Dreams for the Sleepless

by Shikilicious

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Romance
Length: 10112

After a severe dispute with Rainbow Dash, Twilight is suffering from insomnia and puts herself to sleep using a powerful spell. Will she ever wake up again?

Twilight can’t sleep. A severe dispute with Rainbow Dash caused her insomnia like she never experienced before. Not being able to think about anything else than the cruel words she threw at her best friend, she decides to use a sleeping spell on herself. In her tiredness however, she makes a fatal mistake and gets lost in the far, but nonetheless beautiful land of dreams where everything she ever desired is already waiting for her.

Will Twilight ever wake up again? Having a perfect life in her dreams while being estranged with Rainbow Dash in reality, is there even a reason for her to wake up again? If yes, which one? Why should she give up everything just to face an atrocious reality again? And if she wakes up, what will happen next?

Season 3+ is not taken into account

Since this is my first fiction in general, I’d be happy to get some feedback and I’m sorry if you should happen to stumble across some grammar mishaps, I’m not natively speaking English (German/Finnish). Hope you enjoy it :)

Thanks Alice from PCF for the awesome edits - hope to see you on FimFiction soon :)
Thanks Dizzdaloo from VEA Board for the awesome cover - 5 minute speeddraw at its best :)

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-06-14 11:22:14 UTC

Prologue – Sleep

Prologue - Sleep

Do ponies know when they are dreaming? If yes, are they aware of themselves while being caught in a dream? What if the dream ends and everything is too far from tangible to be real? What if reality turns out just being another dream? What if there’s no reality at all and every time a pony wakes up that pony just finds itself again in an even longer, even more complicated dream? What if a pony is caught in dreams for almost a whole life? Can that pony realize reality when facing it again?

Twilight grumbled at the ceiling of her bedroom, trying to force herself to sleep. She rolled to the side, removed the blanket because it was too warm and buried her face in the sweaty pillow. Three days had passed since her severe dispute with Rainbow Dash. Three days she wasn’t able to think about anything else than the terrible things she said to her best friend and three nights she wasn’t able to close an eye without going through the whole quarrel over and over again.

She put the pillow to the side, threw a glance at the clock and groaned in annoyance. The last two hours felt like an eternity. Twilight was tired like never before, no wonder considering the circumstance that she was awake for almost eighty-three hours. But no matter how hard she tried to empty her mind, she wasn’t able to avoid thinking. Not even for just a second. There was no way she just could release all the things that happened from her mind and find a single moment of rest to peacefully fall asleep.

She felt guilty for the things she said, really guilty. It already is awful to say such things to any pony already, but there is no word to even closely describe the awfulness throwing such words at ones best friend. Of course, Rainbow Dash provoked her being stubborn as always when they got caught in an argument, but that was far from a legitimate excuse for such a tirade.

From the moment she noticed the watery magenta eyes of her friend she knew that she overreacted greatly and wanted nothing more than excuse to Rainbow for those horrible paraphrases she used for her. But before she could find any words to start with the blue pegasus had hastily left the library through an open window, probably on the run so that nopony would see her cry. She injured her best friend, even made her cry. What kind of friend was she?

The images of the angry, but at the same time obviously broken Rainbow Dash crossed her mind. She felt a cool breeze stroking over her legs, rolled to the other side of the bed and covered herself under the blanket again. “What have I done... how could I... will she ever forgive me?” Twilight sobbed into the pillow, fighting with tears, trying to avoid getting caught in another crying fit.

Since Rainbow Dash discovered the joy of reading, she usually was around Twilight’s place all the time she hadn’t to fulfill weather duties. She often even skived her Training to do so and stayed until the middle of the night to read together with her best friend. For that reason the pegasus became more of a roommate to Twilight than a visitor. The past three days Rainbow didn’t come to the library at all, not even for a short visit.

Thinking about all of this, Twilight didn’t just feel guilty, but also lonely, very lonely. Even if a lot of other ponies came around to borrow and discuss books, it just wasn’t the same. Spending time with Rainbow was always much more than just reading and talking. It was fun, no matter what they were doing. There didn’t need to be a reason for laugh or joy. It just was like it was... awesome, like the blue pegasus would say. She should just have stopped Rainbow Dash back then, if necessary with force, to be able to excuse to her and iron things out instead of just letting her fly away.

She sat up as her sobs got heavier again and hot tears started rolling down her face, slowly falling from her cheeks and drenching the blanket beneath them.

Furious on herself, she grabbed the pillow and threw it against the opposite wall of the room. Driven by adrenaline, she wiped the tears from her face, turned on the bedside lamp, threw off the blanked and jumped up from the mattress, almost stumbling over her tired hooves. There was no possibility she could bear these thoughts any longer, not even for a split second. With wide steps she stomped towards her private bookshelf, the perhaps only one in the whole library which wasn’t covered with a small film of dust, and started looking for a certain lecture.

When she finally found the object of her desire in one of the top shelves a relieved sigh escaped her lips as her horn started glowing in a light purple shine. Twilight was certain that she once read about a sleeping spell for ponies who are suffering from insomnia and started flipping through the pages of the ancient book.

As she reached page sixty-eight she was proven right. There it was, a rather difficult high level spell named ‘Dreams for the sleepless’. Ancient magic books had in common that the spell was always written on the left site and the detailed description on the right site of the opened book.

Holding back more tears, Twilight carefully read the long magic formula and as she was finished her view slowly drifted to the right site of the book. The area reserved for detailed descriptions was empty, which was also common for such old books if the name of the spell was self-explanatory. The area reserved for possible side effects just contained the word ‘none’.

A small, triumphantly grin made its way to her mouth angles. “Perfect,” she said to herself and trotted back to her bed. Using her levitation spell she grabbed the pillow from the other side of the room, shook it out and placed it back where it belonged to. The tears of remorse and desperation completely stopped.

In anticipation of a refreshing nap she yawned and laid down on the bed with a wide smile on her face. Three days ago, right before her outburst, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were arguing if there was always a solution to be found in books, and even if she deeply regretted everything else that happened, she once more was proven right.

She covered herself with the fluffy blanket, levitated the book at her side and started casting the complicated spell. There was nothing that could possibly prevent her from sleeping now. For the next few hours she would be able to forget all her guilt and concerns to start into the following day with a clear mind, and perhaps would also be able to reconcile with her best friend.

