> Unromantic > by Storylover-Vodhr > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > So.... is there a guide or something? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So.... What now?" As Twilight pondered the statement, she found that the question was a surprisingly valid one. What now? They were dating. It was mutual agreement, and they had cemented it with a wet, inexperienced, yet frankly amazing kiss. They had agreed to a formal consensual relationship. And, after the fireworks, the amazing and breathtaking moment that had led up to their mutual and cohesive bonding, they had just... began to sit there. Waiting awkwardly, leaning against one another. Was there supposed to be some major epiphany, where they discovered some new secret of the universe? It didn't seem to be the case. Maybe they were they supposed to kiss some more? The idea seemed to be a little forward, to be honest. A single, amazing kiss seemed to be perfectly enough for now. There was little reason to get greedy. Besides, logically, while more kissing would be nice, Twilight doubted it was the key to suddenly understanding romance. But what else could there be? She had absolutely zero experience in dating. Should she offer Rainbow Dash Coffee? A late night snack? Offer to let her sleep in her bed? That idea seemed even more forward than simply kissing, especially considering their new-found relationship. Even if the bed back at the castle was large enough to fit three separate ponies, with no chance of them even coming in contact with each other. Besides, Twilight had standards after all, and Shining would kill both her and Dash, if he heard that they shared a bed right after they started dating. Plus, knowing Dash, the innuendo and jokes that would result from that would be hazardous to both of their health. Mainly Twilight's mental health, which would immediately start to affect Dash's physical once she got sufficiently fed up. So... What? Should they just go their separate ways? That idea... well, it actually had some merit. It was awfully late out. And Dash had practice with the wonderbolts in the morning. And while Twilight didn't have anything pressing to do in the earliest parts of the day, she was somewhat emotionally exhausted. All this stress and unwarranted and foolish misunderstandings had undoubtedly put strain upon both of them, to be sure. "I... I guess we just go home?" At the suggestion, The rainbow mare blinked in confusion before making a small frown. "What, just like that?" Twilight nodded, this time with a small amount of hesitance. Well, when she said it like that... "I... guess? I mean... it's late, and... It's not like there's a whole lot we can do right now. You got stuff in the morning, and... well... I'm tired." Rainbow Dash, for the most part, didn't seem too put out. "Er, uh, yeah. Maybe tomorrow, we can set up... I don't know, a date? A date date?" Twilight smiled a little bit at that, unsurprising when she found that it was a tad forced, due to exhaustion. "Er, yeah. Let's definitely do that." > One mare's gift is another's nightmare > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So... What do you think?" Rainbow Dash tried her best to force a smile onto her face, but ultimately failed, only managing a shell shocked expression. But, to her luck, Twilight took her shock for genuine surprise. Never in Rainbow's life did she expect Twilight to knit. Or, well, knit something for her. Sure, the unexpected gift was a nice gesture, one that she wished she had the immediate opportunity to return, seeing as she had barely been in Ponyville for five minutes before she was hunted down by Twilight. But while the gesture was touching, It didn't change the fact that, unfortunately, Twilight had little to no creative crafting ability. Sure, she could make potions, or do alchemy, but weaving? Knitting? Drawing, beyond drafting blueprints and measurements for architecture? She was a hopeless mess. Case and point; The Sweater, with a capital S. It was a... what would Twilight call it? Ah, yes. A non-euclidean abomination, a testament to all of Pony-kind's hubris and sins. It actually, genuinely hurt her eyes to stare at it, but, through sheer force of will, she kept her eyes trained on it. It was hideous, almost to a nauseating degree. "So... you gonna try it on?" Oh no. The very idea made Dash's almost non-existent fashion sense cringe in pain, before it tried to convince that death was a better option. But, at the same time, she knew she had to. She was Twilight's mare-friend. She was obliged to do mare-friend things. Like wearing gifts from Tartarus. "It, uh, looks very... colorful." It was true. It was colorful enough to make one with a Rainbow mane cringe. An impressive feat. Twilight smiled at that, before nodding. On the bright side, Dash seemed to be getting mare-friend points. "I'm glad you like it! Here, I'll help you put it on." Dash forced herself to sit still, and slowly watched the dreaded Sweater slid over her head. The things she did for love Like. > Crusty eyes > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the colorful mare stumbled/stomped down the stairs of the hotel stairwell, Twilight noticed that Rainbow Dash looked like she had been run over by the train they were getting ready to board. So, all in all, she looked slightly better than she normally did when she woke up in the morning. After all, she normally looked like she had been recently resurrected from the dead, with a mood to match the recently deceased. "Coffee, Dash?" The Rainbow maned mare gave a simple, exhausted grunt at the Princess' offer, but managed to nod nonetheless, before collapsing face first into a pile of soft, welcoming pancakes that Twilight had previously set up for herself, pointedly ignoring the fact that she was getting covered in syrup. And, all the while, Twilight watched in mild amusement, which was a stark contrast to the shock and disgust that was