A Life With Whom?

It was the next day, the early morning wearing agilely onwards. Twilight and Rainbow Dash—both still euphoric from last’s night’s events—had been up since sunrise, though it had taken the best of Twilight’s patience to awaken the sleeping pegasus from slumber. Twilight couldn’t blame her though, and that was the obvious part; she knew that Rainbow felt safe, secure, and harmonic when she was with her. And having just that was enough for the pegasus to have morning apathy.

Currently, Spike, Rainbow and Twilight were sitting together at the dining room table, eating away at the small breakfast which consisted of fruits, juice, and toast Spike had prepared for them. Being the early-bird he was, he had gotten up—before sunrise but not too far away from it—and scouted the place for Twilight and Rainbow, only to find them sleeping on Twilight’s balcony; when he had gazed upon the site of the two ponies resting peacefully, he failed to resist a smile out of happiness. And then he had thought it wouldn’t hurt to surprise them with a breakfast.

Chomping away at the slices of honeydew melon, amongst other fruits, Twilight and Rainbow kept looking at each other in a way that Spike couldn’t understand. Smiles also marked their faces as they stared, and, sometimes, quiet peals of laughter would leave their mouths. Eventually, Spike spoke up in question. “Um, what is going on between you two?” He took a drink shortly after asking.

Rainbow couldn’t control herself, and, soon, caved into an outburst of laughter. “Oh, Spike, you’re too funny sometimes.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?” He looked confused and distraught.

Twilight started to laugh as well, albeit with more self-control. “Spike…you have a banana peel on your head.”

“What?” He motioned his hand to his head, only to feel that of a fleshy material. Taking it off his head, he then said, “How’d that get there?”

“Dunno, but either way it was funny as hay,” Rainbow said. “So, what do you two have planned for today?”

Twilight swallowed the last of her juice, then said, “Nothing in particular. Spike and I have finished everything that needs to be done here as of late. But knowing me, I’ll probably find something to do. You’re welcome to stay the day if you’d like.”

“I’d love to, Twi.” A smile marked Rainbow’s face.

“Great. But I have a question I need to ask. Don’t you have weather patrol duties to take care of?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Nope. I took a month’s vacation off. Work with the weather has been rather stressful lately, and I just needed some time off.”

“I can get used to that,” Twilight said, leaning over to give Rainbow a peck on the lips.

Spike winced. “Guys, c’mon. I’m right here.”

“Sorry, Spike. I almost forgot you were there. My apologies.”

“It’s fine.”

“So what are we gonna do?” Rainbow asked.

Shortly after she asked her question, a knock came from the front door.

“I’ll get it,” Twilight said.

“I’ll come with,” Rainbow told her.

Upon reaching the front door, Twilight unlatched the door and opened it; the pony that was on the other side was no other than Derpy, the mailmare. “Hey, guys,” she said, her smile graceful.

“Oh, hey, Derpy. How’s it goin’?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh, nothing new, same as it ever was, et cetera. Just delivering the mail.” She reached into her mailbag and handed Twilight a letter. “Here you go, Twilight.”

Twilight took the missive from Derpy. “Thanks a lot.”

“It’s my job. Rainbow Dash, I think I got something for you, too. Let me see.”

“Take your time, Derpy,” Rainbow said. “Say, did you have a hard time getting around the weather in the past few days?”

“Uhh, not that I can think of, no. Why’d you ask?” Derpy was searching through the endless set of mail that was situated in her bag—but she seemed to know how to go about doing it without messing up the order of the addresses in Ponyville.

“I took a small vacation from weather patrol, and I wanted to know if everything has been going smoothly.”

“Oh, yeah, the weather has been great. Just sun today,” Derpy said, still digging through her bag. Eventually, she found it. “Ah, yes, here you go, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow took her mail, then said, “Thanks, Derpy.”

“No need to thank me, guys.” She closed up her bag before leaving. “Well, it was nice to see you. Gotta go now.”

“Later,” Rainbow said.

Once Derpy lanced into the sky and disappeared into a faint speck, Twilight closed the door and made her way back to the dining room, hoping to continue their conversation before it was interrupted. Rainbow followed by flying low to the ground, but her speed significantly slowed down as her eyes read the fine print that was on the envelope she was holding. It had the official Wonderbolts logo on it, as well as the addresses to the academy.

