I'll Always be Here for You

by The Abyss

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Scootaloo, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 92395

After Rainbow finds Scootaloo trudging beneath her house in a vicious snowstorm, she takes her in, only to discover something shocking.

In the warmth of her cloud home, Rainbow Dash is about to turn in for the night when she hears Scootaloo crying outside in the middle of a vicious blizzard. Plucking the freezing filly from the snow, Rainbow hopes to provide some much-needed comfort for the otherwise tough young pegasus, but she uncovers a disturbing reality that she knows she cannot handle alone.

Knowing only one pony that could really help her out, Rainbow enlists Twilight’s help, determined to set things straight for Scootaloo. But what Rainbow doesn’t know is that in her efforts to provide a better life for the filly, her friendship with Twilight will develop into something more.

Edited by Alcatraz, Rated Ponystar, Rocinante, Ponysopher, Marshal Twilight, Knight of Cerebus, ShimmeringStallion, and Jake The Army Guy

Proofread by Neko Majin C

Published 2013-11-16 22:30:03 UTC
Last updated 2016-10-24 23:17:35 UTC

Enduring the Cold

Rainbow took a deep, satisfied sigh and wrapped her front hooves around her mug of hot cocoa. She sat by herself, staring out of her kitchen window as she admired the strength of the winter storm that she and her weather team had made a couple of hours ago. Even though her house was on the outskirts of town, the storm’s strength had made it a long and hard flight back, even for her.

It was approaching that time of the year again, that dreadful time that Rainbow avoided like the plague. While most ponies relished opening presents with their family on Hearth’s Warming Eve, she didn’t have a family of her own to do that with, a fact that had led her to be depressed the past couple of years.

It had been around her age that her mother had started dating, and she’d been lucky enough to find her one true love the first time around. Rainbow was jealous of that fact, for her abilities to find somepony special to love paled in comparison to her mother. She had already tried dating some locals here in Ponyville but never felt anything real. Disappointed, but depressed more than anything in her failed dates, Rainbow had stopped trying to find someone to love, at least for now.

Rainbow took a sip from her mug and fluffed her wings, trying to purge her mind of the depressing thoughts. Now was the time to relax after a long day of work, and, to be more specific, to get some shut-eye for tomorrow. It was her first day off in over a week, and she couldn’t wait to go and play with her friends in the soon-to-be freshly laid snow.

After a couple more minutes, Rainbow finished off her drink and tossed it inside the sink. She trotted through the living room and flew upstairs to her bedroom. Pushing her door open, she trotted over to her warm and inviting bed. She crawled under the sheets on her cloud bed with a yawn, listening to the dull roar of the snowstorm outside. Closing her eyes, a smug grin spread across her face as she saw townsponies sloshing about in the snow and tossing snowballs at each other in her mind’s eye. She laid her head down on one of her many pillows and snuggled in for the night, pulling the sheets up past her shoulders.

Grabbing another pillow, she held it to her chest and snuggled with it, pretending it was an actual pony. Her thoughts turned to the chill of winter for a moment, half-dreams of a warm body lying beside her flicking briefly through her mind. Rainbow smiled contentedly as it caressed the fur on her stomach, pretending that she was pulling her special somepony closer to her. Curling up into a ball, she drew her hind legs up and pushed the pillow into a more comfortable position. Rainbow tucked the blankets in all around her and finally relaxed. As she started to warm up, she let loose another small yawn.

To her disappointment, her pillow could not replicate that which she craved so much. She sighed to herself, both out of frustration and longing. Her pillow was a sad substitute for somepony to share her bed with, but it was all she had at the moment. Her house seemed a little less awesome with nopony to share it with, and she still felt the dull sting of coming home to an empty house on Hearth’s Warming Eve from last year. That holiday was quickly approaching again, and she still didn’t have anyone to spend it with. Sure, she had her friends, but she wanted somepony she could really relate to and connect with on a more intimate level.

She gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes, tossing her head to try to shake off the thoughts. Try as she might, she couldn’t get rid of the feeling of being utterly alone. With a longing sigh, she rolled over and closed her eyes, praying for the blissful release of sleep.

Visions of her friends tussling with each other in the snow she had worked so hard to make kept dancing in her head. With another deep sigh, Rainbow snuggled closer to her pillow, angling it so that it pressed up against her chin just like a special somepony would.

But moments before she fell asleep, she heard something, something that stood out from the sounds of the terrible storm raging outside. Cracking her eyes open, she barely made out the sound of somepony crying coming from somewhere below her house. She could have sworn her mind was playing tricks on her, but she sat up all the same. Her ears flicked every which way, trying to pick up the sound against the howling wind.

The wind suddenly picked up, making her house flex slightly in the sudden gust. Rainbow clenched the sheets, pulling them closer to her as she felt her house move. Her house was meant to stay fixed in one place at all times, even in storms such as this. Her eyes widened fearfully as she saw the wall across from her bed flex inwards ever so slightly. After a few moments of waiting breathlessly, the wall flexed back into position as if it had never moved.

“Um… maybe we made this one a little too strong…” she whispered to herself.

Rainbow finally noticed that she had been holding the sheets just like a scared filly, so with a small chuckle she relaxed and let the sheets fall from her grasp. Soon enough, the wind died down for just a brief second, letting her hear the sound again. This time, she could clearly make out the sound of somepony crying, and it sparked a faint sense of familiarity within her. She couldn’t place a hoof on whose voice it was, but she recognized it all the same.

Now which one of my crazy friends would be out in a storm like this?

With a groan, she tossed the covers aside. Leaving the warmth of her bed behind, she trudged to the window and fumbled with the latch before it finally clicked open. Pushing the window open with a hoof, she poked her head out, only to get a face full of snow. Irritated, Rainbow shook the snow from her face and mane and looked down. There, just visible through the falling snow, a tiny filly fought against the driving storm, heading past her house and away from Ponyville.

What the hay… Rainbow frowned, her brow furrowing. “Hey!” she yelled as hard as she could, her voice all but lost under the storm’s fury. She waited for the filly to look up, or at least look around, but the silhouette only continued walking deeper into the snowstorm. Rainbow glanced back at her warm bed as she felt a shiver run down her spine. She lifted a hoof to walk back, but paused, biting her lip. The storm was still raging on and it was only going to get worse. This kind of weather was dangerous to the strong and even deadly to those unprepared for its strength.

She knew what she had to do. Bracing herself for the freezing cold, she grabbed a light green scarf from her dresser and wrapped it snug around her neck. Sticking her head back out the window, she tried to find the filly but the haze of the storm had swallowed her up. Without wasting another second, she leapt out of the window and spread her wings wide.

The harsh, cold wind bit at her eyes, making it extremely tough to see where she was flying. She shivered mid-flight, making a mental note to smack Cloud Kicker upside the head the next time she saw her for convincing everypony to make the storm so strong.

She flew through the fury of the storm, her head darting all over the place as she desperately looked for the filly below her. Just as the cold was starting to become more than she could bear, she spotted a faint, dark blur just in front of her. Slowing down to a hover, she had to squint her eyes and shield them with a hoof from the biting wind.

With a victorious smile, she flew down towards her target who kept trudging through the thick snow. As she neared the filly, Dash finally recognized her: the orange coat, unruly purple mane and tiny wings buzzing furiously to generate some warmth could only belong to one pony.

What in Equestria is she doing out at a time like this? Rainbow thought, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Flapping her wings to land in front of the distraught filly, she called out, “Scootaloo, what are you doing out here? It’s freezing!” Scootaloo didn’t respond, keeping her head lowered as she fought against the wind for each and every step. Her hooves sunk into the snow, nearly up to her knees.

Rainbow cocked her head to the side in confusion, something just didn’t feel right with her. “Scootaloo! Hey! What are you–” she yelled through the wind just as Scootaloo bumped right into her.

As the shivering filly looked up at her in confusion, Rainbow’s gaze was instantly drawn to a big and ugly red bump on her forehead beside her right ear. Her eyes wide and her tone heavy with anger and worry, she yelled, “Scoots! What the hay happened to–” but she was cut off when Scootaloo suddenly grabbed her forelegs tightly, as if she was holding on for dear life.

Rainbow was taken aback. She had expected for Scootaloo to greet her in her usual chipper voice, but that wasn’t the only thing that shocked her: the filly was absolutely frigid and she was trembling from head to tail. She was covered in snow, most of it centered in her mane and on her flank.

"Jeez, squirt, you're an ice cube!" Rainbow ripped the scarf from her own neck and wrapped it around Scootaloo's. As the cold wind started biting at her muzzle once more, Rainbow lowered her head and held one of her wings behind the filly, shielding the both of them from the worst of the wind.

She wrapped her other wing around the freezing filly and awkwardly stuttered, “U-umm… there, there, Scoots… everything’s alright…” She was standing rather clumsily, so she gingerly sat down, wincing as the snow quickly stole any warmth that her rear once held.

“No, no it’s not!” Scootaloo sobbed, her words becoming nearly unintelligible from her constant shivers. “I ca–can’t go home anymore. I can’t take it!”

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, kid! Now, why can't you go..." Rainbow's words trailed off, her eyes spotting the bruise on her head once more. "Scootaloo, what happened?” Scootaloo tried to say something, but her words were lost under the intensity of her shivering. She felt the filly’s grip tighten on her legs. Rainbow struggled to hear her, but the harsh wind pinned her ears back, making it difficult to hear anything other than the wind. “Come on, let’s get out of the cold and go up to my place. We’ll figure out your little problem there, okay?” Rainbow yelled, smiling warmly.

Guided by Rainbow’s gentle hoof, Scootaloo slowly looked up. As their eyes met, Rainbow saw a small flicker of hope in her wide, tearful eyes. With a reassuring grin, Rainbow picked up the shivering filly and placed her on her back, right in front of her wings. “Hold on!” she yelled over her shoulder as she took off, flying upwards in fluid circles to gain altitude.

The blinding snow, the howling wind, and a shivering filly did not make the return flight easy, but soon enough Rainbow landed on her front porch. Feeling the snow start to build up on her, she hurriedly pushed the door open and bolted inside. She slammed the door shut behind her, smiling in relief as a glorious wave of heat washed over the two of them.

Rainbow let the freezing filly slide off of her back onto the warm, soft cloud that made up her floor. Brushing the snow from Scootaloo’s back with her wings till she was satisfied the shaking filly was clean, she led her into the living room, shaking the snow from her own mane and tail along the way. Looking down at her young friend, she softly asked, “Hey, how does some hot chocolate sound? You want some?”

“Yeah… yeah, that’d be nice,” Scootaloo said, climbing up onto Rainbow’s couch. Sinking down into one of the cushions, she curled up into a ball and laid her head on a foreleg, wrapping her tail around herself.

Rainbow trotted into the kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove to heat up. She kept an eye on Scootaloo, glancing over her shoulder every ten seconds or so. The filly was still shivering, and as she watched, Scootaloo moved to curl up in one of the corners of the couch.

She might need a blanket... she thought before making her mind up a second later. Yeah, let’s go grab one for her... Leaving the pot of water on the stove, she trotted over to a closet and grabbed one of the quilts she had folded near the bottom. She balanced it on her back and walked back over to the couch. As Scootaloo looked up at her, Rainbow unfolded the patchwork blanket and tucked it around her.

“That gonna be enough, squirt, or do you want more?” Rainbow asked with a little smile.

Scootaloo waited a second to respond, letting the fluffy quilt warm her up. “I–I think this’ll be enough, thanks,” she replied through chattering teeth, smiling gratefully. She pulled the blanket close and wrapped it around her freezing hooves, digging even deeper into the cocoon of the couch and the quilt.

After another minute passed, Rainbow poured the hot water into a pair of waiting mugs. She poured a couple good spoonfuls of the hot chocolate mix into their mugs and tossed a few small marshmallows on top for good measure. Putting them on a small tray, she gingerly lifted it with her mouth and slowly walked back to the couch. She set the tray on the coffee table, then sat down next to Scootaloo.

“Careful squirt, it’s still pretty hot,” Rainbow said as she handed one of the mugs to Scootaloo, wrapping her hooves around her own warm mug. “So, um... why don’t we start from the beginning?” As she raised the mug to her lips to take a sip, Dash felt a cold draft run over her, making a shiver run down her spine. “Ugh, hang on a sec, I left my bedroom window open.”

“O–okay,” Scootaloo replied, taking a sip from her mug.

Getting up from her seat, Rainbow trotted upstairs and closed the window, but the damage was already done; her room was freezing and snow was scattered all around the windowsill. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she cranked up the heat in the house and went back down to the living room, where Scootaloo was calmly sipping away at her drink.

“Heh, is it okay if we share that quilt? It’s getting a little chilly in here,” Rainbow asked as she sat back down. After a small nod from Scootaloo, she grabbed one end and wrapped it around her. Settling down next to the filly, she asked, “Alright then... what’s up?” She grabbed her mug from the coffee table. Taking a small sip, she smiled contentedly as the sweet liquid caressed her taste buds. She lowered her mug and looked down at the young filly beside her, tensely waiting for her to begin.

“Do you… do you promise not to tell anypony?” Scootaloo waited until Rainbow nodded silently a couple of moments later. “I… I messed up really bad this time,” Scootaloo started a little hesitantly. “I can’t go home anymore....”

“What? Of course you can, squirt. Your parents still love you, and they’re probably worried sick trying to find–”

“No, they’re not!” Scootaloo exclaimed, hitting her hooves on the couch. Rainbow tensed up at the display, but said nothing. Scootaloo took a moment to calm down, then started explaining. “My… parents,” she spat the word with hate that didn’t fade as she continued speaking, “I... I hate them.” Scootaloo took a breath, the furrows in her brow growing deeper. “They always make jokes about my wings! If I ask them for even the littlest thing, my dad will... he’ll‒he’ll hit me!”

“Scootaloo, I… um…” Any words of comfort died on Rainbow’s tongue. This was completely foreign territory to her. Ponyville had a record for being one of the friendliest towns around; that had been the main reason why she’d moved here after graduating from flight school.

“All I want is for us to be a happy family! I mean, is that too much to ask for?” Scootaloo choked up a bit as the tears raced her cheeks. “Every time Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle go home, they go home to families that are happy to see them. Heck, I can’t even remember the last time my parents said they loved me!” Scootaloo wiped her eyes, her voice cracking under the weight of her words. “Today was the last straw. I couldn’t stand it anymore!” She cast her bleary eyes up at her. “All I wanted was to have a happy family. I didn’t want this to happen! You have to believe me!”

“What did you do? I mean, it can’t be that bad… right?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side with a nervous smile. When Scootaloo didn’t respond, she leaned in closer, placing a reassuring hoof on Scootaloo’s back. “Scoots, what did you do?”

“I… I...” Scootaloo trailed off angrily as she stared straight ahead, gripping her mug tighter and tighter. “I threw out my dad’s booze.”

“Wait, did you really–”

“I did! I poured all the bottles down the drain right before he caught me. I tried to tell them that the drinks were making things worse, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He only got angrier and angrier, and I don’t know if it was from the alcohol or from the fight with my mom, but my dad, he… he…” Scootaloo winced as what happened flashed through her mind once more. “He started throwing the empty bottles at me... I dodged most of them, but he got me with the last one, right here...” Scootaloo said, pointing at the large bruise on her head. “After that, I ran out the back door. I ran for I don’t know how long, and I had no idea where I was going.”

“He what?!” Rainbow bolted upright in shock. “Why?” Dumb question... she just told you... She jumped off of the couch and trotted around the living room, flaring her wings in preparation to fly as fast she could. “Scootaloo, we have to tell someone about this.”

“No!” Scootaloo cried out from the couch, making Rainbow stop. “You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone!”

Rainbow bristled in place for a moment. She does have a point… she thought begrudgingly. “Scootaloo, for something like this, I... I can’t just keep it all under wraps like you want,” she said. Rainbow walked back over to the couch and laid down next to Scootaloo again, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. “I’m sorry, Scoots. I just can’t sit still knowing that there’s something I can do,” Rainbow said, seething on the inside. She wanted to go beat the hay out of Scootaloo’s parents, but as much as she hated to admit it, she had promised she wouldn’t tell anyone. “Ugh... I really want to go teach them a lesson,” Rainbow said, her tone filled with ice.

Scootaloo laid a hoof on one of Rainbow’s, making her look down at her. “You can’t do that, and you know it, Rainbow,” she said softly but firmly. Her grip tightened on Dash’s hoof as she continued, “I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me; I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Please, promise me you won’t hurt them.”

“Scootaloo, I… I…” Rainbow once again found herself at a loss for words. She tried to come up with a reason to teach the filly’s parents a lesson, but she felt the grip on her hoof tighten.

“Promise me.”

Rainbow looked down into Scootaloo’s eyes. A few moments later she sighed as she gave in. “Alright, I promise you I won’t touch them,” she said begrudgingly.

Scootaloo sighed in relief. “Thanks, that–”

“But that changes the moment either one of them lays a hoof on you, understand?” Rainbow interjected. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths to calm her racing nerves. “I’ll be there the moment they try to hurt you...” A few tense moments passed in silence. “Sooo, anyways…” she began, trying her best to defuse the tension in the air. “I guess you’re kinda lucky that you walked under my house tonight,” Rainbow teased gently, nudging her with a wing. “Otherwise, you’d have probably gotten your cutie mark in becoming the first frozen filly!” she said, trying her hardest to make her young friend smile, and to her immense relief, she did.

“Yeah, I don’t know what my friends would say about that,” Scootaloo replied with a small giggle as she finished her drink, relieved that Rainbow wasn’t going to go out and do something she might regret. As Rainbow started chuckling, she couldn’t help but get caught up in the contagious laughter, and moments later, the two of them were both cackling at the absurdity of the idea. Settling down a minute later, Scootaloo wiped her eyes with a hoof and continued, “Anyways, if it’s okay with you, can I…” she trailed off as she glanced to the side, scratching the back of her head.

“Can you what?” Rainbow asked as she finished the rest of her drink. Once Scootaloo finished hers, she placed both of their mugs back down on the coffee table.

“Is it okay if I stay here for the night? I really don’t want to go back outside, and I don’t know where else I could go…” Scootaloo said as she pulled the quilt tighter to herself, looking up hopefully at Rainbow.

“Of course you can, squirt! Like I’d throw out a friend…” Rainbow said as she feigned being offended. She gave her a playful nudge, eliciting a relieved giggle from the filly. “I, uhh… I don’t have another bed besides my own, but the couch is all yours if you want it. I’ll be back in a minute with some pillows for ya.” Rainbow slid off of the couch and started to trot towards the stairs.

“Wait!” Scootaloo exclaimed, holding out an outstretched hoof in Rainbow’s direction. She let the blankets fall from her shoulders, making herself shiver from the change in temperature. “I mean, umm…” She glanced from side to side nervously before she continued, “I… don’t wanna be alone, so is it okay if we, you know… sleep together?”

Rainbow blinked, then gave a gentle smile a moment later. “Su–sure, squirt.” She trotted back over to the couch and bent down, letting Scootaloo clamber onto her back. “Come on, let’s get going, then. I’m pretty sure you’re exhausted after what happened today, huh? I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t tired, too.”

“Yeah, maybe a little bit,” Scootaloo replied through a loud yawn. Rainbow gave her a funny look. “Okay... maybe a lot.”

“Hehe... thought so,” Rainbow said. Carefully keeping Scootaloo balanced on her back, she trotted upstairs and into her toasty bedroom. “Hold on tight, squirt,” Rainbow said as she approached the bed. Once Scootaloo tightened her grip, she flapped her wings once, propelling the both of them onto the bed.

She walked a few short steps across the bed and flopped down next to her pillows, letting Scootaloo fall down onto the pillows with a soft oomph. Flicking the sheets open with a wing, she slid under them and arranged her pillows to her liking. A moment later, she glanced up to see Scootaloo standing right where she left her, poking at the edge of the sheets with a hoof.

“Hey, whatcha waitin’ for, Scoots?” Rainbow asked as she lifted a welcoming wing, motioning for the filly to join her.

“No– nothing.” She took a tentative step forward but paused again, frowning in confusion as her hoof sunk deeper into the mattress. Scootaloo glanced up, an inquisitive look upon her face.

Rainbow couldn’t help but giggle at the confused look on her face. “It’s a cloud mattress, squirt; that’s why it’s so soft.” Letting loose a rather loud yawn, she closed her eyes reflexively. Stretching out under the sheets, she opened her eyes in surprise as she felt something warm press up against her side. Looking down, she saw Scootaloo had curled up next to her, pressing her back against her side.

“Rainbow? Can you, umm… can you wrap one of your wings around me? I used to imagine that my mom would do that with me when I was younger, and it… I don’t know, it always helped me fall asleep.” She shifted nervously as she glanced up at Rainbow, silently praying to Celestia that she would say yes.

“You bet, Scootaloo…” Rainbow said with a gentle smile as she laid a wing around Scootaloo, pulling her closer. A moment later she felt Scootaloo lay her head on her foreleg, making herself comfortable on the makeshift pillow.

Part of her wondered why anypony would want to hurt such a gentle filly, while the other part wanted to smack the living hay out of Scootaloo’s parents until they couldn’t walk straight. As she watched the younger pegasus relax in her embrace, something suddenly broke inside her, and she couldn’t help but let a tear slip out of her eye as she felt Scootaloo snuggle even closer to her. Struggling to keep her composure, she quickly wiped the tear from her muzzle before the filly saw.

It felt so right to have a filly, to take care of something so precious even if it was only for a night. It pained her greatly because she knew that Scootaloo was hurt by somepony that she should have been able to love and trust. Rainbow knew that she had to do something, but it would have to wait until tomorrow. She flicked her tail so that it fell around the filly and pulled the sheets back up around them with a hoof, taking care not to disturb her.

“Hey… Rainbow?” Scootaloo softly asked as she enjoyed the blissful warmth.

“Mmm… yeah?” Rainbow murmured as she shifted slightly, laying her head down on a pillow. Using a hoof, she pushed it into a better position and relaxed, waiting for Scootaloo’s response.

“I just want to say… thanks,” came her soft reply. “This really means a lot to me…”

“Anytime, Scootaloo… anytime...” Rainbow whispered back as she slowly slipped into the realm of dreams. I'll figure something out… I always do…

The Confrontation

Rainbow groaned and slowly woke up. She shifted to a more comfortable position and pulled her pillow closer to her chest, smiling contentedly as its warmth slowly seeped back into her. She started to fall back asleep and let out a soft sigh as she dipped lightly into the world of dreams. She would have returned completely, but a cold draft blew across her, causing her to shiver. Dragging the covers up past her shoulders, she tucked them in around herself, blocking out the cold. Finally relaxing, she only got to enjoy her cocoon for a couple moments before the pillow she was snuggling with twitched, stealing some of her blankets back.

Rainbow let out a confused groan, cracking her eye open to see why her pillow was stealing the covers. Seeing a small tuft of purple mane coming from under the edge of the blanket, she slowly pushed it up with a wing, revealing not a pillow, but Scootaloo curled up against her. Remembering that she’d stayed the night with her, Rainbow cracked a smile as she watched Scootaloo’s barrel rise and fall with every small breath she took. Happy that the tormented filly could have at least one peaceful night of rest, she gently laid the covers back down over the two of them, doing her best to not wake the sleeping filly.

Just as she was about to lay her head down once more and get a few more hours of sleep, she heard a yawn emerge from underneath the sheets. Darn, I woke her up… Rainbow thought as she felt Scootaloo squirm again. Sitting up, she watched as Scootaloo rolled over onto her belly. She stayed silent as the filly pushed the covers off her and cast her tired eyes around the room, quickly becoming confused by the unfamiliar surroundings.

“What the…” Scootaloo started to say before the older pegasus gently spoke up from behind her.

“Hey squirt,” Rainbow said softly. “You slept over at my place, remember?”

Scootaloo’s head whipped around in shock at the sound of her voice. As soon as her gaze met the cyan coat, magenta eyes, and brilliant rainbow mane of her idol, she calmed down. Her fears near-instantly put to rest, she settled back down onto the bed.

“Oh, yeah… guess I kinda forgot, huh?” Scootaloo asked with a nervous laugh. Standing up and stretching her legs and wings, she let loose a loud yawn.

“So, um… how’s your head feeling?” Rainbow asked, gingerly plucking away a few strands of Scootaloo’s mane to get a better look.

“Pfft. I’m tough like you, remember?” Scootaloo asked. She winced as Rainbow touched her bruise, and she shot a very obviously false grin at her, trying to play cool. “Uh, heh… S–see?”

“Yeah, I guess it’s looking a bit better than yesterday…” Rainbow said, leaning in to get a closer look. The bruise wasn’t as big as it was last night, but it still bore the same angry purple color.

“Yeah, it doesn’t hurt that bad anymore. I can only feel it if somepony touches it,” she said as her stomach released a loud grumble.

“That’s good, I guess… Well, in any case, it sounds like somepony is hungry!” Rainbow teased, making the filly smile sheepishly. She flicked her head and asked, “Say, why don’t we grab something to eat over at Sugarcube Corner? I’m sure Pinkie can whip us up something yummy!”

Tossing the rest of the covers off herself, Dash slid out of bed and made her way towards her bedroom door. At the mention of food, she started to feel a bit hungry herself and wanted to get a move on. Not one to waste time, Rainbow looked back over her shoulder and found Scootaloo still sitting on the edge of the bed. “Uh, you coming?”

“Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something,” Scootaloo said. Hopping off the bed, she trotted past Rainbow. “Waiting on you, Rainbow!” she yelled, looking over her shoulder with a sly grin. She bolted down the hallway, flapping her wings for extra speed. She neared the top of the staircase and was just about to run downstairs when a cyan blur rocketed past her, ruffling her feathers and mane.

Flaring her wings to slow down, Rainbow gracefully landed a few feet from her front door. She looked back at the top of the stairs, meeting Scootaloo’s slack-jawed gaze with a confident smirk. “Oh, I’m sorry, you say something, squirt?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m comin’,” she said as she trotted down the steps with a small smile on her face. Scootaloo reached the bottom of the staircase and made her way over to Rainbow, walking outside with her. The cold air bit at Scootaloo’s coat, making her shiver slightly. She tried to hide it, but Rainbow noticed that she was shaking a moment later.

“Hey squirt, you know I can grab you a scarf if you’re cold,” Rainbow said as she sat down beside Scootaloo, holding out a wing to block the cold wind. “You want one?”

“Nah, I’m good!” Scootaloo replied, puffing her chest out. She tried her hardest to stop shivering, and, to her relief, succeeded.

Well, it seems the tough little filly is back… I think that’s a good sign… “Alright. It’s not like we’re gonna be out here for a long time anyways; we’ll be at Sugarcube Corner in a minute,” Rainbow said as she bent forward to allow Scootaloo to climb onto her back.

As soon as Scootaloo had a good grip, Rainbow extended her wings and walked off the cloud, letting a draft of air support them as they glided away from the house. Tilting her left wing, she banked towards the direction of Ponyville and flapped her wings several times, propelling them away from the house. Stilling her wings, Rainbow found another draft of air and lazily glided on it. Playfully dodging a few clouds that were floating around, she targeted Sugarcube Corner and gave a few more strong flaps. The closer they got, the stronger the scents of cinnamon, sugar, and freshly baked pastries became. Flicking her ears back, she was just able to make out the sounds Scootaloo’s belly grumbling.

After flying a wide loop around the bakery to slow down, Rainbow flared her wings as she neared the ground. She touched down a moment later, the snow cushioning the impact. Coming to a halt, she folded her wings and knelt down, letting Scootaloo slide off of her. “Come on, let’s get outta the cold,” Rainbow said as she trotted forward towards the entrance of the bakery. She held the door open with a wing for the filly and followed her inside a moment later.

As the door shut behind them, Rainbow smelled all sorts of delectable scents overpowering her nostrils. The air inside the bakery was warm and smelled very sweet, like someone was making a fresh batch of honey-dipped pastries. Walking around the corner, she saw Pinkie Pie pulling a pan of muffins from the oven.

“Ow-ow-ow, that’s hot!” Pinkie exclaimed, dropping the hot pan onto the counter adjacent the oven. “One moment!” she called over her shoulder. She tossed the oven mitts onto the counter, and upon hearing Rainbow clear her throat, Pinkie looked up with a wide smile to greet them.

“Heya, Dashie!” Pinkie said happily as she propped her two front hooves on the counter. “Oh, one sec!” She turned and grabbed the tray of muffins, then placed it on the counter between them. “What can I get for ya?” She peered over the counter and looked down at Scootaloo, who was eyeing the steaming muffins. “Oh hey, you brought Scootaloo too! Oh my gosh, that totally rhymed!” Giggling at her little joke, she couldn’t help but snort as she lost herself in a small fit of laughter.

“Yeah, hey Pinks,” Rainbow said with a smile. “Whatcha got there?” She nodded towards the pan sitting between them on the counter, her stomach grumbling too as the scent from the muffins found its way into her nose.

“Oh, you mean these?” Pinkie asked, trying to stifle her giggles with a hoof. “These are chocolate chip and blueberry muffins fresh from the oven! You want some?”

“Yeah, they smell delicious!” Scootaloo piped up, making Rainbow chuckle at her little outburst.

“We’ll take two,” Rainbow said as she reached for her nonexistent saddlebag. Feeling around her croup, she frantically looked back and realized that she had left her money back at her place. Turning back around, she chuckled nervously and said, “Hey... I kinda forgot to bring some bits… Is it okay if I pay you back later?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, you silly filly!” Pinkie exclaimed. “These are on the house!” She pulled two muffins out of the pan and slid them towards the pair on plates. “Let me know how they turned out; this was my first time making this recipe!”

“Thanks, will do!” Rainbow said, placing the two plates on her back. She opened her wings to keep the plates from falling off and trotted over to one of the many empty tables in the store. Grabbing one plate at a time, she set them down on the table and hopped up into a chair.

Scootaloo clambered onto the chair opposite her and pulled one of the plates towards her, her motions mirroring Rainbow’s. Licking her lips hungrily, she grabbed the culinary delicacy in her hooves and devoured it in a matter of seconds, scattering crumbs all over the place.

“Dang, Scoots! Did you eat it or inhale it?!” Rainbow exclaimed as Scootaloo placed the empty wrapper back down on the plate. “Were you starving or something? Sheesh…”

She picked up her own muffin and took a bite, but stopped when she noticed that Scootaloo was shifting nervously in her seat. The orange filly stared at the floor silently, avoiding Rainbow’s gaze while she played with her hooves. Setting her muffin down on her plate, Rainbow started to feel more and more uneasy as Scootaloo remained silent. Rainbow unfurled a wing and used it to gently guide Scootaloo’s face to look back towards her. “Scootaloo, don’t mess around here. When was the last time you ate?”

“I… I didn’t have anything to eat last night…” Scootaloo said as her stomach released another loud grumble. “Well, besides the hot chocolate you made us, that is...”

“Wait, what?” Rainbow asked in shock as she sat up straight. “Please tell me your parents at least fed you yesterday.”

Scootaloo poked her empty wrapper for a few seconds before she responded. “They, um… no, not really,” Scootaloo meekly said as she shuffled one of her forelegs. “I usually have to snatch something from the pantry or find something to eat at one of my friend’s houses.” She glanced up at Rainbow and recoiled at the mare’s angry expression.

“Woah woah woah, let me get this straight,” Rainbow said darkly, her tone heavy with a barely concealed rage. “Your parents don’t feed you?”

“Well… they do sometimes, but not really… They just spend most of their money on alcohol.”

Rainbow didn’t respond. Instead, she stared wide-eyed at the filly, her jaw tight. Her wings tried to flare out from the fire surging through her veins, but she kept them in check. As she struggled to figure out her response, she thought, What if she can’t fly because… NO! Oh no no no no... Rainbow couldn’t finish the thought; the answer was much too disturbing for her to even think about. There is no way that Scootaloo’s mom could have been that irresponsible...

It was common knowledge that if anypony drank alcohol while pregnant, their foal could be born with some serious defects. Earth pony foals could grow up to be weak, unicorn foals could have stunted magical abilities, and for pegasi, their foals could have underdeveloped wings. With that realization, everything suddenly clicked into place inside Rainbow’s mind. Her right eye started twitching, and she stared blankly at the wall behind Scootaloo. There was no way that she was going to stand by and do nothing. She had to do something about this.

Sliding out of her seat, Rainbow scarfed down the rest of her muffin before saying, “Come on, I want to have a word with your parents…” Grabbing another couple of muffins from the counter, she tossed them to Scootaloo, waiting as patiently as she could for Scootaloo to eat them. When she was finished, Rainbow gestured towards the door with a wing. “You ready to go, squirt?”

“Yeah, I guess…” Scootaloo said, sliding out of her seat.

“So... um, where do you live?” Rainbow asked as they exited the bakery. When Scootaloo didn’t respond right away, she sat down next to her and continued in a softer voice. “Listen, I promised you last night I wouldn’t hurt them. I just want to talk to them and figure things out, alright?”

“O… okay,” Scootaloo said, shaking snow off her hooves. “It’s this way.” She gestured in the direction that they were facing and started trotting forward.

All around them, ponies played in the thick snow from last night’s storm, but Rainbow was in no mood to join them. She was on a mission: she was going to set Scootaloo’s parents straight. She would have flown there with all of her speed, but she was forced to absently follow Scootaloo at her slow pace. After they left the outskirts of town, Rainbow started wondering how much further they had to go.

As if she was reading Rainbow’s thought’s, Scootaloo spoke up. “My place is just right around the corner…” And, true to her words, a minute later her house–if it could be called that–popped up from behind a thick grove of trees. Most of the windows were cracked and it looked as if the entire structure was on the verge of collapsing in on itself. The wooden fence surrounding the property seemed like nopony had tended to it in ages, and random pieces of debris littered the whole place.

As they neared the dilapidated structure, Rainbow winced as she looked about. Scootaloo lives here!? There’s no way… Her thoughts were rudely broken by a horrible stench invading her nostrils: the entire area smelled like garbage. Looking around, she grew more and more shocked by all the refuse scattered all over the place. There was enough trash that one could barely walk through it all. Cringing, Rainbow spotted several half eaten apples lying in a puddle of a mysterious pale green liquid that reeked of rot and decay near the front gate. Cocking an eyebrow, she glanced down at the filly and asked, “You’re joking, right?”

Scootaloo’s shoulders slumped a little before she responded. “No, I’m not… Come on, I’ll let us in…” The two of them climbed the two stairs that led to the front door, and she gently pushed it open.

As they closed the door behind them, Rainbow thought, Remember, Dash, don’t judge them until you actually meet them…

“About damn time you got back, you useless runt! I hope you know yer in big heaps o’ trouble for that damned little stunt you pulled yesterday!” came a rough, female voice from just around the corner.

“Umm, guys? We have a guest!” Scootaloo called back, her voice shaky and heavy with fear.

“What?! Who the hell is it?” the same voice called back angrily, this time a little louder.

Well, this is already off to a great start… Rainbow seethed as she hopped into the air, flying to land in front of Scootaloo. After glancing at her over her shoulder, Rainbow kept her anger in check as she rounded the corner. Two ponies, both pegasi, were sitting on separate couches. Scootaloo’s father, a brown pegasus, was laying on his side with a bottle of hard liquor and a magazine that was way beyond Scootaloo’s age range. He glanced up from his position, staring at her. Rainbow felt a little nervous from how he was looking at her, but she quelled her fears. A moment later, he took another swig from the bottle and closed his magazine.

Rainbow shot a look at who she assumed was Scootaloo’s mother. “So, uh... Scootaloo-”

“Who are you?” Scootaloo’s father roughly asked. He sat up and tossed his magazine on the coffee table.

“Hi... um, my name is Rainbow Dash and I let Scootaloo sleep at my house last night,” Rainbow said carefully. “I wanted to talk to you about how you treat her. She’s told me some pretty crazy things...” She sat down on her haunches and motioned for Scootaloo to sit next to her.

“Ugh… You want to handle this one?” Scootaloo’s father drawled as he looked over at his wife. His thick, drunken tone made it difficult for Rainbow to understand him, and he reeked of alcohol, making her nearly reel back in disgust. He had a rather large gut, and it looked like he hadn’t showered in days, maybe even weeks. Both his light blue mane and tail were unkempt and greasy-looking.

“Oh, you’re a useless piece of trash, you know that?” Scootaloo’s mother, a light green pegasus, replied haughtily from her position on her couch. When her husband didn’t respond, she got up and threw the book that she’d been reading at him, hitting him just under the ear. “You don’t do nothin’ ‘round here! All you do is drink and read yer dirty magazines!”

“Hey, I–” Rainbow Dash tried to say before Scootaloo’s mother glared at her, making her quiet.

“Oh, I’ll deal with you in a minute, missy!” The green pegasus yelled at Rainbow, making her take a step back in shock. Turning her attention back to her husband, she yelled, “I’ve asked you a hundred times to clean the damn yard! You haven’t cleared it in months!” She stood over him and stared at him until he spoke.

Scootaloo’s father took his time finishing his drink before he responded, “Oh, shut up you old hag. I’m gonna get another drink.” To his wife’s astonishment, he got up and shoved her aside. He walked past Rainbow and Scootaloo and trotted around the corner, further down the hallway.

With a disgruntled huff, Scootaloo’s mom finally turned to Rainbow Dash. “And just who might you be?” she asked in distaste.

Uh, I’m pretty sure I already said what my name was... “I’m Rainbow Dash, one of your daughter’s friends,” Rainbow said, slightly offended by the other pony’s attitude. She tensed up and laid a wing around Scootaloo’s shoulders, pulling her a little closer. She didn’t like the way she was being treated, which made her wonder what Scootaloo had to put up with on a daily basis. Scootaloo shifted closer to her, pushing herself up against her right hind leg.

“Our daughter? Oh, you mean that worthless, no good, flightless filly that’s always getting into all sorts of trouble?”

“She’s not worthless,” Rainbow shot back. “Just because she can’t fly now doesn’t mean that she won’t be able to later. Right, Scootaloo?” she asked, looking down at her. Scootaloo didn’t say a word, only giving her a nervous nod.

Scootaloo’s mother huffed. “Sure, I suppose that might happen, but I doubt it. At Scootaloo’s age, I had already been flying for nearly a year. If she’s not flying in the next couple of months, I doubt she’ll ever fly.” She turned around and straightened up the few pillows they had on the couch, then grabbed a duster. “Do you know what she did yesterday?” She grabbed a bottle of liquor on the coffee table and took a large swig from it. Coughing, she set it aside and shook her head in disgust. “Ugh… why do I even drink this trash?” she asked herself.

“Yeah, she told me after you guys attacked her and drove her out into one of the worst snow storms of the season ever!” Rainbow retorted through gritted teeth. “I found her crying under my bucking house in the middle of the night!”

“So?” the mother asked. “She can fend fo–”

“So? So? Do you even care about your daughter?” Rainbow screamed at Scootaloo’s mother. She felt Scootaloo grab her hind leg and squeeze, but that didn’t stop her from continuing her rant. “If I hadn’t found her, she could have gotten really sick! She could have died!”

“Well, we didn’t make her run away!” Scootaloo’s mother said defiantly as she slid off the couch. She walked up to Rainbow and sat down, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. “Look... I didn’t want her to run away, but she didn’t really give us a choice. My husband was drunk last night, and when he got up to fix himself another drink, I guess that’s when he saw Scootaloo pouring the drinks down the drain.” She rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. “All I heard was a bunch of glass smashing in the kitchen. I was upstairs cleaning, and by the time I got downstairs Scootaloo had already ran out the back door! I tried to find her outside, but she was gone.”

“Well, apparently you didn’t try hard enough,” Scootaloo’s father said as he walked back into the living room. “Do I assume correctly that she told you what she did to my stash last night?”

“Yeah, she did! Do you even know why she did that?” Rainbow growled as she stomped her front hooves on the floor.

“Yeah! She hates us!”

“No, she doesn’t! Scootaloo got rid of your drinks because she thinks that it ruined your family. All she wants is a happy family like the rest of her friends, but your obsession with drinking has completely ruined that for her!”

“Oh, give us a break! That stupid filly–” Scootaloo’s mother managed to say before Rainbow shoved her, making her fall on her side.

“Don’t call her that,” Rainbow said with an edge in her voice. She had only meant to push her back a few feet, but it seemed like Scootaloo’s mother had had too much to drink. Rainbow breathed heavily as she waited for Scootaloo’s mother to get up. She beat a hoof on the wooden floor as if she was about to charge at her, but Scootaloo suddenly tightened her grip on her leg.

“Rainbow, it’s… stop, please? You promised me you wouldn’t hurt them…” Scootaloo suddenly said, making sure not to make eye contact with her parents. “It’s okay, I can–”

“No, it’s not!” Rainbow said angrily, cutting the filly off. She turned her attention back to the stallion and said, “Scootaloo’s gonna live with me for a while. She deserves so much better than...” She gestured around the room. “This!”

“Oh, I don’t think so. What makes you think that I’m just gonna let my daughter leave with you?” Scootaloo’s mother asked haughtily. “She’s staying here with us, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.” Turning her attention to Scootaloo, she barked, “Go up to your room. Your father will be up later to have a talk with you.”

“Uh-uh! Come on, Scoots, let’s get outta here. You’re coming with me!” Rainbow said as she turned around to leave, walking back towards the front door. Hearing a small sniffle, she looked back in concern and saw that Scootaloo wasn’t following her. In fact, she was going in the opposite direction, heading towards the stairs. “Uh… Scoots? Are y–you coming?” she asked, fearing the possibility that she might not go with her.

“I… I can’t,” Scootaloo sniffled, trying to hold back her tears. “Things would just get worse for me if I went with you…” She turned away from her and dejectedly started walking up the stairs towards her bedroom, her head hung low in defeat. Pausing halfway, she cast her gaze to the side and said, “Thanks for... Thanks for letting me stay with you last night…”

“Wha… Scoots?” Rainbow asked hesitantly as she watched her climb up the few remaining steps and walk around the corner.

“Now, I think it’s time for you to leave, you,” the green pegasus said, walking around the corner. She sidestepped Rainbow and opened the door, gesturing rudely for her to leave. But when she noticed Rainbow turning towards the stairs, she quickly jumped in front of her and started pushing her out the open door.

Remembering the promise she made Scootaloo, Rainbow didn’t fight back and allowed herself to be corralled out the door. If she had retaliated, though, Scootaloo’s parents would have been in for a world of hurt. But her promise meant a lot more than the satisfaction of teaching those two ponies a lesson did.

“I’ll be back later!” Rainbow yelled as she was roughly shoved out onto the front porch. “And if I find out that you laid a bucking hoof on her, I’ll beat you so hard nopony will be able to recognize you!”

“She’s mah daughter, I can do whatever I… whatever I want,” Scootaloo’s mother said in a menacing tone, swaying back and forth a bit. Walking back inside, she yelled, “And if I ever see you come back around here again, I’ll have you thrown in jail!” She slammed the front door with a resounding thud before Rainbow could respond.

“Nopony deserves the sort of crap you put her through. Nopony!” Rainbow yelled at the house. Flapping her wings, she angrily took off, making a beeline for the library. I gotta tell Twilight about this. Maybe she can help!

She didn’t see Scootaloo wave goodbye from her bedroom upstairs.

A Shocking Discovery

Twilight sat down at her desk upstairs. She had just finished her morning routine of cleaning both her bedroom and the main room downstairs and was just about to work on another assignment from Celestia when she heard something smash downstairs, startling her.

Not knowing what to expect, she charged her horn with a defensive spell just in case. She crept to her bedroom door and quietly pulled it open, wincing as the hinges creaked. Peering through the crack, Twilight didn’t see anything at first, so she pulled the door open a little wider. A moment later, she finally spotted what, or who in this case, had caused all the ruckus.

“Rainbow! How much of the library are you going to destroy?” Twilight angrily asked as she whipped open her bedroom door. Stomping down the steps, she focused her magic on the splintered remains of the front door and quickly put the pieces back together. Another simple spell was all that was needed to attach the door back to the frame. After Rainbow had lost control that one time and smashed into the library, Twilight had dedicated an hour a week learning household repair spells just to make cleanup a little easier. “You know, it’s a little annoying that you break something nearly every time you visit. You need to learn how to-”

“Twilight, stop! This is important!” Rainbow snapped. She ran forward and placed her forehooves on Twilight’s shoulders. “It’s about Scootaloo: she needs our help!”

“Scootaloo? What’s wrong with her? Wait…” A tiny smirk grew on Twilight’s face. “Okay, what did she and the rest of the Crusaders do now?”

“No, Twilight, it’s not that at all!” Rainbow shook her friend. “It’s about her parents! They abuse her!”

“Wait, hold on. What?” Twilight’s grin faltered as she gently pushed Rainbow off of her.

“You won’t believe what happened today! I went over to her house with her and I… and I…” Rainbow faltered as she clenched her teeth. Stomping her front hooves on the floor, she yelled, “I left her there! Gah! How could I have been so stupid?! I gotta go back and get her!” She turned and yanked the door back open. Flaring her wings, Rainbow jumped into the air and attempted to take flight through the open door, but just before she passed the threshold, something suddenly grabbed her tail, holding her in place.

Flapping her wings harder, Rainbow tried to break free, but all she accomplished was a few hairs being painfully yanked from her tail. Relaxing slightly, she glanced back at her friend and noticed her lit horn. “Let me go!” she shouted desperately, trying to shake herself free from Twilight’s magical grasp.

“Not until you tell me what the hay’s going on!” Twilight retorted, her wings bristling in apprehension. “You can’t just tell me that Scootaloo is being abused and then try to leave! Come on, Rainbow! You know better than that!”

Rainbow fought for a few more moments, but soon gave up, falling to the floor in a dejected heap. “Ugh! Fine!”

“Good! Now Rainbow, start from the beginning,” Twilight said firmly as she levitated a couple of cushions over to them. Setting them down in front of them, she rested on one and gestured for Rainbow to do the same. Satisfied that Rainbow wasn’t going to try and escape, Twilight closed the door with her magic.

“Twilight… I…” Rainbow huffed angrily as she sat down, trying to catch her breath. “You aren’t going to believe this…”

“Well, I’m not going to believe anything if you don’t tell me.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Remember last night? How we had that huge snowstorm?” Rainbow started poking at her cushion as she sorted her thoughts.

“Mhm?”

“Yeah, well, just as I was about to go to bed late last night, I found Scootaloo walking underneath my house.”

“Huh? What was she doing outside?” Twilight asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“That’s what I thought! So of course, me being me, I flew down to see what was up. I found her wandering around like she was in a daze. I called her name a couple of times and she didn’t even hear me! I landed right in front of her and she didn’t even see me until she walked right into me. When she finally looked up, her eyes were all glazed over like she was looking straight through me. But that’s not even the worst part. She had a huge bruise on her head because her father hit her with an empty liquor bottle!” Rainbow took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

“Wait, did she have a concussion?” Twilight asked, her voice full of concern. “Did she have any trouble remembering things when you were with her?”

“Well… she didn’t remember that she slept at my place when she woke up, if that counts. I mean, you would probably be the same way if you woke up in a totally different house, right?”

“Rainbow, I… I don’t know,” Twilight said as she shifted nervously. “How big was the bruise?”

“Um…” Rainbow scratched the back of her head with a hoof as she thought back to last night. “Let’s see…about a little smaller than the size of a mug? Yeah, that sounds about right.”

“About the size of a mug?!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Yeah. So I flew her up to my place and made us some hot chocolate, and she told me… well, she kinda told me everything.” Rainbow shuddered as memories from the previous night flowed through her mind.

“Everything?” Twilight prompted as Rainbow lost herself in her thoughts.

“Oh, sorry…” Rainbow took a deep breath before she continued. “Yeah, everything. Like how her parents don’t love her, how they don’t take care of her, how they don’t feed her much, and how her father drove her out of the house last night.”

The story finally shared, Rainbow stared at the floor, thankful to have shared her burden with somepony. As the silence dragged on, she felt a little awkward as she waited for Twilight to speak up. Looking up in curiosity, she jumped slightly when she saw Twilight’s expression. Saying that Twilight had a shocked look on her face would be a huge understatement. Her left ear was twitching, her muzzle was hanging open loosely, and her eyes were wide open.

“Yeah, Twilight. It’s that bad,” Rainbow said, her shaky voice breaking the silence between the two of them.

“Rainbow, I... How can her parents treat her like that?” Twilight finally asked.

“I don’t know!” Rainbow exclaimed, her wings twitching. “And when I tried to leave, I asked Scootaloo to come with me. I didn’t want to leave her in such an awful place, but you know what she said? She said no, saying that things would only get worse for her if she did!” Changing subjects, she fidgeted before she spat out, “On top of that, I think I know why Scoots can’t fly, and I’m pretty sure I’m right!”

“Um…”

Rainbow cut her off. “Scootaloo’s mom drank while she was pregnant with her.”

“What? There’s no way that she’d do that, Rainbow.”

“Yeah? Can you explain why Scoots has underdeveloped wings?! Her parents drink like it’s the end of the world!”

“Rainbow, I–”

“Well?!”

“I… I don’t know,” Twilight said unsurely. “There’s… no! Her mother wouldn’t do that!!”

“Twilight, have you ever met her parents?” Twilight stayed silent. “I didn’t think so. And you know what else? They live in a bucking dump on the outskirts of town!” Rainbow stood up once more. “Twilight, you should’ve seen her last night! She… she…” Rainbow trailed off as she choked on her words, her emotions getting the best of her. Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes, which were quickly wiped away. “It’s just, I… I can’t stand by and let Scootaloo stay there...”

Twilight was taken aback; she had never before seen such strong emotions coming from Rainbow in the time that they’d spent together. Standing up, she unfurled her wings and pulled Rainbow into a reassuring embrace with them, giving her a small nuzzle as well. As Rainbow slowly regained her composure, Twilight took a step back and confidently said, “I’ve heard all I need to hear, Rainbow. Let’s go get her!”

Landing on the road just outside the dilapidated structure, Rainbow held out a hoof, motioning for Twilight to come closer. “Twilight, listen,” Rainbow said in a hushed tone. “Scootaloo’s dad is–” A screech from inside the house made their heads snap towards the house. Rainbow didn’t waste a single second. She jumped into the air and rocketed across the yard, slammed through the front door, and landed inside the foyer, her head whipping around. Frantically, she searched for the source of the yell, but was only met with an eerie silence.

Entering the house with her horn lit and ready for action, Twilight found Rainbow pacing in place, unsure of where to go. Before she could ask what to do, Rainbow spotted Scootaloo’s mother sleeping on a couch, an empty bottle of liquor in her hoof. She ran up to the mare and violently shook her awake, sending the empty bottle to the floor. “Where the buck is she?!” Rainbow yelled at the drunken, half-awake, mare. She began to speak, but Rainbow stopped listening when she heard another scream come from the upper floor.

“Rainbow, this way!” Twilight called out as she galloped upstairs. Stopping on the landing, she glanced into an open room, but a whimpering sound quickly drew her attention to the only closed door at the end of the narrow hallway. Throwing it open with her magic, Twilight galloped forward and found a scene that shook her core.

Pinned beneath her father, Scootaloo held a thin, beaten pillow over herself in a vain attempt to shield herself from his raised hoof. Just as Scootaloo’s father’s hoof began to fall, Twilight whipped him off of Scootaloo with her magic and slammed him against the opposite wall. Trotting forward, she kept him pinned in place as she moved between the stallion and Scootaloo. She released Scootaloo’s father, letting gravity push him to the floor in a heap. Looking back behind her, Twilight found Scootaloo still cowering at the foot of her bed.

A couple moments passed before Rainbow burst into the room. Quickly locating that which she came to protect, she darted forward. “Scootaloo! Thank goodness you’re...” she started to say, trailing off when she saw just how messed up her favorite fan was.

Upon hearing her voice, Scootaloo cautiously glanced up. Her eyes full of tears and her ears pinned back, she looked like she was on the verge of breaking down, but that wasn’t what shocked Rainbow. As the pillow fell away, she noticed something terrible, something that made her heart plummet and twist her stomach into knots. No. Oh no no no no!

Scootaloo’s left wing was in ruin. She had it pinned to her side and it hung awkwardly. Rainbow knew what a broken wing looked like, and this was a bad one. A few feathers had been ripped out, showing that the monster that was Scootaloo’s father had tried to permanently ground her. Rainbow’s whole body prickled numb with anger.

“Rainbow! I knew you’d come ba-hack!” Scootaloo choked out as she let go of the pillow. She stood up on shaky legs and started limping over to Rainbow, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. She was only able to make a couple steps before Rainbow scooped her up in a hug, and as she felt the familiar and comforting embrace of her idol, she collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Rainbow could only stare at the crumpled wing and her body trembled with unfocused energy. She wanted to kick the monster the rest of the way through the wall and take him on a one-way trip to Ghastly Gorge. Which direction she went all depended on what got her attention first.

“Rainbow, you need to get Scootaloo to the hospital immediately! Alright?” Twilight asked in slow, even words as she kept her eyes trained on the stallion, trying to keep Rainbow from doing something she might regret.

Twilight words gave focus to Dash’s will. Anger gave way to grief and Rainbow cracked. “I'm so sorry. I never should have left you...” Rainbow murmured, rubbing the filly’s back reassuringly as a sole tear slipped from her eye. "Everything’s gonna be alright, Scoots, I swear it."

Twilight winced at the hate Rainbow leveled upon the stallion. “Rainbow, you have to get her to the hospital, now!” Twilight ordered as she kept an eye on the stallion, watching him with the gaze of a hawk as he tried to get back up.

“Hop on, squirt; we’re gettin’ you out of here,” Rainbow said, gently placing Scootaloo on the bed. Kneeling next to it, she flared her wing for Scootaloo to walk on. With a small nod, Scootaloo climbed onto Rainbow’s back and settled down just in front of her wings. With Scootaloo holding onto her mane, Rainbow stood and trotted out of the room, leaving Twilight alone with the stallion.

“So!” Twilight said in a firm and menacing tone. “Mind telling me what the heck is going on here?”

“I ain’t gotta tell nopony about mah business,” Scootaloo’s father replied haughtily, slurring his words. With a drunken roar, he lunged towards Twilight, intent on taking his anger out on the pony that had attacked him. As his gaze swung upwards to find his attacker, he faltered momentarily as he found the only other pony in the room, instantly recognizing who it was: Princess Twilight Sparkle. Steeling his resolve, he figured that it didn’t matter if it was a princess or his bitch wife that had attacked him, he was going to put that pony in their place. Swinging his hoof back to strike, he gasped in surprise as he was shoved onto Scootaloo’s bed by a bright purple aura.

Her wings bristling in anger, Twilight pinned the drunk stallion down, ignoring his cries of anger and rage as he unsuccessfully tried to get back up. “You know, attacking a princess of Equestria is a crime that can get you at least ten years in prison. In addition to that, beating your filly–”

“You broke into my house and attacked me!” the stallion yelled back, cutting her off. “I was well within my rights to defend myself, and I was just in the middle of disciplining my daughter! And what gives you the right to take my daughter from me?"

