You, me, Mirror Pool, nine. I'm calling in for Taco Night.
RD
Twilight Sparkle crumpled up the piece of parchment with a burst of magic and tossed it aside. It was already 9:30, and there was still no Rainbow Dash.
This was not how she envisioned spending her morning, waiting in the middle of the Everfree Forest to hear whatever scheme-hatchery Rainbow had to offer. Twilight paced around the boulder in the middle of the path, her hoofsteps clearing away the cool morning dew long ago. Why here? Why now?
Taco Night may have been... okay, it was an unmitigated disaster, but it was weeks ago! Rainbow never waited that long to call in a favor owed, and the fact that she was calling in now, so soon after the Pinkie Storm, did not suggest positive implications to her.
"HEY!"
Twilight shrieked and jumped on top of the boulder. Her cheeks flushed as laughter rained down from above, and she glared at Rainbow Dash, hovering inches away from where her ear just was and wearing a saddlebag. "Stop doing that!"
"Stop falling for it! Nice to see you too, by the way."
One slow breath later, her nerves were back under control, and she climbed down. "What are we here for, Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow pointed a hoof to the boulder and then flicked it up. "Lift it."
As she feared. “No."
Rainbow's smirk remained. "You don't have much choice. Taco Night compels you."
Twilight grit her teeth and launched her lecture. "Whatever you're planning to do with the Mirror Pool–"
"Save it. You were the one that wanted a date to Rarity's fancy dinner party, and–"
"And you were the only one who wasn't going to show!"
"'And in return for services rendered, I shall provide one dinner of recipient's choosing at a later date.' Your own words, Twilight."
She rubbed her temple. "I still can't believe I had to bribe you to go on a date with me. I thought we were past the juvenile tactics. And I did give you a dinner! I cooked it myself!"
Rainbow finally landed, narrowing her eyes. "And you know what you did, Twilight."
Twilight stood her ground. The bag, the Mirror Pool, Rainbow's insistence, Twilight only saw nine ways for this to end, and only three of those were positive, and considering the lack of that special glint in Rainbow's eye, one of those three was unlikely. She didn't like the odds. "I ate just as many tacos as you, and I suffered just as–"
"You have not suffered, Twilight. I haven't even been able to look at a taco since that night! I said you owed me big, and now it's payback time. Lift the damn boulder!"
Twilight tried to step back, but she bumped into the boulder.
Rainbow stepped back, eyes shrunk down to pinpricks, and she looked at the ground.
Twilight couldn't remember the last time Rainbow snapped like that. She stepped forwards, studying the trembling shoulders and the blush around Rainbow's frown. Something was wrong. Rainbow's mood never shifted this quickly. "What's going on?"
Rainbow sat down, still refusing to meet Twilight's eyes. "Just lift the boulder."
"I thought we were past keeping secrets from each other, too."
"Please."
Twilight looked again at the bag Rainbow carried. It was a standard saddlebag, not big enough to carry anything substantial. Still... "What's in the bag?"
"You'll find out inside."
She eliminated the necromantic possibilities from her list of outcomes after a moment's debate. Although Rainbow's answer was disappointing, the bag wouldn't hold anything like a pony, or a pet; however, the flat refusal also led Twilight to cross off another positive from her list. Duplication of cookies or candy, while likely impossible, was the possibility she was most hoping for.
And Rainbow was still sitting there, not even bothering to insist Hurry up already! "Rainbow, I'm not mad at you for swearing at-"
"Boulder." Rainbow looked up, the embarrassed blush gone, and met her stare. "You do owe me a favor, Twilight."
That she did. Lifting the boulder was child's play for her, and she set it down to the side. "Done. Now what?"
"No, pick it up again. You need to shut us inside."
Twilight blinked. There went the multi-Rainboom idea, along with every remaining outcome in her mind. Why would Rainbow need to stay inside the cave? "I can't. That would block all the light." She could always just light up her horn, but-
"Okay, follow me." Rainbow stepped into the hole and disappeared.
