— Chapter Twenty-Five —
--- The Sharing of Secrets ---
Twilight stood there with this unbelievable look of mixed shock and outrage as she watched the cyan pegasus depart from the train. Immidiently she was swarmed by Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack, the four friends instantly beginning to chat and catch up on one another's lives. Laughing and snickering all the while as they began their trivial conversation. Twilight was left entirely ignored, thankfully enough, as it gave the cloaked alicorn ample time to process this most unlikely of reunions.
Out of all the thoughts and emotions flying through Twilight's head at the speed of sound, there were two feelings that were the strongest and loudest out of all of them. The first was complete and utter outrage, outrage so strong that it managed to manifest itself as the briefest crackle of arcane sparks about her horn before the magic's owner reigned it back in. The surely impossible odds that this pony of all ponies was the one who showed up here and now were one in a trillion, yet Twilight had been seemingly lucky enough to catch that unlikely one. No, not luck. This was planned. Not by her, not by Rainbow, not even by Pinkie, but by some higher power. The same higher power that had led her to Ponyville in the first place, and the same that managed to convince her to stay with nothing more than a timely gust of wind. And while before she was resistantly accepting of fate's conspiracy against her, now she was absolutely livid about it.
But that rage was kept in check by one of the few emotions that could overpower it in a head-on fight: fear. Complete and utter fear about what this reunion meant for Twilight's life in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash wasn't exactly a very subtle pony, and not just because of her appearance. She was a loud, borderline obnoxious, egomaniac that absolutely thrived on the attention and praise of others. And that wasn't something that was hard to come by, given her apparent Wonderbolt status. She was undeniably talented, a prodigy in the art of flight, and that was usually enough to satiate her ego. But in the time Twilight had known her, she had never passed up on a chance to point out her own amazing feats. She was a gloater, plain and simple. And this was what scared Twilight at this very moment, for Rainbow Dash was one of the few ponies with access to some very sensitive information.
Rainbow knew her secrets.
All the ones that mattered, at least. And those secrets, as it so happened, were tied to an accomplishment of the Wonderbolt's that she'd absolutely LOVE to draw attention to if given the chance. And with Twilight here, there was no better chance than right now to do just that. And if that happened, she could kiss any chance of laying low in this town goodbye. Especially this close to Canterlot.
Twilight was lucky thus far and had yet to be noticed by the most dangerous pony in Ponyville right now, and she wanted to capitalize on that luck while she still could. Her head and her ears lowered as the cloaked pony turned to slink away with great haste. The crowd was still pretty dense, they'd make for good cover to at least get out of her foe's direct line of sight. All she had to do was get right now and then lock herself away in her home with Spike for however long it took for the pegasus to flock off. Or perhaps she could hide out in Zecora's hut, seeing as how it was a bit more remote and out of the way. The self-exile might have been a bit extreme and not very rational, but it was the fastest way to get out of this unfortunate situation scot-free.
"Twilight, where are you going? Didn't you want to meet Dash?"
But of course, all it took was one simple question from Pinkie Pie to shatter all hopes of victory and escape in one singular instant, her voice piercing the paranoid silence like cannon fire. For a few short seconds, Twilight simply stood there like a statue, hoping in vain that Pinkie was asking that question of a different Twilight. It was certainly possible, but the odds were astronomically low in this particular instance. And Twilight had already met her quota for beating impossible odds today, thanks entirely to the very pegasus she was trying to sneak away from. There was no getting out of this anymore, so the disguised pony raised her head slowly and turned around even more so. And just as she feared, she was soon greeted to the sight of the four other mares looking back at her.
"Hello..." She spoke in a soft and meek voice, one that made Fluttershy sound like Pinkie Pie. There were looks of confusion upon the faces of Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack without question. But they were of little concern to Twilight right now, as she was far too focused on Rainbow's face to even care. It was clear to see that the reunion was a surprise even to her, a wide-eyed and dumbfounded expression spelling that out plainly.
"No way..." Dash just stood there for a moment, thoroughly astonished at this unexpected development, before a smug grin came across her face that sealed Twilight's face. "Heh, Never thought I'd see you again. How've ya been, egghead?"