Twilight huffed. “Well, I had more than enough reason to believe my friend, Rainbow, that Scootaloo was living in an abusive home,” Twilight replied. “Besides, you physically holding her down and beating her in front of me was evidence enough!”

“What?! Why would you believe that stupid pegasus? She’s a nobody!” the stallion yelled, still trying to get up from under Twilight’s magic. Giving up for a few moments, he continued, “That stupid mare broke into my house earlier and threatened me and mah wife!”

“No, she didn’t!” Twilight said firmly as she stalked forward, making the stallion squirm under her intimidating gaze. “She didn’t break into your house last night; Scootaloo let her in. And I’m much more inclined to believe Rainbow—the Element of Loyalty and one of my closest friends—above a stallion who was just criminally assaulting his daughter moments ago.”

“I was disciplining her!”

“For what?”

“For bringing others into mah house without my permission.”

“But you just said that Rainbow broke into your house,” Twilight countered with a smug smile.

“I… I… Fine! She didn’t break into mah house, but she did threaten me and mah wife. And that stupid filly deserved to get disciplined!”

“Since when does disciplining somepony mean breaking one of their wings and ripping feathers?!” Twilight exclaimed incredulously.

“Well, she–”

“There is absolutely nothing that anypony can do that would deserve such harsh treatment like that!” Twilight cut him off. Rainbow was right: Scootaloo’s parents are way out of control! Seeing no other option, she continued in a cold and measured tone, “Seeing that this is no place to raise a filly, Rainbow Dash and I are going to take care of her for the time being.”

“You can’t do that! She’s mah filly; I can do whatever I want with her!”

“For the time being, she’s not yours anymore, and we’ll let Foal Protection Services sort this out when they get here,” Twilight replied. “Like I was saying, Scootaloo is staying with us.” A few moments passed in an awkward silence as the stallion just glared at her. “Alright, I’m going to let you up, but only if you promise to remain civil.”

Scootaloo’s father continued to glare at her for several moments, then finally relented. “Fine, ah promise…”

Twilight released the spell holding down the stallion and watched him stumble to his hooves. “I’ll be back in a few days with an FPS representative from Canterlot. As Princess, I’m officially placing both you and your wife under house arrest in the meantime. Be warned: I’ll know if you or your wife try to leave the property the moment you cross the threshold.” She turned around and walked downstairs, leaving the disgrace of a stallion alone.

She was going to tell Scootaloo’s mother the same thing on the way out, but as she passed the living room, she saw that she had passed out. Again. Shaking her head in disgust, Twilight left the house and slammed the door shut behind her. Walking out to the road, she turned back towards the house and lit her horn, then quickly cast the tripwire spell. The sound of her teleporting away rang through the trees, leaving Scootaloo’s parents alone with their misery.

Revelations

Reappearing moments later in the main room of the library, Twilight looked around to get her bearings and noticed she was standing next to the kitchen door. She listened intently for any activity within the library, but silence met her ears.

“Spike, you there?” she called out, looking around for her assistant. Twilight blew a few errant hairs out of her face and trotted the few remaining steps into the kitchen, her head on a swivel. She checked around the corner, under the table, and even in the pantry.

Nothing.

She turned around, spotting the dirty dishes from last night still unwashed in the sink. She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she thought, Great, Spike isn’t up yet… Ever since he got his own room, that dragon has taken every opportunity to sleep in. Maybe I should get him his own alarm clock...

Twilight trotted back into the main room and went upstairs, fully intent on rousing her scaly assistant. She thought back to the day she had given Spike his own room. She had gone out of her way to make his bedroom special for him, installing floor to ceiling bookshelves along most of the walls to hold his favorite books. Taking things a step further, she had even gotten him his own full size bed, a matching nightstand, and a magical lantern so he could read at night.

Stopping in front of the shut door, Twilight rapped on it gently and called out, “Spike, you awake yet?” The ensuing silence told her he wasn’t. With a shake of her head, Twilight softly opened the door to find him still fast asleep, curled up under the covers. “Spike!” Unmoving, he slept on like a rock, so she quietly walked inside. With a small chuckle, Twilight poked him with a hoof and gently shook him awake. “Hey, little guy, it’s time to get up…”

“But I don’t wanna get up…” Spike groaned as he pulled the covers up over his head. “It’s too early…”

“Spike, it’s almost noon, and this is urgent…” Twilight said softly, gently tugging the covers off of him. “I need you to send a letter to Princess Celestia right away.” When he didn’t respond, she kept rocking him back and forth, trying to get him up.

“Can I just have five more minutes?” Spike mumbled, still half-asleep. He pushed Twilight’s hoof away and rolled over, facing the curtained window. Using his tail, he snagged the corner of the sheets and pulled them back up, squeezing them tight.

Twilight sighed in mild annoyance. Oh, come on already… Glancing up, she noticed a few stray beams of light leaking out from around the edges of the closed curtains. Twilight cracked a sly smile as she lit her horn, focusing her magic on the curtains. “Hey, Spike, I’m going to give you one last chance to get up…” she said in a playful but still serious tone.

“G’way…”

“What was that?”

“I said gimme like... thirty more minutes…” Spike groaned, remaining in bed.

“Spike, this is important!” Twilight said urgently, stomping a hoof on the ground. When he just mumbled something incomprehensible back, she ripped open the curtains, allowing the bright morning sun to completely fill the small bedroom.

“Ugh... okay! I’m up, just close the curtains, alright?” Spike groaned, shielding his eyes with a claw. He pushed away his blanket and sat up. “You know my eyes are sensitive in the morning…”

“Were you up reading late again?” Twilight asked with a chuckle.

“Huh?” Spike asked as he stretched, spreading his arms wide. He fought back a yawn before saying, “Oh, umm… no! Of course not!” Furtively glancing over his shoulder, he quickly pushed an exposed corner of a book the rest of the way under his pillow. He looked back up and laughed nervously at Twilight’s perplexed expression.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Well, your eyes are bloodshot, and you normally don’t sleep in this late.”

“Uhh... Nope! Nothing at all!” Spike stammered. Trying to change the subject, he asked, “Say, have you already had breakfast? I can make you something if you want.” Spike slid out of bed and rubbed his eyes again, hoping to lead Twilight away from the hidden book.

“I’m fine, I had something small earlier.”

“Oh, uh… okay. So anyways, where’s this letter you want me to send?” he asked.

“I haven’t written it yet. Come on, let’s go downstairs and do this already. I have to be somewhere right now, and I don’t have time to dilly dally.” Twilight lit her horn and placed Spike on her back. Trotting downstairs, she made a beeline to her writing desk. She lit her horn once more and set Spike down beside her as she cleared the tabletop. Pulling open one of the drawers, Twilight retrieved a piece of parchment and one of the many quills that she had stashed away. She dipped the feathery writing utensil into an open ink well and quickly wrote:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I wish that I was writing to you under better circumstances, but I feel that I must inform you of something unusual, something that I feel requires your knowledge and expertise.

Sometime late last night, Rainbow Dash found one of the local fillies, Scootaloo, walking through Ponyville’s annual winter snowstorm and provided her shelter with her own home. Through Rainbow Dash’s inquiry, she found out that Scootaloo has been both physically and mentally abused by her biological parents, and I have seen the evidence first-hoof. With such compelling evidence presented to me, I have placed them under house arrest.

Scootaloo is now in the Ponyville General Hospital being treated for a broken wing and other injuries. I must cut this short, as I need to get there as soon as possible to receive an update on her condition.

I cannot decide on what should be done about this, Princess, and I feel I need your guidance. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Your ever faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

After she signed the letter with her usual flourish, she waited for the ink to dry. She rolled up the message, tied a piece of ribbon around the center of it, and then levitated it over to her assistant. Spike grabbed the letter, took a deep breath, and let loose his characteristic green flame, fully engulfing the parchment. The letter burned to ash, and the ash itself floated up and out an open window as if pulled by an external force. Spike yawned and asked, “Hey, can I go back to bed now? I’m still a little tired.”

“Alright, sleepyhead, but you better be up when I get back in a little while,” Twilight said. She gave him a quick nuzzle and opened the door with her magic, galloping out of the library. A few minutes later, Twilight found herself at the hospital and out of breath. She mindlessly chewed on her lower lip as she gazed at the double doors.

That wing… Can anypony really recover from that? She remembered how Scootaloo’s wing looked back when she had found her. There had been a clean break on the leading bone, and several of her feathers had been bent or torn out of place. Lifting one of her own wings in front of her, Twilight shuddered at the idea of how it would feel if her wing was broken like that. She swallowed loudly and steeled her resolve.

I have to be strong... Not just for myself, but for Rainbow and Scootaloo. Taking a deep breath, she walked inside the hospital and noticed a pegasus sitting down in front of a big desk. Figuring it was the customer service desk, Twilight walked up to it and looked down at the pegasus working on some documents. Several moments passed, each becoming increasingly awkward as she was ignored. Twilight cleared her throat politely to attract her attention.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be right with you in a minute, honey,” the mare replied in a monotone voice, not even giving her the common courtesy of a proper greeting or lifting her head from her work. Several more moments passed, and as Twilight listened to a nearby clock tick, she began to lose her patience.

“Excuse me. Can you tell me where I can find a filly named Scootaloo?” Twilight asked irritably. Her patience was running extremely dry with this mare, and she was still on edge from earlier.

“I’m sorry, but did you not hear me? I said I’ll be with you soon, sheesh…” the pegasus muttered, still not bothering to see who she was speaking to.

Twilight rolled her eyes. She was getting nowhere with the secretary, and she didn’t want to waste any more time. She still had not gotten used to people using her royal title all the time, and she never liked using her position of power, but it seemed today was full of exceptions. Twilight let out an irritated sigh, making sure it was loud enough for the pegasus to hear her.. “You know... Princesses don’t like being made to wait...” Twilight said, a hint of impatience edging into her voice.

The pegasus’ head shot up and her eyes darted all over her. “Princess Twilight!” She quickly stood up and made to bow, but Twilight stopped her with a wave of her hoof.

“None of that is necessary. Please, just tell me where I can find a young pegasus filly named Scootaloo. She was brought here by another pegasus, Rainbow Dash, a little while ago, and it’s urgent that I see them right away.”

“Yes, your highness!” The secretary scrambled to retrieve a specific sheet of paper under the mess on the desk. Finding it a few moments later, she said, “Umm… she should be up on the second floor, Princess Twilight. None of the operating theaters were scheduled to be used today, so… Scootaloo should be out in recovery pretty soon. Oh, and the stairs are on your right.” The pegasus bowed and used a wing to point down the hallway.

“Thanks,” Twilight said curtly. She turned made her way down the hallway and climbed up the small staircase. Trotting down the hallway, she rounded the corner to find Rainbow a little ways away, talking to a brown unicorn in a long white coat. As she walked up to them, she noticed that Rainbow was on edge. She couldn’t stand still and her wings were bristling restlessly.

Twilight, not wanting to miss out on the conversation, closed the distance to them as quickly as she could. “...had to put her under? For what?” came Rainbow’s indignant voice. It looked like she was about to keep going when suddenly the doctor bowed, making Rainbow look at him in confusion.

“Greetings, Princess Twilight,” the doctor said as Twilight came to stand next to Rainbow, keeping his head low.

“Please, you don’t have to do that,” Twilight said as she used a wing to gently guide the doctor’s head up. “And skip the formalities. I want to know what you are doing for Scootaloo.”

“Yes, your high– I mean, Miss Sparkle.” He shook his lengthy mane back into place. “Scootaloo should be coming out of the operating room any minute now. The procedure was relatively simple. All we had to do was set her radius and ulna bones and realign a few of her primaries.” Looking towards Rainbow, he continued, “As for why we put her under, no filly should go through that much pain, especially for the part when we set the bones. We gave her a strong sedative to dull the pain for the procedure, but there’s…” He paused as he scratched the back of his neck. “...there’s something else you two should know.”

“What?” Rainbow asked, shifting about nervously.

“Sco…” He checked his clipboard to make sure he had the name right. “Scootaloo’s wings are abnormally small for a pegasus of her age. Why was she never brought in for treatment when she was younger? This is something that we could have fixed with relative ease when she was a newborn foal, but now that she’s grown up…”

“Doctor, please, don’t beat around the bush. Say whatever it is you need to say,” Twilight said, bracing herself for the answer. She snuck a glance at Rainbow and saw that she was standing stock-still.

“If you insist, ma’am.” Glancing between the two of them, he continued, saying, “Due to her pre-existing condition, Scootaloo will never be able to fly like a normal pegasus. In fact, she’ll most likely never be able to fly at all. There aren’t any spells we can use except for black magic, but Princess Celestia has banned the usage of such magic for generations. Besides, no sane unicorn would ever attempt such a spell; the risks are much too high. She–”

The doctor was cut off when a nurse ran up from behind him. “Doctor, the patient in room two-oh-one is in respiratory distress. We need you now!” She turned and galloped down the hallway, dashing back into the room that she’d just come from.

“I”m sorry you two, but duty calls. You’re welcome to go check on your filly. She should be in room... two-one-three by now.” He slid the clipboard into one of his pockets and galloped down the hall, leaving the two of them alone with each other.

Twilight looked over at Rainbow to see that she had sat down, staring at the floor. Her front left hoof was twitching, which Twilight quickly noticed. Growing a little concerned, Twilight hesitantly asked, “Rainbow? You– are you alright?” When she didn’t respond, Twilight sat down next to her. She extended a wing and laid it around her friend. Her sensitive feathers feeling every twitch and jerk from her, she softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Rainbow closed her eyes and looked away, fighting to keep her emotions in check. She took a couple slow breaths, and stuttered, “Re– remember when I had that bad ac… accident a while back? When I had to go to the hospital for my broken wing?” Twilight nodded. “When I lost control of that spin, I tried to recover but I couldn’t. As I saw the ground speeding up at me, I really thought I was done for good. Twi, when I hit right in front of you guys, I… I…”

“What?” Twilight asked softly, prompting her to continue.

“Please, please, please don’t tell anypony I told you this, but I was…” Rainbow looked away. “...I was scared. I was scared that I’d never be able to fly again, scared that I might not even make it. And when I woke up and saw all of you guys in the hospital, I acted all tough and made it sound like my accident was nothing, like that had happened a lot of times. But the thing was, that was the first time that I ever had a serious accident like that. I had had bad accidents before, but that was the first time that I was actually scared.”

“Rainbow… I , um–”

“When I woke up in that hospital bed, I knew I had broken the… whatever, the big bone in my wing, and…” Rainbow sniffled before continuing. “Twilight, injuries like that can ground a pegasus for life. Flying means the world and more to me. I can’t imagine living life stranded on the ground. It would… devastate me…” She turned away from Twilight again, hiding the tear she felt roll down her cheek. Rainbow quickly wiped her face clean of any evidence and cleared her throat a little too loudly. Stretching her neck, she continued, “I’m sorry, but when the doctor said that Scootaloo wouldn’t be able to fly, I… I…”

“He made you think of what happened to you,” Twilight murmured. Rainbow nodded silently and leaned against her, her head resting just below her chin. They stayed like that for a minute as Twilight let her friend pull herself together. She wasn’t quite sure how to continue, so she felt relieved when Rainbow pulled away.

“You… you know, I think Scootaloo’s room is down that way.” Twilight pointed down the hallway with a shaky hoof. “Come on, we should see how she’s doing.” As they started walking down the hallway, Twilight asked, “Are you gonna be alright?” Rainbow waited a couple seconds, then nodded. “You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always stop by my place, night or day.”

Rainbow glanced back up at her with a small smile. “Thanks, Twilight, I think I might just do that.”

“No problem,” Twilight said, returning the smile. Gesturing down the hallway, she said, “So let’s go see if we can find her room.”

“Yeah… yeah, let’s go.” The two of them made their way down the hallway and stopped when they found Scootaloo’s room. Peering through the window, they saw her fast asleep in one of the two hospital beds in the room. Scootaloo’s splinted wing was held up by a couple wires connected to a small pulley system, completely immobilizing it so that she couldn’t flap it.

Just as Rainbow moved to go inside, Twilight came to the sudden realization that they knew close to nothing about Scootaloo’s parents. “Hey, hold on a second…” Twilight trailed off as she lost herself in thought.

“Yeah?” Rainbow asked, her hoof poised over the doorknob. Lowering it, she flapped her wings a few times and landed right beside Twilight. “What’s up?”

“Do we know anything about Scootaloo’s parents?” Twilight asked as she cocked an eyebrow. “Do you even know their names?”

“Yeah! Scootaloo’s parents’ names are… umm… huh.” Rainbow sat down, scratching her head as she looked off to the side. “I don’t think Scootaloo told me…” She glanced back through the window as she trailed off. “To be honest, today was the first time I even met them…”

“What? Surely we’ve met them sometime… maybe at one of Pinkie’s parties?”

“Nah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen them there or around town… Also, why the hay are they living all the way out there anyways?”

“I don’t know…” Twilight said. “You know, I’m pretty sure that City Hall has the answers we need. If you want to stay here and watch Scootaloo, I can run out there and see what I can find. And since Ponyville and its outskirts are now technically in my jurisdiction, I think it’d be a good idea to know as much as possible about them just in case we have to bring charges against them.”

“Sounds good to me,” Rainbow said, glancing over at Scootaloo again.

“Rainbow, will…” Twilight cleared her throat. “Will you be fine here for a little while? If we are going to legally take Scootaloo out of her parent’s care, we have to do it the right way. We can’t just take her out of her house and, uh... keep her, you know?”

“Yeah, I… I guess. So, um... I’ll see you later then?” Rainbow asked, placing her hoof on the doorknob.

“Of course. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Twilight said, turning away. “Oh, and if Scootaloo wakes up before I get back, tell her that she doesn’t have to worry anymore.”

“You got it, Twilight. Good luck with your, uh… the research stuff.”

“Thanks!” Twilight called over her shoulder as she trotted down the hall, heading back towards the stairs. As soon as she made it out the front door, she galloped away, heading straight back into town.

Yanking open yet another file cabinet, Twilight muttered, “Ugh… how do some ponies not understand the importance of proper organization? I could have found Scootaloo’s file ages ago if someone took a little time to sort these out!”

Twilight had been in the records room for the past hour and a half, flipping through file after file. None of the cabinets had been labeled and none of the files were in alphabetical order, leaving her flustered and more than a little angry. Because of that, she was left with only one option: to go through every single file cabinet in the room until she found her prize. At least the cabinets themselves were organized, neatly pushed up against the walls. The only space left between the two rows was a small table that sat below the only window in the room.

Well, at least it’s warm in here… Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes as she reached the back of what seemed like the hundredth drawer. In reality, she had only gone through seventeen of them, but each one took quite a bit of time to get through, especially since she had to open and inspect every file. Finishing what seemed like the millionth file, she tossed it back inside the drawer and slammed it shut. She sat down and let her shoulders slump as she looked around the room. She’d only gotten through about a third of the file cabinets, and she wanted to get done by a reasonable time. Glancing out the window at the other side of the room, she realized that she had only a few hours of daylight left.

She spent the next two and a half hours in silence as she kept going down the line of file cabinets, knowing full well that she would find what she was looking for eventually. She had finished the first wall long ago, and was now nearing the end of the second. Twilight closed the bottom drawer of the second to last cabinet and moved on to the last one, shaking her head irritably as she thought, I swear, if her file is in this last cabinet, I’m gonna… She pulled the top drawer of the last file cabinet open, grabbed the first file with her magic, and read the title.

Scootaloo: Relatives and– ugh! Twilight stomped the floor with her front hooves. I would have found this hours ago if I’d started on this side of the room! Swallowing her anger, Twilight trotted towards the other side of the room and threw the rather large file down on the table. She lit the area with her horn, opened the manila folder, and spread out the documents.

As she started to sort through them, she came across a series of hoofwritten documents titled ‘Foreclosure on: Brick Lump (PM) and Tranquil Breeze (PF)’. Oh, so that’s what their names are… Even though the area was well-lit, Twilight still struggled to read the sloppily-written documents. To her annoyance, she had to waste several minutes deciphering the bad hoofwriting. Rainbow was… A hoof shot up to cover her mouth. I can’t believe it, but she was right. She has to hear about this... Twilight put all of the documents back in the folder and made her way outside.

Night had fallen long ago and it was snowing hard, almost as hard as the night before. “Ugh, I knew I should have grabbed my scarf…” Twilight muttered, readying herself for the short trip back to the hospital. Placing a spell on the folder to make sure she wouldn’t lose any of the documents, she decided to bite the bit and tough it out.

Twilight galloped away from City Hall, letting the building quickly disappear into the torrent of snow flurries falling down around her. It was a quiet night, and nopony was out. The townsponies were probably all huddled close to their fireplaces on this cold and frigid night. Thankfully, it only took Twilight a few minutes of hard galloping to arrive back at the hospital. She shook herself off, using a quick heat spell to melt the snow that had accumulated on her back and mane.

Trotting inside, she turned to the right and walked upstairs. Upon reaching the second floor, she emerged back inside the hallway and hurried back to Scootaloo’s room. How am I going to tell Rainbow about this? Oh ponyfeathers, how am I going to tell Scootaloo? She stopped in front of the filly’s room and peered through the window. The sight instantly warmed her heart and she couldn’t help but take a few seconds to admire it.

Rainbow was already fast asleep, her head precariously perched on the edge of Scootaloo’s bed. Her wings twitched every couple of seconds and her ears flicked back and forth as if they were trying to swat a nonexistent fly. Twilight smiled and walked inside, quietly closing the door behind her. She walked up to Rainbow and listened to her snore for a few moments. I hope she won’t mind me waking her up… Besides, that position doesn’t look too comfortable... Twilight thought, cracking a small smile. Leaning forward, she gently nuzzled Rainbow’s cheek, trying to rouse her sleeping friend.

Rainbow groaned as she slowly sat up, shaking her head. “Ugh… hey, Twilight? Remind me to never sleep like that again. My back feels a little sore…” She arched her back, making a few joints along her spine pop loudly. Looking up, Rainbow fought back a yawn and quietly asked, “So... you find anything?”

“Yes, I… I did. But can– can we talk about this outside? I don’t want to wake Scootaloo up…” Twilight whispered nervously, nodding towards the door. And I don’t want her to hear what I’m about to tell you... Rainbow nodded back and they quietly walked back into the hallway, leaving the door cracked behind them.

“So… whatcha find?” Rainbow asked. She cocked an eyebrow at Twilight, noticing that she was looking around apprehensively.

“Rainbow, I…” Twilight sighed and set the folder down between them. “As much as I want to say otherwise, you were right about Scootaloo’s situation.”

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Which part?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.

“How Scootaloo has... her underdeveloped wings.” Rainbow’s eyes widened in shock. “Tranquil Breeze–Scootaloo's mother–” Twilight explained at Rainbow’s confused look, “had a drinking problem when she was pregnant; same with her husband. At the time, they were living near the southern part of town. Quite a few police reports show that even with a newborn foal, they continued to consume large amounts of alcohol, to the point where they were drunk all night and day. They had gotten several citations for public intoxication, disturbing the peace, stuff like that. Their tax returns show that they were very poor, so their neighbors had taken pity on them and had tried to help them out financially. Unfortunately, Brick Lump, Scootaloo’s father, went and spent that money on more booze instead of buying food and paying for the house, so they lost the house and had to move out of town.”

“Twilight… that’s just… yeesh.” Rainbow paused, struggling to take it all in. I knew things were bad, but… damn… She was about to continue when a small green blur caught her eye. Looking over Twilight’s shoulder, Rainbow spotted Spike running at them full speed, a scroll in his outstretched claw. “Spike?”

Twilight turned around just in time for Spike to slide right into her, making him drop the scroll. “Spike! What are you doing here?”

“Twilight… Celestia… sent… letter… Scootaloo… and you…” Spike panted, breathing heavily. He grabbed the scroll from the floor and held it up with a shaky arm, letting Twilight grab it from him. As she unfurled it, he sat down and relaxed, pressing his back against the wall. Twilight started to read the letter but was interrupted by Rainbow before she read the first sentence.

“Well, what’s it say?” Rainbow asked. She had heard Spike say Scootaloo’s name, and knowing Twilight, she was pretty sure that she had told Celestia about their situation.

“Well, if you would have waited a few more seconds you would have found out!” Twilight said, flicking her mane out of her eyes. She cleared her throat and read aloud:

Twilight,

This is indeed a delicate situation, one that I would prefer that I handle personally. I’ll be down in Ponyville with a squad of guards early in the morning to place Scootaloo’s parents under arrest. Seeing as the holidays are quickly coming upon us, they will be put on trial in roughly two weeks. Since Ponyville is not equipped with the proper judicial facilities, their trial will take place in the Grand Canterlot Courts.

There is also another matter that I wish to discuss with you. The only way for this filly, Scootaloo, to remain out of the foster care system is for two locals to step up to take care of her. If nopony can be found by the trial, she will be placed into one of the few foster care houses up here in Canterlot. I’m sure that she would find that being ripped away from her life in Ponyville would be jarring. With that being said, I’m confident that you’ll be able to find two gentle and caring souls to step up.

Until tomorrow,
Princess Celestia

“I’ll take care of her, Twilight!” Rainbow blurted out, a smile quickly growing on her face. “Now, who else could help me?” She brought a hoof up to her chin. “Hmm… Applejack? Nah, she’s already too busy taking care of Sweet Apple Acres and Apple Bloom. Pinkie Pie? Nah, she’s usually busy running Sugarcube Corner and taking care of the Cake’s twins, so she won’t work. Maybe Flutte–”

“I’ll do it,” Twilight spoke up. “I can take some time off of my studies, and besides, I–”

“Wait, what did you just say?” Rainbow’s eyes lit up in hopeful excitement.

“I said that I can help,” Twilight replied. “I’m sure Princess Celestia will approve of this. I mean, why wouldn’t she?” She was about to continue when Rainbow suddenly jumped up and pulled her into a hug, thanking her profusely.

“Alright!” Rainbow said a bit too loudly, pumping a hoof in the air and hovering in place. “This is going to be so awesome! Thank you so much!” A couple seconds later, she sank back to the floor and folded her wings, noticing that Twilight was staring at her pointedly, a small smile on her face. Confused, she watched Twilight point to a small sign on the wall that read ‘Quiet Area.’ “Oops, sorry,” she whispered with a slight giggle.

Twilight couldn’t help but blush. Her heart skipped a beat and she stuttered, “Oh, that’s, umm... that’s quite alright. I know how much Scootaloo means to you, and I think it would be fun to help you take care of her. We both know she deserves so much better, and I want to help you give her that. Do remember that nothing is set in stone yet, but I’m sure we’ll be able to figure something out.”

“Hey, I’m sorry to interrupt, but is it okay if I go back to Sweet Apple Acres?” Spike asked. “Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are still waiting on me to get back so we can finish our snowball fight. Hehe, I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces when I melt their snowballs with my fire breath!” He stood up, took a deep breath, and let loose a small burst of flame to prove his point.

“Oh? And just what were you doing at Sweet Apple Acres?” Twilight asked playfully. “Did you finish your chores?”

“Yeah! I did all of them right after you left, including yours! I had just finished putting away the dishes when Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom showed up, asking if I wanted to help them build a snow fort! So can I go back? Please?” Spike asked, giving Twilight his best puppy dog look.

“Alright, you can go. Just stay warm, alright? I don’t want you catching a cold.” Twilight smiled gently and nuzzled him. “And also, be careful using your fire! We wouldn’t want anypony to get burned, right?”

“You got it, Twi. See you guys tomorrow!” he called out over his shoulder as he scampered down the hallway, disappearing around the corner.

“Wow, that little dragon has some speed,” Rainbow murmured, shuffling her wings. “So listen. About the doctor saying that Scootaloo will never fly…”

“Yeah?”

“I really think we should keep that part from her. If she ever finds out, it would ruin her. I know it would ruin me,” Rainbow said as she looked back at Scootaloo. Several moments passed before she spoke again. “You know, I think that I’m gonna stay here with Scoots overnight. I don’t want to leave her here by herself, you know? Waking up in a hospital with unfamiliar ponies might be scary to a filly. Besides, I think she’d like to wake up to a friendly face.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” Twilight trotted past Rainbow and into Scootaloo’s room. “So that’s why I’m staying too! Two friendly faces are better than one!”

“You sure?” Rainbow asked with an uncertain smile, closing the door behind them. “You know you don’t have to.” Although, it would be really nice to have somepony keep me company…

“I know, but I want to. I need to make sure that she’s going to be okay. I just feel as if I should be here.”

“Heh, thanks… so…” Rainbow trailed off as she eyed the only other bed in the room. Sleeping in the chair had made her back hurt, and she didn’t want to spend tomorrow with an aching back. She really wanted it, but she also didn’t want to come off as selfish. The bed only had one pillow and was just wide enough for two ponies to lay on it side by side. She decided to offer it first in the hopes that Twilight would decline, saying that she could have it. “You know, you can have the other bed. I’ll just stay up the whole night. You deserve it, you know? Being royalty and all has its perks.”

“Rainbow, you know I don’t like being treated differently. I–” She paused when Rainbow started snickering, and quickly realized it was a joke. She cracked a smile and said softly, “Oh, hardy har har, you got me.” Looking towards the bed, Twilight did a little math in her head. “Say, why don’t we share it? It looks big enough for the two of us if we lay back to back.”

Rainbow shrugged. “Sure, that sounds good to me,” she said, hopping on the side of the bed facing Scootaloo. She held the covers up with a hoof and let Twilight slide in behind her. Even back to back, they barely fit on the bed, but barely was all they needed. She fluffed the sole pillow with a hoof, regretting that it wasn’t as fluffy or soft as the ones she had back home.

Oh well. This’ll have to do, I guess… “You all good over there, Twi?” she asked softly, feeling a tad bit weary. She pulled the blankets up past her shoulders and shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position.

“Mhm…” Twilight said. The warmth from the blankets and Rainbow was quickly lulling her to sleep, and she found herself fighting to stay awake. “Goodnight, Rainbow…”

“Night, Twilight.” Rainbow sighed as she finally let herself relax. It had been a tense day and she was glad that she finally had some respite. Closing her eyes, she felt Twilight’s body move slightly with each breath she took. She couldn’t help but crack a smile. The feeling of somepony else there with her was soothing in a way that she couldn’t describe. Rainbow wearily cracked her eyes open and saw that Scootaloo was still fast asleep. “I promise I’ll give you the best life ever, squirt,” Rainbow whispered as she tugged the sheets tight. Closing her eyes for the last time that night, she let herself fully relax as she drifted off. “I promise…”

Taking Care of Business

Still half-asleep, Twilight stirred under the covers and felt something both pleasantly soft and warm pressed up against her back. The thin sheets had done little to keep her warm throughout the night, but this mysterious source of warmth had been more than enough to keep her content. She snuggled deeper into it, seeking more of the precious heat. The room was cold, but not so chilly that it demanded that the thermostat be raised. Still groggy, Twilight wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep. Her internal clock, however, was screaming at her to get up.

Twilight slowly cracked open an eye. Everything was bright, making her wince slightly. Gauging by the amount of sunlight flooding the room it was already well into the morning. Ugh, I guess now is as good as any time to get up… She took a deep breath and slowly released it, idly watching a rainbow-colored mane blow in her breath’s wake. Wait, what?

Twilight lay still. Why would Rainbow’s mane be in front of me? Weren’t we sleeping back to back? She tried to look up but quickly found that she couldn’t; her head was pressed into the nook of Rainbow’s neck, angled so that the pegasus’ chin fell short of hitting her horn. Perplexed, Twilight tensed up her right shoulder, testing to see if it was free.

It wasn’t. She quickly found that Rainbow had wrapped one of her forelegs around her, covering it with her right wing. Well, that explains why I’m so warm… She kept still, not wanting to ruin the moment. It wasn’t often that she got the chance to relax with such comfort. A few minutes passed as she relished the cozy feeling, snuggling even closer to her bedmate. Twilight smiled as she felt the pegasus gently pull her closer. When Rainbow finally stopped shifting about, Twilight nestled further into Dash’s new grip. It was only then and only then that it finally hit her.

Rainbow Dash was cuddling with her.

Feeling rather awkward, Twilight cleared her throat in an attempt to wake Rainbow up.

Nothing. The pegasus slept on like a boulder on an abandoned rock farm.

Twilight rolled her eyes in annoyance. Apparently this pegasus is a heavy sleeper. She cleared her throat a little louder and gently bucked her hips backwards, coming close to pushing Rainbow off of the bed. “Hey sleepyhead, do you mind?” she asked with a giggle, gently trying to pull herself out of Rainbow’s grasp.

“Wha…” Rainbow mumbled, cracking an eye open. She jerked back a bit and slid off the bed, landing on the cold floor with a loud thump. “Ow! Um… hehe, sorry,” Rainbow mumbled as she rubbed her flank. She sat up and rubbed her eyes before blearily looking up at the alicorn, her mane a vibrant mess. “You sleep alright?”

Twilight blushed a little. “Yeah, I slept pretty well, all… all thanks to you,” she added, giggling when she saw Dash blush. “It’s okay, Rainbow, I didn’t mind. It was actually… quite nice.” Wanting to change the subject before things became more awkward, she slid out of bed and shook her mane out of her face.

“Good morning, little ones,” came a familiar voice from behind her. Whipping around, Twilight saw Celestia standing in the doorway, her squad of royal guards taking up position just outside.

“Princess!” Twilight’s face lit up in a grin as she closed the gap between them, giving her old mentor a hug.

Celestia closed the door behind her, giving them a decent level of privacy. “Twilight, Rainbow, how are you two doing?”

“We’re fine,” Twilight said as she let go of her mentor. “But there’s something I, err, we want to talk to you about.” She nodded to the other side of the room, where Rainbow was still sitting by the bed. “It’s rather sensitive, and I don’t want Scootaloo waking up and hearing us.” She led Celestia to the other side of the room, Rainbow joining them a moment later.

“So, what is so important, you two?” Celestia asked softly.

Twilight and Rainbow both looked at each other, silently asking the other who should go first. With a nod from Twilight, Rainbow spoke up.

“Scootaloo, well… umm… she’s never gonna to be able to fly because her parents didn’t take good care of her when she was younger, princess. Scootaloo’s mom drank while she was pregnant with her, which made her have… What’d the doctor call it?” She cocked her head to the side and looked up, thinking.

“Underdeveloped wings,” Twilight answered.

“Oh, yeah, that.” Rainbow paused as she saw Celestia’s eyes widen ever so slightly. “Since she has underdeveloped wings, the doctor said that she’ll never be able to fly.” Her shoulders slumped as she glanced over at the sleeping filly. “Since she looks up to me, I always wanted to be the one to teach her how to fly, to show her how awesome it is to speed through the sky, dodging clouds, and… well, you know what I mean. And now, because of me, she’s in the hospital.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked.

“I brought her back to her house the morning after I found her, and I… I left her there. When I came back with Twilight, we found her like…” She trailed off as she gestured at Scootaloo. “...that. I just can’t help but feel responsible.”

“I see,” Celestia said softly with a slow nod. “Rainbow, given the current circumstances, I do not believe that you are responsible for Scootaloo’s injury. There was no way that you could have known her parents would mistreat her after you left.”

“But I left her there knowing exactly how they treat her!” Rainbow said, raising her voice a little bit. She lowered it after a small nudge and a glare from Twilight. “I should have–”

“Rainbow, stop.” Celestia’s eyes were kind, but firm. “What’s done is done. As much as we would like to, we cannot go back and change the past.”

“Princess,” Twilight spoke up. “Do you know any spells that could help Scootaloo’s wings? The doctor said there’s nothing he could do to make her fly again, but I want a second opinion.”

Celestia sighed. “I’m afraid not, Twilight. This is truly a rare occurrence, one I have not seen in many generations. There may have been a spell for such a thing ages ago, but I have neither seen nor heard of any such magic for quite some time. However…” She let her words trail off with a little smile.

“What?” Rainbow glanced up hopefully, her heart beating faster with each passing moment. She snuck a look over at Twilight and saw she was waiting breathlessly, looking up at Celestia with the same hopeful expression.

“The bones in her wing are snapped in two, right?” Celestia asked. “I may have something just for that…”

“What do you mean, Princess?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“I can heal her wing. It will require a great deal of effort on my part, but it is possible.”

“Really?” Rainbow asked, smiling wildly as she hopped into the air. She thought Celestia meant that she can make it so that Scootaloo could fly. “But wait, you just said that you can’t make her fly. What do you mean?”

“I meant that I know a spell that will heal the bones in her wing. Her wing would return to the state in which it was before it was broken, but I know of no way to allow her to fly,” Celestia said.

“Oh, okay...” Rainbow sank back down to the ground, but her eyes quickly brightened. “Hold on a second! If you can heal her wing, then why didn’t the doctor do it last night?” she asked incredulously.

“This magic is something beyond any unicorn’s reach,” Celestia murmured as she walked over to where Scootaloo slept, Twilight and Rainbow following her. “It is a complex spell, and–”

“Like black magic?” Rainbow interjected, earning a punch on the shoulder from Twilight.

“No. This is normal magic, magic that requires an understanding that too few users possess. The way it works is quite simple though. To heal Scootaloo’s broken bones, I must simply transfer some of my body’s energy into her, giving her the strength necessary to repair the wing.”

Rainbow gulped. “Will it… will it hurt her?” She flapped to the other side of Scootaloo’s bed, taking care to not let the air from her wings disturb the sleeping filly. She brushed a couple errant hairs out of her face and looked up, silently watching Celestia sit down on the other side of the bed.

“Absolutely not,” Celestia replied as she leaned down to inspect the damage. After several moments, she lit her horn and touched the tip of it to the break in Scootaloo’s wing. She closed her eyes and put more energy into the spell, her horn filling the room with its light as it got brighter and brighter.

Rainbow glanced back down, noticing Scootaloo stir in her sleep as Celestia worked her magic. Scootaloo’s face contorted slightly and she twitched in her sleep as the bones in her wing fused back together. Looking back up, Rainbow saw Celestia’s horn grow even brighter as her face contorted into a slight grimace. Several moments passed, the silence being broken by the quiet humming of Celestia’s magic.

As she watched on breathlessly, Twilight noticed beads of sweat roll down her mentor’s face. Wow, if she’s struggling, then that must be one heck of a spell… With a final burst of light, Celestia finished, waking Scootaloo up.

“Wha… what’s goin’ on?” Scootaloo muttered, blinking through bleary eyes at the three ponies standing around her bed. “Princess… Princess Celestia?” She tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by Rainbow.

“Hold on there, squirt…” Rainbow spoke up, sliding closer to Scootaloo. “How’re you feeling?”

“I, uh… what the…” Scootaloo trailed off as she instinctively tried to fold her wing. She gasped and closed her eyes, anticipating a flash of pain but nothing came. Confused, she looked over and inspected her wing. She tentatively tensed its muscles and quickly realized that it was fully functioning. “Um… wasn’t my wing broken?” She looked up at the three of them as she cocked an eyebrow, waiting for one of them to speak up.

“Yeah, but Princess Celestia fixed it!” Rainbow said, smiling as she playfully tousled Scootaloo’s unkempt mane.

“That’s right... little one,” Celestia panted softly, trying to catch her breath. She took a moment, watching as Twilight flared her horn and unhooked Scootaloo’s wing from the harness. “I healed your wing.”

Scootaloo quickly folded her healed wing to her side and sat up, then gave her wings a few flaps. “Awesome! Back at full power!” In her excitement, she didn’t see Rainbow cringe slightly.

Hearing those words dragged a rusty nail through Rainbow’s heart. Back at… full power… She bit her lip as she tried to keep a neutral expression. She swallowed loudly and fidgeted, looking anywhere but at Scootaloo. Her gaze eventually landed on Twilight, catching her eye. Judging from the nervous expression on her face, Twilight felt the same way.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, little one,” Celestia said, smiling. “But I now must go and have a word with your parents. Rainbow Dash, can you watch over her while we are gone?”

“Yeah, you got it,” Rainbow said, snapping out of it. She pulled over a chair, set it next to the bed, and plopped down on it. “Wait, we?” She cocked an eyebrow, thinking that Twilight was going to stay with her.

“Yes, we.” Celestia looked behind her, saying, “Twilight, I need you to come with me and my guards for the arrest. I would prefer it that you accompany us.”

“Of course, princess.” Twilight nodded, motioning towards the door. “After you.”

“Wait, you’re going to arrest my parents?” Scootaloo sat up in the bed, her eyes widening slightly. “You’re not gonna hurt them, are you?”

“No, we merely want to ask them some questions and figure out the truth,” Twilight said gently. “What they did was really wrong.” Scootaloo nodded, showing that she understood. Looking up at her old mentor, Twilight said, “Alright, I’m ready.”

“Very well, Twilight.” Celestia turned and opened the door, pulling it open with her magic. The two of them walked out into the hallway, all of the guards snapping to attention as they made their way to the exit. Hooves hitting the floor in perfect rhythm echoed off the walls as the procession left the hospital and out into the snow.

“This way, everypony.” Twilight led everyone through the streets of Ponyville at a brisk trot, emerging on the other side of the town several minutes later. They kept their pace until Celestia’s captain trotted forward.

“My princess, I think now is a good time to form our plan,” the captain said, keeping his gaze forward respectfully.

“I agree, captain. Give the order,” Celestia said tersely, her wings bristling with nervous energy.

The captain let the two princesses gain a bit of lead on him before he ordered, “Squad... halt!” Everypony, save for Twilight and Celestia, took two more steps and came to a stop, staring straight ahead. “Parade… rest!” All of the soldiers remained stock-still, although they relaxed slightly.

Twilight and Celestia put a little distance between them and the guards, giving them a decent level of privacy. Twilight glanced up at her old mentor, noticing that she was sweating and even panting a little bit. Concerned, she spoke up.

“Pr– Princess? Are you alright?” Twilight asked, her tone thick with worry.

“Oh, I’m quite alright, Twilight.” Celestia slowed down, stopping in the middle of the road. She panted, letting her head droop a little as she caught her breath.

Moving to stand in front of her, Twilight hissed, “No, you’re not! Why are you sweating? For that matter, why are you even panting? We weren’t going that fast; you should have been able to keep up!”

“Twilight, I assure you I’m fine.” Celestia looked back towards her guards, seeing that they were now standing on either side of the roadway. She took a few deep breaths to steady her breathing and settled down on her haunches. “Healing Scootaloo’s wing took a bit more out of me than I had anticipated. As I’m sure you are aware of, nothing is ever free in life. Everything comes at a cost. Remember how you told me that you felt incredibly tired after giving Rarity wings a while ago?”

“Yeah? What does Rarity have to do with you being tired, though?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side as she struggled to figure out Celestia’s meaning.

“Everything, Twilight. Both spells are similar, where energy is transferred from our bodies to make something grow, or heal in Scootaloo’s case. I remember you said that giving Rarity wings left you unsteady and exhausted. That was because you had used a lot of your energy to construct the wings. In comparison, that spell isn’t as arduous as the one I used to heal the filly’s wing. Even after casting the spell just once, you knew you couldn’t cast it anymore, so you had to search for something more simple.”

“Yeah? So? I still don’t see what you’re getting at.”

“Let me put it in simpler terms. Those that can use magic have been given both a blessing and a curse. We both know that using magic comes at a cost, tapping into your body’s energy. The more you use it, the more you build up your strength and reserves, giving you the ability to cast more powerful spells the more you practice. But if you try to use a more powerful spell before you can, you’ll wear yourself out to the point where you won’t be able to use magic until you regain your strength, which, as we both know, can usually be done through eating and sleeping.”

Celestia paused as she collected her thoughts. “On top of that, if you use a spell so complex and beyond your grasp, it could take so much out of you that you could lose your magical abilities permanently, possibly even causing death. You see where I’m going with this, Twilight?”

“I think so… I already know all this though. That still doesn’t explain why you’re so tired.” And suddenly, it hit her like a runaway train careening out of control. Everything that she ever assumed about her mentor was suddenly thrown out of the window.

“Wait, are you saying that even you have limits when it comes to using magic?” Twilight’s eyes widened and her ears flicked forward as she impatiently waited for the answer. Ever since she was a little filly, she had always just assumed that Celestia was all-powerful. How could one live for over a thousand years and not have an infinite supply of magic at their disposal?

“Yes, Twilight, even I have limits to what I can do. I am not immortal, nor do I have an infinite supply of magic as most of the general public believes. My abilities are vast, yes, but everypony has their limit, even… even me.” Celestia lowered her voice slightly, casting a glance over her shoulder. She didn’t want her personal guards to hear what she said next. “Remember when Canterlot was attacked by the changelings?”

“Yeah?” Twilight asked.

“Both your brother and I were fueling the spell to keep the shield intact around the city. While most of the energy came from me, your brother was the one that kept the shield up all those days. No unicorn could protect an entire city for an extended period of time, not on that scale, so that’s where I came in. I provided all of the necessary energy, leaving myself with just enough to get through the day. And when the changeling queen finally revealed herself, I didn’t have enough energy to overcome her strength.”

“So when you healed Scootaloo’s wing…” Twilight trailed off as she finally understood what Celestia was talking about.

“Yes, Twilight, using that spell took a great amount of energy from me. Like I mentioned back at the hospital, I transferred a lot of my energy into her body, giving it the necessary strength to heal the wing. Doing so requires large amounts of concentrated energy, something that a unicorn does not have. That spell comes at a risk, though. I had to make sure that I did not transfer too much energy, leaving me drained. If that had happened, then I might have lost the ability to use magic for a short time. In a situation like this, such an act would not have been smart.” Celestia trailed off as a flock of birds flying overhead caught her eye. “In any case, there is another matter that we must talk about: Scootaloo. I’m sure that she’d like to stay in Ponyville, as she has–”

“Rainbow and I volunteer to take care of her,” Twilight said, cutting Celestia off. “Rainbow was the one that found out about the problem, and Scootaloo already considers Rainbow Dash her older sister; it’s only fitting that she take care of her.”

“I see… And what about you? Why do you want to help her?”

“I, well… I’m not quite sure why I told Rainbow I’d help her out. I guess it was because I hate seeing somepony in pain. Besides, everypony deserves to live a good life. If I can help give Scootaloo that, then I would be more than happy to assist. Furthermore, since Ponyville is now technically my domain, it unsettles me to know one of my subjects is hurting.”

“You’ve always had strong maternal instincts,” Celestia said with a gentle smile. “Do you think those may have played a part in your decision?”

“Maternal instincts?” Twilight sat down, confused. “I’m… I’m not sure what you mean. I haven’t had any foals of my own...”

“Twilight, let’s not forget that you raised Spike since he was a hatchling. You took care of him like you would your own, nurturing him and loving him. Because of that, I think both you and Rainbow Dash would be a perfect fit to take care of Scootaloo.” Celestia smiled warmly, proud that her former student had stepped up to such an enormous challenge. “And to help support you and your friend, I can increase your monthly stipend to adjust for taking care of her.” Her smile faltered as she remembered what her research had turned up last night.

Twilight noticed it instantly. “Princess, what’s wrong?” she asked nervously.

“I… I reviewed the regulations governing matters of adoption last night and came across something that might impede our plans. While those who want to adopt a filly or colt can be young or old, married or single, in order to take care of an abused filly, the prospective parents are required to be married and in a healthy relationship. On top of that, they–”

“Wait, you’re saying that Rainbow and I have to get married if we want to take care of Scootaloo? But that’s absurd! I don’t–” Twilight exclaimed before Celestia cut her off, her eyebrows furrowing in worry.

“I wasn’t finished talking yet,” Celestia said with a small smile, waiting until Twilight calmed down. “Normally, to adopt somepony, the prospective parents would have to go through a rigorous screening process, a process that can take up to several days, weeks even.”

“But wait, are you saying that we can’t take care of Scootaloo?” Twilight’s shoulders slumped as she thought about breaking the news to Dash. She knew the pegasus would be so upset.

“Twilight, please, let me finish. I think I’ve found a way to get around that. That law only pertains to fillies and colts that are in the foster care system. And since Scootaloo isn’t in the system…” Celestia trailed off, giving her old student the opportunity to finish her sentence.

“Then the law wouldn’t apply to her!” Twilight said, her face lighting up. She thought they had it in the bag when she realized something else. “But would the courts see it that way?” she asked nervously.

“I’m sure they would, Twilight. Since Scootaloo is not registered as homeless or in the foster care system, they cannot use that law against us. But let us not digress; we must first place the parents under arrest before we make such arrangements.”

“Agreed,” Twilight said, watching as Celestia turned and beckoned for her captain to come forward with a wing. It only took him a few moments for him to close the distance, and he saluted the two of them as he reached them.

“What do you require, my princess?” he asked, addressing Celestia.

“We are ready to proceed with the operation.” Turning to Twilight, she asked, “Twilight, could you be so kind as to tell my captain about the layout of the house?”

“Of course.” Twilight closed her eyes as she got her thoughts in order. “The front door is in bad condition, so breaching from the front, if needed, should not be a problem. There is a small foyer at first, followed by a narrow hallway that goes to the kitchen and the stairs. Halfway down the hallway, there is a living room on the right. Near the end of the hallway, the stairs are on the right, leading to the second level of the house. Upstairs, there are three rooms, with Scootaloo’s room being the first one on the right. I don’t know anything about the back of the house, though. The structure is just right down the road, about a minute’s brisk trot away.”

“Got it, princess. I’ll ready my soldiers, and we’ll move in immediately. Also, the prison carriage should be arriving shortly. Shall we proceed?”

“Yes, captain. You and your soldiers may execute the operation. Both Princess Twilight and I will be observing from a safe distance.”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” the captain barked, turning and trotting back to his soldiers. Celestia watched him relay the intel to them, waiting patiently until they were ready. Several moments later, the captain barked an inaudible command and the entire procession silently made their way past the two princesses. They moved so quietly that the only noise they produced was the sound of them breathing.

As Celestia’s guards trotted around the corner, both Twilight and Celestia followed them silently. A minute later, the house came into view, the guards already stacked up outside the front door.

Celestia lowered her head and whispered smugly, “Watch how well your brother trained my stallions.” She watched with pride and a smug feeling of satisfaction as she observed her hoofpicked guards perform flawlessly.

Twilight felt a tingling sensation on the back of her neck, but she knew it was from the tripwire spell she had placed on the property. She paid it no mind as she watched the guards move onto the property, keeping silent as she and Celestia watched as the captain trotted down the path. He climbed up the steps and rapped on the front door five times.

“Residents of this household! This is the captain of Princess Celestia’s personal guard! By order of the princess herself, my soldiers and I are here to place you two, the parents of Scootaloo, under arrest,” the captain barked.

“Like Tartarus you are!” came a deep, scratchy voice from inside. “You can take yer spears and shove ‘em up yer royal guard buttholes!” Sounds of locks clicking shut came from inside the house a moment later. “There ain’t no way yer gettin’ in here!”

“He made his choice, boys! Stack up!” the captain barked at his soldiers, gesturing for them to move into position. Several tense moments passed in silence as they did so, and when they were ready, the lead pony nodded at his commanding officer.

“You have one last chance to surrender or we’re coming in for you!” the captain yelled at the house. He waited several moments but only silence met his warning. “Alright, move in!”

“Sir, yes sir!” The first guard moved to stand in front of the locked door, reared back, then bucked it in just like Applejack would buck an apple tree. He quickly moved to the side, allowing his fellow soldiers to enter unimpeded. Shouts of protest came from inside a moment later, and just as soon as the operation had started it was over. Scootaloo’s parents were marched out, shackles securing their hooves together.

Just then, Twilight heard two sets of wings flapping, pulling her attention away from Scootaloo’s parents. She looked back just in time to see two more of Celestia’s guards land, a small prison chariot being pulled behind them. They saluted the two of them and dropped their hooves, standing stock-still as they waited for their prisoners to be loaded inside.

“Get yer filthy hooves off of me!” Brick Lump yelled furiously as the soldiers dragged him and his unconscious wife before Celestia. He looked up, finally realizing that the princess was actually standing right in front of him. He stared up into her eyes, waiting for her to speak, but nothing came. “What the hay do you want?”

“Hey, show your princess some respect!” the captain barked as he kicked the back of Brick Lump’s forelegs, forcing him to kneel.

“Please, captain, that won’t be necessary,” Celestia said calmly. “Brick Lump, I am placing both you and your wife, Tranquil Breeze, under arrest for the crime of abusing your filly, Scootaloo. Such an atrocious crime must be punished and I will not allow it in my domain.” She turned her attention to the captain. “Captain, read them their rights and get them out of here.”

“Yes, my princess!” the captain said, saluting her. Leading the prisoners away, he started reciting, “You have the right to remain silent…” His voice faded away as he and his soldiers led them to the prison carriage. Moments later, the door was slammed shut and locked. As soon as the road was cleared, the chariot took off, heading back towards Canterlot.

“That will be all, captain,” Celestia said as he trotted back up to her, “Great work on securing the criminals. You are dismissed, and after you file the report, you all may have the rest of the day off.”

“Thank you, my princess.” The captain turned to his soldiers and said, “Form up! Time to move out!” A couple more terse orders and they were off, leaving Twilight and Celestia standing in the middle of the road alone.

“So what now, Celestia?” Twilight asked. “Now that Scootaloo’s parents are in custody, where do we go from here?”

“Well, I’ve officially set the court date for ten days after Hearth’s Warming Day. It’s imperative that both you and Rainbow Dash be there if you want to claim custody of Scootaloo, who of course needs to be present as well. Furthermore, I shall leave her in the care of Rainbow Dash and yourself until the trial. Also, I suggest that you all try to live as normally as you can. The trial might be a little stressful for Scootaloo, and I think it would be a good idea if we tried to keep her mind off of it for now. Oh, and Twilight?” Celestia asked with a small smile, lowering her head slightly.

“Yes?” Twilight looked up into her old mentor’s face.

“I admire you for stepping up to take charge in this situation. You’ve done extremely well during your stay here in Ponyville, and I couldn’t be more proud of you,” she said, giving Twilight a loving nuzzle on the cheek, eliciting a smile and a happy hum from the younger alicorn. “With that being said, I think it’s time for me take my leave. I need to get everything set up for the trial, and I’m sure you need to figure out how to accommodate Scootaloo.” She rose back up, spreading her wings to their full extent. “I’ll see all of you in Canterlot soon.” Celestia gave her wings a forceful downward thrust, propelling herself into the air. She made one elegant circle around Twilight and flew away, heading straight towards Canterlot.

“Bye, Princess!” Twilight called out, waving goodbye. When Celestia was nothing more but a speck in the sky, she stopped waving and took off, flying back towards the hospital.

The Start of Something New

“Wow, that didn’t take too long,” Dash said as Twilight walked back inside the hospital room. “You weren’t even gone an hour!”

