> Finding Purpose
>  by Archangel of the Silent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Waking up can be harder than you think
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


The highest aspiration man could ever have is not to please himself nor others, but to become pleased in to comfort of others. The purpose of man is to find comfort in the arms of another; this is how we are to live our dreams.




This wasn't happening. It just... couldn't . At least, not to her.
It had been two days since Rainbow dash ended up in Canterlot Hospital. And, as a true friend, it had been two days since Twilight Sparkle had taken post at her bedside. Having slept only three of the out of the 48 hours they had been there, Twilight was understandably tired. But, she never complained, not once: Rainbow was in the hospital, so she hadn't the right to. Besides, Rainbow might not mind if she woke up to see her alicorn friend sleeping in her room, but Twilight would. Goodness, she thought. I'm turning into Pinkie Pie.
After the thought, Twilight caught something out of the corner of her eye- movement. Rainbow dash had started to roll over. Twilight wanted to scream out of pure joy, but caught herself before she did. With how long she had been out, a cream would have been the worst possible way to wake her up.
"Rainbow?" she heard Twilight ask faintly. "How's that for two percent! Rainbow, can you hear me?"
As the pegasus awoke, she was greeted to a most welcome sight- her friend, Twilight, and she felt flattered. The two may have been friends, but the entire reason they were in Canterlot was for Twilight to perform her royal duties. Yet here she was- at her bedside.
"I'm in the hospital, aren't I?" It didn't surprise Twilight how calm the pegasus was. Ending up in the hospital was to be expected at this point.
"Yeah, you are." Twilight said in a kind voice, like she was trying to imitate Fluttershy.
"How bad?"
"Bad. I'll spare you the details, the doctor should explain."
"I'll need a mirror. Soon, please- I want to see. Before that, though. How was the Council?"
"I didn't go. I stayed here, with you." Twilight was embarrassed now.
"Oh. I see." I'm supposed to represent loyalty, egghead. "The mirror, please?" As Twilight held up the mirror for her, Das was thankful her face was mostly intact. Then she noticed the feathers in her hair. "Uh, Twilight? Why are there violet feathers in my mane?"
"Well, I thought maybe it would help you wake up." Twilight was visibly blushing now.
 Does she... Rainbow thought to herself. "I remember specifically telling you why pegasi-"
"I love you, Rainbow Dash," Twilight interrupted. "I love you."


The previous day...




"What do you mean, you're not going? They could strip you of your title for this!" Shining Armor was only half screaming, as not to wake up some of the sleeping patients. Even in an ICU, the can be stirred if the sounds are loud enough. "No way ANYpony means that to you. Don't be blind here."
The two siblings had only been talking for a few minutes. Cadance couldn't make it, she was with the other princesses at the palace. "Well," Twilight began her counter. She was aware of the potential implications of her not attending, but she didn't care. "Rainbow Dash isn't just anypony to me. For goodness sake, she's the element of loyalty, and it shows. She's always been there for me. I can't abandon her now.
Shining Armor let out a sigh of discontent- he obviously didn't understand why his little sister was doing this. "If that's how you feel, fine. I won't take it away from you. I don't understand it, or approve of it, but fine."
With that, he marched off. Twilight almost kicked herself for not telling hi, but how could he? Throughout her entire life, she'd rarely cared for anypony, really. There were Mom, Dad, and himself, of course. After being accepted into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, there had been Celestia and Cadance. It wasn't until Ponyville that she started to make friends. She'd felt an immediate connection to Dash, and she just thought her big brother couldn't handle it if she changed so suddenly- if she got that connected to somepony. Best to leave well enough alone, she thought.
	
