Author's Note

Welcome to a new chapter under new management^^

Let me say something first before you continue.

I'm not Twidashforever!
The flow and formatting will be different, but that's how I do it.
It won't disrupt the content of the story, but it is... different.
Another thing is that I can't promise you weekly updates, I got way too much on my plate for that. I hope you can understand.

I hope you still have fun with this story and continue to follow.

ScratchnTavi

The Place I call Home

Chapter Nine: The Place I call Home

Twi looked around the train, noting—once again—that the size of the car was easily big enough for her and Rainbow to walk into it, without any real reason for that to be so. She shook it off as simply another strange fact about this world while turning to her companions.

The group walked into their own car, one specially reserved by Princess Celestia herself for their travels. Twi noted that the seats were more akin to beds as opposed to proper benches like she expected on trains. The reasoning why came as she watched Twilight and Dash jump up on one and lay together, putting a smile on her face, especially when she watched the short stumpy dragon jump up across from them to his own seat.

Wait… Rainbow!

Twi turned to Rainbow just in time to see the knowing grin on the girl’s face, it was her ‘hey Twi, let’s make love,’ look that spoke only trouble. In a firm, commanding voice, Twi said, “No.”

“No what?” Rainbow said, trying to play it off like she hadn’t been thinking about joining the ‘train club of Equestria’.

“To whatever you’re thinking,” Twi replied, smiling as she lightly tapped Rainbow on the side of the cheek with her hand and made her own way to a seat.

Rainbow blew her a raspberry. “No fun.”

“Says the girl that I let lick chocolate off my—” Twi paused, eyeing the little purple dragon that was looked at her, confused. “Nevermind. Just come sit by me, Rainbow.”

Rainbow laughed and did exactly that.

“Thank you,” Twilight said to her human self.

“No problem,” Twi said back, smiling.

“So, what’s there to do in Ponyville anyway?” Rainbow asked.

Dash perked up. “Well, we definitely gotta go check out Sugarcube Corner. I know you two will love our Pinkie Pie and of course she’ll love to meet you too. Afterwards we can check out Fluttershy’s, and even go bug Applejack on her farm.”

“Bleh, can we not and say we did?” Rainbow asked.

“Rainbow!” Twi yelled. “Can you not fight about that? She’s not even our Applejack.”

Rainbow glared at her, but said no more on the subject. “What about Fluttershy?”

“I just know she’ll love to meet you both,” Twilight said with a friendly smile.

“Ours sure loved to meet you two,” Twi said.

Twilight smiled. The day Fluttershy had come had been awkward, but fun. The girl was interesting to talk to; and the similarities were rather striking between her and their Fluttershy.

“We’ve also got a theater, bowling alley, joke shop, Quills and Sofas, and eve—”

“Quills and Sofas?” Twi said.

“Umm, yeah, a shop that sells quills and sofas.”

“That’s a strange combination,” Rainbow said.

“They’re almost always out of quills though, somepony goes through about fifty a week,” Spike added.

Rainbow laughed and put her arm around Twi. “You should see how many notebooks this one kept in her closet at first.”

“At first?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, our deal was that I’d send my trophies home if she sent her notebooks home. I’m only allowed to keep three trophies, and she can only keep two-dozen notebooks.”

Twi let out a hard breath. “I don’t know how I survive sometimes.”

Even though Twilight felt sorry for her, Dash broke down into a laughing fit. “That’s hilarious!”

Before they could say any more, the train’s horn blew, and the car lurched forward. The sudden jounce startled Twi, who grasped Rainbow a little tighter. Rainbow smiled as she held Twi tighter; Rainbow’s hand took the small liberty of finding its way directly under her right breast as she did so.

“How long to Ponyville?” Twi asked as she looked out the window.

“A few hours,” Dash said. “Honestly we could’ve flown there faster, but somepony said no.”

“I told you why, Dash,” Twilight said.

“Couldn’t we have just gotten two chariots?”

“Celestia already did us a favor with one,” Twilight replied.

“It’s more than enough,” Twi said with a smile. “Besides, I don’t mind the train ride.”

