Romp

“Nngh… huh?”

Rainbow felt the pressure of Twilight’s hoof ease off her body as her back settled into the soft embankment of the river. The giant mare continued to hold her in place, but the touch was far more gentle in nature.

Clutching onto the edge of Twilight’s hoof, Rainbow shifted into a more comfortable position. To her surprise, Twilight pulled her weight up further to help her move, before relaxing part of it back on her.

“Wh-what’s going on?” Rainbow muttered, furrowing her brow as she looked up at the giant.

Twilight, with a careful motion, leaned her head down with closed eyes, heaving a sigh. The front of her mane draped over her forehead in wet locks, soaked by the storm currently pouring overhead. A single, rather large drip fell from one of the strands onto Rainbow’s muzzle.

“Ppthtpth!” Rainbow shook her head and spat before wiping a hoof across her snout. “Do ya mind?”

Twilight opened her eyes with a tilt of her head, causing yet another drop to fall.

Rainbow scrunched her muzzle at the impact. “Hey!”

“Oh! Sorry!” Twilight stifled a giggle and shifted her body carefully, positioning her head a little farther over the tiny pegasus’ body.

“Mmf… so, like, what’s going on?” Rainbow asked. “I figure you’d, y’know… finish this up by now.”

Twilight winced at the words. “Um… well, yes. I wanted to. But…”

Rainbow groaned. “Don’t tell me you’re chickening out again.”

“No, it’s not that! Or, at least not exactly that. I was—”

“Seriously Twi, either go through with this, or let’s just—”

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight spoke with a harsh tone, pressing a little firmer against the pegasus’ body.

That shut the mare up.

With a softer voice, Twilight said, “Just… hear me out.”

Rainbow huffed, crossing her forelegs against the edge of Twilight’s hoof with a pout.

“So… one thing I’ve learned from all of this is that although I enjoy doing… well, the stuff we’ve done here… I just can’t go through with any of it in good conscious.”

Rainbow frowned. “Listen, Twi. I know doing this sort of stuff for the first time can be kind of weird, but—”

“I know,” Twilight interrupted. “I understand everything you’ve said thus far.” She smiled a little. “And I thank you for being the wonderful friend you are… for helping me to explore this, because you believe it’s the right thing to do.”

Rainbow arched an eyebrow. Her expression turned uncertain.

“But I don’t feel the same way.”

__________

With a flash of her horn, Twilight brought herself back to normal size, though she still continued to stand over the pegasus.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow,” she spoke with clear exhaustion. “I guess… this just isn’t for me.”

Twilight closed her eyes once more, relishing in the familiarity of being her normal size again. Having bore the wild flux of emotions and awkwardness for the past twenty-four hours, she had at least garnered a bit of objective insight from it all. Not just that she was uncomfortable with playing the part of giant, but something that hinted at a possible reason as to why she enjoyed it with Rainbow.

And she was ready to share what it was.

Lifting her head slightly, she opened her mouth to speak and looked down at Rainbow – then immediately paused.

Rainbow Dash lay beneath her with her eyes wrenched shut and hooves balled up tight against her chest. A low growl emanated from her lungs, followed by a—

“GaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAAHHHH!!!!!”

Twilight leapt away from the mare’s scream, buffeting her jump with a flutter of wings – though she still fell on her rump.

“Just… guh… I-I can’t… UGH!” Flailing around on her back for a second, Rainbow then rolled onto her hooves and glared at Twilight. “Why? Why couldn’t you just go through with it?!”

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock. She took a step back. “I’m sorry! Like I said, I’m not comfortable with it! But that’s not—”

“Do you have ANY idea how FRUSTRATING it is to get SO CLOSE, and then… you just…!” Rainbow gnashed her teeth. “I can’t believe after all this, and… and you!” She pointed at hoof at Twilight. “You were the one who wanted to do this this time!”

“I know, I know – again, I’m sorry!” Twilight’s voice took on a warbling effect as she took yet another step back. “I-I didn’t expect this to upset you so much! If anything I figured you’d be—”

“Oh, don’t even think for a second you have any idea how I feel, Twi,” Rainbow barked back with an unnerving firmness.

Twilight blinked, lifting a limp hoof. “Wh… what are you—”

“This was stupid.” Rainbow stomped against the ground before turning away, flicking her wet tail to the side. “Maybe you were right. We never should have done this to begin with. It’s not like I w-want…” She gulped.

Twilight’s ears flicked forward. She dared a step forward. “It’s not like you want…?”

For a moment, Rainbow remained silent. The storm pouring over them flickered with the occasional burst of lightning, highlighting the mare’s debris-dappled mane matted against her neck. After a moment, she glanced back, her face etched with disgust. “Forget it. Just end the spell.”

“No… wait, Rainbow,” Twilight said, taking another step closer. “If there’s something I’ve done to make you—”

“End the spell,” she repeated, her tone and expression demanding no further argument.

The air caught in Twilight’s lungs. A sudden wave of nausea flooded her senses. With a gulp of her own, she brought her horn to light.

__________

Twilight grunted from the force of the spell’s end, nearly falling over from where she sat on the library’s rug. Rubbing a hoof against her head, she peered across the way.

All she saw was a blur of cerulean wings before Rainbow flew right over her.

“Gah!” Twilight fell over anyway.

Stumbling back to her hooves, she caught a glimpse of blue darting out into the hallway. “Rainbow Dash! Wait! Where are you—”

“Not now,” she heard the pegasus shout back against the crystalline walls.

Twilight’s jaw hung loose from yet another incomplete sentence. Clenching it shut, she galloped into the hall and after the mare. “Rainbow, I’m sorry! Please! I didn’t mean to do anything wrong!”

“NOT NOW,” Rainbow shouted once more. The pegasus was making a mad dash for the front doors of the castle. Even as she pursued, Twilight noticed out of her periphery and from the sound overhead that the storm was still raging outside. Surely Rainbow wasn’t thinking of—

“Wait!” Twilight shouted as Rainbow wrenched open one of the doors, letting in a gust of warm, humid air.

Rainbow glanced down at her, hovering close to the bands of rain pouring beyond. Her magenta eyes shimmered beneath a flash of lightning. She opened her mouth for a moment as if to say something, but then turned for the storm.

Twilight reached a hoof toward her. “You… you’re not going to…?”

She was. With a flap of her wings, Rainbow Dash dove into the storm.

Leaving behind her thoroughly confused friend.