Chapters Where is she?
It was not unusual for Rainbow Dash to be late for dinner. After all, not long ago, she had announced that she would become a full-fledged member of the Wonderbolts; Twilight was convinced that she spent that extra time working extra hard to impress her new boss.
But this wasn't their usual dinner. It had been more than a year since the pair was tricked by Pinkie Pie into revealing their emotions toward each other, and exactly a year since they both decided to push their friendship and experimentation a step forward when Twilight proposed a steadier relationship. Even though Dash initially disagreed, not wanting to become entangled in a serious relationship, she quickly learned that most of the sayings about it were nothing but empty words based on meaningless myths.
Twilight couldn’t help but let her memory drift to that time. Even after a year, Twilight could remember most of the details of their first night together. She smiled. Instead of the wild and tiring sex in which Dash would most likely partake in a heartbeat, at least according to way too many ponies, the couple ended up talking throughout the entire night.
Their conversation touched on many topics. They started with rumors about the new book about Daring Do, but it was quickly superseded by a plethora of other subjects, ranging from managing weather, to astronomy, and even to the importance of safe sex, which, to Twilight's amusement, made Dash's face almost the same color as Twilight's coat. The night ended with nothing more than a gentle kiss and Twilight falling asleep, while Dash caressed her messy wings.
It was everything that Twilight wanted and needed that day.
A soft voice and a gentle nudge of small claws snapped Twilight out of her reverie. "Twilight? Rainbow isn't here yet, is she?"
Twilight shook her head and sighed. "She's probably just a little late, Spike, that's all."
"A little? She should have been here two hours ago… She's usually no more than half an hour late…"
"Maybe her train is late…"
Spike tilted his head. "Train? Late? That train is never late for more than a few minutes."
Twilight sighed again. "I guess. I just hoped that she wouldn’t be late. At least not today." Her horn glowed as a flicker of her magic extinguished the candles.
"This is a big thing for you, isn't it?"
Twilight nodded. "We have been together for a year now, Spike. Ponies usually celebrate such anniversaries."
Spike nodded and looked around the room. "Um… I know you asked me to take tonight off, because you wanted to be alone with Rainbow, but… do you want some company? At least until she—"
Twilight smiled and softly wrapped her hooves around Spike. "Thanks, Spike, but you likely had plans for the night, didn’t you?"
Spike nodded. “Berry Punch is having a party, and I wouldn’t want to miss it for anything. Even you-know-who will be there.” He clicked his tongue twice and was met with an inaudible sigh and a warm smile. “And I have a perfect plan on how to impress her!”
“Spike, I don’t think she’ll—”
“Just watch the master at work,” Spike boasted as he ran a claw over his spines, shooting Twilight a suave grin.
“Master…” Twilight echoed. “You know, I don’t really want to know.” She shot Spike a stern glare. “But if you try to use a love potion again , then a certain baby dragon is going to be in a lot of trouble. Again .”
Spike groaned. “Yeah, yeah.”
Twilight shook her head as Spike left the library. She was now all alone, her heart still longing for her mare. Where is she?
She sat back behind the table, trying to understand what could keep Dash from coming on time. She couldn't think of many reasons. Perhaps Dash had been injured or unable to get the time off, but nopony contacted her with such a message. Another possibility was that Dash had missed the one and only train back from Canterlot. Twilight remembered Dash telling her that she would visit some old friends there before returning to Ponyville.
Setting her worries aside and accepting that she would see her mare tomorrow, Twilight relaxed and let her memory drift back to how their relationship started.
~*~*~
A purple feather was wrapped in the soft glow of Twilight’s magic and gently plucked from her wing. Regardless of preparing herself for the sting, she still flinched upon removal of the feather.
The setup couldn’t be more perfect if she’d planned it. On a lone cloud above Ponyville, just inches away from her, Rainbow Dash was sleeping peacefully. Twilight didn’t dare move more than she needed, knowing most likely that she would wake up Dash and be deprived of the amusement of waking her up in a more interesting way. Twilight couldn’t help but grin.
Dash groaned as a purple feather flicked across her muzzle, making her smack her lips and shift in her sleep.
Twilight giggled and tried again. Another flick.
Dash stretched her hoof and scratched her muzzle in an attempt to deflect the ticklish invader.
Even though this amused Twilight immensely, she decided to change the object of torture.
Twilight smirked as the magic glow around the purple feather faded away, allowing it to fall on the cloud beside Dash. Trying hard not to burst into a fit of laughter, she opened her wing and extended her feathers just enough to scratch Dash’s muzzle again.
Another groan. "Five more minutes, mom," Dash muttered. The gentle tapping didn't stop for more than a few seconds. "Mooom," she grunted, turning away from the purple wing and curling into a colorful ball.
Twilight couldn't help herself anymore. She erupted into giggles as she watched the confused ball untangle itself.
"Wh-what?"
"Good morning, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight teased.
Dash snorted. "I wasn't sleeping!"
"Of course you weren’t," Twilight mused. "I think that at least half of Equestria would say otherwise. I could hear your snoring in my library."
Dash groaned. "Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Sarcasm, I presume?"
Twilight smiled. “You told me to look you up when I have some free time. So… here I am.”
“Free time? For what?” Dash yawned loudly and opened her mouth widely enough that Twilight could swear she saw Dash’s tonsils. “Sorry. I had a pretty rough night. Been called in the middle of the night for weather duty.” She sighed and tapped her muzzle. “Where were we? Oh, right. Free time. Wings. Flying lessons.”
Twilight nodded and perked her ears.
“Let’s see,” Dash said in a soft, but commanding voice. “Nice wings you have there, Twi. Very clean and a little bigger than mine. Too bad that those kind of wings aren’t made for racing.” Twilight’s muzzle flushed faintly upon that comment. “You tried to fly before?”
Twilight nodded. “I read a few books that I have in my library, but it just doesn’t work. I don’t know what am I doing wrong. Maybe if I go to Canterlot and—”
Dash smirked. “Then you’re going to love this,” she said, bracing Twilight from behind. “Spread your wings, Twilight; we’re going for a flight. And don’t worry. I’ll catch you if you fall.”
Twilight blinked. “Wait, what?”
~*~*~
Twilight’s ear flicked as the squeak of the floorboards snapped her out of her reverie. It had been now three hours since Dash was supposed to come, but even though Twilight assured herself that Dash had only missed the only train, something else bothered her, and she couldn’t figure out what.
There was still no sign of Spike or Dash. She stared at the window, contemplating what to do—either curl up under her warm blanket and lose herself in a book, or go to the bar to numb her worries with friendly chatter.
She paused for a moment to think. As tempting as spending the remainder of the night behind a book was, she realized that what she wanted even more was to spend some time with her friends.
~*~*~
Twilight entered the only bar in Ponyville. She was greeted with loud music, stale air, and ponies almost shouting at each other in an attempt at casual conversation. She usually avoided these kind of places for that very reason, but, occasionally, she let Dash drag her into it and convince her to unwind.
More often than not, those kind of dates ended with Dash getting tipsy and attempting to drag Twilight to the dance floor, with very limited success. Usually, it just meant Dash ending up alone under the spotlights, with Twilight snickering at Dash’s failed attempts at looking like a professional dancer.
She groaned as she looked around the cram-packed bar, trying in vain to find any of her friends. She was certain that she would find Pinkie Pie arguing with somepony about the choice of candy, or Applejack making sure that her cider was of proper temperature to be served. She also expected Rarity to show up with Spike right behind her, following her almost every step.
Instead, she found a friend that she didn’t expect to be here at all.
“Rainbow Dash?” she asked in a mixture of confusion and worry. “You are here ? I was worried sick that you were—”
"Nuzzer one," Dash blurted out in a drunken slur. "I'm not here, Twi. Just close my… no… your eyes, an’ I won't—” Her eyes shifted to the empty glass in front of her. “Hey! Bartender! Where's dat drink?"
"You're drunk, Dash,” Twilight said in a soothing voice. “Why don't we get you home, and we'll talk in the morning?"
“Aw, don’t you want to f-f-f-fuck me like everypony else? You’re my m-marefrriend, no?” Dash spread her hind legs a little. “You know you want to.”
“Dash!” Twilight said in a low but harsh voice, blushing fiercely. “What has gotten into you?”
Dash waved her hoof in dismissal. “You’re no fun, Twilight. At least have a drink or two with me. This cider is amazing! Hey, Berry! Tell the bartender to give me and my mare another one!”
Twilight shook her head. “Dash, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think you had enough.”
“Don’t be such a tardy, Twi.”
Twilight flinched, but it didn’t go unnoticed.
“Allow me one more drink, and I won’t tell everypony about that.”
“Dash, no.”
Dash smirked and turned towards the cramped bar. “Hey, everypony!” she shouted over the noise. “Princess Sparkle here hates to be called ‘tardy’ because she was b—”
Twilight’s wings unfurled in fury. “Rainbow Dash, don’t you dare!” Her voice boomed across the bar, silencing everypony and the background music in a heartbeat.
“S-sorry,” she said as everypony looked at her, her face flushing red.
Still in shock, Dash looked towards Twilight in fearful anticipation, but instead of additional shouting, she was welcomed by a trembling, yet friendly voice.
"D-Dash?"
Dash shook her head and looked at her mare. "I… I need some air," she rasped, looking at the still-staring crowd. She threw a small bag of bits on the table. "That should cover everything. And a little tip."
"Dash?" Twilight repeated.
But Dash didn’t reply. Instead, she headed outside and spread her wings, disappearing into the shadows of the night a moment later.
"Dash…"
~*~*~
“Just remember what I said,” Dash instructed, a smug smile on her lips, “and everything will be fine.”
It didn’t help.
Twilight shrieked at the top of her lungs. She was sure that Celestia could hear her, even though Canterlot Castle was far away. Regardless, Princess Celestia would rush to her prize student's aid, no matter where she was. Or at least Twilight thought so.
Twilight was falling with high velocity, flailing her wings in a vain attempt to glide through the partially cloudy skies. She shrieked again, but this time managed to fall on a soft, sky-blue pillow, who had flown her to the nearest cloud and landed her gently.
Twilight looked around frantically, trying to assess if all her hooves were accounted for and if her wings were still intact. After a few seconds, she calmed down for a moment, but the adrenaline, still pumping through her veins, made her believe that her heart was going to explode. A familiar laugh derailed her train of thought.
“Rainbow Dash! Are you crazy ?” she screamed at her friend as much as her lungs permitted.
Dash didn’t even flinch. She was still laughing and took her time to tone down to nothing more than a few snorts and giggles.
“Well?” Twilight demanded.
“Relax, Twi,” Dash replied. “I told you, I’ll catch you if you fall. Besides, you didn’t do so badly. I would give it a D minus.”
Another surge of adrenaline shot through Twilight, sending her into another panic attack. “D-D minus?” she almost yelped.
“Twi, you didn’t do anything that I’ve said. At least in the end you tried to do something . And you didn’t die, either.”
Twilight groaned. “That’s really reassuring. We could do this on the ground, you know?”
Dash snickered. “Of course we could, but I felt like torturing you for a bit.”
Twilight snorted. “Why am I not surprised?”
“That's what you get for waking me up," Dash replied with a faint smile. "And I wanted to show you my absolutely favorite spot up here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Could you stop being an egghead for one second? Just watch.”
Both ponies stared into the distant horizon as the play of colors began. As the sun started to sink behind the horizon, the ground and skies were painted in crimson and slowly melted into much darker colors, until it all slowly faded away into the darkness of the night.
Twilight shivered as a gust of cold wind ruffled her mane and coat. The chill quickly vanished when she felt Dash wrap her wing around her.
“I forgot that it’s cold up here, especially after sunset, but it’s still my favorite spot regardless.”
Twilight nodded. “That was really beautiful, Rainbow. Who would have thought that you’re such a romantic?”
“I’m not!“ Dash shot back. “I just…” She sighed. “I just like the view. I was always impressed by it, even as a filly.”
Twilight smiled. “Right.” She tapped her hoof against her muzzle. “Um, Dash?”
“Yeah?”
“How can I get down? It’s a little high for me to teleport…”
Dash smirked. “Well… there’s one way…”
Twilight’s blood froze.
~*~*~
Twilight sat on the porch, staring at the depressing night sky. Her mare still wasn't back home, and two months of them being apart didn't help with the overall situation. She sniffled.
"Twilight?"
"What is it, Spike?"
"I made some of my signature pancakes. Want some?"
"Thanks for the offer, Spike, but… I'm not really hungry."
