Chapter 1
Rainbow squinted and blinked her eyes as soon as the blinding flash of magenta light died down. The blinding light from Twilight's teleportation spell seemed to be much, much brighter than normal. Even as seconds passed, everything still looked dark, almost tinted blue, like she had stared at the sun too long.
Rainbow fluffed her wings, then blinked a few more times. She looked over at Twilight. The tall, slender alicorn stood beside her, her horn glowing with the gentle magenta aura of her magic. The light was just enough to show some of her features- notably, she was smirking, almost predatorily. Rainbow fidgeted on her hooves, then licked her lips and swept her head around, her eyes trying to make out anything in the darkness.
"Twi, I can't see anything... where are we?" Rainbow asked curiously.
Twilight hummed softly, then brushed her muzzle up against Rainbow's cheek. "It's a secret..." she cooed. She quickly rubbed her muzzle back and forth, then slid her muzzle back and brushed her nose against Rainbow's cheek. She playfully nudged Rainbow's muzzle, then gave her a quick kiss.
Rainbow smirked at Twilight. "Feeling a little playful... huh?" she teased.
Twilight's smile grew warmer and more predatory. In an instant, Twilight's eyes darted away from Rainbow, and her magic flourished to life, illuminating the room in a soft, inviting, pinkish glow.
Rainbow blinked and looked around. The walls were smooth, gray stone-like it had been carved out of a mountain, but it was glossy as if it had been melted by heat-- or magic. The floor was flat, and while it was made out of the same smooth, polished stone, it felt pleasantly warm underneath her hooves. The room looked almost perfectly square, although the edges and corners curved smoothly and there was an alcove in one of the walls that looked somehow natural, despite her suspicions that it was artificial. The alcove looked just large enough for both Twilight and herself to cuddle up together in but it didn't offer much more room than that.
She turned around and found a simple wooden door cut into the stone. The door had a lever for a handle that was easy for non-unicorns, or in this case, non-alicorns, to use by simply using a hoof to pull it down. The door lacked a lock, and the frame was made of wooden planks which seemed to almost fuse with the stone.
A short popping sound emanated from Twilight's horn. Rainbow glanced back at her, then felt a humid warmth start filling the room. She closed her eyes and let out a soft, pleasured moan as warm steam filled the room from an unknown source. The humid air mixed with her coat and left her a little damper, but the warm air more than made up for it. "A sauna... really?" she asked.
"You didn't say you didn't like it..." Twilight noted casually.
Rainbow snorted and smiled, then opened her eyes. "So... uh... where are we? What is this place?" she asked.
Twilight sauntered around, brushing her body up against Rainbow's smaller body. She curled her tail around Rainbow's tail and hind legs, then rubbed her neck against Rainbow's. "I already told you... it's a secret..." she cooed.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine..." she replied. "So... what else is there here? Or is this your idea of a good way to take a vacation, just... in a cave," she said dryly.
Twilight giggled sweetly, then pulled back from Rainbow and skipped forward. Her hooves clacked against the floor and she leisurely opened the door and flooded the dark room with her aura, revealing a wooden floor, wooden walls, and a vaulted, wooden roof with rafters. There was a bed, large enough for both of them and then some, set against the wall to their left. The bed's frame stretched up above the bed and thin, lavender curtains were tied to the posts. Another door was to their left, almost directly across from the bed. Like the first door, the handle was intended for Rainbow to use, and it had no lock.
Rainbow walked out into the room and surveyed the light wooden construction. She sniffed the air, then frowned. The air had a slightly salty scent to it, and was still humid, although not quite as humid or as warm as the cavern had been. "Twi, where are we?" she asked again.
Twilight skipped over to the door, giggling, then pulled it open with her magic. Her tail flicked at Rainbow beckoningly as she headed out of the room. A small orb of magenta light burst into life in the middle of both rooms, providing enough illumination to see.
Rainbow curiously followed after Twilight. The next room was like the first, except with a storage area set off to the side without a door, and a bathroom with an open door. She could see a large bathtub, one which could fit them both at the same time, that could also serve as a shower, inside. She turned her gaze away from the bathroom and looked around, trying to find where her alicorn had skipped off to, only to fail.
She headed towards the only other door, then walked out into another large wooden room. As with the other rooms, a small magenta orb provided the lighting. The walls were lined with counters, and there were a sink and refrigerator. The room was centered around a table with two chairs. An simple, unassuming, yet inviting couch served as a boundary dividing the room between the kitchen and an empty area which might have been intended to serve as a living room. She glanced towards the only other door in the room, then cautiously approached it. As she drew closer, she could make out the cheerful sound of Twilight's magic and she could see the glow from her horn emanating from outside.
