Guardian Angel

by The Mysterious N

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash
Length: 31238

Twilight has recently had a devastating break-up. Rainbow Dash hates seeing her friend in pain and decides to comfort her, becoming Twilight's guardian angel. Eventually she begins to realize her own feelings.

After having her first relationship end on a sour note, a dejected and emotionally confused Twilight returns to Ponyville. Rainbow Dash soon realizes something is wrong and comforts Twilight. Helping deal with Twilight's problems, Rainbow becomes a shoulder to cry on, a Guardian Angel of sorts. As Twilight recovers, the two mares find themselves learning more about themselves and each other.

A TwiDash "song-fic" with an interesting take on Rainbow Dash.

Inspired by various songs, including some really amazing community creations.

Published 2013-01-09 09:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-03-23 14:15:14 UTC

Restless Thoughts

Guardian Angel

Chapter Two: Restless Thoughts.

A beam of sunlight slowly crept over a sleeping mare. This mare looked like she had seen better days. Truth is she had been through a lot. The past few nights had been terrible. Sleep rarely came to her, and when it did, it wasn't very fulfilling. Faint trails of tears could be seen on her cheeks.

A pile of crumpled papers lay near a wastebasket. Twilight had been trying to compose a letter to Princess Celestia, to ask her for advice on how to deal with her situation. All those attempts had ended in failure. She just couldn't seem to find the right words to describe her problems.

Oh how she wished that she'd never accepted the Princess' offer to join that study on magical theory. Maybe then this all wouldn't have happened.

Groaning, Twilight pulled herself out of bed, and careful not to wake Spike, she trotted to the bathroom. She stumbled a bit, but quickly straightened herself out.

Stepping into the bathroom, she flipped the shower on with a wave of her horn. The water soon heated to a warm temperature, steam already starting to form. She stepped under the spray, letting the hot water cascade down her body. She simply stood there and contemplated her situation.

Yes it was her first relationship. She was bound to make a mistake or two. It seemed to be going well at first. She had quickly taken a liking to her lab partner, a mare by the name of Dusty Scroll. Dust was a tad older than Twilight, having finished school a year before Twilight. The two had a lot in common. Both of them liked to read, the pursuit of knowledge was their passion in life.

Soon enough, she found herself feeling different around Dust. She seemed to stutter, her heart racing. Sometimes a blush forming on her cheeks, especially when a compliment was passed her way.

Having read a few romance novels during her fillyhood, Twilight realized she may have a crush. She wrote to her friends in Ponyville, getting quick replies from all of her friends. The most surprising one was from Rainbow.

Rainbows response had been encouraging, but with a thoughtfulness that she was not expecting. She knew Dash was a bit older than the rest of her friends, but to Twilight she didn't seem to be a pony that was interested in a relationship. With confidence borne of her friends support, she asked Dust out on a date.

Their first date had gone well, they had gone to see a play. Both of the mares enjoyed it immensely, and quickly planned another one soon.

The second date was followed by another and another. That's when the problems started to manifest.

No relationship was without it's pains.

Twilight had started feeling more and more nervous. Were they moving too fast? Was she moving too slow? What were Dust's feelings on the matter?

The pair was slowly drifting apart.

They found themselves making excuses, something had come up, that night wouldn't work.

Eventually the two had found the time to sit down and discuss "Us".

Things had not gone well. Tempers flared, and the two had left, each one absorbed in their own thoughts.

They had reconvened, hasty apologies were made, but all was not better. Twilight felt like Dust was losing interest in the relationship they had. Dust thought that Twilight was over-thinking the whole thing.

Was she?

For that Twilight still didn't have an answer.

The project they were working on for the Princesses was coming to a close, the final report being drafted.

That's when things reached the breaking point.

With no more requirements, the two mares wondered if it was worth it. To stay together in Canterlot, constantly questioning themselves, or to return to their homes and friends. Neither mare was willing to just simply abandon their friends either.

Friends. A few months ago, Twilight hadn't really cared for making friends.

Now she just couldn't forget her friends. All the adventures, the laughter, the pain, the memories and the lessons she had learned.

She couldn't give that up. Neither could Dust.

Dust left for Germaneigh the next morning. No sorrow, just a simple goodbye and she was gone.

With no more obligations in Canterlot, Twilight made her own way home.

The long ride on the train gave her time to think.

Twilight shook her head, the water had long since gone cold. Turning off the shower, she stepped out, a towel shrouded in a magical field immediately wrapped around her. She finished drying off and made her way to the kitchen.

While her eating habits were always picky, right now she found it hard to do almost anything. She knew she was different from before. When greeted by her friends she had passed off her sadness as just being tired from the trip.

Her friends had soon noticed her distance. Everypony except Dash and Rarity didn't know about her split from Dust. Applejack was suspicious, Twilight was not a pony to get sad easily.

Eventually they worked out what happened. Not even Pinkie's exuberance could bring a smile to Twilight's face for long anymore. While she appreciated her friends efforts to cheer her up, it just wasn't what she wanted.

Truth be told Twilight didn't know herself what she wanted herself.

She needed to vent. The feelings inside kept churning like a sea, sometimes manifesting in extreme sadness, other times in anger and even dark sarcasm.

She just didn't know which friend she was willing to trust with this.

Placing her plate in the sink, she slowly made her way to her study. Passing Spike on the way, she received a meek smile from him. She returned an awkward smile back.

Spike let her have her space, he was more mature than most ponies realized, she was thankful for that.

In her study, a few books lay on her desk, notes scattered around almost no organization present. The old Twilight would have freaked by now. Right now she couldn't care less.

She had tried losing herself in research, but she couldn't keep her focus for long. With a huff of anger, she slammed the old book closed, and put it away on a spare shelf.

She needed a change of scenery. Grabbing her saddlebags, Twilight set off into the town of Ponyville.

Her destination: a valley near the other side of town, recently vacated by a cyan mare.

Getting Down to Business

Guardian Angel

Chapter 3: Getting Down to Business

Rainbow quickly flew into her home, foregoing the front door for a conveniently open window. She made her way through the living room into the hallway. Sparing a quick glance at her bedroom, she opened the door across from her with a hoof.

Nudging it fully open, she stepped into her “studio”. Thick absorbent cloud walls were the main feature of the room. After all Rainbow didn't want to disperse her house from one of her jam sessions. Several posters dotted the walls, AM/DM, Maretallica and few other pony rock groups.  Rainbows musical interests accompanied a lot of different genres, though with a preference for guitar play that energized her. Occasionally she enjoyed a slower song or two.

Setting the amp down, she slid the guitar case off her back. Giving her wings a flutter to straighten out any feathers that the strap may have ruffled she turned to her task.

Her hoofs knocking the latches open she pulled out the guitar. Some ponies wondered how she played with her hooves. The secret was magic. Every pony had some form of magic within.

Unicorns had the easiest time as they could focus and channel magic with their horns.

Earth ponies had a sensitive connection with the earth and nature, though Fluttershy seemed to have some of this ability as well.

Pegasus magic was focused through the hooves and wings, it's what allowed them to fly, manipulate the clouds and create weather phenomenons, such as storms.

Lifting the guitar Rainbow took a good look at the strings, her sharp flier’s eyes scanning for imperfections on the strings. The smallest leak could break the enchantments on the strings.

The strings were magically bonded with cloud particles. Through a complex enchantment process, traces of clouds were magically fused with the strings. Since the strings were partially made of clouds now, a pegasus could move and apply pressure to the strings. The string material provided the vibrations, and the cloud matter allowed more precision to be applied. The hoof still needed to be in the general area, as proximity, along with focus was needed.

It took Rainbow a long time to learn how to focus on such a small amount of cloud matter. Hours were spent in lessons, her mother was the one who taught Rainbow to play. In the end it was worth it. Not many pegasi could do this, the focus required was usually too much for the average pegasus, it was a good thing Rainbow was anything but average.

Pleased that the strings were in good condition, Rainbow placed the guitar onto it's stand. Next to it stood another guitar, this one an acoustic version. It was a gift from her mother, and one of the most important objects in Rainbow Dash's life. With a smile she turned away and placed the case near the wall. Walking briskly she pulled a small thunderhead from a cabinet and hooked the amp into it.

The amp was another magical phenomenon, it was powered by magical energy. Using a complex converter it changed raw electrical energy from the lightning in the cloud to magical energy which was stored in a cell in the amp.

Of course Rainbow only knew the basics of the enchantments on the two devices. She left the technical stuff to eggheads like Twilight and surprisingly, Lyra.

Lyra was the pony to go to for musical needs in Ponyville. She ran a small shop, offering some basic instruments and parts. Her specialty though was enchanted strings, being friends with some Unicorns that worked in the enchanting industry, she often could get specialty strings brought in. They were expensive, but totally worth it.

Leaving the room, Rainbow walked into the kitchen and made herself a daisy sandwich. She had not eaten yet, Twilight's troubles and her own thoughts keeping her distracted. She had left mid-morning and now she was starving.

Wolfing down her meal, she placed the dish in the sink, amongst others. She wasn't the most organized or neat mare. There was always time to do it later.

She put out some food for Tank, and placed his bowl near his mat. He was a quirky Tortoise, he reminded Rainbow of herself, or at least when she was sleeping.

Satisfied that he'd find his breakfast, Rainbow Dash took off through a window and made her way to Ponyville.

Twilight wandered through the Ponyville market, looking for a particular store. Spotting it she made her way inside.

A bell rung as the door nudged it, catching the shopkeeper's attention. A cheerful hello rung out from a back room. Out stepped a beige earth pony. His mane an inky blue, he was Feather Quill, the local sales-pony for writing implements.

Twilight gave a polite nod and made her way over to the ink pots. She had needed a new one, as her current ones were nearing empty. Grabbing one she made her way over to the pony.

“Is that all miss Twilight?” He asked with a simple smile. Twilight was one of his best customers, buying writing supplies almost weekly. She was also very good for some friendly chatter on the arcane arts.

A short clipped “Yes.” was all Twilight could currently muster. Her thoughts were elsewhere, though she kept enough focus to not run into anything or anypony.

“That will be 3 bits.”

Fishing out the required amount with her magic she deposited the bits on the counter. Feather slid the bits into a small pouch on his apron, and passed the bottle over to Twilight.

Uttering a genuine thank you, Twilight placed the bottle into her saddlebag with her magic. She waved and said goodbye before moving back outside.

Twilight visited a few more stores and stalls, merely browsing the various wares on display.

The sun was now past it's highest point, the afternoon had comfortably settled in. Saying hello to a few ponies along the way she made her way towards Ponyville's western border, towards Horseshoe Valley.

It was a peculiar rock formation, named for it's distinct shape being that of a horseshoe. The center was a clearing, a few trees growing in a rather clear grassy knoll. Rainbow Dash had shown it to her during the first few months in Ponyville, after the Nightmare Moon incident. It was a tranquil place, a small stream cut through the center, further going through the town itself.

Arriving at her destination a few minutes later, she opened her saddlebags and pulled out a blanket. Setting it down she pulled the rest of her writing supplies and papers. Twilight was still Twilight so everything was neatly organized and set out. Levitating a small rock over, she placed it down on the papers to prevent them from being blown away.

Satisfied the breeze wouldn't scatter her papers, Twilight leaned back and relaxed. A small oak tree gave her some much needed shade. Eyes fluttered closed and Twilight cleared her mind. She took a few deep breaths and released them.

