Two Weeks

Chapters

Proud and pushy pegasus prognosticates about possible pairing
Rainbow Dash gets, what Rainbow Dash wants.
Warning: dating can be hazardous to your health.
Sleep is an important part of any pony's life
Ponies pursue perfected party preparations.
The United Hearts Festival
Out of the frying pan...
Not a big deal
Everypony wins
Singled out
Showtime
Confessions
Epilogue
"You cannot let anything get in your way."

Proud and pushy pegasus prognosticates about possible pairing

“Cut that out ‘fore somepony gets hurt! “ Applejack ducked just in time to dodge the antsy pegasus flying about the Apple Family’s barn..

“I can’t sit still when I’m nervous! I don’t think you understand how important this is!”

Applejack tipped the cart she had been hauling into the sorting bin. When she heard that Rainbow needed her help, she was more than happy to assist anyway she could until she found out what the Pegasus needed help with.

“Look Rainbow, ya know I’m not a romantic or anything so I’m not sure how much my opinion counts for, but I think you should fly right up and just tell her, just like a bandage, rip it off and get it over with.”

Thump

The cowpony rolled her eyes as the Pegasus crumpled to the ground having struck one of the beams in the barn. The prone pony shook off the hit as she always did, as durable as ever.

“Just tell her? Just tell her! Maybe it’s that easy for you, but I’m the most awesome pony in Ponyville! I have appearances to keep up, and what’s worse is that just being awesome won’t be enough!”

Applejack hopped out of the cart harness and trotted over to the Pegasus lying on the ground offering a reassuring smile and an outstretched hoof to her friend.

“Listen Rainbow, Twilight might be a bit of a bookworm, and a little bit of a shut in, but she loves watchin ya when you’re on one of your stunt show kicks. All ya gotta do is put some of that patented RD confidence to good use and she might go for it!”

The multicolored mare took the offered hoof and pulled herself up. “Might go for it? She has to go for it! What would everypony think if a nerd like Twilight turned me down?”

Applejack rolled her eyes, “Maybe you shouldn’t think about what your ‘fans' think and consider what Twilight might think.”

The earthpony locked her gaze on Rainbow’s wing. She gently brushed the exposed feathers on the very front. “Ya’ll been picking at yer contour feathers again haven’t ya?”

A blush broke out on the pegasus’ face. “Yeah, I have…”

Applejack whistled. “Wow, I didn’t realize this meant so much to ya. You ain’t picked your feathers since you were on bed rest after that bout of pneumonia. Sounds like you're really set on this.”

Rainbow pushed a hoof into the orange mare’s chest. “That's what I've been trying to tell you!”

“Hmmm. Well that settles it. Ya just need ta pony up and get it over with.”

Rainbow scoffed at her cowpoke friend. “Yeah, sure. I should just go to the library and say, ‘Oh, hey Twilight, I really like you, would you like to go out with me?”

“Eeeyup.”

Both ponies glanced to the open door and glared at the red stallion standing in the doorway until he walked away under their insistent eyes. Rainbow seemed to mull the earth pony’s advice for a moment. Applejack had only seen this level of concentration from the cyan mare before she launched into a spectacular trick, or before she started work on a massive storm. Clearly, she underestimated how intent the Pegasus was in getting the Twilight’s attention.

“No offense AJ, but you're about as subtle as a canon . As much as I hate to do this, I think I need to get with Rarity. She knows a thing or two about handling mushy junk like this.”

Applejack stuck her nose in the air, “Fine, but just you wait and see. Twilight ain’t gonna be easily turned by the tricks Rarity is used to using. Sooner or later you’re just gonna have to grab that unicorn by the horn and just tell her.”

“Yeah, yeah. Maybe I’ll give the direct approach a shot if nothing else works,” Rainbow said making for the open barn door. “Later, AJ!”

“Bye RD! I’ll be rootin for ya!”

“This might be the worst idea for a prank you’ve ever had. Matters of the heart are serious!”

“I’m not joking!” Rainbow protested.

Rarity kept her eyes trained on her work as she made subtle adjustments to the dress in front of her, “You and Twilight can’t possibly be compatible.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?” Rainbow asked, cutting her eyes at the dress maker.

“Obviously a relationship calls for both parties to have something in common, some sort of chemistry for them to spark with.”

Rainbow put her hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “Well… we do both like books...”

“There must be something more to a relationship than books. Just give it a few weeks dear. This is probably just a phase for you. Give it some time and I’m sure you’ll have forgotten all about this whole charade,” Rarity said.

“Yeah…I guess. Thanks anyway.”

Rarity lifted her razor-like gaze from her work and stared at the pegasus trudging away from her like a wounded puppy. The dramatic change in personality was enough to give the unicorn pause.

“Rainbow, wait!” The unicorn tossed her glasses to the side and trotted over to the dejected pony. The despondent pegasus refused to lock eyes with the seamstress, but she didn’t have to get a good look to tell that the anxiety the pony was suffering was genuine. With a gentle hoof she raised the multicolored mare’s head to make eye contact. “Perhaps I was a bit too hasty to dismiss your feelings, but, why Twilight of all ponies? She seems completely antithetical to an athletic pony as yourself.”

Rainbow looked at her questioningly, “Anti- what now? Look, I know we aren’t exactly on the same wavelength and sure she’s boring sometimes, but she’s also smart and nice. All my life I’ve had to be the coolest pony ever, and sometimes I just want to be with somepony where I can put that away, and she’s the pony who started me on the path to reading for Celestia’s sake! I tried telling myself over and over again that this is stupid, but some days I follow her all day just to see her crack a smile.”

“Oh my… Now I know you’re serious. You would gag before admitting that under normal circumstances.”

Rainbow shrugged and gave a goofy grin, “I know, right?”

Rarity stamped her hoof determinedly, “Very well then. If you truly do desire her, I owe it to true love to help out anyway I can.”

The pegasus’s eyes lit up, “Really? Thanks Rarity! Now, how would somepony like me go about asking a pony like Twilight out anyway?”

“That’s easy. There are certain things a pony likes to hear. We like to know that we look good, that our manes look nice and well cared for,” Rarity explained, bouncing her hair with her off-hoof for emphasis.

“Sooooo, you’re saying I should tell her she looks nice?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Do try to be a bit more creative than that dear, but yes. Proper mares such as Twilight and I like to know we smell appropriately as well, that our perfume adds an extra dimension to match our show stopping looks and personalities. In general, let Twilight know that she is every bit as stunning as you think she is.”

Rainbow nodded vigorously. “Smells good, looks good, stunning, got it. Next?”

“Well, our lovely librarian is quite a practical pony as well. You should try doing something nice for her. I’m sure she would appreciate a delightful snack from Sugarcube Corner. “

“Great idea! I see her chewing on those Devil’s Food cupcakes now and then. I bet they would make the perfect gift! What else?”

Rarity prodded the Pegasus in the chest with a brush using her magic, “Confidence, darling. I know it can be difficult to display your normal bravado when in the presence of one’s crush, but be confident. Ponies pick up on that confidence and it’s bound to rub off on her.”

“Confidence, I think I can swing that one. Got anymore hot tips for me before I go?” Rainbow asked. She cut her eyes at the unicorn in annoyance as a magically manipulated brush swiped through her mane straightening out a few tangles.

“One more thing, treat our little librarian right. She’s probably a bit more fragile than anypony else in the love department. I get the feeling she’s not especially well versed in that area being cooped up in a library for so long.”

Rainbow pushed the prodding brush away from her and flashed her friend a grateful smile. “Thanks Rarity, you don’t have to worry though, I’ll treat her right.” And with that final reassurance Rainbow flew out the boutique’s open skylight leaving the seamstress to her duties.

Rainbow stood outside the large oak door of the library with a box of Devil’s Food cupcakes and a nervous disposition. Gathering her courage she knocked on the door. She heard what sounded like several small objects clattering to the ground mixed with the scampering of hooves. The pegasus’ smile brightened as the door opened to reveal Twilight on the other side smiling back at her.

“Oh, hey Rainbow, I was just organizing the library. What’s up?”

“Organizing huh? I was just gonna see if you wanted to hang out for a bit, but I can help with the books if you want,” Rainbow offered.

“That would be great! Hey, what’s in the box?” Twilight asked.

“These? They’re just some cupcakes I picked up. I thought you might want to share some, ” the Pegasus said, offering her the box. She watched as the unicorn flipped it open with her magic affording her a look at the treats inside.

“Oohhhh, Devil’s Food cupcakes, that’s my favorite! I don’t think these will last long.” Twilight opened the door. “Come on in.”

Rainbow followed her purple friend into the library, she saw piles of books scattered all over the floor in heaps. Stepping over the tomes on the ground, she made her way to a table as her friend disappeared into the kitchen with the cupcakes. Looking around the library she saw holes in almost every bookshelf in the library and came to the sad realization that the job she signed herself up for was not going to be easy or short. She pulled out of her thoughts as the unicorn returned to the main area of the library.

“Cupcakes are in the kitchen if we get hungry. Are you ready?”

“You know me, I’m always ready, and by the way, I, uhh, I wanted to say you smelled nice today.”

Twilight’s eyebrows rose questioningly for a moment before returning to normal. “Oh, well uhhh, thanks Rainbow. You smell pretty good yourself,” the purple pony replied with a smile.

Once Twilight turned away from her, Rainbow pushed her face into her open hoof in awe of the awkwardness she was able to squeeze into such a small period of time.

“And this one is Equestrian Social Antiquities, It should go right before Equestrian Social Statements.” Twilight rattled off from her checklist. Rainbow snatched the book from the magical aura holding it aloft and flew to the bookcase placing the tome in its proper spot.

“Got it! What’s next?”

“That’s the last one! We’re done. Thanks Rainbow, you’ve been such a big help!”

“Awww, it’s nothing, really,” Rainbow said as a blush came to her face. Staring at the broad smile on Twilight’s face reminded her why she was there in the first place. She bolstered her courage and decided to dip back into the well of advice Rarity filled for her earlier.

“Your mane looks pretty cool today, Twi!”

Twilight’s eyes widened considerably. “Oh no, I thought I brushed earlier, I’m quite sure I did! I don’t have a Mohawk up there do I?” she asked dashing around for a mirror.

Rainbow shook her head and hooves frantically. “No no! It’s pretty much normal for you! I’ve always thought your mane looked cool with that stripe going right down the middle. Kinda reminds me of your's truly.”

“Oh! OK, well, thanks! I don’t know about you, but I’ve worked up an appetite. I’ll go fetch those cupcakes you brought.”

Rainbow sighed as soon as Twilight stepped into the kitchen. She didn’t want to club the unicorn over the head with her feelings, but with every hint she dropped, she became more and more worried that Applejack’s advice had been spot on. She pulled herself together as the door leading to the kitchen swung open and Twilight returned carrying the cupcakes and two glasses of milk.

“Let’s see, I’ve got napkins, cupcakes, and two glasses of milk, Is that everything?”

Rainbow landed next to the table rubbing her hooves together in anticipation, “Sounds good to me, I’m starving!”

Both ponies pulled a few of the treats out and started eating. As she munched on her cupcake, Rainbow couldn't help but feel unsatisfied with her progress thus far. She decided to give subtlety one more try, “You know what would make this perfect?”

“Hmmm?”

“If this were a picnic. Just me and you hanging out under a shady tree… together,” Rainbow hinted.

“We could take this outside if you’d like,” Twilight suggested.

Rainbow’s head hit the table in frustration, “I don’t believe it…”

“Are you OK? You don’t look too good.”

Rainbow finally gave up. She knew that when everything was said and done that Applejack would have a field day with the "I told you so's", but now something more important was on the line.

“I’ve been dropping hints all day, but I guess I just have to come out with it. I’ve got a crush on you Twilight, and I wanna take you out on a date.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide in shock. “A date? Me and you?”

“That’s what i said.”

Twilight tapped her hoof to her chin. “Wow, I never expected you of all ponies to ask me out… why me?”

Rainbow shrugged, “Why not you?”

“I asked you first!” Twilight demanded.

Rainbow finally had the conversation to the point she had been hoping and rehearsing for, so it came as a surprise to her that she was delaying, “To tell the truth, I’ve always had a crush on you. I’ve just been… Well… too afraid to ask.”

“Why now? What changed?”

“I guess it was the whole reading thing. I’ve always thought about you, but I figured we were just too different to be together. Ever since you showed me that being smart isn't only for ponies like you, I started thinking that maybe we could make something work. I know it’s weird and all, but I would like to at least give it a shot. If it all falls apart, I’ll at least know I tried.”

“Rainbow, I’m flattered, really. But this is something I’m not that interested in yet. Studying eats up a lot of time and I can’t really waste it on a relationship right now.”

“Waste it?”

Twilight nodded, “Yeah, one day I might be interested in that sort of thing, but for now I’d rather just focus on my studies.”

Rainbow felt her heart sink with every word Twilight piled on top of the rejection. Wordlessly, she pushed herself away from the table and headed for the door.

“Uhhh, Rainbow… you only ate one of your cupcakes. I thought you were hungry.”

“I had a big lunch.”

“But you said earlier that you were starv-“

“See you later, Twilight.” Rainbow said, closing the door behind her.

Rainbow Dash gets, what Rainbow Dash wants.

The telltale ring of Carousel Boutique’s front door bell chimed throughout the quiet shop. Rarity looked up from the dress she had been working on to see an orange mare walking to her stitching table.

“Why hello there, Applejack, what can I do for you this fine day?”

Applejack kicked her saddlebags off and set them on the table, “Ah was gearing up this morning and I found a hole in mah saddlebags,” She said, pointing out the bag’s damaged stitch with her hoof.

“Ah, not a problem my dear, I’ll have them patched up in no time,” Rarity said pushing the dress aside and, after a bit of digging pulled out her repair kit. Setting the kit down where the dress had once been she began gingerly re-stitching the damaged saddlebag.

After a few seconds of silence, Applejack leaned in close to the unicorn, a little too close for Rarity’s liking. “Sooo, have you talked ta Rainbow today?”

“Um, yes…yes I did,” Rarity replied, moving her head slightly back to increase the space between them.

Both ponies sat in awkward silence as Rarity continued repairing the stitch, trying hard to ignore the cowpony’s leering eyes.

“What’d she have to say?”

Rarity sighed, annoyed at the continued interruption. “Not much.”

Silence filled the room once again and the soft sounds of the unicorn’s patchwork simply added to the awkwardness of the situation. Applejack leaned closer in, almost on Rarity’s shoulder now.

“She didn’t happen to talk about a certain librarian did she?”

Rarity cut her eyes at the cowpony and ceased her work, “Yes, yes she did! Now do you want your saddlebags fixed or not?”

The front door chimed again before Applejack could reply. This time a purple unicorn strolled through the door carrying the dress she had worn for the Grand Galloping Gala.

“Hey Rarity, hey Applejack, how are you two today?”

“Just dandy Twi, ah was just getting Rarity here to stitch up mah bags, Ain’t that right?” Applejack replied, nudging the unicorn in the side.

“Oh, umm, of course! Applejack, you wouldn’t mind if I stepped away for a bit to see what Twilight needs would you?”

“Not at all.”

“It’s not really that big of a deal,” Twilight said, stepping forward and placing the dress on the table,” I just wanted to see if you could take up the dress a bit, I’ve lost a little weight since the Grand Galloping Gala and it doesn’t seem to fit as well as it should now.”

Rarity snatched her measuring tape using her magic and started taking her friend’s new measurements.

“So my dear, why are you looking to bring your dress out anyway? You wouldn’t happen to be taking somepony out for a date would you?” Rarity saw Applejack facehoof out the corner of her eyes, clearly not impressed with the level of subtlety that the unicorn had employed.

“No, nothing like that, Princess Celestia invited me to a social function next month and I couldn’t think of a better dress than the one you made for me.”

“Oh, so no dates then?”

“Nope,” Twilight said plainly, “It’s strange though, you’ll never guess who asked me out on a date yesterday!”

“Rainb-“ Rarity started before Applejack nudged her in the side. “I mean, uhhhh…Raindrops?”

Twilight shook her head, “Nope, but you’re close, it was actually Rainbow Dash.”

“Rainbow? How unusual,” Rarity said, feigning what she hoped sounded like ignorance.

“Yeah, that’s completely outta left field for a pony like her,” Applejack continued, following her friend’s lead.

“I know, right?”

All three ponies stared at each other in awkward silence exchanging short glances. Rarity finally pulled her tape away, mercifully ending the awkward silence. “I believe that’s all I need dear. Twilight, out of curiosity, what did you tell Rainbow?”

“Well, I told her that while I appreciated her interest, I just have my hooves full with my studies at the moment,” The purple unicorn explained.

“Oh… really?” Rarity asked trying to spur Twilight on.

“Yeah, I told her I really didn’t have time to waste on a relationship at the moment. “

Rarity and Applejack caught each others jaws before they hit the floor. The unicorn was the first to find her voice. “You…actually told her that?”

“Yeah, she seemed like she was in a hurry to leave afterwards. Can you believe it though? Rainbow Dash of all ponies wanted to ask me out on a date. I would’ve never imagined it!”

Rarity blinked a few times in disbelief trying to let everything sink in, “Yes, it came as quite a shock to me as wel-I mean, comes as quite a shock to me!”

Applejack stepped towards Twilight with her hat in hoof, “No offense sugarcube, but don’t ya think ya came off…just a tiny bit harsh there?”

Twilight looked perplexed, “What do you mean?”

Applejack rubbed her hoof on her chin, “Hmmmm, lemme think for a moment… ah know, let’s do a little roleplay. I’ll be you, and you’ll be Rainbow.”

“OK…ummm, what should I say?”

“Go ahead and ask me out.”

“OK,” she cleared her throat and led with an approximation of what she thought would be Rainbow’s voice, “Hey Twilight, would you like to go out with me?”

Applejack adopted a voice halfway between her normal accent, and the one she was taught as a young filly in Manehatten. “That’s really nice Rainbow, but I don’t have time to waste on you.”

Twilight stood stock-still for a moment taking in Applejack's response before her eyes bugged out. “Oh Celestia! I can’t believe I said that!” The purple unicorn dashed for the door.

“Twilight dear, where are you going?” Rarity inquired, before the unicorn could get out the door. “What about your dress?”

“I’ve gotta pick up a Wonderbolts poster, or a fruit basket, or a gold nugget, or something to apologize! I’ll be back later for my dress!” She said, dashing out the front door haphazardly slamming it behind her.

Applejack placed her hat back on her head with a satisfied smile, “Welp, I guess that’s that.”

Rarity shook her head disdain, “Not quite, she still hasn’t agreed to ask Rainbow out.” It’s our duty to make sure Rainbow is given a fair chance at love!”

“It is?”

The front door chimed again, this time a pony with an unruly pink mane bounded through the open door, “Hey Rarity, hey Applejack, whacha doin’?”

Rarity dashed towards her and placed a hoof around her shoulder, “Pinkie, what fortuitous timing! We need your help with something!”

“You do?”

“We do?” Applejack added, looking skeptical.

Rarity nodded, “Yes and yes! Pinkie, we need to borrow that flying machine of yours!”

Applejack threw her hooves out in protest, “Oh no you don’t! You’re not getting me on that crazy thing! I’m keeping my hooves on the ground where it’s safe!”

“Nevermind her then Pinkie, but you and I have to pay a visit to Rainbow’s house!”

“Okey dokey! Just say when and the Pinkie-copter will be ready for takeoff!” Pinkie said with a salute.

“How about now? I’ll fill you in on everything on the way,” Rarity said pushing the pink pony hurriedly to the door.

“Hey! Wait-what about my saddlebags?” Applejack called after them.

“I promise I’ll finish patching them up when I return! Toodles!”

Rarity hopped off what Pinkie called the “Pinkie-copter’” and onto the fluffy clouds below. She stumbled a bit before opening her mouth, half expecting to throw up after the crazy flight through the open sky. She felt a friendly hoof rub her back softly.

“You okay, Rarity?”

“Ugh, thanks for asking, Pinkie. I’ll be fine, I just haven’t cast magic that powerful in a while and please don’t take this the wrong way, but you aren’t the steadiest pilot.”

“Hey! My flying is not that bad!” Pinkie interjected, “And I don’t remember Twilight being that tired after casting the cloud walking spell on us.”

“Twilight’s special talent is magic. It’s only natural she would be better suited to casting such spells.” Rarity tussled her hair suggestively. “Of course, she could never stand hoof and shoulders with me in the fashion department.”

Not hearing a reply from her pink partner, she glanced up to see Pinkie bounding to Rainbow’s front door.

“Hey! Wait for me!” Rarity ran to catch up with the pink pony still trying to shake the fatigue and nausea from her system. She reached the front step just in time for Pinkie to push the doorbell. The faint sound of the chime could be heard outside as well as inside. Both ponies stood outside in silence waiting for any sort of acknowledgement.

“Maybe she’s not home.”

“No, she’s home,” Pinkie replied.

“How do you know that?” Rarity questioned, titling her head.

“Let’s just say my Pinkie sense says so, that way the author doesn’t have to justify me knowing!”

“Wait, wha-“

The door opened, interrupting Rarity’s train of thought and revealing a sleepy pegasus in her pajamas, her hair disheveled and her eyes still half-lidded.

Rarity backed up slightly. “Oh…my, uhhh, hello, Rainbow.”

Pinkie waved enthusiastically. “Morning!”

Rainbow let loose a massive yawn. “Hey guys, what’s up?”

“Did you call in to work today?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah, I kinda didn’t feel like going in so I asked the others to step in for me. I never use my vacation time anyway.”

Pinkie’s eyes lit up “Cool! So you’re playing hooky? I do that too sometimes, but I make sure not to tell anypony. Wait, I just told both of you! You two have to promise not to tell anypony!”

“Ummm sure, Pinkie,” Rainbow replied numbly looking back at Rarity. “So why did you two come up here anyway?”

Rarity hesitated. “Well…we heard about what happened between you and Twilight…”

Rainbow’s eyes flared up in anger, “What? You can’t be serious! First she turns me down, and now she’s bragging about it? When I get my hooves on her-”

“No, Rainbow. She wasn’t bragging at all. In fact when we pointed out how insensitive her words were, she felt absolutely dreadful. So awful in fact she rushed out immediately to find something to help make it up to you,” Rarity explained.

The anger faded in Rainbow’s eyes. She slumped against the door-frame, unwilling, or unable to stand on her own.

“Well I guess that’s something, but I still struck out. Like she said, her stupid studies are more important than me.”

“Rainbow Dash, you know that’s not true!" Rarity exclaimed. “Twilight has risked her life for us and has neglected her studies on several occasions just to spend time with us. A relationship is a big deal, I’m not sure she’s ready for such a big change so soon.”

Rainbow sat down dejectedly, her eyes aimed towards the ground. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess I can’t expect her to just throw everything aside for me. I’ll make up with her next time we’re in town. I just want everything to go back to normal.”

Pinkie leaned forward and pulled the pegasus into a hug in an attempt to cheer her up.

“You shall do nothing of the sort! I won’t let you give up that easy,” Rarity announced. Pinkie and Rainbow stared at her quizzically.

“What are you talking about?”

Rarity stomped her hoof. “I’m talking about you, Miss Rainbow Dash. Best young flier in Equestria. Coolest pony in Ponyville-”

“Coolest in Equestria!” Corrected Pinkie.

“Whatever! The point is, Rainbow Dash gets what she wants, and if what she wants is a date with Twilight Sparkle, then by Celestia, she’ll get a date with Twilight Sparkle!” Rarity finished her speech in what she hoped appeared to be a strong finish. It seemed to have worked as she could see a fire burning in Rainbow’s eyes.

“You’re right, Rarity! I need to buckle down and do what I always do! I need to work hard and not quit until Twilight goes out with me.” Rainbow announced rising to her hooves and puffing her chest out, “after I finish my nap, see ya later guys.”

Pinkie and Rarity stared as the door slammed shut in their faces.

“I think that went well,” Rarity said hesitantly. “Let’s get back to town.”

As both ponies walked back to Pinkie’s questionably-safe flying mechanism they remained silent. Rarity looked over and saw that her pink friend had a straight face, her brows furrowed in concentration.

Say, Pinkie…you got awfully quiet there, is something the matter?”

Pinkie blinked for a moment, seemingly snapped out of her daze, “Huh? No, I’m fine! Let’s go get some cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner!”

“Well… I really should get back to the boutique and finish those saddlebags for Applejack, but I suppose we could break for lunch. Cupcakes do sound like the perfect reward for a job well done.”

Twilight walked through Ponyville pondering what gift might be most appropriate given her current situation. After doing a few hours of research on proper gift giving for various situations, she felt she was ready to go find the perfect gift.

“OK Twilight, think! A really expensive item might imply too much behind the sentiment, but it has to be something appropriate given the situation. Maybe she would like a book outside of the Daring Do series?”

“Hey Twilight!”

“Eeek!” The unicorn face planted on the ground in surprise. Shaking off the sudden jolt, she looked up to the pink mare beaming a broad smile at her. “Pinkie, why don’t you just say hello like normal ponies?”

“Silly, if I just said hello you wouldn’t have jumped like you did!” The pink mare explained with a satisfied smile.

Twilight sighed, half in exasperation, half in amusement at her odd friend’s behavior. “I guess not huh? Too bad I don’t have a Twilight-sense to tell when you’re coming.”

Pinkie gasped in horror. “That would be awful! I could never pull off a surprise party if you had a Twilight-sense!”

Twilight slowly rose to her hooves and dusted herself off. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“Nope! I always take off the first Monday of the second week of every other month! What are you doing?”

The unicorn blinked for a moment trying to process Pinkie’s statement before shaking it off, “I’m just looking for a gift for Rainbow. Nothing too fancy, just a small something.”

Pinkie bounced excitedly in place. “Oh! Can I come?”

“Well, I don’t have a problem with it, but you might get bored.”

Pinkie shook her head excitedly. “No way! Gifts make ponies smile, and I’m all about making ponies smile! What about you? Do you like making ponies smile?”

Twilight rolled her eyes at the inane question as she resumed her trek to the bookstore, “Of course I like making ponies smile.”

Pinkie bounced alongside the unicorn as they neared the shop. “What if I told you that you could make Rainbow really, really happy and it wouldn’t cost a single bit?”

“Really?” Twilight asked “How?”

“Take her out on a date silly!”

Twilight stared incredulously at her pink friend’s smile. “Wait a minute…have you been talking to anypony?”

“Maybe?”

“Listen Pinkie, I’m not ready for a relationship and if last night was any indication, it’s probably for the best that I don’t start one.”

“But you’re so smart! You always figure things out! Can’t you at least try?”

Twilight pushed Pinkie away gently. “It’s really nice of you to step up for Rainbow like this, but I’m not about to change my mind. See you later Pinkie.” The unicorn walked away leaving the pink mare behind. However, upon looking around, she realized she had passed the bookstore during her back and forth with the pink pony. Still needing to get to the store, she opted to go the long way around to avoid the hyperactive mare. Before she could get her bearings an orange pony trotted up to her wearing a smile.

“How’s it going there, Twi?”

“Oh, hey, Applejack, I’m doing good. I’m just heading to the bookstore to pick up something for Rainbow.”

Applejack shook her head. “Crazy ain’t it? Ah never imagined that knothead of a pegasus would enjoy reading. It was really shocking to see her try something new like that.”

“Tell me about it. She was so dead set against even trying that I thought she would never get to experience the feel of finishing a great novel.”

Applejack nudged her in the side with a wink, “Ah can think of somepony else who should try something new.”

The hairs on Twilight’s neck stood up, she had a feeling this conversation was going somewhere she wouldn’t like. “What do you mean?”

“Ah mean, ah think you should take her up on her offer. You never know unless you try, right?”

Twilight glared at the cowpony who soon started cowering at the murderous look in the unicorn’s eyes.

“I don’t know just what you and Pinkie hope to gain from this, but Rainbow and I are not going out and that’s final!” The unicorn trotted away from the pony, trying to put some distance between them.

After remembering her destination and realizing she had passed it up again she decided to just head back to the library to try and quiet her mind, which by now had begun to echo her friend’s sentiments.

“Yoo-hoo! Twilight darling!”

Looking around Twilight spotted the owner of the voice. Rarity stood outside her boutique holding the purple mare’s dress up for her to see. “It’s ready dear, and I know the perfect way for you to try it out.”

“It wouldn’t happen to involve taking a certain pegasus on a date would it?” Twilight asked, cutting her eyes suspiciously at the seamstress.

“I was thinking something more formal, but now that you mention it that would be a fine way to take it for a test run.” She said trotting over with the dress. Twilight pushed both the dress and the dressmaker back gently with her magic.

“No, no, no! I’m not going out with Rainbow and that’s final!”

Ponies all around them started murmuring and pointing to the sky. Twilight hesitantly dared a look upwards and immediately facehooved.

The words “Twilight will you go out with me?” were spelled out in clouds hanging lazily in the Ponyville sky. She saw Rainbow perched atop of the cloud forming the dot on the question mark, smiling down on her, seemingly waiting for an answer. Suddenly she realized everyone was looking at her, also waiting for an answer.

Twilight took off like a shot galloping out of town as fast as her hooves could take her. There was only one place left, one remaining refuge for her.

Running at full tilt she followed the lazy stream leading out of Ponyville until she came upon her destination.

Fluttershy’s homely cottage loomed ahead promising her a place of peace from the ponies that seemed intent on hooking her up with the brash pegasus.

Finally arriving at the front door of the cottage, she gave it a swift series of knocks, hoping the shy pegasus would come before anyone else could find her.

“Who is it?” a quiet voice asked from the other side of the large door.

“It’s me, Twilight!”

The door cracked open slightly, but before Fluttershy could react, the unicorn jumped inside and slammed the door shut behind her.

“Oh my, is something wrong Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, a bit ruffled from the sudden intrusion.

“Ummmm, not really, I just need a place to hide for a while. You don’t mind if I stick around for a little bit do you?”

Fluttershy smiled and shook her head. “Of course not, I always love having company. Would you like some tea?”

Twilight collapsed on the couch thankful for her friends hospitality. “No tea, thank you, but I wouldn’t mind some water, all this running has made me thirsty.”

"I'll be right back with some water then, ” Fluttershy said, disappearing into the kitchen.

Left to her own devices the unicorn looked at the birdhouses hanging above her from the ceiling, in some of the tiny homes she could even see eyes peering out at her, seemingly fearful of her sudden intrusion. Twilight’s eyes brightened as the yellow pegasus returned with a large glass of water.

“Oh thank you so much, Fluttershy. I’m not used to all that running.” She said putting the glass to her lips and taking a deep drink.

“Exercising is very important if you want to gain stamina. I have a great idea! Why don’t you ask Rainbow to help you train?”

Twilight spat her water into Fluttershy’s face at the mere mention of the pegasus’ name.

“Oh no, please don’t tell me she got to you too…”

Despite the water soaking her face and mane, Fluttershy managed a smile and sincere look at the purple unicorn,

“But Rainbow really wants to at least try going out. Can’t you at least try?” She asked fluttering her eyes sweetly.

Twilight jumped off the couch leaving the glass and pegasus both in her wake and threw open the front door to leave only to be greeted by four smiling faces belonging to her friends.

The unicorn stepped forward with a scowl and pushed her hoof into the Rainbow-maned pony’s chest.

“Fine! You get one, and only one date! If, and this is a big if, if that date goes well, maybe we can talk about something more permanent. Got it?”

Twilight stared at the cyan pony as her smile grew wider and wider. In a flash she took to the air like a bolt of lightning causing a sonic rainboom to explode across the mid-day sky, pleasantly surprising a few passer-byes.