"Oh." He paused for a moment. "Is it because of what happened in the bar?"
Twilight nodded.
"Why don't you talk to her?"
Twilight hung her head. "I tried, but she isn't at home, nor at our… special place." She sighed. "Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I overreacted?"
Spike said nothing, wrapping his arms around Twilight. "Maybe just a little," he replied after a long pause. "But I'm sure that she will be fine. Just think of how many times she had been yelled at for… well… being Rainbow."
Twilight smiled at him, realizing how well those words described Dash. She could remember at least a couple of times when Dash and Applejack had started to argue for no other reason than sheer boredom. Needless to say, their feuds almost always ended just a few minutes later after deciding to consume copious amounts of alcohol until one of them passed out.
“I guess,” Twilight admitted. “Maybe.” She sighed. “I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
"I don't know, Spike. Since we got together, we never really argued. Well… we had a minor disagreement about the constellations and what they represent, which, on a side note, I was right, since I read all four volumes of Stars and Constellations . Did you know that the formation of the constellation Little Well has nothing to do with wells whatsoever?"
"That's nice and all, Twilight, but… What does it have to do with Rainbow?"
Twilight sighed. “Nothing. It's just… nothing… I'll talk with Dash when she comes around. I'm sure everything will be fine."
"Twilight?" Spike asked in a concerned voice.
She smiled. "I'm starving, Spike. You mentioned pancakes?"
"Yep, I even saved the best ones for you. They are probably still warm. We should eat before they get cold.”
“I can always reheat them, you know…”
“Yeah. By setting them on fire. Again.”
“I said I was sorry. I was… distracted.” Twilight sighed. “Spike?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
~*~*~
Dash couldn’t help but laugh. She was amused by the sight of a shaken and confused Twilight, who was once again checking over herself. She checked and re-checked the position of her hooves as well as her wings, and Dash could swear that she saw Twilight grabbing her head, probably checking to see if it was still attached.
As much as Dash enjoyed her little stunt, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she would soon come to regret what she had done.
Twilight took a few deep breaths to calm hersełf down. After the last exhale, she took a few steps towards her friend.
Dash gulped.
“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked with a sugar-coated voice, watching Dash flinch. “Are you crazy ? A Sonic Rainboom at this hour ? Not to mention having me as a passenger? You could have gotten us both killed!”
Dash smirked. “Well… I could get you down either the really boring way or the cool one. I decided to do it the really awesome way.”
“By not asking my permission…”
“Oh, come on, Twilight! Who wouldn’t want to ride on my awesome Sonic Rainboom?” Dash thumped on her chest.
Twilight hung her head and turned towards the library in disappointment.
Dash’s ego deflated. “Twilight?” she asked in a low voice.
Twilight turned around and snorted. “I’m angry, Rainbow Dash!” She stomped her hoof. “Do you have any idea how many things could go wrong at that kind of speed? You could easily get us both killed , and you act like it was nothing !”
Dash felt a sting in her heart. Normally, she could easily shrug off this sort of argument, turn around, and leave. But this time, she couldn’t. Instead, she hung her head. “Twilight, I—” She fell silent again for a moment, just to continue in an even lower voice, “I’m sorry.”
But Twilight didn’t hear it. “And furthermore, it wouldn’t be just us… Have you even thought about how that would affect the Elements of Harmony? Or any of our friends? If you’d—”
“Hey! I said I was sorry!”
Twilight fell silent and blinked. Rainbow Dash… apologized .
“You don’t need to make me feel worse than I already do,” Dash said, her voice wavering. “Just—” She wiped at her eyes with a hoof. “I’m sorry, okay?” She turned around and spread her wings.
“Dash, wait.”
Dash’s powerful wings had already pushed her into the skies, providing her with enough distance and noise that she didn’t hear her friend.
Twilight flapped her wings, lifted herself up, quickly fell to the ground, and cursed. “Come on! Fly already!”
Still nothing.
“Oh, come on!”
Twilight flapped a few more times before giving up completely, exhausted. A few pants later, she took a deep breath and facehoofed. “I’m not a pegasus,” she muttered. “I can just teleport.”
In a flash of magic, Twilight disappeared.
~*~*~
Twilight’s heart fluttered at the sight of her mare. She had no need or desire to argue, and there was always the next day for lengthy conversations. For now, all that she desperately needed was the warmth of her mare leaning on her chest, a hug, and a kiss.
Twilight smiled and nudged her head forward, just enough for her muzzle to brush against her mare's lips. A second later, she pushed her head even further, but this time far enough to lock lips, forming a long and passionate kiss.
She felt Dash's hoof gliding down her neck and return back up to meet her cheek, both mares sharing a warm smile.
"I missed you so much, Dash," Twilight whispered. "Welcome back, sweetie."
Instead of a vocal response, Dash smiled and latched her lips back onto Twilight's. They didn't stay there for long, as they started their descent down Twilight's neck and onto her chest.
Dash kissed Twilight’s chest and pushed lightly until Twilight willingly gave in, fumbled on her back, and, with her eyes closed, let out a soft moan. She clenched her hooves around her mare as she felt Dash’s lips again pressing against hers.
Dash continued down to her belly, stopping there. Before Twilight could ask why she stopped, a sky-blue hoof slowly started to trace along Twilight’s chest, surpassed Dash’s muzzle, and passed Twilight’s thigh, making her flinch.
Twilight moaned, opening her hind legs a little more, enough to allow her mare’s muzzle to access her most intimate parts.
“Oh, Dash, d-don’t stop,” she forcefully whispered, the volume of her voice spiking the moment Dash’s tongue passed her clitoris and focused there.
Twilight started to breathe deeply and squirmed. She could feel the pleasure starting to build, wanting and needing the long-awaited release.
Then, everything stopped.
Curious, Twilight opened her eyes to see why her lover stopped in the middle of their most enjoyable activity. “Dash?”
Once again, there was no response.
Twilight pushed her head forward, her eyes catching the glimpse of a sky-blue pony, her muzzle still between her hind legs. “Dash?” Twilight asked again, concern now coating her tone. “Are you alright?”
Twilight jumped back in shock and terror when Dash lifted up her head. The face was devoid of its features. The rosy eyes she adored so dearly were absent, replaced with a set of black ones, a tiny red flare residing in their center.
Still in shock, Twilight desperately tried to escape the creature that pretended to be her mare. In panic, she wanted to teleport away, but her magic wasn’t working. She tried to fly away as a last resort, but her wings were paralyzed.
She had no other choice but to curl up on the edge of the bed. She could feel the creature approaching.
The thing opened its mouth, displaying a set of sharp teeth.
“Twilight,” it growled.
Twilight screamed as loud as she could.
“Twilight,” the voice said again, but this time in a kinder, more familiar tone. “Twilight, wake up!”
Twilight jumped up and looked around in haste, her heart still racing from the encounter within her dreams. All she could see was the familiarity of her bedroom and Spike looking at her in worry and confusion.
“Twilight?” he asked as she focused on him.
She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
“I heard moans and screams and I—”
She sighed.
“Twilight?”
“It was just a bad dream, Spike.”
Spike tilted his head.
“About Dash…”
“I don’t understand, Twilight,” Spike replied, confused. “Isn’t Princess Luna supposed to guard everypony against bad dreams?”
“Just a moment, Spike.” Twilight shook her wings and stepped off the bed. A moment later, a flicker of her magic lit a lantern outside her library. She turned back to Spike. “No, Spike. There are far too many ponies for Princess Luna to look after. And there are some kind of dreams she just doesn’t want to enter.”
Spike scratched his head. “What kind of dreams are those?”
Twilight blushed. “Very… personal.”
“Personal?”
Twilight nodded. “I guess we will need to have a long talk after I come back…”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“I’m going to look for Dash.”
“At this hour? It’s the middle of the night, Twilight. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
“I’ll feel better after I talk to her, Spike.”
“Whatever makes you feel better, Twilight,” Spike replied with a wave of his claw. “I’d just go to sleep, and everything would be fine in the morning. And speaking of which…”
Spike yawned. “You really should get some sleep as well. Good night.” He turned around and marched in the direction of his basket.
Sleep was not an option. The door of the library opened with a flick of Twilight’s magic, her wings unfurled, and a moment later, she vanished in the darkness of the moonless night.
~*~*~
“Surprised to see you on the ground for once,” Twilight breathed, startling Dash who was seated on top a hill, staring into the distance at the last sliver of the waning day.
"I already said that I'm sorry," Dash muttered. "I will help you find another teacher for your lessons in the morning. Now I would just like some time alone."
"Dash…"
"I am really sorry, Twilight… I didn't know that you'd be that upset," Dash said with a sigh. "I just hope…" She looked at the darkening silhouette of her friend. "I just hope that we can still be friends." She turned her head back to the last remnants of the day. "And if not… I… I'll understand." She sniffled and hung her head.
“Dash…”
“What?”
“I was, and still am, angry at you because what you did was dangerous, reckless, and could have gotten us both killed.”
Silence.
“But I immensely enjoyed every single moment of it.” Twilight saw her friend’s ears perk up and smiled. “Now I know why you're so eager to join the Wonderbolts."
Dash's smile grew even wider.
"And I still want you to help me with my flying… Just as long as you promise that you won't do anything like that again."
"But you just admitted that it was awesome!"
"Rainbow Dash…"
Dash sighed. "Okay, okay." Feeling relieved, she continued, "Hey, Princess Twilight, want me to treat you to dinner? As an apology?"
Twilight chuckled. That title still sounded too majestic for her. "I don't know. We'd still need to get back to Ponyville, get ready, invite our friends to join, and so on. But honestly, I'm really tired, and I would like to go to bed. What did you have in mind, anyways?"
"Just the two of us. My place. At least now you don't need any kind of spell to walk on the clouds."
Twilight tilted her head. "You… can cook?"
"Hey! Don't diss until you try one of my salads!" Dash shot back. "I may not be as good of a cook as Applejack or Pinkie, but nopony ever complained about my food."
"Er… sorry. I just thought…"
Dash snickered. "Somepony is thinking way too much… So, how about that dinner?"
Twilight nodded.
"Good. Then jump on my back, and we'll be there in ten seconds flat." In response, Twilight cleared her throat, making Dash's face redden. "Did I said ten seconds flat? I… er… meant a couple of minutes. Yeah. That's what I meant. Now, hold on tight!"
~*~*~
She was surprised and a little envious to see how well Dash handled herself in the small kitchen of the cloud home. She couldn't help but stare at the swiftly moving rainbow mare, which rarely stopped for more than a couple seconds to stir something. She was both mesmerized and amused by the activity. The rhythmic clattering of kitchenware, the soothing warmth wafting from the kitchen, and watching her friend’s movements were all so relaxing that she began to feel her eyelids begin to droop.
It didn't take long before a colorful plate was neatly placed in front of her and asked for a royal opinion.
Dash tilted her head and lightly shook her unresponsive friend. "Twilight?"
Twilight jerked and looked at Dash. "S-sorry… I must have dozed off. I must be even more tired than I thought… I should really go back to the library."
"I think that might be a bad idea, Princess . You can't really fly yet, and on top of that, you can barely keep your eyes open. On the other hoof, I have a spare room with a decently-sized cloud bed, hopefully fit for royalty."
Twilight laughed softly. "I think that I'll—" She yawned. "I'll have to take your offer, Rainbow." She yawned again. "I think I was kind of reckless with my magic while trying to catch you, which would explain—"
But Dash didn't needed lengthy explanations. Instead, Dash smiled and pointed to the nearby door. "Yeah, yeah, egghead. The bedroom is through there."
"Thank you, Rainbow." She yawned again and headed to bed.
Shortly after Twilight's soft snores filled Dash's cloud home, Dash started to sneak around. The temptation to give Twilight the same exact waking treatment was more than she could resist. She snuck to Twilight's bed, extended her wing, and…
Twilight shivered.
Dash retracted her wing and smiled, swiftly and silently moving away. She returned seconds later, carrying a warm blanket for her guest.
"Seven seconds. Not bad," Dash whispered to herself proudly while covering her friend.
Twilight shifted in her bed, letting the warmth of the blanket embrace her, and smiled.
~*~*~
Twilight smiled briefly before shaking out of her memories. She spread her wings to slow down. A moment later, her hooves made gentle contact with the top of the hill.
Twilight's head jerked as she found herself motionlessly staring at the almost pitch-black surroundings of the lonely hill. Her ear flicked as she heard a rustle of leaves nearby, quickly remembering why she came here in the first place.