coming from both Rarity and Applejack. "Dangit, Dash! Did ya get too heavy into the cider last night?" Rainbow's response was as short as it was rude. "Go ta hell." The grumbled insult made Twilight roll her eyes, but regardless, she stood up, and moved to the nearby coffee pot, ignoring Rarity's affronted exclamation at Dash's "uncouth behavior." It took a while for Twilight to come to terms with it, but the fact was that Rainbow Dash was not a morning pony. And, more-so, she didn't look like some fussy maned Fairy-tale princess when she awoke, either. No, she looked like she was consistently hung over, and typically had a mood that seemed to indicate that possibility. But, no, the truth was simple. Rainbow Dash simply woke up, looking like hell. Every morning, every day. She didn't have nightmares from some tragic, unknown past, or had some disease that indicated that she was somehow dying, or at the very least, couldn't sleep. No, she slept well, all things considered, but, when she woke up, she looked like she fell down the stairs on her way to the breakfast table, hitting every step on the way down. And, with that in mind, Twilight filled up a cup of coffee, added some sugar, and slid it over to her marefriend with a genuine, loving smile, watching as the mare clumsily grabbed the cup, and noisily/messily chugged it. The faster Dash could wake up, the faster they could go about their day. And, sure enough, after a minute, Dash rose her head from the pancakes, and gave Twilight a grateful, if tired smile. "Thanks, Twi." "No problem, Dash." > Manners > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Uh, Twilight? You're kinda being totally disgusting." The Mare in question seemingly ignored Rainbow Dash's advice, and instead continued to gorge herself on the food in front of her. It was like a food-based train wreak. Hay fries were flying, Burgers were being inhaled, and the nearby children were staring to tear up, at the travesty of the very sight of it. But the best part? The expressions on Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy's faces. "I... I think I'm gonna upchuck some chuckcakes." Twilight was undeterred from her slaughter, however, and instead continued her unholy feast. "Uh, Twilight? I... Um, maybe you could tone it down a bit?" At the Yellow Pegasus' statement, Twilight stopped for a moment, and turned her ketchup covered face towards the timid pony. "I'mma Princess. I can eat how I want." And, Indeed, she did. > Over-protective > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Twilight watched Rainbow Dash try to force herself into a chest plate, she found herself torn between exasperation, and irritation. "Dash, for the last time, I don't need a body guard." The mare, however, didn't seem deterred, and instead, gave an extra tug, which, to Twilight's chagrin, managed to properly place the royal Guard armor on the mare. "And I said, I'm not letting you go to Las Pegasus alone. I've been there before Twi, and I'm not gonna let some... who-knows-who try and get all hooves-ey." Twilight didn't even try to keep from rolling her eyes. "I'm going to a seminar! There will be nothing like that anyway!" The Rainbow Pegasus huffed at that, before putting on the Helmet she had sitting on the table. "Yeah right. I've been to Las Pegasus for a show, Twi, and I got groped, like, three times! That place is bad news." And, just like that, Twilight froze in place, as did Rainbow. "Who?" Rainbow didn't respond, however, and instead chose to chastise herself. "I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that." "Who, Dash?!" The blue pony winced. "Uh, no pony you would know." The Princess simply glared. "Try me." "Well, uh, the mayor?" And, just like that, Twilight turned around, and started angrily stomping towards the front door. "I'm gonna kill him." Rainbow Dash thought about trying to stop the mare, but, after a quick thought, decided against it. There would be no stopping her at this point. Dang it, why did Twilight have to be so over protective? > Breakfast > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Oh, uh, hey Starlight. Have you seen Twilight anywhere?" Starlight, who had previously been trying to wake herself up by nursing a strong cup of coffee, jolted slightly in surprise from the unexpected voice and promptly managed to accidentally spill half the cup all over herself, nearly scalding herself in the process. She quickly let out a curse immediately after, and grumpily turned to face her aggravator. And, sure enough, it was Rainbow Dash, a mare who had proven herself surprisingly malicious when the whim struck her. Her pranks were, in a word, legendary. Honey in a shampoo bottle, food dye in toothpaste, spicy cupcakes left in the open, for any brave and/or dumb enough to take them. Rainbow, along with Pinkie, could drive a pony insane when they wanted. But that raised a completely different question. What was Rainbow Dash doing in Twilight's dining room at seven in the morning? Was she here for another prank? To make her spill her coffee, and laugh about it? Sure, She was one of Twilight's closest friends, if not her best friend, but still. It was awfully early for it to be anything but malicious. Starlight quickly shook her head at the thought, and forced the angry, bitter thoughts away. No, that was the old Starlight thinking. Rainbow was probably here for a completely normal and non-prank related reason. Surely. Maybe she wanted to bum some breakfast? That sounded pretty normal for her. Truly, that had to be the reason. "Oh, Hi Dash. I don't know where Twilight is, actually. She's usually up before me." Rainbow gave a small shrug at that, before casually sitting at the table and stealing a piece of toast, seemingly confirming Starlight's suspicions of breakfast thievery. But, before Starlight could comment on it, the chromatic mare quickly took a bite, and sat down in a chair. "This is good. You make it?" "No, I