	
> But it would happen, right?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"What do ya'll mean, you're leavin'?" Rainbow heard Applejack saying in the back of her head. "I just don't get it."
"AJ, this is a huge opportunity for- " Spike was cut off by a mall, magic bubble Twilight had created.
"I'm capable of speaking for myself, Spike." Her horn still glowing, the violet alicorn began to address her friends. "Princess Celestia knows that I can perform my duties here, but she's invited me to spend a year in Canterlot to further my magical studies with several of the universities there. And Spike's right- it is a huge opportunity for me!" Everypony in Ponyville could see the sparkle in her eyes, true to her name. "She even said I could bring a Ponyville friend, too!"
The others all gave concerned looks. They all went down to Canterlot pretty frequently, but a whole year?
"Sugarcube, I'd love to. But I got Sweet Apple Acres to look over."
"Well, there's Sweetie Belle, and the boutique..."
"I don't think all those animals could look after themselves for that long..."
"I've even got work at the bakery!" Pinkie was actually surprised- even she had work to do.
Only Rainbow Dash was still to say why she couldn't go with her. She didn't have any real obligations, save Scootaloo, whom she was not legally in charge of. "Well, I'll go with you!"
With those words, the library, her friends, and Ponyville vanished from view. The whole scene was black. "What's happening!" she screamed. 
"You are dreaming, my child." A strange yet familiar voice loomed over the pegasus.  As she turned around, Dash was met with a unexpected face- Princess Luna, Equestria's mistress of dreams. "All the while learning a valuable lesson."
"What do you mean? What happened to Ponyville? " A look of confusion and dismay crept onto Rainbow Dash's face.
"I cannot teach you everything, Rainbow Dash. I hope you remember your dream well. We have much to see." Suddenly, something happened in that void that could only be described as Dash's life flashing before her eyes. Except, it started to late- it was when she met twilight, and accidently giving her that ridiculous manestyle. Every scene following had something to do with Twilight in some way.
"I don't understand, Princess. These are all moments that Twilight and I have shared, but that dream wasn't real." What was Luna trying to tell her?
"It didn't have to. It could happen. Would that have been your response?" Luna didn't show any emotion. She seemed to be getting impatient.
"Yeah, I guess." Her response was feeble at best.
"Then watch. We are here."
"And where is-" Rainbow Dash had just started her question when she noticed where "here" was.
The library. Her friends were there, wearing their elements, circling a relatively large scorch mark on the ground. From her position in the air next to Luna, she surveyed the faces of the ponies in the room. As she passed her own, she remarked in her head how sad it looked. She remembered this moment- Twilight had gone somewhere to become an alicorn. 
"What happened here, Rainbow Dash?" Luna seemed quieter. 
"Twilight was gone. I was so sad..."
"What happened to you?" Luna was standing straight, wings folded, looking at the crying mess that used to be Rainbow Dash. She was so close to understanding why Luna had brought her here. The princess strengthened her resolve. She couldn't give up now. "Something happened here that never happened before. Something you felt. I need to know what it was."
"This is when I noticed it. I love Twilight Sparkle." Through the tears, Rainbow was only able to mutter the words.
"Then I may take my leave. And you, child, may wake from your slumber."
As the pegasus opened her eyes, she could hear Twilight speaking to her. Whispered ever so faintly, she heard her friend saying "Rainbow? How's that for two percent! Rainbow, can you hear me?" 
> Flying Lessons?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Thanks for flying with me, Dash. I'd probably fall right out of the sky without you here." As the two flew Canterlot's Royal Skyway, they looked down on all the people. This skyway was for royal purposes only, as the name would suggest. As such, it was quite high up and nearly deserted. They had been in Canterlot for six days, and they'd had a lesson each day for at least an hour. Twilight would be the first to admit she needed help, and Rainbow Dash, the best flier in Ponyville, if not Equestria, seemed like the perfect candidate. Plus, the cyan mare seemed more than happy to catch her when she fell, which was quite frequently. Admittedly, though, she was getting better.
"You're not that bad. Besides, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to use Canterlot's Royal Skyway, could I?" As she gazed into her friend's violet eyes, Rainbow Dash was stricken by a heartbreaking fact- in 6 days, she hadn't told Twilight how she felt. Soon, it wasn't even a possibility she'd get alone time with her. Despite the wave of sadness that had nigh overcome her, Dash forced a smile onto her face. "Besides, it's kinda cool hanging out with you." Hint, hint!
A thought creeped it's way into Twilight's head.  Could she really feel that way about me? It was just distracting enough to cause Twilight to lose her focus. She lost all sensation to her body, her brain dedicating all of it's considerable processing power to the possibility of mutual feelings between the two ponies. Without that focus on the task at hand- flying- she suddenly started falling. Another thing Twilight needed to work on- not her focus, but her recovery. Over the course of all Twilight's lessons, Dash had been there to catch her if she fell, with the exceptions of low-altitude flying, where a fall wouldn't do any considerable damage. But this wasn't low-altitude- in order to ensure privacy and speed, that skyway was almost 75 meters up. As she always did when she fell, the alicorn panicked. And, same as always, when she panicked, she couldn't fly.
Rainbow Dash's reflexes weren't quite fast enough to catch her. She did, however, hear Twilight's screaming- it was hard to miss. Jolting down, she took quick note of the situation. She had about 200 feet to think of a solution. Fortunately, the pegasus was born to fly, and had earned her Cutie Mark for being a speed demon. Slicing through the air, she noticed the violet hooves flying through the air at alarming speeds- as long as Twilight was flailing about like that, any rescue from that side would have been impossible. She remembered Rarity doing the same thing at the Best Young Flier's competition in Cloudsdale- she had indeed knocked three potential rescuers unconscious. She, and the Wonderbolts, were only rescued thanks to Dash's quick action, and a Sonic Rainboom. With that though, she slid ever so slightly outward, getting level with Twilight. As she overtook the alicorn, she slid back underneath, on Twilight's backside. 150 feet, Dash thought to herself. She placed her forehooves on Twilight's backside. 100 feet. Lastly, she started to push up, hoping to save her friend. 50 feet. Suddenly, she noticed the most important part of the situation. No matter how hard she pushed, they weren't flying up. It was her last thought as the two hit the ground.
Twilight had sustained heavy injuries, remarking the pain as she was able to stand up. The worst pain of her life shot through her legs, up her back, and into her wings. She looked over at the small hole in the ground and caught sight of an unconscious pegasus there- Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow!" The words barely made it to Twilight. Quickly, she used her magic to lift the pony onto her backside, and began running. Running, she went. Running faster than she- or anypony she knew- had ever run, straight for Canterlot Hospital.


Canterlot Hospital, two hours post crash (46 hours to the good stuff.)


