Dear Princess Celestia,
I have been researching a rather interesting subject for my next paper to you, and thought I might share. I’ve been examining Rainbow Dash- you know her, correct? The cyan pegasus mare with that odd rainbow mane? Princess, I can already see what words your lips will form- you’ve been reading much to many fanfictions lately. I am not “watching” her in the way you expect, as much as she mesmerizes me. My studies have a more advanced meaning than that.
Rainbow Dash has a beautiful, rare quality/ability that suspiciously, only she can accomplish, so my studies conclude. It is not the gorgeous Sonic Rainboom, as unique as it is to only her; it is something only her eyes can see, called an “aura.” If Sixth Sense (the author of the book I have relentlessly researched in for her calamity) is correct, only one in a million ponies, no matter pegasus, unicorn, or earth, can see the aura.
What exactly is an aura? Sixth Sense claims it to be a smoke or mist of energy that circles a being and is a certain color depending on their personality and viewpoints. Whether this is true I don’t know. I shall tell more of the subject in my paper.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
Twilight looked over her work with a keen eye. Not a drop of ink was out of place, not a word was written without the highest quality.
She smiled, satisfied, and set her letter aside. The unicorn levitated another scroll to her side, as well as Sixth Sense’s “A Guide to Auras and Their Meanings” and a new quill. The one she used to write her letter was horribly bent up and the tip was slightly deformed, pointing to the side and giving her lines an italic feeling.
It was an amazing day, sunny and bright, and Twilight Sparkle the student had already indulged herself with a picnic at the park with her friends. She remembered the piece of Zap Apple pie Pinkie Pie had given to her to take home, which was sitting idly by the top of the tallest bookshelf. A pang of hunger gnawed at her empty stomach like a dog salivating over a fresh bone, and she began to drool over the thought of that pie just begging for her to eat it.
She shook her head and slashed the thoughts of the tempting pie in two. She had to at least start her report before diving into the depths of the pie.
Twilight Sparkle lifted up her quill and began to write, her eyes narrowed in concentration.
Rainbow Dash and Auras- An Explanation
By Twilight Orion Sparkle
She stopped abruptly. A new realization dawned upon her- she had read Sixth Sense’s book, but she had no clue how it applied to the cyan pegasus. She had nothing to back up the fact that Rainbow Dash could see auras; she just knew she could, not how. Without something to back up your information and data, it wasn’t science- it was just a theory.
Twilight always strives for the best, whether it be in the writing category or the magic field. She never wants second place, or an honorable mention- she wants the big award, the special title that only few accomplish, first place. And she wasn’t going to let this paper ruin her strive for perfection.
She put the formal scroll aside and replaced it with a crumpled, normal piece of notebook paper and traded in her special quill for the dulled one she used for the preceding paper. She inserted the items gently into her signature satchel, closed the stop with a sharp snap, and put it on her orchid back. Using her magic to open up her wooden door beforehand, the unicorn sped out the door and headed for her yellow friend’s cottage in the forest.
Fluttershy saw her unicorn friend coming before she had reached her threshold and held the door open happily as Twilight trotted up.
“Hi, Twilight! What brings you here?” Fluttershy stopped, blushing mid-sentence. “Not that I don’t want you here, but it was just a nice surprise that you...”
Twilight Sparkle smiled and giggled. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. I know what you mean.” She looked around her friend’s home, which was covered from top to bottom with various animals scurrying and flying and sliding about.
The pegasus’ eyes widened drastically. “B-but is there something wrong? Has Opalescence gone and scratched Rarity again? That poor thing... Always so stressed by Rarity’s tiresome work...” Fluttershy began to hyperventilate. “Is Wilona limping again on her hind leg? I told her not to stretch it too far for a few weeks-”
“Fluttershy, it isn’t about any animals.”
“Oh... Is anypony hurt?” She gasped and sucked in a sharp breath of air. “Rainbow Dash was trying a new trick today! Where is she?” Fluttershy dashed for the door, scattering a few animals in her way.
The unicorn stopped her in her tracks with a sound so loud even Luna could not reach it. “FLUTTERSHY!”
The mare turned around sheepishly, her head lowered to the ground. “Sorry.”
The two sat down in a corner, Twilight’s eye watching the door just in case Fluttershy got any ideas.
“I wanted to ask you about Rainbow.”
“Really? What?”
Twilight thought about this. She had to say this very carefully, or else Fluttershy would launch question after question in her face. She would have happily answered them, had she known the answers themselves.
“I... I’ve been talking to Princess Celestia about her- um... Abilities.”
Fluttershy’s gaze softened and her face visually relaxed. “Like the Sonic Rainboom?”
“Yeah, kind of like that. She wants to know a little more about it.”
“Um... Okay then, but why are you asking me?”
The unicorn started to sweat. Her words had toppled out of her mouth in the wrong order.
“Well, I figured since you were Rainbow’s friend and all- I mean, we’re all friends, but since you both were in flight camp together and kind of knew each other and-”
Her voice hardened. “Twilight, spit it out, please.”