Twilight blinked again before following her in. That was too easy. The boulder blocking the light was a convenient excuse to keep her horn free in case she needed to stop Rainbow from doing something rash, but she never expected Rainbow Dash to forget about her illumination so quickly.
Nothing about this sat right with her. Rainbow Dash always had a temper, but she never snapped as quickly as she did before. Rainbow Dash was hardly verbose, but her words were coming briefer and briefer. She walked a few paces ahead of her, but even that wasn't the same. The swishing tail and swaying hips that Rainbow loved to flaunt remained stoic.
This wasn't the mare she knew.
They reached the bottom of the path. The Mirror Pool waited for them, calm as glass. Strange glowing flowers and fungi dotted the cavern, but Twilight had a more pressing issue to investigate. "So. Here we are. Will you tell me what this is about now?"
Rainbow Dash tossed over the bag and sat down.
Finally! Twilight ripped the bag open with her magic. The answer waiting for her inside was... not what she expected. Two unopened plastic bags, each one stamped with a picture of a smiling blue colt diving into a pool, spilled onto the ground. Inside them were-
"Floaties." Twilight raised an eyebrow and looked back to Rainbow Dash. "Two pairs of inflatable floaties."
Rainbow nodded. "One for each leg. I thought that was a good start."
"A good start for what?"
"Swim lessons," she deadpanned. "What else?"
"I... you... what?" Twilight shook her head. "No. First of all, a float for each leg is too much. The pony would just lie on top of the water, struggling to move anything. Second, what were you thinking?! We don't even know if this water is safe to swim in! Third, why did you want me to block the entry? Who are you supposed to be teaching?"
"No, you're teaching."
"I'm teaching? And you just tell me this now? Don't I have a say in this?" The final piece clicked into place. By Celestia, no she didn't have a choice. This was the favor.
A light blush colored Rainbow's cheeks. "I-I... I can't swim."
Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Twilight Sparkle, don't you dare-
"Snrk!"
She slapped a hoof to her mouth, sinking under Rainbow's death glare. Oh Sisters, she needed to fix this. "The floaties," she blurted out like a school colt saying hello to a filly, "they're for foals. They won't fit you in the first place."
Rainbow's face relaxed. “You can still teach me, right?”
Twilight nodded. “Of course, but what is this about? Why now?”
“What, you think I can just go to the swimming hole and let the whole town know Rainbow Dash can’t swim? Come on, Twilight, it’s the one thing I can’t do. We’ve got privacy here. Let's get started, yeah?"
"Yes, let's get started." Twilight let out a silent sigh of relief. All she had to do was teach Ponyville's top athlete an athletic ability. It was going to be an easy day.
Why was it always the forced smiles that hurt your muscles so much? Twilight kept the grin plastered across her face as Rainbow dipped her second hind leg into the water. It only took her five minutes for the second, after the first hoof took twenty. "That's great, Rainbow."
Rainbow settled on her haunches at the edge of the pool, mimicking Twilight's posture. Her smile, just as shallow and painted as Twilight's, did nothing to hide her eyes or the panic in them. "Nothing to it!"
"Nothing indeed. Could you wait here a moment?" Twilight pushed off before waiting for an answer, letting her body slip off the edge and into the somewhat-magic-free water. While she didn't sense anything malicious or harmful in the physical properties of the pool, it was necessary to erect a thermal barrier to counter the subterranean temperature. It was into this warmth she sank, and the comfort there helped soothe her nerves; however, that wasn't enough on its own.
"SHE'S HYDROPHOBIC! SHE'S HYDROPHOBIC?! RAINBOW DASH IS HYDROPHOBIC?! HOW?!"
Twilight followed her muffled scream back to the surface and pulled her wet mane away from her eyes. "Okay, the temperature is great! Come on in."
The slightest of wordless whines escaped Rainbow's throat. "How deep did you say it was, again?"