Twilight stared pensively at the explosion of colors and shook her head, “What have I gotten myself into…”

Warning: dating can be hazardous to your health.

The moonlit sky beamed down as Rainbow paced anxiously outside La Fantaisie Pony, an upper-class restaurant on the outskirts of Ponyville. Looking over her shoulder, she could see the early stages of a groove starting to form on the lawn in a neat line, evidence of her nervous pacing. Stooping under the restaurant’s sign, she stole an inquisitive glance inside the window to take a look at the wall clock. She quickly realized only two minutes had passed since she had last dared take a peek inside and huffed in annoyance.

“Hey Rainbow!”

“Wha-ow!” Rainbow scowled at the sign above the window, gently rubbing the spot where her head had made contact with it.

“Twilight! Where did you come from?”

“I’ve been reading books on stealth and the art of catching ponies by surprise. One day I’ll catch Pinkie off-guard and show her!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I doubt it, the only pony that’s ever surprised Pinkie is…well, Pinkie.” The pegasus looked Twilight over, she’d seen her in that dress before at the Grand Galloping Gala, but something seemed different. “Is it just me, or did you do something with your dress?”

Twilight did a quick whirl, showing off the star patterned dress. “Rarity made a few changes. She took it up in a few spots and added some sequins. Hey, why do you have your wings tucked in yours? I thought you told Rarity you needed them outside so you didn’t feel trapped.”

Rainbow pushed her left wing from under her dress and wiggled it a few times.

“Have you been picking at your feathers?”

A slight blush started on the pegasus’ face. “Yeah, so I thought it might be better if I just kept them hidden while we eat.”

“Oh! I think I read somewhere that pegasi pick their wings when they’re nervous,” Twilight remarked.

Rainbow’s blush deepened. “Umm, nervous? You don’t say…well I don’t know about you, but I’m starving! What say we get something to eat?”

“Absolutely! I haven’t had a thing to eat since breakfast.”

Twilight and Rainbow waltzed into the classy establishment. The upper-class atmosphere seemed oppressive despite the clean hardwood flooring and soft lighting. Serene music played throughout the eatery, the quiet notes matching their hoofsteps as the two stepped into the seating area.

Despite her brushes with the Wonderbolts and the Princesses, high-class dining was still relatively new to the pegasus. A familiar feeling of unease washed over her. She usually felt like this when she went to the hospital, a familiar sense of dread. Somehow these fancy unicorns with their expensive clothes brought a genuine feeling of intimidation to a pony like herself. It didn’t help that she appeared to be the only pegasus in the entire restaurant.

Seconds into her mental torment, a pony wearing a rather posh suit motioned for them to follow him.

“Good evening ladies,” the stallion addressed them as they walked towards him. “My name is High Hoof and I’ll be your waiter for the night.”

Twilight gave him a quick smile of acknowledgment as he turned and motioned for them to walk on.

Walking through the main dining area, the trio of ponies received more than a few double takes, most of them towards Rainbow Dash. After walking through two more rooms, the waiter finally pointed towards a table in the rear of the restaurant. Using his horn, he pulled the chairs from the table to allow the ponies to sit. Once both ponies had taken their seats, he produced a pen and notepad.

“What can I get the lovely unicorn tonight to drink?”

“Grape juice is fine thanks,” Twilight replied.

“Excellent choice, and for the pegasus?”

Somehow Rainbow felt slighted. She wasn’t really sure if he meant any disrespect to her, but something about his tone rubbed her the wrong way.

“Do you have sarsaparilla?”

A few patrons seated around them glanced at her seemingly in disbelief, while the waiter seemed nonplussed.

“Never mind, I’ll have the grape juice too.”

High Hoof tucked his notepad away into his jacket and gave a nod.

“Very well then, feel free to peruse the menu whilst I fetch your drinks,” he remarked, pulling two menus from a side pocket of his suit and handing them over to them.

“Thank you sir,” Twilight said with a smile.

The moment the waiter disappeared, Twilight vanished behind her menu.

“You seem awfully quite tonight Rainbow,” Twilight remarked.

Rainbow struggled with the menu, trying valiantly to open it with her hooves. It wasn't like the large plastic coated menus in other restaurants she'd been to before. It was coated in some sort of thin layering which made it hard for her to flip through with her hooves. “I guess so. I’ve never really eaten at a place like this before. I’m sure you’ve been to tons of restaurants like this. ”

“I went to a few with my family when I was younger, but I never really enjoyed them. Too stuffy, and there never was much I liked on the menu,” Twilight replied. Seconds later her horn lit up and the menu Rainbow had been struggling with flipped open.

“Thanks,” Rainbow replied as Twilight smiled and returned to her own menu.

Rainbow felt more out of her element here than she could remember. She was used to being in control and knowing exactly what to do, or at least pretending to and winging it as she went along. Dating was an entirely different ordeal though. Having been defeated by a simple menu and discovering her date’s indifference towards her location of choice, she wondered if anything else could go wrong. Her uncertainties were answered as she started reading the menu.

“Tangerine nectar over sunshine? Violet slices and spellbinding sauces? What the hay does that mean?”

Twilight peered back over her menu. “Oh, the first one is bits of a sunflower head deseeded and sprinkled with tangerine juice, and the second is eggplant slices you dip into a variety of sauces.”

Rainbow hit the menu in frustration. “Why don’t they just say that?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “The same reason they framed pictures of Princess Celestia and Luna eating here: pretentiousness.” She pointed to an ornately framed picture of the Princesses enjoying a meal.

“I’m kinda at a loss here, Twi. You know about this stuff more than I do, what do you think I should get?”

Rainbow gazed at the unicorn as she flipped through the menu, considering the options. She felt a smile cross her face as Twilight’s eyes narrowed as they often did when she seemed to be lost in thought, or indeed, a good book. In hindsight, she would have been better off going to a quiet restaurant or maybe even Sugarcube Corner and talking about books. Too late now though, she’d just have to make the best of the night.

“Do you like grapefruit?” Twilight asked.

“Grapefruit? Never had it, is it any good?”

“Well, it kinda tastes like an orange, but it’s a little tangy. A bit of a kick if you will.”

Rainbow’s eyes brightened. “Tangy? Sounds a little like one of Pinkie’s sour apple jawbreakers. Sure, why not?”

The waiter returned setting down a tray with two glasses of grape juice. “Two grape juices for the lovely young ladies,” he announced, smiling at both. “Are you ready to order, or do you need a few minutes more?”

Rainbow looked toward her date pleadingly. Twilight took the hint and cleared her throat.

“We’re ready. I’ll have the green over gray skies, and she’ll have the tartly tingle greenscape.”

The waiter scrawled the order down hastily, nodding in approval with each word that left the purple pony’s mouth.

“Very good, very good. I shall pass this along to the chef and he should have the meal prepared promptly. Is there anything else you might require?”

“Can I get a straw for my drink?” Rainbow inquired. The waiter stared back at her, seemingly unsure if her request was a joke.

“I have sensitive teeth…” Rainbow lied.

“I shall see what I can find. If there’s nothing further, I shall be off.” Both ponies remained silent signaling he was no longer required. Rainbow stared as he strode away, presumably to drop off their order and, Rainbow believed, share a laugh at her expense.

Once he was out of sight she turned her head back towards Twilight and sighed. “Lemme guess, straws aren’t good etiquette here?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, but look at these glasses! There are no handles! How are earth ponies or pegasi supposed to drink with them? It’s not like you have magic to raise the glass with like a unicorn.”

Rainbow made a motion with her hoof pointing to the other tables in the restaurant. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not seeing any earth or pegasus ponies. No wonder I feel like a square peg in a round hole.”

Twilight only nodded in response, not knowing what to say. Soon, silence fell over the table. Rainbow had rehearsed several times all the various small talk and points of interest she wanted to discuss with Twilight during their date, but now that she had the chance, her mind was a blank.

“Living in Canterlot, it was a long time before I saw an earth pony,” Twilight offered, breaking the silence.

"Really?”

The purple unicorn lowered her head slightly. “I remember seeing an earth pony for the first time when I was young. I ran up to her and asked what happened to her horn. Luckily the Princess pulled me aside before I asked anything else.”

“There weren’t any earth or pegasus ponies in your school?” Rainbow asked.

“You’d be surprised at how few pegasus and earth ponies attend 'Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns',” Twilight remarked, letting a smirk cross her face.

“Oh…Right.” Another question burned in the pegasus’ mind. She wasn’t sure if it was something she should ask or if the answer would be to her liking, but that never stopped her in the past.

“You’re not embarrassed to be out with me…are you?” Rainbow asked hesitantly.

“No! Of course not! What gave you such an idea?” Twilight asked, her eyes filling with concern.

“Well for one, it took a lot of convincing to get you to go out with me…” Rainbow pointed out letting her words trail off.

Twilight sighed. “I told you, I want to focus on my studies. I’m still kind of new to the whole friendship thing. Starting a relationship just seems really…”

“Aggravating?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of daunting. Friendship is one thing, but a relationship… that’s completely different. In a relationship, two ponies become one. They share their entire lives with each other and, well, it’s just a lot to think about.”

Rainbow shook her head. “You got it all wrong Twi’. Relationships don’t start out like that. Two friends, or even complete strangers, can hang out until they feel comfortable enough to be close.” Rainbow smirked at her friend. “You think too much. Yeah, sometimes it helps to know what’s coming, but sometimes you have to just jump in and hope for the best.”

Twilight slouched back in her seat. “That’s just it. What if we do this and something happens and we end up fighting or hating each other. I definitely wouldn’t want to lose you as a friend.”

Now Rainbow had her answer. It wasn’t a simple matter of being too busy to be in a relationship, it was fear of the unknown which stopped the unicorn from accepting her offer.

“Ha! You’re not gonna get rid of me that easily. Relax, Twi’. No matter how this ends we’re gonna be friends. I mean, we’re the Elements of Harmony. We have to stick together. Besides, I’ve had a relationship go bad before and we’re still friends.”

Twilight nearly jumped across the table. “Really? Who?”

“One ‘Green over gray skies’ for the lovely unicorn, and one ‘Tart Greenscape’ for the pegasus.” The waiter announced lowering the plates gingerly onto the table.

Rainbow had never been happier to see the condescending server. “Hey, whattaya know; food’s here!” Stealing a glance across the table she could see by the look on Twilight’s face that their discussion wasn’t over.

High Hoof cleared his throat. “If there’s nothing further I shall leave you two for now.”

“Thank you sir,” Twilight replied with a courteous nod.

Rainbow looked down at her meal. Two halves of a grapefruit lay nestled amidst romaine lettuce leaves. Rainbow stared at the enticing fruit. The pink juicy bits glistened in the restaurant’s low lighting.

“Uhhhh, how do I eat it?” she pondered out loud.

“Oh that’s simple; just use your fork to pry…oh, right…no magic,” Twilight said stopping herself mid-sentence. “That’s strange; they should’ve at least cut off the rind for you.”

Rainbow leaned toward the fruit, opening her mouth hesitantly. Out of ideas, and patience, she sank her teeth into the fruit inadvertently sending a spray of juice into her face.

“My eyes! Ack! It burns!” She frantically wiped her face with her hooves trying to wipe the acidic juice.

“Oh my gosh! Are you ok?”

Rainbow threw her hooves into the air in pain. “Dear Celestia, it burns!”

“Go wash it out in the bathroom!”

Hopping out of her seat, the pegasus clipped her glass of juice with her hoof sending it off the table and onto the floor.

“Dangit! I’ll get that when I come back!” she said, stumbling away from the table.

“Rainbow! The restrooms are that way!” Twilight said frantically motioning in the opposite direction with a hoof.

The pegasus double backed to the other side of the restaurant weaving between the tables as she made her way to the bathroom, still trying to rub the juice out of her eyes. Finally she saw the sign for the restrooms and without a second thought pushed through the left door. She dashed to one of the sinks and turned on the tap letting the sink fill while she pranced in place.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”

After a few more excruciating moments of pain, she held her breath and dunked her head in the sink scrubbing her eye vigorously. The water washed away the acidic juice, bringing her some much needed relief. She lifted her head out of the water and stared at herself in the mirror.

“Oh man, just when I thought the night couldn’t get any worse…”

Her eyes were bloodshot and irritated from the grapefruit juice. Her mane and bangs were sopping wet, the water trailed her face and down the side of her legs, pooling on the floor. No doubt about it, she looked like a half drowned pony that had been up all night drinking.

“Uhh, what are you doing?”

Rainbow snapped around to the voice behind her. A stallion stared at her in confusion.

“What are you doing in the fillies’ room, you perv?” she snapped back, pointing an accusatory hoof at him. The stallion gestured to a plate next to the door with an engraving of a colt.

“Oops, my mistake!”

Realizing her error, Rainbow bolted for the door, nearly knocking the astonished stallion sideways in her haste to exit the room.

She ran out of the bathroom a bit too quickly, earning a few curious looks from the nearest patrons of the restaurant. Rainbow attempted to smooth her frazzled look away in a nonchalant manner.

The patrons, for their part, went back to their plates respectively.

Weaving her way carefully back between the tables, Rainbow spotted Twilight a few tables down from her. She picked up her pace a bit, not wanting to not keep her date waiting.

As Rainbow neared the table Twilight looked up and smiled. That smile vanished quickly though as Twilight held out her hoof in an attempt to stop her. “Look out for th-”

Before Twilight could finish, Rainbow felt her hooves slip out from under her, sending her face-first to the ground. Pain shot through the pegasus' skull as she hit the hard-wood floor.

“…juice.”

“Owwwww…”

Twilight rushed over to Rainbow’s side, placing a hoof on the pegasus’ back.

“Oh my gosh! Rainbow, are you ok?”

“Uggggh… my head...”

Twilight wrapped two forelegs around the pegasus and lifted her back up on her hooves. “Are you ok?” she asked, “Do you want to just call it a ni-”

“Don’t worry Twi’, I’m alright,” Rainbow interrupted. Looking down at her dress, she saw splotches of grape juice all over it. With a heavy sigh, she took her seat back at the table. Her eyes fell to her plate where the grapefruit which had assaulted her earlier lay peeled, cut into slices, and ready to eat. She looked back up to the unicorn sitting opposite of her.

“Did you…”

“Oh! While you were in the restroom I took the liberty of peeling and cutting it up for you,” Twilight said with a smile.

Rainbow popped one of the slices in her mouth, chewing on it slowly. A sweet and tart flavor exploded in her mouth.

“Wow! You weren’t kidding, this stuff tastes awesome!”

Twilight smiled. “Hah! I knew you’d like it. You and Pinkie are always chewing on those sour candies.”

“Hey, I bet Pinkie could make some great stuff with these things. I should tell her the next time I see her,” Rainbow said, popping another slice of the tangy fruit in her mouth.

Twilight’s face changed to a scowl. “Well…it still bugs me they didn’t peel it for you. I mean, what would you have done if I hadn’t peeled it for you? It isn’t right.”

Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly, trying to look cool. “Eh, it’s all right. They’re just not used to serving pegasi here.”

“Ahem, here is the check for this evening ladies,” the waiter announced, placing a leather-bound holder on the table.

“But we didn’t ask for the check yet,” Twilight protested.

“It’s ok, I got it Twi,” Rainbow interjected. This had been the part she had been dreading all night. Flipping open the holder she silently let out a sigh of relief, happy that the check wasn’t as astronomically high as she imagined it might be in her head.

“Let me just get my bits out.”

The waiter sneered at her, apparently out of tact for the evening. “Are you sure you have it? You look like you might make a good dishwasher for the evening.”

“That’s it!”

Both Rainbow and the waiter snapped their heads at Twilight in shock. The unicorn leapt from her seat and pushed her hoof into the waiter's chest.

“You have been condescending, rude, and very inconsiderate to my date all night, and I won’t put up with it anymore!” Twilight spat venomously at the now cowering waiter. Another sharply dressed pony approached from the other side of the room.

“Excuse me miss, I’m the manager and owner. I'm afraid your commotion is disturbing the other patrons. Why don't you keep your voice down and I’ll assist you in your problem.”

Rainbow saw fire spark in the unicorn’s eyes. she fought her natural instinct to step in and kept her mouth shut.

“Do you know who I am? I am Twilight Sparkle, one of the Elements of Harmony and personal protégé of Princess Celestia herself!” Rainbow shrank a little as Twilight pointed a hoof in her direction. “And she is Rainbow Dash, best young flier in Equestria and another Element of harmony who helped save your sorry butt from Nightmare moon and Discord!” Twilight continued, intimidating the now frightened manager into the corner.

“I, I understand your frustration ma’am, I was just trying to defuse th-“

“No, you don’t understand! You and your staff have been absolutely horrible the entire night! First we’re seated at what has to be the worst table in the entire restaurant. The waiter neglected to bring my date a straw for her drink even though she requested it for her sensitive teeth. The chef didn’t bother to peel the grapefruit for her. I had to do that for her myself! Nopony bothered to clean up the juice she accidentally spilled on her way to the bathroom, which she slipped in on her way back to the table and, just now, your slime-ball of a waiter brought the check early without us asking and told my date she would make a good dishwasher. Does that sound like five-star service to you!?”

“N,n,n, no ma’am, it doesn’t, I apologi-”

“Do you think the Princesses would endorse a restaurant that discriminates against earth and pegasus ponies?” Twilight shouted, pointing to the ornate portrait of the Princesses enjoying a meal at the restaurant. “What do you think would happen if I sent her a scroll tonight detailing every little thing that happened tonight?”

The manager lay nearly prone on the ground beneath the purple unicorn’s verbal assault. “Mademoiselle, I-I assure you that such an action will not be necessary! You have my most profound apologies and I shall waive you and your friend’s bill tonight, and, and we’ll even pay for the cleaning of her dress for the removal of the grape juice stains!”

Twilight continued glaring at the apologetic pony, not yet satisfied.

“And I’ll have my staff re-trained to better suit the needs of earth and pegasus ponies!” the manager said with a scared smile.

Scattered applause from the other patrons echoed through the restaurant as Twilight backed up allowing the manager a little breathing room.

“Thank you sir, perhaps I’ll avoid writing about tonight the next time I send a letter to the Princess,” Twilight said, holding her nose in the air. “Ready Rainbow?”

“Ummm, yes?” Rainbow squeaked. The pegasus slid from her chair and fell in step with Twilight as they made their way through the dining area. For her part, Twilight kept her nose pointed skywards, walking with an air of aristocracy and class. As they approached the door, a well dressed stallion propped it open.

“It is my most sincere regret that the events of this night have transpired in such unfortunate ways. We hope to see you again soon,” the doorman said, offering a sincere apology.

“Thank you sir,” Twilight said with a curt nod. Stepping out of the restaurant, the cool night air hit the spots their dresses didn’t cover very well.

“Ugh! I feel so slimy. I just wanna take a shower now.” Twilight shuddered.

Rainbow stared at her questioningly. “What’s up? You step in that juice too?”

“No, not that. I hate acting like a stuck-up noble and name dropping the Princess. It just makes me feel, ugh, gross!”

“I thought it was cool! Did you see that bozo? I thought for sure he’d lay an egg or something.” A blush broke out on the pegasus’ face. “I uhhh, I’ve never had anypony stand up for me like that before…I mean, not that I ever needed them to, but, well…thanks Twilight. It meant a lot to me.”

Twilight smiled softly at her date. “I just couldn’t stand to see them treat you like that. I mean, even after everything that happened, you kept your cool, but I just couldn’t sit there and let that jerk insult you like that.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Rainbow stood there for a moment. There was no doubt about it. The night had been a total disaster, nothing close to the evening she had planned out for impressing the librarian.

“Listen Twilight,” Rainbow started. “I know tonight was terrible, I never thought it could’ve ended up going this badly and I understand if you don’t wanna take this any farther, but I just wanted to say I still enjoyed being out with you.”

“Rainbow…It wasn’t that bad. One thing’s for sure, nopony could ever be bored on a date with you." Twilight was silent for a moment. "You know what? Why don’t we give this relationship thing a shot? Let’s give it two weeks and see what happens,” Twilight answered, flashing a smile towards the pegasus.

Rainbow’s eyes lit up like a flare. “Really? Like, for real? You really wanna try it?”

Twilight nodded. “Like you said before, if it doesn’t work out, we can just go back to being friends. Sound good?”

“Good? Sounds awesome!” the pegasus exclaimed.

Twilight giggled at Rainbow's enthusiasm. “I don’t know about you, but I think we should call it a night. When you get home you should make up an ice pack,” the unicorn suggested, gesturing at her eyes. Rainbow looked at her reflection in the restaurant’s window.

“Oh man…I look like a wreck.”

Rainbow’s dress sported several splotches of grape juice all over from her fall. Her eyes were still a tad bloodshot from the acidic grapefruit juice. Her bangs were ruffled, pointing in every way possible, and her right eye featured a slightly dark ring around it.

“A black eye…terrific, just what I need,” the pegasus commiserated out loud.

The front door of the restaurant slammed open catching both ponies attention. A little unicorn danced excitedly beneath her mother’s hooves.

“See? I told you it was her mom! Can I ask her? Please, please, please?” the filly pleaded with the older mare. The mother rolled her eyes and walked towards Rainbow.

“Excuse me, I hate to be a bother, but we’re staying overnight here in Ponyville, and my little filly noticed you in the restaurant and she’s been pestering me all night for something.” The unicorn paused and pulled out a pen and a picture of Rainbow performing the sonic rainboom at the royal wedding. “I know you’ve had a trying night, but might i convince you to autograph this? It would mean the world to her.”

Rainbow looked down at the energetic filly who stared back up at her with hopeful eyes and a bright smile. Without a second thought the pegasus took the pen and signed the picture.

“Of course! I always have time for a fan!” Rainbow remarked with a wink to the filly, returning the pen. Without warning, the little unicorn broke away from her mom and rushed over to the pegasus, hugging her right leg tightly.

“Thanks Rainbow Dash! You’re the coolest pony ever!”

The mother pulled the filly back to her. “Many thanks, Miss Rainbow Dash. Most performers in Canterlot prefer to charge for their signatures. It’s refreshing to see somepony who cares enough for their fans to sign without demanding bits for the pleasure.”

Rainbow shook her head in disgust. “Ugh, I would never stoop so low. Besides, you can’t put a price on dreams, am I right?”

The older mare smiled. “No, of course not. If you are ever in Manehatten and find yourself in need, feel free to seek me out. You need only ask for Lady Silver Bell.”

“Ummm, thanks…I think, though I’m not exactly sure how I would find you…” Rainbow replied letting her voice trail off.

The sophisticated mare gave her a wink. “I assure you, it won’t be hard. Now I’m afraid we must take our leave. Good evening ladies.”

Rainbow and Twilight stared as they walked towards a waiting chariot. Occasionally the little unicorn would look back and wave excitedly.

“You can’t put a price on dreams? That sounds-” Twilight started.

“Awesome? Cool? Inspiring? Yeah I know,” Rainbow interrupted.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I was going to say that sounds like something I would say,” Twilight finished as she started walking home. “You keep up those crazy stunts of yours and you’ll be even more famous than the Wonderbolts. See ya tomorrow!”

“Later Twi’!” Rainbow called out to her friend.

Despite the entire night being a horrible and terrible disaster, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride swell in her heart. With a quick flap of her wings she took to the sky. A feeling washed over her, one she felt before, a feeling of overwhelming happiness that seemed to spring up from her soul like an unending fountain of giddiness. Twilight had finally given her a chance, and now it was up to her to show her it wasn’t a mistake. Wearing a big dumb grin, Rainbow cut through the wind and headed for home.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Fluttershy froze in place, her eyes trained on the cottage's door. In curiosity she shifted her gaze to the window. The half-full moon hung in the air, giving off a bright glow. It was strange for her to get company unannounced, much less at night. She briefly considered not answering the door and pretending she was asleep, but if the pony at the door was trying to get emergency care for their pet, she would feel awful for ignoring them. She walked to the door silently not wanting to make any loud hoofsteps.

“Ummm, H-Hello? Who is it?” she asked nervously.

“Mmmhpmhph, mhmph.”

The timid pegasus’ ears perked up. All sorts of horrible creatures that could make such strange noises came to mind, but the mumbling from the other side of the door sounded familiar somehow. Gathering her courage, Fluttershy cracked the door open a tiny bit. Looking through the opening she saw a pink pony wearing a fluffy set of pajamas and carrying a bag filled with all sorts of sweets, a record player, and a pillow in her mouth.

“Oh, hello there Pinkie, is everything all right?”

The pink pony put her bag down offering a bright smile to the yellow pegasus. “Hey Fluttershy, are you busy tonight?”

“No. I was just about to settle in for a good night’s sleep.” Fluttershy said, immediately regretting it as the smile dimmed on the pink pony’s face.

“Oh, Ok. In that case I’ll just let you get some sleep then. See ya later,” Pinkie replied. she pick her bag back up and started walking away slowly.

Despite the bright pajamas and party supplies, Fluttershy could tell by looking at the party pony that something was wrong.

“Pinkie, wait!”

Pinkie stopped in her tracks and cocked her head to the side curiously.

“I uhhh, what I meant to say was that I don’t really have anything planned and I would love it if you stayed here tonight.”

Pinkie dropped the bags as her smile returned. “Really? You mean it? Oh, thanks so much Fluttershy! I promise we’ll have so much fun!”

The pegasus knew her chance for a quiet night in had just flown out the window, but she also knew if Pinkie took the trouble of packing up for a slumber party unannounced that something had to be wrong. She decided the best thing she could do was keep her friend entertained and her mind off whatever was bugging her.

Sleep is an important part of any pony's life

“Ugh, this is stupid…”

Rainbow turned in her bed trying desperately to find some sort of sweet spot to drift off to sleep while her mind raced out of control. She finally did it. Twilight finally said yes! She couldn’t wait to see her again, to spend time with her, to do all the things couples were supposed to do.

“I wonder if Twilight has ever dated anypony before…”

The pegasus stirred again, flopping back to the other side of the bed. Her eyes wandered to the window in curiosity. The half-moon hanging in the night sky beamed down, illuminating her room. Staring at the celestial body seemed to quiet her mind a bit. All night her heart felt like a caged animal pounding wildly against the confines of her chest. Only now, in the calming moonlight, did the thumping start to subside as thoughts of the unicorn raced through her head. She wondered what Twilight might be doing at this very moment as her tired eyes finally shut for the night.

“Comets are comprised mostly of ice and rock particulate. A comet that draws too near to a star gives off a coma, a hazy atmospheric glow around the main body while a tail forms closely behind giving the anomaly-”

*Thump, thump, thump.

Twilight glanced at the window. The sun had just started to peek over the horizon, signaling the start of a brand new day… and the loss of yet another night of sleep to her incessant studies.

*Thump, thump, thump!

She reluctantly blew out the candle on the desk, which had stood vigil over her all night, and left her seat to answer the door.

“Who in Celestia’s name wants a book this early?” she pondered.

She opened the door with a sigh. “Sorry, but the library doesn’t open until—Rainbow?”
The brilliantly colored pegasus stood in the doorway with bloodshot eyes and an unruly mane-cut.
Twilight shook off the shock fairly quickly. “What are you doing up so early? I’ve never seen you up before Applejack.”

“I didn’t sleep good last night… actually I’m not sure I slept at all, and if I did, it was the worst sleep ever. Mind if I come in?”

Twilight stepped back, allowing her entry. “No, of course not! It’s just weird seeing you up so early.” An idea sprang into the unicorn’s mind. “Hey! I remember seeing something about a sleeping elixir in one of my books. I bet it would work wonders for you!” she said dashing toward the bookshelves.

“Uhhh, Twilight, did you sleep at all last night?”

Twilight glanced over her shoulder towards Rainbow who stared intently at the still smoking candle.

“Heh heh, heh,” Twilight laughed nervously, “I might’ve pulled an all-nighter,” she admitted sheepishly, resuming her search for the book.

“Ya know you can get sick like that. I always make sure to get plenty of sleep to stay in top condition. Being a world class athlete requires plenty of rest.”

“You mean napping every chance you get don’t you?” Twilight replied. “Ah-hah! Found it!” Using her magic, the unicorn pulled the book she had been looking for from its spot. Rainbow peered over the purple mare’s shoulder to investigate the book.

“One hundred and one remedies for restless nights?” Rainbow raised her eyebrow skeptically. “Really? I thought books like these were a bunch of old mare’s tales.”

Twilight flipped through the book, skimming through each of the suggestions.

“Not all of them are useful. For instance, this one suggests you take five minutes before bed to cl-” Twilight’s face turned a brilliant shade of crimson. “Oh dear… moving on.”

“What? What’s it say?” Rainbow asked trying to scoot in closer. Twilight slammed the book closed and opened it again to a random page.

“Here we go!” Twilight proclaimed triumphantly. “The all-natural sleep serum!”

“White grass, sweet tea and… almond milk? Where in Equestria are you gonna get this stuff?” Rainbow asked.

The book, engulfed in a magical aura, floated alongside Twilight into the kitchen. "Actually, I already have everything the recipe calls for. Zecora was kind enough to help me gather some of the herbs for basic salves and ointments," she explained while rummaging through the fridge removing the necessary ingredients for the sleep serum.

Rainbow stuck her head through the kitchen door. “You’re not going to start mixing up some kooky potions to test on me or anything are you?”

Twilight laughed. “No, of course not. It’s just good to know how to make something for first aid without having to stroll into the Everfree forest and stumble into something with teeth longer than my legs,” she explained mixing two glasses of the sleeping solution. Satisfied with her stirring, she removed the spoon and lifted the potions with her magic carrying them into the main area of the library.

“Here we go. One sleep aid for a restless pegasus. Drink up!” Twilight said gingerly lowering one of the glasses onto a nearby table. Rainbow grabbed her glass by the handle and downed the liquid in one go.

“Yuck! Is there some unwritten rule that these things have to taste like a pony’s leg pit?”

Twilight drank her solution as well. Despite her thorough mixing, she could still easily pick out the milk from the tea, and the bits of white grass floating freely didn’t help the taste at all.

Twilight visibly smacked her lips in disgust. “It… It tastes like I just licked the floor under the birdhouses at Fluttershy’s cottage. How is sweet tea supposed to make you sleepy anyway? I thought caffeine is supposed to keep you awake,” Twilight wondered aloud.

“Beats me,” Rainbow said with a shrug.

Both ponies stared at each other in awkward silence.

“Sooooooo, how long is this stuff supposed to take anyway?”

Twilight pulled the book to her, scrutinizing the article word by word. “It doesn’t say. I guess we just wait.” The unicorn’s eyes lit up as an idea popped in her head. “Hey! I’ve been reading this amazing book that I think you’d love!”

Rainbow looked skeptical.

“Oh c’mon, it’s about space! Ya know, comets, planets, meteors, stuff like that,” Twilight explained pulling the book to her as she lay down on the floor.

“I dunno, sounds awfully boring to me,” Rainbow said lying down next to the unicorn and curling up beside her in a very friendly manner. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat feeling her friend closer than she had ever been before sans group hugs. Rainbow’s mane rested mere inches from her nose intoxicating her with the smell of fresh rainwater.

“Hey! You gonna read this thing or what?” the pegasus asked.

“Oh! Right. Sorry about that. Get this, right now, as we speak, there are giant chunks of ice and rock hurtling through space above us!” Twilight proclaimed, paraphrasing the open page in front of her.

“Uh huh… and?”

“W—well, the uh… these chunks of ice and rock are called comets, and they move through the stars at incredible speeds!”

“Mmmhmmm.”

“And… and they move through star systems for eons until they get close or come into contact with something else. It’s been theorized by many scholars that the impact from such an object could cause an extinction level event, possibly sending all of Equestria into an ice age. Still think space is boring?”

