Twilight's brother has passed away, and she's devastated. Her friends try to cheer her up, but to no avail. When all hope seems lost, a certain pegasus decides that she'd had enough.
In a terrible accident, Twilight's brother passes away, and she never even gets to say goodbye. Even though they all tried their best, her friends could not comfort her. So as a last ditch effort, Rainbow decides to pull out an old habit of hers.
PS: This is my first story focusing mainly on TwiDash. Don't get mad at me if I screw some stuff up. Cause I will.
EDIT: I was not satisfied with this story so I will do a COMPLETE REDO. I will rewrite the plot, the story, basically, like, everything in this story so that it looks BETTER. And most importantly... storyboard! :D
"NOOOOO!" Twilight cried out, tears streaming down her face.
She couldn't believe her eyes. She had just gotten a letter, from princess Celestia, with words that she didn't want to believe were true.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
It is with my greatest apologies to inform you that your brother has passed away. During one of his shifts, he was ambushed by a group of unknown ponies, who slaughtered not only him, but the rest of his group, too. A funeral will be held at the start of next month. Your family will be there. Once again, I am extremely sorry for these grave news. I hope you do not take this too badly, as the group of criminals responsible may come back again. I must warn you to be on lookout for any suspicious activity and let me know immediately if something is wrong.
Sincerest Apologies, Princess Celestia
That was it. Her brother was gone. Her BBBFF. She didn't even get to say goodbye. She cried her heart out. The sounds of her crying had gotten attention of her assistant Spike, who took immediate worry in the situation.
"Twilight? What happened?! Are you okay?" he called out as he ran into the room, to where he saw Twilight, slumped down on the floor, curled up into a ball.
"S-Spike," she managed to choke out. "He's d-dead." Her voice was a whisper.
"What?! Who's dead?" Spike asked, running to Twilight's side before noticing the letter on the floor. "Twilight, what's this?" he asked, before picking up the soaking wet piece of parchment paper on the wooden floor. As he read it, his eyes began to water, before he set the letter down and gave Twilight a tight hug. "I'm sorry," he said to Twilight.
It wasn't long until her friends heard the news. Quickly they all rushed together and went to see Twilight at her tree library. When they arrived, they saw that the sign said it was closed and the lights were off. Applejack ran over to the door, where she furiously knocked on the door.
"Twilight! Can ya open the door?" she called out. Then, a light flickered on in the main lobby room, and the door slowly creaked open.
"Hi, Twilight's not doing too well," Spike said, his eyes glinting with water. "I'm worried for her. She hasn't left her room in hours."
"We're gonna help her, Spike, don't worry," Applejack stated, before Spike fully opened up the door, letting the group of ponies inside.
"Ah jeez, this place is a mess," Rainbow commented. "She usually has all this stuff cleaned up." She was right. The ground was littered with books and papers, some being slightly damaged. Twilight's work desk was also piled with books on the side and there were ink splatters covering both the wooden surface holding the books, and some of the books themselves.
"Sorry about that," Spike said, before rubbing the back of his neck. "I kinda forgot about cleaning up. I mostly stayed by Twilight."
"It's no worry darling, you had reason to not clean up," Rarity reassured him. "But this place is... quite the mess. I must tidy this room up!" she stated before using her magic to levitate multiple books in the air. "Spike, darling, help me clean up this awfully dirty books! Tell me, how does she organize her books? I know she's very strict on that."
Spike quickly rushed over to accompany the white unicorn, helping her pick up books off the floor and telling her where to place certain books and where not to place them.
"Poor Twilight, she must be feeling awful," Fluttershy said. "I don't think I could ever handle what she's dealing with right now. You girls go talk to her, I'll help Rarity and Spike."
"I think I know exactly what to do to cheer her up!" Pinkie said, with a bright gleaming smile. "Let's throw her a 'Sorry-about-your-brother-passing-away' party!" the enthusiastic party pony exclaimed.
"Pinkie, no," Rainbow glared at her. "This is not the kind of thing you throw a part for."
"Why not?"
"Just... just don't. Trust me on this, will ya?" Rainbow said, before Applejack added in.
"Pinkie, she just had a loved one die. Ah don't think she'd be quite thrilled to be invited to a party reminding her of that incident, don't ya think?" Applejack told Pinkie. The party pony faltered in energy. "Ya know what, ah think it'd be best if you hung back while me and Rainbow talked to her, alright?"
Pinkie slowly nodded, her mane going flat before she went over to help with the cleaning.
Rainbow sighed. "Come on, let's go see her."
They walked over to the bedroom door, the lights were completely off on the inside, where crying could be heard from just outside the door. Applejack lightly tapped the door. "Ya alright in there, sugarcube?"
"G-Go away!" she shouted through the door. "J-just leave me alone!"
"Twilight, it's us. You know you can talk to us, right? We're your friends," Rainbow added, speaking through the door. When no answer came, she sighed. "I'm sorry about your brother, Twilight."
A few seconds passed, then, the door opened. Twilight stood there in horrible condition. Her eyes were swollen and her face had wet stains all over. Her mane didn't want to stay flat and had hair strands sticking out like spikes. When she opened her mouth to speak, she was barely audible. "You can come in."
Rainbow stepped through the room and Applejack followed closely after, leading into Twilight's bedroom. The bed that was there was all messed up, sheets and blankets all over the place. The pillows on the bed were stained with tears. Twilight slowly dragged her way towards her bed again, where she collapsed back onto her pillow, facing away from the two ponies looking at her with worry who sat down besides her.
"You alright, Twi?" Rainbow asked softly.
"Yeah, I'm completely fine, actually," she snapped, glaring daggers into the pegasus, before looking away again. "Sorry," she whispered.
"It's fine, it was a stupid question," Rainbow sighed. "It's just... I don't really know what to say, ya know. I'm not that good with this stuff."
"Look, Twilight, what happened out there isn't your fault. You couldn't have done anything tah stop it," Applejack told her.
"I know," Twilight grumbled, sinking further into her sheets and covering her face with her pillow.
"Twilight," Applejack continued. "What Ah'm tryin' tah say is that sulking around in your room all day ain't very healthy. Ya need tah go outside and get some fresh air."
