Prism

by Destructio23

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance
Length: 9232

Twilight discovers that everything isn't as perfect as she thought it would be between her and Dash.

Twilight Sparkle finally is with Rainbow Dash, a pony she had a crush on since she could remember. But after a series of awkward accidents leaves them both doubting, Twilight discovers that everything isn't as perfect as she thought it would be.
***
Rated teen for very mild sexual content.

Cover image was created by Microgrid on DeviantART.

Published 2012-11-07 00:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-08-26 17:53:41 UTC

Chapter One

Prism

Chapter One

“Aw, shucks, Rainbow, thanks fer helping me out today.” Applejack said with a broad smile on her face. She reared up and bucked another tree, making a cascade of apples fall into baskets placed under it. “It wouldn’t be half as easy without you.” Rainbow Dash picked the basket up, and flew up to the apple cart that stood near. She placed it on the very top, carefully balancing it on the other ones and making sure it wouldn’t topple over.

“Sure AJ, any time!” Dash responded once she was back on the ground and all of the baskets were on the cart. “It’s always good to help a friend out, and you certainly helped me to battle my boredom,” she said, letting out a short laugh. “You know how boring my job can be...” Dash mused as she looked at the clear skies above them. Not a single cloud to block the rays of the setting sun.

“Sure, but Ah don’t reckon the cart can take any more apples.” Applejack said as she looked at the cart with concern, “and we’re runnin’ a lil’ late here. Ah reckon we can be done fer today.” She said as she took the cart harness and strapped herself in. She waited for Dash to do the same, and they hauled the cart all the way to the Sweet Apple Acres barn. Dash noticed that the whole Apple Family building was decorated with ribbons and colorful balloons. They opened the big red doors and pulled the cart inside. They unstrapped themselves and started to put the baskets on the floor of the barn. Applejack closed the door.

“So, how are the preparations going? I see that the decorations are looking pretty good.” Dash complimented as the duo worked on unloading the apples.

“All is goin’ fine and dandy, we just have ta bake a few more treats and we’re set.” The farmer responded, proud of the work that her family had done over the past days, “Ah feel that this year’s Apple Festival will be the best we ever had.” The Apple festival was something the Apple family came up with themselves. Every year, the whole of ponyville would gather around the Sweet Apple Acres farm house for a party. Various apple treats and drinks were happily served, everything under the supervision of the Ponyville’s premier party pony.

“Cool! I bet that–” She was abruptly cut off by a loud thud. Her head whipped to the direction the sound came from, managing to get a glimpse of another basket full of apples falling from the top of the cart. Before she could react, she slipped on an apple and went flying into the air out of control. She spun like a dart, and fell flat on her back on the ground littered by red fruit. She yelled as she felt another body slam onto her with force. Applejack was laying on Rainbow Dash, both in pain. Rainbow opened her eyes to discover Applejack’s face not inches away from her’s.

“Get off!” Dash said as she tried to wriggle from under the farmer.

“Oh... sorry sugarcube,” Applejack responded, blushing heavily, “hold on.” She slowly tried to free herself from the small tangle of legs and hooves that formed between the two mares. They both stopped dead in their tracks as they heard somepony knocking on the doors to the barn. Two sets of eyes drilled into the door, waiting with tension.

“Hello?” A soft voice came from behind the still closed door. Rainbow’s eyes went wide, as she recognized who the voice belonged to. She started kicking blindly, desperately trying to get Applejack off her before the pony saw them. The farmer yelled as she was hit right in her stomach.

Twilight entered and froze in shock as she saw what was going on in the barn, her smile falling. The whole floor littered with apples and a few destroyed baskets, and amidst all of this: Applejack and Rainbow Dash laying on one another.

“It’s not how it looks like...” Dash managed to mumble out before she was cut off by her marefriend’s gasp.

“What is all this?” The unicorn asked, dumbfounded. Her gaze swept the whole barn again, as if to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. “What are you two doing!?” She repeated her question louder.

“It’s not how it looks like...” Dash repeated, fiercely trying to free herself again. After a moment, Rainbow managed to get her legs loose, and the two mares separated. She shot up and looked at Applejack. They exchanged glances. While Applejack was embarrassed, Dash was angry.

“What was that!?” It was Rainbow’s turn to ask.

“Ah don’t know... looks like one of the apple baskets came loose and fell ta the ground...” Applejack finished lamely, looking at the floor she was laying on a few seconds ago. She slowly touched her stomach and winced slightly.

“Hear that, Twilight?” Dash asked as she looked at the door, but the mare vanished. “Twilight!?” The Pegasus shouted once again as she ran outside, followed by Applejack. They both could see the unicorn running down the pathway leading to Ponyville, and Twilight’s house.

“Thanks a bunch, Applejack.” Dash said as she shot a glance towards the earth pony.
She looked down again, still ashamed.

“Ah’m sorry sugarcube...” Applejack apologized.

“You better be...” Dash responded as she took off, leaving no time for Applejack to say anything. The farmer observed as Rainbow climbed the skies, heading towards the Ponyville library; her home. Applejack sighed as she looked back into the barn. She had at least another hour of work ahead of herself if she wanted to tidy up before the upcoming festival. The farmer hoped that the stupid mistake won’t do any more harm.

-«<♦>»-

At the beginning of Rainbow’s relationship it was hard for her to move from her cloud mansion to Twilight’s library. She often found herself flying to her old home only to realize that she didn’t live there anymore. It had sentimental value to her because it was the first home she had all by herself, and she lived there for as long as she could remember. Moving was a tough decision, but Twilight was sure to comfort her marefriend as lovingly as she could.

The Pegasus was soaring over the Ponyville main square and the heads of several ponies that marvelled at the sight of the wonderful rainbow trail she was leaving. She looked towards the library, noticing that Twilight had just entered and slammed the door behind her. Dash swiftly landed on the doormat not a few seconds later, and tried to open the door. No matter how hard she pulled, it didn’t budge. It was locked.