Twilight cursed beneath her breath. “I need some information on Rainbow Dash. For example, her hobbies, past, likes and dislikes.”
Fluttershy cocked her head. “I can’t say I know much about her history; she doesn’t talk about it much. And we all know she likes racing and the Wonderbolts and doesn’t really like your interests...” She squealed. “No no no... I didn’t mean it like that! It just came out like your studies are-”
The lavender pony shook her head and silenced poor Fluttershy. “It’s alright, Fluttershy. Is there anything else you know about her?” A deviant thought invaded her mind. “Like... Any other special skills?”
The pegasus looked sad as she shook her own head. “I’m so sorry, Twilight, but I don’t know anything more than what I already said. I think,” she moved a strip of pink hair away from her eyes, “that the best pony to ask about Rainbow Dash would be Rainbow Dash herself.”
The yellow pony smiled at Twilight’s positive reaction. She got up from her spot and slowly stretched her lean back legs, her eyes closed in bliss.
Twilight got up as well, arching her back and kicking out her hooves. “Do you know where she is?” Twilight asked.
Fluttershy twitched an ear and raised herself back up to her full height, moving her stretching to her wings. She gingerly unfurled them, slowly but surely.
“Last time I saw her, she was at the picnic. I think she flew off to Sugarcube Corner to get some more of Pinkie Pie’s-” She guffawed a little- “Well, pie.”
The two giggled. “I never had my piece,” Twilight said gloomily, “I was too busy writing to Princess Celestia to eat it yet.” Her stomach growled in annoyance.
Fluttershy gasped. “You haven’t had yours yet! It’s wonderful!” Her gaze became stern. “You’ve got to have some!” She rushed across the room to her own satchel, which had her Cutie Mark as a magnetic clip. The pegasus yanked (softly, of course) and from inside pulled out a paper plate with a huge slab of rainbow-filled pie. It jiggled as if it were a real live object as Fluttershy brought it up to her and squee-ed.
When Twilight didn’t move she motioned her head towards the pie. “Have it.” She cooed.
The unicorn shook her head and tried to tell Fluttershy it was her pie and that she should rightfully have it, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer and insisted that Twilight have it and savor the flavour.
Reluctantly Twilight licked the pie, then swallowed the entire thing in a single breath. She purred happily, moaning about how good that pie really was.
“Told you.” Fluttershy whispered.
Twilight laughed and wiped the rainbow crumbs from her face with a nearby napkin. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” She retrieved her satchel from behind her chair, put it on her back, then headed for the door.
As she opened the door and stepped into the livid sunshine, Twilight could hear a quiet, timid voice calling out to her. She turned around and focused her ears towards Fluttershy, who had a large smile on her face.
“Bring me back some pie!” Fluttershy called out. “An-and good luck with your report!”
The unicorn nodded and began a steady trot towards Sugarcube Corner.
“Hiya Twilight! Whatcha need?”
The unicorn entered the sweet-smelling Sugarcube Corner with an air of importance and want- but for what, Pinkie wondered. Cake? Lollipops?
“Hi, Pinkie,” Twilight answered as she came up to the counter, “is Rainbow Dash here?”
The magenta mare smiled and pointed a hoof in the direction of a table in the back corner of the sweets store. “Over there. She’s been acting wonky ever since she got her cupcake.” Pinkie added as Twilight went over to her.
Just as Pinkie Pie had said, Rainbow Dash was acting quite peculiar, only staring at the pink cupcake with a combination of fright and confusion, as if she had just woken up from a terrible dream. Her vivid eyes were tired and wide open, never blinking as she simply stared at the treat. As Twilight came to her side and sat by her, she didn’t move.
“Oh.” She mumbled. “Hi, Twilight. What are you doing here?”
The unicorn cocked her head and looked at the cupcake as well. It was not special in any way- just a pink-frosted cupcake with a hoof-full of white sprinkles over the top. How this appealed to Rainbow Dash she had no idea.
“What’s that?” Twilight Sparkle asked suspiciously.
If Rainbow Dash had been looking at her she would have rolled her eyes. “A cupcake, egghead.” She murmured.
“Well, of course. But what’s so special about it? It’s just a cupcake.”
The pegasus’ eyes widened slightly, then resumed their normal size, still unblinking. Twilight thought one would have been crying at the dryness by now.
“You can’t-” She stopped with her mouth trying to form some more words that would not come out. “Nevermind. What do you need, Twi?”
“ ‘I can’t’ what?”
Rainbow Dash lowered her eyes slightly, their focus point drifting to the untouched wrapper of the cupcake. “Nothing. It’s just- nothing. Nothing at all.” She forced the last word out as if it pained her to do so.
Twilight’s smile faded. “Rainbow, what’s wrong? I’m your friend, remember?” She tried to pull the problem out from Rainbow Dash like pulling a rope in tug-of-war.
Still the cyan mare didn’t answer her question. In fact, she didn’t answer at all. She just stared at the cupcake as if her life depended on it. As if she had no control over what would happen if she looked down.
The unicorn, desperately wanting to help but having no way how, yanked the cupcake away from Rainbow’s face and held it by her own head. “Rainbow Dash, I want to help you.” She thundered.