Beyond the glow, the ground was dark, lit only by pale moonlight. Rainbow paused and blinked. "Twilight?" she asked.
"Yes, Rainbow..?" Twilight called from outside, her voice sweet and delicate.
Rainbow fluffed her wings, then walked on forward to investigate. She leisurely pulled the door open and looked outside.
In contrast to where they had been not five minutes ago, it was the middle of the night. Luna's moon dominated the sky, nearly directly above them. The soft moonlight made a sensation of calm wash over her, putting her at ease, but she stared up at the moon in bewilderment. "It's night?" she asked in surprise. "But it was just the middle of the day and..."
Twilight nodded, drawing Rainbow's attention away from the moon. "Yes..." Twilight answered. She looked down towards her hooves and shyly brushed her hoof through short, well-kept grass. She looked back up at Rainbow, smiling. "I wanted... to do something nice for us. I wanted somewhere that we could go and be alone, so... I talked to Celestia and..." she trailed off. "Well... come and see," she coaxed. She turned around, then spread her wings out.
Rainbow walked out and looked around. Tropical palm trees swayed gently in a salty breeze. The air was warm and humid, but calm and comforting. A gentle breeze blew past Rainbow's mane, carrying the scent of the ocean. She closed her eyes and slowly spread her wings, feeling the tropical wind. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and walked over to Twilight.
Twilight calmly beat her wings and lifted into the air. After a few seconds, Rainbow beat hers and joined her. She followed behind Twilight and the pair gradually ascended further into the calm night sky. Eventually, they leveled out and Rainbow looked around.
Rainbow gazed down at the world below them- only a single island could be seen for as far as she could see. The horizon was empty, filled with deep, blue water. The island was decently sized, centered around a short, flat mountain. The mountain's cliffs were rugged, but the top was flatter with only slight variations in height. A forest dominated the island, but several clearings were visible from their height. The grass looked soft and almost like it had been painted onto the ground from above. A few clear pools of water could be seen dotting the island, and a river crossed the plateau before it reached a waterfall, then crossed the rest of the island and flowed out to sea. The river didn't appear to have a natural source, and the lake it flowed from seemed to shimmer with magic.
Rainbow smiled, then looked at Twilight. "Twi, what is this place?" she asked.
Twilight calmly bobbed her head from side to side. "It's... well, it was a gift... From Celestia and Luna. Well... all three of us contributed... I may have mentioned that I thought it would be nice to go to an island and just have you and me there, alone..." she trailed off, smiling softly.
Rainbow grinned. "It's nice..." she answered softly.
Twilight beamed in response. "I'm glad you like it... they put a lot of effort into this, and... well, I did too, but not as much as they did. And of course, it was their island..." she trailed off. After a few seconds, she looked away from Rainbow, then slowly descended, gliding back down to the ground.
Rainbow descended alongside Twilight, and the two of them landed on the soft grass outside of the lone building on the island.
Rainbow looked around, then looked back at Twilight. "So... we're alone here? Just us two?"
Twilight nodded happily. "Yes," she answered. She turned from Rainbow, then held her wings out from her body, letting them hang enough so that her feathers brushed against the grass as she walked towards a nearby pool of water.
Rainbow followed behind her, watching Twilight curiously. Eventually, the grass faded to sand, and Twilight folded her wings, then calmly stepped out into the pool of water. The water was shallow, but still deep enough that her tail seemed to melt into the water.
Rainbow waded out into the warm water with Twilight. Twilight turned to face her, then splayed her wings out and embraced Rainbow's smaller body, pulling her against her chest. She leaned down and nuzzled her pegasus and held her close.
Rainbow nuzzled up into Twilight's chest. "Mmm..." she moaned. "This is kinda nice, Twi..."
After a few seconds, Twilight slowly unwrapped Rainbow from her wings and folded them at her sides. She smiled down at the small pegasus. For a few seconds, they just watched each other, neither of them saying anything. Eventually, Twilight glanced away, breaking eye contact. "I... have some other things to show you, but... they'll have to wait for morning..." she said softly.
Rainbow nosed Twilight's chest. "Alright... what are we going to do until then?"
"Well..." Twilight trailed off. While she tried to hide it, the pitch in her voice gave away her excitement and that she had something in mind. Her eyes slowly slid back to focus on Rainbow. She kept her head aside, with her muzzle angled down towards the water, making her look almost shy. She lifted her right forehoof and casually twirled it in the water, then slowly brought it over to Rainbow's leg and tracing it up to her shoulder.