did. Hiya, Rainbow." This time, the Wonderbolt was the one who jumped slightly at the voice, making Starlight grin a little as the mare began to cough out the dry toast she had began to choke on. It seemed Karma was on the ball today. "Spike, don't spook me like that! I might just go crazy, or something. You know, unleash the awesome." However, the dragon didn't phased by the threat, and instead shrugged apathetically. "Yeah, yeah. So, If I knew you were gonna stop by, I woulda made you something. You should really call ahead." Rainbow just gave an apathetic shrug, her inconsiderate attitude bothering Starlight. What did Twilight see in the rude mare, to see her as a friend? It made absolutely no sense to Starlight. "Eh, she told me to stop by. Blame her." Spike shrugged at that, before walking into the kitchen. "So, you want me to cook you some eggs or salmon?" "Eh, why not both? I'm starving." At that, Spike nodded, and left the room, leaving the two mares alone, which Starlight didn't appreciate. She was still pretty new to this whole friendship thing, and frankly, she didn't like the thought of having to deal with the most... coarse of Twilight's social circle. But, hey, she was honor bound to try and be friendly, at the very least. "So... uh, what did Twilight want you for?" The rainbow-headed Pegasus shrugged at the question, before sighing and looking at the clock on the wall. "No idea. Hope she'll hurry up, though, I gotta get going soon." Starlight nodded awkwardly at that, and the pair sat in awkward silence for several minutes. She tried, failed, and now, she was gonna wait until Spike returned with Dash's food. "Here ya go, Dash. Some seared fish, and a couple eggs." Both the mares froze at that, and turned towards the voice. This time, it was the missing Princess. "Finally, Twilight? Where'd ya go?" The Alicorn just smiled and rolled her eyes at Dash's tone, and placed the food in front of the Pegasus. "Oh, you know, just making sure you had a lunch for work. And breakfast, for that matter." Dash made a small squeal, which terrified Starlight. She had never really did much with Rainbow, but the last time she heard the mare make that sort of noise, a ice-bucket fell on her head. But, to her surprise, no bucket ever came. Instead, she saw that Rainbow Dash was staring at Twilight with no small amount of hero worship in her eyes. "You made me a-" There was a loud thunk, as Twilight dropped a large cooler on the table. "A unholy abomination of a sandwich? Yes. Two, in fact. In all their... carbohydrate laden glory. And some fruit wedges-" "In the funny shapes?!" Twilight just continued to smile. "In the funny shapes." The Pegasus simply sighed in what seemed to be bliss upon hearing the confirmation, and leaned back into her chair, bewildering Starlight even more. But even that didn't amount to the confusion she felt after hearing what came next. "Twilight, I love ya." Twilight chuckled at that, and ignored the confused expression on her student's face. "And I love you, Dash." The rest of the meal went by quickly, mainly due to Rainbow's... enthusiastic eating, and all the while, Starlight watched the pair of ponies closely, trying to figure something out. Now, she was still pretty new to this whole friendship thing, so she didn't know what was normal. So, maybe telling one's friends that you loved them was a normal thing? That must be it. Twilight was already proving to be an amazing teacher. She was learning so much, already! "So, See ya at the show, Twi." Dash then turned to leave, but, before she did, gave Twilight a quick kiss on the lips. "See ya later, Starlight!" Alright, no. The love you for friends bit was horse hockey. So, Starlight waited for a moment until Twilight, seemingly twitterpated, floated off to the next room, before running off to Spike, the sane one. He'd know what was up. "Spiiiiiiiiike~! Twilight kissed Rainbow Dash!" > Hygene > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Twilight! Hold... Still!" Rainbow Dash should've known it would come to this. After all, Twilight was originally a unicorn. She wouldn't inherently understand the importance of proper preening, nor have the patience to allow someone to preen her. But still, she really should've seen this coming when they got into a relationship. "No! Lemme go!" However, the Pegasus didn't let Twilight go, and instead, quickly removed a couple bent and damaged flight feathers. She was almost done, there was just a small patch of secondaries that needed- *Flash* Before Rainbow Dash could finish the last patch, the purple haired mare quickly disappeared out from under her in a bright strobe of purple light for what seemed to be the fourth time that day, and Rainbow let out a growl of frustration. As Twilight's Mare-friend, it was Rainbow's responsibility to ensure that her wings were kept in good condition, and frankly, she loved the mare enough to refuse to back down. Sure, it was a Pegasi thing, but Twilight was part Pegasi now. Which was currently screamingly obvious, if one looked at her newfound stubborn streak. But still, couldn't Twilight just give in and let Rainbow preen her without problems, just once? "Oh Hay No! I'm not letting you get off so easy!" The Pegasus then shot off in the direction Twilight was sure to be, grumbling internally all the while. > The after-show > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight made a small grimace as she was, once again, submitted to another sweaty, smelly wing-hug by Rainbow Dash. "So, what was your favorite part? I really thought my triple axel sonic twirl was the highlight of the show, but, hey, I did do a ton of other awesome things." Twilight had to answer. It was non-negotiable, but yet, she found herself frozen in place with disgust. But, to her luck, Dash rolled with it. "Can't think of the best part, huh? Well, I gotta hit the showers real quick, so I'll give ya some time to think it over. But I'll be back real