Rainbow’s eyes widened, her features slightly wiped of the fatigue and fright, and she whipped her head back and forth. Her rainbow mane slapped Twilight Sparkle, but she was focused on her friend’s dilemma at the moment.
When she recovered, the pegasus looked up at Twilight with hope in her exhausted eyes. Then she said something Twilight never expected to hear from her:
“Thank you. So much.”
The pegasus quickly got up from her seat and started for the door, and for some quaint reason tried to avoid any objects that surrounded her. Twilight, very confused, hopped up from her seat as well and dashed for the exit. From behind her she could hear Pinkie Pie asking what was wrong and thanking them for visiting.
Rainbow Dash had taken flight and was clumsily making her way into the highest point of the sky. How outlandish, Twilight thought, Rainbow Dash having difficulty becoming airborne.
But the once fast pegasus was tripping over her own hooves as she tried to climb the ladder into the now dark night. Twilight yelled for her, but her expression was stoic as the night itself.
Suddenly Rainbow Dash began to drop from the sky, her wings failing her and her weight carrying her downwards. She didn’t cry out, didn’t flail about as she fell. She simply shut her eyes, folded her wings, and fell quickly.
Twilight Sparkle grabbed the fallen pony just as she was about to hit the cold, unforgiving ground. She looked slightly gray, as if a vacuum had sucked some of the color out of her bright mane. A single droplet of saltwater fell from her closed eyelid.
The two sat together, the unicorn cooing softly, until Rainbow Dash lifted her head from her turtle shell and spoke weakly.
“I-I’m sorry you have to see me like this...” She murmured. “Usually I can keep it under control...”
Twilight’s face was still as confused as when she first found the broken pegasus in Sugarcube Corner. “What in Equestria are you talking about?” She snorted, and when Rainbow Dash was about to throw at her another petty argument, she shook her head violently and demanded to know what was wrong.
Rainbow’s face turned from one of sadness and depression to one of slight confusion and perhaps a little laughter. “Really?” She giggled. “You, Twilight Sparkle, smartest of all ponies and most magical, don’t know what’s wrong?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Is this a joke?” As much as she enjoyed Rainbow’s compliment, she didn’t know in the slightest what has happening to her.
“No.” Rainbow Dash lifted a wing and preened an obsolete feather from the edge of it. “You know, don’t you?”
“RAINBOW DASH, I DON’T HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA. NOW TELL ME.”
The harmed pegasus flinched a little, probably from both the tone of Twilight’s voice and her not knowing what was her problem. “Um...” She began, trying to get her voice straight and find where to start.
“Well, you know how I was kind of...” She struggled to find the right word. “Staring at that cupcake?”
Twilight sighed, eager for her to get to the point. “Yes.”
“There’s this little... Thing that is kind of...” Rainbow Dash tripped over her words again. “In my... No...” She seemed to be going through the list of body parts in her head and matching it up with whatever her condition was. “It’s kind of in my he- no, it’s not technically in there... Maybe in my-”
Twilight Sparkle’s fuse sparked and lit itself ablaze. “FOR THE LOVE OF CELESTIA, RAINBOW DASH, SPIT THE BUCKING THING OUT!”
Rainbow Dash held her breath, her eyes beginning to bulge out of their cyan sockets. Then in a swift breath of air, she let the cat out of the bag.
“I can see the aura!”
Both were silent, the pegasus cowering in her own fear and Twilight simply standing there, dumbfounded. Her eyes blinked slowly, as if drinking in the words Rainbow Dash had sprinkled into the air. “The aura?” She finally said.
Rainbow Dash winced. “Uh-huh.” She noticed Twilight’s extremely confused face and sighed. “Do you know what an aura even is, Twilight?”
The unicorn shook her head. In her mind she prepared a new scroll and quill, ready to write.
The pegasus lowered herself into a laid-back sitting position, then began. “An aura is a field of energy that surrounds an object, kind of tells that pony’s beliefs in religions and mood in a misty smoke. It’s color-coordinated, so it’s easy to tell who’s very happy or depressed. It’s neat, how your feelings are out in the open and you never even know it.” She stopped momentarily for a breath.
“But it’s not just ponies. Auras are in the air, too. They have the same purpose as the ones that surround me and you- to tell the tension in the air, the emotions, the everything. Even ponies who were there.”
Twilight scribbled furiously on her mind-scroll. But still one thing did not make sense, even with Rainbow’s explanation. “You didn't tell me how you see them. Like, do they come naturally? Or do you have to try to see them?” Her friend almost answered the questions, but then she added a few more to the list. “And why in the name of Celestia were you staring at that cupcake? Do cupcakes have auras as well? Do quills?”
Rainbow Dash immediately knew the answers off the top of her head, as if she were planning to reveal this every chance she got, rehearsing and rehearsing.
“Well, it’s kinda a combination of both. I have to put a little effort into it, but then they appear naturally as bright as day. And to the cupcake, that’s a little trickier to say in words.” She looked in her mind for a suitable sentence. “When I see an aura, I get kind of... Enveloped in it. Like I can’t take my eyes away- literally. The only way I’ve ever been able to snap out if it is for somepony to hit me on the back of the head for take the thing away. It’s been that way ever since I was a filly.”