Rainbow closed her eyes, smiling contently as Twilight's hoof slowly slid up her leg, then brushed up her neck until reaching her jawline. She opened her eyes and nuzzled Twilight's hoof.
Twilight waited a moment, then slid her hoof to Rainbow's chin and gently coaxed her muzzle up. She turned her head back towards Rainbow, then leaned down closer to her pegasus. They felt each other's hot breath on their noses. Twilight leaned in and slowly rubbed her nose against Rainbow's muzzle, then parted a few inches. She studied Rainbow's expression, then tilted her head slightly and met Rainbow's lips.
Both of them closed their eyes and melted into the kiss. After several seconds, the pair broke and lightly pressed their muzzles together and tilted them downward in unison. Rainbow's forehead rested against Twilight's forehead, and Twilight's horn laid in Rainbow's polychromatic mane. They simply watched each other, looking into each other's eyes, before finally sharing a slow, tender nuzzle and then reluctantly parting.
Twilight stepped back, then took a deep breath. She closed her eyes, then dived under the water. A moment later, she calmly surfaced. Water rolled down her body. Her wet mane and tail clung to her coat. She brushed her bangs aside with a forehoof and watched Rainbow smile at her. After a few seconds, she started wading further away from Rainbow and sinking further into the water until the warm water was at her neck. She splayed out her wings and beckoned Rainbow towards her.
The pegasus took up the invitation and swam over to Twilight. As soon as she reached Twilight, the alicorn's wings wrapped around her and embraced her, pulling her into Twilight's chest to cradle her close. Rainbow shifted a bit so that her side was against Twilight and she relaxed, letting the mare's wings support her in the water. Their coats intermixed as the warm water flowed in between their bodies, mingling their fur and lightly tickling each other's body. They both smiled contently as they relaxed there.
Rainbow slowly ran her muzzle against Twilight's wet shoulder, then slid out of Twilight's embrace and sank into the dark water, only to surface a moment later a short distance away, blowing water away from her mouth. The warm water rolled down her face and made her mane cling to her coat. She grinned at Twilight as the alicorn eyed her slick, damp mane. A slight gleam drifted through Twilight's eyes as they caught the moonlight at just the right angle.
Twilight blinked once, then looked aside. After a moment, she looked back at Rainbow, then slowly swam back over to the smaller pony. "Maybe... maybe I should show you more, first... then we can just... relax and enjoy this..." she said softly, her eyes slowly tracing along Rainbow's features.
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, it'll be nice to just... spend some time together with nopony else around and nothing to worry about..." she trailed off, then looked up at the night sky. "So... I take it we're nowhere near Equestria right now, are we?" she asked.
Twilight shook her head but didn't elaborate. A moment later, she casually swam past Rainbow, heading for the shore. Rainbow watched her, then swam after her. Well before Rainbow's hooves touched the bottom of the pool, Twilight started walking towards the shore. Water rolled off of her body and drained back into the pool. Her fur, mane, and tail all clung to her body, making her look ever so slightly smaller than normal, but she was still as tall as Celestia.
By the time Rainbow could walk to the shore, Twilight was standing in the warm night air waiting for her. Despite the water soaking their coats, the temperature was nice, and so it was refreshing. Rainbow walked over to Twilight and nuzzled her, then walked along Twilight's side, brushing her body and wing up against Twilight's lower body and legs.
Twilight caught her pegasus with her magic and lifted her up, then set her down on her back. Rainbow laid her head down on Twilight's head and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight's neck. "So... what else are you gonna show me?" she asked.
Twilight smiled and turned to her right. "Now, now, Rainbow... I don't want to ruin the surprise..." she retorted. She walked along the pool's shore for a bit, then headed towards a break in the forest. The break appeared to be a path, but the canopy of palm leaves quickly blocked the rest from sight, and yet Twilight continues to calmly walk towards it.
"Are there any animals here or anything?" Rainbow asked curiously.
"No," Twilight answered. "Just insects and us... there aren't even birds or anything."
"Huh..." Rainbow replied. Rainbow looked around as Twilight carried her into the dark path. While her eyes had adjusted to the moonlight, she still couldn't make out much. The occasional glow of a firefly in the distance broke the monotonous darkness. "You know... you never did tell me how long we were going on vacation for..." she commented.
"As long as you'd like," Twilight replied softly. "I... talked with Celestia and Luna about that, too... and made arrangements..."