quick, though, so think hard!" And, with that, Dash shot off, and Twilight was finally allowed to let her disgust show in its entirety. "You know, darling, I think a shower wouldn't be amiss for you as well." Twilight simply gave Rarity a glare. > Kicking > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was officially their first sleep over. Well, as a couple. "Dash, stop hogging all the blankets!" It could be going better. When Rainbow had planned for this pseudo-romantic event, she had many things in plan. Kisses, a movie, and maybe, just maybe, some snuggling. And, for the most part, it went well. They had a few kisses, watched a horror movie that most definitely didn't scare Rainbow Dash, and had a nice dinner, outside under the stars. It had gone, for the most part, perfectly. Until they got to bed. Turns out, it was far too hot to snuggle, yet, paradoxically, too cold to sleep without blankets, forcing the pair to sleep seperated from each other, yet both trying desperately to fight for the covers. They should've done this at Twilight's. Her bed was much softer. And larger. And the climate control more reliable, rather than Dash's "freezing air, then boiling heat" format her house seemed to be favoring. "Ow! Twilight! Stop kicking!" "Then stop being so hot!" Yep. Next time, Dash would just have to suck up her pride, and just have to sleep over at the castle. > Parents > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Oh Rainbow, she's beautiful!" Twilight tried her best to keep the bashful blush on her face from growing, but it was no use; it was too late for her. But one couldn't blame her. She had just gotten back from a long, tiring session with some diplomats, taking the place of Celestia for the day. She hadn't even expected Dash to be at her house, let alone with Scootaloo and her parents in tow. "But honey, it's not like we should be surprised. After all, if anyone could bag a Princess, it would be our Rainbow Dash." However, once Twilight heard that, her bashfulness disappeared, and was quickly replaced with irritation. What, was that all they cared about? The fact that she was a princess? She knew Dash didn't feel that way, but Twilight never did consider that her family wouldn't be the same. Yet, at the same time, Twilight felt self conscious. What if she wasn't a Princess? Would they still approve? She only needed Dash's approval, but having her family on her side was still something she wanted. And, if being herself wasn't enough for them... "So, what does she rule over? The stars? The land?" The mare, however was interrupted by her husband. "Of course not, dear. She's clearly the Princess of the skies. Rainbow Dash wouldn't just be with anyone less." The thought made Twilight freeze. Nope. From the sounds of it, they barely approved of her as it was. And she couldn't blame them. Rainbow Dash was an amazing mare, and she was lucky to have her as a Marefriend, princess or not. What if they didn't approve of her merely being the Princess of friendship? What if they convinced Rainbow that she just wasn't worth it? No, she had to find a way to prove herself. But how? "Ugh, dad-" She had to start as soon as possible. "Oh, uh, one second, please." The three adults and one excited child all turned to look at Twilight, but she paid them little mind, as she built up the energy to make a quick teleport. "Be right back." And, just like that, Twilight enacted her spell. And, almost immediately after, felt like a wreaking ball hit her in the face. "HOW DARE THEE INTRUDE UPON OUR SLUM- Wait. Twilight?" Twilight just let out a small groan, as she slumped against the wall. She then felt the cool, calm magic of Princess Luna surround her, and help her to her feet. And, once she caught her bearings, saw the she was in Princess Luna's bedroom. Wait. Was that a teddy bear? Nope, didn't matter. She had Dash's parents to impress. "Princess Twilight. You of all should know the connotations of teleportation into someone's abode without consent. Especially when one is asleep." Twilight, however, ignored Luna's lightly lecturesque tone. She had to fix this, now. "I need to be the princess of the sky." The words just burst out of her mouth before she could stop herself, and she mentally gave herself a slap. That wasn't how she was supposed to do this. She had to- "Done. Now get out. We'll discuss repayment at a later date." There was a long moment of silence after that, before Luna scowled. "Uh... just like that?" "Just like that. Now, out." Twilight just gave a small nod, and disappeared in a flash, reappearing in her living room yet again. "Back! So, uh-" "Already explained it, Twi. You know, princess of friendship and all that. They're cool about it." Oh. Twilight forced a smile upon her face, and nodded. "That's good. So, uh, who's hungry?" > Parents, part 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When this had all started, Rainbow Dash had told herself that it was better to do this sooner, rather than later. She thought that, yes, it was a tad sudden, but that her future self would thank her later. And yet, as she caught the panicked, worried look in Twilight's eyes just before she teleported away, she wished that she could sock past Rainbow Dash in the jaw. Yes, She definitely should've seen this coming. After all, not only was Twilight terrible with unexpected and stressful situations, but Rainbow's own parents were coming off of their own emotional high, right after they found out that she had become a Wonderbolt. Of course they would jump the gun, especially after they found out that she was dating a princess. And, of course they'd immediately set an unattainable expectation right from the start. They couldn't have done worse. Twi was still very sensitive to her place as Princess, and she still had confidence issues. And yet, here they were, basically telling Twilight that she wasn't a good enough Princess. Too bad they didn't mean anything by