Her eyes got misty and she blinked slowly, as if recollecting memories long gone. “Horsefeathers, now I’m getting all cheesy.” She wiped a fragment of a tear from her eye.
Twilight smiled in the corner of her vision, encouraging her to let it all out. So she sighed, collected herself, and began her story.
“When I was in Cloudsdale, I would always venture a little too far- sometimes too far off my parent’s home, too far off I cloud I was practicing my flying on, too far sometimes with my words. My mother always said I was special; I just thought she was saying that because she was my mother. Every filly in my neighborhood said their own mothers told them they were special as well. How wrong they were.
“So my mother kept pestering me about my supposed ‘special-ness’ and told me not to believe those fillies and colts. So I did.
“One day, I was sitting out on the edge of our cloud, watching the sky. It was a pretty cloudy day, if I recall; the weather ponies had scheduled a storm that day and most pegasi were inside, sleeping away or getting some homework or whatever done. Why was I out, in the open, where it was just beginning to rain, and my parents were inside? I... I don’t exactly know. Something drew me out there. Not a voice or anything, just... Instinct.
“I was looking at a large, dark thundercloud that was hovering in my direction. Every few minutes it shot a bolt of lightning into the open, followed by the sound of thunder. All the foals, even those who braved fast gales and windy weather, were scared of thunderclouds. They were always afraid that a bolt would shoot right at them and burn their tails off.” At this she laughed half-heartedly and continued.
“So the cloud drew closer to me and I saw there was a pony on top of it- a pony! Pegasi never get that close to thunderclouds, let alone get on top of one, so I focused in on her. She was pretty close, so it wasn’t difficult.
“She was quite pretty, a light shade of gray with a mane the color of the lightning that shot from her cloud. What really surprised me, though, were her eyes- they were cross-eyed, and as she flew around with her ride they moved in various directions as if they didn’t care where the other went. And another thing- she was a filly! Just my age, about right. She was having the time of her life, bucking around on the cloud as if it were alive and a bull.
“Suddenly the air around her seemed to become a different color then the rest of the sky, and some type of cracking noise came from the top and bottom of my eyes. I thought it was just because I was staring at the lightning to long- some ponies say it gives you weird thoughts. But when I tried to look away, I couldn’t. It was like some pony glued my eyes to her, that crazy little filly. And to make matters even weirder, that air that had already become a shade lighter began to change color. Slowly, at first, but then it got as bright as the sun and as beautiful as it. The air was a vivid turquoise and yellow, dotted with some purple spots thrown in for good measure. Actually, I take that back- it wasn’t air anymore, it was misty, smoky. It kind of coiled around her hooves and bobbed with her head and sometimes strayed so far off her body in little wisps that it just became the same color as the sky again. Yeah, it was very pretty, seeing all those colors ‘dancing’ around her, but it was still interesting, and kind of paranormal.
“After that experience I decided to try and see if I could see that smoke again. I didn’t see that filly for a while, so I thought maybe I could do the same thing with a different pony. The first one I found was a tiny little foal, either way younger than me or just plain short, with a fiery mane and tail that didn’t stay down for long. She didn’t talk much, only shook and nodded her head occasionally.
“So I looked at her for a long time, about twenty minutes, until I realized I needed to blink. But that was the funny part- my eyes weren't tired at all. Like they had gotten used to my extreme staring habits. But as hard as I tried, I just did not see that misty stuff around that filly like I had during the storm.
“I didn’t know what to do, but I was determined to see it just one more time. Maybe even see some new colors this time, who knows.
“So I tried a different method- I just sat there, relaxed, not trying to ‘look into her soul’ or anything. And it came. Those colors, except they were different this time, mostly orange and a little turquoise, came back! I kinda feel bad for that filly, though. Poor thing was watching me jump up and down like a donkey and had absolutely no idea.
“But there seemed to be something different about her... She had a yellow halo around her head, one that seemed strongest by her shoulders but extended all the way to her tail... I have no clue what a halo means, even now.”
Rainbow Dash paused again. “I’m not boring you, am I?” She asked. “With all the cheesy history and stuff?”
Twilight’s soft smile spoke for itself. “Not at all, Rainbow. Please, do continue.”
“After I found the trick to seeing that smoke, I had tried multiple times doing it outside of a set-up event, where I could see pegasus’ auras as they flew by or talked to my parents. The first pegasus I saw was Fluttershy, on the eve of the beginning of Flight Camp. The coaches set up a little picnic of sorts to get the students to know each other before actually starting the next day. She wasn’t that different as a filly- shy, huge eyes, and, don’t tell her, a pretty weak flyer. Sure, she can fly around town and hover and all that, but she can’t do a flying feather compared to other pegasi.