Rainbow remained silent. A few minutes passed by as Twilight casually walked along at a gentle pace, doing her best not to jolt her precious cargo. Eventually, the path led to an open clearing. Moonlight streamed down into a field filled with unfamiliar, dark blue flowers, nearly the same shade as Princess Luna's coat. The flowers had white filaments which seemed to reach out to the moon, as if wanting to embrace the majestic orb, and the centers of the flowers were a vibrant blue like Luna's mane. The entire field seemed to shimmer with magic in the moonlight.
Twilight casually strode out into the field and walked out to the middle. Rainbow looked around at the flowers. "So... flowers. Yeah, I'm not that big of a fan of flowers, Twilight," Rainbow commented.
Twilight took a deep breath, then sighed softly. She slowly sat down on her haunches. "I know, but it's peaceful here..." she said softly.
Rainbow let go of Twilight's neck, then stood up and walked around to Twilight's side. She sat down on her haunches and looked around. "Yeah... I guess..." she relented.
A moment later, Twilight leaned away from Rainbow, then brought her left wing up and laid it around Rainbow, enveloping her body with it. Even though her wing was still wet, both of them smiled, and Rainbow leaned into Twilight's side.
"You know, I was kinda expecting something cooler than this, Twi," Rainbow commented.
Twilight squinted at Rainbow. "What? A private island for just the two of us isn't cool enough for you?"
Rainbow groaned softly, closed her eyes, and leaned forward until she fell to the ground. The soft grass and flowers dampened her fall, and she laid there on her stomach. "That's not what I meant... the island's really cool and all! I just mean this... Flowers," she groaned.
"Rainbow, we're supposed to be here to relax... please..." Twilight said softly.
Rainbow sighed and pressed her head into her hooves. She took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. "Okay. I'll try... but still... flowers? I thought you'd have something cool..."
Twilight closed her eyes and sighed in disappointment as she slumped forward. "Fine, we'll go someplace else, then," she relented. She took a deep breath, then leaned away from Rainbow and stood up.
Rainbow sat up a little and watched Twilight. "No... it's fine, just-"
"Clearly, it's not," Twilight commented flatly.
"Twi-"
Twilight ignored her and levitated her up with her magic, then laid her down on her back. She hastily turned around, then trotted back the way they came. While before her gait was calm and comforting, now her steps jostled her passenger, jolting her around as she quickly retreated.
A few minutes passed in silence between them as Twilight headed back along the path, then ducked off of the path and made her way through the forest. Rainbow looked around curiously, watching the distant pulsating glow of bugs. The only sounds were the insects and leaves scraping and brushing together as they swayed in the gentle tropical breeze.
"So uh... where are we headed?" Rainbow asked casually.
"It's supposed to be a surprise," Twilight said flatly.
"Oh... uh... okay..." Rainbow replied.
Twilight came to a stop, then looked back at her. "But, I suppose since you don't like surprises-"
"That's not what I mean, I just..." Rainbow trailed off as Twilight just watched her. Her lips slowly twisted into a grimace and she turned away from Twilight. "Sorry..." she apologized.
A few more seconds passed, then Twilight looked back ahead and started walking again. The minutes passed by in silence, not a word spoken by either of them. As time went on, a distant, rushing sound grew in volume, until eventually there was a break in the forest where a river ran by.
Twilight walked out onto the bank, then turned to her left. Rainbow looked in the direction they headed and saw water falling from the cliff above into a pool that served as the source of the stream. She stayed silent as they approached, and to her surprise, the volume of the waterfall never grew too much louder, it was as if the sound was suppressed by magic.
Eventually, Twilight came to a stop at the edge of the pool, then she sat down on her haunches.
Rainbow let go of her and slid down, then walked around and looked over the pool of water. "So uh... what did you have in mind?" she asked.
"I thought it would be nice if we could swim here..." Twilight replied.
Rainbow frowned. "Uh, Twi, didn't we like, I dunno, just do that?"
Twilight's lips twitched down. "Well, yes, but-"
Rainbow beat her wings and hovered in the air. "Why don't we just... do something else!" she suggested, smiling enthusiastically. "I'm sure there's like a bazillion cooler things we can do here. We can swim later."
A small frown crossed Twilight's lips, and she slumped forward slightly. A soft, quiet sigh escaped her lips.
Rainbow's enthusiasm faded and her wingbeats slowed until she landed. "Twi?" she asked. Twilight was silent and just looked down at the grassy ground beneath her hooves. She stepped closer to her, then picked up her right forehoof and touched Twilight's shoulder. "You okay?"