“Hey!” Rainbow yelled at the door, hoping that Twilight would hear. After a while, a response came.

“What?” Twilight asked. Dash felt a stab of pain in her heart as she heard her marefriend’s voice. It was obvious that she was crying.

“Twilight... please let me in, I can explain.” Dash begged, knocking on the door a few times.

“Why?” Twilight asked again, her voice muffled by her own sobs.

“Applejack even said that it was a mistake. We slipped on apples that fell from the apple cart in the barn. Please let me in.” Rainbow answered, waiting for a response. She was regretting offering help to Applejack. She wouldn’t have done it if she had known how it would end.

“She was lying. I can tell.” The unicorn responded, sobbing quietly.

“Twilight, think. She is the Element of Honesty, she can’t lie...” Dash explained.

“I don’t care, I saw what was going on!” Rainbow heard Twilight yell. The Pegasus heard the faint sound of hoofsteps as her marefriend slowly walked away.

The cyan mare gulped as she realized that the situation was more serious than she initially thought. Losing all hope to get into the library that day, she turned to leave. Shooting one last glance, she spotted an open window with the corner of her eye. Thanking Celestia, she flew up to the window and squeezed through.

She found herself in Twilight’s bedroom, which both mares had shared since Dash moved in. The bed sheets were made perfectly, the whole room free of any litter. The Pegasus walked up to the ajar door and took a peek outside. She saw Twilight laying on the couch, levitating a thin blanket, just about to cover herself. Dash shot out of the bedroom towards her marefriend with incredible speed. Twilight yelled in surprise as she saw a rainbow streak fly through the room right for her. Rainbow landed on top of Twilight just as the blanket covered the duo with it’s warm touch. Twilight found herself staring deeply into the magenta eyes of the Pegasus she loved so much, momentarily getting lost in the vast expanse. She panted deeply from the surprise.

After her mind came back to her, she tried to crawl from under Dash, but she was being kept down by the stronger pony.

“Let me go...” Twilight pleaded, but her hooves were held down.

“Twilight, please listen.” Dash said, but to no avail. Twilight didn't want to listen.

Rainbow felt desperate. She lowered herself and planted her lips on Twilight’s. The brief kiss shut the unicorn silent. She was looking at the pony above her, surprised. Rainbow’s mane cascaded down near Twilight’s face like a curtain, seemingly protecting the pair.

“Twilight, please listen to me,” Dash whispered quietly, their snouts nearly touching each other. “The whole thing was a mishap, I love you.”

Twilight blinked a few times, taking what she heard in. “But I saw you and Applejack...” She trailed off into silence.

Rainbow sighed quietly, feeling that she would convince her marefriend better with action than words. In a brief moment she took a breath and dove down, catching the unicorn off guard. Their lips met again as Dash lowered her head further, pressing on. Twilight’s eyes shot open as she felt what was going on. A warm pleasure filled and relaxed her body, as she felt the softness of her marefriend’s touch. She slowly closed her eyes, accepting Rainbow‘s kiss. Her head pressed on the the couch seat as her lips parted. Dash slowly pressed in, sliding her tongue into Twilight’s mouth.

A quiet groan of pleasure escaped Twilight as she felt Rainbow exploring her mouth with her tongue, sliding against her own. She soon did the same, wrapping her hooves around her love, pulling her closer and forgetting about anything else. Their warm bodies ground against each other with passion as the moon slowly peeked through the window, shining dim light onto the two lovers.

-«<♦>»-

Cold night soon enveloped Ponyville as thousand of glimmering stars came to life across the endless black sky. Darkness fell on the few ponies that still remained awake, one pony in particular. Applejack turned in her bed for what seemed to be the millionth time; she couldn’t find sleep. She slowly got up and walked to the window as soft rays of moonlight poured through, illuminating the whole bedroom. The farmer looked outside, admiring the sight. She wondered how it was to control the whole night sky, to make thousands of stars shift from place to place with a thought.

Her mind made her remember Rainbow and the incident again. She sighed, as she had countless times that night. She couldn’t quite put her hoof on her feelings anymore.

Chapter Two

Prism

Chapter Two

Soft morning light spilled into the quaint room as the sun lazily rose over the horizon. Twilight shifted on the couch gently, feeling a warm body resting next to her. Her hooves tightened around it, as she listened to the calm heartbeat of her marefriend. After a moment, she heard Rainbow yawning quietly; she clearly was awoken by Twilight. With Rainbow awake, Twilight decided to open her eyes. She found herself gazing upon those magenta eyes yet again, like she had last night. As a small smile crept on her face, she felt as though she could stare into those orbs for an eternity. All the events of last night slowly came back to Dash, and she embraced Twilight tightly.

“Are you alright?” Rainbow whispered right into her lover's ear, brushing her fur with her lips gently.

“Yes.” Came Twilight’s simple answer, after a pause. She embraced Dash harder, stroking her wings slowly and with love.

“I’m sorry, Twilight. It really was a mistake...” Dash whispered.

“I know, and I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened to me... I shouldn’t have reacted like that.” Twilight buried her face in Rainbow’s chest, running her snout through her soft cyan fur, and inhaling the scent. It was like breathing air in a late autumn day; clear and refreshing.

“Just...” Twilight began unsurely.

“Yes?” Rainbow asked with a slightly concerned tone.

“Promise not to do this again.” The unicorn asked with a soft voice, looking into Rainbow’s eyes again.

“I promise.” Came the immediate answer.

