Little Glimpses

by Skijarama

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure, Princess Celestia, Alternate Universe, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Drama, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery, Rainbow Dash, Other
Length: 86281

An unusual dream graces Twilight's mind on the same day that Princess Celestia returns to Canterlot with a new, adopted daughter named Rainbow Dash.

Twilight Sparkle's wildest dreams have just been met, and exceeded. Due to an unexpected magical outburst during her entrance exam to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, the Solar Princess herself took an interest and took Twilight on as her personal student.

This was a pleasant shock for Twilight and her family. However, a few months later, a less pleasant shock would reach Twilight in the form of Celestia returning to Canterlot with a new daughter, a freshly adopted pegasus filly named Rainbow Dash. As the two get to know each other, Twilight can clearly see something eating at the self absorbed and competitive filly's mind.

To make matters even more confusing, Princess Celestia is now hiding something. Twilight dares not question it, but it is quite clear that Celestia isn't being wholly open with anypony about her decision to adopt some random orphan.

Could the answers have something to do with the cryptic dream Twilight had the night before she met Rainbow Dash?

**Apparently, this was featured on August 12th, but I slept through that brief window. All the same, I am flabbergasted and humbled!**

Cover Art by the wonderfully skilled Novaintellus

Now with a TV Tropes Page.

Published 2017-07-26 01:50:06 UTC
Last updated 2017-11-06 21:38:01 UTC

Dream

“Twilight? Twilight, can you hear me?”

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes slowly, groggily roused from her restful slumber by an unknown voice. It sounded like the voice of an adult mare, speaking urgently yet softly at the same time. Twilight squeaked in alarm when she saw her surroundings. She wasn’t in the room Princess Celestia had just given to her the previous night, nor was she in her bedroom in her parents’ house.

She was in an endless white void. Prismatic ribbons of magic and color slowly weaved all across the endless expanse, illuminating her and the flat, jagged platform upon which she had been resting. The little lavender filly stood up, looking around for the owner of the voice. “Who’s there? Where am I?!”

“It’s hard to explain, Twilight…” the voice answered solemnly. Some of the colorful ribbons began to swirl together, taking on the vague shape of an adult alicorn mare. Through the swirling magics, Twilight could see a pair of purple eyes open to look back at her. “And I can’t say much.”

“What does that mean? What’s happening?!” Twilight asked, taking a step back and looking around fearfully.

“It’s okay, Twilight… trust me, it is. I just…” the alicorn-shaped energy sagged and seemed to sigh. “I just wish I had enough time left to see it.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t tell you anything except this,” the alicorn stood and trotted up to Twilight before sitting down in front of her, meeting her gaze nostalgically. “You need to be brave, Twilight. Things have changed for you, and those changes are going to make your future… uncertain.”

“What are you-”

“But I know you can do this, Twilight. Just… please, keep your friends close. Whatever this world throws at you, you must keep your friends close.”

“Friends?” Twilight scrunched up her face, nonplussed. “I don’t have any friends. I don’t need any. I have Princess Celestia, my parents, Cadance and Shiny. They’re all I need.”

The alicorn sighed and then gave off a humorless chuckle. “I know that’s how you feel. But I also know you’ll change your mind. I had to, after all.”

“Are you going to start making sense?”

“...I wish I could, Twilight. Just be strong, okay? For our sake,” The alicorn silhouette looked up, the ribbons of magic making up her ears swiveling around to face directly forward. She then nodded to somepony unseen. “I’m sorry… I’m truly, truly sorry.” she then looked back down to Twilight. “I’m out of time, Twilight… all of it is yours now. Use it wisely.”

The ribbons of magic holding the silhouette together suddenly disbanded, swirling and fading away into the white void. Twilight looked around in confusion, her ears falling flat against her head. She reached a forehoof up to her chest, realizing that suddenly, without explanation, she felt sad. She shook her head and looked back up into the void. “Oh, come on! You’ve got to tell me more than that! Now I’m curious!”

No answers came. Instead, the crystalline surface upon which she stood abruptly shattered. A terrified yelp tore it’s way from her lungs at the feeling of plummeting into an endless fall. The white void around her began to darken, gradually fading into a black abyss. Any and all warmth she had been feeling before left her body to be swiftly replaced by a bone-chilling cold. Twilight screamed out, flailing her forelegs for something to grab onto. Nothing came. The last thing she saw in this abyss was countless lavender feathers, drifting slowly downward. She passed through them.

And then she awoke.

Twilight awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright and looking around. The dream was perfectly fresh in her mind. In fact, it didn’t even feel like a dream; it felt real. Twilight groaned tiredly and flopped back down into her pillow, staring up into the ceiling of her room as if it were the sky. “That was weird…” she mumbled before closing her eyes and rolling over to get some more rest. Her alarm hadn’t gone off yet and, despite her complaints about it, she followed Princess Celestia’s advice to get in enough rest before she got up.

Then another alarm went off, one in the form of a three-month-old baby dragon making little ‘growling’ sounds while clambering onto Twilight’s bed. Twilight grimaced but looked at the approaching baby dragon with a warm smile. “Aw, good morning Spike.” She mumbled sleepily, reaching out to the little guy. He sloppily pawed at her hoof, making sounds that Twilight could only describe as being ‘pitifully demanding.’

She sighed in defeat before glancing to the clock on her nightstand. Her normal alarm would be going off in a few minutes anyway. Might as well get a small head start. She glanced back down to Spike, who looked back at her pleadingly. “You’re hungry, Spike?”

The baby dragon nodded enthusiastically. Twilight scooted out of bed and began to make her way towards a set of saddlebags she kept with her at almost all times, filled with gem scraps and pieces lent to her by Princess Celestia so she could feed Spike. Spike crawled after her, eyes on the bag. He started to drool quite profusely. Twilight frowned at him. “Hey, what did I tell you about drooling on the rug?”

Spike clamped his jaw shut dutifully and yapped apologetically. Twilight rolled her eyes. She still wasn’t quite sure how it was he knew what she was saying but couldn’t yet form words of his own in response. She had been meaning to ask the Princess about it, but hadn’t had the chance for over a week. Princess Celestia had given Twilight the task of studying up on a specific type of spell on her own for the week, a task Twilight had dedicated herself to quite fervently.

With her face twisting slightly in concentration, Twilight opened one of the flaps on the saddlebags and withdrew a chunk of raw gem, unfit for cut or use, but good enough for Spike to eat and enjoy. She hovered it over to Spike and plopped it down into his waiting claws. He beamed at her and began to chow down, making some very gross sounds with his mouth as he did so. Twilight giggled softly. “Hey, don’t be messy, okay? I don’t want to ruin the Princess’s floor.”

Spike slurped up the last of the gem and nodded apologetically. Twilight lost her frown to a smile and trotted over to the tiny baby dragon. “Okay, come on. We should get moving.”

Spike mewled uncomfortably when Twilight picked him up in her magic, but settled in on her back when she let go, growing rather groggy once again. Twilight checked the calender on her wall real quick before nodding.

“Let’s see… if I get there quick enough I should be able to pick up a couple books on dragon physiology and still have time to drop them off here and get to Princess Celestia’s study for what she has to show me today.” Twilight mumbled to herself before smiling confidently. She opened the door to her room and left at a brisk gallop, heading for the archives in Canterlot Castle.

Celestia eyed the growing towers of Canterlot fondly, the tall and formidable structures of the city looming over them. She glanced down to the small filly next to her in the carriage, who refused to meet her gaze, instead opting to look out over the terrain beneath them. Celestia returned to looking at Canterlot as the two royal guards pulling the chariot began their descent to the landing yard.

“We're here, huh?” The filly asked next to her, still not looking at her. Celestia nodded softly.

“Yes, we’re here.”

“...Cool, I guess.” The little pegasus filly sat up, her deep pink eyes looking around at the landing yard while the chariot pulled to a stop.

Celestia looked at the pegasus sympathetically before standing up and stepping out of the chariot. “Come along, my little pony. I’d like to show you around.”

“Don’t call me that.” The filly said a bit more harshly than she intended. Her ears fell flat and she shied away from the solar Princess, half expecting some sort of punishment for bad-mouthing royalty. Then she remembered she was technically royalty now herself and grimaced.

“...I’m sorry. I know this is hard for you.” Celestia said softly, kneeling down and using a forehoof to gently draw the pegasus’ face up to look her in the eyes. “And I don’t expect you to get over all of this overnight. Take as much time as you need.”

The filly sighed and lightly pushed Celestia’s hoof away from her chin. “Look, can we just get on with the tour? The sooner I know where my room is, the sooner I can get some sleep.”

Celestia nodded and stood back to her full height. “I understand. But I do want you to meet somepony before you rest,” she turned her attention to one of her ever stoic royal guards and addressed him. “Find Twilight Sparkle and have her meet us in the private wing as soon as possible.”

“As you command, your highness.” The guard gave a bow before cantering off to do as he was told. Celestia watched him go before turning her gaze back to the cyan pegasus filly beside her.

“Well then, let’s go. Your new home awaits.”

“No offense, Princess, but Cloudsdale is my home,” the filly shot back. “I’m just not there right now.”

“Of course… forgive me.” Celestia said sympathetically before taking a step forward. “But, regardless, I think we’ve stood around long enough. Let’s begin your tour.”

“Uh-huh…” The filly grunted, absently brushing some of her wildly unkempt rainbow-colored mane out of her eyes. “Lead the way, mom.”

Celestia didn’t seem to react to the sarcastic use of the word ‘mom,’ instead choosing to simply nod and begin moving into the castle. “Follow me, Rainbow Dash.”

Fillies

“Aw, dang it… There really isn’t a lot in here, is there?” Twilight grumbled to herself in disappointment, shelving yet another book with little to none of the info she desired. Even with the insane amount of collective knowledge stored within the Canterlot Archives, she had been unable to find any detailed books covering dragon physiology, let alone details on how they aged and matured. Well, she wasn’t able to find such information in the sections of the archives she was allowed to enter right now.

Twilight groaned and thought some very rude words to express her discontent, words very unfit for use by a filly her age.. So many books, so many pages and scrolls, so much information, old wisdom and knowledge was stored within this archive. Much to her displeasure, she had little to no access to most of it without somepony supervising her search, usually Princess Celestia or another trusted individual.

Dangerous secrets and risky spells filled some of the deeper corners of the archives, and Celestia was not willing to let Twilight look into them without a guide. It still made Twilight huff dejectedly, even though in the back of her mind she knew it was probably good she wasn’t allowed to go back there unsupervised yet. With a sigh, Twilight turned to make her way out of the public section of the archives. She stopped and perked up in mild surprise as one of the royal guards trotted up to her, having been directed to her by the librarian in the center of the large, book-case filled room, by the looks of it.

“Princess Celestia requires your presence in the private wing, miss Sparkle.” he said politely, looking down on the lavender filly with the typically stoic expression of the guard.

“Oh! Princess Celestia’s back already? I thought she was going to be back here in Canterlot for another few hours.” Twilight noted curiously, falling in beside the guard when he turned to lead her to their destination.

“I wasn’t informed about the specific details of our early departure, miss Sparkle. All I know is that Her Highness finished whatever her work in Cloudsdale was earlier than anticipated, then came back with a, uh…” the guard fell silent, his face scrunching up slightly as he looked for the right words. “...she came back with a ‘guest.’ I’m under strict orders not to say anything more than that at this time.”

“A guest?” Twilight raised an eyebrow, her brain kicking into gear. “Who is it?”

“I’m not allowed to say.” The guard replied bluntly. The two stepped out of the archives and into the hallway that waited just beyond, taking a right to head for the private rooms. Many ponies were moving through the hallway besides them. Other guards on patrol, maids making their rounds and other ponies of varying levels of importance moving to and from equivalently important places.

Twilight whined slightly at the guard's refusal to speak up, looking at the floor and pouting. The guard, unsurprisingly, was unfazed. Spike, who was still resting on Twilight’s back, wrapped his little claws around what he could of her torso in an attempt to give her a comforting hug. While he wasn’t really able to hug her fully, she still appreciated the gesture and slipped him a small gem from her saddlebags with her magic.

Twilight and the guard both fell silent, opting to not exchange anymore words with one another for the remainder of the journey. Eventually they exited the public sections of Canterlot Castle and entered the private and reserved areas. The hustle and bustle from only a few moments ago gave way to the relaxed, calming quiet of the private wing. The private wing consisted of a long, well decorated hallway, torch sconces dotting the walls in regular intervals. Between these sconces, doors were set into the walls, each one leading to a private room.

“Here we are, your majesty.” The guard announced to the area. Twilight looked up and saw Princess Celestia herself standing by the door to Twilight’s room and looking back with a small, motherly smile.

“Thank you. You may return to your regular duties now,” Celestia gave a nod of her head to the guard, dismissing him. He bowed deeply before turning and trotting from the area, closing the large doors behind him. Celestia’s smile turned much softer. “It is good to see you again, Twilight. I trust you behaved yourself while I was away?”

“Yes, Princess. It’s good to see you too, your highness!” Twilight said cheerfully, giving a bow as well. Celestia rolled her eyes in amusement before giggling softly.

“Rise, Twilight. We’re not in public, so no need to be so formal.”

Twilight did as asked, swiftly standing straight up. “So, you wanted to see me?” she asked curiously. Celestia nodded and then turned slightly, allowing her flowing mane and tail to drift away from somepony it had been hiding. Twilight raised an eyebrow and tilted her head at the sight. “Who’s that?” she asked, pointing to the cyan pegasus filly with the prismatic mane and tail that had been sitting down behind Celestia.

“I’m Rainbow Dash,” the pegasus said simply, standing up and trotting up to Twilight, looking at her with a critical eye.. “This is the pony you wanted me to see?” she turned to look at Celestia with a measurement of confusion. “She looks just as old as I do. What gives?”

“Yes, Rainbow. This is Twilight Sparkle, my personal student and a very gifted unicorn. She has a great deal of potential and I get the feeling the two of you will be spending a lot of time around each other,” Celestia replied before looking at Twilight with a somewhat more uneasy expression wiping away her smile.

“And lemme guess; She’s just as clueless as everypony else we’ve talked to, am I right?” Rainbow asked bluntly, looking back at Twilight blankly. Twilight raised an eyebrow and frowned at the blunt way Rainbow was speaking to the Princess.

“Clueless about what?” Twilight inquired, opting to not chew her out for her lack of etiquette. The Princess will teach her that herself, I bet. Twilight then turned her gaze to Celestia in the hopes of finding answers.

Rainbow flinched and turned her eyes away, mumbling something under her breath. Twilight’s face scrunched up and her ears twitched, trying to make out the soft mumblings. Celestia chose this moment to intervene, stepping into the foreground of Twilight’s view.. “I’ll allow Rainbow Dash herself tell you when, and only when she is ready, Twilight. For now, why don’t you show her around the private wing? You’ll be neighbors for a while, after all”

Twilight looked to Celestia, flabbergasted, then back to Rainbow Dash. “Uh, sure, I guess… uh, I mean-!” She quickly dropped into a much-too-deep bow, mentally scolding herself for such an inappropriate and ineloquent acceptance of the task the princess had given her. “Of course, your majesty! Right away!”

Celestia couldn’t help but titter behind a hoof at Twilight’s abrupt freakout. Despite how much it normally bothered her, Celestia had to admit that it was at least a little amusing when a little filly was acting like this. Celestia then looked down to Rainbow Dash, her smile softening considerably. “Until I can make certain, more permanent arrangements, you’ll be staying in the private wing. Twilight has residence here and knows her way around. You can trust her,” she then looked back to Twilight firmly. “Now Twilight, there is one more thing.”

Twilight looked up curiously from her kneeling position. “Yes, Princess?”

“Play nice.” Celestia said simply before smirking and leaving the two of them to interpret her words, trotting out of the area through the large doors. They closed behind her with a ‘clunk’ that sounded much louder than it should have.

Rainbow huffed and shook her head. “Ugh… look, can we just get this over with? I really need to take a nap.”

Twilight stood tall and then recoiled with a sharp gasp, looking as if she had just heard the ultimate blasphemy. Truthfully, it kind of felt that way to her. “What? Oh, no! Princess Celestia asked me to show you around and I will not disobey that order!”

Rainbow blinked incredulously, shifting back from Twilight’s enthusiasm. “Uh… okay, sure,” She sighed heavily, sagging somewhat. “Lead on, I guess.”

Twilight grinned and gave a chirpy nod before beginning a tour of the area.

For a time, the two trotted through the area, Twilight going into exquisite detail on the functionalities and purposes of each sub-area of the private sections of the castle. From the guests lounge to the food court, Twilight had a lot to say about every room and what they were for. So enthralled was she in trotting in the teacher’s horseshoes, even if only for a little bit, she didn’t notice Rainbow Dash gradually losing focus on her words.

Rainbow looked Twilight up and down critically, her eyes periodically gluing themselves to the sides of her torso. Eventually, Twilight came to a stop and turned around to face Rainbow. Their eyes met.

“Alright, I think that’s just about it,” Twilight said before gesturing around at all the doors in the hallway. “There aren’t very many ponies occupying these rooms right now, so find one and make yourself at home.” That said, Twilight turned to trot back to her room for some supplies. She still needed to meet back up with Princess Celestia for the day’s private lesson.

Dash grimaced and looked down at the other filly’s words,, her wings fidgeting anxiously at her sides. “Right… home.”

Twilight paused and glanced back at Rainbow with a tilt of her head. “Huh?”

“Nothing. Sorry, just… forget I said anything.” Rainbow waved off Twilight’s question before putting a hoof on the nearest door and pushing it open. She didn’t even seem to register the fact that the room was absolutely luxurious, even when compared to the already high standards of her old home.

“Hey, are you okay? You’ve been kinda…” Twilight went silent and flinched away at the harsh glare Rainbow shot at her.

“I’m fine. And I’ll be even better if I can get some sleep. Okay? Cool. Thanks, bye.” Rainbow said coldly before slamming the door shut behind her. Twilight took a step back, alarmed by the other filly’s outburst.

“...Jeesh. What got under her skin?”

Spike uttered out a confused whine before patting Twilight’s neck, then pointed to a nearby clock that hung over the entrance to the private wing. Twilight followed his indication and then gasped audibly.

“Oh no, no no! We’re late!” She broke into a gallop for her room just across the hall. She Pulled the door open and darted inside, close to hyperventilating. “Where are those books? Where are my notes?! WHERE’S MY ESSAY?!”

Spike babbled at her in an effort to calm her down, but it was no use. Twilight was panicking and all Spike could do was hold on for dear life and ride out this storm. Twilight spent a solid three minutes assembling her notes, quills and gathering up the books she had been reading for her assignment before thundering back out into the hallway.

“Okay, if we hurry, we can get there without being flayed alive!” Twilight wheezed, vanishing out of the room through the main exit. For almost a minute, silence dominated the empty hallway before the door to Rainbow’s room slowly creaked open. The cyan pegasus filly poked her head out and glanced back and forth a few times, making sure the coast was clear.

Satisfied that she was unobserved, she quickly shot into Twilight’s room, softly closing the door behind her. She didn’t need to search for long once she began looking through Twilight’s things. A framed photograph was rested on top the night stand, showing an image of Twilight Sparkle with her parents and a newborn baby dragon, huddles together and smiling warmly. Twilight was seated in such a way that her brand new cutie mark was plainly visible.

Rainbow stared at the picture intently before putting it back down and slinking out of the room. There was no doubt about it in her mind, now. With her hunch confirmed, she turned and left the room, casting a few glances back and forth at the door to ensure she was still in the clear before returning to her own room. She still needed to get some sleep, after all.

Rainbow

Twilight was still in a remarkably panicked state when at last she reached the Princess’s study. After a particularly energetic discussion about why Princess Celestia would not punish Twilight for being five minutes late, the two had settled down to go over Twilight’s research and homework from the last week. Celestia smiled upon concluding her examination of Twilight’s notes.

“I must admit, Twilight, these are very thorough notes you have taken. I’m impressed,” Celestia let a small laugh slip from her mouth at the prideful and overjoyed ‘squee’ Twilight emitted upon that praise. “But, while your math is correct on this formulae here, I am afraid it doesn’t really belong in this bit of research…”

“But… it does!” Twilight protested with a worried frown. “I ran over it so many times! What am I missing?”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Twilight, calculating the average number of Apples in an earth pony corn farmer’s diet is not really relevant to how you can use magic to aid the growth of a corn plant, or other forms of plant life, for that matter.”

“Except that the ground that the corn is grown from needs to be tended to for it to grow at all,” Twilight began, leaning over to look at her notes as well, propping herself up on Celestia’s foreleg. “I have calculations here, here and here on the average number of all sorts of fruits and vegetables farmers consume. Their diets impact their ability to work the fields, and by extension, the quality of the soil and, also by extension, the chances the corn has for growth.”

Celestia blinked and then laughed quietly. “Oh, my faithful student, sometimes I think you may be just a bit too faithful.”

“Huh?”

“You were so focused on the facets of normal corn growth that you forgot a very simple piece of this puzzle,” she peered at Twilight inquisitively. “Do you think you can figure out what it is?”

“Uhm…” Twilight shifted in place uneasily, scrutinizing the sheets of parchment with great intensity. Her eye twitched from strain before she sat back and shook her head. “I’m not sure, Princess Celestia…”

“What is the subject of this assignment, Twilight?” Celestia furthered, maintaining eye contact with Twilight.

The filly perked up and cleared her throat.“The use of magic to assist plant growth in farmlands,” Twilight recited almost without thinking. She looked to Celestia with a scrunched up face. “And I did cover that.”

“You covered most of it. But you forgot something kind of obvious…” Celestia smiled in amusement before levitating the parchment over to Twilight, the aura around the sheets somewhat brighter than normal, making the filly squint. “Magic. You are correct that the soil needs to be enriched for plant life to grow well, but you missed out on looking for spells used to enrich the soil in place of physical fertilizer. Ground fertilization spells are commonplace for gardeners and the sort, Twilight. Not as effective as true, solid fertilizer most of the time, but regardless, such spells exist.”

Twilight paled as these details sunk in. “Oh…” she then chuckled sheepishly and tried to hide behind her tail, wrapping it around herself like a blanket. “Oops.”

Celestia laughed outright before draping an alabaster wing over Twilight and pulling her closer. “You need to make sure you focus your attention, Twilight. Your inquisitive nature is one of the things I adore most about having you as my student, but it lacks direction or focus. I think we should work on that next.”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “That sounds good to me. When do we start on that?”

Celestia glanced to Twilight, then back to the mound of notes and research. Her smile faded, replaced with a worried frown “First, I have one more question for you, Twilight.”

“Yes?”

“How long did you work on this? Did you even step away from working on this assignment at all this week?” Celestia unrolled a particularly long scroll for emphasis, watching it unravel before the ends touched the far wall of the room.

“Yeah, when I was eating and sleeping, bathroom breaks and this morning when I went to the archives to look for books on dragon physiology.” Twilight nodded along happily, puffing up with pride. “I got a lot done.”

Celestia grimaced subtly before re-stacking the parchment neatly off to one side. “Maybe so, but who knows how many opportunities you missed.”

“Uh… opportunities? What do you mean?” Twilight watched as Celestia stood up to gaze out one of the numerous windows in the room.

Celestia hummed with thought. For several long seconds, she stood in silence before turning back around to look at Twilight. “I shouldn’t be too specific. You wouldn’t learn anything if it was forced,” she closed her eyes and nodded to herself. She then reopened them and looked into Twilight’s own eyes seriously. “I want you to take the next week off. Recharge your mind, relax, unwind, etcetera.”

“A week?!” Twilight screeched in alarm, her ears flattening back against her head. “B-but, that’s seven days!”

“Seven days of rest will make you significantly more efficient when you resume your studies, Twilight. You’re overworking yourself and I need you to take some time to let that tension out.” Celestia pointed out simply, trotting forward to stand over Twilight once more.

“What tension?” Twilight pressed, to which Celestia simply sat down in front of Twilight to pat her on the shoulder. Twilight winced slightly when her shoulder throbbed in protest.

“That tension. Sitting hunched over books and notes all day for so long has put some serious strain on your body and mind. I can see it quite clearly, Twilight.” Celestia said gently, retracting her hoof and looking her student in the eyes again. “You need the time off; trust me.”

Twilight sagged and nodded dejectedly. “Okay…”.

“Besides, I may need your help with other matters over the next week.” Celestia added with a small smirk forming on her face. Twilight instantly perked back up, gazing to Celestia excitedly. “Rainbow Dash will be needing somepony to keep her company when I cannot. A guide, a playmate, a friend. I will do what I can on that front whenever possible, but my royal duties won’t wait for me.”

Twilight frowned at the mentioning of the newcomer and the excitement around her vanished almost instantly. She brushed a hoof against the ground to let off some nervous energy, looking up at Celestia uneasily. “I’ve actually been meaning to ask since I got here… who is she?” Celestia lost her smile, closed her eyes and said nothing. Twilight’s frown deepened. “Where is she from?”

“Cloudsdale.”

“So she came back with you from that ‘royal errand’ you had to run?” Twilight deduced, remembering where Celestia had said she was going the previous day when she left.

“Yes.”

“Why? Who is she?”

Celestia opened her eyes and frowned at Twilight sternly. “I am not at liberty to discuss those matters right now, Twilight.”

Twilight swiftly shrunk slightly under Celestia’s gaze, immediately breaking eye contact. “Alright, but… why?”

Celestia’s eyes lost much of their intensity. She sighed apologetically before sitting up straight. “I promised her I wouldn’t answer any questions about who she is or why she is here that she herself was not ready to answer,” Celestia put on a smile and leaned down to Twilight, gently patting her on top the head with a hoof. “She’s been through a great deal, Twilight. I will not put any unnecessary pressure on her mind if I can help it.” Celestia then leaned back slightly to tap Twilight’s nose with the tip of her hoof. “Or yours, while we’re on the subject.”

Twilight giggled at the impromptu boop before throwing a hug around Princess Celestia’s neck. “Alright. I understand, Princess.”

Celestia hummed contentedly and returned the hug, pulling Twilight close. “Good,” she then looked up to a clock that was hung from one of the walls. Still a little on the early side for their session to end, but still… “Why don’t you get your week off started now?”

“Right now?” Twilight sounded almost disappointed, leaning back to look Celestia in the eyes.

“Yes, Twilight, right now. Go have some fun.”

When Celestia told Twilight to have fun, she most likely didn’t mean for Twilight to go sit on a bench in the private wing and read adventure stories for hours on end. But, all the same, without needing to devote brain power to memorization and note-taking, Twilight was already feeling significantly more relaxed than she had been three hours prior in Celestia’s study.

“When is she gonna move…?”

Except for the fact that Rainbow Dash was trying to spy on her from the ceiling, hiding behind pillars and other whatnot. She had been at this for about an hour, now. If she understood the concept of quiet at all, she wasn’t making good use of it. Generally, being a good spy meant finding a well-hidden location to observe from without making audible sounds. Rainbow was in mid-air, her tiny wings practically buzzing in the air as she watched Twilight. Periodically, she would zip from one hiding spot to another. She was also complaining about how boring this was.

Finally, Twilight got fed up with the prismatic pegasus’ flitting about and shot her a look. “If you’re finding this so boring, why not come down here, read a book and stop spying on me.”

Rainbow blinked in alarm before zipping down in front of Twilight fast enough to throw some wind into the little filly’s face. A scowl formed on Rainbow’s face. “How’d you know I was there?”

“I have absolutely no idea.” Twilight deadpanned sarcastically before her horn lit up. Rainbow's eyes widened when she felt a pull on her tail, bringing her to the ground.

“Let go!” Rainbow suddenly snapped, thrashing back from Twilight, who instantly dropped her use of magic to stare at Rainbow in surprise. Rainbow took a few seconds to calm herself, taking deep breaths before glaring at Twilight. “Don’t. Do. That.”

Twilight recoiled at the tone of Rainbow’s voice, her eyes glued to the other filly. “Uh… Sorry?”

Rainbow merely snorted and turned her back to Twilight. “Just don’t do it again.”

“You could say ‘please,’ you know.” Twilight snarked out bluntly. Rainbow tensed up, her wings twitching in agitation.

“Uh huh. Sure. Whatever.” Rainbow growled before looking back at Twilight. She then took a moment to look to her left and right, checking for others. When she saw nopony else, her eyes glued onto Twilight’s. Then trailed down to the sides of her barrel. “So… what’s with the little filly getup, huh?”

Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash blankly for several long seconds. “Uh… I’m sorry, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Dash suddenly snapped, zooming up and pressing her face up into Twilight’s. “Where are your wings, eh? Why are you so small?!”

“Wings?!” Twilight questioned in alarm, backing swiftly away from Rainbow Dash, who continued her pursuit aggressively. “I’m a unicorn! I’m just a filly! What are you talking about!?”

“NO! That’s wrong!” Rainbow snapped, reaching out with her forehooves and grabbing Twilight by the shoulders. “I’ve seen you before! At the race in Cloudsdale! You and some other pony! You were proudly showing off your wings there! Why not now? WHY were you there?! WHO ARE YOU?!”

“Get off of me!” Twilight cried out in a near panic, her horn lighting up and throwing Rainbow Dash off of her with a burst of telekinesis. Rainbow yelped in pain when she hit the ground before rolling back to her hooves, glaring ragefully at Twilight.

“DON’T DO THAT!”

“Calm down! Please!” Twilight pleaded, hopping out of her seat and quickly backing away. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Calm down?!” Rainbow threw her forelegs wide, a vein bulging in her throat. “Oh, sure! I’ll get right on that!” she then pointed a hoof accusingly at Twilight. “Just as soon as you tell me who you are and why you were at my race!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Twilight repeated, stepping back again.

“But you do! You have to! Same cutie mark, same colors, the baby dragon!? Aside from being small and hiding your wings you're the same pony! I want answers, dangit! YOU OWE ME ANSWERS!” Rainbow screamed before closing her eyes and looking away. She was trembling horribly and… it sounded like she was suppressing a sob.

Twilight looked at Rainbow with wide eyes and a hanging jaw. “I’m sorry… I don’t have any answers for you.”

Rainbow grit her teeth before a scream tore from her lungs. She took to the air and shot past Twilight fast enough for the following gust to knock her off her hooves. Twilight grunted when she hit the floor and looked up just in time for Rainbow to disappear into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Daughter

Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure how long much time she spent raging in the privacy of her room, uncaring about the potential gripes of any other ponies in the private wing. Right now, she needed to vent and by Celestia she was going to vent. It felt like hours to her, pummeling her pillow, hurling it across the room and outright breaking a chair. At last, she started to calm down enough to focus on deep breaths. It was at around that same time that a knock came to her door.

“Go away!” Dash shouted at the door, her wings flaring up aggressively from the disturbance. The door clicked and slowly swung open, revealing Princess Celestia on the other side, looking at Rainbow Dash worriedly.

“Rainbow Dash?” she said carefully before closing the door behind her.

“Oh… sorry…” Rainbow shrunk down and closed her eyes, tilting them down to face the floor.

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia frowned before setting herself down next to Rainbow, draping a wing over her comfortingly. “What happened?”

“I… I don’t know how to describe it…” Rainbow mumbled, her anger gradually slipping away to more melancholy emotions.

“Do your best. I have all the time in the world right now.” Celestia urged her on gingerly.

“Okay. Um… That other filly. Twilight was her name, right?” Rainbow asked for clarification, sniffling afterwards and wiping a foreleg across her face to dispel the tears starting to slide down her cheeks.

“Yes. Twilight Sparkle, my personal student. What happened between you two?” Celestia asked in barely a whisper.

“She… I’ve seen her before. About two months ago, I think?” Rainbow mumbled, laying her head down on her forelegs and closing her eyes.

“Go on…”

“It was the day I got my cutie mark…”

Twilight had been expecting to lay down for some sleep when the sun set. Instead, she was called to the room just across the hall from her by Princess Celestia to go over what happened with Rainbow Dash earlier. Tired and anxious as she was, however, Twilight was unable to even think of ignoring the summons. She eyed the door timidly as she approached, not at all wanting to have anymore interactions with that crazy pegasus filly if she could help it.

She opened the door after a moment with her magic and slipped inside, half expecting to have to dodge a lamp being chucked at her head. Thankfully, the room was almost silent when she entered. Rainbow Dash was sitting on a cushion directly to Princess Celestia’s right, looking at the floor as if it were all that existed. There was another cushion directly across from where Celestia and Dash were, and the alicorn princess gestured to it. “Please, Twilight, sit.”

Twilight did as instructed, looking awkwardly between Celestia and the now timid Rainbow Dash. She assumed it was going to be one of those two to break the silence. For almost a minute, they all sat there in silence. Finally, Twilight opened her mouth. “So… uh, why am I here?”

“I’m sorry.” Rainbow Dash suddenly blurted out through clenched teeth.

“Huh?” Twilight blinked and leaned back slightly in confusion.

“I got angry at you earlier and, well… I shouldn’t have and I’m sorry. I made a mistake.” Rainbow admitted after a heavy sigh. Celestia smiled and gave her a gentle, reassuring pat on the back.

“Oh. Uh, apology accepted I suppose,” Twilight looked at Celestia curiously before returning her attention to Dash. “But… can I ask what it was that made you so angry to begin with?”

Rainbow flinched and looked up at Celestia. Celestia smiled sympathetically and draped a wing comfortingly over dash. “Say only what you are ready to, Rainbow,” she said softly.

“Right… okay,” Rainbow looked back at Twilight and took a deep breath. “Where do I start… okay, see, there was this race happening. Impromptu, unorganized, whatever you wanna call it. I was racing against some bullies at the Cloudsdale flight school. They’d been picking on Fluttershy, a friend of mine and I was sick of it.

“We were having a race. I won pretty easily. Not to toot my own horn, but I even pulled off a sonic rainboom; easily the most awesome thing I’ve ever done,” Rainbow got this proud look in her eyes before a gentle nudge from Celestia got her back on topic. “Anyway, during the race… I noticed two ponies who hadn’t been there a little bit ago. One of them was a bright purple unicorn standing on the clouds, already not something I’m used to. The other one was…”

Twilight tilted her head when Rainbow hesitated. “Was…? Was who?”

“Not who, but what,” Rainbow corrected Twilight a bit more sharply than intended. She paused and took a moment to collect herself before continuing. “It was an alicorn. Wings, horns, the whole kit n kaboodle.”

Twilight’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped in shock. “Whah… you sure about that? An Alicorn?!”

“Let her tell her story, Twilight,” Celestia silenced Twilight softly, shooting her a frown. “There will be time for questions later.”

Twilight nodded and clamped her mouth shut. Rainbow kept going.

“The alicorn looked just like you, actually,” Rainbow pointed out with a slight hoof gesture. “Same cutie mark, same mane color, tail color… You- sorry, she was even carrying around a baby dragon, like yours.”

Twilight opened her mouth to ask more questions, but a stern look from Celestia silenced her again.

“So… I guess I was confused,” Rainbow continued. “I knew about Princess Cadance and Princess Celestia. Those are the big two, right?” Twilight and Celestia both nodded. “”Kay, so I got curious. It actually started distracting me from a lot of what I was supposed to be doing. My flight school performance dropped, as did my grades. I even asked a few of my classmates if they knew anything and they just called me insane…

“Then… a month ago…” Rainbow closed her eyes tightly and a shiver passed through her. “My parents and I were on our way to a performance being put on by the Wonderbolts in Baltimare. We… never got there.”

Twilight felt her ears go flat against her head when a small sob racked Rainbow’s small body, making her suddenly seem so… fragile.

“There was an accident… I was lost in thought, thinking about that Alicorn I saw again… I… if I hadn’t been distracted by that... if I’d been focusing I could have…” Rainbow sniffled and could say no more. She turned slightly at Celestia’s behest, burying her face into the alabaster alicorn’s chest fur and openly crying. Celestia looked to Twilight solemnly.

“Rainbow Dash is an orphan, Twilight. She lost her parents and was removed from the scene by local authorities,” Celestia lowered her gaze to Rainbow in deep sympathy. “When she refused to come along willingly, those authorities took her from her parents by using magic.”

“Oh my gosh…” Twilight lifted a hoof to her chest with wide eys. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t know, Rainbow Dash…”

“It’s o-okay… now you know.” Rainbow mumbled, her already tender voice becoming raw from her cries.

Twilight nodded despondently before looking to Celestia again. For a moment, there were no words. Then, however, Twilight’s eyes widened even more as a possibility occurred to her. “Wait… if Rainbow’s an orphan…” Twilight looked at the way Celestia was allowing Rainbow such physical closeness, the gentle assurances and the fact that Celestia herself was putting aside time specifically for the pegasus filly. “Did you…?”

Celestia nodded softly and gently pat Rainbow on the back. “I did, Twilight. Rainbow Dash is, by all legal standards, now my daughter. I adopted her.”

Twilight suddenly felt light headed. “Ohmygoshohmygosh, please don’t burn me at the stake, or banish me or throw me into the dungeons for how I acted towards her earlier!” She spewed in a rapid, panicked voice.

Celestia shot Twilight a firm look. “Twilight, please. Quiet.”

Twilight instantly clamped her jaw shut and nodded worriedly.

Rainbow slowly shifted away from Celestia’s embrace and trotted up to Twilight. They looked each other up and down for a few moments before Rainbow gingerly offered a hoof. “Let’s start over… I’m Rainbow Dash. It’s nice to meet you.”

Twilight looked at the hoof expectantly for a moment before smiling slightly and reaching out for a hoof-shake. What she got was a hoof-bump. She looked at the limb for a second, slightly befuddled, then smiled at Rainbow a bit more widely. “Nice to meet you, Rainbow Dash. I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

Rainbow smiled slightly and then sagged heavily, the exhaustion on her face immediately showing through. “Alright, I think I’m gonna hit the hay…” she sluggishly turned and shuffled towards the bed in the middle of the room before flopping atop the covers rather unceremoniously. Already, Celestia and Twilight could hear gentle snores coming from the filly.

Celestia giggled quietly and carefully guided Twilight from the room. Once outside and the door was closed, she looked to her student. “Now Twilight, I don’t want you to treat her as royalty. She may have that status by legal right, but that does not mean she truly wants anything to do with that kind of thing. She is an athlete at her core. Unless we are in some sort of formal setting where titles are expected, such as court, treat her as you would anypony else.”

Twilight frowned up at Celestia upon hearing that request. “But why? She’s royalty now! That comes with all sorts of expectations on everypony else, doesn’t it?”

Celestia leaned down and looked at Twilight seriously. “Because I promised her I wouldn't force her new status into her life. I will not go back on a promise; not to this filly. She values integrity and loyalty more than you know, my faithful student.”

Twilight nodded and then fell silent, trying to figure out how to word her next question. Celestia stood and waited patiently. Finally, Twilight looked up to her teacher uneasily. “So… who was this other Alicorn? The one that Rainbow Dash says she saw?” she asked, shifting on her hooves nervously.

Celestia went stiff for a moment, her frown deepening with thought. The shift in demeanor was concealed as swiftly as it had arrived however. “I do not know for sure, Twilight. I have a few theories, but nothing to prove any of them yet. I intend to find out, though.”

Twilight nodded softly before a small, cute yawn slipped from her. “Woah, heh. I’m used to being in bed by now.” she chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof.

Celestia giggled in amusement. “Then go ahead, Twilight. I don’t wish to keep you up any longer either. I have but a few small matters to attend to myself before I retire for the night.” she said before gently turning Twilight towards her room with a push of her wing. “Go get some rest.”

“Okay… good night, Princes.” Twilight yawned again before vanishing into her room and closing the door behind her.

Spike glanced up at her from his basket at the foot of her bed. “Aga bagga bwoo?” he babbled out, though Twilight still got the message. She gently pat Spike along his spines before climbing up into her bed.

“It’s alright, Spike. We got everything sorted out.” she told him before closing her eyes and preparing for a good night's sleep. Well, we got almost everything sorted out. She mentally corrected herself, her curious thoughts wandering back to that Alicorn look-alike of her. Her thoughts than drifted back to that dream she had had the night before. The white void, the spectral Alicorn talking to her.

She bit her lip when the next thought slowly drifted into her mind. Were those two somehow connected? If so, why was there an Alicorn that looked just like her, and where was this alicorn now? With these questions but no answers to be had as of yet, Twilight decided her best course of action for now would be to allow Princess Celestia to search for this newcomer herself.

That reassuring thought echoing in her mind, Twilight yawned one last time and then fell into a deep, restful slumber.

Princess

Twilight Sparkle has been one of only three ponies in Canterlot aware of the fact that Princess Celestia is now legally the mother of an athletic pegasus filly named Rainbow Dash. The two young ponies have smoothed over their rocky first impressions and, with Rainbow now housed in a personal room, life is regaining some semblance of normalcy for young Twilight. She spends her mornings organizing the day ahead. Her afternoons attending the primary classes of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Her evenings are then spent either learning directly from the princess herself or working towards a project she has been tasked with completing in her own time.

But the time is fast approaching when Rainbow Dash is revealed to the public of Canterlot; her new status as royalty, no matter how much she doesn’t care for it, cannot be ignored.

Needless to say, she is not happy.

“Wah!” Rainbow yelped when one of the two mares making sure she looked nice accidentally pulled a hidden strap a bit too tight. “Watch it! Pegasi wings have hollow bones, you know!”

The mare blushed sheepishly but was unable to voice any response through the brush in her mouth. She went back to adjusting Rainbow’s mane with a quick stroke. Celestia stood not far away, wearing a dress of her own and gazing out the window the dressing room they were in. She had a perfect view of the plaza where the golden statue of her cutie mark resided.

“I still don’t see why I have to be there for this stupid announcement thing…” Rainbow grumbled irritably, shifting uncomfortably in the dress she was wearing. “I also don’t see why I need to be wearing this!” The dress was a bright white for the most part, with some spots of colors matching her rainbow mane in the trail. It had been designed to obstruct Dash’s ability to fly as little as possible while still looking good and complimenting her colors. Dash was not fond of the flamboyance of it, no matter how much Celestia tried to get it to work.

“It’s a formality more than anything else. Besides, Equestria isn’t aware of your status yet. We don’t want to wait too long for them to be aware of it,” Celestia assured Dash with a warm smile, turning from the window to face her daughter. “Imagine if word suddenly got out that you were my daughter if we waited two years. The scandal that ponies would make it out to be would be a disaster to manage. Also, the dress is mostly for your initial public presentation. First impressions are important.”

“Yeah, about that. I thought you said my status as ‘royalty’ wasn’t going to intrude on my time?” Rainbow quipped with a deadpan frown.

“I will keep as much as I can out of your daily life, but I won’t be able to have everything avoid you and stay out of your mane, Rainbow Dash.”

“Pfft. Okay, cool,” Rainbow grumbled sarcastically before swinging one of her back legs into the trail of her dress. “I still don’t like it…”

“Just let me do the talking. I’ll give you your cue and you can just wave and that will be that.” Celestia said reassuringly before stepping over and glancing past the curtain leading into the large ceremony chamber. “It’s almost time. Finish up, you two.”

The two mares tending to Dash nodded quickly before retreating from the room. Rainbow shifted swiftly under the dress once more. The filly in question glanced up to Princess Celestia with an uneasy look coming over her eyes. “Is it bad that I feel nervous about this?”

“Why would it be bad?” Celestia asked with a mildly amused smile on her face. She trotted over to Dash and knelt down to be at her eye level.

“‘Cause I shouldn’t even really care? I mean, I never gave any thought to any of this kinda thing. Was never really my thing, ya know?” Dash mumbled, poking the floor with a hoof. “I should be more antsy just wanting to get this over with.”

Celestia nodded before replacing her smirk with a sympathetic smile. She nuzzled Dash comfortingly atop the head. “I think I know why, but we can discuss it after we’re done here.” she then stood and signaled to the pony standing by the dressing room door. He nodded before stepping a little ways off to get everything in order. “It’s time. Ready?”

“I mean, what’s there to get ready for?” Rainbow said, trying to put on a confident front. To her credit, it was fairly convincing. Celestia tittered behind her hoof before guiding Dash to follow her. Together, the two stepped out into the ceremony chamber.

Twilight hummed to herself contentedly. Spike was nestled up on her back, snoring peacefully, despite Twilight’s brisk canter jostling him around slightly. Her horn was alight with lavender magic, carrying about six different books on dragon physiology and biology behind her in the air. She had finally gotten a suitably certified adult to assist her with her search into the restricted areas of the archives. Cadance had been quite pleased to go about it, given that the two hadn’t spent as much time together since Twilight was now more or less a resident in the castle.

She wasn’t quite expecting a very disgruntled Rainbow Dash to be trotting by at this point, Celestia not far behind, failing to stifle the amused snickers slipping out from behind her forehoof. As Twilight wasn’t exactly paying attention, and neither was Rainbow, frankly, the two ploughed right into each other in the hall.

“Oof!”

Both fillies blurted out upon their sudden, unmitigated collision. Celestia was able to put away her laughs long enough to ensure the two were alright. She swiftly trotted up to the two and, satisfied that the only injuries were to their collective pride, gave a warm smile to Twilight. “Ah, Twilight! My faithful student, what are you up to?”

Twilight was instantly on her hooves and bowing deeply to the princess, nose touching the floor. “Oh! Your majesties! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going!”

“Twilight… you do know that you don’t need to call me by any sort of title, remember?” Rainbow snorted out, though she did find the sight of the bookish unicorn groveling like this quite amusing.

“I… right, sorry.” Twilight blushed slightly and stood back to her full height. She looked to Celestia and smiled tentatively.

“Books on dragons, is it?” Celestia noted, approval in her voice. “A good thing to research, Twilight, given your, ahem, latest addition,” she gestured to Spike.

“Pwintheb Felchstowa!” Spike spoke out, trying to mimic pony speech. Much like an infant foal first learning to speak, he didn’t have the pronunciation down yet.

“Yeah, mostly I kinda want to know how it is he knows what we’re talking about, even though he can’t formulate his own responses yet,” Twilight replied, lifting the books in her magic once more.

“Oh, is that a thing?” Rainbow asked, looking to the baby dragon, who was now once more being nestled onto Twilight’s back. “Nod if you understand me.”

“Bwah!” Spike nodded at Rainbow, a hint of curiosity coming into hi eyes.

“Excellent…” Rainbow smirked, rubbing her hooves together. She then lifted into the air and drifted over so she could look Spike directly in the face. “Wanna know a secret?”

“Rainbow, what are you doing?” Twilight asked suspiciously, turning to face Rainbow, only for the swift pegasus to maintain her position in Spike’s face.

“Heah!” Spike babbled out, trying to say ‘yeah’ and failing. Rainbow smirked and then leaned down to whisper something in Spike’s ear.

“Princess Celestia, please make her stop.” Twilight pleaded, looking up at Celestia with a worried expression.

“Boo-wah!” Spike proclaimed, swiftly bro-hoofing with Rainbow Dash, who now wore a victorious grin.

“Princess Celestia! May we have a word?!” came the voice that destroyed Rainbow’s confident glow. Her disgruntled appearance magnified and her pupils dilated.

“Igottagookaythanksbye!” she suddenly splurged out in rapid succession. Her wings buzzed and, with no other words, she shot down the hallway so fast that Twilight blinked and missed it.

“Huh?” Twilight mumbled, rubbing the back of her head in confusion.

Celestia sighed in mild exasperation. “Journalists…”

One pony, a unicorn mare, galloped up to Princess Celestia, short of breath. In her light brown magical aura, she carried a notepad and quill. Behind her, a tall, fit unicorn stallion came to a stop with a camera swinging around his neck. “Truepoint, ya gotta slow down a bit!” he wheezed, clutching a hoof to his chest. “I’m about to have a heart attack…”

The mare shot a glare back at him. “Oh, hush!” she then turned her look back to Princess Celestia, quickly bowing respectfully. “Oh, a thousand pardons for forgetting my manners, your highness. My name is Truepoint Quill, I’m a journalist and writer for the Canterlot News Network. I was in the crowd at the announcement and was wondering if I could get an interview in regards to Princess Rainbow Dash?”

Celestia rolled her eyes with a resigned expression. “You may, but only on one condition.”

“What would that be, your highness?” Truepoint asked eagerly.

Celestia craned her neck down in order to look Truepoint in the eye. “Rainbow Dash is very new to this city and the ponies and customs within. I would be deeply appreciative if you don’t pester her by trying to interview her after you're done with me. Make sure you mention that in your article so that everypony knows to respect her personal space. Do that for me and I will be most grateful.”

Truepoint nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, b-but of course your majesty! I swear, here and now, to not bother Rainbow Dash in any way shape or form!”

“Very well, then. You may proceed,” Celestia smiled before rising again and looking at Twilight. “Run along now, Twilight. I’ll come find and check up on you when I am done here.”

“Okay. Bye for now, Princess.” Twilight gave a quick bow before scampering off once more, her books in tow.

Rainbow Dash was almost hyperventilating when she finally stopped. She ducked around a corner and held a forehoof up to her chest in an effort to calm herself. After a few seconds she peeked out from her hiding place. “Oh boy… that was too close.” she whispered before easing back out into the hallway.

The announcement had been okay at first. She’d mostly just stood there with the occasional flash of a camera from the crowd, but nothing overly exciting.

Then Princess Celestia had ‘dropped the bomb’ as it were.

Rainbow would be seeing spots for weeks. She was pretty sure her ears were still ringing from the madness that had abruptly erupted. Her wave had died before she had even started it.

“Oh man… I was not ready for that.” She mumbled before trotting down the hall again, making her way for her own room.

“Princess Rainbow Dash?” came a curious stallion’s voice.

Rainbow froze up. She slowly turned around, ears flat against her head. She saw the undeniably eager faces of news ponies. Oh, horse apples…

“If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask-”

“NOPE!” Rainbow squeaked before zipping away again. The journalist was rather slow to close his suddenly limp jaw.

“I… guess that answers that.”

Meanwhile, a long ways up the hallway, Rainbow skidded to a halt before the double doors that would take her to her new room. It was right next to Celestia’s, so finding help with something at night was only ever a door away. She quickly hurled open the doors and sprinted through, not even bothering to close them behind her.

“Please! Privacy!” She muttered to herself over and over again before once more sliding to a stop before the entrance to her room. She pulled on the handle, then frowned when it remained shut. “Oh, come on!” she growled.

“Uh, Princess Rainbow Dash?” came the mildly alarmed, deep voice of a stallion behind her.

“GYAAAAAH!” Rainbow shouted, covering her head with visibly shaking forehooves. “My room, too?! Is nowhere sacred?!”

“...You forgot your key.” the stallion said, setting it down next to her, the armor on his barrel clanking somewhat from the movement. Rainbow turned and looked, recognizing him as one of the solar royal guard. He let the typical routine slide long enough for a smile to appear on his face. “If you want to be left alone, I’ll be more than happy to turn any over-eager ponies away."

Rainbow blushed slightly from her mistake. “Oh, uh… yeah, that sounds awesome. Just, uh, you know… uh, thanks,” she quickly scooped up the key, unlocked the door to her room and then sealed herself within. The guard chuckled softly before allowing his blank, stoic expression to fall back into it’s practiced place. On the other side of the door, Rainbow buried her face in her hooves, back to the door. “That… was so… un-cool…”

Author's Note

And thus begins the scond plot arc! The way I am planning on handling the plot from here on out is through short-ish plot arcs that last around 4-8 chapters each. The last 4 chapters would be the firstm plot arc or, the 'introduction' to the rest of the story. The prelude, setting the stage, etc. Each plot arc will cover a certain chain of events and explore specific elements about where things are going. Right now, I have two currently in my head; the one we started with this chapter and the one that comes after.

I have other ideas, but I am making this story up as I go, more or less, so some suggestions and ideas would not go unwelcomed. All that said, I hope you enjoy.

Also, music for this chapter.

Nobles

They were making progress. Spike had, thus far, managed to correctly pronounce ‘tree,’ ‘cloud,’ ‘sun’ and ‘awesome,’ although that was not one of the things Twilight was trying to get him to pronounce. She puffed out a quick breath before reaching for another object. “Alright, let’s do one more, okay Spike?” Twilight pulled up a water bottle in her magic, letting it float lazily in the air in front of Spike’s eager eyes. “This is water. Okay? Repeat after me: water.”

“Wah-bo,” Spike tried, scrunching up his little face and then smacking his lips together.

Twilight rolled her eyes at him in amusement. Despite the butchery he was committing upon the Equestrian language, his self awareness made it forgivable and, to be fair, rather adorable. “No, Spike. Water. Try again.”

“Wagau…” Spike said again, tilting his head and then frowning. He rolled his tongue around in his mouth for a few seconds before speaking again. “Wakar!”

Twilight laughed again at that before shaking her head. “That’s closer, but you’re still off, Spike,” She then stole a look to her clock and sighed heavily. “And I hate to break it to you, but we’re out of time. I gotta get a move on. Class starts in thirty minutes.”

“Klouth…” Spike echoed, before wilting slightly. He glanced over to the saddlebags with the gems in them. “Foug?”

Twilight giggled at the gibberish that she had learned to interpret as ‘food’ from the tiny creature. “Okay, Spike. Give me a second,” She turned and lifted four or five sizable gems from the saddlebags in her magic. She then set them down in front of Spike, who squaled in delight. “Dont shovel them down too fast, now. I don’t want to come back and see you choking on the floor. We’ll pick this up when I’m back, okay?”

