Twilight and Rainbow Dash have been dating for a while now, and they couldn't be happier. Well, for the most part, anyway. Something's been on Rainbow's mind, recently, and Twilight's determined to find out what.
For Twilight, her relationship with Rainbow Dash couldn't be better. She can't help but be happy whenever they're together, and the usually abrasive pegasus has shown her softer side. Recently, however, Twilight's started to notice that there's something on Rainbow's mind. Something bothering her about their relationship, and Twilight's determined to find out what it is. The answer she gets might just confuse her more.
After all, when it comes to something as subjective as emotions, there's no handy reference guide to tell you how you're feeling.
There were a few sounds recognizable to any Ponyville citizen. The noise of alarms as Equestria’s latest thousand-year-old enemy attempted to claim the throne or their revenge or whatever it was they wanted. The thumping bass of a patented Pinkie Pie party. The distinctive ‘daaaarling’ from a pearly white unicorn about to give you a hat or accessory that would “look just perfect with your ensemble”.
And, of course, the clatter of certain pegasi making not-so-elegant landings.
The last of which Twilight Sparkle had grown quite accustomed to, much to her dismay. Once again, from her little desk in her little private corner of the library in the crystal castle, Twilight heard that yelp. Followed by a thud, followed by several more thuds. She turned her page, not even glancing up. “Hello, Rainbow Dash.”
“Heh… hey Twi.”
She turned the page again, scribbling some notes. “You’re picking those up, I assume?” There was a shuffling sound, and Twilight nodded to herself as she heard books being slotted onto a shelf. “You know I have a front door, right?”
“Yeah, but that’s no fun.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, finally turning to face the pegasus just as the final book was put back on a shelf that… she sighed. It had yet another dent in it. Wood was hard, but Rainbow Dash’s head was harder. “You know, one of these days you’re going to break something.”
Rainbow just answered with that cocky grin she’d faced gods and demons with. “Heh, you know I’m made of tougher stuff than that.”
“I meant the shelf,” Twilight corrected flatly. “I know you’ve got a thick enough skull.”
“The thickest around!” She boasted proudly, before realizing what she’d said a moment later. “Wait…”
Rolling her eyes with a little smile she hadn’t noticed, Twilight flipped her book closed. Before Rainbow could think too hard about the remark she changed the subject. “So, to what do I owe the honour? Or have you just come to make me organize my shelves again?” She emphasized her point by swapping around the books Rainbow had put back seconds ago.
The pegasus just smiled. “The book bandit claims another victim!” she announced, crouching low to the floor. “Quick as the wind, she strikes from the shadows, unseen and unheard, devastating neurotic alicorns everywhere!”
Twilight raised a single brow. “Neurotic? That’s a big word for you. Where’d you read it?”
“Hey! I know big words!” Rainbow defended herself, voice thick with inflated indignation. When Twilight’s skeptical look didn’t relent, however, she deflated. “It was in one of those romance things Fluttershy made me read.”
“Ah, you mean the novels you begged her to loan you?” Twilight tittered at the blush that raced across the pegasus’ cheeks. “Don’t worry; your secret’s safe with me.”
Rainbow shook her head, willing the blood from her face. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t have had to if you picked up on, like, any of my hints.”
Again, Twilight gave her a disbelieving look. “Really? Hints? Name one time you implied you liked me before you asked me out.”
“I said you had a hot flank,” Rainbow deadpanned. Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but the pegasus advanced on her. “I told you I was into the, and I quote; ‘nerdy librarian types’.”
“W-when did you-” Twilight was once more cut off as Rainbow’s advance forced her to take a step back.
“I once told you I’d always wanted to bed a unicorn- when you were still a unicorn!”
“Okay, that never-” Twilight felt her flank press into her desk. Rainbow continued forward, a lioness stalking her prey.
“One time I caught you staring at my flank and I winked at you and told you that the view was better up close.”
“I told you I wasn’t-” They were face to face now, muzzles inches apart as Rainbow’s eyes narrowed accusingly. Twilight’s eyes were wide and a nervous sweat ran down the bridge of her nose.
“Twilight.”
The alicorn swallowed thickly. “Y-yes?”
Rainbow grinned, and Twilight swore she saw the fangs of a predator. “Just admit you’re totally oblivious.”
“I don’t think it’s fair to say I-”
“Twi.”
“I’m just saying I thought of you as a friend and-”
“I brought you flowers. On hearts and hooves day.”
“I told you I forgot what day it was!” Twilight shouted, eyes shifting to anywhere but the ceris irises filling more and more of her vision. “I thought they were for the experiment I was working on!”
Rainbow stopped her advance with a hair’s breadth separating their muzzles. “Twilight.”
A whine came from the back of Twilight’s throat, and she was forced to look her girlfriend in the eye. “Fine! I’m totally oblivious! I always have been. Are you happy now?”
“Yep!” Rainbow chirped, darting forward and pecking the alicorn much too fast for her to react. “Love ya, Twi.”
Twilight rolled her eyes as her personal space was returned to her, feeling the heat in her cheeks. She cleared her throat forcefully, returning a kiss of her own. “Yes. Well. Now that that’s sorted, is there a particular reason you crashed into my castle today?”
Rainbow’s smile became almost imperceptibly smaller, but she covered it with a laugh. “Do I need a reason to crash my girlfriend’s boring studies and make her day a little more interesting?”
“Yes.”
“Well tough,” came the defiant reply. “‘Cause I don’t have one, and your boring studies have officially been crashed. So, since you’re clearly not going to get any more work done, and you’ve been stuffed in this stuffy library all day, how about we go out for some dinner?”
Despite the tempting offer, Twilight forced herself to remain dedicated to learning. Or at least, that was the excuse she gave herself when she wanted to make Rainbow work for it. “Who says I won’t get any more work done? You can’t expect me to just blow off my studies for you whenever you feel like it.”
“Sure I can! I’m much too distracting for you to keep reading anyway.” A suggestive waggle of eyebrows was added to the statement.
Twilight scoffed. “Oh really? I’ll have you know the current text I’m reading is absolutely enthralling, and I might just-”
“Twi-” Rainbow shook her head “-if it was really that interesting, you wouldn’t have heard me come in.”
“Like I’m ever that-”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “This again? Do I really need to list everything you missed while reading a book you were actually interested in? Or can we cut to the chase?”
Sputtering a moment, Twilight was eventually forced to concede the mare’s point. “You know, sometimes I think you know me too well.”
“Atta girl!” Rainbow cheered as she succeeded in pulling the egghead out of her books.
Twilight sighed. “Where to?” She asked as she was lead through the twisting crystal halls. Why they didn’t leave through the same window Rainbow had entered through was a mystery that would surely just end with a headache.
“It’s a surprise,” was the cryptice response, and Twilight gave her girlfriend a curious look.
“I thought you said you didn’t have anything planned?”
Rainbow shrugged a little as cramped crystal corridors gave way to the bright cobbled streets of Ponyville under the afternoon sun, a cyan wing drifting casually over lavender shoulders. “I don’t,” she said, deliberately ignoring Twilight's eyes as they walked side by side. “But it’s a surprise anyway.”
“Uh-huh.” Twilight didn’t buy it. Not a single word. While Rainbow had always been… spontaneous, she usually wasn’t quite so coy about it. However, when she wanted to be the mare could be impressively stubborn, and the overly-cheerful humming and up-beat swaying of the pegasus’s flank told her Rainbow had no intention of letting anything else slip.
“You know,” Rainbow said eventually, after several minutes of walking, when the crystal castle was far behind them. Her voice was quieter than normal. “We didn’t spend much time together yesterday.”
Twilight hummed her agreement. “Well, we were both pretty busy. With Winter Wrap Up and everything.”
“Yeah, I know…” she trailed off as they came to a stop in front of the only place they were ever going to go at a moment’s notice. Rainbow sighed, staring at the door to Sugarcube Corner. “Hey, Twi?”
“Hmm?”
Rainbow looked up, giving her best smile at the alicorn. “I love you.”
Instead of responding, Twilight leaned in and kissed her girlfriend properly, lingering just long enough to imply more to come. “What’s this about, Dash?”
Rainbow’s smile seemed to twist as she quickly looked away. “Yeah… well. You know what yesterday was, right?”
Twilight blinked. “Winter Wrap up?”
“Yeah but…” she sighed, shaking her head. “Did you really forget?”
“Forget?” Twilight tilted her head, tapping a hoof to her chin. “I don’t think I forgot anything yesterday? I had that schedule planned out for months, I made sure to-”
Rainbow groaned. “Twi, yesterday was our one year anniversary.”
Twilight’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh! I-I didn’t even… I’m so sorry! I totally forgot! Just we were so busy yesterday and I was so focused on making sure everything went smoothly I didn’t even think about-” she was stopped by a cyan hoof shoved in her mouth.
“Relax, egghead,” Rainbow scolded gently, slowly removing her hoof. “Honestly, I had Spike help me sneak a peek at your checklist. I kinda figured you’d forgot.”
“I didn’t mean to! Oh, Rainbow, I’m so sorry…” she trailed off, staring resolutely at the ground. “I’m a terrible girlfriend.”
Rainbow nodded. “Sometimes.” The alicorn shot her a withering glare. She just shrugged. “I mean, you did forget our anniversary. Lucky for you, I’m amazing.”
