And so it all began
Twilight opened her eyes and looked out the windows. It was a sunny day in the middle of autumn and Rainbow Dash must have stepped out of bed early to clean all the clouds. Twilight could smell toasted bread and eggs, her favourite, coming from downstairs. She quickly brushed her mane and ran down the stairs.
“Good Morning Twilight, finally decided to step out of bed?” Spike mocked. Normally, it would be Spike that was the last person to step out of bed.
“Morning, Spike, breakfasts ready?” Twilight said ignoring his mocking.
“Yes, but we are out of muffins. Can you pick some up at the Sugar Cube Corner after breakfast?”
“Sure thing, but now, let's eat!” Twilight replied.
And so it all began...
After Twilight had her breakfast she walked off to the local bakery, Sugar Cube Corner, that was owned by Mr and Mrs Cake.
One the way to the bakery, she spotted her friend, Cheerilee, standing outside Bon Bon's sweetshop.
She was talking to Lyra Heartstrings, a unicorn mare Twilight clearly remembered from Magic Kindergarten back in Canterlot, and Ditzy Doo, the local mail mare. She had plenty of time and decided to say hello. When she approached she could hear Lyra talking about her life with Bon Bon.
“And then I said, Geez, it is just some action dolls and... Twilight?”
“Hello Lyra!”
The minth coloured mare stared at her and her eyes narrowed.
“How dare you talk to us after all those horrible, racist things you said to Ditzy and Cheerilee?!” Lyra screamed, and Twilight could hear the anger in her voice. "Go away, nasty ponies, and leave us alone!"
“Yes, you called me a feather brain and a back crasher!” Ditzy said, tears in her characteristic eyes. “Just because my eyes are a little strange it doesn't mean I'm stupid or a bad flier! I don´t understand why you had to be so mean to me”
“And you called me a worthless mud pony who can't get a proper job!” Cheerilee spat. “You know I love my job!”
Bon Bon came out of the shop, giving Twilight a look that could have cut though walls and said :
“ Not to mention that I heard you saying “ you're in my spot” to Berry Punch and tripping her over the other night when she was drunk! And when she struggled to get up, you laughed at her! What's wrong with you? She was drunk!”
“Yes, what's next? Are you going to start insulting your own kind?” Lyra didn't give Twilight time to answer. “Well, get the heck out of here before that happens!”
Twilight started running, tears burning in her eyes. She couldn't remember having said all those horrible things to her friends! Or former friends, she thought. Without noticing, she had run all the way to the bakery.
A bell jingled when she entered and she heard Mrs Cake say:
“Twilight Sparkle! How dare you come here ever again?!”
“But, what have I done?” Twilight asked.
“Remember what you said about our pastries ?” Mrs Cake asked, sounding really upset.
“Have I said something about your pastries?” Twilight was confused.
Mr Cake, who heard the conversation, came out of the kitchen and said:
“Yes! You said “You can live on it, but is tastes like shit”, Pinkie got really upset!”
“She hasn't left her room in two days!” Mrs Cake added. “When did you become such a monster?”
“But I never said anything like that!” Twilight said.
“Get the heck out of my bakery now!” was the only answer she received from Mrs Cake. “And I don't want to see you here ever again!”
The whole scenario started to feel like a night mare, and Twilight started to wonder when she would wake up.
She didn't really think about where she was going and suddenly she discovered that she had ended up on Sweet Apple Acres. She spotted Applejack and Rainbow Dash on a hill, and it looked like the two were having a fight. After a little while, Applejack started throwing some apples, and Rainbow Dash left. Applejack then sat down on the hill. Twilight walked up to her and asked:
“Applejack, are you okay? What's going on between you and RD? It looked like you were fighting!”
“So, another racist bastard!”
Applejacks eyes were filled with hatred.
“How dare you talk to me like we are friends?!”
“But Applejack, we are friends!”
“No, we’re not, because we mud ponies weren't good enough for fancy stick heads like you!” Applejack said. “Or Feather brains like RD either! Now, get the hay of my property or I'll get Big Macintosh to throw you out!”