Twilight heard a soft sound from the pegasus sitting beside her. Looking at the mare she could see her eyes were closed and a half smile spread across her face as she snored softly. Twilight sighed in exasperation at the sleeping mare curled up beside her. With her audience unconscious, she decided it might be a good time to catch up on some sleep too and joined her partner curled up on the floor.

“Rainbow…”

“I knew it was a bad idea!” the pegasus said, staring at the floor. She couldn't even look at the pony lying in the hospital bed.

“Quiet Rainbow, you couldn’t have known it would happen.”

“It was risky and stupid, and now you’re paying for it. You didn't even want to do it in the first place!”

“Nopony here is blaming you flygirl, least of all me.”

“Yeah… well... maybe you should,” Rainbow said, her voice trailing off.

Fluttershy cracked her eyes open to greet the dawn of another day. Instead of the bright blue early morning sky shining through her window, beige filled her view. She could feel her own breath as if she were trapped in a confined space. In a flash, the pegasus leapt to her hooves.

“Oh no, oh no, oh my! Waaaaaah!”

The panicking pegasus stumbled around, but no matter where she looked she saw only beige. In her crazed stupor, her hoof hit something on the floor sending her crashing to the ground, wincing in pain.

“Ouch… huh?”

Fluttershy opened her eyes again. This time the picturesque view of her cottage filled her vision. Scanning the room she noticed a beige lampshade lying on the floor next to her.

“Oh… my. I guess Pinkie and I were up later than I thought,.” Fluttershy reasoned to herself. Looking around her home though, there were no visible signs of their wild slumber party apart from the bare lamp in the living room. Fluttershy picked up the lampshade and placed it back in its proper place.

“There we go, good as new,” she said with a satisfied smile. Turning away from the lamp, her eyes fell on a piece of paper adorned by a smiley face resting on the coffee table. Fluttershy moved closer to get a better look at the note.

Morning sleepy head! It’s your pal Pinkie Pie just wanting to thank you for such a great party last night! It’s fun to watch you cut loose like you did! You should really come to the next slumber party we have, I think you’d have a great time! I had to leave early to help the Cakes with the early morning baking, but I helped by cleaning up as much as I could before I left. Sorry I couldn’t stick around long enough to say bye. Swing by the shop today and I’ll make you anything you want, my treat!

Hope to see you soon!

Pinkie Pie

P.S. – Lampshades go on the lamp, not your head, silly!

Fluttershy smiled as she put the note away. She thought to herself how wonderful it might be to go to a slumber party with the others and decided that she would definitely go to the next one they threw.

Maybe…

*Slam!

Twilight yelped in surprise at the slamming of the front door. Still in a stupor from her nap, she tripped over the pegasus lying on her legs.

“I’m up, I’m up!” Rainbow shouted untangling herself from the frantic unicorn. Both ponies stared at the intruder plodding through the main area of the library with a drowsy smile plastered on his face.

“Oh, uhh, good morning Spike! I hope you and Rarity had fun last night because there’s certainly nothing going on here, right Rainbow?” Twilight chanced a look at the pony next to her only to see her nodding off. The purple pony nudged her friend forcefully.

“Huh! Wha! I’m awake!”

“I was just telling Spike here that nothing unusual was going on,” Twilight spoke through clenched teeth.

“Oh, right! Yeah! Nothing unusual going on here!” Rainbow assured in kind.

“We made thirteen dresses last night,” The dragon mumbled not bothering to stop or even take note of the blushing ponies. “That has to be some kind of record.”

“Thirteen dresses? Wow, she must have really been behind to pull something like that off,” Twilight replied, her eyes wide in amazement. “So uhhh, Spike… What are you gonna do today?”

The dragon stopped and turned far enough for both ponies present to see several crimson kisses on his other cheek.

“Me? I’m going to sleep,” he stated plainly resuming his march to the bedroom. “Just keep the lovey dovey stuff down you guys,” he pleaded slamming the bedroom door behind him.

Rainbow stole a glance at the unicorn. “You didn’t tell him we were dating?”

“He’s a baby, he’s still too young for this sort of thing.”

Rainbow let loose a massive yawn. “Tell that to Rarity."

"You're still sleepy after that nap?"

"I uhhhh, i haven't been sleeping well lately. I've been having these weird dreams."

"Ooooooh! I've got a dream book that's supposed to help somepony analyze their dreams! Wanna give it a shot?" Twilight asked eagerly.

"Nah, I think I'm gonna head over to Sweet Apple Acres for a nap, Wanna come with?"

“I can't. I’ve got a lot of work scheduled today. Maybe I’ll catch up with you later.”

Rainbow shrugged. “Suit yourself, there’s nothing better than sleeping outside on a lazy day though.”

“Sleeping next to you ranks pretty high on the list,” Twilight blurted out. Her face went red instantly when she realized what she had said.

“Wow Twilight, listen to you getting all saucy all of a sudden. I’ll keep that in mind,” Rainbow added with a wink. “Later!”

Twilight stared as the pegasus took off through the open window, presumably headed for Sweet Apple Acres.

“I can’t believe I just said that…”

“So Twilight loses it and marches right up to the manager and shouts, ‘Do you know who I am?’ Oh Applejack, I wish you could’ve seen it! That unicorn looked like he was gonna pass out at any moment!” Rainbow recounted last night’s events to Applejack who was currently sitting against a tree, her mouth slack in disbelief.

“Our Twilight did that? Twilight Sparkle? As in, Twilight, ‘The princess will send me back to magic kindergarten’ Sparkle?”

“I know! It was incredible! He was falling all over himself to apologize and she just strutted out of there like she owned the place.”

“It sounds like you weren’t having too good of a night though if that shiner is anything ta go by. I’m guessing yer dating days with her are through,” Applejack said with a smirk.

“Hah! That’s what I thought. Turns out she must enjoy my company more than I thought. She said she’d give me two weeks to see how it goes and whether or not she wants to keep going or not.”

“Two weeks? That seems kinda strange. Ya think she got that out of a book or something?”

Rainbow just shrugged. “Maybe. What are you doing just lounging around out here anyway? Don’t you have trees to buck or something? ”

The cowpony pulled her hat over her head. “That’s tha benefit of being yer own boss. I can take a day off when ah like as long as ah’ve got the important stuff done for the day. What about you? Ain’t got any rain clouds to go puttin over unsuspecting ponies heads?”

“Nah, I’ve got the day off too. Being manager has its perks ya know. I thought I’d just drop by and tell you about the date and take a nap since I’m already out here.”

“Sakes alive, I’d sure hate ta work fer you. Ah can’t even imagine how many times ah’d be called in just cause ya wanted ta sleep in.”

Rainbow’s wings flared outward in anger. “Hey! I’ll have you know that for the last three years in a row I’ve finished every year with vacation days left over, Applesmack!” She immediately regretted flipping her lid when the cowpony flipped her hat up a little revealing a soft smile.

“Take it easy girl, ah’m only messin with ya. I of all ponies see what ya do on a regular basis. If ah didn’t know any better, ah’d say this whole dating thing has ya a mite on edge.”

Rainbow rubbed her neck with a free hoof. “Yeah… I guess so. Maybe now would be a good time for that nap huh?”

“Just lemme get a head-start on ya. Ya’ll know ah can’t handle that awful snoring of yours,” Applejack replied retreating beneath her hat again.

Giving a mighty leap and flap of her wings, Rainbow jumped to the lowest branch of the tree. With a heavy yawn she fell back first onto the branch. This particular tree played home to her afternoon naps as far back as she could remember and the hard wood had become so familiar to her that she knew exactly how to lie down to nod off effortlessly. Although there were tons of unanswered questions and ideas floating through her head, she felt herself drifting off fairly quickly.

“Oh come now dear, you couldn’t possibly have known this would happen.”

“She didn’t even want to do it. I talked her into it,” Rainbow replied looking away awkwardly.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now there dear, if you keep this with you, it shall only hold you back.”

“I know Rarity… I just don’t wanna hurt her again.”

“I know. But sitting around and brooding over your mistakes is not going to solve anything. You should only carry the past with you if you plan to build a future atop it. Awww, come over here darling.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes already knowing what was coming next as Rarity threw her legs around the pegasus’ neck in a hug. Suddenly, a strange feeling came over her. Looking at the unicorn’s mane dangling in front of her, she could see that instead of hair, it was made of delicious purple taffy. Without thinking she leaned forward taking a bite of it. Instead of delicious sugary sweet though, she tasted something leafy and slightly bitter. She just couldn’t quite place her hoof on it. Still locked in the sympathetic hug she heard a low growl coming from her friend.

“Oh, you don’t mind, do you Rarity?” she spoke around a mouthful of purple mane.

Again came the growling in response.

“Fine,” she relented spitting the mouthful of mane back out which dangled lazily in front of her.

“Wait a minute…. Something’s not right here…”

Rainbow’s eyes snapped open. She heard the same low guttural groan again. A tree branch missing a few leaves with fresh drool still dripping off certain parts dangled precariously in front of her face.

“Blech!”

Rainbow spat in disgust spraying bits of leaves everywhere. Satisfied that her mouth was relatively clean of foliage, she cast her eyes to the horizon. The sun had already begun its slow descent painting orange and purple hues all over the evening sky. Looking down she saw no sign of Applejack anywhere. Another growl from her stomach pulled her back to her senses.

“Ok, ok, you win! I better get something to eat.”

The Pegasus jumped from her sleeping spot and took to the skies winging her way toward Ponyville. The wide expanse of Sweet Apple Acres flew by in no time and soon she found herself gliding over their little town. In the evening light, shopkeepers busied themselves by packing in their stalls and stands after a long day of selling their wares. Some ponies made for home, while others headed for some of the restaurants and hangouts Ponyville had to offer. Now and then beneath her she spotted a few pairs of ponies walking alongside each other, leaning on one another in more ways than one. Some of them were simply walking down the road sharing a laugh or story while others sat across each other enraptured in each other’s eyes.

Rainbow looked at the couples longingly. She always scoffed at the idea of outward affection in front of other ponies, but anytime she saw two ponies lost in each other’s gaze she wondered how it might feel to be that open with another pony in public.

“Sky writing a dating invitation is totally fine, but holding somepony’s hoof in public is too much? Wow, sometimes I make so little sense it scares me.”

Rainbow dropped altitude alighting herself in front of Sugarcube Corner. The doorbell chimed as she pushed her way into the garishly colorful sweetshop’s lobby. Barring a promotion or party, Sugarcube Corner was usually a calm and relaxed place to grab a bite to eat and just hang out with other ponies.

“Hi Rainbow Dash!”

“Gah!” Rainbow’s wings flared in surprise. She shook off the pink pony’s sudden greeting and returned a smile of her own. “Pinkie Pie, you always seem to sneak up on me. What’s up?”

“Just shakin’ and bakin’! Applejack came by earlier and said you were being a nappy mc’napperton today.”

Rainbow pawed at the floor nervously. “Yeah… I just haven’t been sleeping very well lately, that’s all.

Pinkie’s eyes brightened. “Hey! I know tons of great ways to fall asleep! Sometimes I write recipes, or count the bumps on my ceiling, or I read a bedtime story to gummy which mostly just ends up putting me to sleep instead, or-“

*Groooowwr*

Pinkie’s face filled with concern. “Oh no! You sound like you haven’t eaten anything all day!”

Rainbow’s eyes went upwards in thought. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I have eaten anythi- Wha!” Before she could finish, Pinkie picked the pegasus up bodily from the floor carrying Rainbow over her own head.

“Hey! Put me down!”

Pinkie ignored the squirming pegasus’ demands. Instead, she zoomed to the corner table and placed her in the chair.

“You poor thing! You shouldn’t go so long without eating. Just sit right here and good old Pinkie Pie will have you stuffed in no time!”

Rainbow stared helplessly as the hyperactive mare disappeared from sight, frightened at what she had in mind. She didn’t have long to wait as Pinkie reappeared zigzagging and weaving through the bakery carrying a platter on her head, her nose, and her flank. Quick as lightning, she offloaded the trays in front of the gob smacked pegasus. Cupcakes, pancakes, danishes, pies, and donuts sat in heaps on the table in front of her.

“P-P-P-Pinkie….. I can’t eat all this! You’ll have to roll me out the front door!” Rainbow protested.

“Just eat what you can! It’s my treat! I gotta get back in the kitchen, but when I get back I better see a dent in this stack or else!” Pinkie warned, disappearing in a blur.

Rainbow stared at the pile of pastries in disbelief before slowly pulling out an apple danish. Sweet apple flavor filled her mouth as she bit into the flaky pastry, savoring the first true bite of food she’d had all day.

“Hey Rainbow Dash, what- in the world?”

Rainbow’s eyes bulged at the familiar voice. “Twi! It’s nuh wuh you fink!” The pegasus protested around a mouthful of pastry spraying crumbs on the table earning her a nervous stare from the purple mare. She quickly gulped down the bite of pastry in her mouth. “Twilight, You gotta help me! Pinkie dropped all this food in front of me and told me I better start eating or else!” Twilight seemed nonplussed.

“Or else? This is Pinkie we’re talking about. What in Equestria is she gonna do? Pop a balloon behind us for a quick scare?”

“You obviously haven’t been on the end of one of Pinkie’s really nasty pranks. The last time I ignored one of her warnings she dumped custard all over me and then a bucket of birdseed. I was dodging every bird from here to the Everfree Forest until I got home and washed it off!” Rainbow explained.

“Okay..., don’t make Pinkie mad. I’ll remember that for future reference,” Twilight replied taking a seat next to the pegasus.

Rainbow started back in on her pastry as the purple pony beside her began pulling sweets out of the pile in front of them. She started glancing between the pile of pastries and the purple mare stacking them until Twilight stopped, seemingly satisfied with the desserts towering in front of her.

“Uhhhh, are you actually going to eat all of that?” the pegasus asked tentatively.

“Of course, I haven't had anything to eat all day! Why wouldn’t I?”

“No reason, just… curious, that’s all.” Rainbow took another bite out of her danish keeping a close eye on the unicorn next to her with, apparently, the mother of all sweet tooths. “So... did you get caught up on your schedule?”

Twilight slammed her hooves on the table. “No! I was supposed to catalog the index cards and finish sorting the historical fiction section, but I was already running twenty minutes behind schedule because I ran out of parchment and had to pick up more! I’ve already worked it out in my head though, if I can dust the shelves in half the time and cut a few corners in my electroplating experiments I ca-”

“Hold it!” Rainbow jammed her hoof the unicorn’s mouth cutting off her tirade. “Eat first, schedule later.”

Twilight sighed and leaned back in her chair. “You’re right. I just don’t like falling behind in my schedule. It takes forever to get back on track.”

Both ponies jerked back as a pink blur came to a screeching halt in front of them without warning placing a pitcher of water in the center of the table.

“Almost forgot something for you to drink! Here’s some fresh water to wash-”

Pinkie stopped mid-sentence. Rainbow stared at her curiously as the smile on the pink pony’s face seemed to fade, her eyes locked on Twilight. “Uhhh Pinkie, are you ok?”

“Huh? Me? I’m great, I’m grand! I’m terrific!” she replied, her face returning to a smile: A smile that didn’t really seem genuine.

Rainbow could tell something about her was off. Or was it? It was hard to tell with the pink pony at times. “Heya pinks, Twilight hasn’t eaten anything all day either so I told her she could have some of the food you gave me. Hope you don’t min-”

“Mind? Mind! Who me? Of course I don’t mind! You gotta share, ya gotta care, right?”

“Uhhhh, yeah, exact-”

“And you two are some of my most bestest friends ever, right?” Pinkie asked placing herself nose to nose with the pegasus.

“Ummm sure,” Rainbow answered.

“See? No problems here! Just relax and eat up you two!”

Rainbow stared at the pink pony as she retreated into the kitchen to do Celestia knows what.

“Uhhhhh, is it just me, or does Pinkie seem a little off tonight?” Twilight asked.

“Pinkie seems a little off everyday…but yeah, you’re right. I wonder if something’s wrong,” Rainbow pondered out loud.

“Fluttershy came by earlier and said Pinkie spent the night with her. That’s unusual, even for her.”

“But we’re her friends. Pinkie would talk to us if something was up… wouldn’t she?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight shrugged. “You saw what happened on her birthday.”

“You’re right. I’ll try talking to her later.” The pegasus stared as the purple mare beside her dug into yet another pastry. “Take it easy on those things Twi. Don’t wanna end up sick do you?”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh Rainbow, you worry too much. I know my limits,” she reassured before taking another bite of pastry.

“If you say so…”

“Ugggggh, Rainbow, wait up…” Twilight called out to the pegasus walking ahead of her. Night had fallen over Ponyville leaving the two ponies walking home in the dark. The pegasus stopped in her tracks long enough for Twilight to catch up, and to shake her head sadly at her.

“I warned you, but no, you just had to eat everything on your plate didn’t you?”

“It must’ve been those pancakes…” Twilight mumbled as the library loomed ahead of them.

“Or the apple pie, or the cherry-changas. I’ve never seen you go crazy like that before. You probably could’ve given Pinkie a run for her money in an eating contest.”

“You’ve never been to one of the Apple families’ reunions have you?”

“Hah! Once! And I beat everypony there! Unfortunately I was too tired to go home so I spent the night instead,” Rainbow replied

Twilight trudged on wishing she had skipped at least one of the apple fritters during her binge. She smiled gratefully as the cyan mare trotted ahead and opened the door for her. The idea of any sort of exertion made her want to gag. What should have been a simple stroll from Sugarcube Corner, to the library, felt like a marathon instead, the last leg of a marathon as she walked through the front door. The doorway to her bed seemed so far away as her plodding hoof steps carried her across the open area of the library.

“Almost there Twi, c’mon, you can do it,” Rainbow teased, marching in place.

“If the idea of using magic wasn’t quite so sickening, I’d turn you into a frog or something,” the purple mare growled.

“Yeah well, I’d still be faster than you,” Rainbow said following the unicorn into the bedroom.

Twilight shambled over to the bed, the finish line for the end of an agonizing night for her and slowly climbed in. she sat on her stomach for a brief moment before nausea hit her. She rolled over on her back letting her protruding belly stick out into the air.

“For the love of Celestia, please stop me if I ever pile my plate that high again,” the purple pony pleaded.

“Heh, heh. It’s always fun to pig out, at least until it catches up with you,” Rainbow snickered.

“Speaking of catching up, I might need a garbage can soon. You mind grabbing the one out of the bathroom please?” Twilight begged turning green.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and hopped on the bed next to her. The movement did nothing to help Twilight’s current condition. She stared as the pegasus placed her hooves on the purple mares belly.

“What are you doing? I said I need the garbage can. You touch me too much and you’ll end up wearing my dinner.”

Rainbow just gave her a smirk. “Relax Twi, just lay back and let me take care of it.”

Twilight flinched as her friend began working her hooves, softly kneading her sore stomach. Though she expected it to do more harm than good, the slow massage actually seemed to be easing the pressure. A soft sigh escaped her lips as the tension slowly vanished.

“That feels mmmm, amazing…”

Rainbow winked at her. “Of course it does. I used to date Ponyville’s pie eating champion. I’ve done this like, a million times.”

Twilight’s eyes flew open, “Wait a minute, you dated Pinkie Pie?”

The pegasus snickered, “Nope. Pinkie was given the Ponyville pie eating lifetime achievement award and banned from ever entering again.”

“Rainbow Dash: the personal masseuse of Ponyville’s prized pie eating champion… any other secrets you’d like to share?” Twilight asked with a coy smile.

“Hah! I could tell you, but it’s a lot more fun to watch you find out the hard way. You know you owe me for this, right?”

“I figured I might, though technically you owe me for the scene at the restaurant last night,” Twilight mumbled through a content sigh.

“I was kind of hoping you wouldn’t remember that,” Rainbow groaned.

“How can I forget? You still have the black eye as proof,” the unicorn said gently, touching the cyan mare’s face to illustrate her point. Rainbow pushed the hoof away.

“Just sit back and enjoy the massage, egghead.”

Twilight did just that. She let her body go limp as the pegasus worked her over like a lump of clay. Twilight never enjoyed being idle. She didn’t like wasting the day away laying back or just sitting around. Even when she seemed to be doing nothing at all, she was usually busy scheduling and plotting in her head. At this very moment in time though, she let time tick by. Her eyes closed on their own accord just leaving her to the pegasus’ whims.

“Ok, times up,” Rainbow announced.

Twilight’s eyes flew open. “Wait what? But you only just started?” she protested. She stared in dumbstruck awe as Rainbow’s hoof pointed to the wall clock showing that she’d actually been lying down for twenty minutes.

“But, but, that’s impossible…”

Rainbow winked at her. “That’s the power of a good massage.”

Twilight sat up in her bed. The pain and pressure in her poor belly had long since vanished and it even looked smaller now. Her legs and shoulders too felt weightless and pain-free.

“I might be crazy, but I think you might actually give Lotus a run for her bits.”

“Nah, I don’t think I’ll be going into the massage business any time soon. It’s kinda boring for a pony like me.” Rainbow stole a glance at Spike snoring away in his basket. “I can’t believe he slept through all that.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. Her horn lit up red pulling a sealed scroll off her desk. Using her magic she flung the parchment across the room where it bounced off the sleeping dragon’s head before landing next to him.

“As long as he’s actually tired, he’s a pretty heavy sleeper. So uhhh, you got weather duty tomorrow?”

Rainbow nodded. “Yeah. I can’t really take off too many days in a row. Last time I went on vacation, Ditzy Doo had it raining in broad daylight. I should be free sometime tomorrow after lunch if you wanna hang for a bit.”

“Maybe later in the evening. I’ve got so much to catch up on, and you play havoc on a schedule,” Twilight said with an apologetic smile as the rainbow-maned mare strolled over to the open balcony.

“Ok then, I’ll see ya tomorrow night then. I’ll try to have something planned. Later!”

Twilight stared as the pegasus launched into the air disappearing almost instantly into the night. She briefly considered getting up and finishing a report she’d been meaning to send to the princess for two days now, but her body rebelled, demanding she stay put in bed. She felt her smile straighten involuntarily though. Things were moving quickly, a little too quickly according to her plans. Most worrisome though was the fact that she was enjoying this whole situation, more than she ever anticipated. She finally succumbed to the need for sleep and closed her eyes, hoping that tomorrow might be the day when she could get everything back on track. Twilight knew she had to be careful or risk losing one of her best friends forever.

Ponies pursue perfected party preparations.

Rainbow Dash slowly stirred to life after her long night’s slumber which, thankfully, had been free from any more dreams. It was unusual for her to even have dreams, but lately they had become more vivid and frequent. She lay in bed, her mind wondering about the events from the last two days.

How do I feel about Twilight, what kind of a future could we have together, and sweet Celestia, when is that pony gonna stop knocking on my window?

“What a second...”

Rainbow jumped out of bed with a disgruntled snort, walked over to the window and threw it open. “Cloudkicker? What are you doing here so early?”

“Hey Boss. You uh... you having a good morning?” the blonde-maned pegasus asked, giving a sheepish smile.

“Alright, spit it out,” Rainbow asked, annoyed. “What happened?”

Cloudkicker sighed. “Blossomforth mixed up the maps today, and now it’s raining over Town Hall.”

Rainbow shook her head in frustration. “Ugh. Nice one, Blossomforth! I told her Ponyville is supposed to be clear for the whole week!”

“I tried telling her that, but she got a nasty case of ‘Little Emperor syndrome’,” Cloudkicker replied.

“Little what now? What the hay does that mean?” Rainbow asked.

“Well, it’s when a pony-“

“You know what? I don’t care. Looks like I can kiss breakfast goodbye.” Rainbow rolled her eyes and made for the open window. “C’mon Cloudkicker, let’s get this mess fixed.”

“I can’t say I was expecting this,” Twilight said as she stared at a soaked Town Hall. The unexpected downpour had fallen across the square, causing her plans to grind to a halt.

“This is most unusual.” Rarity observed the scene around her in dismay. “I thought the pegasi had insisted there would be nothing but sunny skies for the remainder of the week. Just what in Celestia’s name are those... feathered foul-ups doing up there?”

“I don’t know, but if this keeps up, we won’t be ready in time for the festival!” Twilight added.

Rarity sighed. “Oh well, I suppose we can work on the tablecloths until the weather ponies get this mess sorted.”

“I guess there are other things we could do, but we really needed to get the tables and stands set up today,” Twilight said, unrolling her lengthy to-do list. The scroll unfurled and rolled across the ground, eventually hitting Rarity’s hoof.

Rarity pushed the scroll away, casually dismissing it with a bemused smile. “Oh Twilight, you and your silly checklists. You should know by now that Ponyville is not the sort of place for schedules. Ponyville is too… too…”

“Crazy?” Twilight offered.

Rarity smiled. “Not the word I was going for, but it will do. Speaking of crazy weather, I don’t suppose you have an insider’s source on the weather team’s inner workings, do you?” she asked, nudging Twilight’s side.

“Actually, Rainbow took a couple vacation days. This is her first day back on the job since we started dating. I’m sure she’s just as thrilled as we are about the screwy weather,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes.

“Vacation days? My, that is unusual for her.” Rarity’s eyes widened momentarily. “No worries, my dear. I’m sure she’ll have this misunderstanding cleared up in a jiffy! In the meantime, I could use your help with the tablecloths.”

Twilight’s eyes wandered towards Sugarcube Corner. “I would love to, Rarity, but I need to see if the Cakes have the food situation under control. I’m sure Spike would love to help, if you need it,” she offered.

“Ah, of course! I must say, Twilight, he’s the handiest and most adorable assistant a pony could ever ask for. Why, if it weren’t for him, I never would’ve completed that order in time for the Canterlot play. I’ll be off then. Good luck at the bakery!” Rarity said, as she sashayed towards the library.

Rainbow stared at Blossomforth sternly, her forelegs crossed over her chest.

“And what have we learned today?”

“To put the maps back in the proper order and check the coordinates and make sure they match,” Blossomforth recited, hanging her head in shame.

“And?” urged Rainbow Dash.

Blossomforth stared at her blankly.

Rainbow put her hoof to her head in frustration. “Always listen to your weather buddy!”

“But you never listen to your weather buddy,” Blossomforth complained. “You don’t even have a weather buddy!”

Rainbow groaned in frustration. She knew how hypocritical it looked to order somepony to do something that she neglected herself. “I know, I know, but I’ve been working weather duty for years. Not only that, but as the weather manager I’m responsible for the ponies who work under me. If you screw something up, I’m the one in trouble, not you. From now on, listen to the others if they think there’s a problem,” Rainbow pleaded.

“Yes, Rainbow Dash,” Blossomforth droned out.

“Alright, now go meet Cloudkicker and get Sweet Apple Acres taken care of while I deal with Town Hall.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Blossomforth said, taking off toward the farm.

Rainbow looked back at Town Hall in dismay. Rain fell in sheets over the square, thoroughly soaking the area. She cracked her neck and aimed toward the dark clouds. Before she could take off, a familiar voice caught her attention. Looking down, she saw Twilight and Rarity standing in the street discussing something. Twilight split off and ducked into Sugarcube Corner with one of her checklists.

I wonder if Twilight might be up for lunch. Wait a minute… it’s still morning. C’mon Rainbow, keep it together. You can’t keep letting yourself get sidetracked like that. You’ve got work to do!

Rainbow turned her attention back to the clouds dropping their payload over town square.

“Alright, time to do some cloudbusting!”

The sharp chime of a bell announced Twilight’s entrance, drawing the warm smile of a blue pony behind the counter.

“Oh! Good morning, Twilight. What can I do for you?” asked Mrs. Cake.

“Good morning, Mrs. Cake. I’m just here to see how the food preparations are going for the festival,” Twilight said.

Suddenly, she noticed a change in Mrs. Cake’s expression. “Is there something wrong?” Twilight asked.

“Oh no, dear. We got all the supplies this morning and we’ll be ready to fire up the ovens tonight.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “Whew! You had me worried there for a moment! I’ve run into all sorts of problems, and I was beginning to wonder if anything would go right today.”

“Except…” Mrs. Cake started.

“Except...” Twilight repeated, her quill hovering over her checklist expectantly.

“There is one small problem.”

“Ugh, please tell me you’re joking!” Twilight groaned, dropping her quill and checklist.

“I’m afraid not. You see, Pinkie has been acting rather strange lately. She’s staying in her room more often, and when she does help us in the kitchen, she’s a bit slower than she usually is. I hate to admit, but with me handling the counter and Cup handling the regular orders, Pinkie is the one we count on most to get the large orders filled, especially since I’ve had to start taking care of the twins. You wouldn’t happen to know what’s troubling the poor dear would you?” Mrs. Cake asked.

Twilight shook her head dejectedly. “I was hoping you might know. She hasn’t quite been herself lately.”

Mrs. Cake smiled apologetically. “Pinkie doesn’t usually talk to us when she’s having problems. She’s afraid of troubling others when she feels out of sorts. She might listen to you, though. She’s in her room if you want to go on up.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try,” Twilight said.

She made her way up the stairs to Pinkie’s room. Her hoof rested on the doorknob for a moment.

She’d never been good at these sorts of things. Sure, she could lecture somepony when they were clearly in the wrong, but confronting somepony who just didn’t want to talk... that was something else entirely. Nevertheless, she bolstered her courage and pushed the door open.

The lights were off and the curtains were drawn, giving the room an eerie atmosphere. Balloons lay on the floor, some half deflated, and the few cracks of light that made it through her curtains barely lit up the vibrant decorations in her room.

“Pinkie Pie… It’s me, Twilight.”

“I can see that,” Pinkie replied flatly.

Twilight’s eyes adjusted to the dark, slowly giving her a better view of the pink pony. Pinkie was lying flat on the bed, her head hanging off the edge.

“Oh… right. I was just announcing myself before, ya know… barging in,” Twilight explained.

“Most ponies just knock.”

Twilight cringed. It was unusual for Pinkie to be confrontational at all. Even worse, her voice seemed to lack her joyful pitch and chirpiness. It seemed dull and straightforward, as if being her normal, exuberant self took too much effort.

“Pinkie, is something wrong? Mrs. Cake seems worried, and after last night Rainbow and I are, too.”

Pinkie’s eyes widened a touch. “Worried? About me?” she asked, her voice taking on a more concerned tone.

“Yes, you!” Twilight trotted over to the bed, causing the pink pony to shift uncomfortably. “We all know something’s bothering you, but we can’t help if you don’t tell us what that is. We’re your friends, after all,” she reassured with a warm smile. She saw the corners of Pinkie’s mouth turn upwards just a tiny bit, but enough to make Twilight feel slightly better.

“Thanks, Twilight. I… I can’t really talk about it though.”

“Why not? What’s so big that you can’t even tell one of your friends?” Twilight asked, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

Pinkie sighed. “I have to tell somepony something, but... if I do, it might end up hurting somepony else’s feelings.”

“Pinkie Pie, if they’re really your friends, they’ll listen to you and help you no matter what. That’s how friendship works. You can’t avoid facing your fears. You have to tackle them head on with a smile. That’s what you taught all of us.”

“I did?”

Twilight smiled at the pink pony. “Yes, Pinkie, you did. Whenever I’m afraid of something, or scared I might mess something up, I think about you, and what you said. We can’t hide from something just because it scares us. We just have to pony up and face our fears.”

Pinkie’s smile crept upwards slightly. "I... I'm alright. Thanks for checking on me."

"That's what friends do," Twilight said with a smile.

Pinkie hopped off the bed and gave the unicorn a soft hug. "It means alot to know I have good friends like you girls when I'm not feeling Pinkie-ish," the pink mare said, releasing Twilight. "Do you wanna grab some cupcakes or something with me?”