She turned her attention back to the game of cards that she and Scootaloo were playing and asked, “Hmm… do you have any se…” Rainbow paused to inspect Scootaloo’s face for anything that would give her cards away. When her cocky smile faded slightly, Dash quickly asked, “Um… ya have any sixes?”

“Nope!” Scootaloo said cheerily. “Go fish!”

“Darn!” Rainbow chuckled as she picked up a card. Another seven? Well, if I have three of them now, then where’s the last one? She added it to the other two sevens in her grip. “Your turn!”

“Alright…” Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed as she examined Rainbow’s hoofful of cards. Knowing that Rainbow had probably changed her answer to let her win, Scootaloo gave her another cocky smile. She took one last glance at the three cards in her hoof. She had a four, an eight, and a seven. “Do you have any… sevens?”

“Ah, ponyfeathers, you got me!” Rainbow said, throwing her cards down in defeat. She looked back at Twilight, noticing that she had a smile on her face. “So what’s up, Twi? Everything go smoothly?”

“Of course! Everything went off without a hitch,” Twilight said, walking up to the bed. “I see that you two kept busy while I was gone?”

“Haha, yep! Scootaloo here just finished wiping the floor with me for the fourth time! Who knew she was so good at cards?” Rainbow said with a chuckle, gathering the deck. Throwing them all back in the box, she set it down on the small table next to her and slid out of her chair.

“Oh, I almost forgot, the doctor said Scootaloo can leave with us now!” Rainbow’s face lit up excitedly as she remembered the doctor’s visit. “Oh my gosh, Twilight, you should have totally seen the doctor’s face when he saw that Scootaloo’s wing was completely healed!” Rainbow popped a backflip in excitement, landing in the same spot that she’d been in.

As soon as Rainbow’s hooves touched the floor, the door opened to reveal a light pink mare pushing an empty wheelchair in front of her. “Alrighty miss, remember what the doctor said? We have to wheel you out; it’s the hospital’s policy.” She smiled warmly as she pushed the wheelchair up to the bed. The nurse engaged the locks on the wheels and helped Scootaloo slide onto the wheelchair.

“Ready?” After a small nod from Scootaloo, the nurse disengaged the locks and pushed her out of the room. She looked back over her shoulder and addressed Twilight and Rainbow. “If you’d be so kind as to follow me, we can get Scootaloo checked out!”

“Sounds good to me! After you, Twilight,” Rainbow nodded towards the door as she watched the nurse push Scootaloo down the hallway.

“Heh, thanks.” Twilight moved forward, followed closely by Rainbow. As the nurse and Scootaloo went into the elevator a few doors down from them, Rainbow and Twilight kept going, opting to go for the staircase. They walked downstairs, emerging on the ground floor just as the elevator doors opened. The nurse pushed Scootaloo up to the front desk and waited for the two of them to join her.

“Alright guys, I’ll grab the paperwork, have ya’ll sign a few things, and then you’ll be good to go!” the pink mare said, fixing her hat so that it sat properly on her head. She walked behind the counter and rifled through a small pile of manila folders, pulling one out a few moments later. Walking up to the counter, she opened it and pulled out the first sheet, laying it down for Twilight to sign. “Just sign here, here, and here, and then we’d be golden!”

“But what about the charges?” Twilight asked, levitating a quill into the air. She signed her name in a few different places and looked back up, placing the quill beside the documents.

“Ah, yes. You needn’t worry about that; Princess Celestia already paid it in full!” the nurse responded, pulling the signed document off the counter. She stowed it in a separate folder and placed it inside a small filing cabinet.

“Wonderful! So that’s it?” Twilight lit her horn and picked Scootaloo up in her magical grasp. She gently placed her on Dash’s back and turned her attention back to the nurse.

“Yep, that’s it! Scootaloo’s good to go!” The nurse leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Oh, and also, we included a copy of the document about her condition in the folder.”

“Got it, thanks.” Twilight grabbed the manila folder and closed it.

“Wait, wha–” Rainbow trailed off, her eyes widening ever so slightly as she suddenly caught on. “Oh, uh… nevermind.”

“Wait, what condition? What’s in that folder?” Scootaloo asked as she placed her front hooves on Dash’s head, standing up on her idol’s back. Peering down over her head, she attempted to get a glimpse of the folder’s contents, but to no avail; Twilight kept it shut tight with her magic.

“Careful there, squirt. We wouldn’t want you falling off, now would we?” Rainbow asked with a small, cocky grin. She gently tossed her head back, making Scootaloo sit back down. “It’s probably just some medical jargon about how Princess Celestia healed your wing so fast, ya know?”

“Yeah, probably… So anyways, can we get outta here?” Scootaloo asked, keeping her front hooves firmly latched around Rainbow’s neck. “I don’t like hospitals…”

“Yeah, me neither, squirt,” Rainbow said, shuddering slightly as she remembered her own trip to the hospital. Shaking the unsettling thoughts and feelings from her mind, she quietly followed Twilight outside, taking extra care to make sure Scootaloo wouldn’t fall off. Turning to look at Twilight, she asked, “So now what?”

“Well, if you two are hungry, we can all go to the Hayburger for a late lunch, and we can figure out what to do from there. Also, I’m buying!” Twilight said merrily, listening to her stomach grumble.

“Yeah, sounds great to me!” Rainbow said. Looking over her shoulder, she nearly pushed Scootaloo off her back with her muzzle. “Oops, sorry squirt…” Rainbow used her wings to help the filly regain her balance, then she asked, “What do you think? You up for a good ol’ hayburger and some fries?”

“Totally!” Scootaloo piped up, her wings buzzing with excitement.

“Awesome. I’ll grab Spike, and I’ll meet you two there!” Twilight said, opening her wings. She trotted a few steps down the road and flew off in the direction of the library.

“How’s your burger, Spike?” Twilight asked, taking a bite of her own.

“It’s pretty good,” Spike said as he glanced around the table, perplexed. While it wasn’t odd to see Twilight and Rainbow spending time together, what put him off was the fact that Scootaloo was between them, sitting across from him as she devoured her own burger. Twilight hadn’t told him much, just that they were meeting Rainbow and Scootaloo for lunch to talk about important things.

“So… what’s going on? You said we had to talk about something important?” Spike set his burger down, grabbed some hay fries, and popped them in his mouth one by one as he waited for Twilight to respond.

“Yes, that’s why we’re all here,” Twilight started, setting her own burger down. She took a small sip of her drink before saying, “I’m sure you’re wondering why Scootaloo was in the hospital last night, right?”

After a silent nod from Spike, she continued. “Right, well, Scootaloo can tell you all the details later if she wants to, but what happened was that her parents weren’t all that nice to her, and they didn’t treat her so well. So because of that, Scootaloo is going to be living with us and Rainbow Dash from now on.” She paused, wanting to see how Spike would react to this. She was a little uncertain of what he’d think of the whole situation, but she still gave him a chance to speak nonetheless.

“Wow… that’s just…” Spike murmured, nervously glancing up at Scootaloo. Shaking his head, he tried to play it cool. “Heh, so this is gonna be like one long sleepover?” He looked up hopefully at Twilight, sneaking a furtive glance at Scootaloo a second later. Noticing a similar expression on her face, Spike smiled inwardly and then looked back up at Twilight.

“Exactly,” Twilight said, visibly relaxing. She hadn’t realized that she’d been so tense. “She’ll be sleeping in the spare bed in my bedroom for now until we get things all figured out. After the trial, which is just under a couple weeks, we can–”

“Wait, hold on, a trial?” Spike asked, cocking a scaly eyebrow. “For what?”

“Well, Spike, you see, um… Rainbow and I volunteered to become Scootaloo’s legal guardians, seeing that her real parents aren’t responsible enough. The trial is just a legal thing to make our custody of her official,” Twilight said, smiling gently as she watched Rainbow playfully tousle Scootaloo’s hair.

“Really? That’d be awesome!” Spike exclaimed. “So does that mean Scootaloo will be my sister? Or, um… wait, what would she be, my half sister?”

“Technically, she would be…” Twilight started, trailing off as she realized that she had no idea what that would make Scootaloo. “To be honest, I’m not so sure… Rainbow? You have any ideas?”

“Uh… why’re you asking me? You’re the egghead, you should know!” Rainbow said, nudging Twilight’s side playfully with a wing. She finished off her own burger and took a sip of her drink. “Anyways, we need to hurry up; I’m already late for work today, and we still haven’t set anything up.”

“Oh! In that case then… How about she stays with me Monday through Wednesday, and then she stays with you Thursday through Sunday? And every other week we switch times, making it even for the both of us. Of course, exceptions can always be made if something comes up. That sound good?”

Rainbow nodded, shoving the rest of her hay fries into her mouth. “Yeah, sounds good to me. Sorry guys, but I gotta bail; I gotta do some work if I want to pay the bills, ya know? See ya later!” And with that, Dash bolted out of the restaurant, leaving the two front doors swinging back and forth in her wake.

“So, um… who’s place am I staying at tonight?” Scootaloo asked, finishing off her meal. She crumpled up her trash into a small ball and tossed it on the table.

“How about you stay at my place tonight?” Twilight asked. “I’m sure Spike would love the extra company, and besides, I need help setting up the tree!”

“Yeah! I was wondering when we were gonna go get one!” Spike said, not noticing Scootaloo’s perplexed expression.

“A… tree?” Scootaloo cocked an eyebrow, letting a silly grin form on her face. “But you guys live in one; why would you need another?”

“For Hearth’s Warming day, silly!” Twilight said, smiling. “How can you not kn– oh…” Her lips formed a small ‘o’ as she quickly realized that Scootaloo’s parents may not have given the filly presents all throughout the past holidays. Her heart rate sped up and her ears drooped as she felt a pit of guilt form in her stomach. Everypony, especially young colts and fillies, deserve to get presents!

“Tell you what, you two…” she trailed off, smiling excitedly as a plan formed in her head. “Dash and I are gonna make this the best holiday ever!”

Down at the bustling market, everypony was going about their business, buying decorations, holiday treats, and gifts for their loved ones, and that’s exactly what Twilight, Spike, and Scootaloo were doing.

“Alright, you two, all we need now is a star to put on top of the tree!” Twilight said, levitating a couple bags of decorations above her head as they all trotted through the marketplace for what seemed like the umpteenth time. “You two still warm?” Back at the library, she had been smart enough to throw on her saddle pad, using it as both a source of warmth and a cushion for her saddlebags.

They’d been out in the cold for quite a while, and she was starting to grow a little concerned about Spike. She felt fine, especially with the scarf that she’d grabbed back at the library, but reptiles were particularly susceptible to the cold.

“Yep!” Spike said, rubbing his claws together to generate a little bit of warmth. “Although I probably should have grabbed my gloves and scarf…” He blew a small stream of fire over his claws, trying to warm them up.

“Well, you should’ve listened to me!” Twilight chuckled. She opened her saddlebag and stowed her bags of supplies in them. A moment later, she lit her horn and grabbed her scaly assistant, placing him on her back, just in front of the saddlebags.

“Here, I think there’s a blanket in my bags…” She fished around in her saddlebag with a magical tendril, letting out a small ‘ah!’ as she felt it. Twilight pulled it out and unfolded it, quickly wrapping it around the shivering dragon on her back. “There! That should help.”

“Heh, thanks Twi,” Spike said, clutching the small blanket. It was big enough to cover him, but it wasn’t big enough to cover his frozen tail, which he quickly pulled under the blanket. He smiled as he started to warm up and he looked around, keeping his claws on Twilight’s neck to steady himself as they wove through the many stalls in the market.

“Hey, why do you need a blanket?” Scootaloo asked. “Sure, it’s a little cold, but not that cold!”

“Well, you see, Spike is a cold-blooded animal, which means that he takes on the temperature of his surroundings. If it gets cold out, his body temperature drops,” Twilight said, happy to spread her knowledge. “If he gets too cold, he could get sick, or even…” Twilight gulped visibly. “Celestia forbid, he could die.” She shuddered as she shook the thought from her mind.

“Hey, enough talk about me dying!” Spike spoke up, giving Twilight a playful poke. “How about we find a star? I think we need a new one, because I couldn’t find the old one anywhere in the attic.”

“Ooh! How about this one?” Scootaloo piped up. She trotted over to a vendor two carts down from them, pointing to a large pink star. “This’ll look so awesome on our tree!”

“Not bad, but it doesn’t match the rest of the decorations we bought…” Spike said as he inspected the cart’s wares from Twilight’s back. Stars of all sizes and colors hung from many strings. As he perused the items for sale, a shiny green one caught his attention, instantly reminding him of succulent emeralds. “Hey, Twilight, how about that one?”

“No, I don’t think a green star would look that good on a green tree,” Twilight chuckled, guessing that it reminded Spike of the precious gems he loved to snack on. “How about that one?” She pointed at a medium-sized golden one.

“Sure, that one looks good!” Scootaloo nodded, not even bothering to quell her unbridled excitement.

“Alrighty, you two! Now all we need is the tree!” Twilight said after purchasing the item. “I think I remember seeing somepony selling them on the other side of the market.” They turned around and made their way back towards the other side of the square, finally spotting their goal.

The three of them walked into the small tent, their shoulders slumping as they saw all of the empty slots where trees used to be, save for two in the rear. The air was stale and musty, filled with the overpowering scent of dried pine needles. They walked back there, and Twilight was both pleasantly surprised and relieved when Spike and Scootaloo both voiced their approval simultaneously.

“This is perfect!” Scootaloo piped up.

“Yeah, let’s get this one, Twilight!” Spike pointed to the one on the left.

While there was technically nothing wrong with it, it was a bit on the small side, but it mattered not. If it made them happy, Twilight had absolutely no problem buying it. She turned to the old stallion manning the cash register on the other side of the tent and called out, “How much for this one, sir?” She pointed at the tree that Spike and Scootaloo wanted and waited patiently.

The unicorn looked up from his magazine and noticed Princess Twilight. “Ah, greetings Princess! I’ll give ya’ll a good discount… Um… does seven bits sound fair?”

“Sounds good to me!” Twilight said, levitating the right amount of bits from her saddlebag to the cashier. Turning around, she found Scootaloo trying to lift their new tree up on her own.

Noticing Twilight’s concerned expression, Scootaloo said confidently, “No worries, Twilight, I got this!”

Before Twilight could respond, she stood up on her hind legs and grabbed several of the branches in her forelegs and pulled, trying to make it tip over so she could carry it out for them. Just as the tree started to lean towards her, the cashier spoke up.

“Now, hold on there, missy!” the old cashier called out, setting his magazine down with a knowing smile. “Lemme get that there fer ya!” He lit his horn and gently pulled it out of Scootaloo’s grasp. “We don’t want you gettin’ hurt fer the holidays, now would we?” he asked with a chuckle, setting the tree down beside Twilight.

Twilight felt a pang of guilt and immediately glanced back at Scootaloo. Catching the filly’s uncertain eye, she nodded towards the exit, silently praying for her to keep silent.

“Yes, um… thank you,” Twilight said, shifting nervously as she trotted forward. Without another word, she lit her own horn and grabbed the tree. Lifting it up into the air, she walked back outside before the situation got anymore awkward; she really didn’t want everypony to know about Scootaloo’s situation.

Stopping in the middle of the square, Twilight closed her eyes and teleported the tree into the library, right into the base that she had set up specifically for it a little while ago. Lighting her horn again, she focused her magic on the decorations in her bags and teleported those away too. She took a deep breath of fresh air, her muzzle twitching in mild irritation as the cold winter air bit at her nostrils. She was glad to be free from the musty tent. While a good Hearth’s Warming Day tree smelled good on its own, a small tent with no ventilation made the scent of many trees much too powerful to take in all at once, making Twilight wonder how the old unicorn could take it all day long.

Shaking her head, Twilight lit her horn once more and set Spike back down on the ground. “Hey, do you two think you can handle setting up the tree all by yourselves?” she asked, stuffing the blanket back in her saddlebag. “I have to go run some boring old errands, and I’m sure you two wouldn’t want to stick around.” Twilight hoped that she made her last sentence sound incredibly boring; in reality she was planning on buying them presents for the upcoming holiday, and she didn’t want the surprise to be ruined.

“Yeah, that sounds like fun!” Scootaloo said, having already forgotten the old unicorn. She and Spike started to scamper away, but Twilight spoke up, making them stop in their tracks.

“Hold on, you two!” Twilight called out as she caught up to them, pulling the flap on her left saddlebag open. She levitated two bits into Spike’s outstretched claw and smiled as she said, “Here’s a couple bits; you can go get yourselves some hot chocolate down at Sugarcube Corner if you want!”

“Thanks a lot, Twilight!” Scootaloo said, grabbing one of Twilight’s forelegs in a hug. She nuzzled Twilight’s breast for a couple seconds and pulled away, a small blush tinting her cheeks a light rose. “Oh, and also, if you see Rainbow later, can you ask her if I can borrow the quilt I used when I slept at her place the other night? It was really soft and warm, and I’d really like to sleep with it again.”

“Okay. I’ll be sure to ask Rainbow if that’s fine,” Twilight said, returning the gesture of affection. “Now you and Spike run along before you two become ice cubes, alright?” Scootaloo nodded and released her, taking a couple steps back.

“Hehe, alright. See you later!” Scootaloo said as she and Spike scampered away, turning down the street corner leading towards Pinkie’s pastry shop.

A small smile graced Twilight’s lips as she watched Scootaloo and Spike run away, laughing as they raced each other down the snowy road. Alright… Where to now? She pulled out her list of errands that she needed to run and unrolled it, holding it before her. Buy ornaments and other various supplies… Check! Buy tree… Check! Go talk to Rarity about making new scarves for Dash, Scootaloo, and Spike? Not checked. Twilight rolled up her list, stowed it back in her saddlebag, and began the short journey to the Carousel Boutique.

Thankfully, it was just a few blocks away, a fact that Twilight was grateful for. The sun was starting to make its downward journey, letting Ponyville grow colder and colder. Twilight approached the door and pushed it open, shivering as a blissful warmth flowed over her. She closed her eyes for a moment as she enjoyed feeling the cold be abolished from her coat, only opening them when she heard the familiar voice of her friend.

“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique!” Rarity said, trotting downstairs from her workroom. “Where everything is–” She cut off her practiced routine when her gaze fell upon Twilight. “Ah, darling! How are you doing on this dreadfully cold day?” She daintily batted her eyes as she lit her horn, closing the front door.

“I’m doing quite fine, Rarity,” Twilight said, smiling as Rarity courteously took the saddlebags from her back, placing them on a nearby table. She followed her to the living room and hopped on the couch, Rarity laying down beside her.

“Listen, if it’s not too much trouble, and I know this is a little bit of a late notice, but is there any chance that you could make a set of special scarves for Rainbow, Spike, and Scootaloo?” Twilight asked. Her heart beat faster as she saw Rarity raise an eyebrow at the mention of Scootaloo’s name. “I think they’d make great presents, and… um…” she trailed off when Rarity’s face contorted into a confused expression.

Raising a hoof to stop her friend, Rarity asked, “I’m sorry, dear, but did you say Scootaloo?” Twilight nodded silently. “Why her in particular?”

“She, well, Rainbow Dash and I, um…” Twilight trailed off nervously as she let her nerves get the best of her.

After much gentle coaxing from Rarity, Twilight was finally able to tell their tale. Although she started off a little shakily, she grew more relaxed and confident as she confided in one of her most trusted friends.

“So… yeah, that’s about it,” Twilight said, sitting back. She’d just finished telling Rarity everything, from when Rainbow crashed through her door to earlier this morning. “Scootaloo is going to be staying with Spike and I at the library on and off throughout the week, and while Princess Celestia assures me that everything should go smoothly, I’m still a little worried about how the courts might interpret this rather unique situation.” Her front left hoof started tapping the couch on its own as she started imagining the judge proclaiming them unfit to become Scootaloo’s legal guardians.

“Twilight, I…” Rarity cleared her throat and shook her head. “I must say, what you and Rainbow Dash are doing for Scootaloo is truly wonderful.” She laid her hoof over Twilight’s and grabbed it gently. “So, tell me, did you have anything special in mind for them?”

Twilight told her exactly what she wanted, feeling relieved when Rarity told her that she’d be able to have them ready in time. After exchanging hugs and goodbyes, Twilight had bidden Rarity a nice evening and had walked outside, happy that she’d been able to finish her errands for the day.

As Twilight happily trotted back towards the library, she heard a familiar voice pierce through her thoughts, breaking her from her reverie.

“Hey, Twilight! What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked, coming to an abrupt hover in midair. Not even giving her a chance to respond, she continued on, her voice cracking in her excitement. “Never mind that; come on! I got something awesome to show you!” Like before, she didn’t give Twilight a chance to respond as she picked her up in her forelegs. Effortlessly turning about in the air, Rainbow shot off towards her cloudhouse, blasting through the sky.

“Rainbow! You know you could have just asked me to follow you!” Twilight pouted, struggling to breathe as the cold, wintery air was forced down her throat. The speed at which they were going was much more than she was comfortable with; apparently what Rainbow had in store for her couldn’t wait. “Rainbow!”

“Hang on, Twilight, we’re almost there!” Rainbow yelled, her voice almost becoming lost in the wind. After dodging a few clouds, her house came into view and she put on an extra burst of speed, tearing through the sky. Her house came closer and closer, and at this velocity, they’d go straight through it and out the back if she didn’t slow down. As soon as she felt Twilight squirm in her grasp, Rainbow flared her wings, bleeding so much speed at once that she nearly lost her grip on her. Hovering now, Rainbow secured her grip on Twilight and gently lowered her onto the front porch.

“Heh, sorry about that, Twi… I get a little over-excited sometimes,” Rainbow said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of her head. “But anyways, now that we’re here, I have somethin’ to show ya!” She took off again, barreling through her front door. She flew inside, did a few loops around her living room to slow down, and landed next to the coffee table.

“Well? What’re you waiting for, a written invitation? Come on!” Rainbow yelled back at a dumbfounded Twilight, who was still standing outside. Prancing in place excitedly, Rainbow looked back behind her, making sure that her little secret was hidden from Twilight’s view. She couldn’t help but let a silly smile slip onto her face as she waited for the alicorn to come in.

Twilight trotted inside and closed the door behind her. As she walked up to Rainbow, she cracked a smile and giggled at her friend’s bubbly excitement; it was if she had somehow gotten Pinkie Pie’s level of enthusiasm.

“Rainbow, what is it that has you so excited?” She craned her head every which way as she tried to peer around her friend, but to no avail; Rainbow moved to block her every move.

“Alright, Rainbow, you got me,” Twilight said in defeat, sitting back on her haunches. “What’s the surprise?”

“This!” Rainbow proclaimed with an air of excitement. She jumped to the side and revealed her surprise: a brand new, top of the line scooter for Scootaloo. Judging by the look on Twilight’s face, she approved.

“Rainbow, this is…” Twilight trailed off as she found herself at a loss for words.

“Cool, huh?”

Twilight looked up into Rainbow’s eyes, a wide smile on her face. “Rainbow… Scootaloo’s gonna love this! Where’d you get it?” She walked up to the box and started reading all the details listed on the side.

“Oh, while I was killing time at the hospital yesterday, I saw an ad for a sports store in Manehatten that had these. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it for her! Besides, her scooter is just like, what, a plank of wood and some wheels?” Rainbow chuckled. “She definitely needs a new one, especially after all the stuff she’s been through.”

“B– but wait; if you saw the ad yesterday, then how did you…” Twilight trailed off as the answer suddenly clicked in her head. With a smug smile, she asked, “You didn’t have to work at all, did you? You just said you had to go work because you wanted to go and get this for Scootaloo, right?”

“Yep! So what do ya think? She gonna like it?”

“You kidding me? She’s gonna love it! This one is definitely a step up from what she has now; she’s gonna be able to do so many more tricks with this!”

“That’s what I was saying!” Rainbow’s grin faltered as she remembered something. “Say Twilight… any chance that you could help me wrap this up? I’m, uh… having a little trouble trying to figure it out…” Rainbow bashfully looked away, nervously tapping a hoof on the floor. She hated to admit it, but even she needed help from time to time.

“Sure, I’d be more than happy to help!” Twilight said. She glanced about and noticed that there wasn’t any of the usual present wrapping supplies laying around. “So, uh, where’s the wrapping paper?”

“Um… it’s right here…” Rainbow giggled nervously as she pulled out a large mass of crumpled-up wrapping paper from behind the couch. “I got a little angry trying to wrap it, and I… well, you know...” She trailed off, starting to feel embarrassed. She had gone and bought all the necessary supplies to wrap Scootaloo’s present back in Manehatten, but had quickly ran out of supplies as she kept messing up. The wrapping paper that she’d bought was dark purple with orange dots on it, and she had even bought a light blue bow to go on top.

“And you brought me here to help you wrap it.” Twilight giggled, finishing Rainbow’s sentence for her. “You know, all you had to do was ask, Rainbow. I’d never say no to a friend in need.” She lit her horn, focusing her magic on the ball of wrapping paper. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and used her magic to flatten out the wrapping paper, smoothing out all the wrinkles and joining all the edges to form one large sheet. Twilight set it down and opened her eyes, satisfied with her work. “Here, lend me a hoof and we’ll have this wrapped in no time!”

“What do you want me to do?” Rainbow asked, relieved that Twilight wasn’t going to tease her about her inability to wrap a simple present.

“Here, you hold onto the tape…” Twilight said, biting her tongue as she figured out the best way to wrap Scootaloo’s present. “Ah! Here we go.” Lighting her horn, she flipped the wrapping paper over and placed the box right in the center. She pulled all the sides up over the top of the box, folding the corners and extra material.

“Tape here, please!” Twilight nodded to the top of the box, where the wrapping paper’s edges met with the other side. She waited patiently, letting Dash lay a piece of tape across the edge. Humph… Not as precise as I would have liked, but it’ll have to do! “And here… and there… and lastly, right here,” Twilight said, pointing out the last few places to tape up. “Annnd done!”

Rainbow sat back and admired their handiwork, thankful that Scootaloo’s present was neatly wrapped in the wrapping paper. “Heh, thanks Twilight, I couldn’t have done it without you.” She gave her friend a small nuzzle in thanks. “Well, I mean I probably could have figured it out sooner or later!”

“Oh, I’m sure…” Twilight rolled her eyes with a giggle, eliciting a playful shove from Rainbow. “Oh, that reminds me, want to come over on the morning of Hearth’s Warming Day? You’d be more than welcome to join us, and I’m sure Scootaloo would love to hang out with you!”

“Really? Yeah, that’d be awesome!” Rainbow jumped into the air and hugged Twilight, wrapping her forelegs around her neck. She released her friend a few moments later and drifted back to the floor. “So, uh, should we, like, get this present to the library, then?”

“Sure, I think I might be able to hide it behind my bed…” Twilight trailed off as she thought about it. If I push that there, and then maybe wiggle that back there… “Yeah, I think that can work! I’ll just have to lay a blanket or something over it to make sure that Spike or Scootaloo don’t see it.”

“Alright, that can work, but how’re we gonna get it to your place without anypony seeing it?” Rainbow scratched the back of her head as she thought. “I don’t want to ruin the surprise, you know?”

She waited for Twilight to answer, but none came. She looked up and saw Twilight had her horn lit. “Oh, yeah, right…” Rainbow sat back and rubbed her eyes, letting out a tired yawn. “Anyways, I think I’m gonna hit the hay if that’s alright with you. So you’re good?”

“Yeah, I think I have it already well under control,” Twilight said with a chuckle, covering her smile with a hoof. Extending a wing, she pointed to just behind Rainbow. “See?” Her giggles grew a little louder when Rainbow jumped, noticing that the present was already gone. “It’s safe and sound in the library, hidden away in my closet… for now, at least. I can find a better place for it when I get back if I need too.”

“Sounds good, Twi… sounds good…” Rainbow yawned again, this time much louder than before. “Here, I’ll walk you out…” She opened a wing, gesturing towards the front door.

“Alright… Oh!” Twilight stopped just as soon as she started walking. “Scootaloo wanted me to grab a certain blanket, a quilt to be exact. She said she used it the night that she slept over here, and that she’d really like to use it again.”

“Heh, really? Alright then, gimme a sec and I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Rainbow trotted back into the living room and grabbed the quilt from the couch. Tucking it under a wing, she trotted back to the door and helped Twilight secure it in her saddlebags. “There! All set!”

“Thanks, Dash,” Twilight said, giving Dash a small nuzzle. “So I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“Definitely. I’ll be around the library around noon; I gotta take care of a few things first.”

“Perfect. See you then!” And with that, Twilight lit her horn and teleported away, leaving Rainbow all alone.

Completely.

Alone.

Rainbow bit her lip and let her ears droop, listening to the wind blow outside her house. That’s all there ever was to keep her company; the wind and the occasional bird or two. Nopony ever really came by, and it had been really nice to hang out with Twilight, even if it was for a short while.

Rainbow turned around, sat down, and looked around her living room. She’d built her home to be very spacious, very open. She wanted her house to be that way so that she’d have the freedom to fly around inside if she needed to, but it was that very same openness that made her feel empty inside. Her heart panged with loneliness and her tail started twitching, lazily flicking from side to side as she looked around.

With a long, deep sigh, Rainbow stood up and kicked the door shut behind her. Her head hung low, she trudged through her house and slowly walked upstairs. Normally, she’d fly straight to her bed, but the pain of loneliness kept her grounded. With a heavy heart, she walked inside her bedroom and flopped down on her bed, letting herself sink into it.

She grabbed one of her pillows and clutched it tightly to her chest, pulling the blankets up over her shoulders. She couldn’t place a hoof on why, but now she felt lonelier than ever before. Maybe it was because Scootaloo was staying over at Twilight’s house, or maybe it was because she was now once again snuggling with an inanimate object. However soft it was, it still couldn’t replicate the feeling of a warm body that she so craved. Flicking her mane out of her face, she sighed pitifully as she closed her eyes, silently craving that which she did not have.

Nightmares

“No, leave me alone!” Scootaloo shouted, running into the kitchen. She slammed the door behind her and leaned against it, using her small weight to keep it closed. Alas, it was all for naught as both her parents used their combined weight to push it open. Stumbling forward, Scootaloo barely caught her balance before her parents rushed in, their hooves raised to attack. In the brief moment before they struck, Scootaloo looked up into her parents’ faces and saw hate in their eyes. It was at that moment that Scootaloo realized they weren’t going to merely give her another beating.

They wanted to kill her.

“Get away from me!” Scootaloo screamed. She darted underneath her father’s legs and ran back out into the hallway, sprinting for the front door. Her heart beat so fast she could feel it thumping in her breast. Quickly closing the gap to the door, she tried to rip it open. She didn’t think it possible, but her heart beat faster as she realized the door wouldn’t budge.

Her head darted every which way, searching for a way out. Upon seeing none, she gave the door another few desperate tugs. “Ugh, come on!” Suddenly, sounds of heavy hoofsteps came from behind her, down at the other end of the hallway.

“You’re goin’ nowhere!” Scootaloo heard her father yell as he advanced on her. She heard him snorting angrily as he stepped closer and closer, and she whipped her head around. Her father was only a few steps away, and he had a wicked sort of bloodthirsty grin on his face.

Scootaloo looked back at the door, still tugging on the handle. Something told her to look up, and she finally realized that the deadbolt was locked. Without wasting another moment, she fumbled with the latch and upon hearing it click, she took a step back and ripped the door open.

Throwing caution to the winds, Scootaloo ran outside, using her wings to give her that extra bit of speed as she jumped over the steps leading up to the door. She landed roughly on the dirt, skidding a couple feet. Using her wings to catch her balance, Scootaloo started running towards the open gate to freedom.

She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help herself. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that her parents had just emerged from their house, watching her run away silently. Standing in place, they both wore smug looks on their faces as they watched her. Apprehension rose in Scootaloo’s chest. What are they– A bright flash of white light suddenly flooded her vision as her head erupted in pain.

Scootaloo had just unknowingly ran right into the fence, stopping her dead in her tracks. If she had been a foot to the right, she would have been able to run straight through the open gate, but in her fear and confusion, she hadn’t noticed that she had drifted to the left ever so slightly, putting her directly on course with one of the support poles.

Her head ringing, she groaned as she shook her head. Her vision was blurry and she saw spots swirling all over the place. She blinked several times as she tried to clear her vision, and in her stunned state, she forgot to keep track of her parents.

The sound of heavy hoofsteps snapped her from her reverie. Scootaloo’s eyes snapped wide open and she saw two menacing shadows creep over her, coming from behind. Knowing that she’d lost and that she had nowhere to run to, she trembled uncontrollably as adrenaline flooded her system. Fearfully, she looked up with tears in her eyes, her lower lip quivering.

“Please…” she begged, her voice barely a whisper as her parents advanced on her silently. A couple terror-filled seconds later, they both stood over her, coldly staring down at her. “Please… I’ll promise I’ll be better!” Scootaloo said, backing up against the fence. Her heart beat faster and her breaths came in small and fast.

Her father stepped on her tail, pinning her in place. Scootaloo tried tugging it away, but it was to no avail; there was no escape.

“Please…” Scootaloo croaked. “Leave me alone…” She closed her eyes; she couldn’t bear to look anymore.

“Never!” Both her parents yelled at the same time.

“Scootaloo!” somepony’s voice called out. “Scootaloo, wake up!” She felt somepony shake her roughly and she opened her eyes to see not her parents, but a concerned Twilight standing beside her bed. Her eyebrows furrowing, Scootaloo looked down, and instead of the cold, hard ground that she was just on, she found herself laying on her side on a comfy mattress, a cold blanket slung over her. She hesitantly sat up, peeling the sticky sheets off her. As soon as she did so, though, she was struck by a blast of freezing air.

“Tw– Twilight? Is that you?” Scootaloo whimpered, quickly pulling the sheets back over her shoulders. “Wha… where are we?” She couldn’t stop shivering. The damp sheets were her only source of warmth, and there wasn’t anything else to warm her. Even the mattress and the pillow beneath her were soaked through.

“You’re staying at the library for a week or so, remember?” Twilight asked gently, climbing onto the bed. She settled down beside the quivering filly and laid a reassuring hoof on her, only to pull it back when she noticed the sheets were damp. Raising a hoof to Scootaloo’s forehead, she quickly realized that the filly was soaked with sweat.

“Were you…” Twilight cleared her throat as she made herself comfortable, sliding up close to Scootaloo. “Were you having a nightmare?”

Scootaloo looked up into Twilight’s eyes and nodded silently. “My parents… They– they were trying to kill me, and they… and they...” she choked out, barely able to speak clearly. Scootaloo curled up into a small ball and pulled her tail as tightly to her as she could. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her errant breathing, but to no avail. A few moments passed in silence as she tried to calm herself when she felt the familiar touch of magic surround her.

Cracking an eye open, Scootaloo peered up at Twilight through the strands of her tail. Scootaloo was just about to open her mouth and ask what spell she was casting when she felt herself, and the sheets below her, start to warm up. Quickly realizing that Twilight was abolishing the sweat from her body, Scootaloo stayed quiet, letting the alicorn do her job.

Several more seconds passed in silence as Scootaloo felt herself warm up. Her shivering ceased slightly, but as soon as she was dry, it stopped altogether. As soon as the spell was complete, Scootaloo pulled the sheets back up over shoulders, still feeling a little chilly.

“That better?” Twilight asked softly, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

“Yeah… thanks, Twilight…” Scootaloo gave Twilight an appreciative nuzzle. The moment her cheek touched Twilight’s neck, she realized that she was so much warmer than the pitiful blanket she was using. Looking down, Scootaloo realized that it wasn’t the quilt from Rainbow’s. In fact, that quilt was pushed into a ball at the other end of the bed.

Standing up on shaky hooves, Scootaloo stepped to Twilight’s side and settled down against her, right where her wing was. As soon as their bodies touched, a blissful warmth enveloped her, and she sighed happily. She crossed her forelegs and let her tail twitch from side to side in content. Even though she hoped that Twilight would just drop it and let her go back to sleep, there was no doubt in her mind that she was going to ask her about the nightmare.

“So… um, do you want to talk about it?” Twilight asked, smiling gently as she let Scootaloo lay down next to her. It was not uncommon for fillies, colts, and in special cases, baby dragons, to seek comfort from someone after going through a particularly rough nightmare. She was glad that Scootaloo thought of her as somepony she could turn to for help, and that filled her with feelings of joy. “I promise it’ll make you feel better if you do…” Twilight rubbed Scootaloo’s back with her wing.

Scootaloo’s breathing slowed down a good bit and she relaxed into Twilight’s embrace as she felt the alicorn’s soft feathers stroke her back. A sense of security filled her, something that she hadn’t felt in ages, giving her the strength to say, “The nightmare… it felt so real; it was like I was really back at my parents’ place. They chased me through the house, and I barely escaped out the front door. I would have escaped if I didn’t run into the fence, and as I came around, my dad had me pinned. The next thing I saw was…” she trailed off, letting her nerves get the best of her. The images were still so fresh in her mind, it was if they had really just happened. Letting her ears droop, she shuddered as she saw her father raising his hooves to strike her in her mind’s eye.

“The next thing you saw was what?” Twilight asked, prompting Scootaloo to continue. All throughout Scootaloo’s tale, Twilight had never stopped rubbing the filly’s back, taking care to not be rough with her recently-healed wing. She knew Celestia had healed the broken bones, but she wasn’t sure if she healed everything else as well.

“The… their eyes,” Scootaloo croaked, hiding her muzzle in between her forelegs. “They really wanted to… to kill me…” She couldn’t help but let a few tears slip from her eyes. She looked away, trying to hide them from Twilight.

“Hey… don’t be scared,” Twilight said softly, pulling Scootaloo closer to her. She flicked her tail so that it landed around the filly, and she held her tightly with a wing. Twilight lowered her head and nuzzled Scootaloo’s cheek. “You’re safe here, and your parents are going to be locked away in Canterlot for a very long time for what they did to you, and there’s no way that they’ll ever be able to hurt you again,” Twilight said firmly, hoping to reassure her. “You have Rainbow and I to watch over you now; never forget that. You can always depend on us…”

“Re– really?” Scootaloo asked, lifting her head from her hooves. Her cheeks were stained with her tears, and she couldn’t help but feel weak, but she didn’t care about hiding that anymore. Twilight’s words brought strength to her, and her ragged breathing calmed ever so slightly. “You… you mean that?” Her words quivered with an unspoken hopefulness.

“Of course, Scootaloo, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.” Twilight nuzzled Scootaloo again, eliciting a happy hum from the distraught filly. A small smile graced her lips as she asked, “Say, how about we get some sleep now?”

Lighting her horn, Twilight pulled a couple pillows over to them. She let Scootaloo grab one, and just as she set her own head down on her pillow, she felt Scootaloo tug on her wing, pulling it closer to her like a blanket.

“But… but what if I have another nightmare?” Scootaloo asked, letting her fear get the best of her. “I don’t want to go through something like that again…” She snuggled closer to Twilight, as if the larger mare could protect her from having nightmares.

“Oh, I don’t think you will…” Twilight murmured, already feeling the weary pull of sleep on her mind. She pulled the sheets back up over them and murmured, “Besides, nopony has nightmares when they’re with someone…”

Pinkie's Hearth's Warming Eve Party

“Twiiiiliiiight!” Spike’s voice echoed from downstairs, rousing Twilight from her peaceful slumber. “Breakfast is ready!”

Twilight groaned softly and pushed her head deeper into her favorite pillow. It was nothing special, but it had a special sort of sentimental value to it. The pillow itself was of an average size and was quite thick and fluffy, but that wasn’t the thing that made it special. The pillowcase covering the pillow was of the softest cotton, grown and spun all the way in Saddle Arabia. It had been quite expensive to procure, but things such as cost didn’t really matter when you were the prized pupil of the reigning princess, especially when you were given a weekly stipend to use as you saw fit.

Feeling something equally soft pull at her left wing, Twilight cracked an eye open and glanced down at Scootaloo. The filly was still fast asleep and had her forelegs curled up, holding her tail close. Scootaloo’s back was pressed up against Twilight’s side, and her head was laying on one of her outstretched forelegs. A small piece of her mane hung down in front of her mouth, swinging back and forth from each small inhale and exhale. Opening her other eye, Twilight lifted her head and saw that Scootaloo was tugging her own wing closer to her with one of her own.

Smiling, Twilight gently pulled her wing out of Scootaloo’s grasp, waking the filly up. Leaning down, Twilight gave Scootaloo a small nuzzle as she yawned. “Sleep well?” she asked with a smile. Twilight sat up and folded her wing back to her side, patiently waiting for the filly to finish yawning.

“Yeah, a lot better, after…” Scootaloo shuddered as she remembered her rather disturbing nightmare. “Well, you know…” Her ears drooped and she glanced away, folding her forelegs in front of her. She flicked her tail so that it landed around her side, and she held on to it tightly.

Seeing Scootaloo curl up into a ball, Twilight knew she had to keep Scootaloo’s mind off her nightmare. “Hey, Spike’s already made breakfast; you wanna come down with me and grab something to eat?” She rubbed Scootaloo’s back, taking care to avoid the bruised areas. Upon hearing Spike call her name again, Twilight chuckled and hopped off the bed. Turning back to look at Scootaloo, she said, “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I think he’s made muffins this morning; his own special recipe too!”

“Sure, that sounds great!” Scootaloo said, letting her tail slip from her hooves. She unfolded her hooves and stood up on unsteady legs. A moment later, Scootaloo crouched and hopped off the bed, much like Twilight had just done. “So… you said Spike made muffins?” she asked with a smile, listening to her stomach grumble at the thought of food.

“Yep! Come on, let’s go get some; I’m starving,” Twilight said. With a nod of her head, she beckoned towards her bedroom door and the two of them silently walked out into the hallway.

As soon as they reached the top of the steps, Twilight said, “Say…” she trailed off for a moment, letting a chuckle escape her lips as she started to walk downstairs. “Have you ever had coffee?” She knew giving a filly coffee probably wasn’t the best of ideas, but she wanted to keep Scootaloo in as best a mood as possible, especially since it was Hearth’s Warming Eve.

“Nah, but I heard that it’s really bitter. I don’t think I’d like it,” Scootaloo said as they turned the corner, heading for the kitchen.

“It’s only bitter if you don’t put creamer in it. I don’t like mine black at all.” Twilight smiled as her gaze settled on her most helpful assistant setting a miniature tower of muffins on the table. “Wow, Spike, you really went the extra mile today!” Her face lit up with a smile as she took in the whole display of culinary expertise. The small table was completely covered with plates packed full of oranges, sliced apples, grapes, and of course, the heaping plate of muffins.

Her mouth already salivating, Scootaloo darted forward and crammed a couple of muffins into her mouth. She swallowed most of what was in her mouth before saying, “Dang, Spike, these are really good! What’s in these?” Scootaloo grabbed another and started devouring it as well, not even bothering to finish the first two already in her mouth.

“Ah, it’s nothing special, really.” Spike sat down on a cushion and grabbed a muffin for himself. After taking a bite from it, he continued, “I just took the mix from the box and added a bunch of chocolate chips to it.”

“Nothing special?” Scootaloo repeated Spike’s words, staring at him incredulously. “Are you kidding me? These are great! You really have to show me how to make these sometime.” She grabbed yet another muffin and started plowing her way through that one.

“You better slow down or you might end up getting a stomachache,” Twilight warned as she sat down. Levitating the full pot of coffee from the counter, she poured an equal amount into the three empty mugs on the table. She placed the coffee pot back and then grabbed the creamer. Twilight poured a generous amount in everyone’s mugs and then pushed Scootaloo’s mug closer to her.

“So… yeah, tell me what you think! It’s really good when you put a lot of creamer in it.” Twilight raised her own mug to her lips and took a sip. Glad that she’d put the right amount of creamer in it, she watched as Scootaloo reached for the mug.

“Hey, everypony!” Pinkie Pie’s voice sounded out from directly behind Twilight, shocking her wide awake along with everyone else at the kitchen table. If she didn’t have a good grip on her mug, Twilight would have spilled her coffee everywhere.

“Gah! Pinkie, how’d you get in here?” Twilight asked, putting her half-empty cup of coffee down on the table. She waited with a cocked eyebrow as Pinkie trotted around the table, taking the only open cushion left at the other end. Twilight never was one for sudden surprises like that; such things left her heart racing and adrenaline pumping through her veins.

“I came in through the front door, duh!” Pinkie said, rolling her eyes as if Twilight had just asked a question with an obvious answer. “Say, is there any coffee left? I’m as parched as a peach!” Pinkie stared at Twilight with wide eyes as she breathlessly waited for her to respond.

“Um… yeah, there should be some left in the pot,” Twilight said slowly, not quite sure how Pinkie would react to consuming the powerful stimulant. As soon as Pinkie stood up, Twilight snuck a glance at the front door. It was still firmly locked and bolted shut, just like she always left it before going to bed. There was no way that anypony could have gotten through that door.

Perplexed, Twilight opened her mouth to question her friend but thought against it at the last second. Come on, this is Pinkie we’re talking about… You know how she can get… Shaking her head, Twilight took another few large gulps of her coffee, smiling as the hot liquid slid down her throat, warming her insides. It was a tad bit chilly in the library; not enough to warrant a jacket or a blanket, though. The coffee was more than enough to keep her warm, and Spike had lit a small fire in the oven, just barely giving off enough heat.

Scootaloo leaned over and tapped on Twilight’s leg. When Twilight bent over, she whispered, “Uh, how’d she get in here?” She glanced over at Spike, who mouthed back ‘It’s Pinkie.’ Spike shrugged silently and grabbed a few apple slices.

“Ahh… that hits the spot!” Pinkie said quite loudly, smacking her lips as she set the empty coffee pot back down. “Now where was I?” She tapped her chin as she thought.

If Twilight didn’t know better, she could have sworn that Pinkie’s hoof sped up, going faster and faster until she spoke up again.

“Oh yeah!” Pinkie turned around and returned to her cushion in a flash. She put her forehooves on the table and stared directly at Twilight, her tail flicking about in her excitement. “I’m here to invite you, well, everypony in Ponyville, really, to my Hearth’s Warming Eve party today! So how about it, guys? You wanna come?”

“Totally!” Spike spoke up. Turning to face Twilight, a smile grew on his face as he asked, “So how about it? Can we go?”

“Of course we can go!” Twilight said. “What time?”

“Eight o’clock, and don’t be late! AnywaysthanksforthecoffeeTwilightIgottagotelleveryponyelsebye!” Pinkie said. She bolted up and dashed to the door, unlocked it, and ran outside in the span of only a couple of seconds.

“Well, there’s a typical Pinkie Pie for you…” Spike trailed off, his voice tinted with a hint of worry. He shook his head and took a few sips from his mug. “So Scootaloo, you try the coffee yet? It goes great with the muffins!”

“Really? Well, if you say so…” Scootaloo reached out for another muffin and took a bite from it. With her other hoof, she grabbed her mug and brought it to her lips. She took a small taste of the light brown liquid, letting it dance across her tongue a few moments before she swallowed it.

“Well, how do you like it?” Twilight asked, eager to see what Scootaloo thought of one of her favorite drinks. She took another sip from her near-empty mug as she waited for the filly to respond.

“It’s definitely something else…” Scootaloo took a larger sip from her mug.

“Yeah, it really helps those that aren’t morning ponies wake up quickly. Usually, one or two cups is good enough to get you going. And if you’re wondering why Pinkie drank half a pot of coffee, well, yeah, that’s just Pinkie. She does stuff like that from time to time.” Giggling, Twilight shook her head just as she heard the front door open again. Looking up, she immediately recognized Scootaloo’s other friends, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Before she could greet her new guests, Scootaloo had already jumped out of her seat, making a beeline straight for her friends.

“Hey, you two!” Scootaloo chirped, giving the other two fillies a good, strong hug. “Wait, hold on a sec… How’d you two find me here?” She pulled away and sat back on her haunches, her gaze flicking between her two friends as she waited for either one to speak up.

“Oh, I read it in my sister’s diar…” Sweetie Belle trailed off when Twilight shot her a suspicious look. “Um, nevermind.” Deftly changing the subject, she continued, “So where have you been these past few days? Spike said something about you being in a hospital!”

“Oh, yeah, about that… I’m sorry I haven’t been able to hang out lately. Things have just been…” she trailed off, hesitation creeping into her voice as she stared at the floor between them.

“Interesting.” Twilight finished Scootaloo’s sentence for her, watching as she nodded in agreement. She sat down next to Scootaloo and asked, “So, what did you gals have in mind for today? More crusading? Another snowball fight?”

“Both!” Apple Bloom piped up, letting a large smile form on her face. “So what do ya say, Scootaloo? Wanna come build a snowpony with us?” She looked up at Twilight with a hopeful expression. “Oh, and can Spike come too? It’d be real nice to have him to even out the teams fer when we have another snowball fight!”

“Sure, I don’t see why not!” Twilight said. Looking over her shoulder, she raised her voice so Spike could hear her, and she asked, “Hey, Spike, the crusaders are here, and they want you to go play with them! You want to?”

“But what about my chores for today?” came Spike’s voice from around the corner.

“I think I can do them today,” Twilight called back, smiling as she saw her scaly assistant poke his head out from the kitchen. “Besides, since you took care of mine while I was at the hospital, it’s only fair that I take care of yours today.”

“Really? You sure?” Spike asked, fully emerging from behind the wall. “I mean, I can stick around for a–”

“Spike, I think I can handle it,” Twilight picked him up with her magic and set him down beside the three fillies. “Go have fun, and stay warm, alright? I don’t want any of you getting sick for the holidays.” She summoned a couple scarves for a nearby closet and used her magic to wrap them around Scootaloo and Spike.

“Awesome! Come on, let’s go build us a snowpony forty feet tall!” Apple Bloom turned around and scampered towards the door. She pulled it open and the four of them ran outside, already making plans for what they were going to do with the day.

“Spike, don’t forget about the party!” Twilight quickly yelled at the closing door. She winced as it slammed shut a moment later, leaving her alone in the library. “Hmph. Alright then…” Twilight said, glancing around the library. Spotting her list of things to do for the day on her desk, she trotted over to it and sat down in front of it, making herself comfortable on the cushion. Unrolling the scroll sitting in the middle of her desk, she quickly made sure it was her to-do list. Satisfied, she levitated it up into the air and held it before her, angling it so that the light could shine right on the first line.

Alrighty… item number one: reshelve all of the returned books. Twilight set her list down and looked at the empty bin at the other side of the library. With a small smile, she grabbed a quill and checked her first item off. Well, this should be an easy day!

Item number two: do the dishes from breakfast and/or lunch. Twilight stood up and trotted into the kitchen. Upon seeing that it was perfectly tidy and organized, even up to her standards, she smiled and went back to the desk. Upon checking off the second item, she sat back down and read the third item from the list. Study the assignments that you have assigned yourself, and write a full report to send to Princess Celestia.

“Well, that’s most of the day right there…” Twilight murmured, levitating several rather large textbooks from all corners of the library to her desk. “If I start now, I think I might be able to finish in time for Pinkie’s party…”

The hours flew by as Twilight quickly became lost in her work. Nopony disturbed her, and all was quiet until somepony knocked on the door.

“That’s strange…” Twilight murmured as she set down her quill. She pushed her report away from the edge of the table and stood up, stretching her legs briefly. “I’m pretty sure the sign says we’re open…” She trotted over to the door and pulled it open with her magic, instantly recognizing her friend. “Hey Rainbow!” Smiling, she stepped back and pulled the door open all the way. “Come on in!”

“Hey… Twilight…” Rainbow panted. Her chest heaved with each deep breath she took, and her wings were quivering from over-exertion. Little did Twilight know, she had just flown all the way to Trottingham and back to buy the alicorn a special present for the holidays.

“Let me guess, you pushed yourself too much practicing some cool new trick?” Twilight asked as she helped her friend over to the couch. Letting her flop down on it, she trotted into the kitchen and filled up an empty glass with water. Twilight turned around and returned to the living room, setting the glass down on the coffee table in front of the exhausted pegasus.

“So, what has you so tired?” Twilight asked curiously, laying down on the other side of the couch.

“Tired? Who said I was tired? I’m not tired!” Rainbow Dash got up and sat on her haunches, still panting slightly. She made sure the small, wrapped present she was carrying was still hidden from Twilight’s view and then reached for the glass of water. Downing it all in a couple quick gulps, she put the glass back down and sat back. Forcing herself to stop panting, Rainbow took several deep breaths and let each one out slowly.

Flicking her mane out of her face, Rainbow was just about to ask what Twilight was up to when the library’s door opened, revealing none other than Rarity carrying four suspicious-looking packages on her back.

“Rarity! Are those the… you know,” Twilight trailed off on purpose, not wanting to ruin the surprise for Rainbow. She slid off the couch and trotted up to the newcomer.

“Indeed they…” Rarity too trailed off as she watched Rainbow Dash quickly stuff something in Twilight’s Hearth’s Warming tree. Upon seeing the pegasus shush her with a hoof held up to her lips, Rarity continued on as if she’d seen nothing out of the ordinary. “Indeed they are.”

“Thank you so much for getting these done with such short notice,” Twilight said as she pulled her friend into a brief hug. “How much do I owe you?” she asked, pulling away. She lit her horn and levitated her bag full of bits over to her.

“Oh, for these little things?” Rarity levitated the presents off her back and set them down on the floor beside her. “Don’t worry about it, Twilight, and also…” She leaned closer and lowered her voice so that Rainbow couldn’t hear her. “I made you a matching one as well.”

Upon seeing Dash squirm on the couch as if she had something to say, Rarity leaned back and said, “Anyways, I left my scarf at home. If we’re going to be outside for any measure of time tonight, I’d like to be reasonably warm, wouldn’t you? This winter is particularly colder than the last one, if I remember correctly.” She shivered as she glanced over her shoulder, looking out one of the many windows in the library. Twilight nodded silently in response.

Rarity rubbed her hooves together to give them at least a small modicum of warmth in preparation for her return journey home. “Well, I best be going now. I’ll see you two at Pinkie’s party, alright?” She gave Twilight another quick hug before she left, leaving the two of them alone in the library.

Humming a little ditty, Twilight lit her horn and teleported the presents to her closet upstairs, right next to the present that Rainbow got for Scootaloo.

“Hey, what didja get there, Twi?” Rainbow asked, laying her forelegs over the arm of the couch. Taking a shot in the dark, she asked, “You, uh… you didn’t happen to get me a present, did ya?”

“Yeah, I did! Now that we’re going to be taking care of Scootaloo, I thought that I’d buy us all…” Twilight trailed off, letting a smirk slide onto her face as Dash’s expression changed to that of mild annoyance.

“What?” Rainbow’s voice rose in pitch as she got excited. Her tail started flicking from side to side as she asked, “What did you get us? Come on, spill the beans already!”