Before Twilight could say anything else, Applejack started throwing apples. Twilight didn't know what to do, and ended up standing there, trying to catch the apples with her magic. But the apples were too many and just when Twilight thought she couldn't take an other apple, Flutter Shy placed herself in front of Twilight.
“Flutter Shy, what are you doing? Move!” Applejack said.
Twilight was just about to say something when Fluttershy turned around, facing her with staring eyes, and said:
“Run, you fool!”
Twilight didn't need to hear it twice. She started to run. Since Rainbow Dash seemed to have been affected by this nightmare scenario too, it was a good idea to go to her place.
Twilight quickly used the spell that allowed her to walk on clouds, before screaming:
“Rainbow Dash! I would like to talk to you, can you pick me up?”
“Have you used the spell?” Rainbow Dash answered.
“Yes, please pick me up now!”
Rainbow Dash didn't seem angry with her. That was a good sign.
So Rainbow Dash picked her up and checked that the spell worked before she let go of Twilight. Then Twilight told Rainbow Dash about her horrible day, and it turned out that Rainbow Dash had had a similar day. First she had been kicked out of the weather team. Then she had gone to see their friends, and all of them had been incredibly mad at her, and Applejack had even thrown apples at her.
When she finished her story, Rainbow Dash was on the verge of crying. Twilight wrapped her hooves around her in an effort to comfort her. She stroked Rainbow Dash´s beautiful, rainbow coloured mane with one hoof and placed the other around her friend. Whispering comforting words in her ear and insuring her that everything would be just fine, she placed her on the coach and placed a blanket on top of her. She took a pillow and a blanket for herself and placed them one the soft cloud floor. Before falling asleep, she used the “allow non pegasus to walk on clouds” spell again so that she wouldn't fall though the floor in her sleep.
Rainbow Dash woke up with a gasp and a pounding heart. She was on her couch wrapped in a blanket. Soft snoring caught Rainbow Dash's attention, and when she looked down at the floor, she saw that Twilight there. Softly she began to stroke Twilight's glistening mane as the events of yesterday returned to her. Twilight looked so beautiful when she was sleeping. Peaceful with her eyelids fluttering from dreaming. Rainbow Dash surprised herself by thinking about what it would be like to have the purple pony princess as her mare friend.
No, she thought, shaking her head. She shouldn’t think like that. She liked stallions and so did Twilight.
“What are you doing?”
Twilight yawned. Her eyes were moist with sleep and she rubbed them with one soft hoof, trying to wake up.
“I was just thinking that you look beautiful when you sleep” Rainbow Dash said, her face turning in to a deep shade of red.
“I never got why you don't have a stallion friend.” she continued.
“Because I'm not like that” Twilight answered, blushing.
“What do you mean “not like that”?” Rainbow Dash said, causing Twilight to blush even more.
“I don't like stallions, Rainbow” Twilight said, eyes cast down.
The realisation hit Rainbow Dash hard . She was in to mares. This would never end well!
Later that day, they decided to walk in to town and try to find someone who wasn't angry with them. It was easier said than done. The first thing that happened when they came to the town square was that they were hit by tomatoes and curses from Pomodoro.
Then they heard Golden Harvest,or as she was called, Carrot Top calling them over to her stable and telling them she wanted to give them something. Carefully they started to walk over to her stable. She didn't seem angry.
“What was it you had for us, Carrot Top?”
“This!”
Carrot Top smacked them in the face with a bunch of rotten carrots.
“But, what have we done?”
Rainbow Dash and Twilight were confused. Sure, Carrot Top was known for her temperament, but even for Carrot Top, it seemed a little bit too rough to smack someone in the face with a bunch of carrots without a good reason.
“That was for what you said to Applejack! You know, we farmers stick together. If you are mean to one of us, you are mean to all of us!”
This statement was supported by a couple of curses thrown at them from the near by stables.
Twilight quickly teleported them to the outskirts of town, but on a safe distance from Sweet Apple Acres and Applejack, so that they could decide what to do next. Rainbow Dash had an idea:
“We only have one choice” she stated.