Twilight mumbled something, but neither pony could understand what she said.
"Twi, Listen," Rainbow said. "We're worried. It's not like you to sit in your room all day. Like Applejack said, it'd be good to get some fresh air some time."
"So, you want me to just let go of him? Forget him?!" Twilight yelled, starting to cry again.
"Wha-? No Twi, that's not what I meant-," Rainbow tried to say something, but was cut off.
"If you're just going to come over here and try to make me just forget him, then you can leave!" Twilight was now sitting up on her bed.
"Twi, please listen to me-"
"Get out." Rainbow's ears flattened. She tried to open her mouth to speak again, but was cut off again. "Get. OUT!" she shouted louder this time.
Rainbow looked at Twilight with a mix of sadness and worry, before sighing heavily and leaving. "You too," Twilight told Applejack.
She left shortly after.
Twilight was alone now. In her room, by herself, with peace and quiet. She shut the door with her magic and locked it. How could they?! He's my brother! I'm not abandoning him like that! Why would they even TRY to do convince me to do such a thing? She cried into her pillow once again. It was going to be a long night.
"Great job, you two," Rarity huffed. "Now look what you've done. The situation has only worsened! The poor thing. Let me talk to her," she said simply, before trotting down the hallway past Rainbow and Applejack, before trying to talk to Twilight. "Darling, whatever they said, don't listen to them. They're clearly not aware of the struggles that you are going through at this time-"
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" a yell came from the other side of the locked door.
Rarity looked back at the two. "Well, that was unexpected."
"I'd like to try. I think I can get her to come out," a feeble yellow pegasus called out. Rarity nodded and stepped aside, letting Fluttershy approach the door. "Twilight, I know you're feeling sad, but-" She was cut off the same as Rarity was.
"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Twilight shouted.
Fluttershy backed away from the door, tears shimmering in her eyes, before running off to a different room, the sound of soft sobs echoing through the library.
"What the hay, Twilight?! You just made Fluttershy cry!" Rainbow yelled through the door. "Listen, I know you're sad about the loss of your brother, but that is no excuse to act like a jerk!"
"I-I'm... sorry" a quaky voice responded. "I ruined everything. Again." Twilight cried harder. "Just leave me alone."
That was it. There was nothing else they could do. At least nothing that anyone could think of. Rainbow retreated to go comfort Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity told Spike what happened, and Pinkie was extremely normal. Unlike the usually over-excited party pony that she was. After one last attempt, everyone agreed that there wasn't really much more they could do than to give Twilight some time.
Each day, one of the five would stop by to check on Twilight and see how she was doing. And each day, they would leave disappointed, and go back to their daily lives.
Rainbow was sick of it. She paced around her cloudhouse, muttering to herself. "Why won't Twilight open up? It's been more than a week! The funeral's going to be soon and she hasn't even bothered to step outside that room of hers. Spike has been having to bring food to her door and forcing her to eat it! Does she not like us or something? Did I do something wrong? Am I a bad friend?" Rainbow let out a shriek of rage. "I don't know what to do anymore..." She sat on her cloud bed, the bed providing support to her bodyweight, reminding her of something she had failed to do. Provide support.
She groaned. Why can't things go back to how they were? I've been so stressed out trying to get her to come out of that little shell of hers. Then, she saw something in the corner of her eye. She looked up, trying to identify what she saw. Still needing a better look, she got up and walked over to it. It was inside her closet. When she opened it up further, she gasped. It was her old guitar. It was an acoustic. It's color was a faded brown, with the neck being a darker version of that same brown color. The strings were still attached, rust infused with them.
I haven't played this in ages. Rainbow reached over and grabbed the old instrument, wrapping the strap over her shoulder before walking over to her bed again and sitting along the side. She let her hoof glide over the top of the guitar, dust piling onto the tip, making a solid layer of pure dust. She than examined the strings, lightly touching it. The rough feeling of rusted copper glided across her hoof. These strings haven't been replaced since the last time she touched the guitar. It had been what, five years now?
She strummed the guitar, flakes of dust falling off of the wooden frame. She could feel the sound waves wobbling inside the body of the guitar. This thing seriously needs some tuning. She thought to herself. Carefully, she turned the first tuning nob on the head of the guitar. The string tightened, she could hear creaking. The rough string suddenly slipping through the neck as a result of the change in pressure. She plucked the string with her right hoof, waiting until she heard the string give off a deep E note.
Now, she could tune the rest of the guitar. She placed her hoof on the fifth fret lightly, plucking the first string along with it, where it gave off a high note. A natural harmonic. She repeated the same on the next string, but for the seventh fret this time, seeing if the tones matched. If they did, it the string was tuned. If they didn't, she would need to adjust the next string. Of course, the tones were drastically different, one being extremely lower than the other. She was surprised the string wasn't snapping from the years it spent under the constant strain from the tightening. Slowly but surely, she tuned each string. Each having the notes E, A, D, G, B, and E in that order.
Rainbow gave the strings a final check by strumming the strings to hear a nice peaceful chord come through. Satisfied, she started to play. It was just a few simple chords at first, strumming through basic chord patterns before she decided that she was warmed up enough and gave a song a go.
She started with a simple Cmaj chord. Plucking each string in a pattern, the sound echoing through her bedroom. She changed chords, continuing to play away. Then, hesitantly, she opened her mouth and began to sing.
I close my eyes. Only for a moment and the moments gone. All my dreams Pass before my eyes, a curiosity.
She hoof slid across the fretboard, changing chord progressions.
Dust in the wind All they are is dust in the wind
Same old song. Just a drop of water in and endless sea. All we do Crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see.
Dust in the wind All we are is dust in the wind
She closed her eyes, playing the bridge. She let her mind wander free. She was at peace, lost in the music. A sense of calm rushed through her. All the stress she had previously had started to release from her body, until she was perfectly calm. She finished the bridge, playing the next section of chords before continuing with the next verse.
Now, don't hang on. Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away And all your money won't another minute buy.
Dust in the wind. All we are is dust in the wind. Dust in the wind. Everything is dust in the wind.
