The sun was getting low in the sky, and the ponies of Ponyville were waiting with anticipation. The Princess of the Night had scheduled a display of the rare Northern Lights over all of Equestria. Not like the ones in the Crystal Empire, but the ones that were green and yellow. True Northern Lights. And naturally, the whole town was gathering around, waiting for aurora borealis, as Twilight called it. She said it was the scientific name for the lights, but Dash wasn't sure. Dash waded through the crowd where to Twilight sat in front, and nudged her.
"Oh, hey Dash." Twilight looked to see who nudged her, and saw her friend. "It's crowded here." Twilight said simply.
"Yeah, but it's the best spot I could find for us. And maybe once the show's started we can move somewhere else." Dash answered, and watched the golden sun sink below the clouded horizon, ever so slowly. As soon as Luna had raised the moon, lanterns were lit all around. Dash picked hers up, which was decorated with metal swirls. Twilight looked at it with interest.
"Wow Dash, I never really pictured you to use something like this. It's really pretty!" Twilight exclaimed. Dash cast her a sour look, and Twilight sighed. "I didn't mean it that way, it's just that it's so... fancy. I know you hate fancy stuff."
"I do not hate fancy stuff!" Dash exclaimed. "Well, I might dislike it, but I don't hate it." Dash lit the candle inside the lantern. The warm glow reflected on her eyes and off her pelt, and also lit Twilight's coat. Dash exhaled sharply as she saw Twilight in the golden light. She was utterly beautiful. Twilight cast her a strange glance, then went back to watching the gleaming stars.
"Wow, Rainbow Dash, Twilight is right." Rarity said from behind Dash. "I've never seen something quite like it!" Then she looked suspiciously at Dash. "What's the occasion, darling?" Rarity wanted to know why Dash was bringing such a pretty thing. It just wasn't like her at all.
"Do I have to have a reason?" Dash groaned, and glanced at Twilight. She did have a reason, but Rarity couldn't crack her case.
"Yes dear, I'm afraid you do." Rarity stated plainly. "You would never bring such a thing on a normal occasion."
"Well I don't. Now go back to Applejack, I just wanted to spend some time watching with Twi." Dash said firmly. Rarity rolled her eyes in a lady like way, but went back to where Applejack was sitting. Twilight paid no attention, she was immersed in the world of stars. The buzz of other ponies suddenly felt like too much to Dash. They needed someplace special, that would make this night perfect. "Twilight, can you teleport us to the outskirts of Ponyville?" She whispered in her friend's ear.
"Umm, yeah. I have enough power to do that. I'll get the lantern first." Twilight focused her power on the lantern, and it disappeared in a flash of purple light. "Now for us." Her horn lit up, and with layers and layers of purple and sparks coming off it, they too vanished with a pop. Lyra and Bonbon immediately took the front row seats.
It was peaceful at the edge of Ponyville, and it could have been a lovely place to watch, but no. Rainbow needed to take the flightless unicorn somewhere that would blow her mind away up into the sky. Someplace she kept private, and someplace she went when she was down. "You wouldn't mind putting a cold resistant spell on yourself, would you?" Dash asked. Twilight wondered what Dash was planning. She put her spell on herself, and suddenly found her hooves in the air. Dash had scooped her up, and was carrying her along through the sky. Up and up they went, and she brought the lantern with her magic up to them. She had never really appreciated how strong Dash was, but now she saw it. She also admired Dash's blue coat against the many stars, galaxies, and more. They seemed to go on and on, enjoying the silence to think, until Dash was panting heavily.
"Dash, we can stop now. You're going to hurt yourself if you go any farther." Twilight told a weak looking Rainbow Dash.
"No." She said in between heaves. "Almost-" *Pant* "There."
"Where are you even trying to get to? And, where are we?" Twilight asked as she looked at the snow covered slope they were going up. This was the mountain not far from Ponyville, but it was steep.
"Up" *Pant* "There." She pointed to a crag in the mountain, and although it was not far, Twilight shook her head.
"You can't be serious. You won't make it up there! You're too tired." Twilight wouldn't let Rainbow do this to herself. But she was also shocked. Dash was doing this for her. For her! She was torturing herself and testing her strength and stamina for her. It made Twilight speechless with gratitude. But she soon went back to worrying about her friend when her eyelids started closing, and snapping open.
"Must. Make. It. For. Twilight." Dash mumbled to herself, but Twilight heard loud and clear. "Almost. There." Indeed, the grey, snow covered crag that Dash had pointed to was only a few pony lengths away. Dash flapped her wings a few more times, then landed very un-gracefully. Her knees wobbled, and she collapsed once she set Twilight down ever so gently. Twilight was once again shocked that Dash had helped her first, and then got to her own needs. It wasn't like Dash to do this, but nevertheless she liked the new attitude. Twilight looked at the utterly exhausted pegasus, and scooped her into her hooves.
"I love you." Dash mumbled from in her friend's arms. Twilight's brain clicked. Of course! That's why she had gone through all the physical pain to help her friend. That's why she insisted on not stopping. That's why she brought her up here. Wait, why did she bring her up here? Twilight was confused for a second. The collapsed Dash suddenly lifted a hoof.
"The view. The stars. For you." She pointed to the sky. Twilight looked up to the sky and gasped. All around her, green lights flickered elegantly. The aurora borealis, gleaming and waving across the sky. And even the snow that had started falling made the scene more beautiful, in Twilight's opinion. The shimmering stars, too. There were so many of them! All shining down on her, protecting her from harm. Like anything could harm her up here, with Rainbow Dash by her side. She knew that Dash would die to protect her, and she valued that deeply. After looking at the many mesmerizing groups of stars all around, and admiring the lights, she knew a perfect way to repay Dash for all of this, the insistence that she got the best view, the determination to keep going just for her, and the pretty lantern. Twilight, in the golden glow of the swirly lantern, shining stars, cold and beautiful snow, soft gentle stars, and the flickering Northern Lights, kissed the mare in her arms, and not out of thankfulness, but out of love.