“Akee!” Spike replied before contentedly picking up the first gem in his tiny claws. He licked his lips and took a bit, suddering with ecstacy. Twilight smiled warmly before assembling her supplies, consisting of three notebooks, a stack of flashcards bound by a rubber-band, a text book and a box of pencils. Satisfied that she had everything, she shot one last look at the baby dragon on her floor before setting off, exiting her room and then leaving the private wing.

As she trotted down the halls towards the exit that would put her close to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, she couldn’t help but eavesdrop on nearby ponies, nobles and the sort, as they went about their business. Her ears flattened back at some of what she heard. The nobles were talking about Princess Celestia’s announcement the previous day, unveiling her adopted daughter, Rainbow Dash.

Well, everypony was talking about that, not just the nobles. But while many of the commoner ponies were touched or pleasantly surprised by the announcement, there was no small amount of disdain and disapproval among some of the more ‘refined’ noble families.

Refined… tch, yeah. Stuck up jerks would be more accurate… Twilight thought bitterly to herself. She had to admit, albeit only ever silently, that there was one massive downside to being in Celestia’s school, and even moreso to living in the castle. The sheer arrogance of many of the nobles who paraded around these halls was enough to make her stomach turn. Seriously, I come from a noble family too but I manage to not be like… well, that!

She shot a disapproving glare at one noble in particular, spouting some nonsense or other about Rainbow Dash while the pony listening simply looked at him with a bored expression.

She refocused when she got outside, though. Twilight took a few seconds to enjoy the breeze and fresh air before continuing on her way. Celestia’s school would be on the street just across the drawbridge that connected the west castle courtyard to the city. It looked like the weather teams were putting together some rain clouds for later. Twilight frowned at this, but otherwise didn’t give it much thought.

The streets were busy as usual, chit-chat among the residents blurring together. Twilight scampered across the street and then smiled upon stepping onto campus grounds. She could see that there were a fair number of unicorns already making their way inside as well. Twilight felt her smile flicker only slightly when she spotted Moondancer approaching. Oh no… social activity.

“I was wondering when you’d get here,” Moondancer remarked with a friendly smile.

Twilight shrugged absently. “I had to work on Spike’s talking.”

“Makes sense. Is he getting better, at least?”

“Yes.” Twilight said nothing else before trotting past Moondancer for the school’s main entrance.

Moondancer frowned at Twilight’s lackluster response. While she was definitely used to Twilight being blunt and anti-social, that was a bit unusual. She trotted to catch up and fell into stride next to Twilight. “You okay? You seem a bit more out of it than usual.”

“I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yes Moondancer, I’m sure. Just thinking about some stuff.” Twilight replied vaguely. Moondancer raised an eyebrow at that.

“Nothing new there.”

“Uh-huh.”

Moondancer sighed and fell silent. The two continued on with neither one breaking the silence. At last, they reached the classroom they would be using for the day’s work. Twilight found her seat and plonked herself down without much ceremony. The agitating jabbering of the nobles up in the castle was agitating her so much she missed it when Moondancer asked her a question from the seat next to hers.

“Uh, Twilight?” Moondancer tried again, poking Twilight in the shoulder to get her attention.

“Huh, What?” Twilight jumped slightly upon the physical contact. Moondancer’s frown deepened, but she repeated her question regardless.

“You’ve heard about Princess Celestia’s big announcement yesterday, right?”

“Yeah, I heard.” Twilight said, looking at the surface of the desk in front of her.

“What are your thoughts on it?” Moondancer asked, leaning back a bit to be more comfortable in her seat.

Twilight snorted. “I know I’m more okay with it than some other ponies I could mention...”

Moondancer flinched from the harshness in Twilight’s words. “Woah… who?”

“Nobles up in the castle,” Twilight replied with a groan. “A lot of them are looking at it purely from the perspective of what it does for their own power, or outright berating the act because it ‘lowers the Princesses status to adopt a peasant,’ blah blah blah. It’s frustrating.”

“Oh… so that’s what’s bothering you.” Moondancer deduced with a small nod.

“Yup.”

“Well, wanna know what I think?”

“Sure.” Twilight looked to Moondancer with some interest. If nothing else, the butter-colored filly was a fantastic intellectual peer.

“I think she made the right call. In her position, I can’t even begin to imagine the sorts of pressures the nobility and other such types put on Princess Celestia. A lot of what I know about the aristocratic part of Equestria’s government shows a stunning lack of morality or empathy. For Princess Celestia to adopt a previously unknown orphan filly with virtually no status… it shows the sort of kindness and moral fortitude Equestria needs to remember.”

Twilight nodded, actually impressed with the depth of Moondancer’s words. “You make a good point. I’d give my own but, well,” she pointed to show that Princess Celestia had just entered the room. “It’s time for us to be quiet.”

“Ah, right.”

Rainbow Dash was bored. Supremely so.

Twilight was off being taught by Princess Celestia down at that special school, meaning that the two ponies that Rainbow actually knew were not present. She still wasn’t feeling very social, either, so popping out to meet others wasn’t high on her list of priorities. It didn’t help that she was still very unaware of the usual customs and standards of Canterlot society.

Supposedly though, Celestia had arranged for Princess Cadence to come by and keep her company (and out of trouble, should they exit the castle for whatever reason), so there was that. It would help if Cadence would show up, though. Rainbow Dash stared blankly at the wall, unmoving and unblinking. Maybe if I sit here long enough, I’ll go insane and hallucinate the wall turning into a monster I could beat up.

A knocking came to the door a moment later, jarring Rainbow from her trance. She approached slowly and put her ear to the door. “Who is it?” She asked, worried it might be the press. She wouldn’t put it past them if some of them missed the notice to leave her alone.

“Princess Cadence. I’m speaking to Rainbow Dash, right?” came the gentle voice on the other side. Rainbow sighed in relief and opened the door.

“Took you long enough,” she said bluntly before flinching, remembering that she was in the presence of royalty. She then flinched even more upon remembering that she was also royalty. “Heh… Sorry about that. Been kinda on edge. Hiya.”

Cadence chuckled good-naturedly. “It’s alright, Rainbow. Princess Celestia filled me in when she asked for my help,” she knelt down slightly and ran a hoof over Dash’s mane. “Wow, you really don’t manage your appearance much, do you?”

“Uh, no, not really. I’m usually too focused on my flying and exercise to think about keeping my mane neat,” Rainbow replied, stepping back from Cadence’s touch.

Cadence took the hint and stood back up with an apologetic smile. “Aunty Celestia did mention you were quite the athlete back in Cloudsdale.”

“Uh-huh. Haven’t really been able to practice recently, though…” Rainbow nodded before looking away. “A lot’s been happening, you know?”

“Yeah, I heard,” Cadence’s smile softened somewhat. “Well, tell you what; my guidelines are simply to keep you company and out of trouble until Celestia gets back. How about we head on down to the west castle courtyard? You can practice your flying there without any interruptions.”

“Really?” Dash asked, excitement entering her voice. Her wings gave an excited buzz on her back.

“Really,” Cadence smiled warmly. “I’ll make sure you aren’t bothered. Sound good?”

“That. Sounds. Awesome!” Rainbow proclaimed enthusiastically, zipping into the air and cheering happily. Cadence giggled before reaching out to Rainbow with a hoof.

“Come on, then. Let’s go.”

Rainbow was only all too happy to oblige.

It was an amazing feeling, getting to spread her wings and fly again. For the first while she wasn’t even practicing any of her tricks, moves or working on her agility. Rainbow just enjoyed being in the air again before shifting back into practicing about half an hour after they reached the courtyard. Cadence smiled as she watched, more than a little impressed with Rainbow’s speed and agility. Even at her age she was faster than a lot of adult pegasi ever became.

After a while, Rainbow came back down for a quick breather. She set down and took a deep breath. “Whew! boy, it feels good to get the blood pumping again!” she said between breaths before sitting down in the grass next to Cadence.

Cadence smiled and ruffled Dash’s mane. “I imagine so. You’ve been cooped up for a while.”

Dash didn’t reply. She simply sat there and took a minute to catch her breath.

Cadence simply smiled at seeing the little filly feeling genuinely happy and relaxed. It was a very noticeable change from when they had met earlier, where Dash had been tense and jittery.

The mood was instantly broken, however, when she heard the sound of the most pompous colt she knew clearing his throat. Cadence glanced over her shoulder and refrained from grimacing at the sight of Prince Blueblood, who stood only a head taller than Rainbow did at this point.

The adolescent colt gave a respectful bow to Cadence. “Princess Cadence,” he then turned to look at Rainbow Dash, who was looking at him over her shoulder curiously. “And the newest addition to the royal family, Princess Rainbow Dash herself.”

“Ehhh…” Rainbow cringed at the use of her new title. “Please don’t call me ‘princess.’ Just my name is fine.”

“Oh?” Blueblood held a hoof to his chest in mock shock. “Truely? You must be aware of the power you now carry. Why would anypony want their status to be ignored?”

“Because I didn’t earn it,” Rainbow said plainly before looking back to Cadence, how was barely repressing a scowl. “Now, uh… do you mind going away?”

“Didn’t earn it?” Blueblood recoiled slightly. “You caught the eye of our nation's ruler! You have most certainly earned something grand for that alone! Besides, is it not a wonderful feeling to be lifted from the common rabble to a position of such privilege?”

Dash narrowed her eyes and stood up. Cadence moved to intervene, but Rainbow was already speaking. “Hey! Some of those ‘common rabble’ were my parents!”

“That doesn’t make them less common, you know.” Blueblood pointed out. Rainbow felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Luckily, Cadence chose now to step in. She quickly put herself between Rainbow and Blueblood, glaring at the latter. “That’s quite enough, Blueblood. Where’s your father?”

“Father’s tending to some issue or other in the estate. Why?” Blueblood asked, looking at Cadence with mild concern.

Cadence narrowed her eyes at him dangerously. “Because I am sure Princess Celestia would like to have words with him-and you-later. Now leave us in peace.”

Blueblood nodded and quickly scampered away. Once he was out of sight, Cadence turned around to see Rainbow had sat back down, facing away. Her shoulders were hunched up and she was shaking from barely controlled rage.

“I’m sorry about him… Aunty will make sure he gets punished for that, I promise.” Cadence said gently, laying down next to Rainbow and wrapping a wing over her shoulders.

“...Jerk… how could he say that?” Rainbow muttered, sniffling slightly as her parents were returned to the forefront of her mind.

Cadence noticed the little filly’s turmoil and gingerly picked her up. “Shh, hey, it’s okay. Let’s get something for you to eat, okay? Then maybe we can find something to do around town. You know, to take your mind off of this?”

Rainbow sniffed, then nodded. “S-sure... yeah, that sounds cool, I guess…”

Cadence nodded slowly before spreading out her own wings and taking flight, heading for one of Canterlot’s numerous restaurant streets.

Author's Note

My knowledge of Blueblood is supremely limited, so he probably won't be showing up again in this story.

Compassion

Princess Cadance watched Rainbow Dash with mild concern. The little filly was currently sitting across a resteraunt table from her with her face hidden in her forelegs, which were folded into a makeshift pillow. Cadance had shows her numerous restaurants scattered across Canterlot and, in the end Rainbow had settled on a fast-food joint on a street corner. It was fairly crowded, a lot of foals scampering about and playing in a sizable zone set off to one side for that very purpose.

Rainbow said nothing when the waiter brought her the food she had ordered. A rather sizable plate of hay burgers, a side of prench fries and a tall cup of apple juice. The waiter looked at her expectantly for almost a second before seemingly remembering who it was he had just served food to. He gave a bow and then backed away. Rainbow snorted derisively before picking up one of the burgers in her hooves.

“Is what Blueblood said still bugging you?” Cadance asked gently from across the table. Rainbow merely nodded in response, digging into her burger immediately afterword. Cadance sighed. “Believe me when I say you’ll learn to tune him out… his father’s pretty much given up on putting sense into him.”

“He’s a massive jerk.” Rainbow snorted through a mouthful of burger.

“He is…” Cadance looked down slightly before getting up from her seat in the booth. Rainbow glanced up and then scooted over when Cadance motioned towards her seat. “Your status is also getting to you, isn’t it?”

“Been officially recognized as ‘Princess Rainbow Dash’ for only a day and already it’s worn out it’s welcome, if you ask me…” Rainbow mumbled tiredly. “I mean, I’m all for ponies praising me when I do awesome stuff. Hay, I live for moments like that,” she took another bite from her burger. “But I haven’t done anything with this title of mine yet and already I’ve got almost every single pony I meet treating me like Celestia.”

“Aren’t you going to call her ‘Mom’?” Cadance attempted to correct, though she instantly fell silent at the harsh glare Rainbow shot her way.

“No. Not mom. She adopted me, yeah, I get that… but that’s relation by paperwork only. She’s… I appreciate what Celestia is doing, really I do. I mean, I have a home now and I’m cared for and I’m not at that stupid orphanage… but…” Rainbow closed her eyes and visibly wilted. “...She isn’t my mom. My mom. My real mom was named Windy Whistles…” Rainbow fell silent and then slipped a few fries into her mouth.

Cadance nodded softly. “I think I understand…”

“Windy Whistles was mom to me,” Rainbow continued after she swallowed her fries. “To call anypony else that name, especially in earnest… it’d be like betraying her,” Rainbow’s gaze hardened considerably. “And I am not going to betray her… or her memory.”

Cadance smiled softly before draping a comforting wing over Rainbow Dash. “For somepony your age, that’s a pretty mature view.”

Rainbow let a small smile form on her own face before digging into another burger. Once that one was devoured she let out a small grunt. “I still don’t wanna deal with all these ponies praising me when I haven’t done anything yet.”

Cadance looked thoughtful for several seconds before leaning down slightly. “Hey, let me tell you something, okay?”

“Hm?”

“I get what you’re going through,” Cadance smiled warmly, lowering her voice a little. “I was born a pegasus. I was raised in a village inhabited and run mostly by earth ponies. That was where my foal hood was spent. It was a really relaxed place, frankly. Then, though, I became a princess. I earned my horn, I was adopted as Princess Celestia’s Niece and, well… It was a big adjustment for me, too.

“All of the praise, all of the ‘favor seeking.’ Some ponies were outright afraid of me just because of my status,” Cadance lost her smile a bit. “It was… disheartening, to say the least. I mean, sure, I’d accomplished some things back home, but nothing that should matter to the ponies here. I was a princess, though and, suddenly, everypony was either scared of me or seeking my favor or mercy in one way or another.”

“How’d you deal with that…?” Rainbow asked, listening intently.

Cadance’s smile returned in full. “Simple; I realized that it was because they didn’t really know me, yet. I was a princess, true, but my role wasn’t determined just yet. But I pursued my passions, my goals, my desires. I helped many ponies through personal matters and had the honor and privilege and helping many ponies find their true loves. I’d say that it was about a year ago that, for all of that and more, I was given the title of the Princess of Love. I found my place and, in so doing, taught everypony who I am.”

Rainbow couldn’t help the small whistle she tried to make. She frowned when it just came out as a long puff of air, but then smiled. “Wow… eh-heh. That’s quite the story there, Cadance,” she then got a thoughtful look on her face. “Hang on… if I’m a princess now, why didn’t Celestia give me a horn?”

Cadance laughed outright at that. “It’s not quite that simple, Rainbow. Becoming an alicorn usually requires the accomplishment of some great deed which will be felt across Equestria for years to come. And besides, it’s possible to have the ‘prince or princess’ title and not be an alicorn.”

Rainbow grimaced. “Blueblood?”

“And his dad, Highblood. Both of them have the title of prince, albeit only honorary. They don’t have wings to display, though.” Cadance confirmed with a nod.

Rainbow nodded and then dug into the last of her burgers. Cadance removed her wing from Dash slowly and gave her a bit more personal space, now that she was feeling better.

“So, hypothetically speaking, if you were to try and earn an alicorn horn and a full Princess Title, what would that title be?” Cadance asked with genuine curiosity. Rainbow sat back in her seat and blinked a few times with thought.

“I’d say… uh… probably the Princess of Awesomeness!” She declared before thumping a hoof on her chest.

Cadance raised an eyebrow.

“No good? How about…” Rainbow puffed up her chest. “The Princess of Coolness!”

Cadance let the eyebrow fall and covered her mouth with a hoof, struggling to keep in her chortles. Rainbow huffed indignantly.

“Hey, what's so funny?”

“N-nothing, I swear…” Cadance lied, her giggles coming through unabated now.

“The Princess of Radicalness does not approve of this mockery!” Rainbow barked before sitting down and glowering at her now empty platter of food.

‘So… which is it? Awesomeness, coolness or radicalness?” Cadance grinned at the little filly.

“Stop it.”

Rainbow Dash had made many a questionable decision in her young life. She had pulled pranks on ponies she really shouldn’t have. She had slept through a substantial number of classes on athletic flying and exercise routines. She had used counterfeit bits one time (although she swears up, down, sideways and backwards that she didn’t know they were fake.) and, now, she was lamenting her most recent blunder.

“Why did I think bowling was a good idea?” She asked with a snort and glaring at the 7-10 split at the end of her lane. Her ball was returning to her.

Cadance smiled gently at Rainbow. “I think you said it was because you were wanting to do something a bit more, as you said, ‘down to earth.’ We wanted you to relax and so you picked this.”

Rainbow grunted, clearly frustrated with herself. “Yeah, let’s just make sure we don’t tell anypony about this little mistake of mine, alright?”

“You’re doing great, though!” Cadance said optimistically, nudging Rainbow’s wing with a smile.

Rainbow shot Cadance a deadpan glare. “Pass me that manual, would ya?”

Cadance raised an eyebrow, but otherwise complied, passing the filly a small pamphlet of rules and scoring instructions. Rainbow flipped it open and skimmed it for a few minutes before glaring back up at Cadance.

“Okay, I don’t really get these numbers and stuff, but what I do get is that, if the maximum possible score is three hundred at the start, then I mucked it up,” Rainbow pointed to the automated score chart, displaying her score as being a mere fifty four, and she was on her last throw. “We must have very different standards on ‘great’ performance.”

Cadance laughed sheepishly, brushing some of her mane back with a hoof absently. “Okay, okay, sorry. I was just trying to be supportive.”

Rainbow frowned a bit more solemnly. “Yeah… yeah, I know. Just… don’t overdo it, alright? Don’t cheer me on like that when I’m losing.”

Cadance lost her sheepish smile at the returned despondency in Rainbow Dash’s voice and posture. Rainbow turned away, plucked the bowling ball from where it awaited her and then casually thumped it out into the lane, not even bothering to look and see if it did anything of note.

“I think I’m ready to head back to the castle.”

Cadance looked after Rainbow sympathetically before glancing back at the bowling lane. The ball struck the pin on the right in just such a way that it was sent slowly wobbling towards its neighbor. In a stroke of luck, the wobbling pin collided with the other.

Both of the pins toppled over.

When the two at last returned to Canterlot Castle, it was just in time to cross paths with Princess Celestia leaving her school for the day. Twilight was trotting along by her side with a smile on her face before glancing over and spotting the approaching Cadance and Rainbow Dash. “Cadance! Hello!’ Twilight called excitedly while waving her hoof frantically.

“Good afternoon Twilight! Oh, it’s so good to see you again! How was class?” Cadance asked, crouching down slightly to let the lavender filly tackle-hug her.

“It was good, but now the real good part begins!” Twilight answered cheerfully before smiling back at Celestia. “Princess Celestia, you said you were going to show me transfiguration magic today, right?”

Cadance raised an eyebrow and Celestia nodded. “Key word being ‘show’, Twilight. Transfiguration spells are rather delicate in many ways and require a lot of focus. I don’t want you trying this type of spell just yet. I want you taking notes and listening,” Celestia then trotted up to Rainbow Dash, who was standing idly off to one side, looking down. Instantly, Celestia lost her smile to a worried frown. Nevertheless, she managed her optimistic and motherly voice. “Hello, Rainbow Dash. Was your day with Cadance a pleasant one?”

Rainbow looked up at Celestia and nodded half-heartedly. “Yeah. It was…”

Celestia’s lips thinned with thought. She looked to Cadance for answers.

“We had a run in with Prince Blueblood earlier. He was… inconsiderate when talking about Rainbow’s… past,” Cadance began, slowly breaking her embrace with a now uneasy looking Twilight. “We went out for hayburgers and a game of bowling after that. I think Blueblood’s words are still bugging her.”

“I see…” Celestia knelt down to be at eye level with Rainbow Dash, uncaring that she was in public when she did so. “Is there anything more to it, Rainbow?”

“A… a little.” Rainbow confirmed with a nod, looking down. “I, uh… something Cadance said reminded me of, well, my parents.”

Celestia glanced at Cadance, who immediately wilted under the realization. “Oh… oh, I am so sorry, Dashie…” Cadance said softly, employing a nickname that Rainbow couldn’t help but snort in amusement at.

“Dashie? Heh, that reminds me of Gilda…”

Celestia’s horn lit up for a moment, but she thought better of it. The magical aura left her horn and, instead, she extended a wing down to the ground in a sort of makeshift ramp. “Come on up, Rainbow.”

Rainbow blinked, sharing a confused glance with Twilight. “Um… aren’t you doing some kind of teaching thing with Twilight?”

“I am. But that does not mean you have to be alone. I’d love it if you joined Twilight and I, even if only for the distraction.” Celestia said reassuringly, shooting them both a warm, motherly smile.

Twilight offered no objections, despite looking mildly unsure. Rainbow sagged but nodded gratefully. “Sure. That sounds good to me.” She then clambered up onto Celestia’s back, nestling down between her wings and feeling immediately relaxed by the soft, cushiony bed.

Celestia rose to her full height before looking to Cadance. “Princess Cadance, please arrange a meeting for me to speak with Blueblood and Highblood as soon as Twilight’s private lesson is over.”

Cadance nodded with an almost predatory grin forming on her face. “I’d love to,” she then knelt down and pat Twilight on the back of the head. “You be nice to Rainbow, okay? She’s had a bad day.”

“I can tell.” Twilight said before nodding her agreement. With that said and done, Celestia and Cadance parted ways, with Twilight following along at Celestia’s hooves and, on occasion, glancing worriedly to Rainbow Dash resting on Celestia’s back.

Author's Note

"Princess Cadence might like to share a few things with Rainbow Dash. She was a Pegasus herself raised in an Earth Pony village after she was found in the woods as a foul. It could be a bonding experience for both of them. Cadence would be able to connect with her being they both were Commoner Pegasus turned Princess." -SilverWolfMHP

Thank you for the suggestion! :twilightsmile:

Questions

“Do I have to be there for this?” Rainbow grumbled irritably, looking up at Celestia with eyes begging for mercy.

“Yes, Rainbow Dash. You were the, shall we say, ‘victim’ of Blueblood’s rude behavior, so it is only prudent that you are present for a part of this discussion.” Celestia answered with a nod. She clearly didn’t like bringing Rainbow along for this little trip; the filly had been through enough already.

Rainbow scoffed and looked away to examine the houses as they trot by them on the street. Commoner ponies were making sure the two royals had their space, many of them giving respectful bows of their heads along the way. Celestia barely paid them any mind, but Rainbow was starting to shrink slightly.

“We’re almost there, Rainbow.” Celestia assured her softly, patting her gently with an extended wing before slightly increasing her pace.

“Which house is it?” Rainbow asked while scanning the street ahead of them, squinting in an effort to discern Canterlot architecture from more Canterlot architecture.

“The four story building, just there. See? It has the Equestrian flag blowing in the- Rainbow Dash?” Celestia asked before noticing that Rainbow had vanished. She looked around and then sighed in exasperation, but also amusement, when she spotted Rainbow coming to a swift landing in the front yard of Highblood’s estate. A couple of the ponies stationed out in front as the family’s personal guards came close to having heart attacks from the sudden appearance of the newly revealed royal, especially considering Cadance’s message earlier.

Picking up the pace, Celestia cantered past the ornate fence separating the estate’s grounds from the rest of the street. “Somepony eager?” she asked Rainbow with a small smirk.

“To get this over with and go home? Yeah, yeah I am.” Rainbow shot back before looking at the tall building before them. Her nose twitched slightly.

Celestia chuckled softly before turning her attention to the two guard ponies nearby, who both still looked rather pale. “At ease, gentlecolts. I assume Highblood and Blueblood are waiting for us inside?”

One of the guards cleared his throat and stood up straight. “Ahem- ah, yes your highness. Well, Highblood awaits you in his office. Blueblood is, er… not.”

“Where might he be?” Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow.

The guard shifted uneasily. “...Janitor work, your highness. Highblood saw fit to start his son’s punishment early, I think.”

Rainbow grinned widely. “Aw yeah!”

Celestia frowned mostly at Rainbow’s enthusiastic response. She put a hoof atop Rainbow’s head to get her attention before looking back to the guards. “Thank you. Resume your duties. I know the way.”

“Believe me, your majesty, I know.” The guard replied before giving a deep bow. He took up his position once more as Celestia and Rainbow entered the estate.

Rainbow looked up and blinked in surprise before squinting. “Okay, who’s idea was it to put up a chandelier of… of those things?! They’re reflecting more colors than I do!”

“Fire opals, Dash. The chandelier is made up of fire opals, and it was put into place by Highblood’s grandfather. He had a certain… passion for the gem.” Celestia answered, looking around the large central lobby with a neutral expression.

“It hurts my eyes.” Rainbow snorted.

“You and me both. But come, let’s not keep the prince waiting.” Celestia agreed while starting for the stairs in the back of the room. Rainbow followed, noting the deep blue carpet that led from the entrance to the stairs. The whole estate followed some very consistent color schemes, it appeared. Deep dark blue’s make up much of the floor, along with patterns of white and some black. The walls were white, albeit faded somewhat from age, while the trimmings were of a richly colored, well maintained wood. Even if she would always be partial to the old architecture and style of Cloudsdale, she had to admit, this estate wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes.

At the end of one of the hallways on the second floor, Celestia came to a stop before a somewhat more decorated wooden door. She paused and put a hoof on Rainbow’s back to stop her for a moment. Dash looked up with a curious tilt of her head. “What’s up?”

“Wait here for just a moment. I wish to speak with Highblood in private for a moment.” Celestia replied before knocking on the door.

“Come in!” came the response of an older stallion. Celestia opened the door and stepped inside. She turned to Rainbow and smiled.

“I’ll be only a few minutes. I’ll call you in when we’re ready.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Rainbow replied casually, waving her hoof at Celestia. “Go ahead. I’ll be here.”

Celestia nodded with an appreciative smile before closing the door. From where she stood, Rainbow Dash could just make out the muffled voices of the two speaking to one another. For now, all Rainbow Dash could do was wait.

“Only a few minutes, she said. Wait right here, she said. It’ll be fun, she said!” Rainbow snorted to herself while anxiously pacing back and forth. She glanced at the grandfather clock of the small lounge she had slinked off to after the ten minute mark. At least now she had comfy chairs to sit in and the office was just down the hall. She’d hear Celestia opening the door, so it shouldn’t pose any problems.

It had been thirty minutes, though, and Rainbow was getting more than a little antsy. “What are they talking about?!” she groaned in frustration before looking around the room. There were numerous chairs, a few couches, a loveseat in one corner, numerous coffee tables and desks, a few lamps and plenty of bookshelves, each one full of books.

Rainbow had made a little mental game of taking the first letter of each word from the titles of two or three books, then come up with a cool sounding acronym. With a grunt, she decided one more round couldn’t hurt. She began to scan the shelves when her ears perked up. She could hear Highblood’s voice coming from his office. He was speaking more loudly and clearly than before.

Now with curiosity burning in her mind, Rainbow slowly trotted to the door and put her ear to it.

“If I may be so bold, Princess, why her? You’ve told me her story, but that doesn’t explain why.” Highblood asked, sounding slightly frustrated.

“And I already told you why. She needed a home, Highblood, and I was more than happy to provide one.” Celestia answered calmly. Rainbow could practically feel a slight tension in the air.

“With all due respect your highness, I don’t buy that at all. We’ve had enough of these meetings on account of my son that I know you better than many of the nobles do,” Highblood pointed out. “The Celestia I know wouldn’t have decided to adopt some unknown filly of no status unless there was a very good reason. What you’re telling me may be morally correct, but you are the ruler of this country, Princess. I know you have to think more practically than that.”

“Do not think, even for a moment, that I disregard the morals I swore myself to when I assumed the throne so long ago, Highblood.”

“That’s not what I am implying, Celestia, you know that. I just know you. And I know you’re hiding something. I merely wish to know what that is.”

Rainbow frowned and looked at the door quizzically before pressing her ear closer.

“Nothing gets past you, Highblood,” Celestia chuckled in amusement. “But, alas, this is not something I can easily tell others. I must ask you to simply trust me.”

“I trust you with my life, your majesty. I just can’t help but sometimes wonder why. You hide so much, even if it’s for our own good.”

Rainbow took her ear away from the door. “What…?” she looked at the door again before turning her attention to a nearby window. Acting on a hunch, she fluttered up and peered out onto the streets below. “Okay… yeah, I knew it. Twilight’s house is right there…” she remembered then that Twilight was apparently spending the night at home with her parents. “...Might as well see if she knows anything.” Rainbow carefully slid the window open and then shot across the street, leaving a prismatic trail in her wake.

“I got it honey!” Night Light called out to Twilight Velvet when he heard the sound of somepony knocking on his front door. He slid off of his seat and trotted out into the entry hall. It was decorated in deep blue, subtle gray and numerous shades of purple. He paused only very briefly to give Twilight Sparkle, who was currently seated in one of the seats in the room, a proud smile. He then pulled open the door and looked out. “Hello, what can I- ...what?”

“Down here, dude.”

Night Light looked down and came close to fainting when he realized it was Rainbow Dash standing in front of him. “Waoh! Your highness-”

“Don’t call me that. May I come in?” Rainbow cut him off firmly before putting on a somewhat more friendly expression.

“Uh…” Night Light’s mind took a moment to catch up. He shook himself and then nodded. “Oh, of course! Come on in and make yourself at home.”

“Thanks. Hey, Twilight! You in here?” Rainbow called as she stepped into the building, looking around curiously. The color scheme was wildly different from that of Highblood’s manor.

“Rainbow?” Twilight looked up from her book (‘From Salt-Shaker to Teacup: A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration Principles and Spells.’) and blinked in surprise. ‘What are you doing here? I thought you were at Highblood’s place?”

“I was and I wasn’t supposed to leave yet. I kinda gotta ask you something, though. I think it’s important,” Rainbow explained before glancing at Night Light and the newly arrived Twilight Velvet. “Anywhere we can talk in private?”

Twilight blinked again while her ears twitched in confusion. “Uh… sure, I guess?” She slipped off of her couch and looked to Velvet with an equally confused expression on both of their faces. “Princess Rainbow Dash and I-”

“Rainbow Dash is fine, Twilight.”

“...Rainbow Dash and I are gonna be upstairs for a minute,” Twilight looked at Rainbow again with a scrutinizing gaze before leading her out of the room and up a flight of stairs. At the end of the following hall, Twilight opened a door that led into her room. It was softly colored in deep blues and dark purples, most of the illumination coming from small lamps or candlesticks. Rainbow had to admit, it was easier on the eyes than the other rooms.

Probably easier to read in…

“Okay. Now that we’re here… what’s going on?” Twilight asked, turning to Rainbow and gazing at her intently.

“Okay, uh… You know Princess Celestia pretty well, right? You spend a lot of time together so…” Rainbow asked awkwardly, one of her forelegs making wide gestures that ultimately meant nothing.

“Er, I think? She’s over a thousand years old, Rainbow Dash. I doubt I can get to know her very well unless I have a comparable frame of reference.”

“Whatever. My question is… well, how much like her is it for her to, well, adopt me?” Rainbow asked, looking at Twilight as she recoiled in alarm. “Like, is it something she would normally do? If so, what would her reasons be?”

“I… I don’t... “ Twilight stuttered before sitting down on her haunches and rubbing her face. “I don’t know. I mean, she can be vague, cryptic and all that, but… I really don’t know how to answer that.”

“Well, Prince Highblood and Celestia were chit-chatting and, well, I overhead them talking about me. Highblood doesn’t seem to think it’s normal of Celestia at all to adopt me. She even went so far as to admit that she was hiding something. She just didn’t elaborate on what.”

Twilight’s ears fell flat against her head. “I… The Princess is-”

A knocking came to her bedroom door, interrupting her. Only a moment later, it was opened to reveal Twilight Velvet and Princess Celestia on the other side. Rainbow instantly shrunk away, as did Twilight.

Celestia looked at them both disapprovingly, though not harshly. “You know, Rainbow Dash, if you were bored you could have just knocked.”

Sensing an out, Rainbow shrugged. “I’ve only been here for a few weeks and it sounded like you two were having an important chat. I didn’t wanna interrupt or anything.”

Celestia smiled knowingly. “Well, you’re timing was rather poor. Pretty much as soon as you left I opened the door to let you in.”

“...Oh,” Rainbow face hoofed in exasperation.

“Come, then. Prince Highblood is waiting for you,” Celestia said before nodding to Twilight with a warm smile. “Have a good day now, my faithful student.”

Twilight nodded and waved uneasily, an enormously fake grin remaining plastered on her face until both, Rainbow and Celestia were out of sight. Once they were gone, she slumped to the ground and groaned. “Oh, boy…”

Author's Note

Highblood

As the two royals trotted their way through the halls of Highblood’s manor on the way to his office, Rainbow refused to meet Celestia’s gaze. Her mind was brimming with questions, theories and, most notably, suspicions. Celestia easily noticed Rainbow’s distant behavior and, after a few moments of silent contemplation, put a hoof on the filly’s back to stop her. Rainbow looked up at Celestia uneasily.

“Rainbow Dash, what’s the matter?” She asked genuinely. Dash’s eyes instantly flicked away to examine a support beam in excruciating detail.

“N-nothing’s wrong.”

“I know that’s not true. I’ve seen this sort of behavior more than you might think,” Celestia answered with her trademarked motherly smile. “I saw it with one of the fillies at my school, Moondancer I think. She was troubled by an inconstancy in one of my lessons but was worried about bringing it up to me. I saw it in her friends when they tried to cover for her odd behavior. I’ve seen it in Twilight Sparkle when she runs late on an assignment, worrying herself sick that I’ll banish her or throw her in a dungeon or, heavens forbid, some sadistic combination of both of those.”

Rainbow blinked and sighed, slowly shifting her gaze back to Celestia’s uneasily. She didn’t need to say anything; Celestia could see it in her eyes and was swiftly able to piece it together.

“You overheard what Highblood and I were discussing, didn’t you?”

Rainbow nodded nervously. “Um… y-yeah.”

Celestia smiled reassuringly. “Don’t be so worried, Rainbow. I’m not upset with you.”

Rainbow’s gaze hardened, locking on Celestia's firmly. “Maybe, but that doesn’t explain what you’re hiding.”

Celestia lost her smile and closed her eyes in thought. “...Rainbow Dash, I can’t reveal every single secret that I hold to you. Equestria is filled with countless mysteries that I know all too well. I leave them that way, as mere myth or legend, because such things typically need to remain forgotten and unknown.”

“Even why you adopted me?” Rainbow huffed in annoyance, turning her eyes away once more. Celestia sighed before sitting down next to the filly.

“Oh, Dash,” she sighed softly, gently scooping Rainbow up in her forelegs. Rainbow didn’t squirm much, despite wanting to be put down as soon as possible. “No, that’s not it at all. My reasons for adopting you are simple: You needed a home and a family to look out for you. Somepony to make sure you stayed on course, to keep you fed, to give you a roof to sleep under and to give you a good education. You needed somepony to guide you…” she held Dash close, nuzzling her atop the head. “...and if only there were words to describe the potential I see in you, Rainbow Dash. It’s incredible…

“I adopted you because I saw that you needed a good home to bring out that potential. But in truth, I have also been desiring a foal for quite some time. And then I found you… anything else, any other reasons or attachments… they are all secondary.” Celestia finished before giving Dash a squeeze and setting her down. Rainbow slowly turned to look at Celestia with wide eyes.

“Uh… could you, like, g-get rid of the o-o-onions?” she said before wiping a foreleg across her eyes and falling to her haunches. “Seriously… they’re messing with my eyes.”

Celestia giggled softly before reaching out a hoof to the filly. “There is nothing wrong with feeling, Rainbow Dash.”

“Yeah, but it is so un-cool to start c-crying in the middle of a Canterlot Noble’s house.” Rainbow said, sniffling part way through before smiling softly at Celestia.

“Then I suppose we should get this meeting over and done with so we can go home, shouldn’t we?” Celestia guessed with a knowing smirk. She hit the nail right on the head.

With a nod, Dash took her adoptive mother’s hoof and stood.

Rainbow was expecting Highblood to be similar to Blueblood; incredibly well groomed, vain, pompous and a nose in the air at all times. Instead, she found a unicorn stallion in his mid to late forties, wrinkles starting to form on his brow and under his deep green eyes. His white coat had dulled into a murky gray from age and only minimal upkeep. His wiry orange mane and tail, too, had streaks of gray running through them. He also opted to not put on a suit depicting his status, like Blueblood or many of the other nobles did.

He smiled warmly to Celestia when they entered his office and stood from his seat, which rested behind a cluttered desk. “Ah, your highness. Found the runaway, did you?”

“She merely needed to burn off some energy. I think she’s good now.” Celestia said before smiling knowingly at Dash, who nodded in turn.

“Yup. I’m good. So, you’re Highblood?” Rainbow asked curiously.

“Well who were you expecting, Smash Fortune?” Highblood asked with a small teasing smile. “Yes, I am Prince Highblood, though the title is honorary only; something my son doesn’t seem to grasp.”

“Really?” Rainbow tilted her head curiously.

“Yes. My status would put me and my heirs as Dukes, rather than Princes. It is due to a long and distant family tie to one of Equestria’s founders, Queen Platinum,” Highblood explained before stepping out from behind his desk. “But before we shift too far away from the topic of my son…”

“Nice work making him clean things!” Dash interrupted with a prideful smirk. “Get me some popcorn and a folding chair and we’ll be good.”

“...On the topic of my son,” Highblood said again before bowing deeply before Rainbow Dash. “Allow me to extend my deepest and most humble apologies for his behavior, and the behavior of any of the other nobles who may have caused you grief with their selfish and short-sighted remarks.”

Rainbow blinked and took a step back. “Woah- uh, Celestia? This guy is bowing and it’s kinda weird.”

Highblood rose, though still kept himself at Rainbow’s eye level by lowering the rest of his body. “Allow me to assure you that not all of us nobles share such standards or opinions. It is only in the higher ranking houses that such ludicrous nonsense is allowed to spread. I think you’ll find that the family of Celestia’s prized pupil is a fine example of the more common noble houses.”

Rainbow scrunched up her face a bit in thought. “Wait, if they’re more common, why don’t I hear more from them about all of this stuff?” she asked incredulously.

“Amid a sea of voices, only the largest and loudest will truly be heard,” Highblood explained with a small frown. “The higher noble houses have a much stronger presence in the public eye. Their voices carry farther and louder than most. But an outspoken minority is still a minority.”

“I get it… I think…” Rainbow said, unsure. She glanced up at Celestia who tittered in response.

“I’ll get you a dictionary when we get home. You need to be more aware of the terminology around here anyway.”

“Okay.” Rainbow nodded and then looked back at Highblood with a slowly warming expression.

Highblood smiled warmly before outstretching a hoof to the little filly. “So, as a member of the majority, I would like to personally extend my full and proper welcome to Canterlot, Princess Rainbow Dash-”

“No titles!” Rainbow quickly silenced him, though she didn’t look nearly as agitated as she had the last time she had silenced someone about her title. “Just Rainbow Dash is fine.”

Highblood smiled and laughed somewhat. “Very well then, Rainbow Dash. Allow me to welcome you personally to Canterlot. Don’t let the words of the loudest voices twist your vision of who we are. I believe I speak for most of Equestria when I say that we greet you with smiles and open hooves.”

Rainbow nodded with a small smile forming on her face. “Well, glad to know somepony recognizes awesomeness when they see it!”

Highblood nodded before looking back to Celestia. “It was an honor to meet her, your highness. Is that everything?”

“Yes, Highblood. That will be all,” Celestia nodded before looking to Rainbow Dash. “Come on Rainbow. Let’s go home.”

It was now evening. The pegasi weather teams were organizing and assembling a rainstorm for after sunset, by the looks of it, soaring and shooting around over Canterlot in a highly organized dance of sorts. Rainbow Dash presently sat alone, save for the Earth Pony guard standing not far away, just looking out one of the windows in the hallway with a contemplative look on her face. Occasionally a servant, noble or common pony come for court would trot by, many of them nodding their heads in small bows to Rainbow as they went. She was learning to tune it out quite well.

Mostly, her attention was on the weather team. She was studying them carefully, taking in every little movement the adults were making, the methods they were using to get the clouds to behave and do as they were told. She couldn’t help but smile dreamily when she replaced the image of a weather team with the image of an aerial performance put on by the Wonderbolts themselves.

Princess or not, I’ll work my way there.

“Rainbow Dash!” came Twilight’s voice from behind and to her left. Rainbow turned and smiled at the sight of the lavender filly approaching at a brisk gallop.

“Sup?”

“‘What!? ‘Sup?!’ After what we talked about at my house that’s how you say hi?! I couldn’t get any work done on my assignment I was so busy worrying about what you said!” Twilight asked in exasperation, throwing her forelegs wide. Rainbow just rolled her eyes.

“Chillax, Twi. I figured it out.” She said simply, booping Twilight on the nose playfully.

Twilight snorted and shook her head upon being poked, but then looked at Rainbow curiously. “Wait… you figured it out? What do you mean?”

“I mean I know why Celestia adopted me,” Rainbow said simply, leaning casually against the frame of the window. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing serious.”

“But… but…” Twilight stuttered before shaking her head again. “You’re sure?”

“Yup.”

Twilight sighed as her body relaxed somewhat. “Well, that’s a relief…”

For several moments, the two stood in awkward silence. Twilight slowly brought herself to sit next to Rainbow and peer outside along with her. Rainbow smiled softly at Twilight before returning her gaze once more to the weather teams outside. “Wanna hang out sometime?”

“Huh?” Twilight blinked and looked at Rainbow in surprise. “Hang out?”

“Sure. Like, you know, spend time together, talk, play games, that kinda thing.” Rainbow explained, shifting to look at Twilight directly again. “I’ve been pretty much holed up in this castle since I got here and, well, I haven’t really shown everypony who I am yet. I just dunno where to start.”

“So… you want to hang out with me?” Twilight put a hoof on her chest just to make sure that she was the topic of this abrupt request.

“Yup. If I gotta start showing ponies around here who I am, I guess the best way to start would be spending time with my friend.” Rainbow replied, though she lost her smile to a befuddled look when Twilight visibly twitched at her remark.

“I, uh… Sorry, but I don’t think I can do that anytime soon. I have my studies to conduct, books to read, lessons to take from Princess Celestia. I don’t have the… time…” Twilight trailed off when a memory entered her mind.

“Rainbow Dash will be needing somepony to keep her company when I cannot. A guide, a playmate, a friend. I will do what I can on that front whenever possible, but my royal duties won’t wait for me.” Celestia had said.

Twilight bit her lip before closing her eyes in thought. When she looked at Rainbow again, she saw the face of a disappointed blue filly staring back at her. Twilight put on a small smile. “Actually… I think I can squeeze some time for you in somewhere.”

Rainbow’s smile returned with gusto. “Ha, awesome! What do you have in mind?”

Twilight pondered this for a few moments, tapping her chin with a hoof. Then it hit her. “Well, I have this book I think you might actually enjoy reading back at my house.”

Rainbow tilted her head. “A book?”

“Yeah. have you heard of it? It’s called Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone.”

Fluttershy

Six months have come and gone since Rainbow Dash was publically revealed to Canterlot. Six months since she truly began to bond and connect with Princess Celestia. Six months since she began to spend time with Twilight Sparkle quite regularly, leading to an unlikely but strong friendship. In this time, Rainbow has grown quite accustomed to her new life, finding herself once more feeling truly happy.

With the last days of summer at hoof, a train pulls into the Canterlot station. Aboard this train is an old, dear friend of the new Princess, come from the city of Cloudsdale.

Fluttershy looked up at the tall and immaculately constructed buildings of Canterlot with wide, nervous eyes. Numerous ponies shuffled by in a sizable crowd in an effort to get off of the train platform and go about their business. So many ponies, a few casting her glances for any number of reasons, was more than enough to make her want to bury her head in the street and vanish entirely.

“Hey, easy there, Fluttershy,” Her dad whispered gently, pulling her slightly closer to him. “You’re okay. We got you.”

Fluttershy whimpered her appreciation almost silently.

Her parents gently urged her on once they were off of the platform, guiding her carefully through the streets on their way to the hotel they had reserved a room in. Fluttershy’s mind wasn’t thinking about most of that, however. What she saw ahead caused her heart to race at a million miles per hour. Such detailed and artfully crafted structures. A keen and creative eye clearly was a part of the creation of every single building in this city. Rainbow Dash has been living here…? Fluttershy asked herself, unbelieving that the rambunctious and energetic filly she remembered could be comfortable here in such a city.

What she isn’t comfortable, then? What if she doesn’t like it here? What if she wants to go back to Cloudsdale? Could we live next door to each other again? Could everything go back to normal?

Fluttershy sighed weakly and hid behind her long pink mane as much as possible while her parents guided her along the streets. Even though the hotel was the cheapest place in Canterlot they could have rented, it still took them six months just to save up enough bits for this trip and it was still going to cost them a front and back leg.

Fluttershy was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice that she was drifting slightly away from her parents. She only became aware of this when she stumbling into the well-groomed forelegs of a tall gray stallion with a curled black mane and a hoofbar moustache.

“Oof!”

Fluttershy squeaked loudly in alarm and immediately backed up a step after bumping into him. She glanced up and immediately shrunk down at the furious scowl the stallion in front of her was showing. “Watch where you’re going, little missy!” he snapped in a thickly accented voice before adjusting the tie of his suit and then strutting around Fluttershy with a loud ‘humph’ of contempt.

“Oh my goodness… I’m so sorry…” Fluttershy whimpered pathetically, shrinking down as much as possible, her body trembling with anxiety. Instantly her parents came to her aid, helping her to her hooves and leading her along.

“Are you alright, dear?” Mrs Shy asked worriedly.

“Um… Yes, I think so.” Fluttershy whispered, taking come degree of comfort in her parent’s presence.

“We’re almost there. I can already see the place.’ Mr Shy said reassuringly with a small smile.

Eventually, the family of pegasi reached their destination, a three story hotel. Compared to other places in the city, this building was pretty mundane. If nothing else, that put Fluttershy a bit more at ease. All the same, she still did her best to remain hidden behind or under her parents, just wanting everything to be situated so they could get to the castle. They had come here for a very specific reason, after all.

I don’t want to be in the open anymore than I need to… I just want to get in and spend time with her...

Soon enough, everything was paid for and they were given instructions and a key to their room. Mr and Mrs Shy looked rather impressed in their own timid and subdued ways. Even being the cheapest and lowest rated hotel in Canterlot, the place still managed to maintain an air of pride and sophistication that even the biggest and finest manors of Cloudsdale would be hard pressed to consistently match. Some fine art hung from the walls and the buildings architecture was sturdy and artful at the same time, despite some very clear aging and lack of recent maintenance.

Finally, they reached their room. Two beds dominated the center, one for Fluttershy and one for her parents. Between them was a night stand equipped with an alarm clock, a tourist pamphlet, some advertisement flyers and an ornate lamp. “It’s very nice, isn’t it dear?” Mr Shy asked his wife with a small smile.

“Yes, it is. What do you think, Fluttershy?”

“It’s... lovely.” was Fluttershy’s almost inaudible response. Her parents frowned slightly at her reclusiveness. She was always shy and reserved, but not usually around her parents.

“The city bothering you, sweety?” Mrs Shy asked with a look of concern, trotting over to her daughter and sitting down next to her.

“It’s just… all… it’s just so much to look at. So many ponies, too… and I don’t recognize any of them and… they all seem so much more, um, important than I am…” Fluttershy mumbled almost incoherently, shrinking down even more.

“It’s okay. We won’t deal with them any more than we have to,” Mr Shy said with a small smile. “So… when is court supposed to start up in the castle?”

“Another hour, I think,” Mrs Shy answered with a mild wince. “From what I’ve heard, though, it could take quite a while to actually get in to see the Princess. The lines can get pretty long if you haven’t arranged for a time slot in advance...”

“We’ll take however long we have to,” Mr Shy said firmly before looking down to Fluttershy. “We’ve saved our bits for the last six months and came all the way over here, after all. Let’s go the rest of the way, eh?”

“Thank you…” Fluttershy whispered before hugging her dad tightly. He hummed comfortingly and returned the hug gently, rocking back and forth slightly.

“It’s been awhile since you’ve seen her. Behave yourself, alright?”

“I will…”

“Twilight, no magic! We’ve been over this!” Rainbow barked in very mild frustration while trotting over to Twilight. The filly in question currently stood, recoiled and braced for what she had been expecting to be an imminent impact from a high-velocity dodge ball.Her horn was lit up in magic and clutched the ball in question in a lavender glow mere inches from her face. Twilight cracked open an eye and huffed at Rainbow.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t throw it quite so fast I wouldn’t have to use magic to protect my face.” She shot back with a frown, letting the ball drop from the air. Rainbow was swift to catch it and roll her eyes.

“It’s called dodge ball for a reason, Twilight. You’re supposed to, you know, dodge?” Rainbow teased with a small smirk.

“Yes, and we’ve also talked about the fact that I am not as into these sports as you are, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight bluntly stated before sighing slightly. “Frankly, I don’t like this one at all. A bit too… brutish.”

Rainbow slapped a hoof into her face. “Twilight, do you even realize how much aerial finesse this game requires when played in mid-air?”

“We’re not in the air, though,” Twilight pointed out while waving a hoof at their surroundings in the west castle courtyard. “We might mess up the plants or the hedges or something!”

Rainbow pouted and pushed her wings against the restraining wrappings around her barrel. “Yeah, well, it was your idea to cut out our different advantages. Speaking of, you keep forgetting to not use magic.”

“It’s a reflex!” Twilight defended in frustration. Rainbow lifted her forehooves defensively.

“Hey, I get it. Chill. Tell you what…” Rainbow shifted to look at Spike, who sat in a small folding chair not far away to watch the show. “Hey, Spike! Come here!”

The purple baby dragon stood and ran (albeit wobbly) up to Rainbow. “Yes, Rainbow?” He asked in a delightfully cute voice. Twilight couldn’t help but smile proudly at just how far the little guy had come. He was starting to really figure out how she liked to have things organized, to the point she would return from her lessons with the Princess to see him dutifully cleaning up her room and getting everything sorted nice and neat.

Rainbow gestured to her binds. “Take these off, would ya?”

Spike nodded and reached out.

“Wait, hold on!” Twilight cut in, stepping up and gently easing Spike back. She shot Rainbow a look. “Didn’t we just go over the damage to the garden this could cause?”

Rainbow put on a smirk. “Have we gone over the fact that, frankly, that doesn’t bother me?”

“It should!”

“Why?”

“You’re Princess Celestia’s daughter! I thought you figured that part out!”

Rainbow tapped her chin in thought. “That’s true…”

Twilight wore a victorious smile.

“...By paperwork only.”

Twilight lost her smile to a resigned frown.

“Look, here’s the idea,” Rainbow began while Spike got back to pulling the restraints off of her wings. “I can fly and you can use magic. Just don’t grab me or anything other than the dodge balls and we should be good.”

Twilight puffed up her cheeks in mild aggravation but then nodded along. “Okay, fine. Spike, could you keep score please?”

“Sure.” Spike said happily, the restraints sliding off of Rainbow and crumpling up in the grass. He then began waddling back to his chair before retrieving a notebook and pencil from Twilight’s deposited saddlebags.

Rainbow gave her wings a few flexes just to make sure they were working right and then shot up into the air. “Alright, Twilight. You got yours?”

“Yeah. Do you?”

Rainbow smirked before shooting down to the ground and coming back up with a dodge ball in each forehoof. “You bet!”

“Okay. Spike, give us a countdown!” Twilight called while levitating up two dodge balls to float next to her, ready to shoot at Rainbow and knock her from the sky at a moment's notice.

“Sure! Ahem… Three!”

Rainbow licked her lips and focused her eyes, a competitive grin slowly forming on her face.

“Two!”

Twilight’s face scrunched with concentration, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth. A few beads of sweat formed on her face.

“One!”

“Rainbow Dash?!” a soft voice squeaked from directly behind Twilight. In surprise, she turned to look behind herself. Her turn put her out of the way of Rainbow’s first throw, which bounced off of the grass where Twilight had been a moment ago. It rebounded and collided with the face of a thin and timid looking yellow pegasus filly, who yelped in pain and surprise before flailing back and curling up into a ball.

“Huh?” was all that Twilight could utter at the little filly before she got a hold of herself. “Oh, shoot! Are you okay? I am so sorry about that, I should have caught the ball. You aren’t hurt, are you?”

The filly shook slightly under the barrage of questions and merely whimpered. Twilight took a step back and looked up to Rainbow Dash for help. Rainbow was drifting back to the ground, her dodge balls forgotten, mouth agape and eyes wide. “Do you know this filly, Rainbow?”

“Uh… y-yeah.” Rainbow mumbled, slowly trotting up to the cowering pegasus. She slowly lay down before her and reached out. “...Fluttershy?”