She started to slow her playing, hitting the notes quieter and quieter until the song was done. She smiled. For the first time that month, she smiled. I forgot what it felt like to play this thing. It's so peaceful. Wait a minute. Her smile than grew wider. She knew how she was going to cheer Twilight up.
Rainbow flew as fast as her wings could take her. The wind blew in her mane, slowing her down. Especially because there was a guitar case strapped on her back. It was fine, though. She had made sure to leave specifically at night time so that she wouldn't be spotted by normal town residents. A few seconds later, she saw the outline of a familiar tree library. When she got closer, she could see that the lights were off.
Her hooves touched down on the soft welcome mat at the front door. She rapped on the door, causing a groan of discomfort to sound inside of the dark library. Soon, the door opened and Spike stood at the entrance.
"Huh-wa? Wa do ya want?" he asked tiredly, before realizing who was standing at the door. "Oh- Rainbow? What are you doing here at this hour?" Spike eyed the case on her back. "What's that for?"
Rainbow shuffled her wings. "I, uh... can I stay the night? I want to talk to Twilight and I know she's sleeping right now, but I didn't want to attract too much attention in the morning, so I'm here now!" she smiled sheepishly at Spike, who raised an eyebrow.
"Uh-huh. Alright, you can come in," Spike gestured her to come inside before sleepily slugging his way back to his bed upstairs. "You can sleep on the couch."
Rainbow gave a grateful nod. "Thanks, Spike. It means a lot," she smiled.
"Yeah, yeah, just don't wake me up again, or I'm booting you out of here," he yawned before slumping down onto the soft confinements of his bed.
Rainbow also yawned, before shortly following Spike by laying down on the main couch in the living room.
Soon it was day, and Spike was awoken from the sounds of plucking downstairs. Curious, he stifled a yawn and headed downstairs quietly, where his eyes widened at the sight. There sat Rainbow Dash, the Rainbow Dash, playing a guitar. He rubbed his eye sockets to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, but it seemed his vision was working perfectly fine.
"Rainbow? Why do you have a guitar?" he spoke, making the cyan pegasus yelp.
"Jeez, Spike, don't do that!" she growled, before setting the guitar by her side. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. But that still doesn't answer the question. Since when did you play guitar?" Spike asked, before taking a seat at a chair nearby.
"Oh, uh, that thing," she rubbed the back of her neck. "That's a good question," she said before looking at the instrument laying besides her.
"Still doesn't tell me anything."
"Well, I've actually been playing for a while before stopping. I only recently picked it up again," she answered, stroking the guitar neck with her hoof. Dust built up on it before she quickly gave a puff of air to get rid of it.
"Is that what you're going to do with Twilight? Play her something?" Spike asked, walking over to the wooden instrument. "Yeesh, this thing's pretty beat up," he said when he saw the condition it was in. "How long did you stop?"
"A few years. I still got it, though," she responded while she reached over to the guitar, picking it up and playing a chord to show that she still indeed, 'got it'. "I'm hoping this'll cheer Twi up. It always worked for me, so I'm hoping it'll work for her," she sighed, looking down at the floor. "I just can't stand seeing her like this."
"You and me both," Spike said, also sighing heavily. "Well, if you think it'll work, go ahead and give it a shot. Anything helps." He sat down besides Rainbow. "It's been hard without her helping out around the library."
She scoffed. "Don't you basically do everything around here?"
Spike rolled his eyes. "It's been hard mentally, okay? She's like a sister to me. It hurts me to see her stuck in her room all day, crying her eyes out. She doesn't even get out to eat," he sniffed.
"I feel ya. Well, hopefully this turns out alright," she looked at Spike. "Also, if you tell anyone about this, I will personally strangle you," she stared daggers into him.
"Alright! Your secret's safe with me," he chuckled. "Go do what you have to do."
"Okay," Rainbow said. She grabbed her guitar and walked upstairs. She approached the door with a six-pointed star on it, surrounded by five smaller stars. Slowly, she reached her hoof out to the door, but hesitated. Will she even care? She asked herself before shaking her head. No, don't even think like that. Everything will work out. It has to. She knocked on the door.
No response came through. "Hey, Twi. You in there?"
"Mmf. What do you want?" Twilight said groggily.
"You alright?" she asked, pressing her ear into the door.
"What do you think?!" she responded angrily.
Rainbow slouched down besides the wooden barrier. "We're worried about you, Twi." Nothing. Still silence filled the air. She sighed. She rested her guitar on her lap and put her hoof on the guitar neck. Are you sure? Her mind asked her. Yes, I'm sure. She responded. She probably won't care, you know. Rainbow groaned to herself. Buck off! She sat there for a little bit, debating what to do next and after a bit, she could hear Twilight's soft cries in the room. Determination filled her eyes and she began to strum.
It was a simple melody. The sounds of guitar strings echoed through the library. Twilight rolled over on her bed to see what the noise was. She was even more surprised when she heard Rainbow sing.
Life, it's bigger It's bigger than you And you are not me The lengths that I will go to The distance in your eyes
Rainbow leaned into the door, as if trying to tell Twilight something.
Oh no, I've said too much I set it up
She turned to look up, like she was looking back at a past memory, before continuing with the song.
That's me in the corner That's me in the spotlight Losing my religion Trying to keep up with you And I don't know if I can do it
Her head hung low. The lyrics matching her current emotion. She thought of giving up.
Oh no, I've said too much. I haven't said enough.
Then, she remembered why she was there and a flood of emotion coursed through her body.
I thought that I heard you laughing. I thought that I heard you sing.
She gathered her resolve, pouring her heart into the next line.
I think I thought I saw you try.
It was filled with sadness and hope. She sung the line louder than the others, making a tear form, before it was quickly wiped away. Twilight, all the while, sat up in bed and listened, her tears slowly coming to a stop.
Every whisper of every waking hour I'm choosing my confessions Trying to keep an eye on you Like a hurt, lost and blinded fool, fool Oh no, I've said too much I set it up
Rainbow sighed.
Consider this. Consider this, the hint of the century. Consider this, the slip. That brought me to my knees, failed What if all these fantasies come flailing around
Doubt crossed her mind once more. She wondered if this was worth it. If Twilight would even care. What if she would make fun of her?