“What?” Twilight asked, several ideas already forming in her head.
“To boldly go where no pony has gone before” Rainbow Dash answered.
“Or, we could go visit my parents in Canterlot?”
“That could work too.”
Twilight went home and wrote a letter to her parents, packed her stuff, apologised to Spike for being away more than a day and told him she would travel to Canterlot.
Just when she was going out the door, she got a letter in reply from her parents. It said :
Dear Twilight,
How nice that you have decided to visit me and your mother! We don't see so very much of you and Shining Armour now a days. Your mother is very happy to meet your friend, Rainbow Dash was it, right? Which train will you take to Canterlot? Can you find your way to our house? (your mother's question, not mine. You know I wouldn't ask such stupid questions) .
Love
Your dad and mother
“Are you coming, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash said “ The train leaves in twenty minutes!”
“Yes, I'm coming, RD” Twilight said.
From the moment they stepped out of the library people gave them looks filled with hatred and screamed curses after them. But it got worse. When they reached Bon Bon's Sweet shop, Bon Bon even came out of the shop and threw a box of moulding chocolate at Rainbow Dash.
“Oh my God! Rainbow Dash, are you okay?” Twilight asked.
“Well, my momma always said ”life's like a box of chocolates – you never know what you're going to get” Rainbow Dash said.
They then hurried to the train. One and half an hour later they were in Canterlot.
Twilight quickly showed them the way to her parents' house and knocked on the door.
“Twilight! My sweet heart is home!”
The white unicorn mare that opened the door pulled Twilight in to a hug and kissed her on the forhead.
“Oh my! You haver really grown since we saw you last!” The mare was now eyeing Twilight.
“Mum!” Twilight said. “ I've missed you and dad so much!”
“Who is it, Velvet?” a stallion's voice said from inside the house.
A blue unicorn stallion then appeared in the doorway.
“Dad!” Twilight said and hugged him.
“ My name is Twilight Velvet, and I'm Twilights mother” the unicorn mare introduced her self.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Rainbow Dash” Rainbow Dash said. “ But why do you and Twilight have the same first name, if I may ask?”
“Oh, it's just family tradition to name you first born daughter “Twilight something” Velvet explained.
“My name is Night Light, and I'm Twilight's dad” the stallion said. "We are so happy to have you home, Twilight! We haven't seen you since you brother's wedding.”
“W, what did you say?” Twilight asked.
“I said that we haven't seen you since you brothers wedding” Night Light said, slightly confused.
“That's it! The wedding!” Twilight said “ Can I talk with you for a second, Rainbow Dash?”
Dash followed Twilight to the back of her parents' house.
“Do you remember what happened when we met the changelings at the wedding?” Twilight asked.
“They made them selves look exactly like us?” Rainbow Dash said.
“Exactly! What if there were two changelings that wandered around in Ponyville and insulted everypony?”
“Twilight, you are a genius!” Rainbow Dash said “but now, we need to go back to your parents. They probably think you're crazy, dragging me off like that.”
“Ehm, to begin with, I know I'm NOT crazy! My mother had me tested!” Twilight said “ And where do you think I got my personalty from? If I were crazy, then so would at least one of my parents be!”
But Rainbow Dash wasn't listening. She was eavesdropping at Twilights parents', and their words made her blush.
“I'm just saying that our daughter and her friend must be blind. They are the only ones that don't understand that they really like each other!” Twilight's mother, ehm, Twilight, said.
“You're right, but don't say it so loud, dear” Night Light, said “ They'll hear us!”
Rainbow Dash didn't got much sleep that night. She couldn't get what Twilight's parents had said out of her head. Sure, Twilight was a good looking mare and smart and all, but them being marefriends?! Where did they get such a stupid idea from?
When she woke up the next morning, she went downstairs to have breakfast and found a note from Twilight's parents that
explained that they were out shopping food.
The realization that she was alone with Twilight in the house and probably would be for a while, made Rainbow Dash feel very strange. Her face was hot and her hooves were cold.