Twilight wanted to vomit she was so upset right now. This was it, all of her secrets were about to be laid bare for all the world to see. All just to fuel the all-consuming ego that belonged to this pegasus. The terror that coursing through her veins was enough to lock her firmly in place. She couldn't run, she couldn't cast spells, she could hardly even breathe. All she could do was wait for this Wonderbolt to destroy her.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Pinkie interrupted in a blatantly disappointed tone in her voice.
Dash chuckled again. "Yeah, you could say we've met once or twice."
"That's... certainly unexpected," Rarity commented with a tilted head, "Though I suppose it's not impossible, given your lifestyle, Twilight."
And just as Pinkie had damned her, Rarity had just provided the golden ticket to salvation. And that ticket came in the form of an ever appreciated reminder that Twilight had spent the past two years—soon to be three—on the road, traveling Equestria and beyond. That simple reminder brought hope and life back into the purple pony, and she had to fight the urge to shout out in utter glee. Instead, she took on a more casual, albeit a bit shy persona, in order to try and better sell the tall tale she was about to tell.
"Y-yeah! I've met her on my travels once or twice... Caught a couple of her shows, here and there. Sorry for acting weird... y-you could say I'm something of a fan, wasn't expecting to see her here..." The hasty alibi wasn't the best in the world, but it would add up. Wonderbolts were well known for public displays of their physical prowess, performing in air shows for any number of reasons. Typically fundraisers to donate to charities or help pay for some of Equestria's military assets, and these shows were held all over the nation. Considering that Twilight had made no effort to hide her vagabonding lifestyle, it made perfect sense that she'd have bumped into one of those shows.
Rainbow's grin faded into a dull frown, a hoof slowly reaching up to slowly lower the sunglasses hiding her piercing magenta eyes. And as the eyewear was lowered, an eyebrow was raised. The look was clearly meant to convey the question "what, really?" without a single word at all.
"Oh! Small world!" Pinkie blurted back into the conversation enthusiastically. "Guess that makes introductions easier, huh?"
"Yeah, you could say that." Dash gave another brief chuckle and a wink to Twilight before readjusting her sunglasses to once again shield her eyes. "So let's skip 'em and blow this pop stand, I wanna get off my hooves."
The order was enough to get the small group moving, Twilight following meekly behind in an almost automated fashion. She didn't want to linger around Rainbow Dash for too long, but right now she was more focused on keeping her secrets safe. And since avoidance was no longer an option, the best course of action was to stick to her like glue and dissuade any and all attempts from blowing Twilight's cover. That was the plan that Twilight solidified in her mind, nodding to herself sternly as she trailed behind the group of friends towards the train station exit. But it seemed she had company at the back of the pack, Applejack had decided to slow her pace so she could walk side-by-side with Twilight.
"So... uh... you were acting a bit weird back there," the farmer whispered with great care, far greater than when she was speaking of Knox just minutes earlier. But she looked equally nervous as she was back then, which put no end of horrid ideas as to where this particular conversation was going to go.
"Just a bit nervous... kind of weird meeting a celebrity out of the blue, you know?" The lie was enough to make Twilight want to puke again, but it was the only way to keep the truth hidden. She'd already committed to the lie, so now she had to keep it going.
"You don't have a crush on her or anything, do you?" Applejack's next hushed question came, quite literally, out of nowhere. So much so that it would have made Twilight do a spit take, were she in the middle of drinking something. It was about then that the small party of ponies exited the station and once more set foot into the sunlight. "Well?"
"What? No, it's nothing like that," Twilight was blunt and clear with that answer, not wanting to make it look like she was trying to deflect the question. "That's not even... why would you even—?" She stopped herself when something unusual caught her eyes. Something on Applejack's face, oddly enough. There was a slight glint to the earth pony's lips of all things, more apparent now in the brighter sunlight around them. But it wasn't moisture, there was a slight unnatural hue to it.