“What did you do?” Twilight asked, looking to the bakery with renewed suspicious anticipation. Only now did she noticed the darkened interior despite it being well within the confectionary’s regular operating hours.
Grinning, Rainbow made a grand gesture of swooping in for a kiss. “You’ll love it, promise.”
Despite herself Twilight returned the kiss. “Rainbow? What did you do?”
With a flourish the doors were thrown wide open. Twilight watched as the reason for the dimmed lights was revealed; the normally busy sweet shop was empty, save for a single table in the middle of the floor. Lit by a tall candelabra, the pitch black tablecloth shimmered with silver flecks and a sheen that implied a silky smoothness. Plates, napkins, and silverware was set out as though it were the fanciest restaurant in Canterlot. The only thing that reminded of the bakery’s origin was the ever-present smell of sweets that clung to the very walls, and even that was hidden beneath a layer of other smells emanating from the kitchen.
Suddenly, Twilight felt severely under-dressed for Sugarcube Corner.
“I know it’s hard to eat anywhere fancy these days, what with the princess thing,” Rainbow said, highlighting her point by rubbing her feathers along Twilight’s. “So I figured I’d do something a little more private, and bring the fancy to us.”
“Rainbow…” Twilight trailed off, holding a hoof over her gaping mouth.
Rainbow just smiled, bumping their flanks together. “What do you think? Am I the best girlfriend or what?”
“All this, even though I forgot?”
Sighing, Rainbow Dash shook her head. With a hoof she forced Twilight to meet her eyes, giving the alicorn a gentle smile. “I don’t care that you forgot, Twi; the day doesn’t matter to me. It could be just some random day for all I care - it’s not important. I didn’t do this because of the anniversary thing. I did this for us. Our anniversary was just a good time to do it. I put this together because I love you.”
Twilight was at a genuine loss for words. Some part of her noted the sincerity in Rainbows eyes, and another giggled at how sappy the pegasus could be. The rest of her still struggled to take in everything she was being presented with. She still felt terrible for forgetting what most would consider an important date, but… Rainbow didn’t seem angry or upset at all.
“Oh, Dashie…” Without a better way to express herself Twilight threw her hooves around the mare, pulling her into a tight embrace and locking their lips together in an embrace that lasted far longer than what would usually be considered appropriate for a public setting.
“Yeah, well, y’know…” Rainbow looked away, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “I’m just that awesome, so it’s only natural. I mean, have you met me?”
Covering her giggle with a hoof, Twilight was forced to nod along. “Yes, I suppose you can be pretty awesome. Sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” The pegasus almost looked offended. “Always, Twi: Always.”
Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Oh yeah, that reminds me; you promised you’d do the dishes last night, and I could have sworn I saw a pile in the sink this morning. But I must have been mistaken, right?”
“Okay, low blow, Twi; I was busy doing this-” she gestured at the table “-last night. I told you I had somewhere to be!”
There was a chaste kiss, and Twilight stepped into the small shop, flicking her tail across Rainbow’s muzzle. “And what about the other day when I cooked that casserole you’d been bugging me to make for weeks? I’m pretty sure I remember doing the dishes then, too.”
Rainbow attempted to defend herself, but shut her muzzle with a click. Thinking back, she shrugged. “Touché.” She followed her girlfriend into the dimmed lighting within, smiling idly as she caught scent of the food cooking in the kitchen. In a magical glow her seat was pulled out for her, and with a roll of her eyes she accepted the unspoken invitation.
“You know, Dash,” Twilight said distractedly, gazing into the flames of the candelabra as she too took her seat. “Sometimes I think you’re too good for me.”
“Oh, definitely,” Rainbow responded without a second’s hesitation, a sly smirk across her muzzle. She just chuckled at the glare she received. “But you’re way too awesome to put up with me, too. The way I see it, we’re pretty even when it comes to being too good for each other.”
Despite herself Twilight giggled, rolling her eyes. “I suppose. Still though, I’ll have to find a way to make up for forgetting about today.”
Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “I told ya, Twi; don’t sweat it.”
“Oh, so you don’t want me to pull some Princess strings and get us box tickets to the next Wonderbolts show in Canterlot?”
Rather predictably, the pegasus’s eyes grew wide. “I take it back; you’re totally making it up to me.”
Again Twilight laughed, and when she stopped she found Rainbow smiling at her in that way she sometimes did. Just occasionally, on some quiet nights or early mornings, when they were alone with just each other, the mare would look at her differently. Not bad different; not at all. It felt… nice. She felt closer to Rainbow Dash in those times than she had ever thought possible.
Their moment was cut short as plates and glasses were set out in front of them, and Twilight came crashing back to reality just in time to see a pink tail slip back into the kitchen. On the table was a simple appetizer salad, with an extra sprinkling of almonds.
“You even remembered the almonds?” Twilight asked, already levitating a fork into her food, noting the wine glass as well.
Rainbow already had a mouthful of lettuce. “What? You act like I wouldn’t know my girlfriend's favourite foods.”
“Well, we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?” Twilight asked, happily starting on her appetizer as the pegasus practically devoured hers as though it was the first time she’d seen food in days. Which was how Rainbow always ate, and Twilight had long grown accustomed to it. Even if she sometimes wished her girlfriend would tone it down a bit. Unfortunately, no amount of chiding or stern glares had been able to change the habit thus far.
Swallowing the last of her plate, Rainbow took a moment to sigh happily. “You’ll see, alright. I called in a couple favours for tonight.”
“Oh?” The alicorn took her time finishing her own salad, enjoying the crunch of the almonds. “Well, I’ll give you that it certainly smells delicious, whatever it is. Though I doubt you know my actual favourite food.”
True to form, Rainbow accepted the challenge with a confident chuckle. “Twi, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re not exactly subtle about your…” she rolled a hoof in the air, searching for the word. “Obsession, with a certain food.”
Twilight blushed. “O-oh?”
“I’d call it pretty obvious, actually. Which is why I had Pinkie go and get…” she drew out the sentence, building the anticipation as they both turned to look back at the door to the kitchen.
Nothing happened.
Rainbow slapped a hoof to her face. “Pinkie, that’s your cue!”
“Your burger, madame.”
Both ponies jumped and snapped their attention to the pink mare standing next to their table, a bow tie around her neck and a fake pencil moustache affixed unter her nose. An outstretched hoof held a silver platter upon which sat a grease-stained white bag.
Twilight gasped. “Rainbow-”
“Hayburger hayburgers,” Rainbow announced as the fast food was set down on the table, their pink waitress disappearing just as suddenly as she’d appeared. “Your not-so-secret guilty pleasure. Told ya.”
Despite having to swallow to keep from drooling at the mere smell wafting from the bag, Twilight held her nose high in the air. “Hmmph. Do you honestly expect a Princess to be caught eating such basic, greasy… delicious… succulent - I-I mean, such disgusting, common fast food?”
“You’re about as convincing as that time Celestia tried to tell me she wasn’t drooling over that cake at the Gala,” Rainbow deadpanned. “Now hurry up and eat while it’s fresh.”
Twilight glanced around the room, painfully aware of the last time she’d allowed herself to give in to her unhealthy urges in public. The gossip rags had gone nuts with the story, and she’d had to make a public statement regarding the so-called ‘scandal’. While it had blown over with time, it left a lasting impression and she’d always been hesitant going back to the burger joint.
However, here in private with her girlfriend, her reservations were being torn down one by one and before long the paper wrapping had been torn off her burger. Though before she could take that first bite, she noticed the lack of a similar bag in front of Rainbow.
“Where’s yours?”
The pegasus rolled her eyes. “You know I can’t stomach the grease in those things; Pinkie will be out with mine in-”
“Your dinner, senorita,” Pinkie Pie was once more at their table, this time sporting a much thicker - but no less fake - moustache and a second bowtie higher up her neck. She lowered a plate in front of Rainbow loaded with pasta covered in a rich red sauce and grated cheese.
“Pick an accent!” Rainbow shouted as the mare went back to the kitchen.
Pinkie stuck her head back out the window. The moustache had become a goatee, and there were now three bow ties around her neck. “Of course, signora.”
“Was that Italian!?” Rainbow turned when she heard the barely-constrained snickers of her partner, and she scowled. However, Twilight’s laugh proved to be too infectious and soon they were both sharing their mirth.
Happily digging into their meals, a comfortable silence fell over them. Despite what she would often say about Rainbow’s eating habits, Twilight’s weren’t much better when it came to fast food. The princess had wolfed down her burger in a matter of minutes, leaving no small amount of carnage in her wake and a noticeable glob of ketchup on her cheek. Rainbow looked up just in time to see Twilight devour the last of her meal, hastily swiping a nipkin across her muzzle. She just chuckled, shaking her head.
“Never change, Twi.”
The alicorn blushed, realizing she’d been caught in her cover-up. “S-sorry.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Relax; I’m not gonna rat you out to the press or anything. Enjoy the food. I know I am.”
Taking the suggestion, Twilight started on the fries with gusto, pausing only a moment to drain the rest of her wine. It wasn’t long before she was done, watching her girlfriend eat with an idle smile as Pinkie (now with four bowties and mutton chops) refilled her drink before slipping away. Rainbow caught her eyes, returning a smile of her own around a mouthful of pasta before taking a moment to chew and swallow. “Something on your mind?”
