Winter's Warmth

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3

Chapter 1

Rainbow Dash shrunk into herself and tightened her wings around her as she trudged through the foot-high snow that was already on the road, her light blue coat and multi-colored mane sticking out against the powdery white covering the streets and buildings.

Cold.

Freezing cold.

Still more was coming down, blowing in her face and tossing her mane as the wind blew through it. The snow wasn't going to stop anytime soon either, it would be snowing for the rest of the day and through the night too.

She would know, she had been one of the pegasi that put the storm clouds together as part of the weather team. With the snow coming down in sheets and the wind picking up, this was shaping up to be one of the coldest days of winter.

And it was still early in the season.

She had been flying earlier, but the cold made her wings lock up and she fell into a drift of snow that had been below her. Now she was half frozen, damp, and miserable as she walked through the streets of Ponyville. It was already late in the afternoon and it would only get colder from here as the sun went down.

She took a second to stop and shake the snow out of her rainbow mane. An almost pointless effort considering that at the rate it was falling, she would be coated again in a minute.

“S-stupid snow.”

She would be at her home right now, any sensible pony would be indoors at a time like this, but staying there wouldn’t be much better than bracing the weather outside. It wasn’t the snow so much as it was the icy cold air that bothered her. Cloud doesn't really make for a great barricade against the biting cold of wind, it passed right through it, leaving the inside just as cold as the outside. Normally that isn’t such a bad thing, but during the winters, the temperature can drop well below freezing.

So she would go to her friends houses to get warm during the worst days, staying for a while so she didn’t have to freeze for the whole day. It was one of the things that made her feel grateful to have so many friends.

Lately though, it was at the library that she had been visiting more and more often in her free time, reading new fiction novels that Twilight suggested to her. In learning of her new passion for reading new adventure stories, Dash also found that she really enjoyed spending time at the library with Twilight, something about the look in the unicorn’s eyes when she showed up at her door made her feel welcome there, and right now she could really use a warm welcome.

The thought of a good adventure book and a warm blanket right then sounded like the best thing ever, next to joining the wonderbolts of course, and igniting a fire of will to press her way through the snow and wind. Maybe Twilight would even have that new Daring Doo book that she had been waiting for to come in?

But as she walked the untouched streets of the town, she began to notice that every store was closed. No open signs, no food stands, she hadn’t even seen another pony since she began walking. She started to fear that the whole town had closed up from the snowstorm, and that would mean the library would be closed too.

Looking around desperately, she spotted the large tree that stood in the middle of Ponyville and quickened her pace there. As she walked, a cold wisp of wind blew over her, making her shake as it blew through the feathers of her wings, freezing her stomach and chipping away at whatever warmth she had left in her body.

Flying was out of the question now. Both of her wings were wrapped firmly against her midsection, trying to keep in whatever heat they could as she walked the white path through Ponyville. Pegasus ponies did have a natural defense against the various weather conditions, but not to such an extent that she could remain warm in zero degree weather and icy winds.

By the time she found her way to the door of the library, she couldn't feel her wings anymore. She tried to wiggle the tips of one of them but they refused to respond. Reaching out a hoof, she quickly knocked on the door and prayed that the unicorn that lived there would answer.

She heard some shuffling from inside and as the door opened, she was hit with a wave of warm air, enticing her with slight smell of burning wood from a fireplace. But even more alluring to her, was the sight of the purple unicorn standing in the doorway, a look of surprise on her face.

“Rainbow?”

“H-heya Twilight. H-hows it h-h-hanging.” She tried to make it sound casual but the cold made the pegasus stutter. It wasn’t uncommon for her to show up at Twilight’s door recently, but she doubted that Twilight was expecting anypony to be out in weather like this. Not to mention that she looked as terrible as one could be after trudging through the snow.

“I w-was k-kinda hoping that I could s-s-spend some time in the library and, y-you know, read for a w-while.”

“And get warm?” Twilight said knowingly, smiling at her.

Dash grinned weakly. “Y-yeah. N-now that you mention it, t-that would be great.”

She looked back at the empty street behind her. There wasn't a soul to be seen anywhere. In fact, the only hoof prints in the snow by the library were the ones she made when coming there.

“The library is open, right?” She said, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Twilight frowned. “The library is currently closed actually, with the weather like it is and all, I didn't think anypony would be out in it. I doubt Ditzy is even delivering letters in this cold.”

“Oh.” Dash's ears fell in clear disappointment. She sagged a little to the ground, the thought of having to travel through the snow again making her hooves ache. ”I guess I'll c-come back some other t-time...”

Before she could even make to leave, she found herself getting pulled inside the tree. Upon looking down, she found her hooves hovering above the snowy ground, floating in a sheen of purple magic.

“Don't be silly Rainbow. You're more than welcome to come inside and get warm.”

Her face lit up. “R-really?”

Twilight just looked back at her smiling and nodded. “Come on, I've got hot chocolate and the latest Daring Doo book you’ve been waiting for came in yesterday.”

To the rainbow mare, that was the best thing she heard since she found out you could pre-order Applejack's apple cider. She let the heat from the house wash over her as she was floated inside, the door closing behind her and locking the cold out.

“Besides, I can't just leave you out there in this weather. You look half frozen.”

Dash shuttered. “Yeah. If I s-stayed out there any longer, I would’ve s-started t-turning blue.”

“Rainbow. You’re already blue.” Twilight said, deadpan. The she took a look at the shaking pegasus and her expression grew worried. “Well at least you're okay now. I’ll get you warm in no time.”

The concern in Twilight's voice made her blush, but it was lost in the already frozen pale cheeks. Her ego would have spoken up for her, not wanting to seem weak to others, but she was kind of past the point of caring. Besides, this was Twilight she was with, she didn't have to put on airs around her.

She set Dash down on her hooves and made her way to the kitchen, but before going, she took another look at the shivering pegasus. “I'll be back in a minute. Why don't you take a seat by the fire?”

Dash nodded and looked at the roaring fire that promised warmth and started drooling a little. She walked over a large violet pillow laid out in front of the fire, and as she lay down on it she found it still warm from when Twilight must have been laying on it before she got there, the lavender smell that always accompanied the unicorn filled her nose as she pressed her head into the pillow, melting in the warm spot.

There was also a book in the floor next to it that she must have been reading. She took a peek at the cover from over the pillow, picked up the book, and found that it was entitled, 'Keeping warm during winter.' She snorted and set the book back down where it was, looking over to the crackling fire and thought that Twilight was doing a pretty awesome job of keeping warm already. But then another thought hit her.

“Uh, T-Twilight? Isn't a f-fire in a tree a bad thing?” Just as she said it, Twilight walked back in carrying two mugs of hot cocoa, a purple blanket, and a book in her magic floating beside her. She seemed to handle them all with no effort at all.

“It would be normally, but the chimney and the area around it is laced with a fireproof spell so it can't catch fire.” She said matter of factly as she set down the two mugs on the nearby table and sat down next to her friend. She unfurled the blanket and levitated it out.

The Pegasus blushed, this time it showing in her cheeks, as Twilight wrapped it around both of them, pulling them together and making their coats touch. Twilight's body was like a furnace next to hers, radiating heat and warming her frozen coat, making her shaking stop. She instinctively pressed up against the new, rich source of warmth, fully pressing her side against the purple mare's.

“Geez Rainbow. You really are frozen.” Twilight giggled as her prismatic friend squirmed closer, instinctively trying to get closer to the warmth. “Good thing you came here, if you spent any more time out there you might have turned into a pegasicle.”

“Uh.. yeah.” Dash looked away before Twilight could catch a look at her face. The unicorn set the book she was still holding down in front of her and floated over the two cups of hot chocolate, setting one down next to her and the Pegasus. She noticed that Twilight's had a picture of her own cutie mark on it. Twilight caught her staring at her cup but said nothing.

Dash picked up her offered mug and took a sip, the sweet liquid warming her insides and spreading out to the rest of her body. She could feel her wings begin to relax and unclench as her body heat began to rise back to a more normal temperature.

They remained quiet as they quickly drank their sweet drinks, not letting them get the chance to grow cold. Dash finished hers first, as she did in most things, letting the hot drink warm her stomach and spread through her frozen limbs. She found herself relaxing into the mare next to her, finding her warm presents inviting and comfortable under the blanket. She sighed as her wings finally freed up, falling limply to her sides.

“So why were you even out in this weather?” Twilight said eventually, having finished her own drink, setting the empty cups on the table nearby. “Today is a good day to stay inside and keep warm. I mean, its not really the best time to be out walking the streets.”

That was an understatement. She wasn't really surprised that she hadn't seen anypony outside when she was out there. Nopony in their right mind would willingly go out when they could be in a nice cosy house. Unfortunately for her, she didn't have that luxury.

“Well my cloud house is pretty awesome at keeping the place cool during the hotter days of the year, but its not so great at keeping warm during the colder days.”

Twilight frowned at her. “Well how do you get through the winters then?”

Dash looked away and rubbed a hoof behind her head. “I guess I just kinda... deal with it.”