Is she wearing lipgloss? The silent question led Twilight to further examine the farmer's face, taking notice of other subtle hits of touching up she'd done to herself. The most of subtle hints of eyeshadow and mascara could be detected, only acting as slight highlights of her natural tones, easily missed if one wasn't looking. And then there were her eyes themselves, each emerald orb filled to the brim with undeniable anxiety and doubt. And, unless Twilight was misreading the situation, a different kind of fear then what she was experiencing earlier.
There was only one logical explanation, one that could be solved with a simple counter-question. And that question was asked in a similarly quiet tone, out of respect for the earth pony's dignity.
"Do... you have a crush on her?" If you looked closely, you could almost see the beads of sweat beginning to form on Applejack's face. Twilight could see the orange mare struggle not to contort her face or break eye contact. Twilight had pushed the right button and was now beginning to regret turning the tables on her like this.
"I... uhh... well, you see, I—"
"TARGET IS IN POSITION! FIRE!!"
Schootaloo's shrill voice pierced the silence, bringing the group of ponies to a sudden stop as they looked towards the cluster of bushes where the cry came from. Though their eyes weren't locked there for long, instead they had their gaze locked on the massive wobbling mass that was launched from beyond the brush towards them. A giant water balloon, plain and simple, had been flung from the shadows towards the five ponies—Rainbow Dash specifically.
If nothing else, at least Twilight knew what the trebuchet was for now.
"Heh, nice," Rainbow chuckled with a slight nod, "Everybody MOVE."
What happened next all happened to fast for anyone to think or react outside of the base instinct. Dash's actions were quicker than her words, and she took the opportunity to show off her athletic prowess by backflipping out of the balloon's impact radius. This action had the unintentional consequence of getting Twilight and Applejack to further back from the soon-to-be-impact sight. Pinkie Pie was also astute in her own evacuation, bounding out of the way with the grace befitting of a gazelle.
Though Rarity was less graceful in her escape. Panic had overwhelmed her senses and motor skills, and the unicorn was unfortunate enough to trip over her own hooves as she was lost in the balloon's ever-growing shadow. It wasn't long after her collision with the grass that she was swallowed by the descending attack, lost entierly under the balloon's impressive girth. She wouldn't have been able to move underneath the gallons and gallons of liquid currently situated right on top of her, pinning her to the ground without any effort.
And then it popped.
Rarity screamed in such a way to put a banshee to shame, overwhelmed by what had just happened, soaked thoroughly by the balloon's contents, and entangled in the rubbery remnants of what had just struck her. The outcry was shrill, loud, and as far from pleasant as one could possibly imagine. It was also what got the three fillies responsible for the assault to poke their heads out of their green hiding place.
"Hey! No fair! You're not supposed to dodge it!" Of the three, Scootaloo was the one who was the most upset by this development, but clearly only because they had missed their intended target. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were looking at one another with this shared expression of dread and regret. They knew that they had screwed up royal, and were now awaiting the wrath that was about to befall them.
"That really the best you got kid? A water balloon?" Rainbow Dash, in responce, merely scoffed at the efforts. "A big one, I'll give ya that. But—"
"It's vinegar!" Rarity shrieked again, recoiling in absolute disgust and agony. It was a miracle that the impact hadn't physically harmed her in any way, even more so how she was able to simply stand back up without any real issues. "Sweetie Belle?! Why would you do this to me?!"
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack shouted sternly, face flushed red with both embarrassment and rage. "Just you wait 'till Granny hears about this! She's gonna wring you like a towel!"
That was about when the young ponies decided to make a hasty retreat. Rarity went from screaming to roaring as she chased down her younger sibling, yelling for Pinkie to help her catch the filly. And while Pinkie wasn't anywhere near as upset about this as Rarity was, she was willing to help out her friend deliver her righteous retribution. Applejack, meanwhile, went after her own younger sister and the young pegasus that seemed to have been the mastermind behind all of this. Though Twilight had the sneaking suspicion that part of that choice was made just to get out of the awkward conversation that the two had been having moments before.
And just like that, before they could even react further to the unusual situation before them, Twilight and Rainbow were left completely alone in front of Ponyville's train station. The Wonderbolt took this opportunity to walk on over to the impact site. She lightly scooped up a strand of shredded rubber that Rarity had left behind in her rampage and began to investigate, recoiling at the strong stench of vinegar that wafted about the space.