"How is she, Doctor?" Twilight had been pacing in the waiting room for two hours. She couldn't bring herself to sit down, not until she knew if her friend was going to be ok. Her legs were beyond tired, but until she could see Rainbow, she would not rest them.
"Broken wings are obvious. She seems to have fallen backwards. Immediately after hitting the ground, both hindlegs broke. Several broken ribs and lots of internal bleeding. It's unclear if she'll survive at this point, let alone wake up. Ponyville General sent over her medical records- it seems she spends a lot of time there. Looking over them, we've picked up an unusual increase in brain activity, specifically, REM sleeping. That's... well, extremely rare for coma patients."
"She's... dreaming." What about, nopony could even begin to fathom. "What are the odds?"
"Preliminary testing is looking better than earlier predictions. That being said, I'd peg survival at no more that ten percent. Waking up, around two."
"But... I never even got the chance to tell her." Twilight strengthened her resolve. If she couldn't wake up for herself, she'd wake up for Twilight, right? "She has to live, doctor. I'll pay for anything that needs to be done."
"Of course, Princess. Whatever you need. If you'd like, you may see her now. She's in the ICU, room four."
"Thank you, Doctor." Twilight almost ran down the hall to the room. When she arrived, she decided that if Dash woke up while she was there, she would tell her then. Knowing full well it would hurt, Twilight took a few feathers off her wing and laid them gently into Rainbow's mane. She winced at both the pain of taking them out and at the pain of lifting her wing. Only one was in a cast, but both were very sore. Doing this, a smile slipped onto her face. She remembered back to that Hearts and Hooves night, so long ago. Rainbow had come to the library seeking someone to talk to. That was, evidently, an anniversary of Dash's breakup with her first special somepony. Twilight did learn something from the experience, though- a bit of pegasus culture, a favorite subject of hers. Apparently, as she was told, when two pegasi feel close to each other, they would lay feathers from their wings into the manes of the other. Twilight was so happy she could do it now, too. After the fact, she began crying. As she let her head fall onto the chest of the pegasus, feeling her ever present heartbeat in her ears, Twilight whispered, "You have to wake up, damn you. Wake up so I can tell you myself."
> A whole week? pt 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The six stood on the lading dock of the Ponyville train station. Twilight and Rainbow Dash had decided to get to Canterlot early. For all their troubles in the capital of Equestria- the Grand Galloping Gala, Twilight's birthday, the so-named "Discord issue", or Twilight's coronation, it seemed that only really Twilight knew where she was going. She was so looking forward to it, and could tell her friend was, too. I don't like her like that, Twilight would say to herself. Right?
It was on no matter nor consequence now. The conductor yelled his classic "all aboard", and the two who were leaving stepped onto the train, and were greeted to the scent of burning coal. The royal transport car of the train didn't ever seem to change. Same beds, same curtains, same spot in the line. That one was hard to change, but it any change would've been welcome change. Still, Twilight didn't complain, not once- she got to ride with her friends for free in the most comfortable car in Equestria, so she wasn't going to.
Pinkie Pie was standing on the edge of the platform, nigh sticking her head into a train door that was getting ready to close. Eyes wide and mouth open, she spoke, "be sure to right!"
"Classic Pinkie," Dash spoke up as the door began to close. "We're only going to be gone a week." With the door now closed, the train took off. One week that may change everything for the better, Dash thought. Or worse... She forced herself to take deep breaths. Twilight's modesty was seconded only to Fluttershy, but she would understand that Dash had a crush on her, even if she couldn't reciprocate- wouldn't she? No matter how many times she said yes, the thought would find a way to nudge itself back into her subconscious. Rainbow "Danger" Dash does not get nervous like this! Gathering her own thoughts, she was able to turn to Twilight and say, "Thanks for taking me along. I know it's just 'cause I was the only one who could make it, but still. It'll be nice getting to spend some real time with my best friend."
Twilight was taken back- knowing how long the mare had been friends with the others, she knew she didn't deserve the honor. "I'll just address those points in order," she started. "You're welcome, I would've taken all of you if I could, we spend time together a lot," Twilight almost stuttered out her next words. "And, I'm your best friend?" She was surprised with how easy they came out.
Rainbow Dash, being her brash self, replied in kind. "Well, yeah! Honestly, egghead. Who'd you think it would be?" Being honest with herself, she was afraid of the answer. She'd loved Twilight for so long, but had hoped that it would show through a subtle charm. Clearly, it wasn't working.
"I don't know. Fluttershy, I guess. I mean, you two did practically grow up with each other." She caught herself blushing, but couldn't stop it. Best friend is so close, she thought. No need to push it now. Though, a little prodding would help... "Besides, I know a lot of ponies think you two are... you know."
Alarmed now, Dash forced herself to calm down. People thought she and Fluttershy were... The pegasi loved each other, but in a platonic way, like anypony would love a friend. "Really? Fluttershy and me?"
"Fluttershy and I," Twilight corrected her. 
Why does it have to be her? Rainbow thought. "Fluttershy and I, though? We're good friends, nothing more." Honestly, Dash was just telling Twilight she was single to keep up appearances- the alicorn never seemed to notice it.
"For the record, I think you two would be cute together." She hadn't lied- she had heard that rumor, silently wishing all the while it wasn't true. It seemed like a horrible thing to wish for, that not one but two friends wouldn't find happiness, at least not with each other. It was better than the alternative, though- the two were seeing each other and would have a falling out. "If you don't mind it, I think I'm going to catch some sleep. I was up way to late last night packing."
As Twilight was walking off, the pegasus had just started to say, "There's a reason it's you." But her friend was gone. Silently, she kicked herself. For dissing Fluttershy, for not telling Twilight, for even assuming that the smart, nice, funny, beautiful alicorn Princess Twilight Sparkle would've been interested in a simple pegasus from Cloudsdale.
After all, last Hearts and Hooves day hadn't been failure enough, apparently. 