The change of scenery was nice, it helped Twilight think. Picking up the quill Twilight levitated a paper over and began to write.

Dear Princess Celestia...

Sing It Out

Guardian Angel

Chapter Four: Sing It Out

Too Much Love Will Kill You - Queen

The ground in front of Golden Oaks Library was met with a thump by an energetic pegasus. Shaking off some dust Rainbow Dash trotted up to the door, dead set on helping Twilight like any friend should have done. On the way there, Rainbow had come to a big realization.

She had been selfish.

Rainbow had wanted Twilight to be happy again, but Dash realized that she'd tried to cheer up Twilight not for Twilight's sake, but for her own. She'd wanted the old Twilight, the pony who helped her embrace reading, and later her inner self.

It was rather ironic. Rainbow Dash had learned to express herself from Twilight, and here she was ignoring her closest friend's deeper feelings.

She knew she had to make things right. She raised her hoof to knock...

Twilight continued to sit there, staring at the near blank page. She'd hoped that a change in scenery would help her focus her thoughts, but everything was still a huge tangled mess. She just didn't know what to feel. At times she wallowed in self-pity, other times she cursed the universe for all of her troubles.

Standing up, she made her way to the small stream. Looking in the water she could see her reflection. Dark patches were starting to form under her eyes, as a result of restless nights spent thinking. If she fell asleep at any point, it was not for long.

Closing her eyes, Twilight's thoughts went over a song she'd heard as a filly. At first she didn't know what the lyrics meant. Now she had some semblance of what they meant. Twilight began to sing, her mind filling in the melody.

I'm just the pieces of the mare I used to be

Too many bitter tears are raining down on me

I'm far away from home

She'd been without friends for much of her life, while Celestia was wise and Twilight trusted her more than anything, there were just some things that Twilight was uncomfortable with discussing.

And I've been facing this alone

For much too long

Even when she'd had the opportunity to complete one of her life's goals, being an advisor to an advanced magical experiment, she still found time to write back to her friends in Ponyville. After asking out Dusty Scroll, her joy was easy to express, each letter a jovial one.

As the relationship deteriorated, so did her writing. Her letters became more subdued, less about herself and more about the research.

With the final stressful weeks, she could barely find the courage to write and ask her closest friends for advice. She'd realized that not only was she hurting herself, she was hurting her friends.

Oh, I feel like no-pony ever told the truth to me

About growing up and what a struggle it would be

While Twilight had always used books as a source of information, she now realized that they didn't hold the answers to everything. Some things you had to find out for yourself.

In my tangled state of mind

I've been looking back to find

Where I went wrong

Twilight was slowly coming to a conclusion. She'd started neglecting her friends, and the feelings of Dust. She was withdrawing, and a facade replacing herself.

Too much love will kill you

If you can't make up your mind

Too much indecision. Too many what ifs!

Torn between the lover

And the love you leave behind

Her reluctance to share her feelings, both with Dust and with her friends.

You're headed for disaster

'Cos you never read the signs

Too much love will kill you - every time

Failing to realize she wasn't helping anypony by keeping silent. She wondered what things would be like had she expressed herself more.

A glittering tear slid down her cheek, distorting the water. She wanted to confess her feelings. To get them out to somepony. While she appreciated her friends attempts to cheer her up, Rainbow Dash even partially naming her new trick after Twilight, it wasn't what she wanted.

Twilight Sparkle just wanted one of her friends to listen!

Rainbow Dash was greeted by a sleepy Spike. With a curt hello, Spike invited her inside.

"Hey Rainbow. If you're looking for Twilight you just missed her."

Rainbow blinked, she hadn't expected her to leave the library. Had she upset the mare even more?

"Have you noticed anything different about Twi?" Rainbow had asked. She wanted to know if Spike had noticed anything, something to help figure out what Twilight's current mindset was.

Spike merely gave a short nod. "She's been distant, really sad. Work, reading, nothing that Twilight likes has been good. She just sits there, almost like a machine."

A grimace formed across Rainbows face. She had been really wrong. Rainbow Dash was now more determined to be there for her friend.

"Do you have any idea where she might be?" Dash hoped Spike knew, even if it was just a hint.

"She mentioned something about a change of scenery, maybe finishing a letter to the Princess."

Spike really didn't know anymore, Twilight's earlier muttering was almost inaudible.

Rainbow mused; 'A change of scenery...what could that mean?!'

Then like lightning, it struck her. She knew where Twilight went. It was the same place where Rainbow had learned about hereself.

Of course Twilight would be there.

"I know where she is, and Discord be damned if I can't be there for her!"

With that Rainbow took off and flew out the window, leaving a bewildered Spike standing in the main room.

I'm just the shadow of the mare I used to be

And it seems like there's no way out of this for me

Twilight had been distant with her friends, hiding and making excuses. She now realized how foolish that was.

I used to bring you sunshine

Now all I ever do is bring you down

She didn't want to hurt her friends. Twilight's pain was hers and she felt she should be the one to deal with it.

Ooh, how would it be if you were standing in my shoes

Can't you see that it's impossible to choose

She realized she was wrong. Her friends would gladly share her pain.

No there's no making sense of it

Every way I go I'm bound to lose

Oh yes,

But it was too late. Twilight Sparkle had already alienated her friends.

Too much love will kill you

Just as sure as none at all

It'll drain the power that's in you

Twilight had really made no effort to get one of her friends to listen. She knew Rarity or Applejack would definitely listen. Fluttershy would listen too, maybe offer some meek advice. Pinkie would listen, and offer a party and Rainbow. Actually Twilight didn't know what Rainbow Dash would do.

Make you plead and scream and crawl

And the pain will make you crazy

You're the victim of your crime

Too much love will kill you - every time

At this point Twilight was choked with emotion. Her voice wavered, her mind had Rainbow Dash powering through a powerful guitar solo. She knew it wasn't real, but she had wished that Rainbow was here.

Closing her eyes, Twilight's head drooped and she sung the final verse.

Yes, too much love will kill you

It'll make your life a lie

Yes, too much love will kill you

And you won't understand why

You'd give your life, you'd sell your soul

But here it comes again

Her voice was almost a whisper, the last words barely heard.

Too much love will kill you

In the end

Twilight had felt a hoof wrap around her shoulders, pulling her into a big hug.

Another voice had joined her. A voice belonging to a certain prismatic mare.

Rainbow Dash's voice softly echoed her own.

"In the end"

Twilight twisted her head upwards, opening her eyes. Teary violet eyes met cerise, and Twilight knew everything would be okay...

Confessions and Apologies

Guardian Angel

Chapter Five: Confessions and Apologies

Rainbow Dash held Twilight in a tight embrace, the emotion in the normally cool mare clearly visible. She had heard the last verses of Twilight's song, the emotion in her voice noticeable even in the air as she was making her approach. It shook her to the core.

Twilight needed a friend, and Rainbow Dash was going to be a friend.

Rainbow had originally planned to apologize to Twilight, but that could wait. Right now whatever Twilight had to say, if anything, was important.

Quiet sniffles could be heard from Twilight, who for the moment was quiet. When Twilight's eyes met Rainbow Dash's, the realization that Rainbow was here for her was evident in those cherry orbs.

"Thank you Rainbow, thank you for being here." was all Twilight could currently muster.

A small grin formed on Rainbow's face, it was not an egotistical one, but one of reassurance.

"Take your time, I'm here and I'm here to listen."

Slowly, Twilight pulled herself out of the hug, shivering slightly at the loss of contact. She wanted to blurt out everything, but the rational side of her mind kept her from doing so.

Collecting her thoughts, Twilight sat on her haunches, Rainbow mirroring her.

"I just don't know where to start. I just really don't know. I've made some decisions, some I really regret now." Twilight paused, letting Rainbow absorb the impact of the words spoken. The smile on Rainbows face conveyed all that Twilght wanted. Rainbow was here to listen, and she was willing to wait for Twilight.

"This was my first relationship, my first time feeling something for another pony, and I feel like I bungled the whole thing. It all seemed perfect, we both liked books, shared interests and outlooks. It was like a fairy tale. Except this isn't a book, this is life."

Twilight paused to catch her breath, and continued.

"When problems started to surface, I just didn't know what to do. So I just kept pushing the issue back, focusing more and more on work. We barely talked and when we did, it was all about work. Even in my letters to you girls, my best friends I wasn't willing to share my feelings."

Pulling back a sniffle, she looked to Rainbow expectantly. Understanding the feeling, Rainbow reached over and placed a reassuring hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"At one point in my life I felt just like you Twi, I just didn't know what to do. Eventually I realized something, we always have difficulty in relationships, it's a part of life that allows us to grow and mature as ponies."

Twilight was startled by this revelation, she knew Rainbow Dash was a bit older, but she really hadn't expected her to have experience with relationships. She saw how shallow of a thought that was now. It shone a new light on Rainbow Dash.

"I felt lost after my first love. While not exactly the same circumstances, some things I experienced are just like your situation Twi. Bottling it up and pushing the issue aside is not the best way to deal with it."

Twilight Sparkle nodded. It was a bit blunt, it hurt, but it was the truth.

Rainbow continued "I began to realize, a loving relationship has to be from both sides. Both ponies, be they a mare and a stallion, or a same gender pair, have to be able to trust their partner."

Internally Twilight released a sigh of relief, while not taboo same gender couples were still a bit of a sore spot for some ponies. She was glad to see it wasn't an issue with Rainbow.

"You're right Rainbow, and I see now that we both didn't share our sides and feelings. Dust was always a bit withdrawn, but was never reluctant to just chat. Once we started dating we shared many a things about us. After our first fight, we withdrew. Any real discussion we had was about work. We both changed, for the better or the worse I'm not sure yet. I just wasn't sure how to say it at the time. I still really don't. But I'm willing to try."

Rainbow nodded, Twilight was beginning to learn just what exactly was important in a relationship. She was no expert, but she was willing to offer what she had learned. Twilight needed to realize that books didn't hold all the answers, exploration and action did.

It was beginning to grow dark, Luna's moon already starting to rise. Rainbow Dash was currently helping Twilight pack up her writing utensils. The blanket quickly followed and Twilight pulled her saddlebags onto her back.

The two mares had talked for hours, Twilight discussed her insecurities and Rainbow listened, offering advice when she could or felt it necessary. She knew she still had a lot to work out, but it felt great to let some of it out.

Soon the two had set out, Rainbow electing to walk with Twilight. Rainbow kept a pensive look on her face.

"I'm sorry."

This shook Twilight out of her reverie. What did Rainbow need to apologize for?

"Earlier I discovered something. I didn't consider what your feelings were. I just wanted things to go back to normal. I see now that I was wrong. I was a tad selfish."

"You have nothing to be sorry for Rainbow, I wasn't as forthcoming as I should have been, but I do forgive you."

Relief coursed through Rainbow, along with another feeling. An almost giddy shudder. Rainbow passed this off as just the cool of the night.

Soon enough the two reached the library, Spike was ecstatic to see Twilight in a better mood. Tea and crackers were served and Rainbow stayed over for a little longer. Soon she saw just how late it was and started to leave.

Thanking Spike and Twilight for their hospitality she trotted to the doorway, Twilight following. Spike had gone to get ready for bed so the two were relatively alone.

Twilight spoke up, joy, actual joy evident in her voice. "I just wanted to thank you again Rainbow. It's really helped sort out some of my inner turmoil. Maybe I might even get a good nights sleep this time around." She finished with a giggle.