“I’d love to, but I’ve got quite a long checklist to prepare for the festival tomorrow. Raincheck?”

“Sure!"

Twilight stared as the pony walked through the doorway out of sight. “Well, that certainly went better than expected,” she said, checking the box next to food on her list. “This would probably go a lot faster if I had Spike with me. Oh well, somepony has to keep Rarity busy, otherwise I’d be tied up all day with her. Let’s see… next on the list is... decorations. I suppose I can at least make sure the rest of Ponyville is ready, even if Town Square isn’t.”

Whew, finally!

The evening sun stretched its orange light over the horizon as Rainbow hovered over Town Hall.

As long as nopony else messes anything else up, Ponyville should be dry and ready for tomorrow. Guess it’s time to knock off for the day.

Rainbow took off down main street glancing back and forth, hoping to find the pony that’s been on her mind so much as of late. Amidst the usual smattering of ponies headed home after a long day she spotted a bit of lavender in the crowd. She sped to the ground landing next to Twilight, who was currently talking with Rose about something.

“So, we should have enough lotus blossoms for tomorrow, right?” Twilight asked.

Rose nodded with a smile. “Sure will! They’ll be prime for picking tomorrow!”

“Great job! I knew I could count on you. Carrot Top isn’t still angry, is she?” Twilight asked hesitantly. “I know how badly she wanted to try growing them this year.”

“Not anymore. After you put me in charge, she thought she’d grow one herself to prove you wrong. It didn’t turn out so well…” Rose trailed off.

“I’m sure she’s just not used to growing flowers. It couldn’t have turned out that ba-“

“It caught on fire,” Rose interrupted.

“Oh…well… hmmm.”

“Yeah…”

“In that case I’m glad you’re the pony I picked. See you tomorrow at the festival!” Twilight exclaimed, waving as she walked away.

“Bye Twilight, see you tomorrow!” Rose replied.

Rainbow stepped towards the unicorn with a friendly smile. “Still working on that checklist, Egghead?”

Twilight sighed. “Hey Rainbow. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to manage so many ponies at once without everything going horribly wrong.”

“I might have an idea…” the pegasus replied, letting her voice trail off.

“Oh right, weather team. Speaking of weather, what’s up with the rain earlier? I thought Ponyville was supposed to be cloud free all the way through the festival?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. I got it taken care of. What’s left on your list?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight rolled the scroll up and stuck it in her saddlebags. “Actually, that was the last stop. I was just about to go to the library to wind down for the night.”

Rainbow’s eyes brightened. “Mind if I come with?”

“Sure, come on over. Oh, and I stopped by Sugarcube Corner today.”

Rainbow looked back at the unicorn. “You talked to Pinkie Pie?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, she seemed really out of it. Only thing is, I didn’t get to talk to her too long before she miraculously started feeling better.”

Rainbow scratched her head quizzically. “We didn’t miss her birthday, did we?

Twilight pulled out a notepad and started flipping through the pages.

“Hmmmm, p, p, p, Pound cake, Pumpkin Cake, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia….”

Rainbow scrunched her face apprehensively. "I know I’m not an egghead like you, but shouldn’t you list the princess’ under their names and not their titles?”

Twilight sighed. “I know, I know! It just feels weird saying or writing their names without the princess part.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Weirdo.”

“Ah-hah! Pinkie Pie, no, her birthday isn’t for another two months.”

“Eh, Pinkie goes through swings like that now and then. I don’t know about you but I’m starving. Why don’t we stop and get something to eat?”

Twilight’s eyes brightened. “I’ve got a great idea! Why don’t I cook us some pancakes! I’ve been dying to try my hoof at cooking and Pinkie gave me the perfect recipe to try!”

Rainbow opened her mouth to protest, but seeing Twilight’s eager smile, she stopped herself, not wanting to dash her enthusiasm. “I guess it can’t hurt as long as you follow the recipe…” she said, her voice trailing off.

“Yup! I already have everything we need at the library.”

“Alright," Rainbow said, grinning slyly. "Let's see what you can do."

“So then Sweetie Belle tripped over the stake holding the slingshot back, and sent all three of them flying! I’m telling you Rainbow, they went way out there!” Spike said, extending his arms for emphasis. “Good thing the lake was there to break their fall.”

Rainbow snickered. “Those little pipsqueaks sure do get into some crazy stuff.”

The sound of a slamming door caught Rainbow and Spike’s attention drawing their eyes to the kitchen. Twilight stood in the doorway followed by a cloud of smoke. Her mane was a mess and she had a slight twitch in her face.

“Um, are you okay?” Rainbow asked hesitantly.

“Spike, take a note.”

Spike followed Twilight’s instructions and produced a paper and quill instantly.

“One extra large pizza with extra cheese, daisies, lilies, and willows, one order of hay fries from The Ponizza Parlor, and one dozen brownies from Sugarcube Corner.”

Spike scribbled furiously, copying every word Twilight said. “Anything else?”

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to pick this up for us, would you?” Twilight asked, flashing her puppy dog eyes.

“I don't know… what’s in it for me?” Spike asked, apparently having built up a resistance to such tactics.

The unicorn’s eyes went to the ceiling coyly. “I think I have a few lapis lazuli rattling around I can part with.”

The baby dragon’s eyes lit up. “You can count on me!”

Rainbow stared at Spike as he sprinted out the front door slamming it behind him. She looked back at Twilight, whose face had fallen. “I’m guessing it didn’t turn out so well?”

Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. I don’t know what happened. I did everything by the book but it just didn’t come out right. It cooked a lot faster than the recipe said it should have, and stuck to the pan.”

Rainbow scratched her head. “It cooked too fast? Did you use a copper or a cast iron pan?”

“Umm, copper, I think...”

“And the sticking, that’s usually what happens when you don’t grease your cookware correctly.”

Rainbow eyed the unicorn suspiciously. “I thought you followed the book…”

“I did... kinda. Well, once everything got started it got a little too fast and I couldn’t keep up. I might’ve missed a few details. Wait a minute, how do you know so much about cooking?” Twilight asked, returning a suspicious glare of her own.

“I used to help somepony now and again. I learned a few things along the way.”

Twilight sighed. “Maybe I should have asked you, instead of just assuming you didn’t know anything. But you could have offered to help!” she exclaimed, pointing an accusatory hoof toward the pegasus.

“You said you wanted to do it!”

Twilight hung her head again. “Yeah, you’re right. I should have asked.”

Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “Wanna send that to the princess?”

“I think it’ll be fine if that one goes under the rug.” The unicorn said with a wry grin.

“So… what do you wanna do until he gets back?”

“The kitchen is a bit of a disaster,” Twilight said, suggested.

“As long as I don’t have to scrub the pans.”

“Deal!”

Twilight and Rainbow lay on the floor next to the half eaten pizza. Spike had long since gone to bed, leaving the ponies to share stories about whatever popped into their heads. Normally the idea of sitting around and doing nothing would be, at best, extremely unappealing, and, at worst, downright terrifying to the unicorn. Ever since the encounter with her past self though, she’d come to enjoy her free time a bit more. In fact, she came to realize that much of the time she spent worrying about what was left to do and what was next ate up more time than anything else.

“Hey Rainbow?”

“Hmmm?”

“Were you and the others close before I came to Ponyville?” the unicorn asked, her eyes trained on the ceiling.

“Not really. I mean, we all ran into each other here and there, but we didn’t hang out like we do now. Rarity mostly made dresses and buried herself in work. Pinkie, I always thought, was way more annoying than she actually is, but we still went to her parties. Applejack and I have always butted heads now and then, mostly because of the weather, and I’ve always tried to keep an eye on Fluttershy since flight school. Besides that, we never really spent too much time together. You certainly wouldn’t have caught me modeling for Rarity, that’s for sure.” She pointed her hoof at her mouth as if she was going to toss up the pizza resting on her stomach.

“So… if you guys never hung out a lot, who did you end up dating?” Twilight asked suggestively.

“This again?” Rainbow groaned

“I wanna know. Is that a crime?”

Rainbow stayed silent for a few moments. Twilight guessed the gears were turning in her mind.

“Fine, I’ll tell you…but you have to tell me something afterwards.”

Twilight eyed her warily. “Okay, but you go first.”

“It was Applejack.”

“Ah-hah! I knew it!” the unicorn shouted. Rainbow looked up at her, holding her ears. “Oh, sorry. I’ve just been wondering who it was and I always thought you and Applejack had a little more in common than friendly competition. Also, apart from the Cakes and Pinkie Pie, Applejack is the best baker in Ponyville.”

“Yeah, yeah. It wasn’t something either of us had planned. It just sorta happened.”

“What was it like?” Twilight asked.

“Kinda like hanging out with your best friend. With AJ I felt like I didn’t have to be somepony else. I could just be me. It was just straightforward without any of the normal mess you have to go through when you wanna date somepony.”

“You didn’t go out together much?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Not really. We mostly just hung out, had burping contests, helped cook for large crowds and contests, and talked about whatever was bugging us.”

“So if everything was going alright, why did you two end it?” Twilight probed. She felt the pegasus’ muscles tighten for a moment, and noticed a sudden change in her demeanor.

“We just drifted apart, that’s all. Eventually we both decided we’d be better off with somepony else.”

Twilight raised her head. “Wait, that’s it? You broke up for no reason?”

“Yeah, no real reason. We just stopped hanging out. Sometimes it happens like that and you just gotta accept it,” Rainbow rattled off.

Twilight thought for a moment, that didn’t sound like the Rainbow Dash she knew. The Rainbow she knew fought to the bitter end and didn’t take anything lying down.

“Okay, my turn,” Rainbow announced, interrupting Twilight’s train of thought. “Have you ever dated somepony else before?”

Twilight cringed. She thought the pegasus might ask her about the princess, or her royal duties in Canterlot. Of course Rainbow would ask about her personal life. “Nope, you're the first.”

“Why? Weren't there any decent stallions in Canterlot?”

Twilight thought for a moment. It wasn’t like she avoided being around other ponies, she just didn’t have time. There was always so much to do. “Of course there were... I guess I just never got around to it.” The pegasus went silent, apparently satisfied, or perhaps considering the answer.

“Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

“Mind if I stay here for the night?”

Everything in Twilight’s mind told her to say no, to tell the pegasus lying beside her that she couldn’t for some reason.

“I don’t mind.”

“Thanks, Twilight.”

She felt the pegasus push closer to her. A soft smile crawled across Twilight’s face as her body heat mingled with Rainbow’s. She laid her own head down next to the pegasus’ multicolored mane. As her eyes shut, a new feeling washed over her. A feeling she had never felt before, yet needed for quite awhile.

It felt nice just being with somepony else in such a way.

“Good night, Rainbow,” she mumbled as her eyes slowly closed sending her off to sleep.

Rainbow walked through Ponyville with Twilight at her side. They had been talking all morning and shared a few laughs back and forth. What were they talking about? It didn’t matter. She was enjoying her stroll with the unicorn, and that’s the only thing that mattered.

The ponies they passed nodded and waved with bright eyes and friendly smiles. They walked by Applejack’s stand, and the cowpony nodded and gave them a friendly tip of her hat.

Instinctively Rainbow glanced back at her side only to find that Twilight was nowhere to be found. She did a double take and spun around frantically trying to find her. Turning around, she came face-to-face with Applejack.

“What’s wrong? Ya lose somethin’?”

Rainbow backed away slowly and turned around only to end up looking directly into Applejack’s eyes again.

“T’ain’t fair ya get to walk away scot-free and happy, now is it?”

The pegasus spun around yet again, this time five Applejacks stood in her way, each with a dangerous glint in their eyes. Rainbow felt cornered. She wasn’t sure what they had in mind, but she didn’t like it.

“Just leave me alone! I’m not hurting anypony!”

“Not anymore, yer not.”

One of the Applejacks pushed her to the ground. She shook off the hit and instinctively glanced over her shoulder. The street which had once been behind her had disappeared. In its place was a canyon, stretching as far as she could see.

“Didja honestly think ya could hurt somepony and not pay the price?”

Rainbow held her hooves out in front of her in desperation. “Please, AJ. I’m sorry!”

“Not yet, you ain’t.” Applejack kicked her off the edge, sending her spiraling into the air. The world turned from blue to brown and back again as she plummeted to the ground. She gave her wings a few flaps, but felt something was wrong. Glancing to her back, she realized both of her wings were missing. Panic set in as the ground rushed up to meet her.

“I’m sorry, Applejack!”

She winced as her side hit the ground.

The United Hearts Festival

“Gaaah!” Rainbow’s eyes snapped open to Twilight’s shocked face.

“Oh my goodness! I didn’t shake you that hard, did I?”

Rainbow’s heart pounded in her chest as she fought to regain her composure. She knew telling the truth would only lead to a lengthy conversation she didn’t care for at the moment.

“I just... had a weird dream is all.”

“If you say so.” Twilight didn’t seem convinced, but accepted Rainbow’s explanation, nonetheless. “You sure you’re okay? Do you need a minute before we go?”

Rainbow stretched her legs and rose to her hooves. “Nah, I’m good. Can’t let the other ponies beat us to all the good stuff. I heard the Cakes are making their lemon meringue pies this year.”

“They didn’t make any last year?” Twilight asked.

“They did, but nopony got a chance at them.”

Twilight looked confused. “That doesn’t make any sense. Didn’t they make enough?”

“Enough for one pony,” grumbled the pegasus.

“Huh?”

Rainbow turned her head stubbornly. “All I can say is I made a Pinkie Promise.”

“But-”

“Pinkie. Promise,” Rainbow said flatly. “Ready to go?”

“Uh, sure!”

In the scant few hours she had to prepare for her move to Ponyville, Twilight had done some research on the rustic location and found it to be pretty much what she had expected: a small, yet charming town where most ponies knew each other.

Even the smallest occasions in Ponyville were considered an excuse to throw festive celebrations, which usually engulfed the entire town. Ribbons decorated the various trees, and banners stretched across the humble town in honor of The United Hearts Festival.

“Why is there a fair, festival, carnival, feast, or whatever, every time Ponyville has a holiday?” Twilight asked, rolling her eyes as she walked past several food stalls with delicious smells wafting from them.

“Yeah... it's kind of a Ponyville thing. If there’s some chance to throw a party or eat a lot, you can bet somepony will take it,” Rainbow explained.

“In Canterlot, they hold a ball for the United Hearts Festival. On Hearths Warming Eve, they have the annual play," Twilight explained, waiting patiently as Rainbow stopped by a food stand. "Here in Ponyville, it doesn’t seem to matter what the holiday is. Everypony just seems to make an excuse to eat a lot.”

“That’s not true. On Nightmare Night, we do the annual candy offering. Actually, now that I think about it, that’s just an excuse to eat candy, isn’t it?” Rainbow asked, holding a fresh fritter from the pony tending the stand..

"Pretty much."

“What the hay, I’ll take what I can get!” Rainbow said, jamming the warm fritter into her mouth. “I bef dis food is a bith diffrenth than tha food from Cantherlot.” Rainbow said with her mouth full sending crumbs flying.

Twilight giggled at Rainbow’s lack of etiquette. “You could say that. The first month I started living here, I gained ten pounds easily. I had to start watching my diet very closely.” Twilight’s eyes jumped to a line of several colts and fillies. She followed the trail to a platform, where two fillies were being strapped into a harness worn by two pegasus ponies.

“Hey, look. Pegasus rides!”

Rainbow's gaze followed hers to the attraction.

“Yeah... they have to make sure they strap them in real tight. Pegasus rides are about safety first and foremost. Nopony wants an accident or anything.”

“I’d love to know what it’s like to fly one day,” Twilight mused.

“Don’t you have that flight spell?” Rainbow asked.

“I lost it again, I’ll probably never find it without inviting Pinkie back to the library. Besides, its not the same,” Twilight said, her eyes drifting up.

“What do you mean?”

“The wings are different. Butterflies use rapid flaps of their wings to stay airborne. Pegasi glide over long distances, only flapping when they need to gain altitude or hover." Twilight blushed slightly. "One day I’d love to fly with you in the sky.”

“Heh heh.... is, uhh, is that so? Oh, look! Applejack set up her apple toss stand. We should go play!” the blue pegasus exclaimed, tugging at Twilight.

“Apple toss?”

“Yeah! You have to throw the apples through hoops. C’mon, thats an old school carnival game. Didn’t you have those in Canterlot?”

“I never really went...” Twilight trailed off. Her ears drooped in embarrassment.

“There are only two rules: stay behind the line, and no magic!” Rainbow iterated, poking the unicorn’s horn for effect.

“I think I can handle that,” Twilight said smugly.

Fluttershy slowly eeked through the crowd, doing her best to get to the refreshment table without bumping into anypony else. The pony behind the stand looked toward her. He wore an elaborate suit and a warm smile to go with it.

“And what can I get for you, my lady?”

Fluttershy shrank slightly at the well-dressed pony’s beckoning smile. “Oh, uhh, I would just like a cup of orange juice please.”

“One cup of orange juice for the beautiful young pegasus, coming right up!” The server announced with a wink.

Fluttershy blushed at the compliment, feeling as if everyone’s eyes were upon her. She watched as the pony expertly poured the orange juice and placed it in front of her.

“There you are, my dear. One glass of orange juice made from Foalrida’s finest!”

“Thank you, sir,” Fluttershy said, taking the cup in her hooves.

“And how can I help you?” the stand owner said, looking to Fluttershy’s side.

“Two glasses of cider. One of them is for a friend.”

Fluttershy recognized the voice and spun around. “Oh, Rainbow Dash! Isn’t it such a wonderful day?” she asked.

“Hey Fluttershy. Yeah it’s pretty cool.” Rainbow’s eyes kept darting upward and she seemed distracted.

“Is something wrong?”

“Huh? No, not at all! Me and Twi are having a great time. How ‘bout you?” Rainbow asked.

“I’m having a wonderful time. I just got out of the bouncy castle. It really feels like you’re flying,” Fluttershy said with a satisfied smile.

“But Fluttershy, you’re a pega- ah, forget it.”

“Hey, Madame Pinkie set up her booth. Maybe you should take Twilight with you and have your fortunes told,” Fluttershy suggested.

Rainbow cocked her head to the side, seemingly in deep thought. “Uhhh, I dunno. Last time I went, she just told me I’d get a Wonderbolts poster for my birthday.”

“Isn’t that what Pinkie got you for your birthday?”

“No! She got me a one-of-a-kind, limited edition signed placard of their Manehattan performance where Spitfire performed her famous death-defying ‘Cloud Dive’!”

“Oh... my mistake,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Two cups of cider for the dashing pegasus!” the stand keeper said, placing the drinks in front of Rainbow. “Who’s next in line?”

Rainbow grabbed the cups and hovered in the air. “I’ll catch you later, Fluttershy!” she said, taking off above the crowd of ponies.

Fluttershy stared as Rainbow’s colorful tail disappeared over the crowd of ponies. Her eyes went skyward, trying to find out what it was Rainbow had been looking at it, but saw only the pegasi giving rides to the young ponies.

Rainbow Dash and Twilight walked through the crowd of ponies, trading small talk. Niether of them actually managed to win a prize at any of the game stands, but it didn't detract from their carefree mood.

“So get this. Applejack parks the wagon of fireworks on the hill, right? Meanwhile, Pinkie sneaks up behind her and waits for the perfect moment and... bam!" Rainbow shouted, clopping her hooves together. “Pinkie pops her balloon right in AJ's ear, AJ freaks out and kicks the wagon and dumps all of the fireworks into the fire!”

Twilight giggled. “Oh my gosh! All of them?” she asked incredulously.

“All of them! It was hilarious! We were dodging bottle rockets and roman candles for what felt like an hour! We all had singe marks on our flanks after that!” Rainbow cackled.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You know, when you prank somepony, usually it’s better if they’re the ones that end up pranked.”

Rainbow shrugged. “Sometimes even the best pranks turn on you. Pinkie and I learned that the hard way.” Rainbow jumped into the air and hovered, scanning over the crowd of ponies. “Hey Twilight, Fluttershy said that Madame Pinkie set up her booth today. We should have her read our compatibility.”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

Rainbow blushed for a moment. “Yeah, I know it’s corny, but it’s all for fun.”

“Well... okay, I guess it can’t hurt,” Twilight relented. She trotted over to the tent with Rainbow following closely behind her and stood in line. Luckily, there were only two ponies ahead of them.

“Hey Twi?”

“Hmm?”

Rainbow’s eyes went up in her head, “I’ve been to the United Hearts Festival every year, but never bothered to actually do anything other than eat and play. You're the nerdy one, what’s it about?”

“You remember the story of Hearth’s Warming Eve and the three types of ponies finally coming together?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah?”

“Well, after all the ponies came together as one, it still wasn’t really socially acceptable to be with each other romantically. Each race of pony stuck to their own and if, say, a pegasus was caught with an earth pony, both were publicly shamed and humiliated.

Rainbow scowled in anger. “What? That’s dumb!”

Twilight nodded. “The story goes that every night, the unicorn princess, Azure Dusk, would sit on her balcony and stare at the pegasus ponies who worked the night shift. One of them in particular caught her eye; a pegasus named Night Chaser. It wasn’t long before Night Chaser noticed her admirer, as well. Soon enough, they started talking and trading stories after Night Chaser’s shift ended.

“That’s the best part of working the night shift,” Rainbow interrupted. “You can sneak off once you’re done and not have to worry about ponies gossiping when you visit another pony’s house in the middle of the night.”

Twilight looked at the pegasus suspiciously.

“Heheh... guilty,” Rainbow admitted.

“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. Anyway, apparently while out with her closest friends she told them about her crush on the pegasus. Her friends at first were shocked, but soon admitted that they, too, liked ponies other than unicorns. Princess Azure decided that they all should give lotus blossoms to their secret crushes.”

Rainbow scratched her head. “Why lotus blossoms?”

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know. Nopony knows, in fact. Princess Azure never said why she chose lotus blossoms. Maybe she just liked how they looked. Either way, before long their little gifts spread outside of the inner circle of friends. Pretty soon afterwards, ponies who liked other ponies outside of their races began giving their crushes lotus blossoms too. Eventually, the ponies who opposed these pairings caught wind of this, but by the time they did, they were no longer in the majority. Mixed couples everywhere started standing up for each other, and before long, the only ponies who thought it was wrong were now the outcasts.”

“Hah! Serves them right!” Rainbow said. “Wait a minute. If they didn’t leave a note, how in Equestria did they know who left the flower?”

Twilight gave a sly smile. “That’s the trick. Both ponies are supposed to know each other well enough to know who the lotus blossom was from.”

“Oh, right. Have you ever given one to somepony else?”

Twilight’s ears lowered a bit and the beginnings of a blush broke out on her face. “I always thought it was silly. Part of me always wanted to get one, but nopony ever did. Now though, it just seems kind of foalish.”

“Next!” came a voice from the tent.

Both ponies meandered into the mystically designed attraction. It had been a little while since Twilight had been to Madame Pinkie’s, but the eccentric decorations would feel right at home for someone like Zecora. Everything from the dreamcatcher on the wall, to the lucky horseshoe served to deepen the ominous atmosphere.

“Step forward to me, and your future we shall soon see!” Madame Pinkie beckoned from the other side of the table.

“Hey, do you do compatibility readings?” Rainbow asked. Madame Pinkie’s brow furrowed momentarily in response.

“Worry not, for a future together is just one of the many things Madame Pinkie can see.”

“Cool. Let’s do that, then,” Rainbow replied.

Madame Pinkie swirled her arms extravagantly around the crystal ball. Rainbow leaned closer looking for Celestia knows what in its glassy void. Twilight sat back in her seat feigning disinterest, But as Madame Pinkie’s swirling movements intensified around the see-through sphere, she too leaned closer.

“Aha!” Madame Pinkie exclaimed, causing both ponies to jump. “I see it! Yes! I see you, Twilight! I see you at a show! You are running backstage and in a hurry, perhaps chasing after a giant cupcake!”

“Huh?”

“And now... now you stand before a large crowd! Ponies everywhere have their eyes upon you. Yes... and now I see...”

Madame Pinkie stopped suddenly, her face blanched and her eyebrows raised in what Twilight could only guess was shock.

“A crowd of ponies? Is Twilight putting on a show? What is it? What do you see?” Rainbow asked, practically pounding the table in excitement.

“I... uh... I uhhh, a cool birthday gift! Yup, that’s all! A cool birthday gift.” Madame Pinkie shot to her hooves and started pushing Twilight and Rainbow toward the entrance.

“A birthday present? That can’t be it! You were talking about a crowd of ponies!” Twilight protested.

“Cool birthday gift!” Madame Pinkie repeated as she pushed them out of the tent.

Rainbow and Twilight shared a quick glance at the tent flap that shut abruptly in their face.

“Well that was sudden,” Twilight said out loud.

“Yeah, I wonder what that was all about. Hmmm, maybe we should go find something else to do,” Rainbow said, grabbing Twilight’s hoof and pulling her past the ponies in line for the tent.

“Hey guys,” a friendly voice greeted them.

“Hey Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow replied.

Twilight stared incredulously at the pink pony in line and back at the tent.

“But, you were just... I mean... what in Equestria?” Twilight paused for a moment and shook her head. The pink pony was still standing there smiling at her. “You know what? I’m not even going to ask.” Twilight followed Rainbow away from the tent, anxious to try and forget what she had just seen.

Twilight threw her candy apple core into the trash can next to her while she chewed the remaining bits left. “The Ponyville version of United Hearts Day is so much better than Canterlot’s,” Twilight admitted.

She and Rainbow shared a seat on a park bench while the other townsponies walked by, some of whom clearly showing signs of fatigue after such a hectic day filled with friendly fun, and weighty food.

“Who needs all of those fancy schmancy unicorns at a party when you’ve got ponies like us around?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight giggled. “Yeah... I just wonder if the ponies who started this tradition back then had any idea it would become something like... well, this.”

“Maybe...” Rainbow trailed off. Her eyes stared off into the evening sun, which had just begun to lower.

“I just hope one day, ponies will remember me.”

Twilight looked back at her date questioningly. “What do you mean?”

“I guess I just want to know something of me will be here once I’m gone.”

For the first time in a long time, Twilight had nothing to say. Surprisingly, Rainbow had said something that even gave her pause. She, too, thought of the future in a similar way. She never realised until this moment that Rainbow’s showing off and bravado were really a way to form a legacy. She leaned into Rainbow’s side instinctively. Twilight enjoyed the feeling of another pony being with her like this. Just having someone close to her. It was something she’d been without since her days of reading bedtime stories with her brother.

“I’ll make sure nopony ever forgets us, Rainbow.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll write a book. I’ll write everything about each of our friends. Everything I know and more. I don’t know when, but I’ll write it and make sure ponies know about us in the future.”

Rainbow sat there silent for a moment.

“I’d like to read it one day.”

Time passed as they sat on the park bench, enjoying each other’s company. Ponies walked past them in their own world. More and more of them walked by, carrying lotus blossoms as they made their way toward the flowers’ intended destinations. Twilight felt her partner stir, and she reluctantly lifted her head, allowing the pegasus to move.

“Everypony else is leaving, so I guess I’ll be headed out too. I’ve got to help the night shift,” Rainbow explained.

Twilight reluctantly nodded. “Yeah... I’m supposed to help the other ponies put everything away. Magic, ya know?”

Without warning, Rainbow leaned in and dropped a kiss on Twilight’s cheek.

The unicorn sat there in stunned silence, not so much because Rainbow had done it, but that Twilight had actually enjoyed it. Twilight saw the blush on Rainbow’s face as she pulled away. She wondered how long the pegasus sat there before acting on her impulse.

“I had fun today. I’ll catch you tomorrow Twi,” Rainbow said.

The librarian stared in utter silence as the pegasus took off into the evening sky. She didn’t even get a chance to return the heartfelt gesture before Rainbow left. She simply sat on the bench, watching as her friend’s prismatic tail disappeared from sight. Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed that Rainbow wouldn’t be spending the night with her, but she knew things were getting out of hoof very quickly. She touched her cheek softly, feeling the moisture left behind from Rainbow’s kiss. Twilight had never been so torn between two things in her life than she was at this very moment.

“Okay Cloudchaser, that should be it. You and your team look ready so I’m headed for home.”

“Don’t worry, Rainbow. We'll have everything done and we’ll be home by midnight,” the gray pegasus replied.

“That’s what I like to hear! See ya later!”

“Bye Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow took off into the night sky. She headed straight for home eager to get a bit of sleep in before the morning when her shift started up again. She reached her door and alighted on the front step.

There on her front door, as plain as day, was a lotus blossom.

She stared at it for a while, not believing it was actually there. She glanced around to make sure nopony else was looking before approaching it. She stepped forward and gingerly pulled it off, careful not to damage it by yanking it too hard. She left the tape on the door, and with the flower in her mouth, she went inside and headed straight for her bedroom. Rainbow softly placed the blossom on her nightstand next to her signed picture of the Wonderbolts.

Rainbow never cared much for flowers, or cards or any of that mushy stuff, but this was different. In the past, she had never gotten gifts from ponies she actually liked. This time it meant something to her. Mustering the motivation to hop up from her bed, she decided to make herself a bowl of cereal before she went to bed. Rainbow smiled to herself and wondered what the unicorn was doing at this very moment.

She kissed you... Rainbow Dash kissed you.

Tired from using her magic extensively and the trek back to her library, Twilight’s mind raced through that moment over and over. It hit her like a falling piano that she had just received her first kiss. Now she knew why so many books made such a big deal out of what she thought was a tiny thing.

The physics of a kiss, a simple pressing of lips upon another pony's face. The act itself was nothing. In fact, it might run the risk of being gross or unsanitary. Actually getting a kiss, a real, honest to goodness kiss... it felt life changing. Her mental murmuring allowed the time to escape her, and before she knew it, she stood in front of the library.

On the library’s door sat a pristine lotus blossom. Feeling self conscious, she glanced around to make sure no one else was watching. Satisfied she was alone, she pulled the lotus blossom off the door and held it aloft using her magic. She walked into the library and closed the door behind her.

“Hey Twilight, whatcha got there?”

The unicorn nearly fainted in shock. She quickly hid the flower behind her. “Nothing! Nothing at all!”

Spike gave her a suspicious look. “Right... by the way, I think you lost that copy of ‘Comets for Casuals’.”

Twilight felt her heart jump in her throat. “You’ve gotta be kidding me! I was sure I put it up this morning!” she yelled, dropping the flower and dashing towards the bookcase.

“Aha! You did get a flower today!” Spike announced triumphantly.

Twilight groaned at herself for being so predictable. “Yes Spike, I did get a flower.”

“You wouldn’t happen to know who it-”

“It’s from Rainbow, okay?” Twilight muttered.

“Woah, you guys seem to be getting pretty close. It won’t be long until you two are kissing,” Spike taunted playfully.

Twilight felt her face redden against her will.

“No...”

The librarian managed only a nod.

Spike fell into a laughing fit, leaving the unicorn to sit there with a sour look on her face.

“Ha ha ha, have your laughs now Spike, go ahead and get them out of your system, I’m off to write a letter.

“No you’re not, you’re going to go sit on your bed and daydream. ‘Oh Rainbow Dash, I really like your mane!” Spike taunted, taking on an approximation of Twilight’s voice.

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up, mister. I have a whole list of chores that need to be done,” Twilight threatened, retreating to her bedroom.

The door closed behind the librarian with a soft click. Using her magic, she pulled a quill and scroll to her. She placed the lotus blossom and writing supplies on the desk and stared at the paper for what seemed an interminable amount of time.