Twilight could barely contain the happiness that she felt as soon as she heard Rainbow's words. Being close to Dash again made the mare warm at heart. She didn't realize how much she missed this feeling that now replaced yesterday’s grief. They laid next to each other for a while, each enjoying the other’s presence. Twilight slowly moved her hoof under the blanket, and touched Rainbow’s wings again, letting her hoof travel a little lower after a few gentle strokes. Rainbow smiled as she felt her marefriend slide her hoof over her side with passion. She moved her hind leg up on Twilight as she felt a hoof go even lower. Dash bit her lip as she felt Twilight lustfully caressing her multicolor cutie mark, grinding her hoof up and down her leg. The cyan mare shivered slightly, feeling her wings tense up involuntarily. No matter how good it felt, Rainbow knew that she had to return to the real world.

“Twilight, I have to go.” Dash said, gently pulling the unicorn’s hoof, and glancing at the clock.

Twilight’s smile immediately fell. “Why?” She asked, like a small uncomprehending foal. “Don’t leave me, I love you.”

Dash smiled again, and kissed Twilight on the cheek.

“I love you too. You know that.” She confessed. “But I need to go to work today.” Dash finished, sighing quietly. She slowly got up, letting the blanked slide onto the unicorn, and headed to the bathroom, leaving Twilight alone on the couch.

Twilight cuddled the blanket, but pouted when it wasn’t half as nice as cuddling Rainbow. She decided to get up after a moment, following the Pegasus into the bathroom. The whole room seemed to shine marvelously, as every surface was perfectly polished. Twilight always made cleanliness her top priority. She walked in and looked at her reflection in the mirror above the sink just as Dash was putting her toothbrush away.

“I look horrible...” Twilight remarked as she tried her best to comb her dishevelled hair, the comb magically flying to and fro. Her eyes were still slightly puffy from crying the night before. Rainbow gave her another kiss on the cheek, the aroma of toothpaste lingering after.

“You’ll be alright,” Dash assured, winking to the unicorn. She walked out of the bathroom, crossed the living room, and yelled a goodbye before exiting the house. Twilight became alone again, but she felt happy. After thoroughly inspecting her coat in the mirror for a while, the mare decided to take a cold shower.

She glanced towards the cabin. It looked strangely inviting. She slowly opened the door and stepped inside. The air got slightly cooler as she closed the door and turned the tap on. A cold sprinkle launched right at her, soon growing to a waterfall. Twilight felt the water pounding on her head as she got an idea. The unicorn reared on her hind legs, resting her front hooves on the wall. She tilted her already soaked head backwards, letting the water roll down on her chest and belly, cooling her off. She let out a long sigh as the torrent cleared her mind.

After she washed and dried herself, she decided that it was time to go and talk with Applejack. Twilight didn’t want a simple mistake like that do any harm to their long friendship, hoping that Applejack would understand why she reacted like that. Twilight exited the house and stepped out on the road. A warm gust of wind blew past her, making her shiver in delight; it felt marvelous after the cold shower. The sun shone on her face merrily as she took the road to the Sweet Apple Acres.

Even before she reached her destination, she could hear the faint sound of Applejack bucking trees; it was unmistakable. Twilight approached the tree line and immersed herself into the seemingly endless apple orchard that coated the whole Apple Family property. She navigated the maze of trees, inhaling their amazing apple scent. The fragrance hit her stronger as she got deeper, she could almost feel it enveloping her form. She could no longer hear the streets of Ponyville; the chirping of birds replacing the talk of ponies. It was almost like she had stepped into another world; world of peace and nature.

She followed the repetitive sound for a while, and managed to find Applejack deep in the orchard. She was busy at work, bucking one tree after another, then loading the baskets full of apples into the big cart that stood near her. Twilight peeked from between the apple trees and observed as Applejack worked. She hesitated for a moment, but decided to walk up to the orange mare.

“Hello, Applejack.” Twilight greeted as she got close. Applejack turned suddenly, startled by her friend.

“Oh...” Applejack replied awkwardly, the embarrassment of yesterday slowly returning to her. “Howdy.” She greeted, her ears dropping a little. Twilight got a little closer, wanting to let her friend know that she wasn’t upset.

“First of all, I would like to apologize for my behavior yesterday.” Twilight said. Applejack didn’t respond, shooting a surprised glance at Twilight instead.

“You know, me lashing out like that, running away in tears and stuff...” Twilight finished and laughed somewhat awkwardly. The farmer still didn’t respond, getting ready to rear up and buck another tree instead. Twilight really wanted Applejack to understand, it seemed like the farmer was still upset, and the unicorn didn’t know why.

“Imagine she was your marefriend, and—”

Applejack tripped as she was kicking the tree. She fell flat on her stomach right next to the trunk, eyes wide. Twilight ran up to her friend and helped her up, asking is everything is alright.

“Yeah, apologies accepted,” Applejack said, pushing Twilight’s hoof of her shoulder. “I’m alright.” Twilight grimaced as she felt her hoof being pushed off. She felt that the conversation wasn’t going well at all.

“Well... I know that yesterday was an accident.” Twilight tried, hoping that it would make her friend less moody.

“Yes, Ah’ve made a stupid mistake.” The earth pony responded, confirming her friend’s words. She fell silent a moment after.

Twilight didn’t know what to say or do. Applejack seemed like she wasn’t herself. Before putting much thought into what she was doing, she moved in and softly embraced Applejack. Twilight opened her mouth to say something comforting, but nothing came to her mind. She felt Applejack return the hug, barely touching her body.

“Excuse me Twi’, but Ah have work to attend to, ya know, with the Apple Festival just around the corner...” She said as the two mares parted. Before waiting for the answer, she turned and bucked the tree, the bang soon dying in the sound of surrounding nature.

“Sure...” Twilight said hesitantly, more to herself than her friend, and turned to leave. All of the happiness she felt a few minutes before was now gone, replaced by concern. She knew that something was wrong with Applejack, and she was nearly sure it concerned Rainbow Dash and herself.