"No," Twilight answered bluntly. She snorted, then lifted her head up. A fake smile adorned her lips, and she shook her head dismissively. "Of course not..." she muttered to herself.
Rainbow put her forehoof back on the ground and watched Twilight with a frown. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly.
"It's nothing," Twilight retorted. "I'm fine," she chastised. She shook her head, then stood up and turned to her right. Without saying a word, she simply started walking away from Rainbow, following the river.
Rainbow stayed where she was for a moment, then scurried on after Twilight. "Hey! C'mon, Twi, talk to me..."
Twilight stopped, then turned around. "I was looking forward to this," she stated. She swallowed, then looked up at the sky. "I had hoped we'd enjoy this, just getting to spend time together and not having to worry about anything. I needed a vacation to relax, and I just thought that maybe you'd enjoy this- being on an island alone with me, just the two of us. I put a lot of effort into this, and so did Celestia and Luna, and.... you just... you don't even like it."
"Twi... that's not what I mean! I like this, I really do, but it's just-"
Twilight shook her head, then took a deep breath. She turned around, then strode away from Rainbow. Her height gave her an advantage over Rainbow, and it forced the pegasus to scramble after her to keep up with her walk. "Twilight! Stop..."
"You can stay here. I'm just... going to go home. I have... things I need to take care of," Twilight replied. A moment later, she lit her horn and teleported the both of them back to the grassy meadow against the mountain where the house was.
"Twilight! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin it or anything..."
"I'll be back tomorrow," Twilight replied dismissively.
"Wait-" Rainbow called, but the bright flash of magenta had already signaled Twilight's retreat.
Rainbow stared at the space Twilight had previously occupied as her eyes adjusted back to the darkness following the bright flash. Her ears folded back and she nibbled on her lips. She looked around a bit and shifted her weight on her hooves. The once peaceful quietness felt condemning and unnerving.
A sharp crack and a nearly blinding flash of magenta accompanied Twilight's return. No sooner had she arrived than she squinted and lifted a foreleg up to shield her eyes from the bright afternoon sunlight. The sudden change left her nearly blind, and she squinted just to be able to see the faintest of details outlining her castle.
She groaned, then clenched her eyes shut and lowered her foreleg. Despite the shielding offered by her eyelids, she could still see the light of the sun through them. She slowly, cautiously strode forward a few steps, then cautiously cracked open an eye. She slowly opened her eyes all the way and blinked several times in an attempt to adjust.
After a few more seconds, she went back to squinting, then strode over to her castle's door and unceremoniously pulled it open. She walked inside with a huff, then shut the door behind her. Her squint gradually relaxed as the castle's softer light decided not to overwhelm her eyes, but a scowl remained on her lips.
She looked down at the floor, then took a deep breath and sat down on her haunches. She scooted back until she was against the door, preventing it from opening, and she scowled down at her forehooves. Seconds faded to minutes, and her scowl slowly receded to be replaced with a tense, thin line. A distant, weary glossiness crept into her eyes.
She took another deep breath, then slowly stood up. She hesitantly brought her head back up, then scanned the foyer, only to find it empty aside from herself. The muscles holding her wings at her sides gave out and her wings drooped halfway to the floor. She made no effort to pick them back up, then she dragged her hooves across the floor and headed for her bedroom.
Her bare hooves made no sound as she walked her castle's empty corridors, and eventually, she could feel the cool of the crystal floor against her wingtips as she shuffled to her room. The monotony of the trip seemed to stretch on forever, and a haziness clouded her mind. With every passing step, her chest tightened up and a jittery energy filled her, and yet the dullness only seemed to grow omnipresent.
She opened the door to her bedroom, then glanced up from the floor. Her bed was tidy, but the desk against the wall across from her bed was anything but. Stacks of paper piled as high as Rainbow stood covered the desk. Books were piled as high as the desk, and broken quills were strewn about.
She clenched her jaw, then forced herself into the room. She closed the door behind her, then begrudgingly approached the desk. She pulled out the chair, then sat down. Right in front of her was only the smallest possible space on the desk that was empty- no papers, no books, nor quills.
Without even looking, she levitated one of the countless papers from the stack, then started reading it. Each and every word blurred together into a monotonous, dry mass of text. Countless seconds were lost as her eyes lingered on individual words, or her eyes jumped back to reread a passage once more. Precious minutes were lost in distraction, forcing her to reread whole paragraphs.