No matter how much she tried, she just couldn’t find a way to give justice to the feelings roiling in her heart. She dropped the quill, walked to her bed, and jumped in. She didn’t even bother to climb underneath her covers. Instead, the librarian wrapped her front legs around her pillow. Part of her wished it was the rainbow-maned pony who occupied her mind. Despite its decidedly unhealthy qualities, one good thing about the home cooked food here in Ponyville was the side effect of knocking a pony out. She barely had time to recount the events of the day as sleep overtook her.

Out of the frying pan...

“I think you know why I’ve summoned you here, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia's voice echoed throughout the expansive throne room.

“N-no I don’t, Princess,” the unicorn squeaked out. She leaned into Rainbow's side, half because she thought she might pass out under her mentor’s harsh glare, and the other half because she felt the need to be closer to the one that had meant so much to her.

The alicorn stood up to her full height. “Young lady, do not lie to me! I raised you practically from a filly. I know you better than you know yourself!”

Twilight hung her head in shame. From the very start, she’d known that dating Rainbow was a big mistake. Even so, the feeling, the wonderful feeling, of having somepony love her and wanting to be with her proved too hard to resist.

“I sent you to Ponyville for a very specific reason: to learn friendship, and what do you do? You put yourself out to the public like a common floozy! Worse than that, you chose to do so with a fellow Element of Harmony!” Celestia stamped her hoof on the floor, causing the entire room to shake.

Twilight had never seen the princess so upset. She couldn’t even begin to fathom the punishment Celestia would mete out. She tried to blink back tears that threatened to fill her eyes.

“That’s right, cry. Cry like the irresponsible filly you are! This is why you failed at being a great unicorn like Starswirl. You wouldn’t grow up. You just wanted to go have fun and play with the other ponies rather than taking care of your responsibilities.

Twilight felt Rainbow’s wing unfold, covering her in a blanket of protection. She wrapped her hooves around the feather-covered limb and cried into it, feeling her tears drip off onto the floor.

“From this day forth, you are no longer my student. You shall not live at the Golden Oaks Library, either. Spike will come back to Canterlot to serve at the castle and you will live amongst the rabble in Ponyville.”

“P-P-Princess... why?” Twilight sobbed out.

Celestia turned away from her and walked back to her throne. “Because you failed to remember your responsibilities and duties, because you put your needs above Equestria's, and because you are a failure. Guards, remove them.”

Twilight’s sobbing intensified as Rainbow grabbed her hoof.

“Twilight, we have to go.”

The unicorn shook her head. She refused to move, frozen in place.

“No...”

“Twilight, wake up!”

The unicorn froze for a moment, confused by the request.

“C'mon Twilight, you have to get up!”

“What?” Twilight gasped. She looked down at Spike’s claw, which was gripping her leg.

“Twilight! We gotta go! There’s a fire in the Everfree Forest burning towards Ponyville!”

The unicorn's eyes snapped open. “Are you serious? This isn't one of your jokes, is it?”

Spike shook his head frantically. Magic surrounded the baby dragon’s body lifting him off the ground and placing him on her back.

“Where are we going first?”

Twilight ran for the door. “First, we find a pegasus to go wake up Rainbow. Then, we gather up as many ponies as we can!”

All night long, the time had run away from Rainbow. Every time she had tried to go to sleep, she just kept thinking about the kiss she had stolen from the pony she cared for. At first, she had been worried, heck, downright terrified of what Twilight's reaction would be. However, the crimson glow on the unicorn’s cheeks told her she had nothing to worry about.

Her eyes drifted to the lotus blossom yet again. She lost count of how many times she had glanced at it, as if staring at the flower was the same as staring at Twilight. Her eyes shifted back to the window. The sun had been up for awhile now, teasing and reminding the pegasus of the sleep she had let slip through her hooves.

A frantic knocking on her door elicited an exasperated groan from the pegasus.

Ugh... here I am being soft and sappy for once, and somepony has to come ruin it! I mean, it’s my day off, for Celestia's sake! I hope those nuts have a good reason for waking me up.

Rainbow slid out of bed and flapped her wings a few times to make sure they were limbered up. She did this habitually any time she got up just to help prevent a sprain in case she needed to fly. The blue pegasus walked to the door and opened it. Flitter pranced in place on her doorstep, clearly troubled by something.

“Okay, what is it this time? Lightning and snow, or maybe rain in a clear sky...?”

“Fire!”

Rainbow grabbed her, and with a strong flap of her wings, took off with the panicked pegasus in tow.

Twilight rushed to Fluttershy's cottage as fast as she could. According to a few ponies lingering about, most of the townsfolk were massing there to help stop the blaze.

“T-T-T-Twilight! Just gimme a second to get a better grip!” Spike pleaded.

“No time, Spike! Every second we waste here is a second we lose to fight the fire.” Twilight used her magic to plant the baby dragon flat on her back, holding him in place.

She galloped past the homely cottage and spotted the mayor, as well as a large group of ponies, gathered by the edge of The Everfree Forest.

Twilight skidded to a halt in front of the mayor. She gasped for breath, recovering from her extended run.

“Ms. Mayor... what... whew, what can I do to help?” she finally managed.

“Oh, Twilight, thank goodness you’re here!” the mayor said, clearly relieved by the unicorn’s arrival.

“Don't forget about me!”

Twilight's eyes went skyward. She saw Rainbow Dash flying straight towards them.

“Rainbow Dash of the weather team, reporting for duty, Miss Mayor!” Rainbow said with a salute.

“Oh, we have all the leaders then. Excellent! Now we can get started!” Mayor Mare exclaimed.

There was an awkward moment of silence as everyone's eyes went to Twilight in unison.

“Ummm, is something wrong? Other than the giant fire, I mean.”

Fluttershy stepped forward timidly. “Well, you see... when there’s a fire, the leaders of the Winter Wrap Up teams lead their team in a fire.”

Rainbow jumped in front of Fluttershy.

“Yeah, so I'm in charge of the weather team, Applejack is in charge of cutting and moving burnable grass and trees and stuff, Flutters here is in charge of rounding up animals that might get lost in the fire, and Pinkie is in charge of making sure the ponies have plenty to eat and drink, and makes sure they take breaks when they should.

The gears in Twilight's head started turning.

“Wait a minute, if we’re all chosen by our Winter Wrap Up roles, does this mean that...”

All of the ponies there continued to stare at her.

“Oh gosh, oh no, I can't! I've never been in charge of fighting a fire before! I-I don't even know what to do!” Twilight squealed as panic set in.

Rainbow Dash jumped forward and grabbed her by her head. Her fuschia eyes, filled with determination, connected with Twilight's own. “Twilight! Are you telling me that you've never read a book about fire before?”

“I... I have, but-”

“The Twilight I know wouldn't give up before she tried,” Rainbow continued. “We need you, so get it together, pony up, and help us get this thing under control.”

Twilight stared back at those bright eyes, which seemed to be simultaneously pleading and pushing her to take action.

“I... I think I can do this.”

"Now that's the Twilight I know!" Rainbow gave her a quick hug.

“Alright, what do we have to work with?” Twilight asked

The mayor gave her a parchment, which she scanned through quickly. It was a sheet of available resources and ponies which could be mobilized to fight the fire.

“Okay everypony, listen up. Applejack, I need you to get the plant team to gather the hoses and water pumps.”

“Sure thing, sugarcube!” The earth pony answered, before disappearing into the crowd of ponies.

“Rainbow Dash, I need you to get the weather team limbered up and ready to go. We don't want somepony spraining a wing above the fire.”

“On it!” Rainbow replied.

“Rarity, you and Fluttershy will round up the critters where the fire hasn't spread to yet. Make sure you go in pairs, and don’t let your partner out of your sight!” Twilight advised.

Rarity nodded.

“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight called out. A pink hoof flew into the air excitedly.

“Just... be Pinkie Pie.”

The pink hoof disappeared into the crowd and after a brief moment of silence, a bright pink tent

sprang up with a sign labeled "Pinkie Pie’s Refreshments and Restoration".

“And finally, I need two ponies in particular: Raindrop and Crossfire.”

Two pegasi stepped out of the crowd.

“Raindrops, you will soak the grass in a line from behind Fluttershy's house, all the way to Whitetail Wood. Crossfire, you will burn the grass right before the line on fire. That way we have a clear line of already-burnt grass protecting Fluttershy's cottage and the rest of Ponyville. Hard for a fire to burn something that’s already been burnt. Everypony else, on me!”

Twilight realized she had started smiling halfway through her spiel. It may have seemed quite odd that she would smile at a time like this, but she enjoyed being a leader. She loved the feel of ponies racing alongside her to solve whatever problem reared its head. She thought it might be more appropriate to drop the smile given the dire circumstances.

At that very moment she realized the other ponies had similar smiles of fierce determination upon their faces, as well. Suddenly, the intense weight of the situation seemed to be lifted from her heart.

Yeah... I’ve got this…

The weather team, as well as many volunteer pegasi, stood in a line before Rainbow Dash. Looking across the lot of them, the mood seemed to fluctuate wildly among the ponies, ranging from unshakable confidence, to hysteria and panic.

“Okay everyone, listen up!”

The crowd of ponies snapped to attention.

Rainbow loved giving speeches, especially to a captive audience.

“We have an emergency, and when the ponies in Ponyville need our help, the weather team is there to answer the call. Am I right?” Rainbow asked, holding her hoof to her ear.

“Yes, ma’am!” the ponies shouted in unison.

“Good! When Twilight calls for us, I want you to fetch a cloud and a pair of goggles from Ditzy Doo. We’ll be flying in the echelon formation. Remember, that’s a staggered formation where the lead pony sits frontward, and the wingponies position themselves back and to the right of the leader for optimal water coverage. Do not let your wingponies out of your sight. Each pony in formation is responsible for watching the pony behind them before, and after their pass. Hold your breath if you fly through the smoke, and if one of your formation goes missing, alert the formation behind you so search and rescue can begin immediately. Any questions?”

The entire team of pegasi stood silent.

“Good! Now get those kinks worked out before the equipment gets here. Dismissed!”

Rainbow watched the ponies scatter. Despite the confidence in her instructions and the thoroughness of her briefing, she felt unsure of herself, not that she would let anypony else know that. She had only lead the team against a fire twice since becoming the weather team manager. The other fires were small fries, though. This was a full-scale forest fire. A fire that, if she failed to stop, could lead to Fluttershy being homeless, not to mention the danger to Ponyville itself.

I wonder what Twilight would do if she were leading the wea-

“Rainbow Dash!”

A perky voice pulled the pegasus out of her thoughts.

“Just wanted to let you know that I whipped up some punch and juice for everypony before we get started fighting the big, scary fire! Make sure you drink up. Don’t want you and the other pegasi to be so thirsty that you drink all the water in your clouds, now do you?” Pinkie asked.

“Thanks, Pinks. I’ll let the team know,” the pegasus said, trying to lose herself in her thoughts again. Her attempts ended in failure as she felt the big blue eyes and smile of the earth pony boring a hole through her.

“Uh, Pinkie? Was there something else?”

“Nothing, really.”

“Oh, okay. Good.”

“Except...”

Rainbow raised her eyebrows.

Pinkie pushed her head in really close.

“I was just wondering if you got a flower yesterday?” Pinkie asked with a bright smile.

The blue pegasus pushed her back gently. “Pinkie, you know that I'm not supposed to tell anypony except the one who gave me the flower.”

“Well yeah, but-”

“So you know why I can't tell you then.”

“But... okay.” Pinkie relented, her face falling in disappointment.

“Rainbow! The earth ponies are almost ready for us!” Blossomforth announced.

“Thanks for the heads up." Rainbow gave the whistle around her neck a long blow.

“Okay everypony, go see Pinkie Pie, get something to drink, and then go fetch a cloud!”

The earth ponies moved like a well-oiled machine. Hoses unrolled across the grass to the edge of the forest, while other ponies connected them to the large water pumps.

Twilight lost count how many times the animal team went into and out of the forest with a fresh batch of frightened critters, not the least of which was a timberwolf who had apparently decided it would be better to follow the helpful ponies, rather than attack and be left to the ravages of the fire. On this particular trip, Fluttershy and Rarity returned with a family of armadillos trundling their way out of the forest, eager to escape the disaster that would surely spell their doom.

“Fluttershy, Rarity, you two need to pick up the pace!” Twilight urged. “As soon as the weather team gets here with the clouds, we'll be spraying water into the fire and it'll be too dangerous to go back in!”

“I... I know.” Fluttershy struggled for the words, coughing violently. “I just...”

The pegasus nearly collapsed, but was caught in the soft glow of Rarity’s magic before she could hit the ground.

"I’m afraid the wind turned on our last run, and she caught a large amount of smoke,” Rarity explained. “I nearly had to drag her back myself. She wanted so badly to stay and help, the poor thing.”

Twilight nodded. "Take her to Pinkie's tent, get her some water, and more importantly, don't let her leave!”

Rarity nodded solemnly and carried the unconscious pegasus to Pinkie's tent.

The colorful teams of pegasi, each carrying a dark and damp cloud, contrasted against the blue sky and billowing black smoke, dragging Twilight’s gaze upwards. Her eyes lit up as a distant rainbow blur headed her way, closing the gap before she had time to blink.

"Hey, Twi. The weather team is all ready to go, just say the word!" Rainbow said.

Before she could even respond to Rainbow, an earth pony called for her attention. "Twilight, ma’am?"

The unicorn spun around to face the stallion calling her name.

"The earth ponies are ready with the hoses. All you need to do is say the word."

A sense of satisfaction bubbled up in Twilight’s chest. So far, everything had gone according to plan. Now it was time to see if it would pay off.

"Okay, everypony,” the unicorn called out. The crowd quieted their chatter and looked her way. "The weather team will start their passes over the fire. After the first pass, the earth ponies will open up with their hoses. Is everypony ready?"

Cheers erupted from the throng of ponies.

"Okay then, let’s douse this fire!"

Another cheer passed through the crowd as they prepared their equipment. Twilight blocked the raucous noise out. Instead, she looked back at the rainbow-maned pony hovering in front of her.

"Rainbow, please be careful."

"This'll be easy. You'll see." The pegasus winked at her and took off to join her team.

Moments later, the water pumps kicked on, and the strong earth ponies aimed their hoses at the approaching fire.

I hope we’re ready for this...

A large swath of foliage in the Everfree Forest lay in ash due to the devastating fire. Rain fell in sheets over the still active and burning portions of the forest, thanks to the efforts of the pegasi flying overhead. For a pony who had never mobilized against a fire before, Twilight was surprised by what she was able to accomplish with just a few able-bodied ponies, and bits of information she had picked up from reading.

"Hey, Twilight?"

She turned to see a pony with white and mint colored hair calling for her.

"Is something wrong, Lyra?"

The green unicorn shook her head. "No, not at all! That's exactly why I'm here. The pegasus on lookout said that the fire's forward progress has slowed, and we should be able to finish it off soon!" Lyra said, clapping her hooves together.

"I guess I knew more about fighting fires than I thought. Who says reading is a waste of time?" Twilight asked with a self satisfied grin.

“Twilight! You have to talk some sense into her!"

Upon hearing her name for what must’ve been the millionth time, the purple mare pivoted around, looking for the source. Fluttershy staggered towards her, with Rarity following very close behind.

Twilight stood in the pegasus’ path. “Fluttershy! You’ve pushed yourself too hard. I can’t let you go back in there."

Fluttershy breathed heavily as she approached. "I-I have to... get to the forest."

Twilight grabbed her by the shoulders. "Are you crazy? You're not going in there like that!"

Fluttershy struggled in Twilight’s grasp. In her weakened state, she merely fell into a coughing fit, lacking the strength to break free.

“I know there are still animals in the forest, but we've done all we can. We can't go in there with the fire this close to the edge,” Rarity said, putting a gentle hoof on Fluttershy’s back.

Suddenly, a bird flew out of Fluttershy’s mane. Twilight jumped in surprise as the creature started chirping frantically at her.

“Uh, I don’t speak bird. A little help here?”

“That’s what I was trying to say. This poor bird has a nest full of eggs in the forest. She told me how awful it was to leave them behind to get help. I know we can't save all of the critters, but surely I can save her nest... can't I?” Fluttershy pleaded.

Twilight thought for a moment. “Hmm... no.”

Fluttershy looked crestfallen.

“Rarity and I will go. You need to stay here and recover.”

Fluttershy's eyes brightened. With a grateful smile, she wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s neck.

“Thanks, Twilight.” She looked up at the bird perched on her head. “I can't go with you, but my friends here can save your nest. You’ll have to show them where it is. Can you do that?”

The bird chirped loudly in response and took flight. Twilight and Rarity turned and gave chase, following the bird into the forest.

“Don't worry, Fluttershy. We'll be back in no time,” the purple mare called out.

The sound of a paper cup being crushed, followed by a long belch emanated throughout the tent.

“That punch of yers sure hit the spot, Pinkie,” Applejack said. “It tastes a bit different than usual, though.”

Pinkie smiled. “I changed the recipe! You see, lots of sugar is great for parties, but not so much for work. So instead of adding the entire bag of sugar like I normally do, I just added more fruit juice. That way, the only crashing that happens is after the fire is out,” the pink mare explained.

“Huh. Well, that’s awfully smart of ya, sugarcube. We sure wouldn't want ponies givin’ up too early.”

Applejack jumped backwards as a pink hoof slammed onto the table, her eyes narrowing angrily at the cowpony.

“Well duh! It’s not like Twilight is the only pony allowed to be smart, y’know!”

At that very moment, Fluttershy walked into the tent, allowing Applejack a quick escape from Pinkie’s intense glare.

“Well, look who’s back. Back again. Glad they talked some sense into ya, Sugarcube. I know ya wanna help all them critters, but we gotta be careful, especially when the fire is gettin’ this close.”

Fluttershy smiled. “I know, but there’s nothing to worry about. Rarity and Twilight said they would save the bird's nest.”

Without a word, Applejack hopped up from the table and placed her hat firmly on her head.

“Applejack, where are you going?” Pinkie asked.

“I'm gonna make sure those two come back in one piece. Ain't neither one of them been that close to a forest fire before. If the wind turns and they’re too close…”

Applejack slammed her hoof onto the table, causing everypony around her to jump.

"They’re ashes."

Twilight galloped at full sprint, keeping the bird in her sights. Black smoke hovered in the air blocking out all but a scant few rays of sunshine. The greenery of the forest took on an orange hue as they neared the fire.

“Rarity! We can't stick around too long! If the wind changes course, they’ll have plenty of marshmallow for s’mores.”

“That’s not funny,”

Twilight grinned back at Rarity playfully.

A loud crack echoed above the din of the fire as a tree, partially covered in flames, fell to the ground ahead of them. Twilight's eyes followed the bird as it flew higher until it perched next to a small brown object on a limb.

“There it is!” shouted Rarity. Shimmering blue magic lifted the nest gently, so as not to let any of the delicate eggs tumble out. The bird chirped anxiously as the white unicorn held the nest close with her magic.

“Okay, we’re done! We have to get outta here!” Rarity nodded and ran forward, her eyes trained on the nest.

Twilight started into a gallop close behind Rarity. Another ear splitting crack echoed behind them. She glanced backwards and saw a tree falling straight for her. Her horn glowed as she charged a teleportation spell, hoping she could fire it off before the tree fell.

“Okay weather team, bring it in!”

The pegasi stopped their passes and beelined towards Rainbow Dash.

“Okay everypony, we've slowed the fire down big time. The hard work is over, but we're not done yet. Get ready to grab your clouds and line up above the fire. Anypony who is due for a break should go get one now, because once we start pushing it back, we're not stopping until it’s over.”

“What do y'all mean Twilight's missing?”

Rainbows ears perked up at the sudden outburst. She looked down and saw Applejack and Rarity talking. In the blink of an eye she blazed down between them.

“Woah woah woah! What about Twilight?” Dash jumped in.. “Is she missing? Where is she?”

“I-I don't know! We went into the forest to save some birds nest. I grabbed it and we left together, but when I exited the forest, she was nowhere to be found!” Rarity explained frantically.

“You what?” Rainbow screamed. “You risked your lives for some stupid bird’s nest? What the hay were you two thinking?”

Applejack jammed her hoof into Rainbow’s mouth. “Now cut that out! Fluttershy talked ‘em into it, and there ain't nothin’ getting done by yelling about it!”

Rainbow spat out the cow pony's hoof. “You're right! I'm going in after her!” The pegasus turned to fly into the forest, but felt something holding her in place.

“I'm coming with you!” Rarity announced.

Rainbow struggled to break free from Rarity’s magic. “No! The last thing we need is two missing ponies!”

“Which is exactly what will happen if you go in there blindly! I know where we went, just follow me!” Rarity said, starting into a gallop.

Rainbow, now free from the unicorn’s magic, took off in close pursuit. She followed the bobbing purple tail in front of her as if her life depended on it. Grass and trees flew by like green and brown blurs as the two ponies sped through the forest. Noticing Rarity’s muddy hooves and relentless pace, Rainbow couldn't help but be a little impressed by the unicorn’s determination to get something done when it truly mattered. Any other time, Rarity would’ve dodged the mud or complained about having to run so fast.

This wasn’t just any time, though. Twilight was missing, and as the fire came into view, Rainbow hoped they could find her in time.

"We were right here," Rarity said, coming to a screeching halt.

Looking around, there wasn't much out of place apart from a few fallen trees, and the roaring fire they had spent most of the day trying to stop.

“Where is she, Rarity?” Rainbow demanded.

“I don't know! We pulled the nest out of..." the unicorn trailed off. Her gaze shifted to the side and her eyes widened. “Wait! There she is!”

The pegasus followed where Rarity was pointing and saw a purple figure lying on the ground. In a flash, she flew over to her friend’s side.

Twilight's eyes were shut, and her body remained motionless. A small wound in her head allowed a tiny trickle of blood to drip down her face. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest gave them hope.

“Rarity, she's breathing, but we have to get her back right now!”

“I'll go get the others!"

“No! We don't have time to wait for them!” Rainbow scooped the unicorn up and held her as close as she could.

“Rainbow! You shouldn't move an injured-”

“Stuff it, Rarity! If this fire turns, there’ll be nothing left for the doctors to save. Now get galloping!”

Rarity hesitated a moment, but nodded and started toward the forest entrance. Rainbow followed closely behind. Her wings had to work twice as hard to hold both of them up, especially since Twilight was dead weight in her grasp. She felt the unicorn shift, trying to slip through her forelegs and fall to the ground.

“Oh no you don't, I won't let you fall. I can't let you fall!” Rainbow hugged the unicorn as tightly as she could.

Not this time...

Twilight clung to the edge of the cliff with all her strength. Her legs dangled freely, giving her a clear message to the emptiness beneath her. Knowing it was a bad idea, she looked down anyway.

She had never seen a canyon this large before, not even in her books. She couldn’t even see the bottom, as it was obscured by fog. Given the size of the ledge she clung to, she estimated the actual bottom lay far below what was visible.

A strong leg wrapped around her own, snapping the unicorn out of her trance.

“Come on, Twilight! You're stronger than this.”

She saw Rainbow hanging off the edge, grabbing her arm. The pegasus' fuschia eyes beamed down upon her with laser-like intensity. Her confident smile radiated a powerful aura.

Twilight nodded and tried pulling herself up.

“You've got this, Twi!”

She pushed against the cliff with her legs, giving her the leverage she needed to pull herself up. Panting for breath she looked up at the pony standing above her, still holding her foreleg despite now being safe.

“Come on, Twilight. Wake up.”

Twilight gasped, bolting upright simultaneously. Numerous hooves pushed her back down on the bed..

“Easy, sugarcube! Ya'll don’t need to be moving too much right now!” Applejack’s hoof pinned her to the bed long enough for the unicorn to calm down.

She looked up and saw that Rainbow Dash was still tightly gripping her hoof. That much of her dream hadn’t changed. The simple gesture, an anchor that pulled her back, did much to set her at ease.

“See girls? I told you she’d be fine. Heck, it took all of you to hold her down," Rainbow stated with a laugh.

Twilight looked around and realized she was in Pinkie's tent. Her friends, minus Pinkie, were gathered around, each smiling and looking greatly relieved.

“Ummm, hi everypony.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes at the unicorn. “Ya'll mind telling us why ya thought ya might make a good pony fricassee?”

The unicorn’s ears lowered in shame, as if she were a filly caught trying to sneak an extra cookie from the cookie jar.

“Applejack, there’s no need in trying to make her feel bad. Besides, you're making Fluttershy feel guilty.”

Fluttershy had, indeed been burrowing herself behind a curtain in the corner.

“Come on out, Fluttershy. I'm sure Twilight isn't mad at you,” Rainbow insisted.

The yellow pegasus hesitantly slinked out from behind the curtain.

“Umm is Twilight okay?”

“She's fine, just a nasty blow to the head.”

Everyone turned as the triage nurse walked over to the bed.

“You really are lucky. As far as I can tell, a tree fell on you at the same time you used a teleportation spell. Had you been any longer in casting, we would be talking wheelchairs or coffins here. As it stands, just a small wound three stitches can handle.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I’ve practiced speeding up my teleportation spell.”

The nurse walked away with a wry grin, leaving Twilight with her friends.

“So, how's the fire?” Twilight asked.

“Already handled, darling, and we have you to thank for it,” Rarity announced.

“Yeah, the mayor said something about this being one of the best handled fires in Ponyville history, but whaddya expect when you and me are on the job?” Rainbow bragged.

Applejack tipped her hat and started for the entrance. “That's it, y'all just gettin’ a little too big for yer britches. Too big for an earth pony like me, at least. I’ll catch ya later, Twi. Don't go jumping into anymore fires, ya hear?”

“Bye, Applejack! Tell Big Mac and the others we couldn't have done it without them.”

The earth pony winked and walked out the tent.

Fluttershy nervously approached the bed, trying to hide behind her mane.

“Thanks for helping save my cottage and all the critters, Twilight. I just wish you didn’t get hurt...”

Twilight waved off the pegasus' concerns with a smile and shake of her hoof. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. You heard the nurse, I'm just fine. You should get back home. The animals are probably waiting for dinner.”

Fluttershy paled. “Oh my! You're probably right! The poor things! Bye, Twilight!”

Now, only Rarity and Rainbow Dash remained.

“Hey, has anypony seen Pinkie Pie anywhere?” Twilight asked.

Rarity's brow furrowed. “She was here a little while ago. “That’s odd, Pinkie is usually the first pony to show up for something like this. I could go find her, if you want.”

“No, that’s okay. I'm sure she'll turn up. You should get going, too.”

Rarity stuck on a playful smile. “My, my, somepony is sure anxious to be alone with somepony else.”

Twilight fired back a grin of her own. “If I remember correctly, weren’t the Cutie Mark Crusaders supposed to be staying the night at the boutique?”

Rarity's eyes shot wide open. “Oh my! Nopony has been there all day! I’m sure they’re starving... or about to burn down my boutique trying to cook! Don't worry, Sweetie Belle! I’m on my way!” The white unicorn took off like a shot.

“Now that was funny!” Rainbow cackled. “Although I wonder if she wasn’t right about you wanting me all to yourself, though.”

Twilight smiled momentarily until an odor hit her nose. Giving herself a quick sniff, she could smell smoke on her fur and hair.

“Actually, I really need a shower, and you aren't much better off,” Twilight noted as she reached up and wiped a bit of soot off the pegasus' face.

“Hah, point taken. We could both use showers. Why don't I go make sure the weather team is cool, and cut through a few clouds to clean up? By that time, you should have made it back to the library and gotten a chance to clean up.”

“Inviting yourself over?” Twilight raised her eyebrow.

“Only if you aren't turning me down,” Rainbow said with a hopeful grin.

“Hmm... alright, sounds good to me.”

“Yes!” Rainbow cheered, doing a small hoof pump. “See ya in a few, then!” The pegasus quickly bolted out of the tent.

Twilight begrudgingly sat up in the cot and placed a shaky hoof on the ground. Luckily that knock to my head hasn’t affected my equilibrium, as far as I can tell.

She started to leave, but stopped in her tracks. She scanned the room one more time, but saw just an assortment of townsponies. A small twinge of disappointment clear in her face, she decided to just go home.

The clip clop of heavy hooves echoed in Pinkie’s room. Barring her furniture, not a single streamer, balloon, or shred of confetti was on display. Twilight’s peptalk had lifted her spirits a bit, but after the festival and the fire, she seemed to be back at square one.

“Maybe I should have a sleepover... but with who? I just had one with Fluttershy. Besides, she seemed pretty tired today. I don't think she could handle any Pinkie-ness tonight.”

Pinkie continued pacing while gummy stared from his pet bed.

“Twilight got hurt today, so she probably needs her rest, and I bet Rainbow Dash is staying over tonight. The way she was holding Twilight’s hoof...”

Pinkie walked to her dresser and opened the drawer. She didn't even smile at the puff of confetti that flew in her face, such was her mood. She removed her date planner and jumped on her bed.

"It looks like Rarity's is a no go. She has the Cutie Mark Crusaders for a sleepover, and I’m sure I would just make things worse."

She flipped back a few pages to check her last prospect. “I had a night with Applejack a week and a half ago.”

Pinkie closed the book sadly. The sound of distant thunder caught her ears, drawing her eyes to the window. A few stray droplets of water hit the glass as a precursor to the storm scheduled that night.

“Even if I wanted to go to Applejack’s, I’d never make it before the rain comes,” Pinkie mumbled.

She looked at the alligator, who seemed rather unaffected by everything going on. “What do you think Gummy?”

Unblinking eyes answered her question.

“And just how is bungee jumping out of a balloon going to solve anything?” Pinkie scoffed. She reached down and grabbed the reptile, pulling him onto the bed with her.

“Looks like it’s just you and me tonight, Gummy.”

Twilight let the damp towel fall to the floor haphazardly. She peered at herself in the mirror to judge her mane. While it wasn’t quite up to her standards, she quickly decided it was good enough. Especially considering what she had just gone through.

“I’m sure Rainbow Dash won’t mind. It’s not like she’s going to sit down and style her mane before coming over." She walked out of her bathroom and through her bedroom, hoping she had been quicker than usual with her shower. Sitting on the floor in the main area of the library was Rainbow Dash, her coat and mane pretty much normal.

“Hey Twilight. Trying out a new mane style?” Rainbow laughed.

“Haha. No, I just didn't want to brush my hair too much with these stitches up there,” Twilight lied. “How did you get cleaned up so quickly, anyway?”

“Best part about being a pegasus, fly through a couple clouds and kick up the speed and it's like taking a shower in seconds,” Rainbow said, flapping her wings.

“And your mane?”

“That’s the best part about being me. This baby is low maintenance. I never really have to brush it.”

Twilight smiled. “Come on, let’s go lay down. I’m so sore right now.”

Rainbow flapped up from the main room into the bedroom. She waited until Twilight was seated and comfortable before joining her on the bed.

Rainbow looked to Twilight and reached towards the wound on her head, but the unicorn immediately flinched.

“Easy, I’m not gonna touch it. I just want to see it.”

Twilight slowly lowered her head to let Rainbow have a look. She felt the pegasus part her mane until she found it.

“Eeesh. That’s a good one, alright. Your first time having stitches, I bet,” Rainbow wagered.

“Yeah... it feels weird, and kinda gross.”

“There’s nothing to it. Pretty soon you won’t even know it’s there.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.

“Until it’s time to take them out.”

The unicorn’s eyes flew open again.

Rainbow laughed and waved her hoof dismissively. “Just kidding! It’s not like you have anything to worry about anyway, having magic and all.”

Twilight relaxed. “I guess you're right.”

Silence took hold as they awkwardly stared at each other.

“So... what do you want to do?” Twilight asked.

“Why don't we talk a bit more tonight? I’m sure there’s something we don’t know about each other yet.