About ten feet, but saying that was the first of her mistakes. She wasn't going to make it again. Maybe it was time for some enticement? Twilight kicked to the edge and crossed her forelegs over Rainbow's knees. She rested her chin atop her forearms, tilted her head, and smiled. "You're not going to join me?”
That special glint lit up Rainbow’s face, and she quirked an eyebrow. "What if you join your–"
Now? Really? "Rainbow, do I need to explain the difference in density of the common states of matter again?"
That did the trick. Rainbow Dash pushed up and off the rocky lip, and she let herself down into the water inch by inch. By slow... grueling... frustrating inch.
"That's it," Twilight cooed. "Nice and easy. If you can fly, you can float." She wrapped a foreleg around Rainbow's hips as they passed under the surface, tugging her down a bit faster.
"Anything to get your hooves on me, huh?"
"Every day in every way." Twilight sighed. "I'm right here. Just relax. Keep your muscles loose."
Rainbow snorted and waggled her tongue. "You know my muscle is always loose."
Twilight wondered if making nonsensical and off-color jokes while in a state of intense stress was a pegasi trait or if it just belonged to Rainbow Dash specifically. She kept quiet, rolling her eyes and waiting for Rainbow to settle in the water. "Right, we'll keep things simple for now. Keep your wings down and focus on your legs. The first thing you need to do is kick. Grab–"
Rainbow's knee slammed into her gut.
Twilight doubled over, dunking head first into the water as all of her air rushed out in a burst of bubbles.
"Did I do it right?"
Twilight jerked back up and sucked in precious gasps of air.
"You okay?"
"What–" Twilight coughed. "What did you do that for?!"
Rainbow blinked. "You told me to kick. I cocked my leg and bucked. Is that not how you do it?"
Simpler. "Okay, let's do something else. Just put your face down and get it wet."
"I–"
"DON'T."
This is for Rainbow Dash. This is for Rainbow Dash. This is for Rainbow Dash.
The mantra kept Twilight sane while Rainbow's knees pounded against her foreleg. "Too high!"
Rainbow looked over her shoulder. The kicks slowed until they barely broke the surface of the water. "Like this?"
"You got it." Twilight dropped her hooves, one under Rainbow's legs and the other holding her level under her stomach. She let out a gasp of pain through clenched teeth as her aching foreleg joined the pain of her sore stomach. "Are you ready to try crossing again?"
"Anything to get your hooves back on me, huh?"
Elements, give me the patience for this. She hoped the jokes, and Rainbow's jitters, would die down in time, but there was no such luck yet. "You used that one already. Just go."
Rainbow pushed off the side of the pool, and Twilight was there to catch her. The pair moved through the water, Twilight's kicks holding them up and Rainbow's moving them forward. "Much better," Twilight whispered in her ear. "Keep going."
A glint flashed in Rainbow's eyes, and she smirked. "I'll go faster."
"What do you-WHOA!" Twilight twisted her head, barely dodging Rainbow's incoming hoof. "Stop! Hold it!" She was better off screaming at a hurricane. The tranquil pool exploded around her. Rainbow Dash swung her forelegs like clubs, forcing Twilight into a retreat.
It was too much; she couldn't control Rainbow anymore. Twilight let go, and she was almost ready to push away when realization sank in. She let go! "Rainbow, you're doing it! You've got–"
BAM!
The blow slammed into her temple, rocking her back. Twilight flailed in the water, stunned, until her hooves hit the far wall. She pulled herself to it and held her head. The throbbing pain commanded her attention, but something told her she was forgetting something. What was-RAINBOW!
A pair of hooves wrapped around her chest, and a voice shouted in her ear, "You let go! You let go and I still made it!" Rainbow pulled her head to the side and planted a hard kiss on her cheek. "You're the best, Twilight!"
She managed a small smile in spite of the ringing in her ears. "That was fantastic, Rainbow. So we're done?"
Rainbow's mouth hung open. "Done? No way! I still want to go backwards! Come on, race me to the other side!"