There were still issues to work out, but those could wait. Right now Twilight wanted to keep these good feelings as her main focus.

Rainbow Dash gave a silly grin to her friend, ecstatic that she was able to help Twilight face some of her demons. "It was my pleasure Twi, I'm willing to help a friend anytime."

Pausing to yawn, she saw just how busy the day was. There was no time for her daily nap. Between a quick breakfast and searching for Twilight she didn't have much time, but it didn't matter. Stifling the thought, she turned to Twilight and pulled her into another hug.

"I'd also be a really lousy element of loyalty if I didn't help." Her trademark grin was back on her face. Twilight couldn't help but to laugh.

Pulling apart the two mares stepped back. With a powerful flap Rainbow flew up, and hovered a few feet off the ground.

"I also loved your singing, you have a beautiful voice."

Just like that Rainbow Dash was gone, a faint trail shimmered in the pale moonlight.

A blushing Twilight closed the door. Yes today was definitely a better day.

Sinking In

Guardian Angel

Chaper Six: Sinking In

The Golden Oaks library was quiet, warm morning light creeping over a sleeping lavender form. Twilight Sparkle simply continued to lay there, enjoying the warmth. This was the first time her thoughts didn't torment her all night. Deciding she'd laid there long enough, Twilight hopped out of bed and headed to take a shower.

Stepping in to the warm spray, Twilight gave a sigh of pure bliss. Yesterday and the day before, the hot water served to try and help clear her mind. Today was different, for once she could just enjoy the water. Feel the heat course through her body, breathe deeply and just have no worries. Well, almost, some things didn't go away that easily. With a shake of her head Twilight banished those thoughts to a corner of her mind.

Actually one thing had intrigued her.

Last night Rainbow had said that she had a beautiful voice. While most ponies could sing somewhat, to compliment one's singing voice was a real honor. The blush from yesterday returned, quickly being hidden by the heat in the room.

Picking up the shampoo with her magic, Twilight began to hum a tune to herself.

Rainbow Dash rolled out of bed, or more accurately off of her bed. Last night after helping Twilight, Rainbow had returned home. After attempting to fall asleep, and failing to do so, she felt the need to play her guitar.

The events of yesterday had left a spring in her step, an almost childlike energy. She'd ended up playing longer than she wanted to, and pretty much collapsed onto her bed at the end of her jam session.

Now she was paying for it. To Rainbow though it didn't matter. Totally worth it.

Shaking her head, Rainbow stood up and made her way to the kitchen for some breakfast. Stumbling slightly the mare settled into a quick trot.

Rainbow wasn't much of a cook. Sure she could make the basics, but most dishes evaded her culinary abilities. It was an unspoken rule that Rainbow Dash was not allowed in the kitchen to experiment unsupervised. Even Pinkie Pie wouldn't leave Rainbow alone in there.

Snickering to herself Rainbow put together an athlete's meal. Two daisy sandwiches, an apple and some orange juice. Taking a sip of the juice and savoring the taste, Rainbow moved the rest of her meal to the table.

Soon enough she finished her breakfast, the plates joining the others in the sink. With a sigh she noticed the sink was pretty much full. She moved some of the plates out of the sink and flipped the tap on. These infernal things had to be washed sometime.

Rainbow was glad she still had today off, work was set to resume for her tomorrow, some rain was needed later this week. The last few days were cloudless and sunny, Rainbow's skills weren't needed so she was given the last few days off.

Continuing the repetitive motions of cleaning dish after dish Rainbow Dash let her mind wander to yesterday.

Overall Rainbow was pleased with how yesterday turned out. She'd made her apologies to Twilight and helped the mare out. The heartfelt discussion left Rainbow mentally drained. While she'd do it again in a heartbeat for any of her friends, it still was a big event.

She also remembered the snack over at Twilight's place, the more cheerful topic. While leaving the messy details out Twilight explained to the baby dragon what she was going through. Rainbow had noticed the effect it had on Twilight's psyche, talking about the issue had definitely helped.

Now came the next part, what now?

An unspoken agreement had been made between the two, nothing would be kept in, but would never be forced. The only thing was to wonder about when to meet up. While Rainbow had extended the offer for an ear anytime, Twilight would probably want to have a schedule or timetable made.

She'd pop by Twilight's place later, right now she wanted to just fly. The last days had left her with little time to fly just for fun and she wasn't gonna let the rest of her day off be wasted.

Finishing with the dishes and leaving them to dry, Rainbow shook the clinging moisture and soap suds off of her hooves and made her way to the door.

After her shower and breakfast Twilight had busied herself in tidying the library. Spike was over at Rarity's so Twilight had the place to herself. She continued to hum barely having stopped today at all. Books found themselves magically replaced to their positions on the shelves, papers were sorted into piles for later segregation and filing.

Twilight was back in her element.

The only thing missing was a schedule for the next month. The last few days had left her no time to make a new one, all but a few feeble attempts. Twilight could imagine Rainbow commenting with a witty remark about how she was starting to feel better and was already back to work.

Truth be told, Twilight liked work. It gave her purpose and direction.

A Daring Do book passed by her face and Twilight paused. The book was the first in the series, and became all the more special before her trip to Canterlot. It was the same book that the Rainbow Dash and she had shared, and helped convince Rainbow to accept herself for who she was.

The two had soon agreed to meet once a week to read, first it started off as a way for Rainbow to get her Daring Do fix, but soon found Rainbow looking for some new adventure. Twilight had shown her various worlds and characters, each story more engrossing than the last. Rainbow found herself elated at all of these new sensations.

Then one day she appeared with a guitar on her back. Needless to say Twilight was surprised. She hadn't known Rainbow Dash had any interest in music other than as a backdrop for her shows. She'd seen the record passed over to the announcers at the Best Young Fliers competition, but really paid it no mind.

The two had ended up going to Horseshoe Valley, there Rainbow began to play. It was almost unbelievable. Rainbow had sat down on a rock, her wings hanging loosely, guitar cradled comfortably. She looked almost angelic, free of any worry.

That night Rainbow shared some of her insecurities. How growing up she had kept an image, how she didn't want to be seen as "weak" for having a soft side. She talked about how Gilda had influenced her, changed her.

It wasn't all bad though. Rainbow had also talked about how her guitar play allowed her to express herself without words. How special the wooden acoustic guitar was. The significance of the cutie mark etched into the rosewood.

That night had helped Rainbow become more confident in who she was.

With a satisfying thump the last book had been sorted, the task done. A checklist magically hovered over, the quill placing a small check mark beside the task. Twilight's eyes wandered down to the next item. Write a letter to Princess Celestia. The task had eluded her yesterday, and now that she had a clearer head, she could write out her thoughts better.

Moving over to her desk, Twilight settled in and pulled the partially started letter over. The only thing written on the paper was a greeting. Dipping her quill in the ink pot, she began to write.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Over the past few days I learned an important lesson. You should trust your friends to be there for you, even when you think they can't understand the things you are going through. Recently I have had a big lesson in life, and was deeply hurt and confused by the events.

I had fallen for another, a special somepony. We started dating, and had a great time. Soon our differences began to emerge. We started seeing less and less of each other. An attempt to reconcile our differences was made, but the problems persisted. We went our seperate ways.

After returning to Ponyville, I didn't know what to feel. This was all so new to me, the emotions were running rampant inside me. I kept holding it in, now I see that it was destroying me. I kept it from my friends, who all tried to help console me. Then one day it reached a breaking point. I had to clear my head and I set off for a nearby valley for a change of scenery.

It didn't help. Sitting there, I began to sing a song. Apparently during my song Rainbow Dash had shown up. She'd been looking for me, and had deduced where I'd be. That was when she said some of the most beautiful words I'd ever heard. She was there to listen, to be a friend and a shoulder to cry on. We talked for hours, my troubles, and feelings. Rainbow offered her advice and helped sort out some of my inner turmoil.

If I had been more open with my friends, would some of this trouble and turmoil have been avoided? Maybe, maybe not. What I've learned is that sharing your problems with a friend can be one of the biggest gestures of trust between ponies.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

The quill returned to it's rightful place, the nearly empty ink pot was corked and placed off to the side. A ribbon floated over and wrapped itself around the letter, her seal soon was on the ribbon. Spike would send it later when he returned.

With that task done, Twilight moved on with her duties.

It was later in the afternoon, Rainbow was currently sitting on a cloud, panting heavily. She'd been training heavily for the last few hours. A sheen of sweat covered her, her hair matted and slick.

Rainbow Dash hadn't flown like this in a while. Most practice days had her flying for two to three hours, today she'd gone for over five. She'd perfected a few of her tricks, shaved some time off the Buccaneer Blaze, and improved the new one.

The Twilight Sparkle.

A situational trick that worked best when performed at dusk, the colors of the setting sun playing with and affecting her rainbow contrail in a dazzling manner. Dazzling, the word sounded like something Rarity would say.

It was a difficult trick, a sharp understanding of flying physics and grace was needed. It actually reminded Rainbow of Twilight, the bookish mare had a razor sharp mind needed for complex magical theory, and yet she could beatifully read poetry. Thus the trick had been named after her.

Rainbow knew she'd have to approach Twilight about the tricks real meaning sometime.

Pushing that thought aside, Rainbow had decided to see Twilight about Daring Do Night. While Daring Do wasn't the only book read anymore, the name stuck.

First though she needed a shower, and a meal. Rainbow set off again for home.

A freshly showered and satisfied Rainbow Dash had flown over Ponyville. It was now late evening. Landing with the grace of a pro athlete, Rainbow knocked on the library door for the second time in two days.

"Come in, the library's open."

Twilight's voice could be heard from within, and Rainbow opened the door. Stepping in the library she immediately saw that Twilight had been busy. Former piles of books were sorted into their proper spots, loose papers neatly piled. A letter bearing Twilight's seal lay on the desk.

Twilight herself was sitting on a beanbag near a crackling fireplace. The beanbags were a recent addition, part of Pinkie's attempt to cheer Twilight up. At first Twilight didn't see the allure of the large soft objects, but now she loved the things. They were perfect for long reading sessions.

Rainbow quickly made her way over to the adjacent one. Settling in she took a look at Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle looked a lot better today. Her eyes held a shine, the bags underneath mostly gone. Her hair was slightly disheveled, doubtlessly due to all the work done today. The way she was curled up on the cushion was just plain cute.

Cute!? Where the hay did that come from?

Rainbow dismissed the thought. Opening her mouth to speak she was cut off by Twilight.

"Hey Rainbow, I'm glad you dropped by."

"Me too, what are you reading?"

Twilight blinked, quickly responding with the books title and a brief summary. It was a fantasy novel, one they had read together at one point in time. She'd expected a question about Daring Do Night.

"I suppose you're wondering about Daring Do Night?"

A nod from Rainbow answered that question.

"We're still good for this week." A beaming Twilight now held up a calendar, Daring Do Night circled in a bright cyan color.

"I've already got a new schedule planned out."

Rainbow Dash had to facehoof at this. The way Twilight could be excited about a schedule had eluded Rainbow Dash for months. She still had no clue as to what was so special about it.

"Actually Rainbow, I've got a request."

"Shoot Twi."

"I'd like you to bring your guitar next time."

Rainbow's expression turned to one of surprise. She could see that this was weighing heavily on Twilight. Knowing that her friend needed this, Rainbow quickly agreed.

"Alright Twi, I'll bring it. For you."