“What?!”

Her tone made Dash wince. “Well some of the nicer cloud homes are better at keeping heated during the winter. If built right, they heat just like a normal house. But I had to make mine myself, and I don't have a whole bunch of bits to throw into improving it, so I just have to live with what I got.”

Twilight stared at her for a second, shock playing at her face. Dash didn't like others knowing just how poor she was. The weather job did little to line her pockets and most of her time was spent training. She didn't want ponies taking pity on her, least of all Twilight. She decided to change the subject.

“So... uh... where’s Spike? I haven't seen him around yet.” She said looking around the room for effect. “I figured he’d hiding somewhere inside today, being he’s coldblooded and all.”

Twilight looked at her incredulously, wondering how Rainbow even knew what a word like coldblooded meant, but then remembered that Dash had a reptile of her own to care for. “I had him visit Canterlot and stay at the castle until the storm passes.” She said simply. “What about Tank?”

“Oh he's fine.”

Twilight frowned again. “But... isn’t your house cold?”

Dash gave her a flat look. “Yeah it is, which is why I had Fluttershy take care of him for a few days until the weather gets better. Geez Twilight, What kind of pet owner do you take me for?”

Twilight looked down, her ears falling in shame. “I... I didn't mean...”

“Because I'll have you know I'm an awesome pet owner.” She said, holding her head proudly.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to doubt you...” Twilight said quietly.

Dash noticed her sad tone and gave her a reassuring nuzzle on the cheek. “Ah, Don't worry Twi, I was only kidding. I know you didn't mean it that way.”

It wasn't a common gesture from the light blue mare, but Twilight had been kind to her and taken her into her home. Not just that, but she felt rather close to the purple unicorn recently - no pun intended - and it felt right to her. In fact, it was wanted.

Apparently Twilight felt the same, because she smiled and returned the gesture, making the rainbow mare blush and focus her eyes on her book that lay next to her, opening it to the first page and forcing herself to begin reading. Twilight also floated hers in front of her and began reading with her.

They read together like that for a while. Every so often Dash would catch Twilight looking at her out of the corner of her eye, but she would turn away when she looked back. She could also feel the unicorn's tail brush against hers under the blanket, not wrapping around it but flicking over hers every few minutes. Dash had a hard time concentrating on her book and by the time she got past the third chapter, it had already started getting dark outside. She knew she couldn't ask Twilight to let her stay much longer, but she found herself wanting to remain wrapped in the warm blanket with her, if only for a little longer. It took her a couple minutes to will herself to leave the warmth and go back into the cold.

Twilight felt her partner wiggle out of the blanket wrapped around them and get up. She watched her curiously as she walked towards the door.

Dash stretched her wings out, both no longer stiff and locked up from the cold. When she left the warmth of Twilight and the blanket behind, she remembered just how cold it was. Even with the fire still nearby, she could feel the chilly winds that shifted through even the smallest gaps in the tree. She shivered.

“Rainbow?” Twilight asked, quirking her head to the side.

“It'll be dark soon.” She said, looking downcast. “I should probably get going before it gets any colder outside, ya know?”

Twilight looked at her worriedly. “Didn't you say that your house had no heat?”

“Yeah, but I'll be alright. It's not the first time I had to weather the weather.” Dash tried to chuckle at her own joke but shuttered again in open air.

Twilight looked to her, concern etched on her face. “Why don't you stay? I mean... I would be happy to let you sleep here for the night. It’s really bad outside, and I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold.”

Dash's face lit up at the offer, visibly glad to be offered a warmer place to stay than having to go back to her cold cloud home. But she didn't want to abuse her friendship more than she already had, Twilight had done enough for her already.

“Nah. It's okay.” She said, waving a hoof dismissively.

“Please Rainbow? It would make me feel better knowing that you aren't freezing out there.”

Dash rubbed a hoof behind her head. Hearing her ask like that made it hard for her to say no, not that she wanted to say no, but she hesitated still.

“Well... if you really want me too...”

She was amazed that Twilight would even want her to stay over at her house, having made a mess of the library on several occasions. Granted, they were accidents and not intentional but they happened nonetheless.

“Yeah. It'll be like a sleepover.” Twilight said quickly, smiling at her and clapping her hooves together once. Then Dash surprised her as she grabbed her into a hug, lifting her slightly into the air with her wings.

“Thanks Twilight.”

“N-no problem.”

She set Twilight back down, now taking notice of the red tint of the unicorn's cheeks. But before she could make anything of it, her stomach growled loudly, making her blush now and Twilight giggle.

“I guess this means you'll be staying for dinner as well.” Dash grinned, embarrassed, but Twilight paid it no mind. “I'll make some sandwiches, you can go back to reading.”

Dash's ears picked up. “Do you need any help?”

Twilight shook her head. “I think I can handle it. Spike has been making me learn to prepare food for myself and I've gotten much better.” She pawed a hoof on the ground sheepishly. “Though I still end up burning stuff when I use the stove.”

Dash was torn, she had to hold in a laugh that was forming but at the same time, she found the action from the purple unicorn strangely adorable. In the end, she decided to nod once and turned to walk back to the pillow by the fire. Twilight left to the kitchen, leaving her to try and figure out why she was acting so strangely around the purple mare.

After a few minutes Twilight walked in carrying a plate of sandwiches, setting them down between them as she sat next to her, once again pressing up against her, almost closer than before. She felt her face heat up again as Twilight's coat brushed into hers. She began to wonder when she and Twilight had become so close.

They ate mostly in silence having both been immersed in their books. The next couple of hours seemed to pass by quickly, so it surprised her when Twilight shifted beside her, catching her attention and pointing to the window, showing that it was already well into the night.

“We should probably call it a night and get some sleep.” She said, standing up and stretching her legs, yawning. “You can use the guest bed for the night. I'll go and set it up for you.”

“Sounds great Twilight.”

She nodded and took off up the stairs, leaving Dash still wrapped in the blanket. After a couple minutes, she returned picking up her book and placing it back on its proper shelf and carrying the dishes out to the kitchen. She came back in and, using her magic, snuffed out the flames of the fire, leaving only a few glowing coals in the base. Dash could already feel the chill beginning to creep back into the air as the fire was no longer keeping it at bay.

“You put out the fire?” She asked curiously. Twilight turned to her, looking apologetic.

“Well yeah. I can't just leave it running overnight with no one to attend to it.”

“Oh. Right. I guess that makes sense.” She said, getting up to follow.

That actually made perfect sense to her, but that didn't change the fact that the cold would soon replace the heat the fire had brought to the tree. As she followed behind Twilight and up to her bedroom, she found the air slightly warmer than down below. It shouldn't have surprised her, being that she was a weather mare and should know that hot air rises and cold air falls.

She realised that this was actually the first time she had been in the unicorn’s bedroom and looked around inquisitively. It had everything she thought would be in Twilight’s room, shelves of books, a desk with a quill and ink jar on top, a telescope, presumably for looking at stars with, and two beds set at opposite ends of the room. One of the beds was covered in a star patterned blanket and the other looked freshly made, she assumed that the latter was hers. She dove into it, rather unceremoniously, and wiggled into the bed, glad to get under the covers.

Twilight giggled at the action and climbed into her own. When they both settled into their respective beds, Twilight extinguished the candle on a nearby stand, letting the darkness fade into the room as the light went out.

“Good night Rainbow.”

Dash smiled, once again feeling glad that Twilight let her stay the night. Her pride wouldn't ever say it, but she was more than thankful for the offer.

“Night Twi.” She said back, pulling the blanket around her. It didn't have the same warmth that she had had when wrapped in the blanket with Twilight by the fire, but it was enough to keep the cold out.

She wrapped her hooves around the white pillow and buried her face into it, taking in the snug bedding wrapped around her. It wasn't as soft as a cloud bed, but it was warmer. It wasn't long until she found her eyes growing heavy, eventually giving in to the coming blackness and letting sleep take her.

Rainbow Dash awoke later that night to the sound of rattling windows. Turning in the bed to look out the nearby window, she found that it was still dark outside. The wind had picked up from the storm and was hitting the windows, battering them with a relentless barrage of gusts and snow. She also found that she could see her own breath, the temperature of the house having dropped even further from the cold wind leaking in, chilling her through the blanket as if it were not even there.

Luckily though, she was used to this level of cold, and in having had practiced the art of dealing with it for years, it didn't bother her too much.

But as she grew used to the sound of the raging weather outside, she began to hear another sound behind the roar of the wind. The shuttering sound of breathing coming from the bed next to her, a sound that came from somepony cold and struggling to keep warm. Raising her head, she could see the bed shaking slightly from the shivering form huddled in the blue, star patterned blanket.

Sure, a pegasus might have been resistant to this level of cold, and she found it to be only a little discomforting. But the same couldn’t be said for unicorns.

Twilight must have been freezing...

She battled with herself for a minute. She didn’t want to leave her bed for a second, but she couldn't just leave Twilight like that. Not when she had been there for her. She wanted to be there for her as well. Besides, what kind of Element of Loyalty would she be if she just left her friend to fend for herself?

