Gambling Away the Twilight

The hallways were packed with ponies. Each one navigating the vast spaces, making their way to some boutique or restaurant. The ceiling was magically painted to give the image of the sky. It was very realistic, the clouds moved and looked as though they were good enough to sleep on.

However none of this presented itself to Rainbows mind as she walked alongside Twilight. She had only one question on her mind.

"So, Rainbow was there anything you wanted to do before we got to the library?" enquired Twilight, her voice small but discernible over the din.

"Huh?" said Rainbow as she processed Twilight's remark. "Oh, no I didn't." She turned herself away from the Alicorn, unable to make any kind of eye contact with her one true love. Instead she tried to concentrate on something else. She surveyed the area, all she could see were shops and ponies.

Suddenly something began tapping on her right shoulder. Rainbow jumped a few meters into the air and swiveled around to see Twilight looking up her in bewilderment. "Rainbow are you okay?" asked the mare, sounding concerned.

"Oh, Twilight that was you." said Rainbow with a half hearted chuckle. She slowly descended to earth and landed with a small thump.

"Rainbow, you've been on edge all day. Something must be bothering you. You know you can tell me, i'm your friend." said the purple Alicorn looking her friend in the eyes.

Rainbow desperately looked left and right, then hid her face from Twilight, even though she couldn't avoid the question. "I, uhh... I'll tell you later Twi'."

Twilight looked skeptical but began to shift away. "Alright Rainbow, but you Pinkie promise that you will tell me later?"

Rainbow sighed. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

When Twilight seemed satisfied that Rainbow would tell her she decided to quickly change the subject. "Ah, I see the library. Doesn't it look wonderful?"

Rainbow looked in the direction that the excited Twilight was pointing. Large marble columns rose up from the floor, their capitals reaching into the magical sky. Two large oak doors stood majestically beneath the lintel, watching silently as ponies trotted in their wake.

Twilight rushed over to the inviting glow of the library. Rainbow followed at a more somber pace, trudging past screaming filly's and their exasperated parents. Making her way towards Twilight and the library.

Why so full of questions Twilight? Ugghhh... you're only making this harder.

Rainbow stepped through the large doorway into a cavernous space. The library was a big cylinder with several balconies with rows and rows of shelves lining the walls. Twilight had somehow managed to get up to the third balcony, pulling out books and replacing them in the exact spot she found them.

As Rainbow watched the speedy Alicorn in awe as she worked her way around the library. She could never stop looking at Twilight. Sometimes she could just get lost, that lavender mare never failed to get her attention whether she wanted to or not.

Rainbow was so wrapped up in Twilight she failed to notice the library attendant trying to make contact with the cyan mare. "Excuse me miss."

Rainbow was finally brought down to earth when the attendant tapped her on the shoulder. "Excuse me miss, you seem lost. Am I able to help you?"

Rainbow stared at her blankly. Taking a few moments to process her question. "Ummm, no. I'm just waiting for a friend." said Rainbow. She sighed as the attendant walked away. Still only friends.

Twilight was still scavenging for books on the fifth balcony. Rainbow thought it would be prudent to fly up to see if she could help. She always loved helping Twilight  at the library. It wasn't so much that she enjoyed tidying and looking for books. It was that she loved being with Twilight.

As she soared up the balconies she passed ponies going about their daily business. Looking for books, cleaning books, tidying big messes of books made by their children. It looked like a day in the library after the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been for a visit on the hunt for a book on getting Cutie Marks.

She neared Twilight who was searching hungrily through shelves of non-fiction on magic. Landing gracefully on the metal gantry she folded her wings and steadied herself on the railing the ran along the inside to the walkway. "Uh, T... Twilight."

The purple Alicorn gave no reply and continued searching through the books, not paying the slightest piece of attention to the Pegasus. Rainbow rolled her eyes and moved to tap Twilight on the shoulder when suddenly her lavender friend shouted at the top of her voice. "Aha!"

For the second time that evening Rainbow jumped several meters into the air, her feathers standing on end. Twilight managed to notice amidst all her excitement that she had caused something to happen behind her. Swiveling around she was surprise to see a shakey Rainbow Dash fluttering to the gantry before her.

"Rainbow, i'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." said Twilight putting a hoof on her friend in an attempt to comfort her, the thick leather book she held clattering to the ground.

"I... i'm wasn't sta... startled Twilight." said Rainbow, trying to sound as confident as she could. "I'm the R... Rainbow Dash. Nothing can scare me." as she said this she unconvincingly put her hoof down on the metal grating that separated the two ponies from thin air.

"Rainbow, seriously now. Are you okay?" said Twilight in a caring yet stern voice.

Rainbow visibly shrank in front of Twilight, she didn't know what to do. "Uh... I'd rather not talk about it Twi'. It's kind of embarrassing, I guess. But I promise I will tell you later. After dinner." Real smooth Rainbow. Now you're going to have to tell her you big idiot.

"Well you'd better tell me. Sometimes I worry about you Rainbow, you don't have to hide your feelings from me." said Twilight, saying this she put a wing over Dash affectionately.

Suddenly Rainbow Dash felt her confidence returning, as if Twilight holding her had somehow made her stronger. She knew that she had to tell her. There was no way she couldn't. She know that Twilight was the one.

Twilight retracted her wing from around Rainbow, not noticing that the cyan Pegasus had completely left the world, on a mental level at least. She turned to the railing and was about to fly down to the marble floor of the library when she remembered her book. Turning around Twilight saw that Rainbow was simply staring into space with no awareness of anything going on around her. She rolled her eyes and slowly walked over to her friend. "Rainbow Dash. Are you coming or not?".

Rainbow immediately came crashing down to earth. "Oh, yeah Twi'. I was just thinking."

"Thinking? Something is definitely wrong with you." she said sarcastically.

Rainbow gave her a hurt yet amused look. "Aww I don't think that's fair Twi'." said the Pegasus. The thing is I can't stop thinking about you.