it. That fact removed Rainbow's option to simply explode on them. Nope, it was just their nature. And now, they had just given Twilight a taste of what made her distance herself from her parents in the first place. Their ability to, without malicious intent, ramp up their own expectations until they crushed you with them. Their ability to be completely, entirely supportive, and yet, make you feel like you could never live up to what they expected you to be. "Mom. Dad." She couldn't let Twilight become a victim to that. But, on the flip side, she couldn't just blow up on her parents, either, even if she really wanted to. She had just gotten over her last blow up, after all, as well as all the apologies and stuff she had to do to make it up to them. Besides, the squirt was here too. She couldn't fight some more with the folks, right after having went through so much effort to apologize to them in the first place. She was stuck between protecting Twilight, and not being a flankhead to her parents while doing so. It was times like this that Rainbow wished that she was actually any good at conflict resolution that didn't involve yelling or hitting things. That would make this so much easier. She still had to try, though. And, hey, worst comes to worst, she could still use her fire and brimstone method. Her parents were in the wrong here, after all. She'd just have to tone it down a bit for Scootaloo. Ah, who was she Kidding. She was probably gonna mess this one up. "You guys know I didn't get with Twilight because she's a princess, right?" Great, now her parents were looking at her. As if she wasn't nervous enough as it was. "Psssh, yeah duh, like Rainbow Dash could even be that shallow." Oh, Scootaloo, you precious little filly. The gesture was sweet, but now, Rainbow really had to doctor how she told the story about how they got together. Scoots must never know. "Of course she's not. But it would take someone amazing to catch our little Dashie's heart. She's a catch, darn it!" Rainbow grimaced a bit at that, as the significance of the statement hit her. It had taken her a long time for her to tone down her own narcissism to a bearable point, and she still struggled with it. And Twilight had been a big part of what success she had. Well, her and Fluttershy. They were the ones who knew how to point out her ego in a gentle, non-conflictive way. The ones who never gave up, and the ones who always helped and listened when she needed it. "No, I'm not." There was a moment of silence after she said that, as her mom, her dad, and even Scootaloo stared at her incredulously. "If you kinda haven't noticed, I'm a loud mouthed jerk. I brag a ton, always gotta have the last word, and can't ever be wrong. I always gotta be the best. Especially when I'm not." Her parents just sat in silence, staring at her, and Rainbow Dash sighed. "Twilight's the great one. I'm just the lucky girl she chose to be with." There was even more shocked silence, and Dash was quickly reminded why she hated sharing. But, after a couple seconds, Rainbow got impatient. "So, yeah, Twilight is the Princess of friendship. Deal with it." There it was. She hopefully got them to stop their ragging on Twilight. Now, to keep them from putting her on a pedastal. "Oh, and don't-" Before Rainbow could finish, there was another bright flash, and Twilight reappeared, this time with a somewhat excited if crazed expression on her face. Oh dear. She had to cut her off, before she did something crazy. "Back! So, uh-" "Already explained it, Twi. You know, princess of friendship and all that. They're cool about it." Twilight, to Rainbow surprise, didn't relax at that. No, if anything, she seemed even more tense. But, for the life of her, Dash couldn't determine why. "That's good. So, uh, who's hungry?" Eh, she'll figure it out soon, without a doubt. Besides, it was, without a doubt, going to be impressive. Plus, in all honesty, she was starving. "I am!" > Tipsy > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- She really should be annoyed. And she had every right to be. And yet... "Between you and me~" Twilight couldn't bring herself to feel anything besides a bit of exasperation, and a whole lot of amusement. Sure, it was cider season, and Rainbow did have the entire week off, but... she had hoped that it would've taken her a bit longer than twelve hours to get completely smashed. At least there was no one besides her here. Dash would've been completely mortified if anyone else saw her like this. "It's a body shock~" Twilight continued to stare. Maybe... she should get rid of her surprise gift. At the time, a whole barrel of Apple family cider sounded like a great surprise gift, something they both could enjoy and occasionally have, but, if this was how she got while her supply was limited to a couple mugs, then Twilight didn't want to know how Dash would get with enough cider to cater a large party with. "Electic- electricity~" "Dash..." "There's energy~" Great. Now she was looking directly at her. Dash clumsily sauntered up, and put a clumsy wing around her side, and gave Twilight a drunken, sloppy nuzzle. "Between you and me..." She continued to press against her, and then, Twilight realized that Rainbow was using her to keep herself from falling. "It's a body shock-*hic*" Twilight couldn't help but roll her eyes with a smile at Rainbow's dopey, love-struck grin, but leaned against Dash anyway, and matched her Marefriend's last line. "Electricity~" The drunken mare gave another clumsy nuzzle, and pulled back to give Twilight a huge grin. "So... Twilie~" At that precise moment, Twilight decided that she had enough of Rainbow's drunkenness, the instant she heard the name Twilie come out of Dash's mouth. "Alright, I think it's your bedtime, Dashie." The rainbow mare didn't respond, and instead, tried to gnaw on Twilight's ear. She only managed to get her own mane, however, and she grumpily spat it out. "Let's take you to bed." Dash