“Nope! Not saying another word!” Twilight made a left to right motion in front of her muzzle, pretending that she had just zipped her lips shut.

“Ahh, come on, Twilight!” Rainbow pouted, crossing her forelegs across her chest. “Can you give me just a little peek?”

“Uh-uh! You and everyone else are going to have to wait till tomorrow morning!” Twilight said. She glanced at the clock and noticed that they were already running a few minutes late. “We really should get going, Rainbow. We’re running late as it is!” Twilight levitated a couple scarves from a closet and tossed one to Dash. Wrapping her own tightly around her neck, she started walking towards the door.

“Ugh, fine…” Rainbow hopped off the couch and flew to the door. Pulling it open with a hoof, she bowed and mockingly said, “After you, my princess…”

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, Twilight trotted outside and tucked her wings in tighter, trying to keep as much warmth as she could. She turned the corner and started making her way down the street, leaving Rainbow to close up the library.

Seeing Twilight trot away, Rainbow quickly closed the door, and with a few quick flaps of her wings, she landed back at Twilight’s side. “Hey, you could’ve waited for me…” she muttered playfully, giving Twilight a gentle nudge on the shoulder.

“Oh, but princesses don’t wait for peasants, do they?” Twilight asked in a rather thick Canterlot accent. “I think not!” Twilight turned her nose up in jest, as if she considered Rainbow beneath her. Cracking an eye open, she giggled as she saw confusion spread upon Rainbow’s face. She dropped the act and gave Rainbow the mandatory retaliatory nudge back, giggling to show that she was joking. “Anyways, I was thinking…”

“Yeah?”

“Should we tell the rest of our friends about what we’re doing for Scootaloo? I’ve already told Rarity, and I don’t think it would be fair if we didn’t tell the rest of our friends. Besides, I don’t really like keeping secrets.” Twilight snuck a glance over at Rainbow to gauge her reaction.

“Yeah, I don’t see why not.” Rainbow responded after thinking for a few seconds. “If it’s alright with you, I’d rather not make a huge deal out of it.” She heard sounds of a party emanating from around the corner, which made her ears flick forward.

“That’s fine with me, and I’m sure Scootaloo would agree as well.” The two of them rounded the corner to see Sugarcube Corner completely covered in blinking lights and various decorations.

“Wow, Pinkie Pie really outdid herself from last year…” Rainbow said in awe, her eyes taking in the absurd scene.

“Hehe, yeah, about that…” Twilight trailed off with a giggle. “She drank several cups worth of coffee at my place this morning, so that’s probably why.”

Rainbow whistled. “Yeah, that’s probably it.” They made their way up the steps and knocked on the door, standing side by side. As they waited for Pinkie to open it, Rainbow shifted ever so slightly to the left, gently pressing herself against Twilight’s side to try and keep warm. Before Twilight could question her about it, the door opened and the two of them rushed in, desperate to get out of the cold.

“Hey! I’m so glad you two could make it!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing up and down in place. She grabbed both of them and pulled them inside, leading them towards the rest of their friends on the other side of the room. They weaved their way through several townsponies, greeting a couple familiar faces along the way.

As they neared the other three of their friends, Applejack glanced up and noticed them approaching. “Hey ya’ll, glad you two could make it!” She propped her forelegs up on a small wooden barrel that had the words ‘Hard Cider: Special Reserve’ painted on the side. “Now that everyone’s here, we can crack this bad boy open!” She picked up a crowbar from the ground beside her and deftly popped the top off, letting the smell of fermented apples fill the room.

“Woo nelly!” Applejack exclaimed, taking a deep whiff of the opened barrel. “This one smells a bit too strong, but that don’t matter; it’s the holidays!” She grabbed a hold of the six mugs behind her and filled each one up to the brim. After making sure everybody had one, Applejack sat down and said, “Now, enjoy this while you can, girls, because when this is gone…” she trailed off as she saw Rainbow down her whole mug in one go. “There’ll be no more hard cider till next season.” She shot a smug grin at Rainbow, chuckling as she watched the pegasus stare into her now empty mug.

“Uh, can I… can I have some more?” Dash asked, holding out her mug.

“Not until the rest of us have finished our drinks,” Rarity said before taking a sip of her own drink. “If we consume our drinks like party animals, like you are, Fluttershy would pass out faster than you could say potato! No offense, dear,” she said, giving Fluttershy a small, apologetic nuzzle.

Rainbow sighed in defeat, letting her shoulders slump. She put her mug down and looked at the open barrel of cider sitting right in front of her. Her lower lip stuck out, she glanced up at Applejack with a hopeful expression, silently pleading for more.

“Oh, alright then. Go ahead and get yerself a little more,” Applejack nodded towards the open barrel. “I know how much you like mah cider.”

“Awesome!” All in one motion, Rainbow grabbed her mug and filled it back to the brim. She brought it up to her lips as fast as she could, only to feel somepony place a hoof on her foreleg, stopping her.

“Remember, drink slowly,” Twilight whispered into Rainbow’s ear. “We still have to tell them about what we’re doing with Scootaloo, and I don’t want you so plastered you can’t speak straight, alright?”

“Hehe, you got it, Twilight,” Rainbow whispered back. She brought the mug back up to her lips and took a small sip, this time actually taking the time to enjoy the special treat. She felt her cheeks start to flush with warmth from the alcoholic drink, and she felt that familiar warm and fuzzy feeling envelop her whole body.

The next hour mainly consisted of reminiscing about the past year. Twilight had seen the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike come in a little while after them, and after a small greeting, they had gone to go hang out with the other fillies and colts at the party.

After that, the six of them finished off the barrel of hard cider rather quickly, and Applejack rolled the barrel out back to dispose of later. As soon as she returned, though, she cracked a smile, her gaze flicking back and forth between Rainbow and Twilight. She sat back down beside Rarity and whispered something in her ear. The two of them looked up and started giggling a moment later.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” Rainbow asked, her tone sounding a little defensive. “Why are you guys laughing at us?” She looked at Fluttershy, who immediately hid her face behind her mane.

“You two are, um…” Rarity trailed off, barely containing her gleefulness.

“Look up, silly!” Pinkie exclaimed.

Look... up?” Twilight glanced up, her eyes widening as she noticed a piece of mistletoe hanging right above her and Rainbow. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and she looked at Rainbow, noticing that she too was blushing. “We… uh, hehehe, we don’t have to…” she stammered out, feeling her heart beat faster and faster in her breast.

“Yeah, you have to, it’s the rules!” Pinkie spoke up with a large smile.

Twilight looked over at Rainbow and saw that she wasn’t backing away. Her heart was racing and she found herself short of breath as she looked into Rainbow’s eyes.

“Oh, come on, you two, it’s just a kiss!” Rarity said, egging her two friends on.

“Yeah, just a kiss, right?” Dash asked, a hint of nervousness in her tone. She turned to face Twilight a little better and licked her lips.

“I guess…” Twilight trailed off as she cracked a nervous smile. She looked up into Rainbow’s eyes again and took a hesitant step forward, closing the distance between them. Before she could say anything else, Rainbow leaned the rest of the way and planted her lips on Twilight’s.

At that moment, everything faded away as Twilight felt Rainbow’s lips press up against hers. They were incredibly soft and warm, a little wet even. She closed her eyes and gently pushed back against Rainbow, and before she knew it, the moment was over.

“Wow, that was really quite something, Rainbow…” Rarity said in surprise.

“Yeah, well, if you’re going to do something, you gotta do it right,” the pegasus said, looking at the floor. She cracked a nervous smile and snuck a glance at Twilight. Her heart was racing, and as she looked at Twilight, she couldn’t help but feel something else, something that made her feel just a little bit closer to the alicorn. Her wings bristled in nervous excitement when Twilight looked up into her eyes, and she quickly looked away, desperately trying to think of something else to talk about.

“Yeah, it definitely was…” Twilight agreed, feeling her heart thumping. That was her first time kissing somepony, and the feeling of having somepony’s lips upon hers was indescribable. Wanting to defuse the rather awkward situation, Twilight shook her head and spoke up. “Anyways… Rainbow and I have something important that we want to talk to you all about,” Twilight said as she placed her empty mug down at her hooves. “I’m not sure if–”

“Wait!” Pinkie gasped. “Are you and Dashie together? Like, as a couple? Ohmygosh, I totally just made you two kiss!”

“What? Uh...” Rainbow started stammering nervously. “We– we aren’t together!”

“You sure? You two would look great together!”

“Pinkie, Rainbow and I are not a couple,” Twilight said confidently. “Anyways, like I was saying, I’m not sure if you are aware of this or not, but Scootaloo has lived with abusive parents her whole life, and I have, well, taken measures to ensure her safety. Rainbow and I–”

“Wait, hold on a sec,” Applejack said, cutting Twilight off. “What do you mean you’ve ‘taken measures to ensure her safety?’”

“Well, since Princess Celestia and I placed Scootaloo’s parents under arrest, Rainbow and I have taken it upon ourselves to take care of Scootaloo. Her parents are going to be put on trial pretty soon, and the filly is staying at the library for the time being.”

Over the course of the next twenty minutes, Twilight and Rainbow filled in the rest of the friends, answering all their questions. During this time, the party started dying down and everypony started leaving, thanking Pinkie Pie for another fun time.

“So yeah, that about covers it,” Twilight said. She gave a small sigh of relief, happy that she was done.

“Darling, like I said the other day, I really think it is quite wonderful that you and Rainbow are doing this for Scootaloo. I’m sure that you two will do a splendid job taking care of her,” Rarity said.

“Yeah, you said it,” Applejack said.

“Hey, since it looks like things are wrapping up, why don’t you guys all come over to my place after opening presents tomorrow?” Twilight asked. “I’m sure everyone would love to get back together again."

“Sure, sounds good to me.” Applejack got up and stretched her legs. “Anyways, this was a great party, Pinks. Ah sure had a great time, and Ah think it’s about time Ah get Apple Bloom in bed; it’s already way past her bedtime. Ah’ll see ya’ll tomorrow, alright?” She stood up and and walked to the other side of the room, where the Cutie Mark Crusaders were hanging out with Spike. After a few seconds, Apple Bloom hugged the rest of her friends goodbye and followed her big sister out the front door.

“You know, I think I’ll do the same,” Rarity said as she stood up. She gave Pinkie a small hug in thanks, trying to fight back a yawn. Releasing her friend, she called out to her little sister, “Sweetie Belle, it’s time to go!” She turned towards Twilight and asked, “You don’t mind if I bring Sweetie Belle tomorrow, do you?”

“Not at all!” Twilight said with a smile. “The more the merrier, right?”

“Perfect! I’ll see you tomorrow, then!” Rarity gave Twilight a hug, and then she and her sister walked out the front door, out into the cold, wintery night.

“So, uh, I guess I’ll get going too,” Rainbow said as she stood up, stretching her wings for the quick flight home. She stepped forward to hug Twilight goodbye, but she held back as she remembered the kiss that they had shared in front of their friends. Rainbow didn’t know why, but she felt her heart speed up as she thought about that kiss. Even though she had said it was just a kiss and nothing more, she couldn’t help but feel the opposite.

“You sure?” Twilight asked. Seeing Dash nod in response, she said, “Here, I’ll walk us out, and you can say goodnight to Scootaloo, alright?” She stood up and fluffed her wings, waiting for Rainbow’s response.

“Sounds good to me,” Rainbow said. She bit her lip as she thought about asking Twilight what she thought about their kiss, but she decided against it, choosing to just silently follow the alicorn instead. It only took them a few moments to cross the room.

“Hey…” Rainbow said as she sat down beside Spike and Scootaloo. “You two ready to go? Twi and I are ready to head out.”

“Aww, already?” Spike asked, his shoulders slumping in disappointment.

“Yeah, it’s getting late as it is, and it’s already way past your bedtime,” Twilight said as she tightened her scarf.

Scootaloo pulled her own scarf tighter as well and looked up at Rainbow. “Will I… will we see you tomorrow?” she asked hopefully.

“Of course, squirt,” Rainbow said, giving Scootaloo’s mane a playful tousle. “We’ll spend the whole day together tomorrow!”

“Really?” Scootaloo’s wings buzzed in excitement. “That’s gonna be so much fun!”

“Yeah, but first you two need to go bed!” Twilight said, pushing the two of them towards the door with her wings. “Besides, if you two aren’t in bed soon, Santa Hooves might skip our house! We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

Insecurities

Rainbow Dash was laying on her empty bed, trying her hardest to fall asleep. She had gotten home a couple hours ago and had gone straight to bed, exhausted from the long day. She was thankful that the storm from the other night had pushed her house closer to Ponyville because it had made the return flight home a good bit shorter.

Besides, if you two aren’t in bed soon, Santa Hooves might skip our house! Twilight’s words echoed in Rainbow’s mind over and over. Rainbow had noticed the look of confusion on Scootaloo’s face when Twilight mentioned Santa Hooves’ name, but she had assumed it was nothing. As they were leaving the party, though, Twilight had pulled her aside and told her that she suspected that Scootaloo’s parents never gave her presents for Hearth’s Warming Day. Just the thought of Scootaloo not getting to experience the same wonders and joys that she’d felt as a filly made her feel sick to her stomach.

She had been about Scootaloo’s age when her parents had told her that Santa Hooves wasn’t real, and it had really messed with her. She had eventually gotten over it, like all fillies and colts do, but the initial shock from finding that something that she had believed in for years wasn’t real was jarring, to say the least.

If she could let Scootaloo experience the same joy that she had in the past, even a teensy tiny smidgen, it would be worth it. That thought gave her a small amount of comfort, letting her twisting stomach relax just a little. She hoped that Scootaloo would love her new scooter; she’d bought the most expensive model the store carried.

Now, she was snuggling with her favorite pillow again, the sheets pulled in tight around her. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Rainbow pushed the pillow into a different position and rolled over onto her other side, letting a small groan of frustration escape her.

Ever since she had accidentally snuggled with Twilight the other night, her favorite pillow just couldn’t measure up to her expectations anymore. Before, it had worked just fine in helping her fall asleep, but it quickly lost its charm once she had experienced the bliss of sleeping with a warm body instead of a cold, lumpy pillow. As she thought, she realized that the night she slept with Twilight was without a doubt one of the best nights of sleep that she’d gotten in months. She’d usually wake up several times in the middle of the night only to roll over and fall back to sleep, but when she had slept with Twilight, she had not woken up once.

A few more minutes passed in silence as she mulled over the events from earlier. She tried to let her mind go blank, but it was all for naught. The kiss that she’d shared with Twilight kept playing over and over in her mind, keeping her adrenaline pumping as if she was about to lean in for another kiss.

Come on, Dash! It was just a kiss, and nothing more than that… Rainbow thought, pulling the sheets tighter around her hind legs. ...R–Right? Her rear hooves were still a little cold, so she rubbed her hind legs back and forth, trying to create enough friction to warm them.

“Ugh!” Rainbow sat up and chucked her pillow across the room. She crossed her forelegs and groaned. “Come on! Why can’t I fall asleep?” She flopped back down onto the bed, letting her wings unfold to their full length. She stretched and arched her back, using her wings to push herself up. She held that posture, hoping that wearing herself out would tire her enough to fall asleep.

Several more minutes passed in silence. Still feeling as wide awake as ever, Rainbow let herself go limp, falling back to the sheets with a soft ‘oomph.’ Rainbow took a deep breath and sighed. She rolled back onto her side and made herself comfortable with another pillow, not even bothering to retrieve her favorite one from its position near the door. She closed her eyes and pulled the sheets back up with a wing. As the sheets started to warm her, her bedroom window suddenly burst open, quickly filling her room with a freezing chill.

Rolling her eyes in frustration, Rainbow threw the sheets off her and trotted up to the window. She slammed it shut and locked it, making sure that it wouldn’t open on its own again by placing a couple of nearby books on the windowsill.

Just as she was about to turn and go back to bed, something caught her eye. Peering through the window, she was just able to make out the Golden Oaks library all the way back in town. The downstairs lights were still on, showing that Twilight was still awake.

Rainbow sighed again. She crossed her forelegs on the windowsill and sat down, laying her head on her folded legs. As she listened to the wind howl outside, she felt a pang of loneliness hit her, right in the gut. This feeling was nothing new to her. In fact, it was starting to become as familiar to her as any one of her friends, a fact that she resented with all her being.

She lifted her head and looked down the hallway. It was as neat and tidy as always, mainly because she didn’t make any messes to clean up. Most would love a clean house, but she didn’t like it at all. What she really wanted was to have the mess of a real and functioning home, like her parents’ one back up in Cloudsdale. The mess of her old home had, well, made it feel more homey, more welcoming, something that her own house lacked. She glanced about her room, hoping to feel just a teensy bit of that old sense, but nothing came. With another small groan, she turned and laid her head back on her hooves, staring right at the library.

Spending Hearth’s Warming night by herself last year had nearly left her in tears. Just the feeling of being utterly alone and unloved by a special someone had really pushed her to the edge, and it had taken all of her strength not to break down. Even now, she felt that same feeling of loneliness start to creep back into her mind and she felt her throat seize up. She took a couple deep breaths and tried to keep those thoughts at bay, but they just kept coming back.

I… I wonder if Twilight would let me spend the night at her place… Rainbow suddenly thought. Her heart sped up and she felt it thumping in her breast. She giggled as she felt a sense of giddiness sweep through her, and her tail started flicking of its own accord. What if she lets me… snuggle with her again? As friends?

“Nah… she wouldn’t…” Rainbow murmured, already starting to doubt herself. “Would she?” She glanced to the side as another menacing thought slipped into her mind. “But what if she says… no? What if my asking would hurt our friendship? What if she wouldn’t want to be friends anymore?” She punched the wall in frustration. “Ugh… I don’t know what to do anymore…”

Just then, something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She looked up and out the window, spotting a lone snowflake drifting on the wind. Closer and closer it came to her house, floating through the clear night sky. As she watched, it landed flat against her window, sticking in place.

Rainbow chuckled and laid her head back on her legs. Heh, what are the chances of tha… Hold on… Rainbow couldn’t believe her eyes. She rubbed them with her hooves and opened them again, hoping that what she was seeing wasn’t just a figment of her imagination.

The snowflake was centered right on top of the Golden Oaks library. “Is this… is this a sign?” Rainbow asked hopefully, staring right at the snowflake. As if to answer her question, a gust of wind caught the snowflake in its grasp and tugged it from the window, blowing it towards Ponyville.

Rainbow didn’t care if it was a sign or not; that snowflake was all the reason she needed to go to Twilight’s. Why spend Hearth’s Warming morning in misery? With a grin, Rainbow bolted downstairs and out the front door, not even bothering to grab a scarf on the way out. Like her father always used to say, there is no time like the present. Keeping those words firmly lodged in her mind, Rainbow flapped her wings harder and harder.

The freezing wind bit at her eyes as she rocketed towards the library, forcing her to squint until they were just mere slits. She sped over the outskirts of town and landed in front of the library not even half of a minute later. Folding her wings, she looked through one of the windows on the first floor of the library and spotted Twilight sitting at her desk, sipping from a mug of something steaming.

Rainbow trotted forward through the snow and approached the front door. She raised her hoof to knock, but something in her mind told her to stop. What if she thinks I’m weird for coming by so late? She put her hoof back down on the ground and bit her lip as she thought. What if our kiss made things awkward between us? I don’t want to lose Twilight as a friend… That thought alone almost made her fly back home, but the sole fact that she didn’t want to wake up alone on Hearth’s Warming Day kept her rooted in place.

“Ugh!” Rainbow groaned as she turned around. She flapped her wings once, not hard enough to provide lift, but just hard enough to blow off a little steam. Rainbow started poking the snow as her thoughts ran rampant in her mind. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Rainbow bit her lip and looked back over her shoulder through the window. She shuddered as a particularly cold breeze hit her and she looked away, letting her gaze drop as her insecurities plagued her mind once more. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness fill her, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

Minutes passed in an agonizing silence as Rainbow tried to decide what to do. She contemplated just going back to her house, but that thought was quickly purged from her mind when she heard the library’s door click open behind her, shocking her back to reality.

“Ra… Rainbow?” Rainbow heard Twilight ask, her voice tinted with a small amount of concern. “What are you, um… What are you doing out here?”

Rainbow turned around and looked up, not even bothering to wipe the tears from her eyes. “I… I…” she stammered, at a complete loss for words. Before she could try and explain her presence, Twilight swept forward, pulling her to her hooves with her wings.

“Come on, you,” Twilight said softly as she led Rainbow inside. “Let’s talk.” Needless to say, finding one of her friends in tears outside her house was unsettling, and she was determined, as a good friend, to get to the bottom of things. Silently, she led Rainbow to her couch and they hopped on, laying beside each other. Twilight kept her wing draped over Rainbow’s back to keep her warm and she lit her horn, summoning her mug of hot cocoa from her desk. She gently levitated it into Rainbow’s hooves, only releasing it when the pegasus had a firm grasp.

“So…” Twilight started, keeping her voice soft for fear of waking the other two sleeping upstairs. “What’s up?”

Rainbow stayed silent for a few seconds, wondering if she should tell Twilight about her crippling feelings. “I… I don’t know if I should say…”

“Well… that’s fine, I guess.” Twilight lit her horn once more and grabbed a blanket from the closet. She draped it over the two of them and continued. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I promise you’ll feel better if you do…”

Rainbow took a couple moments to collect her thoughts. “Alright. I… I don’t know how else to say this, so I’m just gonna say it. These past several months, I’ve been feeling… empty,” Rainbow choked out, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. She raised the mug to her lips with a shaky hoof and tentatively took a small sip. “I haven’t slept well in ages, except for when…”

“When what?”

“When we… when we slept together at the hospital.” Rainbow gave a small, nervous chuckle. “I’d trade anything for another solid night of sleep like that…”

“Well…” Twilight trailed off as she started thinking. Biting her lip, she looked down and inspected her hooves. Several moments passed in silence before she spoke up again. “You… you don’t snore… right?”

“Huh?” That caught Rainbow completely off guard. “No, I don’t– I don’t think so… Why do you ask?” She felt her tail start flicking again as her hopes for snuggling rose ever so slightly. There’s no way that she’s gonna ask me to snuggle with her… is she? Rainbow looked up at Twilight, breathlessly waiting for her to respond. She bit her lower lip and her ears fell flat against her head as the seconds passed in a tense silence.

Twilight ruffled her wings and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. Letting off a soft sigh, she said, “I… I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t like snuggling back at the hospital as well.” She giggled when she saw Rainbow’s eyes widen a little. “But this would be just as friends, right?”

“Ye– Yeah!” Rainbow said, a large smile spreading onto her face. Trying to keep her emotions in check, she tried to play if off a little smoother. “I mean, yeah, just as friends.”

“Hehe, alright then,” Twilight said, sliding off of the couch. “Let’s get to bed then; it’s getting late, and I don’t want to be half-asleep tomorrow morning.” Watching Rainbow hop off the couch, she let out a small yawn. “Oh wait, we still have to set out the presents!” She trotted over to the closet and pulled the presents that Rarity had brought by and pulled them out. Using her magic, she levitated them under the tree and arranged them in a neat little pile. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, her horn glowing bright once more. With a small flash of light, Scootaloo’s wrapped scooter popped into existence to the right of the rest of the presents.

Twilight took a deep breath and stepped back, admiring her work. Everything was arranged exactly the way she wanted them to be. Upon hearing a yawn come from behind her, she asked, “Alright, ready to head upstairs?”

“Yeah, sure…” Rainbow said, trying to fight back another yawn. “Sounds good to me…” She quietly followed Twilight upstairs and into her bedroom, taking care to not make much noise. Scootaloo was fast asleep in the bed on the left, her small chest rising and falling ever so gently with each breath she took. Rainbow smiled, knowing that the filly was going to have a blast tomorrow.

Rainbow was broken from her thoughts when she heard Twilight’s horn light up. Her familiar magical aura surrounded the edge of the sheets and pulled them back. After shooting one last glance over at Scootaloo, Rainbow hopped on Twilight’s bed and settled down. Twilight climbed on a moment later, laying down beside her.

Rainbow was just about to open her mouth and ask how they should do this when Twilight started leaning over. Her heart started beating faster and she blushed, thinking that Twilight was leaning in for a kiss. But instead of going for her lips, Twilight went further, up to her ear.

“So, um… you want to be the big spoon, or the little spoon?” Twilight whispered, pulling the sheets over them with her magic. She fluffed a couple of pillows and laid them down beside each other, one for each of them.

“The– the what?” Rainbow whispered back, confused.

Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. “Do you want me to hold you, or do you want to hold me?” she asked. “I don’t mind either way.”

“Oh… Oh! Um, hehe, I’d like to…” Rainbow trailed off nervously, letting her nerves get the best of her.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

“I want to… I want to hold you…” Rainbow whispered back, giving the alicorn an unintentional nuzzle as their cheeks rubbed together from their close proximity. She felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment and her ears fell flat against her head. Her breaths shortened and she bit her lower lip, praying that Twilight wouldn’t interpret that as getting a little too personal.

“Al… alright,” Twilight said, laying down on her side. She yawned again and slid back a few inches.

Rainbow let out a soft sigh of relief and relaxed. She pulled the sheets up past her shoulders and smiled as she slid closer to Twilight. Just as friends, eh? Well, I sure can get used to this… Her breath caught in her throat as her breast touched Twilight’s soft wings. Oh my gosh, this is awesome… Rainbow thought as she slid the rest of the way up against Twilight’s back. She gingerly wrapped a leg around Twilight’s midsection, right under her forelegs. Angling her hips to press up against her friend’s lower back, Rainbow flicked her tail so that it landed around Twilight’s flank.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow finally let her muscles relax as she laid her head on one of the pillows. She pulled Twilight a little closer to her and scooted up just a little bit, just enough for her friend’s head to clear her chin. Feeling Twilight’s head slip into the crook of her neck, Rainbow let off a small, happy hum of content.

A couple of moments passed in silence. When Twilight’s breathing started to slow down, Rainbow smiled and whispered, “Comfortable, Twi?”

“Mhm…” Twilight mumbled back. “Very much so…” She snuggled a little deeper into Rainbow’s embrace and latched onto her leg with one of her forelegs. When Rainbow laid a wing around her, she felt her cheeks flush and she smiled, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as the soft feathers caressed her belly. She didn't mind that one bit, though, because Rainbow's feathers were warm, giving her an additional source of comfort on this cold night. A few minutes passed as she quietly enjoyed being held by somepony, and just as she was slipping into the realm of dreams, she whispered, “Oh, and happy Hearth’s Warming Day, Rainbow…”

Simple Comforts

Scootaloo stirred awake, the harsh silence of the room a welcome contrast to her parents’ constant fighting and yelling. Sincerely grateful for the quiet, Scootaloo rolled over onto her other side and started to smile when she noticed something rather important.

Rainbow’s quilt was missing.

“What the…” she whispered as she sat up. Scootaloo felt around the bed and looked over both sides. When she saw nothing, she leaned over each side and waved her hoof about, trying to find the missing quilt.

“Humph… nothing…” As the frigid air quickly sapped away any heat she had left, she started shivering, her wings and hooves feeling so cold that they felt like they were going to fall off. She had no idea why, but Twilight’s bedroom was absolutely freezing, just like last night.

Her head constantly on a swivel, she finally found the quilt crumpled up in a heap at the other end of the bed. With a roll of her eyes, Scootaloo snatched the sheets and yanked them back up, tugging them up around her shoulders. She wrapped the rather large quilt as tightly as she could around her and rubbed her hooves together, trying to warm herself up.

Still feeling a bit like an ice cube, Scootaloo knew she had to do something else; this just wasn’t cutting it. She tossed the quilt off of her and stood up, wincing slightly as the cold bit into her coat once more. She spread the quilt out flat and then laid down directly in the center, leaving her neck and head exposed. Using her teeth, Scootaloo grabbed the left side of the quilt and tossed it over her. She pulled it tight against her back, then she used her rear hooves to pull the excess length closer, forming a tight seal between her hooves and the cold.

As the sheets finally started to warm her, she fluffed her pillow and rolled over. With a sigh, Scootaloo closed her eyes and lay still for a couple minutes, trying to fall back to sleep. Just as she found a comfortable position, she felt a small nagging urge to drink something, anything. She tried to ignore it, but the longer she lay there, the worse it got. After a few minutes, Scootaloo groaned and gave up. Now, both her throat and mouth were dry, cursed by the cold air. She rolled over and sat up, keeping the blanket pulled tight around her shoulders.

She looked around the room, barely registering that Twilight’s bed had not one, but two lumps under the covers. In her sleepy state, Scootaloo thought nothing of it and let the quilt fall away as she quietly hopped out of the bed. Thankfully, the bathroom was only a few hoofsteps away, so Scootaloo quietly trotted inside, being extra careful to not wake Twilight.

Determined to not wake Twilight up, Scootaloo placed her hoof on the bathroom door and gave it a gentle push, wincing as the latch clicked shut loudly. Scootaloo held her breath and waited a few moments, listening as hard as she could. Thankfully, she heard nothing signalling that she’d woken Twilight up, and she gave a sigh of relief.

Scootaloo turned around and looked up. Much to her dismay, the sink was much too high for her to reach on her own. Scootaloo groaned, wincing as her dry throat begged for water. Seeing no obvious way to reach the sink, she sat down and rubbed her chin as she thought of ways to sate her thirst. Looking around in the dark, she finally took note of the small stool sitting in the corner. She walked over to it, grabbed it in her mouth, and placed it down in front of the sink.

Scootaloo hopped on it and stuck her muzzle underneath the faucet. She fumbled with the knob and smiled when she finally turned it on. Once she’d sated her thirst, she turned the water off and gingerly opened the bathroom door, opening it just enough for her to slip through.

Creeping back towards her bed, she took one last glance at Twilight, smiling as she thought of everything she’d done for her the past few days. Just as she was about to hop back up on her own bed, the moon broke through the cloud cover for just a brief second, lighting up a tuft of a familiar rainbow-colored mane.

Wait… Rainbow went home after the party. That’s not her… is it?

Her interest piqued, Scootaloo walked over to Twilight’s bed and clambered on, trying to not disturb the two ponies. Wanting to be sure, she waited for the moon to break through the clouds again; it was much too dark without its light to be sure of anything.

Several moments passed in silence as she waited breathlessly, her wings quietly buzzing in excitement. Suddenly, the room brightened just enough to reveal the familiar face of Rainbow Dash snuggling with Twilight.

It is her! Scootaloo thought as her face lit up with glee. A blast of cold air suddenly washed over her, making her quickly fold her wings against her side to try and stay warm. Biting her lower lip, she started wondering how nice it would be if she could sleep snuggled in between Dash and Twilight. She fidgeted in place, caught between the desire to sleep all snuggled up against her idol again and the fear of awakening and angering her.

Deciding against the former, she settled down near Dash’s hind legs and grabbed the other end of the blanket, tossing what little she could over her. She kept tugging at it, trying to get as much of the blanket as she could, which really didn’t turn out to be that much. With a small ‘humph,’ Scootaloo curled up and laid her head down next to the end of her tail. She pulled it tight against her flank and held onto it with her forelegs, silently wishing she’d brought her pillow from her bed. Her foreleg would just have to do in the meantime.

Still shivering a little bit, she tried to stand up and find a better position when her hoof slipped, accidently hitting one of Rainbow’s hind legs. As she began to stir awake, Scootaloo froze in place, hoping that she’d just go back to sleep. Seconds passed in a tense silence as she watched Rainbow shift under the sheets, and she gulped loudly when she saw her head begin to rise.

“He– hey, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo whispered, breaking the silence in a timid voice. She sat up, letting her shoulders slump. “I’m… I’m sorry I woke you up, and–”

“Shhh… C’mere squirt. It’s alright…” Rainbow whispered in a hoarse voice. She lifted her wing from around Twilight’s body and beckoned for Scootaloo to come forward with a feather. Rainbow pulled the sheets back just a little bit and slid away from Twilight, giving Scootaloo just enough room to sleep with them.

With a relieved smile, Scootaloo crept around Rainbow and slid under the covers next to her. Letting loose a yawn, she was about to settle down and go back to sleep when she heard a tired groan come from behind her.

Her back feeling rather cold and unsnuggled, Twilight rolled over, smiling gently as she noticed Scootaloo laying between them. “Oh… hey there…” she said softly, rubbing Scootaloo’s back with a tender hoof. “Somepony having nightmares again?” She noticed Rainbow’s look of concern and gave her a small shake of her head, wordlessly saying this wasn’t the time for questions.

“N– no…” Scootaloo murmured. “It’s a little cold in my bed, and I was wondering if Rainbow could… um… winghug me…” She glanced up at Rainbow. “You know, like the other night?” Scootaloo asked nervously, silently praying that she’d say yes.

“Heh, sure thing, squirt…” Rainbow said, giving a warm smile as Scootaloo nuzzled her breast in thanks. She looked up into Twilight’s eyes and blushed when she saw her gentle smile.

“Oh, thank you so much, Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo exclaimed. She stretched herself out and snuggled up against her idol. She felt a blissful warmth spread across her a moment later when Rainbow laid a wing over her. Smiling, Scootaloo closed her eyes and gently tugged Rainbow’s soft wing closer. Her breathing slowed down, and she was just about to say goodnight when she heard another feathery rustling. Scootaloo opened her eyes again just in time to see Twilight lay one of her own wings across not just her, but the both of them.

“Rainbow, you’re the best big sister anypony could ask for…” Scootaloo murmured. “Oh… and you too, Twilight… You’re both awesome…” The warmth of the two wings was too much for her to handle, and she fell asleep a couple minutes later, a soft smile tugging at her lips. Soon, her soft snores permeated the room, eliciting a soft giggle from Twilight.

“What?” Rainbow asked, tugging the blanket over their shoulders again.

“Oh, it’s nothing, really,” Twilight whispered back. “It’s just… well, that was really adorable…”

“What? Nah…” Rainbow blushed again, her cheeks heating up from the embarrassment. Her eyes flicked up to meet Twilight’s. “...Really?”

Twilight giggled again and nodded. “So… What’s up with the… you know, the winghug thing?”

“Oh, yeah, that.” Rainbow shrugged. “Well, the night I found her out in the cold, Scootaloo confessed that she had always wanted her mom to hold her like this when she was little, so… yeah.” She yawned and gave the blanket another tug. “I always loved it when my mom held me with her wings, so I thought I’d… you know…”

Rainbow felt her cheeks warm up as she blushed, so she looked away from Twilight’s gaze as she asked, “Oh, and Twi? I– I wouldn’t be able to really help Scootaloo without you, so I just wanna say… thanks, for everything.” She slid up a bit, gently pulling Scootaloo into a better position.

Twilight moved a little closer to Rainbow. “You know… I want to help Scootaloo as much as you, and you’re right. She does deserve better, and…” Twilight bit her lip as she contemplated whether or not to speak what was on her mind. She really wanted to say how much she admired what Rainbow had committed herself to do. Promising to take care of a filly was no small matter, and there was one thing that kept nagging at her mind.

In the few hours before Pinkie’s party, she’d read up on some case studies on families that had adopted foals and how the adoptee had adapted to their new life. In those, she learned that in order for the colt or filly to grow up as normally as possible, it was imperative to provide as stable a life for them as possible.

With their current situation, Scootaloo would have to live in both of their houses, moving back and forth in the middle of each week. Knowing this would make Scootaloo’s life unnecessarily tougher, Twilight had logically come to the conclusion that Scootaloo should only live at one of their houses. Since the doctor said that Scootaloo will never be able to fly, that crossed Rainbow’s house off the list. That left only one option: her house.

With that fact in mind, Twilight remained silent, looking anywhere but Rainbow’s curious gaze. She had no idea why, but her heart was beating just a little bit faster than normal. The kiss that they shared was still lodged firmly in her mind, and her asking Rainbow to live at her place might make things a little awkward, to say the least.

“And… what?” Rainbow asked, looking back up to meet Twilight’s gaze. She laid her head down on the pillow and pushed it into a more comfortable position.

“And…” Now is not the time to talk about such things. I’ll bring it up with her later, in private… “And I think we should get some sleep. If the past few years have been any indication, Spike’s gonna wake us up really early to open presents…”

Arctic Warfare

“Psst… Twilight, wake up!”

Twilight groaned tiredly, shifting about under the covers. She felt amazingly warm and soft, and she wanted nothing more than to fall back asleep. However, the insistent poking from what she assumed was Spike’s claw refused to allow her to do just that.

With another soft groan, Twilight cracked her eyes open and blinked a few times, smiling when her gaze focused on Rainbow and Scootaloo. Suddenly, something sharp poked her lower back, right where she was most ticklish. Bolting upright, she looked over her shoulder and glared at her young assistant, who was gleefully hopping up and down at the side of her bed.

“Hey Twilight, since you’re–” Spike said before Twilight cut him off.

“Shh!” Twilight brought a hoof up to her lips, trying to shush the loud dragon. “Rainbow and Scootaloo are still…” she trailed off when she felt the bed bounce from somepony else moving. Her shoulders slumping, she turned back around and saw Rainbow stretching, her wing still wrapped around Scootaloo. “Well, they were sleeping…” she said in annoyance.

Pushing a few strands of her mane out of her face, Twilight asked, “Ugh… what time is it?” Her internal clock told her it was still pretty early in the morning, much too early to be getting up. Wanting to be sure, though, she looked out her window and saw the very tip top of the sun starting to rise over the horizon. Well, at least Spike waited for the sun to come up this time…

Lying back down, Twilight said, “Tell you what. Light a fire downstairs, and we’ll be down in five or so minutes, okay?”

“Got it, Twilight!” Spike said, bolting out of her bedroom.

Once he was gone, Twilight rolled over to face Scootaloo and Rainbow again. “Hey guys…” she said, laying her wing back over them. “Spike has apparently decided that it’s time to open presents. Are you two sleepyheads alright with that?”

“Yeah, that’s fine, Twi,” Rainbow mumbled sleepily, her eyes still closed. She scooted a bit closer to Twilight, smiling as she enjoyed the blissful warmth of her friend’s wing. Tilting her head to rest it against Twilight’s, she let loose a soft sigh that ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “Ya know, I really wouldn’t mind spending the rest of the day like this…”

“Oh, I’m sure. But how can you open your present if you sleep all day, hmm?” Twilight whispered back.

“...Fair point.” Sitting up, Rainbow gently pulled her wing from Scootaloo’s grasp. “Come on, squirt, time to get up and see what Santa Hooves brought ya…”

Scootaloo’s lips curled up ever so slightly for just a brief moment before they dropped back down again, and she rolled over onto her other side, pressing her head against Twilight’s foreleg.

Rainbow caught Twilight’s eye and smiled. “I think she’s playing with us,” she said as softly as she could. With a sly grin, Rainbow brought a hoof up to her lips and whispered, “Play along…”

She laid her head back down and held a single feather before Scootaloo’s muzzle. Upon getting no reaction, Rainbow tickled the filly’s nose, ever so softly pulling it across her muzzle. Anticipating the response, she yanked her wing away just in time to avoid Scootaloo’s hoof as she tried to swat it away.

Grumbling quietly, Scootaloo rolled over again and snuggled up against Rainbow. She nuzzled Rainbow’s breast and curled up, laying her head in the crook of Rainbow’s shoulder. This time, she couldn’t quite hide her smile, so she tried to cover it with a hoof.

When Scootaloo settled down again, Rainbow felt her smile, confirming that Scootaloo was just messing with them. With a grin, she looked back at Twilight and whispered, “She’s faking it.”

Still smiling, Rainbow nodded at Twilight, silently saying it was her turn. Twilight nodded back and extended one of her own wings. She ran a feather across Scootaloo’s muzzle, stifling a giggle when the filly rolled over again, scrunching her muzzle.

Rainbow brushed Scootaloo’s unkempt mane out of her face with a wing. “Come on, squirt, time to get up…” she said softly, continuing on in a sing-song voice as she sat up. “You know, there are presents for you…”

Scootaloo finally opened her eyes and looked around. Letting loose a soft yawn, she stretched and snuggled back up against Rainbow’s side, this time lying on her back. She tugged the blanket back up and murmured, “But I don’t wanna get up…” Before she could say anything more, Rainbow started tickling her again with a wing, this time the bottom of one of her hooves.

Scootaloo started giggling and tried to push Rainbow’s wing away with a hoof, but she was too strong. “Hahaha, come on, Rainbow, stop–”

Rainbow was unrelenting as she tickled Scootaloo, and just as Twilight was about to join in, they heard Spike yell from downstairs. “Hey, you guys coming or what? These presents aren’t going to open themselves, ya know!”

“Be there in a minute!” Twilight shouted back. Laying her head back down, she softly said, “Come on, you two…” She pulled the blanket off them. “I don’t think Spike is going to wait any longer.” She slid out of bed and trotted over to the door, waiting for Scootaloo and Rainbow to join her.

“Come on, Scoots, maybe Santa Hooves brought you something fast and cool…” Rainbow said as she sat up. She nuzzled Scootaloo’s side, gently rolling her onto her stomach with her muzzle. Now that she was fully awake, she couldn’t help but feel giddy, excited to see how Scootaloo would like her present.

After stretching her wings, Scootaloo followed Rainbow off the bed. “Alright… but can we make some hot chocolate?” Scootaloo looked up at Rainbow as they walked side by side, following Twilight out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

“Heh, sure we can, squirt!” Rainbow said. Turning to Twilight, she asked, “Hey, you got any hot chocolate mix?”

“Yep! Just make sure you make enough for everyone, okay?” Twilight asked, using a wing to point Scootaloo over towards the presents under the tree. “The mix is on the top shelf of the cabinet on the left, Rainbow!” she called out.

“Got it!” Rainbow yelled back.

“Let’s see…” Twilight’s horn lit up and she pulled all of the presents out from under the tree. “This one is for me…” She laid the wrapped scarf that Rarity had made for her at her hooves. “This one is for you, Scootaloo…”

“Santa Hooves got this for me?” Scootaloo asked, eyes wide. She was smiling wildly and her tail was flicking back and forth, her wings buzzing from her excitement.

“Yep!” Spike said. “He brings presents to everyone who was on good behavior this year!” He held up his present and shook it, trying to figure out what was inside.

And just like that, Scootaloo’s excitement disappeared, only to be replaced by an overwhelming sense of sadness. “Then… why didn’t he bring me any presents the past several years?” she asked, her shoulders slumping a little. “I was a good filly… or, I tried to be at least…” She flicked her tail forward and held onto it, head bowed.

Spike felt a knot of guilt form in his stomach, and he opened his mouth to try and make Scootaloo feel better, but Twilight shot him a stern look, a look he knew all too well. He kept quiet and nodded once, showing he understood to keep quiet.

“Sweetie…” Twilight started as she slid closer to Scootaloo. She settled down beside the trembling filly, her mind scrambling to come up with an answer. “Umm… He, uh…” For the first time in her life, she was at a complete loss for words. As the tense silence waned on, Twilight started stammering, struggling to come up with something, anything. Thankfully, Rainbow walked back into the living room with a tray of four steaming mugs balanced on her back.

“You know…” Rainbow said, picking up from where Twilight left off. “I talked to Santa Hooves earlier, and he… umm… he told me that since he couldn’t find your parents’ house on the outskirts of town for all these years, he decided to give you one huge present today to make it up to you!”

Rainbow grinned nervously and chuckled, hoping that Scootaloo wouldn’t see through her little white lie. She’d rather lie to Scootaloo than have to explain that her parents never loved her enough to buy her anything for Hearth’s Warming Day.

“So anyways, who’s up for some hot chocolate? I know I am!” Rainbow said as she carefully sat the tray of mugs down. She grabbed a cup and passed it to Scootaloo, who gratefully accepted it. Twilight and Spike grabbed their drinks, and Twilight slid the tray off to the side.

After Scootaloo took a sip, Rainbow sat down beside her and said, “So yeah, I made sure that he got you something really nice this time around!”

Scootaloo perked up a little bit. “Really?” Her ears flicked forward and she lifted her head.

“Yep!” Rainbow said, pointing to the biggest box sitting under the tree. “And it’s that big one right there!”

“Ohmygosh, please tell me this isn’t some sort of prank!” Scootaloo got up and galloped over to the present. “Is this really for me?”

“Yeah, squirt! Go on, open it!” Rainbow said as she walked over to sit beside her. As the sound of tearing paper filled the room, she couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Twilight, sharing a small smile with her. Feeling her cheeks warm up ever so slightly, she looked back just in time to see Scootaloo’s face break out in the biggest smile she’d ever seen.

“Santa Hooves got me a new scooter?!” Scootaloo said, her voice full of unbridled excitement. Her wings were buzzing furiously and she started bouncing in place, barely being able to contain her joy.

“Oh, I almost forgot!” Twilight said as she lit her horn, pulling a smaller present out from behind the tree. “Santa dropped this off at my place for you!” She laid it in front of her, smiling as the exuberant filly ripped the wrapping paper off of it, revealing a brand new helmet.

Twilight and Spike shared a knowing glance. The moment Twilight had returned home from wrapping Scootaloo’s present, she and Spike had gone out and picked out the perfect helmet to replace Scootaloo’s old one. This one was in a bright red color and was shaped like her old one. To Twilight’s relief, they had gotten to the store just before closing time, and the clerk had been nice enough to help them figure out what size to get for Scootaloo.

“A new helmet, too! This day just keeps getting better and better!” Scootaloo said as she pulled the helmet out of its packaging. She tried it on and buckled the straps, adjusting it until it fit just right. After undoing the buckle, she laid it back down and moved over to where Rainbow sat.

Scootaloo wrapped her hooves around her, hugging her tightly. “Thank you so much for letting Santa Hooves know where I'd be! This is just so awesome!” Pulling her head back, she asked, “Hey, do you want to watch me do some cool tricks on it?” She let go and went over to where her new scooter lay.

“Sure, but only if you promise to watch me do my new tricks later!” Rainbow said. She stood up and gave her wings a few flaps, hovering in the air for a few seconds before setting herself back down.

“Now hold on, you two!” Twilight said with a smile. “We haven’t even opened the rest of the presents!”

Scootaloo’s head whipped towards Twilight. “There are more?” she asked eagerly.

“Yep! Santa Hooves brought us all something perfect for the winter!” Twilight levitated the wrapped scarves over, laying them down in front of them. Nobody wasted any time as they tore the wrapping paper off to reveal scarves made specifically for them. While Twilight's and Rainbow's had their cutie mark sewn onto the ends of the soft, silky white fabric, Spike’s had a single dragon’s claw sewn on his, and Scootaloo's had a single orange feather on hers.

Pulling it completely out of the packaging, Rainbow wrapped her scarf around her neck and smiled as the overly soft silk caressed her fur. It wasn’t overly thick, yet it wasn’t too skinny either. Closing her eyes, she tightened the scarf around her neck, sighing contentedly as it started to warm up. Wow, this is almost as soft as Twilight-

Rainbow’s eyes snapped open in shock. Where did that thought come from? She snuck a glance over at Twilight, feeling her cheeks heat up. As she watched, she couldn’t help but let a smile slip onto her face as she saw her give Spike an affectionate nuzzle. After Twilight said something that she couldn’t hear, Rainbow suddenly felt Scootaloo latch onto her leg, nuzzling her breast as she smiled like the happiest filly in the world.

“Oh wait; I almost forgot about this one!” Twilight said as she levitated a present hidden behind a few shelved books. She laid the present in front of her assistant and gave him a loving nuzzle on his cheek. Twilight settled down around him, smiling as she felt him snuggle up against her. With a nod, she watched him rip the present open to reveal a plain cardboard box. When he looked up at her with a knowing look on his face, Twilight stayed silent.

Holding up the uncovered box to his ear, Spike shook it, wondering what surprises it held inside. “Hmm… let me guess, Twilight… another book?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Nope, not this time!” Twilight said. “Why don’t you open it and find out?”

Spike’s eyes lit up at Twilight’s last word. Using a sharp claw to pierce the plastic seal, Spike pulled the top of the box off, revealing gems of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

“Twilight, this looks great!” Spike said after popping a few gems into his mouth. He put the lid back on and hugged Twilight, wrapping his arms around her neck. “Thanks a ton.”

“Not a problem, Spike,” Twilight said, wrapping a wing around her assistant. After a few moments, she let go and said, “Happy Hearth’s Warming Day.”

“Heh, happy Hearth’s Warming Day, Twilight.” Spike sat down again and leaned back against her, popping gem after gem into his mouth.

“Hey, can I go out and try my new scooter now?” Scootaloo asked as she pulled her new toy out of its packaging. Her helmet already on, she placed a hoof on the scooter, ready to race outside.

Since everypony had already opened their presents, Twilight nodded and said, “Sure! Just be careful, alright?” As soon as the words left Twilight’s mouth, Scootaloo raced outside, pushing herself along on her scooter, followed closely by Spike. Twilight followed the two of them outside and sat down on the doorstep, keeping a close eye on them.

“Hey, there’s still one more present, Twilight…” Twilight heard just before Rainbow nudged her with her muzzle. She turned around and saw a long, narrow package balanced on Rainbow’s extended wing.

“Aw, you didn’t have to get me anything, Rainbow!” Twilight said, lifting the present up with her magic.

“Eh, I kinda wanted to, especially after you helped me get Scootaloo out of that awful house.” Rainbow folded her wing and sat down beside her, watching in breathless excitement as Twilight gently tore off the wrapping paper.

A small crimson-colored box revealed, Twilight took the lid off the box to reveal a beautiful quill with a small pot of ink. The quill’s stem was nearly the same shade as Twilight’s coat, with the very edge of the feather fading to a light blue. It was very elegant, certainly more so than the countless regular ones that Twilight normally used. In comparison, a quill such as this would only be used by those with rather large sums of money.

“Rainbow…” Twilight trailed off, once again finding herself at a complete loss for words. Conflicted thoughts ran through her, but the one that was most prevalent was how was Rainbow able to afford something like this, especially with her job in the weather patrol? And why buy something so nice just for her?

“Yeah, Twi? You like it? You have no idea how hard it was to find a quill just like tha–”

“I– I can’t accept this, Rainbow...” Twilight said, casting her gaze aside. She bit her lip, worried that Rainbow would take it the wrong way. Even though she would absolutely love it, she knew that it had to have cost Rainbow at least a month’s worth of her pay just to buy it, and because of that, she couldn’t accept it.

“Wh… why not?” Rainbow’s smile suddenly faltered and her ears drooped. Her enthusiasm lost, she said, “You don’t like the color, don’t–”

“No, Rainbow, it’s not that at all. I love it, I really do, but…” Twilight cut her friend off. “I can’t accept such an expensive gift. It just doesn’t feel right, especially after I gave you a scarf.” She put the lid of the box back on and tied a piece of ribbon around it. Laying it at Rainbow’s hooves, she looked back up into her friend’s eyes again, feeling bad for rejecting a gift from one of her closest friends. “You just being here is more than enough, Rainbow...”

“Heh, if I didn’t know any better, it sounds like you’re falling for me,” Rainbow joked, giving Twilight a playful nudge on the shoulder with her wing, missing the blush that followed her quip. “Besides, if you really want to know why I bought somethin’ nice for ya, it’s because I can. I got a really good raise at work last month, and I’m haulin’ in the bits. Besides, how do you think I’m able to pay for a really big house?”

“That’s… actually a good point,” Twilight said, eyeing the box laying between them.

Rainbow picked up the box again with a wing and held it out to her. “Come on, please? I want you to have it,” she said. “Besides, I can’t have my best friend write her reports with some normal quill!”

Twilight looked down at the box and back up at Rainbow, biting her lip. “You… you sure you can afford it?” she asked hesitantly. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want the quill, but not if it bankrupted her best friend.

“Yes, Twilight!” Rainbow rolled her eyes and flashed her usual cocky smile. She offered the box again, patiently waiting for her to take it.

“Well… Okay then!” Twilight said giddily. She picked it up with her magic and opened the box again. Pulling the quill out of the packaging as carefully as she could, she held it up, marveling at its beauty. She was just about to thank Rainbow when the pegasus suddenly dove in front of her with a flourish of her wings, a snowball hitting her back a moment later with a loud ‘gish’ sound.

Quickly putting her new quill inside the library, Twilight took the chance to get back at Rainbow for her little quip. She stepped close to her and lowered her voice. “Rainbow… nopony’s ever taken a snowball for me…” Twilight let her eyelids droop as she leaned in, and she smiled inwardly as she saw Rainbow’s eyes widen in shock. She lit her horn and, completely unknown to Rainbow, started forming a snowball of her own.

Just before their lips could meet in a kiss, Twilight threw the snowball at Rainbow, hitting her back just above her cutie marks. “And now you’ve taken two!” Twilight giggled as she galloped past the stunned pegasus.

Rainbow took a second to process what had just happened. She looked over her shoulder and chuckled. “Hey, nopony hits Rainbow with a snowball and gets away with it!” Rainbow took to the air and found Scootaloo engaged in a snowball fight with Twilight and Spike, so she quickly landed behind the pile of snow that Scootaloo was apparently using as a fort.

“Hey squirt, what’s the situation?” Rainbow asked in a mock military voice as she took cover behind the small pile of snow, a barrage of magically-thrown snowballs soaring just over her head.

“We’ve got two enemy contacts directly ahead!” Scootaloo yelled back as she launched a couple snowballs at the opposing fort, only for them to be melted by small bursts of fire from Spike. She reached down for more, but her hoof grabbed at thin air. She looked down in confusion; she was sure that she’d made more.

“Get down, Scoots!” Rainbow yanked Scootaloo down and gave her a snowball. Still taking cover behind the wall of snow, Rainbow said, “Alright, here’s the plan: you and I are gonna crush those two!” she exclaimed with a cocky smile.

“You got it!” Scootaloo started to stand up to throw the snowball, but Rainbow pulled her down just in time to avoid another barrage of snowballs.

“Heh, that was just a joke; I really do have a plan. So we’re gonna–”

“Wait, so we’re not gonna crush the enemy?” Scootaloo asked as she cocked an eyebrow, confusion apparent in her tone. “I thought you were on my side!” She let a sly smile slip onto her face as she raised her snowball in a mock threat.

“What? No, wait, I mean, yes, we– ugh!” Rainbow rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Listen… here’s what we’re gonna do…”

“Ready, squirt?” Rainbow asked as she lay crouched in position. She was facing Twilight’s fort, still hiding behind her own. Her right wing was open, held back by Scootaloo’s hooves, forming what essentially was a catapult.

“Ready!” Scootaloo said back, a silly smile on her face. She loaded a snowball onto the top of Rainbow’s biggest feather and pulled back even more.

“On three, okay?” Rainbow asked, looking over her shoulder. “So the countdown will be like one, two, and then we fire on three, got it?”

“Got it!”

“Awesome!” Rainbow got all four of her hooves underneath her in preparation for the assault. Raising her voice, she yelled out, “Hey! You two have five seconds to surrender, or we’re gonna start destroying your fort, little by little!” Both she and Scootaloo snickered as she waited for their response.