When she had finished the last words of the spell, her eyelids suddenly turned heavy, her levitation spell eased and the book fell to the ground. It worked. She finally was asleep.

As the opened book hit the floor, the page didn’t flip. There it was, the ‘Dreams for the sleepless’ spell written down on page sixty-eight followed by its alleged and fateful description on page seventy-one.

Dream I – Breakfast with Rainbows

This spell is both, very powerful and extremely dangerous.

It is only allowed to be used in situations of serious emergency since its risks are inestimable.

Dream I – Breakfast with Rainbows

Twilight yawned and stretched out in her bed. The morning sun was falling in through the window and put a dark orange beam directly on her face. She slowly opened her eyes and welcomed the cozy, warm feeling of the sun stroking her.

Even if it was early in the morning which meant that she wasn’t sleeping for more than probably four or five hours, Twilight was just feeling great. The spell surely worked miraculous. She slowly rolled over to the edge of the bed and sat up before she stretched her hooves again with another long lasting yawn escaping her mouth. Wiping the sleep out of her eyes, she got up and slowly staggered into the bathroom.

After a pleasing hot shower she brushed her mane and walked downstairs into the kitchen. Now that her body seemed to have completely recovered from the insomnia and her mind was working again, she had a positive feeling about being able to figure things out with Rainbow Dash. Hundreds of stands of thought, all leading to another possible outcome, had merged to a single one and the plan how to retrieve the most valuable of all her friendships was set.

Twilight opened the refrigerator and took a cup of milk and one of the daisy sandwiches she prepared the previous evening out of it. Since Spike was staying in Canterlot for some kind of special personal assistance training, she had to make breakfast herself and figured out that it was much easier to just prepare everything she needed on the previous day. Still a bit sleepy, but completely relaxed, she glanced outside the window at the beautiful rising sun and decided to have breakfast in the small yard behind the library.

She opened the door and left the building, carefully levitating her sandwich and the cup of milk in front of her. The very first thing she recognized as she stepped outside was a marvelous Rainbow which adorned the clear sky above the library. Impressed by the scene she slowly turned towards her favorite bench and noticed something else – it was occupied.

Within an instant, Twilight’s eyes turned big and a wide smile of joy and relief grew on her face. Just a few meters away from her, Rainbow Dash was sitting on the bench with a brown paper bag on her lap, obviously waiting for the unicorn to join her.

“Good morning Rainbow!” Twilight shouted in excitement and joyfully hopped towards the pegasus. Hastily placing her breakfast on the small table besides the bench she almost spilled half of the milk, but that didn’t concern her at all. All her focus was on the blue mare in front of her.

Before Rainbow Dash could even greet back, she was caught in a tight embrace by her best friend. “Uh... good morning Twi’,” she shyly answered as her cheeks were flushing, and hesitantly returned the embrace. After a few moments of silence she noticed heavy sobs coming from the unicorn and tears drenching her mane.

“I’m... I’m so sorry Rainbow. I didn’t want to say those horrible things to you. Never. You’re my best friend and I don’t want to lose you. Can you... can you ever forgive me?” Twilight almost cried in the blue pegasus’ shoulder at the same time she tried to tighten the embrace.

“Twi’, look at me,” Rainbow Dash calmly said, a bit surprised by her friend’s heavy reaction. She thought a lot how this discussion could possibly proceed, even feared that she would get kicked out of the yard when showing up, but by far she didn’t imagine the smart and always analytical and logical unicorn breaking out in tears.

Their embrace slowly resolved and Twilight found herself standing in front of Rainbow Dash, tears streaming down her face, soaking the ground between the two mares. Uncertain about what Rainbow Dash had to say, Twilight swallowed against her dry throat. Fears that the pegasus just passed by to finally break up their friendship once and for all raised in her heart, but after all the cruel things she said to her, Twilight could understand.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Rainbow Dash finally broke the silence. “Twi’, If I wouldn’t forgive you, would I be here? Yes we had a fight, and yes it was kind of a bad one. But such things happen, even between best friends,” Rainbow explained before making a little break to add a dramatically effect. Then she continued with quite some enthusiasm and joy rising in her tranquil voice “Of course I forgive you. I already did the moment I was out of the window. I just was afraid that you were still mad at me because... you know, I was kind of stubborn about my argument and pretty intolerant towards yours and stuff... and therefore I decided to wait a few days before showing up again, so that we both have some time to calm down. Even if I wanted to, I could never be mad at a great friend like you. I mean, you remember when I broke my wing and you visited me in hospital every day to read to me, or when I was sick last winter and you took care of me all the time. After all you did for me, and all we went through together, how could I not forgive you for something trifle like that?”

Rainbow gave a promising look towards the unicorn, trying to act as cool as somehow possible, even if her eyes turned watery as well as she couldn’t dare standing up on her soft hooves.

With each and every word Rainbow said, Twilight’s wet eyes grew bigger and bigger again and the saddened expression on her face slowly got replaced by a wide smile. As the pegasus had finished her sentence and gave Twilight the most encouraging look the unicorn could imagine, there was nothing else than relief, joy and happiness left on her face.

Before she could blink, Rainbow Dash found herself in another fierce, but at the same time most comfortable hug she could imagine. This time she didn’t hesitate, but threw herself into the embrace, clinging to Twilight and gently nuzzling the violet mane. She gritted her teeth, trying to suppress her desire to cry, but there was no way she could possibly hold back her emotions any longer. Her eyes burned and hot tears of joy started running down her face, soaking the other mare’s neck and mane.

“I... I was so scared...” Rainbow squeaked into the other mare’s fur, heavy sobs of relief reluctantly making their way out of her throat. “I was so stupid and... and really thought I.... I screwed up this time and... and that you don’t want to see me again...” she wailed, pressing Twilight’s chest as tight as possible against her own, burying her muzzle in the unicorn’s neck and letting three days and nights of insecurity and fear escape through her eyes.

Twilight, crying herself, gently stroked the rainbow-colored mane she was saturating with her weeps, attentively listening to every word her friend had to say. Feeling the other mare’s heartbeat on her chest was a strange, but at the same time sooth feeling of sensation.