She took a deep breath, preparing herself, and wiggled out of her blanket. The cold open air made her shiver as she discarded the only thing that had been helping to keep it at bay. She didn't make much noise as she slipped out of her bed and walked over, but then again, the windows were making so much noise thatTwilight wouldn't have been heard her anyway.

As she got closer she could see Twilight curled up in her bed, said mare had her eyes clenching closed and she shook with each breath, unknowing of the pegasus' movements. She didn’t even notice when the bed dipped and the blanket shifted over her.

Dash climbed into the bed and slipped under the covers, quickly finding the shivering form of the unicorn and pulling it towards her. At the feeling of the pegasus touching her, Twilight's eyes shot open, finding the a pair of violet eyes staring back at her through the dark, her face inches away from her own.

“R-rainbow?” Came a confused, shaky voice from the purple mare. Dash just wrapped her hooves more firmly around the unicorn, making her squeak as she pulled them together, mashing her belly against Twilight's.

“Wh-wha-” Dash heard her stutter.

“You're cold.” She said simply, holding the other mare close to her body, not caring that she was exposing her warm underside to the mare's cold fur, the contact already transferring heat between them. Twilight blushed, growing silent in the darkness. Another gust of wind blew through the tree and she wrapped her own hooves around the pegasus, suddenly glad for the new source of heat beside her.

Keeping Twilight's cold body nestled tightly to hers, Dash began to wonder what had come over her. She couldn't remember doing something like this with anypony else before, she wasn't the type to openly show affection to another pony. But then again, Twilight was hardly just another pony.

When she saw Twilight shivering, trying to keep what heat she could in the harsh cold that she herself had to deal with, she couldn't just leave her. Maybe she felt that she needed to return the favor for taking her in?

No. This was different.

She wasn't doing this because she felt she owed Twilight something. She did this because she wanted to share the same warmth that the purple mare had given to her not so long ago. To bring her the same sense of wellbeing that she had given her by lying next to her and simply being close. She cared about Twilight. Of course, she cared about all of her friends. But this was different, and it bothered her.

Why had she come to the library to find warmth? She could have just have easily gone to Rarity's or Pinkie Pie's stores to find the same. As a matter of fact, Fluttershy's and even Applejack's homes are closer to her house than Twilight's, so why not have gone to them? She had stayed at their houses before when the winter days got bad. Why then was it so different now with Twilight? What was different?

And then, like breaking through the air in a sonic rainboom, it hit her and became so clear.

She almost laughed. It was kind of funny in a way, that such a small thing could make as big of a difference. It took her awhile, but she was never very good with thinking things through and coming to logical conclusions.

Anypony could have put a blanket around her and given her warmth from their fire. But Twilight had given her something more special than that, she shared her own warmth with her. The act in itself was simple and innocent, but it had spoken volumes to her. It conveyed something that was hidden further in the mare’s actions, something that had shown in the act, most likely without her even knowing she had done it.

How had she missed it? Was she really that blind?

She realized that she had been staring into Twilight's eyes for a while now, stuck in her thoughts. Twilight also staring back at her, quietly breathing as she enjoyed the gentle heat radiating from the pegasus. They were both laying with their head on either side of a pillow, facing one another. Dash couldn't bring herself to break her gaze away from hers. Now that she knew what she was looking for, she could see it clearly, even in the way the unicorn looked at her.

When had it changed? When had she started looking at her like that? There had to have been signs, hints in how the unicorn acted around her.

She thought of how Twilight had took her in, of how she snuggled up against her by the fire and how she almost begging her to stay the night. It wasn’t hard to see the signs but it had taken her until just now to start putting the pieces together.

Why didn’t Twilight just tell her? Twilight knew she liked mares and had no special somepony in her life, she never hid that from her friends. Couldn’t she bring herself to say something to her? Did she think that she wouldn’t return her feelings? Sure, she may have seemed brash and even sometimes untouchable, but Twilight was one of her closest friends. She would never turn her away.

Did she think that it would ruin their already existing friendship? Sure, it may be awkward between them for a few days, but she wouldn’t just abandon her because Twilight had feelings for her.

And who said that she would say no?

Twilight was... one of the few ponies that she felt close to, she was smart and hardworking in her own way, and, now that she thought about it, she was very pretty too. She enjoyed her company, when she wasn’t letting her brain get in the way, and even though they were different from one another, she felt connected to her in a way that she could never really explain.

She has always strived to be the fastest pegasus in Equestria, she worked hard everyday to achieve that goal, constantly exercising and making new training regiments to put herself through so she could become faster. But Twilight worked just as hard to be the most magical unicorn in Equestria, she knew how much magic her friend possessed and never doubted her talent for it, even though she was more humble about it. They both worked hard to reach their goals in life and in that way they were very alike, they both had a drive and will to get better.

For a moment she wondered how it might be, to have Twilight as a marefriend. She remembered lying next to her, wrapped in the blanket with her as they read together, hearing her giggle. She thought of how she always greeted her with a smile when she would visit the library and of how kind she was to her and the rest of their friends. Even when they were causing problems for her, she was always there for them. Twilight was as much as the element of loyalty as she was.

Then she took in the feeling of the mare curled against her, and thought of how it would be to have the same feeling every night. To hold her close and fall asleep, just to wake up in her hooves the next morning.

She would like that.

She would like that a lot.

Twilight let out a little sigh as her body warmed from the heat between them. Dash could faintly smell the hot chocolate that they drank earlier on her breath, making it smell sweet. She found herself drawing closer to the source of the smell, anymore rational form of thoughts failing her as she let her instincts take over; she trusted them in flying and they never let her down before, so she had no reason to doubt them now.

She inched closer, slowly bringing her muzzle to Twilight's, blushing as the lavender mare stared at her, eyes wide in shock as she closed in, but not pulling away. She saw Twilight's eyes widen further as she pressed her mouth lightly against hers, touching in a simple, yet meaningful gesture. She was never very good with words, Twilight was much better than her at that, but she knew what she felt, and it felt alright to her.

There was barely any contact at all, and it was only for a moment, but the message was clear. Dash pulled back, putting some space between them, waiting to see her reaction. Twilight looked confused and conflicted, unmoving as she stared back at her.

Dash started to think that she might have been wrong, but then she felt Twilight touch the tip of her muzzle back against hers, returning the gesture. After she pulled away, the unicorn's purple cheeks were glowing red as she stared into her eyes, looking for the same accepting reaction that she had.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she looked into her purple eyes. She unfurled one of her wings under the blanket and wrapped it around Twilight, like a feathered blanket of her own. The feathers tickled the purple mare as they glided under the blanket and along her coat, adding to the warmth shared between them as it surrounded her.

Twilight just continued to stare at her and then, in a brief movement that took the pegasus by surprise, licked the tip of her nose. The act caused the light blue mare to blush even more deeply, her own eyes widening. Twilight hid her face, pressing her head under the blue pegasus' chin, careful not to poke her with her horn.

She flushed as Twilight nuzzled into her neck but didn't complain. It felt... well... awesome, and right, and she was more than okay with it. She tightened her wing around the mare next to her and let sleep settle in as a sense of peace surrounded them.

And the warmth they shared between them grew.

Chapter 2

One of Dash's ears twitched as a gust of cold air blew over it. She shivered slightly and wiggled her muzzle further into the pillow under her head, trying to hide from the icy air. Though instead of finding a more comfortable spot for her head to rest, it served to tickle her nose and caused her to shift around some more. It was then that she noticed the restrictions around her body and motioned to pull away, only to find the restraints tighten around her, keeping her from moving.

She grumbled and slowly blinked her eyes open, still partially asleep. The early morning sky gave her just enough light through the windows to see the long strands of purple hair that were scattered over the white pillow her head was resting on and, as she followed them to their source, her face slowly softened into a smile.

The lavender unicorn sleeping beside her had both hooves wrapped firmly around her barrel, just under her light blue wings and around her back. Her head rested on the other side of the pillow, facing her and tilted into her neck. Her purple and pink mane was splayed out messily around her, covering the pillow in a few strands.

A small tinge of red began to show on her cheeks at the sight of the still sleeping unicorn curled against her. Something about the way she looked, sleeping peacefully while tucked under her wing so closely, made her heart start beating fast in her chest. Did having somepony to hold in your hooves really make such a difference? Or was it because the pony she was holding was Twilight? She didn't often doubt herself, and she was confident in almost everything that she did. But right now, she felt like she could do anything.

It would seem that she had been right about Twilight. She knew that things between them would change after this, but hopefully not in a bad way. After last night there really wasn't any doubt in her mind of how she really felt about Twilight or vise versa, though she would have to wait until the unicorn woke up before she could make anything of it.

After a bit of subtle shifting, she found that her mane had also gotten tangled with Twilight's, which must have happened sometime during the night. It wasn't something that she was going to be able to take care of by herself, so she was going to have to wait for Twilight to wake up before she could deal with it.