Now I've said too much
It was too late now. However, another thought crossed her mind. Another possibility. A possibility that Twilight would come out of her room. Accept her. Smile. And that thought made it all worth while.
I thought that I heard you laughing I thought that I heard you sing I think I thought I saw you try
She started the bridge part of the song, putting her heart and soul into it, playing the strings with more power, strumming with more force.
But that was just a dream That was just a dream
That's me in the corner That's me in the spotlight Losing my religion Trying to keep up with you And I don't know if I can do it Oh no, I've said too much I haven't said enough
Twilight got off her bed, slowly approaching the door, before sitting along the wall, the opposite side of Rainbow.
I thought that I heard you laughing I thought that I heard you sing I think I thought I saw you try
Rainbow was starting to lose hope. Maybe Twilight wouldn't come out after all. Maybe all of this was one big effort, put into an impossible problem.
But that was just a dream Try, cry, why try? That was just a dream Just a dream Just a dream, dream
She began to play the final part of the song. As the music began to falter, getting closer to the end, so did Rainbow's hope. Her playing getting softer and softer, until the end, where the last note was played with extra power, her last bit of determination, put into the last string. The note rang out softly. Rainbow waited. And as the note finally died out, she cried softly to herself. It didn't work. Of course it didn't work. All she was, was a failure.
Then, suddenly, the door besides her opened, revealing a beat-up Twilight. She was a mess. But when she looked down at Rainbow, she was in a similar state of sorrow. They locked eyes for a moment. "T-Twi?" Rainbow asked softly. Why was she there? Did her efforts work out in the end? She was about to say something, but then the unexpected happened.
Twilight dashed towards her and gave her a bone-crushing hug. The pegasus gave out an eep of surprise, before returning the hug. Twilight cried into her shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered softly.
"Thanks again, Rainbow," Twilight said softly. She was currently sitting on the couch besides her colorful friend. Spike sat on a chair besides the couch. It was getting late out.
"Eh, it was nothing, really," Rainbow waved a hoof away. Sure, the playing took a lot out of her, but seeing Twilight happy and actually talking to her was worth it.
Twilight sipped on her drink. It was inside of a purple mug with her cutie mark on it. Hot chocolate filled the cup. Rainbow also had some hot chocolate, but was seemingly avoiding it as it sat on the coffee table between the couch and chair. Spike, however, was completely enjoying his hot chocolate. He gulped down all of it in one go, leaving a stain of brown on his face afterwards, before he quickly wiped it off.
Twilight looked at Rainbow. "You know, you never told me you could play the guitar, Rainbow. You're pretty good," she said to the cyan pegasus. She looked back on the previous hours, where she remembered Rainbow's playing. It was heartfelt and impressive, and she could tell a lot of effort was put into it. She smiled looking back on the memory.
"I mean, I'm not that good, but I'm decent, I guess," Rainbow responded. She stared off into the distance, seemingly half paying attention to the conversation. However, Twilight didn't seem to take much notice.
"Come on, give yourself some credit," she jabbed Rainbow's side playfully.
Rainbow chuckled. "Alright, alright. I was above average. Is that good enough for you, egghead?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fine. But, in all seriousness, you have real talent," she looked at her mug again, taking another sip. "You could probably join a band if you really wanted to," she added.
Rainbow thought about it. What would it be like to be in a band? Playing some sick riffs, doing some crazy solos, all great stuff! Except for the fact that she would be performing in front of an audience. And she would be playing music. It didn't quite sit well with her. "Eh, not my thing," Rainbow said, ruffling her wings uncomfortably. She looked down at the floor.
"Really? I fell like you'd be one to enjoy the attention," Twilight commented. She went to take another sip, but was disappointed when there was no more chocolatey goodness left. She set the mug down on the table.
"Well, usually that'd be true, but uh," she rubbed the back of her neck. "It's quite the opposite actually." She grabbed her guitar, setting it on her lap, where she examined it while she spoke. "I'm pretty sure that when you think of the Rainbow Dash, you think fast an agile, cocky and determined, 20% cooler than your average pony." She scoffed, "Imagine seeing that same pony, carrying around an acoustic. What a joke."
Twilight shook her head. "No, you're wrong. If anything, being able to play the guitar would probably make you..." Twilight grinned. "25% cooler," she said, trying to mimic Rainbow.
"Twilight, you sound like a dork when you say that," she laughed, before it died down and she continued to speak in a more serious tone. "But seriously Twi, it took me a lot of courage to even work up to playing for you. Could we just, uh, keep this to ourselves?" The expression on her face was one that was almost begging.
"Fine," she grumbled. "But you have to promise to play me more," she quickly added, pointing her hoof at Rainbow, who raised her hooves in a surrendering-like manner.
"Okay, okay! You've got a deal!" she chuckled, putting her hooves back down.
Rainbow looked down at the table to grab her cup, but it wasn't there. Right besides, however, was a certain little dragon, slurping away loudly at the liquid chocolate. Realizing he was caught, Spike answered, "What? I thought you weren't gonna drink it."
The two laughed, "Nah, it's fine, Spike. I didn't really want it that much anyways." Rainbow looked up at the time. "Well, uh, it's getting pretty late, so I'll probably be on my way now." Then she saw Twilight's ears flatten, which made her reconsider. Eh, she could stay another night, she didn't really have anything to do anyways. So she made up an excuse. "Well, actually, it's a bit too late for me to head back to my place, so, mind if I crash?" she asked, to the response of Twilight's ears happily jumping up again.
"Of course you can stay the night!" Twilight quickly told her, a smile on her face. "I can go set up the guest bedroom! Just sit here, Dash." Quickly, she ran over to a nearby room and began to set it up using her magic.
"She certainly seems happy that you're staying," the dragon snickered.
A blush formed on Rainbow's cheeks. "I-It's not like that!" she defended, before seeing her guitar, which reminded her of something. "Hey Spike, do you mind if I leave my guitar here? I don't really want to travel around town constantly with it on my back. It's going to draw some looks."
"Sure thing, Rainbow," Spike replied, before getting up and pointing upstairs towards a door. "You can put it in the closet over there. It doesn't get used much, anyways." The door was dusty and had cobwebs on the corners. It had not been used in quite some time.