“Where was I? Oh yeah, flight camp. So I went up to Fluttershy, kind of relaxed my wings, and tried to focus on the cute little tip of her nose; I found that helps quite a bit. She tried to get away- and really, I don’t blame her- but a humongous group of colts blocked her in and she was forced to stay by me. She asked quite a few questions about what the hay I was doing, but I ignored most of her comments out of wanting to see if I could- well, see- the aura on the fly, with only a few moment’s notice.
“It took a couple of seconds, but I saw it. Hers wasn’t quite like that tiny filly’s or like that one riding the cloud like a bucking bull- theirs came slowly, as if coming out of a turtle shell, but Fluttershy’s just exploded! WHAM!”
Rainbow Dash made an exploding motion with a hoof for clarification.
“It was gorgeous; a blaze of bright green covering her body and farther behind, even into and past the crowd, a trail of pink. Similar to one of those wedding veils Rarity made for Prince Blueblood and Princess Tom’s marriage last summer. It covered her head slightly, and was almost the exact same shade as her mane... A little lighter, maybe. A few bits hung on her back, too.
“I tried to explain to her what I saw, but she probably thought I was speaking a different language. She just started to cry and ran away.”
Twilight noticed her friend had stopped, not sure if she was catching her breath or was finished. “Are you done?” She cocked her head.
Rainbow Dash’s eyes were a little moist. “Not entirely. I’m almost done.”
The unicorn shook her head. “No no no, take as long as you please. It’s a beautiful night tonight.”
The pegasus reluctantly began again.
“So as time passed I kept on practicing, sometimes with ponies I saw waiting in chairs for a spa appointment and sometimes at Wonderbolts races. Those were always fun; whenever I saw a red or orange one it would follow them in a streak, and before long they were going in circles around and around their aura. I tried to tell my mother and father, but they didn’t understand despite the fact that they were the ones who, in a way, introduced me to it. I didn’t mind that much- it was just a secret between me, myself, and I.
“I found that I had tried seeing pony auras, but never object ones. Buck, I didn’t even know if they had any! And I had never seen a room or place’s aura- I knew those existed, because I had seen a glimpse of one when I watched that filly ride the thundercloud. So I tried to hit two birds with one stone and focus on both an object and a scenery.
“My parents had begun to bring me down to Ponyville, to be more specific Sugarcube Corner, mostly because other fillies and colts my age hung out there. So one day she dropped me off, said she had some work to take care of, and left me there.
“At the counter was Pinkie- my age, working the register. I can definitely remember that. I had a few bits, so I got what Pinkie called her signature dish, also that she made all by herself- the PinkieCake. Basically a vanilla cupcake with food coloring and pink frosting, but she said it was a super secret recipe and I wanted to try it.
“I took the cupcake to a little table in the corner- come to think of it, where you found me earlier.
“So I tried to find the ‘focus point’ of the cupcake, as I had begun to call it. A pony’s focus point is its nose or forehead, and since most creatures have both of those it goes for them too. But a cupcake doesn’t have either of those; so I just focused on the entire thing, along with keeping an eye on the wall behind me. I relaxed my wings and let my eyes do their work.
“Suddenly there was a flash of color, and I got as excited as a hyperactive hummingbird. I thought I had found how to see the mist around objects. But the colors were different, and not in the way of being different colors- they seemed darker, mysterious. Sulfur and brown, along with gray; not the colors I knew. I tried to turn away from them... But I couldn’t. They grew onto the walls, crackling with electricity and coming towards me. Nothing I did helped.
“I screamed at the top of my lungs, and suddenly I was released and able to go and blink. I dashed out of Sugarcube Corner, forgetting the cupcake, and headed home. I can still hear Pinkie’s cries, saying that she’ll make up for it and that maybe she added too much flour to the mix...”
Rainbow Dash wiped a tear from her eye at the mentioning of a filly Pinkie, unknowing and confused. “If only she knew.”
“But last time, when I had another cupcake, the colors were much better; the colors of the rainbow. But they still had the evil feeling in the air from the other one.”
She sighed, her story over.
Twilight winced. She had no idea Rainbow’s past had this much confusion. She looked at her scroll; she had a lot of items from Rainbow’s timeline, but nothing about what the colors meant. Those weren't in Sixth Sense’s book.
Rainbow seemed to read her mind. “I’ve got a little book... At my house, that has all the meanings of the colors and such. I would donate it to the library, but it’s pretty special.” She smiled. “Would you like me to get it?”
The unicorn gratefully nodded, and her friend shot off like a flash.
A moment later she was back, with a fair-sized book in tow along with a much larger, leather-bound one. She took both, examining the covers. The medium one read “Observing Auras” by Third Eye, and the other was not a book at all, but actually a diary, with the Wonderbolts logo on the front along with the words inscribed at the bottom “For Little Rainbow” signed Breezie, the oldest Wonderbolt (The leader when Rainbow Dash was born and still a member today).
“It’s a diary my parents gave me when I was first born...” Dash said peevishly. “I recorded all my information in there, from the colors of the ponies to where they were and why. Maybe it’ll help with your report.”
Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” She began to trot off towards the library.
There was a fluttering of wings and the pegasus was behind her again. She nudged her shoulder. “Um... Twilight?” She asked.