-«<♦>»-

Twilight was in the kitchen, making dinner for both her and Rainbow. She expected her marefriend to come back any minute now, and couldn’t wait for it. A fruit and vegetable salad wasn’t maybe the most exquisite dish, but as much as Twilight hated to admit it, she never was a good chef. With Spike out and helping Fluttershy care for the extraordinary number of animals that wandered to her cottage this summer, a fruit salad was probably the best thing that could be served in the library. It never crossed Twilight’s mind to ask Dash to cook. Everypony knew how Dash was; living on fast food for her entire life. The unicorn had just finished setting the two bowls of salad on the table as the door to the library swung open.

“I’m home!” Dash yelled from the door, and entered the library.

“Hi there, Dash. Dinner is ready.” Twilight responded form the kitchen. “And you don’t have to yell like that!” The unicorn screamed back, snickering as she did so.

“Whoa, a fruit salad? I love you! I was starving my entire shift today.” Dash said as she entered the kitchen, looking around.

“Yeah... if only you could do something to repay me...” Twi said, snickering softly again.

Rainbow didn’t respond, but moved in closer to Twilight instead. The unicorn observed intently as moved her face even closer. Twilight got ready for a kiss, but she felt Rainbow’s cheek brush past her own. She looked down and gasped softly as Dash kissed her on the neck. Twilight purred softly as she felt Rainbow’s lips against her fur. The Pegasus let her head lower slowly, kissing Twilight with every inch she moved.

“Is this enough?” She asked, still close.

“No...” Twilight breathed quietly. She closed her eyes, but was disappointed to discover that Dash had already moved away and was sitting at the dining table.

“Well, too bad, Twi’! I’m dying for food.” Dash said and looked at Twilight, fighting to save a straight face.The unicorn sighed and sat down by the small table across from the Pegasus, giving her a long look.

“What? I’m hungry.” The Pegasus defended, lifting her hooves a bit.

“Nothing...” Twilight responded, as she lifted a fork up with telekinesis, digging it into the salad.

“We’re cool, right?” Dash asked, snickering a bit.

“Oh Celestia, yes!” Twilight snapped. She thought that she got used to Rainbow’s attitude by now, but apparently, she didn't. They sat and ate quietly for a while.

“So, have you talked with Applejack?” Twilight asked, breaking the silence.

“Why should I?” The cyan mare asked, mouth full of salad. She received another long look from Twilight. “Oh... that. Yeah, I’ll talk to her today at the Apple Festival.” She swallowed her salad. “Have you heard what they say about the cider this year?” She added, suddenly excited.

“Oh yeah, the Apple Festival! It totally slipped my mind, even though AJ reminded me of it today.” Twilight said, completely ignoring the remark about the cider.

“So you talked with her?” Rainbow asked, pointing a fork at the mare across the table.

“Yes, I did.” The unicorn went serious all of the sudden. “She acted strange. She was absent minded, nearly rude.” Twilight said, looking Dash in the eye.

“Well I don’t know, she’s probably embarrassed with what happened.” Rainbow said, “I wouldn’t care about it, it’ll probably go away.” She finished, taking a final bite of her salad.

“But I felt something when I talked with her, I just don’t know what it was...” The unicorn said quietly, putting her hoof to her chin.

“You’re imagining things, Twi.” Dash responded, taking her bowl into the sink. “Thanks!”

-«<♦>»-

Twilight was sitting in her bedroom while Dash was downstairs. Ever since the subject of Applejack's behavior was touched upon at the dining table, the young mare couldn’t get her mind off it. It was pestering her, she knew that something was wrong with her friend when they talked. She was dying to know what exactly.

‘Desperate times call for desperate measures!’ she thought as she took a roll of parchment and a quill out from a drawer. She hated to resort to such methods, but sometimes, you just have to. She knew that if she wanted to really know what was up with Applejack’s behavior, she would have to act. She could almost feel that something would happen during the Apple Festival. She dipped the quill in ink and slowly started writing on the parchment.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student...

Chapter Three

Prism

Chapter Three

The door to the library began to rattle with the knocks of somepony outside. Dash groaned with annoyance; she just got comfortable on the couch. Looking around for Twilight bore no fruit, and that meant that she had to move. She slowly got up and walked up to the door.

“Who’s there?” She asked through the door.

“It’s Applejack.” Dash heard her friend say. She opened and let the farmer enter. The two mares looked at each other. To Applejack’s relief, the Pegasus didn’t seem to be angry at her.

“Howdy, Rainbow,” Applejack said, still a little sheepish.

“Well, hi!” Dash responded, smiling gently, “what’s up?”

“First of all, Ah would like to apologize fer yesterday.” She began, looking at the floor for a moment.

“Sure, I understand.” Dash said, patting her friend on the shoulder. “I managed to... appease Twilight. We’re alright.” Applejack put a strained smile on as she heard the news.

“Who’s there!?” both mares heard Twilight echo Rainbow’s previous question from upstairs.

“It’s Applejack!” Dash yelled back. Twilight soon appeared in the doorway to her bedroom. She greeted the farmer and came down the stairs to join the duo. She stood next to Rainbow and cast a glance at Applejack.

“Don’t just stand by the door, come inside,” Twilight proposed, heading to the kitchen, Dash following.

“Sure, but Ah don’t have a whole lot of time on my hooves,” Applejack said, following the Pegasus reluctantly. Rainbow and Applejack sat at the table across from each other while Twilight was making some tea.

“So, why did you visit us, AJ?” Twilight asked as she was working. “Want some tea?”

“Well, Ah came to invite y'all to the Apple Festival,” Applejack said. Twilight’s ears perked up at this as she let out a short uneasy laugh.

“Aww yeah!” Dash responded energetically, ignoring Twilight. “I love the Festival, it’s always so crazy...” She finished, looking at the ceiling with dreamy eyes. “All the delicious treats, the games—”

“I can’t come,” Twilight cut her marefriend off.