Twilight always spent that day and night alone, reading in the library. No more, Dash decided. It was going to set her back a few bits, but she didn't care. This year, Twilight's day would be perfect. She bought everything she would need, and somehow managed to resist questioning from the salesponies. She flew home with everything in her saddlebag- a box of various chocolates, several violet tulips (they were Twilight's favorite. Rainbow Dash had always made a habit of surprising ponies with how much she did pay attention to what they were saying), the finest quill and parchment she had (she didn't just have those things laying around), and a small, silver locket in the shape of a six-point star lined with small amethysts. She just knew it would be perfect.
At home, She took out the parchment, ink, and quill, and wrote in her finest hoofwriting for Twilight. It was almost unrecognizable compared to her normal hoofwriting, but Twilight deserved her best.


For Twilight Sparkle,
I apologize for my anonymity, but you needed to know this. Ever since you came to Ponyville, I've felt a special connection with you. I know you'll never share my feelings, but I wanted you to have this. Even if you never find me, I wouldn't have you any other way.


She added a small heart at the end and rested the locket inside. When the big night reared it's usually ever-so-ugly head, she found herself at the door to the library, with more than a few butterflies in her stomach. Gently, she took one of her cyan feathers and lay it on the ground. She placed the chocolates on top of it. Next came the flowers, with the card resting on the top. Quickly, she turned her head to the sky and spotted what she was looking for. A medium sized cloud, not to far away for Dash to see whatever was happening in the library. If all else failed, she would try the "I'm just a courier" card and see where it got her. Steeling herself, she brought her hoof to rest on the door, knocking. As fast as she could, she dashed up to the cloud.
Luckily, she was fast about it. Twilight was immediately at the door, as though waiting for somepony. The look on Twilight's face immediately made the cost worth it for Dash. She magically grabbed everything off the ground and took them all inside. Everything, that is, except the feather, the only identifying mark of the whole package. A sense of dismay swept over the pegasus in the cloud. Twilight paid so much attention to everything, but missed the most important part! Even through it, Dash smiled. That kind of obliviousness made Twilight way too damn attractive for her own good.
From her cloud, the pony heard the most beautiful voice singing what seemed to be some kind of love song. It took her only a moment to recognize the voice- Twilight. Looking through the window, Rainbow now noticed that Twilight had brought everything she had to the loft. "I just can't believe this!" She was almost screaming to herself. She calmed herself, but only to string together a coherent thought. As she opened the card, though, that changed. The locket slipped and nearly hit the ground before Twilight caught it. She gazed at it so long with those beautiful, magenta eyes that Dash thought she might have bought a hypnosis amulet. Still, she thought, she could just sit here and watch Twilight until she snapped out of it.
"Spike! Clear my schedule," Twilight began to speak to her assistant. "I must find the stallion responsible for this."
Stallion. The word rang, echoed painfully in Dash's head. Not mare, not pony- just stallion. Twilight didn't like mares. She didn't like Rainbow Dash, not like that. She kicked the cloud into oblivion. Crying with all her heart and soul, the took off towards her own home at just under the sound barrier. She had no desire to attract attention.
For once in her life, Rainbow Dash just wanted to be left alone, with no one to even care.
> A whole week? pt 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rainbow Dash's mind suddenly snapped to attention, remembering where she was. The memory still flashed in her head, as though fresh before her eyes. That sense of failure had haunted her for quite some time. She steeled herself. She had seven days alone with Twilight- then, she decided, she would have seven days to make Twilight fall in love with her. So ambitious, she thought. Being herself, however, she was confident she could do it. The thought of a week in Canterlot seemed to grab most of the other ponies attention immediately, so it didn't seem too suspicious when Dash said she'd happily accompany her friend. Honestly, she just couldn't pass up the offer. Though she had planned on going to see the Wonderbolts in Cloudsdale, they had sold out before she bought her ticket. Besides, she kept reminding herself. This is going to be way better.
Three hours later, the train glided to a stop at Canterlot Station. "Come on, Dash." The pegasus turned around at the sound of Twilight chiding her on. "We should go unpack our bags before we do some sightseeing." 
Rainbow ran to her to pick up her own saddle bag. In all her daydreams, she'd forgotten to grab them out of the train. "Right," she said, pulling next to Twilight. "Where are we staying?" As the words left her mouth, she nearly brought her hoof to her forehead for even asking the question. The ever-obvious answer slipped her mind.
"The castle, silly!" Twilight replied. 
Rainbow held her head down in shame when she noticed something on Twilight's neck flash- it was the locket she'd gotten for her so long ago. "Where'd you get the locket? I don't think I've seen you wearing it before" This was her chance to find out who Twilight really thought did it.
"How... uncharacteristically observant." She shouldn't really be that cute when she's using big words. "Besides, I don't even know who it's from. I found it in a card on my doorstep last Hearts and Hooves Day." So she really had no idea.
"Sounds to me like you got yourself your own special somepony!" It took all her resolve for the cyan mare to not tell the alicorn next to her how she really felt. Still, she held it in. "Care to share who it is? Why haven't you told us about him?"
"Why do you care?" Twilight had interrupted the next question. She could sound harsh if she needed to, but this wasn't that. The words still rolled off her tongue as though intended to be kind, almost suggestive. "Like I said, I don't know who he is. I've asked every stallion in Ponyville, but couldn't find out whoever it was." 
A frown had crept onto Rainbow's face. "I didn't mean to pry." What would she do if Twilight hated her now?
The walked the rest of the way in silence, only occasionally stopping for Twilight to do her sudden transformation into "Princess Twilight Sparkle" for some of Canterlot's more noble ponies.  It continued until the two had entered Twilight's room- er, bedchambers, as the guards had thus addressed them.