“Never!” came the overly dramatic reply. Rainbow peeked out around the side of their fort and spotted most of Twilight’s head sticking out over the top of her own pile of snow. She snickered, knowing full well that such a small pile of snow would be no match for the power of wing-thrown snowballs.

Ducking back into cover, she whispered, “Well, they had their chance! On three: one… two… three!” In one smooth motion, the two of them stood up. A split-second later, Scootaloo pulled back on Rainbow’s wing as hard as she could before releasing it, letting Rainbow hurl the snowball right at Twilight’s face. Going by the look of shock on her friend’s face, Rainbow had taken her completely by surprise. The snowball struck Twilight squarely on the head right below the base of her horn, a perfect shot if there ever was one.

“Spike, what happened?!” Twilight hissed in mock anger. “I thought you were gonna melt that one too!” She took cover behind her fort.

“Hahaha, she got you good, Twilight!” Spike said, rolling around on his back as he lost himself in a fit of laughter.

“Hardy har har…” Twilight said, smiling as a devious little idea popped into her mind. “Let’s see how you like it!” She giggled and pushed Spike out from behind cover, forming a wall of snow between the two of them with her magic. It only took a few seconds before she heard him getting hit with snowballs, and only then did she let him back in.

“So, how’d it feel, Spike?” Twilight asked with another giggle, wiping the snow from her assistant’s back.

Spike just grumbled something inaudible under his breath as he got down on his knees. He started making more snowballs, forming a neat little pile at the base of their fort. Once he had a decent amount, he peeked over the top, jerking back down just before a snowball launched by Rainbow would have nailed him in the face.

“Haha, you missed me!” he called out defiantly.

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow yelled back as she made the biggest snowball yet. “Watch this!” she whispered to Scootaloo. She aimed at the tree right above their enemies’ fort and launched her snowball at the branch right above Spike’s head.

The snowball soared through the air and hit the branch, breaking apart on impact. Spike looked up just in time to watch a massive pile of snow fall on top of him, completely burying him underneath it. Upon hearing giggles from both his side and the enemies’, Spike opened his mouth and spat a small burst of fire, melting the snow from him in a few short moments.

After helping Spike brush the rest of the snow off of him, Twilight waved a single wing above the top of their fort. “Hey, I’m coming out!” she called out. “Truce?”

“Truce!” Rainbow said warily as everyone stood up. “What for?”

“Want to take the next, I don’t know, half hour or so to build up our forts?” Twilight asked, stepping out from behind her fort as a show of good faith. She spread her wings to show that she wasn’t hiding any snowballs in them before folding them back against her side.

“Sure, we can do that!” Rainbow stepped out from behind her pitiful pile of snow and bent down to Scootaloo’s level. “Hey, go find your friends and bring them here; we could use their help!” she said in a hushed tone. “Alright?”

“Alright, I’ll be back as soon as I can!” Scootaloo yelled over her shoulder as she darted around the corner on her new scooter, leaving the other three to build up their forts for the upcoming battle.

False Assumptions

A little more here, a little more there… Rainbow thought as she packed just enough snow to complete her fort. In the half hour that Scootaloo had been gone, she’d been gathering as much snow as she could to make her walls as big as possible. She had her fort facing Twilight’s straight on, the main wall barely coming up to the tops of her legs.

Rainbow had snuck glances at Twilight’s fort for the first few minutes before she got so focused on making her own fort. She hadn’t heard that much from behind her all throughout her work, and that hadn’t bothered her. In addition to making a basic usable fort, she also made thirty snowballs, split in half for both her and Scootaloo. Now that her work was complete, she sat down and stretched her stiff wings. As she sat back, she looked over her shoulder and looked up, her jaw dropping in surprise.

Twilight’s fort was at least ten times bigger than her own. The main wall was taller than her, and even if she stood up on her hind legs, she still wouldn’t be able to see over the top. From what she could see, the large wall even surrounded the entire front half of the library. On top of that, it had little slits about halfway up the wall, just big enough to throw snowballs through.

“Wha…” she trailed off as she stared at her friend’s fort. She got up, hopped over her own with a flap of her wings, and walked up to it. Upon hearing no sounds come from the other side, she tapped the wall and was surprised to find that it wasn’t just packed snow, but solid ice.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Rainbow heard Twilight ask from beside her. Jumping a little from the sudden surprise, she turned around with a nervous smile.

“Heh, yeah, it’s not bad at all…” Rainbow said as she flapped her wings, propelling herself into the air. She flew around one side of the fort and realized that it surrounded the entire library once she got to the other side. Flying back to where Twilight was sitting, she landed next to her. “Dang, Twi, you really put a lot of effort into this!” she said, her voice full of admiration.

“Yeah, well, a wise pony once said that if you’re going to do something, you gotta do it right,” Twilight said with a dismissive wave of her hoof, earning a playful hit on her shoulder. “Anyways, I’ve been inside for the past ten minutes making hot cocoa for whoever’s all coming over, and Spike’s warming up in his room.” She lit her horn, two steaming cups filled to the brim with hot cocoa appearing in her magical grasp. “Want some?” Twilight held the cup right next to Rainbow as she offered it to her.

“Sure, why not?” Rainbow grabbed the mug and sat down. Before she could raise it to her lips to take a sip, Twilight had sat down right next to her and pressed her coat against hers. “Um… something I can help you with, Twilight?” she asked a little nervously when Twilight wrapped a wing around her.

“Oh, um… not really.” Twilight shrugged as she snuggled a little closer to Rainbow. “Conserving body heat and all, you know. Wouldn’t want to catch a cold, right?” She took a sip from her mug, smiling as the warm drink warmed her insides. She kept her gaze averted, knowing that if she looked at Rainbow now, they’d be muzzle to muzzle from their closeness. As she sat there with her friend, she couldn’t help but remember the night when they shared a kiss in front of their friends. The soft, velvety feel of Rainbow’s lips upon hers for just those few seconds of time had felt like an hour to her, a feeling she wouldn’t mind having again.

“You know we can just warm up in the library, right?” Rainbow asked, breaking Twilight out of her reverie. Turning her head just a little bit, Rainbow felt Twilight shivering just a little bit, so she laid her own wing across her back and pulled her a little closer. As an awkward silence started forming between them, she felt the same sort of excitement that she felt the past couple of times that she’d snuggled with Twilight. While it wasn’t a bad feeling, it still made her feel like butterflies were flitting about in her stomach.

“Yeah, I guess we could… but I’d rather stay out here and wait for Scootaloo and her friends to come over. They should be coming back any minute now,” Twilight said, closing her eyes for a few seconds as she enjoyed the warmth emanating from Rainbow’s wing. She took another sip from her mug and leaned over, putting more of her weight onto Rainbow, smiling when Rainbow tightened her hold on her.

Twilight sighed happily as she relaxed into Rainbow’s embrace. Snuggling with her was one thing, but being held by her was something else entirely. She liked how she felt Rainbow’s chest rise and fall with each breath, and in addition to discovering this new, sensitive side to her otherwise brash and confident friend, she was learning new things about her everyday. “It sure is nice out, isn’t i-”

“Hey, Happy Hearth's Warming Day, you silly fillies!” Pinkie’s voice suddenly yelled from right behind them. Rainbow hopped into the air from instinct alone and accidentally dropped her mug in the snow, whereas Twilight only jumped a little bit.

“Pinkie! Come on, you made me spill my drink!” Rainbow said as she landed back on the ground, right next to Twilight.

“It–it’s no big deal, Rainbow,” Twilight stammered as she collected herself. She took a few slow breaths to calm her racing nerves. “Here, hold mine for a few seconds, and I can go fix another one for you.” When Rainbow grabbed her mug, she teleported away, silently regretting that their small moment was broken so suddenly.

“Wow…” Pinkie murmured as she sat down across from Rainbow, a wide grin plastered on her face.

“Uh… what?”

“You two sure do look like a really cute couple!” Pinkie said. She gave one of her silly smiles and started hopping up and down in place. “I just knew you two were together when I made you guys kiss at my party!”

“Pinkie, we already told you, we’re not a couple!” She paused as she suddenly caught the last part of Pinkie’s sentence, specifically the part about making her kiss Twilight. “Wait, that was you who did that?” Rainbow asked. Before Pinkie could respond, Twilight reappeared in the same spot that she’d just been in, two brand new mugs of hot cocoa held in her hoof.

“Here you are! Oh, and I got one for you too, Pinkie!” Twilight said as she held them out to her friends.

“Heh, thanks,” Rainbow said, glaring at Pinkie Pie with a small smile as she took the mug. Passing Twilight her own, she asked, “So other than that nice little tidbit of information, what’s up, Pinks? You here to help me take down Twilight’s fortress in our next snowball fight?”

“Oh my gosh, you two are gonna have a snowball fight?” Pinkie exclaimed. She brought the mug up to her lips and threw the entire drink back like she was taking a shot of liquor.

“Hmm… Oh, I know! I have a stupendous idea! Give me a little while so I can get everypony to come! And when I mean everypony...” She leaned in until her forehead was pressing against Rainbow’s. “I mean everypony...” Before either Twilight or Rainbow could respond, she darted off in a flash, plowing straight through Rainbow’s fort.

As she watched Pinkie Pie gallop down the street and around the corner, Rainbow stood silently as she stared at the remains of her fort, aghast. As the two of them watched, the rest of her fort slowly crumbled away until there was nothing left but piles of snow.

“Well, there goes half an hour of hard work!” Dash said, throwing her forelegs up in frustration. “Now I have nothing…”

“You know… you can join my side if you want,” Twilight said as she laid her wing over Rainbow’s back again. “If Pinkie Pie said that she’s gonna get everypony, then she’s probably gonna get everypony, if she doesn’t get distracted along the way, that is.” She got up, folding her wing back at her side as she moved to stand in front of Rainbow.

“Rainbow, if you wish to join my side, first you must defect from yours,” Twilight said in a mock military tone as she stood at what she assumed was attention. She tried to stifle a giggle as she tried to remain serious, struggling to stare straight ahead.

Giving a small grin, Rainbow took a few seconds to process this. Finishing off her mug, she nodded a couple times and stood up. Mirroring Twilight’s stance, she brought her hoof up in a salute.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, I, Rainbow Dash, do formally surrender and defect to your side.” She waited until Twilight raised her own hoof in a salute, then they lowered them at the same time, the two of them dissolving into small fits of laughter.

“Rainbow Dash, your surrender and defection is accepted,” Twilight finished saying just as Scootaloo rolled up with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom on her scooter.

“Hey guys!” Rainbow said as she waved at the newcomers. With a flap of her wings, she landed right next to her and gave Scootaloo’s mane a playful tousle. “Glad to see you got back all safe and sound!” She turned to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom and sat down. “Everyone having a good Hearth’s Warming Day?”

“Yep!” the three fillies replied in a chorus. A moment later, Apple Bloom scooped up a snowball and hit Sweetie Belle right in the middle of her back.

“Eee! So cold! So cold!” Sweetie Belle yelled as she frantically wiped the snow from her as quickly as she could. Seeing her friend-turned-attacker scamper away, she formed a snowball of her own and threw it, missing by a few inches. “Come back here, you!”

Scootaloo stepped off of her scooter and took off her helmet. “I found these two at Sweet Apple Acres having a snowball fight of their own, and I told them we needed backup to fight against Twilight and Spi–”

“Yeah, about that… Hehe, so listen, I just joined Twilight’s side, okay? That means that we’re all on her side now,” she said with a chuckle, all while scratching the back of her head with a hoof.

“Huh? Why?” Scootaloo peered around Rainbow, her eyes widening as her gaze finally fell upon the library. “Uh… Rainbow? Why is the library a snow fortress now?”

“Um… While you were gone, Pinkie Pie stopped by and said that she’s gonna get everypony in town involved in the snowball fight. So… that means that it’s gonna be, like…” Rainbow counted everypony around them real quick. “Um… the six of us against the rest of the town in an epic snowball fight! You in, or are you and your friends gonna chicken out?” she asked as she gave one of her confident smiles, knowing full well that Scootaloo would never say no to a challenge.

“You kidding? That sounds awesome!” Scootaloo said as she hopped in place, her wings buzzing in excitement. “Come on, let’s go see if we can make the fort even better before everypony gets here!” She grabbed Rainbow’s hoof and pulled the two of them towards the fort.

Over the course of the next hour, everybody was able to gather enough snow to build two smaller forts, each connected to the main one by ice tunnels. The two smaller forts were in the shape of igloos, with three small slits in the walls just big enough to throw snowballs through. As they were being made, Twilight had the Cutie Mark Crusaders watch out for incoming enemy combatants while she and Rainbow had built them. All throughout this preparation for war, Spike was on snowball construction duty back in the main fort.

Seeing that everything was as good as they were going to get, Twilight whistled, signalling for the Cutie Mark Crusaders to fall back. As they scampered past her, Twilight used her magic to create a hole big enough for everypony to walk through, and they all entered the fort. Closing the wall behind them, she went to the closest slot in the wall, which just happened to be where Rainbow was sitting. Perfect… maybe now I can talk to her about Scootaloo living here at the library permanently…

Before she could do that, she felt somepony tug on her tail. Turning around, she saw the three fillies and Spike standing behind her.

“Hey! What do you want us to do?” Sweetie Belle asked eagerly, using her magic to levitate a snowball in the air. “We’re ready for anything!”

“Oh! Um, let’s see… I need you in the smaller forts for now, okay? Quickly now, go in pairs,” Twilight said. She smiled as she watched them trot away, then she turned back around and sat down next to Rainbow.

“So… you see anypony?” Twilight asked as she peered through the slit.

“Nah, not really,” Rainbow said. “Just a few ponies walking around doing errands and stuff.”

“Huh, alright…” Twilight took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She knew that Rainbow would react negatively to what she was going to say. Might as well get it over with now…

“Hey, listen, there’s something I want to talk to you about…” Twilight said, picking at the base of the wall with a hoof as she bit her lip, fearing Rainbow’s reaction. “Remember how I said that we can split the time for taking care of Scootaloo up until the court trial?”

“Yeah?” Rainbow asked, keeping her attention locked on their surroundings, her head always on a swivel.

“Yeah, well… I think it’d be best if Scootaloo stayed at the library with me… permanently.” Twilight kept talking even when Rainbow’s head whipped around to face her. “Seeing that she can’t well, um… can’t fly, she–”

“Woah woah woah, hold on!” Rainbow said indignantly. “You saying you think I can’t take care of her?” She turned to face Twilight and stood up, her wings bristling in anger. “After everything I’ve done for her?”

“What?” Twilight stood up as well, shaking her head. “No, of course not, that’s not it at all! It’s just that the other day, I was reading up on how those who got adopted had adapted to their new life, and throughout everything that I read, none of them had the parents split up…” She sat down, motioning for Rainbow to do the same. Only when Rainbow did so did she continue, this time in a softer voice.

“And since we aren’t toge–err, living in the same house, it would make things harder on her if she had to keep switching houses every few days. She’s going through a really rough time right now, and I just want what’s best for her; just like you! Also, just imagine how hard it would be for her if she had to get up to your house when you weren’t there–”

“Pfft, what are you talking about, Twilight? She’s never going to leave my sight, no matter what!” Rainbow stomped on the ground once to emphasize her point.

“You can’t watch her all the time, Rainbow,” Twilight said softly, not wanting to start a confrontation. “What about when she’s done playing with her friends and you’re working? What if she can’t find you?” Rainbow opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She closed her mouth and turned back to look out the slit in the wall, her ears folding back.

Twilight slid a little closer to her, placing a reassuring hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder when she looked down with a heavy sigh. “You see what I mean? She needs a place that she can access readily and without any trouble at all, and the library is the perfect place for that. I’m always here, and she even has her own bed. On top of that, where’s she gonna keep her scooter?”

“...Fine, I guess you’re right.” Rainbow’s shoulders slumped down in disappointment. “I guess I didn’t think about all of that…”

It pained Twilight greatly to see her friend looking so defeated. “But that doe-doesn’t mean you… you can’t live here with us!” Twilight stammered out, a faint blush tinting her cheeks a soft red. “You know you can always stay here with me–err, with us, I mean… hehe.”

When Rainbow cocked her head to the side with a look of confusion on her face, Twilight continued, “You know, to hang out and read books with us!” And to snuggle, too… She smiled awkwardly, her tail flicking from side to side from her nervousness. Even though it was still pretty cold out, she was surprised to feel a bead of sweat drip down the side of her face. Twilight blinked and her heart skipped a beat when Rainbow looked up at her with a strange look on her face. She wasn’t sure why she’d just thought such a thing, and before she could give it more thought, Rainbow spoke up with a serious tone.

“Twilight, listen, I want you to answer me truthfully, because I’m getting all sorts of mixed signals from you.” Rainbow gulped and felt her heart race faster and faster as she built up the courage to ask her next question. Heh, well, here goes nothing…

Rainbow turned to face Twilight straight on. She looked right into her friend’s eyes and softly asked, “Twilight, are... are you into me?”

The Cold War

An awkward silence quickly fell between the two of them. Twilight simply stared at Rainbow, her right ear twitching on its own. She moved her lips and tried to speak, but it felt as if her throat had seized up. She coughed a couple of times and shook her head before looking back up at Rainbow. “I’m sorry, what? I didn’t quite catch all of that.”

Rainbow giggled nervously. “Uh… you into me? ‘Cuz it really sorta seems to me like you are. And, uh… you know, it’s totally c-cool if you’re not,” Rainbow quickly stammered out, noticing Twilight’s perplexed expression.

Twilight cleared her throat as she tried to get her thoughts in order. Speaking in a somewhat rough voice, she slowly said, “Well… you’re one of my closest friends, if not my best friend, if that’s what you mean.” When Rainbow cocked her head to the side, she thought, Hold on… Surely there’s no way that she thinks that I think of her like that… “Um, wait… are you asking if I have serious feelings for you?”

“Well… yeah, sort of. You’ve let me come over, we snuggle, and then we fall asleep together. Heck, while we were waiting for Scootaloo to come back a little while ago, we held each other in our wings and you had your head on my shoulder. Even though I enjoyed it, it’s just something that regular friends don’t really do.” Rainbow started squirming, mainly because she was just expecting a yes or no answer, not this long, drawn-out process.

“Oh, uh… really? I did that because, um... I thought that’s what really good friends do,” Twilight said, biting her bottom lip.

“Not stuff like that…” Rainbow replied with a nervous chuckle, flicking a few stray hairs out of her face. “I just didn’t know what to expect, I guess.” She looked down, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. “So, um… does that mean no more cuddling?” she asked wistfully as her ears folded back.

“Well, um… just because we aren’t together doesn’t mean that we can’t still cuddle and stuff.” Twilight felt herself blush as she glanced away, feeling Rainbow’s eyes bore into her face.

“Um… you sure? Those are things that special someponies do, ya know? And since we aren’t together, I don’t want to creep you out or anything. We’ve got such a nice thing going, after all.”

Twilight giggled softly. “Rainbow, you can’t creep me out! Trust me, I’ve enjoyed snuggling with you just as much as you have, and I definitely wouldn’t mind if we keep doing it, especially on nights as cold as these.”

“Heh, glad to hear it… And to answer your question… I’ll think about it,” Rainbow said rather shakily.

“Huh? What question?” Twilight cocked her head to the side.

“The one about me living with you and Scootaloo. Even though we aren’t together, I… I don’t know how that would work out. I don’t really want to give up my house, you know? I’ve put a lot of work into building it up, and I really like it.” She shrugged and looked back out the slit in the wall. After a few seconds, she looked back at Twilight. “Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with the library. To be honest, I like it a lot, but I like my house a little bit more. It’s the one place that I can use to escape from everything and just relax, you know?”

Twilight took a few moments to think before she responded. “Yeah, I do, and Rainbow?” She waited until Rainbow looked back at her. “Since we’re gonna be taking care of Scootaloo, I want you to know you can stay at the library whenever you want. Scootaloo is going to depend on the both of us, and I know she’d love it if you were around a lot. Also, I guess that asking you to move in with me may have been a little too much to ask,” Twilight said with a small giggle. “Hmm… maybe we cou–” She paused when a deep horn sounded off in the distance right out in front of them, another one echoing its call from behind them.

“What the heck is going on?” Rainbow asked, her ears flicking forward as she tried to pinpoint exactly where the sounds were coming from. She turned her head and cocked it, pressing her ear right up to the slit in the wall. “There’s no way that that’s Pinkie…” Rainbow glanced at Twilight and raised an eyebrow. “Right?”

“Rainbow!” Scootaloo yelled out from the igloo on the other side of the fort. “There’s a lot of ponies heading our way!”

“Fire when you can hit ‘em, squirt!” Rainbow yelled back, her conversation with Twilight shoved to the back of her mind. She turned back around to face Twilight and paused, noticing the look of intense concentration on her face. “Uh… hey, egghead, you okay?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said as she lit her horn. “Listen, I’m gonna need you to be my eyes for this, alright? I can’t really look around when I’m doing this...”

“Uh… what exactly are you doing?” Rainbow asked slowly.

“Heh, just watch…” Twilight said with a sly grin. A few moments later, her purple aura surrounded most of the snowballs that Spike had made. As a low humming sound filled the air, they all rose into the air and formed a ten by ten block all floating on a single plane.

“Oh, I get it… You want me to tell you where to shoot, right?” Rainbow asked. “Alright then, let’s take a test shot.” She moved back to the slit in the wall and saw around ten ponies forming small walls to hide behind just thirty feet or so down the street. A few pegasi were hovering in the air just above Pinkie Pie, who was standing right behind not one, but two party cannons. She couldn’t place a hoof on it, but they looked a little different from the one that she usually used. Rainbow squinted as hard as she could, trying to make out what Pinkie was doing with them. She had the two of them connected, sitting on the bed of an empty cart. After watching the ponies outside the fort make their own little walls, Rainbow thought, Heh, this is for making me spill my hot cocoa! “Alright Twilight, shoot one forty feet dead ahead!” Twilight’s horn grew a bit brighter, and a snowball launched forward as if it was shot out of an invisible slingshot, hitting the ground just in front of Pinkie Pie. Dang! “Almost there, Twi! Raise your elevation by five-ish degrees, then fire when ready!”

“Got it!” With a small smile, Twilight not only shot one, but three snowballs on the new trajectory. As they neared their target, Rainbow’s smile grew wider and wider until all three hit Pinkie Pie square in the chest.

“You got ‘er, Twilight!” Rainbow exclaimed, thumping Twilight on the back. “Nice shot!” She turned her attention back to the slit in the wall and saw that Spike and Sweetie Belle were already engaging the enemy from their own little fort. For every snowball that came near their fort, Spike would turn it to water with a quick burst of fire, and Sweetie Belle would return fire with at least three snowballs.

“Ahem!” Pinkie said quite loudly as she tried to get everyone's attention, almost breaking Twilight’s concentration.

“What’s going on, Rainbow?” Twilight asked as she kept her eyes closed. She knew opening them might risk losing her magical grasp on her arsenal of snowballs, and she didn’t want to be unprepared for when Pinkie Pie and her forces attacked.

“Um… I dunno, something?” Rainbow replied with a soft voice, her eyes locked on Pinkie. “Shush, I think she’s about to say something.”

All was quiet for a few moments as everyone waited for Pinkie to say something. Turning her attention towards the fort standing strong before her, she called out in a strange accent, “Well… well… well… I was going to offer you the chance at a peaceful surrender to General Pinkie, but it seems that you have attacked us unprovoked.” She took a moment to brush the snow from her chest with a hoof. “I see that as a declaration of war, madams, and I will have you know that we are well prepared for a siege of the most epic proportions!” Pinkie stomped her hoof once and said something to the pony beside her that neither Rainbow or Twilight heard. Rainbow watched as a few of the ponies around Pinkie Pie started loading massive amounts of snow inside each of the cannons.

“Uh… so any idea why she’s talking like that?” Rainbow asked, casting a sideways glance at Twilight.

“Yeah, about that… I may have lent her some history books concerning the past few wars we’ve had, so… yeah. I think we’re gonna be in for one heck of a snowball fight!” Twilight said, her excitement apparent in her tone.

“Heh, I don’t think Pinkie’s here for a fight, Twilight. I think she’s here for war…”

The War of The Princess

“Remember her party cannons? Yeah, well, she’s got two of them now, and they look a lot bigger than usual.” Rainbow gulped as she once again eyed Pinkie’s cannons.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Well, they sorta look like actual cannons now. Pinkie’s having them stuffed full of snow right now, so let’s strike now with everything we’ve got before she can get a shot off! Fire at the same coordinates, but shift aim three degrees to the left, fire ten snowballs there, then randomly fire the rest in a big circle around them!”

“Got it!” Twilight fired snowball after snowball at her new target, making everypony on the opposite side of their fort scramble for what little cover they had. As soon as she fired her last one, the enemy pegasi took to the air and started raining hell down upon them. She lit her horn, forming a shield over the top of the fort, preventing all but two snowballs from penetrating their defenses. A small bit of pain grew in the front of her head, forcing her to drop the shield. She panted heavily. Her vision grew blurry as her forelegs lost their strength. Twilight stumbled, her eyes going wide as she began to fall. She reached out with a hoof to stop herself from falling, and when she felt something warm, she wrapped her hoof around it as hard as she could, but it was not enough to stop her. A warm, heavy weight fell on top of her back, keeping her pinned down on the snow. “Is that you, Dash?” she asked, her words muffled by the large amounts of snow that surrounded her muzzle.

“Yeah, it’s me, Twilight,” Rainbow said with a giggle. “You okay?” she asked as she pushed herself off of her friend. She pushed her muzzle into the snow and used it to lift Twilight’s head up. “Yeesh, you’re pretty cold, but I guess that’s what happens when you want to snuggle snow, right?” She stood up all the way and used a hoof to help Twilight stand back up.

Twilight wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced up at Rainbow. “Yeah, but that’s where you come in. I think I’m gonna need you to snuggle with me tonight to make sure that all of this coldness is purged from my coat,” she said with a sly wink.

Phew! At least I know that she still wants to snuggle with me… Rainbow chuckled as she wiped some snow from Twilight’s breast. “Ya know, that sounds like a good idea. Too bad it’s the middle of the day, though… If Pinkie didn’t show up with half the townsponies, I probably could have shown you the best way to take a mid-morning nap!”

“Yeah…” Twilight’s ears flicked down, then she smiled back at Rainbow. “Looks like we’re just going to have to wait for night, then.”

“I guess so… I’m starting to wish that I didn’t show up at your place so late last night; we could have snuggled longer if I had just mared up and asked if you wanted to sleep together.” Twilight smirked at her, making her roll her eyes. “Oh, you know what I meant.”

The sound of snowballs hitting their fort broke Twilight’s concentration. “We might need some backup of our own, Rainbow!” She trotted to the ice tunnel that led to the igloo that Spike was in. “Spike! I need you to come with me right away!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, hoping it was loud enough for him to hear her.

“Okay!” Spike yelled back. He threw one more snowball, then his eyes widened as he saw Pinkie’s cannons slowly shift to aim right at his igloo. “Sweetie Belle, we gotta go!” he yelled as he pushed her into the ice tunnel. She scampered ahead of him, the ceiling just brushing the tip of his head as he followed her out. As soon as they reached the main wall, he heard Pinkie’s cannons fire with a tremendous bang. Not even a second later, he heard another sound almost as loud as her shots struck his igloo. He glanced over his shoulder, watching as the igloo collapsed in on itself, the ice shattering into lots of tiny shards that flew through the air. Spike raised his arm to protect himself, but a purple shield popped out of nowhere in front of the entrance, stopping every single last bit of the flying ice. He looked up at Twilight and said, “Woah… thanks Twi. Sweetie Belle, you okay?”

“Yeah, I think I’m okay,” Sweetie Belle said as she brushed some snow from her legs.

“Spike, I need you to do something for me.” Twilight lowered her head and whispered something into Spike’s ear. “Can you do that for me right now?”

Spike smirked at Twilight. “Totally! Haha, this is gonna be great!” he said as he scampered back into the library.

Perfect… Now for the second part… Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed in anger. She lit her horn and made a hole in the wall just big enough for her, then stomped out of the fort, her gaze locked on Pinkie Pie. Her upper lip curled up as she fought back the urge to snarl. Nopony dared to throw a snowball at her as she marched up to Pinkie, fearing that they might set her off.

“Ah, Twilight! Here to surrender to me?” Pinkie asked as she hopped off of her cart. “Keep loading the cannons, everypony! Their fort shall fall to our pow… uh, Twilight?”

Twilight lifted her head high as she stared down into Pinkie’s eyes. “Do you have any idea what you just did?” she asked, letting her voice show just how angry she was. “Do you?!” She pushed Pinkie’s chest with a hoof, making her take a step back.

“Uh… I demolished that igloo with just two shots? I think that counts as a minor victory in our war, wouldn’t you agree?” Pinkie asked, glancing around nervously.

Twilight frowned at that, and this time, she let a snarl escape her throat as she stared at Pinkie. After a few moments, she said, “Sweetie Belle and Spike were just in that igloo. When you shot it, tons of sharp ice shards came flying down the tunnel that they just barely escaped from. I made my fort with ice so it could stand up on its own, but for you to shoot ice balls at it? That’s reckless, and you could have easily hurt somepony!” Twilight stomped up to Pinkie again, making her wilt like a flower on fire. “Since you want to make this an actual war, I decided to call in a little backup of my own…” She heard two distinct pops come from just behind her. “So now not only do you have to deal with one alicorn, you have to deal with three!” She lit her horn and formed the biggest snowball she could manage. As her head began to ache again, she dropped it on top of Pinkie Pie and her cart, making the old wooden frame collapse from the weight of the snow. With the cannons rendered inoperable, Twilight turned around and trotted up to her old mentor. “I’m so glad you came, Celestia!” Twilight said, wrapping her forelegs around Celestia’s neck. She nuzzled the side of her neck, smelling faint hints of peppermint before she pulled back. “We need to get back to the fort on the double!”

Celestia chuckled once at that. “It is great to see you too, Twilight. Now, about that letter… you said you needed backup?” She nodded over towards her sister, who was spinning at least a hundred snowballs around in the air above them, shooting a few at anypony that dared look their way.

“Move your flanks, you two!” Luna yelled as she started backing towards the fort. “I do not know how much longer I can hold them off for!”

Twilight let a smirk slide on her face as she watched everypony on Pinkie’s side scramble for what little cover there was. Instead of running back to the fort, she and Celestia took their sweet time, knowing that nopony would dare attack royalty. Twilight glanced all around her, smirking at how everypony on Pinkie’s side stared in awe. “So Celestia, since you and Luna both have more combat experience than I do, how do you think we should defend our fort?” Twilight asked as she closed up the hole behind them. She noticed that everypony was bowing, which made her chuckle.

“Rise, my little ponies,” Celestia said slowly, a small smile on her face. “We cannot eliminate the enemy with your faces in the snow, after all.”

“Heh, yeah, I guess not, Princess,” Rainbow said as she stood up. “What will you have us do?” She pulled Scootaloo up against her side as she sat down, her wing covering her back.

“I think it would be most fun to let young Scootaloo be our leader for today, sister,” Luna said as she stepped forward. “After all, it is a very special day for a very special pony.”

“Really?!” Scootaloo gasped, her mouth hanging open. Her eyes went wide, and her right foreleg quivered. A wide grin grew on her face as many ideas formed in her head. “Okay then! Twilight, I need you on snowball making duty! With your magic, you can make a lot more than any of us can make by hoof. Princess Luna, can you do that spinning snowball thing again? That looked really cool, and you can use the snowballs that Twilight makes for us!” She hopped up onto one of the ledges beneath one of the slits in the wall. “Uh… Princess Celestia? Any chance you could make a beam of sunlight to block all incoming snowballs? I saw Spike melt some snowballs with his fire, so… could you sorta do the same thing?”

“I… think not, little one,” Celestia said with a chuckle. “We came to even the sides up a little; not completely overwhelm the town. Besides, if I did choose to do as you asked, all the snow would melt in the town.”

“Huh… yeah, that’d make it pretty hard to have a snowball fight…” Scootaloo rubbed her chin. “Can you use your magic to destroy any incoming snowballs then?”

Celestia nodded once. “Of course, little one. It shall be my pleasure.” A smirk slid on her face as she nodded at Luna. “Shall we have some fun, dearest sister?”

“Yes, I believe it is time for us to… let loose a little bit. Those darned tax laws have been driving me insane!” She followed Celestia down the wall of the fort, then lit her horn as she levitated many snowballs into the air, just like before.

“Hey, what about us?” Apple Bloom spoke up. “You didn’t give us anything to do!”

“That’s because I saved the best for last!” Scootaloo said as she hopped off of the ledge, landing before her friends. “I need you to run a very special mission for me…” She beckoned them closer and lowered her voice as her gaze switched between all three of them. “So here’s the plan. I want you to sneak out through the escape tunnel in the back and flank the enemy from behind. When they are scrambling for cover from Luna’s barrage, I want you to act like you’re on their side.” A wicked grin grew on Scootaloo’s face. “As far as I know, they don’t know you’re on our side, so they shouldn’t think twice when you show up. I’m going to call a cease fire for an hour so we can get some lunch, and an hour after that, we’re going to unleash the fury of three princesses against Ponyville. When you hear the screams, that’s when you make your move, okay?”

“Got it!” Spike said.

“Good! Now go! I’ll give you a few minutes to penetrate their defenses.” Scootaloo trotted up to Twilight. “Hey, can we call a cease fire for a lunch break? My tummy is already growling,” she said with a sheepish smile.

“Yeah, sure, that sounds like a wonderful idea!” Twilight opened another hole in the fort and yelled, “Hey Pinkie! Let’s all take an hour for lunch! The fillies are hungry, and I’m kinda low on food here.”

“Okay!” Pinkie yelled back. “Everypony, stand down! We’re getting lunch at Sugarcube Corner, and the first treat for every single one of you is on the house!” Everypony jumped up at that, leaving their tiny walls of snow that they had built as they made a mad dash towards the bakery, leaving Pinkie Pie standing all alone. A sole snowball flew through the air, landing right at Pinkie’s hooves. “Hey, who threw that?” she asked with a giggle.

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself!” Roseluck yelled as she darted past Pinkie. “Last one there’s a rotten egg!”

“Oh, you’re on!” Pinkie turned around and galloped after her.

With the battlefield empty, Twilight stepped out through the hole with Rainbow Dash. She bit her bottom lip as she fought to contain her smile, but couldn’t help letting it slide on her face as she looked at Rainbow. “So, uh… three, two, one, go!” she blurted out, galloping after Pinkie Pie as she giggled. Rainbow Dash flew past her with Scootaloo held against her belly, and the other princesses weren’t far behind. The rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders did their best to keep up, but ultimately failed to do so. As Twilight heard her fellow princesses catch up to her, she slowed down to a trot, then lit her horn. She focused her magic on Spike, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle, then levitated them in front of her as she once again broke out into a gallop. She neared, then passed Celestia and Luna right before they got to the bakery. Panting softly, she lowered the three of them on the doorstep and opened her wings wide, preventing anypony behind her from getting inside. After Spike and his friends walked inside, she folded her wings and turned around. “So like Roseluck said, last one inside is a rotten egg!” she said, closing her eyes as she started to grin. She heard a sudden whoosh sound, making her open her eyes to find nothing but an empty street in front of her. “Huh?” She glanced over her shoulder and saw Celestia and Luna already inside, waiting in line to get their promised sweets. “Drat… Shoulda known they would pull something like that…” she said with a small grin. Twilight walked up to the back of the line and nudged Luna’s side. “Cheater…” she said with a smirk.

“Hey, all is fair in love and war,” Luna said, shooting a grin back at her. “Besides, Pinkie Pie offered us some very delectable treats, and I cannot be known as a rotten egg. I am sure Celestia agrees with me in that regard.”

“Oh, but of course, Luna!” Celestia said. She unfolded a wing and placed it on Twilight’s rump, then pushed her in front of them. “You can go in front of us, little one; my treat.”

“Little one?” Twilight lifted an eyebrow as she peered up at her old mentor. “I think you would know by now that I’m an adult!” she said, shooting a cocky grin up at Celestia.

“While that may be the case, you will always be that precious little filly that always kept asking me so many questions…” Celestia leaned down and nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “It is wonderful to spend some time relaxing with you, Twilight,” she whispered into Twilight’s ear. “Even though you asked for our help in your war,” she finished with a light chuckle. Celestia stepped back, noticing that Twilight was blushing and rubbing the back of her neck. Wait, did I have something important to tell her? Celestia bit her lip as she glanced away. Oh, I suppose it will come back to me sooner or later…

“Yeah, sorry about that… I’ve just been really busy, and I’ve been trying to find some time to go hang out with you two, but…”

“It is quite alright, Twilight,” Luna said, taking a few steps forward to keep up with the line. “I am sure you are well aware of how busy we are, so it was a welcome sight to see you asking for our help.” She levitated a rather big bag of bits out of her saddlebag. “It is not often that we get to partake in Ponyville’s delicacies! I brought enough bits to feed a family of five for a week, by the way…” she said, blushing a little bit as she leaned in to whisper in Twilight’s ear. “Celestia’s health advisor keeps her on a rather strict diet, so now is our only opportunity to really, well… pig out,” she said, keeping her voice soft enough for only Twilight to hear.

“I see,” Twilight said, followed by a giggle. She hid her growing smile with a hoof, then bit her tongue to help her hide her smile. “Well, your secret is safe with me!”

“I am glad to hear it,” Celestia said, her horn dimming.

“Did you just spy on us?” Luna asked, nudging Celestia’s shoulder with her own.

“Oh, maybe…” Celestia shrugged as she drew out that last word. She glanced away, failing to hide her grin.

“Alright, you two… ready for this?” Spike asked. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded back at him. They were hiding behind a couple of bushes covered in snow, a large pile of snowballs at the ready. The sun was already starting its descent down towards the horizon. The battle had been delayed a little bit longer than expected, for many of the townsponies had gone to run errands or to hang out with their families before they returned. Even though most of the town was back, many of the townsfolk were working on making their forts better, some taking longer than others.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle said in a hushed voice. She peeked over the edge of the bush and saw Luna’s magic making at least a couple hundred snowballs fly around the library, spinning so fast that they were almost a blur. “Woah… you see that, guys?”

Apple Bloom snuck a look past the side of the bush, her eyes going wide. “I’m glad that Princess Luna’s on our side!”

“Yeah, and let’s hope we don’t get hit by friendly fire.” Spike winced as he heard Pinkie blow her battle horn again. “Dang, that thing’s pretty loud.”

“We should shove some snow in it,” Apple Bloom said with a snicker. “If we’re sneaky enough, we could totally pull that off!”

“Alright, let’s do it!” Spike said. He glanced around, then stood up from behind cover and walked as normally as he could towards Pinkie Pie. She was standing beside her destroyed cart, talking to the pony to her left. Hiding behind the cart, Spike crept up on the right, his two friends right behind him. “Ready?” he whispered.

“Yeah! I’ll go distract her!” Apple Bloom turned around and trotted around the other side of the cart. “Hey Pinkie!” She touched the back of her leg, then yelled, “Tag! You’re it!” With a giggle, she galloped away in the opposite direction.

“Hey, get back here, you!” Pinkie yelled after her. She picked up a snowball and threw it at Apple Bloom, but it fell short. She took a few steps in her direction, but stopped as Apple Bloom disappeared around the corner.

“Now’s our chance!” Sweetie Belle said. She darted forward, then with Spike’s help, shoveled as much snow into Pinkie’s horn as they could. They darted back around the side of the cart right as Pinkie Pie turned back around, then moved around to the back.

“Okay! Everypony attack when I blow the horn!” Pinkie stepped behind it, used a hoof to pull the mouthpiece towards her, then blew into it as hard as she could.

Spike couldn’t help but snicker as he heard a muffled sound that sounded almost like a fart instead of the low sound that the horn normally made. “Come on, we need to get back to the fort before Pinkie sees us!” he said, pushing Sweetie Belle back the way they came. As Sweetie Belle galloped back to their bushes, he slipped, falling flat on his face. When he heard Pinkie gasp, Spike knew he had been spotted. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Spike glanced over his shoulder and saw Pinkie staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. “Uh oh…” he said to himself as he pushed himself back up. As he started to run back to the bush, he yelled, “Cover me!” Thankfully, Apple Bloom popped up on the other side of the bush and chucked snowball after snowball over his head, making Pinkie scramble for cover. They ran around the block, appearing at the secret tunnel at the back of the fort where Apple Bloom was waiting for them. “I can’t believe that worked!” Spike said as he high-fived the three of them. When he heard Pinkie Pie scream, “Attack!” he yelled, “Twilight! We’re back!” After the other two dove into the tunnel, he followed them in and waited for Twilight to open the door on the other side.

Twilight’s right ear flopped back and forth as she heard Spike yell something. She trotted around to the other side of the fort and pulled open the hatch made of ice, letting her three comrades in arms make it safely back inside. “How’d it go?” she asked, brushing the snow from each of them with her wings.

“It was great, Twilight!” Sweetie Belle said, hopping up and down. “Spike and I really did a number on Pinkie’s horn! She’s not gonna be able to use that thing for a long time!

Scootaloo trotted up from behind Twilight, a wide grin on her face. “Nice job, you guys! I watched what you guys did from Rainbow’s peephole! Pinkie Pie sure looks mad!”

“Thanks!” Sweetie Belle said, her voice cracking halfway through the word.

“Princess Luna!” Scootaloo yelled as she trotted back around towards the front. “I need you to shoot anything that moves out there, okay? Even if someone’s tail flicks out of cover, I want a mountain of snow on top of it!”

“Yes ma’am!” Luna replied with a short giggle. She spotted a pair of ponies about thirty feet in front of their fort, their snouts just barely poking out from over the top of their little wall. She took aim, then fired a flurry of snowballs at her target. As they flew through the air, the pony on the left stood up and spread his wings, trying to get away, but it was all for naught. Four snowballs splattered against his chest, so Luna heard him yell, “Hit!” before he walked away. The other pony was smart, for she had simply ducked behind cover, Luna’s snowballs flying right over her head. When Luna heard her laughing, she couldn’t help but snicker as a plan formed in her mind. As that pony’s laugh echoed throughout the battlefield, Luna closed her eyes and channeled as much power as she could into her horn, then lifted all of the snowballs in her magical grasp up above the pony she’d missed just seconds earlier. She collected all of the snowballs together into one large mass of snow, holding it twenty feet above the pony in question. When she heard her laughing suddenly stop, Luna let her horn dim, allowing the snow once held in her magical grasp to drop with a low thump. Luna opened her eyes and peeked out through one of the slits in the walls and saw her target push their head out of the top of the snow pile, shaking their head back and forth. Luna heard them yell, “Hit!” as she playfully shot a few new snowballs in her direction, though she intentionally missed.

“Your aim is as good as it once was, sister,” Celestia said as she sat down beside Luna.

“Sure seems like it!” Luna fired a trio of snowballs at three retreating stallions, hitting each right on their rump. She couldn’t help but giggle when she heard one of them yelp like a dog. “I am so glad we decided to come and help Twilight in her war. I have not had this much fun since the time we kicked out that stallion for calling us crotchety old bats in our throne room! It was such a pleasure to watch the guards drag him outside…”

“Did he ever come back?” Celestia asked as she used her magic to throw a couple of snowballs at Pinkie Pie, who dove behind cover. “Oh well, I tried!” she said with a light chuckle.

“Were you even trying, dearest sister? Because it sure seemed like your heart wasn’t really in it!” Luna lifted a hoof to her lips to hide her growing smile, then without looking, fired a single snowball at Pinkie’s position. Her smile turned into a playful smirk when she heard it splatter against the top of Pinkie’s head. “I do not even have to look to hit somepony! Can you do the same?” she asked, nudging Celestia’s shoulder with her own.

“Oh, I think I can, and I will prove to you why I am the better of us two. What would you say if I told you I can easily hit somepony with a snowball without using magic of any kind? I would not even have to look, too!” She leaned down and started forming a snowball with her magic.

“I… think that would be a rather impressive display of your skills, but I don’t think you would be able to hit anypony out there. Your chances of hitting somepony without magic with your eyes closed are so low that I am sure that even Twilight could not calculate the odds...” Luna said, eyeing potential targets out on the battlefield.

“I think it would be quite easy!” Celestia giggled as she lifted her left hoof to cover her eyes, then she held up the snowball in her right hoof. She faced Luna head-on, then asked, “Ready?” She peeked out from behind her hoof and saw her sister staring out through the peephole.

“Mhm…” Luna said, wondering who Celestia would target. The snowball she had made was much larger than a typical snowball would be, for it was at least six or seven times as big. She glanced at Celestia a moment before she saw the snowball flying towards her face. As her expression turned into an icy one, she heard Celestia start laughing at her.

“Told you!” Celestia said through her giggles. She saw Luna shake her head, the snow flying in all directions. “You still have a little right on your muzzle, dear,” she said, wiping Luna’s muzzle with the tip of her hoof. Before she could pull her hoof away, Luna’s horn lit up in a brilliant glow, and as her eyes went wide, Celestia saw all of the snowballs in their fort rise up in the air, humming with a terrifying sound. “Uh…” At that, Celestia lit her horn, made a hole in the fort’s wall, and bolted, laughing all the while. Luna darted after her, galloping as hard as she could as she threw snowball after snowball at her.

“Where are they going?” Rainbow asked, poking her head through the hole. She watched for incoming snowballs, but everypony was paying attention to the show that the two princesses were putting on instead.

“I think Luna is trying to get revenge for what Celestia did,” Twilight said with a giggle. “I’d probably do the same if she did that to me!”

“Yeah?” Rainbow snickered as she made a snowball. She hefted it in her hoof as she stared at Twilight. “You sure about that?”

“Do you really want to find out?” Twilight asked with a smirk. She lit her horn and made fifty snowballs rise up out of the snow all around them, then spread her wings wide as her snowballs started to spin in place.

“Um…” Rainbow’s ears flopped down as she wilted from the display of force. “Maybe another time.” She tossed her snowball onto the ground and chuckled. “I’d prefer to not to be bruised when we snuggle later.”

“Probably for the best,” Twilight replied. She let her horn’s light fade away, though not before she stacked her snowballs against the wall of the library for future use. She winced as she heard a loud explosion off in the distance, past the outskirts of Ponyville where open fields would be. “Yeesh, they’re really going at it, aren’t they?”

“Yeah…” Rainbow saw a large spout of snow rise into the air a long ways down the main road. “Oh my gosh… I’m kinda happy they’re doing that out there and not in here.” She listened as the sounds of an epic battle continued for another minute, then all was silent. “So… are they done?”

Twilight stepped out into the open, ignoring the single snowball that Pinkie tried to throw at her. The sun had already slipped halfway past the horizon, which made her say, “Yeah, I think they’re done. Why else would Celestia lower the sun?” She stepped back into the fort and closed the hole behind her.

Everyone in the fort remained alert for the next fifteen minutes, wondering if the fight was truly over. As the air grew colder, Spike got up from his position and walked around towards the front, spotting Twilight sitting right across from the front door. Without saying a word, he sat down next to her and pulled one of her wings around him, giving a sigh of relief as her warmth washed across his back. Just as Twilight pulled him closer, though, he felt a familiar feeling in his gut, a feeling that signaled he was about to burp up a letter. A moment later, he felt the magic travel up his throat, a scroll popping out of thin air in front of them. In his weary state, he failed to catch it in time before it landed on the snow.

“Don’t worry, I can get it,” Twilight said as she saw Spike bend down to pick it up. She lit her horn and picked it up, shaking the snow off of it in the process. “I’m sure this is just a simple letter saying ‘happy holidays’ or something like that from Princess Celestia. Why don’t you go inside and warm yourself up?”

“Yeah, that sounds pretty good to me. Tell you what; give me five minutes, and I’ll have a roaring fire and some hot cocoa for us to enjoy, okay?”

“Sounds good, little one…” Twilight said affectionately as she nuzzled the top of her assistant’s head. She watched him with a smile as he walked back inside, and as soon as the front door shut, she unfolded the letter and read it. Her eyes going wide, she reread the letter three times to make sure that she wasn’t misreading it. “Rainbow!” she called out, her voice full of worry, keeping the letter held up in front of her. “You need to see this!”

“What is it?” Rainbow called back from around the other side of the fort. She scanned the area right in front of her, then shot a glance over her shoulder at Twilight, spotting the letter held in her magical grasp. “That from Princess Celestia?”

Twilight nodded and held the letter up for her to see. Her curiosity rising, Rainbow trotted up to her and sat down next to her, taking the letter in her hooves. As she reached the bottom, she looked back up at Twilight, the letter drifting to the ground. “The trial is… only two days from now?” Rainbow asked. Even though she was tired, she felt her heart start beating a little faster. “Didn’t you say that Celestia told you it was gonna be in like, a couple weeks or something?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, she did…” She stomped on the ground out of frustration. “Ugh! I was going to use the next week to study up on court proceedings, but it looks like that’s not gonna happen now…”

“Heh, I guess not…” Rainbow giggled, but stopped when Twilight shot her an irritated glare. “Sorry. Anyways…” She picked the letter back up and folded it. Tucking it under her wing, she asked, “I’m sure you can study enough to help win this in a day, right?” She gave Twilight a playful nudge. “I mean, come on; we’re gonna win for sure! We got the princesses on our side, remember? And on top of that, we have the world’s biggest egghead on our side! How can we not win?” She smiled at Twilight, waiting for her response.

Twilight looked up into Rainbow’s eyes. “I… I guess you’re right, but still, I think–”

“No buts, Twilight!” Rainbow said, cutting her off. “Scootaloo has nothing to worry about, especially since the two of us are on her side!” Upon seeing the same unsure expression on Twilight’s face, she said, “Okay, seriously though, we’re gonna do fine! Who’s the jury gonna support? Two Elements of Harmony, one of them being a newly-crowned Princess of Equestria, or two drunkards who abused their own daughter? The court is going to side with us for sure, and Scootaloo’s parents will be put away for a very long time.”

“Someone call me?” Scootaloo asked as she walked up to the two of them, her friends following close behind. “Also, is the snowball fight over? I don’t see anypony out there.”

“Yeah, it looks like we’re done,” Twilight said. Looking at the other two fillies, she asked, “You two ready to go home, or do you want to stay for some hot cocoa? Spike’s making some right now!”

“Nah, I’m sure Applejack and Big Mac have some sorta big family dinner cookin’ right now,” Apple Bloom said.

“Hehe, yeah, about that… I was supposed to meet Rarity over at our parents’ house twenty minutes ago,” Sweetie Belle chimed in with a small giggle.

“Alright then, I hope you guys had fun,” Twilight said as she used her magic to make the fort collapse. She waved goodbye as Scootaloo’s two friends scampered away down the street, and as soon as they were out of sight, she felt somepony lean up against her. Breathing in through her nose, Twilight didn’t even have to look to know who it was, for she’d recognize that familiar smell of sweat mixed with the scent of morning dew shampoo anywhere. “Have fun today, Rainbow?” Twilight asked as she felt her snuggle a little closer to her.

“Heh, you know it…” Rainbow felt her cheeks flush as she prepared herself to say something that might compromise her tough, fearless appearance. She glanced around to make sure nopony would overhear her, and even then, she still lowered her voice. “But you know what the best p-part about today was?” She cast her eyes down to the ground as she gulped.

“Oh? What would that be, Rainbow?” Twilight asked as she laid a warm wing around her friend. The cold was finally starting to seep through her warm coat and scarf, and she was just about ready to go back inside for the night.

“W-waking up n-next to you…” Rainbow stammered out as she watched Scootaloo make snow angels in the remnants of their fort. “It’s just so awesome waking up next to someone that cares about you, you know? You’re always so warm and soft, your wings even more so, and I could literally spend all day cuddling in bed with you. Sleeping on a cloud doesn’t even come anywhere close when you have somepony to snuggle with...”

“Heh, yeah, I suppose I can say I know what you mean,” Twilight said. A few moments passed in silence before she felt Rainbow’s head on her shoulder, surprising her. Her eyes going wide, she was about to say something about it but decided against it, so instead, she laid her head against Rainbow’s and gave her a small nuzzle. A minute passed as they sat together in silence, simply enjoying the company of the other.

Finally feeling the cold snow seep through her own coat, Scootaloo sat down in between Rainbow’s forelegs to warm up and laid her head on Rainbow’s left leg, smiling when she felt her pull her closer. They all stared at the rising full moon for a minute before Twilight hesitantly broke the silence.

“So, Scootaloo… If you didn’t hear us talking about it a little bit ago, the trial concerning your custody was just moved up to a couple days from now,” Twilight said softly.

“Oh, um…” Scootaloo trailed off, snuggling closer to Rainbow’s warm belly. “My parents aren’t going to be there, right? I don’t really wanna see them again…”

“Well, yeah, they’re gonna be there, Scootaloo. This trial will determine if you can be transferred into our care… forever,” Rainbow said, giving the filly’s mane an affectionate tousle with a hoof. “Wouldn't that be so awesome? Ya know… living with us?”

“Yeah, for sure, but…” Scootaloo said with a short sigh. “Do we really have to see them again? Do I even have to be there?”

“I’m afraid so, little one,” Twilight said. “But first, we all need to get something to eat, and then we can worry about all of this tomorrow,” Twilight said, trying to end the conversation as shivers started to run down her back. “I’m sure Spike has a good ‘ol roaring fire all ready for us by now, so why don’t we go inside and warm up?”

“Yeah, sure, Twi,” Rainbow said as she stood up. She caught Twilight’s eye, the two of them sharing a small smile before she said, “It is getting pretty dang cold out, and we wouldn’t want the little squirt here to freeze, right?”

“Hey, I’m not little!” Scootaloo piped up, giving Rainbow a playful slug on the leg as they stood up.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I was just teasin’!” Rainbow laughed as she guided Scootaloo to the library’s front door. After opening it with a push of her wing, she ushered Scootaloo inside and looked back, noticing that Twilight wasn’t moving. “Hey, you coming inside?” she asked softly.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. I just zoned out for a few seconds there.” She nodded at the open door. “After you…” Rainbow smiled at her again then walked inside. Just before she walked inside, Twilight looked back over her shoulder at the moon, and for some strange reason, she felt that everything was going to be okay.

The Little Things in Life

“No, stay away from me!” Scootaloo yelled as she scampered up the stairs in her house as fast as her hooves could carry her. As she reached the landing, the sounds of her parents’ heavy hooves hitting the wooden steps so close behind her tempted her to glance back over her shoulder, something she regretted instantly. Before she could even look back around to see where she was going, her father had lunged forward, biting down on her tail.