“What?” Dash asked, surprised at Twilight’s words. “You seemed like you wanted to come earlier.” The two mares looked at Twilight. She felt a chill as their gazes drilled into her.

“Well... I was summoned to Canterlot by the princess. I have to go today.” Twilight managed to stutter out, Applejack lifting a brow.

“What does the princess want from you?” Dash asked.

“Well, she requires my presence at the castle; she didn’t say why. I still have the letter, I can show it to you.” Twilight said as she levitated three cups of tea with magic, setting them on the table. “Wait a moment.” She said as she left the kitchen. She went up the stairs, and back down, levitating a letter this time.

“Here it is; from Celestia.” Twilight said as she put it on the table for the two ponies to read. Rainbow unrolled the parchment and read aloud.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student,

I require your immediate presence at the castle, there is a pressing matter at our hooves, and I would like to talk to you in person. I await your arrival today.

Princess Celestia

“Oh, you’re right, it doesn’t say what she wants from you.” Dash commented, setting the letter back on the table and sipping her tea.

“Ah wonder what the princess would need from ya on such a short notice.” Applejack said, looking at Twilight and then at the letter. She took it and read it again to herself, as if to check if Dash read it correctly.

“I’m sure that the princess just misses me, or something...” Twilight said and sat down at the table.

“So, anyway, the festival is tonight. Mighty bad that ya can’t come Twilight,” Applejack said when she read the letter. She stood up from the table. “Ah need ta be goin’, Ah still have to invite a bunch of ponies from all over Ponyville,” She said as she turned to leave. “See you later, Dash.” Applejack walked out of the kitchen and the library.

Twilight blinked a few times. “She didn’t even try her tea...” She remarked as she looked at Applejack's cup.

“I’ll take it.” Dash said and moved it closer to her half-empty one.

“So, you have to admit, she’s acting up little.” Twilight said, looking at her reflection in the tea she was drinking.

“Maybe a bit. But as I said before, she’ll get over it. She said sorry when I let her in, while you were upstairs. I think she’s still embarrassed. Pretty weird, I always thought she was fast to get over stuff.” Dash responded, as she finished her first tea. She looked at the second cup and sighed quietly, taking a small sip.

-«<♦>»-

Twilight and Rainbow sat closely together on the upstairs balcony that looked over Ponyville, each enjoying the scenery as well as the company. Twilight felt Rainbow’s wing over her, the feathers brushing her purple coat. It was a small gesture, but it made Twilight feel safe and loved. She smiled and kissed the Pegasus on the cheek. The two mares gazed upon the distant Canterlot towers that loomed over the whole land majestically. The sun was slowly hiding behind those towers, shooting its last rays between them. Pink and orange clouds marked the sky, stretching out for miles.

“Isn’t it time for you to go to the castle?” Dash asked, turning her head at Twilight. She nuzzled her cheek gently, her face bathed in the pale orange of the evening sun.

“Yes... I’ll have to teleport; it’s too late to take the train.” Twilight responded quietly, looking down. She seemed not to notice Rainbow’s nuzzle. The unicorn stood up and walked a few steps away from Rainbow.

“See you later; you’ll have to leave for the festival soon, too.” Twilight said, looking at her love.

“Yea, right. I’ll be on my way in a few minutes.” She stood up and walked up to Twilight, planting a final kiss on her lips. “See you, ‘Twi.”

Twilight's horn blazed with magic as she concentrated. A purple flash and she was gone, leaving Dash alone on the terrace. The cyan mare cast one final glance at the towers and headed inside.

One thing was sure; it was dark. Twilight could barely make out the silhouettes of various items stacked all around her. She followed the wall and finally found the light switch. She squinted slightly as a single light bulb came to life at the ceiling. She looked around. The library basement was a place that she hadn’t visited in ages. The whole room was built from wood, under the big library tree. Most of the items that ended up here belonged to Spike, who liked to hoard excessively. Dozens of boxes filled to the brim with old books that the library didn’t have place for upstairs were scattered all over the place. Everything was covered in a thick layer of old dust. Twilight could swear that she saw a spider disappear in a small hole where the wall met the floor.

She found her way between the boxes and reached the exit. The unicorn opened the door and climbed a short series of stairs, reaching another door. She put her ear to it and listened for a while, but the silence was perfect. Hoping that Dash was already gone, she slowly opened it and found herself in the living room. She stepped out and was sure to close the door behind her. It was hidden in one of the corners, seldomly anypony noticed it.

The unicorn looked around. The library was bathed in dim light, she saw the first stars appear on the sky as she glanced out of the window. To her relief, she didn't spot her marefriend anywhere. She walked to her bedroom and looked under her bed. She reached out with her magic and withdrew a small box from under the bed that held her private possessions. She opened it and pulled a pair of old binoculars out. She remembered when her mother gave them to her to play with when she was a small filly; remembered that she took them with her to the magic school and spied on ponies from the window of her dorm. She quickly expelled the memories.

Twilight closed the chest and walked down the stairs again. She looked at the library for the last time and sighed. She opened the front door and walked out into the night, shivering as she felt the temperature drop. Late summer nights were already starting to become colder. A white crescent moon was peeking from behind the horizon, embarking on its journey through the vast night sky. Twilight started walking towards the Sweet Apple Acres, not having time to take in the sights.

Even from afar she could hear that the Apple Festival had already begun. The music and singing got louder the closer she got. She could hear loud laughs of the various ponies that came to the festival as she walked past endless rows of trees and approached a fork on the road. One path lead right into the center of the festival, but it wasn’t where Twilight was heading. She took the second path that lead uphill.