For a while she laid there awake, wrapped around Twilight and basking in her warm embrace. She could feel the biting cold air just outside of the blanket breaking through to chill them, but it couldn't get past the warm aura their joined bodies created together under her wing.

It was kind of strange how interesting she found it was to watch Twilight sleep. She could feel each breath that the unicorn took as her chest moved against hers. Occasionally she would twitch or rub her head under hers, digging further into the nape of her neck. She would mumble sometimes too, answers to unasked questions and things about her and their friends.

She didn't really want to wake her up, she wouldn't have minded staying like this for a bit longer, but she could feel herself starting to cramp up from keeping still for so long. She drew back and nuzzled the side of Twilight's muzzle gently, making the unicorn stir a little and hug her more tightly. She heard a mumble of, 'Five more minutes' from her.

She sounded just like her when she took naps.

Dash had to hold in a bit of laughter and nuzzled her again, this time getting a more conscious reaction from the unicorn. She squirmed some more and made a small noise, her mouth scrunching up, and then slowly blinked her eyes open, revealing two purple orbs to look at her with, both still dazed from just waking up.

“Hey.” Dash said, wearing a grin.

“Hey.” Twilight said back stupidly, her mind still fuzzy from having only just woken up.

Dash figured it would take her a few seconds to sink in and she could almost visibly see as the recognition dawned on her and she realized exactly where they were and how close they were. She looked down at the tangled mess of limbs and hair and her cheeks lit up bright red.

Dash was blushing a little herself. “I didn't want to wake you up but we're kinda, heh... stuck.”

Twilight sputtered and blushed some more, and then fumbled for a second, working hurriedly with a combination of shifting and her magic to untangle them. Dash helped by retracting her wing and legs from around her.

As soon as Twilight finished separating them, she sat up in her bed, putting space between them. Dash frowned as she moved away, cold open air replacing the warm body that had been there, making her shiver. She watched as Twilight sat there, flicking her tail back and forth nervously over the sheets and shuffling her hooves together. She looked up at her but not quite meeting her eyes, and then looked away, biting her lip.

“I... we...” She started to say, but couldn't seem to find the words. Dash got up and moved over to her, brushing up against her side. She nuzzled Twilight's cheek gently, getting her attention.

“Hey...”

Twilight's purple eyes gaze up to hers. She looked lost and unsure, as if she had to take a test that she wasn't prepared for.

“You've been acting strange around me lately.” Dash said, and then smiled. “More than usual I mean.”

She saw a flash of playful annoyance pass through the unicorn's eyes at the joke, but it faded just as quickly as it had appeared, and Twilight lowered her head.

“I didn't realize exactly why that was until yesterday...” Dash continued and then as she thought of them cuddling together in front of the fire. After last night, it was pretty obvious how Twilight felt about her, and about how she felt about Twilight as well. Twilight seemed to shrink under her stare but she didn't move away.

“I... I'm sorry...” Came a quiet voice from the unicorn.

Dash blinked at her. Sorry? For what?

Twilight shifted against her, guilt playing across her face. “I... wanted to tell you. I just... didn't know how...”

It was true that it would have made things a lot easier to deal with if she just told her, but she didn't need to. Twilight did tell her. It just... hadn't been in the way she was expecting. And to be honest, she couldn't have told her more clearly with any amount of words.

Dash shook her head. “You did tell me.”

This caused the unicorn to look up at her with a confused expression. “What? But... I never...”

Dash smiled at her. “Sometimes, actions speak louder than words.” She said, speaking with wisdom that rarely came from the rainbow pegasus. Twilight blushed and seemed to take that in. Dash meanwhile, continued sadly, “Anyway, if anyone should be sorry, it would be me for not realizing sooner.” This time it was her that looked down, feeling somewhat ashamed of herself. “I guess I'm just not a good listener...”

She felt Twilight nuzzle into her neck, grabbing her attention and meeting their eyes. It was a silent exchange, but the smile that had found its way to the unicorn's mouth had said it all. They stayed like that for a few seconds before Dash felt a shiver go through the unicorn, being exposed to the cold air in the bedroom. She wrapped her wing back around the purple mare, smiling as Twilight pressed against her. Even while exposed to the open air, she still couldn't believe how warm Twilight felt, tucked under her wing.

“Does... this mean that we're marefriends now?” Twilight said into her quietly, not meeting her eyes. Dash pulled back and looked at her, then she smiled.

“I guess so.” She said, grinning wider. “That is, if you're okay with having somepony as awesome as me as a marefriend.”

Hey, her ego had to have a say in this somewhere.

Twilight nodded, smiling as she snuggled against Dash’s coat and the soft feathers around her. “I would like that.”

They stayed like that for a few seconds, just being close to one another. It was nice, being close to Twilight, and she found herself relaxed in her presence. After a little though, Twilight looked down, and a small frown formed on the unicorn's face. Rainbow Dash picked up on this and looked at her questioningly.

Twilight blushed again and started shuffling her front hooves together again under her gaze. Then said in a small voice, “So what do we do now...?”

Dash tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Well... We're marefriends now...” She said shyly.

“Yeah.” Dash said, smiling at her. “And?”

“I... never had a special somepony before...” She said, keeping her eyes locked on her hooves as her blush deepened by another degree.

That actually didn't surprise Dash too much. She knew that Twilight hadn't been a very social pony before they met, and she would have heard if Twilight was dating somepony while in Ponyville. Word tends to spread quickly in their small town.

But as it turned out, Twilight wasn't the only one.

Dash thought about just keeping it to herself. It wouldn't really change anything in the long run if she did and it wasn't really one of the things she liked others knowing about her. She used to get teased about it in flight school and it had hit her pretty hard back then. But Twilight had told her something personal about herself, so it was only fair that she knew as well. Besides, she knew that Twilight would never think any less of her for it. If anything, it was just something more they had in common, and they could share with one another.

“Neither have I.”

This brought the unicorn's eyes up to her, both widening. “What?”

“I- ah... never had special somepony either.” Dash said, her blush showing again.

Twilight gave her a strange look. “You... haven't?”

Dash rubbed a hoof behind her head, feeling awkward. “Yeah. Sure, I knew I liked mares for a while now. But I never actually had a marefriend...”

In truth, she just never really tried to put any effort into finding a special somepony of her own. She was always too busy practicing for the Wonderbolts and training to be recognized by them. But after getting accepted to their academy, she had a place for practicing now. Sure, she had a routine that she followed every day, but she now found she had more free time then she used to, especially since the Academy was closed during the winter. Most of that free time she had, she ended up spending at the library with Twilight.

“So I guess I'm as new to this as you are.” She finished lamely.

Twilight seemed to find some comfort in knowing that she wasn't the only one, and she began to relax a little, but Dash noticed that the look of uncertainty in her eyes stayed. Twilight was as new to this as she was, and Dash knew that Twilight hated not knowing something or not knowing how something might turn out.

But it was okay. Because that's what makes them such a great pair.

Twilight was smart and the voice of reason in any situation, no matter how crazy, but she would often doubt herself and her own abilities. Whereas she was confident and brazen in everything that she did, but she admitted that she could be reckless at times.

They sort of... complemented each other.

Dash looked thoughtful for a second and then flashed a grin at the purple unicorn next to her.

“How about we start with breakfast?”

After going downstairs, they found out that the snowstorm last night had been a bit more than the weather team had planned for. There was already twenty inches of snow on the ground and it was still coming down in white sheets. Not only that, but the temperature was still below freezing and the wind blowing, though not as hard as last night.

“I didn't think it would be this bad...” Twilight said after taking her gaze from the nearby window and looking up at the pegasus above her.

“No kidding...” Dash said back. She was using her wings to hover and look out from the top of the window. White powdered snow covered just about everything outside. With the wind blowing like it was, it even got into covered areas that snowfall normally wouldn't reach.

“I thought it was supposed to stop by today...” Twilight said, looking at her worriedly.

Dash put her hooves up defensively. “Hey, don't look at me. I just put the clouds where they tell me to. Somepony must have messed up and gathered too many clouds for their station.”

She touched down next to the purple unicorn and folded her wings back into their rested positions at her sides, then shivered again from the cold air.

Twilight frowned, noticing her shaking, and walked over to the fireplace. “Hold on. I’ll get the fire going again.”

Using a small burst of magic, she rekindled the fire, bringing it back to a large flame it was before . As soon as she lit the blaze, warm air started to fill the room and slowly push out the cold morning air that had settled in during the night. After making sure the fire was self-sufficient, she turned around to find that the pegasus had disappeared from the room.

“Rainbow?”

After a little searching she walked into the kitchen and found the rainbow maned pegasus rooting through various cabinets, taking out a bin of flour and setting it on the counter. “What are you doing?”

Dash looked back at her, giving her a half sheepish, half confident look. Her muzzle had some flour smudged on the tip. “You let me stay, so I'll make breakfast.”

“You can cook?” Twilight asked, clearly shocked, as she walked over to the table and sat down.