Dash grumbled but said nothing more about it. Twilight smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

“Do you two gotta do that in front of me?” Spike asked with a grossed out expression on his face.

“You should see what they do in the bedroom,” Rainbow said with a laugh.

“Rainbow!” Twi said.

It was an objection that went ignored. “That’s too much for you, Spike?” Dash asked, an evil smile on her face.

“I don’t want to see Twilight kiss,” Spike said.

“Then you’ll hate this,” Dash replied. She looked up to Twilight and started to pepper her with kisses.

“Dash!” Twilight said, laughing and falling over.

“Eww!” Spike complained while trying to cover his eyes.

Rainbow let Twi go and got to his side. “If you hate that, you’ll loathe this.” At that she started to kiss the dragon’s face, making him squirm under her grip.

“Get off! Twilight, help!”

“She’s got her own problems to worry about, kiddo,” Twi said with a laugh as she watched the dragon squirm and try to get away from Rainbow. Good luck with that, Spike. I haven’t managed it in all these years.

“Dash stop,” Twilight said as she tried to push the pegasus off her.

“No can do, your coat is just too tasty,” Dash said back, still kissing the princess all over her muzzle and neck.

The separate tortures went on for a good two minutes. To his credit, the dragon actually did manage to wiggle free from Rainbow’s grip on three separate occasions. But after the second one, Twi realized that had been Rainbow’s ploy, and the girl had let Spike think he could escape to keep him trying to escape. After all, that’s what had made it fun for her.

But Twi eventually put an end to it. “That’s enough, Rainbow.”

Rainbow looked up with a squirming, laughing dragon in her hands. “But I was having fun.”

“Yeah, but I’m getting lonely all by myself,” Twi said with a pouty face.

Rainbow turned to Spike and said, “Sorry squirt, you’re on your own.” She then got up and went back to her girlfriend. Her eyes took in Twilight and Dash who at some point had stopped their own game to watch her tease Spike.

“Are all humans from your world that way?” Spike said with a disgusted look on his face as he wiped off his head several times.

“Rainbow’s one-of-a-kind,” Twi replied as she wrapped an arm around Rainbow’s neck and kissed her.

“Hey!” Dash protested.

“Oh, you know what she meant,” Twilight said with a smile as she mirrored her human self with a wing.

Dash huffed and blew her a raspberry. Twi just smiled as she looked back out the window and took in some clouds moving in the distance. She looked closer, seeing small shapes amongst them. “Are they moving the clouds?” Twi asked.

Twilight looked over, confused until she realized what Twi was looking at. “Oh yeah, like I told you back in your world; in ours the weather is controlled by the pegasi.”

“Weather wizards!” Rainbow said with a laugh.

When Twi didn’t laugh, Rainbow shrugged and laid back upon the seat/bed.

“The weather clouds are created in Cloudsdale,” Twilight said.

“That’s also where rainbows come from,” Dash added. “Although don’t taste them.” She remembered Pinkie’s expedition all too well.

“Why would anyone taste a rainbow?” Twi asked.

Rainbow chuckled. “You do every night.”

Not even Twi could hold back her laughter at that. Dash, Twilight, and Rainbow had no chance what-so-ever.

“What’s so funny?” Spike asked. “Rainbow’s are spicy.”

That was the wrong thing to say: Rainbow simply started to laugh louder. “I can’t breathe!”

“What?”

Twilight shook off her chuckles first. “It’s a joke from the other world,” she half-lied, trying to change the subject.

“What about Rarity?” Twi asked as she stopped laughing.

Dash cut herself off. “Well, you can go there if you want, I’ll pass.”

“Twi,” Rainbow said, her own expression no longer one of joyous laughter, it was suddenly serious.

Twi saw it almost immediately. She knew that look all too well. She knew the pain that was behind it. “Rainbow, this is a different world, that doesn’t mean—”

“Do you really believe that?” Rainbow asked.

Twi was about to say ‘of course’, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. It was like the words where there, they just refused to be said.

“I thought so,” Rainbow replied after Twi went a good thirty seconds trying speak but saying nothing. “We sho—”

Twi shook her head. “No, it’s their world, their life.”