The Apple Family house was surrounded by hills of different sizes. Twilight was climbing the biggest one; the one closest to the house itself. The hill was still part of the orchard; apple trees still surrounding the mare as she made it to the top. She looked around, awestruck by the view. She was wondering how come she hadn’t visited this place before. Ponyville stretched at her hooves like a carpet, glimmering with dozens of small lights. The whole village was tinted light blue by the moonlight, accompanied by the stars. She could make out her home, lost around all the others.

To the other side of the hill, stood the Apple Family house. It wasn’t quiet and peaceful as it usually was. A huge bonfire was lit in the meadow next to the house, shining orange light in every direction. Twilight sat on the grass, letting the coolness overtake her body. She levitated the binoculars in front of her face and looked at the party below her. The flame was extending its tongues to the sky as ponies mingled all around it. Twilight spotted several tables scattered all over the clearing, each one laden with apple treats of all kind. She noticed that one of the tables had what looked like mugs on it, standing next to a barrel with a small tap. One of the biggest groups of ponies were standing next to it, talking and laughing. A few other barrels were set next to the table. The unicorn wasn’t surprised to see Pinkie Pie, the queen of parties, dancing around the bonfire with a few other ponies. After a while, she was able to spot all of her other closest friends. All except for Rainbow and Applejack.

-«<♦>»-

Twilight stood up and walked around for a while, flexing her legs. It had gotten really cold; she felt like she spent at least an hour here already. She sat down in her spot and looked through the binoculars again. She gasped as she saw Rainbow, Applejack and a few other ponies walk from behind the Apple House. She facehooved as she guessed that there was another part of the party going on behind the house that she didn’t see from her vantage point.

She observed as the two friends approached the cider table. They both grabbed two mugs, filled them to the brim, bumped them, and started drinking. After a moment, both were emptied. The two mares continued talking as they refilled their mugs again and again. Rainbow Dash said something to Applejack and decided to go and see the bonfire up close. She slowly started walking that direction, leaving her friend. Applejack looked at her friend walking away, and filled her mug again. Twilight swore that the liquid disappeared down the farmer’s throat in a second.

Applejack started to follow her friend, having apparent problems with placing her hooves straight. She laughed loudly as she nearly tripped over herself, but managed to finally reach Dash. They started to dance around the bonfire and mingle with the other ponies. After a while, Twilight saw as Applejack stopped Rainbow with a hoof, in the middle of her drunken dance. She squinted as she saw Applejack leaning to Rainbow and whispering something into her ear.

Twilight gasped as she saw something. A nuzzle. Applejack nuzzled Rainbow on the cheek, slowly and passionately. Rainbow accepted it, looking so content while doing so. She flapped her wings a few times, as she always did when she kissed with Twilight. The unicorn felt tears slowly welling behind her eyes as she kept on looking. The duo walked away from the crowd side by side, and towards the barn.

‘S-should I go there?’ Twilight asked herself frantically as she felt the first tear slide down her cheek. She sniffed and tried to collect herself. She knew perfectly that they were drunk and tried to convince herself that the nuzzle didn’t mean anything. The two ponies walked up to the barn. It was far enough from the party and nopony was around. Twilight saw as Applejack opened the door and let Dash go in front of her. It might have been Twilight’s imagination, but she thought that she saw Applejack ogling Rainbow’s flank as she passed her. They both disappeared in the barn, shutting the door.

Twilight threw the binoculars into the dirt and sniffed a few times. She fought against them, but tears kept on streaming down her cheeks. She suddenly felt cold, and shivered in the grass. She stood up and looked at the scenery. The big bonfire was still raging, all of the ponies oblivious to what was happening in the barn. To her own dismay, she didn’t know either.

“Hello!” Twilight jumped as she heard a high pitched voice yell. She looked around, unable to pinpoint the source. After a second cogs in her mind clicked into place; she knew who the voice belonged to.

‘Pinkie Pie... not now!’ She thought as she saw rustling in the nearby bush. As Twilight predicted, the pink pony jumped from between the leaves.

“Hi, Twi!” She said, immediately finding herself next to the purple unicorn.

“What a super-duper-awesome party we are having! I mean, I am having, because you are in Canterlot doing mega important stuff with the princess!” Pinkie blurted out, jumping around Twilight like a ball.

“But wait... If you are in Canterlot, how am I talking to you? Am I in Canterlot?” She stopped dead in her tracks, and looked around, spotting nothing else than countless trees. “No, I don’t think so...” She put a hoof to her chin.

“Pinkie... please...” Twilight mumbled, she felt a increasing pain in her head.

“Maybe you are in Canterlot and here at the same time!?” She asked herself and jumped in the air at the seemingly genius idea. “Yea, you know how to use those complicated magics that earth ponies will never understand!” She glanced at the purple unicorn with a big smile, but it fell immediately as she saw what state her friend was in. Ears down, tear stains under her eyes, and an occasional sniff.

“Twilight, are you alright?” She asked, walking up to her friend. Her voice was completely calm and devoid of the energy it carried not a few seconds ago. She embraced her friend in a bear hug.

“Please tell me that nothing is wrong...” Pinkie asked. They parted and looked each other in the eyes. Pinkie pouted, seemingly close to tears herself.

“I hope so...” Twilight said, sniffing again. She felt new tears stream down her cheeks.

“Twilight—” Pinkie began.

“Please leave me alone,” the unicorn cut her off. Before the pink mare had time to do anything else, Twilight teleported away in a curt flash of magic.

“Twilight...?” Pinkie asked and dropped to the ground. She sniffed quietly and looked at the party that was still going on at Sweet Apple Acres. The pink pony sighed; she didn’t know what was going on with her Twilight, but she knew that you don’t leave friends hanging.

-«<♦>»-

Twilight reappeared at the library and looked around. The whole living room was immersed in darkness. The mare shot for the bathroom, fighting back tears. She switched the bathroom lights on, and splashed a hoof-full of cold water on her face a few times. She dried herself and looked at the mirror. The stains were gone, but her eyes were still bloodshot.