“Rainbow…?” the filly, now identified as Fluttershy, responded, peeking out from her mane with wide and frightened eyes. “I’m sorry… is this a bad time?”

“Wha… Oh, Fluttershy…” Rainbow instantly reached out and pulled Fluttershy into a warm embrace. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise, but then swiftly returned the hug. “Don’t you ever change, you hear me?”

“Uh… okay?”

Rainbow pulled back and smiled at her old friend with teary eyes. “Do you have any idea how good it is to see you again?”

Fluttershy shifted uneasily then shook her head.

“Good, ‘cause words would fail to describe it,” Rainbow said softly before standing up and helping Fluttershy to her hooves. “Hey, Twilight. Allow me to introduce you to my oldest friend. Her name is Fluttershy.”

Twilight put on a friendly smile. “Hello. My name is Twilight Sparkle. It’s nice to meet you.”

Fluttershy whimpered.

Author's Note

And thus begins Plot Arc 3! I hope you all enjoy and, as per usual, I am not against recieving suggestions or ideas for the events in this story. :)

Flash

“Um… is she okay?” Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at Fluttershy, who was at present still shrinking back from her. Rainbow gave a small nod before gently patting Fluttershy on the back.

“Yeah, she’s fine. She’s always like this; she’s Fluttershy for a reason.” Rainbow explained simply before nudging the timid pegasus with a hoof, making her jump. “Hey. it’s alright, Fluttershy. Twilight’s cool. She’s kind of an enormous egghead, but-”

“Hey!”

“...But she’s a good pony. Trust me on that.” Rainbow finished while smirking at Twilight tauntingly.

Fluttershy finally managed to find her nerves, even if just barely. She slowly, ever so slowly came forward before opening her mouth to say hello. Unlike her nerves, however, her voice did not return it would seem. Whatever she said to Twilight in greeting went completely undeciphered, coming out as no more than a barely pronounced murmur. She winced under her own shyness and blushed slightly.

Twilight tilted her head. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

Fluttershy repeated herself, shrinking away slightly with long locks of her pink mane falling over her face.

“Didn’t quite catch that…” Twilight said awkwardly before recoiling at the frown Rainbow was giving her..

Rainbow instantly stepped slightly between Fluttershy and Twilight, putting a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder in a comforting gesture while looking at Twilight disapprovingly.. ““Okay, Twi, ease up. Give her some space.”

“Oh, sorry.” Twilight said sheepishly, swiftly stepping back to give the two some room for themselves. Rainbow nodded in thanks before turning to Fluttershy to catch up with her old friend. While they talked, Twilight sat herself down and decided to simply relax her sore muscles for a while. Rainbow was undoubtedly in better shape than Twilight was by a league and a half. Still, Twilight had to admit it did feel nice to work her muscles a bit while her mind was resting.

And at least Rainbow Dash had taken a liking to that Daring Do book. Supposedly, book two was in the works right now and would be published sometime next year. Rainbow was still rather reluctant to try other books, and her tastes with the written word were very specific.

It has to be awesome and cool. Plenty of action and excitement and stuff like that.

Twilight rolled her eyes at the memory before gazing once more at Rainbow and Fluttershy talking to each other in what looked like a very involved discussion. Fluttershy was now fussing over Rainbow by the looks of it and assaulting her with questions. Spike, meanwhile, was just observing the proceedings with a curious expression while slowly waddling up to Twilight. “Who’s that?” He asked once he was next to Twilight, pointing at Fluttershy.

“That’s Fluttershy, an old friend of Rainbow’s apparently. I guess she came all the way from Cloudsdale just to visit,” Twilight replied with a small smile when the two shared an embrace. “Looks like things are going well.”

Then Fluttershy looked towards Twilight. Her eyes shifted instantly to Spike. In less than a second, Fluttershy’s shy and timid exterior gave way to a face of joyous excitement. “A baby dragon?!” She sqeualed in delight before launching herself at Spike excitedly.

“Stranger danger!” Spike blurted, flailing back in alarm. Twilight herself ducked to the side in an effort to evade the yellow missile. She hit the ground with a grunt and got some unwanted grass stuck on her lower lip. From where she was, Twilight could hear Spike let out an audible sigh of relief when Fluttershy stopped short of running him over and brought herself down to appear less threatening.

“Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t scare you, did I?” she asked softly, her ears falling against her head.

“Uh… No?” Spike said with his face twisting up slightly. “Just… surprised.”

“Oh, good... “ Fluttershy sighed in relief before her eyes lit up again. “Wow, you can talk! I had now idea that dragons could talk!”

“I’m still lorning,” Spike said before realizing he mispronounced that word. He rolled it around in his mouth for a second before trying again, “Learning.”

Fluttershy giggled cutely. “Oh, that’s so cute. What do dragons talk about?”

“I’unno.” Spike replied with a shrug before looking to Twilight. His face scrunched up into an unsure frown.

“Oh…” Fluttershy sagged slightly. The moment was broken by Rainbow Dash bursting into an uncontrollable fit of giggles and laughs.

“Oh yeah, that’s Fluttershy alright. All shy and reclusive until you bring in cute and exotic creatures, hah!” she swooped over and hugged Fluttershy again.

“Uh… Twilight?” Spike asked before standing up from his toppled position. When no answer came, he slowly walked to his caretaker, who was looking at Fluttershy with blank, unmoving eyes. Spike waved a claw in front of her face. “Twilight? Are you okay?”

Twilight blinked in alarm before covering her eyes with her hooves. A shudder went through her body and her ears fell flat against her head. Her breaths starting becoming heavier, as if she were exercising extremely heavily. Immediately, Rainbow shot over to Twilight, worry written all over her face. “Equestria to Twilight! Can you hear me?” Rainbow asked, gently poking Twilight.

Her words didn’t get through. All Twilight could hear was her heartbeat and a ringing growing in her ears. Her head felt heavy and clouded and her vision was going blurry. She looked up briefly at Fluttershy, who was looking back fearfully. Before Twilight could say anything, her vision was flooded with a blinding white light.

“Hello!”

“Huh?!”

“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten your birds. I’m just here to check up on the music and it sounded beautiful.”

“...”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle.”

“...”

“What’s your name?”

“Um… my name is…”

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“My name is… is flutter…”

“Didn’t quite catch that.”

“...”

“Uh, well it looks like your birds are back. Keep up the good work!”

“Mhmm…”

“Ooookay.”

“...”

Twilight watched the scene unfolding before her as well as she could. There was a thick haze obscuring everything. It looked as if she was watching a first meeting between herself and Fluttershy as adults in some small village. Everything was blurry and fuzzy, sounds were muffled and distant.

Then, she felt a shake. The world trembled, her vision shattered and the world around her splintered into millions of tiny fragments. She felt like she was falling. In the corner of her eye, she spied numerous lavender feathers falling alongside her.

“Oh dear… is this normal?” Fluttershy asked while gently stepping forward. “Is she having a seizure?”

Twilight remained unresponsive to the external stimuli. Rainbow poked her again before growling in frustration and worry. “I don’t think so. I’ve never seen her do this before…” Rainbow muttered before, in a huff, she firmly gripped Twilight’s shoulders and shook her roughly. “Twilight, wake up!”

“Huh?” Twilight jumped with a gasp, removing her forehooves from her eyes and looking around madly for several seconds. Seeing Rainbow holding her shoulders got her to calm down enough to think after a few moments. “Wha… what happened? What was that? Did any of you see that, too?”

“Twilight. Slow. Down,” Rainbow said firmly before slowly backing off. “What happened? What are you talking about?”

Twilight’s ears flicked numerous times in an effort to get the residual ringing out of her ears. “I… I’m not sure. I… I saw something. Like… like a vision,” she mumbled, trying to wrap her head around it.

“A vision? Of what? Was it something exciting?” Rainbow asked while looking over Twilight’s still rattled body. “It looked kinda intense.”

“Seeing it was… something else, yes. But the vision itself…” Twilight looked to Fluttershy with wide, confused eyes. “...The vision was… pretty mundane, actually.”

“What? Really?” Rainbow asked incredulously. “In what way?”

Twilight pointed at Fluttershy with a slightly shaky hoof. “I saw Fluttershy and I. I saw us meeting for what looked like the first time. But it wasn’t here and we weren’t fillies. We were adults.”

Rainbow frowned before looking back at Fluttershy apologetically. “Hey, I’m really sorry about this, but I need to get Twilight to Princess Celestia. Do you mind waiting here? We can get caught up when I get back.”

“Rainbow, I’m fine… I think,” Twilight said, trying to stand and wobbling in the process. “Just a little dizzy.”

“Hey, if you’re seeing stuff that isn’t there, I’d like to get that curbed before you go total psycho on me,” Rainbow shot back before taking flight and picking up Twilight as she did so.

‘I’m not crazy!” Twilight yelped as she was lifted into the air against her will.

“Yet…” Was all Rainbow said before shooting off at near sonic speeds for the throne room. Princess Celestia would be holding court there, after all.

Fluttershy watched her friend go with a stunned expression. Gradually her face fell and turned despondent. “Okay… I’ll just wait here… alone…”

“Alright, now that that case is settled…” Celestia muttered under her breath while the two petitioning ponies left the room. She brought up a stack of papers in her magic, checked a box and signed in the appropriate places, then set the sheet down on a separate stack. ‘We can move on to the next. Let’s just hope this one isn’t as… grueling.”

Before Celestia could send for the next petitioners, the doors were thrown open rather abruptly and unceremoniously by a rainbow-colored projectile moving almost at the speed of sound. Celestia winced in mild surprise while her horn lit up to keep her various stacks of paper held together. Rainbow came to a stop just in front of Celestia, the resulting gust of her arrival knocking the helmets off of the royal guards who stood at attention on either side of the throne.

Twilight, dangling from Rainbow’s forelegs, looked up at Princess Celestia and waved bashfully. “Hi…”

“Rainbow Dash, could you explain what you’re doing, please?” Celestia asked patiently while her adoptive daughter set Twilight down.

“Yeah. Twilight’s gone nuts-”

“I’M NOT CRAZY!”

“Says the psycho - and so I brought her here to you. Can you do anything to help her out, Celestia?” Rainbow asked while taking a step to the side to avoid an angry swipe from Twilight.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “I… beg your pardon?”

“Twilight was seeing and hearing things that simply weren’t there,” Rainbow explained a bit more seriously. “Even if it isn’t her going crazy I still think she needs to be looked at.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow and smiled fondly at Rainbow Dash. She then looked to Twilight and stepped from her throne. Twilight fidgeted uneasily in place while Celestia looked her over. When she had finished an initial examination, Celestia turned to one of her guards. “Please escort Twilight to my chambers. I will be there shortly.”

“Right away, your highness.” The guard replied in a gravely voice before motioning to Twilight.

Twilight looked up at Celestia uneasily. “Is something wrong with me? Like, actually wrong?”

“Not on the outside, and I doubt anything is seriously wrong at all. But you didn’t outright deny Rainbow Dash’s claim of seeing and hearing things; and I get the feeling you did see something that others didn’t,” Celestia explained to Twilight carefully. “I simply don’t want to take any unneeded chances with my prized pupil.”

Twilight nodded before silently and nervously following the guard out of the throne room. She glanced briefly over her shoulder at Rainbow Dash, who herself now looked legitimately worried. When the doors to the throne room closed, Celestia turned to Rainbow with a smile.

“I’m proud of you, Rainbow Dash,” she said suddenly, earning a confused glance from Rainbow Dash.

“Huh?”

“When Twilight showed signs that something wasn’t quite right, you took the time needed to bring her to somepony you trusted could make sure she was fine. You took the initiative with your friend’s well being. When I first brought you here almost seven months ago, you probably would have just shrugged it off or procrastinated on it until it became glaringly serious.” Celestia noted with her smile widening. “You’ve grown quite well in such a short amount of time, I feel.”

Rainbow shrugged and rubbed the back of her head. “Heh… I guess some of her meticulous planning and contingencies might have rubbed off on me a bit.”

“That’s not surprising. And besides, the two of you are around each other so much that, sometimes, I can’t help but think you two would be perfect sisters.” Celestia smirked teasingly and Rainbow shot her a look.

“Nope.”

“But it would be so cute!” Celestia teased even more, disposing of her regal tone for the time being. The guards didn’t get to see her like this often, but when she decided to unwind and be this casual, it was only with Rainbow Dash.

“Stop.”

"Oh, you’re no fun…”

Worries

It had been only twenty minutes, yet it felt like countless hours in the filly’s mind. Twilight’s little brain was going into overdrive, running amok with possibilities, theories and panicking over what was wrong with her and what she had seen. She was so uneasy that when Celestia entered the room,the sound of the door shutting behind her almost made Twilight jump clean out of her skin. A startled shout escaped her and Celestia rested a hoof on Twilight’s back comfortingly. “It’s alright, Twilight. I’m here.”

“R-right… eh heh…” Twilight nodded with a jittery and nervous laugh. She took a few moments to catch her breath and calm her nerves. Now that Celestia was here, this was actually possible.

Celestia dropped her smile and sat down in front of Twilight with her horn igniting in golden light. “Now Twilight, I need you to hold still as best as you can while answering my questions, alright? I’m running some rudimentary examination spells to check your head and body for any abnormalities or problems.”

“Okay…” Twilight said, her entire body going rigid. Celestia inwardly rolled her eyes at Twilight’s literal interpretation of her request before closing her eyes and focusing her magic. A ray of magical light expanded out from the tip, bathing Twilight’s entire body like a spotlight.

“Rainbow Dash said that you saw and heard things that weren’t there, which sounds an awful lot like a hallucination of some sort. But she didn’t elaborate on the specifics. Plus, you were the one who saw it. Could you describe what you saw for me, Twilight?” Celestia asked while focusing her magic on Twilight’s head.

“Of course. Um… Let me see… So, one of Rainbow Dash’s friends from Cloudsdale, Fluttershy i think, came here to Canterlot to visit her. Well, Fluttershy and I met and said hi and stuff,” Twilight started. She couldn’t help but bite her lip in mild discomfort when Celestia’s examination went a bit lower down to her barrel.

“Go on…” Celestia gently prodded, making sure to make eye contact with Twilight periodically to check for any serious pains or problems.

“Well, uh, she got really excited when she saw Spike. She ran over to him and… that’s when I saw it. I saw adult versions of us - Fluttershy and I, that is - meeting for the first time.”

“Were these adult versions of you standing nearby, like you could reach out and touch them, or was your vision entirely engulfed as if you were somewhere else?” Celestia pressed, her eyes flicking to Twilight’s intently for a moment.

“Entirely engulfed,” Twilight replied while trying to resist the urge to shift in place. “The area was completely different from the courtyard. It was open, there was a dirt path and some small houses in the distance. Nothing like Canterlot…”

Celestia pursed her lips in thought. “Would you say the interactions in the hallucination were similar to what actually happened?”

“Pretty close, actually, yes,” Twilight nodded slightly before remembering to hold still. “There was even an exchange that was the same word-for-word, almost.”

Celestia fell silent before returning her examination light to Twilight’s head. After several moments the light dissipated from her horn. “I see…”

Twilight shifted uneasily at Celestia’s own silence. She peered up at her mentor with frightened and worried eyes. ‘Am I okay?”

Celestia smiled once more before leaning forth and nuzzling Twilight. “You seem to be just fine, Twilight. Nothing is wrong in your brain or body from the looks of it. Your horn looks to be undergoing a bit of strain, possibly from overuse, but that isn’t serious and certainly wouldn’t cause hallucinations.”

“So… what was it, then?” Twilight asked, gazing at Celestia curiously. Her mentor closed her eyes for a second as if thinking. When she opened her eyes, she visibly sagged.

“In truth, I do not know.”

Twilight frowned deeply in response to that, her ears drooping slightly. “Are you sure?”

“I am, my faithful student. If I learn anything, though, you will be the first to know,” Celestia replied with a warm smile, reaching out and helping Twilight back to her full height. “But for now, I must return to the throne room. The remaining court cases cannot be left on hold for long. You may stay here and rest should you need to.”

As Celestia stepped around Twilight for the door to her chambers, a thought crossed the little filly’s mind. She scrunched up her face for a moment, debating if she actually wanted to press ths issue before relenting. “Actually, can I ask you something first?”

Celestia looked to Twilight curiously. “Of course, Twilight. What is it?”

Twilight bit her lip before taking a deep breath. Somehow, just asking this question felt wrong to her. “Did… you ever figure anything out about that alicorn that Rainbow Dash saw? The one who looks like me?”

Celestia’s smile dropped instantly, though it swiftly returned as one of reassurance. “Only bits and pieces. I haven’t found her name or her domain yet, I’m afraid. I’m still looking.”

Twilight’s ears drooped. “...oh.”

Celestia’s smile slowly dropped from her face. “I’m sorry,” With a soft sigh, she turned and left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts.

“Fluttershy! Where are you?” Rainbow called when she returned to the courtyard. The yellow filly was nowhere to be seen and already Rainbow was growing anxious. “C’mon, Flutters, where’d you go? We haven't gotten to catch up yet!”

“Rainbow! She’s over here!” Came Spike’s voice from not far off. Rainbow looked and spotted Spike waving at her from the archway that led from the courtyard to the city streets proper. Rainbow galloped over and peered anxiously past the arch. Sure enough, Fluttershy stood there, now looking over her shoulder at Rainbow. She was standing perfectly still in mid-step.

“Thanks, Spike. Go on ahead and find Celestia. She’ll tell you where Twilight is. In hindsight, I shoulda picked you up, too.” Rainbow thanks the baby dragon before turning her attention to Fluttershy, who had now sat down and was looking at Rainbow from behind her mane.

“Um… hi.” she mumbled almost silently before looking away.

Rainbow frowned and then sighed gently. “Fluttershy, You’re not leaving already are you?” she asked before slowly and gingerly approaching her friend.

“I’m, um… I’m sorry, it looked like I came at a bad time and you obviously have a lot more important stuff to worry about than me, being the princess you are now and all you must have a lot of responsibilities and stuff to look after so, uh, I’m just going back to the hotel and hope that-” Fluttershy rambled ceaselessly until Rainbow put a hoof to her mouth, silencing her.

“Fluttershy… I’m sorry I ran off like that when you showed up, but please understand… Twilight’s my friend, too. She’s a great pony but… well, I worry about her sometimes. She barely takes her nose out of a book long enough to relax or take it easy,” Rainbow said softly before pulling Fluttershy into another hug. “And I meant what I said earlier, you know. You couldn’t come at a bad time if you tried. I’ll always make time for you and that’s a promise.”

Fluttershy smiled weakly at the reassurance before reaching out and returning the hug. Her tense muscles visibly relaxed when Rainbow gave her a gentle squeeze. “Thank you, Rainbow. I just wish we could stay longer…”

“Huh? Whaddya mean? You on a time limit or something?” Rainbow pulled back from the embrace and tilted her head in confusion. Fluttershy sighed and shook her head before looking down.

“My parents could only afford to rent a room for the weekend. We’ll have to go home on monday,” was her melancholy response. She refused to meet Rainbow’s eyes.

“Oooh, right. Canterlot, the place is expensive…” Rainbow muttered while tapping her chin. She shifted back slightly and thought for several moment before smiling warmly. “Well, tell you what; I can make sure all of the bits your folks spent for this trip are paid back to them.”

“Huh? How?” Fluttershy enquired with a hopeful smile forming.

Rainbow’s teeth showed in a smug grin. “I do have some limited access to the royal vaults and treasury and stuff. One of the many perks my royal title comes with. Granted I don’t like or use most of those ‘perks,’ but hey, you're my friend and I, in good faith, could not let your family go poor if I have any say in it. I can have the cost of that hotel room covered without even breaking a sweat. And heck, to top it all off we could have your stay extended, too.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her jaw went slack at this stream of new information and possibilities she hadn’t been privy to before. “Really? You’d do that for me? Are you sure the bits wouldn’t be needed somewhere else?”

“Why does it surprise you, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked with a small laugh before ruffling her friends mane. “I’m sure Princess Celestia would understand. You’re one of the only friends i had back in Cloudsdale and, to top it off, the first one to actually come see me since I got adopted. That earns you some privileges if you ask me.”

Fluttershy looked down at the ground before sliding forward and hugging Rainbow one more time. “I… I’d really appreciate that, Rainbow. We all would. Thank you.”

Rainbow chuckled before softly prying Fluttershy off of her. “Heh, no problem, but I think that’s enough sap and stuff for now. Come on, where are you guys staying? I’d like to say hi to your folks anyway. It’s been a long time since I talked to all of you at once and, well, I’d like our chat to not be in public.”

“Why?” Fluttershy tilted her head at that last point.

Rainbow stood up, shaking her tail to dust some of the loose stones and dirt off of it and her backside.“The press,” She shivered with a traumatized grimace. A sound of residual fear and anxiety pushed past her lungs in a shaky squeak. “They would be all over it if I showed affection in public - and they’d be all over you ‘cause you’re my friend. A friend to royalty they’d be saying and - well, just trust me. You don’t wanna deal with the press.”

“It really gets that bad?” Fluttershy’s eyes were wide with surprise.

“Trust me. When you’re in a high profile place like me, the press will swiftly become one of your worst nightmares,” Rainbow shook her head at the memory. “I’m still seeing spots from the camera flashes…”

“Huh?”

“Oh, when Celestia first revealed me to the public and all that. Lotta press ponies and stuff. The cameras… there were a lot.” Rainbow said with a shrug.

“Oh... then yes, I agree. The hotel sounds like a good idea,” Fluttershy nodded in agreement before standing up.

Rainbow smiled and gestured for Fluttershy to get a move on. “Heh, yeah I thought it would. Lead the way.”

“Twilight!” Spike called out in relief upon spotting her. The lavender filly in question turned around from the door to Celestia’s chambers, which she had just left, with just enough time to catch Spike before he slammed into her chest at high speeds.

“Woah, hey Spike! Going a little fast there, aren't you?” Twilight asked with a small smirk before setting him down.

“Sorry, but I was scared. You didn’t say anything when we asked you questions and then said you were seeing things and Rainbow Dash said you were going ‘psycho,’ whatever that means and I was worried!” he reached up and hugged Twilight around the neck. “I don’t want you to go psycho!”

Twilight giggled and returned the hug. “Aw, it’s okay Spike. I’m not crazy, I’m fine. My horn’s a little sore but I’m fine, trust me.”

‘You sore?” Spike blinked before dropping off of Twilight and trying again. “I mean, you sure?”

Twilight rolled her eyes before levitating Spike onto her back. “Yes, Spike. I’m sure. Come on, let’s get back to my room, eh? I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you?”

“Yes, please!” Spike nodded excitedly, hugging around Twilight’s barrel and settling in for the trip.

“Okay, some gems for you when we’re back, then.”

Spike’s jubilant cries echoed loudly throughout the halls of the castle.

Obsessed

Spike watched Twilight anxiously, the spines on the sides of his head having dropped to hanging positions, reflecting his uneasy, uncomfortable and deeply worried feelings. Another rolled up piece of parchment bounced off of the already enormous stack that had taken up ALL of Twilight’s personal trash bin. Agitated grunts, frustrated groans and restless snores had made up the majority of the sounds Spike heard coming from her.

He sat there, watching her pore over her notes, bury her nose in a book and scribble furiously on a new sheet of parchment for what felt like the trillionth time. She had been at this for four days, ever since she had been told by Princess Celestia that nothing was wrong with her. She had decided, as Spike remembered, to ‘do some light reading in the hopes of finding some clues about that weird vision she had had.’

The problem was that after she got back from the castle archives with a mountain of books in tow, she practically hadn’t stopped looking into any of this for even a minute. The only times Spike had seen her leave the books was when she was forced to leave for class and her private lessons with the Princess. Apparently, nopony else had noticed yet.

Spike, for his part, had mostly remained in her room, helped her when asked and otherwise watched her anxiously. He could see that Twilight’s eyes were going bloodshot and had large dark rings under them. She was exhausting herself trying to figure this out and showed no signs of stopping.

‘Um… Twilight?” Spike timidly ventured, wilting even further when the filly barely acknowledged him outside of a small grunt. “You, uh… can you take a break? I’d like to play a board game or something...”

“Not right now, Spike.” was Twilight’s short response. Spike’s claws tapped nervously against each other.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

Spike lifted a claw, then lowered it when he couldn’t think of anything to say. Silence fell over the room again, save for the sound of a quill tip scratching on paper.

Then came a disruption to the monotony of the pattern. “Ack, shoot!” Twilight growled when the inkwell she had been using tipped over on her next dip. The black substance splattered across her notes, thoroughly ruining them. Thankfully she was able to save the book by levitating it away. One of her eyes began twitching, her face heating up.

“Twilight… are you okay?” Spike asked carefully, immediately flinching back from the glare she suddenly shot his way.

“Don’t just stand there! Get me some wash cloths or something!” she barked, her horn lighting up even more in an effort to keep the spilled ink contained to one part of the desk. More leaked past her efforts and even dripped onto the floor. “NOW!”

“Uh, right!” Spike shot up and sprinted for the closet, in which some cleaning supplies, including absorbent wipes, were stored. He retrieved the wipes and returned to Twilight, who thanklessly took them and began cleaning up the mess of ink, grumbling all the while.

“Grrr… four days of notes, gone! Just like that…” she growled to herself. Spike shrunk away, before softly clearing his throat and reaching out.

“Twilight, you’re scaring me… I really think you should take a break-”

Twilight turned her glare to Spike once more. For a moment, she trembled before opening her mouth. “Take a break? Spike, did you hear me the last time? Or the time before that?!” her voice rose from a cold growl to a harsh yell. “I don’t need to take a break! I’m fine and I just wish you’d stop bugging me so I can concentrate!”

“But -”

“BUT NOTHING!” Twilight all but screamed before turning her eyes back to her desk. “Just leave me alone!”

Spike backed away fearfully, tears coming to his eyes before, without another word, he turned and fled from the room, leaving the door open behind him. Normally he wasn’t allowed to leave without Twilight, but right now she found herself to angry and frustrated to rightly care. With another frustrated groan, she grabbed the door in her magic and slammed it shut. It then locked with a soft click.

“Man, I can’t believe your extension is already almost over…” Rainbow grumbled in disappointment as she trotted down one of the public halls of Canterlot Castle with Fluttershy at her side. “We haven’t spent nearly enough time catching up.”

“Well, we can always visit again sometime,” she offered with a small smile. “Though, uh, I wouldn’t ask you to pay for it… we’ve already taken enough from you.”

“Nuh-uh. You want to visit again, just send the word. I’ll ask Celestia and hopefully we’ll get something sorted out.” Rainbow replied with a smirk and a shake of her head.

“But….”

“No buts, Flutters,” Rainbow shushed her with a wave of her wave. “But speaking of Canterlot, I’ve been meaning to ask what you think of it?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment while looking around. “It’s very… lovely. Everything is so pretty and bright, and, uh… what’s the word?”

“Artistic? Fancy?” Rainbow tried, to which Fluttershy nodded.

“Yes, artistic. This city is just beautiful to look at… and the ponies are, um, nice.”

“Well, most of them are, yeah. Some of the higher noble families are full of jerks and there are some pretty stuck up ponies in the city proper. It’s a city with high social standards. I don’t care much for that part,” Rainbow said with a shrug before glancing out a nearby window. “And… it’s still not Cloudsdale.”

“You miss home that much?” Fluttershy asked softly, resting a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Yeah… I might pop in to visit you next, actually.” Rainbow suggested before smiling over at Fluttershy.

“Really?”

“Sure. As long as I have a trusted pony go with me, like Cadance or Celestia, and there’s a suitable opportunity to make a trip without compromising any of our ‘royal duties’, I could totally take a chariot over and spend some time with you.”

Fluttershy smiled and nodded timidly. “I’d like that a lot…”

It was at this point that the sounds of clawed feet clicking against the castle floor reached their ears. Rainbow and Fluttershy turned to face the noise and found Spike, head low and shoulders slumped, waddling through the hallway. Rainbow frowned and approached the little guy. “Uh, Spike? Where’s Twilight? Or an adult? You’re not supposed to move around unsupervised, you know.”

Spike looked up upon hearing her voice and then dove for her. Rainbow yelped in alarm when he pleadingly wrapped his claws around her foreleg. He looked up at her pleadingly. “R-rainbow… help.”

Before Rainbow could muster a response to the baby dragon’s distraught appearance, Fluttershy swooped over and gently pried him off of her while making soothing sounds. “It’s okay, Spike. Shh, shh, it’s okay. What’s wrong?”

Spike sniffled but gradually relaxed in Fluttershy’s hooves. After a few moments, he managed to collect himself enough to stutter out a response. “T-T-Twilight… She’s angry and won’t stop looking at her books. She… she yelled at me.”

“What?” Rainbow asked with her frown deepening. Fluttershy gently ran a hoof over Spike’s head to help him calm down more.

“What did she yell at you about?”

“She… she wanted me to leave her alone. She said she needed to concentrate. She really got upset when her ink spilled…” Spike explained sadly, snuggling into Fluttershy’s embrace. He gradually went into detail about how she had become completely focused on this one research project, to the point of ignoring him a lot of the time.

Rainbow tensed up. “I was wondering where she’s been… Fluttershy, mind looking after Spike while I take care of this?” she asked, anger flickering behind her eyes.

“Um… okay.” Fluttershy whispered softly before Rainbow shot off down the hall. She looked down to Spike, who was clinging to her tightly and then gave him a gentle squeeze in return.

“No, no, no!” Twilight fumed, slamming the last of the books shut loudly and then hurling it onto her bed. “None of these are related! How am I supposed to figure this out now?!” she let herself slump in her chair and gave a long sigh. For almost a minute she sat there, just thinking. Eventually, her mind shifted to Spike. A small shot of regret ran through her. I could have been a bit nicer with how I asked…

A harsh knock came to her door before it flew open. Rainbow stood on the other side, her eyes narrowed in a very displeased sneer. Twilight flailed back from the unannounced intrusion, scrambling from her seat and glaring at Rainbow. “Woah! Didn’t you ever hear about waiting for an answer?”

Rainbow snorted before trotting into the room straight at Twilight. “I have. Did you ever hear about being nice?”

Twilight flinched. “Hey, I’m under a lot of stress right now. I’ll apologize later.”

“Yeah, you will,” Rainbow said firmly, stopping right in front of Twilight. “What I want to know is why you screamed at Spike? The little guy’s rattled!”

“I’m doing some intense research and I needed to focus. Having a baby dragon pining for you to do things isn’t exactly good for focusing on your work.” Twilight shot back, the fur on her neck standing on end.

“How long have you been at this?” Rainbow asked, glancing to the heap of discarded notes and sheets of parchment, as well as the mound of read books on Twilight’s bed.

“Four days. What’s your point?”

Rainbow growled and turned back to Twilight angrily. “Spike’s been with you since he was born, right?”

“Yeah… why?” Twilight took a step back.

“You’re raising him, right?” Rainbow took a step forward, never breaking eye contact with the other filly.

“Uh… sort of. I get a lot of help from mom, dad, Cadance and Celestia but… yeah, I guess.” Twilight tried to look away but Rainbow shifted herself to keep a lock on her eyes.

“Okay, now tell me. How would you feel if suddenly Celestia stopped paying you any attention? If suddenly she were too wrapped up in some little thing on the side and, when you try to get her to stop, she lost her temper and shouted at you? Demanded you leave her alone?”

Twilight frowned and scrunched up her face. “The Princess would never do that!” she defended.

“Not the point, Twilight!” Rainbow shot back, flaring out her wings. “Answer the question!”

“I… I wouldn’t like it…” Twilight finally said, wilting under Rainbow’s harsh glare and the implications setting into her mind.

“And he’s just a baby,” a new voice added from the doorway. Twilight and Rainbow looked to see Fluttershy trotting in with a stern look on her face. She marched right up to Twilight and jabbed her in the chest with her hoof. “He’s so much more sensitive and vulnerable now then he will be at any other point in his life.”

“I… I didn’t…” Twilight looked between the two, stunned before falling to her haunches in defeat. “Where is he…?”

“Just outside,” Fluttershy said more softly. “I think you should go apologize to him.”

“Right now.” Rainbow added with a nod.

Twilight sighed and slowly stood up before shuffling out of the room. Rainbow and Fluttershy followed after her, falling silent to let her think.

Spike was indeed right outside the room, sitting with his back to the wall just a few paces to the left of the door. He glanced up and instantly shied away from Twilight when he saw her. The filly bit her lip before setting herself down before Spike. “Um… Spike?”

Spike didn’t answer beyond looking at her and listening.

“I…” Twilight reached a foreleg up to her eyes and wiped away some freshly formed tears. ‘I, um… I didn’t mean… I sh-shouldn’t h-have…” suddenly, the dam broke and she launched herself at Spike. She pulled him tightly against her in a bone-crushing hug. “Oh my gosh, I am so sorry, Spike! I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that and… I’m just so sorry! Can you please forgive me?”

Spike squirmed slightly under the force of her hug before returning it and nodded into her coat. Twilight held him tighter and slowly began to rock back and forth in an effort to calm both of them down.

Rainbow smiled slightly before glancing into Twilight’s room. “What were you studying, anyway? Y’know, while we’re here?”

Twilight slowly let Spike go, setting him down and then glancing at Rainbow. “Uh… I was trying to figure out what caused my hallucination a few days ago.”

Rainbow looked back at her with a worried frown. “Anything?”

“...No.”

“Then stop,” Rainbow said before reaching over and patting Twilight on the back. “Take it easy, give it a rest and…” she looked to Spike. “Make up some lost time, alright?”

“But… it might be important!” Twilight protested before Rainbow grabbed her by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes.

“Not nearly as important as my friend! You’re worrying Spike. You’re worrying me. Let it go, Twilight.” she said firmly. Twilight shrunk back from the intensity of Rainbow’s gaze before nodding slowly.

“I… alright… okay.” Twilight said solemnly before Rainbow let her go. Fluttershy smiled from where she had been watching and sat herself behind Spike while looking at Twilight.

“Um… Rainbow said she might be visiting me and my family in Cloudsdale at some point. Uh… I was wondering…” Fluttershy hesitated, hiding behind her mane a bit. “What I mean is, you and Rainbow seem to be good friends and, uh, any friend of Rainbow is a friend of mine, I guess. So… maybe you could come with her when she visits?”

“In the clouds, Fluttershy. She wouldn’t be able to do it, remember?” Rainbow reminded with a disappointed frown. “Though I’d like it if she could…”

“Well… maybe there is a way,” Twilight ventured with a thoughtful look on her face. “I could ask the Princess when I get the chance.”

“Sounds like a plan. Keep me posted,” Rainbow said with a grin before looking to Fluttershy. "That goes for you, too. You make sure you write me, okay?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Okay.”

All that said, Rainbow turned to take her leave with Fluttershy. “Well, I think we’ll leave you two to make up. Let me know if you need anything, ‘kay?” Rainbow called over her shoulder.

“Sure thing.” Twilight called after them with a wave. She then looked back to Spike, who was looking at her unsurely. Twilight’s smile faded a bit for several moments. Than an idea struck her. “Hey, uh, didn’t you mention wanting to play a board game or something while I was studying?”

Spike looked at her for several moments before smiling.

Author's Note

Woohoo! Plot arc 3 is now complete! It wound up shorter than I was frankly anticipating, but that was mostly due to me not knowing for sure what I could do with this chapter to get it all sorted. I honestly think this chapter's issue came a little out of left field, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to handle it if I followed immediately after the events of last chapter, so I just skipped a few days and called it good.

Jokers

A little over a month has passed since Fluttershy’s visit to Canterlot. Since then, summer officially came to an end and preparations are underway to move Equestria into winter. The transitionary period of autumn is moving along at a solid pace and, much to the delight of many a candy-crazed foal across the country, Nightmare Night is swiftly approaching. Already, ponies are setting up their decorations; carving jack-o-lanterns, smothering the fronts of their homes in mock spider webs, hiding magical contraptions to create fog and play scary sounds.

Twilight is eagerly awaiting the holiday, both for what it represents and, albeit to a lesser degree, the candy. Rainbow Dash can barely contain her excitement at the prospect of cutting loose and getting in some pranking.

It’s going to be an interesting holiday.

“Two days left ‘til Nightmare Night, Twilight!” Rainbow squealed in excitement, hovering over the lavender filly who currently had her nose in an adventure novel help up by her magic, and rubbing her hooves together ecstatically. “Aren’t you excited? Oh, this is gonna be so much fun!”

Twilight sighed and glanced up from the new Daring Do book at Rainbow with a skeptical frown on her face. “You know, Rainbow, pranking ponies isn’t exactly commonplace here in Canterlot. A lot of the ponies here are, shall we say, snobbish. They rarely have a sense of humor that is… oh, what’s a good word… compatible with that of a prankster.”

“Oh, whatever,” Rainbow dismissed with a small, sadistic grin splitting her face. She turned away from Twilight and tapped her hooves together like a master schemer. “If anything, since nopony here pranks them here, I’ll get even bigger rises out of my victims!” an evil cackle slipped out of her.

Twilight rolled her eyes at the excited princess before her expression flattened and she returned to her book. “Or maybe it’s because they either don’t react at all, or if they do it’s supremely underwhelming.”

“And what would you know? You haven’t pranked somepony in this city once, I bet.” Rainbow challenged with an annoyed look crossing her face. Twilight was being such a killjoy, Nothing unusual there, but this was about pranking they were talking about!

Twilight flicked a glance at Rainbow before lifting her book just slightly in her magic in an effort to hide the small red tint coming to her cheeks. “N-not true.” she mumbled out, hoping that Rainbow would just leave it at that.

No such luck, sadly. Rainbow took near instant note of Twilight’s suddenly defensive response, her sadistic smirk returning in full force. She slowly drifted until she was hovering directly over Twilight before speaking. “Oooooh~? Is that right? Well, then, I don’t suppose you’d mind, oh. I dunno, telling me how it went?”

Twilight buried her face deeper into her book, the red tint on her cheeks magnifying many times over. Her ears fell flat against her head. “It went… poorly.”

“Who’d you prank?” Rainbow pressed, poking Twilight in the shoulder curiously.

Twilight flinched away from the contact before using the spine of her book to lightly smack Rainbow on the nose, making her back out of Twilight’s personal space. “I’d rather not say anything else.” She then said with a grimace.

Rainbow snorted in disappointment before setting back down on the ground. She looked into Twilight’s defensive book for several moments before a competitive smile gradually broke out on her muzzle. “Okay, Twi. Let’s make a deal: Race me, on hoof, to the exit of the private rooms from the far wall. If I win, you tell me the juicy story. If you win, you can keep it to yourself. Sound fair?”

Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash incredulously, lowering her book and meeting the other filly’s gaze. “You’re joking, right? You and I both know that I can’t beat you in a race even when you’re already worn out. That’s hardly a fair bet.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes at Twilight before grinning provocatively. “Well, yeah - when I have my wings at the ready. Did you miss the part about the race being on hoof?”

“No, I didn’t.” Twilight countered flatly, turning to the next page in her book. “I simply know that you are in much better physical shape than I am. You take long flights every day and you attend the best flight school in Canterlot. On hoof or not I am not your physical equal. I would lose. It’s a lopsided deal and so I refuse.”

Rainbow puffed out a breath in discontent, sitting down on her haunches and crossing her forelegs. “Hmph. Killjoy.”

“That’s my nickname - that you gave me, I might add. Don’t wear it out.” Twilight quipped with a small smile forming on her face. As obnoxious as Rainbow could be, Twilight did find it entertaining to have these little jesting matches every once in awhile. Kept her on her hooves, so to speak.

Rainbow huffed before buzzing back into the air. “Alright, well, I’m gonna head back to my room. Celestia said she’d help me finish off my costume for Nightmare Night and she should be getting out of court any minute. I’ll catch ya later, alright?”

“Alright, Rainbow. Have fun!” Twilight replied with a friendly smile before waving while Dash zipped down the corridor and out of view. She then shook her head with a small chuckle slipping out of her. “That pony… she’s got to be the most unusual Princess that Equestria has ever had.”

Some ten minutes came and went in silence for Rainbow Dash while she waited. She spent that time making sure her Wonderbolts posters were straightened out and then examined her costume, making sure everything was where it needed to be. She was going to be dressing up as a quadrupedal mass of snakes. Extra spooky she had proclaimed. The main body of the costume was made up of a simple jumpsuit. Across the forward half of the suit Rainbow and Celestia had previously attached numerous of the floppy toy snakes one could find in a toy stores, making use of various materials to hold it to the jumpsuit. There were paints set aside for later in swampy greens, murky yellows and a few bits of red here and there.

At last, the door swung open and Celestia strode in, regal as ever. She smiled warmly at Rainbow when the door closed behind her. “I see you’ve been productive while you were waiting,” she commented, looking around the marginally tidier room with an approving glint in her eyes.

“Mostly I just wanted to find the costume stuff,” Rainbow clarified with a shrug. “Everything else just got sorted away in the process.”

Celestia smiled knowingly at Rainbow, all to aware of this particular lie. Twilight’s organization was rubbing off on Rainbow in surprising amounts, though Rainbow Dash would refuse to admit it every time it came up. Celestia then turned her eyes to the costume. “Now, then, I believe we have work to do to finish this off, right?”

“Yeah, we do.” Rainbow nodded.

For almost an hour after, the two worked on the costume. Celestia would hover over the fake snakes and hold them onto the jumpsuit while Rainbow dash applied a rough coating of adhesives and molds to hold them in place. Celestia would then work over them with her magic to refine the visual effect. They were making good progress when Celestia began to lose her smile. Rainbow didn’t pay it much mind at first, but over time she began to note the rueful expression crossing her face.

Still she didn’t press the matter until she noticed Celestia becoming somewhat less responsive in her assistance, growing distant from their idle chatter. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. “Hey, you okay?” Rainbow finally asked while reaching a hoof out to Celestia’s shoulder.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Celestia asked, instantly composing herself once she realized Rainbow was onto her.

“I spend enough time around you to know when something’s bugging you, Princess,” Rainbow pointed out with a small gesture of her hoof. “Sad look on your face, not really answering me when I talk to you, general sluggishness. I’m not stupid. So go on, what’s up?”

Celestia blinked before laughing slightly. “Heh, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Very well… it’s the upcoming holiday.” she admitted.

“Huh? What’s wrong with Nightmare Night?” Rainbow asked incredulously, tilting her head in mild confusion.

Celestia sighed softly and shook her head. “It’s less the events of the holiday and more what it’s supposed to represent,” she turned her gaze directly to Rainbow’s. “Tell me, Rainbow Dash; do you know why ponies celebrate Nightmare Night? The story behind it?”

“Well, it’s the night we dress up to evade Nightmare Moon and bring an offering of candy so she doesn’t eat us, supposedly. I don’t believe any of that, personally. To me, it’s just a happy excuse to get free candy and prank ponies.” Rainbow explained her stance casually. She lost whatever mirth was in her voice, however, when Celestia visibly wilted.

“Rainbow… what do you know of the legend of Nightmare Moon?”

“Uh… that she was some evil alicorn that wanted to get rid of daytime in Equestria or something. I don’t really read a lot of that kinda stuff, but she’s said to be the Mare in The Moon now, right?”

Celestia nodded sadly. “Yes, you have the gist of it. Do you remember Nightmare Moon’s origin, though?”

Rainbow shrugged her shoulders noncommittally. “Not especially.”

Celestia nodded solemnly upon hearing this. For a few moments there was a tense silence between them. Then Celestia put on a small smile and turned her eyes back to Rainbow again. “You mentioned pranking ponies?”

Rainbow was only slightly caught off guard by this question. She knew well enough that Celestia liked to joke with or tease her subjects on occasion, though she hadn’t assumed she had an actual interest in pranks of any sort. Nevertheless, she grinned at the question and answered enthusiastically. “Oh, yeah. I pulled them a fair amount back in Cloudsdale. Gonna be pulling some again here in Canterlot when Nightmare Night starts.”

Celestia’s smile grew somewhat and a small, amused breath left her. “Heh. I imagine Twilight gave all sorts of logical arguments as to why you shouldn’t.”

“Yeah she did,” Rainbow huffed indignantly. “She also let me on to the fact she pulled a prank once that, apparently, failed spectacularly. She then refused to tell me about it!” she shook her head in exasperation.

“Ah. I see. It was quite embarrassing for her, that much is true…” a small, delighted glint came to the Princess’ eyes.

“Wait, do you know the details?” Rainbow turned to Celestia hopefully, her tail swinging like that of an excited dog for a few seconds.

Celestia laughed at the cute display, to which Rainbow immediately stopped being cute and pouted. Once Celestia had gotten control of herself, she nodded with a small smirk appearing on her face. “Yes, I know all the juicy little details about that day. I was the target, after all.”

“Wha… wait… Twilight tried to prank you?!” Rainbow asked in shock, her brain trying and failing to make the logical jump. “But she respects you way too much! I don’t see her even contemplating it!”

Celestia’s smirk grew and she winked at Rainbow. “Said prank ‘failed spectacularly’ as you put it, yes?” when Rainbow nodded Celestia’s smirk grew even more. “Well, let’s just say that before this prank of hers, she was a lot more… candid around me.”

Rainbow blinked before snickering behind a hoof. “That’s messed up, dude.”

Celestia sighed in agreement, despite the smile still sticking to her muzzle. “Yes, it is. I admit, perhaps I went a bit too far in turning the tables on her…”

“Care to tell the story?” Rainbow asked giddily before plonking herself onto her haunches and leaning forward eagerly. Celestia giggled and then nodded. How could she say no to that face?

“Alright, very well. But I must stress to you that this story does not leave this room. Understood?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Good, then let’s begin. It was on a saturday, the first of april I believe…”

Author's Note

Ayy, new plot arc begins! I may tell the story of Twilight's failed prank in a bonus chapter at some point. We shall see...

EDIT: It is here...

EThe Time Twilight Pranked Celestia

MLP: FiM

Comedy

Slice of Life

Twilight tries to prank Celestia. It doesn't go well.

Twilight

Celestia

Cadance

Skijarama · 3k words  ·  450  16 · 7.4k views

Minuette

Nightmare Night was here. At last it was here and Rainbow was ecstatic. The last vestiges of the day’s sunlight were slowly but surely vanishing beneath the horizon. From her position next to her bedroom window, Rainbow could see that many ponies were guiding their fillies and colts along the streets, an impressive number of costumes on display. They went up to a house, knocked on the door, sang that silly little jingle when it opened, got their candy and did it again with the next house.

Rainbow wasn’t after the candy, though. A small smirk split her face as she began to imagine the sorts of fun to be had tonight. She checked the zipper and buckles on her jumpsuit one last time before confirming that her costume was fully functional and assembled.

Save for how much it hindered her flying. Were it not for the potential pranks she could pull with this costume, she would have disposed of it as soon as she tried it on. Still, a walking mass of writhing snakes is pretty spooky, she figured, so she determined it was worth the hinderance to her flight in exchange for sweet, sweet pranking.

Just for tonight, obviously.

With all accounted for, she took the mask that would hide her mane and face in more snakes and set it upon her head. She moved around a bit and then lifted into the air with a burst of her wings. She scanned the streets from her vantage point and soon spotted her target. A blue pony with a darker blue mane with silver streaks in it stepped away from her most recent score of candy with an enormous grin on her face.

“There she is… heh heh heh…” Rainbow snickered before opening her window and quickly soaring down and over to the filly’s location a few blocks away. Rainbow set herself down in an alley ahead of her quarry and waited eagerly for them to pass. She slowed her breathing and focused. Like a predator about to pounce upon an unsuspecting gazelle, she waited. Or something like that. She’d listened to Twilight talk about animal behaviors and biology a bit too much recently. Seconds began to tick by. Finally, the unicorn happily cantered past with her gleeful smile as wide as ever.

“HIIISSSSS!!!” Rainbow lunged out of the alley, making the most convincing hissing sound she possibly could. The blue unicorn squawked in surprise and scrambled back, her ears flat against her head in response. Rainbow smiled widely under her snakes and slithered forward after the filly.

She looked back at Rainbow and then stopped abruptly. Rainbow stopped as well when Minuette rolled her eyes and laughed happily. “Oh, hey Rainbow Dash! Nice one, you got me good! How’s it going?” she waved with a grin. Rainbow paused and facehooved with a small grunt of disappointment.

“Minuette, you’re blowing my cover!” she whispered in frustration of the hunt being broken off so quickly. Minuette only laughed.

“No I’m not, I’m seeing through it silly!” Minuette trotted up and ruffled Rainbow’s mane, or would have had it not been for the fake snakes on her head. “Speaking of cover, you’re costume covers pretty much everything…”

“Yeah! Celestia helped me make it. Pretty cool, huh?” Rainbow grinned proudly, puffing up with pride and making the snakes all along her body wiggle in the process.

“Yeah, you make a fantastic medusa pony who hasn’t cut her mane in a long time!” Minuette replied with an impressed smile of her own. Rainbow blinked in slight confusion before remembering the old tale. Minuette giggled happily at the small frown Rainbow wore.

“...Not quite the interpretation I was going for, but I’ll take it,” she finally said with an absent-minded shrug. She then put on an eager and questioning expression. “Now then! You ready to get down to business?”

Minuette grinned widely, a certain sadistic glint coming into her eyes, matching the one in Rainbow’s. She leaned back just enough to lift her forehooves and rub them together like a master schemer villain. “Oh, yeah. So ready.”

Rainbow nodded and turned, beckoning Minuette to follow her. “Then let’s get started, eh?…”

And so there reign of terror upon Canterlot began. The two young ponies, just like they had planned over the previous two days when nopony else was looking, systematically picked targets, watched them for a short time and then set up a prank of some description to get a rise out of them. The results were… severely underwhelming, Rainbow was disappointed to admit. Many of the fillies and colts they hit were the only ones to have worth while reactions, but they always traveled with adults, who were oftentimes just annoyed and sometimes counter attacked. Rainbow was still a bit miffed about the candy apple that had been stuck in the snakes in front of her face.

Now, however, they were feeling lucky. They had found a filly around their age sitting on her own under an out of the way tree with her nose in a book. Her pale butter colored coat was definitely easy to spot for the two pranksters as they set about getting their prank ready. Dash couldn’t help but notice Minuette occasionally shooting a curious glance at the other filly, as if she were trying to get a closer look without being detected. The filly in question was wearing a pretty full costume, looking to be that of some renowned sorcerer or something. Rainbow didn’t really know.

Eventually, she shifted out of their hiding place in some nearby bushes and glanced through her binoculars, courtesy of Minuette, to study their target one more time. She examined the unsuspecting filly while her partner got the last things arranged. Rainbow Dash couldn’t contain herself and snickered evilly.

Minuette glanced at the binoculars for a moment before poking Rainbow in her shoulder. “Hey, can I see those for just a second?” she asked with a slight hint of unease in her voice.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but nodded and passed Minuette the binoculars. ‘Sure. ‘sup?” she asked while Minuette took a look. For a moment Minuette was silent, scrutinizing their would-be victim carefully. Then she grimaced and lowered the binoculars.

“We aren’t pranking this one, Dashie. Sorry.” Minuette said slightly disappointedly. She looked to Rainbow with an apologetic smile.

‘Huh? Why not?” Rainbow raised and eyebrow and glanced at the filly again, not seeing what it was that had made Minuette suddenly back down.

“That’s Moondancer, Rainbow Dash!” She pointed out with a stern expression. “She’s very reserved and socially anxious. She has one heck of a shell and the others and I are still trying to help her open up a little. It doesn’t take a lot to get under her skin, either, and not in a good way. If we do this to her, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, Twilight and I may lose all the progress we’ve made getting her out of her shell. I think we should abandon this one… And besides all of that, she’s my friend.” Minuette explained with her face going somewhat more solemn.

Rainbow sighed dejectedly and nodded. “Alright, I see your point. Let’s go, then. There oughta be somepony else we can-” she suddenly stopped when a sharp throb went through her head. The world became unsteady and Rainbow fell to her haunches while lifting a forehoof up to her eyes. Her ears were ringing and her vision was going blurry. ‘Ugh, what… what the?” she asked distantly, her words sounding muffled and distant. When she lowered her forehoof, she could see white tendrils flickering at the edges of her vision expanding rapidly.

“Rainbow? What’s wrong, are you okay?” Minuette asked, her voice tinged with deep concern at Rainbow’s sudden behavior. She reached a hoof out to Rainbow’s shoulder and shook her gently. The pegasus filly didn’t even feel the contact. Her body felt numb and unresponsive to her will. Suddenly, a gasp tore its way from her lungs and her vision was suddenly enveloped in pure white.

“Is somepony over there? Who’re we gonna squirt, who’re we gonna squirt?!” a pink pony with an equally (if not more) pink mane and tail asked, jumping excitedly in the air with a squeaker in her mouth. A rope was attached to the squeaker connecting it to a small fake turtle. Rainbow chuckled while peering through a telescope. On the other side of a pond, she could see Fluttershy, all grown up, curiously studying the fake turtle.

“Heh heh… Fluttershy.” Rainbow heard herself say, though she hadn’t made herself do it. What’s going on? She thought to herself.

“WHAT?!” The pink pony shrieked before spitting out the squeaker, “Ptooey! Nonononono, we CAN'T prank Fluttershy! I mean, she’s so sensitive! It’ll hurt her feelings. Even our most harmless prank!”

Rainbow sighed and pulled away from the telescope. “Yeah, you’re right,” she breathed out a puff of air in mild disappointment before looking around with a searching gaze. “Huh… we need another victim whose made of tougher stuff… so, who's it gonna be?”