"Vinegar balloon, huh? Not bad." Rainbow chuckled as she overlooked her soaked form, looking back to Twilight with a wide toothy grin. "Not good enough to get me, though. Little sisters, am I right? Little rascal always tries to prank me like that every time I come home for vacation."
"I... wouldn't know, never had a sister," Twilight droned back as she cautiously approached. The scent of vinegar was potent, to say the absolute least, and she didn't want to get too close to the other mare right now because of it. "Didn't know you had one, either."
"Yep... Well, half-sister, anyway. Her mom and my dad hooked up one night, they got married about a year later, and about a year after that I woke up to find I had a little sister." Dash shrugged nonchalantly, "It was a weird Tuesday." And suddenly, so many of Scootaloo's mannerisms and behavioral quirks made sense now in Twilight's head, if she'd grown up with this mare of all people as a role model. There was no doubt that Scootaloo's habit of answering questions with "nothing illegal" came from this particular pony as well.
"So then, big fan o' mine," Dash continued in a mocking tone of voice, "Wasn't expecting to see you here, though. Did you come to get my autograph? You know, because you're such a big fan?" She was clearly trying to hold back her own laughter.
"Oh, shut up," Twilight rolled her eyes with a groan, continuing her journey past the train station and walking past the pegasus without a second glance. "Like you had a better alibi."
"Actually I did," Dash sang back with pride in her voice, "But I guess it was just a different Twilight Sparkle who helped me with my Wonderbolt-History exams. You know, the ones that 'you' actually helped me with?"
Twilight did what she could to stifle her groan of discontent, not wanting to give Rainbow the satisfaction of knowing that she had forgotten about that part of their past. She shook her head at a disapproving pace as she just kept walking on by. Though she could hear the pegasus following behind her, meaning that this conversation was far from over. Much to her dismay. Today was going to be a very long day.
"Oh come on, lighten up, egghead!" Dash quickly leaped ahead and began walking side by side with the other pony, still bearing that same cheesy grin. "You're not still mad at me, are you?"
"Yes, I am," Twilight practically snarled, "What are you even doing here?"
"Well, in case the welcoming party and the little sister weren't clear, I kind of live here." Dash's tone of voice was almost painfully sarcastic, only serving to prove that the pegasus hadn't changed much since the last time they'd seen one another. Much to Twilight's dismay. "I should be asking what you're doing here. But something tells me you don't want to have that conversation in public."
"Good guess." Twilight sighed back in relief, content in the knowledge that Rainbow knew that secrets were supposed to stay as such. With that newfound discovery, any and all reason Twilight would have had to stick around this irksome individual were all rendered null and void. Though as she began to walk away, she just knew the pegasus was following behind her, it wasn't exactly hard to tell.
"Oh come on, you don't even want to catch up?" There was this clear eagerness in Dash's tone as she overtook Twilight's pace, spinning around to walk backward and keep eye-contact as they advanced. "Don't tell me you're still mad about the—?"
"Yes, I am," Twilight sneered back as she changed her heading. This didn't do much to deter the pegasus, who simply switched to walking side-by-side with her instead. But Dash didn't even need to finish the question for Twilight to know what was being referenced there.
"I caught him!" Seemed like the Wonderbolt didn't need the refresher either, whispering that bit with a shocking amount of subtlety. "He wasn't even hurt."
"Not the point, you still made him jump. By pushing me off a cliff."
"But you have—!" Rainbow stopped herself mid-argument, biting her tongue for a brief moment before continuing. "I'm being very nice right now, I hope you know that. I'm being very nice and not blowing the whistle on you. You could at least give me the time of day."
Twilight stopped, prompting Dash to do the same a second or two later, and she looked to her old acquaintance with this bitter attempt at understanding shown upon her face. When Dash turned back around to look at her, Twilight could very clearly see the eagerness and anticipation upon her face. Almost childlike in nature, it was apparent that Rainbow was the one who wanted to talk. About what? Twilight hadn't the faintest idea. But based on the glint in her eyes, Rainbow wasn't going to stop until she got Twilight to hear her out.