It would do. "Thanks," she nodded appreciatively, grabbing her guitar and passing by Twilight as she continued to set up the guest bedroom. She opened the wooden door with a loud creak. Inside was nothing but dust. Just dust. She coughed as she inhaled some of it. She carefully placed her guitar case in a corner and shut the door, more dust spraying out upon impact. She turned back around and was met with Twilight, who had just finished making the room.
"Alright! You can put your stuff in here. I cleaned up the room, made the bed, and placed a couple of Daring Do books by your nightstand incase you want to read something," she told her. Rainbow chuckled.
"Thanks, Twi. Although I don't think I'll be reading much." She yawned. "Welp, this whole day has got me tired. Imma hit the hay. G'night, Twi, Spike," she said, before heading off into her newly made room, shutting the door behind her.
Twilight watched as the door closed and sighed. She went downstairs and sat besides Spike, who was relaxing on the nice cushion. She used her magic to levitate a book in front of her, before reading silently. It was labeled How To Accept A Loss.
"Hey, Twilight?" the dragon asked her.
Twilight pealed her eyes away from the page and peaked her head over the book. "Yeah, Spike?"
"Thanks for coming out of that room. It's great to see you talking again," he smiled, walking over to her and giving her a hug. "I'm going to head upstairs to bed. Don't stay up too late, alright?" he said. Then, he silently walked up the staircase and into his room, where he laid down in his bed and slept.
I guess I should probably be heading to bed too. She folded her book and neatly stacked it on the shelf, before finding her way up and into her bedroom to sleep the night away.
Over the next few days, Twilight had gathered the girls and told them about what happened - leaving out Rainbow's guitar playing, for her sake. Although as happy as they were that she was back, and as happy as she was that her friends cared for her, she still had stuff on her mind. Sometimes she'd sit back and think about stuff as the hours went by. Today was one of those days.
Of course, Rainbow kept her promise, so she would come around weekly to play her a song, and luckily for Twilight, today was Rainbow's day off. She walked through the front entrance of the library and glanced around. "Twilight?" she called out into the large library.
"In here," a quavering voice called out. It came from Twilight's bedroom. When Rainbow went to investigate, she found Twilight sitting on her bed with slight tear stains on her eyes. Thankfully, not as much as before, but it was still there.
Rainbow quickly took notice of this and rushed to her friends side, wrapping a wing over her. "Hey," she started. "You alright?"
Twilight nodded slowly. "Y-yeah, it's just that I've been thinking about him recently and," she sniffed. "I r-really miss him." Her voice was shaky.
Rainbow scooted closer and hugged her friend tightly. "It's okay," she told her, before unwrapping herself from the hug. "Ya know, whenever I get sad, there's always something that makes me feel better."
Twilight looked up at the pegasus, who gave her a warm smile. "Sure, hit me," she murmured.
"Well, it sounds kinda funny, but whenever I feel down, I usually pick up my guitar and sing something," she nudged Twilight. "You should try it."
Twilight looked up at her. "Rainbow, I don't even know the first thing about playing the guitar," she said, frowning.
Rainbow laughed. "That's not what I meant, egghead. I was talking about the singing."
Twilight looked away. "Oh," she responded. She thought about what the cyan pegasus had told her, shaking her head shortly after. "No. I'm not a great singer, Dash."
"You don't need to be," she told her. Then, she got up. "How about this? I go grab my guitar and play something, and you can sing along. That'll get you up in no time. Deal?"
Twilight looked up in doubt. "Are you sure?"
Rainbow chuckled. "Yeah, I am. If it helps me, it'll help you. Plus, maybe you'll be less socially awkward all the time."
"Hey!" Twilight blushed, but the pegasus didn't take notice. She just laughed.
"Alright, imma go grab my guitar. Think of a song, will ya?" she said as she left the room and went to the closet to retrieve her wooden instrument. It wasn't long before the mare was back in the room, her six string on her back. She sat down besides Twilight again, and put the guitar into playing position while getting her hooves ready. "You ready?" she asked.
Twilight nodded. "I think I have something in mind..."
"Sure, I think I know that one," Rainbow said. She looked down at her fretboard and started playing the strings to the sound of a somber melody.
Twilight seemed to be uneasy as she fidgeted in place. She wasn't much of a singer. She didn't like to sing in front of others. Did she really want to do this? She looked up at Dash who gave her a reassuring smile, to which Twilight returned one of her own, before she began to sing.
Such a lonely day, and it's mine The most loneliest day of my life
Rainbow Dash was surprised. She sounded... heavenly. Her voice was soft, but at the same time strong and powerful. Rainbow couldn't help but just listen to Twilight's singing... and then realizing that she had a guitar to play.
Such a lonely day should be banned It's a day that I can't stand
She moved onto power chords as the chorus came up.
The most loneliest day of my life The most loneliest day of my life
Twilight's voice rang out through the room, matching the volume of the guitar being strummed. Raw emotion powered her as she sang her way through the chorus.
Such a lonely day shouldn't exist It's a day that I'll never miss Such a lonely day, and it's mine The most loneliest day of my life
She looked back on her past memories. Her family. Her brother. How she never got to even say goodbye. She closed her eyes. Tears starting to form in the corners, but that only fueled her.
And if you go, I wanna go with you And if you die, I wanna die with you Take your hand and walk away
All of Twilight's built up emotion seemed to be released as she sang the final line before Rainbow broke out into her solo, hooves sliding across the fretboard before at incredible speed. Then, they traversed to the chorus once more.
The most loneliest day of my life The most loneliest day of my life The most loneliest day of my life
As the song started to come to an end, the power in Twilight's voice started to die out with it.
Such a lonely day, and it's mine It's a day that I'm glad I survived
And with a few final harmonics, the song ended. Slowly, Twilight opened her eyes again.
"So, how do you feel?" Rainbow asked, a wide smile on her face.
Twilight put her hoof to her chest and examined her heartbeat. Her pulse had began to die down. "I-," she paused. "I feel... fine? Wow, that actually helped a lot! Oh, thank you, Rainbow!" she squealed and gave her pegasus friend a tight squeeze.