While her body moved and acted without her permission, Rainbow felt a fresh wave of confusion wash over, only adding to the already deep waters of her confusion. Who was that pink pony standing there, and what had possessed Rainbow Dash into thinking a prank of Fluttershy could ever end well? It just didn’t add up!

Before she could think about it further, however, the vision abruptly shattered and she found herself sitting in front of Minuette once again.

“Dahie, are you okay?” She asked, shaking Rainbow harshly. “Say something!”

Rainbow responded by sluggishly prying Minuette’s hooves off of her. “Hey, stop shaking me. Uuuugh…”

“Oh, shoot! Sorry!” Minuette apologized with a sheepish smile. Rainbow groaned uncomfortably and massaged her temples for several seconds. “What… what happened to you? Are you alright?”

“Uh, y-yeah, I’m fine, Minuette. I’m... fine.” Rainbow replied drowsily, rubbing her face with her hooves. “Gah, what was that?”

“Hm? What was what?” Minuette tilted her head before helping the still unsteady Rainbow Dash to her hooves.

Rainbow shook her head in an effort to clear some of the fog that was suddenly clouding her thoughts. “I’m not sure. It’s like… I saw some pink pony and I talking to each other. We were setting some prank or other on Fluttershy…” Rainbow’s face twisted with confusion. “But it makes no sense. Fluttershy’s still a filly! She’s barely any older than I am! Why was she-… uh-oh…” Rainbow’s confusion gradually gave way to a small but growing sense of dread. She looked at Minuette apologetically while taking off the snakes covering her head. “Hey, uh, I’m really sorry about this, but I need to get back to Princess Celestia.”

“What’s going on? Are you sick or something?” Minuette asked, watching with worry as Rainbow pulled on the zipper of the jumpsuit and shed her costume.

“I hope not, but I’m gonna go make sure. My costume’ll just slow me down, so do you mind holding onto it for me until I come get it?” Rainbow asked quickly while nudging the pile of fabric and toy snakes to the blue unicorn next to her. Minuette glanced to the discarded costume, then to Rainbow with her brow furrowing.

“Uh… sure, I guess.” Minuette said a bit uneasily, picking up the costume in her magic and draping it across her back. Rainbow smiled thankfully to her before lifting into the air.

“Thanks, Minuette! I’ll pick it up in the morning. Enjoy the rest of your nightmare night!” Rainbow called out as she took off and shot for Canterlot Castle, leaving her trademarked prismatic trail in her wake. Minuette watched the young princess depart with no small amount of confusion and concern. She fidgeted nervously before shifting her eyes to look at the costume draped over her back.

“Yeah, you too.” she mumbled before turning around and leaving the cover of the bushes, heading in Moondancer’s direction.

Author's Note

I kinda struggled with getting this chapter to my desired length. Oh, well. Here it is!

Visions

It had been rather disturbing to Twilight when she had been summoned by Princess Celestia and Rainbow Dash at the same time. She had been preparing to turn in for the night after a fairly successful round of candy gathering, when a member of the guard approached and delivered her the news. Now, Twilight found herself in a brisk canter for the designated meeting point.

What was most rattling to Twilight was that, normally, Rainbow didn’t ever invoke her ability to summon ponies. This was the first time it had happened and that on it’s own was unsettling to the young unicorn as she made her way to one of the dining rooms of the castle. According to the summons, Rainbow was hungry and hadn’t gotten much candy from her time outside before calling this meeting, so Celestia had arranged for their meeting to be held in a dining room with a kitchen just a room over so Rainbow could eat while they discussed the matter.

But what matter is it? What’s going on? Twilight pondered mentally before turning another corner. Finally, the door to the dining room came into view, two members of the royal guard standing in front of it, stoic as ever. One of them looked down and nodded firmly. “Ah, there you are. We’ve been expecting you. Please head inside; the princesses are waiting.”

The other guard nodded and pulled the door open with a quick burst of magic, ushering her in and then closing the door behind her. Twilight took in the room for a moment before her eyes settled on the two other ponies in the room. She couldn’t help but cringe somewhat at the mess Rainbow was making at her plate, noisily and hungrily demolishing a mound of chocolate chip cookies. She swiftly stuffed another hoof full of tasty baked goods down her throat before she peered up at Twilight and waved in greeting.

Princess Celestia sat across the modest round table from Rainbow and smiled in satisfaction at Rainbow’s enthusiastic eating. The little pegasus seemed much more relaxed than when she had first shown up with word of her problem. The solar princess then turned her gaze to Twilight and smiled wider. “Ah, Twilight, there you are. It’s good to see you could make it in a short amount of time. Please. Have a seat”

Twilight bowed deeply to Celestia. “Of course, princess. I would never ignore summons from you or Rainbow Dash,” she then stood and approached the table. “But, I must admit, I am extremely confused. What is so pressing that Rainbow invokes her right of summoning on me? She’s never done that before.”

Rainbow swallowed her mouthful of cookies and stared at Twilight with a level expression. “I had a hallucination, too.” she said bluntly.

Twilight felt her jaw drop in surprise when she heard this. She turned and looked at Rainbow with wide eyes. “Wha- seriously? You did?” she asked in shock.

“Yup. And it was an awful lot like yours,” Rainbow replied with a frown and nod. “I couldn’t see anything other than the hallucination itself. I couldn’t see minuette shaking me or anything. It was…” she shivered slightly at the memory of the feeling.

“Minuette was with you?” Twilight pressed, her surprise becoming even more apparent.

Rainbow nodded, but it was Princess Celestia who spoke next.

“Yes, Twilight. In her vision, Rainbow saw herself and another, decidedly pink pony about to pull a prank on Fluttershy. Apparently the pink pony was not okay with this plan and talked Rainbow out of it,” She explained with a more serious look coming onto her muzzle. “Everypony present in the vision was an adult, Rainbow and Fluttershy included.”

Twilight bit her lip before hopping up onto an empty seat at the table. “Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence…” she muttered before looking to Celestia questioningly. “Has anypony else had visions like these? Anypony at all?”

Celestia shook her head. “None that I know of, but the fact that it has happened twice, and to two ponies I hold dear no less, is cause for concern,” she looked to Rainbow Dash, a small amount of worry shining in her eyes. “But nothing is wrong with either of you; physically or mentally, near as I can tell.”

“So what gives? Why are we having these freaky vision things?” Rainbow asked with an irked grimace, taking another cookie and biting it quite loudly.

Celestia closed her eyes in deep thought. “There are a few possibilities, but the one that seems the most likely to me right now is that something - or somepony - is projecting these visions into your mind from an outside location,” she opened her eyes and looked between the two fillies carefully. “It would explain why there aren’t any problems with your mental health or physical bodies. The visions aren’t originating from you. Something might be sending you these visions from somewhere else and, as such, we would only be able to track the visions to their source while it was happening.”

Twilight sighed as the largest puzzle to solve with that theory immediately sprang into her mind. “And there hasn’t been any sort of a pattern to when these things happen, has there?”

“Exactly right, Twilight. There hasn’t,” Celestia affirmed with a nod. “We shall just have to wait and keep our eyes peeled. The visions themselves don’t appear to be common and, from what little we know, they depict scenes that are similar in some capacity to the situations you two have been in when you had them.”

“Meaning external stimuli triggers these visions,” Twilight added with her muzzle scrunching up in thought.

“And we don’t know what circumstances will trigger another vision,” Celestia reminded before looking to Rainbow Dash. “So we have no way of predicting it.”

“Ugh, so that basically means we have to wait?” Rainbow slumped in her seat with a groan. “But I hate waiting!”

“Lucky for you, I am very good at waiting,” Celestia said with a small smile and a distant looking coming to her eyes. “For now, you two don’t have much to worry about. The visions you two have had don’t seem to have done any real harm to you, so I think we can safely take our time with this matter. Nevertheless, it would be for the best if these incidents are reported to me as soon as they occur. The more information we have, the better”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “Of course, your highness. I’ll tell you right away if I have another one.”

Rainbow grumbled with agitation, but otherwise nodded along. “Alright, fine. But if we find a way to figure out what’s going on quickly, without having to wait, I saw we jump on it!”

“As long as it isn’t risky, then I Agree,” Celestia nodded before relaxing her expression into something less serious. “But, with all of that said, I feel that as long as we are here together, we should make the most of the opportunity.”

With a single, small flick of her magic, Celestia rang a bell that hung over a side door in the room. The door swung open and a mare in a chef’s uniform strolled into the dining room with a warm and practiced smile. Floating behind her were three platters, each one covered with a lid. Twilight looked on in surprise as the platters were set down in front of each of them.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Er, Celestia? I just ate.”

Celestia smirked with a knowing twinkle in her eyes. “I know you did, and I also know that a plate of cookies is no substitute for a good dinner, especially if said dinner is your favorite meal,” she then looked between Twilight and Rainbow while the chef excused herself. Celestia’s smile took on a somewhat sad tilt. “And, if we are being honest, I all too rarely get to enjoy a meal with company. Often times I have to dine on my own.”

“If you don’t like eating dinner along then why don’t you ever ask me to join you? You know I’d be happy to join you.” Rainbow questioned with a tilt of her head.

Celestia grinned and giggled lightly behind her hoof. “Because, Rainbow, you’re always asleep when I normally have my dinner,” her smile widened at the small look of realization on Rainbow’s face. “And I have come to deeply understand the hazards of waking you up when you aren’t ready. Heh, you are quite the little she-demon if your rest is disturbed.”

“Oh.” Was Rainbow’s only response, a very small hint of pink coming to her cheeks. Celestia laughed outright at that. Twilight looked between the two of them and smiled softly. The two had definitely bonded since Rainbow first came to Canterlot…

Then Celestia used her magic and pulled the lids off of their platters, revealing the meals beneath. Twilight found two hayburgers on her platter with a side of hay fries, and instantly her mouth watered. She didn’t know how Celestia knew that hayburgers were her favorite food, but she wasn’t about to question it or complain. Rainbow, not far away, let out a high-pitched and excited squeal as she beheld a pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough bread. Celestia simply smiled warmly at the two and looked down at her own plate. A high-quality salad, an apple and, to Twilight’s surprise, a large slice of strawberry cake.

“Wow, princess! You didn’t need to do this.” Twilight said, although her mind immediately pointed out how much she didn’t mean that. Celestia smiled softly.

“I know, but I wanted to,” Celestia said gently before looking at Rainbow with a motherly smile. “And I know it’s been a long time since you had your favorite meal, Rainbow. I felt you’ve waited long enough.”

Rainbow looked up at Celestia with a big smile, despite the tear trailing down her cheek. “Heh… you really gotta stop plucking my heartstrings, Celestia. It’s getting embarrassing,” she wiped a foreleg across her eyes and smiled wider. “But thank you. I appreciate it… it’s nice to get a piece of home every once in awhile…”

Celestia simply hummed in response before lifting a fork to begin on her meal. “Well, I think we’ve ogled our food long enough. Dig in, everypony.”

It was a simple command that not a single pony in that room was against.

The three ponies enjoyed their meal, deciding to just forget the oddity of the visions for the time being and just enjoy themselves. They talked about various things over the course of the meal, including Rainbow Dash asking about the Wonderbolts and learning about an upcoming performance in Canterlot within the next two weeks. She then more or less made a formal decree then and there that she would be in attendance. Celestia made no objections, saying she would be there herself.

Twilight briefly brought up her progress on her latest bit of homework, but once Rainbow began to fake snore to emphasise that topic was not really good for a dinner like this, the topic quickly changed to something less, as rainbow put it, ‘boring.’

Eventually, however, the meal had to come to an end. The three ponies finished their food and stepped out of the dining room. Celestia smiled down at the two widely, a sleepiness coming over her. “It was wonderful to just sit and talk, you two. But, as it is, the hour demands I turn in for the night. Don't’ be long in getting some rest yourself, Rainbow Dash.” she said before turning and trotting down the hall for her private chambers.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there,” Rainbow nodded while waving Celestia off. She then turned to Twilight and smiled expectantly. “So… you’re done with the new Daring Do book, right?”

“Yeah, I am. Wanna read it?” Twilight asked with a small, knowing smirk spreading on her face. Rainbow gave an excited nod in response.

“Yeah, I do! The first one was really good!”

Twilight rolled her eyes but nodded. “Okay, sure. Come by my room tomorrow and I’ll let you borrow it. Just don’t damage it, you hear?”

Rainbow nodded with a huge grin. “No sweat! Thanks, Twilight.” she then lunged and gave Twilight a very quick hug before darting off to catch up with Celestia. In fact, the hug was so fast that Twilight blinked and missed it.

Author's Note

Alright, we're starting to come up on the end of this plot arc. One or two more chapters. Once I finish this one off, I've reached the end of what I had mapped out from the start. I am open to suggestions for the next plot arc or future ones.

Boredom

Rainbow Dash, who was sitting with her forelegs crossed and her back to the wall in her room, was bored. Incredibly, supremely, cosmically bored. She had finished the Daring Do book Twilight had lent her in just under two days. Now, with her pranking on Nightmare Night having yielded unfathomably dull and even frustrating results and nothing new or exciting happening, it was all Rainbow could do to keep herself from slamming the back of her head against her own bedroom wall just so that something would happen.

She ultimately failed in this endeavor when she glanced up at the clock. The minute hand ticked once, indicating that in the time she had spent contemplating the merits of a concussion to sate boredom, a train of thought she had gone quite deeply into, only ONE minute had passed.

“GAH!” She semi-shouted in agitation before ramming the back of her head into the wall behind her with enough force to shake the framed photo ontop the nightstand next to her. She glanced towards said photo, one taken of her and Fluttershy during the latter’s visit, and frowned. “Ugh… we gotta make good on our deal to visit her sometime…” Rainbow mumbled drearily.

After a few more minutes of bored sitting, the silence and inactivity finally became too much for her to bear. With a grunt, she shot up into the air and turned to face her door. “Okay, that’s it. Where’s Twilight…?” she mumbled to herself before bolting out of her bedroom and down the halls.

“Can I have another piece of candy?” Spike pleaded with Twilight yet again, his claws clasped together under his chin and his eyes as big and puppy-ish as he could make them. He pushed out his lower lip in an adorable display of pure begging mastery. Twilight rolled her eyes at her number one assistant’s dramatic expression as they walked together down the halls of Canterlot Castle, en route to their room.

It had been a rather productive day, all things considered. The lessons in the public classroom had been informative, fun and challenging. Even on her own she had managed to use the supplied chemicals to grow an enormous, bioluminescent plant that high-hooved her in celebration of a job well done. Then Twilight had gone for the private lessons with Princess Celestia. Simply checking of notes and information from the previous assignments, but all in all, a good day.

Spike pawed pitifully at Twilight’s foreleg. “C’mon Twilight. Please?” he begged again, drawing a pitying chuckle from Twilight.

“No, Spike. You already had like, a dozen pieces today. We don’t want you to get pudgy, now do we? You already have enough of a waddle to your step as it is.” She said with a mirthful grin while bending down to look the baby dragon in the eye.

Spike huffed indignantly at the waddle comment. “Hey, if I can eat more candy, I don’t care if I get fat! It’s worth it!” He countered, then intensifying his pleading all the more with a deep-throated whine. Twilight was barely able to resist the cuteness on display, but managed to maintain her composure.

“Well, I do care, Spike. No more candy for you today.” She chuckled before returning to looking where she was going.

Spike, in response, let out a long, pitiful while and slumped his shoulders in defeat. He turned his eyes to gaze deeply into the rug below and sniffled. The display outright obliterated what little resolve Twilight had left. She mentally sighed and smiled affectionately at the little guy.

Gosh dangit, Spike…

“Okay, Spike. I’ll tell you what…” Twilight began, instantly earning Spike’s complete and undivided attention. “If you behave really well today and help me tidy up my workspace, I’ll let you have some candy before you go to bed, alright?”

“WOOHOO!” Spike leapt for joy, ready to profess his undying, eternal gratitude to the filly in front of him. He never got the chance to, however. Suddenly, Twilight let out a startled squeak before her voice vanished down the hall, a rainbow streak hanging in the air where she had been only a moment ago. A powerful gust of wind rushed by soon after with more than enough force to knock Spike off his feet. “...Aw, boo…” he muttered.

A little ways down the hall, Rainbow Dash chuckled in amusement while Twilight wobbily picked herself up off the floor she had been so casually dumped on. “Heh. You need better reaction time, Twi.” Rainbow said with a huge grin before playfully punching Twilight in the shoulder.

Twilight lost what little of her balance remained from the punch and toppled over, sprawling to the floor with a thump and grunt. “Woah! Rainbow, what the hay?!” she barked, quite irked and rubbing the side of her head with a grimace. “I was talking to Spike!”

“I saw that. Now you’re talking to me,” Rainbow said with a waggle of her eyebrows. Twilight grunted and pushed herself back to her hooves.

“Yeah, I am. I’d like to be done. Can I go back to talking to Spike now?”

“Yeah, go ahead. But make it snappy, I got something I wanna ask you.” Rainbow nodded along with a weird smirk crossing her face. Twilight shook her head in bewilderment before turning and trotting back down the hall to Spike, who looked lost and confused.

“Sorry about that, Spike. Somepony decided they wanted to be inconsiderate.” Twilight called out before Spike tackle-hugged her.

“She foalnapped you.” he said simply before glaring past Twilight at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow crossed one of her forelegs over the other and whistled innocently.

“Yes, she did,” Twilight replied before shooting a snarky grin back at Rainbow Dash, who simply blew a raspberry at Twilight. She rolled her eyes before prying Spike off of her. “Anyway, let’s get you back to the room, okay? Rainbow wants to talk to me about something, apparently…”

“Okay! Hi, Rainbow!”

“Yo.”

A short while later, Spike was busying himself with organizing and cleaning up Twilight’s room, the promise of candy spurring him on to do better than usual. As he worked, Twilight excused herself to frown at Rainbow Dash. “Alright, my prismatically obnoxious friend, what is it you wanted to ask me?” she said with no small amount of impatience in her voice.

“Woah, take it easy Twi,” Rainbow said defensively, putting her forehooves up in a placating manner. “Sorry about that earlier. I’m just... SO. BORED.” Rainbow said, putting as much of an emphasis as she could on the last two words. Twilight blinked.

“Bored? You? That’s a first.”

‘I know, right?” Rainbow nodded in exasperation. “I want to do something exciting!”

“Well, what’s stopping you?” Twilight probed with a slight tilt of her head, now genuinely curious.

“The fact that Canterlot is, like, one of the most un-exciting places to be for somepony like me right now. I finished the Daring Do book, the Wonderbolts’ performance isn’t for another week and a half and there isn't a single pony in this city who could even challenge me in a race! It would be a snoozefest!” Rainbow explained before sitting down and looking to the skies in mock despair. “It’s driving me up the walls!”

“And you thought tackling me was a good source of excitement…” Twilight deduced with a raised eyebrow before giggling slightly. “Rainbow, you need more hobbies.”

“I mean, maybe… but that doesn’t help me right now!”

“Well, what do you want from me then? Another sport or something?”

“Nah,” Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “We have to deal with too many limitations with anything conventional. Even if I can technically veto those limits because of my status, Celestia’ll roast my hide if I overdo it, so i just don’t.”

“Well, then what do you want to do that you can do?” Twilight asked, her patience with the tangent wearing thin.

Rainbow shuffled uneasily, as if looking for an answer herself. Then, the proverbial lightbulb lit up over her head. Rainbow flashed Twilight a massive, playful smirk. “Wanna see something cool?”

Twilight looked at Rainbow for several long seconds before she spoke. “Huh?”

“I can show you something I doubt you’ve ever seen,” Rainbow added with a beckoning tone of voice. “I know how much you like seeing new things and I know you’ll love to see this. I’m offering to personally show you something awesome. Whaddya say?”

Twilight took a step back, not liking Rainbow’s smile. “Er… what would I be seeing?”

Rainbow clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Tsk, tsk tsk. That would be telling, Twi. Can’t do that. Would ruin the surprise!”

Twilight groaned in mild frustration. “Okay, okay, fine. Just make it quiaaaaaAAAAAYYYYYEEE!!!” Twilight’s snarky tone quickly devolved into a panicked shriek as Rainbow, faster than Twilight could track, scooped her up, deposited her onto Rainbow’s back and then shot out of the hallway and out an open window. Spike poked his head out of the room a moment later, whimpering sadly when he realized Twilight was gone.

His whimper turned into an evil cackle when he realized that Twilight was gone and would be unable to stop him from stealing some extra candy…

“PUT ME DOWN, RAINBOW DASH! RIGHT NOW! AAAAHHHHH!” Twilight screamed in a panic while Rainbow climbed in altitude. Finally, their speed decreased and, after a few moments, they came to a total stop. Twilight took a few moments to gasp for breath before glaring down at the mane of Rainbow Dash. “What the HAY?!”

“Twilight, look.” Rainbow said simply while pointing forward. Twilight growled and did so, turning her gaze from Rainbow’s mane to whatever was before them. She instantly lost her angry expression to one of amazement and awe. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

“Oh… oh wow…”

“Heh. told ya you’d love it.” Rainbow snickered below Twilight before going silent to let the filly on her back take in the view.

They were hovering many hundreds of feet above the highest peak of the mountain Canterlot rested on, looking out at an impossibly beautiful view of Equestria. Rainbow very slowly rotated in mid-air so Twilight could look in every direction and take it all in. The clouds were smothering some regions, but the way they were formed made it look almost like a masterwork painting. The sun’s angle cast shadows across the land, creating a stunning array of contrasts.

“I… wow. This is amazing…” Twilight mumbled when they turned to look towards the frozen north. Even this far away they could see the way the land gradually began to turn cold and more hostile further north.

Rainbow smiled warmly. While not as exciting as she would have wanted, it more than made up for it by letting her see her friend take in such an amazing sight and sit in awe and wonder. The fact that it was a surprise made it all the sweeter.

Rainbow Dash certainly wasn’t bored now.

It was a beautiful city, of that there could be no question, none at all. Anypony who would dare to accuse Canterlot of being anything shy of glamorous, cultured and sophisticated would likely receive a very stern scolding if the little filly heard them making such blasphemous claims. But that took secondary priority right now. Rarity kept pace with her parents as much as possible, despite every fiber of her being yelling at her to stop and gawk at the wondrous city around her.

Her desire to do anything but follow her parents was likely spurred even further by their destination; the most reliable Canterlot mental health clinic her parents could find. She scrunched up her face in anxiety as she thought about what may come out of this visit.

Her train of thought was swiftly broken, however, when somepony nearby looked up and pointed into the sky. “Hey, it’s Princess Rainbow Dash! What’s she doing up there?”

“I have no idea.” a mare next to him replied with an interested look on her face. “Looks like she’s coming in for a landing, though.

“Er, wait,” Rarity interjected, her parent’s pausing a few paces ahead when she stopped. “Princess Rainbow Dash? As in the adopted daughter of Princess Celestia?” she peered up into the sky and spotted the rainbow trail gradually arcing down towards them.

“Why yes, little ma’am, who else would we mean?” the stallion asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sensing a chance to not only stave off her visit to the clinic, but also sensing an opportunity to meet a member of the royal family, Rarity looked up at the oncoming speedster, determined roughly the route she should take to be where she would land, steeled herself and broke into a gallop.

Author's Note

I really struggled with this chapter... Either way, this chapter sort of serves as a transition out of the Nightmare Night plot arc and into the next one. One could, in theory, lump the two plot arcs together into one, considering the progression is rather smooth with no enormous time jumps. Maybe it's a 'part 1/part 2' type thing. I leave that to your own interpretation.

Credit for the idea of Rarity appearing goes to this guy:

Maran Said:
Ideas for the next story arc? While I like the idea of Gilda coming to visit as someone else suggested, I think the focus should stay on the Mane 6. Here are a couple of scenarios that I thought of:

Fluttershy either comes back to visit or invites RD and Twilight to come to Cloudsdale (Celestia would cast the cloud-walking spell on Twilight). While they are there, something happens that gives Flutters a “flashfoward.” Perhaps Dash could try to teach her to cheer? I don't know.

Rarity's family takes her to see a head doctor in Canterlot because she's been having strange “hallucinations.” She runs into RD and/or Twi who learn what happened and take her to Celestia. You could switch out Rarity with Applejack if you want. Pinkie Pie would be less likely because if Pinkie said she had visions, the Cakes would just dismiss it as Pinkie being Pinkie.

And the idea of Rainbow taking Twilight into the clouds is loosely derived from the original concept for the Nightmare Night plot arc, which was 'Rainbow takes Twilight on an adventure' and was suggested to me by a good friend. It didn't work out that way, clearly, but oh well.

Rarity

“That was incredible, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight squeed with an enormous, giddy smile spreading across her face as soon as they touched down. She turned to her friend and beamed happily. “I could see so far! Is that the kind of view Pegasi have all the time?”

Rainbow chuckled and shook her head. “Nah, not really. Most of the time Pegasi don’t need to go that high under their own power. The ones in Cloudsdale have it good, though. The city moves.”

“Wow… Well, thank you for showing me that, Rainbow. It was a very nice surprise.”

“Like I knew it would be,” Rainbow smirked triumphantly before slouching in her posture slightly, the exertion of high-altitude flying catching up to her. “Heh. Kinda makes me wish you actually did have wings of your own… It’d be nice to have more consistent company when I decide to go high.”

Twilight’s smile faltered somewhat at that, the memory of that alicorn look-alike flashing through her mind for a moment. “Yeah… that would be sort of cool, I suppose.”

Rainbow maintained her smile and beckoned for Twilight to follow her. “Well, anyways, looks like Celestia’s gonna set the sun in the little while. We should probably get back.”

“Are we walking?” Twilight asked in surprise with a raised eyebrow, falling into step next to Rainbow. “That seems a little out of character for you. Normally you fly when you need to go places.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes before pointing at her wings with a hoof, like it were obvious. “Twi, I dunno if you really noticed this because of how excited you were, but we were so high up that the air was a lot thinner than it is down here in the city. I had to work my wings extra hard just to keep us stable and aloft, especially considering I was carrying you on my back the entire time. I’ve got some pretty good lungs, yeah, and I know I’m awesome, but my wing muscles are done for today.”

Twilight nodded in understanding while making an ‘o’ with her mouth. “Oh, right. Point taken. Lead on-”

“YOUR HIGHNESS?!” came a sudden and remarkably shrill shriek from somepony a little ways down the street from the two fillies. The two came to a stop and looked over to spot a white unicorn filly with a purple mane and three diamonds as a cutie mark galloping towards them; Rainbow to be more precise. The unicorn skidded to a halt in front of Rainbow and then bowed deeply. “A-a million pardons for interrupting your day, but I-I was wondering if, ah, that is, would it be permissible for m-me to-”

Rainbow put her hoof on the filly’s horn and lifted her head before quickly shoving a hoof in her mouth. “Slow. down,” she said simply with a confused frown. After a moment she withdrew her hoof. “Now, what’s up?”

The filly opened her mouth to speak, but then clamped it shut while her muzzle scrunched up incredulously. For a moment she appeared to be deep in thought before she spoke again. “I… I, um… I’m sorry, come again?”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow and shared a confused look with Twilight, who merely shrugged. “Um… you know, what’s up, whaddya want, is something wrong? You know, the obvious questions to, ah… whatever this is.” Rainbow explained with a non committal shrug.

“I… oh, pardon me, your highness, I suppose I was expecting a more, shall we say, regal composure,” the filly said before clearing her throat. “My name is Rarity, and, if it wouldn’t be any trouble, I was wondering if-”

“Rarity, where are you, dear?!” an adult mare’s voice called from beyond the corner. Rarity looked over her shoulder, a mild panic setting in to her features. Abruptly, she turned and lunged at Rainbow, clinging to her like her life depended on it and gazing deep into the now startled pegasus’ eyes.

“Don’t let them put me in a straight jacket!” she wailed, one of her eyes twitching sporadically.

“Uh, Twilight? Little help here?” Rainbow asked uncomfortably, squirming away from Rarity. Twilight nodded and pried Rarity off of Rainbow with magic, earning a nervous whimper from the pearly unicorn. Rainbow dusted herself off before leveling a flat look at Rarity. “Now, would you mind saying that in a way that makes sense?”

Rarity went still for a moment before nodding and taking a deep breath.

She didn’t get the chance to speak, however, as two ponies, presumably her parents, came cantering up with worried looks. “Oh my, Rarity! Please don’t go running off like that! You scared us back there, you did.” The stallion chided with a frown. The mare nodded along before spotting the company they were in and dropping into a bow.

Rainbow mock-gagged before addressing the ponies in front of her. “Enough bowing! Seriously, that’s enough. And don’t call me ‘your highness’ or ‘majesty’ or anything like that. It’s just Rainbow Dash.”

The stallion spotted Rainbow now as well and visibly refrained from dropping into a bow himself. “Oh, heh. I’m terribly sorry for our daughter’s, um, erratic behavior. We were just on our way to a doctor’s appointment for her.”

“I’m not crazy, dad!” Rarity pouted, shrinking away from her parents slightly. The two shared uneasy looks.

“And we believe you, sweetie, but still… seeing, well, what you described just… isn’t normal.” her mother said gently before reaching out with a forehoof.

Twilight caught what the mare had said almost instantly. Her brain kicked into gear and she met the mother’s gaze. “Begging your pardon miss, but what do you mean by that? Did Rarity hallucinate or something?”

The mare frowned slightly, giving Twilight a scrutinizing gaze. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

Rainbow puffed up a bit and rested a hoof on Twilight’s back. “This is Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia and my friend. Go ahead and answer her. She’s cool.”

“Uh… alright, well… See, we’re not sure…” The mare admitted nervously while rubbing one of her hooves with the other, an anxious look coming over her. “We know she saw something that wasn’t there. She described it as ‘seeing herself spending time with her baby sister, except…”

“Don’t stop there. Keep going.” Rainbow prodded, now paying close attention as well. Rarity looked between the two groups and gulped nervously.

It was the father to speak next, adjusting his straw hat on his head. “She said that she saw her sister as, um… well, older than Rarity is now.”

Twilight and Rainbow shared a realizing glance. Then Rainbow nodded firmly and turned her gaze back to the parents. “Okay, I’m not so good with the fancy technicalities of magic or mental health or whatever, so I’m going to leave my friend Twilight here with you three. Rarity,” Rainbow turned to the white filly. “She may seem crazy-”

“Hey!”

“But you can trust her. She’s gonna ask you a few questions really quick,” Rainbow then looked firmly towards the parents. “And I want you two to let her answer them. I’m going to head to the castle and notify Celestia.”

“Begging your pardon, Rainbow Dash, but…” the stallion started before clearing his throat. “What exactly is going on? Do you know what’s wrong with Rarity and, with all due respect, why does it warrant Princess Celestia’s attention?”

It was Twilight who answered. “It sounds like she’s experiencing something awfully similar to something Rainbow Dash and I have experienced ourselves in the recent past. Hallucinations or visions of different places and events, seemingly directly related to an interaction we just had. If it is the same phenomenon affecting Rarity here, then we’ll need to take note.”

“Yeah, what she said,” Rainbow pointed out before giving her wings a testing flap. “Yeesh… my wings are gonna regret this one in the morning…” she then took to the air and shot off for Canterlot Castle.

It was almost time for the night to begin. Princess Celestia stood on the balcony of her private chambers, overlooking Canterlot and the surrounding mountainside with a warm smile. As the clock towers below began to chime the hour of moonlight, she lost her smile. With a soft sigh, Princess Celestia ignited her horn with her golden magical aura and pulled the sun back down towards the horizon, the moon gradually lifting into the air to take it’s place. She stared into the patterns and shapes of the Mare in the Moon gazing back at her, feeling a pang of guilt and longing go through her. She winced and closed her eyes. “Not much longer, now…”

“Not much longer ‘til what?” came Rainbow Dash’s curious voice from her left. Celestia jumped in surprise at the usually quite noisy pegasus filly’s shockingly quiet approach. ‘You alright?”

Celestia smiled at Rainbow Dash warmly. “Yes, Rainbow. I’m quite alright. Just remembering some… bitter memories,” she turned her attention fully from the slowly moving moon to her adopted daughter. “Is everything alright with you, though?”

“Me? Yeah, I’m good,” Rainbow nodded with a mild shrug. “But Twi and I think we may have found another pony having these weird hallucination thingies.”

Celestia’s forlorn smile immediately turned to a somewhat serious frown. “Are you sure?” she asked simply, to which Rainbow could only shrug her shoulders helplessly.

“If I did, I wouldn’t be here. We were hoping to bring the expert in to check it out.” she said candidly before gesturing behind her. “The filly’s down in the city itself, probably talking to Twilight right now. Should I bring her here or-”

“No, I’ll go to her,” Celestia cut in simply while giving her wings a mild stretch to ready them for the imminent flight. “You look tired. Go ahead and hop on; rest your wings. I can take it from here.”

“Hey, I’m sore but I can manage a flight back without breaking a sweat,” Rainbow complained with an indignant huff. Celestia raised an eyebrow questioningly before her horn lit up. Rainbow wilted as Celestia plucked a bead of sweat off of her forehead and dangled it in front of her. “...Ugh, fine.”

Celestia chuckled lightly and waited for Rainbow to settle down. While the filly made herself comfortable, Celestia took a moment to appreciate the warmth of the filly on her back. A contented hum slipped out of her when Rainbow stopped shifting. “This feels nice… we should do this more often.”

Rainbow lifted her head slightly with an amused smirk. “You know, you keep saying that about a lot of things and then we never do it again.”

Celestia nodded glumly while trotting to the edge of her balcony. “The burden of the crown, I suppose.”

“...It bothers you, doesn’t it?”

Celestia paused and shifted so she could stare back at Rainbow Dash. “You’re getting more perceptive.” she noted with a proud smile.

Rainbow snickered. “Yeah, I know. I’m awesome,” Celestia outright laughed at the filly’s trademarked catchphrase before she felt Rainbow sit up slightly, making her stop again. “But no, seriously. You’ve been seeming a lot more down and in-the-dumps than usual lately.”

Celestia paused and then wilted slightly. “Yes, I suppose I have been, haven’t I? I’m sorry, I’m not used to somepony being able to read me like that.”

“I live with you and I’m your daughter, legally speaking,” Rainbow pointed out with a frown. “I’ve gotten to know you enough to tell when something is bugging you. So come on, spill it.”

Celestia laughed slightly at Rainbow’s candid demand for answers. “Well, if you must know…” her smile faded to a solemn look of longing. “I told you before how much I have wanted a foal, yes?”

“Yeah, back at Highblood’s place.” Rainbow affirmed with a small nod.

Celestia sighed. “You came into my life, Rainbow. You filled that void better than I had hoped. I just wish I had more time and more opportunities to truly take full advantage of everything that means.”

“Like that dinner with you, Twi and I a few days ago?” Rainbow deduced, earning a small nod from the princess she rested on.

“Exactly like that. It was so relaxing and wonderful to just let go of my royal duties for a while and just… be at ease. Even with the topic that brought us together looming over me that night, I was determined to make the most of the chance, and I did. But I don’t know when another will present itself...”

Rainbow nodded slowly. “I got’cha, I think.”

Celestia also nodded before resting a hoof on the rail of her balcony. “We’re family now, Rainbow. I just wish it were easier for us to act like it…” she then took off from the balcony, gliding smoothly down into the city towards where Rainbow had earlier specified Twilight was waiting.

Rainbow, for her part, simply frowned and buried herself into Celestia’s back between her wing joints, happy to just let the princess carry her down into the city below.

Author's Note

Took longer than I would have liked to get this one out, but oh well.

More

“So that brings the total count of ‘Fillies having weird visions’ from two to three,” Rainbow remarked with a small frown, looking around the restaurant booth at the ponies she was with. Rarity was at present seated directly across from her, awestruck by Celestia’s mere presence and attention. Celestia, upon her arrival at the scene, had asked the owner of the nearest establishment to let them handle this discussion inside the building for the sake of convenience and the ease-of-mind of Rarity. The little filly had enough on her mind, Celestia wagered.

Besides them, Twilight Sparkle sat next to Rainbow, who herself set next to Princess Celestia in one of the main booths of the restaurant. Rarity and her parents sat opposite of them, each looking either confused, concerned or, in the case of Rarity, both. Numerous questions had been asked once they had been seated and, for good measure, Celestia ran a rudimentary scanning spell over Rarity to ensure she was mentally and physically sound. She was. Now, she couldn’t bring herself to meet the eyes of the ponies before her, fidgeting anxiously in her seat. Twilight was the one to break the silence.

“What I want to know is, why us?” she said with a thoughtful look on her face. “What’s making the three of us have these weird visions? What’s the pattern?”

Celestia furrowed her own brow in thought before closing her eyes. After several moments she opened her eyes and looked directly at Rarity. “I hope you can forgive my use of a faux pas, but Rarity, how old are you?”

“Huh?” Rarity looked up at Celestia with a confused twist coming onto her face. “Well, that is, your majesty, I’m eleven, but… I’m afraid I don’t see how that’s relevant to this phenomenon...”

Celestia nodded slowly and patiently. “I ask because the only other two ponies I know of who have had these visions are nine and eleven years of age. Those are, as you know, my daughter and Twilight Sparkle, respectively.”

“So it’s only happening in foals?” Rainbow asked with a tilt of her head. She then flopped back in her seat with a frustrated sigh. “That doesn’t exactly narrow it down by a whole lot. How does that even make any sense?”

Celestia shook her head slightly, her frown growing. “Without more examples to draw a clearly defined pattern from, it doesn’t,” she lifted her eyes to meet those of Rarity’s parents. “But with all three of our current examples existing in fillies around your age range, it at least gives us a starting point. A common thread we can use to find more examples more easily.”

It was at about this point that Rarity’s father opted to speak up. “With all due respect, Princess, just so I know for sure, our darling Rarity here is fine, right? These ‘vision’ things won’t hurt her in any way?”

Celestia shook her head with a comforting smile. “Rarity should be fine. It has been over a month since my faithful student’s first flash and, much to our combined relief, she is none the worse for wear. I have no reason to believe it will be any different with your daughter.”

The atmosphere on the other side of the table visibly relaxed, the family sharing a relieved embrace. Celestia smiled softly before gently nudging Twilight so she could get out of her seat. “With all of that said, I don’t believe you have need of the appointment at the mental health clinic.”

Rarity grinned widely in gratitude, nodding her head happily. “Thank you, your highness.”

“It was my pleasure, miss Rarity,” Celestia said with a small play-bow, earning a delighted gasp out of the little unicorn. There was an air of ease and a rapid loss of tension, one which everypony was happy for. For a moment, Celestia smiled at them before turning to go, Rainbow swift to follow.

“Oh, uh, may I trouble you for just a moment longer?” Rarity abruptly called out to them while hopping out of her seat. The three ponies turned to face her while she cantered directly up to Rainbow Dash. “Now, I mean this with every ounce of possible respect, but… what happened to your mane?”

Rainbow glanced up to the aforementioned messy mass of prismatic hair, her eyes crossing slightly as she did so. “Uh… what are you talking about?” she asked in confusion.

“Well, it’s just… I mean, look at it!” Rarity said, her reservations with being in the presence of royalty swiftly fading away at the crime against mane cuts before her eyes.

While it was nothing new to Twilight, Celestia or even Rainbow herself, said mane was… a disaster, to say the least from Rarity’s point of view. Uncombed, only barely trimmed, whatever shampoo had been used that morning had been rendered completely obsolete and useless by layers of sweat and extreme blasts of air from high-speed flying. It was like a rats nest.

“What’s the big deal with my mane? It’s how I like it.” Rainbow pointed out bluntly before puffing out a breath that caused a stray lock to go out of her face.

“What?!” Rarity squaled in alarm before reaching out and grabbing Rainbow’s head, so absorbed in her fabulosity episode that she completely forgot that she was grabbing royalty without permission.

Her parents cried out in alarm and fear at this, but this soon gave way to uneasy chuckled when Celestia herself began struggling to hold in an onslaught of delighted laughter.

“Hey! Lemme go! Get outta my hair, would ya?!” Rainbow whined in protest, trying to fly back and away from this crazy filly, but Rarity’s own hold with her hooves was remarkably strong.

“Disregarding that shameful pun, I will be out of your hair just as soon as I have fixed it!” Rarity declared as if it were her solemn duty, sworn by oath. It might as well have been for how tightly she was holding Rainbow’s face.

“Ngh! Twilight, Celestia! Little help here?” Rainbow pleaded, gradually being pulled down to the floor by the determined white unicorn. Celestia simply laughed openly, no longer able to contain them. Twilight, however, didn’t respond at all. She watched the occurrence blankly, her eyes going distant and unfocused.

Rainbow noticed almost instantly that Twilight was completely unresponsive. “Rarity, I mean it! Let me go! NOW!” she snapped before swatting the other filly’s hoof away. Rarity gasped in surprise from the smack before she realized what was happening - and what she had just done. Instantly she blushed profusely.

Rainbow didn’t care, though, cantering up to Twilight, whose hind legs had just given out, causing her to fall to her haunches. Rainbow looked her over and gave Twilight a gentle shake. “Hey, Twilight? You alright in there?” she asked carefully, worry in her voice.

“She’s having another flash…” Celestia said in realization. Immediately the entire room went silent, anxiously awaiting Twilight’s waking mind to resurface. As they waited, everypony couldn’t help but curiously wonder what the lavender filly was seeing right now…

“Beautiful…” a much older Spike whispered in awe and amazement from Twilight’s side, looking past the checklist in his claws with a red tint slowly coming over his cheeks. Twilight didn’t notice this at first, trotting forward into the large central room a well-decorated building of a rustic architectural style. Her mane bobbed irritatingly on her head from how poofed up it was, but she was determined to just get this over with.

‘Get what over with?’ Twilight asked herself with curiosity as she watched the vision play out before her.

“Yes, the decor is moving along nicely. This ought to be quick and I’ll be at the library in no time. Beautiful, indeed.” she said out loud and meaning it wholeheartedly. Whoever was in charge of the decorations for the Summer-Sun Celebration this year had done an amazing job.

“Not the decor… HER.” Spike said while pointing past Twilight at a pearly white unicorn who was currently looking through an enormous collection of various ribbons of different colors and materials. Upon her flank was a cutie mark of three masterfully cut diamonds. She frowned slightly while moving a gold ribbon up and looking it over with a critical eye.

‘Rarity?!’ Twilight thought in shock as she saw the unicorn in question.

“No…” another came forward, this one blue. “No…” Another, green. “No…” she carried on like this while Spike stared on, the red tint in his cheeks growing exponentially.

“How’re my spines? Are they straight?” he asked abruptly while touching his claws to the spines on the sides and on top of his head, straightening them out as much as he was able. He then gazed ahead at the unicorn as if he was in love. Twilight simply rolled her eyes at the little drake and trotted closer to rarity.

“Good afternoon,” she started, only for Rarity to cut her off.

“Just a moment, please! I’m in the zone, as it were.” Rarity said before finally settling on a red ribbon with sparkling materials all across it, tying it to the support pillar in front of her. “Oh, yes! Sparkle always does the trick, does it not? Why Rarity you are a talent,” she then gradually turned to Twilight. “Now, um, how can I help yoouwaaHAAHAAAA!!” her innocent inquiry turned into a panicked shriek.

Twilight blinked in confusion.

“Oh my stars, DARLING! Whatever happened to your coiffure?!” she asked in shock, as if she were gazing upon some horrifying disfigurement or wound.

“Oh, you mean my mane?” Twilight asked, supposing she should have known this would happen. “Well, it’s a long story. I’m just here to check on the decorations and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“My hair? What about your hair?!” Rarity asked before hopping down and jabbing her horn into Twilight’s back, pushing her along with great purpose.

“Wait, where are we going?! HELP!” Twilight asked in growing concern as Rarity pushed her out of the town hall, Spike dutifully following along with that lovestruck expression never once leaving his face.

Twilight snapped back to reality and shook her head to clear away the fogginess in her head. “Woah, that one was a bit more vivid than the first one…” She mumbled groggily, putting a hoof to her head and rubbing circles into her temple.

“You alright?” Rainbow asked abruptly, shaking her friend very gently. “And what’dya see?”

Twilight shook her head one last time before glancing up to Rarity, who instantly perked up and looked around as if to find some other pony that Twilight may be looking for. Twilight then pointed at her. “Um… you, Rarity. I saw you, oddly enough. It was… it was like we were meeting for the first time but… well, we were adults, like in the other hallucinations.”

Celestia’s brow furrowed in thought. “What was it that caused this flash? What event here sparked it?” she asked firmly. Twilight thought for a moment.

“It was when Rarity started fussing with Rainbow’s mane, I think. Around the time she said something about ‘fixing Rainbow’s hair’ is when it happened. I guess my mane was kinda messed up in this flash because Rarity wanted to fix it immediately upon seeing it.

Everypony shared uneasy glances for several long seconds. Celestia’s horn lit up, a medical and mental scan spell swiftly going into motion. Twilight turned to her, mouth open, but Celestia beat her to the punch. “I searched for any magical energies in you that were foreign and I found one.”

“What’d it tell you?” Twilight asked hopefully, leaning forwards slightly with an eager smile growing on her face.

Celestia shook her head and ended her spell, satisfied that Twilight was alright. “Nothing, I am afraid. The foreign energy was faint to a point that if I had tried to prod it for it’s origin point, I would have broken it. I don’t know how these flashes link with the mind while they are in progress. If I had disturbed it, it may have caused severe disorientation and possibly even mental damage. I am not willing to take that risk with you,” she looked to Rainbow Dash. “Either of you.”

Rainbow sighed along Twilight before helping her back up to her hooves. Twilight nodded in thanks before glancing up at Celestia. “Well, at least now we know one pony can have more than one.”

“How does that help us, exactly?” Rainbow asked with a frown.

Celestia smiled confidently. “It means we may yet have more opportunities to discover the source of these flashes…”

Author's Note

FYI: I went through and changed the ages of the fillies in this chapter to better corolate with the timeline I have in my head. Rainbow Dash is now nine years old (Instead of the previous eight) and Twilight and Rarity are now both 11. Just figured I would bring this up in an authors note.

Happy Birthday

Nine months have passed since the white unicorn filly named Rarity was confirmed to also be having the ‘flashes,’ as Celestia dubbed them. In that time very few flashes have occurred for either Rainbow Dash or Twilight, each time being of something inconsequential and holding no new answers. For now, they seem to merely be an irregular occurrence they must live with.

For the last few days, however, Rainbow Dash has seemed less like herself. She has been quiet and distant. Something is weighing on her mind and it is showing quite clearly to the ponies around her.

Lucky for her, Celestia knows what troubles her and has already set the wheels into motion for rectifying this problem…

Rainbow Dash stifled a yawn before sitting up slightly from her comfy lazing position on her bed. Her lethargic and melancholy mood was written clearly across her face, from the drooping eyes and persistent frown to the wrinkles in her brow and the sluggishness of her movements. She dragged herself out of her bed and peered at herself in the mirror over her nightstand. A small, humorless smile briefly crossed her face before once again falling away. Her mane had grown considerably longer in the last nine months and was more wild and unkempt to match.

She lifted one of the stray locks in front of her face with a hoof and puffed out a breath, sending it lazily drifting into the air before it settled in front of her eyes again. “...Yeah. I need a mane cut.” she said simply to herself in the mirror before a small sigh escaped her, her attempt to distract her already heavy mind with something, anything, having already failed.

How the hay had it slipped her mind last year? Yes, there was a lot going on with her being newly adopted and still learning the ins and outs of Canterlot society, mainly so she would best know how to dodge it and be herself, but still. How had something this big gone without even a mention? She scuffed the floor with a hoof and growled quietly to herself before making her way to her door and throwing it open. She needed some air.

She trotted silently down the halls, glancing out one of the numerous windows lining the side of the castle along the way. She took several moments to just peer out onto the world below, bathed in a soft orange glow from sunset, which was amplified into a truly bright display by the fact that there were also numerous rainclouds depositing their contents across the city and surrounding countryside without obstructing the sunlight. If Rainbow didn’t know better, she would have thought they were organized that way very deliberately.

“Oh, there you are!” came the voice of a colt in his mid-teens as he cantered up to her, his cadet armor rattling on his body as he made his approach. He gave a deep bow before standing to attention. “Your highness?”

“Uh-huh?” Rainbow mumbled bluntly, looking at the guard with a frown. She recognized this pony. cadet Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle’s older brother and older than both of them by a fair amount. Rainbow hadn’t spoken with him a whole lot, but she at least knew his name and the rough gist of his personality. He was a surprisingly large dork and had a deep appreciation for action comics and old folk heroes like smash fortune. Rainbow adjusted her stance and spoke again “What is it, Shining?”

Shining Armor snapped more to attention then he already was. “I was sent by Princess Celestia to inform you that you are needed in the mess hall of the private wing. She said it’s urgent.”

That got Rainbow’s attention. “Urgent? Is something wrong? Did Twilight have another flash or something?” she asked, leaning forward slightly. Her eyes narrowed in confusion when she saw Shining’s face twitch slightly, noticably around the corners of his mouth. Was he repressing a smile?

“Er, they didn’t say, you're highness. I’m simply supposed to see you there as swiftly as possible.” Shining replied before turning with a small nod. “This way, please.”

Already numerous red flags were going off in Rainbow Dash’s mind. For one thing, why send a cadet, somepony still learning the ropes of being a guard, to fetch her for something urgent instead of the captain or somepony of higher rank? What was with that well-hidden but still notable smile Shining had been wearing? Rainbow felt unusually nervous all of a sudden, but decided to follow the white unicorn stallion anyway. He was old enough, she figured.

For several long minutes he led her along, occasionally shooting a glance her way to ensure that she was still following his lead. Rainbow gradually let herself go from trotting behind him to casually flying behind him, her wings beating in a slow but steady rhythm and keeping her aloft a few feet above the floor.

As they passed through the doors into the private wing, Rainbow couldn’t help but glance back over her shoulder as a realization struck her. Sure, the castle was normally quiet at this hour, but never silent like right now. Typically the difference in sound would be clear when leaving the public areas for the private ones. It would go from calm but audible to silent. Here, though, there was no discernable difference. The halls had been seemingly abandoned.

“Where is everypony?” Rainbow asked uneasily, rubbing her forehooves together in a very visible display of her anxiety. Shining looked back at her and his stoic expression softened slightly.

“Don’t worry, everything’s fine.”

“Is that right?” Rainbow asked with her eyebrow shooting up to vanish behind her mane. “Because I thought you said Celestia ‘didn’t tell you anything,’ or are you suggesting I am hard of hearing?”

Shining looked straight ahead. “Er… no, you're not deaf or anything like that, your majesty. I was just, well…” he pushed open the large doors to the mess hall as they came up to them. They swung open with a loud creak.

“SURPRISE!!!”

Rainbow flailed back in alarm as numerous loud pops sounded and she found herself being assaulted by numerous clouds of confetti and streamers. She covered her face with her forelegs with a rather undignified yelp escaping her lungs before she crashed onto the floor.

Shining Armor’s face appeared in her vision, smiling mirthfully down at her before he lent her a hoof. “I was in on it.” he said simply.

‘Huh?” Rainbow asked dumbly, taking his hoof and getting back to her own. She looked into the mess hall cautiously. Instantly her defensive stance melted into a wide-eyed, gaping mouth look of shock at the scene before her.

She could see balloons all over the place, typically tied to chairs or the legs of tables. Confetti, streamers and other assorted party decorations smothered the entire mess hall in a display of bright, cheerful colors. A tall, multi-layered cake with cyan frosting and rainbow trims on the edges stood proudly in the center of the room on a table that had been moved there for just that purpose.

Sitting in chairs all across the scene were ponies that Rainbow recognized. Princess Celestia sat to the cake’s immediate left, with Twilight and her study group all sitting next to her. Further to the left, Rainbow could see Princess Cadance and numerous members of the castle staff she had come to know over the time she had lived here. On the right side of the cake sat more ponies that Dash knew, including some foals she had been competing with in her classes at the local flight school she had been enrolled in.

Over all of them sat an enormous banner reading ‘Happy Birthday Rainbow Dash!!’

Rainbow Dash was dumbfounded. Minuette lowered her glasses and peered at Rainbow uneasily before sharing a glance with Moondancer. “Too much?” she asked innocently.

Moondancer shrugged noncommittally. “I don’t know. I’ve never met her.”

Rainbow left a hoof at the room and pointed at, well, all of it. “Th-this is all… for me?”

Celestia smiled warmly and nodded. “It is indeed, Rainbow Dash. I could see how much the fact that we missed your birthday last year was bugging you. I feel awful about that and I hope I can make up for it this year. I invited all of your friends.”

Rainbow’s pointing hoof shot to cover her mouth for a long moment. Then she closed her eyes and made a small choking sound. When she opened her eyes again, it was clear that she was struggling to hold back tears. “Celestia, w-what did w-we say about the o-onions?”

Celestia spread her wings and chuckled lightly. “No onions here, my little pony.”

Twilight grinned widely while Rainbow slowly trotted in, wiping a foreleg across her eyes. “Oh my gosh, are you crying? Wow, I didn’t think I’d ever see that from you again!”

“You hush!” Rainbow snapped playfully, ruffling Twilight’s mane as she passed her. The pegasus filly then launched up and hugged Princess Celestia around the neck tightly. She nuzzled herself into her adoptive mother’s neck with a grateful smile breaking through her tears. “Th-thank you…”

Celestia smiled and hummed with content before returning the embrace. Her smile widened even more when Rainbow slowly pulled back. “My goodness, you’ve grown quite a bit, haven’t you?”