“Hmm?” Twilight sat up a little straighter as though she’d been jolted awake. “No, not really. Just… enjoying myself, I guess. We haven’t done anything like this in a while.”
“Don’t expect it everyday,” Rainbow chided playfully. “It takes a lot to set these things up, y’know.”
With a fake gasp, Twilight held a hoof to her heart. “Am I not worth it?”
Rainbow chuckled. “Once in a while? Totally. Every day? Well, let’s just say there’s a reason I don’t do this every day.”
“I’m a Princess, you know; I should be dining in the finest restaurants in Canterlot on a nightly basis.” Twilight threw on her best pompous accent to accompany her words, raising her nose as high as it would go.
“Ah yes, those fine eateries where they serve only the best of greasy fast food burgers.”
“Only the best!” Twilight agreed, holding her head aloft a moment longer before breaking down into a fit of giggles. When they died down Rainbow was once again looking at her that same way, a slight smile on her lips. There was something about that look in the mare’s eye that made Twilight blush like it was their first date all over again, and she had to look away. She heard the pegasus take a breath, and their eyes met.
“I love you, Twilight.”
Twilight’s face grew a few shades redder than it had already been, but she was unable to avert her gaze. Without hesitation she leaned forward over the table, intent on capturing her girlfriend's lips. Just out of the corner of her eye, before they met, she saw Rainbow’s smile fade into a frown. She felt her hesitate just a second before reciprocating the kiss, and noticed the way Rainbow ended it much faster than she usually would.
When they drew back, and Twilight lowered herself back into her chair, she carefully studied Rainbow’s face. The small creese in her brow, the way her muzzle wrinkled slightly when their eyes met - how hard it was to catch her eye. Twilight sighed. “Rainbow? What’s wrong?”
Rainbow Dash visibly jumped, and for a moment she seemed to consider actually coming clean. Of course, as Twilight knew all too well, it was rarely that easy, and the pegasus just offered a shrug. “Nothin’ Twi.”
“Rainbow…” Twilight groaned. It was always like this. It didn’t matter what it was; getting that mare to admit when something was bothering her was like pulling teeth. “I can tell by now when something’s eating at you. I can’t help unless-”
“Oh look, dessert!” Rainbow made no attempt to disguise her obvious subject change, but as a pink mare with more bowties than neck at this point came bouncing out of the kitchen, Twilight was forced to drop the subject. For now, at least.
Despite the lingering questions, Twilight couldn’t deny that dessert looked amazing. A chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup. Or, as she’d lovingly dubbed the treat; a cavity on a plate. Not that that would stop her from thoroughly enjoying it. Her dental hygiene was impeccable, after all. Although, this combined with the hayburger meant a few early morning jogs to burn off the extra calories. Well worth it, in her books.
“Fine,” the alicorn muttered, already licking her lips. “But you’re coming clean after.” A spoon was pointed at Rainbow, who shrugged.
“Nothing to come clean about, egghead,” she responded around a mouthful of her own slice of cake.
As untrue as the statement was, Twilight had been with the pegasus more than long enough to know when to drop something. Otherwise it would turn into a fight, and Rainbow was as stubborn as they come when she dug her heels in. So she let it slide - for now - and focused on enjoying her dessert. Which, admittedly, was absolutely fantastic. Everything about tonight had been fantastic.
Sometimes, Rainbow Dash could be quite the romantic sap.
It made Twilight think again, about things her girlfriend assured her over and over weren’t true. It helped, a little, but she couldn’t stop herself wondering if maybe she really didn’t deserve somepony like her.
“You’re spiraling.”
Twilight shook herself out of her thoughts, focusing on Rainbow’s frown. She quirked a brow. “Huh?”
Pushing away her empty plate, Rainbow shrugged. “I know that look; you’re spiraling about something. Stop it. Whatever it is, you’re fine, you’re doing fine, you’re going to do fine, whatever. Don’t worry about it.”
“You…” Twilight trailed off, at a loss for a moment. Then she shook her head with a smile. “You really do know me too well.”
“Probably. So, what was it about?”
Twilight started to respond, but stopped, and just laughed. “Like you said; I’m fine, and it’s nothing to worry about. I’m just… I’m really glad you’re my girlfriend, you know?”
“Well…” Rainbow started what was obviously going to be some kind of ego-stroking brag, but instead she blushed and looked away. “So am I.”
“Awww,” Twilight couldn’t help but to swoon. Well, she probably could have, but watching Rainbow squirm was always so much fun. “My Dashie’s being mushy!”
The pegasus rolled her eyes, but the blush on her sky blue cheeks didn’t lie. “Knock it off, Twi. You know I hate it when you call me that.”
“You hate that you love it,” Twilight corrected playfully, noting how Rainbow became very interested in anything but what was in front of her, but didn’t correct the statement. Spooning the last of her dessert into her mouth, Twilight leaned back in her chair and patted her slightly rounded belly. “That. Was. Fantastic,” she announced, reaching forward and finishing the last of her wine. Rainbow did the same, a distant and foggy look in her eye, and in a pink blur their dishes were cleared away. They didn’t get a chance to count her bowties.
Rainbow cleared her throat, forced down her blush, and met Twilight’s eyes. Her look seemed conflicted for a moment, before she focused back on her date. “So, first anniversary. How’d I do?”
“Hmm, well…” Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin ponderously. “A solid seven out of ten, I’d say. You lost marks here and there for teasing me, but got bonus points for my favourite foods. If you want you can take a retest in a week.” Judging by the pout she received, an above average grade wasn’t what her girlfriend was shooting for, and she giggled. “Fine. Eleven out of ten: Everything was perfect, Rainbow. I’m sorry I forgot about yesterday.”
Blowing out a heavy breath, the pegasus stood from her chair - albeit more slowly than she would without having eaten a full meal. “Eleven? Not good enough. I’m going for twelve. C’mon; date’s not over yet.” Motioning for Twilight to join her, Rainbow extended a hoof.
The alicorn groaned, once more rubbing her distended stomach. “Raaainboooow~~” she whined the best she could, “I’m full. We can’t all have disturbingly high metabolisms. Some of us need time to digest.” And time to find out what was bothering particularly stubborn girlfriends.
“Don’t worry; I know you’re all sluggish after eating. It’s nothing big.”
“First,” Twilight started, accepting the offered hoof despite her protests and being pulled to her hooves. “You tell me what was bothering you, because it obviously still is.”
Rainbow’s idle smile melted in an instant, and she sighed. “I told you, Twi; there’s nothing-”
“I’m too full to do anything else tonight. Can we just save it for tomorrow?” Twilight’s pointed look made it clear her chips were on the table, and she was prepared to up the ante if need be. If Rainbow wanted to play hardball, she’d play hardball.
“Twilight…” Rainbow moaned in a tone that was dangerously close to threatening.
That tone meant a fight was brewing in the current line of questioning, but Twilight had long since learned fights were inevitable sometimes. And with the way Rainbow had been acting, it was something to do with their relationship, and those kinds of topics were best pulled out into the open, kicking and screaming if need be. “I can’t help if you won’t talk to me.”
The pegasus ground her teeth together. “Can you just drop it? Just for tonight? I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
“It’s always tomorrow with you, but you never do. Just talk to me. Please,” Twilight was almost pleading, but there was no shortage of fiery determination behind her eyes. She met Rainbow’s hardened glare, and neither of them broke eye contact for a tense few seconds. Then, finally, a victor was declared.
Rainbow grunted, looking to the floor as she feebly kicked a hoof across it. “Why do you have to be like… this?” She made a vague gesture towards her girlfriend. “It’s nothing, Twi, I just…” there was a pause. Long and drawn out. Her hooves fidgeted, and when next she looked up a frown stretched across her face. Muzzle wrinkling in that way it did right before whatever damn the mare had been building burst, Rainbow growled. “Fine!”
Stomping up until there was only a few inches separating their muzzles, Rainbow’s glared bored into Twilight’s worried look. “I love you, Twilight.”
Twilight felt like she’d been knocked off balance. Was that it? She couldn’t help but giggle as she leaned in to kiss the silly mare who had her worried over nothing.
Until a hoof on her shoulder stopped her. She opened her eyes, and Rainbow’s look hadn’t changed.
“I love you,” the pegasus repeated, this time holding Twilight back and forcing their eyes to stay connected.
Twilight tilted her head curiously. “Rainbow?”
“Augh!” Rainbow’s hoof fell away and she looked to the ceiling, muttering something under her breath. A moment later her head came back down, and again she said; “I love you, Twilight.”
“I know…” Twilight frowned as Rainbow only grew more riled. “I know that, Rainbow. What’s wrong? What’s this about?”
A few sputtered words was all the pegasus could get out, and Twilight was left to watch as Rainbow turned away, hooves hitting hard against the floor as she paced a few short lines in an effort to bleed her mounting frustration before it could become anger. When she stopped, her head hung and her back turned to her girlfriend, there was a hollow chuckle. “Why won’t you say it?”
It was Twilight turn to sputter. “W-what?”
Rainbow whirled around. “Do you even feel the same?”