Dash waved a hoof. “Mostly just breakfast stuff, I usually wake up early to stretch before practice so I'm not all worn out when I get done. I found that a good breakfast is a great way to start the day.”

Twilight looked at her skeptically.

“What? Don't believe me? You haven't lived until you tried my Cloud Pancakes. Best pancakes in Equestria.” She said proudly.

The look of disbelief faded from the unicorn's face as she worked around the kitchen, occasionally asking her where some ingredients or cooking utensils were located. Despite the lack of magic, she did everything with a practiced ease, making little mess while she cooked and working efficiently. By the time she was done, which didn't take very long, she had made two stacks of golden pancakes with syrup glazed over them.

Dash walked to the table, setting one in front of the unicorn and at her seat. She sat down and looked at the unicorn expectantly, flicking her tail back and forth, waiting for her to try them. Twilight rolled her eyes, cut out a section, and took a mouthful of syrupy pancakes.

She sat there, shifting in place and feeling a little funny. It was silly, but she felt like Twilight's opinion really mattered on her cooking. The only pony besides herself that had ever tried her cooking was Fluttershy, and she hadn't ever really given her any sort of opinion on it. She waiting silently as the unicorn chewed and swallowed the bite.

Twilight looked down at the plate of food and then up at her. “These are delicious...”

She grinned at Twilight and her wings fluttered a little at her sides as a sense of relief washed over her.

“Told you.” She declared triumphantly. “Best pancakes in Equestria.”

Twilight nodded, still dazed by how good they actually were. She dug into the rest of her breakfast while Dash started gobbling down her own. She caught Twilight looking at her a couple of times while they ate, but would look away as soon as their eyes met. As she shoved the last bite in her mouth, Twilight decided to speak up.

“So... what do you plan to do now?”

“Uhubt mhut?” She said through a mouthful of pancakes. Twilight giggled, making her blush as she swallowed before trying again. “About what?”

The unicorn stopped her laughter and started to fidget her hooves together in little circles. “Well it’s still pretty cold outside, and the snow hasn't stopped yet...”

“Oh...” Dash stumbled for a second realizing what she meant. "I guess I haven't really thought about it..."

She knew that she couldn't ask Twilight to let her stay longer than she already had. They may have been more than friends now, but she didn't want to start off their new relationship with her abusing it for a warm place to stay. She would just have to find someplace else to stay for a while, or head back to her freezing home and wait for it to pass.

She was about to tell her not to worry about it when the unicorn added in quietly, “You could stay here...with me... if you want to...”

Dash looked down at her plate. “Are you sure Twilight? I mean... I can figure something else out if I have to...”

Twilight shook her head quickly. Dash looked at her, surprised, as the purple unicorn turned away from her gaze. She could see that the unicorn was blushing profusely, even while facing away from her.

“No. I... I want you to stay.” She said, her voice still low. She looked back over at her but held her muzzle towards the ground, only looking at her with her eyes, and said in an even smaller voice, “I don't want you to go.”

Rainbow Dash began to blush herself at the blunt statement. If Twilight was okay with her staying, then there really wasn't any reason for her to refuse. After all, she didn't really want to leave either.

She realized that she had yet to actually answer the unicorn's question. Twilight was looking down silently and biting her lip, waiting for her to either accept or refuse the offer. Dash smiled at the purple mare and walked over, poking a hoof at one of her forelegs, bringing the unicorn to look up at her.

“Hey. As long as you're okay with it, I would be happy to stay here until the weather clears up.”

If Twilight wanted her to stay, then she would stay. Besides, it wasn't as if she had many better options at the time. And if given the choice between staying here with Twilight or going out into the snow and looking for a new place to stay, it really wasn't a contest.

Twilight's face immediately picked up after her answer. Dash nuzzled the side of her face playfully, making the unicorn smile as she nuzzled her back.

“You made the food so I'll clean up.” She said, grabbing up both plates in her magic and getting up. “I thought we could pick up where we left off last night reading.” She finished, blushing again. “If you would like to...”

She found herself smiling at the idea of being wrapped up with Twilight again. “That would be great. Should I, uh... wait for you..?”

“You can go ahead and get started, the fire should have heated the room up by now.” Twilight said, floating the plates over to the washing bin. “I'll join you as soon as I finish up here.”

Dash nodded, turning away to hide the growing red tint of her cheeks and left the kitchen. She went back into the main section of the library, now evenly heated by the fire, and walked over to the small nook by the fireplace. Picking up her book she had left on the table the night before, she moved to the large plush pillow by the fire and lowered herself to lay down by the crackling flames, sinking into the warm feeling it brought along with the familiar smell of lavender.

She began to immerse herself in her book, picking up where she left off, and failed to notice when Twilight walked into the room. She turned as she felt the unicorn join her, laying down beside her on the pillow. Twilight picked up the nearby blanket with her magic and wrapped it around them like before, bringing their coats to touch together again, making that wonderful feeling of warmth spread between them. Under the blanket, Dash extended a wing around the purple unicorn.

She turned to the bookish lavender unicorn, the pony that was now her marefriend. The said mare was blushing heavily, her head was tilted down towards her book but it was easy to see that she wasn't reading from it. It was strange but... she liked this. It wasn't flying, but it brought the same feeling inside her as if she was soaring through the sky.

They began to read their books in silence. Both happy and content with just being by one another and sharing their warmth in the peaceful quiet of the library. She felt Twilight's tail brush against hers underneath the blanket after a while and flicked her own around the unicorn's, intertwining them together in a mesh of rainbow and purple. Twilight blushed at the act and hid herself, pressing her muzzle under her chin. Dash couldn't see the unicorn's expression, but she could clearly make out the red tint in her cheeks.

“I'm really glad you're my first special somepony Rainbow.”

Dash smiled and rubbed her nose against one of the unicorn's ears gently, making it twitch from the contact. A part of her was glad that she got to be Twilight first special somepony, but some part was also secretly glad that Twilight was hers.

“Me too Twilight.”

Chapter 3

Dash watched as Twilight paced back and forth, walking from one side of the library to the other. Her mane and tail were a mess and stray hairs were sticking out in various areas. Twilight had gotten herself worked up into a worried frenzy after Rarity stopped in and asked Twilight and her to come to the boutique this afternoon so she could give them along with Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack, an early Hearth's warming eve gift.

Normally that wouldn't have been a problem, and Dash still thought that it wasn't. But as soon as Rarity left, Twilight began to panic about how they were suppose to tell their friends about their newfound relationship with each other.

Over the past few days, Dash had been staying at the library more often than ever. Twilight would insist that she stay over whenever the temperature dropped below freezing and they usually ended up sleeping together in the same bed to keep warm. She eventually grew accustomed to spending most of her day with Twilight.

It hadn't actually occurred to her to what their friends might think of them dating, she just figured it would come to light eventually and she would cross that bridge when she came to it. She wasn't really worried about it though, they were their closest friends right?

“It'll be fine Twilight. Its not like they'll be mad at us because we're special someponies with each other now.”

The purple unicorn abruptly halted and turned to her. “But that’s just it! What if they are mad at us? We've been together for days now and we never told them!” She sat down, looking at the floor as her ears fell. “What if they're mad at us for not telling them. Or... or they don't like that we're together?”

Dash tapped a hoof against her chin before saying dismissively, “Nah. That'll never happen.”

“How do you know?” Twilight asked helplessly.

Dash looked over at the purple unicorn. She could clearly see the look of doubt and worry on her face as she stared into the ground. She could never understand how Twilight would always work herself into seeing the worst possible outcomes in things. If she always feared what was to come, then nothing would ever get done.

Luckily though, she was there.

She stood up and walked over to the crestfallen unicorn, sitting down in front of her on the wood floor. She tried to get a look at her face but Twilight wouldn't lift her head to meet hers. She thought for a second, and said, “Twilight. Are you happy...? Being marefriends with me?”

Twilight’s head jerked up at this, she actually looked a little hurt from the question. “Of course I'm happy Rainbow. I... I'm more than happy...”

Dash smiled and nuzzled under Twilight's chin, catching her before she could lower her head again. “Well, that’s great. Because I'm really happy too.”

Twilight drew away to look at the light blue pegasus, who nodded and grinned at her. “They won't be upset. Trust me.”

Twilight frowned again. “But how do you know for sure? How do you know they won't be mad at us?”

“Intuition.” Dash said confidently, bringing a deadpan expression from the unicorn.

Honestly, she didn't know how their friends would react. But she knew them well enough to know that they wouldn't hate them because Twilight and her found their special somepony in each other.

Dash felt the purple unicorn bury her face into her neck. She kept a small smile as she looked down at the unicorn and nuzzled against her ear. She never thought herself to be one for all that mushy stuff special someponies do, but with Twilight, she found that she actually enjoyed doing them.

“Because they’re our friends.” She said softly. “Don't you think that they will be happy, if we’re both happy?”

The unicorn looked away and nodded. “But-” she started, but was cut off as Dash placed a hoof over her mouth.