So there was only one way to get out of this scenario.
"Okay, I'll bite. What do you want?"
Dash had to stop herself from squealing as unbridled excitement overtook her expression. It didn't take her long to calm herself down and take up a more neutral look. "I... can't tell you. Not here. Too many ears. You're not the only one with secrets, after all."
This particular statement got Twilight to raise a brow in curiosity, taking the time to study both her tone and her expression. There wasn't much to be read in either department, and that was mildly unsettling. She couldn't tell why Dash would want to go out of her wat to tell Twilight these "secrets," or why she was being so insistent on it. There had to be a motivating factor here, the mare in question was never one to do much that didn't serve her best interests. And Twilight wasn't one hundred percent sure if she wanted to indulge this particular pony. But she'd already learned that the best way out was straight through, and thus made her next decision knowing full well that she might regret it later.
With one swift motion, Twilight placed a hoof directly onto Dash's chest, and the two of them were whisked away from Ponyville's train station in a bright arcane flash. The next thing both of them knew, they were standing in the safety and isolation of Twilight's livingroom.
"There, no more ears. You can talk now." Twilight stumbled a bit as she walked over towards the room's hideous couch and placed her saddlebags atop of it. It seemed the teleportation spell was pushing it a bit too much after all the day's spellcasting. Just a bit more strain then she was expecting, nothing more. Once the bags were off of her back, she quickly went to remove the heavy cloak concealing her true nature. No need to hide in front of someone who knows, after all. "Spike, you can come out now, too."
"Heh, guessed you picked up a few things from that prissy school you went to, huh?" Rainbow Dash responded tauntingly as Spike crawled out from his hiding place. She wasn't exactly interested in the long dragon at the moment, instead, she took the time to look around her surroundings to parse together where she ended up. "Didn't expect you to bring me home though. And without even buying me dinner first? Damn, egghead, you got game."
"Oh. It's you." Spike sounded about as enthusiastic to see the pegasus as Twilight had been, this sentiment shown plainly on his face. "Yay."
"... Good to see you too, scales," Dash seemed almost insulted by the disinterested greeting, "You've grown a bit since last I saw you. Jump off any good cliffs lately? Heh."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Spike tilted his head in confusion, seemingly not knowing what was being referenced. It only made sense, after all, as the event Dash was talking about did happen five years ago. He probably didn't even remember it happening, or blocked out the memory. It was one or the other.
"I'll tell you later," Twilight interjected before clearing her throat, "Now then, Dash. You wanted to talk about something?"
"Ah, right! Give me a second." Rainbow's bags were swiftly placed on the floor before she began digging into the cluttered mess within one of them. The most prevalent sounds were the rustling of paper, oddly enough. She didn't seem like the type for paperwork, but becoming a Wonderbolt might have overwritten the preference. "Oh come on, where is the stupid thing?"
Twilight and Spike didn't do or say anything as they watched their houseguest rummage through her things, occasionally removing something and gently tossing it to the side just to get it out of the way. Loose pieces of paper, folders, and even a book or two were all deposited onto the floor as the pegasus frantically searched for the object of her desires. And among these random documents and texts, there were a few that managed to catch Twilight's keen eye. The books were nothing special. Flight manuals of various complexity, most standard texts depicting Wonderbolts repertoire of flying maneuvers and codes of conduct. Others looked to be old history books, again not a big surprise. Wonderbolts, for one reason or another, were required to be well versed in Equestria's history. It made sense as to why Rainbow would be carrying around that kind of reading material, covering everything from Equestria's founding to the most recent events in history. But these seemed small compared to what else Rainbow had in her possession.
Folders and document envelopes stamped red with the word "classified," alongside the Equestrian Royal Crest, the former being barely bound together by overburdened paperclips. Things that looked very illegal to have in one's personal possession, even for a Wonderbolt. And the sheer amount of classified documents didn't help Rainbow's case in the slightest. If either of them were caught with these, they'd be locked away for longer then Twilight would be alive. And in the pegasus's haste, one of the folders managed to pop open as it lightly hit the ground revealing the secrets within. Twilight shouldn't have looked, she knew that, but she couldn't help but catch a quick peek. Three words, in particular, stuck out in her mind.