continued to ignore her. "I love ya, Twi." Twilight smiled again, this time a bit softer. "And I, you." "No.... I love ya a ton. Like, a super ton. Like... more than I'm awesome, ton." Great, now she was rambling. She needed to get her to bed, quick, before Twilight got her ear talked off. The Alicorn then moved to try and grab Rainbow with her magic, but the mare squiggled away at the last second, and looked at her straight in the eyes. "And... uh, I know that it screws up, like... everything, but... wanna marry me?" It took Twilight a second to understand what Dash had just asked, but once she did, her heart stopped, and she froze in place. "I've been tryin' to ask ya... but, well... I keep on chickenin' out. I had this whole big thing set up... where I'd make this totally awesome thing, at a show, and then... we'd all spell out da words... but... every time I was supposed to do the... signally thing, I wussed out. But..." Dash gave a drunk hiccup, and Twilight continued to be frozen in place. "Now that I'm, like, totally smashed... it seems so... stupid. The scared bit, I mean. I... I love ya. So... Wanna get married?" Twilight took a second to properly process what she heard and the emotions she felt because of them, but once she properly understood, she gave a small chuckle, before making a very happy, yet tearstrewn smile. Of course this would be how it'd turn out. And, sure, it was unorthodox, but... since when have they ever been a normal couple anyway? "Yes, Dash. I'll marry you." And, just like that, Dash smiled a brilliant, joyous smile, promptly lost her balance, and fell straight onto her face. > Tired > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash had always known that Twilight was a workaholic. It had been obvious from the instant she met, and, heck, even back then, she had joked to pretty much everyone that whoever ended up being responsible for her would have a full time job, just trying to make her get some sleep. "Twilight. Bed. Now." Karma was kinda cruel that way. "No... I... *Yawn* I gotta finish the weather pattern inquiries and hand them in next friday, and then, I gotta write a letter to the caterer to make sure she doesn't add asparagus to any of the food dishes at our reception. You know how Spike and Owlicious get." Rainbow rolled her eyes at Twilight's excuse. "Twilight, it's 1 in the morning on Saturday. The reports aren't due for, like, a whole week! And we can't even send the letter until Monday, even if you wanted to. You need sleeeeeeeep." The purple mare shook her head in disagreement. "No! I... I asked Luna for this. I can't... *Yawn* let her down. Nor can I let our wedding go... completely crazy... like Caddy....waddy's..." Dash groaned at the strange nickname, before shaking her head, and looking away from the completely exhausted Twilight. "It won't happen, I promise. You're already the best director of weather we've ever had, anyway. You can get one night of sleep, to cuddle up with your totally smokin' fiance." Twilight didn't respond, and Dash sighed, before turning back to give her a bit more of her rant. Oh, wait. She was already asleep. Rainbow let out a small if tired grin, and slowly sauntered up to the desk Twilight was sitting at, and tried to maneuver Twilight onto her back, using a wing. She couldn't just leave her asleep at her desk, after all. Not when there was Dashes to cuddle. So, she stood beside Twilight's chair, and used a wing to maneuver Twilight onto her own back. Almost... a little to the left. There. Rainbow smiled to herself at her success, and moved to take a step forward, before her already exhausted legs finally gave out, and she fell to the floor in a heap, Twilight laying on her, all the while. "Ugh, knew those extra suicide sprints were a bad idea. Um, Twi? Can you, ya know, get off?" The purple mare just gave a snore in response, and Rainbow sighed. "Alright, fine. I guess this isn't too bad. I mean, She is kinda comfy this way, and she's finally asleep. I'll just take what I can get." Rainbow then made a small smile, and shook her head, and let herself slowly drift into sleep. but, before she did, she turned her head, to try and look at Twilight's face "Love ya, Twi." > Competitiveness > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Like hay can Megamare beat Daring Do! She would crush that stupid tin can!" Twilight couldn't help herself as she sighed into her teacup, before finally looking over to Cadence. Her fellow Princess, however, was staring at the argument with a strangely fond smile, which, for whatever reason, irritated her more. This argument was childish. But, it should've been expected. Both Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor could be incredibly immature when they wanted to be. And, now that they've insulted each other's favorite fictional characters, their adult gloves were off, and they quickly let their immaturity shine. She should've just told Shining and Cadence that she was getting married through a letter. That's what they did, after all. Fair was fair. "Yeah, like that child book nopony could beat the most powerful robo-pony in existence! She'd get fried in, like, ten seconds, tops!" Cadence giggled a little at that, and Twilight just rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law's love struck demeanor. She should be as irritated with her special somepony as she was, if only for solidarity's sake. But, no. She had to be all... Princess of love-ey. "Twilight, I can't wait for you to enjoy what me and Shiny share. There is nothing greater than true love." Yeah, yeah. Twilight knew how this song and dance went. She had already heard it fifty times today alone. She loved visiting with her brother and sister-in-law, but now she was really lamenting her choice in breaking the news. "Well, what do you know?" The Princess of friendship winced at Rainbow's angry, yet quieting tone, and promptly put her cup down. She knew that Dash