“What's the note saying, R.D?”
“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash turned around at the sound of her friends voice. “It's just a note from your parents saying that they’re out shopping for some food”
“Oh! Okey, and Rainbow?”
“Yes?”
“Well, I had a hard time sleeping and...I think we should return to Ponyville”
“WHAT!?” Rainbow Dash screamed “You saw what they did! They hate us! Some of them looked like they wanted to kill us!”
“But do you have a better idea? We can't stay at my parents house forever. There is nothing that says that they won't follow us here! Then my parents would be in danger too.”
Twilight turned away from Rainbow Dash. Suddenly everything felt so wrong. They weren't supposed to be fighting! They were supposed to represent the very spirit of friendship! And it wasn´t right to pull to innocent, elderly ponies into this mess.
“Twilight...I'm sorry” Rainbow Dash started.
“What?”
“Yeah, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so negative! Rainbow Dash said. I mean, most of the time, your plans save us! You are the smartest pony I know.”
“Uhm, okay, and sorry for taking your loyalty for granted” Twilight said “I should have asked for your opinion...”
“It's okay, Twily. How about we write your parents a note and go to the train station?”
Twilight nodded in reply.
A couple of hours later they were standing at the Ponyville train station. Normally, they would just have to walk of the platform and in to town, but this time, there was a problem. And her name was Trixie Lulamoon, or, as she called her self, “The great and powerful Trixie!”. As soon as Twilight and Rainbow Dash approached her, she screamed at the top of her lungs.
“You shall not pass!”
“Please Trixie, why can't you let us pass?” Twilight asked.
“I don't know, I'm just paid to keep you here until the herd of angry ponies arrive” Trixie explained.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at each other before turning around and starting to gallop out of Ponyville.
Several hours later, the sun was starting to set and it was quickly getting colder. Twilight and Rainbow Dash decided look for shelter, which was easier said than done in the wasteland beyond Ponyville. After looking for almost two hours, Rainbow Dash finally spotted a cave. It was not a moment too soon. The sun was since long set and both Twilight and Rainbow Dash terrified by the thought that they might have to spend the night outside in the cold wasteland.
Rainbow Dash and Twilight went as deep into the cave as they. Rainbow Dash curled up a few meters away from Twilight despite the low temprature, not wanting to intrude on the purple unicorns personal space. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Rainbow Dash wasn't sure if she could handle being so close to her warm, soft body. Or so she told herself... Oh, why did feelings have to be so complicated?
“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked.
“Yes Twilight?”
“Could you come a little closer? It's so cold!”
Even in the faint light from Twilight's failing illumination spell, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but notice the pink spots on the purple unicorns cheeks. The observation made her cheeks glow as well.
“ S-sure, if you don't mind” Rainbow Dash managed.
“N-not at all, if it help to keep us both warm, of course!" Twilight added sheepishly.
So the two huddled together, sharing their body heat as they tried to keep the chill of the night away. Just when Rainbow Dash was about to fall asleep, Twilight said something that made Rainbow Dash wide awake.
“I´ve got to tell you something” She paused. “I think I'm in love with you.”
“What!?”
Rainbow Dash bolted up, stamping her hooves on the sandy floor of the cave. She could not believe her ears. The tips of them vibrated with uncheckable energy.
“Since when? How long have you been hiding it?” It took all her might to not scream at the top of her lungs.
Rainbow Dash was scared out of her mind. She turned around twice in the small cave, not knowing what to do with herself. What if Twilight had been in love with her since the day they met without Rainbow Dash noticing it? How could she have missed it?
“S-since that night at your place after we found out that our friends hated us” Twilight explained “But I didn't know for sure until earlier this morning, in the kitchen at my parents' in Canterlot.”
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and tried to be still. It didn´t work. So she just said it:
“Twilight, I´ve got to confess something. I think I'm in love with you too. I just didn't want to see it before.”