Corul Luminii Lunii.
"Ah, here it is!" Dash bellowed out, an act not acknowledged by Twilight in the slightest. Even still, the pegasus tucked whatever object she'd been looking for under a wing before approaching Twilight, cutting off the alicorn's line of sight from the sensitive information she'd been presented with. "Now then, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a very long time now. And I see no better opportunity than right now. Would you like to guess what that is?"
Twilight shook herself out of her stupor, looking to the Wonderbolt with great intensity and resolve. What did this mare know? Where did she get her hooves on these files? How did she get them at all? So many questions piling up in Twilight's head. So much so that she could hardly think of anything else, let alone answer the question she had just been asked. It was hard to tell if she had even heard it, in all honesty.
"I'll take your silence as a 'no,'" Rainbow snickered, "Well, I don't know what this means coming from me, but I wanted to thank you." Rainbow's wing unfurled itself, reaching around with great dexterity to present whatever it was she wanted to show off. And that one small object was enough to answer any and all questions Twilight had, prompting the alicorn's jaw to drop.
The trinket itself was a simple badge, about the size of a hoof, cast in a coal-black iron. The design of the badge was simple enough—an upright horseshoe surrounding a depiction of the Equestrian Royal Crest partially obscured by the large red ruby that had been domed over the mark, acting as a tinted window of sorts. The shoe itself was engraved with Rainbow Dash's name, undeniable proof that this object was hers and hers alone. The badge itself was one that was decently well known within Equestria, all things considered, but one that not many had ever laid eyes on in person. So much so that it had become something of an urban legend, a baseless rumor with no evidence of its existence, or the existence of the organization that it belonged too.
"Because of you, I'm set for life." Rainbow's well-earned confidence was evident as she passed the badge to her hoof and looked upon it herself, admiring her tinted reflection in the ruby-core. "And I just wanted to thank you for that."
"... It's just a badge," Spike's interjection absolutely killed the mood of the conversation, "What's the big deal?"
"Because it means she's a Black Hoof..." Twilight murmured disbelief, slowly beginning to question the reality that was presented before her. This had to be some kind of dream or nightmare, and any second now the Mare in the Moon would show up and prompt Twilight to awaken. But that never happened, and Twilight was made to endure this unthinkable scenario. Spike, meanwhile, still wasn't very impressed.
"... What's a black hoof?"
"A top-secret hush-hush group made up of only the best of the best that Equestria has to offer," Rainbow beamed with obvious pride, "The cream of the crop, the undisputable super-elite, the ponies that get called when the Queen wants something to get done. And done right."
"How are you a black hoof?" Twilight asked sternly and sharply, practically demanding an answer.
"Because of you, duh," Rainbow Dash shrugged mockingly before tucking the badge into an interior pocket within her coat, "Why do you think I'm even telling you any of this?"
"But how?"
"Easy. You see, as I'm sure you remember, once upon a time I got roped into being your little flight coach by one Princess Mi Amore Cadenza," Dash's explanation was so bold that it almost sounded rehearsed, something Twilight would have believed right now given the circumstances. "And that got me onto just the right radar. Queen Celestia's, if you have to know. And thanks to my mad skillz... and a few other qualities—" that part of the explanation seemed to hide a bit of shame in it, but it was quickly snuffed out by her own self-gratification— "I was a prime candidate to join these ranks. And after I became a fully-fledged Wonderbolt, I was given an offer I'd be stupid to refuse."
Twilight couldn't possibly believe that story, she just simply couldn't. It was too fantastical to possibly believe, almost absurd in nature. If she tried hard enough, she could probably even refute that badge, if given enough time. Put in the effort to examine every micrometer of material to find some fault or inconsistency that could prove it to be nothing more than a simple forgery—a forgery that someone could get executed for crafting, let alone owning. But the documents on the ground only served to add further credit to the outrageous claim. Especially with the mention of the Moonlight Choir in one of them.
If this was a ruse, it was one elaborate enough to earn respect in it of itself.