“Twi…”

Again she shook her head. “Think about it, Rainbow. We got through it and emerged together, stronger for it. Would you really deny them that?”

Rainbow looked at the two ponies. They were happily chatting away while Spike was curled up into a small, purple ball. He was sound asleep.

“Well?” Twi asked.

“It’s…”

“Yes?”

“Fine,” Rainbow said as she took a deep breath and let her shoulders sink down.

“You two okay?” Dash asked from across the car.

“Fine, Dashie. Thanks for asking,” Twi replied back with a smile.

Rainbow was anything but smiling. Instead, she leaned her head against Twi’s shoulder, and the smaller girl surprised her by guiding her head down to her lap. Chuckling a little, Rainbow brought her legs onto the bed in a bent position, getting herself comfortable.

“Thank you,” Twi said.

“I have a feeling we’ll both regret not telling them,” Rainbow replied.

“I won’t,” Twi said as she started to run her hands through Rainbow’s hair. “You really need to brush your hair more.”

“Keep that up and I’ll turn the other way,” she replied, sticking her tongue out.

Twi knew that was no idle threat. Rainbow would turn around and eat her out in the train car, especially since she was without any form of panties at all. Twi giggled a little at the thought of provoking Rainbow to do it anyway. Rainbow would enjoy it—as she always did, and it wasn’t like Twi wouldn’t either. Her eyes glanced over to the sleeping dragon opposite of Twilight and Dash. She shook her head no and stopped running her fingers through Rainbow’s tangles.

“I was hoping you would,” Rainbow muttered under her breath as the train clickety-clacked down the tracks.

Twi smiled as she recognized the tone of voice in Rainbow’s words. The girl was already starting to fall asleep despite having just laid her head down on her lap. I can’t really blame you though; the train ride is rather soothing, she thought with a smile. With a glance to her side, she saw Dash had already fallen asleep. Twilight had a wing wrapped around her and glanced over to her doppelganger with a smile on her face.

“Yours too, huh?” Twi asked.

“Dash has never had an issue taking naps before,” Twilight replied.

“That may be, but I bet she’s more relaxed now than any of those other times.”

“What makes you say that?”

“That smile... Let’s just say I’m used to seeing it.”

Twilight looked down at her marefriend. The pegasus was smiling, but that alone wasn’t unusual. Rather, it was the way she was smiling. Dash’s lips were curled up just right, her muzzle positioned just so to breathe in the alicorn’s scent. She looked to be enjoying the warmth of Twilight’s wing, and her legs didn’t seem to have a tense muscle in them. Dash looked completely content.

Twilight didn’t know how, but she just knew that Dash would wake up more rested than she ever had in her entire life.

Watching Dash made Twilight yawn, she let loose a big one and went right back to the cyan pegasus in her wing.

“A nap might do us all some good,” Twi said.

Twilight looked over to her. “I think… I think you’re right,” she replied, smiling as she laid her head down right next to Dash’s.

Twi watched as her opposite drifted off to sleep and cuddled with the love of her life. With a smile she looked down at the girl fast asleep in her lap. I wish that was as easy for me as it was for you, Twilight. Twi thought. Still, she couldn’t complain too much. She was trapped in a strange new world, had the love of her life sleeping peacefully on her lap, and had their two other selves across the way. All things considered, she had been in far worse situations before, and if this was the cost, she would pay it gladly.

Of course it did mean she’d now have to pass the time alone, but Twi didn’t really mind; her thoughts were always good company.

***

“Rainbow, wake up!”

“Huh?” Rainbow muttered as she rubbed sleep from her eyes.

“Rainbow, we’re so screwed!”

“W-w-what?” Rainbow asked as she sat up and blinked her eyes clear.

“I totally forgot about my study session for the study guide for the test! It’s tomorrow, and there’s no way we’re going to make it back! Moondancer is going to freak out! They’re going to break our door down, declare us missing, and signal an amber alert! They’re going to launch an investigation and shut down the school!”