Taking action, Rainbow stopped in her tracks, opened the letter, and read it to herself. It read like this:

Dear, Rainbow Dash,

We at the Wonderbolts Academy have summoned you to partake in routine drills, lectures and tests to keep you updated with the material that the Wonderbolts teach new recruits. This process will take approximately two weeks to complete. During those two weeks, you will be training, learning and staying with lieutenant Soarin Winters. A suite has been provided for you at the Academy, by which you will be accompanied by him.

Below this letter is the date stamp by which you must sign in at the Academy, otherwise you will be considered for termination from the Academy. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

The Wonderbolts Academy.

“Why me? And why now?” Rainbow said to herself.

By the time Rainbow had stepped foot into the dining room, Twilight had already taken a seat at the table, and Rainbow’s once happy smile transformed into a frown of disappointment. Twilight became aware of this contrast, as did Spike, and it was only in her nature to ask her marefriend what was wrong.

“Hey, Dash, why the frown? Is something the matter?” Twilight got up from her seat and headed on over to Rainbow to see what had made her so distraught. “Hey…you look like you got the most devastating news ever. What’s wrong?”

Rainbow sat down on the wooden floor, her ears drooping down like a withered plant. “I just got called in to do some work at the Wonderbolts Academy for two weeks. I leave tomorrow.” A vexed sigh crept past her mouth, and a hoof clenched out of frustration. “Well, looks like my vacation is going down the drain.”

“Hey, just because you’ll be working at the Academy for two weeks doesn’t necessarily mean that your vacation is over. You’ll have plenty of time to relax when you get back,” Twilight said, raising Rainbow’s chin with a wing. “Besides, when you do come back, you can come back to me. Then we can spend time together. How does that sound?”

Rainbow—her frustration and anger dwindling—grinned and grasped Twilight’s hoof with her own. “I like the sound of that, Twi.”

“Besides,” Spike chimed in, “look at it this way: you got the whole day to spend with us since you don’t have to leave until tomorrow.”

“Spike’s right, Rainbow. We still have today to do something together before you depart.”

“I guess you’re right,” Rainbow said. She sounded almost relieved and contented now. “What do you guys have in mind?”

“Actually, I just remembered something,” Spike said, leaping off his seat. “I gotta go and meet up with the Cutie Mark Crusaders today. They want my help with something.”

“Oh? Can’t you stay though?” Rainbow asked. She sounded almost sad that he had to leave.

“I would, but I promised them I would help out with whatever they plan on doing.”

“Aww, ponyfeathers.”

“Look on the bright side, Dash,” he said, “you get to spend more time with Twilight alone.” He gave Rainbow an impish wink, insinuating something that he shouldn’t be, yet he did so in a way that showed he was being both kind-hearted and selfless. “I’ll be back later, Twilight. See ya guys around.” He left.

“Well, that was weird,” Twilight said, raising an eyebrow out of suspicion.

“In what way?” Rainbow asked.

“Did you see the way he was acting just before he left?”

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

“He was just…never mind that. So is there anything you would like to do today?”

Rainbow took Twilight in an embrace and pulled her closer. “Oh, I have a few ideas in mind…” Rainbow kissed Twilight on the lips, then moved to her sensitive neck, then back to her lips. Pulling back, she then said, “How does that sound?”

Twilight writhed around in pleasant comfort. “I like the sound of that…”

“I hear a but coming.”

“But… as much as I like making love to you, we should really do something else, together, before you leave tomorrow.”

“Oh, all right,” Rainbow said. “How about we go back to my place for a bit. I wouldn’t mind getting a head start on a bit of packing for my trip. Then we can go out to lunch.”

“You know, I am liking the sound of that. Let’s go.”

§

Although Twilight had been in Cloudsdale multiple times, she never had been in a home made of pure, white cloud. Lucky for her sake, though, being an alicorn certainly had its advantages. One example was being able to stand on a cloud without falling through it, something she was never able to do in the past unless she conjured a spell for such ability.

“This is quite the place you got, Rainbow,” Twilight said, examining the swirly staircase made of cloud. “It’s fascinating how pegasi can manipulate clouds and make use of them for architecture.”

