Rainbow Dash nearly smashed into the ceiling out of surprise, the rest of the chili flew in all directions, however most ended up all over Dash. Twilight was the first to speak, “Dash you nearly gave me a heart attack. I was prepared to zap you into oblivion…but your ludicrously loud eating assured me that you were harmless”.

Although she was covered in chili Dash was in high spirits, “Harmless! How could you say I Rainbow Dash, the terror of the dark skies, IS HARMLESS! I don’t believe the nerve of you Twilight.” Rainbow crossed her hooves in angry and blew a raspberry at Twilight. Twilight in response just picked her up off the bed with her magic.

Twilight levitated Dash so that they were face to face except Dash was upside down “The dark skies, really? Weren’t you the one knocked out in the storm?”

Dash turned scarlet and got indignant before pecking Twilight on the cheek which made her blush quite embarrassingly. “I guess this terror just found an even greater one.”

Twilight sighed at Dash’s hammy-ness “Stop that, we need to get you cleaned up your covered in vegetable stock”, Twilight carried her over to the crystal baths with her playfully complaining the whole way there. The crystal baths were sparsely adorned in comparison to the rest of the castle. The baths were built down from the floor and sloped gently down into the optimal depth. Crystals glowing a gentle orange were impeded into the sides heating the water and giving it a welcoming aura. A crystal of transposition kept the water clean and circulating. The room as a whole was awash with a dark blue giving it the appearance of everlasting twilight. Obscured by their flawless craftsmanship cabinets the entire perimeter which Twilight began opening searching for the right shampoo for pegasus coats covered in foodstuffs before she unceremoniously dropped Dash in to the deep end and began trying a combo of all the more promising concoctions. Twilight looked down at her own fur and was taken aback by the amount of dirt from her gardening was still on her fetlocks and all the debris of smelting had caked onto her own coat. Unlike Dash’s entry Twilight slowly descended into the warm water and felt all the energy from her limbs get sucked up by the heat so by the time she reached Rainbow she almost melted into her hooves, nearly asleep.
Dash looked down on the floating alicorn and her eyes teared up a little, reminded of how Twilight had risked everything for her on some many occasions and how she had betrayed Twilight’s faith on too many occasions. She carefully outstretched the large alicorn wings and saw the still fresh creases and damaged feathers from their midair collision, Dash began to correct and straighten out the wings and meticulously preened each row of feathers. Twilight began humming a simple tune as if she was purring when Dash started going through her coat removing the accumulation of heavy metals and dead embers. Once she was finished did Twilight open her eyes to meet Dash’s
“Thanks Rainbow, I guess I haven’t been taking good care of myself in all the excitement and trepidation in this journey into the dangerous unknown. It means so much to me that you made the time to visit even if you did come only for the food.” That got a chuckle from Dash.
“Don’t be silly egghead, because of you I didn’t even get any and now I have to preen my wings for the third time today, so the least you could do is offer me some of that stuff it smelled good at least.”

Twilight gave her a sarcastic smile, “I guess you deserve some food for putting up with bath”.

“I deserve seconds, letting you bathe me. I could charge ponies for the privilege. I guess I can wave the charges for a princess and a friend.” Rainbow retorted sidling up to Twilight. Twilight just gave a humored looked to Rainbow as they meandered through the vaulted halls back to the kitchen. The chili had been simmering all the while so it was still warm when they came back and it was still warm as Rainbow devoured most of it barely pausing for conversation or breath. Twilight looked on bemused while protecting a bowl for Crimson.
Only when Rainbow had finished her third bowl did she speak, “so what’s the deal with this red stallion, where did he come from and why did he have to take my place as the best guard of Ponyville?”