“Yes?”
“Can you not tell the others about this? I don’t want them to know I have this... Softy side.”
Twilight laughed. “Absolutely.” With that the two said farewell and went their separate ways into the night.
Twilight Sparkle lifted the dried page of the diary to reveal the next one, filled with odd diagrams that a very young Rainbow had written. She was curled in front of her massive library, seated on her favorite plush chair, with a dim lantern lighting the way for her eyes and a steaming cup of hot chocolate by her side.
“So fascinating...” She mused. The diagrams and short summaries of the day that Rainbow Dash had provided were very interesting indeed.
On this page was a simple drawing of the pegasus herself, with huge eyes and a fluffy tail, and a type of scale flying outwards from her eye, showing her sight range. A complex equation was below, adding up and dividing to find the average of all the results.
Twilight Sparkle had no idea how complex this seemingly simple talent was. Even magic was easier than this.
Next to her was also a scroll and quill, which wrote down some particularly interesting points as presented in Rainbow’s diary. It was almost full from all the facts.
“I’ll have no trouble writing my report now!” Twilight laughed. She wasn’t even halfway through the diary yet.
Reluctantly the unicorn decided sleep was as important as studies, as it was almost midnight already. “How time flies whilst reading.” She joked. Twilight Sparkle then yawned, and in a single swipe of magic blew out the lantern, drank the hot chocolate and placed the diary and scroll on her carved oak table. Tomorrow there would plenty of time to write the report, which was due sometime during the week.
A dull thump and the soft rustle of covers signaled that Twilight had dug into her soft bed and was already dreaming.
The next day, Twilight Sparkle found herself stuck inside by a foul storm that had struck Ponyville with an iron fist. Rain was whipped in the wind and hit the windows violently, and she decided that she would have to be productive inside while the storm passed.
She flew to the diary and began reading once more when there was a loud knocking at her door, followed by a mumbled and garbled scream. It didn’t sound like anyone she knew, but nonetheless she opened the door and let the pony in. Surprisingly, it was Rainbow Dash, wings shivering and mane disheveled.
“Twilight!” Rainbow exclaimed. “Wow, you don’t know I happy I am to see a friendly face!”
“Whatever do you mean?” Twilight asked. She shut the door and fetched a towel for Rainbow’s dripping fur. “And what in the name of Celestia were you doing out in a storm like this?”
The pegasus shrugged the towel off at first, but when Twilight insisted on at least keeping it hanging on herself she let it stay on her. “Well, I was sitting outside, on my little cloud, when the storm started up. I imagined that little filly on the thundercloud yet again, but this time the vision looked so... Real. Like I could reach out and touch her.”
“Where is this going, exactly?”
“Just wait. So I was looking at this figment of my imagination that looked completely real, when out of the corner of my eye I see these shadows. At first they look like blobs, but then they look like ponies. Then they get these really devilish eyes and creepy smiles, and some get horns and some get wings. The shadows grew and tried to cover my eyes....”
She lowered her head and shivered. The pegasus moaned slightly. Then in a quick burst of energy, she flung the towel off and her wings snapped to attention. “GAHH! I’M TIRED OF THIS!” Rainbow Dash took to taking a few of Twilight’s books from their shelves and throwing them on the ground. The unicorn made no move to stop her; she was utterly confused.
“I’M TIRED OF THESE WEIRD VISIONS, AND THESE STUPID AURAS, AND ALL THE PAIN THEY PUT ME THROUGH! I WANT THEM TO ALL GO AWAY!”
Rainbow Dash collapsed in her pile of books, crying softly.
Twilight Sparkle winced at her tense words. She didn’t know whether to help her friend or let Rainbow find the answer herself. In the end her heart couldn’t take it and she went over to see her.
“What is it that you don’t like about them?” She cooed, gently massaging Rainbow Dash’s shoulder blades.
“Everything about everything- it just doesn’t make any sense. Why do I have to see these things? Why not Celestia, or Luna, or even Carrot Top? What did I do for this cruel and unusual punishment?” Rainbow Dash asked to nobody in particular.
“Maybe because you’re special.” Twilight murmured.
“What’s so special about me, then?” She raised her head. “I’m just a pegasus who happens to be an Element of Harmony.”
Twilight Sparkle felt her heart skip a beat. She had imagined this scene many-a-time in her head, but never dreamed it would come so soon. She gulped and nuzzled her friend affectionately, quickly finding the phrase that fit the situation.
“You’re special to me.” Twilight Sparkle whispered.
Rainbow Dash lifted her head in confusion, and a few new tears sprang into her eyes. Twilight put her head on top of Rainbow’s, lowering it to their hooves, but she didn’t mind.
“It’ll all be alright, in the end.” She pronounced. “No matter what happens to you or me, or the town, for that matter, everything’ll be alright.”
The pegasus accepted that answer, her breathing slowing to a deep inhale every few moments. “That’s better.” Twilight gently licked Rainbow Dash’s ear. “Just relax...”
Rainbow Dash was too far asleep to notice- or was too happy to say anything. She seemed to smile from her spot on the floor.
