The Home That You Made

A few Days Later

Twilight woke from her sleep and started her usual morning routine. She then headed outside and joined her sisters for breakfast, which they always ate in a small dining room near the temple. She entered it, seeing her sisters.

"Hey, Big Horn. How was your sleep last night?" Dash asked, a smile on her face as she was eating a bowl of oatmeal.

Twilight sighed, "My name is not 'Big Horn,' Tiny Wings. And my night was fine." She took a bowl and scooped up the oatmeal before walking over to the table and sat down. She was going to eat, but Dash joined her and stared at her horn, making Twilight annoyed but also blushing. "Why do you hate my horn so much?? It's not that big, and it's not ugly," Twilight asked, trying to sound harsh and not upset.

"Sorry, Big Horn, I don't mean to. I just... It's hard to explain." Dash blushed, looking away. "Don't get so uptight. I never call your horn ugly. That's not true."

Twilight puffed her cheeks out and started to eat her breakfast, ignoring her.

Dash sighed and ate her oatmeal.

"Morning, my precious daughters." Celestia entered, walking to the table where Dash and Twi were and joining them, looking at them eat, ignoring the others. "I know it's been a long time. But I think it's time we talked about something important. So please, stop eating."

All the girls put their spoons down and looked at her.

"What's up, Celestia?" Applejack asked, wiping her mouth.

Celestia smiled at Twilight, nervously smiling back, "It's time for you to pick your teammates, who will spend your time together here to help you grow. Think carefully, my child. Once chosen, they will not be changed. Pick wisely."

Twilight blushed and rubbed her cheek, thinking and looking at everyone in the room. She noticed they were all looking at her, but one person was missing.

"Mom, where is Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, looking around the room and not seeing her.

Celestia slowly had a sad smile on her face. "She's on a quest I gave her, so don't worry about her. Now, make your decision."

Twilight nodded and started to look at them, thinking of who should join her, until she said, "Well, this is easy. I know exactly who I'm picking." Rainbow Dash stood up, her face confident that Twilight would pick her. "I pick Shy!"

Celestia looked over to Rainbow, seeing her still looking confident, but her eyes told a different story as she realized what had happened. Dash looked at her, and her confidence was gone. Sadness now filled her eyes as she sat back down. Celestia glared at Rarity, who stood up and shouted, "NO! YOU CAN'T HAVE HER!"

Twilight looked confused. "What are you talking about, Rarity? This is my decision, not yours t-" Twilight was cut off as Rarity screamed again.

"NO! I pick Shy! You can't have her!"

Twilight watched as Rarity ran out of the room, crying. She didn't understand until she remembered her talk with Shy a few days ago. She stood up and was about to leave the room when her mother told her she needed to pick someone.

"I'll pick someone later, I promise, but my sister needs me!"

With that said, Twilight left the room, not noticing her mother petting Dash's head and telling her not to worry; there was enough time left.

Twilight ran into the woods, looking around for Rarity, who was yelling for her and asking where she was. As she got deeper into the woods, she could hear her voice; she was crying. She ran towards her voice until she found her sitting by a tree, hugging her knees.

"Rarity, are you okay?" Twilight asked, walking closer.

Rarity wiped her eyes and looked at her before looking away. "I'm fine. Please, go away."

Twilight puffed her cheeks and yelled, stomping her foot, "No! Why are you acting like a jerk, Rarity!?"

Rarity didn't move, but her hands shook as she tried to hold back her tears. "Because you want Shy..."

Twilight froze, noticing Rarity's deep blush and realizing she was right. Twi sighed loudly as she sat next to her. "Look, I'm not going to fight over her. You can have her."

Rarity was taken aback by that; she didn't understand what she meant. "W-What are you talking about?"

Twilight smiled, looking at the trees and the forest around them, and said, "I'm not going to stand in your way." Twilight turned to her with a slight smile. "You love her, don't you? And want her all to yourself?"

Rarity blushed, her eyes widened, and her lips trembled. Her heart started to pound faster, and her hands started to shake. She looked down, tears coming down her cheeks. "Yes...sorry, sister..."

Twilight shook her head. "No, don't be. I'm happy for you and happy for her. I want you both to be happy, so I'm stepping down from picking her."

Rarity wiped her tears. "Thank you, Twilight...I mean, sister!"

Twilight chuckled and shook her head, looking away, blushing as Rarity never called her sister that often.

"Do you hate me, sister?"

Twilight looked back at her. "Nope, I could never hate you, my precious sister. Just...you hardly call me that." Twilight said, playing with the grass with her fingers.

"Sorry, sister, it's a hard habit to break."

"It's okay."

Rarity sighed, looked at the sky, and started to think. "Sister, why did you pick Shy? Why her?"