They looked at each other through the dusk of the cave. Rainbow Dash seemed to glow like a blue planet in the night. It was irresistable. Twilight lent forward and kissed her forget-me-not friend on the mouth. Rainbow Dash responded by wrapping her wings around The purple unicorn, kissing her back. Suddenly, the cave was no longer a cold place. It was a place filled with the soft, warm glow of love,
The next morning Rainbow Dash woke up and found that she had fallen asleep with her wings wrapped around Twilight. Twilight was slowly starting to wake up too, and Rainbow Dash quickly folded up her wings. Both of them suddenly sat up straight.
“What is that sound?” Twilight asked worriedly.
Rainbow Dash could hear it too. It sounded like a herd of ponies approaching at high speed.
“Twilight, we need to get out of here!” Rainbow Dash cried out, but it was too late. The herd of angry ponies was already standing outside the cave, waiting for Twilight and Rainbow Dash to surrender themselves.
"Come out!" voices shouted. "Or we will come and get you out! We´ll make you pay for what you have done!"
Rainbow Dash and Twilight believed them.
"What are we going to do!" Twilight whined. "They are so angry! Do you think they might kill us?"
" I hope not" Rainbow Dash said, but she didn´t sound sure. "Whatever happens, I will try my best to protect you. And myself. I´m a good flyer. There is not much room for flying in this darned cave, but I will manage somehow. I don´t care, I´m still free. They can´t take the sky from me!"
Twilight pressed herself against her brave friend. They were both trembling with fear. The sound of angry voices was coming closer. A flicker of light pierced the dusk. They had torches! Why would they need torches when Celestias sun was high up in the sky?
"They will burn our tails and manes" Rainbow Dash whispered. "Get behind me! I´ll fight them off for as long as I can!"
The next moment the cave was full of furious ponies. They had smoking torches and hayforks. They came closer and closer, pressing Rainbow Dash and Twilight against a corner of the cave.
"It´s been wonderful knowing you" Rainbow Dash said. "I just which we could have found out about our feelings for each other sooner."
Twilight could not answer. She was stiff with fear, hiding behind her friend. The faces of the angry ponies were like masks in the light of the torches, making them look like demons. They were even closer now, stamping their hard hooves in a threatening way. Twilight snapped.
"Don´t trample me!" she said and sank to the floor. "Please, don´t trample me!"
At that moment a pony walked up in front of them and spoke with an oh so familiar southern accent.
“Nopony puts mah friends in the corner!” Applejack said, ready to buke whoever would tried to harm her friends.
There was an eyeblink of silence. The angry ponies looked surprised.
“Exactly! They’re innocent!”
A white unicorn joined Applejack. Rarity! Good old Rarity stood up for them too!
“ Yeah, you're just a big bunch of meanies!” A pink earth pony bounced up in front.
Pinkie Pie! They had never been so happy to see there bouncy friend.
“Um, I think I kind of agree” Fluttershy peeked out from behind Pinkie Pie. “if it's okay, of course, I don't mean to be rude”
“But they called us worthless mud ponies!” a group of earth ponies screamed.
“And Feather brains and stick heads!” some unicorns and pegasuses said.
“Like they think they are better than us because the princess likes them! Snobs! They don´t deserve to live in our town!”
“It wasn't them!” Applejack said. "Don´t you see we have all been tricked? Wait here!"
She left the cave. When she returned, she had two chained changelings following behind her.
“These two fellows here dressed like Twilight and Rainbow Dash to humiliate them and create chaos!” Applejack explained. “That way, Equestria wouldn't be ready if the changelings attacked and it would be easy to gain control.”
The ponies seemed confused and embarrassed. Some of them hid their hay forks behind their backs.
“In that case, I guess we owe them an apology” one of them said.
“I-it´s just that you know how much my job mean to me.” Cheerilee stepped in front. “I got really hurt when you, ehhm, the changeling said that I was a worthless mud ponies who couldn't get a proper job!"
Ditzy Doo stepped out.
“A-and all my life, I've been bullied because I'm different. But you've always encouraged me, and said that different is good. And then came changeling Twilight and insulted me. And it hurt, because I trusted you. I thought you were better than that!”