With a quiet thanks, Twilight set her book down. A bookmark magically inserted itself and the book was discarded nearby.

"I thought about what you said yesterday. About my singing." The blush had returned, visible on both mares faces.

"I meant it Twilight, you really do have a beautiful voice."

It was the plain truth, but why did Rainbow feel so funny saying it?

"Thanks. As I was saying it got me thinking. I'd really like to do something special."

Now Rainbow was intrigued. Although her curiosity had been piqued, but she realized she wasn't getting anything more out of Twilight. Rainbow knew when Twilight wanted to keep something secret.

Stifling a yawn, Rainbow saw how truly late it was. Waking up late had skewed her daily clock. Seeing the yawn Twilight had to ask.

"When did you go to sleep last night?"

A sheepish Rainbow responded with a meek "Past midnight, I kinda lost track of time."

Twilight shook her head. Rainbow could be so silly sometimes. What had she been doing that made her lost almost all sense of time?

"You really should get some more sleep tonight."

Rainbow agreed and with a quick goodbye, Rainbow Dash was on her way home. She was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable with how she was feeling. She needed time to think.

Softly closing the door Twilight turned around and went back to her book. Her mind continued to go over her surprise for Rainbow. Refining and planning.

Yes, it would be perfect.

My Best Friend

Guardian Angel

Chapter Seven: My Best Friend

You're My Best Friend - Queen

The week had blazed by for both Twilight and Rainbow.

Work was easy, a spring in Rainbow's step was evident. Her co-workers had picked up on that. When asked Rainbow had simply replied that she learned some things about herself and her friendships. While she was friends with the weather team, there were some things that she preferred not to share.

Rainbow continued to practice almost daily, getting back into form with her somewhat neglected acoustic guitar. The fact that Twilight had requested Rainbow Dash to bring her guitar was motivation enough. Twilight didn't know Rainbow owned an electric guitar as well. Rainbow Dash never really had the chance to tell Twi.

Twilight's week was almost as busy as Rainbows. Between the crusaders visiting the library once more, she'd had an abnormal amount of visitors. Maybe letting Spike run the library alone in her absence wasn't such a good idea. While Twilight had the utmost confidence in Spike's abilities, he was still young and prone to making mistakes. Or it could just be that the residents of Ponyville were happy to see their librarian back and in top form.

A reply from Celestia had arrived earlier that week. The princess had expressed her joy at Twilight having learned several important life lessons. While a bit harsh she knew Twilight had learned that love doesn't come without some heartbreak. She was also very happy that Twilight had such a great friend in Rainbow Dash.

Now Friday was approaching, Daring Do Night set for later that day. Twilight had been practicing her vocals, memorizing the lyrics to a song. She now knew the lyrics off by heart. She felt as ready as she could be.

Rainbow Dash walked with purpose. She'd gone to Lyra earlier this week for some quick maintenance on her guitar. The mint green unicorn had been pleased to see Rainbow and quickly got to work. A new set of strings had been installed and Rainbow had spent the last few days breaking the new strings in. Now she was headed to Twilight's place.

While not visible, Rainbow Dash was nervous. She'd gotten some stares, the guitar case on her back an unexpected addition. Her trips to Lyra's store were usually done at odd hours, either early in the morning, or late at night. While more confident in herself and her image, Rainbow just wasn't sure how to break the news to everypony.

“Hey there, I'm Rainbow Dash and I have a soft side.”

Yeah that would go over well. Shaking her head Rainbow trudged on. While most ponies knew of her musical preferences, which lay firmly in the hard rock and metal genre, they really paid no mind to the Rainbow mare. To them it was another part of being “cool”. She spent most of her growing life grooming her image, and though she had learned to embrace her softer side, it was just too hard to let all of those years go to waste. Not to mention the difficulty of such a task.

What would the Wonderbolts think? Would they accept a “softie”?

Maybe, maybe not.

Rainbow realized something. She really didn't know much about the Wonderbolts members themselves. Their flying related interests were prominent, Rainbow could recall them like the back of her hoof. But their personal interests were for the most part unknown. She'd have to look through her collection of magazines and other memorabilia sometime later...and organize it.

That was something she wasn't looking forward to. Maybe Twilight might help out.

Rainbow Dash filed the thought away, the library was only a few steps away. Steeling her nerves Rainbow stepped in. The library looked the same as usual. The same old bookshelves, same desk. Even the beanbags were almost untouched.

“Just a second. I'll be right out.” Twilight's voice called out from one of the side rooms. She'd been filing away a few papers and research notes. Not expecting Rainbow to arrive early Twilight was slightly nervous. The library wasn't closed yet. Anypony could come in at anytime, ruin her plans. She knew Rainbow was reluctant to be seen in public with her guitar. This required the utmost privacy.

Twilight loved to watch Rainbow play, of the few times that she had seen. The most prominent one was of course the time they explored Rainbow's past in the valley. The emotion that Rainbow showed then was amazing, you could almost see the dedication in each motion her hooves made over the guitar. In every note played. In her body language. And in those beautiful eyes of hers.

Stepping into the library's main room Twilight beckoned Rainbow over. “The library's still open for half an hour, if you want to grab a book, feel free to do so.”

Rainbow complied, grabbing a random book from the fantasy section. She sat down on one of the cushions, her guitar case and the precious contents soon found themselves propped up against the cushion.

The half an hour passed quickly.

Twilight finished recording today’s activities on her master list. She had to keep track of all the books, their current owners and their condition. Quickly finishing, Twilight made her way over to her Rainbow maned companion.

Rainbow Dash looked peaceful, her eyes focused as she read the book held in her hooves. Her legs were curled up, her wings laying comfortably on the cushion. The nearby fireplace cast a light over rainbow, flickering ever so slightly. Her cherry eyes twinkled with fascination and wonder at the tale before her. Yes definitely an angel.

Twilight glanced over at the title of the book. It was a Tolkien fantasy, the Lord of the Horseshoes. Quietly clearing her throat, Twilight caught Rainbow's attention. Rainbow looked over with a smile. While the book was interesting, the whole reason Rainbow was here was standing in front of her. It was quickly discarded.

“I'm glad you came over, I've got something special to show you.” Twilight explained, a record player magically floating over. Setting it down, Twilight checked it to make sure everything was fine.

“I thought about what you said. It's somewhat embarrassing, I really don't know how to say it.” she continued to fumble for the right words.

“The past week has been one of the most difficult I've ever experienced. I wouldn't have made it through by myself. Not without you. So I wanted to thank you.”

Rainbow sat with rapt attention, focused on Twilight.

With a spark of magic the record player came to life, a song echoing out. Rainbow's ears twitched, the song seemed familiar. Like she'd heard it before.

With an almost unnoticeable gulp Twilight Sparkle started to vocalize.

Oh you make me live

Whatever this world can give to me

It's you you're all I see

Oh you make me live now honey

Oh you make me live

Oh you're the best friend that I ever had

I've been with you such a long time

You're my sunshine and I want you to know

That my feelings are true

I really love you

Oh you're my best friend

The emotion in Twilight's voice was evident, she trusted Rainbow Dash with all of her heart. Rainbow was floored, tears threatening to leak from her eyes. Blinking to clear her vision, she reached over pulling her guitar out of it's case. For now she merely held it, hooves poised to play. She'd wait for the perfect moment.

Oh you make me live

Ooh I've been wandering round

But I still come back to you

In rain or shine

You've stood by me girl

I'm happy at home

You're my best friend

Rainbow had now started to play, her acoustic guitar mixing effortlessly with Twilight's soft voice. The record in the background was almost forgotten.

Oh you make me live

Whenever this world is cruel to me

I got you to help me forgive

Oh you make me live now honey

Oh you make me live

You're the first one

When things turn out bad

You know I'll never be lonely

You're my only one

And I love the things

I really love the things that you do

You're my best friend

A smile now graced Twilight's lips, Rainbow had started playing. She knew the song. The record player found itself switched off, the only sounds remaining were from Rainbow's guitar. Taking a deep breath, Twilight continued.

Oh you make me live

I'm happy at home

You're my best friend

Oh you're my best friend

Oh you make me live

You, you're my best friend

Drawing out the last verse Twilight finished softly, the guitar soon following.

Silence hung in the air, a few tears sliding down the rosewood body of the guitar.

“That was beautiful Twi, I've never had anypony do something like this for me.”

Startling Twilight, Rainbow Dash pulled her into a hug, the guitar hanging awkwardly between the two. Tears continued to drip down Rainbow's face, splashing softly onto Twilight's coat. Twilight kept holding onto the cyan mare. No words were spoken. None were needed. They stayed in this position for several minutes.

Reluctantly Rainbow pulled away, the guitar starting to become uncomfortable. She fell back onto the cushion, and took a deep breath.

“I'm really touched you consider me your best friend. I'm honored. I've spent most of my life hiding who I was, not wanting to show this side to anypony. And yet here you are so easily accepting it, I wouldn't want to share it with anypony else.”

By now Twilight was beaming, happy that her rainbow friend had trusted her. That she'd shared this important moment with Twilight.

“Another song?” This question came from Rainbow. Twilight moved the other cushion over, sliding it beside Rainbow's.

“I'd love to, but I really don't know any other songs. Until now I really hadn't focused on learning any.” she sheepishly admitted. A smile graced Rainbow's lips.

“Just follow along, I'll teach you.”

Strumming the guitar a few times, Rainbow began to play, her voice following the tune.

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed

With a word she can get what she came for.

Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

Twilight soon joined in and the two had continued to sing long into the night.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure

'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.

In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

Ooh, it makes me wonder,

Ooh, it makes me wonder...

A New Day

Guardian Angel

Chapter 8: A New Day

Pinkie Pie bounced along Ponyville in a bright mood. Her Pinkie sense had gone crazy the past few days! While unsure about the meaning of the signals, she did know it was good news. Having heard little from Twilight in recent days, she'd set out to check on her lavender friend. Twilight had been acting rather strange lately. Pinkie originally dismissed it as just being tired from her trip, but something was off. Something that required further investigation.

Thus Pinkie continued on her way, the Golden Oaks library her destination. Arriving at the door she immediately noticed something. Twilight, the silly filly she was, had forgotten to flip the sign to say "Open". It was a normal day after all, the library was still accessible on Saturdays. Fixing it, Pinkie then opened the door and stepped into the library itself.

Immediately she noticed it was quiet, abnormally so. Looking around she observed no movement, the books were all in place, nothing seemed wrong. A grin formed on Pinkie's face, her eyesight catching on the two large marshmallow like cushions. She recognized Twilight's ear poking out beyond the edge of the cushion. Bounding over, Pinkie saw something that made her gasp, her jaw dropping open.

Twilight Sparkle was partly sprawled out on the cushion, curled around Rainbow Dash. Twilight's forehooves snaked around Rainbow's waist, her head resting near the base of the wings. A guitar lay beside the cushion, Rainbow's hoof still clutching the neck. Both of them were still sound asleep. Pinkie's gasp of surprise must have been louder than she thought for Twilight's eyes fluttered open, blinking rapidly to help bring the world into focus.

"Hi Pinkie, I'll be with you in a moment. Just let me get up,"murmured the groggy Twlilight. Ever the hard worker, barely awake and Twilight was already trying to help her. Pinkie had to suppress a giggle-typical Twilight.

It was then that Twilight noticed her position. What she thought was a comfy pillow was actually Rainbow Dash! Her eyes widened and a furious blush broke out across her face. It wasn't what it looked like! After singing long into the night it seemed the two just fell asleep right there on the cushions. That still couldn't explain the fact that Twilight was currently wrapped around Rainbow.