"Look at the size!" Exclaimed Rainbow Dash as she flew through the room. "This room alone is bigger than my house!" It may have been an overstatement, but it captured her feelings perfectly. She found it hard to believe that Twilight chose to live in the library in Ponyville.
"Except," Twilight started. "There's only one bed." She was right. It was an abnormally large bed, as far as she was concerned. However, there was only the one.
"Don't worry about it. I'll sleep on the floor. You have, like, 18 pillows, I'm sure you can spare some for me." Such a selfless offer, at least by Rainbow Dash standards.
"Rainbow Dash," there was obvious disappointment in her voice, but she never raised it, not once. "You've stayed at the library enough times, I'd have thought you would have learned something about having guests. True, there's only one bed, but I will not let you sleep on the floor." She sighed, though it's purpose was unclear. "You can sleep with me."
"And here I was thinking only Rarity was that generous," Dash replied with a smile. "What's the best restaurant in town? I'm taking you there. To repay you for bringing me here."
"You wouldn't like it. It's a pretty romantic seen. Though, I have to say the food there is amazing. I can't see you lasting more than 15 seconds there." Twilight flashed her a smile. Even she can't accept that challenge.
Well, Twilight, for once, was wrong. Flashing a smile back, Dash said to her, "I'll be patient with it, if you love it so much." No matter how much she tried to stop herself from thinking she just got a date with Twilight, she couldn't help but let the smile get wider. "I insist- it'll be my treat."
"Are you alright?" Twilight asked her, a hint of worry in her voice. "You just don't seem, well, like yourself lately."
"I'm fine, really. Let's go, I'm starving.


Twilight had been right, as always. Dash made a mental note to never question anything Twilight ever said ever again. 
It was a romantic scene, and no matter how casual they tried to appear, it ended up being a date. At least, the waiter thought so. It was sunset when they arrived there, and Rainbow secretly paid extra to get a perfect view- looking out over the cliffs the city was perched on out into the Highland Basin and its rivers. The waning sun glazed and reflected of the water in the most beautiful way. When the waiter took their order, he referred to the two as "lovebirds", prompting correction from Twilight. In his defense, the sun was down when the food came out, and a small candle had been lit at each table. To Twilight's credit, the food was amazing.
During their meal together, the conversation mostly involved planning for the trip. They had talked briefly about Daring Do and how they liked to gaze at the night's beauty, but "Checklist", as Dash had started calling her, ultimately won over. Over the week, Twilight wished to take Dash to several exhibits and museums, while Dash would treat her to some flying lessons, something the two could agree that Twilight needed. That led into something else Dash had wanted. The Equestrian Youth Flyer's League had a derby coming up in the city. They weren't Wonderbolts, but they'd do for educational purposes.
They decided to walk back to the castle. During their walk, Twilight tried to teach Dash some real astronomy, to which her only remark was, "it's beautiful."
The most relaxing sleep of her life followed Rainbow Dash that night, without so much as a single snore escaping her mouth.
	
> A whole week? pt 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	A restful sleep can only go so far. The later the two were up, the faster morning would come. Celestia was fortunately a kind, benevolent princess, and was willing to skip breakfast and have brunch instead, allowing Twilight and Rainbow Dash to sleep in a little. Not that it would help much- it was well after midnight when the ponies had settled down.
As the two awoke from their slumbers, they found Twilight had rolled over in her sleep, now gazing deeply into the magenta eyes of the pegasus she so graciously shared a bed with. The two simply stared for what seemed like an eternity for the both of them, but in all actuality was only about three seconds. Twilight was the first to comment on the situation by saying, "Well this is awkward..."
"Eeyup," replied Dash, trying her best to imitate Big Mac. After about a second, neither could keep a straight face, and began giggling like little school fillies. "This is how we started our week in Canterlot. We are never to speak of this to anypony."
"Agreed." They got out of bed, and Twilight used her magic to remake it. Almost immediately after she had finished, there was a knock at the door. "Enter, guardsman."
The door opened to reveal a light brown pegasus with a near blood-red mane, adorned with jet black armor crested with a magenta-colored six point star- one of Twilight's personal guards. Twilight knew, of course, the other one who had stood post for the night would be just outside, albeit out of sight. "Princess Twilight," he began in a cool headed voice. There was no nervousness in it when he addressed his Princess, his commanding officer. She could discharge or banish him, but his voice never stuttered. Indeed, Shield had been doing this kind of work for a very long time. "Princess Celestia has sent word that they are ready for you two in the dining hall. As I am to understand, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor are to be joining you," He finished with a small bow of his head. Twilight didn't think she would ever get used to having ponies bow to her whenever they addressed her.
"Thank you, Shield," Twilight began. "We'll be right out." As the alicorn finished making the bed, she gave a questioning look to the guardsman before remembering what Celestia had told her. They'll wait there like a lovesick puppy until you dismiss them. Loyal, but ultimately annoying. "You are dismissed." He bowed again and left the room.
When Twilight left the door, Dash at her side, she noticed the other guard, but didn't recognize him. He had a black coat and a blond mane. When Twilight asked his name, he had replied that it was irrelevant. With a nod from the violet pony, they four began to walk the palace towards the dining hall, with Shield in front and "Irrelevant" in back.
Upon entering the dining hall, Twilight saw that Shield was right- Cadance and Shining Armor had shown up to the city early. As the two ran to greet each other, Dash couldn't help but smile at the little dance the two did whenever those two saw each other.
"I apologize," Celestia's voice rang throughout the room. "For my sister not being able to join us this morning. She said something about last night being hard for her, making a special night for somepony. No matter, though. Let us eat."
Not being any kind of royalty, Dash didn't have much to say during the meal. The three of the royal family in the room mostly just lectured Twilight about what to expect from this council. It was decided that the council would be held on it's scheduled date, although all of the interested parties were in Canterlot already.
When the meal had finished and the plates were taken back to the kitchen, Celestia spoke up. "Rainbow Dash, I need to borrow Twilight. I would presume that's fine" A simple nod from the pegasus was the only response she needed. The two alicorns walked off down another hallway, leaving Dash alone with Cadance and Shining Armor. 
"Hey Cadance," the words came suddenly from Dash's mouth. "Could I talk to you for a little bit?" The thought that this was a bad idea was the running on infinite loop in the mind beneath the technicolor mane. Every fiber of her being was begging her not to do this. There was no telling how Cadance would react. It had been so much easier telling Fluttershy.