"What other qualities made you 'prime material'?" Spike asked, shattering the silence, and Rainbow's ego in one fell swoop. From the look on her face, she looked like she really didn't want to answer that question.
"Well... that's the funny thing..." Dash nerviously scratched at the back of her head with a nervous chortle, "But I'm not gonna tell either of you."
"Is it because you don't look like you could be a professional at anything?" The long dragon's snarky remark caught both Twilight's attention and that of the pegasus in questions. Twilight, in particular, was surprised by just how sarcastic he was being with the pegasus. She wasn't against this development in any way, but it was unexpected, to say the least.
"Hey, you gonna control your kid, or something?!" Rainbow was sweating buckets at this point, her face flushed a brighter shade of red than the one found in her mane. Based on this, and how her lips were puckered, it looked like Spike had hit the nail on the head. "He's being really rude! Can't you like... ground him, or something?!"
"He's... not my kid," Twilight rebutted in an unsure tone. The topic of her being Spike's "mother" hadn't been one she had thought about in a very long time, and she got caught off guard by it being brought up right now.
"Oh, yes he is! Last time I saw you, you could hardly pry him off your back!" Dash's mood began to take an upswing as she found an opportunity to change the subject. "Not to mention the mommy talks you gave him. 'Spike, don't eat that' and 'Spike, I can fly, don't follow me off cliffs'!" The mocking tone of voice wasn't exactly appreciated, by either Spike or Twilight. And this was also about when Rainbow began packing up her things in a greater hurry than before. "Well, it's been fun, but I kinda want to get back to my vacation. See ya around"
As she watched the athlete re-don her bags, filled to the brim with unspeakable knowledge that could very well help her, Twilight finally found the mindfulness to return to the present. "Hey, wait, I need—!"
"Sorry, gotta go! Pinkie'll flip if I'm late for the homecoming party!" And like that, she was gone. Rushing out the door before Twilight could muster up another word.
There wasn't even time to magically hold the door shut, or grab hold of the pegasus. There was practically a cartoonish Rainbow Dash-shaped smoke cloud left behind in the wake of the slamming door. The alicorn groaned in responce to this, hanging her head in angered defeat. She just had potentially life-saving information literally thrown at her hooves, and she had just let it get yanked out from under her because she had let herself get caught up in drama from her past.
Something she intentionally decided not to let happen anymore just earlier today, infuriatingly enough. She lightly massaged one of her temples with a sigh as she slowly strolled into the kitchen. After all of that, she needed a glass of water. And maybe a sandwich or seven. A task that she got to work on as soon as she approached the fridge. She would need brain food if she was going to figure out what her next course of action was going to be.
"Twilight?"
After some time, Spike once more broke the tension whilst the alicorn was in the middle of making what very well could be the first of many sandwiches. The simple statement brought Twilight's attention over to the long dragon. Standing in the open archway that separated the kitchen from the living room, Spike looked to be even more distraught then she was at the moment. He was practically shaking, biting at his lower lip as he looked towards Twilight with weary eyes, looking to be on the brink of tears.
He'd picked up many habits from Twilight over the six-years they had shared together, some of which Twilight wished he hadn't. Like her tendency to get caught up on one little thing and think far too much on that one subject. Something she was guilty of doing a lot of in the past couple of days, and something she whole-heartedly wished she could cure Spike of. Especially right now, as he looked to be in the act of thinking far too much for his own good. Something made evident with his follow up question.
"What am I to you?"
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Ouch that armor piercing question.
Oof. That's a rough question, but one that really should have been answered years ago
"Vinegar balloons"? Why?
(The only mentions on Google were for inflating a balloon by reacting baking soda and vinegar, which is clearly not what is depicted here.)
I like this Rainbow Dash. I look forward to her awkwardly trying to avoid answering classified questions. Even if she's an intelligence agent, she's still Rainbow Dash.
10110951
Because it has a strong and unpleasant smell? It might also have been readily available on the farm, too. They could make it from waste apples.
Really though, Rarity should be thanking them. Vinegar is fairly good for hair. Some people wash it with it.