“You didn’t do anything wrong Rainbow,” Twilight managed to utter between some heavy sobs, “It was me who started shouting... and who insulted you... I was scared myself so much that... you wouldn’t forgive me... I’m so happy now.”

“Mmhmmm, we were both stupid,” Rainbow muttered into the violet mane and felt Twilight gently nodding against her. In agreement they remained in their tight embrace, not saying a word, just letting their emotions run wild, emptying their eyes in each other’s mane.

As the embrace lasted for several minutes, Twilight noticed that their breaths and sobs both had synchronized to take alternate turns and that Rainbow’s heartbeat slowly started perfectly matching with her own. A wide smile adorned her face as she thought about the cuteness of the situation, the fact that both of them were afraid to have ruined their friendship and therefore suffered for almost half a week to just find out that all the time both of them wanted the same – being united again.

Weeping the tears from her muzzle, Twilight slowly pulled back from the embrace and caught the other mare’s bloodshot gaze. With a gentle motion she cleared Rainbow’s face from tears as well and let her hoof remain on the blue cheek. Carefully stroking over it, she cleared her throat and deeply looked into the beautiful magenta eyes of her best friend “Maybe it’s a bit out of the blue... but would you like to stay here for the day... so that we could read together again?” she timidly asked, feeling a slight burn wandering through her cheeks.

Rainbow Dash’s rather confused look changed to a happy and relieved expression. She silently nodded in agreement as her wings spread out, one of them gently stroking over Twilight’s hoof which was holding her cheek. “Even if the sun’s already up, it’s still a bit cold, isn’t it?” she asked with a little concern in her voice regarding the fact that Twilight had no wings to keep herself warm, inviting the unicorn to join her on the bench, offering a warm plumage to wrap into.

Stirred about Rainbow’s care for her, Twilight accepted the invitation with a simple nod. After making herself comfortable on the bench, a soft and comfortable wing slid down on the unicorn, covering her whole body with tender and pleasurable warmth. A relaxed sigh escaped her lips, letting Rainbow Dash know that her caring approach is very much appreciated.

Twilight’s horn started glowing in a light purple shine as she wanted to grab the daisy sandwich she brought with her using her magic, but the pegasus signalized her to wait a little, gently waving with her hoof. With a swift and adroit movement Rainbow Dash grabbed the brown paper bag laying at her other side and placed it between her flank and Twilights front hooves.

“I know that you’re eating just daisy sandwiches all day since Spike is staying in Canterlot, so when I flew past the bakery on my way here I decided to bring this with me,” Rainbow Dash explained while she opened the paper bag, which revealed two freshly baked cherry-carrot bagels inside.

With a wide smile on her face she pulled out one of them and handed it over to her friend who didn’t know what to say as she was touched again by Rainbow’s care. Just when Rainbow Dash indicated her to take it already, she realized that she was sunken in thoughts for a moment. “Thank you so much, Rainbow...” Twilight said with a lot of emotion in her voice, her cheeks slightly blushing. Her horn started shining in magic again and a moment later she had grabbed the meal out of Rainbow Dash’s hoof and levitated it in front of her.

“Nah, it’s just a bagel Twi’, no need to get all sentimental again,” the pegasus chuckled and pulled the second delicacy out of the bag for herself. With broad smiles on their faces the two mares looked at each other and took both a bite of their bagels in the same moment.

“Mmhmmmm, that’s truly delicious... really don’t know how to thank you Rainbow,” Twilight underlined her gratitude again while relishly smacking with full mouth, evidently enjoying the taste of every single bite.

“Seeing you smiling again is more than enough, Twi’,” Rainbow smacked as well and put a hoof around her best friends neck pulling her a bit closer “And besides, without you I would never have discovered this bakery. Never ate something that tasty before you invited me some weeks ago. You may see it as repaying a favor,” she chuckled, gently stroking Twilight’s mane.

As they were finished with their breakfast, a long and relaxed yawn found its way through Twilight’s throat. With tired eyes she looked at her friend, smiling about her own drowsiness. “Seems like I’m still a bit tired” the unicorn determined as she suddenly felt getting pulled in closer by Rainbow Dash’s hoof.

“Then just rest a little bit. I’ll be here and hold you warm,” the blue mare sweetly said, softly stroking Twilight’s mane and gently pressing the unicorn’s muzzle on her lap.

“I... I can’t ask you to just sit here and watch me sleep,” Twilight contradicted, trying to catch Rainbow’s view, almost feeling bad because of all those things her friend already did for her that morning after she was so coarse to her just a few days ago.

“You didn’t ask for it Twi’, I offered it.” Rainbow Dash continued the soft pats on Twilight’s mane.

Twilight yielded and let her muzzle slowly fall deep into the blue lap. Comforted by the warmth and security of Rainbow Dash’s wing covering her, the blue hoof gently stroking her mane and the other mare’s lap feeling like a very soft and comfortable heat pillow, Twilight watched the marvelous rainbow adorning the sky above the library while her eyelids turned heavy. A few moments later she was fast asleep.

Dream II - Daring Do meets Love Confession

This spell shall never be casted by inexperienced magic users, no matter for what reason.

Further it is strongly recommended to not use this spell without skilled assistance.

Dream II – Daring Do meets Love Confession

Twilight slowly opened her eyes. The room was glimmering in a dimmed light. It was the middle of the day, probably around lunchtime, but the curtains were drawn to protect her sleep from the bright sun. She couldn’t remember to have lied down in her bed, the last thing she could call to her mind was having breakfast with her recovered best friend.

Tightly packed under the blanket, she blinked a few times clearing her vision before looking around. Disregarding the little confusion about the fact that she couldn’t remember how she came back to her room, she was just feeling great, like she’d finally slept for half a day. A pleased little yawn escaped her lips and she decided to stay in the fluffy bed for a little longer. As much as sleeping in was uncommon for her, Twilight enjoyed the atmosphere of the weak incident sunlight leaping in through the thick curtains and the snugness of being firmly covered.

When she heard a quiet snap she turned towards the door which slowly opened, but just for a little gap which revealed a blue muzzle and two bright magenta eyes. “Come in.” Twilight sat up in the bed with a broad smile adorning her face.