With an evil grin, Brick Lump yanked on it, making her lose her balance and fall onto her side. Just as she was about to slip back down the stairs into his waiting grasp, she kicked out as hard as she could and connected with her father’s chin, forcing him to let go of her tail. Her breath growing short and ragged, Scootaloo rolled back over onto her hooves and scrambled the few remaining steps into her room, and as she tried to slam the door shut behind her, somepony’s hoof forced its way between it and the doorframe.

“Go away!” Scootaloo screamed, throwing her body against the door in an attempt to close it, but it was all for naught. Her father shoved his muzzle through the small space and started to slowly force the door open again. Due to her small size, Scootaloo was unable to push her father back, and a few desperate moments later, her strength finally failed her and the door was thrown open, tossing her to the floor. She tried to stand back up to make a run for it, but her father walked up to her and shoved her back down. His wife stalked in behind him silently, her expression cold.

“Mom, please! Don’t do this!” Scootaloo cried out as her mother stomped on her tail, keeping her pinned in place. She struggled to tear herself away, but the pain emanating from the base of her tail was too great. Her heart racing a mile a minute, Scootaloo watched fearfully as her father stalked around his wife with a cruel smile, his gaze, full of malice, never leaving her.

Now standing over her, he showed no mercy as he grabbed her left wing with a hoof, yanking hard and stretching it out to its full length painfully. He pinned Scootaloo’s leading feather to the ground with his left hoof and raised his other hoof, aiming at the general area just after the base of her wing. The feeling of his hoof against her wing made Scootaloo buck wildly, briefly freeing her tail from underneath her mother’s hoof.

Hoping against hope, Scootaloo thought for a split-second that she might actually have a chance to get away. She tried to pull her wing out from under her father’s hoof, but before she could do so she felt her mother place her hooves against her flank, keeping her pinned painfully to the floor and stopping her from kicking in the process.

“You think you can get rid of us so easily, you little piece of flightless trash?” Brick Lump asked, his hot breath making Scootaloo gag as he applied more pressure to her wing with his right hoof, threatening to snap the delicate bones. As Scootaloo’s whimpers filled the room, he drawled, “You’ve got another thing coming if you think you’re ever gonna be safe, because trust me…” He trailed off menacingly as he raised his hoof to strike. As it reached its peak, he said, “You never will be!”

And with that, his hoof fell. To Scootaloo, it seemed like everything was going in slow motion. She had given up trying to escape, knowing she had no chance at doing so. She couldn’t throw her mother off of her; her weight was too great, and even if she could have, her father’s left hoof had her wing pinned. As much as she wanted to escape, she couldn’t risk ruining an entire wing to do so; she still wanted to ask Rainbow Dash for flying lessons. As his hoof was just about to strike her wing, it suddenly stopped, grazing against its leading edge painfully.

“Oh, haha! You thought I was going to get it over with, didja now?” Brick Lump asked with a growl as Scootaloo looked up at him in confusion, grinding his left hoof into her wing.

“Just stop, please! I promise I’ll be a good filly!” Scootaloo whimpered as she tried once more to squirm away.

“Oh, fat chance of that!” Brick Lump chuckled to himself before turning to his wife. “Say, dear, shall we have some fun with this pathetic little… thing that others consider our daughter?”

“I–I am your daughter!” Scootaloo choked out, her throat dry from yelling.

“Hmm… I think we should, honey…” Tranquil Breeze replied, her voice filled with hate as she ignored Scootaloo. “I think it’s high time that we get rid of her stupid, useless wings.” Looking down at her trembling daughter, she continued. “Besides, you’re not really a pegasus if you can’t fly!”

“That’s right!” Brick Lump said as he raised his hoof again to strike. Just like before, he didn’t aim for the bone, wanting to prolong Scootaloo’s suffering. “I’m gonna take my time with this all… night… long…”

“No, stop! Get off of me!” Scootaloo yelled, clenching her eyes shut. She couldn’t bear to look anymore, and as she whimpered, she heard the wind from her father’s falling hoof, this time grazing against her foreleg. “Sto–hop!” she sobbed.

Twilight woke up with a start, wondering what had woken her. Letting out a soft yawn, she tried to roll over, but she quickly discovered that she was firmly nestled within Rainbow’s warm embrace. Much like they had slept together back at the hospital, and since she had chosen to be the little spoon that night, her own head was nestled into Rainbow’s neck, her friend’s head falling just short of her horn. As she tried to gently slide out of bed, Rainbow mumbled something inaudible in her sleep and pulled her closer, now wrapping a hind leg over her flank before settling around her lower barrel. Rainbow’s wing was firmly wrapped just under her curled up fore legs, its warmth and softness providing her with a sense of safety that she’d never experienced before this whole fiasco.

Twilight chuckled softly at her current situation. Heh, this pegasus sure loves to snuggle, doesn’t she? I could really get used to this… she thought before hearing Scootaloo groan from across the room. Even though she didn’t want to leave the comfort of her bed, her concern for Scootaloo took precedence. Feeling her sleepiness start to fade away, she peeled Rainbow’s hooves and wing off of her and slipped out of bed, a shiver running down her spine as the cold temperature of the room quickly sapped her body’s heat. Wondering what time it was, she looked at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was quite early, just after five o’clock. In the letter that she’d received from Princess Celestia yesterday, she had read that a chariot would pick them up and bring them to Canterlot right before the sunset, but that was still at least a good twelve hours away.

Hearing a soft whimper come from Scootaloo’s bed, Twilight’s head whipped around, struggling to see through the dark room. Twilight lit her horn for just a few brief moments. As her pale purple light filled the room, she was finally able to see Scootaloo. The filly was tossing and turning around on the bed, her sheets wrapped around her and binding her. She was dangerously close to the edge of the bed and her pillow was nowhere to be seen. Hearing a groan come from Rainbow, Twilight’s head snapped back around to face her.

“Huh? Wuzgoinon?” Rainbow slurred as she shook her head, feeling around for Twilight with a hoof. She missed the warmth and softness that she provided her, and her chest felt cold. She cracked an eye open, her gaze falling upon Twilight, who was now staring over at Scootaloo’s bed. “Everything alright, Twi?” she mumbled as she feebly reached out for her, hoping that she’d come back and snuggle with her some more.

“I… I think Scootaloo might be having another nightmare!” Twilight whispered urgently as she used a wing to shake Rainbow. “Come on, get up!” Without waiting for her to do so, Twilight trotted over to Scootaloo’s bed and hopped up on it, gently pulling the filly back towards the center of the bed with a spell. She laid a hoof over her and pulled Scootaloo up against her, ensuring that she wouldn’t fall off the bed and hurt herself.

It took a few moments for Twilight’s words to sink in, but when they did, Rainbow sat up in a flash, her head whipping around to find Scootaloo in the darkness. Upon hearing a few whimpers, she threw the covers off of her, flapped her wings a few times, and landed right beside the bed. “Scootaloo, wake up!” she said urgently, propping her front half up on the bed. She poked Scootaloo’s flank with a hoof a few times, hoping she’d snap out of it.

Scootaloo’s eyes shot open. Unable to see anything in the darkness, all she felt was somepony holding her down, just like in her dream. “Agh! Get away from me!” she cried out, kicking out with as much force as she could. Thankfully, both of her hind legs hit her captor, making them yelp and release her. As the pressure around her midsection disappeared, Scootaloo scrambled to her hooves, her head whipping around as she looked for avenues of escape. Movement from her right suddenly caught her attention, and as terror started to sap her strength, she silently watched the dark figure hop onto the bed, stalking towards her. She looked back behind her and saw the other pony stand up, their wings spread wide open.

Scootaloo knew this was it. There was no way out, the two figures had made sure of that. “Just leave me alone, pleaaase!” Scootaloo begged as sobs wracked her little body. Her tears making small trails down her muzzle, she collapsed and curled up into a ball, covering her head with her hooves.

“Hey, Scootaloo, calm down, it’s just us!” Rainbow said as she settled down on the bed, her weight almost making Scootaloo slide towards her. She reached out with a hoof, and as soon as it touched the filly’s back, Scootaloo suddenly whimpered and pulled away from her. Her eyes going wide, Rainbow looked at Twilight, shaking her head in confusion as she watched her friend settle down across from her, keeping Scootaloo between them. “What do we do?”

Twilight lit her horn, flooding the room with a bright white light. After a couple moments, a small sphere of light formed at the tip of her horn and then floated up, taking up a position just below the ceiling. “Scootaloo… dear… you’re safe…” Twilight said softly, lowering her head until it was almost touching the crumpled up sheets. As the filly’s sobs continued to fill the room, Twilight slid a little closer to the distraught filly, her muzzle only a few inches away from Scootaloo’s. Smiling gently, Twilight softly said, “Just open your eyes and you’ll see that everything is okay...”

Her sobs growing a little weaker, Scootaloo sniffled and cracked an eye open, her gaze falling upon Twilight’s comforting smile. She let her hooves fall from her head as she opened her other eye, lifting her head a little. “Tw–Twilight?” Tears still rolling down her face, she crawled the remaining few inches and snuggled up against her side, pressing her muzzle into her shoulder as sobs wracked her body once more.

“Yes, Scootaloo, I’m here…” Twilight said softly as she wrapped a wing around Scootaloo, pulling her against her side tightly. Rubbing her smarting chin, she asked, “We both are… Isn’t that right, Rainbow?”

“Yeah, that’s right…” Rainbow said as she slid up against the wing that held Scootaloo. Lowering her head, she nuzzled Scootaloo’s cheek reassuringly, whispering, “And we’re not going anywhere.”

The two of them remained silent for a couple of minutes as they let Scootaloo regain her composure. As the filly’s sobs started to quiet down, Twilight cleared her throat. “So, Scootaloo…” she said as she opened her other wing. Extending a single feather, she wiped the tears out of the filly’s eyes as carefully as she could, then folded her wing back against her side. “If you want to talk about it, um… what was the nightmare about this time?”

Sniffling, Scootaloo said, “My… parents chased me into my old bedroom, and they… they…” She closed her eyes as the nightmare played itself over and over in her head. Before Twilight or Rainbow could do or say anything, Scootaloo continued, her voice becoming more and more shaky as she spoke. “My mom held me down while my dad stretched my left wing out. He was going to break it. But every time he hit me, he’d miss on purpose and hit me here instead…” She paused as she held out her wing, nodding towards the lower part near the base. “They were gonna rip my wings off, and… and… they said that I wasn’t really a pegasus if I couldn’t fl–flyy…”

Scootaloo took a shaky breath as her tears once again started to flow freely down her muzzle. “So when I woke up, I thought you were one of my parents holding me down, so I did whatever I could t–to escape.” Scootaloo paused as she looked up at Twilight, who was massaging her sore jaw. “I’m really sorry that I kicked you; I really mean it, honest!” She felt horrible for hurting someone who only wanted to help her, and she felt tears well up in her eyes once more.

“It’s alright, Scootaloo. I understand completely, and don’t worry, everything’s okay now…” Twilight said, rubbing the filly’s back with a hoof as Scootaloo once again buried her muzzle into her side. “This is more serious than I thought it would be, Rainbow,” Twilight whispered as Scootaloo cried her heart out, her tone thick with worry. “If these nightmares don’t stop soon, we might have to talk to Princess Luna.”

“I know, Twi, I know…” Rainbow said as she slid even closer to the two, each of Scootaloo’s cries and whimpers making her heart ache. She couldn’t stand to see the little filly in such a state, and not knowing what else to do, she laid a small, gentle kiss on the back of Scootaloo’s head. She felt her cheeks warm up a bit as she pulled back, a little embarrassed at showing her more sensitive side. Glancing up at Twilight, she felt her stomach stir ever-so-slightly as their eyes met, as if a couple of butterflies were flitting about inside of her. A warm feeling filled her when Twilight smiled down at her, and as she started smiling back, Scootaloo’s sobs quieted down again.

Her tears still flowing down her face, Scootaloo wiped at her eyes and nuzzled Twilight’s side. She tried to calm her shaky breaths, but her trembling body failed to do so. “I’m so sorry…” she choked out, too ashamed to look up at either of the two ponies around her.

“What for, Scoots?” Rainbow asked, flicking her tail so that it landed around Twilight’s flank. Feeling Twilight do the same to her, she gave her friend a gentle squeeze before saying, “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“Yes I do!” Scootaloo exclaimed, making both Twilight and Rainbow jump a little from the sudden outburst. “Who wants to live with a stupid filly who keeps waking you up in the middle of the night? Maybe my parents were right; I’m never going to be able to fly, and–”

“Hey, enough of that!” Rainbow said forcefully. As both Scootaloo and Twilight looked at her in shock, she looked Scootaloo dead in the eye. “I never want to hear you say those things ever again, got it?” she growled, slamming her hoof on the bed. “You’re an awesome pony with so many special talents, and you, um…” Twilight caught her eye, making her trail off when she saw her stern expression. Softening her tone a little bit, Rainbow continued, saying, “Listen, Scootaloo, we love you for who you are, alright? You will be able to fly; I’ll make sure of that! Don’t let anypony tell you otherwise, okay?”

“But I can’t stay in the air for more than a few seconds!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Why do I have wings if I can’t fly? Even Twilight’s better at it than I am, and she’s only had her wings for a few months!”

Twilight blinked, feeling a little indignant. She shot a glare at Rainbow Dash when she snickered slightly at Scootaloo’s unintentional insult. However, she knew that Scootaloo wasn’t trying to offend her, so she just let it slide.

Rainbow gave a soft chuckle before replying. “Scootaloo… just because you can’t fly now doesn’t mean that you’ll never be able to.” Scootaloo looked to the side as she continued. “Hey, you want to know why I’m right? You remember how you use your wings to go really fast on your scooter?”

“Y… yeah?” Scootaloo replied, her tone sounding just a little bit more hopeful.

“Think about it! That shows that your wings have got a lot of power behind ‘em. Sure, maybe you can’t get off the ground for more than a few seconds, but I know that with a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to keep up with me in no time!” She slapped the bed with a hoof for emphasis as she smiled down at Scootaloo.

“Really?” Scootaloo asked as she started to perk up a little. Her ears flicking forward, she sat up, letting Twilight’s wing slip from her back. “You… you promise?” she asked with a small sniffle, wiping her muzzle with a hoof.

“Yeah, Scootaloo, I promis–oomph!” Before she could finish talking, Scootaloo suddenly tackled her, wrapping her forelegs around her neck as she buried her muzzle in her chest.

“Oh, thank you thank you thank you!” Scootaloo said in a rush, her wings buzzing with excitement.

“Heh, no problem, squirt…” Rainbow said as she wrapped a hoof around Scootaloo’s back, nuzzling her neck affectionately. When she felt Scootaloo’s grip loosen around her neck a few moments later, Rainbow let the filly go, smiling as she sat back. Letting loose a rather large yawn, she asked, “So, since it’s still kinda early, you feel like getting a few extra hours of sleep tonight?”

“W–what? No!” Scootaloo blurted.

When Rainbow cocked her head to the side in confusion, Twilight decided to speak up. “Is it… is it because you’re afraid that you might have another nightmare?” Twilight asked softly, giving a small smile when Scootaloo nodded vehemently. “Thought so... You know, when I was a filly and had nightmares, I used to go into my big brother’s room and sleep in his bed with him. He’d always stay up with me, no matter how late it was, just to make sure I would be okay.” Twilight blushed slightly, and she cast her gaze to the side. “So… yeah, if you don’t want to go back to sleep, then we’ll stay up with you.”

“Th… thanks, guys… That means a lot,” Scootaloo said, letting her shoulders slump in relief. As she started shivering from the cold, she looked up at Rainbow with a hopeful smile. “Is it… is it okay if I cuddle with you, Rainbow?”

“Heh, you don’t even need to ask, squirt! C’mere!” Rainbow said with a giggle, pulling Scootaloo up against her breast. She let her curl up against her, and she couldn’t help but crack a smile when the filly laid her head on one of her outstretched forelegs.

“So, since we’re not going back to sleep, anypony up for some hot chocolate?” Twilight asked as she slid out of bed. As she walked towards her bedroom door, she lit her horn and grabbed the blankets from her bed. Without a moment’s hesitation, she piled them on top of Rainbow, smiling as she watched her tuck them in all around them. “Hey, make sure there’s room for me! I’ll be back in a few minutes!”

It hadn’t taken Twilight long to make them all some hot chocolate. After making the delicious brew, she had brought several books about Equestrian law and court procedures back up with her to study before the trial. After making sure both Rainbow and Scootaloo were all snug and cozy on the bed, Twilight trotted over to her desk across the room and laid out all of the books in front of her.

While Rainbow and Scootaloo made small talk, mostly about flying, Twilight had remained silent as she read as much she possibly could. She knew that she couldn’t read every book from cover to cover; that would take days, even for her. As the night slowly turned to day, Twilight maintained her position at her desk, only moving to get a snack and to check up on everyone every couple of hours.

As the day slowly but surely waned on, while everyone played outside in the snow, Twilight had chosen to stay inside the entire time, not because she didn’t want to play with everyone, but because she thought that studying up on what they might encounter at the trial might give them an edge. She loved having everything planned out down to the exact minute, and not knowing whether they were going to leave in a half an hour or five minutes was driving her nuts. Because of that, she’d been in a frenzied state for the past hour.

As the sun dipped lower towards the horizon, Twilight kept going back and forth between frantically reading the books sprawled all across her desk and packing her saddlebag for everyone. Even though they were only staying a couple of nights in Canterlot, she wanted to make sure they were prepared for anything. She’d packed each of them a scarf just in case someone forgot to bring the ones that Rarity had made for them, some snacks, and as many of the books that she’d been reading on her desk as possible.

She lit her horn and placed the bulging saddlebag on her back, testing to see if it was too heavy for her. Thankfully, it wasn’t, and just as she lit her horn to take it off, she heard somepony trot upstairs, the sound of hoofsteps on wood coming closer until Rainbow stuck her head into the bedroom.

“Hey, Twilight, you coming?” Rainbow asked as she stepped the rest of the way into the bedroom. “Our ride is here, it’s been like ten minutes!”

“What?” Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Why didn’t you call me?” she demanded.

“Heh, I did, egghead, like, a lot.” Rainbow snickered. “You must have been really into those law books if you didn’t hear me!”

“Yeah, maybe just a little…” Twilight said mindlessly as she tightened the strap around her midsection, running through a checklist in her mind to make sure she didn’t forget everything. After looking at the desk for anything else she might need, she nodded towards the door, the two of them making their way down the stairs side by side. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, she spotted Spike and Scootaloo standing by the front door, wide smiles on their faces. “Hey, you two, what’s got you so excited?” Twilight asked, smiling as she pulled the scarf she’d gotten from Rarity around her neck.

“We get to fly in a royal chariot!” Scootaloo exclaimed, her wings buzzing in excitement for a couple of moments. “The pegasi outside said that we’re gonna fly really high!”

“Yeah?” Twilight asked as she made sure that the scarves around Scootaloo’s and Spike’s necks were tight enough to not fall off during the flight to Canterlot.

“Yeah! Come on, you slowpokes! Let’s go; the chariot is right around the corner!” Scootaloo exclaimed, dashing out of the front door a moment later. Spike ran outside after her, the two of them playing a small game of tag as they waited for Twilight and Rainbow to join them.

Right before Twilight stepped outside to follow them, Rainbow held her back with a hoof. She leaned in close to her, and even though the others weren’t near them, Rainbow still lowered her voice all the same. “Hey, Twilight… once we get airborne, I’m gonna show Scootaloo something special, alright?”

“Um, sure? What do you mean?” Twilight asked as she hung her ‘closed’ sign on the front door. The two of them walked outside and Twilight locked the door behind them.

“Heh, we’re just gonna fly for a little bit; nothing special, really,” she said nonchalantly. “Trust me, she’s gonna love it.” Raising her voice a little, she called out to Spike and Scootaloo. “Hey, come on, guys, it’s time to go!” The four of them walked around the corner and found the chariot that Princess Celestia had sent them. Two burly pegasi stood at attention at the front, their wings neatly folded at their sides.

“Good evening, sirs!” Twilight said cheerily as she used a wing to guide Spike and Scootaloo to sit up near the front where they could see over the railing. She sat down on the left side while Rainbow sat down on the right, taking up position right behind Scootaloo. “We’re ready to go!” she said, grabbing onto the railing just in case. After a small nod from the pegasus on the right, they were away. Since the streets were clear, it only took them a couple of blocks before they were able to get airborne. The guards flew at a comfortable speed, making it so that nobody worried about falling off.

They took their time as they flew upwards in wide circles until they leveled off, flying straight for Canterlot. By Twilight’s calculation, they were at least a thousand feet in the air. The sun was just starting to slip down below the horizon and there were only a few clouds lining the sky. As the wind whipped through her mane, Twilight closed her eyes and took a moment to enjoy the sensations. A few moments later, she felt somepony nudge her side, making her open her eyes. Looking over to her right, she saw Rainbow nod once at her, and wondering what she had in mind for Scootaloo, she nodded back.

Rainbow slid up until Scootaloo’s back was pressing up against her forelegs. As the filly looked up at her with a wide smile, she asked, “Hey, Scootaloo, do you trust me?”

“Um, yeah? Why?” Scootaloo asked, cocking her head to the side.

“Good, because you’re gonna love this… Here, hop onto my back, alright? I want to show you something really cool…” She bent down so that Scootaloo could climb up onto her back, her head nearly touching the bottom of the chariot.

“O–Okay!” Scootaloo said as she did so. Seeing the empty air behind them, she gulped nervously as she settled down right between her wings. “Ready!”

And with that, Rainbow opened her wings, the wind instantly plucking her from the chariot. She kept her wings level as she banked to the right, and as she leveled out, she flapped her wings a few times to gain some altitude. They rose another fifty feet above the chariot before leveling out again, staying on the same flight path.

“Hey, Scootaloo…” Rainbow started to say as she lazily glided through the sky. “I want you to open your wings, okay?” She looked back over her shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

“W–what?” Scootaloo asked fearfully. “But I can’t fly! I’ll fall!”

“No, you won’t, squirt!” Rainbow said with a chuckle. “Remember how you said you trust me?”

“Yeah?”

“Good. So listen; don’t flap at all, okay? I just want you to glide, just like we’re doing right now. There’s nothing to it!”

“You… you sure about this?”

“Definitely! Besides, I’ll be below you the entire time!” Seeing Scootaloo start to shake from her nervousness, Rainbow asked, “Hey, remember how you said your parents always told you that you would never fly?” She paused, waiting silently until Scootaloo nodded back. “Well, this is your chance to prove them wrong! Come on, Scootaloo, I believe in you!”

Hearing those words made Scootaloo’s chest swell up in pride. With a shaky nod, she stood up on unsteady legs and after a confident smile from Rainbow, she gingerly opened her wings and spread them wide. Their slow speed didn’t rip her off of Rainbow’s back like what had happened to them back on the chariot, but it was just enough to make her front hooves start to rise off of Rainbow’s back. Slowly but surely, her smile grew wider and wider as she felt the wind flow through her wings, gently lifting her off of Rainbow’s back, and before she knew it, she was flying.

“Yeah! There you go, Scootaloo! I knew you could do it!” Rainbow cheered, her heart swelling from the sheer joy of seeing Scootaloo so happy. Hearing cheers coming from below, she glanced down, a wide smile forming on her face when she saw both Twilight and Spike watching them. She looked back up just in time to feel Scootaloo land on her back, and she smiled when she felt the exuberant filly latch onto her neck.

Flapping her wings as hard as she dared, she made for the nearest cloud and landed on it, proud that Scootaloo had been able to overcome her fears. Folding her wings, she let Scootaloo slide off of her neck, pulling her into a ferocious hug before all four of her hooves had hit the cloud. “Yeah! I just knew you could do it, Scootaloo!” She rolled over onto her back, holding Scootaloo tight to her chest. Unable to stop smiling, Rainbow held Scootaloo up into the air with her fore legs. “You have no idea how proud of you I am, squirt!” she said happily, lowering her back down to her chest a moment later and pulling her into a fierce hug.

Scootaloo took a couple of moments before responding. She nuzzled Rainbow just under her chin and looked up, a wide smile on her face. “Thanks, Rainbow. You saying that means a lot to me…” she said, wiping a couple small tears of joy out of her eyes. Even though she had glided on her own for only a few seconds, she had still flown, something she thought would never happen.

“Heh, no problem, Scoots,” Rainbow replied as she rubbed her back with a hoof. “Now, come on, let’s go catch up to the others and tell them just how awesome you were, alright?” she asked as she rolled over onto her stomach. Letting Scootaloo climb back up on top to sit at the base of her neck, she took a few moments to admire the setting sun before taking off, flying fast to catch back up with the chariot that was quickly fading away into the distance.

Preparations

Rainbow stirred under the covers, the warmth of Twilight’s soft body all snuggled up against her chest nearly lulling her back to sleep. As happy thoughts of soaring through the clouds with Scootaloo started popping into her mind one by one, she noticed that the blanket keeping them warm had all but fallen from their still forms, only finding it laying bunched up at the foot of the bed when her left hind leg twitched. She frowned, caught between the desire to keep snuggling and the need to get the blanket. Rainbow lay still for several moments as she listened to Twilight breathe softly. Though while her back was getting pretty cold, she did not want to ruin this perfect moment.

Twilight’s head was nestled right in the crook of her neck, her fore legs curled up to her chest just how she liked. Rainbow had wrapped her left wing around Twilight’s body just under her fore legs before they had gone to bed, and just for good measure, she had thrown her own leg over Twilight’s, keeping her fore legs gently pinned to her chest. Adjusting her wing’s grip on her friend, Rainbow felt a shiver run down her spine as she felt through her wing just how soft Twilight’s was. Just like her own, Twilight’s feathers were in pristine condition, probably even more so because of her position as princess. Before they had all gone to bed for the night, she’d heard Twilight muttering to herself about looking good for the trial.

Rainbow cracked an eye open to see the sun’s morning rays start to shine in through the windows. Eh, I guess now’s as good a time as any to get up… she thought, letting loose a soft yawn. Pulling Twilight just a little bit closer to her, she nuzzled the back of her head right in between her ears and whispered, “Hey Twi, time to wake up…” As Twilight started stirring awake, Rainbow gently let go of her fore legs, smiling as she watched the alicorn stretch sleepily.

As Twilight let her limbs go limp, she rolled over a few moments later, a lazy smile on her face. “Morning, Dashie… how’s my favorite pegasus this morning?” she asked, letting loose a soft yawn.

“Oh, um… good, I guess,” Rainbow softly said, taking care to not wake Spike and Scootaloo. Lifting her head, she looked past Twilight and saw that the other two were still fast asleep in the other bed. Judging by the small smile on Scootaloo’s face and the fact that she didn’t wake everyone up screaming, it looked like she didn’t have a nightmare that night. She laid her head back down, giggling softly as Twilight’s mane tickled the side of her neck. “You think we should get ready, or…” she trailed off, a nervous smile forming on her face.

“Or what?” Twilight asked with a chuckle, raising an eyebrow as she waited for Rainbow to respond.

“Or… can I be the little spoon for ten minutes?” Rainbow asked as she felt her cheeks turn a little pink. She looked to the side and bit her lower lip then glanced back up into Twilight’s eyes.

“Heh, why not?” Twilight asked. Before she was done speaking, Rainbow had already flipped over onto her other side, grabbed the blanket by their hind legs, and had gotten her pillow just the way she wanted. “I’m sure we can spare a few minutes…” Settling down beside Rainbow, she mimicked what the pegasus had done for her last night. She pulled Rainbow’s fore legs up to her chest and laid one of her legs over them, then she pulled her into a fierce wing hug. And just for good measure, she laid her right hind leg over Rainbow’s flank, pulling her even closer. With a quick spell, she tucked the thick blanket in all around them, tight enough to fight off the cold yet loose enough so that they wouldn’t overheat.

As Twilight laid her head down on her own pillow, she angled the two of them into a better position, adding a little curve to her back so they could snuggle even closer to each other. Flicking her tail so that it fell around Rainbow’s flank, she whispered into Rainbow’s ear, “You comfy?” Rainbow nodded, letting loose a deeply satisfied sigh. Oh yeah, I think she’s good…

Twilight let the next minute pass in silence as she listened to Rainbow’s breathing slow. She really enjoyed how close she and Rainbow were becoming, not just physically, but as friends. If she had to ever call somepony her best friend, she would most definitely pick Rainbow, not only because of the fact that they already did a lot of things together, but because they both shared a unique common interest: their desire to help change Scootaloo’s life for the better.

As she relished the blissful feelings of snuggling, Twilight felt a small pit of worry grow within her stomach. She cracked open an eye and looked out of the window. Gauging by the amount of light shining through the window, it was already well into the morning. Praying that they didn’t oversleep, as a certain familiar feeling of dread filled her, she frowned and looked over her shoulder, trying to find a clock.

Spotting one sitting on the far wall near the door, Twilight only saw one of the hands on the clock centered directly on the number nine. Oh no no no… she thought as she bolted upright. Throwing the sheets of off her, she ungraciously slid out of bed and made her way over to the clock, muttering, “Oh, this can’t be happening…” over and over again, ignoring Rainbow’s annoyed groan. Now standing in front of the clock she looked up, her gaze finally came into focus.

Oh, it’s just eight forty-five... she thought with a relieved sigh. Her memory a little foggy, she walked back over to the bed, and as Rainbow rolled over to face her, she asked her, “Rainbow, you remember what time the guards were going to pick us up by?”

“Yeah, like… nine fifteen, right?” Rainbow asked as she sat up, making Twilight freeze in place, her hoof raised to hop onto the bed. Noticing Twilight’s shocked expression, her tone becoming a little more serious, she asked, “Why?”

Locking eyes with her friend, Twilight rose her voice as panic started to take ahold of her. “Rainbow, it’s eight forty-five! We only have a half hour to get ready!” Paying the fact that her outburst had woken the other two occupants of the room no heed, she continued, “We have to brush our manes, do some last minute studying, and then on top of that, we’ve gotta–”

“Twilight, geez…” Rainbow said with a giggle. “Calm down a little; it’s not like we’re gonna lose or anything. Heck, Scootaloo’s parents are gonna have so many charges brought up against them that the court will have no choice but to give Scootaloo’s care to us!” She slid out of bed, trotted up to the anxious mare then sat down across from her. “Trust me, I know everything’s gonna work out!” Shooting a glance over at Scootaloo, she gave her one of her most confident smiles and asked, “Ain’t that right, squirt?”

“Yep!” Scootaloo called back as she stretched, still staying under the covers.

“See? Even Scootaloo knows we’re gonna win, Twi!” Rainbow said as she stood up. “Now, come on everyone, let’s get cleaned up for this trial so we can look our best.” She looked over at Scootaloo and saw that the filly hadn’t moved an inch. “Hey Scoots, since you’re so eager to get up, you can go take a shower first!” Rainbow trotted over to where she lay and pulled the covers off of her, tickling the filly’s sensitive belly with a single feather. Scootaloo squealed from the sudden tickle attack and tried to scramble away, her hind leg kicking out a little on its own as she tried to escape Rainbow’s relentless attack.

“But I took one last night!” Scootaloo said, smiling in relief as she watched Rainbow fold her wing back to her side.

“Heh, oh yeah,” Rainbow said, using her wing to gently push Scootaloo along towards the bathroom. “But you still need to brush your mane and tail! Come on, I’ll help ya get rid of that bedhead…” she said with a chuckle as they walked into the bathroom. Spotting a hairbrush sitting on the counter, Rainbow grabbed it with her mouth and motioned for Scootaloo to turn around and sit down. She sat down behind her and ran the brush through the filly’s mane, struggling to fight it back into submission. Thankfully, it didn’t take as long as she had thought it would take, and it only took her a couple minutes more to get the knots out of her tail. “There! All done!”

“Thanks Rainbow! You want me to do your mane and tail?” Scootaloo asked as she turned around.

“Nah, I think I’m good; thanks though, squirt,” Rainbow said, giving Scootaloo’s mane a playful tousle. “Now, go on back to Twilight and see if she needs any help, okay?”

“Okay!” Scootaloo said before she scampered away.

When Rainbow heard the filly try to rouse Spike, she chuckled and started brushing herself, only taking a few minutes to get it all done. Tossing the brush back up on the desk, she trotted back out into the living room to find Twilight brushing her mane with another brush while doing some last minute studying over at the desk. Deciding to just let her do her own thing, she walked up to their bed and started tidying up, trying to clean things up just a bit. Ever since she saw the deplorable conditions that Scootaloo used to live in, Rainbow was determined to change her usual sloppy ways for the better. Just as she finished tossing the last pillow back into place, Twilight’s voice broke the silence.

“So remember, Rainbow, during the trial, you must be on your most absolute, perfect behavior, alright? Nopony’s ever won a fight or an argument because of yelling, especially in court,” Twilight said as she kept running the brush through her mane. Glancing at the clock for the umpteenth time, she moved the brush down to her tail, and after running it through it a few times, she tossed the brush back down on the desk.

“Yeah, yeah, I remember, Twilight,” Rainbow said with a soft giggle. “You’ve only said that, like what, four times now? I think I can remember something like that!” Cocking her ear towards the door, she heard several sets of hooves hitting the floor in near perfect rhythm. “If my ear isn’t playing tricks on me, Twilight, I think our escort is gonna be here any second.”

“Ack! Really?” she asked, her voice rising in pitch. “But I’m nowhere close to being ready for today! I still have to read that book over there, I’m nowhere even close to finishing this one, and–”

“Twilight, seriously, chill out!” Spike said, waving a claw in front of Twilight’s face, snapping her out of her funk. She opened her mouth to respond but a loud knocking from their door cut her off.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, we are here to escort you and your company down to the Canterlot High Courts!” a loud, deep, and gravelly voice rang out from behind the door.

“Okay, just a minute!” Rainbow called back. Turning to look back at Twilight, she looked her dead in the eye, placed a hoof on her shoulder, and smiled confidently. “Come on, let’s go win this thing!”

The Trial

Twilight stood nervously alongside Rainbow behind the table on the left side of the courtroom’s main floor, Scootaloo’s parents on the right with their lawyer sitting on the far side of them. Their lawyer, a brown pegasus, looked to be a little older than Scootaloo’s parents and she looked like she didn’t want to be there at all.

Twilight could barely stand looking at Scootaloo’s parents, the disgusting ponies they were. Sitting in chains, they were slouching in their chairs, their eyes locked on the table in front of them. Twilight watched them for a few moments more, her fears that they might try something to hurt Scootaloo slowly dwindling away. She stared at them, almost wanting them to get up and try something just so that she could do some real damage, for as her hate for what they did to their daughter grew, so did the rational side telling her to chill out.

Finally tearing her gaze away, she looked up and saw that the judge’s stand was still empty. They’d all been sitting in the room for the past fifteen minutes waiting on the judge and he was nowhere to be found. She knew for a fact that the judge was always supposed to be on time, well, at least that’s what her books had told her.

“Hey egghead, there’s nothin’ to worry about…” Rainbow whispered from her right, noticing that she was shaking. “Trust me, we’ve got this in the bag!” She rubbed Twilight’s back with a hoof, running it right in between the bases of her wings.

Twilight smiled, but she didn’t relax one bit. “I know, Rainbow, it’s just that I’m afraid that the court might deem us unsuitable parents…” Twilight whispered back before looking down at Scootaloo. Giving her a warm, reassuring smile, she laid a wing over her shoulders and pulled her up against her. “How you holding up, little one?” she asked.

“F–fine, I think… I just want to get this over with,” Scootaloo said softly, laying her head against Twilight’s side.

“Wait, what do you mean we might not be good enough parents?” Rainbow’s hoof stopped for just a few seconds before she resumed rubbing.

“Well… I should have told you this earlier, but when I went with Celestia to arrest Scootaloo’s parents, she told me that if we want to adopt Scootaloo, there’s a small law that says that troubled foals need to have parents that are married, and since we aren’t even in a relationship, I…” Twilight paused and took a deep, shuddering breath before she continued. “I’m fairly certain that Scootaloo’s parents will lose custody of their foal; that’s a given, but what I’m worried about is the fact that we might not be good enough…”

“What?! That’s a load of horseapples!” Rainbow furiously whispered back. “You know that we’re the best thing that’s happened to Scootaloo since she was born, and she k–”

“Yes, Rainbow, I know that, but the courts don’t!” Twilight shot a glance up at the stand, making sure that they weren’t creating a disruption. “How can we prove to them, other than our word, that we’re good enough for her?” She paused, waiting for Rainbow to respond. She watched her move her lips as she tried to come up with a rebuttal, but after waiting a few more seconds, she continued, saying, “You see? That’s the kind of thing I’m worried about.”

“B–but you’re a princess! Heck, we even have Princess Celestia on our side! She saw how badly Scootaloo’s parents treated her back in the hospital, so it should be a clear-cut case for the jury!”

“Yes, but none of that proves that we can properly take care of her, Dash!” Twilight said, trying to keep her voice down so that Scootaloo wouldn’t hear them. Twilight shot a nervous glance behind her, wondering if she knew any familiar faces in the sea of ponies behind her. Apparently, word had gotten out about this trial and quite a large amount of ponies had been interested enough in the upcoming proceedings to come. Twilight spotted her parents and Spike sitting in the center a row near the back.

Her parents both shot her a reassuring smile before nodding towards the front, indicating that she should look back around. Spike, on the other hoof, jumped to his feet and gave her two thumbs up with a wide smile. Feeling a little bit more confident, Twilight smiled and turned back around towards the front, though her nervousness was still making her tremble slightly. She glanced to her left, her gaze falling upon the three princesses who occupied their own special position in the room.

Celestia sat silently as she went over some documents, no doubt refreshing herself on the arrest reports while Luna and Cadence made small talk. Next to them sat their own lawyer, Quick Quill, one that had been hoof-picked by Celestia herself.

Quick Quill was Princess Celestia’s own personal lawyer and was always her go-to pony for things pertaining to the law. He was a light gray earth pony well versed in the ways of Equestrian law, especially in dealing with sticky situations such as these. He knew for a fact that Celestia picked him for one little detail of his: his photographic memory. That ability gave him the means to study and know every little detail in the folder that was given to him a few days prior. Usually, other lawyers would take quite a bit longer, weeks more, even, just to make sure they have everything down, but not him.

Fidgeting on her small cushion, Twilight bit her lip as she started to run through as many worst case scenarios as possible, but just as the first one popped into her mind, a small door in the corner behind the judge’s stand opened, revealing a brown earth pony. The courtroom quickly fell silent.

“The honorable judge Sealed Scroll will be presiding over this court trial. Please rise,” the lone guard standing beside the judge’s stand said in a deep, monotone voice as the judge walked inside the room. Everypony stood up and remained respectfully silent as they watched the stallion take his place up at his stand. “Everyone has been sworn in your honor.”

“Thank you, everyone, and good morning. Please be seated so we can get this trial underway,” Sealed Scroll said as he organized a small stack of papers on his desk. “This is the trial for Brick Lump and Tranquil Breeze against Princess Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.” He turned to Scootaloo’s parents and said, “Mr. Lump, the charges listed against you are: endangerment of a foal and attempted assault on royalty, and as for you, Mrs. Breeze, the charges listed against you are endangerment of a foal. How do the two of you plead?”

“Not guilty!” the two of them yelled back. Brick Lump slammed his hoof on the table in front of him indignantly, making Twilight jump a little in fright.

“Please settle down, Mr. Lump,” Twilight heard their lawyer say in a hushed voice. “You must remain civil in a court of law if you wish to be successful.”

“Hey, I’ll do whatever the heck I want!” Brick Lump exclaimed loudly as he slammed his front hooves on the floor.

The judge hit his gavel against his desk multiple times. When Brick Lump quieted down, he said, “Mr. Lump, if you do not act in an appropriate and respectful manner, I will have no other course but to hold you in contempt of court.”

Brick Lump huffed. “Fine, yer… honor,” he said, spitting that last word with no small amount of distaste.

“Good. Now, we may proceed.” Sealed Scroll cleared his throat. “The outcome of this trial will determine whether or not you are guilty of the charges I have listed to you, and it will also determine if young Scootaloo will be taken from your care. Whether it be with you two or an orphanage is up to the jury.”

“What about us? Why can’t she be placed in our care?” Rainbow furiously whispered into Twilight’s ear.

“Shhh, we can propose that idea when we take the stand,” Twilight whispered back. “Speaking of which, I think we’re about to go up.”

“Miss Rainbow Dash, as you were the first one to discover the reason behind we are all here today, I must ask that you take the stand first,” Sealed Scroll said.

“Well, here we go, I guess…” Rainbow quickly whispered into Twilight’s ear before she stood up. Not even bothering to look at Scootaloo’s parents, she trotted across the courtroom floor and took the stand, their own lawyer taking the floor a moment later.

“Ahem!” Quick Quill cleared his throat as he stopped in front of Rainbow. “Miss Dash, would you please state your name for the court?”

“Um, okay… Rainbow Dash.”

“Good. Now, can you please recount for me what happened, starting from the very beginning?”

“With pleasure…” Rainbow said, shooting a cold glare at Brick Lump and Tranquil Breeze. “It all happened almost a couple of weeks ago. My weather team and I had just finished making the snow storm of the year for everypony to play in the next day, and after getting home late that night, I was just about to go to sleep when I thought I heard someone crying outside beneath my house.” Noticing some members of the jury raise their eyebrows in confusion, she quickly added, “Oh, I live in a cloudhouse.”

When she saw their expressions relax into understanding, she continued. “Even though I really wanted to fall asleep, I got up and looked out the window. Only then was I sure I heard somepony crying, and I knew I recognized that voice.” She paused and pointed to Scootaloo. “It was Scootaloo. She’s one of the local town fillies that I’ve taken under my wing in the past few months, and we’ve grown pretty close. I mean, we’ve gone on camping trips with my friend and her little sister and we’ve done a bunch of other fun things.”

“I see…” Quick Quill stated. “Would you call yourself a mentor or an older sister-figure to this filly?”

“Yep!” Rainbow said with no small amount of pride.

“Alright. Please continue, Miss Dash. You said that you found her outside in a blizzard?”

“Yeah, so when I heard Scootaloo crying outside, and lemme tell ya, it was probably below freezing that night. A filly her size could easily freeze to death if she was exposed to the cold for a long time, so of course I was concerned for her safety. I tried to get her attention, but she wouldn’t answer me.” Rainbow’s voice started getting louder and louder, her tone showing just how angry she was getting. “At that point, I knew something was up, so I flew down and landed in front of her. I called her name again, but she didn’t even hear me! Heck, when she ran into me, I saw a huge bruise on her head! I–” Rainbow paused when she saw Twilight raise then lower her hoof, silently reminding her to calm down.

Rainbow took a couple of deep breaths before continuing. “When she finally recognized me, she grabbed onto me like I was saving her from some monsters. Little did I know, I was…”

“What do you mean, Miss Dash?” Quick Quill asked, his voice level and calm.

“I mean that Scootaloo’s parents,” Rainbow spat that word out. “If they can be called that, drove her from the house in the middle of the night. I’m pretty sure they were drunk off their asses, too.”

“What do you think drove Scootaloo away from her home?”

“Oh, I know exactly why because Scootaloo told me exactly what she did and why she did it. When I eventually got her to tell me what happened to her, she told me that her life at home wasn’t as perfect as she’d led everyone on to believe. Lemme tell you real quick that Ponyville is a great place to live. We don’t have any criminals, there’s barely any crime, and everyone is so friendly. So knowing that, it was really shocking to hear that Scootaloo’s life was so bad.”

“What do you mean by that?” Quick Quill asked, now pacing back and forth.

“Oh, you guys are gonna love this…” Rainbow said, sarcasm dripping from her words. “For starters, both of her parents drink heavily, they abuse her both physically and mentally while drunk, they starve her, and to top it all off, when I went to get Princess Twilight Sparkle’s help, we came back to find one of Scootaloo’s wings broken!” Rainbow kicked the wooden booth she was in with a hoof in anger. “A lot of her feathers were bent way out of place and she had to be hospitalized overnight. It was only by Princess Celestia’s grace that she didn’t have to suffer for many more weeks, and oh yeah, the first night I found her I let her stay at my place,” she said. “She was so traumatized that I let her sleep with me, saying that she didn’t want to be alone. She’d told me that she’d always wanted her mother to hold her with her wings, so that’s what I did. Both Twilight and I have stepped up to take care of her these past couple of weeks, and while it’s been a little hectic, I know that I’m up for the task of caring for her.”

Brick Lump suddenly jumped to his hooves and slammed his hooves on the table, shocking everyone in the room, some more than others. “Ah can’t sit here an hear this load from ‘er no longer! Das a loada shit an you knoweet, judge!” he barked.

“Order! There will be order in this court!” the judge yelled back at him, slamming his gavel on his desk repeatedly. “If you speak out of turn, I will be forced to hold you in contempt of court. Trust me, you wouldn’t want that.” He looked back at Quick Quill and said, “You may continue.”

“Oh, I have no further questions, your honor... Thank you for your testimony, Miss Dash. Will Princess Twilight Sparkle please take the stand?”

Twilight nodded once and stood up at the same time Rainbow did. As they walked past each other, Rainbow gave her a reassuring smile and a wink. Twilight took the stand a couple seconds later, her heart racing from the sheer amount of nervousness she was feeling.

“So, let us begin… Princess Twilight Sparkle, what is your involvement in this?” Quick Quill asked.

“Well, Rainbow Dash came to me after dropping the filly back off at her house the next morning. She came asking for my help, primarily asking for me to use my position as a princess to help her get Scootaloo away from her pa– Brick Lump and Tranquil Breeze. Rainbow had quickly filled me in with all of the important details, especially the part explaining Scootaloo’s small wings, and when I had heard enough, I knew I had to act,” she finished confidently.

“And what did you do?” Quick Quill asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Rainbow brought me back to Scootaloo’s house, and right before we were about to go inside and confront the parents, we heard an ear-splitting scream come from inside, no doubt coming from Scootaloo. Rainbow was the first to go inside. I followed her and when I heard another yell, I went upstairs to find Scootaloo’s father had pinned his daughter to the floor and was hitting her. One of her wings was already broken, as shown in the medical records that you should have up there, judge.” She waited a few moments until he nodded, prompting her to continue.

“In the following week, both Rainbow and I have taken care of her as if she was our own. I’ve known Scootaloo for quite a while now, and we’ve grown closer than ever before due to this rather unique situation. I feel that, as a princess of Equestria, all of my subjects should be able to live happy and productive lives. When I saw Scootaloo’s plight and Rainbow’s determination to make things better for her, I couldn’t just stand by and not help.”

Twilight cleared her throat and said, “Back when I first went to Scootaloo’s house, I had to push Brick Lump off of his daughter with my magic. Before I knew it, he tried to attack me, so I had to restrain him further to ensure he didn’t inflict bodily harm on me.”

“But she hit me first!” Brick Lump yelled indignantly. “I was disciplining my daughter and she hit me so hard mah vision went all blurry!”

“Mr. Lump, this is your last and final warning!” the judge barked at Scootaloo’s father. “If you speak out of turn one more time I will be forced to find you in contempt of court! If you wish to have any chance of winning, I highly suggest you shut your trap and do what your wife is doing: be quiet.” A few ponies snickered in the crowd.

“…Fine. I’m sorreh, yer honer.” Brick Lump sat back with a huff.

“Anyways…” Quick Quill said slowly, raising an eyebrow at Brick Lump’s outburst. “What did you do next, Princess?”

“While I dealt with those two…” Twilight gestured at Scootaloo’s parents. “I had Rainbow fly Scootaloo to the hospital immediately; her injuries were that grievous. Under my authority, I placed Scootaloo’s parents under house arrest, contacted Princess Celestia, and went to the hospital just in time to find Scootaloo come out of surgery.” A soft gasp ran throughout the crowded room. “Yeah, it was that bad. Brick Lump and Tranquil Breeze clearly do not care for their daughter, your honor. I cannot believe that something as serious as this was allowed to go on for so long, and the records that I procured from Ponyville’s town hall show that Scootaloo’s parents deliberately and maliciously put themselves over the safety and well being of their daughter. They do not deserve to be called parents.”

“Hmm… that’s quite the testimony,” Quick Quill stated calmly. “I have no further questions, your honor!”

“Oh! Um, wait, I still have more to say, your honor,” Twilight quickly said, looking up at the judge. “May I continue?”

“Granted. You may proceed, Princess.”

“Thank you. Over the past couple of weeks, both Rainbow Dash and I have cared for Scootaloo as if she was our own. As Princess Celestia’s personal student, one of my tasks, along with my studies, was to raise a baby dragon from the moment he was hatched, Spike.” She smiled as she shot a glance his way. “Though while some times have been a little hard on the both of us, I gained valuable knowledge in how to care for young. Using that knowledge, I was able to properly care and attend to Scootaloo’s needs these past weeks, and I can definitely see an improvement in the filly’s attitude prior to our direct involvement with her life.”

Twilight glared directly at Brick Lump. “There’s something else that I feel the need to say. Like Rainbow Dash said earlier, Scootaloo has been subject to near lucid nightmares about her parents abusing her. I’ve seen firsthoof on more than one occasion how these nightmares have affected her life, and I can’t imagine the sort of terror she goes through as she lays in bed each night, wondering if she’s going to have to go through another nightmare. To be honest, judge, I don’t know how long these nightmares have been going on for. In the two times that she’s had nightmares at my place, she’s woken up screaming and crying in fear for her life. Surely a filly does not deserve to live such a life.” She sniffled a little bit as she felt tears creep up in her eyes. Twilight wiped them away with a hoof and cleared her throat. “I have no more to say, your honor.”

With a short nod, Twilight stood up and returned to her cushion, making a point to not even look at Scootaloo’s parents. She sat down between Rainbow and Scootaloo again and stared forward as she tried to contain her feelings. It was only when Rainbow nudged her did she break out of her funk. She looked over at her, wondering what she wanted, only for her to have her smile at her.

“So what now?” Scootaloo asked Twilight. “Is it almost done? I just wanna go home…”

Twilight cocked her head to the side in confusion. She wants to go home? Surely she can’t mean back to her old house… She’s probably talking about Ponyville or something… “Shhh… I know sweetie. I’m not sure how long this is gonna take, but when we’re done, we can all go get some ice cream. That sound good?” Twilight whispered back, giving Scootaloo a little friendly nudge.

“Sure…”

“Mr. Lump, as one of the defendants, you may now take the stand,” Sealed Scroll said, breaking their conversation.

Scootaloo’s father silently stood up from his seat and walked up to the stand. Sitting down, he flicked his greasy hair out of his face. “Hurry up, missy,” he said, looking at his lawyer. “I ain’t got all day for ya shenanigans.”

“Mr. Lump…” Scootaloo’s parents’ lawyer started as she stood up, her voice prim and proper just like a Canterlot noble. She trotted up to where her client sat in the stand. “Before we begin, I must ask that you not to refer to me by ‘Missy.’ My name is Sharp Wit, something I’ve repeated to you on a few different occasions.”

“Yeah, yeah, I gotcha, I was only playin’. Ask away, Sharp Wit!”

“Humph… Yes, alright then. Mr. Lump, can you tell us your side of the events?”

“I’d be glad to! Mah wife and I came home one night to find our daughter drain pourin’ all of our liquor, the good shit too! She had already poured over twenty bottles down the drain before we were able to stop her, and of course we were angry! She had just wasted, like, nearly three hundred bits of good liquor all for nothing! Scootaloo there was rambling on and on about how mah alcohol makes me violent and about how she wanted a happy family, but that’s a load a bull. To show her that she did wrong, I started disciplining her, but she ran outta the house.”

Pointing a hoof at Rainbow, he suddenly raised his voice, “And then she came into the picture! That stupid mare kidnapped mah daughter from us that night, and when she brought her back to mah house the next day, she trespassed onto mah property. On top of that, her friend right over there…” He pointed right at Twilight. “Assaulted me and made it so that if we tried to leave our house we’d be hurt terribly. That demented pony has inflicted so much emotional trauma on mah wife and I.”

“Wait, hold on a moment, sir…” Sealed Scroll said. “Let me get this straight: You’re telling me Rainbow Dash kidnapped your daughter, correct?”

“Yessir!” Brick Lump said triumphantly.

“And then she brought her back to your place of residence, unharmed, and left her in your care the next day, correct?”

“Yup. But while she was there, she–”

“That’s all I need to hear,” Sealed Scroll stated, cutting Brick Lump off. “Do you have any further questions for your client, ma’am?” he asked to his lawyer.

“No, your honor.” Sharp Wit turned to look at Brick Lump. “You may return to your seat. I would like to call Mrs. Breeze to the stand next!”

Tranquil Breeze stood up, her chains rattling about as she awkwardly made her way over to the stand. Their lawyer ran her through the same questions as she had done with Brick Lump only to receive eerily similar answers. It only took them a couple of minutes to run through the small number of questions, and each of Tranquil Breeze’s response only incriminated both her and her husband further.

“Mr. Lump and Mrs. Breeze, your testimonies completely contradict the testimonies of both Miss Dash and Princess Twilight. I’m more inclined to believe them due to the evidence stacked against you, but the jury shall decide you and your wife’s fate,” he said. He turned to Sharp Wit and asked, “Do you have any further questions for the witness?”

“None, your honor!” she replied quickly, motioning for Tranquil Breeze to return to the table. “I would, however, like to call another witness to the stand: Miss Dash!”

“Huh? Why me?” Rainbow asked, apprehension thick in her tone. She lowered her voice and whispered into Twilight’s ear, “But I already went up… Why do I have to go again?”

“It’s just how things work, Rainbow; now quit stalling and get up there!” Twilight quickly whispered back.

“Um, okay…” Rainbow nervously stood up and flew her way over to the stand. Landing a little clumsily, she cleared her throat and waited for Brick Lump’s lawyer to begin.

“So, Miss Dash, on the night you found my clients’ daughter walking in the storm, you said that you ‘held her’… is that correct?”

“Um, yeah? Where are you going with this?”

Sharp Wit continued on, ignoring Rainbow’s question. “And on that night, did you two share the same bed?”

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow at Brick Lump’s lawyer. “Yeah, I wrapped a wing around her and snuggled with her, just like she wanted me to.” She saw Sharp Wit start smiling as if she was saying exactly what she wanted her to say, but she continued anyways. “I had offered to let her sleep on the couch, but she stopped me, saying that she didn’t want to be alone or something like that.”

“I see, I see…” Sharp Wit mused, an evil glint in her eye. “Now, while you and Scootaloo were alone in these past couple of weeks, did you have any sort of physical contact, inappropriate or otherwise?”

“What?! How dare you ask such a… a… a thing!” Rainbow stood up and slammed her hooves on the railing. She flapped her wings and stopped at a hover right in front of Sharp Wit’s face. “Exactly what are you implying? You must be outta your mind if you think I’d do something like– like that to Scootaloo!”