"Dash?"
No answer.
Still, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that she had heard something. Her horn started to shine brighter as she looked around. "Hello? Anypony there?"
Again, there was no answer.
She took another step forward and regretted it immediately as she stepped into a gooey puddle. A quick whiff of her hoof told her that what she just did was a horrible idea, as it smelled of half-digested food and acid. At least now she was certain that she was likely not alone. She decided to carefully follow the hoof-shaped trail of goo leading away from the puddle.
A new sound caught her attention. She turned her head and perked her ears, trying to locate its source. "Hello?"
Still nothing.
She slowly moved towards the source of the sound, treading carefully so as not to make any noise. It didn't take her long to find it, and she couldn't help but giggle upon seeing it.
It was her mare, drooling and lying on her back with a bottle of hard cider still clenched in her hooves. If she didn't know what had came out of Dash's muzzle not that long ago, she would have given her a kiss.
With a smile on her lips, Twilight lightly shook Dash. "Wake up, sleepyhead. Or should I say drunkhead ?"
The only thing she heard from Dash was a faint exhale. Twilight shook her again, this time harder in an attempt to wake her up, again without any luck. The smile faded away as she listened to her mare's irregular and slow breathing. She recognized the symptoms: alcohol poisoning.
"Sweet Celestia, Rainbow Dash! How many of these have you had?" Twilight almost yelled. Propelled by Twilight's magic, the bottle in Dash's hooves flew far away, shattering in pieces as it met a distant tree.
She nervously kissed Dash on her cheek, flinching as the reeking smell of alcohol reached her nostrils. That did not matter, nor did the argument that Twilight hoped was not the cause of all of this.
"You will be fine, Dash," she whispered with uncertainty in her voice, "but we need to get you to the hospital, now ."
And yet again, there was no answer, but this time, she didn't expect one. Those words were only there to comfort herself.
Twilight wrapped Dash in a glow of her magic and spread her wings. "Hang in there, Dash."
~*~*~
A ray of sun nudged Dash's eyes, reminding her that she was welcome among the world of the living, although she didn't feel that way. She was well aware of the aftermath of too much drinking.
However, this was different; instead of the mild headache she was used to, Dash felt like her head was going to explode at any moment.
She opened her eyes, only to see the hospital room start to spin. She could feel her stomach churning and its content rising. She immediately closed her eyes and attempted to curl into a ball.
The memories of what happened rushed back to her mind, leaving her to grab ahold of her pillow and sob softly.
Dash didn't realize that she wasn't alone. At the lower end of the bed, another pony was awakened by the shifting in the sheets.
"Dash!" the enthusiastic voice echoed across the room, startling Dash, making her put her hooves over her ears and cringe.
"Argh!" Dash yelled out of surprise and of fear that her over-sensitive hearing would be damaged by Twilight's voice. She groaned and lowered her own voice almost down to a whisper. "My head feels like it's going to explode at any moment…"
"Then you shouldn't drink that much," Twilight shot back, making Dash cringe even more.
"That's not funny, Twilight," Dash whispered. She briefly opened her eyes again. "What am I doing in a hospital, anyways?"
"You don't know?" Twilight whispered back.
Dash shook her head.
"Dash…" Twilight ruffled Dash's chest. "Instead of coming home, you went directly to a bar. You drank… way too much, and when I got there, you wanted me to have sex with you in public. Then you—"
Dash blinked. "I… honestly don't remember any of that." She paused. "I could swear I remember you yelling…"
Twilight nodded and lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I just… You wanted to tell ponies why I don't like to be called 'tardy', and I panicked. After that, you just left."
Dash scratched her mane. "If you say so… But why am I in a hospital? It's not like I haven't had any blackouts by now…"
Twilight lowered her head and kissed Dash's hoof.
"Twilight?"
Twilight sniffled. With a waver in her voice, she told Dash everything that had happened. "I… don't want to know what might have happened if I—"
A set of hooves gently wrapped around her. "Relax, Twilight. I'm too awesome to die," Dash whispered in her mare's ear.
Twilight sniffled again. "This isn't funny, Dash."
"I know, Twilight. I just wanted to make you feel better."
Twilight smiled faintly. "You did. Just a little bit. But… I would still like to know what happened. When I visited your home, all the Wonderbolt posters were ripped off the walls, and your place looked like it was hit by a hurricane."
Dash sighed.
"Dash?"
"That's because I hate them!"
Twilight blinked. "But you always dreamed of becoming a—"
She paused to reflect on her words, realizing that something terrible must have happened while she was away. "Dash," she continued in a low voice, borderlining on a whisper, "what happened?"
Dash looked at her blanket and sniffled, tears starting to form in her eyes.
Twilight swallowed. "Sweetie…"
~*~*~
"Cadets, ten-hut!" Spitfire ordered the group of ten pegasi, all of them snapping to attention in a split second. "Two months ago, you were nothing but weak ponies, but today, I am standing proud in front of a group of skillful fliers. At least now, I won't need to worry about some of you leveling a cloud home." She grinned when one of the cadets looked at the ground, blushing. "As some of you might know, we were also looking for a new member of the core Wonderbolt team, but, unfortunately, none of you are good enough to join us."
Dash's ears drooped. "But—"
"You weren't given permission to speak, Cadet Dash!" Spitfire snapped.
Dash hung her head and closed her mouth, not wanting to make the situation worse.
"As I was trying to say before being rudely interrupted, you are still one of the best group of cadets I've seen in a while. With that said, you are free to go."
Dash turned away from Spitfire, her head still down.
"Cadet Dash? I would like to speak to you. Ten minutes. My office."
~*~*~
"Reporting for duty, ma'am," Dash said, saluting.
"At ease, Miss Dash," Spitfire replied. "We need to talk about about your future here in the Wonderbolts."
"Ma'am?"
"I had taken you under my wing, expecting you to join us, but in the last two months, I saw nothing that would benefit our team."
"What do you mean?"
Spitfire opened a cabinet, extracting a thick file entitled "Rainbow Dash" and dropping it on her table.
"Let's see," Spitfire mused, shuffling through the pile of papers. "There we go. Winner of the Best Young Flyer competition. Saved Equestria a few times. A honorary member of the Wonderbolts Fan Club and a… founder of the Daring Do Fan Club?"
Dash felt like her cheeks were set ablaze. The only thing she wanted to do at that very moment was to sink into the ground from embarrassment or run away, apologizing for such childish endeavours. Neither was a choice that she was willing to make. Instead, she chuckled nervously. "I… I didn't… I mean, I…"
Spitfire ignored Dash's embarrassment and continued reading. "Disobeying a direct order." She looked up. "Three times."
"I saved pony lives!"
"You were given a direct order and affirmation, Cadet! The ponies in question would have been fine. We would have been there in time."
"No, you wouldn't—"
"Stand down, Cadet Dash!" Spitfire slammed her hoof on the desk. "You were given a direct order and you disobeyed it! It is not on you to worry about other ponies. Let your superiors handle those."
Dash hung her head and ripped a rank from her uniform. "In that case, I have nothing to do here. As far as I'm concerned, you can go f—"
~*~*~
"You did the right thing, Dash," Twilight said softly, kissing Dash's hoof again.
"I wish I could say so myself, but…" Dash sighed. "But it doesn't end there."
"What do you mean?"
~*~*~
"Hold it right there, Cadet Dash," Spitfire said in a soothing tone. "As long as you're still on the camp's ground, you will act accordingly, or you will deal with the consequences."
Dash snorted.
"I like you. You remind me of myself when I was younger. Ambition, blatant disregard for rules, wanting to be the best there is, everything. And for that, I paid dearly. I lost everypony I cared for, even myself. Fortunately for me, I found the Wonderbolts before it was too late."
"So what? What does that got to do with me? If that means putting orders before my friends' lives, I don't have any interest in any of this anymore."
Spitfire laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I would swear I was listening to my younger self. But I will say to you what my commander said to me: 'Sometimes we need to put the lives of many before the lives of a few.'"
Dash hung her head.
"Look, Rainbow," Spitfire continued in a soft, casual voice as she picked up Dash's file again, "we can argue about this until next year, but here is the bottom line: You saved the lives of your friends, and I respect that, regardless of ignoring multiple direct orders."
"Th-thanks," Dash muttered, scratching her mane, her cheeks tinted red from a compliment of her long-time heroine.
Spitfire cleared her throat and reopened the file. "Performed the legendary Sonic Rainboom, won the Best Young Flyer competition, multiple decorations from Princess Celestia herself, competitor on the Pony Olympics, and I could continue until the rest of the day. Not to mention you saved our own lives on top of it all." She sighed. "We all want you on the team, Rainbow. It's not often that we stumble onto such talented ponies. It's even rarer that they're actually pretty on top of it."
Dash furrowed her brow. "Pretty? What does that got to do with anything?"
"Public image. As much talent as we have, public image is also very important to the Wonderbolts."
"Oh."
Spitfire sat back on her chair and started to scribble on a piece of paper. "I want you to think about it, Rainbow Dash, but keep in mind two things…"
Dash lifted her head and looked at Spitfire.
"One: We don't tolerate insubordination. When the orders are given, we carry them out without questioning. The squad leader knows exactly what they're doing. If you have a problem with that, then forget even thinking about joining, as punishments are quite severe."
"And the second one?" Dash asked plainly.
"Remember that we're elite. By accepting the position, you vow to keep everything that happens in the Wonderbolts a secret."
Dash nodded.
"Good. You can find us here." Spitfire slid the piece of paper toward Dash. "If you still decide to join, come and give us a visit."
Dash took the paper from the table and looked at the badly scribbled address on it. "How much time do I have to decide?"
"As much as you desire. But I hope it's sooner rather than later, since Soarin can't stop fanboying over your Sonic Rainboom."
~*~*~
Twilight chuckled nervously. "Is that what happened? Dash, those are nothing more than standard procedures. My brother can't speak about his work either, since it could compromise Equestrian security."
Dash shook her head in response.
"There's… more?"
Dash nodded.
"Dash, you're scaring me…"
~*~*~
Dash looked up. In front of her was a majestic cloud dome, much bigger than she had expected. She snickered. It was a reminder that she was absent from Cloudsdale for far too long. Ever since she arrived there, she was fascinated by how much it changed. However, she wasn't here to admire the old town. She was here to fulfill her childhood dream. To be one of the Wonderbolts.
The very thought that she had admirers within the most elite flying squad in Equestria gave her the courage to knock on the massive door.
Her muzzle was adorned with a big smile. Finally , she thought. Finally, my dreams will come true. From now on, I'll be Rainbow Dash, the Wonderbolt!
She knocked and waited, lost in thought. I have fans here, huh? I wonder if I could get a special costume… Something that could capture my awesomeness…
The door opened, ending her train of thought and filling her with a sense of awe. Even the hallway was filled with expensive vases and hoof-drawn pictures of the members of the Wonderbolts. She couldn't help but squeal from excitement. "So… awesome!"
Spitfire snickered. "I have yet to see anypony as excited as you about the hallway. Now you made me wonder what you'll do once I show you our training facility."
Dash's face lit up. "R-really?"
"What did you expect? This isn't a tiny fan club," Spitfire mused. "We are a part of the Royal Guards after all. While this might not be completely ours, we do have a private section of our very own."
Dash was fascinated. She swore that she could stare at a cloud-sculptured statue of one of the founders for hours and not be bored. She lost herself in the visuals, vastly surpassing the ones in her cloud home, to the point that her ears didn't register the sound of her guide. She felt a set of light taps on her mane.
"Hey, Equestria to Rainbow Dash!"
They stopped by a matted glass door with a huge logo of the Wonderbolts embossed in it. Underneath was written, "Wonderbolt Officers Only”.
"Well, here we are," Spitfire announced. "This is our facility. It's not as big as we all hoped for, but it serves our purposes."
"So! Cool!"
Spitfire stopped. "Now, before we get in, I must remind you that, from this point onwards, everything you'll see and hear is confidential. You'll sign a standard contract, and then we can continue with the tour, Rainbow."
"Yeah, yeah. Secret stuff and all that. Now, where do I sign?"
Spitfire smiled.
~*~*~
"Welcome among the elite, Lieutenant Dash," Spitfire said and saluted only moments after Dash signed the paper. "How do you feel now that you're a member of the Wonderbolts?"
"Best… day… ever!" Dash replied in a high-pitched voice. "I can't wait to tell my friends! So awesome!"