“Twi,” Rainbow said. “We both know that Moondancer is too lazy to care about that. She’ll be rather glad that she’s got the best score on this test, so don’t worry. Everything is fine. Besides, you’re the best student anyways. If you miss one test, they’ll only pat your head a little.”

“W-what’s going on?” Twilight asked as she stirred from slumber.

“Sounds like a freak out,” Dash replied as she arched her back and stretched her hooves.

“You know that too, huh?” Rainbow said, and Dash nodded. “Eggheads, I guess.”

“Hey!” Twilight and Twi said in unison.

“Our eggheads.” Dash grinned and kissed Twilight, shutting her up.

Rainbow chuckled , but Twi didn’t. “Rainbow, this is serious, what will we do about—”

“It’s not; now stop overreacting.” Rainbow’s smile faltered a bit as she cut Twi off. “You were at every god damn test, now you’re missing a single study session for a… study guide? What’s the big deal?”

“It is a big deal, I—”

Rainbow silenced her the only way she knew how: She locked her lips right with Twi’s, cutting off the rant in mid sentence. She forcefully stuck her tongue into Twi’s mouth, giving her something else to think about as well.

Twi glared at the girl, refusing to play ball. For a second or two anyway. Not even she could resist this kiss for long. Soon she had no choice but to drop her shoulders and relax, letting Rainbow take the lead like she enjoyed to do.

As they broke, Twi couldn’t help but sigh. She couldn’t even be angry at Rainbow. “You are unbearable sometimes.”

“As long as I’m yours all the time,” Rainbow replied.

Twi wrapped her hands over Rainbow shoulders and gazed lovingly into her eyes. “Always and forever.”

Dash grinned and made a few gagging sounds, but stopped as Twilight cuffed her over the head with a wing. “If you want kisses in the future, don’t do that again,” she smiled.

Dash blushed, opened her muzzle, and closed it again.

“That’s what I thought,” Twilight said with a smile.

At that point,they all felt themselves lurching slightly forward, at the feeling of the train starting to come to a stop. “Uh, are we there already?” Spike asked as he groggily sat up.

“I think so,” Dash said.

“Ponyville?” Rainbow asked as she looked out the window. Her eyes widened when she saw what was basically a huge city-wide parade going on through town. “Umm… I think something’s going on.”

“What?” Twilight asked as she got up and worked her way over to the other side of the train car. Oh no. Pinkie, what did you do? She thought.

“Ha, that’s awesome, you got a welcome home party, Twilight!” Dash exclaimed.

As if the universe sought to purposely prove her wrong, at that moment, a huge Rainbow Dash blow up blimp came into view. It was done to the standards of all Pinkie Pie decorations, but still unmistakable.

“I guess this means we’re not sneaking to the castle?” Twi asked the rhetorical question.

“No… not at all… and all of Ponyville will see you before I can announce you properly. This’ll be a disaster,” Twilight said as she buried her muzzle into her forehooves.

Dash moved to Twilight’s side; she landed and nuzzled up against her. “Or we just drop the bombshell right off the bat? Let them know now, and get it over with in one blow?”

“Dash, that’s…” Twilight stopped herself, she placed a hoof to her muzzle and thought about doing just that. “Actually, that could work in time with the parade Pinkie set up here.”

Before they could discuss it anymore, the train finished slowing down and lurched to a dead stop.

Spike jumped down to the floor of the cabin and stretched his claws out, yawning. “Well, let’s get to the party!” He said with a happy smile.

“Spike!” Twilight yelled as he ran out. She powered her horn and teleported him back, “We’ll go together.”

“All of us?” Twi asked.

“Well, would you two mind waiting for us in the train until I signal you?”

“Umm… sure?” Rainbow said.

“Alright,” Twilight replied.

Twi smiled uncertainly as she watched them walk out of the train car. As soon as the ponies opened the door, she heard a loud—as Pinkie would put it—fruckus coming from the crowd outside.

Rainbow stuck her head to the widow as she heard the train door close. Twilight and Dash were both moving up to a platform in front of what looked like over a hundred ponies. Most likely their friends and family that they had left behind. “This is kinda nuts, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think so, Rainbow. Remember, Twilight is a princess, and she’s no doubt made a lot of friends here since she’s literally the Princess of Friendship.”