“Wow, even outside of the library, you’re still an egghead,” Rainbow said, laughing, while she made her way upstairs. “You comin’, Twi?”

Twilight shook her head, escaping the leeching trance. “Huh? What? Were you saying something?”

“I said are you coming upstairs with me?”

“Oh, yes, of course. Sorry,” Twilight said, picking up the pace. “It’s just that I’ve never been in a home constructed by cloud. This is all fascinating to me.”

“It’s pretty simple, really,” Rainbow said, floating above the fluffy white cloud stairs. “We have to use certain clouds, otherwise the place won’t hold.”

“Oh? By the looks of it, it looks like ordinary clouds to me,” Twilight said.

“Well, they aren’t.”

The upstairs hallway in Rainbow’s home impressed Twilight to say the least. On the corridor’s walls, there were paintings held up by enchanted cloud screws that floated in the air, and it almost seemed impossible as far as Twilight was concerned. In all the years of knowing Rainbow Dash, Twilight never thought she would have an impeccable taste for the slightly abstract arts. Eventually, the alicorn spoke up. “You have quite the paintings here, Dash. I never took you as one to be artsy.”

“Are you kidding, Twi? I love the arts. It’s just that not many ponies know about that,” Rainbow said.

“Fascinating…”

Once the two ponies were in the destined bedroom, Rainbow couldn’t help but motion her friend to her cloud bed, which sat reticently and harmonically. Then the pegasus spoke up. “Twi, I wanna lie down with ya for a while before we do anything.”

“But I thought you wanted to get a head start on your packing,” Twilight said, stepping one hoof closer to the bed.

“Packing, backing. Packing can wait. You can’t. I promise, we’ll only be ten minutes at the most. Besides, you haven’t experienced the awesomeness of being on a cloud bed.”

She does have a point you know. Think about it. Lying down on a bed, made from the softest material known to exist, with the pony you love. Can’t get any better than that, Twilight’s mind told her. Besides, she’ll be gone for two weeks, and you should make the most of what time you have with her before she leaves.

It’s tempting, and maybe you’re right, Twilight responded back to her mind.

Then do it.

“Oh, all right, just for you, Dash.” Twilight vaulted up on to the bed, joining her marefriend; and that was when she had experienced, for the first time, an infinity of awesome. “Whoa…this is—”

“Soft, right?” Rainbow said, inching closer to the lavishing pony next to her. “I knew you’d like it. It’s a shame that earth ponies and unicorns won’t ever know how awesome this feels.”

“I bet,” Twilight said.

The two lay there, staring and smiling with pure gayety at each other, almost muzzle to muzzle, though Twilight knew if she were to move forward with what was on her mind they would never be able to go out and enjoy the day. Rainbow had an impish grin, while Twilight undertook her best efforts to render a fearful yet inspiring glare; though it wasn’t working, as evidenced by Rainbow’s sinewy hoof trailing up and poking Twilight’s nose.

“Boop. Gotcha, Twi,” Rainbow said, her voice low.

“Oh, you’ll get it this time,” Twilight said. She sounded sharp and fierce, though, despite her friendly seriousness, she failed to resist a smile.

“Oh, yeah? What you gonna do?” Rainbow drew Twilight in closer for cuddles, and the alicorn had no ulterior motives to deny it.

“This.” Moving practically, nervously, Twilight leaned forward and kissed Rainbow, her lips tender and dubious. Rainbow requited the kiss with powerful passion and meaningfulness, glad that—for the moment at least—Twilight didn’t seem to insinuate anything rash. The pegasus drew Twilight in even closer, so she could wrap her wings around her love, essentially breaking their moment whilst doing thence. “I love you so much, Twi, ya know that, right? We may have only been together as a couple for a few days now, but I really do mean it when I say that.”

“Yes, I know, Rainbow. I love you, too.” She pulled the pegasus in for another brief yet long kiss, then giggled reticently. “You know, it’s been over ten minutes. Maybe we should head out for lunch?”

“Aww, but I’m so warm and fuzzy. But I guess good things have to come to a temporary end,” Rainbow said, unwrapping herself from Twilight.

Twilight did the same and got up from the cloud bed, then said, “When did you become so wise?”

“Filly, I’m always wise.”