Twilight suddenly felt Scootaloo tug on her wing. “What do they mean, Twilight?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Twilight balked for a moment. “Oh! Um, nothing, Scootaloo. That sort of stuff is for when you’re older and stuff.” She wrapped her wing around her and started listening to the argument again.

“–and to answer your question, no, I did not have any sort of inappropriate contact with Scootaloo in any way, shape, or form, or anything that can be construed as such,” Rainbow finished. “Now, if you don’t have any more real questions to ask me, I’m done.” When Sharp Wit remained silent, Rainbow huffed and walked back to sit down next to Twilight, her posture rigid and as stiff as a board.

Wow, I didn’t know she could talk like that… Twilight thought in amazement. She had figured Rainbow would speak in simpler terms, but she was glad to be surprised; it would only help their chances of winning. She tried to catch Rainbow’s eye, but she wouldn’t look back at her.

“Yes, well then, I think it’s time for the jury to decide whether they are guilty of all charges or not,” Sealed Scroll said as he organized some papers on his desk. “We shall all reconvene in one hour…”

“Welcome back, everyone,” the judge started as he took his seat again. “Let’s keep things nice and simple then, shall we?” He looked over at the jury. “Have you come to a decision?”

One of the members of the jury, a light pink pegasus, stood up. “Yes, your honor. We find the defendants, Tranquil Breeze and Brick Lump, both guilty on the charge of endangering a foal. For Brick Lump, we also find him guilty on the charge of attempted assault on royalty, your honor.”

“I see…” The judge sat back in his seat and stayed silent for several moments before speaking again. Leaning forward, he directed his attention to Brick Lump and Tranquil Breeze and spoke slowly. “From this moment henceforth, Scootaloo is now no longer under your legal guardianship. Records from Ponyville have shown that you have repeatedly put yourselves over the safety and wellbeing of your daughter, so I have no other choice but to take her from your care, something that should have been done years ago. Brick Lump, the court finds you guilty on all charges and I sentence you to twenty five years in prison, twenty for foal endangerment and five for attempted assault on royalty.”

The judge paused as he focused his stern gaze on Tranquil Breeze, ignoring the outburst from Brick Lump. “Mrs. Breeze, the court finds you guilty on the one charge, foal endangerment. As the mother of the filly in question, I would have thought that you would have cared enough for your filly to give her a decent life. Because of this, I am forced to give you the maximum sentence for the charge, twenty years in prison. Nether of you have any chance at parole, and Princess Luna has already assured me that she has a special hoof-picked cell just for the two of you.” Sealed Scroll looked at Princess Celestia’s guards lining the walls. “Guards! Take them away!”

Rainbow couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment as she watched Scootaloo’s parents be walked out of the courtroom through a small side door. She turned to Twilight and went for a hoof bump only to find her in a serious mood, her eyes locked on the judge.

“What’s going to happen to Scootaloo, your honor?” Twilight asked, her tone slightly nervous. She laid a wing over the filly’s back and pulled her close. The three of them waited breathlessly as they watched Sealed Scroll take a deep breath.

“I’m afraid that she’s going to have to go to the Canterlot Orphanage.”

“Wait, can’t we just bypass all that needless paperwork and have you just put her in my care?” Rainbow asked as she stood up. She kept her wings folded at her side as she continued, choosing to remain civil. “We’re already super close, and I know for a fact that she’d rather stay with me than go to some old orphanage. Both Princess Twilight and I have taken care of her in both of our houses, and on top of that, Twilight has assured me that she will help take care of Scootaloo with me, so what can go wrong?”

“Is this true, Princess?” Sealed Scroll asked as he looked at Twilight. “Have you pledged your help to assist Miss Dash in this venture?”

“Yes, your honor. I have, and to be honest, I’m wholeheartedly looking forward to it.”

Sealed Scroll tapped his hoof on the desk as he thought for a few moments. Looking at both Twilight and Rainbow, he asked, “You two live in separate households, right? Unmarried?”

“Uh… yeah, we each have our own houses. Twilight has the public library and I have my cloudhouse, and no, we aren’t married. Why? What does us being together have anything to do with this?” Rainbow asked.

Oh crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap Twilight thought as she started to panic. I just knew this was going to happen!

“Hm…” Sealed Scroll frowned as he laid his hooves on the railing. “I’m sorry to say this, but the law states that those not already in your immediate family cannot live in a public building. On top of that, those that wish to adopt a troubled foal, Scootaloo in this case, must be married and living in a single household in order to take care of them properly.” He paused when both Twilight and Rainbow gasped. “But since she isn’t up for adoption, that law does not apply here.” He chuckled when he saw Twilight’s and Rainbow’s shoulders fall in relief. “One issue still remains: the housing situation…” He focused his gaze on Rainbow. “Miss Dash, since you have the only legitimate property of the two of you, Scootaloo would have to live in your residence. Is this possible?”

Rainbow’s eyes went wide. As an exuberant smile spread across her face, she said, “Yeah! I mean, yes, your honor.”

“You do know that taking care of a filly, especially with so much emotional trauma, is quite a responsibility, correct? Furthermore, due to her flightless condition and the state of your house, you will have to either provide a means for her to access and leave the property under her own power or you will have to find someplace to live on the ground. If those requirements are not met within seven days of tomorrow, Scootaloo will be taken from your care and given to an orphanage at the discretion of the courts. Do you understand and agree to this information?”

“Yes, your honor, I do,” Rainbow firmly said. She felt like a million bits on the inside and it took all of her willpower to not scoop Scootaloo up and fly a victory lap over everyone in the courtroom.

The judge suddenly focused his attention on Scootaloo. “Young filly, could you please step forward?” he asked, ignoring the worried looks on both Rainbow’s and Twilight’s faces. Scootaloo timidly stepped forward, slowly walking to the center of the courtroom floor.

“Um… what is it, yo– your honor?” Scootaloo asked, sweeping her tail around to try and cover her flank.

The judge shot Scootaloo a reassuring and gentle smile. Leaning over the railing, he looked down at her and softly said, “Scootaloo, as of right now, you do not have any legal guardians for the moment, so I’m left with a couple of choices. One, you could go live in an orphanage with other fillies and colts, or two, you could go live with Miss Dash and Princess Twilight. Which of these do you prefer?”

Scootaloo looked up at the judge, her eyes brimming with tears. A small smile growing on her face, she looked over her shoulder back at Rainbow and Twilight. “I… I want to live with Rainbow and Twilight!” At that, she turned and ran back to Rainbow, tears of joy and relief running down her face. Rainbow opened her hooves just in time for her to jump into her embrace and she wrapped her hooves around the older pegasus as hard as she could. Scootaloo buried her face into Rainbow’s breast as she felt her wrap her wings around her, feeling like everything was starting to go right for once.

“It is settled then,” Sealed Scroll said as Twilight laid her wing over Rainbow’s back, his smile growing at the adorable display of affection. “Now, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash: are you up to the challenge of becoming Scootaloo’s permanent legal guardians?” Sealed Scroll asked.

“Yes!” both Rainbow and Twilight said in perfect harmony.

Sealed Scroll slammed his gavel down on his desk once. “It is done, then! Good luck to you both,” he said with a smile. As he stood up, he looked at Rainbow and said, “Remember Miss Dash, we are going to need documentation that you have provided Scootaloo a way to access your house within seven days of tomorrow. I bid you all good day,” he said as he collected all of the papers on his desk.

“Yeah, we did it!” Rainbow said, bouncing Scootaloo up and down on her lap. No matter what, she couldn’t get the filly to let go of her. Suddenly, Rainbow felt Twilight nuzzle her affectionately on her cheek, this one lasting so much longer than any other previous nuzzles.

“You did great today, Rainbow,” Twilight said proudly.

“No, we did great today,” Rainbow shot back with a triumphant grin. She looked back down at Scootaloo and started rubbing her back with a hoof. She gently folded her wings back to her side and scooped her up in her hooves. She hugged her fiercely, and when Scootaloo wrapped her hooves around her neck twice as hard, Rainbow wasn’t even surprised when she felt a tear of joy slip from her eye. “We did it, Scootaloo… we did it.”

A Fluffy Surprise

Hearing the faint sounds of the morning birds merrily chirp outside her window, Twilight smiled and rolled over in her bed, fully intent on going back to sleep. After celebrating their victory at her parents' house a couple of nights ago, they had all gone back to Ponyville the next morning to get everything situated for Scootaloo’s new home. Upon arriving, they’d gone out and gotten her some basic necessities for her new room, then Rainbow had Twilight teleport her spare bed into her cloudhouse for their new adopted daughter.

After getting Scootaloo’s new room adorned with as much Wonderbolts memorabilia as possible, they had spent the next couple of days trying to figure out how to allow for Scootaloo to access the house. If she had it her way, Twilight would have had Scootaloo living at the library, just like she and Spike were, but much to her dismay, the courts had deemed her place of residence unsuitable.  Twilight had thought about asking Rainbow to think about the option of selling her house and buying one on the ground for Scootaloo, but she knew how much Rainbow cherished her house. She didn’t want to be the one to bring up such an option, so she had chosen to keep that idea to herself. Because of the deadline being only a few days away, she had gone over to Rainbow’s last night to discuss options with her, knowing full well that if they didn’t act within the next couple of days, they’d lose everything that they’d worked so hard to get.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight smiled and felt around for her feathery friend. She was getting a little chilly and wanted to cuddle, but she failed to find her. Disappointed, she cracked an eye open and looked around, only to find herself back in her bedroom, alone. Twilight bit her lip as she let her shoulders slump. She missed the comforting and warm embrace of her friend, especially when it was as cold as it was now.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Out of instinct, Twilight’s ears flicked towards the source of the noise. Throwing the warm sheets off of her, she rolled over and looked towards her balcony’s door. What she saw made her jaw drop in shock, and she just stared at the window for a few more moments before she shook her head, still not believing what she was seeing. Twilight slid out of bed and walked over to her balcony door, her jaw still hanging open wide.

Rainbow’s cloudhouse was floating right outside of her window.

Twilight grabbed a random scarf laying on her desk then wrapped it around her neck before opening the door, where Rainbow was tying a few ropes to her balcony, securing her house to hers. There was a hole in the railing right where Rainbow stood, the wood laying in bits and pieces at her hooves.

“R… Ra… Rainbow! What are you doing?” Twilight stammered out as she watched Rainbow tie the last rope to her balcony.

“Oh, hey Twi!” Rainbow exclaimed as she tested the strength of her knots. “How’s this look?” she asked with a confident smile. “Pretty nifty, right?”

“B– B– Bu–But you can’t just– The safety regulations say that you can’t–” Twilight said, her mouth moving a heck of a lot faster than her mind was. She took a couple of breaths before continuing. To her, it seemed Rainbow was paying her no mind, so she stomped on the deck to get her attention. “Rainbow! Are you even listening to me?”

“Twilight, relax!” Rainbow said, flitting over to where Twilight was pouting. “I got it covered, see?” She reached to the side where her saddlebag lay and pulled out an official-looking document. “I’m adding, and I quote, ‘a mobile home attachment!’ I already got the permits for it from the mayor herself first thing this morning, and she said so long as my house isn’t over anything, then we’re good!”

 Twilight snatched the documents from Rainbow’s hooves. “But since your house is now connected to mine, doesn’t that make it part of the public building?” she asked as she flipped through the documents.

“Nope!” Rainbow happily flapped her wings once. “Since my house is not technically connected to yours, by law, it wouldn’t be part of it.”

“Um… but your house is clearly secured to mine with the ropes, Rainbow…” Twilight said dumbly, the effects of sleep still clouding her waking mind.

“Well, so are your birdhouses over there.” Rainbow gestured at them, smiling as she watched a bluejay alight on the little stick below the hole leading inside. “But that doesn’t make them part of the public building, now does it? If it did, then technically those birds wouldn’t be allowed to live there,” she finished with a confident smirk. She sat back and waited patiently as Twilight sifted through her documents, letting her tail flick about in excitement. “See? Two can play at that silly game!”

Her eyes flying over the sheets of parchment, Twilight sat down as a wide smile formed on her face. “Rainbow…” she started with a chuckle. “You’re a genius!” Tossing the sheets aside, she gave her friend a quick hug before she pulled back, a sheepish smile on her face.

“Heh, thanks…” Rainbow said with a blush, her ears folding back. Ruffling her wings, she said, “Don’t forget that Scootaloo still has to stay in my place, though. Also…” she trailed off with a nervous giggle, looking anywhere but Twilight. “Now that Scootaloo’s gonna be permanently living in my house, I was wondering if… oh, I don’t know, if you’d maybe want to move in with us?” Her blush deepened as she continued, images of the two of them cuddling in her bed flowing through her mind. “Because let’s be real, would you rather live in an old public building, or…” she trailed off with a flair before she gestured at her house a moment later. “Would you rather live in a big, awesome house with your best friend and Scootaloo? Besides, I’m sure Scootaloo would love to have you live with us!”

 “Hey, I like my old public building!” Twilight playfully shot back with a giggle. “But yeah, I see your point. It would be pretty nice to actually live in a real house for a change…” She winked at Rainbow as she walked past her, levitating her friend’s bags behind her.

“So… is that a yes?” Rainbow asked as she followed her inside. She couldn’t help but let her gaze drift to her friend’s flank as she walked behind her, watching her tail sway back and forth in time with her hips enticingly. Hm… she’s pretty cute… Rainbow thought before she stopped, shaking her head.

“I don’t see why not!” Twilight said, breaking Rainbow from her thoughts. As she trotted past Rainbow’s open doorway she looked around, seeing Rainbow’s house in a new light. Laying her friend’s saddlebag off to the side, she reasoned that since Rainbow had just asked her to move in with her, she might as well do a little exploring. “But what about Spike? Do we have enough room for him?” She trotted upstairs and opened the first door on her left, instantly recognizing her old spare bed. “Ah, I take it this is Scootaloo’s new room?” she asked with a small smile as she saw all of the Wonderbolt posters lining the wall.

“Heh, you know it,” Rainbow said. “Come on, I’ll show you my room.” She led the two of them down the rest of the hallway and opened her door, revealing her bedroom. As they stepped inside, she saw Twilight’s face contort in confusion. “Uh, something wrong, Twi?”

“Not really, but I couldn’t help but notice that you only have two bedrooms. Where am I going to sleep? And where’s Spike going to sleep? I just gave him his own room, and since Scootaloo has the only other bedroom in the house…” she trailed off as she thought.

“Oh! Uh…” Rainbow looked around her room, trying to figure out if it was possible to fit Twilight’s bed inside her bedroom. “We can try and get your own bed in here somehow, but that’d take a lot of time rearranging my room, and I kinda like how it is right now… Or, you, um… hehe, you know, since we already snuggle most nights, how about we just share mine? It’s big enough for the two of us, and that way we wouldn’t have to worry about doing all of that extra work!” As Twilight cocked her head at her, Rainbow felt her heart beat just a little faster. “We might as well, right? Why have two beds in here when we usually just use one?” she asked, hoping that her logic would help her case.

Twilight shot Rainbow a sly smile as she flapped her wings. Landing on the bed, she looked down in amazement as her hooves sunk into the cloud mattress. “Woah…” she said under her breath. Laying down, she flopped onto her side with a gleeful giggle. “This is so soft! How come I don’t have one of these?” she asked, pointedly not answering Rainbow’s question for the moment.

Rainbow hopped on the bed and lay down next to her friend. “It’s soft because the mattress is a cloud, Twi, and that’s a good question.” Without waiting for a response, Rainbow laid her head on Twilight’s folded wing and laid a lazy hoof over her side. When she didn’t object, she smiled and looked up into her eyes. “So… whatcha say? Snuggle buddies?”

“Oh, is that what the foals are calling it nowadays?” Twilight asked, her tone dripping with friendly sarcasm.

“Ha ha ha.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Come on, you know you’d like to…” I know I would…

“Hm…” Twilight looked up and away with a smile as she pretended to think. Rainbow was right about her wanting to snuggle, especially since they were doing so right now. “I don’t see why not, so… sure!”

Rainbow’s heart beat a little bit faster in excitement. “Really?” she asked, lifting her head from Twilight’s wing. She laid her head on the bed and closed her eyes as she let herself relax, letting her tail flick about in excitement as she prayed to whatever deities were out there that Twilight wasn’t messing around with her.

“Yep!” Twilight said as she sat up. As she did so, Rainbow’s hoof slipped lower and lower until it was resting on her rear. Twilight froze, her eyes going wide at her friend’s touch. She didn’t know if she was touching her flank on purpose or on accident, but she was willing to give the benefit of the doubt. “Um… Rainbow?”

“Yeah, Twi?” Rainbow lazily asked, simply enjoying the fact that Twilight had agreed to become snuggle buddies with her.

“Can you, um… stop touching me there?” she asked with a nervous giggle.

“Huh? What are you–” Rainbow cracked an eye open and saw exactly what Twilight was talking about. “Oh!” She yanked her hoof off of Twilight’s butt and sat up, her cheeks flushing from the severity of the situation. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to let that happen, honest! I don’t–” she said as quickly as she could, only to find Twilight’s hoof on her lips a moment later, stopping her.

“It’s fine, Rainbow,” Twilight said with a chuckle. “So long as it was an accident…” Rainbow nodded furiously. “Then there’s nothing to worry about. Anyways… since I’m gonna move into your house, you wanna help me move my stuff in? It’s not too much, really,” Twilight asked as she hopped from the bed, a small pep in her step as she trotted down the hallway.

“Yeah, sure, but I have to leave for Cloudsdale in a little bit. Big weather conference and whatnot,” Rainbow said as she followed Twilight. She spread her wings and glided in tight loops to the bottom of the stairs. “Also, I was gonna drop in on my parents and stay the night there so we could catch up and whatnot. I'm sure they’d rather find out about me adopting a foal in person rather than through a letter. You gonna be able to take care of Scootaloo for today?”

“Yeah, sure…” Twilight said, letting her shoulders slump ever so slightly. She’d been looking forward to snuggling with Rainbow on their bed, but it looked like she’d have to wait. “I guess that makes sense.” Trying to hide her disappointment, she shook her head and said, “Anyways, the faster we get this done, the sooner you can leave! We wouldn't want you to be late for your conference, right?” And the sooner you get back, the sooner we can cuddle…

True Feelings

“So… what are we doing again? All I heard when you woke me up was that we were going over to your friends’ places to tell them something,” Scootaloo asked from her position on Twilight’s back. They were trotting through the middle of town, heading straight for Rarity’s boutique.

“Well, ever since Rainbow and I started taking care of you, my friends have been left out of the loop, so since Rainbow’s gone until tomorrow, we’re gonna go and get this out of the way,” Twilight said as she looked over her shoulder, giving Scootaloo a reassuring smile.

“Get what out of the way?”

“Telling my friends that Rainbow and I adopted you. Technically, you’re our daughter now, so I think it’s important that we go and let my friends know now so that they don’t get confused later.”

“Oh, yeah, okay… how come Spike isn’t coming again?”

Twilight gave a soft giggle before responding. “I tried to get that sleepy dragon up to bring him along, but he wouldn’t budge. I think we can give him a few more hours of sleep.”

It only took them another minute to make it to Rarity’s boutique. The lights were on upstairs, but the sign said that the business was closed. Knowing that she was always welcome, Twilight knocked on the front door and walked inside. “Hey Rarity!” she called out. “Do you have a minute?”

“Ah, Twilight! I’ll be done soon, just give me one minute!” she heard Rarity’s voice call out from upstairs. “You can sit on the couch if you want!”

“Thank you!” Twilight called back. She walked over to the couch and bent down so that Scootaloo could hop off of her. Once she made herself comfortable, Twilight grabbed a nearby blanket and tossed it over Scootaloo before hopping on the couch herself. A few moments later, they heard hoofsteps come from upstairs, but instead of seeing Rarity walk downstairs, they saw Sweetie Belle.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed as her gaze fell upon her friend.

“Hey, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo said as she slid off of the couch. She wrapped a hoof around her friend’s neck in a friendly embrace then sat back. “Sorry that we couldn’t hang out the past couple of days… Things have been kinda busy.”

“Ah, Scootaloo, Twilight how nice it is to see you two again!” Rarity said as she made her way down the stairs. “Let me make us all some hot cocoa, and then we can all talk,” she said, making her way into the kitchen.

Twilight got up and followed her friend into the kitchen. “Hey, you need any help in here?” she asked as she watched her friend pull some mugs out of the cupboard.

“No, I think I can manage… Thanks though!” Rarity said. “So how’s life with Scootaloo? You just have to tell me everything!”

“Alright…” Twilight started with a nervous but excited giggle. She knew that what she was about to say was going to blow her friend’s mind. “Well, for starters… Scootaloo is now mine and Rainbow’s adopted daughter.”

Rarity took a few seconds to respond. She slowly laid the empty mug she had in her hoof’s grasp back down on the counter before she turned around, her eyes wide in astonishment. “Wha… wha… she’s your…” she stammered, unable to believe her ears.

“Yes, Rainbow and I adopted Scootaloo,” Twilight said, finishing her friend’s sentence for her. “It was the only way for her to not go to some foster home in Canterlot.” She giggled at Rarity’s shocked look. “Here, let me help you make the hot cocoa and I’ll tell you all about it.” Lighting her horn, she quickly put a pot of water on the stove and lit the fire underneath. She put a scoop of the hot cocoa mix in each cup, then when the pot of water started to boil, Twilight poured an even amount of it into each cup. “Come on, let’s go back to the living room…”

Her mouth hanging wide open, Rarity silently followed Twilight back into the living room. Twilight sat back down on the couch while Rarity sat on the chair to the left of it. Hearing Scootaloo’s and Sweetie Belle’s voices come from upstairs, Twilight picked up their mugs and held Rarity’s out for her to grab.

“So… let me get this straight,” Rarity said after taking a sip of her drink. “Scootaloo is…”

“Now my adopted daughter, yes,” Twilight said with a nod. “I’m not sure how well Scootaloo is dealing with everything, but she seems to be doing pretty well. She hasn’t had any nightmares for the past few nights and she seems to be enjoying her new room in Rainbow’s house, which is now connected to the library giving her easy access to her new home.”

“You have to be joking me, dear. There’s no way that Rainbow’s house is connected to yours…” Rarity giggled and took another sip of her drink.

“I’m actually not,” Twilight replied. “Rainbow went and filed all of the paperwork this morning, and she even got the mayor’s stamp of approval. Let me tell you, it sure was a surprise to see a massive cloudhouse floating outside my bedroom window when I woke up…” Twilight chuckled at Rarity’s look of confusion and took another sip of her own drink. “Since the court deemed the library a public building unfit to raise a filly, they ordered Rainbow and I to provide a way for Scootaloo to access Rainbow's home, so that was our, well, Rainbow’s solution. Even though she kinda did it out of the blue, I have to admit that it was rather smart of her. Oh, and you want to hear something even better?” Twilight asked. Rarity nodded back silently, raising her mug to her lips for another sip, her eyes wide in excitement. “Rainbow asked me to move in with her and I said yes.”

At that, Rarity spit the hot cocoa from her mouth, tinting her carpet brown. Not even bothered by the mess she had just created, Rarity put her mug down on the coffee table and leaned forward. Lowering her voice, she excitedly said, “Twilight, I didn’t know that you and Rainbow were together!” She sat back with a squee, her tail flicking back and forth in glee. “I mean, I suspected it from the way Rainbow kissed you back at Pinkie Pie’s party, but– oh, nevermind that. When did she ask you out?” Rarity gasped. “Wait! Or did you ask her out?”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to be shocked. “Uh… hang on a second… What are you talking about?” she asked, cocking her head to the side. Raising an eyebrow at her friend, she chuckled nervously and said, “Rarity, Rainbow and I aren’t together, we’re just friends. We figured that since we snuggle with each other almost every night of the week we might as well just share the same bed.”

“What?!” Rarity shrieked as she yanked on her hair. “Woah woah woah, hold on there; I just want to get things straight…” She took a slow, deep breath to calm herself down. “Okay… so you’re telling me that the two of you sleep together, you’re moving into her house, and you two aren’t together?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, that’s right…” Twilight said, stretching her last word out as she watched Rarity’s chest heave up and down faster and faster.

“Twilight…” Rarity started, visibly restraining herself from raising her voice. “I’m going to ask you a few questions, and I want you to answer them as truthfully as you can, okay?” Twilight nodded back. “Alright then. Since this situation with Scootaloo developed, how many times have you and Rainbow had sex?”

“What? Never!” Twilight said, shocked that Rarity would ask such a question. “We’ve just snuggled on the really cold nights…”

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry for asking such a blunt question, but I had to make sure I wasn’t misunderstanding you. So, next question… why are you and Rainbow snuggling together? If you two aren’t in a relationship, then why are you acting like you are?”

“Oh, um… well, Rainbow came by the night before Hearth’s Warming Day, really late to be exact. I was catching up on some studying when I saw what looked like a pegasus flapping their wings just outside the front door, so I went to investigate and found her in tears. When I asked her what was wrong, she said that she hadn’t slept well at all for a few months until we had snuggled on that one bed back when Scootaloo was hospitalized, so I offered if she wanted to snuggle with me again that night.”

“Why?”

Twilight blushed before she responded. “Well, I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t like another pony holding me. When we snuggle, I just always feel so safe and warm with her, like nothing can ever touch or bother us. When we snuggle, I always feel so happy with her and I never want to get out of bed when she’s there next to me. And the way her wings feel when they surround me?” Twilight felt a shiver run down her spine. “Don’t even get me started on how sweet she is… Also, when she’s not there, I…” She felt her cheeks warm even further, making her look away from her friend. “I sorta kinda wish she was.” She looked back up and stopped talking when she noticed Rarity’s smirk. “Er… what?”

Rarity giggled and smiled like an idiot as she reached for her mug. “Oh… nothing,” she said, followed by another giggle.

“What is it?” Twilight asked, growing a little defensive. “Why are you laughing at me?”

Oh Twilight, how could you be so blind? “Twilight, Rainbow obviously finds you attractive, otherwise she wouldn’t have exposed such a sensitive side to you. I mean, she can’t stand still for five minutes so I can get her fitted for a dress and here I find out about her getting all emotional with you, but that’s not what I find funny.”

“Then what?”

“I think you’re in love with her, Twilight,” Rarity said with a confident smirk.

“What? N– no I’m not…” Twilight said unconvincingly.

“Oh? And what makes you say that? Friends don’t describe friends in such vivid detail like that. It sounds like you have the hots for our rainbow-maned friend!” she said with another giggle.

“I… I…” Twilight stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. She remembered the night when Rainbow asked if she was into her, so she decided to bring that up, hoping it would help her defense. “Listen, on Hearth’s Warming Day, Rainbow asked me if I was into her, saying that she was getting a lot of ‘mixed signals’ or something of the sort. I didn’t know what to say, so I said no, and–” She stopped talking when she saw Rarity facehoof and groan. “What now?”

“Twilight…” Rarity said slowly. “Rainbow asked you if you liked her in a romantic sense and you said no? And on Hearth’s Warming Day? Do you have any idea how hard it was for her to ask something like that, especially when she thought you liked her romantically?”

“I, um… no, I didn’t think–”

“No, of course you didn’t…” Rarity groaned again. Rubbing her temples, she said, “Twilight, listen to me. The way you described Rainbow sounds like you’re really into her. The two of you look really cute together, and I have no idea how you haven’t picked up on her signals. To be honest, I really think you should ask her out on a date just to see how things go. Promise me you’ll think about it?” she asked with a hopeful smile.

“O… okay, I will,” Twilight said as she stared down at her nearly empty mug.

“Oh, and one more thing, Twilight…” Rarity said. “If you can do me a simple favor, I want you to close your eyes and describe Rainbow to me.” When Twilight opened her mouth to reply, Rarity waved her off with a hoof. “I know you already described her for me, but I just want to hear you say it again. Just close your eyes and picture her in your head.”

“Alright…” Twilight started as she closed her eyes. Crossing her forelegs, she swirled her mug’s contents before she flicked her tail to lay around her flank. After making herself comfortable on the couch, she relaxed and said, “Well… Rainbow is… she’s… I don’t know, really. She’s really special to me, and I care about her…” Lowering her voice, she couldn’t help but start to smile as she continued. “Maybe a little bit more than I should…” She finished off her mug and placed it back on the coffee table. Rarity twirled a hoof in the air, prompting her to continue.

Twilight’s smile widened as she sat back, playing with the ends of her mane. “I feel at ease when we’re together and I find myself thinking about her when we aren’t. She’s cute, funny, and a lot smarter than she lets on, something that I really like about her… I love it when she smiles, and making her happy makes me happy, and I… I…” Twilight trailed off as she came to a shocking conclusion that she knew she should have come to days ago. “I think…” she trailed off, her wings fluttering from nervous excitement. Lowering her voice to nothing more than a whisper, she brought a hoof up to her face as she whispered, “I think I might be in love…”

Rainbow had made it to the conference hall just in time. Much to her dismay, there hadn’t been any airflow in the room which had made her sweat profusely even though she was just sitting on a cushion. She had hoped that the conference was only going to take an hour, two max, but the pegasus running the conference sounded like he loved to hear himself talk, so he had gone on and on about all of the proper procedures on how to handle each and every little piece of equipment that everypony already knew how to use for most of the day. Once he had finished with that, he made it sound like he was wrapping things up only to start a discussion on how to work more efficiently and how to motivate your coworkers to work harder.

All in all, it was a complete waste of Rainbow’s time. The only thing that had kept her from falling asleep was when she started daydreaming about Twilight. The moment she started thinking about her, she closed her eyes as she remembered how soft and warm she was when they snuggled last, making her wings flutter ever so slightly.

As she envisioned herself snuggling up to Twilight in her mind’s eye, she couldn’t help but feel a blush tint her cheeks red, making her stomach flutter as if it had a few butterflies inside of it. Her flank wiggling in excitement, she just wanted to leave and go back to Ponyville so she could hang out with her because every time she was around her, she was happy. There was just something about Twilight that made her want to smile, and just the thought of her made her feel all tingly inside.

“…and that's all we have for you for today!” the green pegasus at the podium said with a flourish. “Don’t forget to grab your packets on the way out, and thank you for coming! See you guys next year!”

Thank Celestia… Rainbow thought as she quickly hopped up to her hooves, eager to get out of there. After grabbing her packet from the front desk, she took to the skies around Cloudsdale, thankful to be free from the stifling environment of the conference hall. Landing on a cloud, she took a few seconds to stretch herself out. She stuffed the packet into her saddlebag then shot off the cloud with a smile.

Well… I guess now’s as good a time as any to drop in on the folks and tell them what’s up… Rainbow thought as she wove through the air. The sun was starting to set, and even though she had a strong tolerance to the cold, she’d much rather be inside a warm, cozy house than outside in the middle of winter.

Steering towards her old house on the other side of Cloudsdale, Rainbow slowed down a bit as she flew. Though glad that Twilight had agreed to move in with her and Scootaloo, that left her in a strange position, something that she hadn’t thought of before. Usually, ponies who moved in with each other were in a romantic relationship, but since they weren’t, she started worrying what Twilight had thought when she had asked her to move in with her and Scootaloo.

“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask the ‘ol egghead out…” Rainbow said under her breath. “I mean, she is kinda cute and she’s pretty darn good at snuggling…” Just the mere thought of snuggling with Twilight made her zone out to her happy place, making her not pay attention where she was flying.

“Hey, watch it!” somepony yelled as they dove to avoid a collision with her. “Pay attention where you’re going!”

“S–sorry!” Rainbow yelled back with an apologetic wave. Looking back ahead, she picked up the pace a little, eager to get to her old house.

The flight to her old home only took her another couple of minutes. As the familiar structure came into sight, Rainbow couldn’t help but grin as she spotted her mom watering some plants hanging from the windows. Thought she still thought that taking care of plants in the middle of winter was a little odd, it didn’t matter that much to her to bring it up.

Wanting to surprise her mom, she landed a couple of houses down and trotted down the street just like she was another passerby. When the pink pegasus didn’t look up from her work, Rainbow hopped the small fence that surrounded the property and snuck up on her, crouching low. Closer and closer she got, the clouds muffling each soft step until she was right behind her.

“Hey mom!” Rainbow exclaimed as she jumped up, wrapping her forelegs around her mom’s neck in a loving hug. She squeezed gently and nuzzled the back of her head before letting go.

“Ack!” Rainbow’s mom jumped a little but immediately settled down when she recognized her daughter’s voice. “Rainbow! Oh, it’s so good to see you!” she said, returning Rainbow’s hug with a nuzzle fiercer than the one she’d just received. “What are you doing up in Cloudsdale? Your father and I were starting to wonder when you were gonna come visit us!”

“Oh, I just had to go to some stupid yearly weather patrol conference thingy. I figured that when it was done, I might as well come home for the night and hang out with the two coolest ponies I know: you guys!”

“Honey!” Rainbow heard her father call from inside the house. “Are my ears playing tricks on me or do I hear my favorite filly outside?” Rainbow looked up just in time to see her dad push the front door open. “Rainbow! Haha, I knew I recognized that voice of yours! C’mere and give your ‘ol dad a hug!”

“Hey, what’s up, dad?” Rainbow asked with a giggle as the two of them hugged. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it sure has…” Rainbow Blitz pulled back, but not before giving his daughter’s back a few welcoming pats. “So you’re staying the night, right? Find any sexy stallions yet?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Oh, stop it, you,” Firefly playfully scolded her husband, swatting him with a dirty rag.

“Heh, yeah, about that…” Rainbow started, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “That’s one of the reasons why I’m here. I’ve got some pretty important stuff to tell you guys…”

“Well, why don’t ya come on in, Dashie?” Rainbow Blitz asked, making her daughter blush from his old nickname. “I was just about to finish making some potato soup for your mother and I. Care to join?” He knew that Rainbow wouldn’t miss out on a chance to have one of her old favorite meals.

“Heh, you know I’d love to…” Rainbow said as she followed her parents back inside the house. She closed the front door behind her, smiling as she looked around the place where she grew up. In contrast to her nice cloudhouse back in Ponyville, her parents’ house was small and cozy, about the same size as Fluttershy’s cottage. Reminiscing about all of the good times she had back when she was a filly, she walked down the central hallway and into the kitchen where she found her dad pouring her mom a big bowl of potato soup.

“Here, take a seat, Dashie,” Rainbow Blitz said, gesturing to her old favorite cushion at the head of the table. “We never got rid of your old seat.”

“Heh, awesome!” Rainbow said with a small chuckle as she settled down at her old place at the table. “Ahh… still as comfy as ever…” she said under her breath as she watched her dad pour her a generous helping of the soup.

“So…” Rainbow Blitz started as he poured himself the rest of the soup. “What’s new?”

Rainbow took a few sips of the hot soup before responding. “Well… I’ll be straight up with you and get straight to the point. I adopted a local Ponyville filly with a friend.” As her parents’ eyes widened in surprise at that tasty little tidbit of news, Rainbow started explaining. “Before I tell you why, I just want to say that it’s not because I haven’t been able to find a special someone to have foals with, but because I really feel like this was the best course. Her name is Scootaloo, a young pegasus that has a flying disability. She looks up to me like I’m her older sister, and I took her under my wing a few months back. So when I heard her old parents were abusing the hay out of her, I stepped in and I did what was right. To make a long story short, they treated their daughter so badly that they’re in jail now.”

Both of Rainbow’s parents just stared at her in a shocked silence. Several moments passed before Rainbow’s dad spoke up. “Rainbow, uh… wow. Heh, that sounds really nice of you, but how is she your daughter now? Don’t get me wrong, I’m really proud of you for stepping up like that, because trust me, taking care of a filly is one heck of a responsibility, but aren’t you supposed to go through some huge process to adopt a filly? How’d you adopt Scootaloo so soon?”

“Well, I had a little help from the princesses. Because of some loophole in adoption laws, when the judge took Scootaloo out of her old parents’ legal care, since she wasn’t technically in the foster care system with FPS, we didn’t have to go through a ton of paperwork just to get her. I’m not sure if our reputations as national heroes played a part in any of it, but the judge appointed us as Scootaloo’s new legal guardians on the spot, effectively letting us adopt her. It had been our plan from the start, so it was quite a relief when we actually won.”

“Rainbow, that’s… that’s really sweet of you…” Firefly said with a loving smile. She leaned over the corner of the small table and nuzzled her daughter on the cheek. “This just gives us a good reason to stop by and meet our new granddaughter!”

“Definitely…” Rainbow Blitz nodded, letting a sly smile slip onto his face. “So Dashie, who is this ‘friend’ that adopted Scootaloo with you? Are they a super hot stallion who you’ve fallen head over hoof for?”

“Um… kinda,” Rainbow closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. “I think I may have feelings for them, and–”

“Called it!” Rainbow Blitz said. “So who’s the special stallion, Rainbow? Is it somepony we know?”

  “Er…” Rainbow knew what she was about to say would reveal the fact that she wasn’t going after a stallion, but a mare, so she decided to bite the bit and get it over with, hoping that her parents wouldn’t react too negatively. “No, you haven’t met…” She gulped before finishing her sentence. “…Her.” She winced, preparing herself for the worst. “The one I adopted Scootaloo with and the one I have feelings for is a… a mare.”

“So?” Firefly asked nonchalantly. “What difference does that make?”

“Huh? But I thought you wanted me to get with some stallion!” Rainbow said, her eyebrows furrowing a bit in confusion. She’d always assumed that her parents had wanted her to find some nice pegasus stallion to settle down and start a family with, but it seemed like she had been wrong in her assumption.

“Well…” Rainbow Blitz started. “Like any parent, we just want what’s best for you and what makes you happy. Whether it be with a mare or a stallion matters not, for love comes in all shapes and forms. Love is the bond that a mother and her foal shares, while it also can be the bond that two adults share with each other. We’re just happy that you’ve finally found it, really.” He took another sip of his soup, then asked, “So what kinda pony do you have the hots for? An earth pony? I hear they’re really fun under the sheets…” He chuckled, only to have his wife affectionately swat him on the leg. “Or perhaps a nice unicorn?”

“I’ve got my money on a pegasus. Only somepony with wings can keep up with my fast little filly!” Firefly said, a confident smile forming on her face. “So who’s right? Me or him?”

“Um… nobody,” Rainbow said as she blushed. She procrastinated telling her parents who it was by taking another few sips of her soup. When she heard her mother groan, she cocked an eyebrow at her and looked up.

“Oh wait… is it that one griffon you met at Junior Speedster Flight Camp? Gilda, right?” Firefly asked with a roll of her eyes. “We never really liked you hanging out with her…”

“Yeah, that’s her name, but–”

“Aha! I knew you were with that girl! I always had a feeling that you two were messing around with each other!” Firefly exclaimed, confident that she was right.

“No, mom! It’s not Gilda, and besides, I’m not really into griffons like that…”

“Oh? Then who is it? If she’s not a pony, then what species is s–”

“She’s an alicorn, mom, and her name is Twilight Sparkle!” Rainbow said, cutting her mom off. Just uttering the name of her affection sent a small shiver down her spine, making her blush deepen just a little bit further. “On Hearth’s Warming Day, she was acting all nervous and I was getting all of these mixed signals, so I took a chance. I asked her if she was into me, and she said…” Rainbow looked down and let her shoulders slump. “She said no… I recovered by saying it was okay if she wasn’t into me, but even though I didn’t admit it at the time, it hurt me. We’re really close, so I can’t help but feel like there could be something more between the two of us…”

Rainbow Blitz put his spoon back down on the table and pushed his empty bowl away from him. “Rainbow Dash, I want you to think long and hard before you answer me, okay?” Rainbow nodded at him. “Do you want there to be something more between the two of you?” Both he and his wife looked at Rainbow, waiting for her response.

“I…” Rainbow trailed off as she glanced to the side, unable to meet her father’s intense stare. She made it look like she was deep in thought, but she already knew the answer in her heart. “Yes, I do. I want there to be something more between us,” she said with a confident smile.

“Then why don't you just go ask her out? You do have to admit that asking a romantic interest of yours if she’s into you is a little lame,” Rainbow Blitz said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, hehe, kinda… and I don’t know. What would she think of me if I just suddenly come up and say I’m into her and that I want her to go out with me, especially after she said she wasn’t into me? Ugh… why do things have to get so complicated?” she groaned, rubbing the back of her neck in exasperation.

“Dashie… Dashie… Dashie…” Rainbow Blitz said as he stood up to grab everypony’s empty dishes. He brought them over to the sink and started washing them out. “Remember what I told you before you left for flight camp all those years ago? ‘If you’re gonna do something…’”

Rainbow felt her blush deepen as she remembered the last time that she heard those words. She had said the beginning of her dad’s catchphrase herself at Pinkie’s Hearth’s Warming Eve party right after she had kissed Twilight. As she thought about the feeling of Twilight’s lips upon hers, she knew what she had to do. “…Then you gotta do it right,” Rainbow finished with an ever-widening smile.

The Calm before the Storm

What would be the best way to ask the ‘ol egghead out? Rainbow thought as she neared the outskirts of Ponyville. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the sun starting to make its way into the sky behind her, giving her a small modicum of relief from the wintery cold. The speed at which she flew made the wind bite at her muzzle, leaving her lips chapped and sore. She was chilled to the bone from flying at such a high altitude and speed, but the knowledge that she’d be home soon kept her going.

Her home came into view as she whipped over the tops of the houses. Wondering if Twilight was still asleep, she flared her wings to bleed some speed and stopped at a hover just outside of the library’s bedroom window. She wiped the window free of ice and snow as best she could, then cupped her hooves and peered inside, her eyes finally settling on the vague shape of Twilight’s bed.

Much to her surprise, it appeared to be empty. Rainbow landed on the part of the house connecting the two buildings together and, with a shaky hoof, pulled open the door, entering Twilight’s bedroom. Blissful warmth rushed upon her right after she closed the door, sending a delightful shiver down her spine. Rainbow fluffed her wings and shook the snow from them. Upon hearing Spike snoring coming from just down the hall, she noted to tread softly as she looked over at Twilight’s empty bed.

Heh, knowing Twilight, she’s probably already awake and eating breakfast downstairs. Rainbow thought as she crept out into the hallway, hoping to surprise her. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she peered around the corner and cocked her ear every which way. Nothing but the sound of the wind blowing past the library outside met her ears.

What if… Rainbow gulped nervously. What if she’s in my bed? Keeping that thought in mind, she made her way back up into Twilight’s bedroom and into her own house. She flew up the stairs and landed right before her bedroom door, which was cracked open just a little bit. It wasn’t like that when I left… With bated breath, she pushed the door open and walked inside.

Twilight was sound asleep in her cloud bed, an open Daring Do book laying just out of hoof’s reach on the edge of the bed. The blankets were tucked in tightly around her, rising and falling with each breath. Looking closer, Rainbow spied a tuft of purple hair sprouting from the edge of the sheets. A smile crawled onto her face as she watched Twilight roll over in her sleep, the sheets falling down around her midsection. A lump under the covers shifted against Twilight, then slowly made its way upwards until Scootaloo’s head appeared from under the top of the covers. As she watched on, Scootaloo laid her head against Twilight’s foreleg and tugged the covers up against her, a small smile on her face as she made herself comfortable. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep again.

Rainbow’s heart throbbed in her chest as she imagined Twilight agreeing to go out with her. Her tail flicking about in nervous excitement, she had half a mind to just walk up and lay a kiss on Twilight’s lips to wake her up, just like a brave prince waking up a sleeping princess would. As soon as she would have woken up, Rainbow would have asked her out on the spot. The other half of her mind screamed at her to not do exactly that, for fear of ruining their friendship and making things extremely awkward.

Ugh, why does romance have to be so hard? Rainbow thought, flicking her ears back. She imagined what life would be like if she and Twilight were together. Cuddling on the couch with mugs of hot cocoa, small random kisses throughout the day just to remind each other of our affection, the happiness that we would share just from being with each other… Rainbow shivered, not from the cold, but from the possibility of what the near future held in store for her. And forming a healthy and loving family for Scootaloo just makes everything so much better…

Rainbow plodded across the cloud floor until she stood by her bed. Taking care to not wake either Twilight or Scootaloo up, she pulled the blankets back up over the two of them, and once she was sure that they wouldn’t fall off of them, she walked out of the bedroom and carefully closed the door behind them. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, so she jumped over the edge of the balcony and glided into the kitchen. She pulled open her cabinets, one after the other as she searched for food. Much to her disappointment, she couldn’t find anything.

Letting out a groan, she thought to check to see if Twilight had any food in the library. Her hope restored, she quickly made her way down to the first floor of the library. Spotting the refrigerator across from her, she flitted over the table and yanked it open.

“Yes!” she said under her breath, glad that Twilight was smart enough to keep it fully stocked. Sure that Twilight wouldn’t mind if she ate some of her food, especially after all she’d done for her letting her live in her house and all, she grabbed some yogurt and plopped down on a cushion at the table. Though just as soon as she had managed to pull the wrapper off the top, somepony knocked at the library’s front door.

When nopony answers the door, they’ll just go away… Rainbow thought as she started eating her breakfast. The pony at the door knocked again, making her pause again. “Can’t they see that the library is still closed?” she muttered as she cleaned out the first yogurt. Moving onto the second one, she waited for the pony at the door to knock again. After a minute of silence, Rainbow shrugged, figuring that they had left.

Rainbow quickly finished off the other yogurt. After throwing away her trash, she went back out into the main room of the library. Flicking her ears in the direction of the stairs, all she heard was Spike snoring. Heh, that ‘ol egghead probably stayed up late reading with Scootaloo… Might as well tidy up the library.

And tidy up she did. She dusted all of the shelves, figured out how to find the proper places for books that had been returned, and had swept the floor. All the while, she had thought about different ways to ask Twilight out. She had thought of numerous situations, each one crazier than the last, until she had given up. Figuring now was as good a time as any, Rainbow flipped the ‘Closed’ sign to ‘Open’ and unlocked the front door.

Satisfied with a job well done, she couldn’t wait until Twilight woke up to her little surprise. It was still a little early in the morning, so as she fought back a yawn, she trotted back into the kitchen and started making a pot of coffee for whoever wanted some.

A couple minutes later, she sat down on the couch in the main room, a steaming cup of coffee in her hooves. Looking down at the mail strewn over the coffee table, Rainbow picked up an official-looking envelope. It was a light blue color that had the Crystal Empire’s wax seal on the back. Rainbow knew it was rude to intrude, but because of her boredom, her curiosity got the best of her. She set her coffee down and pulled the letter out. Unfolding it, she quickly read the short message:

Dearest Twilight,

Believe it or not, but I was able to find some time off! I have to take care of some things in these next couple of days, but as soon as I’m done, I’ll pack a bag and jump on an overnight train. If you aren’t awake by the time I get to Ponyville, I’ll find someplace warm to kill some time. Maybe I’ll try out that Sugarcube Corner place you keep talking about. Anyways, if all goes to plan, I’ll see you bright and early on Friday morning!

With lots of love,
Cadence

Huh… today is Friday… Rainbow took another sip from her mug, then nearly choked as she realized her mistake. Oh ponyfeathers, that was Cadence knocking at the door a while ago! Quickly finishing off her mug, she placed the letter back inside the envelope then put it back where she found it. After throwing her mug in the sink, Rainbow trotted to the front door and walked outside, wincing as the door slammed shut. Yeah… that probably woke them up… she thought as she quickly took to the air.

Since Sugarcube Corner was right down the street, it took her about ten or so seconds to land in front of the door. Rainbow pushed the door open and found Princess Cadence sitting at the farthest table from the door, deep in conversation with Pinkie Pie. The bell above the door chimed, making the other two ponies look at her.

“Oh, hey Rainbow! What’s up?” Pinkie said with a friendly wave. She looked at Cadence and as she trotted to the back of the bakery, she said, “Gimme a sec, Princess, and those muffins will be right out!”

“Princess,” Rainbow said as she bowed, wondering why Pinkie was acting so friendly towards Princess Cadence.

“Rainbow!” Cadence said, pulling her into a hug. “How’re Scootaloo and Twilight doing?”

“They’re, uh… they’re fine,” Rainbow faltered a bit, unnerved by the lack of formality. I guess that explains why Pinkie Pie is being so chill around her… “Those two sleepyheads are still in bed, and I kinda read your letter you sent to Twilight the other day, so… yeah,” she finished lamely, silently wishing that she had something better to say. “If you want, we can head back to the library. They’re probably awake by now because I kiiiinda slammed the door shut without meaning too…” she trailed off with a nervous giggle.

Cadence just stared at her, a smug smile on her face. “Er… or we can stay here if you want,” Rainbow said, unable to hold Cadence’s steely gaze. It had felt as if she was staring directly into her soul, making her wonder if she could sense her affection for somepony.

“Oh, that’s all right; I think we can head back there,” Cadence said, then looked towards the back of the store. “Pinkie!” she called out, waiting until the other pink pony poked her head out from around the door frame. “Rainbow here is going to take us back to the library. It was nice seeing you again, and I’ll have to take a rain check on those muffins.”

“Oh, okay!” Pinkie said. “Don’t forget about tomorrow night, alright?”

“I won’t!” Cadence said as she started walking away. Glancing down at Rainbow, she asked, “You ready?”

Rainbow nodded back. As soon as they made it outside, Rainbow asked, “Um… what did she mean about tomorrow night?” She felt a shiver run down her spine as a particularly cold gust of wind hit her flank.

“Oh, that.” Cadence let out a small giggle. “Pinkie wanted to throw a party just because there were two princesses in town, but I managed to convince her to have a New Years party at Sugarcube Corner instead.”

“Ah, alright.” Rainbow let their conversation die away as she returned to her thoughts. I sure hope Twi’s not angry at me for waking her up… It didn’t take them long to return to the library, and as she held the door open for Cadence, Rainbow heard noises in the kitchen. Closing the door behind her, she trotted forward and spotted Twilight sitting at the table, her head hidden behind the morning’s newspaper. Rainbow motioned for Cadence to stay quiet. “Hey, Twilight! You wanna guess who’s here?” she asked as she trotted into the kitchen, leaving Cadence behind her.

Twilight set down the newspaper and gasped, a wide smile threatening to break her face in half. “Rainbow, you’re back!” She got up from the table and pulled her into a fierce hug.

“Sheesh, Twilight, I was only gone for a couple of days…” Rainbow said, her cheeks flushing. The warmth emanating from Twilight’s coat soothed her, warming her from the cold outside. She relaxed in Twilight’s embrace as she felt her friend’s hoof tighten around the back of her neck, making her reciprocate in kind. She still felt a little awkward about public displays of affection, and she didn’t really feel all that comfortable with Cadence standing just around the corner, hearing everything. However, that didn’t stop her from giving Twilight a small nuzzle as they released each other.

“Yeah I know, but I kinda missed snuggling with you,” Twilight said, blissfully unaware that Cadence was standing just out of sight. She shuffled her wings and flicked her head, trying unsuccessfully to get some bedhead out of her face. “Scootaloo had another nightmare last night, by the way. I heard her crying in her sleep, so I brought her back to your room, read her some of a Daring Do book, and before I knew it, she was fast asleep under my wing.” She sat down and levitated her cup of coffee up to her lips for a quick sip. “That poor filly… I think I may have to write to Luna about this if she keeps having nightmares…”

“Yeah, that would probably be a good idea,” Rainbow said, shooting a glance back at Cadence. She nodded for her to step forward, and as she did, she said, “Anyways, there’s somepony here to see ya!” She stepped back and allowed Cadence to walk into the kitchen.

“Cadence!” Twilight said with a smile, pulling her sister-in-law into a brief hug. “How was your trip?”

Rainbow smirked as she silently noted that Twilight seemed a lot happier to see her rather than Cadence. Their hug had lasted a lot longer than the brief hug that she had given Cadence, and they hadn’t even nuzzled each other.

“It went well, thanks,” Cadence said. “So, before we get things started, what’s the best hotel in town? I’d like a place to put my bags.”

“Don’t be silly, Cadence!” Twilight peered around her, a puzzled look upon her face. “Um… where are your bags?”

Cadence grinned. “Well, you remember how I said that I had a couple of things to take care of before I left?” Twilight nodded and cocked her head to the side, her ears facing forward. “I was doing some research on long-lost spells from the Crystal Empire, spells that hadn’t been used for generations. I thought you’d like to learn them with m–”

Twilight’s eyes went wide at the prospect of learning spells few ponies knew about. “Are you kidding? I’d love to! Gimme a few minutes to get the basement ready!” At that, she darted towards her desk and grabbed a bunch of blank scrolls, quills, and several jars of ink. Without wasting a moment of time, she trotted down the stairs leading to the basement.

Rainbow couldn’t help but let a giggle slip out of her as she watched Twilight’s antics. She’s so adorable when she gets like that… Ugh! I still don’t have a way to ask her out… As she started trying to come up with a good way to go about the act, an exciting idea popped into her mind. What if I ask Cadence if she can help? I don’t want her to know right off the bat, so I’ll just say that I’m asking about a friend’s problem… Hehe, that’s totally gonna work! “So, uh… Cadence?”

“Yes?”

“Can we talk, er… in private la–later?” Rainbow stammered. She took a few short breaths and fluffed her wings. “There’s something kinda personal I want to talk about.”

“Of course, Rainbow,” Cadence said, a knowing glint in her eye.

“Oh–okay, thanks!” Rainbow said a bit nervously, looking everywhere but Cadence. As the silence started to drag on into awkwardness territory, Rainbow cleared her throat and stood up. “Alright, well, since you two are gonna go play with some old spells, I’m gonna see if I can get some work done with the weather patrol.” She didn’t wait for a response as she took to the air, quickly flying across the library and out of the front door.

After a couple of hours getting everything set up down in the lab, Twilight sat down across from Cadence.

“So yeah, you can just sleep in my bed in my old bedroom,” Twilight said as she unrolled a piece of parchment. She used a quick spell to flatten it out then dipped her quill in the ink pot. “Since the courts deemed my library an unsuitable place to raise a filly, especially one in her condition, Rainbow came up with the awesome idea of combining our two houses together through the balcony outside my bedroom.”

“But what about you? Where are you going to sleep?” Cadence asked as she mirrored Twilight’s actions. She lit her horn and opened a small portal, then levitated a few thick tomes out. The portal winked out of existence with a small pop.

“Oh, Rainbow and I share her bed now; we’ve become pretty good snuggle-buddies. It sure beats a cold blanket on these cold nights, right?”

“…Yeah, it does,” Cadence said slowly, her eyes running over Twilight’s face inquisitively. She passed one of the thick books across the table and pulled one over in front of her. As if they were perfectly synchronized, they both opened the books at the same time and started reading.

The next several hours passed in silence. Every so often, Cadence sensed a small pulse of love emanating from Twilight, but she paid it no mind. Over time, the pulses grew in strength until she felt them every couple of seconds. At that point, Cadence knew that Twilight was in full daydream mode; there was no way that she could be studying with that much love flowing from her.