She looked aside from the paper and stared out of one of the room's two windows. The sun hung in the sky as it slowly fell towards the horizon. She teleported a quill to her, then dipped it in the inkwell sitting on her desk. In a quick flourish of magic, she signed her name on the form.
Her shoulders slumped, and her head fell low. She stared down at the floor and breathed out. She didn't bother pulling her wings back to her sides, so they hung limply from her body.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. For several seconds, she sat there in silence. Her magic faltered and the quill dropped onto the desk. She didn't bother trying to catch it, nor clean up after it. She begrudgingly opened her eyes and looked out of the window. The sun hung in the sky uncaringly. She clenched her jaw, then lit her horn once more. A quick burst of magenta and a sharp crack signaled her departure.
No sooner had she gone than she appeared in a new location. Beneath her hooves, lightly colored, smooth crystal supported her weight. Like the floor, the walls and ceiling were the same smooth, light-blue and whitish colored crystals. A tingle of magic washed over her body, and some of her stress edged away, being replaced by an inner calmness.
She took another deep breath, then lifted her head up. She licked her lips and surveyed the hallway. Aside from a few ponies clad in dark gray armor, the halls were empty. The gentle clicking on their hooves against the floor served to break the monotony of the otherwise quiet passage.
The few guards around gave her passing glances as they walked by as if they weren't sure what they were supposed to do. They let her be, however, and continued to patrol the halls of the Crystal Palace. Twilight hesitated, then lifted her forehooves and shuffled towards the Throne Room. With every passing step, her gaze fell further, dropping from straight ahead, to angled down at the floor, until finally, she was watching her hooves as she walked to her destination.
Because of her height, she was able to see enough to know where she was going and to avoid running into anypony. Spurred on by her downcast state, the guards glanced at her with concern and sympathy, but they also avoided walking near her, not wanting to impede her.
Eventually, her hooves came to a stop. After a few more seconds, she swallowed, then lifted her eyes up. Before her was the grandiose crystal doors protecting the Crystal Palace's Throne Room. The massive arched doors seemed to sparkle, radiating hope, joy, and warmth as if it was attempting to comfort her, but to no avail. At each side of the door stood two more guards clad in the dark gray steel armor of the Crystal Empire. She glanced at both groups, then parted her mouth.
Several seconds passed, and her eyes simply glanced from spot to spot over the doors as she stood there silently. She slowly lifted her muzzle up so she faced straight ahead. She pressed her wings close to her sides and forced a smile. Her lips barely obeyed her, and rather than a warm smile, a strained grimace took hold of her. Every attempt to try to smile more was met with the same result: twitching lips, a sudden pull downward, and an ache in the back of her throat.
Eventually, the grimace faded and her attempts at smiling ceased. She closed her eyes and exhaled, then opened her eyes and breathed in. She enveloped the doors in her magic, then calmly pushed them open. The doors obeyed her magic without question nor resistance.
The Throne Room was extravagant, more so than even the Throne Room in Canterlot Castle, and most certainly more regal in appearance than her own Throne Room. The ceiling was tall and vaulted, and massive crystal pillars lined the walls, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. A red carpet was laid out from the doors heading straight down the length of the room to the dais upon which two thrones sat.
In front of each crystal pillar stood another guard. Each of them glanced at the doors as they opened, but as they recognized Twilight, they returned to standing guard stoically. One or two of the gazes lingered for a moment longer on her wet mane, but she paid them no mind other than using a quick spell to dry herself off.
Of the two thrones, one was empty, but in the other sat Princess Cadance, Twilight's sister-in-law. The older alicorn's bright, welcoming smile faded into an uncertain frown as she took in Twilight's expression. Twilight glanced aside to her right, then her left before slowly walking into the room. With but a flick of her magic, the doors silently closed behind her.
"Twilight?" Cadance asked, her musical voice rang throughout the room in a soft, gentle tone that could never come across as unpleasant.
Twilight waited a few seconds and avoided Cadance's gaze before finally parting her mouth. "Cadance," she acknowledged quietly. She looked back up at Cadance, then slowly walked down the center of the Throne Room. Her hooves made no sound as she shuffled across the red rug.
After just a few steps, Cadance rose from her throne, then hurried down the stairs and trotted towards Twilight. In the time it took Twilight to reach a fourth of the way to the throne, Cadance was there to meet her. "Twilight, what's wrong?" she asked.
Twilight sighed and slumped forward a little. She grimaced and shook her head. "I just... I thought that she'd enjoy it, but..." she trailed off. She let out a dismissive huff, then her lips lifted up into a smile. She looked up at the ceiling, then turned her head to the left. "But of course not..." she growled.
