Chapters Twilight lay in her study room, completing some urgently requested orders for books to add to the library, at the same time making sandwiches for her daughter's lunch the next day. Twilight was not as mentaly able since she was a filly; she could not focus on as many things as she used to, making even such a menial task as doing two things at once a predicament, and Twilight was straining her mind.
It certainly didn't help that the very filly she was making a lunch for decided to bound in her study at a very fast pace, and even that was made worse for the fact the same filly proceeded to tackle her mother, knocking the wind out of her lungs.
"Hey mom!" the cyan filly shouted, even though her target audience was directly underneath her. The filly had, just like her mother, a violet hue about her fur and mane color, but that didn't hide the fact she was not purple, but the light blue instead. She also had a short, scruffy mane and tail, unlike her mother, but had a near same coloring as her mother. Even the stripe was there, although it was not pink, but a slightly lighter hue of purple as the rest of the tail and mane. She had large, violet eyes, as well, that could hypnotize anypony in a range of a mile to do her bidding. Everypony, that is, besides for her mother.
"Sunlight!" Twilight shouted right back at the filly, staring her right back into those bright violet eyes with her equally bright eyes. "What have I said about tackling Mommy?"
"To not to..." Sunny pouted and looked down at Twilight's belly.
"And what have I said about bothering Mommy when Mommy's in her study room working?"
"To not to..." the filly backed off her mom at this point, still glaring at the ground with the same adorable pouting face, hoping for retribution through cuteness. Thankfully, that was not a problem, for even Twilight had to smile at the filly's "utter misfortune".
"Correct! Now, what is the reason for why you nearly broke my spinal cord?" Twilight asked, as she stood up and stretched out her back, knocking out some of the kinks that appeared from the impolite introduction.
"Huh?" Sunny looked up, scrunching her snout in confusion, until realization stuck in and in replacement came a smile. "Oh yeah! I wanted to ask you a question before I headed off to bed."
"Oh, is that all. Wonder that, a daughter of a scholar wanting to ask questions," Twilight gave off a snort of laughter, then proceeded to look her daughter in the eyes, in a friendly manner, contrasting the way she looked at her when she shouted. "What would you like to know?"
"I want you to tell me about dad!" Sunny said, smiling. "I know you don't talk about him much, and since this is a special occasion, being grammar school graduation day tomorrow, I thought you could tell me!"
The filly smiled again, this time closing her eyes in full joy at the fact that she would get a story. Twilight, though, grew still, and a stone cold film grew over her eyes in dread. She turned around, not wanting to face Sunny and ruin her good mood. "I think you should be off to bed. You did say you had a big day tomorrow," she said coldly.
Sunny stopped smiling at the diminishing of all happy feelings in the room. She looked at her mother, noticing she was facing the other way now. " But mom-"
"No 'buts'! Go to your room. I need to finish." Twilight snapped at her daughter. A tear formed in her eye.
The filly thought of protesting, but that thought went away as soon as she saw the tear from her mother splash on the floor. She closed the door behind her, and walked away to the sound of her mother trying to hide the tears from not only Sunny, but herself as well.
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"That's what you said. Word for word," Sunny looked down, and shuffled her hooves a bit from under her. She felt a weight build on her, as if the world were sitting upon her.
"I..." Twilight groaned as she sat back up in bed. She was old now, very old; in fact she was in her dying bed now. Her entire body was grayed, making it not radiate with the normal violet hue it had when she was a filly, as if she were a rock or large piece of slate. She felt like slate, too; her limbs were stiff to her body, causing a crack and some pain for every movement, and she was very cold compared to a normal pony's body heat.
"I... I must have told you at some point!" The words came slowly out of her mouth, as if they were coated in molasses. "I couldn't have held it from you all this time."
"But you did. You always have," Sunny said blatantly. She looked Twilight in the eyes, seeing the coldness in them. She didn't have all to long. A week maybe? Sunny didn't want to think about it. "I don't know why, but whatever happened to dad must have been really hard on you. I want to know. I need to know, mom. Please, tell me."
"I... can't remember all too well."
"Then think!" Sunny shouted, slamming her hooves on the bedside. She needed to relieve the frustration. The frustration that accumulated over thirty years of not knowing because she was never told. Ignorance towards the second most important pony in her life. She was not going to handle it any longer. "You are the smartest mare in the entirety of Equestria! You owned a library for the extent of fifty-five years! So you can not tell me you can't think due to a little bit of age."