Rainbow Dash pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Uhm... I didn’t wake you, did I?” the blue mare asked with a slight concern in her voice, trotting towards the bed.

Twilight’s smile widened as she remarked again that Rainbow Dash was really caring for her “No, I already was awake.” She wiped the rest of sleep out of her eyes and put the blanket aside. Her memories slowly returned as her brain started working with ordinary intensity again. She remembered herself turning sleepy after breakfast and being invited by her friend to rest in her lap. What she recalled even more than the pure facts were the comfortable warmth of Rainbow Dash’s wing covering her, the tendering strokes through her mane and the soothing scent of raspberries coming from Rainbow’s fur she noticed when she buried her muzzle in the pegasus’ lap.

“So, you put me to bed?” Twilight asked in amazement, especially considering the circumstance that Rainbow Dash didn’t wake her doing so.

“Uhm... yeah, I hope you don’t mind. You were fast asleep and it turned a bit cold outside. I didn’t want to wake you, because you...” Rainbow’s voice and view trailed both off a bit as she obviously rethought what she was going to say “Aehm-uhm... you were sleeping so peacefully, that’s it,” she somehow managed to finish her explanation, evidently having changed her statement in mid-sentence.

Twilight couldn’t restrain letting a little chuckle escape her lips as she noticed her friend’s face changing its color in embarrassment to a light red, but at the same time she felt a bit of blood flowing through her own cheeks as well. “And you stayed here all the time waiting for me to wake up again?” she sheepishly continued her questioning.

Rainbow Dash’s view met Twilights again. Suppressing the awkwardness she perceived a few seconds before, she blew some strands of the rainbow-colored mane out of her face and responded with common self-confidence and superiority “Sure I did. I mean, we wanted to read together, didn’t we?”

“Of course...” Twilight confirmed, stretching out a hoof and gently placing it on the other mare’s shoulder “But you didn’t have to stay here all time while I was asleep. You must have been bored.” she added, feeling both touched and a little bit ashamed by the pegasus’ actions.

Rainbow Dash shook her head making a soothing gesture and put her hoof on top of Twilight’s. “Nah, it wasn’t that bad. I was downstairs rereading the first chapter of ‘The Temple of the Dragon Princess’ and just checked on you from time to time.” She slightly tilted her head to the side so that her cheek met with Twilight’s hoof. “I would’ve read it here,” she supplemented, looking at the comfortable armchair which was standing right beside the bed “But y’know, I’m used to read loud and that would’ve just resulted in waking you up,” she explained, mildly rubbing her cheek against Twilight’s hoof, causing a deep flush on the unicorn’s face.

A few seconds passed before Twilight carefully withdrew her hoof. As much as she liked the sensation of Rainbow’s cheek gently stroking against her fur, she wasn’t sure if the other mare felt like she did what made her feel a bit uncomfortable in turn. “Oh, I see,” she shyly added to her movement, trying to find something to change the subject in a preferably unobtrusive manner. As she noticed that the alarm clock on her bedside table was missing, she had found what she was searching for. “Oh, what time is it?” she asked in a flash, applying an innocent grin.

“You just woke up at the right time for having lunch. I already prepared something, follow me downstairs,” Rainbow Dash happily announced with a wide smile on her muzzle before she turned around and half-trotted-half-bounced out of the room.

To Twilight, something was feeling strange. Everything had been running smooth since she woke up this morning, creating an impression of perfectness she wasn’t used to. And now this slight girlish-like behavior of her best friend, the talk is of Rainbow Dash. She liked the blue mare’s acting a lot, especially how painstakingly she cared for her, but it just didn’t seem like the playful, challenging and sometimes thoughtless pegasus she knew. Probably things were running too smooth.

As she walked downstairs, Twilight already noticed a fine odor coming from the kitchen, letting saliva run together in her mouth and when she arrived in the room, she couldn’t believe her eyes. The table was set like in a very exclusive restaurant – a clean cloth concealed the worn wooden table, a vase of flowers was placed in its middle with a plate offering variations of baked and grilled sandwiches decorated by several salads besides it.

Disbelieving her eyes she turned towards the blue mare who already had taken place and was waiting for the unicorn to join her. “Rainbow... when... how have you done all of this?” she asked with incredulous voice, almost petrified by the scene.

“What, did you think I couldn’t cook this little at least?” Rainbow Dash responded, acting a bit upset. Twilight cringed and was unsure where to look or what to say as she realized that her infidel words could possibly have been taken as an offense, but after a few moments of awkward silence, Rainbow Dash broke out in unexpected laughter. “Just teasing Twi’,” she shrieked, holding her belly and fighting back tears of amusement. “C’mon, let’s eat.” the pegasus supplemented, indicating Twilight to take a seat.

A sigh of relief made its way through the unicorn’s throat. Joining the laugher, just in a less wild manner than her counterpart, she took place besides her friend and grabbed one of the delicious looking sandwiches using her levitation spell. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about and the blue mare sitting and munching at her side really was the Rainbow Dash she actually knew and loved.

After devouring the gorgeous lunch, the two mares went upstairs to Twilight’s bedroom again. While the pegasus made herself comfortable in the armchair, Twilight hopped on her bed and buried her muzzle in the soft pillow. Facing her as well gorged friend who was sinking in the armchair, she had the feeling that a compliment was appropriate, if not long overdue. “That was delicious Rainbow... I never should have doubted your cooking skills,” she said with a chuckle, holding her crammed belly.

“So you really were surprised?” Rainbow Dash devilishly grinned as she thought about starting a fierce tickle attack for a short moment, but rethought the action when she realized that she was way too stuffed to do so. Instead she let herself sink even more in the armchair with a pleased yawn escaping her mouth.

“You manage to astonish me over and over again, Rainbow,” Twilight giggled, turning towards the bookshelf. “What do you want to read today? We finished ‘Tales of Mares and Manes’ last time, right?”

“Right.” Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement.

“So we can start with something else. Do you have any suggestions?” the unicorn asked, turning to the blue mare again.