Twilight watched her eagerly until her flank almost didn’t move and she was sure she was in a deep sleep phase. Carefully, as not to wake her, she moved her head to her ear and sang, not said, a single word.
“...Dashie.”
The word caressed her ears like velvet and made her feel like she was on top of Equestria. Rainbow Dash’s ear twitched, but the smile still shine as bright as the sun on her face.
With the storm pounding loudly in the background, Twilight Sparkle got herself comfortable by her friend and fell asleep as well, their flanks rising in time with one another.
A misty, foggy day greeted the two mares once they awoke. “At least it’s not raining.” Rainbow Dash commented. Since it was not the best weather for heavy travelling, the pegasus decided to stay, at least until the danger of another storm like that approaching.
While Twilight went into another section of her massive library. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but snoop around her friend’s home. But as she looked, nothing really interested her- just books. The next Daring-Do book, the one she didn’t own yet, caught her eye, but as she was about to pluck it from the rest of the series she stopped abruptly. Another gem had won her attention, but she recognized this; her faithful Wonderbolts diary.
“‘Wonder what Twilight’s read already.” She mused as she grabbed the portal to her childhood memories. The studious unicorn had stuck sticky notes onto pages she deemed astonishing or amazing, with a comment to boot. The first was located on the very first page, where Rainbow had first written her story about the filly on the thundercloud. Twilight’s handwriting was graceful and gorgeous compared to hers, which was almost all capitals and many misspelled words.
It read “Rainbow Dash was such a cute filly!”
At this the pegasus raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t she using this for a report?” She thought.
The next note, bright green, was located on a page with a small picture of herself with a diagram of her pupils and irises. This one read “Her eyes were huge! So adorable!”
Rainbow Dash flipped through the rest of the notes, which all said something about her being cute or a glimpse of Twilight’s fantasy. Both were quite confusing, even a little horrifying. “Twilight!” She yelled into the other room.
“Yes?” She called back.
“Come over here! We’ve got something to talk about.” Her voice dripped with mixed emotions towards the unicorn.
Twilight galloped over to her, eyes as wide as a filly Rainbow Dash’s. “Whatever do we need to talk about?” She asked innocently. “Is somepony still scared of the auras?” She stepped closer.
The rainbow-maned mare took a step back. “No, Twilight. In fact, that’s just what I was going to talk about.” Her eyes blazed and Twilight shuddered.
“You told me you were using this for your report! Not to dot on me!” She snarled.
Twilight took another cautious step towards Rainbow Dash. “No no no, that’s not what I meant at all-”
“Yes, it is!” Rainbow shot back. She grabbed the diary and flipped to the eye diagram. “‘Huge eyes? Such a cute filly? Dashie is adorable!?’” The pegasus slammed the diary on the floor. When she looked up her magenta eyes were filled to the brim with disgust and confusion. “This is what your report is about?!”
Twilight Sparkle narrowed her eyes to cover her hurt. “I didn‘t mean it like that, Rainbow... Honest...”
“I told you my entire story, cover to cover! I gave you my diary, which nopony has ever seen or even known of before! This...” She picked up the accursed diary again, still opened to the diagram. “Is how you repay me? With messages like ‘Me and Dashie should go to Canterlot and get married and live happily ever after in Celestia’s castle?!’”
Before Twilight could defend herself Rainbow Dash turned so that her back faced the poor pony. “I thought you really cared...” She sniffed and held back the tears. Her head swung back one final time. “...But I was so wrong.” With her words stinging the air the pegasus left, taking the diary with her.
Twilight Sparkle simply stood there, her mouth opened. She blinked once, twice, trying to comprehend the situation.
“I never meant it like that, Dashie...”
Rainbow Dash sat in Sugarcube Corner with her eyes fixated on the happy earth pony behind the counter. Her warm aura of turquoise and dots of yellow swam around her in cheerful flames, creating a marvelous effect. She sighed blissfully.
“Whatcha doin’, Dashie?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Did I forget to brush my mane again?”
The pegasus snapped out of it and smiled warmly. “No, Pinkie,” she replied, “it looks great.”
“Why thank you, Dashie!” Pinkie exclaimed. “This calls for a cupcake!” From behind her she grabbed two cupcakes, both bright pink like her mane. The mare slipped a sign that read “On break” over the cash register and hopped over the counter to lead Rainbow to an empty table.
“It’s such a cloudy day outside,” Pinkie said, “I can’t even see Twilight’s library!”
The mention of that name made Rainbow Dash grimace, but she didn’t say anything. She took a bite out of the moist cupcake. “Yeah, did you see that storm yesterday? I saw a tree that fell on my way here.”
“Yeah, it was a doozy!” Pinkie Pie laughed. Creamy pink frosting covered her face.
The two laughed, taking slow bites of the cupcake.
Rainbow Dash stopped first, lowering her head into her cupcake. “What’s wrong, Dashie?” The magenta mare asked.
“It’s just... Twilight. She’s been... Getting on my nerves lately.”
“Really? Twi would never do that! All she does is read books all day!”