“Plus…” Rainbow said as she turned to look at Twi.

“Pinkie,” they both said together and chuckled a little.

From inside the car, they couldn’t hear much of the speech, but that didn’t stop Rainbow from wanting to look out the window as much as she could. The girl did, however, make out several familiar ponies and faces that she thought she recognized from her world. The most prominent were the four ponies in the front, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.

Even if she hadn’t seen the resemblance, the giant hug they gave Twilight and Dash before Twilight started her speech would have been a dead giveaway. In the crowd she could make out other faces as well: Vinyl, Octavia, Bon Bon, and Lyra. She saw Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and a whole host of others.

The loud fruckus started up again as everypony clopped their hooves or stomped against the ground. Twilight gave a wave to the girls over her shoulder that said ‘now or never’ and gestured for Twi and Rainbow to come out.

The girls slowly stepped out of the train car, and the noise from everypony ceased, save for Pinkie Pie who continued to bounce up and down at the prospect of greeting newcomers to Ponyville. Everypony else bore looks ranging from shock to disgust to fear, uncertain what exactly they were looking at.

The glares were almost enough to cause Twi to go back inside the train. Almost. Rainbow’s arm wrapped around her gave her pause, made the looks ‘not matter’. She smiled at the confidant girl and continued on to the podium.

“These are the friends I made in the other world,” Twilight said as she turned back to the crowed. “They helped us with a safe place to stay, made sure we had food and water, and opened my eyes to new… possibilities I’ve never encountered before. Just as we were stuck there, they’re going to be stuck here, trapped in our world for a little while. I owe them so much, and as such, I beseech you, all of Ponyville, to treat them as you would me. Friends, let me introduce you to Twi and Rainbow from the other world.”

As one, the ponies of Ponyville turned their heads from Twilight and Dash to Rainbow and Twi. It was so quiet Rainbow thought she heard a pin drop in the distance. “Umm… Hi,” Rainbow said.

As if that was a switch, the ponies of Ponyville erupted in a thunderous applause. Twi started to smile at such a warm reception. There’s no way this would’ve happened in our world, she thought, feeling bad.

Rainbow immediately started to take it all in, it was the equivalent of winning a big game. She stuck her hand in the air and waved it around, smiling all the same. She did stop though when she saw the four ponies that she knew were the Equestria versions of her friends.

Pinkie looked ready to explode, but that was expected. Fluttershy had the same look on her face as their version did when she saw a new animal for the first time. Rarity looked amused, her eyes locked upon Twi and her clothes. Applejack just looked bemused at this new development.

Twilight smiled ear-to-ear as she saw the warm welcome her human friends had received. “I thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. But if you don’t mind, it’s been a long trip and we’d like to get settled in. I hope to catch up with each of you in turn.”

The crowd gave another thunderous round of applause before starting to disperse. All except for the four up front, who couldn’t wait to learn more about what their friends had been up to. Unsurprisingly, Spike used this moment to run up and wrap Rarity in a great big hug.

Twi and Rainbow stepped forward to the four, smiles gracing their faces. “You must be Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack. Twilight told us so much about you,” Twi said with a smile.

“Yeah, so much…” Rainbow said with a bit more of a frown as she looked at Rarity and Applejack.

“You two really are them from another world, aren’t you?” Rarity asked, her eyes widening at them.

“Or they’re us from this world,” Rainbow replied back, smiling.

“Oh my, this is so fascinating. What’s it like over there? Are there different animals?” Fluttershy asked, taking flight and flying around the two girls as she examined them.

Twi had to resist the urge to catch her and nuzzle her like an adorable puppy.

“This. Is. So. Amazing!” Pinkie Pie blew up. She jumped into the air and exploded in a shower of confetti, before reappearing right behind Rainbow, sticking her head out from the girl’s shirt. “You’re just like our Rainbow! Oh, oh, oh, oh, Rainbow, which of you is more awesome?”