“Uh uh. No more buts. We'll tell them, they'll be happy for us, Pinkie Pie will wanna throw a party, and everything will turn out awesome. Worrying about it isn't going to solve anything, so our only choice is to just go out there and face it head on.”

Twilight looked at her for a few seconds, then sighed and leaned her head forward into her neck in a half defeated, half comforting embrace. Dash smiled and wrapped both her hooves around the unicorn. She didn't show it often, but she could be comforting and kind when she wanted to be. Maybe it was from all her time growing up with Fluttershy as her closest friend? She would have to thank her for that sometime.

“I know you’re scared, but we'll be going through it together, right?” Twilight nodded into her, not taking her face away from the pegasus' neck. Dash smiled. “You know that I would never leave a friend hanging. That goes double for my marefriend.”

Dash held Twilight for a moment longer before the unicorn pulled away from her, but as she look at her face, the frown that was there was replaced with a small smile. She gave back a confident grin of her own, but inside, she was just as unsure as Twilight was. She felt like she was sitting at the edge of a cloud, waiting to perform her next aerial trick. Only this time, she wouldn't be doing it alone.

Now all they had to do was jump.

Dash landed on the street, now lightly coated in a layer of white snow, and blew out a breath of air as she folded her wings away at her sides. It instantly turned to white mist as it floated by, showing how cold it still was outside. It wasn't as cold as it had been a few days ago, but it still nipped at her ears and nose as the winter wind blew over them. Twilight followed behind her, using her magic to lock the library door after she exited. She could see the same white breaths coming from her muzzle as the unicorn turned to face her.

“Ready?” She asked as the purple unicorn walked next to her. Twilight nodded but the look on her face was less than convincing. Dash pawed a hoof against one of the unicorn's legs. “Hey. It'll be fine, I promise.”

Twilight nodded again, smiling a little this time as they started off down the street to Rarity's shop, keeping close to one another but not quite touching as they walked. The boutique was on the other end of the town and, since Twilight didn't have wings, they were going to have to walk through the snow to get there. Though Dash didn't mind.

A cold breeze blew past them as they walked, making a shiver run through Twilight. Dash caught this and, on reflex, immediately wrapped a wing over the unicorn's back to bring them closer together for warmth. She felt Twilight grow stiff next to her but didn't think much of it as they continued walking.

After a couple of blocks, Rainbow caught on to the unicorn's unease and she looked over at the unicorn questioningly. “What’s wrong?”

Twilight had her eyes fixed on her hoofs. “They're... staring at us...”

Dash lifted her head to look around and, as Twilight said, a few ponies that were nearby were giving them strange looks. She then looked back over at Twilight and her wing that was resting along the unicorn's back, not something that typical friends do. It's something that pegasi do with ponies that are special to them, sometimes with family but mostly with their special someones.

Twilight and her never really did much in public for the past few days. Most of the time they stayed indoors and read together in the library where it was warmer rather than embracing the cold outside. So their new relationship had stayed mostly a secret from everypony else.

And then there was the fact that they were both mares. A mare liking other mares isn't the type of thing that you see too often. Dash wasn't afraid to admit her preferences if asked, but then again, she didn't go broadcasting it either. But in Ponyville, ponies were quick to pick up on gossip and nothing was ever hidden for too long. And the fact that they were next to national heroes in the public's eye, didn't help matters either.

A few ponies in town knew about her interest in mares, sure, but as for Twilight, not even Dash knew until just recently. She looked back over at Twilight, expecting her to be bothered or upset by the attention but found that the unicorn was only blushing heavily while staring at the ground.

Dash grinned and tightened her wing around her marefriend. “Let them know.”

Twilight looked over at her, wide-eyed. “B-but-”

“We're going to tell the girls anyway. We might as well get the rest out of the way while we're at it.” She said, shrugging. “I doubt it will stay a secret for long once Pinkie Pie and Rarity know anyway.”

Twilight looked like she wanted to protest more, but knew she was right. They were going to have to deal with it at some point. Besides, Dash wasn't afraid of letting others know that Twilight was her marefriend. In fact, she was proud of it. She wanted them to know that Twilight was her special somepony.

They continued down the street while Dash held Twilight closely tucked under her wing and away from the cold wind. The gesture gaining some attention from a few ponies that happened to be passing by at the time, though Dash thought they were missing out, not having somepony close by. The gentle warmth coming from the unicorn's body only made her tighten her hold around her, keeping her as close as possible and sharing their body heat.

Twilight tried to hide her face but Dash caught her, nuzzling against her cheek and making the unicorn's eye close as she blushed even more. When they finally got to Rarity's Boutique, Twilight's entire face looked like a tomato, and Dash didn't think it was because of the cold. She retracted her wing from around the unicorn's back, fixing it at her side again and doing some quick preening of her feathers before they went in.

Twilight looked over at her, unsure whether to be embarrassed, furious, or happy about being seen like that with her so openly, but she managed to fit all three into an expression. Dash looked up at her with a guilty grin until the unicorn sighed and took a few moments to compose herself before lifting a hoof to knock on the door.

They heard a familiar whimsical voice call, “Just a moment!” from inside and no more than a moment later, the door opened and warm air, along with Rarity greeted them. The white unicorn's eyes widened at seeing them. “Oh! Twilight, Rainbow, you didn't have to wait outside in the cold.”

“Well we didn't want to just barge in.” Twilight offered but Rarity waved a hoof dismissively.

“Nonsense. You are two of my closest friends and are more than welcome to come inside when you are invited, especially with it being so cold out.” She said, shivering as she turned and walked back into her shop. “Now, come inside and close the door. You're both the last to show and I wanted to wait for everyone to be here before the big reveal.”

“E-everyone else is here already?” Twilight said, a little nervously.

“They're all waiting in my inspiration room. Now come along. I know you both must be excited to see what I've been working on and I can't wait to show you all.” She said, walking over to the stairway. Twilight looked down at her hooves and fidgeted for a second before Dash bumped her nose into the unicorn's side, gently nudging her forward.

They both followed behind Rarity up to the second floor. Dash couldn't help but notice Twilight trembling a little, even as she walked next to her. Was she really that afraid?

While Rarity wasn't looking, Dash brushed up against Twilight, getting her attention, and gave her the most reassuring smile she could muster. Even if everything went bad and Twilight's fears came true, even if their friends hated them after they found out, that wouldn't change the fact that she liked Twilight. She may have cared about what others thought of her, but she cared a whole lot more about what Twilight thought of her.

A smile slowly returned to Twilight, but it faded as they entered Rarity's design room. As Rarity had said, the rest of their friends were already there waiting when they followed her in.

“What took y'all so long? We were beginning to think that something might have happened to ya.” Came a familiar voice as they entered. She looked over and found the owner, Applejack, along with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, who were sitting around a small table placed in the room.

Dash sensed Twilight tense up next to her. She started to reply back, but stopped as she couldn't really tell her that it was because Twilight was worried about what they would think of their relationship. Luckily, Rarity saved them the trouble.

“Honesty, I really don't blame them. The weather outside has simply been horrid lately.” The white unicorn said, moving past them and over to the others. “Though I suppose I wouldn't have ever finished these if not for the need to stay indoors, so it hasn't all been for naught.”

“If you say so.” Applejack said grumpily.

It didn't surprise Dash, as she knew Applejack wasn't a fan of the winter. Not much applebucking you can do when there's nothing on the trees. Though her friend's sour mood didn't help make telling them about their new relationship any easier.

“Well, now that you're all here, I can finally reveal my latest work to you all.” Rarity said excitedly. Dash looked over to her, curiosity about what she wanted to give them getting the better of her for the moment. Twilight also turned her focus to the fashionista.

“I’ve told you all already, so the surprise has already been spoiled somewhat...” She said, moving over to the far side of the room where a working desk was placed. “But I think you will all find them to be quite special.”

She stepped around her desk and her horn lit up light blue with magic.

“So, without further ado, I give you all my first designs for my new winter showcase!”

Using her magic, Rarity pulled six differently designed and colored cloths from behind her working desk which turned out to be scarves. She slowly floated one to each of them while keeping one for herself. Dash noticed that each of the scarves closely resembled each of them.

“I made each of them specially suited to each of you. I’m hoping that I can open up a new line of scarves particularly to compliment their owners. I wanted you girls to be the first to have them.”

Twilight took hers in her own magic, slack-jawed as she spread it out before her. Dash saw it was striped purple and pink all the way down the length with the design of her cutie mark at either end. It was a simple design, but it suited her perfectly.

Dash's own was a mixture of the six different colors of the rainbow that resembled the colors of her mane. Like Twilight's, it was striped all the way down, repeating the pattern from one end to the other in a bright rainbow. It was actually even more simple in design than Twilight's, but it stood out much more.

“I'm really liking the color choice on mine.” She said, wrapping it around her neck and posing in one of the nearby mirrors. She had to admit, it suited her perfectly.

“I went for something a little more prismatic and flashy for your scarf Rainbow, and I think the color represents you quite well if I do say so myself.” Rarity said, quickly moving over to her with a measure in her magic and checking to see how well her work turned out on the pony it was based for.