Sunny backed down and slowly curled into a ball on the floor. She had been up for over a day. She couldn't sleep, she could hardly eat; the whole event of losing her mother, the one pony that had been there in times of rough, and times of great; the event of losing the only figure of light, knowledge, acceptance, and forgiveness in her life; the event of having the only love she had ever had pushed away from her in a ball of darkness called death in the middle of the night due to time, had caused her immense stress and frustration.
They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity.
"I can remember... small bits," Twilight finally said.
Sunny stood up suddenly, and looked Twilight right in the eye. "Tell me everything you know! Maybe it'll spark another memory, and then another, until I know the whole story. Until I know everything ."
Twilight chuckled, something she hadn't done in a very long time. The old purple mare smiled. "I can start by telling you it's not a stallion."
"Dash?"
The pegasus ignored her, continuing to go in front of Twilight fast enough to seem like she was rushing, but slow enough to let the poor mare keep up.
"Where are we going?"
The ignoring continued. Dash had invited Twilight to go "Erm, have some fun!" as she had put it so eloquently earlier that evening. Nightmare night had come to a conclusion not all too long ago, meaning Plan A was to initiate. Dash has been making plans like this since the violet mare came into town that fateful day so long ago. Back then it was barely noticeable; the way Dash liked talking to her, being near her, and the inexplicable urge to stare at her flank. The shared similar tastes, as in with certain books. But, the one thing that made Dash love Twilight more than anypony else, with the exception of her mother, was that Twilight had drive; she loved what she did and never gave up on her goal, whether good or bad came from it. It's a characteristic that the mares shared, something that could keep them together for the rest of time.
And that's exactly what Dash wanted.
"Dash, are you even listening to me?" the purple mare pleaded behind her. Dash felt that the deaf act had gone on long enough.
"Yup."
"So where are we going?"
"It's a secret."
Twilight sighed. This was going to take a while. "Can you give me any hints?"
Dash thought for a second. Yeah, she thought to herself, Another game'll be fun.
"We've been there before."
"Both of us?"
"Yep."
"At the same time?"
"Yep."
Twilight slowed down to think. They seemed to be going to the outskirts of town, which really could only mean...
"Dash, why are you taking me to the Everfree Forest?"
Rainbow turned around, to look Twilight in the eye. She had a smirk on her face that only she could make look cute, but be irritating at the same time. "Well, ya got the Forest part right," she smiled full on now. "But I wanna know where in the Everfree Forest?"
"The Everfree Forest is huge Dash!" Twilight clambered. She seemed to be taking this game a bit more seriously than Dash had planned. "I've been in several different places in the forest with you, including Zecora's hut, the river, the castle past the bridge, I mean why can-"
"Why can't I just tell you?" Dash asked herself. "I can't tell you because then it wouldn't be a surprise."
"It's the middle of the night in a dangerous forest, and we're two, unprotected mares. Surprises aren't what I need right now."
"Relax, it'll be fun." Dash slowed down to be side-by-side with Twilight, and gave her a friendly nudge of the shoulder. "I could walk with you if you're scared."
Twilight sighed for what felt to be the millionth time that evening. "I'm not scared Dash, just a bit disconcerted. You have to admit that we're prey to about five hundred different species surrounding us at this very moment."
Dash nudged in closer, nearly making Twilight lose her balance. "Yeah, but so long as we stick together, we'll survive long enough to kick at least one of their flanks."
Twilight giggled at Dash's comment, then added, "Stop trying to phase through me Rainbow, I'm trying to walk here."
"I'm a bit cold, is all." Dash said nonchalantly. Twilight gazed at her from her spot beside her, eyes burning into the side of Dash's face. She unconsciously kept up the stride that Dash had, matching step with step.
"You know I know pegasi don't get cold, correct?" Twilight asked, looking back in front of her. The forest was dark, and seemed to be closing in on them due to the size of the trail. Somehow Twilight was unable to be afraid, even with all the situations of the pair's untimely deaths floating in her mind.
What in the world is Dash on about?
"Y-yep." Dash finally answered, many moments after the question was asked. She quickly looked to her right to smile at Twilight, but noticed a look of pure confusion on the mare's face as she stared forward into oblivion. She frowned, and continued to walk ahead. Twilight never pulled away from her side. This was a good sign.