was nearing her melting point. If she didn't stop this, Dash could end up doing who knows what. But, before she could intervene, Shining armor just smirked, and shook his head. "Well, I am a prince. We typically know better then the riff raff." Rainbow quickly took offense to that, and grew red in the face, and Twilight sighed internally. She knew that Shining could get petty when it came to foalish arguments, but that was a low blow, even for him. "Oh yeah?" Another smirk from Shining, and Twilight looked over to Cadence for support. But, she seemed oblivious to the argument's impending escalation. Which was probably fair. Dash's true blowups were surprisingly subtle, until they actually happened. If she got quiet but was still angry, then it was dangerous. "Uh huh." "Oh yeah?" "Yep." Dash went quiet at that for a moment, which was when Cadence decided to speak up. "So, when's your special somepony supposed to show up?" The question took Twilight completely off guard, her attention slipping off of Rainbow and moving right onto her sister-in-law, who then took a sip of tea. And that's when Rainbow finally blew up. "Well, I'm sleeping with your sister!" And, at that exclamation, several things happened. Cadence immediately made a spit-take, the spray getting into Twilight's face, and more importantly, her eyes. Twilight, as a result, let out a squeal, leaned back and fell backwards, kicking the table which flipped over and poured it's contents onto the Princess of love. Shining armor, however, did not react to his wife's table-usurping, and instead fell to his knees dramatically, screaming a loud and very Vader-esque "Noooooooo~!" And, all the while, Rainbow Dash laughed manically. > Spike > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So... uh..." This was, without a doubt, the awkwardest thing Rainbow Dash ever had to do. But, apparently it was only awkward for her, as Spike sat there, and stared with an unwavering smile. "Yes?" She just had to spit it out. Do it quick, like a bandaid. "Is Twilight, like, your mom?" The answer was pretty important, at least for Rainbow Dash. She had to know, as soon as possible. For reasons. However, Spike instead chose to sit there for a moment, as if pondering the question. "Nah." Rainbow Dash let out a massive breath of relief, and smiled. Thank go- "She's more like my Dad." Dash froze, and Spike continued. "I always wanted a mommy, though. Does that mean you'll be my mommy?" Nope. Rainbow couldn't compute. "I, uh, gotta go." Dash quickly shot off, and Spike watched her fly out of the room, before bursting out with laughter. It took him a second, before he finally calmed down. "Heh, Pinkie Pie was right. Pranks are awesome." > Affectionate > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- There was many things Twilight could accept about her fiancee. For example, her weird habit of hording twelve different flavors and styles of toothpaste, or her surprisingly low opinion on watching what one ate. She could also accept the fact that she was dating a professional athlete, and as such, would be away for long periods of time. She could also, begrudgingly, accept that Rainbow Dash was physically affectionate. She was a physical pony, after all, and often, rather than use her words to convey her emotions, she'd just go with some gesture; a hug here, a nuzzle there. It was simply her way of doing things, and Twilight wouldn't change her for it. However, that made her, in a surprising twist, slightly dread when Rainbow came back from a tour. Not because she had to see her fiancee, never. She loved her with all her heart. The true reason was because of the spectacle Rainbow would cause the instant she saw her. "Dash, let me down. Please?" The Rainbow mare, however, would not be denied, and instead continued to hold Twilight in a crushing, over-the-top hug, nuzzling her, all the while. "No. I haven't seen you in two weeks, Twi. Two weeks!" Twilight sighed, and rolled her eyes at the tone Rainbow used, all the while trying to keep her composure. She behaved as if they had been estranged for almost a decade, rather than fourteen days. "That's not- Ow! Not a reason to maul me, Dash!" Rainbow didn't respond, and Twilight let out a strained sigh, before suddenly flushing a bright crimson. "Dash! Don't chew on my ear!" The mare just gave a small scoff, but refused to release her ear, all the same. "Why na?" Twilight simply continued to blush, unable to word an answer as the pair gained several irritated looks from the other ponies at the train station. Their looks of disapproval were completely ignored by Dash, though, and after another moment of squirming, The Princess finally gave up, and let out a beleaguered sigh. > Attention > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "So, anyway, I think I'm gonna leave you, and go marry Blueblood. He seems cool. Our babies will be totally cool looking." Twilight's answer was exactly what Rainbow Dash expected. "Uh huh." And, like that, Dash smirked, and leaned casually against the chair she was sitting beside. This was one of her favorite games. "Oh, what was that? You can't live without me? Well, uh, I guess I love you too. But, we gotta work on this whole not paying attention thing." "Yes." "Oh? Well, glad you agree. Anyway, You wanna to go to the next fifty wonderbolt shows, to show your support for your awesome fiance?" Another nod from the purple mare, as she adamantly refused to look away from her book. "Oh yeah." "Oh, really?" And you promise to make me those awesome sandwiches for all of the shows?" "Yep." "And cuddle with me every night afterwards?" "Of course. Whatever you say." Dash continued her face splitting grin, and counted the amount of times Twilight said yes. Five. Which meant... "So, do you want me to stop my prank on Princess Celestia later today? It's gonna be a messy one." "Nope." "You sure? It's gonna include her cake, and might start a war." "Yep. Go for