"I'm in love, Fluttershy. With Twilight!" Rainbow Dash sat on the floor of the small cottage, her heart racing from the what Fluttershy had told her about this... love. Fluttershy did her own combination of running and flying, trying to feed all the critters who called Fluttershy's home their own. "What's wrong with me? I mean, I'm the coolest pony in Equestria. Sure, Twilight's a princess, but she's such an egghead!" Despite the tone of her voice, Dash was not angry. Not at Twilight for being so damn lovable. Not at herself for never telling anypony. And certainly not at Fluttershy, even if talking to her was too much like talking to herself.
"Nothing's wrong with you, silly," Fluttershy started as she wrapped her cyan friend in what could only be described at her best attempt at a death hug. "I'm just so happy for you!" Her mind flashed back to the childhood the two had together. Growing up together, moving to Ponyville... they had been through so much. Fluttershy loved Rainbow Dash, but like everything about the filly-at-heart, it was a passive love. She wanted nothing more than Rainbow Dash to happy, even if not in her own arms. A pang of regret shot through the cream colored pegasus for not ever telling her, but she was just to shy, and it quickly subsided. She released her grip on Dash and said, ever so softly to her, "So. Twilight?"
"Yeah. Twilight."


"Are you OK?" Cadance's voice rang through Dash's ears.
Suddenly snapping back into reality, Rainbow replied, "Sorry, Princess. I guess I just blanked out."
"Cadance is fine for any friend of Twilight's." She gave a gentle, loving laugh, as though she was just as shocked about being called "Princess" as Twilight was. "Tell me, then. What's on your mind?" The two now stood atop one of the palace's many balconies overlooking the city. The streets weren't as crowded as they normally were, on account of the late morning. At about lunch time, they would become flooded once again by the ponies of the magnificent city.
The word's barely found their way to Rainbow's mouth. Be brave, she thought to herself. For Twilight. The took a deep breath before asking, "Cadance, you're the princess of love, right?"
"I suppose you could say that," the pink colored alicorn replied. She seemed to be mildly taken aback by the implications of that question.
"I need your help," Rainbow said, ever so quietly. She had to tell somepony, somepony who would give her actual advice. "I'm in love with Twilight."
A slight elation escaped Cadance. Quickly addressing the look of anger that had appeared on the face of the pegasus next to her, she simply said, "I know."
Rainbow Dash was shocked. There was no way she could have known- she hadn't told anypony but Fluttershy. "How?"
"Luna told me. It would seem that you dream of her quite often. Besides, as you pointed out, I'm the princess of love- I would've figured it out.
"What do I do?" Dash's voice seemed to be fading quickly- it got quieter with every word she spoke.
"Let's start by not overworking the Princess of the Night again."
A special night for a special pony, Rainbow thought back to the statement Celestia had given at the meal. "You think Luna approves?"
"I think Luna thinks you both deserve to be happy. If that happiness rests in each others hooves, then it is of little consequence." It wasn't Cadance who was speaking now. Dash looked up to see Luna herself floating down to where the other two were standing. As Dash gave a slight bow, Luna finished, "As for your question, child, you should talk to her about how you feel. A bit clichè, but it always works. And before you ask, no, I do not know if she feels the same. This is why you must ask her."
"I know," Dash said, fresh dismay added to her voice. "It's just so damn hard."
> Confessions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Fortunately, the rest of the week went smoothly for the two. No more ridiculously embarrassing moments, either in public or to themselves. By some considerable work of magic, they made it to all of Twilight's museums and exhibits- being Twilight, there were a lot of them. To her surprise though, they had found one which Rainbow Dash not only enjoyed, but learned something from. Granted, that learning happened at a display on pegasus anatomy, and the only thing she learned was why she ended up in the hospital so often. Still, Twilight felt as though she was making progress towards uncovering Dash's academic side. 
As to her surprise, Rainbow Dash ended up having the same feelings- Twilight took notes at the derby. I've heard of weirder ways of learning to fly, I guess, the pegasus thought to herself when she saw it. Being born a practically natural flier who usually didn't even think about touching the ground, she found it weird- very weird. Still, she thought. It's kinda cute. The flying lessons went well, too. Twilight needed a massive confidence boost, but she wasn't bad at it. In fact, she was quite good at it, and visibly improving all the time. Sadly, all good things must come to an end- the week went by in the blink of an eye, as it were.
"Come on, Dash! wee need to get to the castle!" Twilight shouted at her friend, only the slightest hint of impatience in her voice. She knew she'd need to change quickly, though she continued to exercise the utmost patience toward her chromatic friend, who completely and utterly lacked any sense of urgency.