“Rainbow, what are you-”
“I thought, for a while, it was just me, y’know? I’ve always liked to take things fast. I thought it was just that, and you just weren’t ready. I was okay with that; I could wait. I’ve been waiting, but nothing’s changed, and I just… I just want to know. I don’t care if the answer’s no. I just want to know, you know?” Rainbow shook her head. “Maybe I’m crazy. Who knows. It’s been a year, Twilight, and I-” she seemed to choke on her words, and took a second to reign in her thoughts.
“When you forgot about our anniversary it just… it made it seem like you didn’t care, y’know? And I know that’s stupid. I’m stupid for thinking that. I know you care, but it feels like sometimes you don’t. Especially when…” the pegasus took a deep breath, and finally their eyes met again. “I love you, Twilight. I’ve never felt this way about another pony in my entire life. But you’ve never told me if you love me and I can’t wait anymore. Every time I say it, you just kiss me - and don’t get me wrong; I’m totally down with kissing - but I want to know if you feel the same way, or if I’m going too fast or if you just need more time or… or something! Anything!”
Twilight held a hoof to her slack jaw in a silent gasp. “I… I didn’t know-” she stopped herself. Of course she didn’t know. How could she have? “Rainbow, I…” but no words came, and in the silence the pegasus scoffed, hanging her head.
“I’m being stupid, I know. It’s nothing, just me taking things too seriously too fast, right? I… really hadn’t been in a lot of relationships before you, not ones that lasted more than a couple months, anyway, so I don’t know how long any of that kinda mushy stuff is supposed to take. I just do what I always do and go with my gut, and like usual it’s gotten me in trouble. Look-” she offered a clearly forced smile, more to the floor than her girlfriend, “-just forget I said any of that, okay? I’m just getting worked up over nothing, like always.”
“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight started. She didn’t really know where she was going, but she needed to say something. “You’re not stupid for having feelings.” A hoof under Rainbow’s chin lifted her face until their eyes met. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way; truly I am.”
Hesitantly, Rainbow nodded. “And… do you…?”
There was a long silence as the alicorn uncomfortably chewed at her lip. “I don’t know,” Twilight eventually answered with a frown, just as dissatisfied with the answer as the pegasus. “I’ve never really thought about it. What I do know is that I really like you, and that I like being your girlfriend and enjoy spending time with you…” she trailed into silence, her face twisting into a sour expression, looking within rather than outwards. “I don’t really know if that’s what love is.” She turned her gaze outward again, and saw the look on Rainbow’s face. It wasn’t quite hurt, but it was a long shot from pleased. Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s.... fine…” Rainbow responded in a clearly not-fine way, but there wasn’t much that could be done about it. After seeming to mull over the words a minute, she smiled. “Well, I suppose I got an answer, at least. C’mon; I did have something else planned for tonight.”
“Are you sure? After that, you still want to-”
The pegasus rolled her eyes, playfully bumping their shoulders together. “Nah; I asked for it, after all. As long as you’re happy being my girlfriend that… that’s enough for me. Now come on, we have a schedule to stick to, and this took way too much time!”
Twilight lay awake in her bed, staring at the crystalline ceiling high above, reflecting on her day. It had started so simply, but by the end there was a mess left that she wasn’t sure how to clean up. Sure, Rainbow had insisted she was happy just knowing the answer, but what she said was never quite the full truth when it came to her own feelings. The pegasus held her cards close to her chest when it came to herself and anything she deemed ‘mushy’. Frustratingly so.
Still, Twilight could tell there was more on her mind. The rest of their date, which turned out to be a walk in the park and a nice spot picked out by the lake to spend an evening reading (Or flying, in Rainbow’s case) carried with it a sense of unease. Rainbow had become more distant for the rest of their time together. Not much, just slightly. Little things. She wasn’t nearly as free about her near-constant teasing, and in fact the light-hearted ribbing all but ceased.
Most notably however, at least to Twilight, was Rainbow’s wing. Normally, if the two were going anywhere, that wing would be firmly wrapped around the alicorns shoulder, regardless of where they were or who saw - it was how the gossip rags found out about their relationship in the first place. Not once since the restaurant had Twilight felt it, and its absence left her feeling cold under the warm spring sun. A small part of her wanted to feel bitter about the change in behaviour when it was caused by Rainbow’s own questions, but the rest of her felt guilty.
Why couldn’t she just say she loved Rainbow? It would have made everything so much easier. But… Twilight knew that would have been a lie. Not that she didn’t love Rainbow, just that she didn’t know. What was love supposed to feel like? How would she even know if she felt it? There was no frame of reference for something as arbitrary and subjective as emotions. No easy answers.
Groaning into her pillow as she rolled over, Twilight sighed and closed her eyes, begging for sleep. Stressing about things didn’t help anypony, and she knew she’d need her rest to deal with this particular situation tomorrow. However, even just repositioning reminded her of her problems, and her eyes settled on the pillow next to her, one usually occupied by a certain cyan mare. It wasn’t often anymore that Rainbow didn’t spend the night in the castle, and her absence only made the entire situation that much more salient in Twilight’s mind.
Sleep was elusive that night, and when the alicorn did eventually drift off it was anything but peaceful, with her worries taking shapes in her dreams. Tossing and turning, behind Twilight’s eyes images flashed and scenes played out.
“Rainbow-” Twilight reached a hoof out towards the rainbow maned mare, but felt herself stop. She was forced to watch as the pegasus cried in front of her, the sound of Rainbow’s sobs felt like her heart was being smashed. Twilight didn’t know what she’d done, but she knew it was her fault. Before she could figure it out, however, the scene shifted, and this time Rainbow Dash was bearing down on her, face contorted in rage.
Rainbow yelled at her. Harsh, hurtful things that she couldn’t even properly make out. She was the one in tears by the end of it, and again she was helpless but to watch as Rainbow flew away. The pegasus didn’t even spare her a second glance.
Twilight opened her eyes again to see Rainbow Dash walking down the streets of Ponyville, her wing around a faceless mare. They smiled at each other, and Twilight saw the way Rainbow smiled - used to smile - at her. In those small moments she hadn’t realized she cherished.
Then the scene froze and dimmed and Twilight was left crying alone in an inky black void.
“Your dreams are quite troubled this night, young Twilight.”
Twilight jolted, hastily wiping the tears from her cheeks. “L-luna?”
The midnight blue alicorn lowered herself from the sky, a pulse emanating from where her hooves touched the invisible ground and spreading out, dotting the void with bright stars and nebulae. “Tell me what ails you, dear Twilight Sparkle.”
Her voice hitched, and Twilight sighed. “It’s… it’s Rainbow. She… she told me something, today, and it’s been bothering me.”
Luna’s brow furrowed. “Nothing serious, I hope?”
“Maybe?” Twilight shook her head. “I don’t know. She said not to worry about it, but…” she trailed off, glaring at her own two hooves. “What does love feel like? How do I know if I love her?”
“Ah…” Luna cleared her throat and shuffled her hooves. “That’s… really not my domain, I’m afraid.” The Princess quite clearly blushed. “I’ve not courted since my return. The traditions of today… confuse me. But-” she caught the defeated look on the younger alicorn and offered a reassuring smile. “I know somepony who may be more suited to help. And, luckily, she’s currently asleep.”
Twilight’s head snapped up. “You mean-”
With a flash of deep blue magic a third alicorn appeared, light pink in coat and… snoring.
Cadance lay curled in a tight ball on the invisible floor, sound asleep.
“Is… is she dreaming about sleeping?” Twilight asked almost rhetorically.
Luna chuckled behind a hoof, nodding. “She tells me she’s not quite used to running an empire yet, and has been rather exhausted as of late. She’s taken to dreaming of sleeping. They do say dreams can be a reflection of one’s desires.” Clearing her throat, Luna prodded the mare. “Cadance? Your step-sister is in need of some advice.”
“Take two and call me back in the morning,” Cadance mumbled drearily, swatting at the hoof attempting to prod her awake.
“Love advice, Cadance. Twilight-”
Instantly the pink alicorn shot to her hooves, dark bags under her eyes fading comically fast as she looked around. “Twilight? Needs love advice? Where? What did Rainbow do? I swear if that uppity little Wonderbolt wannabe hurt my sister she’s gonna be- Luna? Wait…” she looked around the space she’d woken up in. “I’m dreaming? Why-” her eyes fell on Twilight, currently trying her best not to burst out laughing. She glanced to Luna, doing much the same.
“What?”
“Good evening, Cadance,” Luna said smoothly, only the barest trace of mirth carried on her tone. “I trust you’re doing well?”
Motioning to Twilight, Luna lowered her head and whispered something in Cadance’s ear. The pink princesses eyes grew wide. “Oh…” she trailed off, and a sly smile spread across her face, and Twilight watched as it grew from mischevious to downright gleeful. A pit formed in the bottom of her stomach.
“L-luna? What did you tell her? Luna!?”
Luna ignored the cry, sharing a look with Cadance. “I trust you’ve been practicing those spells I taught you?” She received a nod, and smiled. “Very well, then I shall leave you to your duties. I have many other dreams to check on this night. Farewell, Twilight Sparkle, and good luck!”
“Luna! What did you tell her!?” But Twilight was too late, as the princess of the night faded from existence, and she was left alone with her sister-in-law. She looked to Cadance, who still had that unnerving grin on her face. “I don’t know what she told you, but-”
Cadance laughed, waving a hoof dismissively. “Don’t worry, Twilight; she just said you had some questions that I was more suited to answering than her-” the mischievous glimmer in her eyes gave away the lie-” and that they have to do with your girlfriend. So, tell me,” she bared her fangs, “what’s Rainbow Dash done, and how long shall I leave her in Tartarus?”