Spitfire snickered. "So, Lieutenant… Are you up for stretching your wings? So far, we only went through the exercises for little fillies and colts, and I want to know what you really got in there."
Dash grinned slyly.
She flapped her wings and jumped into the air. In a split second, she was halfway down to her destination, speeding down the cloudy hallway and making sure not to knock over any of the vases on her path. From time to time, she managed to stumble upon a Royal Guard, but she successfully dodged every single one of them. She was certain that she was way ahead of Spitfire, but she was wrong.
Spitfire cleared her throat. "I expected for you to be faster. Or are you just chillin'?"
Dash blinked. Spitfire's tease just poured more fuel on the fire. She grinned and focused at the task ahead: beat Spitfire in the race to the training hall.
Before her train of thought ended, she found herself spreading her wings in a desperate attempt to avoid colliding with a wall that appeared right in front of her.
Dash opened her eyes and exhaled. She realized that she was only inches from impact.
Her celebration didn't last long as she felt a gust of wind passing her. She quickly turned her head and looked down, catching the familiar colors of the tail.
Dash groaned and smacked her face with her hoof. It wasn't enough that she had almost hit the wall, but she had also lost a simple race. She descended and slowly walked through the door.
Spitfire laughed. "What is it, Lieutenant? Don't tell me you forgot how to pay attention while flying…"
Dash said nothing. It wasn't that she ignored Spitfire, but her attention was caught by the scenery in front of her. She was staring at a hall that would easily compare to the Cloudsdale Stadium.
The cloudy floor was devoid of everything Dash would deem interesting. Instead, she diverted her sight towards the ceiling, and grinned. Obstacle course , she thought. She shared a determined glimpse with Spitfire, hoping that she would share same thoughts.
"You are on," Spitfire replied in a raspy voice. "Loser buys a drink!"
Dash didn't needed to be told twice. The moment Spitfire finished her sentence, the two bolted towards the first obstacle.
Dash realized that the course, now only a few yards from her, was nothing like the course she set for herself at home. The obstacles were much tighter together, reducing her ability to maneuver. Instead of stopping and reassesing the entire situation, Dash's grin grew wider as her wings picked up the speed.
She had a race to win.
As she zipped through the course, Dash quickly realized that she lost sight of Spitfire. Nonetheless, she didn't want to slow down by even a little bit. The flaps of another set of wings just behind her tail reminded her that she couldn't afford that.
A moment later, she felt something tugging on her tail. She turned for nothing more than a split second, but it was too much. Her wing scraped an obstacle and sent her spiraling into the nearby cloud.
Spitfire slowed down and laughed. "You shouldn't pay attention to distractions," she said in a smug tone.
Dash groaned as she got back on her hooves. "Hey! You cheated!"
Spitfire snickered. "I did not set any rules, Lieutenant, so that wasn't cheating."
Dash blinked.
"So, are you going to sulk, or are you going to race me? Drink is still on the line."
Dash jumped up and flew towards the beginning of the course. "Let's do this!"
~*~*~
Dash sighed as she turned on the shower, letting the water wash away her sweat and shame. She couldn't remember when was the last time she had been beaten so thoroughly. Not just once or twice, but Spitfire made her eat her proverbial dust five times. She half-expected that to happen, anyway. She figured that even though she trained as hard as she could, she couldn't compare to any of the Wonderbolts and their years of intensive training.
Nevertheless, Dash was happy that she was accepted among the most elite of Equestrian fliers. On top of that, her and Twilight’s anniversary was only days away. Even though she had been only just accepted, she had earned herself a leave of absence for a few days. She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the warm drops of water dissolve the image of reality.
She was no longer sharing the shower room with Spitfire, but was back in Ponyville, enjoying the best meal she could think of with Twilight. Dash knew that Twilight wasn't the best of cooks, but she would go out of her way to prepare something special, even if that would mean asking Spike for help or, upon failure, eating in a fancy restaurant.
Her mind refused to stop there. She had been away from Twilight for far too long. The volume of letters they had exchanged in their time apart wasn't enough to replace a loving smile or a gentle hug, let alone the feeling of waking up in the embrace of the loved one.
As an image of Twilight floated in front of her, she subconsciously leant forward to kiss it. She was greeted by a warm muzzle.
Startled, Dash’s eyes shot open. Spitfire was standing right in front of her.
Dash's face flushed in various tints of red. "M-ma'am?"
"I never really got a chance to thank you properly for saving us," Spitfire replied softly, resting her hoof on Dash's neck, "so I thought this would be a good chance to show you my gratitude." She leaned forward and pursed her lips.
Dash's face became even redder as she took a step back in refusal.
Dash laughed nervously. "Th-thanks, but I rather not," she replied in a trembling voice. "Besides, I already have a—"
"Don't worry, Lieutenant. He doesn't need to know."
"Sh-she… And—"
"Even better," Spitfire crooned sweetly. She took a step forward, ignoring Dash's urge to retreat. "And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."
"Please, no," Dash whispered. "I don't want to do this."
Spitfire smiled and took a step forward, effectively pinning Dash against the wall. "You are a member of our team now, Lieutenant, and as such, you have to place it above yourself. And as a captain, I want you to do something for the team…"
Her hoof slid down Dash's chest again, just to be pushed away a second after.
The smile from Spitfire's lips disappeared as she took another step forward, now muzzle-to-muzzle with Dash. "I told you that I don't tolerate disobedience, Lieutenant. And just for that…" Her hoof slid down Dash's chest to her groin. "Just for that, I'm going to fuck you so hard, you won't be able to fly straight for a week. You will learn not to say 'no' to me."
Dash had enough, wanting nothing more than to escape. "Let me go!"
No answer.
Spitfire’s grip didn't loosen—quite the opposite. Dash felt like an extra weight was added onto her chest, and that was the last straw.
Dash swung her hoof in full force toward her assailant, but missed. She could feel her strength being used against her as she was violently pushed against the ceramic wall. Dash swore she heard something crack, but she didn't dare to think what.
"No—"
Dash clenched her teeth as she felt a hoof brush against her mound. A rush of adrenaline flooded her body and senses, making her vision go dark.
~*~*~
A moment of grave silence lingered between Twilight and Dash.
Dash broke it with a grim chuckle. "It's funny… I could tell you in detail where she touched me and how I felt when she shoved that damn thing into me, but…" She paused for a moment. "But for the life of me, I can't tell you how I came back to Ponyville…"
"Dash… I—"
Dash hung her head and looked at her blanket, avoiding eye contact with Twilight.
"I-I'm sorry, Twilight. It's all my fault. This wouldn't have happened if I didn't share the shower. I could have run away when the conversation started to get weird. Or I could have just say no to the invitation. Or—"
Twilight gently pulled Dash into a soft and warm embrace. "Sweetie," she whispered in a concerned voice, tightening her grip around her mare, "you couldn't have known. It's not your fault."
Dash sniffled. "I wanted to run, but—"
"Dash, it's not your fault," Twilight repeated in a soothing voice, caressing Dash's mane.
"I needed you," Dash said with a sob. "I needed you to pull me out of that nightmare, but you weren't…" Another sob. "Weren't there…"
"I'm here now, sweetie. I'm here now."
Somepony entered the hospital room and cleared her throat, startling both.
"Excuse me. Am I interrupting something?"
Almost instantly, Dash recognized the voice. Her ears fell flat against her head, and she was certain she lost the ability to breathe. She could feel the contents of her stomach churning again.
Spitfire.
Twilight flinched, but Spitfire paid little attention to her. Instead, she walked directly towards Rainbow's bed, her movement mechanic, her face devoid of any expression that would indicate even the faintest care for the bed-ridden pony.
She cleared her throat. "Lieutenant Rainbow Dash. You violated your contract on multiple counts, and the team and I feel that it's best to terminate it and relieve you of your duty, effective immediately."
Dash's eyes darted between Twilight and Spitfire in a fruitless attempt to comprehend what just happened.
"Out," Twilight said in a low, commanding voice.
Spitfire ignored it. Instead, she took another step towards Dash's bed. "Do you know what that means? Or do you need somepony to explain it to you?"
"I said out , Commander," Twilight repeated in the same low voice. "Or do I need throw you out for ignoring a royal directive?"
Spitfire turned to Twilight. A barely visible but smug smile adorned Spitfire's lips. "Princess Sparkle, I guess you haven't been informed, but this is between the Wonderbolts and the former Lieutenant. I would appreciate if you stay out of it, since even Princess Celestia leaves the management of the entire Wonderbolts to us."
Twilight took a step forward. "Does that include assaulting your own members?"
Spitfire laughed softly. "Is that what she told you? Wow. If I knew that she'd go that far, I would had not even considered letting her into the Academy, let alone allowing her to become one of us."
"So what you're telling me is that she's lying."
"I don't know what to tell you, Your Highness ," Spitfire replied. "I had no option but to kick her out of our team, which is a shame, because she really is a talented flier.
"She came dead drunk to practice, hit on me and Soarin, and disappeared shortly after. What she did afterwards is anypony's guess. That's not something I'd call an assault, Princess. If anything, we should be charging her with harassment."
"Out," Twilight repeated in a still calm, yet threatening tone.
"Right, I'll make sure Princess Celestia hears about this. Good day, Princess ." Spitfire adjusted her glasses and left the room.
Twilight stood still as she tried to figure out what just happened. At this point, she half-expected her alarm clock to go off, letting her know that this was just one of those strange dreams where she ended up having a deep and meaningful conversation with a sandwich.
Instead of a familiar alarm, Twilight was startled by the voice of her mare.
"Twilight… I don't feel so hot," Dash muttered.
Twilight snapped out of her reverie. Then, in a split second, teleported herself and an empty bucket in front of Dash. It didn't take more than a few seconds before a retching sound echoed across the room.
When Dash managed to calm down, Twilight sighed and ruffled Dash's mane, allowing her exhaustion get the better of her, letting her memory lead her back to the dreamland.
~*~*~
"Princess Twilight Sparkle, I presume," Dash said softly in a deep, mocking bow, enough for her muzzle to touch the ground.
"Rainbow Dash," Twilight replied in a deadpan voice, recognizing the mocking gesture of her friend. "Why are you here in the middle of the night?"
"Isn't that the best time for flying lessons?"
"Rainbow, it's four in the morning . What do you think?"
"Um… yes?"
Twilight groaned. "Why are you even up at this hour?"
"Night shift. I finished not even an hour ago... And, well... had too much coffee, and now I can't sleep, so I thought..."
"I don't know what to tell you, Rainbow Dash, but it's pitch-black outside. How in the world would you expect me to—"
"Not right now, dummy," Dash tapped lightly on Twilight's head. "Even I don't fly around when I can't see anything in front of me… Well… At least not most of the time…"
Twilight sighed. "And yet you kicked me out of the bed at four in the morning…"
"Well, yeah. I wanted to get you out for a practice before you start scheduling your schedules to schedule—" Dash blinked and facehooved. "See what you've done? Now you even got me doing it."
Twilight laughed wholeheartedly and stepped back inside of the library, gesturing her friend to join her in the warm and welcoming room. "More coffee?"
Dash yawned and nodded. "Just a little bit."
Dash looked around the reading area and spotted numerous opened, flight-related books. She got the impression that she was back in flight school in a class she literally completed with flying colors. She chuckled. "Hey, Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"You actually read these?"
"I am still trying to understand what am I doing wrong…" Twilight shrugged and offered a mug of steaming-hot coffee to Dash. "See this?" Twilight pointed to a picture of a folding wing. "I have no idea how to do this..."
Dash laughed. "This is what is bugging you?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes." She sighed. "And I just can't wrap my head around it." She opened her wing and tried to fold it as the picture displayed which resulted in her grimacing and complaining about painful stings.
"Twi, stop!"
Twilight abruptly stopped, her full attention focused on her friend. "Wh-what?"
"You're going to break your wing if you continue doing that." Dash took a step forward and extended her hoof to massage Twilight's aching wing, a gesture that was happily received. "Makes me wonder what else you're doing wrong…"
"Well, I've read in the first book—"
Dash shook her head.
"What?"
"I can teach you how to fly in three easy lessons," Dash said in a deep voice, attempting to imitate Iron Will.
Twilight laughed.
"Lesson one: Forget about the books."
"Wait, what?"
"Lesson two: Spread your wings as much as you can."
Twilight tilted her head, puzzled. "I really don't see the point of me—"
"Lesson three: Go out and practice."
"Practice what , Rainbow Dash? You haven't showed me anything so far."