The commotion must have woken Rainbow Dash, because she reacted much the same as Twilight. Except instead of sitting there embarrassed, Rainbow took flight. Unfortunately for her Twilight was still holding on, so Rainbow ended up hovering a few feet off the ground. "Rainbow!" Twilight's shout forced her to realize what exactly was going on. She drifted down, over the recently vacated cushions. "You can let go now Twi," she said, shaking her midsection slightly to emphasize her point.

Twilight sheepishly let go, a blush once again evident on her face. While this was all happening, Pinkie had burst out into laughter. Both Twilight and Rainbow realized Pinkie was there and turned their attention to the party mare. "Wow didn't expect to see that this morning, especially from you Dashie." exclaimed Pinkie "Then again my Pinkie sense has been a bit crazy lately."

The pink mare continued to ramble on, mentioning something about treats. Twilight cleared her throat "I'll go make some breakfast, then we can sort out what just happened." With haste Twilight disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Rainbow and Pinkie sitting by the cushions. Pinkie's keen eyesight picked up the guitar from earlier, and she couldn't help but to ask. "Sooo, is that your guitar Dashie? Can you play any songs?!" Pinkie shook slightly, her Pinkie sense possibly acting up again. Or it could have just been her usual Pinkie Pie self.

"Yeah. It's mine," Rainbow replied, looking nervous. Her secret was out, no sense in lying about it. "And yes, I can play a few songs." Rainbow Dash had no problem admitting that. She did know quite a large number of songs, having been learning and playing since she was just a filly.

Pinkie Pie had calmed down now, sitting expectantly. Seeing no way out, Rainbow moved over to the guitar and picked it up. She sat down on the cushion, making sure the instrument was still in tune. After making a small adjustment with a slight twist of a tuning peg, Rainbow began to play. She needed some time to think over what had happened that morning.

It was a simple melody, nothing really special. Not even noticing Twilight joining Pinkie along with breakfast, Rainbow continued to play, lost in her thoughts and the music. The scent of food reached her nostrils, triggering a growl from her stomach. Now distracted she finished her song quickly, setting the guitar aside. Rainbow began to wolf down her meal, in typical speedy fashion. Pinkie clapped her hooves together, delight clear on her face. "That was super-duper awesome Dashie. I didn't know you could play guitar. How do you press down on the strings individually? Is it magic?!"

Twilight spoke up for Rainbow, who was busy gulping down a glass of orange juice. "The strings are magically bound with cloud particles, allowing Rainbow Dash to influence them with her natural pegasus magic." Rainbow simply nodded, confirming what Twilight said, still focused on her meal. Anything to distract the pink mare now. Pinkie asked the next questions, blurting them out in rapid fashion. "How long have you been playing Dashie? And how come you never showed this to any of us? This would have been great for some parties, you could have totally---mmmph."

Pinkie's spiel was cut off off by Twilight's hoof, the purple appendage resting over Pinkie's mouth. Rainbow responded glumly, "I didn't share this with you girls because I didn't want to look weak. The awesome Rainbow Dash liking to play guitar. An acoustic one at that. Do you have any idea what that would have done to my reputation! I'd lose all of my cool, any respect ponies had for me would be gone." Rainbow Dash's voice increased in pitch, tears threatening to burst free.

Pinkie processed Rainbow's outburst. Yes, Rainbow Dash had made a good point, but it still seemed like a weak argument. "I don't think you're uncool Rainbow." Twilight's voice reassured Rainbow slightly, she could count on Twilight at least. Pinkie gently nudged Twilight's hoof away, before responding more calmly. "Dashie you silly filly, nopony thinks you're weak or uncool. So what if you like the acoustic guitar. It's still a guitar, and playing one is a challenge. Many ponies have tried to play it, me included. To have reached the skill you displayed requires hard work and dedication. Nopony will judge you for that."

Rainbow perked up, Pinkies words ringing with truth. Her eyes scanned the pink mare's cerulean ones, looking for any signs of dishonesty. Seeing none Rainbow visibly relaxed. "Thanks Pinkie, that really means a lot." While she knew Pinkie had accepted her, some ponies might not. "So what now. Are you going to tell everypony?"

Quickly responding Pinkie reassured her distraught friend, "No, I can see you're uncomfortable with ponies knowing this. I still think you should share your talent though." Twilight who had sat quiet off to the side, chose to speak up. " I agree with Pinkie, Rainbow. This is a really wonderful gift you have. Nopony will judge you for it." Rainbow knew her friends were right. She knew they only told the truth. 'So what if somepony judges me for it! Why should I care?'

Rainbow pulled her friends into a hug, albeit a brief one. "I actually have something to tell you both, this isn't my only guitar." This came as a slight shock to Twilight. "I also own an electric model, it's pretty awesome." All three mares had silly smiles on their faces, each for a different reason.

"Oooh! I've got it!" Pinkie exclaimed, breaking everypony out of their thoughts. "Nightmare Night! You can play on Nightmare Night. It's perfect."

"Pardon my skepticism," Twilight broke in, "but I don't see how playing on Nightmare Night would be any different from any other night." Rainbow's thoughts trailed along a similar line, Pinkie's ideas usually had a large chance of backfiring. "How exactly is playing on Nightmare Night going to help? They'll still see it's me."

"They can't tell if you're wearing a costume." This shocked everypony. Pinkie was right. Rainbow and Twilight came to the same conclusion. It was almost perfect.

"But where would I play?" Pinkie had anticipated this and already had a response and a plan formed inside her head. "I could set up a show, a tribute concert to Princess Luna. You get to rock out on stage and it'll allow you to judge the crowd's reaction. See how everypony reacts to you. Then reveal yourself if you choose to."

Rainbow was smiling now. It was a solid idea. A piece of paper floated over, ink and quill following. Twilight immediately dipped the quill into the ink and turned to her companions. "If were going to do this we need to get organized." Groans sounded from both Rainbow and Pinkie.

"Before we start, I only have one condition. Twilight has to sing." Turning to the purple mare, Rainbow gave her a confident smile. Twilight returned it, albeit awkwardly.

"Done. Now let's get to it." While nervous about singing in front of a crowd, Twilight knew she had to do this, for Rainbow's sake. Focusing their attention on the parchment, the three began to plan...

Sparkle and Shine

Guardian Angel

Chapter 9: Sparkle and Shine

Twilight found herself in an interesting situation. She was at the last location she expected to find herself in: a nightclub. Twilight wasn't here to relax-the visit was strictly business. So here she was, sitting at a table in an empty nightclub in the middle of the day. Pinkie had arranged a meeting between her and the owner, a unicorn by the name of Vinyl Scratch. From what Twilight gathered, she and Pinkie went a ways back.

Twilight noticed movement over by the DJ booth and cleared her throat. A white shape, realizing that Twilight was there, looked up in surprise accidentally hitting it's head on the table above it. Twilight panicked before rushing over to check on the shape. Climbing up the small staircase, she came upon an interesting sight. There sat a unicorn, rubbing her head with a hoof. A large blue mane framed her face, disheveled beyond belief. Purple tinted glasses covered her eyes, shrouding her in mystery.

"Oh I'm so sorry for startling you, I didn't mean to! Are you alright?" Twilight blurted out. The unfamiliarity of the location and the situation had turned her into a bundle of nerves.

'Was this what Fluttershy felt like all the time?' Twilight mused. The white unicorn had stopped groaning, and now had her head cocked in a confused way, still a bit dazed.

"Ye-yeah. I'm fine, just gimme a minute to clear my head," she replied, standing up. "Grab a seat, I'll join you in a second." With that Twilight returned to the table she was at earlier. The white unicorn finished her task quickly-she had a guest to entertain after all.

Twilight watched the other unicorn saunter over, an aura of command surrounding her. Sitting down opposite from Twilight, the unicorn chirped. "So what do you need? I've got somepony important to meet later."

"I'm Twilight Sparkle, my friend Pinkie Pie said she had set up a meeting for me and a Vinyl Scratch. Do you know if she's around here?" she explained. The white unicorn burst into laughter, perplexing Twilight. What was so funny?

Calming down, the unicorn introduced herself. "The name's Vinyl Scratch or DJ Pon-3, sound engineer extraordinaire. Call me Vinyl." she finished, sticking out a hoof to shake. Twilight returned the gesture, and Vinyl jumped right to business. "Now I hear Pinkies planning a gig for Nightmare Night, she said a couple of ponies would be heading the show, but they needed some help. I'm guessing you're one of them." Twilight was taken back-for somepony who acted so carefree Vinyl was sharp.

"Yes, I'm going to be doing lead vocals." Twilight clarified, a bit of pride sneaking into her voice.

She sat there feeling like Vinyl was scrutinizing her every move, hidden behind those purple shades. Getting up, Vinyl gestured for Twilight to follow. "If I'm gonna help you out, I'll first need to see what you're made of." The two quickly arrived at a locked door; a sign hung on it reading "Employees Only". Opening the door with a swish of her horn, Vinyl led Twilight inside.

The room was pretty simple. A large glass wall divided the room into two. On one side of the transparent barrier lay a large console; hundreds of buttons and sliders dotted the surface, all glowing in a rainbow of color. Several pairs of headphones hung from along the wall. A small fridge rested in the corner.

Looking to the other side, Twilight noticed the other room was occupied. A gray mare sat there, a cello clutched in her hooves. Jet black hair was styled elegantly, a small pink bow tie decorated her neck. To Twilight she looked like the embodiment of grace, making rhythmic movements with her hoof, a bow clutched in her fetlock.

Until Vinyl tapped on the glass, knocking her out of her reverie.

The gray mare looked over in annoyance. Vinyl simply gestured to Twilight, then pointed to her hoof where a watch would be. The earth pony recognized the gestures and packed up quickly. In the meantime Vinyl turned to Twilight. "That's Octy, she's my roomie." she mentioned, seeing Twilight's confusion.

Stepping out of the room, Octavia turned to Vinyl. "I'd prefer to introduce myself, thank you." She then shifted her attention to Twilight. "I'm Octavia, pleasure to meet you Miss Sparkle." Octavia greeted. She'd recognized the Princess' protegé instantly, having seen her several times in Canterlot over the years.

"I apologize for the brevity of our introduction, but I have duties that need attention, good day. Oh and Vinyl, please do try and restrain yourself around our guest. I don't think her eardrums can take the punishment." She joked. Vinyl snickered and Twilight was confused even more.

'Punishment? Eardrums?What the hay did that mean?' She thought, nervously pressing a hoof against one of her ears. Octavia chuckled before stepping out, leaving Twilight and Vinyl alone.

"Okay then, hop on in and wait for my signal."Vinyl said, gesturing to the vacated room.

Twilight moved to enter the room, before asking, "What will this signal be?"

"You'll know it when you see it. Now I'm going to play a few test records. You just have to repeat the parts back when prompted." Vinyl explained. Twilight nodded, and entered the room. It was completely sound proof, a couple of small speakers embedded in the wall. Vinyl's voice came over the intercom, "Good luck Sparkles." Twilight blinked, not expecting a nickname.

'It's just like another test Twilight. You can do this' she thought, before focusing her attention on the music that had started playing.