“Cadance!”
“Relax, Twilight; I’m only messing with you. Well… partially. If she hurts you there are much worse places I would put her than Tartarus.” Her tone made it clear it wasn’t an empty threat, and her idle smile was at odd with her words. As though she longed for the opportunity to get… creative. “Seriously though; Luna tells me you’re in need of some love advice?”
Twilight sighed, shaking her head. “It’s… complicated?” She offered meekly.
Cadance rolled her eyes and lit her horn. “Here, perhaps if we were somewhere more comfortable.” In a pink haze the night sky around them shifted and blended and became something different. Around them a small, cozy room emerged, with cushions and a roaring fire and bookshelves. It was somewhat reminiscent of the old Ponyville library.
“I didn’t know you could use dream magic,” Twilight noted in awe, examining their surroundings and prodding at the cushions. They certainly felt soft.
“Luna taught me some spells. It helps with some love issues, speaking of-” she sat herself on a cushion and patted the one next to her “-you’re avoiding the subject.”
Accepting the offered seat, Twilight cleared her throat and found a cup of steaming tea in front of her before she could ask. She took a long, slow sip.
“Stop stalling.”
Twilight’s shoulders sagged. “Fine. It’s… well it’s Rainbow Dash.”
“Shocking,” Cadance interjected when the younger alicorn hesitated, giggling at the glare she received.
“You’re not helping,” Twilight deadpanned.
Cadance laughed. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll be good, promise.”
Snorting, Twilight watched her sister-in-law a moment longer before allowing her glare to drop. Deciding it best to cut to the chase, she sighed. “How do you tell when you’re in love with somepony?”
“Ah…” the elder alicorn nodded her head slowly. “So that’s what it’s about. I take it Rainbow finally talked to you about it?”
“Yeah, she-... wait, what? Did you know?” Twilight’s jaw dropped incredulously as Cadance nodded nonchalantly. “How!?”
Cadance smile mysteriously. “The Princess of Love has ways.”
“Cadance…”
“Okay okay; when you came up to the Empire last month for that diplomatic meeting and brought Rainbow with you, I noticed that she kept telling you she loved you, but I never heard you say it back. Add a little bit of intuition-” she tapped her horn, making it clear it was more magic than just womanly intuition “-and I could tell she was uneasy about it. I cornered her while you were in your meeting and made her talk to me.
“Oh, great, so she’ll talk to you, but it takes her weeks to tell me when something’s wrong,” Twilight muttered, huffing. “Thanks, Dash.”
Cadance shook her head gently. “Don’t give her too hard a time. It’s easier to talk to ponies outside the relationship about these kinds of things. I wasn’t the one she had to share a train car with on the way home if it turned into an argument.”
“I know, I just… it’s frustrating, sometimes.” Twilight rested her head on her crossed hooves, ears drooping. “I want to make her happy, but I don’t know how. I know I can’t lie to her, that’d just…” she shuddered. “But at the same time… I don’t know if I do love her. I mean… maybe? I know I like her. I really like her. I like spending time with her. I like her being my girlfriend but… is that all that love is?”
“I don’t know,” Cadance answered simply.
Twilight shot her a look. “You don’t know? I thought you were the princess of this stuff!”
Cadance smiled, and shook her head. “I am, but I can’t tell you how you feel. Only you can do that. And I can’t tell you what love is supposed to feel like either; everypony feels love differently. For some it’s not much different than friendship, just stronger and more intimate. For others it’s the feeling they get when they see the pony they love. Indescribable and instantaneous, but reliable. Others, still, describe it as feeling like you carry a piece of the other pony with you always.”
“And you?”
“Hmm?” Cadance leaned down. “What’s that?”
Lifting her head just a bit, Twilight clarified; “What does your love feel like? WIth you and my brother?”
“Ah. For me, love is the feeling I get when I’m not with Shining. The feeling I get when I think about him, but he isn’t there. It’s not quite missing him, or just longing for him, but… the opposite?” She paused, staring into the artificial fire almost dreamily. “It’s knowing that, just because he isn’t around, doesn’t mean he’s not there. Get it?”
Twilight opened her mouth, half way through an agreement, before she sighed. “No, not really. But I get what you’re saying. I just need to find out if what I feel is what love feels like to me, right?”
“More or less.” Cadance gave a non-commital shrug. “These things are very personal, Twilight, and unique to everypony. Nopony knows how you feel but you.”
“So in other words you can’t help me.” Again her head was shoved into her cushion. “Thanks.”
The elder alicorn tutted. “Now now, I didn’t say that. You’re the only one who can decide how you feel, but I can help you with that part. Especially since we’re in the dream-scape.”
Twilight’s ear perked up. “How’s that?”
“Well, with your permission, I’ll take you through four…” she tapped a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “Hmmm. I can do it in three. I’ll take you through three of your own memories. By the end, I’m confident you’ll have your answer.”
“My memories?” Twilight echoed curiously, raising an eyebrow. “Why? I remember them. I already know what happens. How could they help me?”
Cadance chuckled. “You’d be surprised what watching something from an outside perspective can change. Plus, you’ll have me there with you. So, wanna give it a try?” Noticing the hesitant look on the mare’s face, Cadance smiled encouragingly. “Can’t hurt, right?”
“I guess…” Twilight huffed into her cushion before sitting herself upright, shaking her head slowly. “You do know what you’re talking about, at least. Ugh. Fine.” She stood fully, downed her tea - which, she realized, wasn’t real tea - and nodded at Cadance. “Let’s do it.”
With a little smile that made it quite clear Cadance was looking forward to this a little too much, she lit her horn. “Alright. First up; the day Rainbow Dash asked you out. I need you to focus on anything you remember from around that time.
Twilight scoffed. “Where to start? She wasn’t exactly subtle about it. It was-”
“Perfect!” Cadance clapped her hooves as her horn lit, and a small pink orb emerged from Twilight’s temple like a drop of water. “Now, this is gonna be a little weird for you; you’re going to watch your own memories from outside your body. Dreams are a wonderful tool for this kind of thing; anything you didn’t personally see your mind will just automatically fill in the blanks for you.” The pink ball pulled back before slamming into the wall, bursting like a water balloon full of glowing pink paint. The splotch quickly started growing, consuming everything, until they were in a featureless pink box for a few moments. Then the pink started fading to reveal the scene. Twilight couldn’t help the small smile spreading as she watched Ponyville come into view. More specifically, town hall.
“Check… check… aaaand…. Check!” Twilight smiled, rolling up an almost comically long scroll. She nodded to herself happily, turning to the mare next to her. “Well, Mayor, that’s everything. Would you care to do the honours?”
Mayor Mare nodded and looked out across the various gathered ponies, clearing her throat in a way that made it clear she wanted attention and wasn’t just clearing her throat. “Fillies and Gentlecolts, it is my great honour to announce this winter officially wrapped up!”
A round of cheers ascended from the crowd, and the mayor started some pre-planned speech thanking everypony for their hard work. Twilight had already trotted off stage, stifling a yawn. “Spike!?” She called, and instantly the dragon was at her side with a second, smaller scroll in his claws.
“You rang?” He asked with a smile.
Twilight giggled. “I think I’m still on time, but double check my list for me to see if I missed anything.”
With a flick of the wrist Spike’s scroll was unrolled, and he started down the list. “Well, if you double checked the wrap up checklist-” he shot her a look, and Twilight nodded. “-you’re on schedule for a few hours of rest, including a nap.” The scroll was re-rolled with an air of finality that made Twilight yawn again.
“Excellent.”
“Since when did you schedule nap time?” Cadance asked with a barely-contained chuckle. “Was Rainbow Dash rubbing off on you before you even started dating?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I’ll have you know sleep is important,” she defended weakly, and the other alicorn’s grin only grew wider. She sighed. “Okay, maybe I let Rainbow talk me into adding a few breaks into my schedule. But it was Winter Wrap Up! I had to get up super early and I was up all night the previous night triple checking the schedule for the wrap up! I was tired!”
“Hey, Twilight!”
“Uh-oh, here comes trouble,” Spike quipped, bumping Rainbow’s hoof as she landed next to the pair.
“Heh, speak for yourself, little guy; if I’m trouble you’re a walking disaster,” Rainbow shot back without hesitation. Sharing a laugh with the dragon, she soon switched her attention to the recently-minted alicorn. “So, Twi, you got a sec?”
Twilight just held up her list, and let it unroll. There was a long pause as the paper just kept going down the road, fading over a hill. “Yes,” she deadpanned. “Plenty of ‘sec’s.” She made sure her air quotes were noticed.
“Hah; ‘sex’.” Rainbow giggled at her own joke. Twilight glared. Rainbow laughed harder, before shaking her head. “Look, I’ll make it quick, promise. But there’s something I gotta show you.”
Cadance didn’t bother to hide her juvenile giggling. “Sex… hehehe…”
Twilight’s let her glare drop. “Is something wrong? Did somepony miss a cloud? Some weather roll in from the Everfree? Are the windegos about to bury us in another eternal winter?” Her tone sounded like a classic Twilight Panic Attack, but the nonchalant expression made it clear she was joking.