“I don’t know... But it’s just been on my mind all day.”
“Maybe I can help! A party, perhaps! With pink streamers, and balloons, and punch...”
“Sorry Pinkie, I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
Pinkie Pie looked hurt. She sniffed and licked some frosting from her nose. “Sorry Dashie... I just want to help. I don’t like it when my friends are sad.” Her mane seemed to deflate a little.
Dashie smiled and ruffled Pinkie’s mane. “It’s okay, Pinkster, but I don’t know what you can do. It’s kinda a one-on-one thing; you know what I mean, right?”
The earth pony’s mane poofed back into its usual form and she giggled. “I know what you can do to help me, Dashie!”
“And what is that?”
Pinkie Pie raised a hoof in the air. “Cupcake eating contest!” She dropped her head into the treat and began to gobble it up with her hooves behind her back. Rainbow Dash laughed and did the same, although in her head she knew Pinkie would win.
Indeed she did. Two minutes after Pinkie Pie finished (she even ate the crumbs and frosting that had fallen off) Rainbow Dash finally did, with most of her cupcake smeared across her face.
The duo got up from their seats, and Pinkie Pie ran back to the cash register upon seeing a huge line forming. Rainbow Dash decided it was about time for her to head out as well, so she began to make her way towards the door. She yelled a thank you to Pinkie Pie, who was busy serving fresh muffins to the early risers of Ponyville.
Twilight Sparkle looked at the blank scroll with determination. A bright red quill hovered alongside it.
Should she apologize?
Or victimize?
Hide and wait?
Watch and paint?
The visions in her head?
Filled with hope and dread?
She did not know.
Twilight Sparkle felt something tug at her heartstrings, then pull violently. If Rainbow was hurt, she had to help. It was in her nature.
The unicorn dashed off to find her friend, in high hopes that she could help.
She found her under the stone bridge, skipping rocks and watching the patterns.
“Hello, Rainbow Dash.” She greeted.
“What do you want?” Rainbow asked flatly, not turning around.
“I want to apologize.”
“You’ll make more trouble then there already is.”
“Rainbow Dash, I’m sorry.”
“Do you really think that clears everything up?”
“I’m sorry. What more do you want?”
Rainbow whipped her next rock so hard it reached the middle of the river. “A lot more, Twilight. I told you everything about me; nopony else knows that information. I thought I was helping you with a report for Celestia, not supplying you my deepest secrets so you could dot on me even more.”
“You were helping me.” Twilight sat down beside her. She too grabbed a stone and flicked it, but it only landed a little ways from her farthest hoof.
“With what? Your creepy obsession?”
“No.”
Rainbow flicked another stone. She was silent for a moment. “You could have just told me.”
“Told you what?”
“That you like me.”
“I like everypony.”
“Me more so.”
Twilight sheepishly lowered her head. “I couldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t have judged you. You know I wouldn’t.”
“I just thought-”
“Twilight, don’t you ever think that you can’t tell us something; whether it be just me or the rest of our little circle of friends. I’m the Element of Loyalty, remember?”
Twilight Sparkle winced. “Okay.”
“Do you understand?”
The unicorn took a deep breath and skipped another stone. “Yes. We shouldn’t have these secrets contained to just one pony.”
“Exactly.” Rainbow whipped a new stone across the water, counting four skips across the gorgeous water. “Now let’s skip some stones.”
The two got themselves comfortable and skipped stones of different shapes and sizes for hours, enjoying one another’s company as the sun began to go down. Suddenly Rainbow Dash gasped and pointed up at the sky. “Do you see it?”
Twilight shook her head. “There’s nothing there, Rainbow Dash.”
“No, it’s there; just wait.”
As the sun touched the water, a grand explosion of mist came up from the river, in shades of orange, yellow, light pink, and deep red. The tendrils curled around the bridge and their bodies, tickling their noses. “That is what an aura looks like.” Rainbow whispered.
Twilight sucked in some air as the smoke curled around them, showing different colors than those that were originally there. Rainbow Dash looked proud as red shone on her body like a wispy dress and yellow and turquoise dots, like fireflies, flew around her. The faint outline of a yellow halo appeared on her head, shimmering in the fading daylight.
She looked down at herself to see faint patches of turquoise and yellow swirling around her, and even (very) faintly some pink dots. It was absolutely beautiful, and brought a salty tear to her eye. She wore a dress of purple clouds, a little darker than her coat, and a tint of blue within. “It’s... Stunning.” She managed to say.
The sun disappeared and both Rainbow and Twilight’s colors faded into the normal color of the sky, which was a pale black. Twilight sniffled, wishing they would come back.
Rainbow Dash smiled and pulled her closer. “You’re still beautiful.” She whispered. It was getting cold, so Twilight was thankful of Rainbow’s warmth. She yawned.
“Tired?” Rainbow asked.
“Very. It’s been a long day.”
“What are you waiting for?”
Twilight snuggled closer. “You.”
Rainbow Dash did the same, and the two watched the moon climb into the sky. Constellations, shining brightly, followed.
“Goodnight, Twi.”
“Goodnight, Dashie.”