Twilight whipped away some chili from Rainbow’s muzzle as she answered, “now Rainbow my dear friend I wish I could tell you about him, but even I don’t know that much about him. He says he used to serve alongside Shining Armor but was never formally enlisted, used to be a soldier for hire for a bit, and I guess he goes on expeditions for Celestia now. Also Ponyville doesn’t need any guards; if anything we endanger Ponyville more than the Everfree Forest ever did although unintentionally. If you’re so curious why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Rainbow hesitated after the last question, letting her true feelings come forth, “Twilight…I just couldn’t live with myself if you didn’t come back. You have shaped me to be a better pony more than anyone, I used to think all I wanted was to be a Wonderbolt and be the best, and I still want be that, but…I know that that’s not going to be enough. There have been very few things that have kept me in Ponyville, mainly how lazy I could be. That all changed when you arrived, you gave me a reason to call this place home and a reminder of why I wanted to be the very best, to make all those around me better. I know it sounds cheesy but I’m not the speech writer.” Twilight reached in for a hug which Rainbow quickly fell into, almost out of her chair, after a little while Rainbow spoke again “Yeah…let’s go down and see him.”
Rainbow and Twilight untangled from the hug which caused Rainbow’s chair to slip out from under her and she fell in a heap her wings quick to hide her face a defense against Twilight’s snicker. Twilight helped pick up Rainbow Dash and the descended in the deep of the castle leaving the cold of the encroaching midnight for the warmth of the furnace embers. Rainbow seemed more hesitant as she went further and further down in the indigo depths of the castle. Twilight began hearing the now familiar ring of the hammer and realized that she hadn’t seen Crimson for almost the entire day and she felt a little bad about leaving him with only the lonesome stone. The embers of the fire slowly filled the stairway with a warm orange glow finally revealing the imposing silhouette of Twilight’s head guard. Crimson had seemingly finished his work as he rose from his station of three days and approached the two, his hooves creating a soft thud and a slight scratching sound.

“You two came at the right time, I just finished the last piece of your armor and I believe it to be one of my best works,” He looked toward Rainbow at this point “Although it helped that so many brave souls helped by getting the best materials. Now I do believe you have made something to eat, I’m beyond hungry at this point.”

Twilight was a bit confused about how Crimson knew that but she didn’t dwell on it and handed him the tray she had brought down which he quickly downed in a single go. “Crimson I had no idea you were that hungry, you eat like you haven’t had anything in three days.”

“Guilty as charged”

Twilight was visibly hurt by this, she searched for the right words to scold Crimson with but Rainbow beat her to it, “Are you crazy I’m not letting you go hungry for three days, you need to be well fed otherwise Twilight is gonna have to look after you and then you won’t be much of a guard would ya.”

Crimson laughed at Rainbow’s scolding and patted her shoulder, his unexpected weight throwing her off balance, “Twilight’s safety is more important than my own life but I have a promise to someone important to not die before I’m finished, so worry not. Plus I have gone much longer without food, although I try not to. Now Twilight I do believe it’s time to fit this armor, I think you’ll like it”. Crimson brought out several pieces from beside the forge and beckoned for Twilight. Rainbow sighed in relief Crimson’s hoof on her shoulder had unsettled her and she made her way to the outer circle to watch as Twilight’s ensemble took shape. The metal was an unnatural black at its heart but shone a shimmering silver in the moonlight and gold in the forge light. Rainbow couldn’t help but stare entranced as each piece covered Twilight’s lithe alicorn form, Rainbow was confused at first as it looked like a set of spines and ribs almost if a metal spider had grabbed Twilight. It wasn’t until Crimson slid plates in between each of the ribs that the armor became believable. Finally, Crimson pulled out the helm which he placed over Twilight’s head with the utmost ceremony. Kneeling before his princess he presented the engraved black helm with gold etching trailing all around the faceplates telling the story of her ascension and a thick silver circlet imbedded above where her horn stuck out telling her feats after it. Twilight turned to face Rainbow and they meet eye to eye. Now Rainbow had been eye to eye with Twilight many a times but this time there was an otherworldly authority and fire that was drawn out and burned brightly. Rainbow for one of the few times in their friendship was scared of Twilight and something inside her was screaming to look away from her gaze but she just could not. Rainbow felt her inner fears filling her head and luckily Crimson removed her helm before Rainbow fears overwhelmed her. Rainbow collapsed behind the low wall feeling completely drained. She sat huddled there until Twilight’s muzzle pressed on her sensitive back between her wings. When she opened her eyes she was face to face with Twilight but the usual soft eyes had returned, but still she jumped, scrambling into a mess of wings and rainbow mane.

This elected a snicker in Twilight “What’s wrong Dash I thought you loved my eyes.”

Rainbow now blue and red responded quickly, “Of course I do…I mean they’re my favorite eyes...maybe except mine own, but that’s only because I need those. Where’s Crimson?”

“Dash, slow down. Crimson went upstairs to get food. What’s this about my eyes?”

Rainbow breathed deeply before continuing, “When you had that helmet on and looked at me, it felt as if you were looking through me, bringing up my darkest fears and making them come to pass in my head. There was enough fire in your eyes to burn the Everfree to a crisp.”

“You sure you didn’t just faint at the sight of me in my royal regalia.” Twilight pointed to herself still clad in the skeletal carapace which
combined with the shadows of the forge gave her the look of a nightmare cursed queen ready for battle. It was a look that Rainbow secretly loved ever since seeing Nightmare Moon’s Shadowbolts.