Twilight grinned at the pegasus. “That’s funny, you don’t normally strike me as the talking type,” she teased.

“Normally I'm not, but I need to work on my wings tonight. These babies don’t take care of themselves, ya know,” Rainbow said, flapping one of her wings.

“Your wings, huh?” Twilight reached over to grab the other free wing, only to have Rainbow pull it away.

“Woah, woah, woah. I’ve got to take care of this myself.”

The unicorn moved in, slower and more deliberate. “It’s okay, Rainbow. I can help you with them.”

“No, you don’t understand,” The pegasus protested.

“Rainbow, I’ve read lots of books about pegasi and their wings. I know what I’m doing.”

Rainbow's eyes widened. “Y-you have?”

“Of course I have. I wouldn’t work on your wing if I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Rainbow slowly opened her wings allowing them to spread fully. She still seemed apprehensive about the arrangement.

“I... I can trust you with this... right?"

Twilight gently placed her hoof on Rainbow’s right wing, causing the pegasus to flinch.

“I promise I won't hurt you.”

Rainbow nodded and laid down on the floor. Twilight gently grabbed the feathery appendage with her magic and started identifying the various pieces that, in all, made up the marvel which allowed a pegasus to fly.

“So, Rainbow, what did you want to talk about?”

“Have you... ever had a crush on sompony before?”

“Not really,” Twilight answered as she picked out a damaged feather. “Most of the unicorns I knew growing up weren't interested in somepony like me. I was too busy studying as Celestia's student.”

“So being a student of th- ahhhh...”

“Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?” Twilight asked, stopping her work.

“No, It’s... it's alright. Wings are just... very sensitive.”

“Oh yeah, I read that. I guess I didn't realise how sensitive.”

“Imagine the best massage you've ever gotten at the spa, and multiply it by ten.'

“That good, huh?”

Rainbow nodded. “As I was saying. What does a student of the princess do anyway?”

“Whatever she wants, really. If she were to go on a goodwill visit, she would usually ask me to compile a list of relevant information, like what a town is known for, or what a certain area’s customs are. Before I came to Ponyville, I had a feeling she might have lost faith in me.”

Rainbow laughed. “Really? Lost faith in you? You must be the best student ever! What made you think that?”

“She kept urging me to take a vacation and socialize with other ponies. She started giving me assignments that were of little to no use to anypony,” Twilight said as she straightened the pinions on Rainbow’s wing.

“No use to anypony? Whaddya mean?”.

“My last assignment before being sent to Ponyville was to catalog the stages and effects of paint drying.”

“Really? That seems kinda... dumb.”

“To her credit, she did order the workers to paint her personal quarters after I filed my report. Did you know painting your room a dark shade of blue, black, or purple can cause depression?”

Rainbow snickered. “I do now. How exactly did she try to make you ‘socialize’?”

“Well, the assignment before drying paint was for me to study the effects of the receiving of gifts on other ponies, and the ponies in question happened to be ponies from my class.”

“Wow, no points for subtlety on that one.”

Twilight sighed as she shifted her attention to Rainbow’s other wing. “It went straight over my head. I wrote every single detail down. Everything from the facial muscles that engaged when the gift is first opened, to the reactions to various gifts that may or may not match a pony's interest.”

“Sounds like you just didn’t know how to turn off,” Rainbow suggested.

“I was... dumb,” Twilight admitted.

“Dumb?” Rainbow asked incredulously. “How could somepony in charge of a library be dumb? Actually, scratch that. How could Princess Celestia’s prized student be dumb?”

Twilight lowered her head in shame. “Not dumb, intelligence wise. I was just so caught up in my studies, I couldn't see the forest for the trees. All of that time wasted just because I told myself I was too busy.”

Twilight felt Rainbow’s hoof gently lifting her chin. “Hey, you're here now. You see what you were missing before, your studies have come further than they ever have, and you got me now. That has to count for something.”

Twilight gently grabbed Rainbow’s hoof. “Yeah, I guess you're right, but I still have so much responsibility. I mean, if I had bothered to follow Pinkie when she blurted out the legend of the mirror pool, I could've saved us all a lot of work and we never would have risked losing her. Instead, I just went back to studying magic.”

“Maybe you're right,” Rainbow conceded. “But if you had stopped her, Pinkie never would have learned how to handle only being with one of us at a time, and it sure made for a sappy scene later.”

“I know, I know, you're right,” Twilight admitted.

“Good, now you can get back to my wing,” Rainbow said, turning back to let the unicorn resume her work.

Both ponies sat in silence while Twilight diligently worked on the pegasus' wings.

“Apart from being a Wonderbolt, what do you have planned for the future?”

“Hmmmmm. Ya know, I haven't really thought about it. I live my life day to day.”

“So... where would something like marriage fit into that?” Twilight questioned.

“It doesn't, at least... not yet. How about you?” Rainbow asked, spinning the question back.

“Me? I'd like to someday. I just don't know if I can,” Twilight said.

“What? Why not?”

“I have responsibilities and duties, Rainbow. Marriage and-I can't believe I’m saying this-foals take up a lot of time. I don't think it's something Princess Celestia would allow.”

Rainbow laughed. “Are you kidding? The princess wouldn't have a problem with it at all. I bet she would be the first one to congratulate you.”

“Maybe,” Twilight mumbled.

Silence took hold again while Twilight worked in concentration. After what felt like a minute or two, she let go of the pegasus' wing, which instinctively folded and unfolded a few times.

“Ya know, I don't think I could have done a better job myself,” Rainbow said, working the feathery appendages.

“I'm glad you approve,” Twilight said. Her mind off the task and now free to roam, she suddenly felt tired and yawned deeply.

“Let me show you what else this baby can do.” Rainbow extended her wing around Twilight and gently pulled her down to the bed.

The soft feathers moved in tandem, forming a super soft, but firm blanket around her. The feeling, the sensation, the comfort of the gesture made Twilight smile.

“Rainbow... you're making it awfully difficult to want to move.”

The pegasus leaned into Twilight’s ear. “Who says I want either of us to move? Maybe this is exactly how I want to sleep tonight,” Rainbow teased.

Twilight wrapped her own foreleg around Rainbow’s neck.

“Who am I to argue?” The unicorn's eyes closed from exhaustion as she lay on the bed. Twilight buried her head in Rainbow’s chest, feeling the gentle thumping of her heart. She sighed happily as sleep overcame her.

Applejack ambled down the stairs to the living room, trying to keep her eyes closed so that sleep might come easier when she went back to bed.

“Confounded varmints must be roughhousing tonight.” She walked to the living room window to peer out and spot whatever made the thumping noise that stirred her in the first place.

She scanned the yard as best as she could through the sheets of rain and saw nothing out of the ordinary. She was just about to chalk it up to the wind, when she heard the same thumping noise again.

“That sounded like it came from the door.”

Applejack grabbed a shovel, leaning by the door just in case, and slowly opened it, prepared to attack whatever was on the other side. The tool clattered to the ground when she saw what it was.

“P-Pinkie Pie?”

Standing on her front step was the pink pony. Her mane drooped around her head, though Applejack wasn't sure if it was due to the rain, or the obviously distressed look on the pony's face.

“Hey Applejack. I know this is sudden, but... can I stay over tonight?” the pink pony asked above the din of the rain.

Applejack reached out and pulled her inside without a second thought to the water pouring off her.

“Landsakes, girl! You tryin ta catch a death of cold? Get in here!”

Applejack wasted no time in grabbing a blanket off the back of her couch, and wrapping it tightly around her.

“Come on, let’s go get you cleaned up and dried off. Then y’all can tell me why you thought it’d be a good idea to come all this way in the pouring rain.”

When the cowpony received no answer except a slow and sad nod, she knew something was wrong.

Not a big deal

A chill ran down Twilight’s body. Her eyes slowly opened to find out what happened to her precious wing blanket, only to see a note in the spot where Rainbow had once laid upon her bed.

Her horn glowed with a red aura as she pulled the note closer to read:

Hey, sorry to leave you hanging, but I had to go early to help the weather team clear out the storm. Last night was pretty cool, I hope we can do it much more often.

Rainbow Dash

Next to Rainbow’s name, a little heart had been drawn. Not very neatly, but cute nonetheless.

Twilight gently placed the note on her nightstand and jumped off the bed while a replay of last night’s events rolled through her mind. Having another pony sleep with her through the night was equal parts exciting and comforting; addictive, even. Feeling Rainbow’s body heat near her, and listening to her soft heartbeat caused her emotions to bubble up all over again. She scarcely had time to react when Spike let out a sleepy groan.

“Morning, Twilight,” the baby dragon muttered through a yawn.

“Good morning, Spike. I was just about to step out for a bite to eat. You can sleep in if you want. I could pick you up something for lunch if-”

Twilight was interrupted before she could finish her sentence by Spike’s quiet snoring. She couldn’t help but smile at him, already out and deaf to the world. Twilight giggled and beelined for the bathroom to clean herself up a bit before walking out into Ponyville.

Save for a slightly smoky smell that lingered in the air, Ponyville appeared to be back to normal. Walking through the peaceful street, it seemed impossible that this town could have faced such a dire situation yesterday.

And yet, it did. The slight throbbing from the stitches on her head served as a constant reminder of the danger everyone face head-on. Literally, in Twilight’s case.

She scarcely made it halfway to Sugarcube Corner, where she intended to pick up some donuts, before somepony called out to her.

"Twilight! Yoohoo!”

She spotted Rarity and Fluttershy seated at a table in front of one of Ponyville's finer restaurants.

“Hey girls, what are you two doing?” she asked, walking over to meet them.

“Rarity and I were about to order some lunch. We just got back from the spa,” Fluttershy explained.

“Indeed. It was absolutely marvelous as usual, and dare I say necessary after that awful business yesterday. Why don’t you join us?“ Rarity suggested.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Twilight said, taking a seat.

“Oh waiter!” Rarity called out, flagging down their server who promptly trotted over to the table.

“Our friend will be joining us. Might we get another menu?”

“Certainly, madame,” the waiter replied, placing a menu on the table. He quickly produced a notepad as well. “And what would you like to drink?”

“Do you carry coconut milk?”

“Yes, madame.”

“Then that’ll do,” Twilight said with a smile.

The server nodded and took off.

Rarity took a dainty sip of her tea and cleared her throat. “So, Twilight, how are you feeling today?”

“Pretty good actually, aside from a minor headache,” Twilight said, pointing to her head.

Rarity dipped her head shamefully. “I’m so sorry. I should have kept watch on you like I was supposed to. I was just so focused on carrying the nest that I didn’t want to drop any of the eggs.”

“Oh, it's fine. Just a small bump on the head, that's all,” Twilight assured her.

“Featherfall wanted me to thank you, too. She’s so glad her nest is safe. In fact, she said if you ever get married, she’ll sing for you at your wedding,” Fluttershy chimed in.

“Who?”

Fluttershy blushed. “The bird whose nest you rescued...”

“Oh. I’m just glad everypony got out of there safely,” Twilight replied.

“Howdy y’all!”

All three ponies turned their attention to the cowpony strolling their way.

“Hey, Applejack. How’s business at the apple stand?” Twilight asked.

“It’s goin’ pretty good, Ah gotta say. What are y'all up to? Grabbin’ some lunch?”

Rarity nodded. “That's the idea. Care to join us?”

Applejack smiled and hopped in one of the chairs. “Well shoot, I’d love to! How’s that bump on yer head doin, Sugarcube?”

Twilight touched the spot gingerly, wincing as pain emanated to the surrounding areas. ”Are you worried about me or the bump?” she asked with a smile.

“At least it ain’t affected your sense of humor. Didn’t see Rainbow Dash go home yesterday. I don’t suppose you know where she was last night, do ya?” Applejack teased playfully.

“Maybe...” Twilight said, letting her voice trail off.

“Oh look!” Fluttershy pointed upwards.

A multi colored blur sped through the sky, pulled a few loops and headed straight for their table. Everypony braced for impact.

A moment later, Rainbow gently touched down next to them.

“Geez, I understand Fluttershy being antsy, but the rest of you have no excuse. I don’t crash that often... do I?”

“Just a force of habit, my dear.” Rarity laughed nervously.

“Hey there, Rainbow. You wanna join us for lunch?” Applejack offered. “Ah mean, if that’s alright with the girls here.”

The other three ponies each nodded in agreement. Rainbow smiled and took a seat across from Twilight.

“So, how about that fire yesterday? Did we stomp that thing out or what?” Rainbow said, exchanging a hoofbump with Applejack.”

“Darn tootin!”

“So Rainbow Dash... you and Twilight seem to be getting along fairly well,” Rarity prodded.

A slight blush crossed the blue pegasus' face. “You could say that. She’s pretty cool.”

Twilight blushed as well.

“Are y’all plannin’ on goin to another fancy restaurant or something anytime soon?”

“Well... I dunno about a fancy restaurant or anything, but I do have a little something planned,” Rainbow said with a sly grin.

“Oh? Maybe that cozy little diner behind the stadium in Cloudsdale?” Rarity suggested.

“You mean The Feathered Mane? How do you know about that place?” Rainbow asked

“I read all about it in a magazine article detailing the fifty most romantic places to dine in Equestria,” Rarity explained.

“Sounds like you two really hit it off,” Applejack said.

Twilight felt self-conscious. The doubts she had been harboring bubbled up to the surface making her nervous. “Girls, you’re making this into a bigger thing than it is. Rainbow and I are just very good friends right now.”

Rainbow seemed momentarily taken aback. “Well, very, very good friends,” she added.

“No offense, Twilight, but somepony saw you and Rainbow together at the festival and it seemed a bit more than ‘very good friends’.”

“It’s really not a big deal, girls. We’ve just been spending some time together.”

Rainbows eyes narrowed. “Not a big deal? Last night was kind of important, I’d say...”

“Last night?” Rarity asked.

“Just what did y’all get up to?” Applejack asked suggestively.

Twilight sighed. “You guys, it’s no big deal! I just preened Rainbow’s wings, that's all.”

Fluttershy squealed in terror as her own wings locked up.

Two hooves slammed onto the table. Their owner bore a furious scowl. Everypony present shrank back, except Applejack.

“Not a big deal? Not, a big, deal!” Rainbow's hooves moved under the table.

“Rainbow Dash! She ain’t the only pony at this here table, so you better think before you go flippin’ it!” Applejack warned.

Rainbow thought it over. She placed her shaking hooves back on top of the table. “How in the hay could you say that wasn’t a big deal, or the kiss at the festival, or the flower on my door?” Rainbow demanded.

“Th-the flower?” Twilight asked.

“Darnit, Rainbow. The flower... the flower wasn’t from Twilight. It was from Pinkie Pie,” Applejack explained.

Rainbow's face fell into genuine shock. “Pink… Pinkie Pie? Huh? What do you mean?”

“She showed up at my door last night and explained the whole thing. She’s had a crush on ya for a while now. It’s why she’s been actin’ so funny lately, seeing you and Twi here together.”

Rainbow seemed to visibly falter at Applejack’s information. Her eyes quickly flew back to Twilight.

“No big deal, huh? So that’s what you think of us?”

“No, that's not what I meant...” Twilight pleaded.

“Well it’s what you said! I let you work on my wings! You were just stringing me along the whole time, weren’t you?

Fluttershy looked at Twilight with sheer, abject horror. “That’s awful!”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, Fluttershy, this is my fault. You were right, Applejack. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard for this in the first place. I’m outta here.”

“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight called out to her, but the pegasus took off like a shot. She stared as the rainbow blur disappeared into the sky. Her eyes fell back to the table as an orange hoof slipped around her foreleg.

“You and me, missy, at the library. Now!”

Twilight nodded and numbly followed Applejack away from the table, and her shocked friends.

“That no good stinkin’ egghead!” Rainbow fumed. She kicked through three clouds hanging high above Ponyville.

“Of all of the rotten, sleazy, horrible things she could’ve done, she had to go and string me along!”

Four more clouds fell to Rainbow’s vicious kicks.

“I’m Rainbow Dash! I don’t need some nerd who doesn’t know the difference between a inverse loop and an immelman!” she ranted as she tore through three other clouds.

No matter how hard she tried though, she couldn’t keep the anger flowing. Her energy faded, forcing her to find a cloud to rest on.

The flapping of another pegasus' wings caught her ear.

“Yeah, what is it?” she snapped without looking toward the pony.

“I-I saw you busting clouds boss. I th-thought maybe you forgot there's supposed to be a thunderstorm tonight,” Cloudkicker stuttered.

“I... I just got carried away. We'll have it ready later. Anything else you wanted to pester me with?”

“N-no boss, I’ll be on my way.”

Rainbow’s head hit the cloud pathetically. She felt her eyes watering against her will. She suddenly realized any pegasus like Cloudkicker flying by could catch her like this and decided to slink into the cloud beneath her.

“Like I ever had a chance with somepony like her...”

“Are ya naive, or just plain stupid?” Applejack exclaimed slamming the library door behind her.

Twilight bristled. “Try neither! You want to tell me why I’m the villain here? I’m not the one who pestered somepony into forcing them to go out with Rainbow in the first place!”

“No, but y’all certainly are the one who just trampled all over her heart like a buckin’ bronco! She may be a bit thick at times and none the least modest, but she’s got a heart, Twilight! T’aint fair you go stompin’ all over it!”

Twilight scoffed. “Oh right, because I didn’t give her a flower for some festival designed for foals and lovesick ponies, I’m automatically the bad pony here.”

Applejack put her hoof to her face. “Consarn it, Twilight. This ain’t bout no stupid flower! This is about foolin’ with her wings and spittin’ on her in front of everypony!”

“Her... her wings?”

Applejack glared at the unicorn and slammed her hooves on the table, causing Twilight to jump. “Yes, her wings! If y'all didn’t like her ta begin with, why’d ya go fooling with her wings?”

Twilight slammed her hooves down as well and returned Applejack’s glare. “She said they needed to be worked on, I worked on them. End. Of. Story!”

Applejack eyed Twilight suspiciously. “Y'all mean to tell me that Rainbow Dash just sat down and asked you ta work on her wings, just like that?”

“W-well, it didn’t go exactly like that,” the unicorn stuttered.

“Well how did it go?” Applejack urged.

Twilight mentally dug through last night’s events. “Rainbow said she needed to work on her wings. I offered to work on them. She seemed afraid I would mess them up, but I’ve read lots of books on pegasus anatomy. I promised I wouldn’t hurt her and she let me work on them.”

Applejack smashed her head on the table. “Twilight, only you could be so smart, and yet so stupid all at the same time. You’ve read books on pegasus anatomy, but have you read a single one about pegasus relationships?”

Twilight’s eyes grew wide. “Ummm, no...”

Applejack took a heavy breath. “Well, iff’n ya had, you’d know that pegasi don’t let just anypony preen their wings. They only let ponies they could see living a life with fool with their wings!”

Rainbow’s reluctance, the horror on Fluttershy’s face when she first said it; everything made sense now. “Oh, by Luna’s moon, what have I done?”

Applejack seated herself at the table opposite of Twilight. “Not much, just implied that Rainbow is easy in public, accidentally made yerself look like a heartless mare, and possibly made an enemy of the Element of Loyalty.”

Twilight’s head hit the table sadly. “Applejack, please…”

Applejack sighed. “I’m... I’m sorry. That was a bit harsh, wasn’t it?”

“She’s right, Applejack. I was sort of stringing her along. I figured she would see how boring I was and just... lose interest,” Twilight explained

“Didn’t turn out that way, did it?”

Twilight shook her head. “She really did like me. Me of all ponies. Why would she like me?”

“She liked you, but are ya really tellin’ me ya don’t feel nothing for her, either?”

Twilight stared at the table numbly, trying to put aside the truth her heart kept trying to make her see. “Having somepony around who likes you for who you are, somepony who wanted to spend time with me... it was... nice.”

Applejack scoffed. “Nice? Nice is when somepony holds a door open for ya, or shares an umbrella with ya. That sounds a heckuva a lot more than ‘nice.’”

“I guess it was... but I just can’t start a serious relationship. I have a duty to the Princess, to Equestria. I can’t just drop my responsibilities for my own selfish reasons,” Twilight said out loud, trying to convince herself more than Applejack.

“I just have one question for ya, Sugarcube.”

“Hmmm?”

“Have ya ever asked the Princess if she was okay with ya havin a life?”

Twilight sat in silence for a moment. “It’s not that simple. Relationships are a distraction. Before I came to Ponyville, I spent all of my time studying, going through various books, and compiling data. Now if I had somepony else there, I would never have figured out that Nightmare Moon would return! We would have been caught unprepared and without a hope, instead of unprepared and a tiny bit of information to chase.

"So what yer saying is, you comin' to Ponyville, your finding the Elements of Harmony, and us all being friends instead of living in an eternal night is all your doin'?"

“Uh, well, I, uh...” Twilight stammered.

“And you don’t think fer one second, that the Princess didn’t have this planned from the get-go?”

The unicorn thought back to that day. It all seemed a bit of a blur, not helped much by the fact it had been so long ago.

“I guess they did have the chariot prepared rather quickly...”

Applejack wrapped a reassuring foreleg around the unicorn’s neck. ”We’re your friends. Trust that we’ll have yer back. Like you told me, you can’t do everything on your own.”

Twilight pushed Applejack away gently. “No. I was the only one who saw through Chrysalis' disguise. I’m sorry, but it’s better this way. I can’t let something as trivial as a relationship endanger the entirety of Equestria.”

Applejack let out a heavy sigh. “Well, if that's what you want... I’ll go see if I can calm Rainbow down a bit and explain that ya didn’t know what you were doin.”

Twilight smiled briefly. “Thanks, Applejack, but I can’t exactly blame her for being mad right now. Just... let her know how sorry I am, alright?”

"Will do, Twi," Applejack said, walking to the door.

Twilight’s mind raced as the earth pony left shutting the door behind her. It seemed like this whole dating thing had just started, and she had already found a way to ruin it. The gears started turning in her head, and Twilight knew exactly what she needed to do. In a fashion that might seem random to anypony else, books from all over the library flew toward her, collecting in a orderly pile before her.

“Uh, Twilight?”

“Yeah, Spike?” She asked without turning around.

“Is everything... okay between you and Rainbow Dash?” he asked, dodging a book flying past him.

“I... I don’t know, Spike. I just don’t know.”

The last cupcake of the day left the display case by means of a pink hoof. Pinkie tossed the treat into the air and caught it in her mouth. Her tongue quickly separated the paper from the cupcake and spat it out in a split second.

“Mmmmm! Bubblegum flavor!”

The earth pony quickly set her mind back at the task at hoof, wiping the display case clean. She scrubbed and scrubbed the windows until they made that unmistakably squeaky-clean sound she loved so much. The sound of a job well done. Outside, the rain fell in thick sheets, punctuated only by the occasional roll of thunder.

Pinkie dropped her cloth at the sudden knocking on the front door. She was sure she flipped the sign to closed before she started cleaning, but who in their right mind would be out in the middle of a thunderstorm at this time of night?

Maybe I shouldn’t answer it. It could be a timberwolf that’s lived with ponies for all it’s life and suddenly decided it wants to eat them instead, and it’s chosen me as it’s first victim!

The knocking came again.

Or maybe it’s some poor pony lost in the rain who needs help...

Pinkie opened the door cautiously, revealing a very wet pegasus with a lotus blossom.

“Rainbow Dash?”

The pegasus seemed upset, not her usual self. It was easy to tell something was off.

“Hey, Pinkie... Applejack told me what you did, about the flower... about how you feel...”

Pinkie played with her hoof nervously. “She... she did?”

Rainbow slowly nodded. “I’d like to talk with you... if you don’t mind, that is...”

“Hold on a minute, Rainbow!”

Pinkie slammed the door abruptly and grabbed a nearby picture.

“Yes, yes, yes! Thank you so so so so so so much Applejack! You are the greatest!” she said, hugging a picture of the earth pony for all she was worth. She tossed it to the side and opened the door again.

“C’mon in Rainbow! We can talk as long as you want!”

Everypony wins

Spike lay in bed, uncharacteristically unable to sleep. He drifted off now and again, but his mind kept drifting back. He looked over to the still-empty bed and groaned. It wasn't really unusual for Twilight to go to bed late or work through the night, but this time he knew the reasons for it were different.

He silently crept out of his bed and looked through the cracked door. Twilight was hard at work, filling a page with notes far too complex for him to understand. He’d known Twilight his entire life, and knew she’d never admit something was wrong.

He quietly tiptoed to the desk, pulled out a parchment and quill, and started writing.

A cold sensation awoke the librarian from her sleep. Her right foreleg was alight with pain. She realized that she had fallen asleep on it, and now it tingled in a rather unpleasant way. She shook the numb limb until blood flow returned.

Looking out the window, she could see that morning had come and gone. She couldn’t remember exactly when she had fallen asleep, but the afternoon sun peeking through her window gave a clear indication of how much time she’d lost. She licked her dry lips and looked over the work she had completed last night, which consisted of almost complete star charts and calculations for the next month, which only needed a few more additions before they could be sent to the castle.

I wonder if Applejack has had a chance to talk with Rainbow.

With that, her train of thought derailed. She wondered if the pegasus hated her guts, or if she understood Twilight's honest mistake of not doing quite enough research. Truth be told, if she were in Rainbow’s position, she wasn't sure she could forgive herself either.

Twilight shook her head abruptly, snapping out of her speculation. She calmly lifted up her quill and resumed her work on the star charts.

Two ponies sat opposite each other at a table in Sugarcube Corner. Fresh milkshakes sat on each side.

“Are you sure about this, Rainbow?” Pinkie felt torn. On one hoof, she had to weigh her friendship with Twilight. On the other, her feelings for the pegasus. There just wasn't a right answer. Her stomach felt like it had tied itself in knots.

“I'm sure, Pinkie. As sure as I am of anything.”

“You don't think Twilight will get upset with us?”

Rainbow fell quiet for a moment before breaking the silence. “Well... maybe, but I think she'll get over it kind of quick.”

Pinkie hugged the pegasus. “Okay then. I'll do it! But only because you mean so much to me.”

Rainbow gave a glowing smile. “Thanks, Pinkie.”

Pinkie loved her smile. It shined as bright as the colors of her tail, and as strong as the kicks she cleared the clouds with.

She would do anything to see Rainbow wear that smile.

The sun had fallen again, and Spike once more stared at an empty bed.

Apart from working on the star charts, Twilight did little else that day. She ate no food, barely drank any water, and skipped her morning and evening baths.

As he watched her tirelessly scribbling away, Spike wanted to run in there, knock her out, and drag her to bed by the tail.

Well, he would have, but he didn't want to be scolded for being up late.

He opted instead to turn on his side and try for sleep again.

Twilight sat behind a desk made for fillies. She hastily wrote out the tax code for Fillydelphia’s upcoming revision.

Celestia spoke in a stern voice. “Being a student of mine means hard work, dedication...”

Another completed sheet went into the stack. Twilight grabbed another and continued where she left off.

“...And sacrifice,” she finished.

The words rang in the unicorn’s head while she did her task on autopilot. She filled another sheet with meaningless jargon, and grabbed another from the stack.

“You understand, don't you, Twilight? This is the way it has to be.”

Another completed sheet down. She grabbed another and set to work on it.

“It's easier this way. No need to think about social interactions, or courting rituals. Those silly problems just take our focus away from what really matters.”

Twilight completed another sheet and moved on in her endless pile.

“What if an asteroid is on a collision course with Equestria? How will we know unless ponies like you do their part?”

Another sheet down.

“You must’ve made a mistake somewhere,” the alicorn posited. “Are you sure you did it all correctly?”

Twilight bit her lip. She stared at the enormous pile of papers stacked almost as tall as her. She impulsively grabbed the last one and started proofing her work.

“Is this really how you see her?”

Twilight looked to the desk beside her and gasped. “Princess Luna! W-what do you mean?”

“Look around you, Twilight Sparkle,” the princess commanded.

Twilight did as she was told. She recognized the room as her old classroom from Magic Kindergarten. Fillies and colts busied themselves with painting and rudimentary magic tricks like levitating fruit.

“This... this isn't real...”

Luna smiled. “Very observant. This is not real. It is a construct of your mind. You are, indeed, asleep.”

“So... it’s a dream.”

“I'm not sure if writing tax code endlessly appeals to you, but for anypony else, this is a nightmare. You still haven't answered my question. Is this how you see her?”

“See who?” Twilight asked, feigning ignorance.

“I'm referring to this flagrantly poor representation of Our sister.”

Now that she knew it was a dream, Twilight could see that the persona her mind had chosen for Celestia had been poor, indeed. Her mane consisted of washed out colors. She wore sharp, almost war-like armor, and her eyes glowed with an unnatural red tint.

“N-no. That isn't the Princess Celestia I know...”

“Then why do you see her as such?” Luna asked, placing a comforting hoof on Twilight’s back.

“I... I don't know.”

“It’s easier, isn't it?”

“Huh?”

Luna sighed. “It’s easier to avoid relationships, isn't it? There’s so much fuss and bother that go into them. It’s a lot easier just to bury yourself in work, isn't it?”

Twilight nodded sadly. Of course... this is Luna's realm. She could read her like a book. “I... I’m afraid. What if I mess something up? What if I say the wrong thing, and we can't look at each other anymore?”

“Say the wrong thing? You mean something like accidentally implying that Rainbow Dash is a desperate mare?”

“Yeah... something like that,” Twilight said, lowering her head slowly.

“So we are referring to fear, then. Tell me, were you not afraid when you confronted me?”

“Well, yes...”

“What about when the wretched queen of the changelings accumulated enough power to lay our sister low?”

Twilight remained silent.

“And what of the Crystal Empire? When you sat in that dark crystal cage and saw Spike fleeing the encroaching darkness, was there no fear in your heart?”

“S-sure I was afraid,” Twilight admitted.

“But you didn't back down. A threat to all we know and hold dear, and Twilight Sparkle charges forwards. Yet the moment love comes into play, she buries herself in paperwork.”

Twilight put her head on the desk and covered it shamefully with her hooves. “Pretty much.”

Luna stood up. “Then you have all the answers you need. You should seek the advice of Our sister. I believe she can guide you more directly. As for me, all I can do is show you what you don't want to see, what you refuse to acknowledge.”

Twilight looked up from her desk to where Celestia once stood. In her place, she saw a taller version of herself with the same red tinted eyes, glaring down at her menacingly.

Luna’s voice cut through the silence of the classroom. “Until you face the doubt in yourself, you will not move on. You must confront the fear in yourself!” Luna commanded.

Twilight turned back in time to see her clone’s jaw open ominously and leap at her, swallowing her whole in darkness.

Twilight sat upright in her chair, sending scrolls rolling off her desk in every direction. The spoils of her work lay bare for her to see.

I have to talk to Rainbow. I have to make this right, she resolved.

As she got up, an unpleasant odor hit her nose. She sniffed the air curiously until she realized where it was coming from. "Whew... actually, I think I need a bath first."

She quickly gathered the completed scrolls into a bin to send to the castle later and headed for the bathroom to clean up.

About an hour later, Twilight stepped outside of the library and into the noon sunlight. At first, she just wanted to clean up and be done with it, but also felt it necessary to ease Spike’s worry by drinking a glass of orange juice and eating an apple.

Although she was pretty hungry...

She didn’t like losing the extra time, though. Now Rainbow might be at lunch, or even worse, done for the day, making her even harder to track down. She stood in front of the library, trying to imagine where the pegasus might be at this very moment.

The unicorn nearly leapt out of her skin as a peal of thunder exploded right behind her. Two ponies started giggling while she tried to bring her heartbeat under control.

“Hehehehehe. Oh, that was great!”

“Sure was, Pinks!”

