The Secret

Rainbow Dash entered the Golden Oaks Library full of anticipation. Today was the big day. "Daring Do and the Kingdom of The Crystal Ponies" was finally going to be available today! It was going to be awesome. She could just imagine the swoops and soars of the tan pegasus as she defeating the evil Dr. Spalhoof and allowed the crystal alien ponies to return to their own world.

"Rainbow!" exclaimed Twilight as she stepped downstairs from the upper area of the tree. "I assume you're here for the new Daring Do?"

"You bet I am!" said Dash energetically. "I also can't wait to see Cadence's reaction to this!" No doubt she was going to be slightly ticked at the fact that A.K. Yearling portrayed her subjects as aliens. Suddenly realizing that Twilight had hesitated on the stairs, and was figiting nervously, she paused.

'Awwww, she looks kind of cute when she's like that!' Rainbow couldn't help but allow a light blush to creep onto her muzzle. "What is it Twi?" she asked. Twilight crossed her front hooves and avoided Rainbow's eye contact.

"Well, um, you see, Dash," she rubbed the back of her head. "Somepony already checked out the new book." The lavender alicorn looked at Rainbow, unsure of how she would take it.

"Oh." Rainbow said simply. Her gaze became downcast, and she turned towards the door. "T- that's fine, Twilight." She knew the library wasn't just hers. This was bound to happen at some point. Just as she was about to fly out the door, she heard Twilight call out "Wait!"

Rainbow turned around. "Why, why don't you read something else?" asked Twilight. At Dash's confused gaze, she backtracked. "I mean, have you ever tried Aristrotle?" She levitated an extremely thick book over as she approached Dash. "I know it looks intimidating, but it's really not that bad!" Suddenly, the alicorn's eyes lit up. "We could have a sleepover!" she cried excitedly. "We could stay up late into the night reading!"

Rainbow Dash gazed uncertainty at the tome. Finally, her "loyal" side won. "Sure Twi, let me just go and grab a few things." With that, she flew out the door. "Be back here at eight!" called Twilight after her.

Rainbow was freaking out. She was supposed to be back at Twilight's in twenty minutes. She had all of her stuff ready, and was ready to leave, but her nerves were getting the best of her.

Rainbow had a mega-huge crush on Twilight.

'I'm gonna be sleeping with her!' she panicked. "Would it be rude to sleep in a different room as her?" she asked Tank. Of course, he didn't reply. She figured it would, so she decided against it. Besides, on the bright side, maybe she'll leave the lights on.

Finally, nerves on overdrive, Rainbow headed to the Golden Oaks Library. She knocked. Why did she knock? Nopony ever knocked. So why did she knock?

The door opened, and Spike greeted her. "Hey, Rainbow!" he said, gesturing her inside. "I was just heading off to Sweet Apple Acres! The crusaders are having a sleepover there!"

"Cool," said Dash absently. "Where's Twilight?"

"Right here." Twilight stepped out into the main room, and Rainbow nearly peed on the floor in front of her. The lavender pony's mane was down, flowing freely around her neck, and her tail wasn't brushed.

Twilight paused, and looked at the conspicuous blush flowing through Rainbow's face. "Uh, you okay, Dash?"

"Swell," came the moaned reply of Rainbow, as she fought to keep her blush under control. She walked over to her friend and sat down on the cushions next to her.

"Alright Rainbow, let's read!"

3 Hours later, Twilight finally closed the massive book. "Well," she said through a yawn. "I think that's enough for tonight. It's already 11." Rainbow nervously got off of the pillows, and followed Twilight as she headed upstairs. They got ready for bed, and eventually, they were ready for bed. Twilight crawled into her bed, while Rainbow laid out her sleeping bag on the cushions she brought up from downstairs.

"Goodnight Rainbow Dash," said Twilight as she flicked off the light by her bed with her magic. "Goodnight Twi," replied Dash, who left the lamp by her sleeping bag on. Slowly, the pegasus drifted off to sleep.

Twilight on the other hand, was a bit annoyed. Why didn't Rainbow turn off her light! It was driving her crazy. Finally realizing that the cyan mare had drifted off to sleep without turning it off, she chucked mildly to herself and turned off Rainbow's lamp with her magic. The bedroom plunged into darkness, and Twilight went to sleep.

Dash woke up a few hours later in a panic. Why was it so dark! She knew that she had left the light on before she went to bed. Ohhhhh noooo... it was so dark. So so very dark. She shivered in her bag, whimpering to herself. Suddenly, a creak came from elsewhere in the tree.

Twilight woke up to the sudden screams of Rainbow Dash as she latched herself onto Twilight. "Rainbow!" cried the alicorn, not fully understanding what the hay was going on at the moment. She managed to pry Rainbow off of her with her magic, and placed her on the bed opposite of her. "What's going on?" she asked angrily, flicking on the lamp.

Upon the room flooding with light, Rainbow relaxed slightly, but still wore a nervous look, and pawed at the bed sheets in an embarrassed manner. "Rainbow?" Twilight demanded an answer.

"Nothing... I'm sorry," replied Dash quietly as she stepped off of the bed and slowly trotted back to her sleeping bag. Annoyed, Twilight turned out the light. Then, she head the frightened whimper from the other side of the room. Then, it all clicked into place.

"Oh my gosh!" She flicked the lamp back on. "Rainbow Dash, are you afraid of the dark?"

Rainbow's heart pounded in her chest. "N-no..." she mumbled. "T-that's, that's stupid!" Twilight just cocked an ear apprehensively, and complied with an "Alright then." She turned out the light again as Rainbow got settled in her sleeping bag, yet she stayed in an upright position.

A few moments later, as a test, she made the broom in the hallway fall over with her magic. As the semi-lough "THWAK" came from the doorway, Rainbow shrieked and bolted under Twilight's bed. Convinced her theory was correct, Twilight turned the lights back on, and levitated Rainbow out from under the bed, placing her cowering form gently next to her.

"Rainbow, it's okay to be afraid of something," she reassured the mortified mare, as she gently rubbed a hoof along her spine. "There's nothing to be ashamed of!" Dash finally rose and sat up on the bed. "You probably think I'm a loser now, don't you..."

Twilight pulled her friend into a hug. "Of course I don't!" she said forcefully. "I just think you need to open up to somepony about things like this."

Rainbow's heart soared as she felt Twilight embrace her. Shaking with half fear, half anticipation, she finally voiced a question she'd had since the beginning of the night. "T-twi... can I, um, sleep with you here?"

Smiling warmly, Twilight nodded, and allowed Rainbow to crawl under the sheets with her. After the pegasus was settled, Twilight wrapped her legs around her, and carefully wrapped Rainbow up in her wing. Dash nuzzled her face into the alicorn's soft chest, burying her muzzle in Twilight's scent.

Slowly, the pair drifted off to sleep, with Rainbow loving Twilight even more, and with Twilight quickly discovering her affection towards the cyan pegasus in return.

Author's Note

Hey guys! Just a quick one-shot here! I needed to write something cuddly, and I thought... "What better cuddle scene than RD being afraid of the dark?"

So yea... HEAR WE GOES