Dash smiled, her voice returning to normal. "You'll see." She opened the front door of the library, allowing a gust of cold wind to rush in and gestured for Twilight to join her. "Coming or not?"
"Where are we going in the middle of the night?"
"It's not the middle of the night anymore, Egghead. Princess Celestia should raise her sun any moment now. I'll show you where I practice some of my newest stuff. Don't worry, Your Highness. You'll like it."
~*~*~
Twilight shivered. The cold wind from her dream was now replaced by the warmth of the hospital room and the familiar softness of her mare's mane.
She yawned softly, figuring she dozed off for a couple minutes, but a quick glance around the now dim room proved her wrong. She figured she must have slept for a few hours to compensate for the lack of sleep and exhaustion she had struggled with the previous day. She wanted to close her eyes again, but the muttering only inches away prevented her from doing so.
"Dash?"
Still sleeping, Dash gave no indication that she heard Twilight's voice. Instead of slowly opening her eyes, she shifted her front hooves, her muttering gaining clarity.
"P-please don't do this," she muttered, her voice now clear enough for Twilight to understand.
Twilight realized that Dash was dreaming, or, rather, having a nightmare about what happened.
She couldn't stand there and do nothing. She already felt horrible enough that she couldn't prevent what happened to her mare in the first place, and she was determined not to make her relive it again.
As Dash muttered and shifted in her sleep yet again, Twilight nudged Dash's front hoof.
It was one of the worst mistakes Twilight ever made.
"Don't touch me!" Dash yelled and swung her hoof with the all force she could muster, aiming at Spitfire in her half-sleep.
This time, her hoof connected with the target.
The wrong target.
A split second later, Twilight yelped, took a few steps back, and put a hoof on her muzzle to dim the pain from the impact. Her head was spinning like mad, and she felt like something was quickly gnawing away her consciousness, making it harder and harder to stay on her hooves, until the point that she had no other choice than to give in.
The cold floor felt welcoming for her; it was just the right counter to the overwhelming heat radiating from her muzzle.
Just before she slipped away, she could hear Dash yell her name, shortly followed by one of the Royal Guards barging in and shouting back something she could not understand anymore. Her world dissolved into nothingness.
~*~*~
"So, what do you think?" Dash asked as the couple observed the play of light in the distance, the ascending sun's rays illuminating the crimson skies, pushing the last shadows of Luna's night away.
Twilight observed the phenomena closely, scratching her mane and tapping her chin. She hummed for a few seconds before she said, "Wavelengths."
Dash tilted her head. "Huh?"
"The wavelengths of the light reflected from molecules of oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere, combined with the time that the light takes to get to here, ends up with a different color than we're used to in the middle of the day. Of course, it also depends on the saturation thereof and—"
"Hello? Equestria to Princess Egghead?"
"Wh-what? I thought you wanted to know how—"
Dash laughed. "Don't you ever get tired of being an egghead?"
"Don’t you ever get tired of reading and writing about Daring Do?" Twilight countered with a smile.
Taken aback by the response, Dash deflected, "But Daring Do is awesome, brave, and—"
"And fascinating? Exciting? Both?"
"Well, yeah, but—"
Twilight snickered. "Why do you think mine is somehow different?"
"But your science books are—"
"Just as exciting for me as Daring Do is for you."
"But I—" Dash sighed and realized that there was no point in continuing this discussion.
A long pause echoed between the pair before one of them broke the awkward silence.
"Rainbow? What are we doing here at the crack of dawn?"
Dash jumped up, taking her battle stance with a determined and smug smile on her face. "Practice!"
"Rainbow… Remember what happened last time?"
"Relax, Twi. I got this."
"Rainbow Dash…"
"Oh, come on, Twilight. I promised you that I won't do anything… stupid this time around."
Twilight nodded. "Very well… Where are we going, anyways?"
Dash pointed in the direction of a cloud far away. "See that?"
Twilight nodded again.
"I'll fly you up there, and we'll glide to the ground…"
"Are you crazy ? I have no idea how to fly yet!"
"I won't let go this time, Twi, don't worry. Well… Unless you want me to." Dash laughed.
"I'm pretty sure I won't."
"Fine, but don't expect me to carry you around all the time, Princess ."
Twilight cracked a smug smile. "Well, as your Princess, I just might ," she replied in a teasing tone.
Both ponies burst into a fit of laughter which lasted a good minute before it subsided.
The two smiled at each other as Dash extended her wings fully, hopped into the air, and started hovering only inches above Twilight. "Ready?"
Twilight nodded sheepishly. "J-just don't let go."
Dash grabbed Twilight by her chest and lifted her in the air. "Here we go!"
~*~*~
Twilight shifted in bed, her body covered with a thick, warm blanket. She slowly opened her eyes, the sparse blobs of multi-colored goo slowly turning into colorful ponies and various objects across the room.
She recognized a small hospital room, quite similar to the one where Dash was staying. It was a little more nicely decorated than Dash's room, but it was still a hospital room.
As she decided to move, she was greeted with one of the worst headaches she ever encountered, accompanied with an aching muzzle.
"Ow," she grunted softly.
A nearby nurse rushed to her aid. "Princess Twilight! I'm Nurse Bright Heart. Are you alright? You shouldn't be rubbing your muzzle. It may cause further irritation."
Twilight groaned and turned towards the overly enthusiastic nurse. "Excuse me for asking, but can I visit Rainbow Dash?"
The nurse shook her head.
"Why not?"
"She has been detained in her wing by a member of the Royal Guard for an attack on royalty."
Twilight sighed. "Yeah. Me ."
"Luckily, she was subdued fast. Ponies like that deserve to be—"
"It… wasn't on purpose," Twilight replied, her head jerking back as an alcohol-drenched pad of gauze touched her muzzle. "Ow!"
"I never heard that excuse before," the nurse said in a sarcastic tone. "I had quite a few injuries like this in my time here." She paused for a moment, focusing on the gauze, before pressing it against Twilight’s injury and making her cringe again. "You have nothing to worry about in here, Princess. You're safe."
As the nurse moved to poke Twilight's muzzle with the gauze a third time, Twilight backed up to prevent contact with the irritating object. "I'm fine."
"But—"
"I would just like to visit my mare."
Bright Heart's mind went numb, her hoof subconsciously covering her mouth in embarrassment. "She is… your… Oh, dear. I-I'm so sorry. I didn't… mean to… I mean— I—"
Twilight sighed. "She had a nightmare, and I guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She wouldn't do that to me or any of our friends in a milion years."
"Oh, I'm…. so sorry I misjudged her. I thought that—"
"She isn't like that," Twilight said with a brief but painful smirk. "It's funny. Equestria knows her mostly as a really arrogant pony, but in private, she's nothing like that. She's one of the kindest ponies I've ever met. But, whatever you do, you really don't want to get into a fight with her about Daring Do. It won't end well. Trust me on this one."
Bright Heart chuckled and gently pressed an alcohol-drenched gauze to Twilight's muzzle, but Twilight didn't jerk back this time.
"We're done, Princess—"
"Just Twilight. I'll probably never get used to friends calling me Princess ," Twilight replied with a smile.
~*~*~
Rainbow Dash was lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling, seemingly unable to sleep. The image of what she had done didn't leave her in peace.
Her own hooves did something unimaginable, something that she couldn't do, even in her worst nightmares. Something that she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for, and was sure Twilight wouldn’t be able to forgive either.
Dash couldn't get over the fact that her own hoof had injured the one mare she loved and cared for most. She was certain that it wasn't her fault yet, it was she who caused it.
She felt sick just thinking about it.
Years spent building their friendship and trust, a year of celebration of pushing their relationship further... All of that was now shattered, destroyed in nothing more than a blink of the eye.
She was devastated. One more thing that the pony she looked up to all these years took away from her: the trust of her mare.
Her hooves clenched the pillow as she whispered, "I'm sorry, Twilight."
~*~*~
A soft and warm whisper, combined with a gentle nudge, roused Dash from a light and troublesome sleep. "Dash?"
"Tw-Twilight?"
"I'm here, Dash," Twilight whispered back. "I'm here." Her hoof touched Dash's cheek. She was surprised by the moisture on it. Dash has been crying , she thought.
Twilight paused for a moment, her eyes gazing deeply into into her mare's. "It's not your fault, Dash," she said as she sat beside Dash's bed. "But..."
"But what? It was my hoof, Twilight. Nopony else's."
"Dash, please stop," Twilight said, ruffling her mare's mane, and taking a deep breath. "Dash, I want you to talk to Dr. Black Hoof. He's a longtime friend, and he'll be more than willing to help you."
"But the doctors here are—"
"He's a psychologist, Dash."
Dash's heart sank, and her ears drooped. "You don't trust me anymore, do you?" she asked with a waver in her voice. "I didn't want to do what I did. I just—"
Twilight tilted her head. "Huh? Of course I trust you, Dash. Why would you even—"
"No, you don't!"
"What?"
"I heard you talking to one of the doctors about my results. You laughed when they couldn't find anything other than signs of rough sex, so you thought that I was screwing around while I was away."
"Dash, calm down. You're not thinking rationally. Your mind is mixing two events. I didn't—"
"Don't bother, Twilight."
Twilight wanted to object to Dash, prove her she's wrong, but instead, she opted for a retreat. She couldn't and didn't want to imagine what Dash was going through. She kissed Dash on the forehead, in high hopes that Dash would come around the next morning.
Dash jerked back. "Twilight, don't. Just… don't."
Twilight said nothing but emitted an inaudible sigh. She knew that the rest of the night wouldn’t be kind to either of them, and with a heavy heart, she bid Dash goodnight.
~*~*~
Unlike the last attempt, Twilight was focusing on the task at hoof. Dash had kept her promise and didn't even think of letting Twilight go. The warmth of Dash's hooves filled Twilight with the courage and confidence to continue her descent on her own.
"Rainbow?"
"Yeah?"
"Let go."
Dash smiled and whispered against the wind, "Told you so." She slowly released her grip around her friend.
Twilight couldn't help but grin like a madpony in the ecstasy of her first unrestricted flight. Unlike with the last flight she shared with Rainbow, she was confident she would be able to reach the destination without any mishaps or panic attacks caused by a speed that would terrify many daredevils.
She relaxed and focused. The ground was waiting for her. I can do this. It's nothing special. It's just basic aero- and thermodynamics. Nothing to—
Twilight's eyes suddenly shot open. A rush of panic enveloped her. The simple instructions vanished in a beat of heart. She yelled, "Rainbow, h—"
Before Twilight could finish her sentence, she was again secure in a set of sky-blue hooves, their destination now changing to a nearby cloud. Without much of a thought, Rainbow set Twilight down.
"You okay?" Dash asked in a worried tone, quickly scanning over Twilight's wings.
In a response, Twilight shivered.
"Um... Is that a 'no'?"
"Yes. I mean, no. I mean... thank you."
Dash shrugged. "No biggie. So... how was it?" She perked her ears and listened closely.
"I... panicked," Twilight replied in a meek voice, as if she expected punishment. "Sorry."
Dash scratched her mane. "I don't think 'panicked' would cover it."
"Huh?"
"Twilight, you acted worse than when I've dropped you."
Twilight's ears flattened as she looked down.. "S-sorry. It was... Sorry."
Dash laughed. "Why do you think I've brought you here?"
"What?"
Dash smiled. "I spend a lot of time here, trying to figure out new things. Sometimes they don't work as I was hoping. Other times they do." She paused for a moment, hanging her head. "I don't want anypony to see me as a failure, so I spend a lot of time here, alone, practicing."
Twilight giggled.
"What?"
"I am terrified of that as well. I don't want to fail anypony, especially my friends or Princess Celestia. I don't know what I would do if I—"
Dash smiled. "I guess we're more alike than we thought, are we?" She wrapped her wing around Twilight, pausing for a brief moment before continuing, "So? Wanna go again?"
Twilight nodded. "Just give me a moment?" She closed her eyes and let the warmth of her friend soak into her body. The lack of sleep chipped away at her attention.
~*~*~
"Princess Sparkle?" one of the Royal Guards said, rousing Twilight from her reverie.
"Y-yes?" Twilight replied, confused. "What is it, Officer… um..."
"Golden Wing, ma'am. It's... It's about Miss Dash..."
Twilight's attention now focused fully on the guard as her mind switched into panic mode. "Dash? Wh-what's wrong? Is everything okay? What happened? Is she—"
"That's just it, Princess. We don't know."
Twilight tilted her head. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Officer."