Her heart stopped for a second when she heard the main door slamming with force as somepony stormed into the library. She ran out of the bathroom and gasped as she saw somepony inside. Rainbow Dash was standing by the door, trying to keep her balance. Their surprised gazes met.

Chapter Four

Prism

Chapter Four

The two mares locked gazes for a moment. Rainbow Dash panted heavily, a small trickle of sweat ran down her forehead. They didn’t maintain eye contact for long, as Rainbow’s eyes jumped around the room restlessly. Her mane was dishevelled by the wind, and her coat messy. She looked shocked.

Before Rainbow could comprehend that she was face to face with her marefriend, Twilight bolted to her own room, slamming the door behind her. She ran and threw herself into the warm embrace of her bed. She couldn’t face her marefriend now. She saw what Rainbow had done with Applejack; the nuzzle. The unicorn saw them slowly head to the barn right before Pinkie appeared.

What happened in there?

Twilight was dying to know, and judging by the state Dash was in, something must have happened. But she knew that she couldn’t ask Rainbow, or her lie about going to Canterlot would see daylight. The unicorn cringed when she realized the weight of the situation. She lied to the pony she loved the most. A small tear slid down her cheek. Lying was something that the unicorn hated above anything else. She still remembered an important lesson Pinkie once taught her. The pink pony’s voice echoed through her head.

Losing a friend’s trust is the fastest way to lose a friend. Forever!

Immediately she felt regret for her stupid decisions. Rainbow was more than a friend to Twilight; she was her marefriend. She didn’t want to lose her forever. The unicorn buried her head in the pillow, shedding more tears. This wouldn’t have happened if she just went to the festival with Rainbow. She would have stuck to her marefriend the whole night and not let Applejack do anything.

The thought of the orange pony brought new tears. What was happening in her head when she nuzzled Rainbow? Twilight gritted her teeth in sudden anger. Applejack surely couldn’t just forget that Dash is Twilight’s marefriend!

She was brought back to reality with a loud bang on the door. Rainbow must have climbed the stairs, and now was trying to get in. Twilight didn’t know what to say, so she just tried to calm down and listen. She knew that from Rainbow’s perspective she didn’t have a reason to act like that. She was supposed to be in Canterlot with the princess. She felt her stomach twist as she realized the horrid truth: no matter how hard she will try to cover up the lie, Dash will eventually know.

Twilight heard hoofsteps on the stairs. She supposed that Dash was going to sleep on the couch tonight. She sighed, relieved that she she won’t have to have a hard conversation with her today, but still anxious. She laid her head on the pillow and stirred for a while, trying to find a comfortable position. She stared into the darkness as long minutes slipped by, the weight of her troubles preventing her from sleep.

-«<♦>»-

Warm sunrays crept through the slit in the window drapes and landed squarely on Twilight’s face. She slowly raised her hoof to block them and crack opened her eyes. They burned for a while. The unicorn sat on the bed and looked around, rubbing her eyes. Dash wasn’t laying next to her, crushing her sweet hope that maybe all of this was just a dream.

Twilight stole a glance at herself in the vanity mirror on her way to the door. Her mane had seen better days, and her eyes were slightly red from the lack of sleep. She doubted if she even had a mere hour of sleep; she spent most of the night thinking about all of the possible things she could say when she faced Rainbow. Unfortunately, she hadn’t managed to come up with anything sounding good.

She held her breath and unlocked the door, stepping out and immediately looking to the couch. It was empty. Twilight released the air, took a few deep breaths, and walked down the stairs. A small part of her was relieved that facing Dash was postponed yet again. The look of the couch confirmed that somepony was sleeping on it. A creased blanket was laying on the floor. The only question was where the mare went.

An idea started to form in her mind. Suddenly it seemed so obvious. She didn’t need to ask Rainbow or Applejack to know more about what happened at the party. All of her other friends had been there too. She just needed to ask one of them. Twilight pondered for a while who would be the best to go to. Somepony comforting, dependable and sure not to give her secret away.

-«<♦>»-

Twilight knocked on the cottage door lightly, startling various critters and making them race to their nests. The door soon opened, revealing a yellow pegasus.

“Good morning, Twi—” She stopped mid sentence, gasping at her friend’s mane. “Oh my, come in!”

Twilight made a flat face, but followed the pegasus inside. Before she could say something, she heard someone sprint down the stairs.

“Twilight!” Spike yelled, taking a corner and charging at the unicorn. She was embraced by the dragon’s small but strong arms. Twilight barely managed to recover from the mental shock. She completely forgot that Spike was staying at Fluttershy’s cottage and helping her with all of the animals seeking shelter before autumn. This saddened her, but she made her best effort to act happy.

“Hello, Spike,” she said.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” He asked, his smile fading slowly. He noticed her messy mane and coat.

The unicorn sighed. She really wanted to keep the young dragon out of her problems, scared that they might overwhelm him. Twilight remained silent, her mind trying its best to come up with an answer. Before she could say anything, Fluttershy spoke.

“Spike, go outside, would you kindly? It’s still warm, but not all of the animals are tended to.” She asked.

Twilight couldn’t help but shiver at her friend’s tone of voice, and the look she gave Spike made her heart skip a beat. She realized that it was more of an order than a question.

They stared at each other for a moment before Spike turned and exited the cottage, barely a word spoken. The unicorn followed her assistant with her gaze until the door closed behind him.

“I’m sorry, Twilight...” Fluttershy apologized looking back at her friend. It took Twilight a moment to respond.

“It’s... alright...”

“Come and sit down,” Fluttershy invited, sitting on the couch, making place for Twilight. “I won’t ask what’s wrong...” She paused.