Twilight laughed in a low monotone again. “So where do you want to go?”

“I heard of this new place that opened not too long ago. It’s called The Ponyville Athletic Club. Wanna check it out?”

“I don’t see why not,” Twilight said. “Sounds like a fancy place if you ask me.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard.”

“So, shall you lead the way?”

§

The bright daylight worked its way through the very few clouds in the sky, and the sun illumed the town, rendering a bit of warmth to the local residents. Notwithstanding the sun, though, the weather was chilly from a cold current of wind that gusted from the northwest, making the stroll to lunch rather unpleasant for both ponies.

As Twilight and Rainbow walked abreast, Twilight noticed Rainbow wavering from the cold; so, while they were in motion, the alicorn nervously took the liberty of casting a force barrier spell, designed to ward off wind and other natural elements, around herself and the pegasus. The pegasus—relishing a sincerious act of affection—smiled at the sincerity of her lover’s gesture, which, ultimately, made her lean in closer to the alicorn—feeling her lively motion.

It was then that the pegasus experienced a sense of genuine, pure, and true jubilation; and yet she was unable to believe the powerful truth of reality, how it was able to mould into an unexpected turn of events. And as they continued down the cobblestoned streets of Ponyville, right then and now, neither of them cared about their overt display of affection in the public domain.

“So,” Twilight said, generating conversation, “what do you have to do at the Academy?”

Rainbow’s blissful woolgathering quickly came to an end as she heard her friend ask a question. “Huh? Oh, what am I doing at the Academy? Just Wonderbolt stuff.”

“Oh, c’mon, give me the details.” Twilight nuzzled Rainbow’s and gave off suppressed peals of laughter.

“Oh, all right. I gotta go in for routine drills, boring lectures, and silly tests. Apparently, I’ll be staying with Soarin Winters. I’ll be training with him, too.” Rainbow stopped speaking for a brief second, looked at Twilight, and saw she had a look of discomfort on her face. “Something the matter, Twi?”

Twilight shook her head. “What? No, no, of course not. Why would there be?” She was in denial.

They were about halfway to the Ponyville Athletic Club, though their speed had dwindled slightly as they picked up on conversation.

“Dunno. You just seem worried,” Rainbow said. She fondled the alicorn’s face with her nose, eliciting a hint of dying anxiety, albeit it wasn’t enough for the pegasus. “You can tell me if something’s wrong, you know.”

Well, that’s just brilliant. Just brilliant, Twilight thought.

Twilight sighed then said, “Yeah, there is something bothering me now. But can we talk about it when we’re at the restaurant? I’d feel more at ease when I’m sitting down.”

“Absolutely,” Rainbow said, followed by a lucid smile. “Anything for you.”

They continued their stroll until they reached the athletic club.

§

The Ponyville Athletic Club almost seemed too good to be true for it to be in a mid-class town, and its presence here disproved just that. Towering with more than five floors of hotel rooms, along with private banquets for special occasions, the place certainly felt like it belonged in Canterlot or Manehattan. A revolving door was its mode of entry, and, immediately after entering, the eye would see a large dining room and a bar with all sorts of high-end alcoholic beverages. To the right of the entrance there was a staircase leading to the five-star suites. The interior side of things was heavily constructed with dark, polished wood, giving it a classy style to the place.

When Twilight and Rainbow had first stepped into the club, their ears had immediately sensed the soft melody of a piano playing in the distance, setting an even higher class of mood; they were also greeted by the doorstallion, who graciously directed the two ponies to a table.

Currently, Twilight and Rainbow were seated at a circular table—covered with a white tablecloth—which had two glasses for each pony, along with the various silver cutlery.

“So…this is quite the place then,” Twilight said, gazing aimlessly around the restaurant.

“It totally is,” Rainbow said, eyeing the menu. “Rarity would totally freak out if she were here.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me. This place is really…elegant and luxurious. I wonder why somepony would put this kind of place in Ponyville.” Twilight viewed the menu in front of her. The amount and kind of items on it were exquisite and unfamiliar to her. Regardless, she had an idea of what to get.

Rainbow shrugged, then closed her menu. “Beats me. Who cares, though. this place is totally awesome.”