“No it wasn’t that, but it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that armor, I’ve never seen anything like it but I love it.” Rainbow gave it a quick jab to test it and was caught off guard as it didn’t give a hair. “Holy smokes, that’s strong.”

“Yep, and I think it looks great.”

“A bit conspicuous don’t you think though.”

Twilight saw the meaning behind Rainbow’s words “You would only bring that up if you have something to solve that, right Dash?”
Rainbow again turned red and hesitant as she pulled out a long sand colored duster, very much like the one Crimson’s, “Here, I though this might help you keep a low profile in the desert and the badlands, I had to ask a few favors and do some work for the right people to get this. It’s a Wonderbolt recon standard issue desert armor, I thought since the Wonderbolts haven’t been a military fighting force in years that I could acquisition one and get it to someone it might save.”

Twilight was on the verge of tears as she hugged Rainbow for the millionth time that night “Thank you Dash, I love it.” After the exchange Rainbow made for the stairway but Twilight stopped her “Where are you going?”

“Home I guess.”

“Stay with me for tonight, I miss you.”

“You drive a hard bargain Princess Twilight Sparkle.” The matter settle the two retreated to the warm solace of their bed, the fires of the forge keeping the area homely, its work now done leaving it nothing more than a comfort and a companion through the long night.
Twilight was sound asleep and the night was almost half over when Rainbow Dash slowly made her way out of the bed and onto the cold cobblestones. Crimson was nowhere in sight which Rainbow took to mean he was sleeping. She quietly made her way to Twilight’s study and in the light of the warm embers she wrote a chicken scratch message for Twilight and left it tucked in her down feathers. She made her way upstairs back to the landing almost tripping over herself in the now gloomy staircase. As she reached the top she could hear the sounds of breathing, slow and large, she assumed that it was Crimson and he had just fallen asleep eating his food. “That stallion is driven by something mad,” Rainbow whispered under her breath.

“You aren’t wrong Rainbow,” Crimson’s voice responded. Rainbow let out a small squeak worried that she had just messed up in some way. “In fact I think you have a knack for knowing things like that, a bit Twilight has definitely rubbed off on you…or perhaps Twilight is stealing some tricks from you.”

“Okay dude it’s a little creepy when you speak from the shadows like that.” Crimson gave a low whistle to alert Rainbow to his location on the edge of the porch gazing at the stars. Rainbow immediately regretted looking over there as Crimson was without any of his usual attire and from the angle all she could she was two large scars running the part of the length of the back. Rainbow’s body ached in pain as she looked upon them, the jagged edges and exposed flesh reminded her too much of pictures she’d seen of clipped pegasi. “Crimson! By Celestia what happened to your back who clipped you? I demand to know!”

Crimson broke his stare with the stars and looked over toward Rainbow, perplexed for a moment, “What are you talking abo…oh you mean the scars, Rainbow your concern is surprising but these are scars are long since inflicted they just never healed.”

“The sight of them pains me.”

“Just like the sight of Twilight pains you?”

Now it was Rainbow’s turn to be confused, “What are you talking about?”

“Rainbow you are leaving in the middle of the night, leaving your best friend. I know you can’t stand to see her go and you worry for her…I do too. Is this really what you want to do right now?”
Rainbow sat in silence for several long minutes, leaving only the sound of Crimson’s ponderous breathing and the gust of the wind to fill the empty air. Then came the soft sound of crying and the tears as they hit the smooth floor. Through the tears and snivels Rainbow continued, “She’s the only one who b-b-believed in me even when I-I-I didn’t. She’s taught me so-so much. I feel like she made me a mu-much better pony even when I didn’t want to. What f-f-friend would I be if I di-didn’t do everything to help her. But I can’t do anything now!...so I shouldn’t be allowed around her, I feel so guilty.”

Crimson had made his way to Rainbow and sat down in front of her, “Rainbow I know she cares about you too and she would never want to make you feel guilty. She wants you so she will remember this night and I think if you really want to do all you can for her, you will join her .” Crimson stayed there comforting Rainbow for about half an hour until she regained her composure and with a silent smile and a wave of the wing she descended to find Twilight still asleep. Rainbow plucked the note she had placed and stashed it in one of the many pockets of Twilight’s duster which hung from hook in the wall. Rainbow then snuggled alongside Twilight and smiled to herself confident she had done the right thing.

Author's Note

It's even in the title