"Twilight? I can't breath-," she sputtered out. Twilight quickly scrambled backwards.
"Oh, sorry!" she smiled sheepishly.
Rainbow chuckled. "It's fine. Just glad to see you're alright again."
"Rainbow?" the purple mare asked. "Can we do this more often? It helps me cope with the stress," a blush formed as she spoke, but she turned away before the Rainbow could see.
"No problem Twi! Anytime," she smiled. "If you're ever feeling down, just give me a call and I'll head right over."
Rainbow Dash has still been frequently visiting Twilight, without the others knowing, of course. It seems that each time they see each other, they're closer than before. Today is another day. Another visit.
Rainbow landed softly by Twilight's doorstep. She opened the door and stepped inside and was about to call Twilight's name, but that's when she saw her, book in hoof by her desk. She silently read what looked like a considerably large book, to Rainbow at least. She smiled. She hadn't realized how cute Twilight looked while she read. Wait, where did that come from? She shook her head, throwing the thought out the window. "Yo, Twi?" she said.
The unicorn yelped and tossed the book in the air. She frantically tried to catch it as it fell and the book fumbled in her hooves before hitting her face and landing on the floor. She quickly picked up the book and straightened herself. "Don't do that! You made me lose my progress!" she scolded the pegasus, who just chuckled.
"Jeez, calm down. It's just a book," she rolled her eyes. "You've read like what? A thousand already?"
Twilight blushed. "One thousand one hundred and twenty three, actually," she huffed.
Rainbow laughed. "You're not helping your case, Twi." She walked over besides Twilight and sat next to her. "What are you even reading?"
"It's a book on Quantum Physics. I'm trying to get back into it again," she replied. "You probably wouldn't be interested in it."
"You got that right." Twilight shot her a glare. "I'm joking!" she quickly defended before continuing, "Anyways, you want to do another session?" She looked at the book. "Actually, it looks like you're pretty busy. I can come back later, if you want."
"Oh, no it's fine. I was just finishing up a chapter anyways." A purple glow came from her horn as she levitated the book and put it on the bookshelf. "We can start now, if that's alright with you."
"Alright, Imma go grab my guitar then." She trotted off to get her guitar. Twilight watched as she went off upstairs to retrieve the instrument. To be completely honest, she didn't think she needed the sessions anymore. She just liked to hang out with Rainbow Dash. The playing, her beautiful voice, her rainbow mane that complimented her cyan coat; it was all she needed.
Just a moment later, Rainbow came back down, instrument in hoof, and sat down on the couch next to Twilight, before motioning for her to come sit besides her, patting the open spot next to herself.
"So, what song do you wanna do?" Rainbow asked.
After a bit of thinking, Twilight came up with a song idea.
Rainbow rolled her eyes at the request. She knew the song, thankfully, so she set her hooves on the neck of the guitar, wiping away bits of dust that came from the closet upstairs, and began to play a soft, beautiful melody. Soft and beautiful like her. Twilight thought to herself and smiled slightly. Then she began to sing.
Ooh, you make me live Whatever this world can give to me It's you you're all I see Ooh, you make me live now, honey Ooh, you make me live
Twilight's smile widened as she sang. She sang this song as a type of 'thanks' to Rainbow for helping her along her journey of mourning.
Oh, you're the best friend that I ever had I've been with you such a long time You're my sunshine and I want you to know That my feelings are true I really love you Oh, you're my best friend
She blushed furiously at the last part, but looked away so Rainbow wouldn't notice. Whether it worked or not, the pegasus was focused on the chords of the song.
Ooh, you make me live Ooh, I've been wandering 'round Still come back to you In rain or shine, you've stood by me girl I'm happy at home You're my best friend
Twilight was truly happy now. She smiled brightly as she continued to sing the verse, making eye-contact with Rainbow occasionally, making the rainbow-maned mare slightly blush.
Ooh, you make me live Whenever this world is cruel to me I got you to help me forgive Ooh, you make me live now, honey Ooh, you make me live
It was true. If it had not been for Rainbow, Twilight would be stuck in her room still, crying the nights away. She knew this herself and Rainbow did too. They made eye-contact again and Rainbow had a look of understanding on her face. She looked at her and gave a nod, followed by an encouraging smile, causing Twilight's cheek to flush once more.
Oh, you're the first one when things turn out bad You know I'll never be lonely You're my only one And I love the things I really love the things that you do Oh, you're my best friend, oh
Ooh, you make me live
Rainbow started on her solo, her left hoof dancing between the frets, the right plucking the strings just as smoothly as her left ran. It was quite impressive (at least for Twilight). Managing to bend strings in an acoustic was no easy feat. The strings struggled to stay together as they were put in major straining, them being multiple years old and haven't been replaced in a while. Thankfully, the strings stayed intact, finishing the solo in the end and moving onto the outro.
I'm happy, happy at home You're my best friend Oh Oh, you're my best friend
Ooh, you make me live Ooh, you're my best friend
As the song ended, Twilight looked noticeably happier than before hand and jumped over to Rainbow, giving her a hug before whispering in her ear, "Thank you." Rainbow's cheeks instantly turned a shade of crimson red and she hesitantly returned the hug.
"You're welcome, I guess?" she said slowly. "But, uh, you're kinda crushing me."
Twilight's eyes widened and she scrambled off Rainbow. Now they were both blushing. "Heheh... sorry!" she said, looking away to the side.
Silence filled the room. Long seconds of uncomfortable silence.
Twilight broke the silence. "Well, thanks again, Rainbow." She fiddled with her hooves. "If you weren't there for me... I probably would still be in my room, crying the nights away," she looked down at the floor. But then looked up at Rainbow and approached her, sitting besides her once more. "But you came for me. And you helped me. And for that I'm extremely grateful." She hugged Rainbow again, this time without pouncing on her.
The pegasus on the other hand was blushing furiously and was struggling to form words. "*cough* I-It was nothin', Twi. Don't worry about it," she said. She looked up into Twilight's eyes.
She seemed distant. Almost like she was pondering something. And apparently, she made up her mind, because a second later a look of determination flashed across her face and she continued to speak.