Excellent work on this reunion. The exchanges, characterizations, humor and future chapter set-up are all splendidly done in all the right places. I particularly liked Twilight trying to alibi already knowing Rainbow Dash (and the "black hoof" detail IS a good one). And, yeah, that "vinegar filled water balloon" prank used by the Crusaders did lead to some humorous, but understandably upset reactions from the rest of the canon Mane Six. Plus, Scootaloo ACTUALLY being Rainbow's half-sister in this universe is another logical detail. Plus, yeah, Spike asking the question of what he is to Twilight was a pretty good question after "he is not my kid" comment (of course, we know the answer is fifty percent best friend, fifty percent little brother, but that's going by canon, which might or might not apply HERE).
REALLY looking forward to more of this (particularly Twilight's answer to Spike's legitimate question).
How delightfully vague. Kind of like when Twilight mentioned learning how to fly from a "brash pegasus."
Also, I've got to wonder if Rainbow is really on a vacation, or a "vacation."
10110951
I thought it'd be funnier.
10111200
That's classified.
Look at Spike, asking all the tough questions...
And also Rainbow Dash, a super spy operative or some such of the secrecy Section 31-ish sort. Somehow I'm not all that surprised. What does surprise me is that she can apparently keep her mouth shut about it enough to not have blown whatever secrecy cover that comes with such a job.
10111367
Hey, she may be a dumbass, but she's not that incompetent.
Give me more sass and I'll cave in your creative kneecaps with the fancy book of snarky comebacks I ate for lunch.
Ooooohhh, worldbuilding! Secret organizations (that aren't S.M.I.L.E.), more information on Rainbow's family dynamics, and more!
I liked how you handled Rainbow here, with both her character and her plot motivations. Making her part of a hush-hush organization in addition to the Wonderbolts that also just so happen to be investigating the Midnight Choir will tie in very nicely to the plot so far. Not that Rainbow will need any motivation to help investigate Knox, once she finds out what he did to Rarity and emotionally scarred Fluttershy.
And having her "mad skillz" actually be her non-descript and unprofessional manner (despite being a boisterous Wonderbolt) is actually quite the stroke of genius. That Spike would notice it leads credence to his detective skills and the influence of Twilight reading all those mystery novels to him when he was younger (that she, herself, forgot about). So nice callback there.
And Scootaloo being her half-sister is a nice touch as well. Not that I'm opposed in any way to the show's interpretation of them being "honorary" sisters, but your version leads to some more interesting family dynamics (and also a much better explanation than why we never got to see Scootaloo's parents in the show until season 9).
Huh, though I wonder...where did they get a balloon that big? Or that much vinegar?
...I'll admit, like everyone else here, the question at the end was something of a shocker to me. It's very obvious that Twilight and Spike's relationship in the story is much more defined and, dare I say, familial and even debatably stronger than in the show (of which I am extremely thankful for and is what drew me to your story initially in the first place), but, at the same time, it's still been kinda vague thus far, and I guess I thought you intended to keep it that way throughout the whole story, or at least until the very end. Just sorta two-inseperable-beings-whose-bond-will-last-for-their-near-immortal-lives kinda thing. Unlike the show, you've proven that their bond here is strong enough, and that they rely on each other enough, not just for physical survival, but for the sake of both's mental sanity and emotional well-being, that it didn't really need definition, because their bond was so strong and unique (literally one-of-a-kind).
So I'm really rather interested in how Twilight will respond, or if she can even express in words what their bond means to her at all. Maybe she'll have to resort to expressing it in a manner other than words, like through some memory or emotional transference? Or maybe just good ol' fashioned hugs and heartfelt tears.
"vinegar", how in Tartarus name did they manage to get a hold of gallons of vinegar?
Ohhhh.... that question
Well, that went as well as can be expected given this version of Twilight.
Spike disliking Rainbow was a bit of a surprise.
10113665
Rainbow pushed Twilight off a cliff once.
A younger brother?
10120643
It's complicated.
…..I wanna smack twilight right now..... Like it or not Spike is her son she needs to accept this
10114599
She could (and still can) fly.
Higher power-*Cough cough* author *cough*
As an aside, glad to help find things, been slow going on my reread up to where I had caught up to the story the first time I read through and I just happen to see things as I read. :P