Rarity's own scarf was actually the most plain of all. The entire length was a pure white, save for a elegant arrangement of three light blue gems at one end. Though it also held a more elegant and refined look.

After jotting down some measurements, Rarity turned to Applejack who was still inspecting her scarf. Hers was a pale orange color with bright orange stripe running down the length. Hers also had a picture of a red apple that appeared when the tassels at the ends aligned.

“Its a little fancy for my tastes, but I like it.” Applejack said.

Rarity smiled at her. “I'm glad you do. I made yours out of a more sturdy and less stainable material since I know you like to do more... er... 'hooves-on' activities than others.”

Applejack gave her a flat stare, but it was halfhearted. “Well thank you all the same Rares. This is really a mighty generous gift.”

“Yeah! These are super duper amazing!” Came the voice of Pinkie Pie who was spinning hers around her head, making her look like a mummy. Her scarf had two different shades of pink and contained random shapes and patterns in the fabric. “And so warm too!”

“Oh, it must have taken a long time to make all of these. You didn't have to do all of this Rarity.” Came a soft spoken voice from Fluttershy. Her scarf was a rich cream color that had pink butterflies scattered into the stitching.

Rarity turned smiled kindly at the shy pegasus. “Oh think nothing of it darling. You all mean the world me and I loved designing each piece to match their new owners perfectly.”

Maybe it was just her. But Dash couldn't help but notice the way Rarity looked at Fluttershy when she said that. It somehow reminded her of the way Twilight looked at her sometimes when they read together. The sort of look that held a warmth of its own.

They all took the time to look over each others new winter wear as Rarity looked over them to make sure she they all came out correct and matched well with their new owners. Dash made sure to stay close to Twilight, not only for moral support, but also so they could be together when they told their friends their news. She promised they would tell them together and she kept her promises.

Things had begun to calm down now after they had finished looking over each other’s new wear and they were now sitting around the table and chatting with one another. Twilight seemed to be doing okay for most of the get together, though Dash could see the slight nervousness in how she acted. Knowing Twilight, she probably would have panicked by now if facing this alone.

“So Dash, how have you been holding up the past few days?” Came the voice of Applejack, breaking her out of her thoughts. “Its been colder than usual this year and usually I can't get rid of you during the winter months.” She said, grinning and shaking her head. “You haven't been toughin’ it out in those flimsy clouds again have you? You know you can always come over to our farm anytime Rainbow, you're always welcome at the Apple family.”

One of Twilight's ear flicked at hearing Applejack's words, drawing her attention to the conversation.

“Hey, my clouds are the best around, even if they don't keep warm.” Dash said defensively, but gave a small smile. “Thanks a lot for the offer AJ, but I kinda already have a place to stay.”

Applejack seemed a little taken aback by that. “Oh?”

Dash smiled and turned to Twilight, bringing Applejack to look at her as well. The lavender unicorn shrunk into herself as their gazes turned to her.

“She’s... been staying with me at the library for the past few days.” Twilight said quietly, avoiding eye contact. The others in the room turned their attention to their conversation as well, making Twilight look even more hesitant.

“Well that’s mighty kind of ya Twi. I figure she's been given you a lot of hassle, knowing how hard it is for her to keep still for five seconds and all.”

“Hey!”

While Dash glared at Applejack, Rarity lifted a hoof to tap at her chin while she made a thoughtful face. “Come to think of it, you two have been very close ever since that snowstorm a few days ago...”

“Yeah! You two are like totally best best friends now.” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing twice.

“Well... you see...” Twilight looked over at Dash, who nodded back encouragingly. Now was as good of a time as any to tell them.

Twilight opened her mouth to talk but couldn't seem to get the words out. Rarity looked over at Twilight, cocking her head to the side at the hesitance she was showing. Then her gaze turned to Dash, and she seemed to take in just how close they were sitting to one another for the first time. For most of the time they were there, Dash hadn't left the unicorn's side for more than a few seconds. A smile started to touch Rarity's expression as her eyes lit up with realization.

“Oh... I see...” She said, the small smile slowly turning into a larger grin. “That snowstorm must have brought you two closer together than I thought...”

Applejack and Fluttershy looked over at Rarity, still not getting it, and then they looked back over towards her. Dash smiled and gently put a wing around Twilight's back again, making the unicorn blush as it surrounded her.

“Twilight and I are marefriends now.” She said, grinning at the others in the room. She pulled them tight together to further emphasize her point, making Twilight's face light up in further embarrassment. Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack's jaw's dropped while Rarity just smiled. Dash tried to catch a look at the purple unicorn's face next to her, but she was distracted as Fluttershy suddenly rushed towards her and pulled her into a tight hug.

“Oh I'm so happy for you Rainbow.” The canary colored pegasus said, losing her shyness for a moment while she was caught up in the news. “Oh! I'm happy for you too Twilight. I'm happy for both of you. But Rainbow, you finally some a special somepony for yourself, that's wonderful!”

“Heh... yeah. Thanks Fluttershy.” Dash said, her own blush showing.

“I didn't even know you liked mares Twilight.” Applejack said, looking at the unicorn incredulously. Twilight smiled sheepishly back, rubbing one of her hooves against the other.

“Well, when I was little, Cadence would always tell me that love isn't something to be disregarded just because of gender. Besides, I don't like Rainbow because she’s a mare, I like her because she’s Rainbow.”

Dash blushed at her words, not knowing what to say back. Twilight just looked at her and smiled warmly, even though deeply embarrassed.

“Though who would have thought, the bookworm and the athlete.” Rarity commented, her gaze switching between them. “I guess it is true when they say that opposites attract.”

Twilight turned her head away in embarrassment.

Rarity beamed at the lavender unicorn. “So how long has this been going on between you two?”

Twilight frowned now, fear showing in her face again. “About two weeks now...”

Pinkie Pie gasped loudly. “Two weeks and you haven't been thrown a party yet?!”

“And you didn't tell us until just now?” Applejack added, frowning.

Dash was about to tell her that they didn't have to say anything at all, but thought better of it at the last second. She wasn't about to start an argument over this, not after she had promised Twilight that everything would be okay between them and their friends.

Twilight looked down at her hooves. “We didn't mean to wait so long before telling you all. It just sort of happened...”

“It’s okay. We can still throw you a super fantastic party for you both right away!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully. Judging from the look on Twilight's face, Dash figured that she wasn't too thrilled at the idea, but they could work that out later.

Applejack look at them both and her frown melted into a small smile. “Well... I guess it's not so bad. I kinda wish you would have told us sooner, but then again, it’s your relationship.”

Twilight looked up at her, worry heavy in her features. “You mean... you're all not mad at us?”

Applejack looked at her strangely, as did the others in the room besides Dash. “Mad? Why would we be mad?”

Twilight's gaze shifted from her to the rest of their friends before she looked down and away from her. “Well... I mean... we waited so long to tell you all. And we didn't consider what you girls might think about us being together.”

Applejack gave a soft smile, looking over at Dash and the others before turning back to Twilight. “Twi, as long as you're both happy, I don't see any reason to be upset with you both being marefriends.”

Twilight looked back up, and was met with smiles from all her friends, including Dash, who was grinning like she knew it would turn out like this all along, but was also secretly glad for getting a positive reaction from their friends.

“I'm not mad that y'all found somepony special in each other, I just hate not knowing what’s going on is all.” Applejack continued, now to the both of them. “We're mighty happy for the both of ya, right girls?”

Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all nodded in agreement.

Twilight looked at each of them but found nothing but smiles from her friends. She grinned apologetically at them. “I'm really sorry it took us this long to tell you girls. I mean, I guess we've just been subconsciously putting it off.”

Applejack waved a hoof. “Don't worry ‘bout it none. The important thing is you did let us know, even though you didn't have ‘ta.” She grinned and shook her head. “Besides, its not like y'all are sleeping together or anything yet.”

Dash felt her face heat up as Rarity gasped. “Applejack! That was completely rude of you say! What Twilight and Rainbow do together is their own business.”

While Rarity berated Applejack, Dash glanced over at Twilight, expecting her to be embarrassed or angry at the comment, but instead she only looked sad. Didn't she realize what Applejack was insinuating? She couldn't be that oblivious, could she?

Oh Celestia please Twilight, don't tell her-

“We've have actually slept together a few times already...” Twilight said quietly, pawing her hooves together.

Everyone in the room went completely silent. Dash could hear her heart beating in her ears and her cheeks lit up bright red. Applejack gaped at Twilight while Rarity and Fluttershy's faces also went crimson.

“T-Twilight.” Dash whispered, finally finding her voice after a few stunned seconds. “She uh... she didn't mean it like that...”

“Huh? What else could she...” Twilight just sorta stopped talking as she looked over at the pegasus. She could probably see her blushing, even if they weren't right next to each other. Then she looked over at the others. Fluttershy was covering her face with her hooves while Rarity was still openly blushing, Applejack just sat there, her mouth still slightly open, and Pinkie Pie looked like she was holding in a fit of laughter.