"She disappeared. We can't find her anywhere. We checked the entire hospital, and the only thing that we found is this," Golden Wing said as he passed her a crumpled leaflet.
Twilight's heart sunk as she saw the scribbled paper. There was no doubt in her mind that the hasty, ugly writing belonged to her mare. She felt her mind get stuck in an endless loop, her eyes scanning the five scribbled words over and over again.
Don't look for me. —Rainbow Dash.
"Princess?"
Twilight looked at Golden Wing, and, a moment later, disappeared in a flash of magic.
Dash snickered as the ball of purple fur shifted under her wing. "Still waiting, Princess ."
Twilight groaned. "Just give me a moment, Rainbow. I'm still—"
"Hey, I already gave you two moments." Dash looked at the invisible watch on her forehoof. "And a half."
Instead of laughing at her friend's remark, Twilight hung her head. "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I'm…" She sighed. "I'm still a little bit shaken."
"Pfft, that's nothing. You should see my dad drop me off on a cloud, fly away, and tell me to catch him."
Twilight's eyes narrowed, her panic almost forgotten. "Wh-what? That's—"
"Usual for pegasi."
"What? But that sounds irresponsible and—"
"Cruel?" Dash snickered. "I thought you've read all the books in Equestria."
Twilight snorted. "Hey! It's not my fault I prefer books about magic or history. I have a few books about pegasi in the library, but I just… Haven't had the time yet…"
"Yeah, scheduling the schedules takes quite a bit from your schedule." Dash blinked and smacked a hoof against her face. "Of course I had to do that again. Thanks for that, Twilight."
"You're welcome." Twilight giggled. "But still, your dad dropping you on a cloud to test your skills seems very dangerous."
Dash shrugged. "Dunno. I think it'd be strange for us if we took an exam and ended up turning our parents into potted plants."
"That wasn't—" Twilight sighed. "I understand. I assume it's no more dangerous than testing magic skills?"
Dash nodded. "Probably less, since most pegasi are excellent fliers. But—"
"But?"
"I wasn't."
Twilight tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"I couldn't fly. My dad caught me, and I clung to him…" Dash cleared her throat and smiled faintly. "I was afraid to let go for at least an hour, but one of my schoolmates saw me and laughed whenever he had the chance because of it." She sighed. "I spent a long time practicing and racing my friends before I could live that down."
"Rainbow?"
Dash sighed. "I'm okay, Twilight. Past is past. And if you tell that to anypony," she said, her voice growing quiet, "I'll flatly deny it."
"Don't worry, Rainbow. I won't."
"So, anyways, Princess ." Dash smirked. "Feeling better?"
Twilight nodded.
"Good! Wanna try again?"
Another nod.
"Hang on." Dash jumped into the air, hovering just inches above Twilight. "Spread your wings."
Twilight obeyed. A moment later, she felt a set of hooves gently tightening their grip around her chest and pulling her up. Again, she felt anxious as her hooves slowly lost contact with the soft cloud surface.
As the pair climbed higher to reset their starting point, Dash saw that Twilight's wings hadn't moved at all. "Ummm, Twilight, those wings won't flap themselves, you know…"
Twilight blushed fiercely. For a reason unknown, the world around her had dissolved as she gave into the warmth of the sky-blue hooves and matching chest, while a cold morning breeze rushed passed them.
As Twilight started to move her wings in a slow, rhythmic motion, Dash nudged her and slowly loosened the grip around her friend. She did not know what to expect, but she was ready to catch Twilight and bring her safely to the ground.
However, she silently hoped that would not be necessary. She made sure that Twilight's wings flapped in a satisfactory rhythm before opening her hooves and letting Twilight go.
Dash looked down, but instead of a panicking and flailing pony, she was met with something she wasn't prepared for: Twilight was awkwardly flapping her wings, accompanied by the weirdest grimace Dash ever saw. And she couldn't help but snicker.
"See? I can fly too!" Twilight announced proudly.
Dash laughed. "That's not really flying, Twilight. That's more like… actively trying not to fall," she added in a teasing tone.
Twilight groaned.
Dash moved slightly forward, now only inches away from her friend. "Well, Princess Egghead, why don't you fly towards me to see how well you do?"
Twilight nodded. Still trying to balance herself, she attempted to fly forward, remembering instructions from a book she had read.
She stiffened her wings, in an attempt to push herself forward, but lost her balance in the process and crashed into Dash. Both landed on a stray cloud not far underneath them, Twilight effectively pinning Dash beneath her.
"Er… Oops?"
They burst in a fit of laughter. There was no hint of mockery or malice, only heartfelt laughter.
It didn't take long to subside, leaving both ponies looking deeply into each others’ eyes, searching for what to do next.
Instead of backing away, Dash smiled faintly and wrapped her hooves around Twilight's back, pulling her gently towards herself, slowly but surely bridging the gap between their muzzles. Neither needed words at that moment—their long-lasting friendship, accompanied by a deep seeded trust and respect for one another, led the way.
Their first kiss, full of want and need for closeness and warmth of each other.
Long, deep kiss.
~*~*~
CRASH!
The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the library, rousing Spike from his slumber.
"Hello?" He cautiously got up from his bed, hoping to be welcomed by a familiar voice—or a set of them—but there was no reply. "Twilight?" he asked again in a lower voice. "Rainbow?"
Still nothing.
He took a few steps forward, expecting the worst. But instead of stumbling upon a creature from the Everfree Forest, he saw a familiar face standing almost perfectly still in the middle of the room, staring at the remains of a shattered mirror.
Spike gasped in relief. "Oh, it's just you, Twilight. I was getting worried since you were…"
His eyes moved from Twilight's cutie mark to her hoof, still positioned in the middle of the fractured mirror, a piece of it embedded deeply under her skin.
Spike blinked. Never before had he seen Twilight like this. She seemed calm, but completely unaware of what had just happened or that she had been injured. Nevertheless, he came closer out of curiosity and concern. His eyes locked on the trickling droplets of blood. "Twilight?"
"Hi, Spike," Twilight said cheerfully. "Are you going to make dinner? You know, I'd really go for some fried mushrooms and some rye bread. I'm starving!"
"Um, Twilight? Where is Rainbow Dash? And what happened to the mirror? And your hoof?"
"Rainbow Dash? She's in the kitchen." She paused for a moment, turning her head towards the kitchen. "Rainbow Dash?" She paused for a moment, as if waiting for a reply. "Oh. Still not ready? Really? Oh, I see. No, no. Take your time, sweetie." She turned back to Spike. "See?"
Spike tilted his head in confusion. "I don't hear anything… Also, your hoof—"
"Don't worry, Spike. You're just tired." Twilight smiled and sighed with delight. "While you were sleeping, I spent one of the most wonderful mornings outside with Rainbow Dash." She blushed and giggled like a foal, her voice lowering almost to a whisper. "Don't tell this to anypony, Spike, but she… I mean we … I mean… She … kissed me. I think she likes me."
Spike took a few steps closer, his eyes still locked on the bleeding hoof. "Twilight?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Twilight chirped back.
"Are you sure you're okay? Because you told me that more than a year ago." He briefly looked around the library and turned his focus back to the bleeding hoof. "Um. Where is Rainbow Dash? I thought she was supposed to be back with you?"
"Not listening again, I see. She's in the kitchen and—OW!" she cried when Spike touched her wound. "That hurts!"
"Sorry, Twilight, but you might need to visit a doctor…"
"It's just a scratch, Spike. Don't worry about it." She turned towards the kitchen. "Hey, Dash?"
No response.
"Rainbow Dash?"
"Um, Twilight?"
"Just a moment, Spike. I'm trying to talk to Dash. Hey, Rainbow?"
Spike shook his head and smiled. "Hah, hah. That's a good one, Twilight. You almost had me there for a second. You two are trying to prank me again, don't you? Where is Rainbow hiding this time?"
"Don't be silly, Spike. We're not pranking you… Really, she was here just a moment ago… Maybe she just went to the bathroom."
Spike stared at Twilight for a moment, nervous. "T-Twilight? Um… Rainbow Dash hasn't been here since she left for her training almost a year ago… You really don't look good… Maybe I should call Doctor Stable to look at your hoof…"
Twilight's smile disappeared. Her mind began to race itself, frantically looking for a logical explanation in an attempt to resolve the conflict between their statements. Since she hadn't heard any response from Dash from the kitchen—or anywhere else, for that matter—she decided to look for herself.
"R-Rainbow? This isn't funny anymore." She took a step forward and cringed as she put weight onto her injured leg. "Ra—ow!"
Twilight turned her attention towards her injured hoof and the shattered mirror. She fell silent, her mind desperately trying to piece together what had happened over the previous few days and slowly letting go of its illusions. Soon, the reality of the situation started to kick back in.
"Twilight?"
"R-Rainbow," Twilight said in almost a whisper, carefully prodding the fractured glass still remaining in the mirror. She sniffled. "Spike, she's—"
She couldn't get herself to finish the sentence, but instead wrapped her healthy hoof around the little dragon and started to sob.
~*~*~
As night fell and the chaos subsided on the streets of Ponyville, Dash cautiously approached the vicinity of her now-silent cloud home.
Once inside, Dash sighed. Only now she realized what kind of havoc she had wreaked upon the posters she normally took great care not to damage in any way. Instead of mourning their destruction, she smirked and stomped on a piece of a torn poster decorated with Spitfire's head, which was proudly smiling at its observer.
In a fit of an anger, she kicked the piece away. Her hoof hit a cloudy, but surprisingly solid, structure, making her curse.
She half-expected to hear Twilight snickering behind her, like she did so many times, but there was nothing. Her curse quickly dissipated, leaving nothing—not even a faint echo of her own voice.
With her pain subsided, she looked closely at the still-decorated walls, her eyes stopping on one of the intact pictures that did not belong to the Wonderbolts. She smiled.
It depicted a moment just before she had left for the academy. A silly moment where she had worn Twilight's crown, while Twilight wore a wig styled as Dash's hair, her horn awkwardly poking out. Neither knowing things would change forever after that day.
Dash sighed. She wished that she had just said no to the Wonderbolts and instead joined the Royal Guard to stay close to Twilight. But it was not a role that she could see herself in. Words like 'hyped,' 'daredevil,' and 'stunts' were nowhere in the application form. Even in casual conversation, those words were hardly ever spoken by a member of the Guard, unless they were speaking unfavorably.
Now, everything was gone. She had nothing left that would make her happy anymore.
All the time she spent practicing was now completely meaningless. Every time she tried to think about Twilight, she couldn't help but hear Twilight laughing at her misfortune.
She had no want nor need to stay in Ponyville anymore; it had became saturated with memories of what she despised.
One last look around her cloud home revealed she had forgotten nothing of necessity. She grabbed a pouch of bits, some food, some water, and a map of Equestria marked with a few places that she eventually wanted to visit—all of them far away from Ponyville.
Once out the door, she spread her majestic wings. Her destination was still unclear, but she was determined that she would stop at one last place before departing permanently. A foalhood friend she was certain who wouldn't laugh at her or try to convince her to remain in Ponyville: Fluttershy.
~*~*~
Dash never understood how Fluttershy could live in a cottage full of various critters that would, without a sliver of doubt in her mind, occupy the entirety of her spare time. Yet, she never came around to check on Fluttershy's critters or take care of her house.
With a heavy heart, she knocked on the door and waited as the critters urged Fluttershy to open the door.
"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy gasped in surprise, her voice coated with a hint of suppressed anger. "What are you doing here? You should go and apologize to Twi—"
"I'm leaving Ponyville, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy's eyes widened in surprise. "Wh-what? But I… we…"
"Can I come in?"
Fluttershy nodded.
~*~*~
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both forgot about how late it was as Dash retold what happened while she was away, watching as Fluttershy's usually cheerful demeanor gave way to horror as Dash got into the details. The story she told Twilight became even more detailed as her now-sober mind remembered even more, adding smells and other small things she had forgotten about earlier.
Once she was finished, Dash looked at her shocked friend.
"H-how could she?" Fluttershy cried and wrapped her hooves around Dash. "I-I'm so sorry, Rainbow… If there's… anything I can do…"
"No." Dash hung her head.
"No?" Fluttershy echoed. "But, Rainbow Dash, you will need all the help going against Spitfire. All our friends will be happy to help you. And you know I'll always help you if I can."
"I'm not going against Spitfire, Flutters."
Fluttershy blinked. "Wh-what do you mean?"