Vinyl sat and watched the unicorn vocalize; they'd been doing this for about an hour. Twilight had shown no difficulty hitting the higher notes-those came easy. The real difficulty she experienced was the low notes. The more growly "metal" songs were strange to Twilight and she had shown it in her singing. Vinyl knew she'd have to discuss this, Pinkie had already explained the theme. It was a dark theme and Vinyl already had a lineup of songs ready to go. Another thing Vinyl noticed was that Twilight was reluctant to show any body language. While singing alone it was fine, in a situation with a crowd this was bad. To keep your crowd interested you had to interact, tease them, even rile them up sometimes.

Glancing over Vinyl noticed the record had reached it's end. Shutting the player off, she then knocked on the glass signaling Twilight that she was done. Twilight eagerly stepped out, rubbing her throat with a hoof. Vinyl glanced over and pointed to the fridge. Twilight nodded in thanks and opened the door, rummaging through the beverages. Settling on a bottle of water Twilight closed the door and turned to Vinyl expectantly. She relaxed seeing the reassuring smile on Vinyl's face, and she followed her back out to the main room of the club.

Sitting down once again at the familiar table Twilight looked at Vinyl, eager to know the results. She hadn't noticed any change in the white unicorn's mood or posture, so it couldn't be that bad. Realizing she hadn't taken a sip from her water Twilight began to gulp it down earnestly. The last hour had been taxing; she'd experienced so many different singing styles, from upbeat pop songs to rock and roll(which she found she really enjoyed!) and even heavy metal. By the end of it her throat was sore, not used to being exerted so strenuously.

Vinyl placed her hooves together on the table, leaning forward slightly. She was ready to give her 'report', "Okay Sparkles, here's the breakdown. You've got a great voice. You can hit the high notes no problem. Pop and Hip-hop didn't seem too hard for you. Rock and Roll you really shone, lucky for us." Twilight beamed, not expecting as much praise. Vinyl continued on, "Some things we'll need to address are the lower tones. While you did alright I noticed the metal songs definitely gave you some trouble." She finished, adding a growl to her words to emphasize her point. Twilight nodded-it was a valid point.

"One more thing, while this topic is not related to the singing aspect it's just as important. Your body language, for lack of a better word, is terrible. It's timid, too reserved. You need to excite the crowd. Draw them in. Tease them." Vinyl added with less force, hoping she didn't discourage the lavender unicorn too much. Vinyl was never good at subtlety, always preferring her blunt ways.

Twilight sat there, contemplating Vinyl's words. She knew Vinyl had a point, but Rainbow was counting on her. Twilight's face held an intense gaze; she looked Vinyl right in the eyes, "Then teach me. I want to learn, I need this."

Vinyl lifted a hoof to her face, sliding the glasses up to her forehead. Crimson eyes met violet, Twilight keeping Vinyl's gaze unflinchingly. Vinyl's mouth twisted into a grin. This filly had guts. "You've got a spark, you just need to learn to harness it." Vinyl reiterated. Twilight brightened up at this. Vinyl continued on, "Your singing ability can be improved with practice, that should be simple enough. As for the body language, that's something you have to learn for yourself. It can't be taught in a traditional way. While books can only give you tips, they can't show you how. But I can try and show you my way." Vinyl finished, confident in her idea. Twilight smiled, happy to learn and improve. More importantly, she wouldn't let her down.

Vinyl sat at a table, a glass of cider clutched in her hoof. For the past two weeks Vinyl had taught Twilight Sparkle on how to express herself with her body language. Two weeks ago the filly wouldn't have had the guts to lead a crowd. Thanks to Vinyl that was a thing of the past. Twilight was more confident in herself now. The mare in question was now up in Vinyl's DJ booth, leading the crowd on through a set of songs.

While teaching Twilight on how to express herself, they had quickly found that the normally reserved unicorn could really get crazy sometimes. She seemed to have this innate mania hidden away. When Vinyl asked about it all she got was a short clipped reply, mentioning a "smarty pants incident,", whatever that was. Vinyl had helped Twilight focus her inner crazy and control it.

Vinyl smiled, the hard part was over. The only preparations left for the concert was the rehearsals. They still had a week and a half before the event, plenty of time in Vinyl's opinion. Twilight had explained the situation with their guitarist. It was a bit complicated but there was no way their guitarist was missing this. If only Vinyl knew who it was. Downing the last of her cider, Vinyl moved to take over. Twilight deserved a break-she had been deejaying non-stop for the last two and a half hours after all.

She'd need the energy for the coming week...

Double Edged...Guitar?

Guardian Angel

Chapter 10: Double Edged...Guitar?

Rainbow Dash took a sip of her tea, looking around the inside of Rarity's boutique. After having planned out the concert a few days ago, Twilight and Rainbow had started thinking of an idea for Rainbow's costume. Having no such luck, Rainbow found herself in the position of asking her fashionista friend in designing a costume.

For now she waited; Rarity was finishing an order for a customer, which gave Rainbow time to prepare. She looked over at the old practice helmet resting on the couch beside her. It had been found during one of the aforementioned brainstorming sessions; an old remnant from Spike's hoarding 'episode'. Glancing over Rainbow noticed Rarity approaching, a pleasant smile on her face. Rainbow gulped. This was it.

"Well I thought I'd never see you in here willingly darling. I must say I was quite surprised to see you walking in through my door." Rarity greeted. It was true, Rainbow was the last pony she expected to see visiting her. Rarity sat down across from Rainbow, and picked up the other tea-cup in a blue glow. Taking a sip of the warm liquid, she studied her guest. Rainbow seemed okay, but Rarity could detect a hint of nervousness in the pegasus. A peculiar helmet rested on the couch beside Rainbow, vaguely reminiscent of the one worn during the Hearth's Warming Eve play. "Now what can I help you with dear?"

"I need a costume for Nightmare Night." Rainbow simply responded, her voice neutral.

Rarity was a bit surprised, Nightmare Night was still a few weeks off.

'Why would Rainbow need it so early?' Rarity wondered. No matter, her friend was asking for help and Rarity would give it. Besides Rarity had always enjoyed making costumes, this would be a nice change from the slightly boring formal wear she had worked on earlier.

Nodding, Rarity asked the next question, "Isn't it a bit early to be requesting a costume for Nightmare Night? It's still weeks off, though it is nice to prepare ahead of time," Rarity noted, thinking over Rainbow's somewhat odd request."And do you have an idea about what you want this outfit to look like?" She asked.

"Well...I haven't really thought of that. I guess something like that Commander Hurricane outfit would be okay. This helmet is really all I've got." Rainbow responded, prodding the helmet with a hoof. Rarity picked up the piece of headgear in a field of magic and studied it. It was a fairly plain helmet, faded black material with a faint purple trim around the edges. A worn plume rested on top.

Rarity could work with this, "I'm guessing you want something to go with this, perhaps something similar to the armor worn by Princess Luna's personal guard?"

Rainbow brightening at the idea, nodded eagerly, "Yeah, but lighter. I need to be able to move in this, so no heavy plates and stuff."

Rarity smiled once again; she had a pretty good idea on what to do but first measurements were required. "I'll need to measure you then, please step over here." She replied, pointing to the desired spot with a hoof. Rainbow trudged over, albeit reluctantly. Calling over her trusty tape measure with a wave of her horn, Rarity got to work. She quickly took all of Rainbow's dimensions, noting with amusement the discomfort present on Rainbow's face. The last time they'd done this, the cyan pegasus wouldn't stop fidgeting; spouting complaints about how she'd rather be flying. Stepping back she nodded once to Rainbow, signifying that the job was done.

"Now dear as much as I enjoy your company, I do need my space to work." Rarity declared, gently nudging Rainbow in the direction of the door. While it seemed a bit rude, Rarity did need her space. The last week had been pretty stressful, several large orders had been placed. No argument was given from Rainbow, and they moved towards the door.

"So when can I pick it up?" Rainbow asked. She really wanted this over and done as quick as possible. Stepping outside Rainbow stretched her wings, readying herself for takeoff.

Rarity chuckled, "Give me a few days, then come back. I promise it'll be wonderful dear."

Rainbow smiled, taking off into the sky. With one last glance at Rainbow's receding form Rarity turned back to her shop. She'd need to contact one of her friends from Canterlot, a blacksmith by the name of Hammered Steel. He was a fairly frequent visitor, often needing outfits for various formal events. Being the Royal Guard's go-to-blacksmith had it's quirks. With a smile Rarity walked back into her home, the idea continuing to refine itself in her head.

Rainbow Dash returned home exhausted. Finishing her business with Rarity to create a costume, she'd spent a few hours just flying around. She'd lapped the surrounding area of Ponyville several times. It was a good workout, especially when done at Rainbow's usual speeds. After grabbing a quick bite in town and visiting Twilight, she had made her way home. Right now she paced her living room, lost in thought.

Twilight had told her to be on the lookout for a letter from Vinyl. She wasn't at all surprised, expecting the musically talented unicorn to be involved with the concert. What did surprise Rainbow was that Twilight was getting personal lessons from the Vinyl Scratch. She'd mentioned something about controlling her body language, along with some singing techniques. While Rainbow was more open to the idea of sharing her guitar playing now, she didn't know if she could do it. By now she'd entered her studio, and simply stood there and looked at her guitars. The two hung on the wall, similar to each other, and yet radically different.

Picking up the electric guitar, Rainbow looked at her reflection in the glossy black surface. Her visage stared back at her, a look of deep thought etched on it's face. The guitar was a touchy subject for Rainbow. It really was a double-edged sword...guitar. The instrument in general represented so much to Rainbow, both good memories and bad ones.

On one hoof, playing the guitar symbolized freedom. It was more liberating than flying. Rather than stretching her wings, playing the guitar let her mind soar in its own sky. Behind closed doors, she could be whomever she wanted. No stares, no fear of being judged. It was her own personal paradise, an escape from her daily troubles. She'd always had trouble expressing herself, not boasting, but showing who she truly was. It also helped Rainbow remember her mother. Every glance at the acoustic brought on a cherished memory. Her mother had taught her to play; to channel her feelings into music when words failed her.

On the other it represented years of suffering. From being constantly put down by Gilda, the impertinent griffon doing her best to slander anything "weak" she saw in Rainbow Dash. While she never publicly confronted Rainbow, she kept it as blackmail, constantly threatening to spill the beans. It hurt Rainbow to have to hide such an important part of her life; who then wanted nothing more to be accepted by the griffon. She cried herself to sleep almost nightly for several weeks; her guitar and the pleasures it brought forgotten. Rainbow now realized how truly horrible of a friend Gilda had been, even before her visit to Ponyville.

Even after Gilda had stopped being an influence on Rainbow's life, the damage was done. She was terrified of sharing her talent with anypony; the constant heckling from Gilda echoing in Rainbow's head. Even when she'd started dating Rainbow held back. Her relationships, the few she'd had, failed quickly; she just didn't want to share herself, always afraid of what the other would think. The most heartbreaking one was her first sweetheart since high school. They'd hit it off well, being classmates in their first year of college. She felt like she could be herself and be accepted. Rainbow was crushed when her special somepony chose his career over being with Rainbow.

For a while Rainbow didn't know what to do with herself. She relentlessly cursed the world for it's cruelty. Why couldn't anypony understand her?! Eventually she hit her breaking point, fed up with the acoustic she had decided to give up. She'd had the instrument raised, poised to smash it against the unforgiving ground; to be rid of it from her life forever. She couldn't do it. The memories and the hours spent playing the instrument were just too much; it was the last real memento that Rainbow had of her mother. The cutie mark engraved on the wooden surface brought up so many happy memories. So she'd left Cloudsdale, guitars in tow, and made a new life in Ponyville. She'd practiced her craft in near secret; the only pony to know being Lyra, who was the main source of musical goods in town.