Rainbow Dash hesitated for a moment as she knew that Twilight was not a big fan of repetitions. Once the unicorn read something it used to bother her to read it again, but the pegasus really wished for it. For that reason she cleared her throat, sat up properly, took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a short moment trying to gather her courage. When her lids reopened, big and shiny magenta eyes caught Twilight’s view. “Uhm... I’d really like to reread the Daring Do series...” she mumbled, nervously rubbing her forehooves in front of her chest, almost sinking back in the armchair again as her voice trailed off.

“What was that?” Twilight asked in slight confusion and raised her ears because the pegasus’ soft words hardly made it to her.

Rainbow’s view slowly trailed off as well. It was hard enough to make the proposal once for which she already depleted all of her boldness. “Daring Do...” she muttered once more, not venturing to face the unicorn doing so.

“Ah, Daring Do it was. Okay.” Twilight smiled, letting play her magic to levitate all books of the series out of the shelf and placing them on the bed, side by side. “Which one?” she asked, giving a promising look to the other mare.

Rainbow Dash’s gaze met Twilight’s again. For a short moment, overwhelmed by her astonishment, she was stunned. She expected the unicorn to protest, lament, shout or deny her suggestion, but for sure not to simply accept it. When she recognized the warmth in Twilight’s eyes, relaxation returned and her tensed body slackened again. “Well... I’d like to reread the whole series, but if I have to choose, I’d like to pick the first novel.” She stretched out her hoof and pointed at ‘Daring Do and the quest for the Sapphire Stone’.

“For the whole series we need more than one day anyway,” Twilight responded, grabbing the desired book with her hooves. “Let me see, Daring Do currently has 21 volumes. So... the plan for the next three weeks is set, I guess.” She announced, throwing a wide smile in Rainbow Dash’s direction. “And when we go through the whole collection, it’s fair enough to do it in the correct sequence and start with the first novel,“ Twilight explained, putting the first book on her lap and levitating the rest back into the bookshelf.

“You... uhm... you really want to read all 21 Daring Do novels with me? I mean, you already read all of them, through me some even more than once. It’s just... I know that you dislike repeats, I don’t want to get you bored...” At the end of the sentence Rainbow Dash’s voice trailed off again as a gloomy view raised in her eyes.

“I won’t be bored,” Twilight interjected, almost cutting the pegasus off. “First of all, quite some time has passed since I read the complete series, so I can’t remember the exact details of each and every book. To be honest, the fourth novel I can’t even recall at all,” she supplemented and gave a reassuring look towards the blue mare before she continued “And second this, most of the books I haven’t read together with you yet, Rainbow Dash. When we share our reading time, to me the lecture doesn’t matter at all, because it is you who makes me enjoy this time. I could never have imagined myself finding pleasure in novels like the ‘The Golden Horseshoe’ or ‘Dizzy Trotter’, but you taught me else, Rainbow. Reading together with you made me really enjoy lectures I never thought of being able to like before. Now those novels are some of my favorite books.” She enthusiastically pointed at some of the lectures in the top shelf of her private bookcase. “From time to time I find myself flipping through the pages, reading some of the passages and being really happy, even if I already know each and every word.” She made a short break to gasp for air. “And that’s because always when I read in those books, or merely think of them, I also remember you and the time we spent together.”

Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure what Twilight exactly wanted to say, but still felt a slight burn wandering through her cheeks. Nodding to her friend’s words, she thought about a proper response, however couldn’t figure out anything in her sudden confusion. What were the unicorns words supposed to mean? Did Twilight just try to say what she was thinking that the unicorn tried to say? If yes, how should she react to it? If no, what would happen if she would touch the topic because of wrong conclusions?

Nervously the pegasus swallowed against her suddenly dry throat, looking straight in the sparkling violet eyes of her best friend. “Uhm... Likewise?” Her ears twitched a little as she shot out the uncertain, even for herself unexpected answer, which however sounded more like a question.

Rainbow’s incertitude, at first how to react at all and then the reply itself made Twilight giggle. She was well aware that following her could be hard when she once got caught in a speaking through case, but didn’t expect Rainbow to get off the track that easily. “What I wanted to say, reading with you always is fun, no matter what book we choose,” she explained while opening the lecture at the first page.

“Ah...” Rainbow sighed, rethinking her argument. “So my response was right,” she summarized after a few seconds with a sheepish chuckle.

Twilight threw another pleased smile to the blue mare before directing her view to the book. “Okay here we go. ‘Daring Do and the Quest of the Sapphire Stone’. As Daring Do trekked through the tropical jungle, the wet heat sapped her energy and slowed her every step. If only she could escape this oppressive atmosphere and fly up into the cool blue sky–“

„Twi‘...“ Rainbow Dash interrupted the unicorn as gentle as somehow possible, lifting a hoof towards her. It was hard to disrupt Twilight once she started reading, but with the time Rainbow had figured out her methods to do so if necessary. With large, glittering eyes she stared at her friend, almost waiting for allowance to continue with her proposition.

“Yes Rainbow, what is it?” Twilight calmly questioned, focusing on Rainbow Dash again. Even if she really disliked being interrupted, she appreciated the manner Rainbow got used to doing so.

“Uhm... may I read?... I actually made quite some progress I wanted to show you,” Rainbow Dash bashfully said, her ears dropping a little.

“Sure.” Twilight nodded, levitated the book over to Rainbow Dash and placed it gently on her friend’s lap. Both mares smiled at each other before Rainbow’s attention wandered off to the lecture.

“But her crash landing in the jungle had injured her wing and she was grounded for a few days. Few days... it might as well be a few months, or a few years!” Rainbow Dash continued with the story, obviously reading much more fluidly and putting her emphasis much better than just a few weeks before. Twilight let herself fall back on the pillow and grinned in satisfaction while listening to her friend’s voice. During the past few months, the pegasus had really become an almost professional reader.

Enjoying each other’s presence, the two mares took alternate turns in reading and stayed at the room for the whole day. Just once in the evening they hurried downstairs to quickly grab some sandwiches and snacks.

“And so, with Ahuizotl defeated and the sapphire statue secured...the world was safe and sound once again, thanks to Daring Do!” Rainbow Dash read the last lines of the book before closing it and putting it to side. Even if she already knew the whole series, she still was excited about the awesome adventures of her fictional idol every time she read one of them. And doing this together with Twilight let her heart pound even more.