"Dash, what I'm trying to say is thank you. And..." she hesitated. "I-I love you, Rainbow." Her cheeks flushed furiously and she looked away, trying to hide her face. "It's fine if you don't love me back, but-"
She was cut off with a pair of lips connecting with hers. Twilight was caught off guard, but quickly returned the gesture, pressing harder into the kiss. Eventually, Rainbow's tongue slid into Twilight's mouth and she accepted it, their tongues wrestling for control. Dash's obviously dominating over Twilight's, but she didn't care and let Rainbow's tongue take over, filling every inch of her mouth. She moaned in pleasure. The moment seemed to last forever, before they broke the kiss, both heavily breathing, gasping for air.
"I love you too, Twi," she smirked and went in for another kiss. This time much more brief, breaking away from the kiss seconds after it started, saliva dripping from both their mouths.
Twilight wiped her face before tackling Rainbow and laying besides her on the couch. She kissed her neck softly. "Hey, Rainbow?" she asked.
"Yeah?"
"Does this mean we're a thing now?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, duh. We just made out Twi," both blushed as she spoke.
They laid there on the soft couch. Minutes passed by and they enjoyed each other's presence. They nuzzled each other affectionately and planted soft kisses on each other. Eventually, Twilight spoke again, "Hey, Dash?" she whispered into her ear.
"Hmmm?" Rainbow mumbled.
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure. Hit me," she said softly, hugging Twilight tighter.
"So, my brother's funeral is coming up soon..." Oh. This is serious. Rainbow immediately sat up straight, sitting besides her marefriend, who also did the same. She put her arm around her back in comfort.
"Yeah? What about it?"
"I was wondering. Could you play your guitar for the funeral? I think it'd help put everyone at ease," she said. Rainbow frowned.
"Twilight, you know I'm only comfortable playing for you, right?" she said. "I'm not entirely comfortable revealing to everyone that. I told you this already."
"Come on Dash, please?" she gave Rainbow puppy dog eyes. "You helped me out. I think you could help them out too!"
"I don't know, Twi."
"Please, Dashie!" she begged, squeezing Dash tightly. "At least do it for me?"
Rainbow sighed. Why does she have to be so. Freaking. Adorable?! "Fine. You win," she grunted.
"Yes! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Twilight squeezed Rainbow even tighter.
"T-Twi, you're c-crushing me again," she let out between breaths. Twilight let go.
"Sorry!" she smiled sheepishly.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "And Dashie? Where'd that come from?"
Twilight blushed furiously, unsure of how to respond.
Today was the day. The funeral would be taking place tomorrow by Canterlot. They would ride there today and stay at a hotel for tomorrow. At first, Twilight wasn't entirely sure if she was ready. But then one look at her new marefriend made all her worries go away. Rainbow Dash would be there for her and she would never leave her side. Knowing this, Twilight smiled.
Twilight, along with her other five friends, were walking to the train station. While Twilight said that they did not need to come, they insisted and wanted to be there for Twilight. Rainbow was right - she did have good friends. And she was thankful. As they paced themselves towards the station, Rainbow walked besides her, wings almost touching, but with just enough distance apart so it's not suspicious or anything. After all, Twilight wasn't entirely ready to share her love life with her friends, especially Rarity, who would just go on and on about romance and they would never hear the end of it. Rainbow too wanted to keep things quiet. She wanted to keep her image up at least for now. They would eventually tell their friends, of course, as they would not be able to hide it for too long, and they didn't want them to find out from someone that isn't them.
Rainbow was to bring her guitar with her, and thankfully Twilight had a spell to conceal it in one of her saddlebags. It wasn't too heavy, although Rainbow's bag did weigh an entire guitar plus her toiletries she had brought with herself. The basic stuff. A toothbrush, soap - that kind of thing. Being an athlete had it's benefits, as she showed no signs of being slowed down by the excessive weight on her back.
When they drew near the station, Applejack nudged Rainbow. "Ya know, I've never seen ya two so close before."
Rainbow blushed slightly.
"Ahm glad you took care ah Twilight. Got her out ah that little shell ah hers," Applejack gave a thankful smile. "Ah don't know how ya did it, but it worked. Now ya two are so close, if ah didn't know any better, I'd reckon ya two were together."
Dash's cheek went multiple shades redder. She chuckled sheepishly, "Heheh... yeah. I guess you could say that," she rubbed the back of her neck. "Ya know I never leave my friends hanging."
"Okay, girls. We're here," Twilight announced as they arrived at the train station. They walked up to one of the trains. "Don't worry, I already have our tickets." She pulled out the tickets and handed one to each of them. "You guys are going into cart one. I'm technically royalty, so I'm going to a separate cart." She sighed. "I would go with you guys if I could."
"Ah, that's alright sugarcube. You'll be fine. You've been through worse, ah've seen it myself," Applejack reassured.
"I hope you're right, Applejack," Twilight said, head hung low before slowly walking towards her cart. "I'll see you guys there, then?" Rainbow frowned. There's no way she was leaving her like this.
"Hey Twilight? Do you think I could go with ya? I'm sure they can make an acceptation," Rainbow smirked. "Plus, if they say no, you're a princess, and I don't think they can just deny you."
Twilight looked back and pondered a bit. "Well, I wouldn't like to abuse my power like that Rainbow."
"Come oooooon, Twi! Just this once?" Rainbow gave her puppy eyes.
Twilight's heart practically melted. How could she say no to that face? "Fine. Come along, Dashie."
"Yes!" Rainbow rushed to her side and waved goodbye to the others before promptly following Twilight. She wrapped a wing around her. "Thanks for letting me come, Twi."
Twilight was burning up. "Well how can I refuse those eyes of yours?" She stared into Dash's face and nearly kissed her, but then remembered that they were still in public.
Rainbow was taken aback. Her eyes wide in mocking surprise. "Is the princess flirting with me? How flattering!" Twilight giggled. They arrived at the cart and stepped aboard. A guard stopped them.
"Halt. Tickets please?" Twilight handed their tickets over. "Ah. Princess Twilight, a pleasure to see you. I hope you enjoy your ride. I assume she is riding with you?" he pointed at Dash.
"Yes, we are riding together. It won't be too much of a problem, right?"
