Twilight pull her just a little bit closer. For some reason, that sole act washed away all of her worries, making her feel calm once more. Hold on, Dash! Gotta think for a minute here; don’t freak out… She took a few deep breaths. Okay… so if Twilight heard what I told Cadence and since she’s snuggling with me, maybe she… maybe she loves me back… At that, she slipped a hoof out from under Twilight’s leg and gently grasped it, giving it a gentle squeeze. She felt Twilight squeeze her back, making her smile and let her worries slip away once more.

Finally relaxed, Rainbow closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, and as she slipped into the world of dreams, she could have sworn she felt Twilight lay the gentlest of kisses upon her head.