“Well, Applejack darling, would you like to say something?” Rarity asked.
“I-I would like to apologise for throwing apples at you...” Applejack started. “And for calling you, um, Stick head and Feather-brain. My anger got the better of me.”
Rainbow Dash helped Twilight to get up on her hooves and brushed the sand off her coat with a tip of her wing. Twilight met the embarrassed herd with a weak smile that made Dash want to hug her.
“It's okay Applejack, we know how important your pride is to you” Twilight said. “And it wouldn't do being called a mud pony, am I right?”
Applejack silently nodded. It seemed that everyone in the cave finally exhaled.
“Um, AJ?” Rainbow Dash said. “What are we going to do with the changelings?”
A familiar voice answered her question.
“Me and my sister will take care of them, dearest Rainbow Dash.”
“Princess Luna!” Rainbow Dash said as a familiar blue alicorn regally made her way though the crowd. “B-but what are you doing here? I take it you didn't happen to pass by this cave by accident and heard my question?”
“No, your friends contacted our... my sister about the changelings before they went chasing after you and Twilight” Luna explained.
The changelings started to scream in a horridly distorted version of Equestrian. Twilight instinctively pressed one of her ears against Rainbow Dash.
“ And as for you...” Princess Luna said and picked up the changelings in her magic.
She said something to them in their strange sounding almost Equestrian language. None of the ponies could understand what Luna said, but based on the changelings reactions and Luna´s face, she seemed to be promising them a good spanking.
“What did you say to them?” Twilight asked, slightly nervousness that the moon princess would do something unwise.
“I just told them that they had no right what so ever to do the things they did” Luna said, sounding Perfectly calm and controlled. “And that their Queen won't be happy that she has to come all the way to Canterlot to pick up two idiots who screwed up there mission.”
“What!?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Are you just going to let them walk away!? After they nearly got us killed!”
“Since you don't know much about politics, I'm going to explain something to you” Luna said patiently. “Either we can consider the fact that we have found two disguised changelings on Equestrian territory an act of war from there side. Or we can keep the two changelings imprisoned, which the changelings would consider an act of war for sure. OR we can let them go - "just like that".”
“Well, when you put it like that, it does sound like a good alternative to let them go” Rainbow Dash admitted.
“Good. But now I need to go back to Canterlot before someone” Luna glared at the changelings “or somechangling says something they are going to regret.”
Two hours later, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were sitting at Sugar Cub Corner, happily munching on some cupcakes that Pinkie brought them while taking turns telling there friends about the last two days.
“S-so you and Rainbow Dash is, like, a couple now?” Applejack asked in disbelief.
“Well, if Rainbow Dash is okay with it...” Twilight said looking at her blue friend.
“Of course we're a couple!” Rainbow Dash said and nuzzled Twilight. “I've never been happier!”
The rest of the elements of harmony awed at the cute show of affection.
“Ehhm, everypony” Spike entered the bakery with a scroll in his hand. “ I think you really, really want to see what Luna and Celestia sent us!”
Spike smiled widely as he handed over the scroll to Twilight, who took it in her magic. Seconds later the bakery was filled with laughter as the friends looked at the picture of a very annoyed changeling queen standing next to the two captured changelings.
A few weeks later and a couple of miles away, in Canterlot, a certain blue alicorn and her sister glued the exact same picture on a page in a thick album.
“Yep, that's really a keeper, Lulu!” Celestia stated. “Hmm, the photo album with the pictures of our enemies starts to get awfully thick... maybe it's time to get a new one?”
“Sure, It might be a good idea” Luna nodded. “Our dear enemies don't seem like they are planning to stop playing their little games any time soon.”
"However, I do know one picture I would like to start a brand new album with. I would like to have a love album, and the picture of Twlilght and Rainbow Dash would be on the very cover of it."
" I don´t think we have a picture of them together."
Celestia took out a scroll of pink paper and handed it to Luna. She let her magic unroll it, and there was indeed a heart shaped picture of Twilight and Rainbow Dash smiling into the camera. Above the picture it said in beautiful letters "Wedding invitation".