Twilight thought about it and replied, "Because she's the sweetest of all my sisters and the one I care about the most. Plus, she looks up to me and admires me. I want to protect her!" Twilight quickly hugged Rarity. "Same with everyone! I love you all! All of you aren't just my friends but my sisters."

Rarity smiled, hugging her back. The two kept hugging until Rarity asked a simple question.
"Even Dash?"

Twilight quickly let go and stood up. "Of course I love her!" Twilight blushed as she realized what she said. "But...but...not like that! Ugh!" Twilight walked back and forth. "She's so mean to me! Calling me names and bullying me! Why can't she be like Fluttershy!? Be cute and sweet!?"

Rarity smiled. "That's because she has a hard time showing her feelings, that's all. She has difficulty showing her true feelings and only the ones she's used to." Rarity stood up, touching Twilight's shoulder. "You want her to be more like Fluttershy?"

Twilight stopped, thinking and blushing. "N-No... I...I wish she not be so mean to me."

"Oh, I see."

Twilight nodded. "Y-Yeah. Plus..." she touched her horn. "...I don't have a big ugly horn, right?"

Rarity gasped and grabbed Twilight's hands, pulling her in, and said "Sister, it's not a ugly horn. It's a cute, beautiful horn, and it's a part of you. It's not like you're the only one with a horn."

Twilight looked at Rarity's forehead and saw her smaller horn. Dash was right; she had a big horn, but Twilight felt Rarity's hand on it, softly touching it and saying she wished she had a horn like this. Twilight smiled as the two sisters spent time together, talking about anything and everything.

It wasn't long before they returned and saw Celestia standing at the red gates, waiting.

"Oh, there you are. Are you both done?"

Twilight was going to answer her, but Rarity walked past her and Celestia and disappeared into the shrine. Twilight wondered what had just happened, but she heard her mother asking her the same question: who should she pick as her teammate?

"I want to pick...huh?" Twilight was about to answer, but she noticed someone behind her mother. She could tell it was Dash. "What are you doing, Tiny Wings!?"

"Just watch, Big Horn," Dash smirked and crossed her arms, her eyes staring into Twilight like she was testing her. "I'll be the perfect teammate for you!"

Twilight puffed her cheeks. "Really? How?"

"Yep, I'll protect you. I'll help you grow and teach you things!" she pointed at Twilight with a slight blush.

Twilight laughed hard, making Dash blush and upset, as she wasn't expecting that kind of reaction from her.

"W-What the heck are you laughing at, Big Horn!?" Dash yelled, stomping her foot.

"Sorry, sorry, Tiny Wings." Twilight laughed and smiled hard, tears coming out. "It's just that you think you can teach me things!? I'm the smartest, remember!? What can you teach me? Flying? With those little wings?"

Celestia didn't say a word, nor make a sound, as her eyes were closed, a soft smile on her face, as she heard them fighting but opened her eyes as she saw Dash poking Twilight's horn and saying, "I CAN FLY! WATCH!"

Twilight and Celestia watched as Dash ran to the edge of the stairs and jumped. They all watched as Dash struggled to fly, her little wings flapping like a hummingbird and falling. Celestia didn't move, but Twilight did. She jumped after her and used her magic to save her, holding her close.

"TINY WINGS! What the hay were you thinking!?" screamed Twilight, floating mid-air with her, holding her tight, shaking, making Dash turn her head to her. "YOU BIG DUMMY! YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN HURT!"

Celestia laughed softly, her heart warm and happy, as her daughter tried her hardest to float back to her. She failed, and they dropped to the ground with a thud. She watched as Twilight smacked Dash on the head.

"You can't fly! Why!?"

"I can! You watch, Big Horn!" Dash yelled and stood up, and ran and jumped off the steps again, and again, and again, as Celestia watched as her precious child kept jumping off, only to be saved by her sister—every time.

"STOP IT! I CAN FLY!"

"YOU CAN'T FLY!"

Dash didn't give up, as she kept trying.

"Please, stop this, Tiny Wings. You'll hurt yourself," begged Twilight, holding Dash's hands and pleading with her not to jump.

Dash blushed and looked away, as she was out of breath and couldn't keep doing it.

"Fine... But, you have to let me teach you things. You need to get stronger!"

Twilight sighs. "Fine. I pick you as my teammate; happy now?"

Dash smirked and put her arm around her shoulder. "Yep, very much. Thanks, Big Horn!"

Celestia watched, seeing their friendship and bond growing. Twilight blushed and puffed her cheeks out, yelling at her not to call her that, and Dash laughed at her. Celestia looked behind her, seeing Rarity standing still in the shrine room, facing away from them. Celestia's face became sad. She looked up to the sky, looking at something.

"...please hurry soon."