“I am!” they both said at the same time.

“Competition time!” Pinkie said as she disappeared and then started to bound away from behind Applejack. “I’ll go get everything set up!”

Twilight teleported her back. “No, thank you. We need to get settled in.”

“Ahh…”

“Ah reckon this is all new ta you two?” Applejack asked.

Rainbow turned her head from Dash and to the farmer. “Actually, it’s kinda familiar.”

“What do ya mean by that?”

“Heh, it’s all the same. Same friends, same relationship, same love,” Rainbow said. Twi resisted the urge to facepalm, but shot her a glare.

“Love? Love?” Rarity asked.

Rainbow looked at her strange. “Of course, that’s—”

“Rainbow!” Twilight growled.

“What? Didn’t you tell them that we’re with the equal of each other?”

Everypony gasped while Twilight and Twi facehoofed in unison. “No, I didn’t!” Twilight shrieked. “Thank you very much!”

“Wait… you mean you two?” Rarity asked, looking at Twi and Rainbow.

Rainbow wasted no time squeezing Twi tighter to her, nodding all the same.

“And you… two?” Rarity asked as she looked at Twilight and Dash.

“Don’t worry, they explained it. Twilight and Dash got together in the other world,” Spike said. “Really, it’s not that complicated.”

“What?” Rarity said with a shocked look on her face.

“Wait, but you two are…” Applejack started.

“Mares, yes,” Rainbow said, glaring at her.

“Applejack, it changes nothing. We’re all still friends,” Twilight said.

“Yeah, I’ll still kick your flank next Running of the Leaves,” Dash said proudly.

“That’s not what Ah mean! Love… relationships ain’t fer two mares! It’s been that way fer ages, and Ah’m sure that nature would’ve given all of us mares a possibility fer fillies if it were. That ain’t right what y’all are doing.”

“Actually, according to Princess Celestia it used to be a lot more common; it just fell out of practice,” Twilight said. “Luna was actually surprised that it wasn’t more common today.”

Applejack opened her mouth and shut it again, uncertain how to reply. Rainbow glared at her, and then to Rarity. The mare looked like she was still in shock. “We should get to your castle, Twilight,” Rainbow said as she saw that they were starting to attract a lot of attention.

“Oh, I need to get a few things from my home,” Dash said. “Mind if I meet you there?”

Twilight smiled at her. “You won’t keep me waiting, will you?”

“Puh-lease, I’ll be waiting for you,” Dash replied, and to everyone's surprise, kissed Twilight straight on her muzzle before zooming off.

Oh, you shouldn’t have done that, Twi thought as she saw the looks of shock on Applejack’s and Rarity’s face.

“This. Is. Even. More. Awesome!” Pinkie said at that. “We gotta have a ‘congratulations on the new relationship, when’s the wedding?’ party!”

“Pinkie, maybe that should wait,” Twilight said. “This is all new to us. Give us a chance to adjust first, and then we’ll have a party.”

“I’ll start planning!” The pink pony yelled as her form vanished into a puff of smoke.

“How… the… fuck?” Rainbow asked.

“Don’t you know better than to ask how?” Twi asked with a smile.

Spike blew Rainbow a raspberry as they started to walk to the castle. “Yeah, even our Twilight knows that.”

“Hey, don’t give me shit. It’s been awhile since I’ve been around our Pinkie.”

“I don’t know what to say…” Rarity cut in.

“Well,” Rainbow said to her. “If you’re like our Rarity, you better shut it. Arguing won’t change anything, and may god help me if you make their lives harder!”

“Ya can’t come here and talk down ta us like that!” Applejack scowled. “We’re all friends here, but we have a right to speak our minds freely.”

“Rainbow!” Twi yelled.

Rainbow turned from Applejack and Rarity and to Twi. The expression on her face was one of rage, and… pain. Twi mouthed, ‘you promised’.

“Fine.” Rainbow threw her hands up into the air. “Twilight, lead the way. I’m done with this.”

“What was that about?” Twilight asked Twi.

“Nothing,” Twi said with a sigh.

“Is she… is she mad at us?” Fluttershy asked.