Dash sighed. "I can't go against Spitfire, Fluttershy. None of us can. She had even convinced Princess Celestia to allow her own set of rules. It's her word against mine, and since I have nothing to back it up with…"
"But Twilight would—"
"Would what?" Dash barked. "Laugh at me again? When I needed her most?"
"Rainbow Dash! Twilight would never do anything like that! It must have been—"
"Stop!" Dash yelled, startling Fluttershy. "Just stop." She paused for a moment, letting her voice calm down. "I didn't come here to be talked out of leaving. I needed someone to listen, and…"
She leaned forward and gently kissed Fluttershy on her forehead. "Thanks for listening, I guess. I'll miss you the most."
Fluttershy tilted her head. "Wait, are you leaving already? But it's the middle of the night and—"
"I'm still one of the best fliers in Equestria, Fluttershy. Look, I'm sure that the Royal Guards are looking for me. They'll probably come to see you soon, since you're a friend of mine and all. If I stay…" She looked at her friend's worried expression, then comforted her in a gentle hug. "I don't want anything to happen to you just because of me."
She hung her head and faced the door of Fluttershy's cottage, spread her wings, and took flight.
Before Fluttershy could say anything else, Dash was gone.
~*~*~
Dash squinted through the dark. It was a night that every pegasus dreaded the most: A starless and moonless night, making travel hard on the creatures that weren't accustomed to such darkness.
Under her breath, she cursed the entirety of the last week. She couldn't pinpoint even one single thing that went like she had planned.
Instead of having a divine meal with her mare, she was greeted by the copious amount of alcohol she chose to escape reality. Instead of the intimacy she had longed for far too long, she was greeted with bitter loneliness. And all because of a pony she had idolized as a foal, a pony she was certain couldn't be touched.
Spitfire.
Dash became seethed the more she thought about Spitfire and what she did to her. She could feel her wings beating faster and faster, both her body and mind desperately wanting and needing to flee from Ponyville.
In the darkness of the night, she closed her eyes and let her instincts lead the way. That was not something that she would recommend to any of her colleagues, but for her, it hardly made any difference. Especially since she could hardly see anything anyway, even if it were inches in front of her muzzle.
But she felt it was a dire necessity. Flying was one of the rare things that cleared her mind, even in a situation like this. She had spent quite a lot of time trying to remember how she came back to Ponyville, but, in the end, she gave up.
Lost in her thoughts, Dash let herself speed up even more. She was certain that she was already on the outskirts of Ponyville, flying high enough to avoid all the obstacles in her path.
She wasn't able to finish that thought as her wing brushed hard against the peak of one of the tall trees of the Everfree Forest, tipping her off-balance.
Her eyes shot open. She was greeted with a dark silhouette of an even higher tree, but there was nothing she could do to prevent the imminent impact. She only had enough time to turn her head to prevent breaking her nose.
Time slowed for her to the point where she could swear she could take notice of every action she usually took for granted. Even with that, there was not much she could do.
She barely managed to put a hoof in front of her before she realized her mistake. A terrible snapping sound echoed through her ears, followed by the loss of her breath and control of her wings.
Her hoof swung towards the tree.
She failed, missing by only a few inches.
In horror, she realized what just happened and quickly tried again.
However, it was already too late. She bounced too far back. With her wings still unable to move, she was left to the mercy of the branches to cushion her fall.
She was still struggling to gain control over her wings, feeling like she was taking her flight test yet again and failing. Subconsciously, she expected that somepony would catch her fall, just like she caught Twilight, or how her dad caught her.
Instead of a soft pony back, she was greeted by a harsh collision with a thick branch, accompanied by the sound of another one of her bones breaking.
She felt like a pinball when she bounced between the branches below, most of them thick enough to not break under her weight. After what felt like forever, her trip to the ground ended with one final crunch. Whether that were her wings or another limb, she couldn't tell. It was just another hotspot in the sea of sharp and dull pain that she felt wash across the entirety of her body.
She wanted to move and stay awake, but every shift caused additional pain, so she soon abandoned that idea.
She tried to lay perfectly still. Doing anything else made her grimace like she was being stabbed. But even without moving, the throbbing pain became overwhelming.
With every exhale, she could feel the remains of her consciousness trickle away. With it, her head became heavier, until it became too heavy and dropped on her forehooves like a bag of sand.
One last thought crossed Dash's mind—an innocent, yet deep conversation with Twilight about death and dying. She remembered saying she would go out in style: in battle as a Wonderbolt, cheered on by the entirety of Equestria.
Anything but dying alone, broken, and without anypony knowing where she was.
With the last sliver of her strength, she smirked at the irony of the situation.
She closed her eyes and let the lingering darkness engulf her for one last time, in hopes to take away her agony.
Twilight drew a sharp breath as the ball of cotton swiped across her gaping wound.
"Hm," Doctor Stable said as he wiped around the wound. "This is quite deep. I think we'll need a few stitches." He paused for a moment as his magic meticulously swiped the drenched ball of cotton around the wound for one last time. He nodded. "One or two stitches and you'll be good to go."
Twilight shifted nervously. "I… I really should go…"
Doctor Stable shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Twilight. You should not go anywhere with a hoof like this."
"Can't-can't you just bandage it?"
"No, the cut is too deep. A bandage on its own won't do much…"
Twilight hung her head. She was already mentally reprimanding herself for allowing Spike to convince her to wait for the doctor instead of looking for Dash. The last thing she needed was even more delays.
Regardless of how many books she had read about pony psychology, she needed exactly none to know Dash was in distress, but as eager as she was, she was now aware she was getting nowhere with that hoof. She had no choice other than to wait a bit longer.
She felt a sting as the needle of a syringe punctured the skin on her lower leg, but she didn't even flinch.
"Funny," Doctor Stable said. "When Spike sent me a note, he only said to get here as soon as possible. I expected Rainbow to… Hold on…" His horn flared again, a floating thread meticulously passing through the ear of a curved needle. "The lower part of your hoof is now paralyzed, so you shouldn't feel a thing." He looked up at the nervous Twilight and smiled. "Don't worry, Twilight. I've patched Rainbow so many times, I've lost count. At one point, I was certain she was deliberately getting injured just to see my daughter." He smirked. "It turned out I was right."
The sewing needle pierced the flesh of Twilight's wound, but Twilight felt nothing more than she would have if she stepped on a pebble.
"Speaking of which, where is she? She sent me a letter, telling me that she'll be in Ponyville for a few days, and—"
"Gone."
Doctor Stable tilted his head. "Gone?" He paused for a moment. "There. We're done."
"She… we… I…" Twilight bit her lip as she noticed her voice trailing off. She sniffled and hung her head.
More alcohol-drenched gauze was applied to the now-stitched wound, and the hoof started to get wrapped with a thin, self-sticking bandage, gluing itself to the fur. "You two fought, huh? Don't worry, Twilight, just give her some time. She and Morning Star—"
But Twilight didn't let Doctor Staple finish his sentence. As soon as the bandage had been fully applied, she removed her hoof and said, "Thank you."
She wasn't sure if this was something she picked up from Dash or if it was something else, but she felt impatient. She had to get moving. Now.
It was the very same drive that helped save her mare’s life once before was now even stronger. She had no reason to ignore it. Her majestic wings spread, and her horn lit up.
"Twilight, you—"
A bright light, flooded the library, and a split second later, Twilight disappeared with the unmistakable bang of a teleportation spell.
"—Should… wait…" Doctor Stable sighed. "Well, that was unexpected." He scratched his mane and looked at Spike.
"Don't look at me," Spike replied. "Twilight said that she'll tell me everything when she gets back, but…" He sighed. "I found her talking to herself in front of a broken mirror." He nervously shifted his legs. "I think something happened to Rainbow Dash, but Twilight didn't tell me what…"
Doctor Stable ruffled Spike's head scales. "In all the time I've known Twilight, I've never seen her so nervous, but… I know both of them quite well. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." I hope.
Spike groaned. "I hope you're right, Doc." He scratched the back of his head. "I've seen her acting like this only a few times, and in all cases, Celestia needed to… umm… calm her down. Once, she was so nervous, she made a mistake in her spell and made a book so big that it ruined half of the Canterlot Library when it tipped over." He paused for a moment. "Maybe we should—"
A nervous knock on the library door interrupted the conversation.
"Tw-Twilight?" a precautious voice behind them asked. "Are-are you home? Rainbow Dash visited me and—"
Spike swiftly opened the door. “Fluttershy?”
"Spike, quick, can you please get Twilight? I need to talk to her. I think that Rainbow Dash might be in trouble."
"Trouble?" Spike lifted his eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, Spike, but I can't really explain… It's really important I talk to Twilight."
"Uhhh… She isn't here anymore. You just missed her by a minute or so, and… Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy nervously looked at Spike. "Do you maybe know where she went? Please, Spike. It's really important…"
Spike scratched his head. "Dunno. She was really nervous… I think she took off to look for Rainbow. I… I really don't know where… She just teleported and…"
"Um… Oh," Fluttershy said, disappointed. "Thank you, Spike." She opened her wings and flew up into the air. She went in one direction, only to turn around and head in another. This repeated several times before she let out a sigh and flew towards Rainbow Dash’s cloud home.
~*~*~
With an explosion of light, Twilight appeared just inches in front of the cloud door. It was something she had done countless of times, in an attempt to sneak in on the unsuspecting mare. She had often failed, since the noise of her teleport would reveal her position, but the times in which she succeeded was definitely worth it.
Either Twilight sang a cheerful, but very loud, "Good morning, Rainbow!" to the sleeping mare, resulting in a Dash grunting over the entire morning and complaining it was too early, or Twilight would kiss her mare behind the ear and lightly ruffle her wings, just before slipping under the warm covers, eager to soak in the warmth emitted by Dash.
With a bittersweet smile, soaked with warm memories, Twilight pushed open the familiar cloud door.
Instead of the brightly lit interior Dash kept most of the time, the entire apartment was shrouded in a thick veil of darkness, enough to make even Nightmare Moon smirk. The air was stale and saturated with the smell of alcohol, almost causing Twilight to gag.
She carefully took a step forward, but regretted her decision almost immediately. The anaesthetic for her stitches was still in full effect, and she almost tripped on her numb hoof. She mentally reprimanded herself to be more careful, lest she tear up her stitches and open up the wound again, hampering her search for Dash even more.
"Dash?" she whispered, seemingly afraid to disturb the unmoving shadows. She perked her ears, but aside from the gust of wind ruffling her mane and wings, there was only silence.
Twilight's horn lit up and bathed the apartment in an ethereal violet light, revealing the chaos that was splayed before her. She took a deep breath and limped a little further. "Rainbow Dash?" she repeated herself. "Are you here?"
Again, there was no reply.
She looked around the littered ground. It seemed to be in the same state like the last time, but a small cleaned path told a revealing tale: Dash had been back home at one point in time, and Twilight was certain she was on the right track.
Another closer inspection of the surrounding area revealed the pacing of a nervous mare from the living room, into the kitchen, and back again.
She felt a sting in her heart. The path to the upper chambers, consisting of nothing more than a shower and a large, queen-sized cloud bed, seemed undisturbed, and a quick peek revealed nothing but the empty bed with its sheets intact.
Twilight hung her head and sighed. She wasn't any closer to knowing where Dash was now or how long it was since she had visited her cloud home. At least one of those clues would give her an idea what to do or where to go next.
She look around one last time, and the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of a familiar golden frame. Unlike everything else that had been ferociously thrown to the ground, the frame and the picture itself still hung perfectly leveled, placed like that not by Twilight, but Rainbow Dash herself.
It was a picture taken long before Dash's departure months ago, with Dash wearing Twilight's crown, while Twilight adorned Dash's cheek with a kiss. On the bottom it was scribbled "For my beautiful princess. Twi."
She smiled.
The picture bore no hint of awkwardness or embarrassment, but sheer joy and happiness from both ponies, unlike the time when they shared their first kiss.
~*~*~
With her eyes still closed, Dash indulged the warm and welcoming lips that leaned against hers; it had been far too long since she had tasted the lips of another mare and much longer since she had tasted those of a stallion.
It didn't matter. An unintentional brush of the tail against her nethers was enough for her hooves to switch to autopilot and pull the mare closer. As their kiss deepened, Dash ruffled the mare's mane.
Seconds later, something unnerving popped up in her mind.
Her eyes shot open, confirming her suspicion: Her lips were conjoined with her friend's purple counterpart. She couldn't believe she momentarily forgot she was sharing the kiss with Twilight.
Princess Twilight.