“Well… there are a few clouds I need you to take a look at. There’s something strange about ‘em,” Rainbow explained slowly, scratching at the back of her head. “It’s probably nothin’, but I figured I’d grab you before I busted ‘em just to be sure, y’know?”
There was a genuine look of concern. “Strange clouds? Did you make sure Discord wasn’t around?” She made a gesture at Spike, which was interpreted (hopefully) correctly as he scampered towards Golden Oaks. “Where are they?”
Rainbow lead the way, floating in the air a little ahead of the alicorn. “Just out near the pond. They don’t look dangerous, or anything, but not like something Discord would do either.”
“Wait… clouds…” Cadance trailed off, and her eyes grew wide. “Oh my gosh! She didn’t!”
Twilight buried her face in her hooves, a scarlet blush on her cheeks. “She did.”
“Well, we’re at the pond.” Twilight scanned the sky. Clear and bright. She frowned. “And no clouds. I swear, Rainbow, if this is a prank-”
“Turn around, Twi,” Rainbow called from behind, and as Twilight did as she was instructed she felt herself gasping.
Indeed, there were some strange clouds. Purposefully strange clouds that spelled out ‘Go out with me?’ Rainbow hovered under them, forelegs thrown wide as though presenting the message.
Twilight stared. Rainbow held her pose. Twilight blinked. Rainbow’s grin faded slightly. Twilight yawned and rubbed at her eyes. Rainbow’s legs fell to her sides.
“Well?”
Twilight frowned. “Who did this? Who’s it for? Do we know? Can we clean them up, or should we wait for them? We really should clean them up; if the sun doesn’t melt all the snow the-”
“Twilight!” Rainbow held a hoof to her face, having to bite her tongue to keep from yelling. “I did this! For you, dummy! I’m asking you out!”
“Wow…” Cadance looked over at Twilight, grinning. “You’re oblivious.”
Twilight groaned. “I know! I just… didn’t make the connection…” she sighed, watching as her dream-self sputtered and blushed like a little filly. Despite the embarrassment she felt - both from the memory and having Cadance watching it with her - she couldn’t help but smile. She remembered how she felt when she realised Rainbow Dash was asking her out. The shock, the confusion, all of it. Looking back, though, and knowing what that one moment would lead to a year down the line, she was glad it happened.
Then she realized why they was doing this, and by the look on Cadance’s face, she realized that Twilight realized.
“I-I…” Twilight stumbled uselessly over her words, face more red than purple as she looked at anything other than the cyan pegasus standing in front of her not-so-patiently.
“You can tell me no,” Rainbow said calmly. “I won’t mind; it’s not gonna make our friendship awkward, or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m a big mare; I can handle it.”
Twilight shook her head. She didn’t know why, but she knew she definitely didn’t want to say no. She just couldn’t quite form the words she wanted to say. After a moment, though, and a few deep breaths, she managed to regain control of her tongue. “What did you have in mind?”
There was still a scarlet hue heating her cheeks, but Twilight managed to smile and meet Rainbow’s gaze. The pegasus grinned, her eyes lighting excitedly. “Great! - I mean,” she coughed into her hoof “-that’s cool. Very cool. I’ll uh… swing by around six tonight. To pick you up… for our... er… date…” She giggled in a very not-Rainbow-Dash way, and took to the sky. “I’ll cya then, egghead!”
“Clean up these clouds, first!” Twilight shouted, but it was too late; the pegasus was gone, soaring through the air, looping and hollering as she did. “Featherbrain…”
“Oh my gosh you two are adorable!”
“Cadance…” Twilight couldn’t help but hide her rosy cheeks behind a hoof.
“What? You are!” Cadance insisted as the memory seemed to pause before starting to fade away. When they were left back in the library, Twilight had finally managed to return her face to a somewhat normal colour. “So, how was that?”
Twilight hummed a moment, chewing her lip. “Weird?” She said slowly. “Definitely weird. But… I see why you wanted me to watch that again.”
“Oh?” Cadance feigned innocence. “Why’s that?”
“Because…” sighing, Twilight shook her head, unable to stop the growing smile. “Because looking back, I realize just how… happy I am, that she asked me out. That I said yes.”
Cadance nodded slowly. “Well, that’s part of it. If you looked back and felt you wished you’d said no, you should probably break up. The important part, though, is to look back on how you felt about Rainbow Dash then compared to now. Love isn’t like it is in those trashy books you keep hidden under your bed-” Twilight’s jaw hung open and the pink alicorn smirked “-love isn’t instant. Back then, you certainly weren’t in love with Rainbow Dash, and neither was she. She asked you out because she felt something that could have bloomed into something more. For her, it did. The question is, when she asked you, and those same seeds were planted in you when you said yes, did anything come of it?”
Shoving the mention of her secret stash to the back of her mind - she’d have to find a better hiding place - Twilight scratched the back of her head. “I… maybe? I certainly feel different about her now, compared to back then.”
“Well, for this next one I want you to hold onto the difference in how you feel. Keep it in the back of your mind. Do me a favour and recall a moment with Rainbow Dash that really sticks out to you. It could have been a date, or simply while you were spending time together one day. Just anything that sticks out, that’s not your first date or your anniversary.”
Huffing, Twilight did as she was told and thought back through her memories spent with Rainbow Dash. There were more than enough of them, and plenty stuck out to her for one reason or another. Before she could properly decided, Cadance lit her horn and a pink blob was once again extracted from her head. “Hey! I hadn’t decided yet!”
Cadance waved a hoof dismissively. “Well, this is the one you were going to decide on. I’ll bet you ten bits I can tell you what’s special about it, and you probably don’t even know.”
The ball was thrown into a wall, and in a few moments the scene shifted to a seemingly endless sea of clouds beneath a bright blue sky.
Twilight gasped. “This is…”
Twilight set down atop the vast mass of cloud, a light sweat on her brow and a permanent smile on her face. Rainbow Dash alighted next to her, noticeably less tired but her grin was no smaller.
“You were right,” Twilight admitted after a moment to catch her breath. “It’s beautiful up here.”
“Uh, excuse me. I believe I said that it was ‘awesome’ up here…” she trailed off, and without looking out across the scenery she added; “but yeah. Beautiful is one way to describe it…”
The alicorn turned, and when she realized Dash was pointedly looking at her, she blushed. “Knock it off.”
Rainbow trotted past her, bouncing slightly on the clouds and bumping their flanks together. “Come on, egghead; it’s around here somewhere.”
Twilight watched her past self walk across the sea of fluffy white with her girlfriend, a small shimmer in her eye. “She’d taken me to meet her parents,” she started before Cadance could ask. “We made a whole trip out of it up to Cloudsdale, saw a Wonderbolts show and everything. Then, she said she had something to show me.”
“They call them the cloud fields,” Cadance supplied when Twilight didn’t, watching as Rainbow pulled a carefully concealed picnic basket from within a cloud. “I’ve never been there myself, but I was always told they were beautiful.”
Twilight nodded. “It’s where Cloudsdale stores the excess clouds. I’d heard about it, but I always kind of imagined a big wearhouse, like the actual weather factory. I had no idea…”
Sighing happily, Twilight subconsciously wormed a little closer to her pegasus girlfriend, appreciating the extra warmth from the wing wrapped around her. It was cold, after all. At least, that’s what she told herself. “So, meeting the parents,” she started, raising her glass. “A success?”
Rainbow returned the toast. “Absolutely. They didn’t believe me when I told them I was dating a Princess. The look on their face was priceless.”
Twilight elbowed her, but couldn’t help giggling a little. “I thought your dad was going to faint. I’ve never seen anypony clean their house so quickly.”
“And that was after they spent a week cleaning when I told them I was bringing you up. It’s almost like you’re royalty or something.”
They shared a laugh, and slowly that trailed into a comfortable silence as they looked out across the fields. The sun had just started to set as they finished their meal, and the brilliant reds and oranges lit the sky and made the clouds glow brightly. Like a roaring fire just barely beyond the horizon, bathing them in its warmth.
“Thank you,” Twilight said eventually, quietly. As though anything too loud would shatter the moment and ruin the illusion. “For bringing me here.” She felt Rainbow nod her head, and sighed, leaning over and resting her cheek against the pegasus’s neck.
“You’re being sappy,” Rainbow whispered, her breath tickling Twilight’s ear.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “You started it.”
Chuckling, Rainbow shook her head. “I guess I did…” her voice quieted, and there was a pause. “Hey, Twi?”
“Hmm?” Twilight looked up just in time to see Rainbow rub the back of her neck and blush, but she didn’t say anything. “Dashie?”
Rainbow jolted at the name, and her blush only grew brighter. “Nothing, I guess.” She looked down and smiled. “Just… yeah. It’s nothing.”
The sun started to disappear behind the clouds, and the sky glowed with bright purples and pinks. Rainbow watched as the first of the stars appeared in the darkening sky. Twilight followed her gaze, quickly spotting and naming a few stars in her own head. A wind blew across the field, but neither mare noticed the cold setting in.
“Hey, Twi?” Rainbow started again, and she felt Twilight giggle against her side.
“Let me guess; it’s nothing?”