Twilight turned to face Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Pinkie, who had apparently been hiding beside the library, fell into a fit of laughter. Rainbow, perched atop a cloud directly over the tree, cackled as well.

“Heh, nice one you two. I was just on my way to find you, Rainbow...”

The pegasus buzzed down to the ground and hopped out of her cloud. “Hey, uhhh, Applejack explained everything. She told me how sorry you were, and that you didn’t know what was going on. As far as I’m concerned, we’re cool.”

Twilight blinked in utter disbelief. She had expected some screaming, shouting, maybe a lecture about being too much of a bookworm, but not outright dismissal.

“So… you aren't upset at all about... about what happened, and the whole stringing you along bit?”

Rainbow's eyes flared for a moment.

“Ooh, ooh! Tell her Dashie! Tell her, tell her!” Pinkie exclaimed while hopping in place.

“Tell me what?” Twilight asked, curious as to exactly what she wasn’t privy to.

“Well, Applejack didn't tell me just about the whole book misunderstanding. She also told me it was Pinks here who left the flower on my door. I thought it was crazy at first, but she told me Pinkie’s had her eye on me for awhile now. So last night I showed up at her door. We talked ‘till morning, and now we're dating! Ain't that right, Pinks?”

Pinkie brushed her fluffy mane against Rainbow affectionately. “That’s right, Dashie! We've got so many fun dates planned, like baking and pranking and ziplining! It’s gonna be stupenderiffic fun!” she finished with a hop.

Just like that, everything came to a screeching halt. An awful feeling arose from the pit of Twilight’s stomach. She didn't know if it was the devil-may-care manner in which they announced their newly formed relationship, or the public nuzzling they were giving each other, but Twilight was sure of one thing: it didn't sit right with her.

“So... so soon?”

Pinkie Pie immediately jumped forward defensively. “You mean so soon after you dumped her?”

“Easy, Pinkie,” Rainbow said, pulling her back by the tail. “I've forgiven her. Just calm down.”

The pink mare did just that and leaned into Rainbow's side lovingly. “You're right, Dashie. I'm sorry, Twilight, I was just being a jerk. Please don’t be mad!”

Twilight didn't know what she was feeling, mostly because she was feeling so many emotions at once. Though she cycled through many, the one that kept coming up was regret. She regretted taking Rainbow for granted, while somepony like Pinkie Pie waited patiently in the wings. She regretted keeping that little distance between herself and the pegasus, not willing to put herself truly out there.

And deep down in her heart, she regretted letting Rainbow go in the first place.

“Uh oh, she’s not talking. I think she is mad...” Pinkie said, letting her voice trail off.

“No... no I'm not, Pinkie,” Twilight finally answered. “I think it's great you two are together.”

Smiles returned to her friends’ faces, while her own grew dimmer.

“I need to get some things from the shops. I'll see you girls around later?” Twilight asked.

“Sure thing!” Rainbow replied.

“Uh-huh!”

Twilight left them at that, intent on making her escape so she could get her shopping done.

This is perfect Rainbow gets to be with somepony who deserves it, and Pinkie gets to have her crush. This is exactly what I wanted...

Isn't it?

Twilight closed the door behind her softly. Despite the gentle ease with which she had done so, Spike still heard her enter.

“Hey Twilight, how’d it go with you and Rainbow Dash?”

The unicorn simply cantered over to the table and kicked her saddlebags off. “Applejack explained everything. Rainbow forgave me right off the bat... after trying to scare my mane off.”

“The old thundercloud trick, huh? I thought it was odd, hearing thunder on a clear day right after you left. So... are you two dating again? Because I kinda enjoyed hanging with Rarity lately.”

Twilight sighed. “No, Spike. It turns out Pinkie Pie had a crush on her... way longer than me, it seems. Now they're dating.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Pinkie Pie... and Rainbow Dash?”

A pause fell over the library, and Twilight wondered if she should go lie down, or maybe do some research.

“Isn't it a little soon for Rainbow to be dating? I mean, you two were just-”

“No, Spike. It’s perfect. Now I don't have to worry about juggling my responsibilities with a relationship, and Pinkie Pie gets to be with Rainbow Dash. Everypony wins.”

“But Twi-”

“I'm gonna go lie down, Spike. If somepony needs a book, help them out, will you?” the unicorn interrupted, walking to her bedroom.

She didn't look back as the bedroom door closed behind her. For a moment, she stared at the desk, pondering what lesson she could make of the situation.

Nothing to write about, really...

Twilight hopped on her bed and closed her eyes.

Singled out

"Are y'all sure she's home?” Applejack asked as she knocked on the door.

“You heard what Spike said. She hasn’t left the library in a week. I doubt she chose this particular moment to venture outside.”

“Yeah, I get’cha, Rarity.”

The library door cracked open.

“Who is it?” replied a small voice from inside.

“Howdy Twi!” Applejack answered. “It’s just me, Rarity and Fluttershy here. We were hoping we could talk to you for a few minutes.”

The door slowly opened, revealing a purple unicorn with a messy mane and tired eyes. It was easy to see that she had neglected some basic maintenance.

“C-can we come in?” Fluttershy stuttered.

Twilight bit her lip nervously. “Sure, I guess.”

The three mares stepped into the library and nearly gasped in shock. They had never seen it in such disgrace. Scattered piles of books and crumpled paper littered the floor.

“Twilight dear, is everything alright?” Rarity asked, placing her hoof on the purple mare's back.

“Everything’s fine. I’ve just been a bit busy with my studies.”

“Well, we’re not here about yer studies. We came ta fetch ya for a party. Go get yerself cleaned up and we'll all go together,” Applejack said.

Twilight let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry girls, I’m not up for a party. I think I’ll sit this one out."

Rarity grabbed the unicorn by the shoulder knowingly. “It’s obvious you aren’t in a party mood, but this is a bit different. You should make the time.”

“Different how?”

Rarity and Applejack exchanged nervous glances.

Fluttershy pawed the floor. “Uhhh well.... it’s about Rainbow Da-”

“What about Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy locked up at the unicorn's insistence.

“Well, darling, that’s why we’re here. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash have decided they are... how to put this....

“They’re gettin’ hitched!” Applejack blurted out.

“What?” Twilight exclaimed.

Rarity glared at the cowpony momentarily. “Well, yes. They’re movin to Manehattan... apparently. Tonight is their farewell party,” Rarity finished.

Twilight’s rear hit the floor in disbelief. “Marriage? Them? But its only been-”

“We know, Twi. We’re just as stunned as y’all.” Applejack sighed.

“Did anypony tell them this is crazy? I mean come on!”

“We only just heard about it ourselves,” Rarity explained.

Twilight sat in shock, not even daring to fully absorb the news and its potential ramifications.

Rarity walked over to Twilight and gently helped the unicorn to her hooves. “Come now, dear. I’ll help you get ready in no time.”

Twilight numbly nodded and allowed Rarity to lead her to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

A good party is more than the right music, the right decorations, and the right food. A proper party begins, first and foremost, with the right ponies.

Though the music was appropriately loud, the decorations appropriately cheerful, and the food appropriately tasty, there was quite clearly an air of dread over the party. The only ponies who escaped the foreboding atmosphere were the targets for said party. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were content to dance like madmares while everypony else busied themselves in other ways.

“A farewell party,” Twilight began while dipping up yet another glass of punch. “And a wedding. All in about a week. Just what has gotten into them?”

Applejack nodded in reply. “I hear ya, Twi. They seem deaf to tha whole affair, though.”

Many ponies were in attendance, such as Cheerilee, Roseluck, and also Raindrops from the weather team, among many others, yet no one seemed very happy about the occasion. At one point, Mrs. Cake left the party on the verge of tears, barely earning a quick glance from Pinkie Pie.

“I don’t suppose you snuck in any hard cider, AJ?”

The farmpony smiled and produced a flask. Twilight gulped down the remaining punch in her glass and held it out for Applejack to fill. A rich, dark stream of cider filled the bottom of her glass before she pulled the flask away.

“That’s it?” Twilight asked, swishing the small amount of liquid in her glass.

“That’s more than enough,” Applejack said with a wink.

Twilight threw her head back and downed the cider in one gulp. She immediately dropped her glass and clutched her throat.

“Ack!” she exclaimed. “It burns!”

Applejack winked at the pony in pain. “I told you it was more than you needed.”

After a few moments of searing pain in her throat, Twilight felt the cider go down, leaving only a strong aftertaste in its wake.

“Wow, AJ. I think you could clean train parts with that stuff.”

The farmpony didn’t reply and simply took a swig from the flask, her expression never changing.

“Seriously though, what’s so good about Manehattan that they have to up and leave Ponyville?” Twilight asked.

“Beats me, Sugarcube.”

Both ponies sat in silence as the record finally came to an end.

“Thank you! Thank you Ponyvillians!” Pinkie announced with a bullhorn. “I just want to thank you all for coming to see us before we leave! It means so much to me and Dashie.”

Rainbow Dash nuzzled Pinkie in an affectionate manner. Twilight did her level best to keep the cider from coming back up. She gripped the glass tighter in her hooves.

“I especially want to thank you all for being so supportive of us in our decision to move to Manehattan. It really means a lot to know you all are behind us.”

Twilight’s glass finally shattered between her hooves.

“About that, actually.” Twilight left her seat at the punch bowl. “Why are you moving to Manehattan, anyway? And what’s all this nonsense about getting married?” she asked, while marching toward Pinkie.

The pink mare’s eyebrows narrowed momentarily. “It isn’t nonsense. Rainbow Dash and I just know what we want, and we decided we want to be together forever,” she said, her smile staying high.

“Together forever, huh?” Twilight sneered. “That’s an awfully big thing to decide after just a week of dating, don’t you think? You sure this isn’t one of your Pinkie things where you lose interest after somepony rolls a shiny object your way?”

Rainbow Dash leapt between Pinkie and Twilight aggressively.

“Hey! Don’t talk about Pinkie like that!”

Murmurs went through the crowd.

Pinkie jumped beside Rainbow, also in an aggressive stance. “Yeah! You’re just upset ‘cause you threw Dashie away and now she’s with me!” Pinkie snarled.

“Now wait one moment.” Rarity stepped in. “You have to admit it’s a little unusual to just move away and get engaged in such a short span of time.”

“Just whose side are you on, traitor! I thought you were our friend! Here you are defending Miss Dumps-a-lot here!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“We were hoping our friends would support us...” Pinkie trailed off, her face changing to one of sorrow.

“I never meant... I’m sorry. You're right. You're our friends, and we'll support you no matter what you choose, right Twilight?”

Twilight looked at Rarity, and then everypony else in the room. It was clear she would be the only one to say something, the only one to have the nerve to stand up and call the pair out. And yet, by doing so she only looked more and more like a sore loser.

Twilight’s eyes narrowed angrily. “You know what? I don't care anymore. Go to Manehattan. Get married. Have twenty foals if you want. I’m done caring.”

Twilight turned on the spot and marched to the door as a feeling of dread filled her stomach. Though she garnered quite a few looks of disgust and disbelief, nopony dared say a word to her. All she wanted to do now was go home and try and sleep the night off.

After the disastrous night at the farewell party, Twilight thought better of showing up at the train station the next morning to see the new couple off. It pained her greatly to know she let two of her best friends leave without saying a word, but what could she say after that night? ‘Sorry’ came to mind, but the truth of the matter was, she wasn’t sorry. She knew deep in her heart that they were taking things too fast. Saying that she was sorry would only be encouraging their reckless behavior.

At least, that’s how she justified it to herself. She would just stand back and give them some time, and they would just get over the whole thing.

Just like she thought Rainbow would get over her.

As fate would have it though, they didn’t just come back. Three weeks had passed since the party, and there was still no sign of the two lovebirds that had flown the coop. Twilight busied herself with work to take her mind off recent events, even going so far as having Spike bring Owlowiscious to their weekly pony pet playdates. Her remaining friends did much to try and bring her outside, with little luck. Fluttershy and Rarity kept trying to arrange a visit to the spa, while Applejack brought over seemingly endless piles of food to make sure she was eating well.

Nothing worked to pull Twilight out of her funk, though. She kept busy with work and star charts to pass the time.

“So, here we are again.” The voice, though flat, still had a note of concern to it, one that was lost on the unicorn.

“Can't talk now. Studying,” Twilight mumbled.

“Hmmm... what exactly are you studying for?”

Twilight stopped her compulsive note-taking for a moment, and looked down at her materials.

“Tax code?”

“And doesn’t that seem just a little too familiar?”

Realization washed over the unicorn as she finally noted whose voice it was beside her. “Princess Luna! It's good to see you again!”

The regal alicorn smiled at Twilight’s reaction. “Indeed, though I am a bit troubled we find ourselves in the same dream as before.”

Twilight looked around for a moment to confirm that they were, indeed, in the same classroom as last time, with the same twisted visage of Princess Celestia presiding over them.

“I’m... I’m sorry. I don’t know why this keeps happening,” the unicorn said remorsefully.

“I suspect it’s because you still have not talked with my sister. Would that be accurate?” Luna asked.

Twilight answered with a slow nod of her head.

“Then you already know how to stop it.”

Both ponies sat in the quiet school room, neither apparently knowing what to say.

“You are not alone in having such nightmares as of late,” Luna said, finally breaking the silence.

“Huh?”

“Perhaps it would be better if I just showed you.” Princess Luna's horn glowed softly, and the room faded into a soft blue. The walls disappeared and the blue seemed to stretch on forever.

“We shall now enter another pony's dream,” Luna announced.

“Wait, isn't there some sort of rule or something against ponies seeing another pony's dreams?” Twilight asked.

Princess Luna's smile curled upwards. “The only rules that exist here are the ones I make. I see and know all dreams, and can exist in each dream separately.”

“All dreams?” Twilight gulped nervously. “Even the ones where I-”

“Yes, yes, all dreams.” Luna rolled her eyes dismissively. “I know all about your strange predilections. Before you overreact though, you should know that my conscious self knows nothing of what happens in the dreams of others, and that seven other ponies in Ponyville alone share your unusual affinity.”

“What? Really?” asked Twilight incredulously.

“Please, let us focus on the matter at hoof.”

Twilight nodded as Luna's horn glowed again. The blue space gave way for a whole new world.

Rainbow ran through town, trying to elude her pursuer. She attempted to take off, but quickly discovered that she somehow was missing her wings!

So she ran.

She ran down the street to the edges of Ponyville. She could hear the steady breathing of her pursuer close behind. No matter how hard she tried, the pony kept pace.

She ran through the outskirts of Ponyville, past Fluttershy's cottage, through the apple orchards. She ran for everything she was worth, and still the figure kept pace.

Rainbow finally collapsed. Out of breath and suffering through unbearable pain in her legs, she just couldn't go any further. The pony who had been tailing her finally stood over Rainbow triumphantly.

“You been runnin’ fer quite awhile. Do ya ever think you’ll have the guts to actually face what ya did?” Applejack asked, staring down at the panting pony.

“Apple... Applejack... I-I’m sorry...”

“I don’t quite believe ya, Rainbow. I think ya just dont wanna talk about it, but what are ya gonna do when ya fail her, too? Ya just gonna run away?”

Rainbow started backing away from the farmpony in fear. Her rear legs suddenly fell out from under her. She put her front legs down to keep from sliding any further. Glancing behind her, she realized that the vast expanse of land had suddenly changed to a cliff. One she was currently hanging precariously from.

“Where ya gonna run now?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow’s hooves slipped and she fell from the cliff, staring up at Applejack as she tumbled to the ground.

Twilight felt herself fall back into the blue expanse as the world shattered around her.

“It appears she has awoken,” Luna explained.

“I...I can see why. Tell me, Princess, why are you showing me this?” Twilight asked.

Luna sighed. “It’s easy to tell you are in pain. No doubt your friends know, as well. I think there is more going on than anypony knows. I hope by showing you this you can maybe piece together this puzzle.”

An overwhelming ripple of light cut through the serene blue of the empty space. Twilight felt herself being pulled away.

“It appears we are out of time, Twilight Sparkle. Please, talk to my sister, for your own peace of mind.”

The unicorn couldn’t respond as the whole world went light.

“Twilight, you said you were gonna go shopping today.”

The unicorn snapped upright in her chair. “Huh?”

Spike shook an empty jug at her. “We need milk, flour, eggs, sugar, and a whole bunch of other stuff!”

Twilight glanced at the unfinished star chart in front of her, and then back to her assistant. “Can’t it wait till tomorrow?”

“Oh, sure it can, but so will breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” Spike said, folding his arms.

Twilight let out a resigned sigh. “You’re right. Sorry, Spike. I just haven’t been myself lately.”

She hopped off the chair and, using her magic, slipped on her saddlebags. “I’ll be back in little bit. Hold the library down for me, please.”

“I always do,” the dragon replied with a self satisfied grin.

Twilight walked out the door into the afternoon sun. She blinked at the painful light shining down upon her. It had been entirely too long since she had last left the library. She was shocked at how bright the sun seemed after being cooped up for so long.

What really surprised her, though, was the thick layer of fog blanketing the ground. Fog was rare in Ponyville, much less in the heat of the afternoon sun.

“Howdy Twi! It’s good to see ya! What brings you outside today?”

The unicorn turned to the familiar cowpony. “Oh, hey Applejack. I was just going to get some groceries. We’re running a bit low. What about you?”

“Me? Oh, I’m just bringing this here cartload of apples to the stand. How’s about this fog, huh?”

“Tell me about it! You know what’s causing it?”

Applejack snorted. “Sure do. It’s these dang old pegasi. Not one of them seems to know a thing about the weather. Why, just yesterday, they nearly flooded my farm! Those feather brains!”

“I guess they’re just getting used to not having Rainbow Dash around,” Twilight mumbled.

Applejack's head tilted sadly. “We all miss ‘em, Twi. We just have to be strong until they get this mess sorted out.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked curiously.

“If there’s anypony I know, it’s Rainbow Dash. She might think she likes Pinkie right now, but lemme tell ya, ain’t no way in Tartarus they can live the rest of their lives together. That pink puffball will have Dash climbing the walls three weeks in.

“And you know this because you and Rainbow dated, right?”

Applejack nodded.

Both ponies marched on in silence while the gears turned in Twilight’s head. She decided to try something a bit risky.

“Applejack, why didn’t you just tell me the truth about what happened between you and Rainbow Dash?”

The farmpony was stunned. “What do you mean?”

“I know you two didn’t just ‘break up.’”

“Ho-how did you know?”

“You aren’t a very good liar,” Twilight bluffed.

Applejack came to a halt and glanced around. She gave Twilight a motion to follow and walked to a nearby tree. The cowpony unceremoniously plopped down on her rump with her back leaning against the tree.

Twilight followed suit and waited.

“Musta been a good four years ago. Rainbow Dash and I were inseparable. Talk of tha town. We spent almost every free minute we had together. We were quite a pair...”

“So... what happened?"

“Well, one day ah get it in mah thick skull that after all of Rainbow's carrying on about flying and tricks and other nonsense, that ah wanted to fly with her. She was excited about it too of course. Ah just wanted to feel what she felt, what she loved so much about flyin. She grabbed me by mah front legs and took off, and whoo doggy. Ah gotta say, my stomach was doing backflips tha whole time. We musta been in tha air for maybe five, ten minutes when ah started to slip. She tried getting a better grip, but ah fell right through her hooves. Next thing ah know, I'm in the hospital with a broken leg."

Twilight shook her head sadly. "Applejack, I’m sorry."

"Don't be. Like ah told her, ah knew tha risks goin in. Unfortunately she didn't feel the same way."

"What do you mean?"

Applejack sighed. "After the fall, she became more distant, stopped staying over. She didn't hate me or anything, but she told me she just couldn't look at me like that again without thinking about how she let me down. It hurt, it hurt a whole heckuva lot knowing ah was just a reminder of her screwing up. So when she said she couldn't do it anymore, ah just let it be."

Twilight was nearly speechless. "Bu- wha- you two were happy together, right?"

"Sure we were. It took me many a sleepless nights to get over that cocky little pony. Not sure ah really have.”

"Then why just... let her go?" Twilight asked.

Applejack took a heavy breath, sadness clear in her eyes. "Twi, how would you feel if the pony you cared about the most saw nothing but their biggest screw up anytime they looked at you?"

Awful. Horrible. Heart-rending. These were just a few of the words that came to mind.

"I'm... I'm sorry Applejack. I didn't mean to make you go through this again."

The cowpony wrapped a comforting leg around Twilight. "S'okay, Sugarcube. Everything's fine now. She and ah both moved on. Speaking of moving on, how’re you holding up?"

If Twilight had been a gifted liar, now would've definitely been the perfect time for such a skill.

"Things just aren't the same without her- I mean, them around."

"I know what you meant, Twi," Applejack said. "You and Rainbow weren’t near as coy or clever as y'all thought ya were. It was obvious something was up between you two, especially now that ya stay cooped up all day.”

Twilight’s ears fell in shame. Everypony, it seemed, could tell something was going on between them, but she was just too afraid to accept it. Searching her feelings, she recalled feeling trapped, being cornered. Now she felt imprisoned. What made it all the more frustrating was the short amount of time they had spent together. Surely building a relationship takes more than a week or so.

Nevertheless, the feelings were there, the longing true, and the aching in her heart undeniable.

"Applejack! I just got a letter from-" The sentence came to a screeching halt as Twilight and Applejack both turned to the new voice.

"Heya there, Fluttershy. Whatcha hollerin’ about?" Applejack asked.

"Oh, um, I shouldn't really say in front of... well, um...” Fluttershy trailed off, gesturing towards Twilight.

"Oh, don't be silly. You said you got a letter, right? Let’s see what it says," the cowpony said, taking it from Fluttershy.

Hey guys, what’s up? Hope everything’s been good in Ponyville since we left. Pinkie and I have been tearing Manehattan up! We've gotten kicked out of three different restaurants just this week!

"Sounds like those two," Applejack snickered.

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot the whole reason I was writing in the first place. Tomorrow I'll be performing in front of a sold out crowd in The Bell Stadium! Ponies everywhere will be staring at yours truly as I blow their minds with my awesomeness. In this letter you’ll find tickets that the owner let me give to anypony I wanted! Hope to see you guys there!

Rainbow Dash

P.S. Pinkie Pie says hi, and she'll have a cake ready just for you guys!

"Well shine mah horseshoes. That lil’ fireball got her own show and everything!" The cowpony cackled. "It's been a while since ah've been to Manehattan, though. Ah should get home and pack. You got the tickets, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy squeaked in fear, and pulled out three tickets.

Twilight stared at the tickets for a moment, then sighed. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Whaddya mean, Twi? What’s goin’ on?”

"Three tickets, Applejack,” Twilight began. “That's you, Rarity and Fluttershy. I’m not invited.”

“Now hang on a minute. There’s gotta be some sorta mistake. You sure there weren’t any other tickets in there?”

Fluttershy shook her head solemnly.

Applejack’s face fell. “Oh... I... I’m sorry, Twi.”

“Whatever... I just need to finish shopping so I can go home and take a nap.”

Twilight walked away, head hanging dejectedly, while Fluttershy and Applejack stared at her in sympathy.

Showtime

Twilight stared at the frantic pony who now bared teeth and a sharp sword at her. She took aim with her horn to capture Pinkie with a spell, but the pink pony simply dodged to the side. Twilight fired several more spells, but each one failed to connect with the agitated pony.

“I can't catch her with magic!” The unicorn’s eyes frantically scanned the room until they fell upon the chairs.

I can't seriously hurt her, but I can at least knock her unconscious.

Using her magic, she lifted one of the chairs from the table and flung it towards Pinkie. Sword in mouth, Pinkie sliced through it effortlessly. Kindling is the only way to describe what clattered to the floor.

Twilight's eyes widened, but she wasn't finished yet. She grabbed two more chairs and flung them after the pink pony. With another deft swing, both pieces of furniture were eviscerated.

“Ugh, fine!” Twilight focused her magic on the remaining chairs and positioned them around the pink pony in a circle. They hovered for a moment in the air. All at once they flew towards Pinkie. A flash of pink was the only thing she saw before a cloud of sawdust sprang up. Before long, the dust settled, and when Twilight opened her eyes she could scarcely believe what she saw.

Pinkie stood atop the pile of broken and splintered chairs like a victorious general. She held the sword in her hooves, half of it buried in the wooden mess beneath her.

“Are you done?” Pinkie asked mockingly.

Twilight looked around the room again, desperate for anything she could use. Suddenly, an idea hit her.

“Yes I am, since you seem intent on using a sword. I’ll just teleport up there and tell her everything before you get there instead.”

“B-but I thought you can't teleport someplace you haven't been before!” Pinkie protested.

Twilight charged her horn. “Nope, unicorns can teleport anywhere,” Twilight bluffed. “I’ll leave you down here, unless...”

“Unless what...”

“You put down the sword and we settle this hoof to hoof.”

Pinkie seemed to consider this for a moment. “But you have magic! You'll just cheat!”

“No I won’t,” Twilight insisted. She walked over to the dining table and pulled the tablecloth off, sending the dishes and cups scattering all over the floor. Twilight jumped on the table and assumed an aggressive stance.

“Come on, Pinkie. You're not afraid you’ll lose to a unicorn, are you?”

Pinkie's eyes grew large and she tossed the sword to the side. The pink pony jumped onto the table and stood opposite of Twilight. “I’m not afraid! I’ll show you what I can do!”

In a flash, Pinkie pounced, and their hooves collided in the air. Both ponies struggled against one another, but Twilight could easily feel herself weakening. Pinkie shoved forcefully, throwing Twilight down the table on her back.

“Hah! You just can’t cut it, Twilight!”

The unicorn charged her horn.

“Hey! You said no magic!” Pinkie protested.

A bolt of energy fired from Twilight’s horn towards the ceiling.

Pinkie stood on the table with a smug grin. “Hah! You missed!”

Pinkie's tail jittered unnaturally.

"Twitcha twitch?"

A soft metal clink echoed throughout the hall. Pinkie had just enough time to look up before the chandelier came crashing down around her. She blinked for a moment before realizing that the downward tip design of the chandelier acted as a cage, trapping her inside.

“Hey! You cheater, lemme out!”

Twilight walked over to the pink pony and sighed as her head lowered in shame. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. I know it isn’t right of me to just expect Rainbow Dash to take me back like nothing happened, but the truth is... I do love her. I have to tell her, and I understand if you hate me for that, but I have to tell her.”

Twilight looked up and saw what looked like a smile on Pinkie’s face for the briefest moments before it changed back into a scowl.

Suddenly, the loudspeaker on the wall crackled to life.

“Fillies and gentlecolts! Tonight we have a very special performer. A pony hailing from the small town of Ponyville. Don't let her humble home deceive you though. After a dangerous accident, she saved three of the famous Wonderbolts from a deadly plunge and was crowned best young flier of Equestria. She is the only pony in history capable of performing a sonic rainboom shattering the visible light spectrum in a spectacular fashion. Her incredible bravery doesn't stop there though. She has helped save Equestria with her fellow Elements of Harmony three times now, never backing down in the face of danger. It’s my great pleasure to introduce to you, Miss Rainbow Dash!”

The crowd erupted into raucous applause.

“Oh no! The show’s starting!”

Pinkie grinned smugly from her makeshift cage. “Hah! Now you missed your chance, and when I escape this thing, you’re gonna be sorry!”

Twilight hopped off the table and headed for the staircase labeled ‘Upstairs Stage Entry.’

“Hey Twilight! Where ya going?” Spike called out.

“I’m going after Rainbow! Go to the main hall! I’ll meet you after the show!” She called back.

Twilight ran up the stairs until they came to an end. The floor where they stopped was clearly a spot where performers spent their final moments preparing for their entrances.

Looking around, Twilight spotted a curtain. She galloped toward it, hastily pushing it aside. The bright lights of the stadium hit her, nearly blinding the unicorn. Her heart leapt to the back of her throat, though, when she realized she was on a diving board, positioned what must have been more than three hundred feet from the ground. Her legs locked up, and she skidded to a halt mere inches from the very end.

Twilight sighed in relief. She didn’t think somepony would be silly enough to put a stage entrance hanging this high off the ground without a single sign to warn of the danger.

The crowd cheered in ebbs and flows while Rainbow Dash whipped out loops and barrel rolls above the spectators. Looking into the audience she saw her friends in the stands, and off to the side in a nearby V.I.P. box, Lady Silver Bell, who seemed to wave and smile up at her.

Twilight quickly realized that talking to Rainbow Dash would be impossible now that she had begun her performance. She turned and walked back toward the curtain until a crazy thought entered her mind. She often had them, she just usually chose not to follow through.

This time, though, she thought it might be a good idea. In fact, the more she considered it, the more perfect it seemed.

That, or she really needed to eat. She sometimes thought bad ideas sounded good when she was hungry. Regardless, she turned back and stared off the edge of the diving board.

Nope, I can officially confirm this is a bad idea.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Twilight's voice cut through the air, gathering attention of the crowd. Murmurs of worry and confusion spread and the pegasus of the hour turned and locked eyes with Twilight.

Those fiery fuchsia eyes...

Eyes she could trust everything with.

Twilight ran the last few inches and hopped off the diving board, outstretching her arms and curling into a ball. Gasps and shrieks went through the crowd as she cut through the air.

Well, this will either go perfectly, or really, really badly.

The unicorn closed her eyes as her world began to spin. Every moment she spent in the air felt like an eternity. She had no true sense of time; all she could do was tumble and hope for the best.

Two strong legs wrapped around her own, yanking Twilight out of her spin. A mighty cheer erupted through the crowd.

“Twilight! What do you think you're doing? I could've dropped you!” Rainbow hissed at her.

“I have something I need to tell you, Rainbow!” Twilight said as the pegasus did a victory lap around the stadium, celebrating her timely catch.

“And it couldn’t have waited ‘till after the show? Jeez, Twilight! If I hadn't caught you or let go-”

“I would've ended up like Applejack?” Twilight finished.

“Ho-how do you know about that?” Rainbow demanded.

“I had a little help...”

Rainbow carried Twilight around the stadium one more time to show off her speed and agility to the crowd.

“I believe in you, Rainbow. I know you’ll be there to catch me even if I hit the ground. All of this is my fault. I kept telling myself I had too much I needed to do, that I couldn’t have somepony in my life, but-”

“Listen, Twilight, do you really wanna be with me or not?”

The unicorn thought for a moment. What would it mean if she said yes? The myriad ways her life would change based on the next words out of her mouth.

“Yes… I do.”

“Well then, you better hang on!” Rainbow turned, sharply cutting toward the middle of the arena. Twilight's stomach churned as the pegasus aimed her sleek and muscular body towards a set of increasingly smaller stunt rings.

“Okay, here we go!”

"Wait, wha-AAAAAH!"

Rainbow tossed Twilight up in the air over the rings while she sped through them. Just as she cleared the last ring, Rainbow grabbed Twilight by her outstretched hooves. The crowd erupted into wild cheers and applause.

“Rainbow, are you crazy?” Twilight yelled.

“You said you trust me, right?” the pegasus asked.

“Well yes, but-”

“Then trust me.”

Twilight hung silently in Rainbow’s grip while she sped through the arena. It was easy enough to say she trusted the pegasus, but to actually do it...

“Okay Rainbow, I trust you.”

Rainbow grinned. “Then hold on to your hooves!”

The world spun again as Rainbow tossed her, sending her spinning into the air. Rainbow pulled a quick double loop and caught Twilight, eliciting more cheers from the ponies below.

Twilight tried not to think about the spinning and the tumbling and the falling for the remainder of the act. Instead, she focused on Rainbow’s strong grip, most importantly, how right it felt to be there. Every time she was tossed into the air she felt her stomach lurch. After each throw however, she knew Rainbow would catch her.