Even though she was pinned under Twilight, she broke the kiss and awkwardly snaked out from under Twilight's hooves.
Surprised, Twilight asked, "Rainbow? Is there something wrong?"
Dash shifted nervously, her cheeks burning red. "I… I need to go. Um… Bye!"
"Huh? What? Hey, Rainbow, wait!" Twilight yelled behind her, waving her hoof in hopes that it would attract her friend's attention.
But it was already too late. Once again, Rainbow Dash lived up to her name, lighting the sky with an explosion of her colors, and Twilight could do nothing more than watch. A small part of her was half-expecting for Dash to return and explain herself, but after a few minutes, she knew that wouldn’t happen.
Her mind was lost in a blurry haze as she tried to comprehend what happened. If she was asked how she managed to get back to the library, she couldn't tell. It was all a jumble of incoherent mess, not something she was used to.
Spike's overly enthusiastic chatter roused her out of her reverie, "And when I showed Rarity the villain costume I made for myself, she was very impressed. And then… she… Twilight? Are you even listening?"
"You were very impressed by Rarity's villain outfit," Twilight absent-mindedly muttered as a response.
"You weren't listening at all," Spike replied with a grunt.
"Sorry, Spike," Twilight breathed. "I… uh… Something happened."
Spike groaned. "Again? Okay, what is it this time, and how much cleaning up will we have to do? Do you know how long it took to remove—"
"Why do you always have to assume there's always cleaning up to do?" Twilight asked in a deadpan voice.
"Right. There were a couple of your spells gone wrong in Canterlot, which took ages to clean up, then I had to clean up after who knows how many mishaps in your lab, and there was also that—"
"I get it, I get it." Twilight sighed. "I promise it's nothing like that." She paused for a moment, her head turning in the direction of Dash's cloud home before turning it back to Spike. "Spike?"
"What is it?"
Twilight took a deep breath, but the abrupt opening of the front door made her forget what she was trying to say, or rather, it made her forget that she was trying to say something at all.
They both watched Pinkie Pie waltz in, and seconds later, stopped only inches away from Twilight.
"Whatcha doin'?" Pinkie Pie sang.
"I'm trying to tell Spike—"
Pinkie leaned her head even closer, seemingly eager to catch every word that wasn't even directed to her.
Twilight groaned. "Pinkie Pie…"
"What?" Pinkie replied in the most innocent voice she could muster.
Twilight shook her head. "Never mind. What brings you around?"
"Party!"
"Party?"
"Of course, you silly! It's the Princess's coronation afterparty afterparty… um… afterparty?" She stopped for a while and waved her hoof around as if in deep thought. "Yes! It's the Princess's coronation afterparty afterparty afterparty! And guess who's the pony of honor?" she added with a big grin, lightly nudging Twilight.
Twilight groaned. "Pinkie, can't you postpone this party? I really don't feel like attending."
Pinkie Pie shook her head. "Aw, come on, you have to loosen up once in a while. Besides, all the invitations are already sent out!"
Twilight lifted her hoof and opened her mouth.
"Great!" Pinkie Pie said without waiting for Twilight. "Eight o'clock!" She spun on her hoof and cartwheeled out of the still-opened door.
"This is going to be a very long night," Twilight muttered to herself.
~ ~
As much as she enjoyed Pinkie Pie's parties, this one felt like nothing but a chore. She was tired of the reminder that she became a princess. She was tired from standing absolutely still for Rarity to make her dress absolutely perfect, meticulously ironing out every single wrinkle from it. She was tired and exhausted from the early-morning practice she had with Dash and the mishap after it.
And on top of that, Dash had avoided her throughout the entire night.
Even though she was the guest of honor, she wanted nothing more than to sneak away from the party, flop into her cozy bed, and forget the entirety of the day.
When the party grew louder and wilder, Twilight couldn't stand it anymore. More than anything, she needed a breath of fresh air, and maybe lay down for a minute or two.
With her mind full, her hooves switched to autopilot, eventually leading her through the center of Ponyville. Her mind was unfocused, and her destination was unclear. But it felt so good, and she hardly ever had the chance to see Ponyville basking in the glow of the full moon.
She sat on a bench, yawned, and closed her eyes for what she was certain was no more than a few minutes.
As the time passed, she felt a gust of cold air ruffling her mane, and her body shivered in response. Regardless, she felt warm, like she was lying on a soft pillow and covered with a warm bedding.
Another pass of the gentle breeze reminded her that she wasn't in her bed. She shifted her head ever so slightly to see what was going on, just to stumble on a featherly cage smelling faintly of alcohol.
"Good morning, Princess," sounded a familiar voice.
"R-Rainbow Dash?"
"The one and only!" Dash sang in response.
Twilight was confused. The pony that had been actively avoiding her at the party was now acting both as her pillow and a warm blanket. "I thought you were still at the party…"
Dash smiled. "You have been sleeping for a while, haven’t you? The party ended hours ago."
"Oh. Sorry."
Awkward silence fell between the two ponies. Even with a decent amount of alcohol within her, Dash was still struggling with herself to gather the courage for an apology. After what seemed to feel like an eternity, Dash took a deep breath. "Twilight, I—"
"It's really cold, Rainbow," Twilight said, shuddering again. "I really should go home."
"Y-yeah. Can I… can I come along?"
Twilight nodded.
On the way to the library, Dash did most of the talking. She tried to briefly recap most of what Twilight had missed at the party, but failed miserably because she managed to entangle herself in describing Pinkie's stunts, which included her flailing her hooves like a madpony.
And before they knew it, they found themselves in front of the Golden Oaks Library.
With one last giggle at Dash's failure at mimicking Pinkie Pie's performance, Twilight bid Dash goodbye.
"Twilight, wait," Dash breathed in response.
"Hm?"
"I-" Dash paused for a moment before continuing. "S-sorry."
"For what?"
"For… you know… Practice… running away and stuff…"
Twilight smiled. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're not angry because I kissed you."
"But it wasn't cool, Twi. I shouldn't have run like that." Dash sighed. "Look… I… um… panicked. It's been a long time since I kissed somepony like that . It was nice and all, but when I realized I was kissing a princess … Dunno… my mind just went blank, and I freaked out instead of saying something."
"Oh." Twilight slightly hung her head. "I… I understand. You don't like me like that because I'm a princess."
"No, no, no. I mean yes. I mean—" Dash smacked her hoof against her face. "Great. I'm not making any sense anymore." She sighed again. "All I wanted to say is… Know what? Screw it." She pushed her muzzle against Twilight's, both allowing the gesture to dissolve into a short kiss.
"Goodnight, Twi," Dash said when their muzzles parted. She spread her wings and took flight.
Twilight brushed where Dash placed her kiss and smiled. She felt like she had just woke up from a wonderful dream, fully energized and ready to take on new challenges.
She opened the library door and was startled by the dimly-lit silhouette of Spike.
"You scared me," Twilight said.
"I heard something in front of the door, and I went to check it out. Where have you been? The party ended ages ago."
"I fell asleep in the park, and Rainbow Dash escorted me home," Twilight answered cheerfully. She smiled and rubbed her muzzle again.
"You're awfully cheerful for this time of night. Are you coming down with something?"
"No, silly." She paused for a moment, her cheeks starting to bathe in a red tint. "Rainbow Dash kissed me. I think she likes me."
Spike groaned. "Whatever. Just don't sneeze in my direction. It could be contagious."
Twilight laughed softly and entered the library, knowing full well her attempts to sleep will be fruitless, or at least, troublesome.
But for once in her life, she didn't care.
~*~*~
Twilight smiled at the memories that the picture provoked but shook her head a moment later. As much as she'd like to dwell on those kind of memories, she realized she had no time to waste. She turned around, and a piece of white paper not far from the door caught her attention.
The scribbled piece of paper was engulfed in the ethereal glow of her magic and pulled towards her. Upon seeing the horrible scribbles, she mentally reprimanded herself for not allocating some of her time to help Dash improve her writing.
But it mattered not. She squinted her eyes in an attempt to read. "Aol… Aul… Appleloosa?" She scratched her head. "Manehattan? Vi… Vl… V… Vanhoover?" She fell silent for a moment, her voice dimming down to nothing more than a mutter. "B-but…" She hung her head. "Looking in only one of these places… That could take weeks, if not longer." She could feel moisture condensing in her eyes and sniffled. "Dash…"
"Twilight!" Fluttershy huffed and whispered in excitement as she spotted the unmistakable glow of Twilight's magic. "At-at least I'm not too late this time!" Just as she set down on the cloud and folded her wings, the unmistakable bang of a teleport caught her attention.
"Twilight, wait!" she yelled, but her voice was lost in the emptiness of the cloud home. "Oh," she said disappointingly. For the first time, she wished she was a unicorn or alicorn instead of a pegasus.
After waiting a minute to recover, Fluttershy spread her wings again and started her descent back towards Ponyville.
~*~*~
Spike opened the library door, and in front of it, he could see Twilight. To say that she was exhausted would be a disservice to the term itself.
Not just from the worry and lack of sleep, the teleportations over great distances were taking their toll. Every action demanded equal and opposite reaction. That was the golden rule Twilight learned in school and learned it well. The more she used her magic, the more tired and exhausted she felt. She had learned that the hard way when she had managed to sleep through a couple of very important classes and exams.
"Twilight?" Spike asked.
Instead of a response, Twilight floated the parchment she found at the cloud home to Spike. "Could be weeks before we can find her… What if… something happens to her?"
"Twilight…"
"I don't know what I'd do without her…" she continued with no interruption, her voice starting to crack. "What if she…"
"Twilight!" Spike yelled, his yell kicking her out of the grim thoughts.
"Spike, do you have any idea how serious this is?" Twilight shot back.
"This ? What’s this ? Twilight, ever since you've left, you're done nothing but panic. You haven't told anypony anything !" He paused for a moment, his tone softening. "Twilight? What's going on? I have never seen you like this before, not even when you put a spell on Smarty Pants, and Celestia had to come and fix everything…"
Twilight stared at her number one assistant. She opened her mouth to speak, but a moment later, she changed her mind and closed it again. Silence fell between the pair for a few seconds before Twilight spoke. "Spike…"
"Yeah?"
"I… I wish I could tell you, but… I don't think you'd understand… you're still a…"
"Baby dragon?"
Twilight nodded.
Spike sighed. "I'm not a baby anymore, Twilight. I'm—"
"Twilight! Goodness gracious, you're here!" a quiet, but familiar voice called, interrupting their conversation.
Twilight turned her focus towards the landing yellow pegasus. "Fluttershy?"
"I… need… a… moment," Fluttershy said in a huff. "I… was trying… to catch you… I missed you only by a few seconds."
"Fluttershy… I'm sorry, but unless this is important—"
"It is," Fluttershy said in her usual soft tone. "Um… I think… Rainbow Dash… She came to see me a few hours ago, and…" She gulped. "She… told me what happened, and that you… laughed at her."
"Fluttershy, I—"
"How could you, Twilight? After all she had been through!"
Twilight closed her eyes, trying to stay calm. "Flu—"
"After all you've been through—"
"I didn't laugh!" Twilight yelled as she stomped her injured hoof, making her cringe. A moment later, she looked at her staring friends and realized what happened.
"S-sorry," she said in a raspy whisper as she hung her head. "I-I didn't mean to yell."
Grave silence filled the room.
"I… just want to find her before something happens to her," she said a few seconds later, the tone of her voice now even softer.
"Twilight…"
With her head still down and ears flat against her head, she unfurled her wings. "I have to find her…"
"Twilight, wait," Fluttershy interjected and waited for the alicorn to turn her head. "If it's any help… she was headed in the direction of the Everfree Forest."
"Everfree?" Twilight asked, her ears perking up. "You mean she was headed to Appleloosa?"
Fluttershy scratched her head. "I don't know. Rainbow Dash didn't say where was she going. She just came in, explained what happened, and left in the direction of the Everfree Forest." She paused for a moment, hoping to remember anything more, but to no avail. "She was really upset when I asked her not to fly in this kind of night."
"What do you mean?"
"Um… pegasi can't fly on a night like this… or rather shouldn't. Our eyes aren't adapted for a dark night like this, and often, young fliers tend to be a little too brave, and… they can get lost or… worse."
Worse . Twilight gulped. It was not a word she wanted to hear. Not tonight, or rather not ever. At least not in conjunction with her mare. Despite her exhaustion, she took a deep breath, spread her wings and once again disappeared into the silence of the moonless night.
Please, be safe.