it." Rainbow sighed happily, and leaned against the chair a bit more. "Love ya, you dumb egghead." "Uh huh." > Forgotten > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Rainbow?" The chromatic mare gave a grunt of acknowledgement, and slid the currently finished invite onto the pile of completed papers that sat in front of her. She hated writing things, seeing as she had to do it by mouth. And, wouldn't she know it, sending wedding invitations involved a whole lot of writing. As such, Dash let out a sigh as she spat out the pencil, and looked over to her future Bride-to-be. "Yeah?" "Did you send the last batch of invitations like I asked?" The mare nodded. That batch had easily been the worst, seeing as it was mainly for acquaintances. It basically involved writing the same thing, over and over again. Hundreds of times. "Yeah." "Including the one to my mom and dad?" Rainbow Dash sighed again. "Yeah, yeah, I sent it." The purple mare smiled at that, before returning to her own stack of invitations. "Good. Now, uh... is there anyone else we haven't sent the invitations to?" Finally, an easy question. "Well, we haven't mailed Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity's ye-" Wait. A sudden thought came to Rainbow Dash's mind, and she pondered it for a second. Did they, uh... ever tell Rarity that they were even dating? "Hey, uh... Twilight?" The mare stopped her writing, and looked over. "Yes?" "Did we... uh, you know, ever tell Rarity we were dating?" Twilight opened her mouth to respond, before letting out a small choking noise as her pupils dialated, and Dash just slumped back into her chair. "She's totally gonna kill us." > Exercise > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight simply shook her head in complete refusal. The idea was ludicrous. Outrageous. Completely insane. What was being asked was just positively unacceptable. "No." But, unfortunately, the most stubborn pony Twilight knew refused to back down. Surprise, surprise. "But Twi..." Again, complete, total, irrefutable refusal. She was a Princess, dangit, and she refused to be shackled as such. "No, Dash. I don't wanna." It wasn't the most mature refusal, but frankly, she knew that her fiance had a point, regardless of her most obstinate and elaborate refusal. But, the facts were facts, and the facts said that Twilight had been becoming a tad... soft lately. And sure, her flights could be sped up a bit. And... well, her grocery shopping trips could use a bit less sweating and panting as she carried the big bags of flour required for Pinkie Pie's baking. But she was fine, honest! "Come on, Twi! You ran out of breath going up the stairs!" Of course she did. And who wouldn't? Her stairs were completely ridiculous. Fifteen flights? Who needed fifteen floors, anyway? She barely even used two when she had the tree! And that was Ninety percent books! "That's irrelevant. I don't wanna, so I don't gotta." That was final. All she wanted to do was books, papers, books, and sleep. She barely had enough time for books anymore as it was, with her new "Sky based" responsibilities. If she exercised for even an hour a day, she'd be left with only five hours of books a day, and that was terrible. She might never recover. "Uh, Twi... Please?" No. Twilight couldn't help but feel the sting of absolute betrayal as she heard the voice. Not Spike too. She could handle Dash's betrayal; It was inevitable, seeing as her job was literally one of a professional Athlete. But Spike? He was her book buddy. He would curl up beside her, reading his cute little comics and storybooks. He understood the need for books, they were as much a part of his life as they were hers. And what was worse; His little draconic face was almost impossible to refuse once it got going. She'd just have to lock her heart away. She was left no allies in this trying time. "No." "Please?" It was Dash again. The traitor. "Nuh uh." "Come on, Twilight?" No. Bad Spike. No cookies for today now. He lost his sweets privileges. She couldn't even look at him, and as such, turned her head away with a huff. "Nope!" "Spike, quick, do the thing!" "Uh, Please, mommy?" Ugh, Twilight could feel his gaze, even with her eyes closed. They were fighting dirty, and once she had claimed her inevitable victory, she'd have them tried for war crimes. "Err..." No, she had to be strong. For books. She couldn't afford to lose. "Turn it up, Spike, She's breaking!" "I, uh, Dangit, Dash- Pwease?" No. Not the Pwease. That was forbidden. "Uh..." "I'll clean my room?" That was the final straw, and Twilight's natural reflexes kicked in, before she could stop herself. "Sold! Now go clean... Dangit!" > Awkward > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia stared at Rainbow Dash, her expression a mix of horror, confusion, and bafflement. And Rainbow Dash stared back, cursing Twilight's name. "Wait... To you?" "Yes. To me. Like I said." There was a moment of painful silence, as Celestia seemed to process the information with all the grace of a drowning fish. "Uh, Yes. I suppose I can do that." And, as Rainbow Dash watched Celestia take a desperate sip of her tea, using the cup of liquid as an alcoholic would use a bottle, she nodded. Yes indeed. Definitely. Affirmative. Confirmatory. "Yeaaaaaah... Thanks." Agreement. "So, has your... relationship been... agreeable?" Dash only nodded marginally, a very false, almost painful smile on her face. She was gonna kill Twilight when she got home. Did she not tell anyone that they were together? 'Cause, she at least expected the mare that would be marrying them to know that they were even together. "Yes." There was another awkward silence at that, as the nearby guards shuffled their hooves, as Celestia seemed to continually tried and find a way to salvage her reaction. But, the damage was done. "Hmm... How long have you been together?" "Two years." Celestia just took another desperate sip of tea, before eying the teapot. "Oh."