A moment passed. Cadance stepped closer to her, then reached up and wrapped a foreleg around her withers to hug her."Do you want to talk about it?" Cadance asked softly.
Twilight's muzzle slowly dropped to point at the floor, then she nodded. "That's... why I came here," she replied evenly. After a moment's hesitation, she leaned down and rubbed her neck against Cadance's, returning her hug.
Cadance nodded, then slowly pulled back from the hug and glanced away from Twilight. "We'll be in my bedchambers," she said. "Please have some tea brought," she added. With not a word more, a light-blue flash of light and the air cracking signaled Cadance's teleportation spell.
Twilight blinked as the teleportation spell finished. Instead of a red rug beneath her hooves, crystal once again supported her. She hesitantly looked up and studied the familiar room. Pictures hung from the softly colored crystal walls. Against one of the walls was a large bed complete with silken red bedsheets and pillows. A slight grimace crossed her lips, but she hesitantly walked over to the bed. Cadance followed her, then climbed up onto the bed and laid down on her stomach. Twilight climbed up onto the bed and sat down on her haunches.
"I'm just... making too much of a big deal out of this, aren't I?" Twilight asked with a sigh.
Cadance grimaced. "You know Rainbow really isn't the romantic type, Twilight."
Twilight's grimace returned. "I know, I know, but... I just thought this would be nice. Just the two of us, it didn't have to be romantic or anything, but we could just relax, unstress, and just... spend time together." She shook her head and stared down at the bedsheets.
"Why don't you tell me what happened?" Cadance asked softly.
Twilight glanced at her, then looked back at the bedsheets. "Well... it started okay I guess, but... it just seems like she wasn't interested in it. We swam in one of the pools and I showed her the field of flowers, then I showed her the waterfall... and she just... seemed like she didn't appreciate it."
Cadance was silent for a moment, her brow creased in thought. "Did you tell her how much it meant to you?" she asked.
Twilight jerked her head from side to side. "No..."
"Does she realize how much stress you're under?" Cadance asked softly.
Twilight's expression fell again. "She knows that..." she answered. "But she still seemed like she didn't care..." She clenched her jaws and huffed. "I think she'd still rather be doing Wonderbolt stuff than just spending time with me there."
Cadance sighed softly. "Twilight, Rainbow really isn't the pony to slow down and relax. You know that, but I understand that it's hard..." she trailed off. "Where is Rainbow now?"
Twilight's lips twitched. "I left her there. I told her I'd be back tomorrow..."
Cadance's lips pulled down. "Do you really think that was the right thing to do? Twilight, you should talk to her. In the past you've told me that she's hurt you and that she hasn't realized it... this is probably one of those times, Twilight..." she comforted.
Twilight bobbed her head. "I know, I just... I have so much to do and I just don't have time and... and..."
"Twilight... just stop. Relax. Close your eyes and take a deep breath," Cadance instructed.
Twilight hesitated, then obeyed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"You talked to Celestia and Luna, and you're supposed to be taking a vacation. They can handle things, Twilight. Celestia did that on her own for a thousand years," Cadance comforted. "You're being too hard on yourself... and on Rainbow."
Twilight's brow folded down and she smiled wryly.
"Twilight, I want you to do something for me, okay?" Cadance asked. Twilight hesitantly nodded. "Okay... I want you to go back to Rainbow and talk to her. It doesn't have to be now, but... talk to her. You two need to be able to talk openly and honestly with each other."
Twilight sighed softly and let the breath out. "Okay..." she relented.
"Thank you..." Cadance replied.
Twilight popped into existence, falling an inch down onto the grass. She slowly swept her head around and scrutinized the empty grassy field surrounding her. The dark of night contrasted with the light of day, and so her eyes betrayed her until they finally adjusted to the darkness. The grassy meadow was empty and silence reigned supreme. In the distance, she could hear the chirping of insects and the gentle crashing of waves onto the shore. A gentle midnight breeze blew through the meadow, and the rustle of leaves added their music to the sound.
She turned around and looked towards the forest, surveying it as she searched for any signs of her rainbow-maned mate. She continued on, turning and searching until she came to a stop watching a pool of water. Her eyes lingered on the water, regarding the moon's reflection while the prior night's events played through her mind. The brief time she spent together with Rainbow on the island, the way Rainbow acted, the distress it caused her, and how she reacted.