Twilight stumbled into the spacious backstage room. Despite Rainbow Dash putting her down early on in the performance, the unicorn’s inner ear still hadn’t quite recovered from the dizzying spins.

“Ugh, I think I’ve had enough flying for one lifetime.”

Rainbow poked her playfully. “Hah! You’re the one who wanted to know how it felt. Well, now ya know.”

“Maybe I did, but stunt flying wasn’t going to be first on my list,” Twilight said, sitting down on a couch in the room. The door burst open, and three ponies and a baby dragon galloped in, chattering excitedly.

“Oh, wow, you two were so amazing up there.” Fluttershy beamed.

“Holy smokes, Rainbow. Ah’d say by the way them ponies in the stands were cheering, you sure gave ‘em their money's worth.”

“Absolutely marvelous!” Rarity added.

“Thanks, guys,” the pegasus said with a blush.

The door opened again. This time, a pony with pink fuzzy hair bounced in with a smile on her face.

“Hey girls! It’s so good to see you after so long! We should really catch up with a party when we get back to Ponyville,” Pinkie said as she opened the mini fridge and buried her nose in it.

Twilight stood stock-still, wondering if she should creep out of the room. Spike waved at her frantically.

“Oh, they have those grapefruit sodas like in Canterlot. Anypony want one?” she asked, pulling her nose out of the fridge. Pinkie’s eyes locked with Twilight’s and her face broke into a huge grin.

“Oh hey, Twilight! You were awesome up there. It’s like you and Rainbow knew exactly what to do before you did it,” she said, reaching into the fridge and pulling out the soda. The quiet of the room piqued Pinkie’s curiosity, however.

“Uhh, why are you all looking at me like that?”

Suddenly, Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Omigosh, Rainbow? You haven’t told them yet?”

Rainbow scratched the back of her neck nervously. “I was just about to explain...”

“Explain? Explain what?” Twilight asked.

“Uhhh, well..."

Confessions

“What?!”

“Easy, Twi! We need our ears, ya know.” Applejack said nervously.

Rainbow and Pinkie sat in front of the unicorn like naughty foals awaiting punishment.

“So lemme get this straight. You two lied about being together, just so I would get jealous and try to get you back?” Twilight summarized while glaring at Rainbow Dash.

“Y-yeah, I’d say thats about it...” the pegasus admitted.

Twilight fumed. “Rainbow Dash, I could jus-”

Pinkie jumped between them and held up her hooves. “Hold it!. You're not allowed to be mad at Dashie.”

"And why is that?" Twilight asked through clenched teeth.

Pinkie sighed. "The dating, the moving to Manehattan, not sending you a ticket... it was all my idea."

Twilight's jaw nearly hit the floor. “But, Pinkie... why?”

The pink pony pawed at the carpet. “Rainbow came to see me after the fight. She brought the flower I gave her and said she really liked me... as a friend. It hurt... a lot, but I know you can’t force somepony to like you when they just don’t. She told me all about the fight, and that she just somehow knew you liked her, so I said I’d help using all of my Pinkie powers.”

Twilight’s anger started to vanish quickly, seeing the sincerity in Pinkie's eyes. “But... if you wanted me and Rainbow to be together, why did you pretend you two were dating?"

"Well, I remembered how I felt when Gilda started hanging out with Rainbow. She may have been a grumpy meanie pants, but seeing her hang out with Rainbow made me want to be around Rainbow even more. So I thought if you saw me and Rainbow dating, you would see how much you liked her and try to get her back."

"Yeah, except you didn't," Rainbow added, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, so we decided we’d' do something so stupendously crazy that you would have to do something."

"Jeez. Pinkie and I getting married after only like, a week together. I can't believe you guys would let us do that," Rainbow said, shaking her head.

Rarity cleared her throat. “A-hem, if you’ll recall, I tried to make you listen to reason, but you two accused me of being, what was it, a ‘traitor’?”

Pinkie giggled. "Anyway, we decided we would do something to make you even more jealous, and whaddya know, it worked!"

Twilight finally digested the information, not really sure how to feel.

"So, this whole fiasco was a plan to get me to be so jealous that I would come here to Manehattan to get her back?"

Pinkie nodded.

“Then why in Equestria did you did you threaten me with a sword?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow‘s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, a sword? What’s she talking about Pinkie?”

“We had a really cool sword fight in the backstage hall! We were dodging and slashing and throwing chairs! It was so cool!” Pinkie rambled excitedly.

“When you say sword fight, it implies I actually had a sword too,” Twilight grumbled.

Rarity laughed dismissively. “Twilight darling, you can’t possibly believe Pinkie Pie of all ponies would try to hurt you in such a… a dreadful way!”

Spike grabbed Rarity’s head and brought it eye level with his own. “You wouldn’t say that if you had seen her! Her mane was down, she was ranting like a madmare, and she had crazy eyes! Crazy eyes!”

“Wait a pony-picking minute here, so chasing Twilight here with a sword was all part of some master plan y’all had?” Applejack asked, scratching her head.

“Don’t look at me. I didn’t tell her to do it!” Rainbow protested.

Pinkie rolled her eyes. “You told me to make sure she was serious!”

Rainbow turned to Twilight. “You took on Pinkie Pie, who had a freaking sword, completely unarmed, just to come tell me how you feel?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight blushed. “I couldn’t let anything stop me. I’d already made this ridiculous trip, I thought, might as well see it all the way through. Besides, I wasn’t completely defenseless. I had my magic.”

“Now, that is awesome!” Rainbow mussed the unicorn’s hair playfully.

Twilight smiled and haphazardly tried fixing her mane. “But, I don't understand. If you liked Rainbow, why did you go through so much trouble to get us back together?”

Pinkie blushed and smiled. “When I found out Rainbow didn’t like me like me, I knew I had to step in. From that point forward, I decided that If I couldn’t be with her, I’d rather you two be happy together.”

“Awww, that’s one of the sweetest, if not one of the most horribly insane things anypony has ever done for me,” Twilight said as she reached over pulling the pink pony into a hug. “Thanks, Pinkie Pie.”

“It seems everything is going like it should.”

Everypony in the room turned to the voice coming from the doorway.

“Oh, Lady Silver Bell!” Twilight exclaimed.

The sophisticated pony smiled. “It looks like you were right, Rainbow Dash."

“I knew Twilight wouldn’t give up. She’s not anypony to let something just get away from her,” the pegasus explained.

“Indeed. In fact, there’s quite the mess backstage to attest to such a statement.

Twilight blushed in embarrassment. “Oh... right... about the damages, we ca-”

“No need dear. Those statues are cheap fakes, made by a mass production company based out of Canterlot, which is probably why your friend could wrest the sword from it in the first place. I may seek legal action against the company regarding the inclusion of a combat-ready weapon on each of their statues. The chairs, too, were cheap knockoffs made to look lavish. In the entertainment business, it’s all about making everything seem much more grand than it actually is.”

“That chandelier couldn’t have been cheap, though,” Twilight offered with a nervous smile.

Silver shook her head. “Not exactly. It was the one item of worth I will have to charge for.” The older pony walked over to Rainbow Dash and handed off a rather sizable bag of bits.

“Here is your payment for the show, minus the cost of the chandelier.”

Rainbow opened the bag and her eyes grew wide, closing it quickly afterwards. “You mean all of this is for me?”

Silver smiled. “Of course! Payment for your performance. A sold out crowd pulls in quite a few bits.” Silver looked at Twilight and beamed a warm smile. “Though I have a feeling those, comparatively, are of little worth considering what else you’ve gained tonight.”

Twilight’s face felt like it was on fire as her blush deepened.

Silver headed for the door but stopped momentarily. “Come see me again next time you save Equestria or something. I’m sure we could pack these stands again. Until then...” Silver walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her gracefully.

“Well I’ll be, Rainbow. There must be enough money there to buy another cloud home if ya wanted. What are ya gonna do with all them bits?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow's stomach growled.

“Hmmmm. I think the first thing I’m gonna do is find the cheapest, greasiest restaurant around, and eat so much food that my stomach hurts.”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

“And the best part is, you’re all coming with me.”

Everypony in the room cheered, as well as Spike.

Twilight leaned in close, nearly touching her nose to Rainbow’s. “Even me?”

“Especially you,” Rainbow said with a wink.

Twilight whacked Rainbow in the head with her hoof. Not too hard, just enough to get her attention.

“Ow! What was that for?” The pegasus complained

“For tricking me,” Twilight said as she walked to the door. “C’mon girls, Rainbow’s paying!”

Rainbow nursed the sore spot on her head as Applejack chuckled. “Didn’t think she’d let you off scot-free, didja?”

Rainbow put on a smug smile. “Totally worth it.”

A fresh batch of cupcakes hit the table causing a few heads to turn. Moments later, half of the dozen were scooped up by hungry ponies who now had yet another reason to smile.

That's why Pinkie does what she does. For that brilliant flash of white which signifies happiness far better than any word ever could.

The party was going really well, too, considering the circumstances. Their last party in Ponyville was a rather dour affair which had the departure of two of Ponyville’s favorite ponies looming over it.

This time, however, with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie back, the "Welcome Back to Ponyville/We’re Really Sorry About Tricking Everypony" party, was a much happier affair.

Pinkie poured more punch into the punch bowl, refilling it to the very top. Her eyes were trained on the dance floor though, never turning away from the couple enjoying each other's company.

“Hey there, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie looked up at Applejack, who sat at the opposite side of the table.

“Oh, hey Applejack. Enjoying the party?”

The cowpony’s broad smile told the whole story. “Shoot, I reckon if ah dance any more tonight, I’m gonna be too sore to buck any trees tomorrow.”

Pinkie giggled. “Good! You could use a day off now and then.”

“Psh, not like ah have much use for off days anyway,” Applejack muttered. “Why dontcha have a seat?”

Pinkie did as she was asked, taking a seat opposite Applejack. Both of them smiled at each other awkwardly for a few moments.

“She’s quite a pony, ain’t she?”

Pinkie perked up. “Hmm? Who?”

“Don’t act like ya don’t know who I’m talking about,” Applejack said, sneering at Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie filled a cup with punch and took a quick sip. “Yeah... she is.”

More silence.

“Ya know, that was an awfully selfless thing for ya to do, Sugarcube. Ah sure hope Rainbow knows what kinda friend she has in ya.”

Pinkie’s smile barely dimmed. “Rainbow knows I’d do anything for her, even if it means giving her up.”

Both ponies took a swig of their punch, trying not to look at each other. Applejack pulled out her flask.

“Here, ah think ya might can do with a lick of this.”

Pinkie held her cup forward and allowed Applejack to tip some of the flask’s contents into her cup. The pink punch changed to a darker red as the new liquid mixed in.

Applejack tipped her flask back and held it up in the air. Pinkie raised her cup, as well, until they gently tapped together.

Both ponies took a drink from their cups. Applejack’s expression remained unchanged, while Pinkie’s eyes bulged for a moment.

“Wow! That reminds me of the time I was cleaning my party cannon and it misfired, hitting me in the chest!” the pink pony exclaimed.

“Yup,” Applejack said flatly.

Both ponies enjoyed their drink in relative silence in their corner of the room.

"It's good to have ya back, Pinkie. You and Rainbow both."

"You mean you missed me?" the pink pony asked incredulously. "I thought I just bugged you a lot. Sometimes when I start talking and talking I see the pressure build up in other ponies like a big balloon, like they're just about to burst and yell at me to shut up," Pinkie rambled, expecting Applejack to cut her off.

"I won't lie to ya, sometimes ah did get half annoyed at ya. T'weren't until you and Rainbow left that ah realized how boring it can get here sometimes without a pony like yerself around."

Pinkie blushed at Applejack's heartfelt confession.

“Ya know one of tha things ah like about you, Pinkie? Ya never really say a whole bunch of negative stuff. Most ponies go around complaining about what they don’t got. You always just seem happier than a frog in a rainstorm.”

Pinkie added a smile to go along with her blush. “Thanks, Applejack. Too many ponies think about stuff they don’t have and make themselves sad, instead of looking about what they do have,” Pinkie said as she took another drink.

“Hmm... ya know, that sounds like something a smart pony like Twilight would say. Did you think of that yourself?” Applejack asked.

Pinkie put her empty cup down and wiped her mouth with her hoof. “Think of what myself?” Pinkie asked cheerfully.

“That whole thing you just said abo- ahh never mind.” Applejack took another drink from her flask. “Hey, uhh, Pinkie?”

Pinkie Pie looked up across the table.

“This might be the drink talkin’ but, uhh... you wanna maybe go out one day, maybe just catch some hay fries and a movie?”

Pinkie fell into her thoughts. Sure, Applejack didn’t have a special rainbow mane or an ego the size of a parade float, but she’s always there when somepony needed her. She wondered several times in the past how many nights she would wake up alone because Rainbow had work, or if she became a Wonderbolt. Applejack, though... Applejack was as reliable and trustworthy as the sunrise.

"Hello! Equestria to Pinkie, come in Pinkie," Applejack said mockingly.

"Huh?"

“Ah was asking if ya wanted to see a movie together."

“Oh, right. Only if I can sneak in marshmallows,” Pinkie bargained.

“Deal,” Applejack said with a smile.

Epilogue

~One week after the party~

"No no, follow my hoof."

Twilight and Rainbow sat under a blanket beneath the night sky. The unicorn traced her hoof through the air along an imaginary line. "See? You can spot the Starswirl constellation if you just follow the curved line."

Rainbow squinted. "I think see it. Wow, you know right where all of these things are, don't you?"

"I've always loved looking at the stars. When you and Pinkie left I... I had quite a lot of time on my hooves," Twilight said as the memory of those terrible weeks came back to her.

"I'm... I’m sorry, Twilight. I just couldn't think of anything else to do and with Pinkie egging me o-"

A soft hoof on Rainbow's own silenced her.

"It's okay, Rainbow. I was lying to myself anyway. I just kept telling myself it couldn't happen. I couldn't have a life outside of my responsibilities. It took the help of a lot of good friends to see that the only thing stopping me from having more was... well, me. Besides, Ponyville was boring without you two."

Rainbow smiled. "Glad to see somepony would notice if I left."

Twilight returned a smirk of her own. "Now you're just fishing for sympathy."

Both ponies remained silent for a few moments while the creatures of the night sang their songs.

"It's a bit cold tonight," Rainbow noted.

"Don't tell me you can't handle a little chilly weather," Twilight teased.

"Hah! I've flown through blizzards colder than this. 'I'm just making sure you're not cold, egghead."

"In that case..."

Twilight smiled and turned pulling the blanket off of Rainbow and leaving her completely exposed.

"Hey! Don't hog all the blanket!" Rainbow complained as she pulled her half back.

"I thought you weren't cold," Twilight said playfully.

"I'm... I'm not! I just feel weird without a blanket."

"Sure, if you say so," Twilight smirked.

Silence fell over the pair as they stared into the sky.

"So, when did you first realize that you ummm… ya know?" Twilight asked.

“No, I don’t. I think you need to say it,” Rainbow teased.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “When did you start thinking you might be able to see me as more than… well… just friends?”

Rainbow hummed. "Let's see.... I guess it was Ponyville’s first Winter Wrap Up with you. Year after year, we tried doing it all with our bare hooves, and year after year we screwed it up somehow. You've got this thing about you that just brings out the best in other ponies. If I have to listen to anypony's orders, I'd rather it be yours."

Twilight smiled. "You mean like the fire?"

"Yeah, exactly. Except for that whole getting hit in the head thing. That was dumb."

More silence followed.

"What about you?" Rainbow asked.

"What about me?"

Rainbow sighed. "When did you first think about me as more than just another pony."

"I guess it would be the first time we met," Twilight admitted. "I'd seen lots of weather ponies while in Canterlot, but none of them could touch your speed in the sky."

"It was pretty awesome." Rainbow grinned.

"And that! That aggravating confidence. The worst part is, you have every right to brag with your speed and skill... it just doesn't make it less annoying."

"Hey Twilight?"

She turned to look Rainbow in the eyes. "Yeah?"

"Be quiet. You're ruining the view."

A smug smile crawled across Twilight's face. "Why don't you make me?"

Rainbow's lips connected with Twilight's into a deep, passionate kiss. This was new to the unicorn; her friend was being precise this time, almost tentative. It was as if she was trying to express everything she felt in a way words couldn’t. The unicorn’s breath became shallow, and sparks began fizzing in her head. All rational thought disappeared as Rainbow worked her tongue into the unicorn’s mouth, teasing Twilight’s own briefly before pulling it back.

She did this, intermittently throughout the kiss, before pulling back, but not fully enough for Twilight not to feel the pegasus’s breath of release bloom over her lips. She opened her eyes and saw Rainbow, as close as she could ever imagine the pegasus to ever be, her eyes closed in peace. She seemed to be taking in every sensation Twilight was feeling, allowing them to swim over her entire body. Her wings were spread, a clear sign to Twilight of her own feelings. Before Twilight could reach back up for another kiss, Dash leaned back down, softly kissing Twilight again, this time on the cheek. The pegasus’s lips lingered there for a moment though, before she pulled away.

And then there was just silence, the only sound being of the couples breaths in the nights air.

“You know,” Twilight said, cutting the silence, “that was a lot better than the last time you tried that.” A hot blush still spread upon her face.

Rainbow grinned. “You know, I can be romantic when I want to…”

“I know… and I really like it when you are,” Twilight whispered back.

Twilight pulled back and rested her head on Rainbow's side. She looked up into the night sky at the bright stars shining down on them between the sparse clouds.

"It's almost a perfect night out tonight," Twilight remarked.

Twilight's face nearly hit the ground as her pillow/special somepony took off in a flash. Almost ten seconds passed before the pegasus landed and scooted back under the blanket.

"How about now?"

Twilight looked up again. Not a single cloud remained between them and the heavenly stars above. She leaned in closer and placed her hoof on Rainbow's.

"Now, It's perfect."

Author's Note

Picture done by Shadowsreached. Here's her DA page if you want to drop her a comment on it.

Welp, that's that. The original focus on this story was to explore a relationship rather than just the confession. Somewhere along the way, it became something more than that. I hope, nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read. Next time I write a story, I won't be posting any of it until the whole thing is complete so as not to let this happen again.

Thank you for your patience and time invested in this story. You have no clue how how much it meant to see people pick up on this story and enjoy it so much, or how crappy I felt when i saw a fav or a comment saying "please update!"
I'm just glad it's finally done.

"You cannot let anything get in your way."

Twilight finished her shopping as quick as she could trying to keep what had just happened out of her head. After crying off and on the remainder of the day, she had no problem sleeping that night. Spike tried to help, but there was little he could do.

The unicorn moped about in a daze the next morning trying to make sense of the whirlwind of events that had occurred in the recent weeks. Her eyes flew to the clock.

Right about now, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy would be boarding the train to Manehattan.

It seemed so long ago that they were all friends, and nothing could tear them apart. Now... now she was being singled out.

Twilight’s ear twitched as a powerful teleportation spell manifested behind her. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

“Why are you here?” she asked, her eyes cast downward.

“I go where I am needed,” the regal voice answered.

Twilight cast a quick glance to the kitchen in time to see an apologetic Spike peering back at them.

“I guess you know everything then,” Twilight muttered.

“As a princess, I am privy to much information. Unfortunately, I cannot see into the hearts of those who mean the most to me, ” Celestia said, raising Twilight’s head gently. “Please, tell me what bothers you so.”

Twilight couldn't lock eyes with her mentor. The shame rising in her heart was unbearable. “Princess, what... how can I... um, I mean...”

“Just say it,” Celestia urged.

Twilight nodded and took a deep breath. “Am I supposed to have a normal life? I see other ponies going on dates, starting lives and families, but I can’t do that. My responsibilities to Equestria and you are too great! It would only distract me fro-”

A gentle hoof upon Twilight’s lips silenced her.

Celestia sighed heavily. “I can see I haven’t been clear about what’s expected of you.”

Celestia motioned for the unicorn to come closer. As Twilight approached, her large wings unfolded and covered Twilight protectively.

“You’ve read many books about Starswirl the Bearded. What do you know about him?”

“W-well, he was a powerful unicorn. He helped write many spells includi-”

“Yes, but what about him?” the princess asked.

“I... I don’t understand.”

“Twilight, the reason everypony knew him for his magic was because they knew nothing about him. He sat in that dusty old library, isolating himself from other ponies for such a long time, that he eventually just became another one of the relics tucked away from the world. When... when the funeral came, many ponies attended out of respect, but none out of friendship.”

Celestia raised Twilight’s head gently. “I don’t want you to be remembered for your studies, or your magic. I want the generations that follow to know about Twilight Sparkle, the pony. You need a life outside of your duties. You need your friends, and maybe more.”

The princess smiled gently. “Besides, I would be the proudest pony in Equestria if you ever appeared in Canterlot with a foal of your own.”

A bittersweet flood of emotions rushed through Twilight. Hearing her mentor’s reassuring words freed her from the doubt she had instilled in herself. Unfortunately, it also proved she threw away her relationship with Dash for nothing.

“Princess Celestia... what if you really loved somepony, but you knew somepony else did too?”

“I’m... not sure what you’re trying to ask, Twilight.”

The unicorn furrowed her brow in frustration. “I love somepony, but if I go after them, I might end up hurting somepony else who likes them too.”

Celestia stood up, removing her wings gently from the unicorn. "You must follow your heart. Pursue them, tell them how you feel, and let them decide. You should be prepared to be turned away, though. Above all else, however, you must not falter, and you cannot let anything get in your way.”

Twilight let these words sit on her mind for a few moments before rising to her hooves.

“Thank you, Princess Celestia.” She gave the alicorn a warm hug.

Twilight turned to the open kitchen door. “Come on out, Spike. We’ve got a train to catch.”

The ride to Manhattan wasn’t an especially long one, but it did allow the jumbled thoughts in Twilight’s head to coalesce.

“Twilight?”

Spike’s nervous eyes matched her own.

“Uhhh you said the show was sold out right? How are we going to get in?”

“I... don’t know, but I do have a plan. It’s a bit of a stretch, though.”

“Are we gonna bust our way in? Maybe sneak in through the ventilation ducts?”

Twilight shook her head. “Nope, I’m gonna call in a favor.”

After arriving in Manehattan, it was surprisingly easy to find someone who knew where Twilight wanted to go. After the coach left, she understood why.

The mansion sprawled across a wide swath of land, taking up much of the scenery. Walking up the steps, she realized they were made from marble and probably costed more than all of the books in her library combined.

Before long, she stood before the giant door looming over the opulent stairs. She reached up for the door knocker, only to realize there wasn't one. Instead, a doorbell beckoned to her from the side. She pushed the button and heard the faint tone of gentle chimes from the other side of the door.

Seconds later, the door slowly opened. A dapper pony stood in the doorway to greet them.

“Good evening, young lady. How may I be of service?”

Nervousness welled up inside of Twilight, but she swallowed it back down.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle. I was wondering if it might be possible to speak with Lady Silver Bell.”

The butler hummed for a moment. “The lady is preparing to leave soon, but she might see you. One moment please.”

The door closed, leaving Twilight to wonder if this was such a good idea in the first place.

“Uhh Twilight, how exactly do you know ‘Lady Silver Bell’?” Spike asked, using air quotes.

“Well, I don’t really ‘know her,’ know her...”

“Somehow, that doesn’t make me feel better,” Spike said.

The door opened again. “The lady will see you now. Please, come in,” the butler said, motioning for them to follow.

If the outside of the mansion was luxurious, the inside could only be described as opulent. The foyer of the mansion was a mixture of white and gold with an exceptionally large chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

“Ah, Miss Sparkle. It is agreeable to see you again,” a sophisticated voice called out. The same pony who had approached Twilight and Rainbow outside the restaurant weeks ago, now gracefully descended the staircase. She wore a dress that severely outclassed many of the comparatively plain clothes that the nobles wore to The Grand Galloping Gala.

“G-good evening, Lady Silver Bell. I don’t remember telling you my name...”

A refined laugh cut through the spacious hall.

“Darling, you and your friends have saved Equestria multiple times. You yourself are the personal protégé of Princess Celestia. A pony like me would be remiss to not know of somepony like you.”

Twilight blushed momentarily before finding her voice again. “Ah, well, it’s not really that big of a deal. I was just-”

“Yes, yes, duty and the like. I understand. Let us cut to the quick, so to speak. You are here because you need help, no?

Twilight nodded. “Rainbow Dash is performing tonight for a sold out audience an-”

“And you need some way inside,” Lady Silver Bell interrupted.

Twilight nodded.

“I see. Then it’s fortunate for you that I happen to own the stadium in question. Even more fortunate is the fact that I have backstage passes.”

“You own the stadium?” Twilight asked incredulously.

“My dear, it is called ‘The Bell Stadium.’”

Twilight slapped herself mentally for not connecting the two. “So... you were the one who booked Rainbow to perform! Why? She’s not a Wonderbolt or anything. How in the hay did she sell out an entire stadium?”

Lady Silver Bell tsked. “Again, you sell yourself and your friends short. Miss Rainbow Dash is the only pony in Equestria to perform a sonic rainboom. In addition, she was crowned the best young flyer in Equestria, and to top it all off, she is one of the Elements of Harmony who have helped save Equestria on more than one occasion. I would be quite the bad business pony if I couldn’t sell a stadium out with a performer like her.”

Hearing Lady Silver Bell describe Rainbow in such a way, Twilight had to admit, it would be difficult to turn down a ticket herself.

“I must say, though, that pink pony she was with seemed rather on edge. I wonder now if putting her in charge of the backstage refreshments and catering was such a good idea.”

Of course Pinkie would be there too.

“Ah, but I ramble. I need to finish preparing, but once I’m done we can all ride in my carriage to the stadium together. Would that be alright with you, Miss Sparkle?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I would be extremely grateful, Lady Silver Bell.”

The pony atop the staircase smiled warmly. “No need for formalities between friends. Silver will suffice.”

The carriage ride to the stadium was rather uneventful. Silver Bell was mostly kept busy keeping the energetic foal Twilight and Rainbow Dash met at the restaurant under control. When the carriage finally came to a halt in front of the stadium, Silver Bell exited first and waited for Twilight to hop out.

“I’m afraid we'll be cutting it close. Miss Rainbow Dash is supposed to be performing any minute now,” Lady Silver Bell said checking her pocket watch before reaching into her purse. ”I believe you’ll need these Miss Sparkle,” The sophisticated pony said, holding out two V.I.P. passes. “They will give you access to any part of the facility you wish.”

“Th-thanks, Silver. You can call me Twilight.”

Silver Bell smiled knowingly back at her. “My dear, I have a feeling tonight shall be one none of us will soon forget.”

Twilight smiled gratefully, took the passes, and ran to the door.

“Woah! Slow down Twilight, I’m barely hanging on!”

“Sorry Spike! We have to get backstage before Rainbow goes out there.” Twilight reached the door and barreled through.

“Hey! You need a ticket miss!” The doorpony shouted.

Twilight halted in her tracks and with an annoyed scowl produced the two passes.

“Oh! You’re one of Lady Silver's... I’m sorry! Go right in!”

Twilight turned and continued galloping past the main entrance. She stopped for a moment.

“I… I don’t know which way to go!”

“Over there!” Spike said pointing to a sign labeled 'backstage.' Twilight resumed running past the few ponies hanging out in the hall. She finally saw another door with a pony guarding it. This time she pulled out the pass early. The guard spotted it and flung the doors open, allowing her to enter. As soon as she crossed into the backstage area, she screeched to a halt.

The backstage area resembled a dining hall more than any backstage she’d ever seen. A large chandelier presided over the room. Instead of pointing upwards, the lighting on the tips pointed downwards with gold straps going around the arms. A large dining table sat under the chandelier and statues lined the room giving the entire hall a classy feel. Looking to the left and right, Twilight could see numerous hallways and staircases that lined the room.

Unfortunately, all of the decor clashed with the bouncy music, streamers, confetti, and balloons in the room. A sense of dread fell over Twilight as a few ponies milling about looked her way.

“Spike, how in the hay are we gonna find Rainbow’s room?” Twilight asked.

“Just pick a hallway and go!” Spike offered.

Twilight galloped forward alongside the table, headed for the rear hallway.

“Hold it right there!”

Twilight stopped in her tracks. She was hoping she could run in and say what she needed to say without any complications. Unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be.

“What are you doing here! You need a pass to be backstage!”

Twilight sighed turning to the pony addressing her. “I have a pass, Pinkie! I have to talk to Rainbow Dash. Where is she?”

The pink pony didn’t seem to be herself. Her mane flowed straight down her neck and shoulders and she seemed highly irritated.

“Oh no you don’t! You might have a pass, but I’m not letting you anywhere near Dashie!”

“Pinkie, please! Rainbow doesn’t... she doesn’t love you like that! She’s just hurt and confused and I’m the one who did it! I have to tell her I’m sorry.”

A dangerous look gleamed in Pinkie’s eyes. “Doesn’t love me? You’re mean and just trying to take Dashie away from me. I won’t let you!

Celestia’s words echoed in her mind. You must follow you heart, you must not falter, and you can’t let anything get in your way.

Twilight looked up at Pinkie with resolve burning in her eyes. “I’m going to see her, Pinkie, and you’re not going to stop me,” Twilight said, walking toward the hallway, eyes set straight forward.

Pinkie glanced around the room desperately. Her eyes locked on one of the statues lining the hall. The pink pony hopped on one of them and wrapped her hooves around the decorative sword. With a forceful pull, the sword broke free. Pinkie grabbed it and scrambled in front of the hallway entrance, holding the sword in a combative posture.

“It’s not fair! Everypony wants me to throw them a party, or cheer them up, but the one time I finally get the one thing I really want, somepony has to come and take her away!”

The other ponies loitering about stepped away nervously. Twilight stopped in her tracks, not wanting to further agitate the distraught pony.

“Pinkie, please, just… let me through.”

“No! Dashie and I are doing just fine! We don’t need you around to mess things up!” The pink pony's chest heaved with every word.

You can’t let anything get in your way.

Twilight swallowed and started walking towards the hallway.

“Don’t come any closer!” Pinkie warned.

Twilight marched forward, heedless of the warning.

Pinkie screamed and leapt into the air, aiming the sword right at Twilight.

The unicorn dodged to the side just in time as the sword struck the ground.

Twilight looked incredulously at the spot where she once stood. A few locks of hair from her tail sat on the ground, neatly cleaved off.

“Twilight! I think she’s playin’ for keeps!” Spike warned. “What are you gonna do?”

A red glow enveloped the baby dragon. The aura carried him to the side of the room and plopped him on the ground. With Spike safely out of harms way she looked back at the dangerous pony.

“Pinkie! What were you thinking? I could’ve been hurt!”

Pinkie hefted the sword back up and pointed it at Twilight.

“I’m tired of everypony treating me like I’m an idiot! Nopony even tries to learn about me! I might as well be a stranger! She’s the only pony who doesn’t make me feel like I’m a walking joke! You’re not taking her away!”

Twilight’s mind raced. Even if she could just teleport up to the room, she couldn’t leave Pinkie down here with the other ponies in such a crazed state. Unease built in her gut as she prepared to incapacitate the pony she once called her friend.

I’ve come here from nowhere
Across the unforgiving sea
Drifting further and further
It’s all becoming clear to me

But violent winds are upon us and I can’t sleep
Internal temperatures rising
And all the voices won’t recede

I’ve finally found what I was looking for
A place where I can be without remorse
Because I am a stranger who has found
An even stranger war
I’ve finally found what I was looking for

I sharpen the knife
And look down upon the bay
For all of my life
A stranger I remain