They walked together, through the woods, with no one but each other to keep company. Neither said anything, although both had so much to say. Dash wanted nothing but to proclaim her love of Twilight. She wanted to say it, shout it, fly into the air and trace it into the clouds. She wanted the whole world to know her heart belonged to a librarian. Twilight was ready to throw a whole interview on Dash; this whole adventure in the woods had become an odd, awkward silence between the two of them. And yet, something was oddly comforting in the fact of being with Dash, and only Dash.The wind blew, bringing cold with it. Chills surrounded Twilight, but she never became chilly, the small warmth from Dash filled her whole body, to the point where she was almost burning up. But, the question is, why?
Maybe she's been exercising?
"Hey Dash," Twilight said after those many minutes of patient silence. "Have you been... working... er... out?"
Dash instantly blushed at the compliment.
Is Twi hitting on me?
It wasn't phrased as a compliment, although. It was as if Twilight was legitimately asking if she had been working out recently.
"Dash?" Twilight looked up, to see if her friend was still there.
"We're almost there. Jeez Twi, no need to get all antsy," Dash smirked, and looked back at Twilight. Twilight noticed a different emotion than happiness in her friend's eyes for but a moment, and almost instantly it was replaced by a soft, warm happiness.
"I am not antsy. Nor is that the question I asked." the purple mare glared at her friend, and continued walking. Fine, she thought If Dash wants to ignore me I guess I won't bother.
The two walked in awkward silence for another batch of minutes. Nothing was said, nothing was done; the playfulness of earlier was gone, replaced by a sort of melancholy vibe. That was, until the silence was broken.
"Hey Twi?" Rainbow asked out of the blue, looking back over at her friend, "We, uh, arrived."
Twilight had phased out while they were walking, and so she had not noticed the building glaring down from above her. It was the castle they had defeated Nightmare Moon in almost a year ago. Everything was the same; the structure was a decrepit as it was when they came here the first time. "Alright, this place. Why did you bring me here, again?"
"Here, come on inside," Dash flew into the building and landed next to one of the windows. She smiled, a genuine, real smile this time. She was going to do it. This was the defining moment.
"What if there are Timberwolves in there? I don't want to get maimed, you know."
"Well, this i- wait, what?" The remark didn't come off as understood in the first seconds in Dash's brain. Was Twilight really doing this?
"I said , wh-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know what you said," Dash put in an irritated tone. "Just get your flank in here before I have to carry it in here."
"Hey, no need to be so rough about it! I just want to have all pre- gah !" Twilight was but off mid-rant as Dash flew over and, as she had said earlier, carried her flank in the room. Twilight was put speechless as she was carried over to the window and dropped, quite literally, next to the spot in which Dash was sitting so eagerly earlier.
They stared at each other for a few moments before Twilight spoke up. "Why di-"
"Don't even try and ask anything ," she stared at Twilight, seriousness filled in her eyes. "Let me explain, and then you can ask questions. Got it?" Twilight just nodded. "Good, because this might take a while."
Dash took a deep breath, an apprehensive breath, something she hadn't taken since flight school, and began.
"Remember how I met you, that long, long year ago? The time when you got all muddy in the center of Ponyville, and I went and got you wet by jumping on a cloud? Well, that was the first time you met me. It was not the first time I met you. I met you here, in this very room, when you, and I, and all the others stopped Nightmare Moon. This is where I met you. Your real you. This is where I saw all the drive, the ambition, that emanates from your very soul. This is where I first saw you at your most, but it wasn't the last. After today I could see it in your eyes, in your walk, in your voice, in the very air around you. I saw it whenever we went on those adventures, together. I saw what no one else saw," Dash was starting to tear up, but that did not make her voice falter. It was as strong as it started. "I came back here, after we finished off Nightmare Moon, the next night. I looked out of this window, this very window, and wondered why I seemed to be the only one to notice this about you. I looked at the moon, and smelled the night air, and I could still see you when I closed my eyes. I could see your eyes, open and glowing in my vision."
"I realized that I love you Twi. I love you with all my heart, and even if you don't feel the same, or see the same; even if you now hate me for thinking like that, no matter how much I dread that possible fact, I will still love you."
They sat there, Dash staring into the sky, looking at the moon, and Twilight doing the same. Neither moved, neither backed away, but all the same neither went ahead.
After those many moments, Dash looked over at Twilight, and noticed a deadpan look on her face. Wha- what in the world is Twilight doing?