Rainbow chuckled slightly. “What can I say? My growth spurts are awesome, too.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and playfully smacked Rainbow on the back of the head. A few of the staff nearby gasped at that before Rainbow turned and casually booped Twilight on the nose. Twilight snorted and recoiled slightly. “Pfft, hey!”

Rainbow merely waggled her eyebrows before eyeing the cake. “Woooaah… who baked this thing?”

Princess Celestia chuckled at Rainbow’s awestruck expression. “I commissioned a promising baker down in Ponyville to put it together. I believe her name was Mrs. Cake. She did a fantastic job, I think.”

“Yeah, she did!” Rainbow lifted into the air with a flap of her wings and looked at it from above. A cocky smirk spread on her face as she beheld the recreation of her head painted in frosting on the top layer. “Wow, she even did my face!”

Twilight smiled before using her magic to lift a glass off of a nearby table to tap Rainbow’s flank with it. When she had the pegasus’ attention, she spoke. “Well, don’t dive into that just yet. We’ve still got those to go through.” she gestured with a hoof and Rainbow followed it.

“Wha… jeesh, are you ponies trying to spoil me?!” Rainbow squaled in delight before soaring over to study the veritable mound of wrapped gifts from everypony who had come.

Princess Cadance laughed in amusement. “Aunty Celestia said she wanted to make up for missing out on your last one, so here we are.”

“Wait,” Rainbow glanced accusingly at Celestia, who fidgeted in place slightly. “Does that mean there will only be half this many next year?”

“Um… yes.” Celestia admitted bluntly, not meeting Rainbow’s gaze for a moment. Rainbow eyed her like an interrogator would his next suspect before shrugging.

“Cool, whatever. That just makes this one extra special!”

“It is your tenth birthday,” Cadance added with a small nod. “You’re in the double digits now.”

Rainbow grinned widely and nodded enthusiastically. She then looked to the assembled ponies and took to the air over them with her forelegs spread wide. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s do this thing!”

There was upbeat music and dancing, there was punch and juice and soda, there were jokes and laughter, there was the opening of gifts and heartfelt thanks... there was even an impromptu game of pin the tail on the ponym, instigated by little Minuette which, to Princess Celestia’s supreme embarrassment, she lost when she accidentally tried to pin the tail on Rainbow’s nose.

But eventually the party wound down. The song was sung, the cake was eaten and, eventually, the gusts had to file out to return to their own little corners of Canterlot. As the last group left, Twilight and her study group, Rainbow sat down heavily onto the floor and yanwed. “Wow… this was amazing. Thank you, Celestia…”

Princess Celestia lay herself down behind Rainbow Dash, letting the athletic filly fall back against her side while her massive alabaster wing draped itself over her like a blanket. Rainbow cooed at the warmth and snuggled into Celestia’s side, swiftly falling asleep. The smile on Princess Celestia’s face was one of unquestionable, motherly love. She leaned down and nuzzled Rainbow on top of her head before whispering, “Goodnight, Rainbow Dash. Sweet dreams... and happy birthday…”

Then, Princess Celestia joined her daughter in the realms of sleep, the two snoring blissfully into the long, silent night.

Author's Note

This chapter serves as something of a 'bridge' so to speak. It isn't a plot ark on it's own, but it was just kind of a nice bit of fluff I wanted to write down between the Rarity arc and the next one. :twilightsmile:

Returning Home

It has been just over a year, now, since Rainbow Dash turned ten years old and experienced her first official birthday party in Canterlot. In this time things have gradually started to change for her and Twilight, especially in the latter. Twilight is growing rapidly, in both body and mind, now standing half a head taller than Rainbow Dash. Her mind has been scattered from the gradual advancement of her studies under Princess Celestia, as well as the ever slowly looming inevitability of adulthood.

But even with these changes going into motion, Rainbow Dash has decided that they have waited for far, far too long to make good on a promise made to Fluttershy almost two years prior. It is time to go see her fillyhood friend in the city of clouds and the home of the Rainbow Factory.

They are going to Cloudsdale.

“I still can’t believe it took us this long to get around to making this trip!” Rainbow moaned agitatedly from Celestia’s side in the chariot, her face morphed into a very displeased frown to mirror her own internal frustrations. As the chariot was pulled along by two Royal Guard pegasi, the manes of the carriage’s three passengers fluttered and waved erratically in the high-altitude winds.

Twilight, who sat on the other side of the Princess from Rainbow Dash, wiped some of her mane out of her eyes so she could glance back at her prismatic friend with a disgruntled yet sympathetic expression on her face. “Rainbow, we know you wanted to do this sooner and we feel you, really. But whining about it non-stop for the entire flight isn’t going to make it better for the rest of us.”

The guard ponies silently agreed with her.

Rainbow hugged indignantly and hung her forelegs over the side of the carriage, looking down at the ground so very far below and letting her eyes wander. “Tch. Whatever.”

Celestia smiled good naturedly at the two before draping a wing over Rainbow Dash in a comforting way. “It’s more than just the delay of our visit, isn’t it? Returning to the city you see as home must be messing with your nerves after so much has changed for you.”

Rainbow sat up slightly and put on a confident smile. “Even if that was true, which, news flash, it isn’t,” her smile morphed into a cocky smirk. “It wouldn’t be enough to make me wanna turn back or delay the trip. Yeah, things have changed but hey! It’s Cloudsdale. I know it better than either of you, I bet.”

Twilight shrugged absently, conceding her point. Celestia, meanwhile, allowed a small and mirthful smirk to spread slowly over her face. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that…”

“You didn’t live there, though,” Rainbow pointed out with a small frown replacing her earlier smirk. She looked at Celestia quizzically for a moment. “You’ve always lived in Canterlot, near as I can tell.”

“Yes, but I have been to Cloudsdale countless times over the thousand years of my life, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said with a fond gleam coming over her eye. She leaned down slightly and her smirk visibly widened when she peered at Rainbow. “Did you know, for instance, about the ‘secret hideout’ that exchange students from Griffinstone spend most of their time at when not at the flight school?”

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply and then clamped it shut firmly, her ears drooping slightly. “Dude… Gilda showed me that, like, ONCE! As a sign of trust or something! Made me swear up, down, left, right and back not to tell anypony else about it!” Rainbow’s wide eyes shifted to look at Celestia as if she had grown a second head. “You know about that?”

“Of course. It was first put together, oh, about a hundred years ago I think. A lazy Griffin student named Beakie assembled it so that she and the other exchange students could have a place to go if they wanted to skip class and not be caught. The next year’s students learned about it from her pony classmates and kept it going from then on.” her smile turned knowing. “I believe some of the locals of Cloudsdale see it as an ‘urban myth’ these days, don’t they?”

“Most ponies don't think it ever even existed… or if it did it was abandoned a while ago.” Rainbow said in surprise before her shock gave way to amusement. She laughed slightly. “Y’know, you being so old is something I don’t think I am ever gonna get used to.”

Celestia’s smile instantly faltered into a frown of offense. “Old?”

Twilight, from where she sat, rolled her eyes, a small smile playing at her lips. “Here we go…”

Rainbow Dash froze just as she was about to speak again. Her eyes snapped wide open and shot over to look at Celestia while her ears fell flat against her head. She gulped and then chuckled sheepishly. “Oops, sorry…. Uh…” Rainbow squirmed uncomfortably under her adoptive mother’s displeased glare for several tense seconds.

Finally, however, Celestia could no longer maintain her facade and broke into a hysterical fit of giggles before ruffling Rainbow’s mane. “I am old, Rainbow Dash. I had to deal with ponies close to me making remarks about that when I was eighty and I’m well over a thousand now. If anything, i've learned to take it as a compliment.”

Rainbow grimaced and glared up at Celestia, pouting. “Then why did you-”

Celestia put a hoof to Dash’s mouth to silence her. She grinned in amusement. “Fun, Rainbow Dash. It’s fun.”

When the hoof was removed, Dash nodded and determined it would be in her best interest to stare down at the landscape slowly rolling by far below.

For over five minutes they then sat in relative silence, awaiting the city of Cloudsdale to appear. Twilight glanced up to Princess Celestia periodically, but before she could voice her question, Rainbow Dash sat bolt upright, her bored expression now having shifted into one of elation. “Oh! There it is! I see it!”

Twilight’s eyes turned to gaze ahead and she leaned forward, squinting in an effort to make out the shapes of a city in the clouds. For a couple of seconds she couldn't see it. Then the chariot raced past a stray, wild cloud that had been obstructing her view, letting Twilight behold the majesty of Cloudsdale. Her mouth fell open in awe at seeing it so close for the first time. She had seen it from afar many times while it made it’s seasonal rounds, but to be this close to it numbed her mind. No doubt about it, the city of the clouds bore a strong architectural resemblance to the finest works of the old Pegasus Pony Tribe from long ago.

The royal guards pulled the chariot up and over the outer edge of the city, into which was a cityscape built upon its verticality. Tiers upon tiers of tightly packed clouds made up the outer edge of the city, yet with no visible means of getting from one tier to the next presented themselves. That was, of course, until Twilight saw a large group of pegasus foals flying up from one tier to the next, happily laughing and shouting. They seemed to be playing tag.

Past that outer edge, into the main mass of Cloudsdale, the rest of the city followed very similar principles of verticality. Numerous, entire residential blocks free-floated, completely detached from the rest of the city, save for thin cables and tethers that held with them to the main cloud as it traveled.

On the other end of the city from here, Twilight spied a tall and industrial-style building, glistening white and occasionally pumping out fresh clouds from one of the many tubes reaching into the sky from its roof. While still clearly made of clouds, it appeared to be so densely packed that it was more like stone or steel in its rigid construction. From one end of this tall structure flowed a long stream of raw, unfiltered rainbows, streaming down into a massive reservoir at the base of the building. Twilight deduced that that had to be the weather and rainbow factory.

She didn’t say anything. There were no words to be had for young Twilight, as she was well and truly awestruck by the view and the sights. Celestia maintained a calm but appreciative smile, looking on the creation with motherly pride. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof…

Well…

“Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Ohmygosh!” Rainbow splurged out in a high-pitched squeal, her forehooves coming up to her cheeks. “I haven’t been here in forever! It’s so good to be back! It’s just like I remember it, too! Oh, Twilight, lookit that over there!” she gestured to some building or other in a marketplace beneath them. Twilight looked but couldn’t see it right away. When Rainbow spoke next, she found the target, “That’s one of the best places to go for donuts. Even Donut Joe would be hard-pressed to match them!”

“Blasphemy,” Twilight replied jokingly before returning her gaze down to the city. “Wow… it’s beautiful, Rainbow. I’ll admit, I kinda wish I had wings now. I would love to live here when I’m older.”

“It’s my home, Twily, and it. Is. AWESOME!” Rainbow squee’d again before a touch from Celestia to her shoulder calmed her down a touch.

“It most certainly is,” The Princess added, looking down at Rainbow with a warm smile. She then leaned down and nuzzled the filly affectionately. “It’s good to see you so excited, Rainbow.”

The prismatic pegasus opted to skip the nuzzle and outright hugged Celestia around the neck before looking to the guards pulling the chariot with an impatient scowl. “Hurry up and land this thing, would ya?! I’ve got, like, a billion things to show Twilight!”

“Not to mention visiting Fluttershy,” the aforementioned lavender filly reminded. Rainbow nodded enthusiastically in response.

“Yeah, so let’s land this stupid thing, get you cloud-ready and get a move on!”

Celestia laughed at Rainbow Dash’s eagerness, but otherwise nodded. She peered over the side of the chariot before gesturing to a mostly vacant street. “That street down there looks clear enough. Land us there.” she instructed the guards.

“Right away, your highness!” The guards called back in unison, dutifully veering their course to bring the chariot to a smooth landing on the streets below.

Twilight looked around in awe for several moments, making ready to step off of the chariot before a hoof from Celestia stopped her. She glanced up just in time for a spell to wash over her. Celestia smiled down at Twilight and let her go before stepping off of the chariot herself. Twilight sighed in slight relief when she realized that she had almost stepped off of the chariot without a cloud-walking spell.

She prodded the street with a forehoof and, finding it firm and solid, stepped off. Rainbow stood not far away, looking around nostalgically. “Wow… alright, finding Fluttershy’s place is gonna be a bit of a pain. She’s in one of those free-floating homes, so we’re probably gonna have to do a bit of looking.”

“Fine by me. Lead the way.” Twilight said with a small smile. Rainbow turned and nodded at her friend before her eyes tilted to look past her.

“Oh, cool! The old racetrack is still there!” she said, scrambling past Twilight and lifting into the air. She was looking down on a series of rings made of clouds some distance away, residing near what Twilight could see was the Cloudsdale flight school. She pointed eagerly. “That, Twilight, is where I won that race and performed the sonic rainboom!”

Twilight smiled at Rainbow’s excitement before gazing down onto the lanes in thought. For several moments she simply looked on at it. For a while, she didn't notice the small tendrils of white flickering at the edges of her vision.

"Okay, that's enough sight-seeing for now you two. We should get a move on to find your friend's house, Rainbow." Celestia said, drawing Twilight and Rainbow out of their momentary reverie. The princess turned to her guards. "Do you two remember where we're staying?" when the guards nodded their affirmitive, Celestia gestured for them to get a move on. "Then go ahead and rest yourselves. Just remember that Rainbow Dash will likely be spending her nights here with our hosts."

The guards saluted and took off once more, pulling the chariot along with them, presumably to leave it with local authorities for easy retrieval when it was time to leave. With that done, the three ponies set off into Cloudsdale in search of Fluttershy's house.

Author's Note

I struggled with the ending of this chapter a little bit. But despite that. so begins the new plot-arc,

THE
'Return to Cloudsdale Arc.'

Visiting Friends

“There it is!” Rainbow finally proclaimed after almost half an hour of searching, jabbing her forehoof in the direction of the house in question. For the first fifteen minutes of their search she had insisted on going about it without asking for directions. She felt she still knew her way around well enough to not need the help. But being a city made entirely of moldable clouds, the city layout had changed somewhat since she had lived there. At last they got directions to the residential slab of cloud when Twilight asked (much to Dash’s irritation.)

And it was indeed Fluttershy’s house. A quaint little place, Twilight noted. Stylish but cozy and very well kept. A garage sat behind the main house, a middle-aged stallion that Twilight instantly recognized as Fluttershy’s father stepping out with a satisfied look on his face.

Rainbow wasted no time in announcing her presence. She shoot up with a snap of her wings and waved enthusiastically down on the home. “Heey! We’re heere!” she called out before swooping down for the front door. Twilight rolled her eyes before following along, Celestia only a few paces ahead.

Before they reached the home, however, Celestia outstretched a wing to stop Twilight. She looked down to her student with an apologetic grimace. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but as much as I wish to be here from the start, I feel it best if I excuse myself from this for the time being.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Really? Why?”

Celestia sighed and folded her wing back against her side. “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and you are all fillies of similar age. We came here for Rainbow Dash, so that she could visit her friend and you were invited along. I want you and Dash to just spend some time to be fillies. You aren’t going to be this young forever and I would like for both of you to make the most of it. If I am present, however, my… status will run the risk of disrupting that environment for everypony.”

Twilight made an ‘o’ with her mouth in understanding before clearing her throat. “I understand, Princess Celestia. What are you going to do in the meantime, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I think I’ll pay the rainbow factory a visit. It’s one of Equestria’s most precious pieces of industrial construction, after all. It makes me proud to see how far my little ponies have come…” Celestia smiled fondly before a distant look came over her eyes.

“Princess?”

Celestia snapped out of it and smiled warmly down at Twilight. “Forgive me. Just reminiscing.”

Twilight opened her mouth to say more but was instantly interrupted by the loud voice of Rainbow Dash shouting at her from a newly procured megaphone. “HEY, KILLJOY! GET OVER HERE, WILL YA!?”

Twilight rolled her eyes at the use of that nickname before cantering past Celestia. She briefly paused on the way to wave at the solar princess, who returned the gesture, before breaking into a gallop to meet up with Rainbow and Fluttershy, the latter of which had left the confines of her house to be reunited with her old friend. There was another foal there, a colt with a teal coat and a ragged blonde mane and tail, and he was grinning widely at Dash.

“Took ya long enough,” Rainbow huffed when Twilight finally arrived. Her eyes tilted up to spot Celestia as she was turning to leave. A small frown split her face. “Where’s she going?”

“To let us have un-disrupted filly-time, I guess.” Twilight answered before looking to the teal colt, who was now looking at her with a raised eyebrow. “Who are you? Another friend?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes when said teal colt reeled back and slapped a forehoof to his chest in mock shock. She then turned and gestured as the aforementioned colt. “Right. Suppose I should have warned ya before we got here. This is Zephyr Breeze…”

Fluttershy nodded slightly. “Yes, and he’s my younger brother.”

“Not by much, sis.” Zephyr said with a smirk, his voice carrying a candid and casual tone that instantly set off warning bells in Twilight’s mind. He puffed up a bit before turning back to Twilight and looking her over. He then held out a hoof which smelt like it had not been showered recently. “A pleasure.”

“Nice to meet you, too. You know, I was never told Fluttershy had a brother.” Twilight said with a small, friendly smile. Zephyr looked to Rainbow incredulously.

“Rainbow, gal, why didn’t ya say anything? You know me almost as well as you know Fluttershy, here!” he complained, only for Rainbow to level a flat look at him.

“Yeah, but there isn’t nearly as much to know, so that doesn’t count for much.” she said bluntly, earning a dismissive snort from Zephyr.

While the two made jabs at eachother, once playfully and the other not, Fluttershy sidled up to Twilight and whispered to her. “Um,if it isn’t too much to ask, I wouldn’t mind them if I were you. I mean, if that’s okay. This is how they behaved when Rainbow lived here, too. It’s nothing new.”

Twilight blinked and looked over to Fluttershy. “Maybe, but she also happens to have royalty rights over him.”

Fluttershy nodded before reaching out and pulling Twilight into a timid, friendly hug. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, you too,” Twilight replied while returning the hug before looking over at Rainbow Dash. Said pegasus filly was now adamantly ignoring Zephyr while trotting up to the other fillies present.

“So, Flutters? We gonna stand out here all day or are we gonna go catch up inside?” she asked casually. Fluttershy ‘yipped’ slightly before swiftly cantering for the door.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Here, let me get the door.”

“Again?!” Rainbow shrieked in frustration when Twilight moved her piece to the winner's spot on the board. The prismatic filly shot up into the air of the living room they sat in and spread her forelegs in exasperation. “How?! That’s three times in a row! HOW?!”

“It’s not just a ‘roll the highest numbers’ game, Dash. Don’t forget the cards and what they do. You always used your best cars the instant you got your hooves on them. I waited patiently to make use of my best ones when they would be the most beneficial to me.” Twilight explained with a small smirk, basking in the glow of her ability to plan and use logic to, once again, best Rainbow Dash. The mentally paused and inwardly laughed. The other filly's competitive nature was definitely rubbing off on her, of that there could be no question.

Rainbow groaned in frustration before flopping back to the ground on her haunches. “I hate losing…”

“Well, um, if it helps, I lost every time, too…” Fluttershy added with a small smile. Rainbow huffed indignantly.

“Yeah, but you’re also, like, kind of a pushover sometimes,” Rainbow shot back before her ears snapped up and her eyes widened when she realized what she had just said. “Oh! Uh… sorry.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s okay. You’re upset, I understand.”

“Also, not to be that pony, but…” Twilight sparked up her magic to retrieve a flash card she had borrowed to keep score of one of their earlier rounds and looked it over. “You actually won this one, Fluttershy, remember?”

“Huh?” The yellow pegasus leaned over to look.

“I mean, yeah, I had the most resources when I reached the end of the board, but when you reached the end you had a card that transferred some of my resources to you automatically.” Twilight explained before smirking triumphantly at Rainbow Dash, who simply grumbled and looked away.

“Oh, wow… yay!” Fluttershy pseudo-cheered in barely more than a whisper. Rainbow glanced over at Fluttershy and then chuckled lightly.

“You know, you really should be a lot louder when declaring ‘yay’ or ‘woohoo’ or whatever. That was the quietest sound of celebration I think I’ve ever heard!” Rainbow sidled over and playfully nudged Fluttershy. “Eh, oh well. Good job on winning at least one game against little miss logic-pants over here.”

Twilight pouted. “What happened to Killjoy?”

Rainbow shrugged noncommittally with an amused smile splitting her face. “Eh. Felt like not using it, ya know?”

“Uh-huh…”

Fluttershy, from where she sat, suddenly gasped sharply and shuddered before lifting her forelegs up to her eyes. Her ears fell flat against her head and she leaned onto Rainbow as if going limp. Rainbow felt this and looked to her friend in confusion. That confusion very rapidly shifted to concern. “Woah. Hey, Fluttershy? You alright?”

Fluttershy didn’t respond in any way, save for swaying in place for several seconds before crumpling into Rainbow Dash’s forelegs. Twilight got to her hooves and looked towards the room’s exit. “Mr. Shy! Mrs. Shy! Come here!” she shouted out before trotting over to Fluttershy, who had let her forelegs leave her eyes, which were now wide and unfocused. They had both seen that look before.

“She’s having a flash?” Rainbow asked in shock, loosening her grip and gently positioning Fluttershy so that she was resting her back on the couch.

“Looks like it… oooh, I wish I could get Celestia over here! We could get more information about these things if she were!” Twilight groaned in mild frustration of her own.

The two opted for silence, observing Fluttershy and awaiting her emergence from whatever she was seeing…

“Now, what have we learned?” Rainbow Dash asked in a firm, commanding voice while slowly drifting back and forth in the air like a drill sergeant. Fluttershy stood directly beneath her, staring straight ahead into the greenery of the environment. A few simple homes could be seen off to one side of her field of view.

“Lot’s of control.” She answered with conviction.

“What’s happening?” Fluttershy asked herself mentally as she watched the scene before her unfolk.

“Good.” Rainbow confirmed the validity of her answer with a curt nod.

“Screaming and hollering.” Fluttershy listed off, taking a brief moment to think, her eyes shifting slightly as she did so. What if she was wrong?

“Yes, and most importantly…” Rainbow said, leading the way for Fluttershy to give the final answer.

“Passion.” She declared with what confidence she could muster. Rainbow, for the very briefest of moments, smiled with pride. “Right!” She shot down and came to a stop before Fluttershy, though still hung in the air. “So now that you know the elements of a good cheer, let's hear one!”

Fluttershy took in a deep breath. “Yay.” she cheered in a low, low whisper, though it felt quite passionate and loud to her at the time.

Rainbow Dash stared at Fluttershy for a second, truly perplexed by that… utterly lackluster performance. Her forehoof flew up to connect with her face. “Ugh… you’re gonna cheer for me like that? Louder.”

“Yay.” Fluttershy tried again with virtually no change in her volume.

“Louder!” Rainbow tried again, her own voice rising to try and drill home the point.

“Yay!” Fluttershy tried again, this time maybe gaining a bit of volume. Maybe.

“LOUDER!” Rainbow Dash screamed at her loudly enough to cause a few squirrels over a dozen yards away to scamper away in terror. Fluttershy, not aware of the fuzzy critters or their plight, took in a deep, deep breath.

“Yaay.”

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy for a moment. That was longer, not louder. Giving up, she flopped to the ground and let out a long sigh of defeat.

“Too loud?”

Fluttershy gasped in shock and alarm when the vision shattered and she returned to reality. Rainbow Dash and Twilight were nearly instantly by her side, looking her over for a second before Rainbow gestured for them to back off. “Hey, Fluttershy. You okay?” Rainbow asked softly, sitting back to give the pegasus filly some room.

“Uh… I think so?” Fluttershy mumbled in confusion before looking around a bit. “What was that?”

“We’ve taken to calling them ‘flashes’,” Twilight began with a small nod. “It was that weird ‘hallucination’ thing that happened to me when you visited Canterlot two years ago, remember?”

Fluttershy nodded meekly before looking up and spotting her parents, who were also approaching from where they had been talking with Twilight and Dash a moment prior. “Um... yes, I remember.”

“I’ve had a couple of them, too. Oh, and there was another filly who had one,though I don’t remember her name. She came to Canterlot to seek treatment for it or something.” Rainbow added with a curious look coming over her eyes.

“We still don’t know what causes these flashes or what patterns they have. They don’t seem to have any negative side-effects aside from some disorientation and blacking out for a couple minutes.” Twilight explained before shrugging her shoulders. “For now, though, that’s all we know.”

Fluttershy slowly nodded. “Okay…” she muttered nervously.

Royal 'Priveleges'

“Equestria to Twilight! Ya in there?” Rainbow demanded with a frown forming on her face. Twilight, who had been unresponsive for several minutes, blinked and shook her head at the sudden attention before reaching a forehoof up to her temple. Her head gave a slight throb, and there were small tendrils licking on the edges of her vision, but they were presently receding and she was otherwise fine. She slowly looked up and saw Rainbow Dash looking back at her from the open door of Fluttershy’s home with her frown gradually shifting into a look of concern. “Did you just have another flash?” she asked worriedly.

Twilight shook her head dismissively before smiling weakly at her prismatic friend. “No, no I don’t think so. Just uh, zoned out for a minute is all…” she said before letting the hoof on her temple fall back to the carpeted floor with a soft, dull thump.

Rainbow squinted at Twilight but nodded uncertainly. She didn’t pursue the topic, though, instead shifting around to nod at Fluttershy, who stood waiting just outside. She then turned back to Twilight. “Okay, if you’re sure. Anyways, you heard what I said, right?”

Twilight smiled sheepishly and looked away with a small blush forming on her cheeks. “Uh… no, I don’t think I did. Sorry?”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes with an amused smirk briefly tugging at the corners of her mouth before shrugging casually. “Eh. Okay, let’s try again. Fluttershy and I are going to head outside for a little bit. I’ve been working on my flying and kinda want to show off a bit. No offense or anything, but you can't fly and don’t really have much to tell me when I lift off.”

“Oh, alright. I wouldn’t mind sitting in on your, ahem, ‘performance’ if you don’t mind.” Twilight said with a spark of scholarly interest coming into her eyes. ‘I mean, like you said, I don’t know a whole lot about flying, but I imagine Fluttershy can point a few things out while you’re in the air and I’m always happy to learn new things.”

Rainbow grinned her signature grin and sauntered over to play punch Twilight in the shoulder. “Well, come on, then,” she said before shooting back outside, creating a gust as she passed. Twilight stretched out her sore muscles a bit before standing and making her way for the door. She could hear Rainbow’s voice calling out from the air outside. “I’ve got a spot in mind! Follow me!”

Twilight exited the house and fell into stride next to Fluttershy, who was currently cantering to keep Rainbow in her line of sight. The cocky filly was currently assembling a series of rings made of molded clouds from nearby strays, assembling a course for her to go through. By the time Twilight and Fluttershy arrived, Dash was already doing some stretches where they would be watching from.

“Took you fillies long enough!” She called as they drew near, her grin never leaving her face. Twilight huffed.

“Oh no, so silly of us to move at the speed of normal ponies. My deepest apologies.” She remarked sarcastically before smirking and waiting for Rainbow’s retort.

“Normal is boring, Twilight. I thought you knew that, seeing as you know everything.” came the retort, prompting Twilight to roll her eyes. Fluttershy simply giggled in response to the banter between the two.

“Well, I’m sure you’ve gotten even better at flying since I saw you last, Rainbow.” Fluttershy said with her smile widening in anticipation. “I’m so excited.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, noting how Fluttershy’s voice was quiet as can be and she looked about as energetic as normal, hidden behind her long pink mane. “You call that excited?”

Twilight looked over Fluttershy with a critical eye before smirking again. “Well, she does seem to be standing a bit taller than normal. Her wings are open, a sign of excitement among Pegasi as far as I know, and just look at the shimmer in her eyes! Yeah, she’s excited.”

Fluttershy blushed and side-stepped away from Twilight slightly from the surprise inspection.

Rainbow puffed up her cheeks. “Living up to your nickname, I see.” she said bluntly.

Twilight rolled her eyes and laughed out loud. “Oh shush and get to your routine.”

Rainbow smirked and nodded. “Heh. Alright. Hold onto something, this is gonna be awesome!” she proudly declared while finishing up her stretches and kneeling down for her opening leap. Twilight withheld her witty response and let her friend do her thing. A few seconds of silence passed before Rainbow shot Twilight a look. “What? No snappy comebacks? Lame.”

Before Twilight could even open her mouth to begin uttering a response, Rainbow launched into the air, creating a small gust of wind from the point of lift-off. For a moment, Twilight and Fluttershy lost sight of Dash before catching a glimpse of her over head. She had begun her routine and, true to her word, it was amazing. Twilight actively found her mouth hanging open. True, Dash could pull off some truly stellar moves in Canterlot, but here she had a home-field advantage of sorts.

Cloudsdale was her home, after all.

Suddenly, though, after several minutes of flying and performing astonishing tricks, Rainbow Dash let out a startled yelp when one of her wings clipped the ring she was passing through. Almost instantly she lost all control, spiraling downwards in a chaotic, haphazard free-fall. Fluttershy let out an ear-piercing shriek before darting forward, galloping in an effort to reach where Rainbow Dash was falling. Twilight, too, broke into hot pursuit. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized what was about to happen. There was a sizable gap in the clouds and Rainbow was falling right for it.

Twilight looked up towards her friend with her heart pounding in her chest. Considering the speed Dash had been going at before impact and the fact she hadn’t recovered yet, Twilight could only guess that Rainbow’s wing was hurt too much to use for flight. Twilight came to a stop at the edge of the gap and watched on in a panic. Rainbow’s panicked screams reached her ears once more.

With a grunt of effort, Twilight’s horn sprang to life. A second later, she caught Rainbow Dash in the firm grasp of emotionally charged telekinesis, gradually bringing her high-speed fall to a full stop just at the edge of the clouds. Inside the field of magic, Rainbow was screaming still, though now her voice carried a distinctly different tone.

With a gasp of realization, Twilight swiftly pulled Rainbow Dash back towards her and Fluttershy, gently set her down on the clouds a few feet away, then let go. The aura faded from both her horn and her friend, who was still letting out cries that showed no sign of abating. Fluttershy moved to try and go to Dash, but Twilight quickly put a hoof on her front to stop her. “Wait, Fluttershy…” she said simply before looking back at Rainbow.

“What?! Why? I need to make sure she’s alright!” Fluttershy grunted in protest, pushing against Twilight’s hoof, but the unicorn held firm.

“Give her a moment, please! Handling her with magic is not something I would ever do unless I had absolutely no other choice. It…” Twilight sighed and eased up on her hold on Fluttershy. “It brings back memories of… when she lost her parents. She’s liable to lash out at us if we get too close. Give her a second to calm down, okay?”

Fluttershy wilted significantly but nodded, looking past Twilight to Rainbow Dash, whose wails had steadily died down to quiet whimpers. After a few more moments, Twilight let go of Fluttershy and they both ran to Rainbow’s side. “Rainbow? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked softly, gingerly reaching out and touching a hoof to Rainbow’s shoulder.

Rainbow flinched harshly under the physical contact before slowly moving to sit up. “Ooow… I… yeah, I th-think so…” any further words she would have spoken were abruptly cut off when she let out a pained yelp, reaching a forehoof over to her right wing. “Ack! Oh, ow that hurts!”

Twilight gave a quick glance and grimaced. “Ooh, yeah that looks bad… Okay,” she looked to Fluttershy. “Come on, help me stand her up. You have a first aid kit?”

“It’s not that bad, you guys. I’ll be- GAH!” Rainbow yelped in pain again when she tried to stand, the muscles along her side and shoulder sending another spike of pain down her wing.

“You hush,” Twilight scolded harshly before looking to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, I need you to go back to your house and talk to your parents. They can get a doctor a lot faster than either of us could.”

Not bothering to ask, Fluttershy nodded and broke into a gallop for her house. Twilight watched her go for a second before moving to Rainbow’s left side. “Okay, up we go.” she said gently while helping Rainbow up.

Rainbow grimaced but otherwise said nothing. Twilight gave her a reassuring smile before gradually guiding her back towards Fluttershy’s house. The silence Twilight was hoping for was shattered before it even started when a couple of voices started laughing. The voices of colts, condescending and mocking. Just the tone of the laugh was enough to make her coat bristle in irritation.

“Oh, no… not them.” Rainbow groaned out, letting her head drop, then wincing as the movement pulled the wrong muscles.

Twilight glanced up and saw a couple of pegasus colts flying down to greet them, their attention more on Rainbow Dash than Twilight. One was a bright orange color with a brown mane and tail with three basket balls for a cutie mark. The other was a dark brown colt with an almost white mane and tail with a dumbbell for a cutie mark.

The orange one spoke first. “Wow! First day back home and already living up to your name, eh Rainbow Crash?!” he asked with a taunting sneer. Rainbow tensed up against Twilight.

“Shut up, Hoops. Nopony asked you.” she seethed out between clenched teeth.

“Well, no, nopony asked.” The other colt started with his own smirk growing. “But hey! Who says they have to?”

Rainbow looked up at them furiously, but Twilight gave her a soft nudge to get her attention. When Dash was looking at her, Twilight shook her head. “Sit down.” Twilight urged gently before setting Dash onto her backside and stepping in front of her.

“Oh? Who's this? A unicorn? Up here?” Hoops asked in genuine shock. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting to see that today.”

“Do you even know who you’re talking to?” Twilight began in an almost casual voice, though the very slight, venomous undertone to her words was not unnoticed by the colts before her.

“Uh… no?” the other colt shrugged.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she then turned and gestured at Rainbow Dash. “And who is that?”

Hoops snorted. “Well, duh. That’s Rainbow Dash. We call her Rainbow Crash though. I think you can tell why.”

Twilight nodded slowly before making a show of thinking something over. “Okay, let’s see here… that’s two counts of a derogatory insult on Rainbow’s name, one count of refusing to bow in her presence...”

“What the hay are you blabbering on about?” Hoops asked with a frown crossing his face. Twilight shot him a glare.

“...One count of interrupting her friend…”

The brown colt was starting to look a bit worried when Twilight’s gaze looked between both of them. He turned to Hoops. “Uh, maybe-”

“Oh! And how could I forget?” Twilight let a predatory look come over her face. “Two counts of disrespecting her status by not using her title.”

Hoops recoiled slightly. “Title?”

Twilight exaggeratedly rolled her eyes before taking a step towards the two colts. “Oh, come on. Have you two had your heads in gutters for the last two years? Didn’t you ever hear about Princess Celestia’s daughter?”

“Well, yeah, of course we did. What does that-” The brown colt started before Twilight lunged so she was directly in his face, a scowl on her own.

“Do you remember the name of said daughter? Hm?”

Hoops blinked, scratching his head and thinking back. “Uh… no, not really.”

Twilight let a threatening grin cross her face. “Well, then, allow me to introduce Princess Rainbow Dash, adopted daughter of Princess Celestia and, might I add, the pony you insulted as soon as you showed up?”

The color drained from Hoops’ face. “Wh… what?” he looked at Twilight disbelievingly. “You’re bluffing.”

Twilight scowled and strutted up to him, next. “Am I? Look me in the eye and say that again. I can add a count of attempted misdirection to the list.”

There were several long moments of tense silence before the smirk spread on Twilight’s face again. “Go away and never bug Rainbow Dash again and just maybe we can ignore the impressive list of charged you’ve accumulated, eh?” for a few seconds, sweat dribbled down the two colts necks before Twilight lost her smile to a scowl. “Shoo.”

Like magic, the two colts swiftly backed away and then broke into a retreating flight, leaving Twilight and Rainbow Dash on their own, the latter gawking at Twilight like she had grown two new heads. She then lost her wide-mouthed look of shock and broke into a fit of giggles. “Y’know none of those were actual crimes, right?” she asked between laughs.

Twilight smiled before helping Rainbow back up and guiding her along. “I know; but they clearly didn’t.”

Rainbow chuckled again. “Heh. I’ve never seen you lay down the law like that before.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Awful pun aside, you’re welcome.”

The two shared a short laugh before looking at Twilight curiously. “Though, I gotta ask, what made you go about it like that? I was half expecting you t just punt them away with a magic bomb-shell or something.”

Twilight shook her head before smiling at her friend. “You needed an ego boost, I thought. Using your status to spook off those bullies seemed like a good way to go about it.”

Rainbow laughed again before speaking in a softer tone. “Well, thanks Twilight. One royal privilege I’m glad to have more than others is that I got you for a friend.”

Author's Note

Suggestion Used

I still picture one of these chapters, Rainbow will be trying to get the Rainboom to work, where when she fails, Twilight has to debate how to catch her, before stopping her in midair with magic and then apologizing heavily.

Supplied by 'The Not-so-ultimate writ'

This chapter proved difficult to work with, mainly the starting it part. But hey! Here ye go. :P

Endings, Beginings

Four days later…

“Dangit!” Rainbow groaned in severe frustration just outside of the Cloudsdale hospital. She had just finished spending the last four days there having her wing healed up after her crash. This would be the last day they could spend in Cloudsdale before having to return to Canterlot. Princess Celestia, Twilight and Fluttershy all gave the prismatic pegasus looks of sympathy.

It was Celestia who spoke next. “I know how badly you wanted this visit to go off without a hitch. I am sorry that things turned out so… poorly,” she then shifted her eyes briefly to Twilight. “But please remember that they could have turned out far, far worse had Twilight not caught you.”

Rainbow nodded with a heavy sigh. “Yeah… Yeah, I know,” she turned her glum expression on Fluttershy and gave a weak smile. “Sorry we don’t have more time…”

Fluttershy shook her head and smiled back. “It’s alright, Rainbow. I don’t blame you. You got hurt and needed to get fixed up.”

Twilight gave a small nod of her own. “Exactly. And besides, there’s always next time.”

Rainbow perked up just slightly and looked to her adoptive mother eagerly. “Oh! When can we come again?”

Celestia deflated slightly at that question, knowing she was about to disappoint Rainbow Dash. “I’m not sure, Rainbow. It will probably be a few months at the very least, and that is a very generous estimate.”

Rainbow sighed and lost her smile at that. “Oh… alright.” she scuffed the ground with a hoof and then began to trot forward. She paused next to Fluttershy before leaning over and giving her a quick hug.

“We still have a few hours, Rainbow,” Twilight pointed out hopefully while looking to Celestia for confirmation. The alicorn nodded, giving Twilight the green light to continue her thought. “We can still spend some time with Fluttershy before we have to go home. Just, you know, nothing too active.”

Rainbow glanced at Twilight and then to Fluttershy with a small frown. “No more of that board game. I’m not suffering anymore losses while I’m here.” she said firmly, to which everypony else gave responses of amusement. Fluttershy giggled, Twilight snorted with a smirk and Celestia held a hoof up to cover her own small laughs.

“Actually,” Fluttershy ventured with her smile growing. “I have something in mind if, you know, if that’s okay.”

Rainbow grinned widely and nodded. “Well, yeah! Let’s hear it.”

Fluttershy nodded and gestured with a forehoof towards the flight academy, which was currently closed for the day. “We could go and relax by the old racing rings. Where you did the sonic rainboom, remember?”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow before glancing between everypony present. “Er, why there, out of curiosity?”

Fluttershy reached out and gently tapped Rainbow’s shoulder. “Well, that’s also when I got my cutie mark. The rainboom scared all of those little critters and I had to comfort them. I don't think I would have ever found out how much I love animals if it wasn’t for that. I guess I… want to reminisce?” she explained before shrinking slightly. “That is, if it’s okay with you.”

Twilight gave her own nod of agreement. “Hey, that sounds fine by me. I’ve kinda been meaning to ask a few questions about that, actually…”

Rainbow looked between the two and then nodded with her own smile returning in full. “Alright, I got’cha. Let’s go.”

For the last while, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Twilight had all been sitting on a stray cloud, looking down on the flight academy and the race track. At first it had been silent between them, just relaxing. Gradually, though, conversation began to spring up between Rainbow and Fluttershy as they discussed the day she had performed the rainboom. Twilight listened with interest for a while, but once again she found herself zoning out. The white tendrils were appearing on the edges of her vision as she looked down upon the race rings. If she listened closely, she thought she could hear another set of voices, both distraught…

You don’t know what it’s like to lose a friend because of a cutie mark!

Twilight blinked when Rainbow Dash pressed a hoof to her shoulder, shaking her out of her trance. “Huh, what? Did you say something?” she asked, blinking rapidly and shaking her head to clear the fog. Rainbow flinched back from Twilight’s response.

“Uh… yeah. I was asking if you wanted to ask your questions about my rainboom?” Dash asked with a small frown of worry crossing her face. She leaned over and looked at Twilight in the eye very critically. “You alright?”

“Yes, Rainbow. I’m fine,” Twilight said, playfully shoving Dash away while being careful not to agitate her still tender wing. “And sure. I guess the first thing I want to know is what was the date you performed the rainboom on? Like, the day you got your cutie mark is kind of like a second birthday. Everypony remembers there own.”

Rainbow gave a small smirk. “It was the fourteenth of, uh, march, I think? I don’t remember exactly, now that I think about it. The following couple of months were kinda, well, stressful, if you’ll remember…”

Twilight nodded slowly with a small look of sympathy on her face. “Right, sorry. Well, I asked because the way you kept describing it, the Rainboom, that is, reminded me of the day I got my cutie mark, which was on the fourteenth of march.”

Fluttershy leaned forward to look past Rainbow Dash at Twilight. “Really? How did you get yours?”

Rainbow scrunched up her nose a bit. “Yeah, now that you mention it, you never told me your cutie mark story either. Spill!” She declared with an eager grin forming.

But when I stop the Rainboom… YOU WILL!

Twilight gave a small grunt, her head throbbing in protest. A forehoof reached up and pressed itself just under her horn, hoping to lessen the sudden pain. “What the…?” she mumbled.

Glancing up, she noticed that Rainbow Dash had also reached up to her head, grimacing in discomfort. “Ow, this is different…” she grumbled, her eyes losing focus.

Twilight gasped slightly, unable to formulate much of a response through the sudden flickering white in her eyes and the heaviness in her head.

And when I destroy this scroll, THERE WILL BE NO WAY FOR YOU TO CHANGE IT!

Those words echoing in Twilight and Rainbow’s minds, they both let out startled cries as their senses were overwhelmed by a flood of sights and sounds. From the outside, Fluttershy watched the two fearfully, realizing that they were both succumbing to a flash.

“Starlight, you’re right! I don’t know what you went through, but I do know you can’t do this!” An adult, alicorn Twilight Sparkle cried out in despair while reaching out for the bright lilac colored unicorn who stood on the clouds above her. Twilight leaned forward in desperation, pleading. “I’ve seen where this leads, and so have you!”

From where she stood, young Twilight watched the proceedings with wide eyes and a slack jaw. For the first time she was watching from outside of the flashes depiction of her. When she looked up to the unicorn, her eyes caught sight of somepony else standing to her right. Turning to look, she saw Rainbow Dash looking up with a slack jaw and wide eyes as well. She turned to Twilight. “Are we… BOTH having this?!” she asked, clearly flummoxed.

Twilight turned back to the two mares confronting each other and grimly nodded. “I think so…”

“I only saw what you showed me! Who knows what will really happen?!” The unicorn dismissed furiously, a magical scroll, half rent, floating by her in a bright blue magical aura.

The alicorn glanced behind her at something moving not far away. Twilight and Rainbow followed her gaze and went rigid at what they saw. “The race…” Rainbow whispered disbelievingly, watching as her own younger self shot by with the bullies struggling to keep up with her.

“I’ve seen it a dozen times! Things don’t turn out well in Equestria without my friends!” The alicorn tried again, taking a hesitant step forward. The unicorn snapped her eyes shut, a shudder visibly passing through her.

“UGH! What is so special about your friends?!” she demanded, the scroll tearing a little bit more. She opened her eyes to show they were going bloodshot. “How could a group of ponies that are so different… be so important?!”

The alicorn slowly strode forward, a small, hopeful smile appearing on her face. Seemingly ignored now, the race continued, the moment of the rainboom drawing closer. “The differences between me and my friends are the very things that make our friendship strong…” the alicorn said gently.

The unicorn opened her eyes once more, having slammed them shut when she tore the scroll again. Tears were welling up in her eyes, and her entire body was trembling. “I thought Sunburst and I were the same… but we turned out different, and it TORE OUR FRIENDSHIP APART!” the mare screamed out, the tears now flowing freely down her cheeks to fall through the clouds.

Twilight looked up along with Rainbow, observing the race continuing the unfold.

“So try again!” The alicorn suggested, raising into the air on her wings. “Make new friends. And if something happens that you can’t control that changes things, work through it together! That’s what friendship is.”

The race continued on. The unicorn dropped her gaze, her eyes losing some of their fiery intensity to one of doubt and longing. The alicorn continued on after a moment. “And it’s not just my friendships that are important, to Equestria, everypony's are! When yours ended, it brought us here. But just imagine all the others that are waiting for you out there if you just give them a chance.”

The unicorn closed her eyes again, struggling to withhold her emotions. “How… how do I know they won't all end up the same way?”

The alicorn drifted down to stand before the unicorn with a forehoof outstretched. “I guess it’s up to you to make sure they don’t.”

From where they stood, Twilight and Rainbow felt a spike run through their heads at the same moment. Both of them collapsed, wrapping their forelegs over their heads in an effort to suppress the sudden, intense pain. Looking up, Twilight saw the younger Rainbow Dash, upon reaching one of the rings, suddenly turn up. There was an explosion of blinding light and colors, a ring of prismatic light expanding out from the point where the sound barrier had been thoroughly broken.

A feeling passed through Twilight and Rainbow then, like something clicked into place. After a few moments, they looked back just in time to see the alicorn and unicorn disappear into a hole in the sky, which closed immediately after. For several moments, everything was quiet, save for the distant cheering of excited pegasus foals.

Then, the younger Rainbow flew around to stand almost directly in front of Twilight, looking out to where the alicorn and unicorn had been just moments prior. She tilted her head curiously. “Who were they…?” she asked in confusion.

As soon as she said that, Twilight and Rainbow Dash felt like they were yanked hard to the side from within their own heads. They both toppled sideways, the world spiraling and melting away around them. Twilight looked up once she regained her balance. Her mouth hung open and a gasp left her mouth. Both she and Rainbow were in that white void, a ribbon of multi colored light stretching and weaving through the endless expanse. The ribbon shuddered and, from one point, it began to dissolve along the length. New energy began to form where the old had been.

Rainbow turned to Twilight with a look of shock and confusion. “Twilight, what are we looking at?!”

“I… I don’t know!” the lavender filly replied fearfully, looking around and scanning the environment, looking for any clues to explain what they were looking at. After a few moments, she looked up and gasped. That alicorn and the unicorn she had been speaking to could be seen, standing on a slowly disintegrating platform of purplish crystal. The mare had closed her eyes tight, looking like she was prepared for something horrible to happen. The alicorn looked up at Twilight.

And the vision shattered, leaving Twilight and Rainbow Dash to pass out on the clouds next to Fluttershy upon the clouds overlooking the course where Rainbow Dash had performed the sonic rainboom...

Author's Note

Okay, this chapter just kinda happened. I didn't plan ANYTHING in this one, yet we wound up getting a scene that goes with the cover art. O.o

Waking up

When Rainbow Dash woke next, it was to the dim illumination of the moon outside her window casting stripes of pale light across the floors and walls of her bedroom in Canterlot castle. Turning her still heavy-feeling head to the left, she could just make out the flowing aetherial tale of Princess Celestia poking out from the balcony. Considering the angle, Rainbow guessed that the night had just now gotten fully into motion. After a few seconds, Celestia turned around and slowly stepped inside the room, her eyes downcast and her ears flat against her head. She glanced up and jumped in surprise to see Rainbow Dash looking back.

With a long, tired groan, Rainbow sat up slightly to stretch. “Oi… what, ugh… what happened?” she mumbled softly, reaching her forelegs up to rub at her eyes. Celestia looked at Rainbow for several seconds, her eyes shifting rapidly, a sign that Rainbow had come to learn meant that Celestia was trying to think of something quickly.

“I’m not sure of all of the details. From what I understand, both you and Twilight passed out after going still and silent for several minutes. According to Fluttershy, you were both having flashes before losing consciousness.” Celestia explained slowly before sitting down next to Rainbow’s bed and reaching a hoof out to stroke her mane.

Rainbow hummed and relaxed under her adoptive mother’s ministrations, closing her eyes. Then her eyes opened up wide and she looked to Celestia urgently. “Wait, Celestia; how long were we out?”

Celestia flinched and set her foreleg down on the floor beneath her. “You’ve been out for four days, Rainbow Dash. I don’t know if Twilight is awake yet, as her parents are the ones looking after her.”

Rainbow’s jaw dropped in shock. She looked down at her blankets and took a deep breath. “Wow… that long, huh?”

Rainbow was snapped out of her despondent mutterings when Princess Celestia climbed up onto the bed with her, settled down behind her and pulled her into a relieved embrace. “I… I was worried about you…” she muttered quietly to Rainbow, who in turn let herself be hugged, even snuggled into it a bit, though she would forever deny it.

“Huh? Really?” she asked all the same, glancing up at Celestia curiously, who then nodded slowly.

“Yes. When I examined you and Twilight after you passed out, your minds were incredibly active. There was so much going on that… I was afraid you either wouldn’t wake up or, if you did, you would be… damaged.” Celestia admitted, a nervous shiver passing through her entire body as she pulled Rainbow closer.

“Damaged?” Rainbow asked carefully, reaching her forelegs forward to drape them over Celestia’s in as much of a hug as her current angle could allow.

“A brain that doesn’t rest can suffer serious damage. You may not have been yourself, you may have awoken with amnesia or, worse, you may not have been able to do anything… awake but unaware...” Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly when she felt something wet drip onto the back of her neck. She craned her neck to see that Princess Celestia’s eyes were letting the occasional tear slip out.

“Woah… are you okay?” Rainbow asked gingerly, shifting so she could face the alabaster alicorn more directly. Celestia nodded rigidly before wiping a foreleg over her eyes to brush away the tears.

“Y-yes… I am. I just… I don’t want to lose you, Rainbow, not when…” she fell short in her words, her eyes turning down to evade Rainbow’s gaze.

“...Er, ‘not when’ what?” Rainbow pressed gently, touching a hoof to Celestia’s shoulder in reassurance.

Celestia looked up for only a moment before dropping her eyes again. “...Rainbow… forgive me, I said too much. I can’t tell you; not quite yet-”

Rainbow’s eyes turned firm as a disapproving frown crossed her face. “Nuh-uh, not this again.”

“I’m sorry?” Celestia looked up at Rainbow in surprise at the filly’s words.

Rainbow jabbed Celestia, albeit lightly, in the chest with her hoof. “You’re not dodging this one. I let you dodge it every other time as it was related to the flashes Twi and I keep having, but those are usually harmless. But this?” Rainbow shook her head fiercely. “It sounds like you’ve got something up your sleeve for me directly, and I for one would very much like to know!”

Celestia fell silent for several seconds before a small smile formed on her face. “...You are so much like your aunt…”

The room fell completely silent. Rainbow Dash got up and took a step back to look at Celestia more completely. “...What?”

Celestia sniffled slightly, a fond smile crossing her face. “Your aunt… Luna. My little sister.”

“Luna? That doesn’t sound familiar… where is she?” Rainbow asked curiously. She was taken aback by the sudden fragility Celestia was putting on display. Her eyes slowly turned back up to Rainbow’s from the sheets they had been staring at, revealing a dozen lifetimes of regret.

“Princess Luna… is…” Celestia stood and slowly trotted to the balcony, beckoning Rainbow Dash to follow her. Rainbow did as instructed, coming up to Princess Celestia’s side and looking up. Celestia pointed at the moon and the etchings of ‘The Mare in The Moon’ looking back at them.

Rainbow’s eyes widened in realization. She turned to Celestia, gawking at her disbelievingly. “Woah, woah, woah! You mean that Nightmare Moon is your little sister?!”

Celestia turned a firm look on Rainbow, making her go quiet. The intensity in her eyes was swiftly lost to one of guilt. “...In a way. Nightmare Moon was the new name that all of my Little Sister’s jealousy and resentment took up for itself. It… usurped her, in a way.”

Rainbow watched as Celestia sat down, locking eyes with the Mare in the Moon longingly. She turned to look and gulped before voicing her next question. “Uh… so, she changed?”

Celestia sighed heavily. “One of the gravest risks of becoming an alicorn is the duality of the mind it creates. Every spark of magic creates a sort of light within the pony that magic belongs to. The brighter that light, the more powerful and more concentrated that magic becomes, the longer and darker the shadow it casts will invariably become. The ascension of an Alicorn brings even more magic into the pony, allowing for truly monstrous shadows to be cast in their wake.

She turned her gaze back to Rainbow Dash. “It was that darkness burning behind my sister that swallowed her. Took a life of it’s own… Nightmare Moon was born out of Luna’s own jealousy and resentment.”

“Jealousy and resentment…?” Rainbow echoed, most of that magic talk going over her head. She looked away for a moment in thought before glancing back up at Princess Celestia. “What was she jealous about?”

Celestia grimaced and looked up at the moon again. “...Me.”

“Huh?”

“Princess Luna raised the moon each and every night. She always had a fondness for the calm and quiet, for softer shades and subtler notions. She found the night a perfect time to relax and reflect, to appreciate the less obvious beauties of our world.” Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. “I should have seen it sooner, but… there were very few ponies who actually saw her night. Most went to sleep at sundown, and most still do. She saw such a wellspring of beauty and wonder in the night and nopony else even bothered to look, preferring to work and play in the day before turning in.”