Head resting on the surface of the water like it was a pillow, Twilight Sparkle let out a sigh as the soreness of her body melted into the water. She floated upright on the surface, sweeping her legs under her to stay level. Twilight turned her eyes away from the ceiling and down to Rainbow floating on her back. "What do you think of this?"
Rainbow raised her hooves out of the water in a shrug. "It’s okay, I guess. I'd rather be doing something."
Twilight tugged Rainbow backwards. "Let's go then. I've seen you do this in the sky before."
The dreaded forelegs swung backwards. She started out slowly, just as Twilight instructed, but mechanically. The flowing rhythm Twilight wanted to see was tight and rigid. Rainbow Dash swam with the grace of a rock.
Twilight stopped her halfway across the pool, holding Rainbow's forelegs to her sides and looking down at her face. "Are you alright?"
A slow grin spread under Rainbow's wide eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you look like we're starting all over again. Do you want to stop?"
Rainbow's mouth opened, but she closed it and shook her head. "No, I'm good."
"What were you about to say?"
"I'm good, Twilight."
"No you're not. What were you about to say?"
"It... feels weird. Like... I don't know, like I'm about to fall in. Like I'm not going anywhere but down."
Twilight smiled. "I've got you. You're not going anywhere. Just remember to keep your back straight. If you sit up, your body folds up and pulls you down."
Rainbow returned her smile and started swimming again. She was still rigid, her muscles tight in Twilight's hooves. It was probably time to call it a day, but Rainbow was still able to push them to the wall. One more trip back couldn't hurt.
"Alright Rainbow, I'm going to turn you around now." Twilight set her hind legs apart to brace herself against the wall. She used her front hooves to spin Rainbow in place, turning her around and pointing her back to where they started. "Don't kick yet. I'm–"
Rainbow sat up. "Did you say something?"
Down she went. Down she went, and up came her leg in a panicked thrust. Up came her leg, driving deep in between Twilight's, splitting her in half.
Twilight somehow managed to grit her teeth until she'd retreated underwater, where the roaring pain in her groin ripped the scream from her throat, and bubbles carried her curses of Rainbow Dash’s name, family, and very existence to the surface.
Two hooves grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back up before she'd finished her tirade. "I'm so sorry Twilight!”
“What the hell?!”
Rainbow’s face turned beet red. “I’m–”
"I told you not to sit up! I told you I was spinning you around! I told you not to kick!"
"I-I'm sorry!"
"You knock the wind out of me! You punch me in the face! I tell you exactly what I'm going to do and then you–" Twilight scrunched her face as another bout of pain died down. She leaned her head back on the edge of the wall. "We're done here."
"Yeah... ”
Twilight turned. "We're done! We're done, we're done, we're done." She set her front hooves on the edge to pull herself up, but her hind legs were... inoperable.
Rainbow Dash scrambled out to help her up.
She stood up, keeping her hind legs closed together. "You realize that you owe me for this now, right?"
"Y-Yeah. Can, uh, can you walk?"
"I'll manage." Twilight crept forward. Walking was painfully slow, and shaking dry was out of the question. She could teleport back to the library for a... no. There was nothing to do but wait. She didn’t trust herself with a spell at the moment. Still, that was no reason to delay her compensation. “Spa day. Get going."
Rainbow blinked. "What are you talking about?"
"The favor we agree that you owe me. You're taking a spa day. Now.”
“What?! No!”
“You don’t have much choice. Swim Day compels you. After that, you’re going to that shop with the sweet old unicorn mare to pick up some scented candles for me."
"No! No way is Rainbow Dash going to buy–"
"Scented candles, Rainbow Dash!”
“You can’t do that! That’s two favors!”
Twilight silenced her with a look. “The favor is that my beautiful marefriend will make me relax tonight with the fragrance of cloves while giving me a sensual massage with her freshly manicured hooves while she is looking her absolute best, and she is not going to make me lift a hoof to set it up. You are going to work me through every last drop of stress from this morning. Do this, and I might not decide to set your tail on fire to see if you remember what I taught you. Am I clear?"
Rainbow bowed her head. "Clear."