"I would race you there, but let me guess- you don't think you're ready." Dash shot a quick smile at the princess, who now seemed to be getting visibly angry with her. Slowly, the violet mare drew a deep breath and lifted a hoof to her chest, the same breathing exercise Cadance taught her.
"Not at all. I KNOW I'm not ready for that. Besides, it'll be nice to just fly together, no stress." While she wouldn't be the first to admit it, just flying with Dash seemed nice. How am I going to tell her, Twilight thought. Those feelings had been quite a source of embarrassment for her, and she just wasn't sure that after the fact she could face the truth.
Luna came to her in her dreams last night. She and Dash had been snuggling in the library near the start of winter. Under the blanket, next to the fireplace in the loft of the library. Twilight had been reading poetry all night, and Rainbow Dash had seemed to enjoy it. She'd fallen asleep against Twilight's side what would have been hours ago in her dream, yet she continued to read to her. Luna had manifested in her dreamworld to see the two there. "Well," she had begun. "This is a pleasant surprise." Luna had visited Dash's dream before and had seen many variants of the same situation. As Twilight began to stutter out a response, Luna covered her own tracks. "Worry not, child. I won't tell anypony." Twilight swore she would never dream again as Luna left the scene.
As they flew along, Twilight turned to her friend.  "Thanks for flying with me, Dash. I'd probably fall right out of the sky without you here." As the two flew Canterlot's Royal Skyway, they looked down on all the people. This skyway was for royal purposes only, as the name would suggest. As such, it was quite high up and nearly deserted. They had been in Canterlot for six days, and they'd had a lesson each day for at least an hour. Twilight would be the first to admit she needed help, and Rainbow Dash, the best flier in Ponyville, if not Equestria, seemed like the perfect candidate. Plus, the cyan mare seemed more than happy to catch her when she fell, which was quite frequently. Admittedly, though, she was getting better.
"You're not that bad. Besides, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to use Canterlot's Royal Skyway, could I?" As she gazed into her friend's violet eyes, Rainbow Dash was stricken by a heartbreaking fact- in 6 days, she hadn't told Twilight how she felt. Soon, it wasn't even a possibility she'd get alone time with her. Despite the wave of sadness that had nigh overcome her, Dash forced a smile onto her face. "Besides, it's kinda cool hanging out with you." Hint, hint!
A thought creeped it's way into Twilight's head. Could she really feel that way about me? It was just distracting enough to cause Twilight to lose her focus. She lost all sensation to her body, her brain dedicating all of it's considerable processing power to the possibility of mutual feelings between the two ponies. Without that focus on the task at hand- flying- she suddenly started falling. Another thing Twilight needed to work on- not her focus, but her recovery. Over the course of all Twilight's lessons, Dash had been there to catch her if she fell, with the exceptions of low-altitude flying, where a fall wouldn't do any considerable damage. But this wasn't low-altitude- in order to ensure privacy and speed, that skyway was almost 75 meters up. As she always did when she fell, the alicorn panicked. And, same as always, when she panicked, she couldn't fly.
Rainbow Dash's reflexes weren't quite fast enough to catch her. She did, however, hear Twilight's screaming- it was hard to miss. Jolting down, she took quick note of the situation. She had about 200 feet to think of a solution. Fortunately, the pegasus was born to fly, and had earned her Cutie Mark for being a speed demon. Slicing through the air, she noticed the violet hooves flying through the air at alarming speeds- as long as Twilight was flailing about like that, any rescue from that side would have been impossible. She remembered Rarity doing the same thing at the Best Young Flier's competition in Cloudsdale- she had indeed knocked three potential rescuers unconscious. She, and the Wonderbolts, were only rescued thanks to Dash's quick action, and a Sonic Rainboom. With that though, she slid ever so slightly outward, getting level with Twilight. As she overtook the alicorn, she slid back underneath, on Twilight's backside. 150 feet, Dash thought to herself. She placed her forehooves on Twilight's backside. 100 feet. Lastly, she started to push up, hoping to save her friend. 50 feet. Suddenly, she noticed the most important part of the situation. No matter how hard she pushed, they weren't flying up. It was her last thought as the two hit the ground.
Twilight had sustained heavy injuries, remarking the pain as she was able to stand up. The worst pain of her life shot through her legs, up her back, and into her wings. She looked over at the small hole in the ground and caught sight of an unconscious pegasus there- Rainbow Dash. "Rainbow!" The words barely made it to Twilight. Quickly, she used her magic to lift the pony onto her backside, and began running. Running, she went. Running faster than she- or anypony she knew- had ever run, straight for Canterlot Hospital.