Clearing her throat, Cadence noted the page number she was on and closed the book. “So Twilight…” she said slowly, a sly grin forming on her face as she propped her head up on her hooves.

Twilight jumped a little, slightly startled by Cadence’s voice in the still air. “Y–yes, Cadence?” she asked, giggling nervously.

“I think it’s about time we take a break and have a little talk, you and I…” Cadence said. “About love…” she said, her smile growing wider as she watched Twilight start fidgeting more.

“Um… what are you talking about?” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck.

“You know how easy it is for me to sense those kinds of feelings, Twilight; nopony can hide them from me.” Cadence played with the tips of her mane for a few moments and asked, “Sooo… are you interested in somepony?” Twilight blushed and looked back down at her book, trying to avoid the question. “Is it a handsome stallion?” she asked, and when Twilight stayed silent, she decided to move onto the next question. “Orrrr, is he a she?” Twilight’s cheeks flushed a deeper shade of crimson. “Aha! So you have feelings for a cute mare, huh?”

“Y–yeah,” Twilight whispered, barely able to speak from sheer nervousness. Why am I so nervous? I wasn’t nearly this nervous when I told Rarity…

“It’s Rainbow, isn’t it?” Cadence asked out of the blue.

“What?! How’d you know? How could you possibly know that?” Twilight closed her eyes briefly, realizing that she’d already revealed too much. Trying to recover, she said, “I mean, no… yes! I, we–” She glanced back up at Cadence and saw her smirking at her. Well, since the cat’s out of the bag… “Yes, it’s her,” Twilight whispered so softly that she barely heard herself speak.

“What was that, dear? I didn’t hear you,” Cadence said, praying her ears weren’t playing tricks on her.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Yes, it’s Rainbow…” she said, her blush deepening as she let a smile form on her face. “It’s just…” Twilight sighed. “I didn’t even realize I had real feelings for her until Rarity spelled it out for me the other day. I can’t help but feel so close to her, especially when she holds me at night…” Her shoulders drooped a little bit. “I would absolutely love it if we could be together, but I’m afraid that it’d make things really awkward if she said no.” She looked up, a hopeful look upon her face. “Could you… could you help me figure out a way to ask her out?”

“Twilight, Twilight, Twilight…” Cadence said, walking around the table. She laid a wing around her and said, “Of course I can help you! So here’s what you have to do…”

Tense Moments

“Mmm… that was a good dinner, Cadence!” Twilight said, pushing her empty plate away from her. They had all just finished a hearty dinner consisting of a full salad, bread rolls, and to top it all off, Cadence had cooked a scrumptious pumpkin pie for dessert. “I never knew you could cook so well!” Twilight sat back with a pleasantly full stomach on her cushion, looking around the cozy table with a tired smile.

Everyone had barely been able to fit around the small table that she and Spike used, nearly crammed up against each other. Twilight had made it to the table first just so that she would be able to eat next to Rainbow, and she hoped that she hadn’t appeared too eager. Scootaloo was sitting to Rainbow’s left on the corner of the table and Cadence sat across from them with Spike to her left.

“Well, I had to find something to occupy my spare time with,” Cadence said as she grabbed the dishes with her magic. “Don’t tell Shining I said this, but things get a little boring up in our castle. He’s always so busy, so I like to surprise him with a special meal every now and then.” She trotted around the table and headed towards the sink, everyone’s dirty dishes floating in front of her. “Enjoy the food, little one?” she asked as she passed Scootaloo.

“Mhm!” Scootaloo said with a nod. “It was really…” A small yawn cut her off. “…really good. Thanks for making it!”

“Oh, it was nothing…” Cadence said. With a couple of quick spells, she had the dishes cleaned and put away back in the cupboards.

“Woah, you have got to teach me that spell, Cadence!” Twilight said, her eyes wide in surprise.

“Yeah, you should definitely teach her that!” Spike cut in with a hopeful look. “If she can clean the dishes in a couple of seconds like that, then that means that I won’t have to do the dishes anymore!”

“All in good time, Twily…” Cadence said, giggling at Spike’s little outburst. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was already getting pretty late. “Say, isn’t it past Scootsies bedtime?”

“…Scootsies? I don’t– wait. I have a bedtime now?” Scootaloo asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion as she looked back and forth between Twilight and Rainbow. “…really?”

“Yes, really,” Twilight said with a gentle smile. “I think it may help you stop having nightmares if we get you on a schedule like this.” She stood up and walked around the table, using her wing to gently guide Scootaloo towards the stairs leading up to Rainbow’s house. “I’ll be back in a bit, guys. Once I put Scootaloo to bed I’m gonna take a quick shower before bed.”

“Alright, see you soon!” Rainbow said, waving Scootaloo goodnight. Once the filly waved back, Rainbow caught Cadence’s eye and nodded. This is it… she thought when Cadence nodded back. Looking at Spike, Rainbow chuckled nervously and said, “Hey, um… Spike? Cadence and I are gonna hang out on the top deck for a bit and look at the stars. You wanna come?” She knew for a fact that he hated the cold and much preferred the warmth of his bed, especially on a cold night like this.

“Nah, thanks though,” Spike said. “I’ve got a few comics waiting on the couch that I wanna re-read before I go to bed.”

Perfect… “Okay, c–cool!” Rainbow stuttered. Chill, Dash, chill! “We’ll see ya tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, okay Dash. Have a good night you two…” he said with a yawn. He gave one of Cadence’s forelegs a brief hug then walked out of the kitchen, making a beeline for the couch. He lit a few candles with his fire breath, pulled a blanket around them, and cracked open the first of several comic books.

Rainbow knew it was time. With a short nod, she motioned towards the stairs and followed Cadence as they made their way to the top of the library, all the way up to the sun deck. Cadence pushed open the trapdoor and climbed through, then helped Rainbow up a moment later. Rainbow closed the trapdoor behind them and walked to the railing, her gaze flicking from star to star.

It was cold outside, yet the lack of the wind made it a little more bearable. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, lending Rainbow an uninhibited view of the night sky. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute and the cold was doing nothing to help calm her nerves. She fluffed her wings and pulled them tightly to her side in an effort to conserve what little warmth her body still had.

As she tried to calm down enough, Rainbow heard Cadence’s horn light up. Wondering what she was doing, she was just about to turn around and ask when Cadence sat down next to her, levitating a thick blanket over their shoulders. Rainbow smiled gratefully at her, then wrapped the edge of the blanket tightly around her.

A minute passed in silence, then two.

“So…” Cadence said softly, breaking the silence. “What was it you wanted to talk about?”

Here we go… “I, er… I have thi– this friend, right?” Rainbow started, mentally kicking herself for sounding so weak. “She asked me for advice the other day, and, um… she told me that she might have feelings for another…” She gulped nervously, pulling the blanket closer to her. “…for another mare.” Unbeknownst to her, Cadence’s eyes widened in excitement. “This friend of mine, she… she really loves this other mare, but she doesn’t… doesn’t know if the one she likes would love her back…” As she talked, her shoulders slumped and she bowed her head, her ears flicking back at the possibility of Twilight turning down her affections.

“Hm… yes, I see…” Cadence murmured, running a hoof over her chin. “And this friend of yours, what’s her name?”

Rainbow almost said her own name out of reflex but caught herself at the last second. “I– She said that she’d like it if I kept it a secret for her, sorry…” That was close.

“That’s fine, I guess,” Cadence said. “You know… I think that Twilight would be very happy with you…”

“Yeah, same– wait, what?!” Rainbow’s head shot up in shock. How can she know? she thought, panic running through her mind. She tensed up, preparing to fly away to save herself the embarrassment of spilling her guts out in front of Princess Cadence, but she quickly shoved those feelings away. Rainbow closed her eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for Cadence to speak.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t be able to see through that little facade of yours, Rainbow?” Cadence asked gently, giving her a playful nudge with a wing. “I am the princess of love after all…” She waited for Rainbow to respond, and when she didn’t, she decided to continue. “I can literally sense how much you love her, Rainbow, and I know that you love her a great deal.”

“I… yeah, I might like her, maybe a little more than I should…”

“Rainbow, feelings of love are nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I know, and it’s not that; I’m just really nervous, is all…” Rainbow trailed off, looking everywhere but Cadence. Her gaze eventually came to rest on the moon far off in the distance. “I messed up big time…” she whispered after a full minute of silence, her voice full of pain and regret.

“Oh?” Cadence asked softly, knowing all too well that she had to tread carefully.

“Yeah… back on Hearth’s Warming Day, I was getting all sorts of mixed signals from Twilight, so I acted like a numbskull and asked her if she was into me out of the blue. Now that was an awkward situation! Anyways, to make a long story short, she said no. Every time I think about that moment, it... it hurts me, and I regret asking her that stupid question every day. The only time I don’t feel that pain is when we’re together…”

“Let me guess… you just want to spend every single second with them, right?” Cadence asked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, I know the feeling…” Cadence said, thinking of her husband for a few brief moments. “Anyways, I want to hear you describe Twilight for me.”

“Um… why?”

“Just trust me, alright? I want to hear what you think about her…”

Rainbow took a long, deep breath and decided that it wouldn’t hurt. Besides, there was nopony around, and Twilight was probably still in the shower. Just as she opened her mouth to start talking, she heard something coming from below them. Wondering what it was, she peeked over the railing and looked at the part of their houses that connected the two, seeing nothing but empty air. Shrugging, she sat back and gathered her thoughts for a few moments. A small breeze rolled in, her nose catching the faint scent of strawberries. Slightly puzzled, she brushed that thought away and began to speak.

“Twilight is… well, she’s everything and more to me. I can’t stand not being around her, and when I am, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I love it when she holds me in her hooves,” she said, her voice getting stronger and firmer with each passing second. Rainbow felt butterflies start flitting about in her stomach, but the sheer amount of affection and love she felt for Twilight pushed them back. “When I’m out in public, I always keep a tough act going because I don’t want ponies starting to think I’m weak. I had a time in my life where I was made fun of, and I… I learned to act tough so I wouldn’t get picked on…” She trailed off as she stared off into the distance. Several seconds passed before she started speaking again.

“But when I’m with her? I feel safe, secure. I know I can drop my act around her and just be myself because I know that she won’t judge me. I love that about her; about how I can just be myself and relax… It’s kinda hard acting tough all the time.”

“Mhm…” Cadence nodded with a small smile. “Shining was the same way for a while until I managed to get him to relax around me and let his guard down…” She glanced at Rainbow. “Oh, er… sorry for the interruption. Please, continue…”

“A… alright. When we snuggle, I…” She felt herself blush as she remembered just how awesome it felt snuggling with Twilight. “I feel safe. Whenever we get the chance to snuggle, I would always be the big spoon because, I think, unconsciously I knew that was what I expected of myself. When we were up in Canterlot for the trial, I had asked to be the little spoon that morning, and with the few minutes I had, I felt something I’d never felt before. I felt like that was my place: in Twilight’s embrace. She had a leg holding my forelegs to my chest, her tail was laying around my flank, and best of all, her wing was wrapped around my belly… I loved it; I really loved every single second of it…” Rainbow closed her eyes, relieved that she had gotten that off of her chest. A few moments later, she looked over at Cadence and giggled nervously when she saw her smiling at her. “I… I just don’t know how to tell her I like her…”

Cadence took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Taking a moment to fluff her wings, she paused for a few more seconds then let a sly smile creep onto her face. “You know, I think I want to hear you really say it.”

Rainbow gulped. “Uh… say what?” she asked dumbly, already knowing exactly what Cadence wanted.

“I want to hear you say that you love her.”

Rainbow stared at Cadence for a few seconds then wilted, unable to hold the alicorn’s fierce gaze. “Alright…” She lowered her voice until it was naught but a whisper. “I love her…”

“Louder.”

Rainbow cleared her throat, a small smile finding its way onto her face. “I love her,” she said, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson.

“Louder, and with more conviction!” Cadence said, raising her voice. “Make me believe that you love her!”

“I do love her!” Rainbow said, stomping a hoof on the deck. “I love Twilight Sparkle!” She stood up and flapped her wings as hard as she could a single time, her heart racing and throbbing with love. She settled back down and wrapped the blanket back around her, then said, “I still need a way to ask her out, though…”

“Why don’t you just ask her out on a date at Pinkie Pie’s party tomorrow night? I’m sure that there’ll be a good opportunity or two for you to get some private time, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess… I don’t want to mess this up, so… can you teach me what to say?” Rainbow asked hopefully, looking up into Cadence’s eyes. She noticed a strange glint in them, sending a shiver of excitement down her spine.

Cadence grinned. “Hehe, I’d be more than happy to…”

Twilight stepped into the shower, closing her eyes and smiling as the hot water cascaded down her neck and back. She’d just put Scootaloo to bed, and after wishing her sweet dreams, she had walked into Rainbow’s bedroom to wash all of the day’s dirt and grime from her. Besides, she didn’t want to push Rainbow away by smelling bad, especially when they were going to snuggle soon.

Twilight lit her horn and used her magic to pour a good bit of her strawberry-scented shampoo all over her, then worked it into her coat and mane, making sure to clean every bit of her body. She stepped back under the shower head and let the water rinse the soap suds from her, and once she was clean, she turned the water’s temperature up a bit. After a minute passed, Twilight shut the water off and stepped out of the shower, using a quick spell to dry herself off.

I wonder what the others are up to… she thought with a small smile, wondering if Rainbow was as excited as she was to cuddle with her. The sooner the better… the sooner the better… Twilight quickly made her way down the stairs and back out onto the balcony that connected their houses. As she quietly shut Rainbow’s front door behind her, she heard soft voices coming from above her, making her pause. Flicking her ears upwards, Twilight instantly recognized Rainbow’s voice, then Cadence’s a few moments later.

“I messed up big time…” Twilight heard Rainbow say. What is she talking about? Twilight lit her horn and cast a spell that allowed her to hear things more clearly, and as she focused the spell on the level above her, she heard her two friends like they were sitting right next to her.

“Yeah… back on Hearth’s Warming Day, I was getting all sorts of mixed signals from Twilight,” Twilight heard. Mixed signals? What’s she talking about? She still had no idea what Rainbow was going on about, so she started listening again. “…ow that was an awkward situation! Anyways, to make a long story short, she said no. Every time I think about that moment, it hurts me, and I regret it with every waking moment. The only time I don’t feel that pain is when we’re together…”

“Let me guess… you just want to spend every single second with them, right?” Cadence asked.

“Yeah…” Twilight heard Rainbow’s voice drift down from above.

“Oh, I know the feeling…” Twilight heard Cadence say. “Anyways, I want to hear you describe Twilight for me.”

Why would Cadence want Rainbow to describe me? She already knows me! Twilight cocked her head to the side, puzzled. Unless… Twilight’s eyes shot wide open as one possibility occurred to her, one that was most favorable. There’s no way that Rainbow and Cadence are talking about her liking me romantically… right? Oh please oh please oh pleeeeeeeaaaase say what I want you to say…

Twilight so desperately wanted to hear everything, and more so, not be discovered in the process. Lighting her horn, she cloaked herself, making herself invisible to the naked eye. Only those who knew how to detect the spell would be able to find her, so she was confident that she was safe. The spell finished hiding her from view a moment later, and as it ended, it made a soft popping noise, scaring her, for she had forgotten that that would happen.

Twilight looked up in fear, praying that they hadn’t heard her. She saw Rainbow’s head pop out over the edge of the balcony and look around, but thankfully she didn’t see her. Twilight sat stock-still, knowing that any movement might give away her location, especially since her weight was making an imprint on the cloud she was sitting on.

Rainbow sat back a moment later, making Twilight sigh ever so softly in relief. She had no idea what Rainbow would have done if she caught her eavesdropping on her. A breeze rolled in behind her, making her shiver. Twilight would have gone and grabbed something to warm her up, but there was no way that she was going to move from this spot until she heard everything that Rainbow had to say.

“Twilight is… well, she’s everything and more to me…” Twilight heard Rainbow’s voice say softly, making her breath catch in her throat. Her eyes locked on the balcony above her, she felt her stomach twist itself into a knot and back again.

“I can’t stand not being around her, and when I am, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I love it when she holds me in her hooves,” Rainbow said, her voice getting stronger and firmer. “When I’m out in public, I always keep a tough act going because I don’t want ponies starting to think I’m weak. I had a time in my life where I was made fun of, and I… I learned to act tough so I wouldn’t get picked on…”

“So that’s why she acts like that…” Twilight whispered to herself. She cocked her head upwards when she didn’t hear Rainbow keep talking, and several seconds passed before she started speaking again.

“But when I’m with her? I feel safe, secure. I know I can drop my act around her and just be myself because I know that she won’t judge me. I love that about her; about how I can just be myself and relax… It’s kinda hard acting tough all the time.”

Twilight zoned out. Rainbow… she– she likes me! Like, likes likes me! She couldn’t help but let out a soft squee before she started listening again.

“…e snuggle, I… I feel safe. Whenever we had the chance to snuggle, I would always be the big spoon because, I think, unconsciously I knew that was what I expected of myself. When we were up in Canterlot for the trial, I had asked to be the little spoon that morning, and with the few minutes I had, I felt something I’d never felt before. I felt like that was my place: in Twilight’s embrace. She had a leg holding my forelegs to my chest, her tail was laying around my flank, and best of all, her wing was wrapped around my belly… I loved it; I loved every single second of it…” Twilight heard Rainbow giggle nervously, making her blush. She loved it when she laughed like that. “I… I just don’t know how to tell her…”

Oh Rainbow… all you have to do is ask me out; you know I’d say yes! Twilight thought, raising a leg, reaching for the balcony above her. She pulled it back a moment later as she remembered Rainbow’s words from earlier. Oh no… oh no no no no… She had already asked me if I liked liked her, and I told her no! Twilight’s shoulders slumped as she looked down. She felt tears start to well up in her eyes, but they were quickly abolished by Rainbow’s next words.

“I love her…” Twilight heard Rainbow’s voice drift ever so softly towards her from above. To her, Rainbow’s voice was like an angel singing from on high, especially with those words. Did she… did she say what I think she said? she thought, hopefulness filling her. Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back up.

“Louder, and with more conviction!” Cadence barked, raising her voice. “Make me believe that you love her!”

“I do love her!” Rainbow firmly said. “I love Twilight Sparkle!” After a short pause, Twilight heard Rainbow say, “I still need a way to ask her out, though.”

“Why don’t you just ask her out on a date at Pinkie Pie’s party tomorrow night? I’m sure that there’ll be a good opportunity or two for you to get some private time, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess… I don’t want to mess this up, so… can you teach me what to say?” Rainbow asked hopefully.

“Hehe, I’d be more than happy to…” Twilight heard Cadence say. Feeling as giddy as a filly on the eve of Hearth’s Warming Day, Twilight darted back inside Rainbow’s house, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She sat down, pressing her back up against the front door as her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. No doubt Rainbow was going to come here, and Twilight knew that she was going to be here any minute now.

Twilight’s stomach felt like she had hundreds of butterflies flapping about, trying to escape their small prison. She heard Rainbow’s hoofsteps coming up from behind the door, so she quickly darted away from the foyer and into the kitchen. “Oh, what to do, what to do…” she muttered, her mind trying to figure out a way to make it look like she had been busy in the kitchen for a little bit. Not knowing what else to do, Twilight started pulling open cabinet after cabinet, looking for the one that held Rainbow’s glasses. She knew exactly which one it was, but she purposefully avoided it. As her left hind leg started shaking nervously, Twilight heard the front door open and close behind her. “He– hey, Rainbow!” Twilight called out, her voice shaky and weak as she made herself visible moments before Rainbow came into view.

“Hey, Twilight. What’s up with your voice?” Rainbow asked as she walked around the corner.

“Oh, I–” Twilight cleared her throat a couple of times. “I just have a dry throat. Can you remind me where the glasses are?” She cracked a small smile and sat down, her tail twitching back and forth.

“Heh, it’s the one that’s right behind you, Twi,” Rainbow said with a little giggle, pointing to the one up on the wall. “Here, lemme grab it for ya.” Without waiting for Twilight to respond, Rainbow pushed herself into the air and grabbed a glass out of the cabinet. She landed just a mere foot away from Twilight and set the glass down beside the sink. “You know you don’t need to use a glass, though, right? You can just stick your head under the…” She trailed off, for she had just realized something very, very serious.

Twilight smelled like strawberries.

Rainbow paused and stared into Twilight’s eyes, every sniff reaffirming what she knew in her mind: Twilight had heard everything she had said. Not daring to take a breath, Rainbow’s muscles tensed up and her heart suddenly started beating a lot faster than it had been than when she had been talking to Cadence.

“Under what, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, breaking Rainbow from her reverie.

Rainbow faked a yawn as adrenaline flooded her body, making her ready for action. “Oh, heh, um… under the faucet. I do it all the time, ya know.” She giggled nervously, letting her ears flick back. “Ya know, I think I’m gonna head to bed now.”

“Okay, I’ll be up in a minute,” Twilight said. She grabbed the glass and filled it with water, then took a small sip. “And Rainbow?”

“Yeah?” Rainbow stopped and turned around half-way, dreading the possibility of Twilight admitting that she heard her say that she loves her.

“Thanks,” came Twilight’s simple reply, followed by a smile.

“N– no problem,” she replied. Rainbow flicked her wings open and flew to her bedroom, landing on the bed. She tugged the sheets open with her mouth then crawled under the covers, facing away from the bedroom door. Twilight walked in about a minute later, and as she felt the bed dip down towards where Twilight had just lay down, she noticed that she had laid down on the other side of the bed.

Twilight waited a minute in silence as she waited for Rainbow to come snuggle with her. As the next minute passed in silence, she wondered if Rainbow was going to snuggle with her at all. It had been a couple of days since they’d been able to spend some time together, and Twilight didn’t want to miss a chance like this. Looking over her shoulder, Twilight saw that Rainbow was still facing away from her. She bit her lower lip, trying to decide whether or not she should snuggle with her, especially after what she had just learned.

She probably hates me now… Rainbow thought, every muscle in her body tense. For whatever reason, her nervousness would not dissipate, and with her body so tense, she knew it’d be hours until she’d be able to fall asleep. I probably scared her off; that’s why we’re not snuggling… She couldn’t help but let off a soft groan, but it sounded more like a pathetic whimper to her.

Twilight cocked her ear towards Rainbow the moment she heard her whimper. It had been so softly she thought her mind might have been playing tricks on her, but she had a feeling that wasn’t the case. Before the rational part of her mind told her to stop, Twilight slid over to Rainbow, fully intent on comforting her from whatever plagued her mind.

Lifting the sheets, she snuggled up against Rainbow’s back and laid her head on top of hers, fitting the pegasus’ head into the crook of her neck. She gently pulled Rainbow’s forelegs up, then wrapped a leg around them tightly. Twilight felt Rainbow tense up, but that didn’t stop her from laying her tail around her flank. To top it all off, she carefully unfolded a wing under the sheets and wrapped it around Rainbow’s belly, just how she liked it.

Rainbow lifted her head off of the pillow and roughly said, “Twilight, I… um–”

“Shhh… I’m here, Dashie,” Twilight gently whispered back. She tightened her grip on Rainbow ever so slightly, then relaxed, using her magic to tuck the sheets in around them.

Rainbow was about to ask what she meant but decided against it, instead choosing to just enjoy being held by Twilight. Wait… if Twi heard what I told Cadence and didn’t like it, then why is she cuddling with me? She reasoned with herself, starting to relax as her worries slipped away into nothingness. Snuggling deeper into Twilight’s embrace, she let a small smile slip on her face as she thought, And if she didn’t hear me talk to Cadence, then everything’s alright! Rainbow took a deep breath and relaxed, her mind finally at ease.

Everything’s gonna be okay… Rainbow thought as her eyes drooped, threatening to fall asleep. Ahhhhhh, this sure feels great… Rainbow’s eyes shot open and she tensed up again. Aaaaaaaand she’s holding me exactly the way I told Cadence! Ponyfeathers! Twilight totally heard me tell Cadence I love her!

Her breathing quickened to the point where she was nearly hyperventilating, and as she lay there trying to figure out what to do, she felt Twilight pull her just a little bit closer. For some reason, that sole act washed away all of her worries, making her feel calm once more. Hold on, Dash! Gotta think for a minute here; don’t freak out… She took a few deep breaths. Okay… so if Twilight heard what I told Cadence and since she’s snuggling with me, maybe she… maybe she loves me back… At that, she slipped a hoof out from under Twilight’s leg and gently grasped it, giving it a gentle squeeze. She felt Twilight squeeze her back, making her smile and let her worries slip away once more.

Finally relaxed, Rainbow closed her eyes and sighed contentedly, and as she slipped into the world of dreams, she could have sworn she felt Twilight lay the gentlest of kisses upon her head.

Snowflakes

Rainbow woke up to a most blissful warmth surrounding her back. Her wings were still pinned to her sides but she didn’t mind. It was mostly dark inside the room, but a little sunlight was peeking out from behind her curtains, lighting her floor in a pale yellow light like every other morning. Her left hind leg felt like it had escaped from under the blanket, so she slid it back under the comforter and tucked her legs back in.

She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with fresh air and the scent of the pony currently cuddling her backside. It seemed that Twilight hadn’t budged an inch. Rainbow felt Twilight’s hoof still wrapped around her forelegs, pinning them to her chest. One would have thought that her muscles would be sore by now. In fact, she couldn’t remember a time where she felt more relaxed in her life. Just like her forelegs, her head was still tucked in the crook of Twilight’s neck comfortably, keeping it and her neck warm. Rainbow smiled as she took in another deep breath, silently laying there in bliss.

If she could have it her way, Rainbow Dash would have laid there in that exact position for the next several hours, but she knew that wouldn’t happen. Today was the day; she would not rest until she asked if Twilight wanted to be her marefriend. She had originally wanted to ask her out in a flashy way, to do it in a way that was in her style. The more she had thought about it, however, the less she had wanted to go that route.

Rainbow still had a problem, and it had kept her up for most of the night. Even though she and Cadence had planned for her to ask Twilight out tonight, they hadn’t planned out anything specific which left her in a bind. She didn’t really want to ask Cadence for more advice again because she wanted to come up with the idea herself. Since she didn’t have much experience with real relationships, she had no idea what to do.

Twilight, still fast asleep, hugged her tighter for a few moments, then relaxed. Rainbow thought she was waking up, but Twilight’s breaths remained small and even. Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned over, instantly missing Twilight’s warmth from her back. Dash lifted her head from the pillow and pulled the sheets tighter against her, trying to keep warm.

With her head freed from Twilight’s grasp, Rainbow blinked a couple of times as she looked at what she hoped was her future marefriend. She had the textbook definition of bedhead that only a good, long shower-plus a decent amount of time brushing-could fix. Her ears flicked every so often, pushing a few stray hairs back and forth. To any other pony, Twilight looked like a mess, but not to Rainbow.

As she watched Twilight start to stir awake, Rainbow smiled as an awesome idea popped into her head. Before Twilight could open an eye, she slid closer and tucked her head back under the crook of Twilight’s neck. She wiggled a bit closer, threading her hind legs through Twilight’s. Rainbow thought about laying a wing over Twilight’s back, but that thought was interrupted when Twilight just pulled her closer with her own wing instead. She mentally shrugged and pretended to be asleep, a little smile on her face being the only thing giving her away.

They lay there like that for five or so minutes, but Rainbow had stopped keeping track shorty after. She felt Twilight move a few more times, but she wasn’t sure if she was still asleep or if she was just enjoying the moment like she was. It didn’t matter anyways, for a fuzzy little orange pegasus cut their snuggle time short.

“Ra-rainbow?” she heard a soft voice ask followed by the sound of her door’s squeaky hinges. Before she could lift her head, she felt Twilight lift her head up and clear her throat. She kept her eyes closed and lay there, motionless, wondering what Scootaloo needed.

“Hey there, little one,” she heard Twilight say. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, uh... nothing,” Scootaloo said. Judging by the way the door’s hinges squeaked, it sounded like she had pushed the rest of the door open. She flicked her left ear towards the door, praying that her cover wasn’t blown. “Is she, um... still sleeping?” she heard Scootaloo ask tentatively.

Rainbow heard Twilight softly chuckle. “I think so,” she heard Twilight whisper. “Come here, help me wake her up...” Rainbow heard Scootaloo trot towards the bed, then felt the cloud mattress dip towards the direction of the bed that she just clambered onto. She heard Scootaloo stifle a giggle moments before she felt her nuzzle her cheek.

Rainbow fought to keep a smile off of her face, but the insistent nuzzling was too much for her to handle. She faked a yawn, cracked an eye open, and stretched out like a cat.

“Morning, Dashie,” Twilight said with a tired smile, rubbing her eyes. She folded her wing back to her side. “Sleep well?”

“You know it!” Rainbow rolled over onto her belly and stretched her wings before returning Scootaloo’s nuzzle. Scootaloo hummed happily and lay down on her stomach, making herself comfortable on Rainbow’s left foreleg. “Any nightmares, Scoots?”

“Nah. I woke up a few times from the wind, but that’s about it,” she said, closing her eyes. “Can you, er... do that thing I like?” she asked hopefully.

It took Rainbow a couple of seconds to realize what she meant. “Oh! Sure...” Scootaloo snuggled a little closer to her as she draped her wing over her, tucking the tips of her feather under her belly. “Like that?”

“Mhm...” Scootaloo said softly, blissfully unaware of Rainbow’s true intentions. As she felt the filly finally fully relax, Rainbow used the tips of her feathers to tickle Scootaloo’s unguarded tummy. Scootaloo bolted upright, laughing and squealing as she tried to push Rainbow’s wing away from her. Rainbow giggled and kept up the relentless attack for a few more seconds, then let her go. Twilight had rolled over onto her belly, probably to discourage her from tickling her as well. She was facing the other side of the bed, her front hooves positioned perfectly for her head.

“Ra- Rainbow! Why’d you do that?” Scootaloo asked with an annoyed smile. She stretched and yawned, spreading her forelegs out wide in the air as she settled down on her haunches next to Rainbow’s tail.

Rainbow was tempted to sneak in another tickle attack, but instead she opted to roll over onto her back, placing her head in between Twilight’s front hooves. “Sup?” she asked with a giggle, hiding her growing smile with a hoof. Twilight’s face looked silly from her perspective and her bedhead wasn’t helping her image at all. Before she could respond, Rainbow lifted a hoof and booped Twilight right on the nose, making her muzzle scrunch up in the most adorable manner. She made a mental note to do that again sometime as she watched Twilight’s cheeks turn crimson.

A moment later, she felt a pair of small hooves press down on her lower stomach. She tried to jump up and away to get away from what she assumed was Scootaloo’s counterattack, but instead, she knocked her head against Twilight’s chin.

“Ow!” they both exclaimed. Twilight rubbed at her jaw while Rainbow held her head in her hooves, moaning.

“Oh, come on, it couldn’t have hurt that bad,” Twilight said with a chuckle.

“No, it’s not that; I bit my tongue... Ugh...” Rainbow groaned as she sat up, rubbing her head. “You think Cadence is up yet?”

Twilight glanced at the clock. “Well, we did kinda sleep in a little...” All thanks to us cuddling... she thought with a small smile. “She’s always been an early-riser like me, so she’s probably already making breakfast. When she foalsat me, she used to do that for me when my parents had to go on business trips in another town. It’s been our little thing for as long as I can remember.” Twilight sat up and rolled off the bed, heading towards the bedroom door. She paused as a familiar scent met her nose. “And if my nose isn’t lying to me, then breakfast is about ready!”

“Hey, I thought early-risers were supposed to get up, you know... early?” Scootaloo asked with a cheeky grin. Her tail wagged back and forth like a dog as she crouched down.

“Oh, now you’re trying to get all cute with us now, eh?” Rainbow crouched down as well, nose to nose with Scootaloo. She wiggled her flank and gave a competitive smile.

“Yeah!” Scootaloo said back, a wide smile nearly splitting her face in half. “Race you to the kitchen! Last one there is a rotten egg!” At that, she whipped around and darted out of the bedroom, Rainbow hot on her heels. Right before she reached the top of the stairs, she felt Rainbow’s hooves surround her belly and pick her up. “Woohoo!” she exclaimed, extending her wings and fore legs out as Rainbow flew in circles around the living room. After another few seconds, they settled down next to the couch.

“Ready to go get some breakfast, Scootaloo?” Rainbow asked as she tussled Scootaloo’s hair. “And after that, maybe we could go flying? I wanna blow off some steam before tonight.”

“I’d love to, you know that, but I already made plans to go crusading for the entire day. What’s happening tonight?” Scootaloo asked. She hopped up onto the couch then sat down on Rainbow’s back between her wings.

“Um, nothing! Nothing at all!” Rainbow stammered with a nervous giggle. She started walking towards the door. “You coming, Twi?” she called out, looking up at the top of the stairs.

“In a minute!” Twilight yelled back. “I’ll meet you guys down there!”

“Come oooon,” Scootaloo playfully begged, poking the back of Rainbow’s neck with a hoof.

“Okay okay,” Rainbow said, carefully walking outside. She closed her front door and after she made sure Cadence wasn’t in Twilight’s bed, she opened the balcony door and trotted inside. “Tell you what. I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay? I cannot jinx this...”

“What’s gonna happen tomorrow?”

“Hopefully something wonderful...”

After breakfast, everypony killed time for the rest of the day. Scootaloo went off to go crusading, Spike locked himself in his bedroom to read comics, and Rainbow left to do a little office work at the weather office. Since everyone had agreed to meet back at the library at sunset, Cadence and Twilight had decided to go on a shopping spree around town, buying all sorts of things. Twilight had a small feeling in her gut that Rainbow would ask her out sometime that day, so every little noise, especially the sound of a pegasus flapping their wings, made her heart beat a little faster. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to deal with such a conversation yet, hence the reason why she had led Cadence all around town.

“So Twilight... have you asked Rainbow out yet?” Cadence asked as they exited the bookstore. They had spent the past hour in there browsing the shelves for anything fun. Cadence had picked up a couple romance novels while Twilight had found a few reference books for the study of the Everfree Forest. “From the way you two were snuggling this morning it looked like you two had sealed the deal,” she said with a giggle, covering her growing smile with a hoof.

“Cadence!” Twilight playfully swatted her old foalsitter once on the shoulder. “For your information... no, I haven’t asked her out yet. It just didn’t feel right last night. I mean, I...” She glanced around, checking to make sure that Rainbow was nowhere nearby. Even though she was nowhere to be found, Twilight still lowered her voice all the same. “I heard most of what Rainbow told you on the top balcony, Cadence.” She looked away and waited for Cadence to call her an eavesdropper, but no such thing came even after several moments.

“I know, Twilight. I sensed somepony casting a spell in close proximity to us, so I just assumed it was you,” Cadence said.

“Sooo... you made Rainbow confess her love for me, knowing that I was listening? You wanted to force a confrontation, didn’t you?” Twilight asked with a grin.

“Well, that’s one of the ways to get things rolling. Seriously Twilight, you both love each other. What’s stopping you from asking her out right now?”

“Um... because she’s doing work right now?” Twilight asked with a nervous chuckle.

“That’s not what I meant. I have a few ideas if you want to hear them, and as your friend and the Princess of Looooove, you know nothing would make me happier than me helping you.”

Twilight sighed as she bit her lower lip. “Your ideas were good, but I think that they aren’t really me, you know? Super flashy things aren’t really my style. I just like it when things are plain and simple. It’s the little things that make me happy.” She shuffled her wings. “As for why I’ve been taking my time asking her out, it’s just that whenever I want to do exactly that, something always holds me back. I can’t help but feel like I need a literal perfect moment with no distractions whatsoever.”

“Oh, I can definitely handle that,” Cadence said, a strange glint in her eye. “Look, I’m going to go run some more personal errands. You want to meet back here in an hour and find somewhere to go for lunch?”

“Sure, that can work,” Twilight said. “See you soon!”

Twilight watched Cadence walk away. She knew she couldn’t put off asking Rainbow out forever, and her gut told her that Cadence was going to do something a little drastic.

As the sun slowly set in the sky, Twilight and Cadence made it back to the library just in time to find everyone else lounging about in the living room. After they had all gotten their things together, they walked out of the library, all bundled up in their choice of wintery garments. They headed for Sugarcube Corner, the sounds of a loud party echoing throughout the empty streets. A light snow fell from the sky, covering the road with a fresh layer of powder that crunched under hoof and claw. The temperature was just bearable thanks to the fact that there was little to no wind, and the moon’s light started showing through the clouds above.

Cadence had a basic plan worked out, and she was anxious to help one of her closest friends find love for the first time. Everything was already set up, and all she had to do was wait for the perfect moment to execute her plan. As far as she knew, Rainbow and Twilight had no idea what was in store for them.

As they approached the front door, the thumping and low rumbling of a subwoofer suddenly shocked her from her thoughts. She used her magic to pull open the door and the five of them walked inside. The New Year’s Eve party was already in full swing. Vinyl Scratch was in the far corner with a set of speakers taller than her sitting on either side of her table. The rest of Twilight’s friends were already here and were pouring themselves drinks from the punch bowl right next to Vinyl’s stand.

“Say, aren’t those your friends over there?” Cadence asked, using her left wing to point them out.

“Yep! Hey guys!” Rainbow yelled out, trotting forward with Twilight and Cadence a step behind. Scootaloo and Spike broke away as they found their friends.

“Darlings!” Rarity said, pulling both Twilight and Rainbow into a hug. “Oh, how nice it is for you to finally join us.”

“Hello everypony,” Cadence said, raising a hoof to dissuade Rarity and the rest of her friends from bowing. “Formalities aren’t necessary tonight, for I am here to let loose!” She smiled wildly, poured herself a shot of hard liquor, then took it like a champ. Cadence shook her head as the alcohol burned her throat, but she was able to remain in control. After the worst of it passed, Cadence placed the shot glass back down on the table. “Wooo! Let’s have some fun!” she yelled, throwing her forelegs over Rainbow’s and Twilight’s backs. “Shots for everypony!”

A few hours later and several shots down, everyone was feeling real good. Cadence had a good buzz going, and by the looks of it, Twilight and Rainbow were both pleasantly inebriated as well. They had sat on opposite sides of the circle that had formed when everypony got their drinks. Fluttershy was stumbling around because she was a lightweight, Pinkie was acting, well, Pinkie-ish, and Applejack had left an hour ago to get the fireworks display set up on the farm.

Cadence looked at Twilight and noticed that she and Rainbow were trying not to look at each other. Everypony around them was lost in conversation, but Rainbow mostly kept silent. Now would seem like a good time to start the plan... She stood up and looked at the clock, silently noting that they had less than thirty minutes before the new year came in. And it’s almost time to go see the fireworks, too... Speaking of which... “Hey Pinkie Pie, where do you want us all to go to watch the fireworks? Isn’t it almost time?” She watched with a smug smile on her face as Pinkie’s head whipped around to find the clock.

“Ack! Everypony out!” Pinkie Pie screeched like a banshee from hell. The music screeched to a halt and everypony looked at her with varying levels of curiousness. “I almost forgot to tell you that I’ve got an amaaaazing fireworks show at Sweet Apple Acres, but we gotta hurry if we want to make it for when the clock strikes twelve!” At that, she began shooing everypony out the door.

In the resulting confusion, Cadence grabbed Twilight as she passed by and hoofed her a note. “Here, Rainbow wanted me to give you this before she left,” she said, just barely able to hide her smile. Before Twilight could ask any questions, she turned and followed everypony out the door, leaving her alone in the room.

Twilight quickly unfolded the note, her heart beating like a freight train out of control. She fumbled with the note in her hooves, and as she grew impatient, she lit her horn and ripped the note open.

Twilight,

Meet me under the tree with the single candle.

Twilight reread the note several times, trying to discern exactly what it meant. It didn’t really look like Rainbow’s hoofwriting, but the dim lighting made it hard to tell. “Is she going to ask me out tonight?” she softly asked herself. Her breaths came in short pants, and as much as she tried, she could not get her tail to stop twitching. It did that when she was especially nervous, and this was definitely a situation that would be nerve-wracking. Wondering what was in store for her, Twilight tucked the scrap of paper under her wing and trotted out of the door, feeling like the most nervous mare in the world.

Instead of trotting through the snow like everypony else, Twilight simply teleported to the courtyard of Sweet Apple Acres. She saw Applejack and Big Mac setting up the fireworks in the empty field to her left, so she figured that’s where she would start looking. The freshly-laid snow crunched underhoof as she made her way down the path, her head constantly on a swivel. Much to her surprise, she spotted a small light flickering behind a tree on a small hill on her right.

“Rainbow? You there?” she called out hesitantly. When no response came, she stepped off of the path and started weaving through the apple trees. She lost sight of the light several times, but it always came back into view if she squinted hard enough.

After a brisk minute of trotting, she emerged into a small clearing. Much to her surprise, she was the only one there. There was a single apple tree in the center and under it lay a thick red quilt with a single candle flickering in the breeze. There were two cups filled with a steaming liquid set down next to a thick, white blanket.

She heard the sounds of the partygoers come up from the path she was just on, but she paid that no mind. Twilight sat down on the blanket, thankful that she had somewhere nice to sit so that her rear wouldn’t be frozen off. She picked up the white blanket and wrapped it around her before picking up one of the cups to take a sip. The sweet taste of hot chocolate mixed with a small alcoholic bite danced over her tongue before she swallowed.

It was beautiful out here. The remnants of a small snowstorm drifted from the clouds on high, small snowflakes floating about in the slight breeze. Luna’s moon broke through the cloud cover, bathing the land in its light. She had a good view of where everypony else was going to sit. It looked as if a little bit of the snow in the field that Applejack and Big Mac were working in had been cleared away.

Suddenly, a twig snapped somewhere behind her. Her breath caught in her throat and her head whipped around to find Rainbow stepping out of the trees. She had a stunned look on her face as she stepped forward.

“He-hey, Twilight,” Rainbow said, eyeing Twilight’s blanket. “There room for one more in there? It’s kinda chilly out here.”

Twilight’s heart raced a million miles a minute but she still found enough strength in her to crack a nervous smile. She lifted her right wing, holding up the blanket. “Always, Rainbow,” she said softly.

“Awesome,” Rainbow replied in an equally soft voice. She gingerly stepped forward and sat down next to Twilight. Every muscle in her body was tense and it felt like she was going to burst from apprehension. However, the moment Twilight laid her wing across her back, pulling her close, she felt all of that tension melt away. She was still a little nervous, but the fact remained that Twilight hadn’t shunned her away the moment she stepped out of the trees.

“So...” Twilight started, breaking the silence. As she watched everypony in the field settle down for the fireworks, she softly asked, “Why’d you want to meet me all the way up here?”

“Huh?” Rainbow pulled out her own slip of paper. “What are you talking about? Cadence told me that you wanted to meet me up here.”

“Wait a minute... you didn’t set all this up?” Twilight pulled out her scrap of paper and set hers next to Rainbow’s. She flattened them out with her magic and scrutinized each one. “Heh, just as I thought...”

“What?”

“When I compared the hoofwriting, it appears that it was written by the same pony.” Twilight set the scraps of paper back down, then pulled the blanket back up her shoulders. “And I think I know just the pony who did it.”

“Cadence?” Rainbow asked with a wry smile.

“Cadence,” Twilight said. She noticed that Rainbow didn’t have that much of the blanket on her side, exposing her back hooves to the cold. “Oh! Here, lemme help you...” She fluffed the blanket a couple times and scooched as close to Rainbow as she could. Twilight laid her wing back over her back, then used her magic to lay the blanket back over them.

She used her magic to tuck it on her side, then Rainbow’s side which made the pegasus look up. As fate would have it, they just so happened to look right into each other’s gaze. Twilight’s breath caught in her throat as she stared into Rainbow’s eyes, those beautiful magenta eyes that contrasted so nicely with her coat. Time seemed to stand still as her thoughts drifted back to that one moment where Rainbow kissed her back at Pinkie’s party.

She remembered everything down to the most minute detail. Twilight so craved to let her feelings of insecurity just slip away so that she could show her true affections. Her entire being screamed at her to dip her head down just to feel those beautiful, soft lips upon her own once more. Surely there could be no better and easier way to reveal her feelings for Rainbow, for no amount of words or gifts could proclaim the way she felt about her.

I’m sure she wouldn’t mind... a little voice in her head spoke. And I bet she’d even return the kiss, too... She licked her lips as her breaths became short and quick, and just as she started to close her eyes and lean in for a kiss, she heard the crowd below them start to chant the countdown. Rainbow looked away towards the source of the commotion, making Twilight sigh in disappointment. Thankfully Rainbow didn’t hear her.

“Hey, looks like the new year is almost here,” Rainbow said with a nervous chuckle. She heard the crowd slowly count down from ten, then right as they hit the number two, a ton of fireworks shot up into the sky. When everypony yelled out in celebration, the fireworks exploded in the air, painting the surrounding area in various colors.

They spent the next minute in silence as they watched the fireworks show. Rainbow could have sworn that she felt Twilight flick her tail around her flank, but she couldn’t be sure without lifting the blanket to check. Either way, she didn’t mind a bit. Rainbow felt a breeze come in from her right, and much to her surprise, she saw several snowflakes float towards them. As she watched, several of them landed on Twilight’s part of the blanket. One landed on the tip of her nose, making her muzzle scrunch up just like earlier that morning.

“It’s like they have a mind of their own...” Rainbow murmured, her eyes never leaving the ice crystals. She held out a hoof and caught one before letting it go a few moments later. “The snowflakes, they remind me of the night, um...” Her heart beat fast in her chest and adrenaline pumped through her veins, for she had very nearly revealed the reason why she had flown to Twilight’s house on the eve of Hearth’s Warming Day. She had never planned on telling anyone what she had almost said, especially Twilight, and yet she found herself talking about it casually.

“What?” Twilight prompted after a few seconds of silence.

Rainbow took a couple slow, shuddering breaths. “Things are about to get kinda sappy, so... yeah. You remember that night when you found me crying on your front porch, right? Yeah, well... I only told you part of the reason why I was there. You know, not sleeping well and all that?” She mindlessly poked at the red quilt they sat on. “There’s more to it than that. For the past few years, I’ve, uh... felt really lonely. I’ve loved all the time we’ve spent together, helping Scootaloo and all that. I really like making you smile, and just being around you makes me happy...”

A small tear slipped down Twilight’s face, only to be wiped away on her shoulder. That’s so... so sweet...

Rainbow cleared her throat and laid her left wing around Twilight, smiling when she felt her lay her head on her shoulder. “I was an idiot when I asked if you were into me back on Hearth’s Warming Day. I wasn’t thinking right, and I wasn’t sure what I was feeling then, but I... I do now,” she said. “Waking up next to you is the thing I want most. It’s something that I crave every morning when I’m not with you. I love spending time with you, and I want to be near you every second that I’m not. I just really, really like you… so, you know, um...” Her stomach twisted itself into a knot from the hundreds of butterflies she felt within her. “Would you like to go out on a date with me?”

Twilight took several moments to respond. “No, I wouldn’t like to, I’d love to, Dashie,” Twilight said softly. She nuzzled Rainbow’s cheek before she laid her head back down on her shoulder.

“Phew, you had me for a couple seconds there!” Rainbow said in relief. “Soooo...” She smiled and nuzzled Twilight back. “Wanna snuggle at my place?”

Twilight smiled smugly and pulled Rainbow into a tight hug. When she felt Rainbow return it, she whispered into her ear, “Definitely.” And with that, Twilight teleported the two of them away with a flash.

The Epilogue

“I still can’t believe that we’re in this dump,” Brick Lump muttered under his breath. He and his wife were waiting in line at the prison cafeteria to get some dinner with the rest of their fellow imprisoned degenerates. It had been three weeks since they had arrived at the Canterlot Penitentiary and every day had been hell. Instead of being thrown in the castle’s dungeons like he had feared, they had been sentenced to the prison on the edge of the city, right on the edge of the cliff overlooking the valley where they had once lived.

“Yeah, you’re tellin’ me...” Tranquil Breeze said. “Why did we even bother having a foal? Hell, we should’ve used protection if we had known... she would have given us this much trouble.”

Brick Lump limped forward, his empty tray balanced in his good hoof. As soon as word got out that they were foal beaters, the other inmates had taken it upon themselves to instill a little fear in them. They had quickly discovered that foal beaters were considered as bad as rapists and murderers. They had to constantly watch their backs for fear of another beating, hence the reason why he was limping.

As soon as he got in place to get some food, Brick held out his tray to the pony behind the counter. “I’d like a good ol’ fresh salad with all the trimmins’,” he said with a wry smile.

“Heh, not today,” the earth pony serving today’s meal replied as he threw a disgusting-looking white slop of whatever the chefs had put together. “We do, however, got some of da best chow on da block.”

“Thanks,” Brick said dryly as he grabbed his tray. He pushed it along the counter, letting each pony behind it place their portion on his tray. When he reached the end, he pulled it off the counter and balanced it on his back. He took a few steps forward, and before he knew what was happening, the stallion in front of him bucked his bad foreleg, making him drop his tray of food. He felt another blow hit his side, and just like his tray, he dropped like a rock. As he tried to get up to fight the one who attacked him, he felt another hoof impact his chest, knocking all the air from his lungs. He struggled to breathe, clutching his chest with what used to be his good hoof.

“That’s what you get, you piece of shit,” he heard somepony mutter. Brick couldn’t respond, for he was still trying to catch his breath. Somepony pushed his head down into the food that he dropped, making him groan and close his eyes. It took him several seconds before he could get air in his lungs, and as soon as he did so, he lifted his head to try and find his attackers. As much as he hated to admit it, they were always able to disappear back into the crowd before he discovered who they were. That hadn’t been the first attack, and he knew that wouldn’t be the last.

Brick picked himself up and wiped the worst of the mess from his face. The white goop that he’d been served stuck to his fur like a weak glue. He knew he wasn’t going to get anything else to eat, so he went and found an empty table. His wife sat down next to him a few seconds later with her tray full of food. He eyed it and her with envy, for he’d been the target of most of the attacks. Where she would just get pushed around a bit, he’d be subject to full beatings like the one he’d just taken. He hated going to bed hungry.

“Here, eat,” he heard his wife say, surprising him. She pushed her tray closer to him and dug in. “You’re going to need your strength for what we’re planning to do tonight...”

“Yeah, yeah... alright.” They mostly ate in silence, keeping their eyes on anypony who came close to them. The two of them finished just in time to hear the buzzer sound off, letting everypony know that dinner was over. Brick stepped into line with his wife in front of him, and under a guard’s order, they went back to their cells. As soon as they stepped back inside their small cell, the guard slammed the door shut then locked it with a quick flash from his horn.

They shared a cell in cell block A. Normally, each pony would get their own cell, but the warden thought it would be funny to lock the two of them up in a single cell. Their tiny room had one bed that hung from the wall, complete with a small pillow and blanket. There was a small toilet in the back next to the tiny window, hidden by a low wall that barely gave them enough privacy. Their door was nothing but several thick steel bars, giving them no privacy from the patrolling guards.

“Okay... you’re clear!” Tranquil Breeze whispered under her breath. The guard had just turned the corner. It would be at least another half hour before he came back around.

“Alright... and Breeze?”

“Hm?” She looked over her shoulder when she felt his hoof on her back.

“Thanks for the food back there,” he said softly, rubbing his wife’s shoulder. “That was pretty nice of you.” He cracked a hesitant smile, something he hadn’t done in the past month. Tranquil Breeze didn’t respond for a few moments, but she put her hoof over his and grasped it tightly.

“You’re welcome, dear...” She turned around and checked for the guards again. When she saw that they were clear, she released her husband’s hoof. “You should go see if you can finish. I’ll let you know if somepony is coming.”

“Okay then,” Brick said. “I’ll call if I get through...” He moved to the back of their cell, got a good grip on their toilet, and moved it aside, revealing a hole big enough for a pony to fit through. He didn’t make much noise, thankfully, so he lowered himself down and crawled down into the tunnel. It was a tight fit, and was just barely big enough for a pony. He crawled and pulled himself all the way through the darkness until he bumped his head on the wall he had stopped at the previous night.

“Crap... shoulda saw that comin’,” he groaned, rubbing his sore head. He found the spoons that his wife had stolen from the cafeteria weeks ago and started chipping away. Every five or so minutes, he tapped on the rock face with a hoof, trying to hear any differences in sound. Two hours later, it changed.

Instead of the dull thud he was used to hearing, he couldn’t believe his ears when he heard the pitch change. He chipped away at the rock frantically, and a couple minutes later, he broke through. Moonlight flooded the tunnel, momentarily shocking him. He used his hoof to push several bricks down the side of the mountain, then poked his head out of the tunnel.

Just as he had suspected, they were on the side of the prison that sat on the edge of the cliff, perfect for a pair of escaping convicts. Adrenaline flooding his veins, he threw himself out into the open air and flapped hard, stretching muscles that he hadn’t been allowed to use for weeks. He turned around and latched onto the mouth of the tunnel with his forelegs, then whispered as loud as he dared, “Breeze! I made it! We’re free!” He waited rather impatiently before he saw his wife crawl around the bend.

“Woah...” she whispered in disbelief. “You actually did it...” She poked her head out and looked around, then laid a small kiss on her husband’s cheek. “So... you gonna let me out or what?”

“Oh! Heh, sorry dear,” Brick said as he backed away, hovering several feet from the opening in the cliff. “We should get out of here soon; the guards should be coming back around anytime now.” Just as he finished his sentence, all of the lights in the prison flashed on above them. Alarms sounded off and the two of them heard numerous guards yelling. “Ready for part two?” he asked with a confident smirk, holding out a hoof for her.

“Part two?” Tranquil Breeze asked as she took flight. She eyed his hoof but didn’t take it; flying was pretty hard holding hooves and she didn’t want to jeopardize their escape by doing something so needless.

“Part one was escaping. Part two will be us getting our revenge on that... thing,” he spat with distaste. “that put us in the joint in the first place,” he said, a snarl distorting his face. “For now, we need to lay low and bide our time. And when the time is right...” he trailed off with a menacing smile.

“We strike.”

Author's Note

Well, there you have it folks, this story is done.

It feels a little weird to finally have completed this story. I've spent the past year and a half pouring my heart and soul into this tale, and it was well worth all the long hours and the loss of sleep. I had a great time writing this, and I won't lie, I'm going to miss it. But don't fret! Even though this story may be done, the sequel is already in progress! CLICK HERE to go read it!

I want to thank you for taking the time to read this story. Reading all of your comments has made this quite the fun journey, and I am glad you all have stuck with me.

Now, before I wrap things up, there is one person that I would like to thank in particular.

Nobody47 has been there for me and this story since day one. For those of you who remember that this used to be a one shot, Nobody47 stepped up and offered to draw me the cover for the new story idea. He's an amazing artist and he keeps getting better with each picture that he uploads. Please, go show him some love, because he was one of the biggest driving forces behind me writing this story.

Once again, thank you all for this incredible experience!