Then it all changed two years ago. Rainbow met Twilight Sparkle, or more accurately crashed into her. The two became friends quickly, even before discovering that they were both Elements of Harmony. Their bond only strengthened during the course of their various adventures; from dragons to Discord. Around Twilight, she felt more carefree; she knew Twilight would never hurt her. Well almost never; memories of Mare-Do-Well came to mind, but she quickly pushed those memories back; they weren't important now. Twilight had helped Rainbow's discover the joys of reading. She'd helped Rainbow pick her own pet; Tank never gave up. Rainbow wouldn't either.

She'd shared her secret hobby with Twilight; and was glad to have done so. Twilight enjoyed every minute of it, never once expressing any negative reactions like Rainbow expected. It felt good to be accepted for who she was. Rainbow found herself playing with more and more enthusiasm every time. It felt great to play for an audience, to see the appreciation on Twilight's face. Most importantly Rainbow felt like she wasn't letting herself down for once. She was as carefree as could be when she played, sometimes even trying songs she'd never thought of playing ever.

They grew closer, able to trust each other with anything. The recent events, slightly marred by Rainbow's early misinterpretation, had brought them even closer together. Twilight had confided her insecurities in Rainbow and like the element she embodied, Rainbow Dash was there for her. It was then that Rainbow came upon an epiphany. Her answer to the question that had plagued her life.

She'd simply never had anypony put their complete trust in her. Aside from her parents, whom she missed dearly, nopony had trusted her as much as Twilight did. That night when they sang together, Rainbow realized that she didn't care what others thought. It was worth it; to see the lavender unicorn smiling.

The dedication Twilight showed to her, it warmed Rainbow's heart. Even when faced with the prospect of singing in front of hundreds of ponies, Twilight had accepted her condition without any hesitation. Rainbow had strived for everypony's approval, wanting their adoration, but missing the point of music itself. It wasn't about getting praise, but about expressing oneself. The praise from ponies was just a nice bonus.

Giddy at her revelation, Rainbow couldn't concentrate long enough to play. She lovingly ran her hoof down the neck of the instrument, enthralled that she hadn't given up. A single tear splashed on the body; she was finally ready to stop running from her past and she'd do it in a loud way. Rainbow went to bed that night very happy-she'd finally found a purpose in playing the guitar.

She'd do it, not just for herself-but for Twilight as well. Rainbow Dash would do anything to make Twilight happy...

Exit Light...

Guardian Angel

Chapter 11: Exit Light...

Rainbow Dash peeked from behind the curtain at the large crowd of ponies gathered. It was Nightmare Night and the eve of the concert. The inside of Vinyl's Ponyville club was filled to the brim, various themed decorations dotted the walls and the stage. Though the location was able to easily accomodate the larger than usual amount of occupants, Rainbow hadn't expected so many ponies! Normally Ponyville has about 70 residents, but thanks to word spreading of Princess Luna's visit last year, more ponies had flocked to Ponyville for a chance to possibly see the Lunar Goddess herself.

Among the guests, sitting in a private booth, was the Princess of the Night herself. Ponies of all shapes and colors had gathered, enjoying the music that was being played over the club's speakers. Rainbow's eyed spied a trio of pegasus ponies in Luna's booth, they wore black form fitting bodysuits. One who looked like the leader of the three had a fiery orange mane. She quickly realized it was Spitfire! Logically the other was Soarin; a large pie sitting on the table confirmed that. Judging by the mane color the final member was Fleetfoot. The fan-filly inside Rainbow was squealing now, her lifelong heroes were here, but she had more important concerns right now. Autographs could wait. Calming herself down Rainbow slunk back behind the curtain. She looked over at Vinyl who was poring over some last minute tweaks to her sound system. Twilight was over in the studio room, warming her voice up.

This was it, the concert was set to start in an hour; Rainbow Dash was ready. The three mares had come a long way in just a month. Vinyl had put together a set list and sent it off; Rainbow practiced it every day. When Vinyl was done coaching Twilight, rehearsals had begun. They'd practiced steadily for a week and a half, the familiarity Twilight and Rainbow shared helped speed up the learning process. They were ready, and in a bit they'd show it. Rainbow trotted over to her guitar, taking a seat on the chair. Of the few things she'd learned over the years, nothing beat out the odd way of sitting that Lyra had shown her. It was exceptionally comfortable for playing, normally she hovered with her wings. She removed her helmet and set it aside; slipping on a pair of headphones, she hefted her guitar and began her warm up exercises...

Luna looked around at the mass of shapes in the club. She'd been surprised to have received an invitation to an event that wasn't a boring social party for once. Luna was itching for something new, and since she was going to be in Ponyville for Nightmare Night anyways, she'd accepted. One does not simply ignore an invitation from the element of Laughter after all! Most of the day was spent interacting with the locals, playing games and scaring the young colts and fillies. She looked over to her companions, the Wonderbolts. They were here as Luna's guards, but also as her friends. A few weeks after the previous Nightmare Night she'd run into one of their members, Fleetfoot. Remembering how nice it was to make friends in Ponyville, Luna had struck up a conversation. It progressed from there, she met the rest of the team and they chatted for a while.

They'd enjoyed their time together and Luna became friends with most of the team. She'd gone to a few of their shows, showing her support for the team, especially when they'd run into a bit of a bind. She regaled them with stories of her own private flight team, the Night Wings; before her corruption and subsequent transformation. While it was in the past, it still hurt to remember them. They'd been changed by Nightmare Moon, becoming the fearsome Shadowbolts; hunters of the night.

Fleetfoot reminded Luna of the former captain of the Night Wings, he was a quiet pony, but one of Luna's closest friends. She'd been extremely saddened to hear of what befell her fliers. They'd passed on, nopony lived forever.

'If I hadn't been so selfish maybe they wouldn't have had to suffer like they did' Luna thought, the pain from before welling up again. Fleet noticed this and placed a reassuring hoof on the Princess' shoulder. Luna smiled, overjoyed to have such a good friend again. Spitfire shot her a reassuring smile. "So, how do you feel about a concert celebrating you and your night?" She asked, curiosity creeping into her voice.

Luna broke out into a sheepish grin, "We ar..I am flattered, a concert in my honor! It was really a shock. Though it is nice to see ponies enjoying the night more in this time than before. Shame Twilight Sparkle could not join us for this."

"I'm sure she had something important to do, from what I've heard she's a busy unicorn."

The Princess nodded; accepting Spitfire's theory. Twilight Sparkle had once again taken care of being the Princess' guide for most the day, until she had to excuse herself, citing important business. She'd been left in the custody of Applejack, who was extremely happy to have Luna for company. They'd killed time playing games and bobbing for apples; before making their way to the venue. The Wonderbolts had arrived only a few minutes ago, right from a show in a neighboring town. Now they all waited for the performance to start.

Twilight looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was now finishing her warm up. Looking over she gave a small wave and went back into playing. Rainbow quickly finished up her routine and made her way over to Twilight, helmet tucked under her wing. "You ready for this Twi?" she asked, concern clear in her voice.

Twilight chuckled and pulled her into a loose hug. Rainbow blushed, Twilight looked stunning in her outfit. It was one of a royal scholar for the Princesses long ago; or at least that was what Twilight said. A wide brimmed hat covered her head, and a cloak shrouded her body.

They were interrupted by Vinyl, "You two lovebirds done? We're on in five."

She and Rainbow quickly broke apart, Twilight sputtering, "We're just good friends, there's nothing going on here."

"I was just kidding Sparkles, lighten up. Now we've practiced for this, and we've nailed it. So let's get out there and show 'em how it's done." Vinyl finished her pep talk, holding out her hoof. Twilight's and Rainbow's hooves joined in and the three gave a nod. Quickly a few miscellaneous items were moved off to the side and Vinyl made her way over to her booth. Twilight cleared her throat, and Rainbow Dash replaced her helmet; it was time to rock.

Nightmare Night – Glaze and Mic

The club fell silent, everypony eagerly watching the stage where the curtains pulled back; revealing two shapes on stage. Most ponies recognized Twilight Sparkle, having seen her earlier in the day, but the other pony remained a mystery. The armor it wore concealed the mane and the cutie marks well. The cyan coat and a grayscale tail were the only things that could be made out. The silence was broken by a string of piano notes striking in the near silence of the club-the concert had officially begun. Vinyl's voice broke out over the music, she'd be handling the first song,

Yeah. Watchu know 'bout Nightmare Night, son?!

The crowd screamed, the song immediately recognized by most of the occupants. It was first heard a year back, during the first Nightmare Night after Luna's return. A couple of ponies, known only by their stage names of Glaze and Mic, had written the song and it became an instant hit; especially around this time of year. Vinyl knew this and she capitalized on it. Rainbow's guitar had joined in now, adding a new dimension to the song. The DJ continued to rap, the lyrics flowing easily for her.

Welcome Fillies and Gentlecolts; No reason to scream

Your favorite Princess is back; She's walkin' up on the scene

She has been stuck on the moon, but that's no reason to fret

She's not a Nightmare no more, so buckle down and get set

She's comin'; Gracin' her subjects. She ain't leavin' no choice

She's gonna blow you all back with her Equestrian Voice

So cover all of your fears and stowe away all your fright

The Lunar Princess is back; to bring the Nightmares Tonight

At this point Twilight had joined in, her voice mixing with Vinyl's for the chorus.

She's living in the past

so you won't last

Without the proper care

With a royal farewell

And an animate spell

You won't have long to prepare

Once again Vinyl took over, moving on to the next part of the song.

Now little fillies, this is Nightmare Night

Your ruler Nightmare Moon is back to come and fill you with fright

So Hurry

Now get your goodies and fill up all your bags

And go and leave a candy offering for that big ol' hag

Get runnin'

And pray above that she's not coming back

To come and take away your soul and eat you up for a snack

So run away and go hide; just keep your head out of sight

The darkness is rising again cause this is Nightmare Night

Rejoining the song once more, Twilight vocalized the chorus with Vinyl again.

She's living in the past

so you won't last

Without the proper care

With a royal farewell

And an animate spell

You won't have long to prepare

Twilight and Vinyl completed the lyrical portion, Rainbow taking over with an impressive solo to finish off the song. The club broke out into another cheer, ecstatic at the performance so far. Vinyl called out to the crowd, "How's everypony doing tonight? Having a good time so far?" The sound of hooves stamping punctuated the club, a few whistles mixed in. She smiled, this was going to be a good night, "Well it's about to get better, buckle down everypony!"

Rainbow took this as her cue to begin, starting with a simple riff; increasing the speed of her playing rapidly. Vinyl provided the supporting instruments, her hooves dancing along on her console. All the while Rainbow continued into the long intro. Her hoof moved at a ferocious pace, strumming the guitar.

Twilight, now standing near the front of the stage, called out, "One Two!" A couple of small fireworks detonated, covering the stage in a white smoke. Twilight was ready; it was her time to shine. Catching her cue, she launched into the song;

All Nightmare Long – Metallica

Luck. Runs. Out.

Crawl from the wreckage one more time

Horrific memory twists the mind

Dark, rutted, cold and hard to turn

Path of destruction, feel it burn

Still life

Incarnation

Still life

Infamy

Hallucination

Heresy

Still you run, what's to come?