“I’m so proud of you Rainbow, you really improved a lot,” Twilight exclaimed with a broad smile on her face just a moment before a long lasting yawn made its way through her throat. Taking a look out of the window the unicorn realized that it was dark outside already and the moon was high up in the sky accompanied by many diamond like stars. “Huh, it became late, didn’t it?” she giggled, giving a questioning look towards her friend.

Flattered by the unicorn’s compliment, Rainbow Dash’s cheeks blushed once more this day. “Heh thanks Twi’, I’m doing my best to catch up with ya’. And yea, it surely did become late. It was fun again... but think I better get goin’ then,” Rainbow Dash answered before jumping up from her seat and slowly hovering towards the door. “We see each other tomorrow?” she asked as she reached the door, throwing a short glance over her shoulder back to her friend.

Taking a second look out of the window Twilight noticed that it may have been completely silent, but raining heavily. The imagination of Rainbow Dash having to fly all the way to Cloudsdale through such a deluge and arriving home all drenched made its way to the unicorn’s mind, causing her almost to panic. There was no way she could let this happen. “Wait, Rainbow!” Twilight shouted as she jumped up as well, almost sweeping the blanket along with her.

Rainbow Dash abruptly stopped and turned around. Looking at the unicorn’s apprehensive face she slowly glided down to the floor. “What is it Twi’?” She asked with concern, stretching out a hoof in the unicorn’s direction, offering her suddenly anxious seeming friend a little hug.

Twilight gratefully accepted the offer and threw herself into the embrace with a clear sob tearing its way out of her throat. “The weather’s horrible, Rainbow. I don’t want you to go out there,” she explained, suppressing tears as the horrible images of a sopped and sickly blue pegasus crossed her mind again. “You... you can stay here... just if you want to, of course.” Twilight complemented, gently nuzzling the rainbow-colored mane while tightening the embrace.

Taken aback by her friend’s sudden emotional outburst, Rainbow Dash didn’t really know how to react or what to say. There was nothing she wished more than staying with Twilight. The thoughts alone of spending the night together with her, even if it was just in the same room, were more than enough to let a little but perceptible electricity go through her whole body. It took her a few seconds, mainly for processing those enjoyable thoughts which were rushing her mind, before she was able to give a response. “Really Twi’? Are you sure?” the blue mare almost timidly asked, hoping for nothing else than confirmation.

“Of course I am. I could never possibly let you fly through such a deluge.” The unicorn dissolved the hug to point out of the window. “And besides...” Twilight shyly continued, feeling a bit of embarrassment as the words left her muzzle “... if a thunderstorm starts I’d prefer having you around...” She shuffled her hooves and looked down, waiting for a laugher as her voice trailed off.

Rainbow Dash remembered that Twilight once told her that she was afraid of thunderstorms. It had something to do with an incident that took place when the unicorn still was a filly, but she couldn’t recall the full story anymore. Looking at her uneasy friend, she just knew it had to be something bad that happened. Wrapping a hoof around Twilight’s neck, she gently whispered into one of her friend’s dropped ears “Hmn..., I think there’s nothing wrong in wanting to have a weather expert around if things get serious. But you really don’t have to worry though, it’s most probably going to be just rain, no thunder or lightning and all. And by the way, I prefer staying here with you anyway.”

The pegasus’ words had a really soothing effect on Twilight, in every way. Now she wouldn’t have to  to worry about Rainbow Dash getting drenched and sick nor about being all alone if a thunderstorm should go off. But why did Rainbow Dash use such a strange wording for her last sentence? Was it possible that–

“I mean, me staying here implies that we have much more time for having fun together, right?” Rainbow Dash sheepishly supplemented, interrupting Twilight’s train of thought and pulling her hoof away from Twilight’s shoulder while suppressing her own cheeks to burn like fire.

“Sure,” Twilight rapidly responded, raising her head again to face the other mare “There’s just one thing... I have quite some pillows and blankets, though...” She was speaking faster and faster to somehow manage finishing the sentence before her throat seized shut. “I don’t have a guest bed at the moment, so... would you be fine sharing mine with me?”

For a few seconds, the room was immersed by absolute silence. The only somehow recognizable sound was coming from the light raindrops hitting the oak wooden floor of the balcony and the weak wind blowing past the window. Both mares, facing each other and not daring to break eye contact, slowly blushed in improbable embarrassment. Twilight was grinning sheepishly from the moment she started her statement, which however was changed to a question in mid-sentence. And with each second that quietly passed, Rainbow Dash joined her more and more doing the same, until the moment when both mares hasty turned away from each other within a split second, in search of something interesting in the room, mumbling unintelligible explanations for their strange behavior.

“I’m fine Twi’.” Rainbow Dash was the first to get her thoughts back on track again. “I mean, we’re hangin’ together all the time, why shouldn’t we share a bed for a night?” she complemented, making a waving gesture with her hooves, probably not knowing its meaning herself.

Twilight faced her friend again as a relieved sigh escaped her lips and the embarrassment wore off. “Then it’s set, best friends spending a night together,” she smirked, gently making a step towards Rainbow Dash.

Inspecting the other mare’s rather untidy mane and unobtrusively nuzzling it as Rainbow Dash passed the unicorn on her way to bed, something else started bothering Twilight. This probably was the chance of her lifetime and she wanted everything to be perfect. And Rainbow Dash’s mane certainly wasn’t, neither her as well completely messed up tail. Usually she didn’t mind those little things at all as the pegasus was the most awesome pony she knew, in almost every respect, but this time it was different. They wouldn’t just spend the night together, but also share the same bed for the first time and if things wouldn’t go well also for probably the last.

“So, you’re going to the bathroom first?” Twilight interjected quickly, just in the moment Rainbow Dash prepared herself to jump on the unicorn’s fluffy bed.

“Huh?” the blue mare responded in surprise, facing Twilight with big eyes which were mirroring her confusion, already having unfold her wings to lie down and spread them out on the soft mattress.

Twilight’s mind started rushing as she realized that her words weren’t chosen very wisely, but it already was too late to address the topic in a different manner. “I can go first as well, but I always need rather long in there. I don’t think you want to wait for me to be finished, right?” she somehow managed to save the situation on the last call.