Rainbow looked down slightly at the city beneath them, deep in thought. She turned her eyes back to Celestia sympathetically. “...And you had to send her away?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes… it has been almost nine hundred and ninety six years since then by now.”

Rainbow wilted and looked away. “I… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. She won’t be gone much longer…” Celestia said with a small smile forming on her lips. Rainbow looked up with a raised eyebrow, seeing an eageress in her adoptive mother’s eyes she had never seen before. Celestia turned her eyes back to Rainbow Dash. “Before I say anymore, I want you to swear to me that you will not repeat any of what I am about to tell you.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened just slightly in surprise, but she nodded solemnly. “I won’t say a word, I promise.”

Celestia nodded, satisfied before speaking. “Her imprisonment will end on the one-thousandth year of the Summer Sun Celebration… And I want so very much for you to meet her. She will finally come home and… and I can introduce her to her new niece, you to your aunt and…” her smile only grew. “...and I can finally have my sister back home.”

Rainbow nodded slowly, unsure of what to say. She looked away again before closing her eyes. A thought occurred to her. “When Princess Luna comes back… will she, you know, still be Nightmare Moon?”

Celestia wilted and nodded. “Yes… but that is a matter we can address when the time draws nearer. For now, we have almost five years until she is released. Let’s not worry too much about it for the time being, okay?”

Rainbow nodded in understanding before reaching over and hugging Princess Celestia’ foreleg. Celestia giggled and brushed Rainbow’s mane back a few times before the filly looked back up at her. “On a somewhat unrelated note, were you by my bed the whole time I was out?” Rainbow asked with a small smirk starting to form.

Celestia nodded and reached down to nuzzle her daughter. “Of course I was, Rainbow Dash. Why wouldn’t I be? Even if others see it as only by paperwork, you are my daughter and I love the same way any mother should love their foal.”

“Uegh,” Rainbow play-gagged before play-punching Celestia in the elbow. “Try not to take the sap too far. I can only take so much.”

Celestia merely smiled and nodded. “As you wish,” she then slowly stood back to her full height and turned. “As it is, however, the hour grows late and I need rest. I will speak with you in the morning, my little pony.”

“Alright. Good night, Tia,” Rainbow called back before letting herself up into her bed again. “Dunno how I’m going to sleep. I mean, I’ve been out for days, but, well, I’ll think of something.” she grinned confidently at Celestia.

Celestia paused halfway through the door before looking back at Rainbow Dash with a smile of her own. Said smile slowly faded, however. “Actually, before I forget, there is one last matter I wish to discuss with you before I go to bed for the night.”

Rainbow lifted an eyebrow as Celestia closed the door, locked it, and then cast a sound-proofing spell over the entire room. She slowly stepped forward and sat down to look at Dash carefully in the eye. Rainbow fidgeted under her gaze. “Uh, okay? What?”

Celestia sat upright and nodded, as if to herself, before speaking. “The flash that you and Twilight had. I wish to know exactly what it was you saw,” she raised a hoof before Rainbow could begin, leveling a firm look at her. “This flash is greatly different from the others, so I do not want you to spare any details. Tell me everything.”

Feeling suddenly nervous, Rainbow Dash could only hope that Twilight’s eye for detail had rubbed off on her a little bit. She opened her mouth and began to recite what she and her friend had seen.

Author's Note

Slightly shorter than I was hoping, but close enough to work.

This marks the end of the
Return to Cloudsdale Arc.

Finding Sunburst

Twilight Sparkle has not yet awoken. Even with over two weeks having passed, young Twilight is still deeply unconscious. She now resides inside one of the private infirmaries of Canterlot Castle by order of Rainbow Dash, so that she may get the best treatment as swiftly as possible. Twilight’s new sleeping arrangements also allow for Rainbow Dash and castle guard Shining Armor to visit her when they have the free time.

With the intense flash that sent her sister-like friend into her coma weighing heavily upon Rainbow’s mind, the young pegasus takes to the skies over canterlot, hoping for some clarity amid the wind and clouds…

“Ugh… this sucks.” Rainbow mumbled irritably to herself, lazily dragging her gaze over the streets of Canterlot beneath her as she slowly flew over them. She wasn’t trying to go fast right now, just moving at whatever speed the winds took her. It was presently the middle of the day and the sky was clear, save for a few stray clouds that added some texture to the blue expanse overhead.

Below, Rainbow spotted numerous fillies and colts stepping out of Celestia’s school for their recess and lunch hour. She saw Minuette, Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, Moon Dancer… still no Twilight, though.

That’s because Twilight is hooked up to all sorts of fancy medical stuffs up in the castle… Rainbow thought bitterly to herself before a sigh escaped her. “It’s stupid…” she growled under her breath before dropping her altitude slightly. She saw a couple other fillies and colts among the crowd of unicorn students she recognized, though she didn’t know their names. There were plenty of them just sitting in groups, chatting while having their lunch. Others were playing games with their magic and others still were doing some light reading before class resumed.

And then there was an orange colt, sitting with his back to a tree and looking intently into his textbook. To be honest, though, the colt himself wasn’t what drew Rainbow’s attention to him. It was a pair of fillies approaching him with an almost predatory look to their approach. Finding herself curious, Rainbow Dash gradually came to a stop, using a stray bit of cloud as cover.

The orange colt looked up and adjusted the glasses on his face. “Huh? What do you want?” he asked with a worried frown crossing his face. The two fillies snickered to each other for a moment before the older looking of the two, a bright purple filly with a silver mane and tail, sauntered forward.

“I guess my friend and I were just wondering when you were going to start being good at magic?” she asked tauntingly. The colt narrowed his eyes and looked back down into his book.

“It won't come any faster with you two bugging me all the time.” he grumbled through clenched teeth.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the group as their discussion continued. “Another pair of bullies, huh? You’d think Celestia’s school would have higher standards…”

“Oh come on, Sunburst,” the other filly spoke in an intentionally irritating whine, “You’re always the first to raise your hoof in class to explain a concept or whatever, but you have trouble with even the most basic of spells we’ve been taught this year.”

Rainbow’s ears snapped to attention and her eyes widened. “Sunburst…?” she whispered disbelievingly while sitting bolt upright. The words of that unicorn in the flash, Starlight, echoed in her mind.

I thought Sunburst and I were the same… but we turned out different, AND IT TORE OUR FRIENDSHIP APART!!!

Sunburst...

Could this be…?

“You think I don’t know that?!” Sunburst snapped, sitting up and glaring at the two fillies in front of him. “I get it, okay?! I’m short in the power department, but knowledge is just as useful!”

The fillies burst out into laughter, having gotten the response they wanted. “Not without power to back it up~” The silver-maned one jeered out. Sunburst’s ears flattened back against his head and he slammed his eyes shut.

“Sh-shut up…”

Rainbow had seen enough.

“Okay, that’s enough!” She called out almost casually before jumping off of her cloud and shooting down to stand between Sunburst and the other two. She hit the ground with enough force to kick up a sizable cloud of dust, causing all three of the foals around her to cover their faces and go into coughing fits. Gradually, the fillies hysterics ended and they looked forward, eager to verbally tear apart the pony that interrupted them.

Then they saw who it was.

“Uh-oh…” the purple one whimpered, shrinking away from Rainbow’s serious glare. After a moment of silence, Rainbow pointed at them with a hoof.

“Names?”

“Uh? Oh, uh, m-my name is White Wand, this is Gem Spark, your majesty.” the purple one, White Wand, said nervously in a trembling voice. Rainbow nodded slowly.

“Alright. White Wand, Gem Spark, I want you two to shove off and not bug this colt again. If you do, I’ll make sure Celestia deals with you personally. Can’t be having bullies in her big, fancy school, now can we?” Rainbow asked while looking at them both in the eyes intensely. “Clean up your act and go away. Now.”

The fillies wasted no time in turning around and galloping away, leaving Rainbow Dash glaring after them and Sunburst gaping at her in awe and wonder. After a moment, Rainbow turned around and gave Sunburst a big, friendly smile.

“Hiya.”

Sunburst’s glasses slipped down his muzzle a few inches. After a moment he pushed them back up before bowing to Rainbow Dash. “Thank you for your help, Princess…” he mumbled respectfully. Rainbow rolled her eyes and lightly thwacked him on the shoulder.

“Stop bowing, would ya? It bothers me,” she said light-heartedly, at which Sunburst gradually stood back up. “Secondly, I don’t like bullies. I had a couple I had to deal with back in Cloudsdale on a routine basis and it was a pain in my butt, to be sure.”

“Right…” Sunburst looked away, unsure of how to speak to Rainbow, who was still standing there. After a moment, Rainbow’s expression hardened slightly.

“While I did help you get rid of the bullies because bullies are bad, I did actually have another reason for approaching you,” she said simply, causing Sunburst to perk up and look at her curiously. Rainbow sighed and leaned over, speaking in a quiet voice. “Do you know anypony by the name of Starlight?”

Sunburst jumped in surprise. “Starlight? Starlight Glimmer? Er, yes, I know her. Why? Did something happen? Is she okay?!” he asked in concern before Rainbow stuffed a hoof in his mouth.

“Yeah, see, that’s the thing; we can’t really talk about this in public. I take it Celestia’s inside?” she said in a sharp whisper. Sunburst nodded, now a bit worried. Rainbow nodded as well before removing her hoof from his mouth. “Alrighty, then. Come on. We’re probably going to have some questions for you.”

Confused and somewhat nervous, Sunburst nodded slowly and followed Rainbow as she made her way to the large building that was Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.

Celestia glanced up from behind her desk when the door to the office swung wide open without even so much as a knock or an announcement of who it was. Predictably, this meant it was Rainbow Dash. Celestia smiled at her daughter as she strode in, then lost her smile to a confused frown at the orange colt behind her. She shot Rainbow a small smirk. “Are you going to keep bringing me other foals, Rainbow? This is the second time you’ve just shown up with one.”

Rainbow jabbed a hoof at the alicorn. “Last time, you were the one to come to the filly. I simply announced that she was there and that we needed your insight,” she shot back with a smirk of her own before turning to face Sunburst a bit more seriously. “As it is, this is Sunburst.”

Celestia nodded with a small frown. “I know the names of my students, Rainbow.”

“Right. Anyways, you remember that one mare I mentioned when I told you about the flash? The unicorn called ‘Starlight?” Rainbow continued on without missing a beat. Celestia slowly nodded with a raised eyebrow. “She mentioned somepony named Sunburst. I get the feeling this is the same pony.”

Sunburst looked between the two with deep confusion in his eyes. “Uh… with all due respect your majesties… what are we talking about?”

Celestia put on a comforting smile and nodded for Rainbow to close the door. “A bit of an explanation is required,” she began while Rainbow did as instructed, closing the office door with a soft ‘click.’ “You see, several of my subjects, including my faithful, personal student, Twilight Sparkle, have been experiencing strange visions over the last two years. They always seem to depict situations of their adult selves, sometimes among familiar faces, sometimes not.”

“What makes it odd is that, sometimes, these ‘visions’ are just straight-up not possible.” Rainbow added with a small frown on her face.

Celestia nodded along before continuing. “Now, as it stands, these flashes, as we have dubbed them, are typically harmless. They cause the pony experiencing them to suffer through a complete black-out for up to several minutes before they snap out of it, a bit dizzy and confused, but otherwise fine,” Celestia then slowly stood up from her place behind her desk and circled around it before setting herself down to be close to Sunburst’s eye level. “But the most recent flash that we know of took place over two weeks ago. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle were knocked out from the force of this flash for several days and Twilight has not yet woken up. They experienced this flash at the same time as well, which is something that has not occurred in any of the others.”

Sunburst blinked and nodded slowly, trembling a bit but took some comfort in the gentleness of Celestia’s voice. “Okay… I’ll help however I can, but what does this even have to do with me? You said Starlight was in one of these ‘flashes’?”

“Yeah she was,” Rainbow nodded firmly. “She was in the big flash that put Twilight, my friend, into a coma. And she referenced you by name!”

Sunburst instantly shrunk away as some of Rainbow’s pent up frustration began to leak into her words. Celestia swiftly brought a wing in front of Rainbow and shot her a look. After a moment, Rainbow sat down and started taking deep breaths to calm herself. As she did so, Celestia looked once more to Sunburst.

“I would like you to tell me more about Starlight. From the way Rainbow described her flash, it sounds like you and her are friends.”

Sunburst scuffed the floor with a hoof awkwardly, his ears falling against his head. “Well… I mean… We kinda… lost touch.” he finally managed regretfully.

“Where does she live, then?” Rainbow asked, having regained some composure.

“Uh, in my hometown. We spent all of our free time together before I got my cutie mark and came here…” Sunburst answered a bit hesitantly.

“Hm… the way you say it makes it sound like she’s just a filly. Is that correct?” Celestia prodded gently, to which Sunburst only nodded. Celestia slowly sat up and frowned. “Rainbow, a discrepancy has appeared.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Rainbow grumbled while slapping a forehoof to her face in exasperation. “The Starlight that Twilight and I saw was a full-grown pony… No new leads there, then.”

Sunburst fidgeted awkwardly as the room gradually fell into a thoughtful silence. “So… now what?” he asked with an awkward smile.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Well, you go on and go back to your studies, okay? Try not to bring this up with anypony else, okay?”

Sunburst nodded before bowing to Celestia. Then, without another word, he turned and left the room, a bit more briskly than seemed normal. Rainbow glanced up to Celestia with a disappointed look on her face.
Celestia spoke first, however. “Don’t worry, I’ll look into this Starlight filly when I get the chance. If anything relevant turns up I will let you know.”

Rainbow nodded before a small sigh left her lungs. She turned and left the room, nothing more needing to be said. She left the school and launched into the air before banking hard to her left for Canterlot castle.

She was going to pay Twilight a visit...

Author's Note

Thus begins the

Unwaking Twilight Arc.

Awaiting Awakening

The walk to the infirmary was long and unbearably quiet, yet Rainbow didn’t dare utter even a single sound. Considering the hour, the day of the week and just how long Twilight had been out for, she had a feeling…

Ah, yes, a feeling proven right as soon as she stepped into the room itself. It was a long room with a high ceiling, complete with easily opened windows in the event a pegasus doctor was needed. After all, why bother with hallways and limiting corridors when one can just fly directly to the room they are needed at? Starting from the far end and reaching almost all the way to the entrance were two long rows of medical beds, most of which were empty.

Towards the back of the room was Twilight’s bed. At the moment, it was shielded from view by a simple divider. But Rainbow could see the silhouettes cast on them from within. As quietly as possible, she closed the door behind her before slowly and calmly making her approach.

She rounded the corner and came to a stop on the other side of the divider, noting quickly the two faces that were present. Shining Armor and Twilight Velvet. Rainbow sighed softly, announcing her presence to the other two, who, for a brief moment, each gave her welcoming smiles before losing them again. Rainbow’s own eyes turned to the lavender filly upon the bed, and despite how many times she had seen it already, she cringed at the sight.

An IV was hooked into Twilight’s foreleg, just above the hoof, and a large array of other medical apparatus were also hooked up to various parts of her body, keeping her bodily cycles going effectively in her waking state. Without a word, Rainbow pulled up one of the several seats that were neatly tucked away to one side of the bed and sat down in it, her eyes never leaving Twilight.

There they sat, for a good long while. Rainbow did have something she wanted to say, but it could wait a bit longer. Twilight’s family were far more invested in just… being there, really. Being there for each other and, more specifically, being there for Twilight. Not far away, a wall-mounted clock gently ticked as it kept track of passing time. Being one of the only devices in the room making a sound, Rainbow found her mind focusing on it. It sounded like it was gradually growing louder and louder and echoed more and more in her mind.

“So…” she began in a very quiet voice, her words catching due to the tightness in her throat. She glanced up to Velvet and Shining, who were now looking at her expectantly. “Uh… how is she? Anything change since last time?”

Velvet gently shook her head while Shining Armor merely looked down. “No,” Velvet said in disappointment. “Nothing yet. She’s still out and hasn’t shown any signs of waking up yet…”

Shining sighed heavily, reaching a hoof out to his mother’s shoulder comfortingly. “She’ll pull through. She’s made of tougher stuff than you’d think.”

“I know that,” Velvet shot back with a frown before taking a breath. “I have been raising her, you know… and you for that matter.”

Shining removed his hoof from his mother and nodded slightly. “I… yeah, I know. I just mean… you know.” he gestured loosely to Rainbow Dash, who barely even responded to being the center of the discussion now.

Velvet didn’t have the same reaction as Dash did, though, as she leaned over and pulled Rainbow into a side-hug. Rainbow, while not really expecting the hug, didn’t complain. In fact, she returned the gesture. After a moment, Velvet pulled back to speak. “You know, before you came along, Twilight was… reserved, to say the least.”

Rainbow nodded, a small smile of nostalgia appearing. “Yeah, I remember. Though I’m pretty sure she only actually gave being my friend a try because Celestia asked her to.”

Shining nodded in agreement, sharing Rainbow’s look of fond remembrance. “Yeah, I can vouch for that. She actually let me in on that one day when she was studying for a test coming up.”

Velvet rolled her eyes a bit at this bit of info she had not been privy to before hugging Rainbow again. “Well, whatever her initial reason was, you have been an incredible influence on her. She’s more sure of herself, more willing to go out and just be social with the other foals... “ Velvet ran a hoof under one eye to wipe away a stray tear that had formed before smiling at her comatose daughter. “She came a long way very quickly…”

“And she’ll get that momentum going again just as soon as she wakes back up,” Rainbow replied with a somewhat more cocky smile forming as she also looked to her friend. “I’ll make sure of it!”

Shining Armor chuckled softly before smirking at Rainbow. “Yeah, I bet you will. You’re anything but slow and subtle.”

Rainbow nodded before the mood gradually dropped again. Luckily, it didn’t get to drop too far before a gentle knocking sounded on the divider, and the unicorn doctor who had been tending to Twilight rounded the corner. ‘Dr. Dunlin’ his nametag read. Rainbow had been told that ‘Dunlin’ is a type of bird, and he was named after them because of his colors. A grayish coat with a mane and tail of light and dark brown. His cutie mark was a silhouette of a brain with a red medical cross over it.

“Ah, Dash,” he began in his typical, professional voice. He carried a very slight accent that Rainbow couldn’t quite place and his voice was gentle yet attention grabbing at the same time. “Visiting with Twilight’s family again, I see…”

“Duh,” Rainbow remarked bluntly before shifting her chair back a bit to give the doc a bit more room. “Any updates?”

“We’ll find out in a moment,” he stepped past Rainbow, greeted Velvet and Shining and then got to work looking Twilight over. After a few seconds he procured a clipboard that contained numerous checkboxes and medical instructions that Rainbow didn’t even guess to know the meaning of. “I assume she hasn’t made any sounds or spoken at all?”

“No, doctor. She’s still silent…” Shining said solemnly, looking at Twilight’s shut eyelids solemnly.

Dunlin hummed in thought before reaching down and pressing down on Twilight’s hoof with some notable pressure. Suddenly, Twilight’s eyes snapped wide open, causing Rainbow and Velvet to flinch in alarm and surprise before they both rose. Shining rose as well, though his response was a bit more well contained. Royal Guard training, Rainbow figured.

“Calm down, everypony,” Dunling began before looking Twilight in the eye. “Hmm… this is definitely progress… Twilight, if you can hear me, blink once.”

Twilight did not respond at all. When the Doctor removed his hoof from where it had been applying pressure, Twilight’s eyes slowly slid closed. Rainbow huffed in frustration. “Some improvement… she can look at us with eyes that are wide and scared looking if we pinch her hoof.”

“The fact that she responded to external stimuli at all is a major improvement from where she was yesterday, Rainbow Dash,” Dunlin retorted before sighing slightly. “It was a bodily reflex, though. Her mind and muscles are gradually coming back into focus, but it will probably take some time yet before she is able to communicate with us.”

“We’ll keep being here for her,” Velvet said determinedly, standing and trotting up to Twilight’s side. She leaned over her daughter, careful not to disturb any of the equipment, and rested a hoof on Twilight’s head to gently pet her mane. “You hear that, sweetie? We’ll visit you as much as possible until you wake up. You’ll be fine, dear… I promise.”

The doctor jotted something down on his clipboard before looking between them all. At present, there wasn’t much else he could do with a crowd around the patient, so he decided that, barring any substantial and sudden changes, he would excuse himself to a safe distance to give the family some privacy.

As the doctor gradually shuffled away, Rainbow frowned and spoke up. “He didn’t notice something…”

Velvet and Shining looked up, perplexed by Rainbow’s sudden statement. Shining frowned considerably. “Begging your pardon Dash, but you aren’t the doctor. How do you know if he missed something?”

Rainbow glared at Shining harshly. “Look, I spend a lot of time in the sky. Do you know what happens when a pegasus is in the air enough?” when no answer came, she kept going. “I can see and hear much better than either of you and probably even the doctor. Plus, he keeps treating this like a typical coma. Yeah, it’s similar, but the cause is radically different from just about anything I can think of.”

“That doesn’t tell us what it is you think he missed,” Shining pointed out, his frown losing some of it’s intensity. “What was it?”

Rainbow took a deep breath. “Okay, make fun of me for doing this later, but I did some light reading on the subject matter in my free time. Usually, a comatose pony as deep in it as Twilight seems to be won’t move their eyes. They’ll be looking straight ahead or in whatever direction they were looking in when they passed out and their eyes won’t be moving unless something is going on in there head.”

Rainbow pointed a hoof directly at Twilight for emphasis. “You know how when somepony is dreaming, their eyes will look all over the place? Like, they’re trying to look at what they’re seeing in their dream. Reflexes or something like that. Point is…” Rainbow lowered her hoof and rested it on her seat. “Twilight’s eyes should be still as rocks, but if you had been looking, they were darting around a lot.”

Velvet raised a hoof to her chest and Shining Armor grimaced before all three ponies present locked their eyes on Twilight. “You… y-you don’t think she’s having nightmares, do you?” Velvet asked timidly, her voice starting to shake.

“I dunno, frankly…” Rainbow admitted, slumping slightly. “I wish I did, though...”

That night, Princess Celestia entered the infirmary as well, a pair of rather unremarkable saddle-bags slung over her back. Nopony else was present by the looks of it, so she made her way to where Twilight was resting, a solemn look gradually taking over her features. She rounded the corner of the divider and sighed upon seeing Twilight in the bed. She had seen it a lot already.

“Hello, Twilight. It’s me, Celestia,” The alabaster alicorn softly announced. She sat herself down and, with a small smile forming on her face, she withdrew several books from the confines of her saddle bags. “I brought you some books. Something for you to read when you wake up.” A history book, a commentary on theoretical magic and, to top off the pile, a copy of the new Daring Do book all levitated into the air and were then neatly stacked next to Twilight’s bed.

“We may have found a new lead on the flashes… especially the one that… well, put you here,” she continued quietly. “I don’t know if you remember right now, but you and Rainbow saw somepony named ‘Starlight,’ who in turn mentioned a ‘Sunburst,’ in your flash. Rainbow Dash found this Sunburst, and in turn, he provided me information that could lead to Starlight Glimmer, if we need to find her.”

Celestia slowly shook her head. “I don’t think we need to, however. Not right now, at least. As of now, she is only ten years old. All documentation states she only recently got her cutie mark… nothing like the mare you and Rainbow witnessed in your flash,” Celestia gradually stood up and rested a hoof on Twilight’s own. “Right now, I just want you to wake up. And when you do, I want you and Rainbow to just enjoy being fillies for as long as you can. Your fillyhood days are drawing closer to their end far faster then it may seem, and I simply want to make sure you and her don’t miss anything…”

That said, the Princess took a step back, wished Twilight a pleasant night and began to trot towards the exit. As she went, she didn’t notice Twilight’s hoof twitch, just slightly, to reach after her.

Author's Note

I decided a name for this plot arc.

The Unwaking Twilight Arc

Like Family

One Week Later…

An entire week had come and gone with virtually no change in Twilight’s condition. She still responded to physical stimuli by opening her eyes, but that was all she did. Rainbow had begun sitting in far more frequently on scheduled check-ups and the times when the family was just visiting her, to be there for them and Twilight. Sometimes she would even go all on her own, despite the feelings of helplessness she was forced to endure.

She wanted to help Twilight however possible, to wake her up and ask her what she had seen. To give her a big fat hug and tell her all about what she had missed, even if that was admittedly very little. Rainbow also had to admit a certain, sadistic side that kinda wanted to see Twilight’s face when she realized she had been out for three weeks.

...

Three weeks… had it really been that long already? It definitely didn’t feel like it.

“Um... Dash?” Night Light spoke up softly, jarring Rainbow out of her trance. She sat up and looked back over at him curiously. They were the only two visiting Twilight right now, and things had been quiet between them for quite some time now.

“Hm?” Rainbow hummed out when he didn’t immediately continue.

Night Light rubbed the back of his head nervously for a moment. “I, uh… I know I don’t have any right to ask this of you, but… do you think you could run over to Velvet and I’s house? Velvet’s about to go to work and Shining’s already on his shift and...” he fell silent, unsure of how to finish the sentence.

Rainbow frowned slightly. “First off, you’ve got the right to make requests of me. Just don’t forget that I can decline if I want or need to. Secondly, why do you want me there? I mean, nopony else is gonna be there. Do you just want me to house-sit or something?”

Night shook his head sharply upon hearing that. “No, no! Not house sitting. I would never dream of asking something so… mundane of you. It’s Spike… he needs someone to keep an eye on him.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened a bit. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen Spike at all since she woke up from her own bout of unconsciousness. “He’s staying at your place.” She deduced simply.

Night Light nodded. “I’d go take care of him myself, but…” he looked to Twilight, his ears drooping. “...I know it’s selfish, but I want to stay here with Twilight. With my little girl...” his gaze turned pleadingly to Rainbow, who in turn smiled sympathetically.

“There is nothing selfish about spending time with your daughter when she needs you, dude. In fact, I think that’s probably one of the most awesome things you can do right now. You’re fine. I’ll go keep Spike company for awhile.” she said encouragingly before slipping out of her seat and cantering towards the exit.

“Thank you, Rainbow.” Night Light called after her as she made her way behind the divider. She paused and glanced back around it at him to smile and nod.

“You’re welcome.”

Rainbow arrived at Night Light and Twilight Velvet’s house just as Velvet was closing the door behind her. She glanced up at Rainbow in mild surprise, but smiled warmly in greeting as the blue pegasus came to a landing. “Oh, hello Rainbow. I take it you’re here to keep an eye on Spike?”

Rainbow nodded simply. “Yup. Night Light asked me to keep tabs on him while you guys are out. I’m guessing Night Light will be home first?”

“I should hope so,” Velvet sighed before glancing up at the castle, concern written deeply into her face. “I know he’s worried about her… we all are. But I’m worried about him, too. He hasn’t been sleeping well recently and has been neglecting taking care of himself...“

Rainbow nodded solemnly, shifting from one hoof to the other uneasily. “I can understand that. Ugh, this whole situation’s a mess… well, you should get a move on and do your thing. We don’t want you to be late for, ah whatever you do. Spike’ll be fine with me, promise.”

Velvet smiled. Rolled her eyes at Rainbow’s lack of tact, then reached out and pulled her into a friendly hug. “I know he will. Thanks for doing this for us.” she said softly.

Rainbow returned the hug happily, giving Velvet a few, comforting pats on the back. “Yeah, no sweat. Now get going.” She urged before slipping past Velvet to enter the home. Velvet simply nodded before turning to trot off down the street, leaving Rainbow alone in front of the building. After only a moment of idling, Rainbow pulled the door open and stepped inside.

She could feel herself relaxing somewhat as she was greeted to the virtually unchanged layout of Twilight’s home. At the top of the stairs Rainbow could see the tip of a purple, scaly tail poking out.

“Huh?” came the confused voice of a certain baby dragon from the top of the stairs. He began to shift around from where he was sitting so he could get a look. “You’re back already? That was fast. Did you forget something?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes before closing the door behind her. “Yeah, see, the thing about that is I’m not Velvet.” she called out before running her hooves on the mat.

Spike poked his head out from where he was hiding. An enormous grin split his face as he saw the visitor and he almost tripped numerous times as he scampered down the stairs and into a tackle-hug into Rainbow. The filly in question grunted from the force of the collision, falling onto her haunches while wrapping her forelegs around Spike on reflex.

“Rainbow, it’s so good to see you!” Spike said, his words muffled by Rainbow’s chest fur.

“Oof! Yeah, I bet. Eh-heh, you’re so happy to see me that you’re trying to squeeze the life outta me.” Rainbow commented, her words notably strained. Spike instantly let go of her and backed up, clasping his claws behind his back and chuckling sheepishly while a small blush formed on his cheeks.

“Oh! Ha ha, uh, sorry…” he said, not meeting Rainbow’s eyes.

“Nah, it’s fine. Were it most other ponies, you probably would have just asphyxiated them,” Rainbow paused for a moment to mentally assure herself she had gotten that right, then shrugged and kept going. “But I’ve got good lungs and strong ribs. Heck, I flew so high above the clouds once that the air was really thin, and I did that while carrying a pretty heavy bit of cargo.”

Spike made an ‘o’ with his mouth in awe at Rainbow’s little bit of bragging. “Wooow…” he whispered. Rainbow accepted the praise with a small grin.

Then said grin fell away as she remembered what, or rather, who that cargo had been. “Well… anyways, what is there to do in here? I’m not the sort to just sit idly ya know.”

Spike shrugged absently. “I’m not really sure… usually, I’d be spending all day with Twilight, helping her organize things or just doing my job as her number one assistant.”

Rainbow gave a smirk of amusement. “Number one assistant? I didn’t even know she had more than one to assign numbers to.” Her smirk fell into a small grimace as Spike went absolutely rigid, his claws clenching in front of his chest.

“W-wait, Twilight has o-other assistants?!”

“No, no!” Rainbow quickly corrected, reaching out and grabbing his shoulders to get his attention. When she was sure he was listening, she sighed. “Ugh… No, Spike, she doesn’t have any other assistants. I was joking. I’m Sorry…”

Spike relaxed in her grip and nodded slightly, a small smile appearing on his face. “It’s alright.”

Rainbow then let Spike go.

For the next several minutes, the two said and did virtually nothing. Rainbow scanned the bookshelves in the front rooms for something interesting enough to pass the time. A couple of Daring Do Books, both of which she had already read more than once in the last three weeks. Eventually, she settled to just set herself on the couch and try to relax. “Hey, I’m gonna be relaxing here, okay Spike? If you need anything, I’m here.” she called out before resting her head and closing her eyes.

For a time, she was able to rest fairly well and even began to doze somewhat. Even if she was physically well rested, her mind was exhausted. More than once her mind wandered to Twilight, her family and even to Princess Celestia. Rainbow found herself unsurprised to realize that Celestia had been just as worried, if not moreso, about Twilight’s condition than even her family were.

Probably has to do with her having followed these flashes since day one, pretty much…

Suddenly, Rainbow felt something nudging against her side, prompting her eyes to flutter open and glance at the disturbance. It was Spike, holding a pillow and blanket in his claws. “Uh… we can get drafts in here sometimes. I don’t want you to get cold…” he mumbled a bit awkwardly before holding the items out.

“Oh… you didn’t have to do that, Spike. But thanks.” Rainbow nodded gratefully before accepting the items. She hadn’t noticed before, but she had been fairly cold before the blanket was wrapped around her. She let out a content sigh before looking at Spike again. Rainbow’s relaxed smile was quickly replaced with a look of sympathy. Spike looked tired as well, likely having gone with very little sleep since Twilight fell into her coma.

Even if they behaved like siblings, Twilight was basically Spike’s surrogate mother. Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly as she then remembered how Celestia was her own adoptive mother. With a genuine look of affection now spreading on her face, she used a forehoof to gesture to Spike. “Hey, you don’t get to be cold either. Get over here.”

“Huh? Oh, uh, no thanks. I’m good…” Spike declined softly, taking a step back before looking away.

Rainbow shook her head. “Nuh-uh. You’re tired little guy. You need rest as much as anypony else. Heck, you probably need it more. You’re still pretty little, you know?”

Spike huffed indignantly. “I’m not that little…”

Rainbow chuckled softly, rolling her eyes. “I mean, compared to an adult dragon…” her jesting was quickly silenced when Spike clambered up to join her. She smiled and let the blanket fall over him, too, before setting her head down on the pillow.

For a while, the two were content to just lie there and nap the day away. Soon enough, Spike’s breaths turned rhythmic. He had fallen asleep. Rainbow felt a smile work it’s way onto her face again before pulling Spike just a touch closer with her wing, basking the warmth they were providing each other.

She hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep. Rainbow’s eyes cracked open to show that it had only been an hour or so, if she had to guess based on the lights coming in through the windows. She snuggled a bit more into the blankets before the source of her awakening was refreshed in her mind.

A sniffle.

Rainbow looked over at Spike. She felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach when she realized he was crying. He seemed to still be asleep and was clutching her foreleg tightly, as if clinging to her for dear life. A nightmare.

He abruptly snapped away, his claws tightening around Dash’s leg. “T-Twilight!” he whimpered out despairingly before he began to come to his senses. He looked up at Rainbow, who in turn pulled him closer, urging him on with her eyes alone to speak his mind. He gulped and tried to relax, but his breaths were still coming very heavily. “I… I dreamt that T-twilight never woke up… that s-she stayed in her coma forever…”

Rainbow nodded in understanding before pulling Spike closer and wrapping her forelegs around the little guy. With a memory in her mind of Windy Whistles, she gently shushed the trembling baby dragon, doing her best to calm him down. Even if she would forever deny the scene of tender touchy-feeling she was currently a part of, Night Light knew.

He had just come in through the front door and watched the two from the entrance with a charmed smile on his face. He silently closed the door behind him and snuck away to leave the two together for now.

Rainbow really was like a part of the family, of that there was no question.

Author's Note

It could be that I am half asleep as I am finishing this chapter up, but I think the contents are incredibly adorable.

Awaited Awakening

“Congratulations, Twilight. I knew you could do it.” Celestia said as she stepped forth from the void of mist and stars the surrounded Twilight. She felt relieved, seeing her teacher appear before her in this strange place.

“Princess!” She called out while cantering into a warm and comforting embrace from the alicorn. “I don’t understand… what did I do?”

“You’ve done something today that has never been done before. Something even a great unicorn like Starswirl the Bearded was not able to do. Because he did not understand friendship like you do.” Celestia explained while materializing one of Starswirl’s ancient spellbooks in the air, the one which Twilight had completed what felt like only minutes ago.

“The lessons you have learned in Ponyville have taught you well…” Celestia said while trotting past Twilight, a proud smile on her face. She glanced back at the young unicorn and flared her wings out. “You have proven that you are ready, Twilight.”

“Ready? Ready for what…?”

The vision shattered, and Twilight found her mind once more pivoting and racing to another place, another time, dragging her powerless awareness along for the ride. “What is happening?” She asked for what felt like the millionth time.

A swirl of lavender feathers assaulted her eyes before she was viewing an entirely new scene. A tower in Canterlot castle, one of the most luxurious ones available, if she remembered correctly.

“These are the first royal duties Princess Celestia has given me! I can’t afford letting her down!” Twilight said in the middle of a small panic attack, kneeling down so she was right up in Spike’s face.

“And I’m sure you won't.” Came the motherly response from her right. Twilight turned along with Spike to see Princess Celestia herself standing in the doorway, looking as regal and majestic as ever.

“Your highness!” Spike gasped in alarm before dropping into a bow, Twilight swiftly following.

“No need for that now, Princess Twilight.” Celestia reassured gently.

Again, the vision shattered, a sharp throb working it’s way through Twilight’s mind. If nothing else, she was able to remember what she was seeing now. For what had felt like weeks she had been trapped in a mindless loop of seeing flashes, confusion swallowing her when they faded, and then frustration as the memory of what she had seen vanished alongside the flash.

Another scene came to her mind, this time of a small, boring village with all of it’s buildings facing a central street in two equal bars.

The front door to the house at the head of the village swung open, with a snow-white earth pony stallion gesturing for the six mares to follow him in.

“Be ready to fight! We dunno what’s gonna come through that door!” Rainbow whispered to the orange earth pony beside her, who in turn seemed only slightly nervous. The door ahead of them slowly swung open, before that lilac unicorn, Starlight, stepped through with a welcoming smile on her face.

“Welcome!”

The vision shattered once more before instantly re-aligning to a moment just a few seconds later.

“Forgive my bluntness, but I’m assuming it’s Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

The vision shattered one last time, and Twilight knew no more.

Twilight groaned slightly as awareness gradually returned to her. She felt cold, tired and stiff, and her mind was incredibly foggy. Slowly, she managed to open her eyes, only to slam them shut immediately after. The light around her felt impossibly bright, burning her eyes the moment they took it in.

“Wha… Twilight?” A voice asked, muffled and distant, echoing in Twilight’s head and making it ache.

“Uuuugh…” she groaned before opening her eyes just a sliver. Gradually, her eyesight adjusted to the illumination, showing that she was in one of Canterlot Castle’s private hospital sections. She glanced down and spotted numerous ponies standing around her, all looking at her with hopeful looks on their faces. Her mother, father, Shining Armor and Rainbow Dash. “Wha… what happened…?” she mumbled, her mind still quite out of it.

Rainbow turned around and bolted away almost instantly. Only a second later she came rocketing back, dragging a now very confused stallion in a doctor’s coat with her. “She’s awake!” Rainbow was saying over and over.

Finally, the doctor pried the excited pegasus off of his coat and rolled his eyes before meeting Twilight’s gaze. He approached slowly. “Twilight Sparkle, can you hear me?”

“Yeah…” Twilight replied drowsily before trying to sit up a bit. She winced when she realized just how many things were connected to her. “Can somepony tell me what’s going on?”

Everypony winced slightly, save for Rainbow Dash, who was the one to ultimately break the news. “You’ve been in a coma for, like, two months, Twilight.”

“Wha… wait, WHAT?!” Twilight tried to shriek in a panic, now working to sit up extra hard. “My lessons! I’m so far behind, Celestia is-”

“Celestia is going to hug the living daylights out of you when she finds out you’re awake, you silly thing,” Rainbow interrupted gently, putting a hoof to Twilight’s mouth to shut her up. “Like we’re all gonna do the moment doc here unplugs you from all of this medical stuff.”

Once Rainbow retracted her hoof from Twilight’s mouth, there was a long moment of silence before Night Light, Velvet and Shining Armor all strode forward to gently wrap Twilight into a large group hug. The doctor let them have their moment for several long seconds before clearing his throat. “Ahem. If you want her unplugged, I need to get close to her to do it.” he said pointedly.

“Ah, right. Sorry.” Night Light stepped back with everypony else apologetically. The doctor smiled understandingly before setting to work. He did numerous mundane tests to ensure that Twilight had full mental and physical cohesion before gradually unplugging her from the machines.

“You’re body is going to be weaker than you’re used to, so take it slow and careful.” he advised once Twilight was finally free from the machines. She nodded slowly and inched her way out of the bed, already able to feel her muscles trying to give out on her. Velvet and Shining were there, thankfully, to make sure she made it to her hooves without a problem. Once she was standing, Rainbow made her approach once more.

Before anypony really knew what was happening, Twilight was once more wrapped up in an enormous group hug, just about everypony letting off some tears of joy and relief. Even Rainbow Dash, though she would forever deny it. The Doctor silently excused himself, leaving them to talk for the time being.

“Two months…” Twilight muttered a short time later, once the group hug broke apart. “What happened to do that?”

Rainbow sighed. “Remember that big flash we had in Cloudsdale?”

“Uh… yes?”

“That was what did it. I went out, too, though only for a few days according to Celestia,” Rainbow explained before smiling again. “You had us worried sick, Twilight.”

“Yeah,” Shining added in, leaning over to nuzzle his little sister affectionately. “We were starting to think you’d never wake up, little sis.”

Twilight returned the nuzzle gladly before looking around at the group surrounding her. She was remembering now the string of flashes she had had in rapid succession while she was out. All about her being…

“Twilight!” Came Princess Celestia’s voice as she alicorn rounded the divider, her expression one of hope and relief. Twilight looked up just in time for Celestia to slide to a stop before her, already lowered to be at her eye level. “He wasn’t kidding… you’re awake…”

Twilight nodded, looking into Celestia’s eyes for a moment.

You have proven you are ready…

Princess Twilight…

She looked away slightly, no longer able to meet Celestia’s gaze. “Yeah… I’m awake. I’m still confused, though. Rainbow said I was knocked out by that big flash in Cloudsdale, but they’ve never had an impact like that before.”

Celestia instantly noticed how Twilight couldn’t meet her gaze and lost her relieved smile to a look of concern. “...It’s a mystery to us all, I am afraid…” she said softly before rising to her full height. She then turned her gaze to Rainbow Dash, a deep-seeded look of unease and uncertainty lingering behind her eyes. Rainbow met her gaze and saw the look Celestia had.

For several moments, the room was quiet. Celestia sighed softly before taking a step back. “I… wish I could spend more time to catch up right now, my faithful student, but as it is, I fled from the throne room in the middle of court as soon as I heard you were awake. I can’t leave my subjects so abruptly like that, I hope you understand.”

“Yes, I understand,” Twilight nodded slightly, still not looking at the princess in the eye. “We’ll catch up later.”

Celestia looked between everypony present, gave a respectful bow of her head and then turned to vacate the area. Rainbow watched her go, her brow furrowing in thought. Gradually, Rainbow turned her gaze back to Twilight, who was now talking to her parents about things that had happened while she was out.

Without a word, Rainbow turned and cantered off to catch up with Celestia, leaving everypony present somewhat alarmed at her sudden disappearance when Shining turned to ask her a question, only to find that she was gone.

“You’re hiding things again.” Rainbow said simply when she was sure Celestia was in earshot. The alicorn came to a sudden stop before looking over her shoulder at Rainbow Dash.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Don’t give me that. I know when you’re hiding something. You’re a real chess master, but you always need time to think about how you want to play your next move,” Rainbow explained before coming to a stop directly in front of Celestia, looking her in the eye intensely. “You always try to excuse yourself from a situation if you don’t have your next move planned out. Like you tried to do in my room two months ago when I woke up.”

Celestia visibly wilted before looking away. “...It’s not like I want to hide things from the ponies I care about, Rainbow Dash.”

“Then stop hiding things from us!” Rainbow said in a raised voice, lifting into the air on her wings and positioning herself in front of Celestia’s face again. “You basically admitted that you’re keeping us in the dark. Why? Why can’t you trust us and let us in!?”

“Because it’s dangerous, Rainbow!” Celestia snapped back, her own voice rising somewhat in volume. “If too many ponies know, then everything will be at risk.”

“What are you hiding that could be that dangerous?!” Rainbow demanded, her forelegs being thrown wide open in agitation. “I find it hard to believe, frankly, that it’s as risky as you’re claiming it is! So spill it!”

“I CAN’T!” Celestia suddenly shouted, her volume suddenly magnifying to a point that the windows rattled from the vibrations. Rainbow instantly let herself drop to the ground and then took a few steps back. Celestia was hunched slightly, her wings spread wide and her eyes were snapped shut, like she was carrying an impossible weight on her shoulders. Finally, she took a deep breath and relaxed herself. “...The thousandth year.”

Rainbow tilted her head, confused. “Huh?”

“I will explain everything to you on the day of the thousandth year of the Summer Sun Celebration, no sooner and no later. Until then, I just can’t…”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes slightly before a soft sigh escaped her, and she relented. “Okay… fine. I’m holding you to that.”

“...Thank you.” Celestia breathed out. Rainbow grimaced before inching forward until Celestia scooped her up into a loving embrace. “I’m sorry I yelled at you…”

“I get it. You’re under a lot of pressure by the looks of it,” Rainbow replied before leaning back to look her adoptive mother in the eyes. “Just don’t break your word here, okay? Thousandth year.”

Celestia nodded before hugging her daughter even tighter.

“Yes… the thousandth year…”

Author's Note

And thus ends the

Unwaking Twilight Arc

The Day Approaches

The Day Before the 1,000th Summer Sun Celebration...

“I want you to accompany Twilight, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash frowned in thought while trotting down a long corridor in Canterlot Castle, making her way for an exit that would take her to the observatory yard, where the tall and luxurious tower in which Twilight had been living for the last three years would be found. Her steps echoed around her, as there were no other ponies here right now. A blessing in a way, for she could think freely and without distraction.

“Huh? Why? I’m pretty sure she’s got everything under control.”

Rainbow pushed the doors open as she came to them, warm summer air washing over her face and relaxing her slightly sore muscles. She could hear birds chirping and the smells of lively plants reached her nostrils, prompting her to take a deep breath. The region in front of her was comprised of a large, open courtyard with decorative gardens and, near the wall, a tall, spiraling tower with observation windows near the top floor. Rainbow wasted no time in begining the fairly short canter to her destination.

“You misunderstand. The Summer Sun Celebration needs clear skies, Rainbow, and I don’t know anypony faster or better with the clouds than you. I want you to go with her to ensure that the skies are clear for the sunrise.”

“You sure that’s all there is to it?”

Rainbow sighed slightly as she recalled the somewhat bitter tone that had slipped into her words when she asked that question. She was growing tired of waiting for answers, yes, but that was no excuse...

“Well… I admit, there is more to it. I want you to stick by Twilight’s side if something goes wrong, okay?”

“You mean Nightmare Moon?”

Rainbow felt a chill run down her spine at that thought. She remembered well what her mother had said, and they both knew that Nightmare Moon was due to return tomorrow. Celestia was, as usual, neglecting to drop more details. She was continuously re-assuring Rainbow Dash that everything would be fine, though Rainbow was not so sure she believed her.

“Yes. You remember. If I remember her as well as I think I do, she’ll strike suddenly and with no warning… if she strikes out at me, I want you to keep Twilight safe.”

“No offense, but what does Twilight even have to do with Nightmare Moon?”

Rainbow’s brow furrowed while she ascended Twilight’s tower, trying to figure out what the bookish unicorn mare would have that could link her to a thousand year old alicorn tyrant that had been stuck in the moon for most of her life. And she found her teeth grinding behind her lips in irritation as she remembered Celestia’s answer.

“I’m afraid I do not have an answer for that… not until after.”

Predictable, but still irritating.

Either way, Rainbow at last reached Twilight’s door and knocked several times. For a moment there was the sound of movement on the other side before, after a few seconds, Twilight pried it open, looking at Rainbow with a troubled look on her face. It melted into a genuinely happy smile at the sight of Rainbow, however. “Oh! Rainbow! I’m so glad to see you! Come on and get in here, I need to show you something.” she babbled excitedly before reaching out with her hooves and yanking Rainbow into her observatory.

“Ow!” Rainbow complained from the sudden movement before removing herself from Twilight’s grip, now very grumpy. “What gives?!”

“Sorry,” Twilight apologized, blushing somewhat. “I just found out something really important and I would like it if you could set Princess Celestia straight on it.” she explained while cantering briskly up into upper levels. Rainbow rolled her eyes and followed Twilight up.

“What is it?”

When Rainbow reached the top of the stairs, Twilight shoved a book into her face with a quick burst of telekinesis. “Read this!” she said quickly. Rainbow shot her a look, raising an eyebrow before plucking the book from Twilight’s grip and looking it over.

“Okay, let’s see… ‘The mare in the moon, myth from olden pony times. A powerful pony who wanted to rule Equestria, defeated by the Elements of Harmony and imprisoned in the moon. Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will…” Rainbow stopped with a furrowed brow. Twilight was in on it, now.

“Before I say anymore, I want you to swear to me that you will not repeat any of what I am about to tell you.”

“I won’t say a word, I promise.”

Rainbow lowered the book and looked at Twilight uneasily, the mare in question looking back at her with expectant and almost pleading eyes. “Well? I looked it over in a history book, too. The information lines up and I’m sure that Nightmare Moon is about to come back!”

Rainbow looked at the book again, then up to Twilight, unsure of how to respond. After a moment she returned the book to Twilight, who claimed it with her magic. “I’m not so sure…” she lied, wincing guiltily inside. “Maybe you should check some more sources or something? You know, to make sure you’ve got it right?”

“Rainbow!” Twilight groaned out while procuring the letter Spike had belched out not ten minutes ago and shoving it in Rainbow’s face. “I don’t have time to be checking more sources! I’m going on an assignment!”

Rainbow knew what the letter said. She had been there when Celestia had written it. She lifted a foreleg and pushed the note out of her face. “Uh, yeah, that’s why I’m here, Twilight. Celestia wants me to go with you.”

Twilight leaned back and blinked in surprise. “Huh?”

“Yeah. I’m supposed to be keeping the skies clear or whatever,” she then leaned forward as if to share some great secret. “Between you and me, I’m mostly going so I can show off to the wonderbolts.”

Twilight couldn’t help the small smile that appeared at Rainbow’s almost predictable statement. She then lost said smile and groaned in frustration while turning away from Rainbow to look out of her window and over the city below.. “Ugh… I guess I have no choice but to go on this assignment, huh?”

Rainbow lost her smile before trotting up to Twilight’s side. “Hey, it’ll be okay,” A cocky grin appeared on her face. “If some old evil alicorn stupid shows up, I’ll whoop her butt for ya.”

Twilight snorted in response before looking at Rainbow with an incredulous expression. “Uh, I don’t think that’d be a very good idea. Alicorns are kinda-”

“Powerful as heck, I know,” Rainbow interrupted her before jabbing Twilight in the shoulder playfully. “But I’ll also have you to watch my back. We’ll be fine. Trust me, okay?”

Twilight recoiled from Rainbow’s jab before play-punching her back, giggling slightly. “I mean, I guess… seriously, though, don’t do anything reckless or stupid.”

Rainbow gasped in mock shock while holding a hoof up to her chest. “Moi?” she asked in the cheesiest canterlot noble accent she could.

Twilight laughed.

“You’ll be fine, Twilight,” Shining Armor assured before adjusting his captain’s armor a bit. “With your management skills you’ll have your duties done in no time at all.”

Twilight nodded before reaching out and pulling her big brother into a warm hug. “I hope so…”

Rainbow smiled at the two from where she was standing not far away. She then turned to look at the two pegasus royal guards that would be carrying the chariot. “You guys all set to go?” she asked, to which they both nodded sharply. Rainbow nodded and then looked out at where they were. One of the landing yards of Canterlot Castle,reserved for important arrivals and departures only. She took a moment to look and could see a lot of Equestria sprawling before her, given their altitude.

Her eyes trailed a bit and soon rested on Ponyville, the small town at the base of the mountain. She then turned her eyes to Twilight, who was presently looking over a checklist with Spike to make sure they had everything that they needed written down. Finally, Rainbow turned and looked up to see Princess Celestia looking down to them from a balcony some distance away, looking… sad.

Rainbow furrowed her brow before looking back at Twilight. “Go ahead and get ready. I need to check something really quick.” she said before shooting up into the air. A second later, she slowed to a stop in front of Celestia, who had taken a step back to make sure Rainbow had room.

“...Rainbow Dash.” the princess greeted simply.

“Before I go on this trip, I just need to ask you two things… is there anything else I should know right now, and… are you crying?” Rainbow’s words started off simple and blunt, but soon shifted to something far more gentle.

Celestia nodded and wiped a hoof across her eyes to remove the tears. “Yes… I am.”

“What’s wrong?” Rainbow asked softly before drifting forward and putting a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder.

“Nothing is wrong, per se… I’m just…” she glanced at Rainbow with a longing look in her eyes, then past her to Twilight. Rainbow followed Celestia’s gaze and frowned.

“You worried about Twilight?”

“About both of you,” Celestia corrected, earning Rainbow’s gaze once again. She shuddered and continued. “...I’ve been meaning to send Twilight away from Canterlot to Ponyville for quite some time. Even if you have helped draw out much of her potential, she is still… she is still hiding in a shell, so to speak. She needs more friends to draw out what she is truly capable of,” Celestia then lowered her gaze slightly. “I just don’t want her to go, ultimately…”

Rainbow sighed slightly but nodded in understanding. “Hey, if it’s any consolation, I’ll still be here.”

Celestia looked up to Rainbow with an appreciative smile, but there was something in her eyes that made Rainbow’s smile falter. Still, Celestia straightened herself and pulled Rainbow Dash into a warm embrace. “...Thank you for saying that.”

Rainbow returned the hug gladly, basking in Celestia’s warmth for several moments. She then glanced back down to where Twilight and Spike were now sitting in the chariot, waiting on her. Shrugging out of the hug, Rainbow smiled at Celestia confidently. “I gotta go. Don’t worry about us. Twilight will do fine and Nightmare Moon won’t hurt her. I’ll make sure of that. I promise.”

Celestia nodded in thanks. “I know. Thank you, Rainbow…”

Rainbow grinned before flipping back and shooting for the chariot, leaving Celestia to watch after them with her smile gradually fading.

Below, Rainbow came to a landing in the Chariot, only breaking her speed back at the last possible second to avoid crushing it. A gust of wind ruffled all manes present, earning a disgruntled frown from Twilight. Rainbow chuckled sheepishly and, while Twilight was fixing her mane, tapped the front rim of the chariot. “Okay, boys; Let’s go!”