"No problem at all. Your room is over to the left when you are ready, your Highness," he waved his hoof to their left.
"Thank you. Also, just Twilight is fine."
"Well then, Twilight, your room is A-102 when you're ready," he pointed at the second door to the right side of the hall.
Twilight nodded and they entered their room. It was quite luxurious. The frames were made of gold and the seats themselves of silk. They had their own table that could be pulled out from the side of the wall. Overall, the room was really spacious, providing enough room for a group of five to sleep there comfortably.
Rainbow whistled. "Dang, this place is nice. First class, am I right?" Twilight sighed.
"Dash, you know I don't like being treated as if I'm higher than everyone else. I'm just a normal pony. Just like any other normal mare out there. I shouldn't be treated as better than them just because I wear a crown on my head," Twilight groaned.
Rainbow's ears fell flat. "Oh, sorry about that, Twi. I get you." She sat down on one side of the chair. "These seats are pretty comfy, though." She sunk into the chair and closed her eyes. "Ah..."
Twilight chuckled before sitting down on the other side, sinking in as well. "You're right. These are pretty comfy." They relaxed there for a good few minutes.
"I'm not gonna lie, this stuff is pretty addicting. Almost as comfortable as a perfect cloud. Almost," Rainbow commented. "I probably shouldn't sleep, though. It'll mess up my schedule." She sat upright and looked out the window.
"We are now departing. Make sure you stay seated until the train has come to a comfortable cruise," a voice over the speaker announced. "Have a nice ride," the voice finished.
Rainbow looked outside and watched as the plants besides them started to move. Slowly inching away from her before eventually flying past her window in an instant. The mountains in the background moved slowly as the train finally entered into cruising speed, which the captain announced.
"Yo, Twi? How long is this flight?" Rainbow asked and looked over to Twilight, who was reading one of the books she packed.
Twilight looked up at Rainbow and replied, "It'll be around three hours. Did you bring anything to pass the time?" Rainbow shrugged.
"Just an old Daring Do book an my guitar. Nothin' else, really," Rainbow replied. Twilight rolled her eyes.
"You want to play something? No one will hear us, the walls are magically sound-proofed," Twilight offered.
Rainbow thought about it and then shrugged again. "Why not?" she said and then reached into her saddlebag. She brought out her acoustic from the bag. How it managed to fit in the bag, Rainbow would never know. Just that it was some spell Twilight casted. The guitar basically enlarged as she slowly pulled it out like King Arthur pulling out Excalibur. Her eyes widened as it seemed to keep on going forever before eventually reaching full size and resting in her hooves like nothing unusual ever happened to it.
"How in the name of Celestia- you know what? I'm just not gonna question it," Rainbow muttered to herself. She set the guitar on her lap and tuned it up, twisting the tuning knobs at the head, plucking each string individually, harmonics ringing out of tune before eventually joining to be the same sound with no more wobbles. Eventually, it was all tuned and she was ready to play.
She thought of what song to play and quickly came up with a song.
"Ya know this one, Twi?" Rainbow asked as she started to play a soft tone. Twilight listened for a bit before nodding. "I'll go first," Rainbow said softly before starting to sing.
I'm just a poor, wayfaring stranger Traveling through this world of woes There is no sickness, no toil, no danger In that bright land to which I go
Rainbow finished her verse and motioned to Twilight that it was her turn. She nodded and sang her part, her voice filled with raw emotion. Emotion from her worries. Worried about how she was going to handle the funeral. Worried about how Rainbow was going to handle it.
I'm going there to see my mother She said she'd meet me when I come
Their voices joined together to sing the chorus. They looked out the window and saw the trees and bushes passing by. The clouds hovering over the flat plains.
I'm just a-goin' over Jordan I'm just a-goin' over home
Twilight continued on with her verse. She reflected on her journey to get to this point. Her rough recovery and the things life threw at her. How Rainbow managed to help her, like she always did.
I know dark clouds will gather 'round me I know my way is rough and steep But beauteous fields lie just before me Where gods redeemed their vigils keep
Rainbow sung her part of the verse. Her voice also filled with just as much raw emotion as Twilight's.
I'm going there to see my father I'm going there, no more to roam
Twilight heard Rainbow's sudden increase in raw emotion, and it made her slightly concerned.
I'm just a-goin' over Jordan I'm just a-goin' over home
Rainbow played lighter, her voice growing quieter as she sang her part. Her mind grew distance as she thought of the funeral and the events that led to this point. She was worried, too.
I'll soon be free from earthly trials This body rests in the old churchyard I'll drop this cross of self-denial And go singing home to God
She heard herself trembling a little. She thought of Twilight. She didn't want to lose what they had together. She just wanted to be by her side and make sure everything was alright. Her eyes teared up a little, but nothing dropped.
I'm going there to see my savior I'm going there, no more to roam
Now Twilight was concerned. She looked at Rainbow with a look of worry. When Rainbow looked up, their eyes met. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, before realizing that they both had similar worries. Suddenly, it felt as if a weight was lifted off of their shoulders. Right in that moment, they knew they could have each other's backs and that there was nothing to worry about. Their worries faded into dust and they joined together again to sing the final chorus.
I'm just a-goin' over Jordan I'm just a-goin' over home
I'm just a-goin' over Jordan I'm just a-goin over home
I'm just a-goin'
When the song ended, they made eye contact again. Rainbow smiled softly and wiped a tear from her eye. Twilight got up and sat besides Rainbow, snuggling up to her, putting her own wings around her and giving her a comforting hug. Rainbow returned the warm embrace with one of her own, wrapping her wings around her partner, too, setting her guitar down on the floor. Rainbow nuzzled Twilight's neck affectionately.
Twilight used her hoof to push Dash's chin up where their eyes met again. She leaned forwards and kissed Rainbow, putting all her weight into her. They fell into a laying position, where their tongues wrestled. Eventually, they broke apart to catch their breath, saliva dripping from their mouths. Rainbow took this as an opportunity and swept Twilight's legs from underneath her and landed on top of her, leaning in again for a kiss. Twilight moaned and they closed their eyes, focusing on the moment, not wanting it to end.
When they broke apart again, Twilight whispered, "I love you."