“Uhm... yea, sure.” Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement, inconspicuous turning away from the bed again, flapping with her outspread wings to take off from the floor and acting as she just was up to go to the bathroom anyway. “I’ll be done in no time.” She hovered to the bathroom door, hiding the awkwardness she felt, letting a hoof slightly meet her face. How thoughtless could she be almost forgetting to take a shower at least if sleeping in her best friend’s bed, at the side of the pony she admired most?

“Oh, just take anything you like, though the strawberry shampoo smells very nice. Towels are on the shelf, just pick whichever you want. And if you need a toothbrush, there’s a spare one in the cupboard under the basin, I think,” Twilight supplemented, shouting through the bathroom door which Rainbow Dash had already closed behind her.

“Thanks, Twi’,” the blue mare answered, mustering herself in the large mirror. Her mane really looked wrecked in all regards, bursting through the sky earlier this day surely had taken its toll on it.

Twilight took place on the armchair Rainbow Dash was sitting on for the whole day, leaning back in its comfortable rest and letting a science magazine she halfway pulled out of the bookshelf levitate in front of her. Enjoying the pegasus’ scent which was stored in the chairs fabric, she started flipping through the pages.

In the meanwhile, after taking a careful landing in the bathtub, Rainbow Dash started searching through the wide variety of shampoos, soaps, mane cares and things she didn’t even know they exist which Twilight had stacked on the shelf besides it for the certain shampoo the unicorn had mentioned. As Rainbow Dash had always just a single shower gel she used for everything, she never was confronted with such an accumulation of care products and therefore also rather confused of the whole scenery.

A short while passed until she detected a white tube with strawberries printed on it, but still wasn’t sure if it was the right product. To ensure that her pick was correct, she decided to quickly check with her friend. “Twi’, the white tube you meant?” she shouted towards the door, in hope that the unicorn could hear the question.

A few moments passed. “The red one,” Twilight shouted back, “The white tube’s mane color!”

Good that she asked. Letting her view wander through the whole collection of beauty, care and cosmetic products again Rainbow Dash finally localized the target. “Got it!” she verified, turning on the water. The feeling of the fluid alone surely was different than what she was used to. In most districts of Cloudsdale there was no warm water system implemented, neither got the rain water there prepared.

The warm and pure water splashing down her neck and sensitive feathers was a more than just enjoyable feeling for the pegasus – it was a sensation, something she never felt before, something she could get used to, as well as the shampoo Twilight had recommended. Her shower gel always used to stick a bit in her mane, making it chunky and hard to brush, but Twilight’s shampoo was completely different. From the first drop which touched her mane she felt its gentleness treating her unique rainbow, making it silky smooth.

As she turned off the water again after a few minutes, she felt a tiny bit of sadness coming from her heart. Having a hot shower for the first time in her life really was kind of a special experience to the pegasus. She felt like she was completely reborn.

Rainbow Dash dried off and brushed her teeth before checking herself in the mirror again. Gently stoking through her own, for the probably first time really perfect maintained mane, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Her mane may have still been damp, but also perfectly smooth, its tips all other than split, shimmering in an extraordinary rainbow-colored light. Her fur was soft, its blue a little bit brighter than usual, fitting perfectly to her athletic physique. Her feathers, reflecting the invading artificial light as well, were perfectly arranged, none of them was cleaved from the rough influence of cold water. She always considered herself as an athlete, the strong pony who was called for the raw work, but never being cute or adorable at all. However, at that very moment, she was just... beautiful.

“Twi’, I didn’t know you’re having that many shampoos and stuff,” the blue mare exclaimed as she opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom again.

The unicorn was flicking through the science magazine, just barely noticing Rainbow Dash’s appearance as the pegasus entered the room. “Yea, but I don’t even use half of them. Princess Celestia gifts me with some on each possible occasion. And so I’m getting stacked more and more of them until there’s no room left to do so, I guess,” She sighed.

Twilight put the journal by side and looked up. “Ra... Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked in disbelieve, her wide eyes mustering her friend from nostril to tail, seeing not just an awesome but also incredible beautiful mare standing right in front of her. Of course she always thought of Rainbow Dash as pretty and fine, but the light-blue mare she was just facing was something different again, something special. Was it possible? Was this immensely feminine-seeming pony which just left the bathroom really Rainbow?

“Like my new look?” Rainbow Dash playfully questioned, alluding to Twilight’s widened eyes and her dropped jaw, letting a hoof drive through her shimmering mane.

“You... You look so awesome, Rainbow,” the unicorn stammered, gasping for air as she was nothing else than overwhelmed by her friend’s presence. Getting herself together, she jumped up from the seat and trotted to the bathroom. Passing Rainbow on the way, she unobtrusive took a deep breath of the pegasus’ scent. “Now’s my turn, I guess,” she snickered as she left the bedroom and used her magic to close the door behind her.

As soon as the door was shut, Twilight felt both, great nervousness and sadness rising up to her head. Everything she ever wished for was probably just waiting in her own bedroom for the unicorn to finish her shower, but no matter how she put it, she couldn’t possibly keep up with Rainbow Dash, no matter what she would try. She just wasn’t good enough for an outstanding athletic and incredible beautiful mare like her best friend. The only thing she was useful for was studying and the more she thought about the whole topic, the more insecure she felt. A depressed sigh made its way through her throat, which however was immediately set aside by a feeling of determination.

There was no use in letting herself down since there was no possibility to find out if she was up for it if she wouldn’t even try. If she wanted to have a chance of getting anything more than friendship from Rainbow Dash, she needed to pull herself together and be strong and confident.

With a powerful set she jumped into the bathtub, turned on the water and let her magic do all its best. The strawberry scent Rainbow Dash left behind occupied her mind, not letting her thoughts move away from the blue pegasus, filling her heart with bravery and motivation. A few minutes later, Twilight found herself standing in front of the mirror. She never had used that many ingredients for body and mane care at once before and the results of her work were astonishing. She would never have expected an outcome like this in her dreams. At that moment, the name Twilight Sparkle was really fitting her overall appearance. There was no way that any pony could possibly reject the lavender smelling and glittering unicorn. With a broad and self-confident smile she turned off the light and opened the door to the bedroom.