The two stallions nodded in affirmative before spreading their wings and beginning the journey. As the chariot went, the two were mostly silent. Twilight leaned forward and rested her forelegs on the side of the chariot so she could look down at the ground below as they sped by. Rainbow simply chose to lounge a bit with her back to one wall of the chariot, deciding to relax until they arrived.

Unbeknownst to Rainbow, Twilight’s eyes twitched sporadically for several moments. She gasped softly, the sound lost to the rush of the air. Memories were battling for supremacy in her mind, and she found herself sitting bolt upright. She glanced back at Rainbow. She felt like yelping in alarm, but she didn’t. For several seconds, she thought she was remembering a life where Rainbow had never come to Canterlot, where she had never had the flashes, where she was anti-social even among her study group.

But when she really focused on Rainbow, reality reasserted itself. She shook her head to dispel a slight throb that had entered her head and looked back down at the world below.

“You okay, Twilight?” Rainbow asked, having noticed Twilight staring.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just… a little dizzy.”

Rainbow frowned, unconvinced, but decided to not push the issue for now. They were on their way to Ponyville, now. Nightmare Moon would be returning this night and, hopefully, Princess Celestia would finally have answers when all was said and done.

Author's Note

And Thus Begins the Final stretch of this story. Thus begins the

Answers Arc

Okay, fast forwarding to the very end here. My only question is whether or not everyone is okay with this move? If enough people are not happy with this choice than I will retroactively add in a plot-arc to bridge the gap between 'Unwaking Twilight' and 'Answers.'

Summer Sun Preparations (Part 1)

“Alright, let’s go over the checklist one more time…” Twilight eventually said while looking down at Spike as their chariot began to make it’s final descent towards the town of Ponyville. Spike nodded eagerly and reached for said checklist, while Rainbow stuck out her tongue with a ‘pluegh’ sound.

“Twi, you’ve had the little guy check it over, like, a hundred times. I wasn’t even listening and I can recite the stupid thing from memory. I think we get it.” Rainbow wined out while looking at Spike in pity. This mare is gonna be the death of you, little guy.

Twilight huffed indignantly and scrunched up her face. “Why does this surprise you? You’ve known me for how long now?”

“It doesn’t,” Rainbow replied with a roll of her eyes. “You do this a lot. I just don’t always have to be within ear-shot. Also, it’s been about six or seven years, I think.”

Twilight sighed and shrugged noncommittally. “Alright, fine. We’ll have to go over it as we’re performing the tasks on it anyway, so I guess I can satisfy myself with that.” she relented before looking down at Ponyville uneasily.

Rainbow took on a somewhat concerned expression at seeing the anxiety enter Twilight’s eyes. She shifted slightly closer to Twilight without really thinking about it. “You still worried about that whole ‘Nightmare Moon’ thing?” she asked carefully, to which Twilight could only nod.

“I just know it’s going to happen… I need to find some proof to send back to Celestia so she can make sure she’s ready!” she said, her volume rising significantly as scenario after horrifying scenario began to play out in her mind. Rainbow was quick to respond, thankfully, shifting over slightly and putting a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.

“Hey, don’t worry. Celestia’s made of some really tough stuff. I know that first hoof and I’m sure that if Nightmare Moon suddenly popped up, Celestia’d give her a smack-down and send her packing faster than you can say ‘checklists are the best’.” she said reassuringly before Twilight shrugged off her hoof.

“I’m not so sure…”

“Aw, cheer up, Twilight,” Spike began, patting Twilight’s other shoulder with a claw. “Celestia arranged for us to stay in a library while we’re on this trip, so you’ll have plenty of books to go through when we’re done with our check-ups and stuff.”

Twilight smiled back at him and nodded. She still didn’t look convinced, but she looked a bit more at-ease, if nothing else. “Yeah… I guess. Let’s get down there and get started, then.”

“Now you’re talking,” Rainbow pumped her hoof in the air for emphasis. “I’m getting bored, sitting here! Let’s get down there so I can figure out what clouds need busting and where the Wonderbolts are hangin’ so I can make sure they see my awesomeness!”

Twilight rolled her eyes and play-punched Rainbow’s shoulder. “Right, just make sure you showing off doesn’t prevent you from, you know doing your job here.”

Rainbow rubbed her shoulder with a slight wince. “It won’t. But, uh… your punches have gotten harder, you know that?” she said with a proud smirk forming on her face.

Twilight chuckled lightly before reaching over and yanking Rainbow Dash into an affectionate noogie. “Well, I learned from the best!” she jeered while rubbing her hoof into Dash’s head rather forcefully.

“Ow! Hey, stop that!” Rainbow protested, though her pleased laughs signaled that she took some form of enjoyment from Twilight’s physical assertion to their discussion. Twilight kept on assaulting the prismatic mane for a moment before letting Rainbow go with a victorious grin. Rainbow dusted herself off and then smirked back at Twilight. “Hoof-wrestle later?”

“If we have time,” Twilight answered before she looked down. Realizing that they were now touching down, her smile faded. The wheels of the chariot creaked slightly as they rolled along the ground, parting the grass and kicking up some dirt. “...if we have time.”

Rainbow’s own smile faded somewhat before she hopped out of the chariot when it came to a complete stop. She landed on all fours and gave a languid stretch before looking around at the quaint town. Her eyebrow rose as she took it all in. “Huh. Not quite what I was expecting… I like it.” she muttered under her breath.

Twilight hopped out as well, Spike following closely. She turned back to Dash curiously once Spike had the list our and ready to go. “You coming with us or do you want to get a lay of the sky first?”

Rainbow turned and shook her head. “Nah, I’ll tag along with you for now. These clouds ain’t going anywhere and I can bust ‘em up in ten seconds if I really want to.” she said casually before falling into step next to Twilight.

Twilight giggled slightly. “I’d like to see that.” she said as if to challenge her friend.

“You will. Later.” Rainbow smirked before her eyes turned fully forward. She paused almost instantly when she spotted a pony a ways up the road, prancing along with a happy smile and looking like she didn’t have a care in the world. She was also pink. Very pink. And also very familiar. Rainbow blinked as a memory went through her head. “Hey… I recognize her…” she muttered.

“Hm? Recognize who?” Twilight asked before looking towards where Rainbow was looking. “You mean her?”

“Yeah… she’s… she was in my first flash,” Rainbow explained before picking up the pace in her trot to a full-blown canter. The pink mare opened her eyes and looked their way happily. Her smile was lost to a thoughtful frown as Rainbow Dash came to a stop in front of her. “Uh… Hi.” Rainbow uttered awkwardly when she realized she hadn’t exactly thought this through.

The pink mare suddenly gasped and grabbed Rainbow by the cheeks, pulling her in and looking her over in excruciating detail. Rainbow struggled a bit, now very uncomfortable. “You…” The pink mare whispered in an unsettlingly high pitched voice. “I remember you…”

“Uh?!” was all Rainbow could manage before the pink pony smiled widely.

“You’re Princess Rainbow Dash! Oh, wow! It’s so nice to meet you! My name is Pinkie Pie and it is just such a thrill to finally meet you, considering I’ve hallucinated about you and heard about you for, like, years now! Oh! Who are your friends here? The little purple guy is cute!” the pink pony, Pinkie, apparently (and appropriately), splurged out in one, long, uninterrupted stream of words. She then let go of Rainbow’s face and took a step back. “Sorry.” she apologized.

Rainbow shook her head and then rubbed her cheeks to dispel the newfound aches on her face. “Uh… it’s fine… Hi…” she mumbled, somewhat confused.

“Wait,” Twilight suddenly butted into the discussion, stepping forward and looking at Pinkie with wide eyes. “You’ve ‘hallucinated’ about Rainbow Dash before?”

“Uh-huh! I’ve seen her in my head a few times. Although... she was never a princess in any of them,” Pinkie replied before smiling widely at Twilight. “And what’s your name? I’ve never seen you before!”

“Oh, uh, my name is Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight began while standing a bit more straightly and putting on a more professional voice to match her duties here. “Rainbow and I were actually sent to check up on and help with the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. Do you happen to know where Sweet Apple Acres is? They’re preparing the banquet, right?”

Pinkie perked up happily. “Oh, you’re going to want to go aaaall the way over there, take a left, then another left and- Oh, you know what?” she abruptly stopped before bouncing into the air, sailing over their heads and then landing effortlessly behind the trio. “I’ll just take you there.”

‘Wha-” Was all any of them had the chance to say before the Pink Pony placed her hooves on them and the world turned into a blur of impossible winds. After several moments of panicked yelling and impossible speeds, they finally came to a stop with all three of them coming out of their movement rather ungracefully. Spike face-planted into the dirt path, Twilight skidded along on her backside for almost a yard and Rainbow flailed along before sprawling across the dirt on her back.

Pinkie was still standing behind them and grinned expectantly.

Spike pulled his face from the muck and, with a deep breath, said the following; “WHAT?!”

“You’re welcome! Nice to meet you all. Now, I’ve got things to prepare. See ya! La la la~!” Pinkie chirped before bouncing away, happily singing some song or other to herself and leaving Rainbow, Twilight and Spike to wonder what just happened. The group slowly pulled themselves back up off of the ground, dusting themselves off and groaning in discomfort.

“What even just happened?” Rainbow demanded before sighing and looking up. She recoiled slightly when she realized that, true to the pink pony’s word, they were now standing at the entrance of Sweet Apple Acres. On the top of the hill they found themselves at the bottom of was a house and, a little to the side, a sizable and aged-looking barnhouse. The apple trees around them were evenly spaced out in a neat and orderly grid-like pattern, with some of the ones further in having four to five sizable buckets encircling them on the ground. “Huh… whaddya know.”

“Okay, remind me to not stand in her way when she’s in a hurry,” Twilight groaned before looking to Spike to make sure he was alright. Once she was sure all was in order, she straightened her posture and set off down the road. “Okay, come on. She at least saved us some travel time, so let’s not waste it.”

“Fair enough.” Was all Rainbow had to say before falling into stride next to Twilight. Several minutes went by in relative silence. A breeze went through the area after a moment, softly rustling the leaves and branches. The air felt different then in Canterlot, Rainbow noticed immediately. She was hesitant to call it ‘fresher,’ but she would call it ‘richer.’

Her musings were interrupted, however, when a loud and energetic ‘yee-haw!’ reached the group's ears, bringing them all to a halt. Off to their left was an apple tree with buckets in place beneath it and an orange earth pony mare with three apples as a cutie mark charging it. She came to a stop, turned in place and slammed her hind legs into the tree trunk in a powerful buck. Rainbow’s eyes twitched slightly as she noted the definite precision of the kick. The mare had very good aim, that was unquestionable.

The apples in the branches shook before, in short order, they all plummeted from their places and into the buckets below. Not a single one missed, causing Rainbow let off an impressed whistle. The mare looked up upon hearing that and swiftly dropped into a respectful bow after a moment of processing. Rainbow slapped her face with a forehoof. “Yeah, no, none of that. Rise and speak freely. I don’t like ponies over-recognizing my ‘rank.’.” she said before the mare could start uttering any sort of ‘royal greeting’ or whatever.

The mare complied and cleared her throat while standing tall again. “Right. Uh, Ah’m Applejack, you’re majest- er, Rainbow Dash. What can Ah do ya for?”

Rainbow looked to Twilight. “Well, I don’t need much, really. It’s Twilight here who's gonna be doing most of the talking.”

Twilight took that as her cue and cleared her throat. “Ahem, yes. My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’ve been sent by Princess Celestia to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. I take it you’re in charge of the food?”

“Howdy-do, miss Twilight. It’s a pleasure meetin’ ya. Yeh, Sweet Apple Acres here’s got one hootin-nanny of a banquet ready to go fer tonight. Wanna sample some of the food?” Applejack asked with a warm smile before she looked at Twilight a bit more closely. Her smile twisted with a hint of uneasy recognition. “Er, hold on… ‘ave we met before?” she asked a moment later.

Twilight paused with a raised eyebrow. “Uh, I don’t think so. Why?”

Applejack narrowed her eyes a bit before sighing and shaking her head. “Nah. Forget it. Jus’ mah imagination, ah guess. Anywho, about the sampling?” she asked, regaining her friendly smile and tone.

“Only as long as it doesn’t take too long. We’re kind of on a tight schedule.” Twilight replied while glancing down at Spike, who nodded to confirm that he was ready to proceed.

“Do you have to-go boxes?” Rainbow asked, prompting an amused snort from Applejack.

“Uh, no, we don’t. Heh, first time anypony’s asked me that.” she said with an intrigued smirk growing on her face.

Rainbow shrugged. “Meh. Can’t blame me for trying. Now, about those samples…”

“Do you think that farm mare has had flashes, too?” Twilight suddenly asked about twenty minutes later as the trio was ascending from Sweet Apple Acres into Ponyville proper again.

Rainbow glanced at Twilight with a raised eyebrow. “Huh? What makes you ask?”

“That mare and I have never met, but I think I’ve caught glimpses of her in some flashes of my own. And I think I’m starting to notice a clear and definite pattern with the ponies that have these flashes,” Twilight started to explain before looking around to make sure nopony was eavesdropping. “My first flash included Fluttershy, right? Your first flash included that Pinkie Pie from earlier. Fluttershy had her first flash and it was about you.”

“I think I see what you mean…” Rainbow interrupted carefully, a thoughtful frown also appearing on her face. “All of the ponies that we know of who have had these flashes saw each other in them, and either know each other or have met at some point, usually.”

“Right,” Twilight confirmed. “The only exception I can think of is that shared flash we had in Cloudsdale.”

“Yeah, and we were both seeing each other in that one...” Rainbow nodded slowly. For a moment, the two were silent. Rainbow then glanced up at the clock tower that stuck up from behind some of the houses and cringed. “Oh, we’ll have to continue this discussion later. I need to go clock in for cloudbusting.”

“Do you know where the weather team office even is?” Twilight asked while Rainbow lifted into the air on her wings.

“Nope, but I can always ask.” Rainbow replied before turning and sailing off into the sky.

Author's Note

It looks like the pieces of the puzzle are plopping into place, and the picture may or may not be pretty.

Summer Sun Preparations (Part 2)

Since Rainbow flew off to find the weather bureau's office, Twilight and Spike had made their way for the town hall mostly in silence. A few ponies on the streets gave friendly, welcoming waves as they passed, but otherwise everypony was going about their own personal and superficial preparations for the celebration that night and the following day. Twilight had to admit that she felt much more at ease as she went about. This town was incredibly relaxed and carried a very… calm atmosphere to it. Canterlot was very different, between a fairly high number of ponies always on the streets on their way somewhere, and a generally up-tight attitude among the wealthier populace.

This town just felt… inviting.

Twilight was jarred from her musing when she realized they were almost at the town hall. “Okay, Spike. Does the list say anything about who we’re meeting?”

Spike squinted at the list in his claws before giving a shrug. “No, it doesn’t. Just that she’s probably the most aesthetically aware pony in Ponyville.”

Twilight nodded while ascending the steps of town hall. “Alright, let’s try and make this quick. I’d like to get to the library sooner than later.” she said before grasping the doors in her magic and pushing them open.

Spike nodded and gave a salute before glancing back at the list again. As he did so, he didn’t notice the obstruction he was walking up towards until he collided with it. He grunted uncomfortably before taking a step back and realizing he had just walked into Twilight’s hind leg. She had stopped moving and was looking around the room they were now standing in with wide, trembling eyes.

“I… know this place…” she whispered. Twilight then let out a gasp as her vision seemingly split into two. She could see where she stood now, but also she could see herself speaking to the pearly unicorn mare at the head of the room with her own mane looking like it had gone through a windstorm. Her eyes locked onto the mare ahead. She could see two of her. One looked like she had just seen a terrifying monster lumbering up to her, while the other simply looked uneasy and approached with a worried look on her face.

“Wait… Twilight? Twilight Sprinkle?” came the accented voice of Rarity, snapping Twilight out of her trance. Twilight shook her head before raising a hoof to her forehead to try and suppress a sudden ache that had formed there.

She then glanced up at Rarity, recognizing the white unicorn mare not just from when they had met as fillies, but also from the flash that had just overlapped with reality. “Uh… ow, it’s Sparkle, Rarity,” Twilight mumbled before setting her hoof down. She then put on a wide smile. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting to see you here! Are you in charge of the decor?”

Rarity blushed lightly upon realizing her mess-up with Twilight’s name, but cleared her throat and spoke politely regardless. “Oh, ahem. Yes, I am. I just finished with the ground floor and will be moving onto the balconies in moment.”

Twilight looked around and nodded with a wide smile. Rarity had clearly done very well, as the decorated room looked absolutely beautiful. “You’ve done an amazing job so far, that’s for sure…” she looked at Rarity again and frowned slightly. “...Have you had more flashes since the last time we met?”

Rarity nodded slowly. “Yes… a few. Nothing ever came of them, though. Oddly, you and Princess Rainbow Dash were in some of them.”

Twilight didn’t at all look surprised. “That seems to be the trend, yeah. The ponies who have the flashes often see other ponies who also experience them,” she said simply before shaking herself a bit. “Well, I’d love to stay and catch up some more, but Spike and I still have to check up on the music preparations. Royal orders.”

As Twilight turned to leave, Rarity nodded softly. “I understand. Go on and do your work. Perhaps we can catch up when the celebration gets started tonight?” she asked casually.

Twilight paused and smiled back at Rarity. “Maybe. It all depends on a, uh…” she pursed her lips together in thought. “...certain somepony showing up. If they don’t, then sure.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow with a small, mirthful smirk. “Ooooh… is it a certain special somepony?”

Twilight cringed, lifted Spike onto her back with magic and shook her head. “Er, no thanks. Bye, Rarity.” she said quickly before trotting out the door and closing it behind her.

“Wasn’t she wonderful…?” Spike murmured in a pleasantly swooning voice. Twilight rolled her eyes in response. She hadn’t noticed during the meeting, but Spike had been positively smitten by the sight of Rarity. The little guy hadn’t stopped swooning and crooning to himself for several minutes. Finally, Twilight jolted herself intentionally to get his attention. Spike sat bolt upright, yelping in alarm.

“Keep it together, Poneo,” Twilight snarked out with a playful smirk before coming to a stop. “Check the list this is where the music is being rehearsed, right?”

Before Spike could give an answer, the sounds of numerous birds singing in sync got their attention. Twilight tilted her head and ears slightly to listen in better before slowly trotting to follow the sound. Once she and Spike emerged from behind a few bushes that had been obstructing their view, they saw what they were looking for. Instantly, a smile formed on Twilight’s face as she recognized Fluttershy.

She refrained from speaking until Fluttershy quietly called for the music to stop before drifting up to one of the birds, presumably to correct him on something he had messed up. Twilight couldn’t hear her from here, but determined it would be safe enough to draw Fluttershy’s attention. Remembering how easily frightened she could be, Twilight decided to simply use her magic to gently tug on Fluttershy’s mane in the direction she and Spike were in.

Fluttershy turned curiously when she felt the tugs, and then smiled widely on seeing the two ponies. She turned back to her birds, said something and then fluttered down to stand before Twilight and Spike. “Oh, Twilight! Spike! I wasn’t expecting to see you, here!” she whispered happily.

Twilight shared the smile. “Trust me when I say we could say the same about you. When did you move to Ponyville?”

‘About a year ago,” Fluttershy replied while looking up at the birds in the tree. “There are so many more animals down here then in Cloudsdale. I’ve been working on helping strays find homes and helping the more wild animals get better before they return to their natural habitat if they are hurt or sick.”

Spike looked impressed. “Wow, that’s awesome Fluttershy! Does Rainbow know?”

Fluttershy wilted a bit. “Um… no, she doesn’t. I never really got a good chance to tell her, and… well, I didn’t want to make her feel like I was bugging her when she’s, um, a princess and everything.”

Twilight sighed softly. “You know she doesn’t care at all for that title, right? I mean, yeah, she goes with it and appears when she needs to, sometimes she has to resolve a matter because she was on scene and Celestia wasn’t, but she never even wears her crown or wants her title used. She doesn’t even like ponies bowing,” she re-explained to fluttershy before putting a hoof to her shoulder. “She wants you to write to her, Fluttershy. You are her oldest friend.”

Fluttershy’s mane fell in front of her eyes a little bit, but after a moment she nodded and smiled before brushing the fallen lock away. “Right… thanks, Twilight. I guess I forget about that sometimes…”

“Kinda a hard detail to forget, if you ask me, considering how much she nails it into everypony's skull,” Spike muttered dryly. “I mean, did you know that the local newspaper in Canterlot doesn’t even use her titled anymore?”

Fluttershy looked surprised with a hoof scuffing the ground. “No, I didn’t.”

“That’s how hardcore she is about it,” Twilight concluded before smiling softly and hugging Fluttershy. “It’s good to see you, though. And the music sounded beautiful.”

Fluttershy blushed at the praise, but smiled all the same. “Thank you, Twilight. We still need to rehearse a few times, but I think we’re almost ready.”

Twilight nodded before disengaging from the hug and looking to Spike. “Are we done now, Spike?” She asked. Spike put a check mark on the parchment, glanced up at Twilight and gave her a big thumbs-up. Twilight giggled at the adorable pose before lifting him onto her back with magic again. “Well, Spike and I need to get going. We’re staying in the- what was it called?”

Spike looked at the parchment again. “The Golden Oaks Library.”

“Right, we’re staying there while we’re in Ponyville and we, uh, should get familiar with our surroundings before the celebration gets started, I think.” Twilight nodded and explained before turning to leave.

‘Okay. I’ll see you at the celebration tonight!’ Fluttershy called after them before turning to resume work with her birds.

When the library came into view, Twilight was a little surprised to see that it was a literal tree house. She hadn’t really taken any time to find or look at it until just now, and she had to admit, it looked nice. Rainbow Dash was leaning against the sign outside, looking bored. When she saw Twilight approaching, though, her face twisted slightly into one of, what Twilight could only call, ‘fear.’

“Oh, Twilight!” Rainbow began before shifting off of the sign. “Heh. You got here fast.” she said in a way that instantly set off red flags in Twilight’s head.

“Uhm… I’m me. You never call me fast.” She pointed out quizzically, causing Rainbow to fidget and look around a bit.

“Uh, well, that is, ah, fast by your standards!” she tried, though she was clearly grasping at straws. Twilight’s frown deepened.

“Rainbow… what’s going on?” Twilight asked, taking a step for the door to the golden oaks library. To her surprise, Rainbow quickly put herself between Twilight and the door and tried to redirect her movement to move away from the library.

“Uh, you don’t wanna go in there right now,” Rainbow stuttered out a bit too quickly. Twilight put her hoof on Dash’s chest and lightly pushed her back.

“Uh-huh. Why?”

“There’s, uh…” Rainbow lifted into the air nervously, seemingly not even realizing that she had done so. “There’s a rat infestation in the basement! Yeah and, uh, some ponies have shown up to clear them out before we go in there.”

Twilight glanced past Rainbow Dash at the library to see a grey mare with a blonde mane and bubbles as a cutie mark walk into the Library undeterred. She then looked at Rainbow with narrowing eyes. “Rats, huh? Then why did that mare just go in there?”

“Uh, she’s one of the ponies cleaning them out?” Rainbow tried.

“Without any equipment? Or a mask to prevent catching something from the rats?” Twilight asked before brushing past Rainbow and making her way for the door with a deeply unamused grimace on her face.

“Twilight, no-” Rainbow moved to stop her, but Twilight’s hoof flew up into Rainbow Dash’s path. The cyan mare slammed face-first into Twilight’s outstretched hoof and toppled backwards from the impact. “OW! Hey, what was that for?!”

Twilight turned to glare at Rainbow Dash. “That was for you trying to keep me out of the library - the place where we’re staying, I might add - like there’s some horrible secret inside, but you’re not bothering to take the time to tell me what's wrong! You are bad at beating around the bush and lying, Rainbow and, frankly, I just want to start reading up on clues about Nightmare Moon! Now, if you don’t mind-” she opened the door with her magic.

“Aaaaww! Dashie, you weren’t supposed to let her in yet!” Came the disgruntled whine of a very pink pony. Twilight recoiled when she saw a lot of balloons, party streamers and some confetti bags strewn about the room. A few unopened plastic bags of plastic cups and paper plates were stashed in one corner, along with several platters of various sweet treats. There was also an assortment of drinks and sauces on the table near the stairs.

In the middle of it all was Pinkie Pie, looking very disappointed. She huffed sadly. “No surprise welcome parties today, I guess…”

Rainbow came up next to Twilight with a disapproving frown before looking at Pinkie in confusion. “Did you just call me ‘Dashie’?”

Author's Note

You showed up way too early for Pinkie Pie's surprise welcome party, Twilight! Now she's all sad'n'stuff!

Are you happy, Twilight? I hope so...

The Eternal Night

That night, the loft of the Golden Oaks Library.

The music thumped loudly, the guests laughed, chattered and cheered happily and their voices raised and lowered to match the current status of the games in progress downstairs. Up in her loft with Rainbow Dash watching from not far away, Twilight had a pillow covering her entire head and her face buried in the mattress of one of the room’s two beds. Rainbow lowered her gaze despondently, remembering how agitated Twilight had been to figure out that a welcome party was being held in the library be Pinkie Pie. She had stormed off upstairs pretty much as soon as the music started, which was only an hour after she had arrived.

Rainbow, of course, knew exactly why Twilight was so frustrated. Slowly, she made her way to Twilight’s side, her keen eyes determining that Twilight had calmed herself, based on her breathing. Gently, oh so gently, Rainbow tapped her fillyhood friend on the shoulder. Twilight flinched in response before shifting to look at Rainbow without having to remove the pillow from her head. Adorable as the image was, Rainbow couldn’t smile. “Twilight, take off the pillow.” She said carefully.

Reluctantly, Twilight did as she was told and sat up on the bed to look at Rainbow. “What?” she asked sharply, though quickly wilted when she heard the bitterness in her own voice. “...I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Rainbow interrupted her gently, resting a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “You’re upset, I get that. I mean, if some crazy pony started throwing a gigantic welcome party for me when I was trying to read the next Daring Do book, I’d be a little irked, too.”

Twilight grunted and looked away. Rainbow frowned and tightened her grip.

“Twilight, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret of mine, okay?” she started, drawing a slightly curious glance from the lavender mare. Rainbow took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak. “I… I believe y-”

“Hey, guys!” Spike’s voice suddenly cut them off as he walked into the room, the loud music from downstairs thoroughly obliterating Rainbow’s ability to finish off what she was saying. “It’s time to go to town hall for the sunrise! Come on!”

Rainbow shot Spike a glare as hot as lava. “...We were kinda having a moment here, Spike,” She snorted out in agitation before sighing heavily. She then looked back to Twilight and gave a reassuring smile. “I guess we should get a move on, huh?”

Twilight reached out a hoof and grabbed Rainbow by the tail as she was leaving. Rainbow looked back at Twilight with an irked glare before Twilight spoke. “Rainbow… you believe what?”

Rainbow paused for a moment before glancing back down to where Spike was still waiting, albeit looking a bit more unsettled. She then sighed and tugged her tail out of Twilight’s hoof. “I’ll tell you later. Let’s go, alright?”

Twilight gave a very small and unsure nod before slipping off of the bed and trotting alongside Rainbow Dash out of the library.

The stars were shifting.

Rainbow had first noticed it when Twilight kept casting nervous glances up at the moon on the way to town hall. The stars around the moon were slowly closing in on it, there light flickering as they did so. A small detail, taking quite some time to progress. Were one not actively looking for it, they would have missed it completely. Twilight was looking gradually more and more worried as the stars moved. To be fair, Rainbow was equally worried. A visual timer until Nightmare Moon returned, if she had to guess.

Presently they were standing roughly near the center of the large crowd in the center of Ponyville’s town hall. The banquet that Applejack had prepared was spread out on four long tables that were arranged at the sides of the room, and all of it filled the air with a pleasant and mouth watering aroma. The time was drawing close, now. Fluttershy and her songbird choir were getting ready to play the introductory fanfare and Rainbow could see the mayor occasionally peeking out from behind the curtains on the stage.

For a moment, Rainbow considered heading to the upper balcony, knowing that Celestia would be up there, getting ready to make her appearance and speech. She decided not to, however, when she remembered Celestia’s request.

“If I remember her as well as I think I do, she’ll strike suddenly and with no warning… if she strikes out at me, I want you to keep Twilight safe.”

Despite how much it was bothering her, especially without knowing why Twilight was important here, Rainbow had agreed to protect Twilight and she was going to do it.

“Ooh! Isn’t this exciting?! Oh, are you excited? ‘Cause I’m excited! I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited!” Pinkie Pie suddenly said from next to Twilight, having appeared out of nowhere.

“Gah!” Twilight yelped before calming herself and frowning at the pink menace.

Then the songbirds began to sing, whistling out there tune alongside a line of ponies playing a fanfare on their trumpets. A spotlight tilted down to shine on the stage, revealing the mayor of Ponyville standing there, adjusting her glasses. She cleared her throat and began to give her speech. In truth, neither Rainbow or Twilight were really listening, for both of them were trying to subtly keep track of the stars that had almost touched the moon.

Then the stars reached their destination. In a heartbeat, the crater pattern of the Mare in The Moon flickered and vanished from the surface of the celestial object. Rainbow felt a chill run down her spine and Twilight, too, began to look distinctly uncomfortable, having just gulped heavily.

“And now it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land,” The mayor continued, oblivious to Rainbow and Twilight’s turmoil. “The very pony who gives us the sun and moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria…”

Rainbow felt the fur on her neck stand on end. Her hooves tingled and she felt her heart hammer against her ribs as if it wanted to escape.

“Princess Celestia!”

The curtains were pulled back, the fanfare played.

Princess Celestia was nowhere to be seen.

“Oh, no… this can’t be good.” Twilight whispered despairingly, shrinking away with frightened eyes.

Rainbow’s eyes were wide open and dilated. “She… what… Where is she?!” She demanded, taking to the air immediately and peering at the balcony. Already, the ponies in the room were worried, muttering to themselves and looking around. Rainbow could hear the mayor trying to calm them, but it clearly wasn’t having the desired effect.

Rarity gradually emerged onto the balcony Celestia was supposed to be on and looked out with fearful eyes. “She’s gone!” She called out, drawing frightened gasps out of the crowd. The gasps then began to turn into alarmed cries and shouts when blue smoke began to rise up out of the floor of the balcony.

Down below, Twilight shrunk even more, her worst fear coming to life right before her eyes. “Oh, no…” she whispered as the smoke took shape.

The smoke then parted and swirled away to reveal, standing at it’s center, a pitch-black alicorn mare wearing midnight blue regalia and deep blue eyes with slits for pupils. Her mane and tail were swirling masses of aetherial magic, sparkling with millions of tiny stars.

“Nightmare Moon…”

From where she hovered, Rainbow could feel her blood run cold. Celestia… where is Celestia?! First she felt fear, then worry, and then her eyes narrowed as anger consumed everything else. Nightmare Moon smirked down on the ponies below her, smug contempt and superiority filling her expression. “Well, well, well, my beloved subjects… it has been so long since I’ve seen your precious little sun-loving faces.”

“Don’t give us that!” Rainbow suddenly snapped, zipping down from her elevated position to be at eye level with Nightmare, drawing her attention. “Where is Celestia? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MOTHER?!” she shouted furiously, her words echoing off of the walls and windows. The entire room went silent.

Twilight watched from below tensely, not even daring to breath. Nightmare Moon already looked rather annoyed by the sudden interruption and confused by the question.

A smile slowly formed on Nightmare’s face, after a moment. “Your ‘mother,’ you say?”

Rainbow shifted back a bit, ready to dodge if any attacks came her way. “Yeah, that’s what I said! Now answer me!”

A moment passed before a deeply amused chuckle emerged from Nightmare’s throat. “Tell me,” she said a moment later. “What is your name, my niece?”

“Rainbow Dash.”

“Hmm hmm hmm… well then, Princess Rainbow Dash, I suppose you have the right to know, more so than the rest of this… common rabble,” Nightmare said with venom dripping from her tone as she referred to the rest of the crowd. “Your mother dearest is currently on her way to the moon’s surface, where she will spend the rest of her days.”

Rainbow felt an eye twitch. “You… you’re no aunt of mine!” She shouted hatefully before launching herself at the alicorn before her. Nightmare Moon merely scoffed. Her eyes lit up, as did her horn. Before she could react, Rainbow was struck in the chest by a lance of electricity that emerged from Nightmare Moon’s aetherial mane. She toppled back down out of the air, crying out in pain.

“RAINBOW!!” Twilight screamed out, galloping over to her friend’s side. The entire crowd had gone frozen in terror, watching the scene unfold. As she slid to a halt next to Rainbow to look her over, Twilight’s ears swiveled to listen to what Nightmare had to say.

“Hmph. Such a cold greeting. Does my crown no longer count? Have I been gone for too long? Must I re-assert myself?!” Nightmare growled before her horn sparked angrily. She then closed her eyes and visibly relaxed. “Does anypony here even remember me? Did you not see the signs?”

Twilight looked at the alicorn for a moment, before shifting her attention back to Rainbow. She’d be fine, most likely. The point of impact wasn’t serious, but it would bruise a bit, no doubt.

“No? Well, then, I suppose a re-introduction is in order!” Nightmare shifted back and flared out her wings, a sadistic grin splitting her face. “Remember this day, you little ponies, for you shall never see another! I, Nightmare Moon, the new ruler of Equestria, hereby decree that the sun shall never rise again! From this moment forth, the night shall last forever!” Nightmare then began to laugh loudly, her mane swirling above her, crackling with electricity and booming with thunder, drowning out the fearful whimpers and terrified screams of the ponies in the town hall.

Twilight glared up at Nightmare Moon, disgust forming on her face. No, it won’t! She thought to herself. I’m going to find the Elements of Harmony, I’m going to use them to stop you and bring Princess Celestia back!

Nightmare Moon then gazed down into the crowd and her eyes locked on a still unconscious Rainbow Dash. Her sharp teeth became visible in a grin. “Now, I must take my leave. There is much to be done…” her body disintegrated into a cloud of blue smoke before it shot down to rematerialize before Twilight and Rainbow. Twilight shrieked and flailed back from the abrupt movement. Nightmare Moon was at least twice as tall as she was and radiated an aura that froze Twilight in fear. “...and I have some catching up to do with the newest addition to the family.”

“NO! Don’t touch her!’ Twilight shouted, throwing herself to grab Rainbow and run, but she was too slow. The blue energy of Nightmare’s mane swirled once more, this time taking Rainbow Dash along with Nightmare Moon. The two disappeared before the blue cloud shot off through the front doors of the town hall.

For several seconds, there was silence. Nopony dared move a muscle. At last, Twilight was the first to move, breaking into a gallop before stopping to look out at the night sky from the open door. “No… oh, no no no no…” she whispered with dread before falling to her knees.

“Rainbow… don’t go…”

Author's Note

Elements of Harmony

“No, no, NO!” Twilight muttered furiously to herself, picking up one book to skim it’s pages before discarding it for another. “Come on, there has to be a reference somewhere!” another book came to her face, flipped open and was then promptly hurled off to one side with another already taking it’s place. She had to hurry. For every moment she wasted trying to figure out where to find the elements, Rainbow Dash was possibly being subjected to all sorts of mind games and deceptions.

It had been a mere half hour since Nightmare Moon appeared in town hall. Twilight had started off petrified for a time, unwilling to truly comprehend what had just happened. More than once, she looked to her sides, expecting Rainbow to be standing at one of them to give her comfort and reassurance with that contagious cocky smirk of hers. But she was still gone and Twilight’s mind was breaking down with panic and frustration. She had returned to the library at a full sprint shortly after.

Now, she let out a frustrated snarl before dropping the most recent book to the ground with an echoing ‘thud.’ It was then that she noticed that she had an audience. She shifted uneasily at the sight of Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack standing before her, all wearing uneasy expressions of their own. “Wh… what do you all want?” Twilight finally choked out, her voice trembling.

“Um… we want to know if there’s anything we can do to help… that is, I mean, if that’s okay.” Fluttershy said meekly before shrinking away behind her mane.

Rarity nodded along solemnly while resting a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder to comfort her. “Exactly. I may not know you very well, Twilight, but I get the feeling that you’re the pony we should go to.” she said simply.

“Ah agree. And truth be told…” Applejack started before adjusting her hat slightly on her head, her lips drawing into a thin line in thought. “Ah wanna know just what in tarnation mah hallucinations are all about. Ah mean, ah just had another one on the way over here.”

Pinkie looked at Applejack with a small smile on her face. “You’re not the only one~!”

Applejack shot Pinkie a look before continuing. “Ah wanna know, and Ah get the feelin’ that figurin’ it out is gonna have somethin’ to do with y’all.”

Twilight looked between them all for a moment before standing straight and clearing her throat. “R-right… okay. First, I have to know something,” she began before looking down. “We’ve all had ‘flashes,’ - those weird visions, or hallucinations - on several occasions, right?”

There was a general murmur of agreement from everypony present.

Twilight’s gaze hardened a touch. “Tell me: have any of these visions come up that excluded any of the ponies in this room right now?”

Nopony spoke and nopony raised a hoof to say anything.

Twilight nodded slowly and closed her eyes. “That pretty much confirms what I’ve been suspecting all day. It seems that the ponies having the flashes will almost always see visions of other ponies experiencing the same phenomenon.”

Pinkie made an ‘o’ with her mouth. ‘Ooooooo… so we’re flash buddies now?”

Twilight winced upon hearing Pinkie Pie’s use of that painful label. “Er, I wouldn’t say that. I don’t know what these flashes are or what’s causing them, but I get the feeling they’re important in some way. Plus… if we keep seeing each other, but we’re the only ones having them that we know of… I don’t know. My gut tells me it can’t be a coincidence…”

Applejack nodded slowly. “As farfetched as it sounds, Ah’m inclined to agree with ya on this. Just feels too… convenient to be an accident.”

Fluttershy gave a quiet ‘mhmm’ to voice her agreement.

“Yes, that is all well and good,” Rarity piped up. “But as fascinating and eyebrow raising as these flashes are, how exactly do they at all relate to what’s going on now? How does it play into stopping Nightmare?”

Twilight paused and shook her head. “...It doesn’t really, not from what I can see. I just felt the need to clear that up. Now, back to the matter at hoof…” she then turned and lit up her horn, pulling several more books from the shelves. “I’m looking for information regarding some sort of ancient artifacts called the Elements of Harmony. I read all about the predictions and prophecy of Nightmare Moon, and those writings mentioned these Elements at least one time. However, The book never elaborated on what they were, where to find them or even what they actually do. But based off of what I read, they are the only things that can stop Nightmare Moon, at least that we might be able to find.”

“Oh! You should check ‘The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide’ over there under ‘E.’ I’m sure it’ll help.” Pinkie chirped while pointing enthusiastically at the ‘e’ section of shelves. Twilight’s jaw dropped.

“Wha… how did… ugh, nevermind,” she spluttered before calling the book forward in her magic. She flipped it open and skimmed the first few pages before an ‘aha’ escaped her lips. “Here’s something! There are six Elements of Harmony, though only five are known. Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty and Loyalty. The sixth is a complete mystery. It is said that the resting place of the five known elements is in the Castle of the Two Sisters, which is located in what is now the… Everfree Forest.” Twilight’s voice fell a bit with dread and fear upon reading off the last two words.

“Oh, boy…” Applejack muttered nervously, adjusting her stetson on her head again.

“The Everfree Forest?!” Rarity shrieked out dramatically before resting a forehoof on her forehead. “Oh, heavens NO! Anywhere but that! We’re doomed!”

“Calm down, Rarity. It’s not so bad once you’ve stored some binoculars in the trees!” Pinkie said reassuringly, though she began to look confused when she saw everypony else staring at her in equal measures confusion and frustration. “What? It’s in case of binocular emergencies.”

“Uh-huh…” Applejack said dryly before turning her attention back to Twilight. “Well, are there any other specific directions in that old book, Twilight?”

“Yes, I think I could find a way through to the castle thanks to this. They’re loose instructions, but they should be good enough for now.”

“Well, then what’re we waitin’ for? Let’s get a move on!” Applejack said, determination burning behind her eyes. Fluttershy shivered nervously but nodded in agreement.

“While I would hate to ruin the hooficure I received earlier with all of that icky dirt and mud, but for the good of Equestria… if i must, then I must.” Rarity agreed as well.

“Hold on!” Twilight interrupted sharply, looking between them all uncertainty. Everypony looked at her expectantly and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Are you… I appreciate the offer, everypony, but… I’d rather make the trip myself. I don’t want to risk any more ponies if I can and… Rainbow Dash is… she’s like a sister to me. This is personal, now.”

“Maybe,” Applejack nodded slowly before frowning in disapproval. “But Rainbow Dash is a princess, in case you forgot. Adopted or not, Equestria’ll need a leader against Nightmare Moon and right now she’s next in line.”

“I know that… but-”

Fluttershy moved in front of Twilight surprisingly quickly before putting a hoof to her mouth and silencing her. “Twilight… Rainbow Dash is my friend, too, remember? This is personal for me as much as it is for you. I… I want to help.” She managed to say in a nervous whisper.

Rarity smiled softly while coming closer. “I may have only ever met her the once, but Rainbow seemed like a nice filly all those years ago. I’d be remiss if I didn’t do my part to help her. The fact that she is royalty is just a nice bonus.”

“Plus!” Pinkie said while hopping in from the other side. “Rainbow has been in a lot of my flashes! I would love to get to know her better face to face! She seems like a fun and fun-loving sort and I love fun!”

“Ya ain’t goin’ alone, sugarcube,” Applejack finalized, stomping the wooden floor with a hoof for emphasis. “Besides, safety in numbers, right?”

Everypony nodded in agreement before turning to look at Twilight expectantly. She took a step back and shrunk away slightly, unsure of how to respond. Finally, though, Fluttershy leaned forward slightly, her sad eyes boring into Twilight’s. Oh… I can’t say no to that.

“Okay… you can come. If you need anything - supplies, equipment, anything - get it now and meet me by the old path going into the woods as soon as you’re ready.” Twilight instructed, silently relieved that they had left her no room for argument.

Everypony enthusiastically voiced their approval for slipping out of the library to get what they needed for the coming journey.

“Rise and shine, little one…” the arrogant voice of Nightmare Moon slithered it’s way into Rainbow’s ears like a malevolent snake. Instantly, the prismatically maned pegasus sat up and looked around wildly, her breaths coming in rampant gasps. She then winced and cradled her lower chest, where her skin burned and throbbed in protest to her sudden movement. She remembered a blast of lightning and cursed her stupidity. Looking up, she saw Nightmare Moon standing over her with a smug smirk on her face. “Rest well?”

“Buzz off!” Rainbow snapped angrily before groaning in pain.

Nightmare lost her smile to an impatient scowl. “Mind your tongue, little princess, or you’ll never get to see your mother again.”

Rainbow glared up at the alicorn hatefully. “Nice try! She’s gone already! Or did you forget that little detail?”

“SILENCE!” Nightmare snapped, the entire room quivering and shaking from the force and volume of her command. It was then that Rainbow took a moment to analyze her surroundings. Ancient and crumbling grey bricks made up the walls and pillars of the ancient room. Shredded tapestries hung over a dusty and moss-covered floor which reeked of centuries of neglect. A few drops of moisture struck some distant surface in a rhythmic beat, accentuated by the sounds of wind howling through the holes in the walls.

“Where are we?” Rainbow finally asked nervously.

“We are in my old castle, which my sister so cruelly left to crumble and rot away after she banished me,” Nightmare replied in a cold voice. Her eyes trailing slowly over the ancient and forgotten structure before she looked back down at Rainbow again. “This shall be the new seat of Equestria, where we shall rule.”

“We?” Rainbow snorted derisively. “Don’t make me laugh. I’ll never work for you!”

“You misunderstand, little one,” Nightmare replied, a toothy grin appearing on her muzzle. “I do not intend to rule you. I intend for you to rule beside me.”

“Again; not happening!”

Nightmare Moon huffed and leaned down to stare deeply into Rainbow’s eyes. “Let me be perfectly clear, my niece... “ she started slowly, looming over the now trembling pegasus ominously. “Your mother is to suffer the same sentence I did. I took her place away from her when I was released and she was sent hurling to the frozen misery she had confined me to a thousand years ago. I am the only one who can set her free, the only one who can let others speak with her… the only one that can reduce her suffering.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened as Nightmare leaned back. “Huh…?”

“Take a throne by my side and I will grant my sister a mercy; I will allow you to speak with her once a year. The presence and promise of one she cares for so dearly will no doubt ease her pain…” Nightmare continued before her eyes narrowed and her wings snapped open. “But I will only show her this mercy if you agree to my terms. Otherwise she will spend the rest of her days cold, frightened and alone.

“So, what’s it going to be, my niece?” Nightmare asked before her horn lit up. A cage magically appeared in a flash around Rainbow before she could move, trapping her. “I will leave you on your own for a time to think on your answer. Join me and spare your mother so much pain and loneliness… or refuse my generous offer and become no more than the peasants around you.” Nightmare’s mane swirled around her, taking her physical form away to some other place, but leaving her voice behind to echo in Rainbow’s ears.

“The choice is yours…”

Into The Everfree (Part 1)

The Everfree Forest loomed in front of her threateningly. The leaves adorning the twisting and crooked branches of the trees waved and rustled, like a hungry predator anxiously awaiting it’s next meal to walk within range. A soft breeze rolled over everything, including Twilight herself, sending a frighteningly cold shiver down her spine. It may have been the cold, or it could have been her own anxiety. She couldn’t tell, really.

Fluttershy stood off to her left, pensively prodding at the ground and nervously toying with her mane with her hooves, her eyes darting around at every little noise. In the distance, an owl hooted, drawing a twitch from her. Applejack was right next to Fluttershy and took a moment to pat her back encouragingly.

Pinkie was there, too, looking at the group with a big smile and wide, happy eyes. Twilight had no idea how she was able to stay so perky despite everything that was happening, but she decided not to question it, mainly because she didn’t want that cherry optimism to go away. It was pretty much all that was keeping them all focused and alert at this point.

There was still one pony missing.

“Dag nabbit, where’s Rarity?” Applejack groaned restlessly, shifting on her haunches and glaring off down the path towards ponyville. “She’s costin’ us a lotta time.”

“If she takes too long we’ll have to go on ahead without her,” Twilight said with a surprising amount of composure. If one had a hoof on her, though, they would be able to feel her shakes without any doubt. “We can’t waste any time.”

“I heard that!” Came the somewhat fatigued voice of the mare in question. Rarity came cantering up the hill with fanciful saddlebags slung across her back. “Don’t leave without me!”

Twilight glared at her. “What took you so long?” she asked more sharply than she intended, though her current frustration prevented her from apologizing.

“I’m terribly sorry for the delay,” Rarity panted when she came to a stop, the rest of the group gathering around her. “I just wanted to make sure we had something specific for this mission of ours. Here…” her horn lit up and removed the saddlebags from her back. The pouches were opened and, with a bit of an unnecessary (bit pleasing) flourish, five cloaks and scarves were procured and presented to each member of the group.

“What are these for?” Fluttershy asked curiously, though instantly wilted. “Oh, um, no offense. Thank you for the, uh, cloaks.”

Rarity smiled softly at the timid one before clearing her throat. “Ahem. We are going into unfamiliar territory with minimal resources and an evil angry alicorn awaiting us, I fear. Away from the comforts of Ponyville, we’ll be cold and without protection from nature. I brought us these to help keep us warm and shelter us in case a wild raincloud passes over us or something. Plus, if we need to stop and rest for whatever reason, they can serve as blankets.”

Twilight smiled while putting on hers. A simple enough piece of attire, colored a dark blue, but it covered most of her body and already she could feel her body temperature increasing. She nodded to Rarity. “How thoughtful, Rarity. Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it. A simple act of generosity can and will go a long way, I’ve found.” Rarity rebuffed before looking at the Everfree. Her confident smile faltered somewhat.

“Ah like ‘em. Simple, not obstructive, warm. Nice.” Applejack added with an approving expression.

Before long, everypony had their cloaks on and were ready to go. Twilight looked into the forest and grimaced apprehensively. “Alright… we aren’t going to get anything done just standing here. Let’s go, everypony.”

“So… none of you have been in her before, huh?” Twilight said fearfully, her eyes looking towards the branches on the trees that swayed and bent slightly in the breeze. The way they curled and moved reminded her of claws, reaching out to snatch her and the others away.

“Oh, heavens no! I mean, just look at it… it’s dreadful.” Rarity replied, her voice shifting from almost offended to quietly terrified as she spoke.

Applejack cast a weary glance over her shoulder. “And it sure as heck ain’t the same as the rest of Equestria.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked, not entire sure if she actually wanted to know.

“Ah’m not totally sure, to be honest,” Applejack shrugged slightly. “Ah just know that the plants grow without anypony to help ‘em, same with the animals and weather. It’s all… on it’s own, Ah guess.”

A metaphorical light bulb clicked on in Twilight’s head. “Oh, I see!” She said, some of the fear in her voice leaving to be replaced by a more scholarly and level tone. “It’s a ‘primal zone.’”

“Say what now?”

“A primal zone,” Twilight went on, smiling slightly at the opportunity to distract her mind and share knowledge. “Is a region or area in the world that hasn’t been ‘tamed’ by ponies or other cultures. It acts the way it did before Equestria was founded. Wild, untamed and largely self sufficient. Ponies tamed most Equestria’s land to obey our methods and actions. Most of the weather across Equestria, for example, was artificially made in Cloudsdale a long time ago, I think. The moisture that makes up the clouds and the rain that falls from it had special properties woven into it that made it ‘moldable’ to pony designs. I mean, pegasi can interact with clouds no matter where they come from, but they will have an immensely harder time controlling a wild cloud than an artificial one.”

“...Say what again?” Applejack said, her muzzle scrunching up in confusion. “No offense, sugarcube, but Ah ain’t super familiar with, uh, history and magic and stuff.”

Twilight shrugged. “Fair enough.”

Suddenly, the ground beneath them lurched. Everypony immediately went still, save for Fluttershy, who hopped into the air and hovered their on reflex. For a moment, all was silent. Then a crack appeared in the dirt not far ahead, where a sharp drop off was visible.

“Get ba-” Twilight began to cry out in alarm before the ground beneath her, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack gave away and fell, taking them with it. Frightened cries and exclamations of surprise were all that anypony could hear over the sound of falling, rolling and crumbling stones. Twilight looked around frantically, looking for anything she could use to stop her descent. Small stones and chunks of loose dirt rattled her body from all sides for several long moments. Finally, she was able to get her bearings enough to see that she was sliding down at a steep angle towards a ledge that, if she fell, would almost certainly be the end of her.

Acting fast, she was barely able to grapple the ledge when she came to it and clung to it for dear life. From where she was she could see Fluttershy holding Rarity’s tail firmly in her teeth, guiding her down a section of the ledge that would let her down to the ground below without risk of hurting herself. Applejack was holding onto a loose root with her teeth, looking down at Twilight uncertainty. Then, Applejack let go of the root and slid down the hill once more, bracing her hooves as she went. ‘Hang on, Twilight!”

Applejack’s hooves grasped Twilight’s and held her there, keeping her from falling. However, there wasn’t enough leverage to help her back up and already the tension was building. They wouldn’t be able to hold Twilight up like this for long. “Applejack! What do I do?!” Twilight shrieked in a panic, her eyes squeezed shut to block out anything that might distract her from holding on.

“Ah Dunno!” Applejack admitted through clenched teeth, her eyebrows twitching from the strain. “Gah! Fluttershy, Rarity! Get down below and see if ya can get into a position to catch Twilight!” she called out in a strained voice.

“On it!” Rarity called back, still approaching the slope.

“I don’t know if Rarity’s magic can hold my weight, Applejack,” Twilight started before gasping in shock when a piece of the ledge broke away from under her forelegs, almost jarring her loose. “Wah! And Fluttershy isn’t strong enough to catch me either!”

“Well, do ya have a better plan?!” Applejack grunted, her grip starting to loosen slightly. “”Cause if ya do, now would be a mighty fine time to share!”

“I don’t!” Twilight said, her voice cracking.

“Well, Ah ain’t gonna lie to ya!” Applejack said before taking a deep breath and looking Twilight in the eye. “We’re short on options. But even if they can’t catch ya, we’ll all do our darndest to make sure you’re alright, ya hear me? You’ll be fine! Ah promise!”

Twilight closed her eyes and nodded. The ledge then jerked down slightly and one of her forelegs came loose. Applejack tried to reach out for it, but the momentum caused by Twilight being dislodged caused her other forehoof to come free. She screamed, long and loud as she fell. Her voice fell still when, in her eyes, the world doubled. She saw a similar scene panning out alongside the one she was in now. Falling down through the everfree along a cliffside, about to hit the ground below. In one of the two scenes she was seeing, she was caught before she hit the ground by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

Then reality reasserted itself once more and, to Twilight’s despair, she was still free-falling. She was upside down, now, and could see the ground coming up to meet her face at dangerous speeds. She screamed in terror and covered her eyes with her forelegs.

Twilight gradually began to wake up with a severe ache burning on the side of her barrel. She winced and gasped sharply before her eyes snapped open. She was at the bottom of the cliff with her cloak draped over her like a blanket. Not far away she could see Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy sitting around a small campfire, which Twilight felt relaxed by.

Applejack looked over and her eyes widened. “She’s awake!” she said simply, standing up and galloping over before sitting down before Twilight. “Whew… ya had us all worried sick there, sugarcube.” she muttered in relief.

“Ow,” Twilight groaned before sitting upright, wincing as she did so. “What happened?”