A slight dull ache pulled at her mind. She sighed softly, and her eyes jumped to the shore. The scene before her almost seemed to shift, gradually her sight faded as a memory replayed through her mind, as crisp as day. She lost herself in the memory of simply holding Rainbow to her while they swam, and she completely forgot about the sight before her eyes. Eventually, the memory played through its course, Rainbow pulling away, diving below the water, surfacing, and then the two of them leaving the pool.
She blinked a few times as the memory faded and her vision refocused. She licked her lips, then turned around and looked over the house. The door was wide open, and as before, the gentle magenta glow of her magic illuminated the inside. But instead of the wooden walls and floor appearing almost bland and unassuming, something caught her eye. She looked down at the floor and examined the color- blue, akin to Luna's mane, with white filaments, strewn across the floor, almost haphazardly.
A slight frown crossed her lips. She traced over the flowers and then looked at where they started, just outside of the door, barely standing out from the grass. Although the flowers were strewn about as if by the wind, they were close enough together that a sort of trail could be made out of them, as if it were a path meant to be followed.
She followed the trail back inside, then slowly approached the door. As she neared the building, she could see the path of flowers lead into the next room. She walked inside and stopped. A slight smile pulled at her lips. After a few seconds, she resumed walking. Her hooves made faint sounds as she followed the path of flowers into the next room. She paused inside and looked around. The door to the bedroom was shut, but the flowers lead straight to it.
She looked down and levitated up one flower in her magic. Most of the stem was gone, clearly chewed off by somepony's teeth. She set the flower back down on the floor, then slowly approached the door. The distress Rainbow had caused her yesterday seemed like a distant memory by the time she came to a stop at the door. She lit her horn, then turned the level and pulled open the door.
The path of flowers continued across the floor, leading right to the bed, and its sole occupant. "H-hey... Twi..." Rainbow greeted, her voice soft and nervous.
Twilight licked her lips as she looked over the pegasus on the bed. The thin lavender curtains were all pulled back, revealing Rainbow laying on her back on the bed. Flower petals were strewn about on the bed, serving almost as a new blanket. Rainbow laid completely still, aside from her breathing, where she laid. Flower petals dotted her body, their darker blues contrasting with the light blue of her coat. While her chest and legs were just barely covered, the petals were gathered on her abdomen and in between her spread hind legs.
"I-I um... I... thought you... m-might like this..." Rainbow squeaked. "It-it's not... really... m-my thing, but..." she trailed off as Twilight slowly walked into the room, a deep, appreciative smile pulling her lips upward as she tilted her head to the right. Rainbow fidgeted a bit, and some of the petals covering her fell, but the majority stayed in place.
Twilight paused, then glanced back and shut the door. She took a deep breath, then slowly brought her head back around to look at Rainbow. After a moment, she looked down at the flowers on the floor. "I... I'm sorry about yesterday," she said quietly. "I... overreacted."
"No, Twilight... it's fine, I... I'm the one who screwed up, okay?" Rainbow replied.
Twilight's smile faded into a grimace. She slowly looked up and traced her eyes over Rainbow's body. They lingered on the mass of flower petals covering her pelvis for a moment, then they jumped back up to Rainbow's face as the pegasus shifted on the bed. "I... how long were you waiting?"
"W-well... um... I... figured you'd be back around the same time, but... I didn't want to risk it, so... I kind of picked them yesterday and did all that, but waited on..." she trailed off, looking over her body. A faint, crimson blush tinted her cheeks. "Th-this... until... um... now..."
Twilight smiled a little. She shifted her weight on her hooves, then slowly walked towards the bed, following the trail of flowers.
"I-I um... I'm sorry about yesterday, Twi... I... I'm sorry. I should have realized that... this meant a lot to you since... you know..." Rainbow trailed off, looking away from Twilight. She swallowed and licked her lips as she stared at the wall. She only looked back at Twilight as the bed shifted under the alicorn's weight. "C-can you... forgive me?"
Twilight smiled sweetly and nodded as she climbed up onto the bed. She laid down beside Rainbow in the blanket of flower petals. She nuzzled Rainbow's neck and pressed her muzzle against the side of her head so that her horn was in Rainbow's polychromatic mane. "Yeah," Twilight replied. Rainbow smiled. Twilight lit her horn again and pulled the thin curtains closed around the frame of the bed.
"S-so... um..." Rainbow stuttered.
Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow and held her close. "You look adorable covered in flower petals," she giggled.
Rainbow's blush became more pronounced, and an indignant huff escaped her lips.
Twilight cuddled up with Rainbow, holding her close. She extended her right wing and brushed it across Rainbow's body, wiping the flower petals off of her body. "I love you..." she whispered.