"Twi-?" Dash questioned, before being cut off by a kiss from none other than the mare she loved. Her words were stolen, but understood never-the-less. The pair melted into each others mouths, and nothing was said. But for the first time that night, it was a loving silence, one only wished to be broken by a few short words.
"I love you too, Dash."
The walk back to town was silent. The two walked side-by-side, matching each others pace. Twilight rested her head on Dash, relying the azure pegasus with the gorgeous eyes would bring her in the right direction. They hadn't even made idle chit-chat, although that fact was about to be broken.
"I never knew you were a poet," Twilight mumbled into Dash's ear. The pegasus perked up, becoming more alert compared to her dreamy waltz through the woods.
"Huh? What was that?"
"That speech you gave me, it was absolutely beautiful. I never knew you had such an artistic way with words," Dash blushed at the compliment.
"Oh, ah, it was nothin', really. I guess it's just you. The desire of wanting you made me think. At least, much more than I'd normally be willing to think when doing something. I dunno," Dash sighed contently, and slacked her head down.
"Oh, how sweet. You really must be soft and mushy underneath all that muscle Dashie," Twilight had begun to rub up against Dash, as to feel the silky smoothness of her coat, when Rainbow giggled. Twilight frowned. "Hey, why are you laughing?
"Heh, well it's just... no one but Pinkie calls me 'Dashie'. I guess it..." Dash paused for a moment, looking for a way to say You saying Dashie makes you sound stupid in a way that only implies stupidity. "...Sounds silly coming from you. Yeah, silly."
Twilight glared in a non-specific direction, trying to figure out why Dash sounded so... suspicious. She eventually just shrugged it off, instead fixing upon a more playful demeanor. "Well, you better get used to it. I'm going to be calling you 'Dashie' a lot now."
"And, hehe, why is that?"
"Oh, but Dashie, I would think of all ponies you would know," Twilight said in a sarcastic tone, before pecking Dash on the cheek.
"Heh, I guess it kinda sounds a little cute coming from you," Dash mumbled, albeit purposefully loud enough for Twilight to hear, accidentally nudging her in the process. Twilight noticed this nudge in a different demeanor, however, and a brilliant idea formed in the usually innocent mare.
"Oh, really? How cute, Dashie? I want to know exactly how cute it sounds when I say Dashie." Twilight pulled a sly grin, and nudged Dash back, harder than the accidental one from the azure pegasus.
Dash stifled a laugh and attempted to hide a blush at the same time, no matter how impossible such a thing is. "Okay, maybe a little more adorkable than I'm saying." Along side the emphasis on "little", Dash nudged Twilight back quite hard, causing the unicorn to stumble a bit to the side, in which she immediately pull her back to where she was a second ago. The added force of the mare's propulsion caused Dash to knock over flat on her side. Instantly Twilight became worried of her friend's, or more appropriately "marefriend"'s, health.
"Oh no. Dash, are you hurt? I... I didn't mean to hit you so hard, it was just a game! Oh, Celestia, what have I do-wah!"
At that moment Dash jumped up, tackling Twilight to the ground. They rolled over a couple of times, fighting with their hooves locked, until they reached the other side of the path, at which point Dash emerged on top. They locked eyes for a moment; Dash's fierce with competition, but still loving, and Twilight's bewildered, but still compassionate. Dash leaned in quick, giving Twilight a quick peck on the lips. Remaining on Twilight's limbs, Dash stood upright.
"Why didn't we do this before? It's so..."
"Fun?" Twilight asked. Dash nodded.
"More fun and exhilarating than learning a new trick, or mastering an old one." Dash said with a smirk.
"More fun and exhilarating than learning a new spell, or creating a new one." Twilight concurred with a smirk.
"More fun than I thought I could have with an egghead..."
Twilight giggled at the name. "More fun than I though I could have with a jock, if we're going with name calling."
"Hey!" Dash exclaimed, pretending to be flabbergasted. "I am not a jock , I am just athletic. Big difference."
"Yeah, whatever," Twilight grinned. "Point was that I didn't think you and I could ever be..."
"Lovers?" Dash asked, making the two of them blush a deep crimson.
"I was going to go a bit lower on the latter and say similar, but I guess that works too." They both laughed at the insult.
Wow, Dash laughs loudly. Never knew. Twilight opened her eyes and saw something peculiar; Dash wasn't laughing. And neither was she.
And what she was hearing wasn't laughing.
It was growling.