Rainbow chuckled. “Yeah, I deserve that one. But… no. It’s not nothing this time.” She took a breath, and Twilight felt the cyan wing tighten around her. “I…”
“Rainbow?” Twilight glanced over when the pegasus trailed off, and their eyes met. Rainbow was just… looking at her, an almost imperceptible smile dancing just at the corners of her lips. Blushing at the intensity of the gaze, but unable to look away, Twilight tilted her head. She tried to say something, but something told her it would ruin the moment, and the words caught in her throat. The way Rainbow looked at her was… different from normal. Different from how anypony had looked at her before. She felt like the mare was looking at her very soul.
“You’re crying.”
Twilight jumped at Cadance’s words, realizing she was right and hastily wiping a few drops from her cheeks. “I… I’m just... happy, I guess? I just realized what this really is.”
Cadance nodded slowly. “This is the first time she said it, right?”
Nodding, Twilight added; “And the first time she ever looked at me like that.”
“I love you, Twilight.”
All at once Twilight felt a thousand thoughts and emotions hit her, those four words dancing in her head and making her mind spin. She couldn’t stop the blush if she tried, nor the grin that split open across her face. Without hesitation she reached up and grabbed the back of Rainbow’s head, forcing their lips together in a kiss that only grew deeper as the seconds ticked by.
“Dang. I should have had you teach Shiny how to properly kiss a mare.”
“C-Cadance!” Twilight hid herself behind her hooves as they watched her memory continue, the kiss growing into something a little more.
Cadance shrugged, seemingly unphased and without shame as she blantantly stared at two mares full-on making out atop the clouds. “What? You should have seen him the first time he kissed me. You seem to have picked it up pretty quickly-”
“OKAY THANK YOU THAT’S ENOUGH!” Twilight shouted, waving her legs around and frantically trying to get the other alicorn’s attention. “You can stop the memory now!”
“Stop it now?” Cadance grinned. “Twilight, you aren’t suggesting you went any further than that? In public, no less?
Twilight was a beat-red pile of feathers as her wings joined her hooves in hiding her shame. “Cadance…” she whined. There was a giggle, and Twilight was relieved to see the library once more when she peeked a single eye open. Then she caught a glimpse of Cadance’s grin, and covered her face again. “Please don’t.”
“Soooo~~” Cadance practically sang, leaning over and nudging the blushing alicorn. “How was it?”
“Cadance!”
Laughing, Cadance patted Twilight on the back gently. “I meant watching the memory, Twilight. Honestly, where does your mind go sometimes?”
Twilight shot her a glare from behind her hooves. “You mean besides it being the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever had to watch?” Cadance just rolled her eyes. Twilight sighed. “It was… strange. I haven’t really thought about the first time she told me she loved me. It’s… nice, I think? Knowing she feels that way about me. And the way she looks at me, sometimes-” she shuddered “-it’s like… I don’t even know what it’s like. It just makes me feel…” Twilight shook her head and sighed. “I don’t even know. I know I like it, though.”
“I want you to put yourself in her hooves,” Cadance explained after a moment of letting the younger alicorn digest her own thoughts. “How she must have felt in that moment. Often times, the moment a pony realizes their love and says it is the same. She likely realized then what you meant to her, and felt she needed to tell you.”
“I…” Twilight fidgeted with her hooves, frowning. “I feel bad about not being able to say it back. I can’t imagine how she must feel, telling me time and time again just how much I mean to her, but I’ve never once reciprocated. It’s just that I didn’t know how I felt. Feelings have never been my strong suit.” She smiled to herself after a moment. “But I think I’m starting to understand now.”
“If you feel like that’s all you need to see, I’ll be on my way, but I think watching one more memory will help.”
Twilight sighed. “Is it going to be that embarrassing?”
“You tell me; just what do you two get up to when you think nopony's watching?” A brand new blush raced across the younger mare’s face, and Cadance giggled. “I promise it won’t be anything bad. It might be a little hard for you to watch, though.”
Groaning, Twilight slumped forward. “Of course. Well, if you think it’s a good idea…”
“I need you to remember the first really big fight you had with her.”
“What!? I thought this was supposed to show me why I love her, not why she drives me up the wall!”
Cadance raised a single eyebrow. “Is that what you thought this was about?” She shook her head. “Twilight, I’m not trying to convince you that you love her. I’m showing you how to decide for yourself. While the memories I’ve taken you through so far are high points, a relationship is made of more than just good moments. You need to decide for yourself if you care for Rainbow Dash enough to accept her flaws, and embrace her for them. If you can’t do that, then you shouldn’t be in a relationship. As simple as that. How you feel, watching your fight from the outside, will help you decide if you can accept her for who she is.”
Twilight sighed. “If you’re sure…” She closed her eyes and thought back. Sure, she’d fought with Rainbow before. Little spats and arguments. Nothing serious.
Except…
She cringed as she felt Cadance draw out the memory. Heard it splat into the wall. Opened her eyes to see the inside of her crystal castle. There she was, sat at that little desk in her library, a stack of books to her left and a stack of parchment to her right. Not far from her a pegasus was sprawled out on a couch, head hanging over the edge as she stared at the alicorn.
Twilight’s teeth ground together as she heard yet another pointed sigh from behind her. She ignored it, for the most part, flipping her page and scribbling a note. But it wasn’t much longer before there was a groan and the sound of somepony shifting around. She barely made it a paragraph in to the next page before Rainbow Dash grunted again.
Finally, Twilight snapped. “If you’re that bored go do something!”
Rainbow rolled off the couch, catching herself in the air before she hit the floor. “You ready to go?”
Twilight pointed at the clock. “I told you I’d be done by three! It’s barely past two. What do you think?”
“C’mon, Twi,” Rainbow moaned, doing her best pout. “You’ve been doing whatever you’re doing for days. You can take a break.”
“No, I can’t, because I’m not finished,” Twilight snapped, holding a hoof to her temple and rubbing in slow circles. “Go take a nap or something. I’ll come find you when I’m done, okay?”
Rainbow pulled a face, but ultimately trotted to the window. “Fine. But we have plans tonight, so I’ll be back at three. Sharp.” She glared at Twilight, but it was ineffective as the alicorn had already turned back to her work, waving a hoof dismissively. Rainbow rolled her eyes and jumped out the window.
“I was stupid,” Twilight mumbled, watching herself diligently studying at her desk. “I just assumed she didn’t have any actual plans, and just wanted to use me as a way to kill some time. She’d been at me all week to take a break, but I kept blowing her off. I was almost done, and had pulled an all nighter to try and finish. I was already irritable enough, but she just kept… needling me.”
An hour later - and fifteen minutes past three - Rainbow stood in the library, tapping her hoof impatiently. “Twilight-”
“I said I’ll be done soon!” Twilight didn’t even bother to turn, sorting through her assembled notes. She double checked something, then flipped to a fresh page and opened a new book.
Rainbow slapped a hoof to her forehead. “Are you kidding?”
Ignoring the comment, the alicorn focused in on the newest - and last - book, hastily scribbling notes on the side.
“You said you’d be done by three,” she glanced to the clock again. “We’re gonna be late.”
Twilight’s quill paused for only a moment. “Then maybe you should have consulted me before making plans.”
“I did.” This time it was Rainbow Dash gritting her teeth. “Last week I told you we had something to do today.”
“Please. I would have made a note of it in the schedule. Don’t try and pin this on me because you’re bad at planning things.”
Rainbow’s feathers ruffled. “It’s not my fault you don’t know how to prioritize.”
Twilight scoffed. “This is me prioritizing; work first, then whatever it is you want. I’m sorry to say Equestria doesn’t revolve around you, Rainbow.”
“Well I’m sorry for thinking my girlfriend might be interested in spending a little time with me.”
“Oh, oh really?” Twilight laughed haughtily. “Don’t try and play the guilt card with me, Rainbow Dash. I assure you I’m quite happy not spending any time with you.”
Twilight winced. Cadance winced.
“You know those things you say, and you instantly regret them?” Twilight asked rhetorically. She sighed. “I didn’t mean it like that, but... “
Rainbow didn’t even hesitate as her wings flared open. Her voice, however, was surprisingly calm. “Fine then, but don’t come crying to me when you realize what you’re missing.”
The alicorn already had her head buried in her book again. “I won’t.” Her statement hung in the air unanswered a moment, and when she turned around she saw only an empty library and an open window. She rolled her eyes. “Finally.”
Cadance lifted an eyebrow. “That was the worst fight you’ve had with her?” She chuckled. “That was nothing, you should-”
“Yeah, it would have been nothing,” Twilight interrupted, ears pinned to the back of her head. “But I just…” she trailed off as the memory jumped ahead, and through the window the sun was setting. “Well, you’ll see.”
Twilight yawned and stretched, leaning back in her chair and snapping her book closed. She glanced out the window, nodding to herself. “A full day of studying, and no interuptions. Perfect! If I’d known it was that easy I’d have gotten rid of her months ago!” She cringed at her own words as they slipped out of her mouth, shaking her head. “Well, not like that. Just while I’m trying to study. Not… oh, you know what I meant.”
She turned, and realized the library was still as empty as it was before. “And now you’re talking to yourself. Great. Spike?”
There wasn’t an answer, and Twilight doubled checked the clock. “Is it that late already?” She yawned again. “Well, I guess I should head off to bed too. I was up all night last night.”