“Um… you were about to hit the ground… but, um…” Fluttershy began before poking at the ground, seemingly unsure of herself.

It was then that Twilight realized what was missing.

“Where’s Pinkie Pie?”

“Uuh…” Applejack drawled out while rubbing the back of her head. “The, uh… see, the thing about Pinkie is…”

Everypony went silent for a second, all of them looking like they were trying to figure out what to say.

“Where. Is. She?” Twilight repeated, not in the mood for beating around the bush.

“I’m right here, silly filly!” Pinkie chirped from behind Twilight, causing her to yelp, gasp in discomfort and whirl around. Behind Pinkie, Twilight could see what looked like a pile of… popped balloons? “You’re heavier than you look, you know that?” Pinkie chirped teasingly before pronking by, singing ‘las’ to herself.

“Wha… what- HEY!” Twilight snapped after Pinkie when she realized that she had basically just been called fat.

“The thing about Pinkie Pie is that she saved your life and we have no idea how she did it,” Rarity finally clarified after clearing her throat. “We all lost track of her during the rockslide, so I guess she had some time to, well, ‘gather supplies’ to catch you with.”

“...Balloons?” Twilight huffed in disbelief.

“Yeh. Dunno where she got ‘em, but she brought, like, thirty of the darn things and set up a nice big cushion for you to land on.” Applejack continued with a relieved smile on her face.

“You popped all of them on the way down, but they slowed your fall enough that you only got a big bruise on your side.” Fluttershy added with a slightly amused smile.

“...Right.” Twilight muttered, still not quite sure if she believed what she was hearing.

“It’s like Ah said,” Applejack said more softly, settling down next to Twilight and resting a hoof on her shoulder. “We’re lookin’ out for each other. Don’t ya ever doubt that, not even fer a moment, sugarcube. Long as we keep on doin’ that and stick together, Ah reckon we’ll all be fine.”

Twilight smiled warmly and felt herself relax a bit more.

“If yer able to move, we should probably get back to it. You were out for almost an hour.” Applejack said reassuringly before nudging Twilight encouragingly and standing tall.

Twilight felt a warm smile cross her face before nodding and standing up. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Author's Note

A slightly different take on being honest. Dunno if I conveyed it very well, but the idea was 'Yeah, you might get hurt, I won't sugarcoat it, but we're here for you.'

Into The Everfree (Part 2)

“Twilight? Are you sure you’re up for this?” Fluttershy asked Twilight while pulling back from the rest of the group. “I mean, uh, you still hit the ground really hard when you fell. I just don’t want you to over exert yourself. That is, if that’s okay with you...”

Twilight smiled at Fluttershy reassuringly. “I’ll manage, Fluttershy, don’t worry. I’m more worried about getting those elements and saving Rainbow Dash…” her smile fell away and she closed her eyes. “...We’re going to have some things to talk about when this is all over, anyway.”

Fluttershy tilted her head slightly, a curious expression appearing on her face. “What about, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Twilight looked at Fluttershy before turning her gaze down to the ground. “Before we left Canterlot, I was desperately researching clues and evidence related to Nightmare Moon. I found what I felt was proof of her imminent return, but Princess Celestia… she didn’t believe me,” she explained before hissing through her teeth when the bruise on her side started acting up. She came to a stop to let it relax before speaking again. “I tried to tell Rainbow and… she didn’t seem to believe me, either. At least… until earlier, just before we all gathered in the town hall for the celebration.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before we left, Rainbow tried to say something. We were interrupted by Spike, but, looking back… I think she knew Nightmare Moon was about to come back.” Twilight sighed and rubbed a forehoof absently against her shoulder.

Fluttershy draped a wing over Twilight’s back to comfort her. “Are you sure?” she asked simply.

Twilight nodded shakily. “Yeah. I mean, when Nightmare Moon showed up, Rainbow didn’t even miss a beat or hesitate. She was the first one up there, facing Nightmare up close and personally, yelling at her and demanding answers. And…” Twilight closed her eyes. “She didn’t even bat an eye when Nightmare called her her ‘niece.’ I mean, yeah, she loudly declared that Nightmare was ‘no aunt of hers,’ but if she hadn’t known about Nightmare Moon… there would have been fewer demands and more questions.”

Fluttershy bit her lip, looking unsure of herself. “Well… I’m sure she had a good reason for not telling you.”

Twilight slumped a bit more. “...I hope so.”

“Uh, Y’all? We gotta problem!” Applejack’s voice called from a ways ahead. “Get up here!”

Fluttershy and Twilight shared a look before standing and moving ahead at a brisk pace. Once Applejack, Pinkie and Rarity came into sight, the two quickly ducked to join their friends behind the cover of trees and brush. “What’s going on?” Twilight asked nervously before Rarity pointed out passed their cover. Looking that way, Twilight gasped. Standing in the middle of the road a ways ahead, growling and roaring in rage, was a manticore. It’s lion’s claws slashed out as some nearby vines, ripping through them like a hot knife through melting butter. “...oh.”

“How are we supposed to get past that?!” Rarity demanded in an agitated hiss. “We can’t fight that thing and expect to win!”

“Why not?” Applejack asked, turning a glance on Rarity.

“You may be the most physically strong pony here, Applejack,” Rarity began in an almost scolding voice. “But without good preparation you’d be torn apart by that thing. Twilight is good with magic of all kinds I’ve noticed, but she’s hurt. I’m a fashion designer and don’t know the first thing about combat magic. Pinkie Pie is, well-”

“Hi!” Pinkie Pie waved back at Rarity cheerfully. Rarity gave a charmed smile before looking to Applejack again.

“...She’s Pinkie. Great for parties and a good time, but I don’t know about tangling with a manticore. And Fluttershy- wait, where is she?!” Rarity suddenly blurted, sitting upright and looking around. Everypony joined her in looking and, sure enough, Fluttershy had disappeared.

“She’s right there.” Pinkie finally deduced while pointing towards the manticore. Everypony looked and collectively gasped when they saw Fluttershy fearlessly marching up to the creature.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight shouted in alarm, scrambling from her cover. “What are you doing?!”

The manticore turned upon hearing Twilight’s voice, spotted Fluttershy trotting up to it, and reared back to strike with it’s claws, an enraged, rumbling growl escaping it’s throat.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Fluttershy then cooed softly while gingerly touching the tip of her muzzle to the Manticore’s lower paw. It froze and looked at her, confused, before she looked back up with an innocent, kind smile. ‘What’s bothering you, big guy?”

The manticore looked unsure before settling back down on all fours- except for it’s front left paw, which it extended towards Fluttershy pads up. An enormous thorn was revealed to have been stabbed into the very center of the manticore’s paw. Fluttershy’s ears fell.

“Oh, you poor little guy… here, let me help you. This might hurt for just a second.” She assured gently before reaching out with her teeth and pulling the thorn from the paw. A loud roar of pain tore it’s way from the manticore once the thorn was loose. It reached out and yanked Fluttershy forcefully from the ground, glaring at her.

“FLUTTERSHY!” the rest of the group cried out in unison, ready to leap to her aid before they all fell still, looking utterly perplexed. The manticore was now purring happily while it’s long tongue bathed Fluttershy in enormous, thankful licks. The yellow mare in question was giggling happily from the affection.

Getting the idea, the rest of the group began to make their way past the manticore. Twilight was the last one to advance and the first one to stop, waiting for Fluttershy. Eventually, the big creature put Fluttershy down and bounded off into the woods. Fluttershy came trotting after the rest of the group then, her mane now thoroughly ruined from the excessive amounts of saliva and tongue-brushing that had been applied to it.

As she went by Twilight, Fluttershy let out a lout yip of surprise when, suddenly, she was yanked into a tight and relieved hug.

“Oh my gosh, Fluttershy! Don’t scare me like that ever again, you hear me?” Twilight said in a shaky voice, holding Fluttershy close.

“Um… I only showed him a little kindness, Twilight.”

“I know… I know,” Twilight breathed, not letting go. “But I’ve already lost one friend tonight. Don’t become a second, okay?”

Fluttershy blushed from the attention and words, but returned the hug all the same. “Um… okay, Twilight. I won’t.”

“The canopy’s gettin’ thicker, y’all,” Applejack said with a hint of frustration in her voice some time later. “We won’t be able to see much. I don’t suppose either of you two has a light spell?” she turned to Rarity and Twilight.

“Oh, I do.” Rarity said with a smile, a ball of blue light appearing on the tip of her horn. Twilight went to protest, to say that she could do it just as well, but Rarity shot her a look and shook her head. Twilight nodded and kept moving.

Applejack wasn’t kidding. The canopy overhead was growing thicker as they went. In only a minute it had gotten to the point that Rarity’s illumination spell was literally the only source of light. Twilight shivered slightly, the sounds around her becoming that much more noticeable with most of the area around them shrouded in perfect darkness. She thought she could hear something moving in the trees.

Applejack abruptly grunted when her hoof stepped on a soft patch on the ground and sunk in. There was a wet squelch and splash before Applejack yanked her hoof back up. It was now covered in a thick layer of mud. She was about to keep moving when an ear-piercing shriek came from Fluttershy. Applejack rolled her eyes while looking at the pegasus in question. “It’s just mud, Fluttershy. No need to panic-” her words were cut off when her front connected with an unseen obstruction.

Applejack, too, let out a frightened shout while backpedaling away from what she had bumped into. It was a tree, but a horrifying face was starting to push it’s way through the bark, twisting the surface and painting the seams around it with a crimson glow. The branches twitched and spasmed in the wind, looking more and more like vicious claws the more they all looked. The group collectively screamed, expecting an assault of sharp claws at any moment.

Then they heard Pinkie laughing. Twilight opened one the eyes she hadn’t realized she had slammed shut to see Pinkie, sure enough, giggling in the face of one of these terrifying trees like it was nothing. “Ha ha! Oh, that’s a good one! Too bad it’s not Nightmare Night.” she chortled.

“Pinkie, what are you doing?! RUN!” Twilight shouted, spotting the patch behind the pink pony.

“Why?” Pinkie asked innocently before reaching out with her hooves and grasping the edges of the mouth of the tree and pulling. “They’re just trees, silly.”

“But… but…” Twilight tried, but soon fell silent when she looked closer. Sure enough, while the trees had some new holes and graffiti on them, they were still just trees.

Pinkie then hopped inside the mouth hole on her tree, reached out with all four of her hooves and started moving. The tree looked like it was talking, no. “Heya!” it chirped happily. “Does anypony want a cupcake?”

Twilight couldn’t help the amused snort that came out of her. “Okay, that just looks ridiculous.” she muttered with a mirthful smile.

“Yeah it does!” Pinkie agreed before poking her head out of the tree. “It’s just like Granny Pie used to say. A lot of things may look scary and dangerous, but if you know what to look for…” she pushed the frowny face of the tree into a big, happy smile. “You’ll see that they’re actually really funny looking! And when you do find them; just laugh. Laugh and be happy and that fear goes away lickity split!”

“Well, as fascinating as all that is, darling…” Rarity began before clearing her throat. “Ahem… how did you know that these were just normal trees with, uh, some vandalisation?”

Pinkie poked it and looked at Rarity like she was a moron. “It’s a tree. Tree’s don’t usually move, Rarity, much less attack you with big, scary claws. These funny things can’t hurt you!” she then disappeared back into the tree and made it talk again. “Yeah! I’d never hurt a fly!”

The whole group giggled and laughed in amusement. Applejack was the first to speak again. “Well, that makes me feel a whole lot better. But Ah think we should get a move on. How much farther, Twi?”

“Oh, um…” Twilight looked around for a moment, recalling what she had read in that book. “I don’t think it’s too much farther. The castle is supposed to be on the other side of a big river and… I think I can hear it.”

“Then get a move on, little ponies!” The tree announced before Pinkie hopped out and started bouncing down the trail. “Yeah! Let’s go!”

Sure enough, they found the river and crossed with no problem whatsoever. Rarity briefly seemed alarmed, claiming she saw an enormous sea serpent down the stream a ways, but it turned out to be nothing and the group kept moving. Now moving through what was left of their journey, the signs of old civilization were starting to appear. They had found what was once a beautifully paved stone path, logn since reclaimed by nature, but all the same they followed it. They saw what looked to be a few old farmhouses covered up in the bushes and foliage, but none stopped to explore them further.

Finally, the forest began to give way to a massive clearing. From their somewhat elevated vantage point, they saw where they were trying to go. An old, ancient castle, once beautiful and formidable, now nothing more than a hollowed and broken shell of it’s former self. Most of the roof had caved in centuries prior, towers had toppled and windows had shattered. Moss and viney growths covered much of the old structure.

There was just one problem: The deep chasm separating the entire castle from everything else. Still, they had made it. All they had to do was figure out a way across.

Fluttershy peered down into the chasm before standing upright. “Um, it looks like there’s an old rope bridge.”

Twilight looked and confirmed Fluttershy’s assessment. “Yeah, there is. It fell on our side, though. Re-attaching it might prove difficult.”

“Hmmm…” Rarity hummed while giving the offending and broken creation a thorough look. “Fluttershy, do you think you can pull the other end back to those posts on the other side of the chasm? Twilight and I can use our magic to tie the rope to the posts once it’s up.”

“And we can lessen the load of the bridge with our magic, too, so it shouldn’t be too heavy.” Twilight added with a confident and eager smile.

Fluttershy gulped but nodded. “Alright, uh, I’ll try.” she said meekly before turning and lifting into the air on her wings.

“Be careful!” Twilight called after her as she went. Once the group saw the bridge shifting from Fluttershy’s efforts, Rarity and Twilight nodded at each other before lighting their horns with magic and helping Fluttershy with the weight of the bridge. Slowly but surely, with a lot of grunts, sweat and effort, the bridge was re-extended once more.

“How does it look, darling?” Rarity called out once she and Twilight let go, having helped with the ropes as well as they could from this distance. Fluttershy gradually drifted back to them, looking at the bridge uneasily.

“Um… it looks… lovely?”

Applejack facehooved. “Ah think she meant ‘how sturdy’ does it look? Will we fall if we walk on it?”

Fluttershy blushed lightly. “Oh. Then, uh… I don’t think so?”

“Only one way to find out!” Pinkie said enthusiastically before setting off down the bridge while humming to herself. Carefully, the rest of the group set off down the bridge after her. It swayed and creaked dangerously under their weight, making them all stop more than once, worried about a collapse. Fluttershy slowly flew alongside them, hooves off the bridge to decrease the load.

“Come on, you slow pokes!” Pinkie called near the front of the bridge. “We’re almost- AAAGH!” her playful taunting turned into a scared scream when a wisp of black smoke shot past her.

“It’s Nightmare Moon!” Twilight shouted in fright, breaking into a gallop. “Everypony! MOVE!”

Her words came too late. From the cloud of smoke, Nightmare Moon’s face did indeed emerge, baring her fangs threateningly. Then, she dug her teeth into the rope of the bridge, severing it instantly. The whole bridge jerked and fell somewhat, now dangling precariously at an angle. Applejack let out a shout as she lost her footing, just able to hook her forelegs through the rope in time to keep herself from falling. Rarity was in much the same position next to the farmer, screaming in fear.

“Applejack! Rarity!” Pinkie Pie shouted in alarm, turning and retreating back towards her friends along the bridge. Twilight passed her and skidded to a stop, looking back.

“PINKIE!”

“Twilight!” Applejack called back, looking up and meeting Twilight’s gaze. “GO!”

Before anything else could be said, Nightmare’s fangs sunk into the last of the rope, severing it and sending the bridge in two halves into the chasm. Twilight yelped and tossed herself back, her hooves grasping the ledge of the chasm and holding on for dear life. The cries of Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rarity vanishing into the thick fog that filled the canyon below, their cries echoing into silence.

“PINKIE!” Twilight cried out in despair. “APPLEJACK! RARITY, SAY SOMETHING!” she got no response. For a moment, Twilight hung there, a horrible feeling filling her before she pulled herself up onto the ledge. A few seconds later, Fluttershy settled down next to her, her eyes blank and distant.

“I… I’m so sorry… I-”

“Fluttershy,” Twilight cut her off gently, looking her friend in the eye. “You can fly, I can’t. Get down there and see if they’re okay. If they are, find a way to get them up here…” she then turned her gaze up to look at the imposing castle. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the cloud of smoke flow into the castle. “...I’m going to find the elements and finish this…”

Fluttershy gulped slightly, her eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. “Are you sure about this, Twilight?”

“...Positive.” was all Twilight said before reaching out and hugging Fluttershy one more time. She then let go and set off into the caste.

Proving Her Loyalty

The front gates of the ancient castle creaked loudly as Twilight pushed past them, the loud and grating sound echoing and reverberating around her for several seconds after she entered the front room. All of the dusty and grey stone, ancient tapestries and artistic style of the walls and pillars was instantaneously lost on her when she saw what rested at the center of the room. A pedestal with five platforms branching off from the center. Upon each of the five platforms rested a circle of gray, crystalline stone. Looking closely, Twilight could see the reflections of sharp edges and flat surfaces within the grey orbs.

“The Elements of Harmony…” she whispered in awe, a hopeful smile coming across her face. Carefully, she pulled each sphere down from their places with her magic, setting them down in front of her one at a time until they formed a loose circle around her. She thought back on the reference guide Pinkie had found, remembering a certain stipulation. When the five are gathered, a spark will cause the sixth element to be revealed.

Setting herself down, Twilight took a deep breath. “...A spark, huh? Okay…” her horn lit up and she closed her eyes. Carefully, she reached out and touched her magic to each of the elements, pouring more and more energy into the link. Her hope was to pour enough energy into them that sparks would start flying from her horn, typically a sign of immense strain on the one using magic.

A sinister chuckle echoed in her ears. Twilight opened her eyes just in time to see her link to the Elements be severed as the blue smoke appeared once more. It swirled around her like a tornado, lifting the orbs off the ground and entrapping Twilight. A shrill cry sounded before the cloud of smoke swarmed in and smothered her, her world going dark.

Rainbow stared at the wall next to her cage, her eyes unfocused as her mind raced. She had been sitting here, all alone, for well over an hour now, unable to do anything except think. She had tried to break free from her cage, but every effort was met with a concussive force from the cage, always rivaling the force she hurled at it. She had a few new bruises on her body from her efforts, and had eventually settled down to try and think of a way out of this.

“She’d probably be able to tell if I was lying…” she thought to herself bitterly, another plan tossed into the proverbial trash can as she discovered a glaring flaw within it. She let out a frustrated and impatient groan.

Her wait finally ended, however, when there was a sizable puff of blue smoke off on the other end of the room. The sounds of a mare coughing and wheezing within could be heard within, and Rainbow felt her eyes go wide. The smoke parted and, in the center, was Twilight, lying prone and gasping for breath. Immediately, Rainbow grasped the bars of her cage and peered past them. “Twilight?!”

Twilight looked up, but didn’t get to answer. A black foreleg stomped the floor in front of Rainbow Dash, severing her view with Twilight and kicking up some dust. Nightmare Moon looked down at Rainbow Dash, who was scurrying back to avoid inhaling dust, with an insincere smile. “The time has come, my niece.” she said slowly and simply.

“What?” Rainbow asked, looking up at Nightmare Moon in confusion.

“The time has come for you to make your choice. Oh, but I know you’ll make the right one in the end…” Nightmare’s horn lit up with magic, and a strangled gasp could be heard behind her. Twilight came drifting forward, kicking and struggling with her hooves on her throat, where Nightmare’s dark blue aura held on tightly.

“D-don’t you touch her!” Rainbow snapped, throwing herself against the bars only to be knocked down again.

Nightmare frowned. “Ah, so you do know this filly. It seems you know her quite well…” a fang-filled grin appeared on her face. “Good...”

“Leave her alone!” Dash shouted, grasping the bars tightly again. “She’ hasn’t done anything to you!”

“Oh, and there you are mistaken…” Nightmare cackled, reaching a forehoof up to caress Twilight’s cheek and jaw. “She set off with a group of four other rebellious ponies, intent on questioning my rule and my claim to the throne. A group of traitors with only one member left…” Twilight’s forehoof lashed out from her throat to swat Nightmare’s away. The alicorn scowled but then turned to Rainbow Dash. “I’ll add a bonus to our deal, my little niece. Join me and I will show your friend mercy. She can stay by your side as a faithful servant of the night.”

“Leave her out of this!” Rainbow pleaded, shaking her bars. “PLEASE!”

“It is time to make your choice, Rainbow!” Nightmare said simply with a more serious frown appearing on her face and the glow around her horn intensifying. The cage around Rainbow vanished in a flash of light, though now Rainbow’s wings were locked to her side by chains. “Join me and your friend remains. Defy me and be destroyed alongside her.”

Rainbow looked on in horror, sweat pouring down her neck and her eyes darting between the still struggling Twilight and the imposing alicorn of the night. “I… I…”

“...if she strikes out at me, I want you to keep Twilight safe.” Celestia’s words rang in Rainbow’s ears.

“Tick tock…” Nightmare said in a sing-song voice, her grip on Twilight’s neck tightening severely. No sounds escaped Twilight’s lips now, as her airflow was completely cut off.

“STOP!” Rainbow begged, falling to the ground desperately. “JUST STOP, OKAY?! I’ll do it…! I’ll do it…”

In that moment, the magical hold on Twilight was dropped and she fell to the floor in a gasping and coughing heap. Nightmare Moon grinned widely, reaching a hoof out to pat Rainbow’s head affectionately. “Oh, I am so glad to hear it, Rainbow… there is but one more trivial thing I must ask of you…”

“R-rainbow…!” Twilight gasped out, barely able to speak. She looked up to her fillyhood friend in shock and horror. “D-don’t… do this...!”

Nightmare glared at Twilight before her expression morphed into one of sadistic amusement. She then turned back to Rainbow Dash. “Anypony can say that they’ll do my bidding, but I need some proof of your commitment… I need you to prove your loyalty to me.”

“...W-what?” Rainbow asked disbelievingly, looking up at Nightmare, appalled.

“Your friend here may serve at your side, little princess, but she still made an active effort against her monarch. Carry out her punishment yourself and all will be forgiven.” Nightmare Moon said simply, her smile widening at the wide-eyed look of despair appearing on both pony’s faces. “...I think thirty lashes is fair… don’t you?”

“You… you can’t be serious!” Rainbow snapped, standing up. “You want me to HURT HER?!”

“Answer me this, you young brat!” Nightmare growled, her horn lighting up and lifting Rainbow off her hooves. “Is it not better that she gets to live with only a reminder of her mistake? Wouldn’t you prefer it if she were to remain with you in my new kingdom? Or do you want me to destroy her? I will happily do so if that is the cas-”

A cyan forehoof lashed out and connected with the side of Nightmare Moon’s face, a loud crack filling the air from the force of it. Rainbow was dropped to the floor in a shaking pile while Nightmare Moon stumbled back. A moment later, Rainbow brought herself back to her hooves and quickly positioned herself protectively between Twilight and Nightmare, glaring at the latter with hatred and hostility.

“Don’t. Do. That!” she snarled.

Twilight glanced past Rainbow and Nightmare. On the other side of the room, haphazardly deposited around an old, throne-like seat, were the grey orbs that were the elements of harmony. An idea sparking in her mind, Twilight gently tugged Rainbow’s tail. “Keep her busy. I think I can get the elements working, but I need to concentrate.”

“Right,” Rainbow nodded before locking eyes with a now furious Nightmare Moon. “Let me make something perfectly clear to you, Nightmare. I made a promise to Celestia to protect Twilight the day before you showed up and I am not breaking that promise! You had me for a moment, but the moment you asked me to hurt her… you lost me. I will not hurt her and I will protect her until the end if you even think of trying to hurt her again!”

Nightmare Moon growled before standing tall. “You little fool… You will never see the sun OR your beloved mother again!” she raged before her mane billowed out, lightning crackling out from it.

Acting quickly, Twilight cast her spell. In a flash of light, she disappeared from behind Rainbow and next to the elements of harmony. Nightmare tracked the motion, her eyes dilating in alarm when she saw what Twilight was doing. “NO!” she shouted.

Rainbow didn’t allow her to pursue her, however, instead choosing to tackle Nightmare directly while she was distracted, wrapping her forehooves around her chest and neck before pulling with everything she had. Nightmare grunted with irritation before her magic wrapped around Rainbow Dash again, throwing her off and into the old broken throne with enough force to send the mare through it.

“Just one spark… come on, come on!” Twilight muttered desperately to herself. Nightmare turned her glare on Twilight, baring her fangs before vanishing in a swirl of blue smoke. Instantly, the blue smoke swirled in front of Twilight, bringing Nightmare with it. Twilight looked up and shrieked before ducking back when Nightmare’s hooves slammed into the floor, creating a spiderweb crack pattern. The force of the impact lifted the elements into the air…

Where they promptly shattered into tiny shards, scattering and clattering to the ground.

Twilight looked on in horror, shrinking down in defeat as Nightmare Moon began laughing. After a moment, Nightmare began to stride towards the lavender unicorn, her horn igniting with fire as black as the void. “Nice try…” she cackled before rearing back to fire off the beam.

Twilight closed her eyes. It’s over...

The attack never came. Nightmare Moon let out an agitation yell of discomfort before bringing her body around to face away from Twilight. Opening her eyes, Twilight saw there was a lasso tightly holding Nightmare Moon’s horn, yanking hard in the direction of the entrance of the room. There, in the doorway, stood Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack, the latter of which was holding the lasso in her teeth. They all looked a little worse for wear, their manes disheveled, their cloaks torn up and Applejack missing her hat, but otherwise, they were there.

In that moment, Twilight’s eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. It clicked. She knew.

“You think you can destroy the- ack!” Twilight winced as she stood, her body throbbing in discomfort. “The Elements of Harmony just like that? Well, you’re wrong!”

Nightmare yanked her horn back, the flames flaring up along it’s length destroying the rope. She turned back at Twilight, her eyes burning furiously before said black fire shot out from her horn at Twilight.

The flames bended around Twilight, scorching everything but her… and the pieces of grey crystal that now hovered around her. “They are so much more than these rocks! The spirits of the elements of harmony are right here, standing around you!”

From where she lay, Rainbow slowly opened her eyes as awareness came back to her. She saw Twilight standing up, she heard Twilight speaking. She smiled and brought herself to her hooves as well.

“Applejack, who chose to tell me a painful truth instead of a dangerous lie represents honesty,” several of the crystals changed color to a bright orange before shooting off to surround Applejack, orbiting her like planets around their parent star. “Rarity, who brought all of us practical and meaningful gifts without asking for anything in return, represents Generosity!” more crystals surrounded Rarity, these ones glowing a deep, rich purple. “Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents kindness!” more crystals circled Fluttershy, each one glowing pink.

“Pinkie Pie, who lifted our spirits on this entire journey and banished fear with a smile in the face of danger, represents laughter!” Yet more crystals circled Pinkie, glowing a bright cyan. Twilight turned to Rainbow as she approached. The cyan mare nodded and stood between Twilight and Nightmare Moon, flaring her wings out defensively. Twilight smiled warmly. “And Rainbow Dash… who acted to protect her closest friends, despite the incredible risk it put her in… she represents loyalty.”

Nightmare Moon took a step back, looking between them all with her teeth grinding and her nostrils flaring. Her eyes were dilated and darted between the six mares surrounding her uneasily. “But you still don’t have the sixth element! Even if you’re protected right now, you cannot stop me!”

“Again, you’re wrong!” Twilight said sharply, standing beside Rainbow Dash and holding herself tall. “The Spark has already been made… it happened when you all walked in,” she gestured to the four other mares, who smiled at her widely. “I was so worried I had lost all of you on that bridge… seeing you all safe made me realize how much I care about you. You’re all my friends.”

Directly above Twilight, a blinding light appeared, drawing the eyes of everypony present. Nightmare Moon gasped in pain and held a wing up to shield herself.

“You see, Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by the… the Spark that lies in the heart of us all, they create the sixth element. It creates magic.” Twilight finished, closing her eyes and smiling warmly. She felt the element there, resting above her, waiting for her to reach out to it and claim it. And so she did,

She felt a surge of power unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was calm and serene, yet it was more powerful and potent than any other magic she had used, seen or felt. Her body relaxed and she felt her mind touched with that of the other five mares in the room. Together, they made a decision, a decision none of them could make on their own. With this consensus decided, Twilight opened her eyes. Colors filled the room, Nightmare Moon shouted out in anger and fear, struggling against the prismatic magic that tore the wickedness and malice out of her piece by piece, until none of it remained.

Twilight’s vision went white and the world around her faded away.

Who We Were...

Twilight’s eyes snapped open, a small gasp escaping her as air filled her lungs. Quickly, she looked around to take in her surroundings and was confused by what she was seeing. Purple and blue crystal made up the walls, lined and trimmed with gold and ornate decorations. Tapestries and banners depicting her cutie mark hung from the tall ceilings, which were seemingly made of green, translucent glass that allowed sunlight from outside to shine in.

A chill ran down Twilight’s spine when she took a step forward, seeing her forehoof and realizing it was flickering in and out of reality. With a small frown on her face, Twilight trotted down the hall, listening for anything. There were no sounds whatsoever, save for her breathing and the clip-clop of her hooves echoing upon the smooth crystal floor.

“...I wish I could, Twilight. Just be strong, okay? For our sake.”

Twilight paused upon hearing those words. That… that was her voice! Her voice was speaking from behind the door to her immediate left.

“I’m sorry… I’m truly, truly sorry. I’m out of time, Twilight… all of it is yours now. Use it wisely.”

The sound of a spell ending came from behind the door. Twilight put her ear to it and listened in.

“So… that’s it, huh?” Another mare’s voice asked solemnly. “Now we just… get to wait for everything to stabilize and hope that that was enough?”

“I’m afraid so…” Twilight’s voice replied, also sounding tired, solemn and resigned.

With a frown, Twilight gently pushed the door open. Her eyes went wide and her jaw went slack with shock at what she saw. She saw Starlight, that mare from the flashes, looking down at the ground with her eyes closed and her ears folded back against her head. In front of her stood Twilight, except there were two regal wings tucked at her sides. The alicorn looked up and gasped upon seeing Twilight standing there,a hoof reaching up to her chest. Starlight looked, too, and went rigid.

“What the?! Twilight, what’s happening?!” She asked nervously. The alicorn Twilight’s own look of surprise gradually gave way to one of confusion, then curiosity, then relief.

“...I think I understand.” she said simply, trotting forward until she was face to face with her unwinged counterpart.

“You… you’re me.” Twilight whispered in awe.

“Yes.” the alicorn replied with a small nod.

“You… you were just talking to me when I was a filly, weren’t you?”

The alicorn nodded again.

“What’s happening? What did you mean about, well, everything you said back then? What do you know about what’s been happening to me and Rainbow-”

A lavender hoof lifted up into the air, causing Twilight to go silent while her alicorn self closed her eyes. “...I don’t have time to tell you, Twilight,” She said simply before glancing down the hall behind Twilight. “But, since you’re here, I think it’s safe to say that you used my time wisely…”

Twilight turned to look and gasped in alarm. The hallway was crumbling away into dust, an endless white void visible beyond with a prismatic ribbon of magic reaching through it.

“You kept your friends close?”

“Huh?” Twilight looked back to her alicorn self, who in term touched a hoof to Twilight’s chest.

“I told you to keep your friends close. Did you?”

“I… I think so, yes.” Twilight uttered, unsure. The alicorn glanced to the top of Twilight’s head and smiled, tears coming to her eyes.

“You found the Elements of Harmony? Became connected to them?”

“Yes.”

The alicorn barely stifled a sob and ran a foreleg over her eyes, tears spilling out freely.

“Twilight?!’ Starlight called out again from the room. The alicorn shook her head.

“It’s okay, Starlight. She did good…” she said before resting all four of her hooves on the ground and spreading her wings. “I wish I could ask you all about it, but… well…” the crystal floor beneath her dissolved into dust that swirled and vanished into the void. “...I’ll just have to settle with the fact that, in a way, I already know…”

“What are you talking about? What’s happening?!” Twilight asked, looking down and then back up to the alicorn Twilight.

The alicorn sighed, smiled and closed her eyes. Then, the alicorn, too, began to dissolve, though not into dust. Her body began to become transparent, wisps of it drifting past her to touch Twilight. As more and more of the alicorn faded away, Twilight’s flickering decreased more and more. The alicorn opened her eyes with a weak smile. “Celestia will know… and it’s time she told you.”

The last of the alicorn faded away, the last remaining wisps flowing into Twilight. The void shuddered…

And Twilight knew no more.

Gradually, the six ponies began to awaken, their heads throbbing and their eyes tired. As they came to, none of them dared to speak, all of them too rattled by what they had just seen. For almost a minute, it was silent before, at last, Fluttershy looked to her friends and sat up slightly. “Oh, um, girls… uh, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but, we might be wearing jewelery we didn't have before.”

Indeed, around the neck of each of the ponies present was a golden and ornate necklace with a gem embedded in the center that resembled each one’s cutie mark. The gem matched the color of their wearer’s eyes. The sole exception was Twilight, who wore a crown upon her head instead of a necklace. They all took a moment to look, each one vocalizing some manner of approval for their newly acquired accessories.

“Gee, Twilight,” Applejack started gently, looking over at the mare in question. “Ah thought you were just spewin’ nonsense, but, now ah think you’re right. We do represent these here elements, don’t we?”

“...Looks that way.” Twilight said with a nod before her smile vanished. She bit her lip and then spoke again. “Did… did any of the rest of you see something… odd… while you were out?”

“Well, ah saw, uh, myself, by the look of it. And when she saw me, she just smiled and… disappeared, flowin’ into me or somethin.’” Applejack nodded, her own voice growing uneasy as she looked down at the element around her neck.

“Yeah, me too!” Rainbow said, looking at her hooves. “It… it felt weird. Like, really weird…”

“Oh, you were all made sad by your other self?” Pinkie asked in disbelief before smiling widely. “My double and I just had some cake!”

Rarity rolled her eyes before fidgeting uneasily. “Er, quite. I, too, saw myself and… my little sister, Sweetie Belle. She was… taller. And she had her cutie mark!”

“...What does it mean?” Twilight muttered to herself, rubbing one foreleg with a hoof absently.

A new voice disturbed their ruminations. “Perhaps I can explain…” Everypony turned to where the voice came from. They didn’t see anypony yet, but gradually the sun began to appear above the horizon, casting rays of overdue light and warmth across Equestria. With a small flash of light, Princess Celestia, looking none the worse for wear, appeared before them, the sun at her back casting her in the most regal and divine glow Twilight had ever seen. Celestia smiled softly. “After all, answers for you all are long overdue.”

“MOM!” Rainbow shouted in relief, rocketing from her place on the floor and wrapping Celestia in a powerful hug. The force of the impact was enough to send Celestia falling onto her backside with an ‘oof.’ Twilight, too, cantered forward and joined the two in their embrace. Everypony else had already dropped into deep bows.

Celestia tittered softly. “That is the first time you have called me that to my face, Rainbow Dash…”

“Just shut up and let me hug you right now, okay?” Rainbow said back, squeezing Celestia even tighter.

Celestia didn’t argue, instead returning the embrace the two mares were giving her. Eventually, though, she gently nudged them off and stood. “I am so proud of you two. I knew you could do it.”

“But you told me that it was just an old pony tail,” Twilight said with a quizzical frown.

Celestia giggled. “No, Twilight, I told you that you needed more friends. For as much time as you spent with my daughter, here, you spent equally as much time, if not more, with your nose in a book.” she then looked to the rest of the mares in the room. “I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon’s return, Twilight. I’ve known for years, but I’ve also known that it was no longer within my power to stop her. That power now lies with you. But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship fill your heart.”

“Hey!” Rainbow complained. “She and I are best friends!”

“Yes, I know,” Celestia smiled softly. “But let’s not forget that Twilight only agreed to spend time with you - at the beginning, at least- because I asked her too. Hardly a natural way to make friends.”

Rainbow shot Twilight a small frown but then shrugged. “Fair enough.”

“Now, there is one more matter I must see to before we return to Ponyville…” Celestia said before stepping past the six mares, her eyes lingering on the smoking remains of Nightmare Moon’s armor. In the center of the shrapnel was a small alicorn mare, perhaps as tall as Rainbow Dash. She was a soft blue color with a bright blue mane and tail. Upon her flank was a black pattern of spots and a crescent moon for a cutie mark. The alicorn looked up and gasped in fear when she saw Celestia approach. “Princess Luna…”

“Luna…?” Rainbow whispered before trotting forward to stand next to Celestia, looking at the alicorn before her curiously.

“It has been a thousand years since I saw you like this… since I saw you as my little sister. It’s time we put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, after all… and besides all that.” Celestia rested a hoof on Rainbow’s back. “...I want you to meet my daughter, your niece… Rainbow Dash.”

Luna locked eyes with Rainbow Dash and instantly shied away, her eyes trembling with fear and swiftly mounting guilt. “I… I’m…”

“Aunt Luna… It’s a joy to finally meet you,” Rainbow said simply before reaching out with her forehooves and pulling the alicorn into a hug. Luna squaked in shock, going rigid. Rainbow made sure her ear was next to Luna’s ear before she spoke up again. “Don’t sweat any of what just happened, alright? Mom’s made it pretty clear that you’re a good pony, and that Nightmare Moon is not who you really are. Okay?” she whispered.

Luna slowly relaxed, nodded, and returned the hug before looking up at Celestia. “I… I’m so sorry, big sister. I missed you…”

Celestia smiled, tears coming to her eyes before she set herself down by the two, joining them in their embrace.

At last, after a thousand years of waiting…

Her family was finally together.

“So, lemme get this straight,” Applejack began, her muzzle scrunching up as she tried to keep all of the new information straight in her head. “Our entire world is different than it should be?”

The six newly minted element bearers currently sat inside of the Golden Oaks Library, the summer sun celebration in full swing outside, albeit a little late. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were with them, though Luna was remaining quiet for the most part.

“Correct, Applejack,” Celestia nodded.” The day you all got your cutie marks is when the change occurred. Near as I can tell, it happened because Rainbow saw something that should not have been there. A unicorn and an alicorn, standing upon the clouds of Cloudsdale during her race. Just seeing those two was enough to alter the course of history.”

“In what ways, exactly?” Rarity asked, looking around curiously.

Celestia lost her smile before looking at Rainbow Dash. “...Rainbow Dash, answering this question may require I tread on… painful ground for you. I do not wish to cause you any discomfort, so-”

“Just spill, already,” Rainbow replied simply. ‘I’ve been waiting for, like, years. I think I can take a bit of stress.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “Very well… ahem. From the moment my duaghter saw those time travelers, history changed. Her mind was filled with questions that she didn’t have in the original timeline… an admittedly small change to begin, but these things can snowball into something far larger. One day, she and her original family were on their way to a wonderbolts performance. Due to the distractions in her mind, she was unable to act quickly enough to save them from an accident…”

Rainbow wilted slightly, her gaze drifting down, but otherwise she didn’t react.

“...In short, as far as I know, Rainbow Dash was never an orphan before the timeline was changed.”

Twilight leaned forward slightly. “So, wait, time travel magic is really possible!?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes, although the only means to do so in this timeline can only send you back a week, and creates a closed loop. You cannot change the course of history with it; merely revisit a moment up to a week ago for a minute at most. Starswirl the Bearded was meticulous in ensuring that the spell would not jeopardize the flow of time. The spell used to change the past had this failsafe removed. It was a deliberate effort to undo your lives.”

“Wow… How do you know all of this?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

Celestia closed her eyes in thought before looking to Twilight. “Because… much like my faithful student… I was contacted by my future self from the original timeline before it dissolved.”

Author's Note

EXPOSITION!

...Who We Are

Rainbow glanced at Twilight with a raised eyebrow. “Twilight’s future self contacted her?”

Celestia nodded before closing her eyes. “She did. According to my own future self, the change to the timeline, while notable, was… acceptable to certain forces that wish to keep the world moving in a certain direction. The sonic rainboom was the keystone for the timeline to remain, elsewise it would have attempted to self-correct itself by way of the time traveler's Rainbow Dash saw. They were the ones to create the change, and so long as those forces wanted time repaired, they would have retained their memories of the original timeline, as well as had the autonomy needed to fix it.

“But because of the sonic Rainboom being successfully performed, all six of your destinies were solidified as they were supposed to be, and the timeline began to stabilize with the change being left alone.” Celestia explained before looking to Twilight.

“So… does the change in our time have anything to do with the flashes?” Twilight voiced her question once she realized that Celestia was waiting for it.

“It has everything to do with it,” Celestia smiled. “The ‘flashes’ were echoes and fragments of what once was, of the previous timeline reminding who we are now of who we were before. Although, only those who hold or shall hold the elements of harmony could receive these flashes. The force that saw our new time as acceptable is the same force that created the elements and decides their wielders. This link allows you to see the flashes when nopony else can.”

“Did you ever have flashes?” Twilight asked almost instantly, leaning forward with wide eyes.

Celestia blinked then nodded. “Yes… only once, though. I saw myself having a mild panic attack similar to the ones you have when you’re late on an assignment, Twilight.”

Twilight blushed and said no more.

For a moment, everypony went quiet, just taking it all in. Finally Rainbow shot Celestia a hard look. “Here’s my question… why, oh why did you wait so long to tell us all of this?” she asked incredulously before stepping forward. “I mean, this is BIG stuff you’re telling us! I mean, you could have at least told me!”

Celestia sighed heavily. “It isn’t like I wanted to keep secrets from you, Rainbow… but acting off of foreknowledge alone is dangerous enough. Sharing it with anypony could have led to cascade of unpredictable issues that would throw us off course from reaching this moment, this point. I’ve been working to bring you all together as the wielders of the elements for… years, now.”

“Why work for this moment, though?” Applejack asked pointedly. ‘Ah mean, if what yer sayin’ is true, then the sonic rainboom was the thing that needed to happen for our timeline to be stable or whatever, right?”

“A valid question, Applejack,” Celestia turned to face the farmer. “You see, the sonic rainboom was the foundation of your futures, but your gathering to obtain the elements of harmony is a crucial and critical event. This point in time, the return of Nightmare Moon, is a keystone just as much as the rainboom. I know you all will do wonderful things with the elements, but it is quite possible that you would not have reached this point without some… admittedly sneaky guidance. This became clear to me when Rainbow Dash became an orphan… With her birth parents gone, she may have never been in Ponyville, rendering the elements useless.”

“Woah, hold on a second!” Rainbow said suddenly, stepping forward and looking Celestia deep in the eyes, almost looking hurt. “Are you saying that the only reason you adopted me was so I could make it here?”

Celestia flinched back, suddenly looking very timid. “...Perhaps that was my initial motivation, yes. But please understand, Rainbow…” Celestia let herself down to be at eye level with her adopted daughter. “From the moment I took you in, even if my goal was to make you a bearer of an element of harmony, I still swore to care for you and love as any mother should. You are my daughter, Rainbow. No matter what first sent me to adopt you, or my reasons, you were always my beloved daughter first, and the element of loyalty second.”

Rainbow took a step back, looking unsure of herself.

“It is just like I said that day in Highblood’s manor. Do you remember, Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow looked at Celestia again, her posture timid and her face nervous.

“I had been desiring a foal for some time… I had been wanting to grow my family, to feel the joy of being a mother. I wanted Luna to feel that similar joy of realizing she was an aunt when she came home…” Celestia shot her little sister a warm smile. “And you needed a family to draw out your potential, potential that is so much more than wielding the element of loyalty.” Celestia explained before reaching out. Rainbow, after a moment, relented and gratefully entered into an embrace with her mother.

A few moments passed before Pinkie piped up. “Sooo… if the old timeline has been popping up in our minds all these years, and the timeline was completely rewritten, how come we spoke to our future selves after we got the elements?” she said surprisingly calmly.

Rainbow and Celestia reluctantly disengaged their embrace. While Rainbow sat beside Luna to keep her some company, Celestia stood up again. “Because you obtaining the elements is what finally cemented our timeline into a firm path, as well as creating a link for the old timeline to commune with you more directly. What you saw were yourselves in the old timeline, becoming who you are now in the new one.”

“But the whole timeline was erased, wasn’t it?” Twilight pointed out with a quizzical look.

“In truth, it is actually still dissolving as we speak,” Celestia clarified before clearing her throat. “For brief moments, you moved through time, projections of your current selves speaking to your future others. But you still moved forward to do this. When you awoke in the castle, you had returned to our present. As it stands, the old timeline will still be dissolving and being overwritten until we reach the same point where it ends, in a few years.”

“On the topic of the old timeline…” Rarity began with a small cough. “I’ve been meaning to ask since we started this revelation spree, but, will we still be receiving the flashes?”

Celestia shook her head. “No. At least, it isn’t likely. As I mentioned, the return of Nightmare Moon was a keystone event. It’s outcome, no matter what it was to be, would have caused the rest of the timeline to stabilize into something structurally sound. The flashes were echoes and fragments left behind, but they only remained because our timeline was still unstable. There may yet be a few rare flashes over the next few years… if they begin to occur again, it would be wise to brace yourselves for something big. They would begin to occur at critical points and key moments.”

“Note to self: Further hallucinations of future parties are a really bad omen about things going wrong in the near future. Brace for future catastrophes accordingly.” Pinkie said to herself in a serious voice while furiously scribbling words into a notebook with a pencil held in her mane.

Celestia nodded before standing straight and stretching. “I wish I could answer more of your questions, but I am afraid I am needed at town hall soon. The mayor requested my presence immediately and I have delayed her for too long…”

“Uh, before you go!” Rainbow called, trotting up to Celestia and looking at her with hopeful eyes. “Uh… we’re staying the night here, right?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “I suppose we can. Why?”

“Well… I…” Rainbow glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes with Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity one by one before sighing. “I… kinda don’t wanna go.”

“...Me neither.” Twilight added in with a small nod. “I mean, Rainbow and I made four new friends last night and… well, you said I needed to let true friendship in, right?”

A knowing smile slowly crept onto Princess Celestia’s face. “...You want to stay here with your new friends, don’t you?”

Rainbow and Twilight nodded silently, sharing a glance.

Celestia’s smile turned a touch more solemn looking, but nonetheless, she turned to where Spike had been sleeping all night, the baby dragon tucked into his bed in the corner. “Spike! Wake up, please.”

“Huh, what?” Spike mumbled before glancing up at the room. Everypony was looking at him expectantly. “What?” he repeated.

“I need you to take a note, Spike.” Celestia said with an amused and ever-motherly smile.

“Oh, right!” Spike yipped before standing up scampering off towards an end table not far away. He pulled it open, sifted through and then withdrew a sheet of parchment and a quill. “Ready!”

“Ahem. I, Princess Celestia, hereby decree that the unicorn Twilight Sparkle, and my own daughter, Rainbow Dash, shall together begin a new mission for Equestria. They must continue to study and learn of the magic of friendship and all it can accomplish. They must report to me their findings from their new home... in Ponyville.”

Twilight cantered forward to stand next to Rainbow, and the two shared happy grins as their new friends huddled around them in a massive group hug. Twilight looked up at Celestia with tears of joy in her eyes. “Thank you so much, Princess. I promise I’ll study harder than ever before!”

“Make it a field study, eh?” Rainbow teased while playfully nudging Twilight in the shoulder.

“Oh shush!” Twilight snapped back before the lot of them snuggled deeply into their group hug. Rainbow, after a moment, looked up at Celestia before silently excusing herself from the hug and looking up at her mother.

“Yes, my daughter? Is there something more you want to say?” Celestia asked quietly, the two of them stepping away from the pony pile to have a bit more privacy in their chat.

Rainbow bit her lip. “Um… I, uh… gah, I’m so bad at all this mushy stuff…” she grumbled in an irritated whisper. Then she locked eyes with Celestia. “Just… thank you. For everything.” she then sent herself up, wrapping her forelegs around Celestia’s neck and shoulder in a tight hug.

Celestia gladly returned the embrace, nuzzling affectionately into her daughter’s shoulder. “You’re welcome, Rainbow Dash… but truly, you don’t need to thank me for anything. I’m just doing what a mother does… loving her daughter.”

Rainbow sniffled before removing herself from the hug. “Mom, what do I keep telling you about the onions?”

Celestia smiled softly. “There is nothing wrong with feeling, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow nodded slowly. “Yeah… I guess there isn’t.”

Celestia took a deep breath before turning slightly for the exit and nodding to Luna, who came forward to stand next to her. “Well… I wish you the best of luck in your new home, Rainbow Dash. Remember that there is always a place for you in Canterlot if you ever want to come back.” she shot Rainbow a small smirk. “I love you, my daughter. Farewell.”

Rainbow’s face tinted slightly as Celestia dropped the mushiest of all mush bombs, the ‘L’ bomb on her. Shaking her head to dispel it, Rainbow nodded sheepishly before slowly making her way back towards Twilight and the rest of their new friends. Celestia smiled before she and her little sister walked out.

Twilight watched them go and, while she re-welcomed Dash to the assembly, she excused herself only a moment later and made for the door. She stepped out of the library and watched after Celestia. “Princess Celestia?” she called, causing the alicorn to turn and glance back at her. “...Can I talk to you before you go back? I… I need to ask you something. Something personal.”

Celestia’s smile faltered, though she nodded. “Of course, my faithful student. I shall come see you at sunset.”

Time Gone, Time Ahead

That evening, as the sun gradually dipped towards the horizon, Twilight found herself waiting on the second story balcony of the Golden oaks library for her teacher to come speak with her. The Summer Sun Celebration party was still in full swing. Ponies danced, sang, played silly games and ate meals at tables. It was all highly enhanced by the frightening experience of Nightmare Moon showing back up, only to be reformed back into Princess Luna, although the small alicorn currently stayed by her big sister’s side and hid from the world, by the looks of it.

Twilight would have ruminated on it further, but Celestia herself was seen approaching the library with a happy, if tired, expression on her face. Once at the base of the tree, her wings unfolded and, with a few gentle flaps, she arrived on the same balcony as Twilight. She wasted no time in sitting down beside her student and looking over the town.

For almost three minutes, the two sat in perfect silence. Finally, Twilight took a deep, shaky breath. “Were… were you planning on turning me into an alicorn? Into a princess?” she asked hesitantly, scuffing the wood beneath her with a hoof.

Celestia looked down at Twilight with an unreadable expression. “...I still do, if you pass my tests.”

Twilight gasped and looked to Celestia. “Wait, you said foreknowledge is a dangerous thing to have! Why did you just tell me?”

Celestia tittered softly. “Because you already know, Twilight. Besides, you don’t know what trials you will have to pass to achieve such a position.”

“Right… fair enough, I suppose.” Twilight murmured before looking straight ahead. “...and what about Rainbow? I mean, she’s already a princess. She’s only really missing the horn.”

Celestia closed her eyes in thought and hummed to herself a moment. “...I don’t know, to be honest. I would love to have my daughter join me and my sister with such an ascension. I can already imagine the wonders she could achieve with that kind of power…” Celestia opened her eyes and frowned. “But she is… reckless. She is overconfident and self centered and such qualities would be… immeasurably risky for her.”

“Why’s that?” Twilight asked, suddenly feeling a little worried by Celestia’s very blunt assessment.

“Being an Alicorn carries risks that no other pony must face. A duality of the mind, so to speak. The magic of an alicorn can manifest in terrifying ways if the pony cannot control their emotions… that is how Nightmare Moon was born, after all.”

Twilight nodded slowly before looking down. “Right… well, I’ll keep you informed on how she’s doing,” she said with a wide smile. “I’m sure she’ll get the hang of her emotions in no time.”

Celestia laughed outright at that before looking down at Twilight with a wide smile and tears in her eyes. “Oh… oh I am going to miss you two. You have influenced each other in so many ways… just then, speaking with such confidence on her behalf… you kind of sounded like her.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You keep reminding us. We know.” she said before a yawn gradually left her. She stretched and looked up at Celestia with her eyelids slowly becoming heavier.

Celestia smiled that warm, motherly smile that she gave everypony. “You’re tired, Twilight. And so is my daughter. I’m pretty sure she already retired for the night, to be honest. Why don’t you do the same? You’ve had a rough couple of days, after all.”

Twilight nodded slightly. “Heh. you don’t need to tell me twice. Goodnight, Princess…” she yawned out before standing and turning to head back inside.

“Oh! And Twilight?” Celestia called gently while standing to go. Twilight turned to her curiously. “...Take care of each other, won’t you?”

Twilight grinned. “We were already planning on it.”

Celestia nodded slowly before turning and stepping forth from the balcony, using her wings to slow her descent to the ground below. Twilight waved before stumbling inside and heading for her loft, where both of the beds were. Sure enough, Rainbow was already sacked out in one, snoring contently.

Twilight looked charmed before swaying over to her own bed and climbing under the blankets for a good night’s sleep. For a moment, she lay there, letting sleep come for her.

“That you, Twi?” Rainbow called drowsily from her bed.

“Mmph.” Twilight replied into her pillow, a simple enough response.

“...thanks for… you know… being my friend back in Canterlot. I… I really needed somepony like you when I go there.”

Twilight’s smile softened and she closed her eyes. “You’re welcome, Rainbow… I’m happy I met you.”

“Yeah… same.”

“Goodnight, Rainbow Dash.”

“Yeah… goodnight.”

There they slept, in their new home in Ponyville, the celebration outside winding down until only the peaceful silence of the night remained.

Over the years, they had caught little glimpses of the time that had come before. Now, sleeping in their beds, they smiled and dreamt of the time that waited for them just ahead.