The lights in the bedroom were already turned off as well. While the raindrops formed a sweet melody on the wooden balcony floor, a gentle moonlight peeking through the rainclouds every now and then was seeming through the window and immersed the room in a light bluish gloss, bright enough that all contours in the room were clearly visible. Rainbow Dash was already lying in the bed, covered by a dark gray blanket which was making an almost perfect contrast to her light-blue shimmering fur while her magenta eyes were reflecting the incident moonlight each time it touched them.

Twilight slowly approached the pegasus, her eyes gleaming in the weak illumination as well. As she was standing beside the bed, she let her horn glow in a weak purple shine so that the both mares could perfectly see each other. Rainbow’s cheeks slightly flushed as she discerned the unicorn’s glittering body and mane.

“You look... really pretty...” Rainbow sat up on the bed, not able to stop herself from mustering her counterpart. Breathing in close to the unicorn’s torso, she noticed a soft, but for sure not obtrusively scent of lavender, mixed with a light breeze of berries. “... and smell nice,” she complemented, making a joyful sigh.

“Thanks, but no need to adulate me that much. I just tried my best to keep up with you,” Twilight smirked and her cheeks started to gain some color as well. “So... I assume that you pick this side of the bed,” she stated, placing a hoof on the edge, right besides rainbow’s flank.

“Yea, closer to the window and stuff,” Rainbow smiled, placing her hooves behind her head. “And if a lightning should strike through the window, it’s much easier for me to move you out of line,” she kiddingly supplemented with a giggle.

Twilight joined the snicker “Okay, then I have nothing to fear I guess.” Within a blink the unicorn teleported herself to the other side of the bed from which she carefully entered the fluffy lying surface.

“You never have with me being around, Twi’,” Rainbow Dash playfully added while making a shift to the side to give the unicorn a bit more space.

As Twilight was covered with a blanket as well, both of them started moving around a little, trying to get themselves comfortable in the bed that was unambiguously too small for two ponies. When they were finally done doing so after quite some moments, Twilight and Rainbow Dash found themselves facing each other again with just a few centimeters spare room between their muzzles.

Both mares blushed in slight awkwardness, but decided to accept the situation they found themselves in. Sheepishly smiling at each other, they slowly closed their eyes. “Good night, Twi’,” Rainbow Dash mumbled, furling in a bit what made her muzzle move even closer to Twilight’s. Feeling the pegasus’ warm breath meeting her nose, Twilight responded saying “Good night” as well.

Some minutes passed while the silence was just disturbed by the small raindrops falling on the oak wooden floor of the balcony and the weak wind blowing past the window again. As comfortable as she felt, Rainbow Dash couldn’t sleep. It was just too exciting for her being that close to Twilight. She gingerly opened her eyes again and watched the peacefully resting unicorn. Regarding the circumstances, there was no way she could possibly find tranquility before telling her best friend about her feelings.

Not sure if Twilight was asleep already, she carefully broke the silence, speaking as quiet as somehow possible. “Twi’... I was really scared that I’ve lost you,” she whispered, her almost whimpering voice carrying a slight, suppressed sound of insecurity and sadness.

In an unpredictable reaction, the unicorn wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash and gently pulled the pegasus’ head to her chest. “I’ll be always there, Rainbow,” Twilight answered half in sleep. Accepting the comfort, Rainbow Dash returned the embrace, burying her muzzle deep in the other mare’s soft and well smelling fur. For a few more minutes, it turned silent again.

For Rainbow Dash it certainly was the best night ever, but she still couldn’t get herself to fall asleep. Her mind was rushing like never before, searching for a proper way to reveal her feelings to the unicorn. Letting the day pass in review, a thought crossed her mind. A wide smile grew on her face as she pondered that it actually was one of the best ideas she ever had. “Hey Twi’... you’re still awake?” she softly broke the silence again, gently cuddling her head against the lavender chest, eliciting a pleased groan from her friend.

“Mmmmmh” Twilight murmured, mildly stroking through the rainbow-colored mane.

“I have to tell you something Twi’... it’s rather important too,” Rainbow Dash whispered, pressing herself in the embrace and feeling Twilight slightly nod against her mane, giving her signal to go on.

“Uhm... well... when I’m with you Twi’, I always feel like Princess Bianca Ravenhoof,” the blue mare said, making a short pause before continuing “I mean Twi’... you’re doing all these awesome things... save Equestria and all that stuff. Of course, the girls and I were always there as well, but in the end it was always you who saved the day. Y’know, when we all got caught in Discord’s charm or when we all doubted you at Cadence’s and Shining Armor’s wedding, you were the one who stood her ground and saved us.” Rainbow Dash made another short stop to catch some breath and gather all of her courage “When being with you Twi’, I always feel like Bianca Ravenhoof must feel when being together with Daring Do. You are my Daring Do. I really admire you, Twilight.”

Rainbow Dash slowly released herself from the hug and made her way up to Twilight’s face. Their half-lidded sparkling eyes met for an instant as she passed her friend’s muzzle, moving further upwards in the bed. A few seconds passed, for both of them in slow motion, until she reached her destination and gently placed a small kiss on the unicorn’s forehead. “What’s even more, Twilight, I love you,” she added before making her way down to the unicorn’s chest again, this time not crossing views with the unicorn. Wrapping her hooves around Twilight’s chest and gently pressing her muzzle in its fur, she mildly restored the embrace they used to have a few moments before.

Twilight’s heart was rushing. She wanted nothing more than to respond to her friend’s words, to tell Rainbow Dash about her feelings as well, that she was in love with the blue pegasus since they first met years ago when the unicorn arrived in Ponyville. It was a desire for her to tell Rainbow that the blue mare was the most awesome pony she could possibly imagine and that she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with the pegasus, but no matter how hard she tried, her throat was shut. All she was able to do was wrapping her hooves around the colorful mare again, pressing Rainbow Dash tightly against her chest. There was nothing she could do against her sudden disability to speak – abruptly the most desirable scenario started feeling like a bad dream.

“It’s okay Twi’, just take your time. I’ll be waiting for you, no matter how long you need,” Rainbow Dash softly mumbled in the lavender chest, gently stroking through the unicorn’s mane as her eyes slowly shut.

Within a blink, Twilight’s eyelids turned heavy as well and before she could realize, she was fast asleep.