Twilight's cheeks turned a deep crimson. “Oh no-no-no-no-no! I meant that we literally slept in the same bed while it was cold out! We haven't done anything like that!”

She seemed to realize what she said, only after she had already said it, and back-pedaled, looking back over at Dash. “I-I-I mean I'm just not r-ready for anything like that now. N-not that I won't ever be ready for s-stuff like that, I-I'm just not prepared! I mean I-I c-could get prepared, but I need more time!”

Instead of absolving any embarrassment from herself, she only succeeded in making herself blush even harder along with the rainbow pegasus. Fortunately, Applejack was quick to recover.

“Woah woah woah, easy there Twi. Ah get it. Best way to keep warm is to keep company.” She said, calming the unicorn down before she could get anymore worked up. Twilight looked over at her helplessly, then back at Dash before lowering her head fell in defeat.

“Anyway. So ah guess this explains why we haven't seen you around much.” Applejack said to Dash who was still blushing.

Dash looked over at Twilight and then back to Applejack, rubbing one of her fore hooves in front of the other. “Yeah...”

“I will admit, I really didn't expect to the two of you, out of all ponies, to get together. Though I guess life is funny that way sometimes.” Applejack said. “Are you positive ‘bout this? I mean, I would hate for things to go sour between the both of you, bein’ that you’re both my friends.”

Twilight frowned at that, looking over at Dash fearfully. Dash looked back at Twilight, meeting her worried gaze for a moment, then turned back to Applejack.

“One hundred and twenty percent positive.”

Twilight's cheeks turned red at that, but she stayed silent. Applejack stared at Dash for a second and then laughed lightly, shaking her head.

“Then I guess there's nothing to worry about.”

Rarity huffed exasperatedly. “Of course there’s nothing to worry about. They're lovely together. Just look at them.”

Twilight and Dash both looked at Rarity, then at one another and blushed, looking away in perfect sync but in opposite directions. Rarity smirked and Applejack stifled more laughter.

Their friends took turns each asking them questions for the rest of the evening. About their feelings for one another and other embarrassing things. They also took turns looking at each other's new winter wear and Rarity fussing over small details in her work. Dash had the chance to talk with Fluttershy about Tank as Twilight chatted with the others.

Dash noticed that Twilight opened up much more once they had told their friends. It would seem that what she really feared was disappointing of the ponies who meant the most to her. It was a fear that Dash could relate to as she also feared to let others down, to be a failure. It was why she worked so hard to join the Wonderbolts and become somepony worth being proud to be called a friend of. Or in Twilight's case, a marefriend.

Eventually the rest of their friends left, one by one, as they had other things to get back to, until eventually there was only Twilight, Rarity, and her left. As the time rolled by, Dash could feel the unicorn begin to lean on her a bit.

“I guess we'll be leaving too then. Its getting dark, and it'll probably get a lot colder once the sun sets.” Dash said looking out of the nearby window which was glowing with orange light from the sunset, then looking over at Twilight who nodded back tiredly. They both got up to their hooves, stretching their legs.

“I understand. Do take care. It gets rather cold at night.” Rarity said and then added with a wink, “Though I suppose you two will have little trouble keeping warm.”

Twilight flushed and quickly made her way out of the room. Dash moved to follow, but Rarity caught her before she could go, her eyes sparkling with interest.

“So tell me. What are you going to get Twilight?” Rarity gushed out when Twilight was out of ear.

Dash turned her head to the side. “Huh?”

Rarity frowned. “Hearth's Warming Eve is coming up, surely you have something in mind to get her as a gift. She is your marefriend after all.”

Dash awkwardly smiled at her. “Well... I guess I haven't really thought about it yet...”

“What?!” Rarity gasped loudly, holding a hoof up to her mouth.

“Well... I just figured I could get her a book or something. I mean, she likes books right?” Dash said, wearing a sheepish grin.

Rarity looked like she was about to maul her. “Oh no no no! You have to get her something special. Something that shows her how much she means to you!”

“Aw come on Rarity. You know I'm not good with stuff like that...” Dash said awkwardly, rubbing a hoof behind her head.

“Rainbow?” Twilight called back from downstairs after she must have realized that the pegasus was not following behind her. Dash looked back towards the door before turning back to Rarity.

“I'm sure you'll think of something.” Rarity said quickly and smiled. “After all, it’s pretty obvious you care a lot about her. Just remember, the most special gifts come from the heart.”

Dash took that in for a moment before she felt herself being pushed along with magic as Rarity shoved her out the door.

As she exited the front door she was still mulling over what Rarity had said. She was right, Hearth's Warming Eve was approaching quickly and she should probably have something special for Twilight when it came around.

But what would she get? She had no idea what Twilight would like as a gift from her. Twilight was already student to a princess, sister to the one that married Princess Cadence. That practically made her royalty! Even if she knew what she liked, Twilight could probably get whatever it was without much trouble. How was she supposed to compete with that?

She looked down at the new scarf Rarity made her, now wrapped around her neck. It was special because it was one of a kind, made specifically for her. Maybe she could make something special for Twilight too?

She was brought back from her thoughts as she looked over at the mare in question, who was facing her, but staring at the snow on the ground silently. She also had Rarity's new scarf wrapped around her neck. The sun had started to set in the sky, casting a glow over the snow covering the town.

“A-about earlier...” Twilight started, scuffing a hoof along the snow on the ground. “About... what I said...”

Dash tilted her head. “Huh?”

Twilight's cheeks reddened. “About us sleeping together...”

“Oh.” The pegasus' cheeks also lit up at the embarrassing reminder. She shook her head. “Don't worry about it.”

Twilight looked up at her. “B-but-”

Dash lifted a hoof to cover the unicorn's mouth before she could talk again. It was becoming a common occurrence after being around Twilight for so long. She removed her hoof as soon as she was sure that Twilight would let her talk first.

“I don't want you to rush to do things because you think I want you to.” She said, frowning a little. It was actually something that had been bothering her lately. Dash liked to do things fast, she prided herself in doing things fast when she wanted to. But not everything she did was done at top speed. Sometimes she liked to just relax on a cloud and let the world catch up to her. She didn't want Twilight to feel she had to race too keep up with her. It was with Twilight that she felt most relaxed. “I'm already happy just being with you like this.”

Twilight blushed even brighter but didn't say anything more on the subject, growing quiet. They both started their walk back to the library together in the silence that followed, keeping a small space between them as they went. The new scarf helped to keep the cold off, but it wasn't the same warmth that she had with Twilight next to her. Dash looked over at the unicorn but couldn't get a solid look at her expression.

Had she said something wrong? She silently wished she could explain herself better. In her adventure books, Daring Doo always seemed to say the right things at the right times. Why couldn't she be that cool? The pegasus was so preoccupied with her brooding that she didn't notice when the unicorn next to her stopped walking.

“Rainbow.”

Dash looked over at Twilight who had stopped a few paces behind her, her scarf was off and floating in her magic. She felt her own scarf slowly unravel as it was lifted away from her neck, floating over to Twilight in another aura of purple magic, and replaced with Twilight's own purple and pink scarf. It snaked its way carefully around her neck as Twilight wrapped Dash's rainbow patterned scarf around her own neck, swapping them.

Twilight was blushing furiously but wearing a smile as she walked up to her. Dash looked at her questioningly as the unicorn moved back next to her, this time without leaving a gap, pressing against her side and wing.

Dash blushed, finding herself suddenly more aware of the ponies around them. A few had stopped what they had been doing to look at the pair standing in the snow-covered street. She looked at the scarf around her neck and then back at Twilight.

“I'm happy being with you too Rainbow...” Twilight said quietly, smiling up at her. “Now everypony else will know why I'm so happy.”

Dash felt her chest swell up at that. It wasn't the boldest thing she had ever seen, but coming from Twilight, it spoke volumes. Dash nuzzled against the unicorn's cheek warmly. Twilight started at the gesture but happily returned it.

They once again started their walk back to the library, this time, wearing each other's scarves. They attracted attention from most of the ponies that passed by, not only because of how good Rarity's designs looked, but also because of how they looked on the pony next to the ones they represented.

“You know...” Twilight said quietly as they walked together. “These scarves Rarity made are great, but I still feel a little cold even with it on...”

Twilight gave her a meaningful look out of the corner of her eye and Dash stared back blankly for a few seconds until her own eyes widened in understanding. She carefully extended one of her wings out and over the unicorn's back, bringing them against each other as they walked through the snowed streets.

The familiar sense of warmth coming from the connection made them keep as close as possible to each other in the cold. But more than that, strangely, she actually felt better with Twilight under her wing. Like it belonged there over the unicorn.

Twilight leaned in and brushed her muzzle against Dash's neck affectionately. Dash looked away and up into the sky, hiding the blush on her face. A few ponies stared at them as they passed by but she didn't notice. Right now her thoughts were preoccupied with a certain purple unicorn and the fast approaching holiday.

Something special...