Twi turned to her. “No, she’s just remembering a few things. Please, don’t take it personally. I’ll make sure she apologizes in time.”

“She should apologize now,” Rarity said with a huff.

“She’s… just like your Rainbow,” Twi replied.

“Dash,” Spike said.

“Huh?” Applejack asked.

“Because there are two of them. They call our versions Twilight and Dash, theirs Rainbow and Twi.”

“Ah reckon it’d have been easier to go by first and last names,” Applejack said.

“I’m definitely not Sparkle.” Twi looked a bit offended.

“We’ll stay with the names we chose, thank you, AJ.” Rainbow waved a hand sarcastically.

“Listen here ya mangey varmint! Ah’m just sayin’ it’s confusing is all. Y’all wanna come here and upset the apple cart, gettin’ Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash caught up in yer ways though, that’s gonna be a problem!”

“Our ways?” The venom in her voice was impossible to miss.

“Rainbow, no! You promised me,” Twi said.

“What do you mean with our ways?” Rainbow asked as she took two steps toward Applejack.

“Ah’m sure you just turned their heads upside down!” Applejack said.

“She’s just as much of a ruffian as our Dash,” Rarity added.

“Hey, look who was right?” Rainbow turned to Twi. ”I told you they would be as fucked up as our versions of them. But who didn’t want to believe me? Who said everything will be fine because they are Twilight and Dash’s friends?”

The look Twi gave her was one part hurt, one part acceptance, and the last part pain. But before she could say anything a voice spoke up. “What do you mean?” It was Twi’s voice, just from Twilight.

The girl turned to look at Twilight. The alicorn was approaching her, her face full of hurt. “Does that mean what I think it means?”

Twi just nodded, a tear falling from her eye.

“But they’re my friends, how could they…”

“This just ain’t right, Twilight,” Applejack said. “Love is something special between a mare and a stallion. Ah’m sorry.”

“Twilight, dear, you’re a princess. Think about your status. That you’d be with someone like Rainbow Dash of all ponies?” Rarity added.

“So what?” It was now Twilight’s turn to burst out. “If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t choose who you love. Your heart tells you! It tells you everything about that pony, and that pony is Dash for me!”

“What did they do to ya there?” Applejack just shook her head, and Rarity nodded in agreement.

“Nothing! It was one of the best times of my life. If…” Twilight stocked, a single tear making its way down her muzzle. “If you can’t accept this, I want you to leave. Now. I love Dash because my heart tells me, and what it tells me is the pure truth.”

Twi and Rainbow stood off to the side, the taller girl holding the smaller wrapped in her arms. They knew this was going to get worse before it got better, but it was something they had to go through. It would define them. Define whether or not they could be strong enough to stick things out.

“Ah reckon some time to consider this wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Applejack said as she lowered her eyes away from Twilight.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Rarity said.

Twilight’s jaw dropped as she watched the two turn to leave. Never, not in a million moons did she ever think they’d actually go. Right at that moment, she felt more alone than when Discord turned all her friends into the opposite of their true selves.

“Is there more?” she asked Twi and Rainbow, her voice barely a whisper.

Rainbow looked at Twi before sighing. “This is just the beginning. Trust me, this was nothing. You will have to be strong. Really strong.” She placed a hand on the back of the alicorn with an awkward smile. “But it will also get better. It just needs… time.”

Twilight sat down, her tail wrapping around her hooves. Fluttershy spoke up, “I um… I’ll go try and talk to them.”

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Twilight muttered, her voice coming out in the same volume as ‘Shy’s.

“W-what happened?” Spike asked.

Twi picked him up. “Exactly what we were afraid of.”

“You okay, Twilight?” Rainbow asked.

“I… I… I need Dash…”

“I know,” Rainbow said as she picked up the alicorn and held her to her chest. “She’s waiting on us. Let’s get you to her.”

“You don’t know the way,” Twilight said.

“Big ugly thing in the distance? I think we can find it,” Rainbow replied with a chuckle.

Twi just looked at the alicorn with a forlorn expression. “I’m so sorry, Twilight.”