This made the unicorn raise a surprised brow as she sat down.

“...because I know.” She finished quietly. All of Twilight's muscles tensed as she heard this. What does she know? Her secret? How much does she know? Before Twilight was able to voice her concerns, Fluttershy spoke again.

“I’ve known that there are problems between you and Rainbow... I saw what she and Applejack were doing during the festival. I saw them nuzzle.”

“How... how did you know?”

“It was going on longer than you probably realize.” Fluttershy continued, “Just the way Applejack looked at Dash, and acted around her for the few past months.”

Twilight could feel her heart drop. She was suspecting it before, and now it turned out to be the truth. Applejack had feelings for her marefriend. She felt angry, but she fought against it with all her might, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. “Does anypony else know?”

“Rarity. You know about our weekly spa trips, and she just loves every last bit of gossip, even about her close friends. We kind of... figured Applejack out. It wasn’t hard.” The pegasus finished, looking guilty.

Twilight gulped as the most important question still wasn’t answered.

“Do you know what happened at the barn?” Twilight didn’t manage to bite her tongue fast enough. Her eyes widened in fear. Nopony was supposed to know that she saw them head to the barn. Everypony was supposed to think that she was in Canterlot! Hear heart raced a million miles an hour.

Fluttershy read her friend like a open book. “I know that you didn’t go to Canterlot, Twilight.”

The unicorn suddenly felt light headed. Two ponies already knew. Her muscles relaxed involuntarily as two warm hooves wrapped around her body, supporting her. She felt Fluttershy’s mane brush against her face, strangely calming her.

“Don’t worry, I’m the only one to know.” Fluttershy said, stroking Twilight’s mane.

No, you aren’t! The unicorn screamed, feeling vulnerable and weak. All of her secrets were lying right in front of her friends.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anypony, not even Rarity.” Fluttershy continued comfortingly. When she was sure that Twilight won’t topple over all by herself, she let go.

“Twilight, I’m afraid that I don’t know much about the barn...” She said, her ears dropping. “I saw one thing though, a while after they went in, Rainbow bolted out, nearly smashing the door. She looked shocked, she ran as if her hooves caught fire. That’s all I saw.”

Twilight felt her heart sink again. She wished that she hadn’t gone to Fluttershy at all. She hadn’t learned anything valuable or new. Well, except for the fact that more ponies knew her secrets than she thought.

-«<♦>»-

Dash looked into the distance, squinting from the sun rays that hit her face, despite a protective hoof held in the air. She looked at the vast apple orchard, and at the red barn. She lowered her hoof and slowly laid down on the soft fabric of the cloud. Her head pulsated with pain as the sun was more glaring than usual.

She just couldn’t get herself to work. She was supposed to prepare a small storm for tomorrow, but the combination of her headache and still hazy mind prevented her from doing anything but lay on the cloud. She vaguely remembered waking up and leaving the library before Twilight. A cringe crossed her face as she remembered the party and Applejack.

The pegasus couldn’t help but raise her heavy head again, looking at the orchard’s sea of green. She knew that Applejack was hidden deep, somewhere among the trees. Dash didn’t know what to do. She punched the cloud she was sitting on in frustration, making a small hole in it.

She loved Twilight, she was sure. Each hug, kiss and night they spent in each other's warm comfort was testimony enough. But Applejack set off a train of emotion that the cyan mare couldn't hope to stop. It was almost like Applejack precisely knew what Rainbow’s reaction would be.

She went back in time to the party, recalling the events. Alcohol buzzes in her brain, dulling her senses and impairing her judgment. Applejack comes up, and tells her to follow. They both slowly head to the barn, and go inside. Rainbow remembered laughing at something, having no clue what was about to happen. She opens her eyes to see the orange mare slowly inching closer to her, but partly due to her drunkenness, she doesn’t move away. Before she can do anything, two powerful hooves seize her by the head. She gasps as she is pulled in right into Applejack, lips to lips. She feels her jaw open as Applejack slides her tongue in. Dash moans as the world around her twists and disappears, leaving only them both in an embrace. Rainbow picks her own hooves from the ground and places them firmly upon the farmer’s head and back, knocking her hat off. She pulls, letting their bodies touch, her tongue venturing deeper into Applejack. She feels the sweet pain of breathlessness, but wants nothing more than this moment to last forever.

Suddenly, the universe shatters around her, like a glass bottle thrown to the ground. Rainbow’s eyes go wide as she pulls out of the kiss violently. Applejack jumps, shooting her a surprised glance. Her heart is racing as her mind tries to comprehend what she just did. Her bliss is now completely gone. She spots the barn door in terror, and without a backward glance shoots out of it with speed.

Rainbow is on the cloud again, feeling her hurting temples. What was Applejack thinking when she kissed her? A shiver came down her spine when she remembered the exact moment of the kiss again. She wanted to be mad at the orange mare, but somehow she couldn’t. Rainbow didn’t want to admit it herself, but she kind of liked what Applejack did to her. The feeling of having somepony new was overwhelming her. She repeated to herself that she loved Twilight, but the words rang more and more hollow each time. Every time she closed her eyes, even for a moment, she couldn’t help but envision Applejack slowly moving towards her, her strong hooves embracing Rainbow’s head.

-«<♦>»-

Author's note - Hey readers, sorry for taking this ridiculous five month hiatus. I was kind of busy, putting emphasis on was. In the upcoming months I'll hopefully have more time to complete this story. I hope that people haven't completely lost interest in this!

Story Canceled

Hello, this is Des23, and this is concerning whoever is still waiting for future chapters of Prism. Well, wait no longer, because the story is now canceled. Too much time has passed between chapters, and even I barely remember what happened in the story. I am very sorry to disappoint the people that were waiting. Now, I need to work on my new fanfiction, about love, betrayal and choosing the lesser evil. Until next time ~ Des23.