Suddenly, with a flourish of wings and feathers, she wasn’t alone in the library. Rainbow Dash set down gently on the floor, a dozing dragon on her back. “Hey, Twi, listen-”
“Spike?” She took him in her magic, setting him gently on the couch as he rolled over and mumbled in his sleep. “Rainbow? Why was he with you?”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “We were at the party. He passed out and I offered to bring him back here, since I wanted to talk to you anyway. Listen-”
“Party? What party?”
Again, Rainbow rolled her eyes. “The party Pinkie throws every year to celebrate us saving Luna. The one I told you about last week. The one you blew off today.”
Twilight gasped. “I had no idea! Rainbow, you should have told me-”
“I did!”
“No, you didn’t!” Twilight groaned. “I’ll have to apologize to Pinkie for missing it. You should have said it was important, i would have-”
“I did.” Rainbow growled lowly. “I told you last week the party was tonight. I told you days ago to make sure you could take a break to come to the party. I told you today we had plans tonight. I told you over and over but you just kept ignoring me!”
Twilight stomped her hoof. “You never told me it was important! I thought it was just you wanting to goof off and hang out with me, not-”
“Oh, so spending time with me isn’t important to you?”
“No, it’s not.” Twilight didn’t even pay attention to what she was saying anymore, preoccupied by the migrain developing whenever she thought about how she was going to make this up to Pinkie Pie, all because Rainbow failed to tell her about the party. “You are not the most important thing in the world to me, Rainbow Dash. As shocking as it is I have a life that exists outside of you.”
Rainbow’s nostrils flared. “So I’m not important to you. You know, I came here to apologize for snapping earlier, but if this is how you’re going to be you can forget about it. I-” Her muzzle was clamped shut in a purple glow.
“You’re going to wake Spike,” Twilight whisper-shouted, motioning to the couch. “Now grow up and get over yourself. That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
Eyes hardening, Rainbow glanced at Spike, then back to Twilight, She jerked her head in a ‘follow me’ motion and trotted out of the library. The alicorn followed, and the door was slammed shut behind them. Out in the hall, Rainbow found her muzzle free to continue their argument. “Well then what did you mean? Because that’s sure what it sounded like.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “I said that you’re not the most important thing to me. Honestly, I know you’re not the brightest but even you should be able to figure out what that means.” She bit her tongue as soon as the words fell from it, but not hard enough to take them back.
“Twilight…”
Cadance looked over, and Twilight had her head under her hooves. “I didn’t mean it! I was tired and frustrated and we ran out of coffee two days before and I just wanted her to leave so I could go to bed.” She peaked out in time to see the moment of hurt flash across Rainbow’s face before it turned into a snarl. It had to have been the worst thing she could have said; she’d known ever since Rainbow had joined the Wonderbolt Reserves that her intelligence was one of the pegasus’s insecurities, and she just had to go and hit her right where it hurt.
“Well at least I’m smart enough to know when I’m not wanted,” Rainbow turned and marched down the hall.
Twilight’s gut twisted as she watched her go, and she tried to give chase but her hooves were filled with let and refused to budge.
“I’ll cya around, Twilight,” Rainbow grunted, turning a corner and disappearing.
“She’d been bugging me all week to take a break.” Twilight watched herself huff and storm off in the opposite direction, anger overriding regret at what she’d said. “Honestly, I don’t know if she told me and I forgot or if she forgot to tell me about the party. It doesn’t really matter either way, I suppose.” She sighed, and the memory faded. “Rainbow wouldn’t talk to me the next couple days. She’d come to me to apologize, trusted me enough to be vulnerable and admit her mistake, and I may as well have spat in her face.”
Cadance nodded, draping a single large wing over the mare’s shoulders. “How did you make it up to her?”
“A few days later I showed up at her house with chocolate and a sign around my neck that said ‘worlds dumbest girlfriend’. She got the message I was there to apologize and heard me out, although she told me to keep the sign on. I’m pretty sure I was apologizing for fifteen minutes before she hugged me and told me I could take the sign off. Ever since then, I’ve made sure to schedule myself extra time I can use whenever I want to take a break and spend time with her - or any of my friends.”
Chuckling, Cadance asked, “Did you send a letter to Shining?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I did. How’d you know?”
“He used the sign idea to apologize to me before,” she explained with a laugh. “You should hang onto it; it’ll work more than once.”
“Oh trust me; I know where it is. I knew it wouldn’t be the last time I screwed up and hurt her…” Twilight trailed off with a frown. “Why do we hurt the ponies we love?”
Cadance shot her a sly smile. “Why do we hurt anypony we care about? I’m sure you’ve had arguments with your friends, too. We can all be emotional, we can all make mistakes. What’s important is how we go about fixing them, and making sure we don’t make them again. Love is all about compromise. For instance, you got into that fight because Rainbow kept needling you, because you kept blowing her off for your studies. So you fixed it; you made sure to always make time for her, and she learned that, while you would make time for her, you still had other obligations, and I’ll bet my last bit she hasn’t been at you like that again.”
Mulling it over, eventually Twilight nodded. “You’re right; she still stops by randomly and asks me to spend time with her, but when I tell her I can’t she’s been really good about accepting it.”
“I also know,” Cadance continued with a grin, “that you just asked why we hurt the ponies we love.”
“Uh… yeah?” Twilight tilted her head curiously at the pink alicorn, seeing the expression on her face. “Why- oh.” She slapped a hoof to her forehead. “I’m an idiot.”
Cadance laughed. “I take it you have a certain pegasus you need to- oof.” She was cut off as she was aggressively tackle-hugged.
“Thank you so much, Cadance! I need to go see Rainbow Dash.”
Returning to hug, Cadance nodded. “I’m glad I could help, Twilight. Tell Rainbow I said hi!”
“Will do, Cadance!” Twilight released her, and looked around. “Um… how do I-
“Wake up?” Twilight sat upright in her bed, glancing around. She laughed and shook her head, jumping up and forgoing the stairs in favour of simply flying out her window. The moon was already beginning its descent, but she didn’t care what time it was. It was a short flight to Rainbow’s house, and before long she’d landed on the doorstep was was banging on the door.
“Rainbow!?” She called, realizing knocking on a door made of clouds wasn’t the most effective way of getting a sleeping mare’s attention. “Rainbow Dash!?”
She heard a very audible groan and smiled. “Rainbow! I need to talk to you!”
A head with a rainbow mane popped out of a window. “Twilight? It’s like three in the morning!” She rubbed at her eyes. “What’s going on?”
“It’s important!” Twilight insisted, flapping her wings and raising herself until she was level with Rainbow Dash. “I need to tell you something.”
Rainbow yawned. “And it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”
Twilight giggled, which grew into a laugh, which grew almost manic. “Of course it could have!” She shouted chipperly, grinning ear to ear. “But I didn’t want to!”
Blinking, Rainbow leaned away slowly. “Oh… kay? What?” She was braced for the worst. It had been a long time since Twilight had had a freak out, but emergency protocol was still in place and at a moment’s notice she’d have Ponyville prepared for the worst.
“I love you!” Twilight shouted, then laughed again. Hearing the words come from her own mouth felt like a shockwave running through her system. In the absolute best way possible. She wanted to feel it again. “I love you, Rainbow Dash.” A shudder ran down her spine. Is that how Rainbow felt, when she’d first said it? Every time she’d said it? More trials would have to be conducted.
“Twilight? What-”
Twilight lunged forward and tackled the mare through her own window, clamping her in a deathly tight hug. “I’m sorry it took so long. I love you.”
“I… I love you too,” Rainbow said eventually, returning the hug. “But I thought-”
“I know I told you I didn’t know, and I wasn’t lying,” Twilight explained slowly, lessening her grip but not letting go as she laid her head on the pegasus’s chest. “And I’m not lying now, either; I really do love you.” She heard Rainbow’s heartbeat speed up and giggled, knowing hers did the same. “I… well, with a little help I realized that love, for me, feels like… well, this. It feels like I'm floating without having to flap my wings, safe in your hooves.” A blush warmed her face but she pushed through it. “It feels like, no matter where I am, you’re there with me, even if you aren’t, holding me up.”
“Twi…” Rainbow squeezed the alicorn against her chest. “That’s the sappiest, mushiest thing you’ve ever said to me, and so not how I roll.”
Twilight reached up and swatted the pegasus’s snout. “Shush.”
Rainbow chuckled quietly. “Yeah, fair enough.”
There was a quiet lull, and both of them simply resigned themselves to enjoying each other. Until, eventually, it was broken by a yawn.
“So, are we just gonna like, lay here until morning, or can I go back to bed now?” Rainbow yawned again and smacked her lips. “‘Cause I’m still tired.”
“Hmm? Oh!” Twilight giggled, untangling herself from the pegasus and helping her to her hooves. “Yeah, sorry. I just... got caught up in the moment…” she trailed off. Rainbow was giving her that look again. That look that had started it all, all those months ago in that field of clouds. This time, Twilight returned it.
“I love you,” they said in unison. Blushed together. Trotted as one back to Rainbow’s bed. As they laid down, Twilight scooted closer and wrapped the pegasus in her hooves once more.
“Oh, and Cadance says hi.”
“Cadance!?” Rainbow jolted upright, fearfully scanning the room. “I didn’t do anything! I never touched her! I-I’m a virgin! I swear! Please don’t send me to Tartarus!”