“Yes, it is. Maybe this should be out—”

“Ahem, excuse me, madams, may I offer you two some sparkle?” a beige unicorn stallion asked, levitating a glass bottle. He wore a black vest and a monocle.

“Sure, we’d love some,” Twilight said, trying to mimic something Rarity would say in this situation.

The beige unicorn poured them their two glasses of sparkle, then he asked, “Are you ready to place your orders?”

“I believe so,” Rainbow said. “You ready to order, Twi?”

Twilight nodded, then said, “I’ll have the mirepoix, please and thank you.”

“Excellent choice,” the beige stallion said. “And for you, madam?”

“Uh…I’ll have the onion soup.”

“A fine choice. I will be back with your dishes soon. Please, enjoy your stay.” The beige stallion left.

“So…” Rainbow began, “what’s bothering you? I won’t stop asking till I know.”

Twilight was taking a sip of her water. Then she spoke up. “Well…it’s just that…”

“Go on. Don’t be scared, Twi. Tell me what’s bothering you…please.”

“When I heard you say that you’ll be working with Soarin, I thought you would…”

An instinctual pang of horror struck the pegasus in the heart, leaving her speechless for a moment. Eventually, she recovered and spoke up. “Seriously? You thought I would have my way with him on my trip?”

“I mean, you always talked about how attractive he is and how much you’d like to be with him. I just thought—”

“You thought what? Thought that I’d ruin the best thing that I have going for me right now? No way. Twilight…” Rainbow took a hold of Twilight’s hooves with her own and stared at her mesmerizing form. “Don’t be blind. I love you and only you. I promise, you have nothing to worry about.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief, but then said, “Do you promise me, Dash?”

“I promise you, Twi.”

A broad smile marked Twilight’s face, and she squeezed the pegasus’ hooves with her own. Getting all caught up in the moment, Twilight lunged forward and planted a kiss on the pegasus’ lips, not caring that she was expressing her affection publicly. The only basic, fundamental aspect Twilight cared about—right there and now—was that she didn’t have to fear for the worst. No longer did a false perception blind her; for she could see the perceptional truth.

Pulling back, Twilight then said, “I won’t be blind anymore, Dash. I know you want me, and only me. And I believe you’re telling the truth.”

“Of course, I am, Twi. Remember? You have no idea how powerful the truth can be.”

“Words of wisdom, right there.”

§

By the time they had finished their lunch, the clock nearly struck three, though it felt later because of the sumptuous repast they had eaten. To them, their lunch was like dinner, and neither could explain the amount of awesome that was in their food. Then again, the place was considered a five-star quality facility.

When the cheque had come to the two ponies, the price was outstanding, though both could easily pay it. Rainbow had insisted that she pay her fair share toward the bill, saying, “Hey, it’s only fair if I chip in, too.”

Twilight had rolled her eyes, then had said, “Dash, it’s okay, I got this.”

“But—” Rainbow had been cut off midway because of Twilight’s hoof. It was then when Rainbow had no motives to deny the unicorn from doing something Rarity would approve of.

Currently, the two ponies were walking back to the library after doing some packing back at Rainbow’s cloud home. Rainbow didn’t have much to pack, though, which only gave the two an advantage for spending the rest of the day together alone and in harmony.

§

The night was balanced with chaos and harmony, and its presence still grew. Owls and wolves howled from afar, and other cries of nightly creatures resonated in the air. In the library, however, the atmosphere was calm and relaxed, unlike the natural environment. As of now, Spike could be found resting in his room whilst Twilight and Rainbow were lying down together on Twilight’s bedspread. When the two ponies had come back to the library, they couldn’t resist the temptation of lying in bed, together, for the rest of the day.

Currently, Rainbow fondled Twilight’s mane with a hoof, swirling it round and and round. They stared at each other, not saying a single word. Eventually, Rainbow instinctually drew Twilight closer, which provoked her to tangle her hooves around Rainbow’s body without precision. Their lips met again, for the meaningful, boundless time, but, this time, they had no intention of breaking apart. Their eyelids were open, and they witnessed each other’s gaze as their tongues gyrated in passion and love.

Everything was silent between them, and the world might as well have fallen or dwindled away into nothingness. Twilight knew that she would be back in Rainbow’s hooves again upon her return; and all the fear and worry she had was no more. And that was the truth of it all.