Rainbow Dash snorted and opened her eyes. Some pony had gotten into bed with her. Some pony warm. Her vision came into focus as she laid eyes on a fluffy pink mane in front of her. No, it can't be! The pegasus gently lifted the quilt. There was a pink earth pony, dozing away like a foal. I thought she was in her own bed! she thought.
She quickly put the blanket back down over the pink mare and turned over. Maybe I can just ignore it.
But she wasn't able to. The body warmth of the other pony was too much for blankets alone to bear. The curly mane lightly tickled the back of her neck. Dash sat up, spreading her wings and stretching. Maybe if she took a little walk around the castle, she would come back and be able to sleep alone.
Trying to wake Pinkie up, Rainbow flopped out of bed and opened the door to Twilight's bedroom. She looked back at the sleeping mare. Not with a frown, but a kind of caring facial expression that movies have when a mother is watching their foal sleep from the doorway. A face that told her that it may not be so bad after all.
One that told her, Why not?
The blue mare shrugged and walked back to the bed. Then she noticed the empty frame with a mattress and blanket, one pillow on it. She flew towards it and, laying down in the empty bed, closed her eyes.
Floof.
Dash opened her eyes with annoyance. Not again, Pinkie Pie! she thought aloud. She trudged to the other bed and covered up in it again, all the while watching the pink pony. Rainbow didn't know why, but by Pinkie's facial expression, it looked as if she were sad that Rainbow had trotted away, though she was asleep.
Dash shrugged it off and turned over. Pinkie was just asleep and didn't know what she was doing, right?
Right?
She sighed. At least she got Pinkie in the right spot. Her heart jumped as Pinkie's voice caught her attention. "Dashie?"
Rainbow Dash turned around to see Pinkie, her blue eyes staring down at her. "Yeah, Pinkie?" she replied, keeping her volume to a minimum.
"You're awake. Um, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Pinkie."
"We're friends, right?"
"Yeah, of course. Why'd you ask?"
Pinkie somehow looked more calm than usual. "I don't know, I just... I.... don't know."
Dash gave her a sympathetic look. "Does it have to do with what just happened?"
Pinkie's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed red. "What do you mean?"
"You following me? What's up with you lately? You seem really... like you have something you wanna tell me, but you're nervous about what I'll think. But tonight... what was up with that?"
The pink pony's eyes pinched shut as she obviously tried hard to keep them from welling up with tears. I-I'm sorry!"
She galloped away and out of the room, leaving the door open, which woke every pony up as her sobs and hoof steps filled the air.
Dash covered her head with the quilt as her mind screamed, You really messed up, Dash, though she was only talking at a normal level to Pinkie Pie. She wasn't scolding her or anything, it was just a whisper.
Rarity spoke first. "Are we going to let the poor dear wallow in her misery or are we going to see what's wrong?"
Dash pinched her eyes shut, fighting back tears of her own. The fact that Rainbow Dash had made Pinkie Pie cry was extremely surprising. Pinkie doesn't cry unless it's something serious. Rainbow flew swiftly after Pinkie, as did every pony else, but they were no match for her speed. That didn't matter at the moment, though.
Pinkie was sitting on a bench in the library of the castle. Dash caught the sound of her mutters outside the door. "Dashie.... Please, I didn't mean to.... Love you..."
Love her? Was there something in there that Rainbow didn't catch? Did she hear her wrong?
No. She couldn't have said that she loved her. But, what if...
Dash gasped in realization, thinking of all those times that Pinkie had made a big deal out of her leaving... all the time that they spent together pulling pranks... That time that Pinkie nearly fell to her death to save her in Griffonstone... When Rainbow had visited her in her time of doubt... There was no doubt now. Pinkie really did love her.
"Pinkie Pie!"
The pink pony turned her head to face the blue pegasus. "What is it?"
Rainbow felt a wave of warmth pass through her body as the sound of Pinkie's voice caught her ear. She had never felt that way before. She flinched, spread her wings, and zipped up to her at neck break speed. She wrapped her hooves around Pinkie Pie. "I'm sorry my mind was so dense for all this time! I never really realized the truth because I was so damn full of myself! I'm-"
"It's okay, Dashie," muttered Pinkie, pushing Dash away slightly. "I forgive you."
Pinkie Pie gave her an expression of forgiveness. "You do?" Dash uttered, wiping tears from her eyes.
Rainbow's rose colored eyes widened when Pinkie locked lips with her. Slowly, she closed her eyes, wrapping her hooves around Pinkie. They broke apart about ten seconds later. "Yes, I do," Pinkie replied, putting a hoof on Dash's cheek. The blue mare sighed. She wished she could freeze in this moment forever.
The other five mares entered the library. Applejack spoke up. "Y'all okay?"
Dash sighed. "We're fine, you guys can go back to bed, we'll catch up with you in a bit."
Starlight exchanged glances with Twilight, then shrugged. "Okay, I guess we'll go then," Twilight said.
The five turned back, Fluttershy staying behind a few seconds and waving, then turning back to the group and going to bed. Pinkie kept staring at Rainbow. She stared back at the pink mare. "So I guess we can go back to bed now?" Dash suggested, trotting towards the door.
"Yep," Pinkie replied.
And so they did. Rainbow Dash climbed into her bed, watching Pinkie climb in as well. But this time, she didn't mind at all. Turning towards Pinkie, she fell asleep. She wished this night would last forever, now that Pinkie Pie was with her.