"Rainbow?" she heard Twilight ask faintly. "How's that for two percent! Rainbow, can you hear me?"
As the pegasus awoke, she was greeted to a most welcome sight- her friend, Twilight, and she felt flattered. The two may have been friends, but the entire reason they were in Canterlot was for Twilight to perform her royal duties. Yet here she was- at her bedside.
"I'm in the hospital, aren't I?" It didn't surprise Twilight how calm the pegasus was. Ending up in the hospital was to be expected at this point.
"Yeah, you are." Twilight said in a kind voice, like she was trying to imitate Fluttershy.
"How bad?"
"Bad. I'll spare you the details, the doctor should explain."
"I'll need a mirror. Soon, please- I want to see. Before that, though. How was the Council?"
"I didn't go. I stayed here, with you." Twilight was embarrassed now.
"Oh. I see." I'm supposed to represent loyalty, egghead. "The mirror, please?" As Twilight held up the mirror for her, Das was thankful her face was mostly intact. Then she noticed the feathers in her hair. "Uh, Twilight? Why are there violet feathers in my mane?"
"Well, I thought maybe it would help you wake up." Twilight was visibly blushing now.
Does she... Rainbow thought to herself. "I remember specifically telling you why pegasi-"
"I love you, Rainbow Dash," Twilight interrupted. "I love you."
Dash wrapped her free foreleg around her love. "Good," she whispered. "Then what I'm about to do seems much less awkward." Twilight almost began to question what was about to happen, but for once in her life, allowed it to just happen. Dash pulled Twilight closer, gently nuzzling her. "I love you, too, egghead." With that she pulled Twilight the final step, and the two shared their first kiss. A kiss neither would forget.
> 4 months later
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight was alerted to her fianceé's presence by a sudden shift in the wind. Out of courtesy and humor, she pretended to ignore it. As her lover drew nearer to her, the alicorn began to blush and giggle. "You know, Dash," she said, turning around. "It's bad luck to see a bride before the wedding."
"You never expected me to wait that long, did you?" Rainbow Dash nuzzled her love. "I just wanted to see your dress."
The two shared a gentle yet passionate kiss. "I didn't expect you to wait at all," Twilight said as she pulled away. Leaning closer, she whispered into Dash's ear, "you shouldn't have waited at all."
Twilight took a long look at the cyan bride-to-be. She had finally let herself get "girlied-up" as Rarity had called it. She had straightened and tied her mane so it was no longer the rugged mess it usually was, making it appear much longer that usual. Draped in front of her ears were two golden, olive leaf shaped ornaments, connected to each other by hook-and-eye, and was clipped to her mane- the same clip she'd worn to the Grand Galloping Gala so long ago. Fluttershy had insisted that both the mares wear flowers in their manes, being Fluttershy. For her part, lining parts of her mane were a series of small yellow, pink, and blue flowers. She ware a dark pink dress and had adorned four gilded horseshoes, extending just past her hooves. All the nights the couple had spent stargazing, and Twilight had never seen anything so beautiful.
Rainbow shared such opinions of her love. She too wore flowers, lining the pink streak in her mane, these ones blue, purple, and red. She wore a dark blue dress with white accents and horseshoes with a pink six-point star on the front. She wore a crown, a replica of her physical element, magic- this was, after all, a royal wedding. While she was thankful to Rarity for all her hard work on making the wedding perfect, she thanked herself for being able to get "girlied-up" on her own.
The lovebirds leaned in close for another kiss when Rarity came crashing into the room. "Rainbow Dash," she yelled. "There you are! It's bad luck to see a bride before the wedding, haven't I told you this? Besides, Fluttershy's freaking out in your room, and you're going to need to comfort her- she is your best mare. Hello, Twilight." That was the first acknowledgement she was given since the white unicorn barged into her room. "I'd imagine Cadance is also wishing to speak with you. She should be in the sanctum already. Why don't you go there?" With that, Rarity left, pushing Dash along with her.

The wedding began on Celestia's command two hours later. "Mares and gentlecolts," she began. "We have gathered today to witness a most favored union of Princess Twilight Sparkle and her partner, Rainbow Dash." Twilight was already standing front-and-center. Dash would be escorted down the isle. As she turned to the door, she took note of the sanctuary they were in. It was filled to the brim with various nobles and others of official capacity. Fluttershy was standing across from Twilight, waiting for the bride to come up the isle. Cadance was next to Twilight, with Luna and Celestia upon the stage. The other three of the group of friends had gotten front-row seats, with Twilight's parents next to them. She had hoped Rainbow Dash's family would show up, despite their protests, but ultimately was dissapointed. As she finished taking stock, the door in back was opened by two unicorns, one of Twilight's guard, the other of Celestia's, to reveal the soon-to-be Princess Rainbow Dash. 
She walked down the isle, with Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom scattering flower pedals over the walkway, happy to have a part in the wedding. As she approached the alter, she heard Twilight whisper to her, "You're not about to spring it on me that you're the queen of the changelings, are you?" prompting a small elation from all those close enough to hear it.
To the couple, the wedding was a blur. Celestia said a few words, they said their vows and "I do's", and shared a kiss in front of thousands. They could have been alone for the same thing. The wedding itself meant nothing. The marriage meant nothing. They had each other, and that would last forever. After the kiss, their eyes full of tears of joy, they simply gazed into each other's eyes they saw before them. While they did, and the sun was almost fully set, the two happiest ponies in Equestria could only find three words for each other. All other words they might have said at that point would have been irrelevant now. The ring meant nothing. The crown now adorning Dash's head meant nothing. They had each other.
"I love you," they whispered into each other's ears.

The end




Humans are incapable of falling in love. Some of us are lucky enough to wake up and find that it has been with us all along. (Me. I said that. My quote.)