What's to be?

She sung the chorus of the song, voice calling out in a tone most hadn't heard from her before. It was a drastic change from her usual subdued tone, more forceful.

'Cause we hunt you down without mercy

Hunt you down all nightmare long

Feel us breathe upon your face

Feel us shift, every move we trace

Hunt you down without mercy

Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah

Luck. Runs.

I can crawl back in

But your luck runs out

Luck. Runs. Out.

The light that is not light is here

To push you out with your own fear

You hide, you hide, you´ll be found

Release your grip without a sound

Still life

Immolation

Still life

Infamy

Hallucination

Heresy

Still you run, what's to come?

What's to be?

'Cause we hunt you down without mercy

Hunt you down all nightmare long

Feel us breathe upon your face

Feel us shift, every move we trace

Hunt you down without mercy

Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah

Luck. Runs.

I can crawl back in

But your luck runs out

Rainbow Dash begun her second solo of the night, this one much quicker than her last. Her guitar rose in pitch, before dropping back down. The song continued on, Twilight resuming her singing,

Then you crawl back in

Into your obsession

Never to return

This is your confession

Her voice trailed off along with the music, before exploding back into the final verse.

Hunt you down without mercy

Hunt you down all nightmare long

Feel us breathe upon your face

Feel us shift, every move we trace

Hunt you down without mercy

Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah

Luck. Runs.

You can crawl back in

But your luck runs out

Your luck runs out!

The song came to a close, with the last note being drawn out for a few seconds. The club exploded into applause, Twilight's performance had been spectacular. She looked over the crowd, any nervousness was gone. The reaction from the crowd filled her with a new kind of energy, it was electrifying. Twilight could definitely get used to this. She waved and the crowd mimicked her. Vinyl moved the set list along, a piano once again leading into the song. Rainbow's guitar play was still present, but in a more subdued form this time.

Falling – Cryoshell

Lights out

No one here

Hear the silence

Scent of fear

You start running

With mistrusting and skeptical eyes

Are you haunted?

I call out

I'm counting on you

Falling

Is this the end of the line?

And can we make it in time?

Falling

My world is spinning around

I'm crashing into the ground

Falling

Now I need you to see

It's up to you and me

I'm counting on you

In the shadows

All gray

Darkened days

A stone in my chest

The feel weighs me down

I'm counting on you

Falling

Is this the end of the line?

And can we make it in time?

Falling

My world is spinning around

I'm crashing into the ground

Falling

Now I need you to see

It's up to you and me

I'm counting on you

This song's solo was more subdued, almost feather like picking was required. Rainbow was up to the challenge, her hoof angled for maximum speed and precision. She fluttered about the stage, teasing the crowd with glimpses of her hooves moving across the strings.

Far out of reach

Listen to them preach

Bring you to your knees

Till you're too hard to please

Soon you will see

If you won't set you free

In time you'll know

How to let it go

How to let it go

Falling

Is this the end of the line?

And can we make it in time?

Falling

My world is spinning around

I'm crashing into the ground

I'm counting on you

To push on through

I'm counting on you

The song drawing to a calmer finish, Twilight took a deep breath. The strain on her voice was pretty hefty, but she'd be much worse off without Vinyl's help. A bottle of water levitated over, she took a swig of the refreshing liquid. This was really fun! Smiling, she hollered out to the crowd, "I hope you're having as much fun as I am, because we're about to kick it up a notch! Two taps of a cymbal sounded, and a powerful riff was heard. Over the roaring crowd Twilight began to belt out the next song.

Back in Black – AC/DC

Back in black I hit the sack

I been too long I'm glad to be back

Yes I am

Let loose from the noose

That's kept me hanging about

I keep looking at the sky cause it's gettin' me high

Forget the hearse cause I'll never die

I got nine lives cat's eyes

Using every one of them and runnin' wild

Cause I'm back

Yes I'm back well I'm back

Yes I'm back

Well I'm back

Well I'm back in black

Yes I'm back in black...

Sitting in her booth Luna was amused. The show so far had been stellar; the unicorn Twilight Sparkle had shone, enticing the crowd. Ponies jumped and waved their legs in reckless abandon. Soarin' was off getting more refreshments, likely another pie. Meanwhile Spitfire was on the dance floor, shaking her head in an odd manner. Fleet referred to it as "manebanging" and it was apparently common with this kind of music. Luna had never heard this genre, having no opportunities to sample it. The she was used to was what is now referred to as classical. It was moments like this that Luna truly realized how much time had passed; how the world had changed.

It wasn't all bad though, this new genre had some merits. Luna found the music left her with a jittery feeling inside. The lyrics fit well with the theme, but also brought up some memories that she'd rather leave buried inside.

The unknown musician with the odd instrument intrigued her. The lute...no guitar, she now remembered, recalling an earlier bit of embarrassment. She'd made a remark to Spitfire on the musician's performance, and in her inexperience with modern times had called the instrument a lute. Her companions had obviously found this funny, but Soarin' quickly informed her of the instrument's real name.

It sounded so dark and mysterious, much like her night. The sounds were wonderful able to go from a low thrum, to a high pitched almost screech like tone-she'd never heard anything like it. Luna found herself enjoying it, she'd have to find some of those "cds" Spitfire mentioned-perhaps she'd be willing to lend a few.

Other than the lute incident the night had been rather uneventful. The performance continued on, the music pounding throughout the club. Fleet sipped her drink beside Luna, noticing the princess' awkwardness with the situation. "You know it's much more interesting when you're in the thick of it. To be in the crowd, it's exhilarating. If I wasn't nearly blind, I'd be down there myself." She remarked, slightly saddened at her disability. She'd been born near blind, but she'd learned to "see" with sound. Learning the ancient talent of echolocation from the bat ponies to the south Fleetfoot had been able to attain her dream of joining the Wonderbolts. High activity locations like the club disoriented her easily, thus she'd been stuck in the booth with Princess Luna; not that it was a bad time or anything, but she wanted to experience the excitement of being in the crowd.

Luna noticed the discomfort on her friend's face and an idea quickly popped up in her mind. "Shall we go together then? I wish to experience that which you describe, what better way then with a friend." she offered. Truth be told, Luna was a bit nervous. How would ponies react to her presence...would they shy away like most? Or perhaps she'd be accepted. Only one way to find out.

Fleet jumped at the chance, there wasn't anything that would stop her now, "I'd love to, lead the way." With that the two departed the booth. Luna smiled, even if she made a complete foal of herself, she'd at least made her friend happy...

...Enter Night

Guardian Angel

Chapter Twelve: ...Enter Night

Rainbow Dash looked over the crowd, the massive frenzy of ponies was bouncing around like mad. Everypony enjoyed the performance so far. That much was obvious; it was made even better by the fact that it was thanks to her! Of course her companions deserved a big part of this appreciation as well. Without Vinyl the music would be missing most of the backup instruments; no drums, no bass guitar and no piano. As she continued to play, Rainbow looked over at Twilight.

The lavender unicorn amazed her. She'd never expected Twilight to be doing something like this. It was almost like she was another mare, so radically different from her normal self. To Rainbow it seemed familiar, like she'd seen Twilight like this before. It struck her, the times Rainbow had seen Twilight this confident had been when they were fighting Nightmare Moon and later Discord. She'd taken charge of the element bearers both times, leading them to victory. She was a natural leader, even if a bit introverted.

Twilight looked absolutely spectacular in her outfit, the cloak and hat glittering and shifting in color under the stage lights. Her lavender coat sparkled, it was almost entrancing. She'd never realized how beautiful Twilight really was. It wasn't the same kind of beauty that Rarity had, nopony could compare, but Twilight had her own kind of radiance. She didn't need to use any products other than the basics, it was all her. 'Am I really having these thoughts about my best friend?' she wondered. Shaking her head-she'd sort these thoughts later, Rainbow turned back to her music. The finale was about to start, and she'd need her full attention to keep up with these songs.

She began the next track, strumming the instrument in a flurry of movement. Slowing down into a crawling pace, each note clearly picked, Rainbow began her next tune. The soft portion was mimicked with "oohs" from the crowd, and Twilight began her intro.

Fear of the Dark – Iron Maiden

I am the mare who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road

At night or strolling through the park

And when the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange

A little anxious when it's dark

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a constant fear that something's always near

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a phobia that somepony's always there

Have you run your fingers down the wall

And have you felt your neck skin crawl

When you're searching for the light?

Sometimes when you're scared to take a look

At the corner of the room

You've sensed that something's watching you

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's always near

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a phobia that somepony's always there

Have you ever been alone at night

Thought you heard footsteps behind

And turned around and no one's there?

And as you quicken up your pace

You find it hard to look again

Because you're sure there's somepony there

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's always near

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a phobia that somepony's always there

Rainbow began to jam out her solo, the instrument responding to her motions. Upon Twilight's beckoning the crowd began to chant.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

With her solo coming to an end, Rainbow moved back into her normal playing speed. Twilight continued on with her lyrics.

Watching horror films the night before

Debating witches and folklores

The unknown troubles on your mind

Maybe your mind is playing tricks

You sense, and suddenly eyes fix

On dancing shadows from behind

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's always near

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a phobia that somepony's always there

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's always near

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a phobia that somepony's always there

When I'm walking a dark road

I am the mare who walks alone...

The notes faded off; the last few gentle strums echoing into silence. Now it was her time to play alone; Twilight having signaled that she needed a break. Checking that the amp cable was secure Rainbow allowed herself to gain a little more altitude. Hovering about two feet off the stage she began to play her solo. While most solos were pure improvisation, Rainbow had adopted Twilight's advice of at least having a general layout.

She continued to play, shredding on her guitar. Landing on the stage, Rainbow stood upon her rear legs, using her wings for balance. Slowing to a creeping pace, she allowed her instrument to fall silent. The crowd gave a cheer but quickly subsided, eager to see what the guitarist could come up with next. A series of quick hammer-ons punctuated by shouts from the mass of fans gathered broke the silence and Rainbow moved into the last part of her solo. Once more she strummed, music coming out in a blitzing pace, swinging her head in a circle. If her mane wasn't covered by a piece of metal it would be swinging like crazy now. It was awesome, nothing could stop her.

Unfortunately for her, fate had other plans. With a loud "snap" the chin strap broke, the helmet being tossed off her head by the force of her spinning. The enchantment, the same one used by the Royal Guard to maintain a uniform look, on the armor dissipated, and Rainbow Dash returned to her usual colors. Sweat covered her head, hair soaked and hanging down in a waterfall of color. She stopped playing, looking over at the helmet laying a few feet away. The crowd had fallen silent, everypony looking in shock at the sudden change in the guitarist's appearance. When she looked over at Twilight, she felt relief start to course through her. The librarian winked, and whispered, "You can do it!".

Rainbow smiled, yes she could do it-she would, and nodded back to Twilight. The unicorn let out a squeal, thankfully the microphone was off, and her grin grew even larger-It almost rivaled Pinkie's on some days now. Moving her hooves back into playing position, she was interrupted by her name being chanted by a single pony. Rainbow recognized the mane and nearly fell over in shock. Spitfire of all ponies had started chanting her name! Quickly the chant spread and she felt her confidence returning even more.

Most solos were improvised on the spot, and now she'd have to do the same. Pulling a few cues from several songs she knew; Rainbow resumed her interrupted solo. The pitch of the notes rose steadily, culmination in a long whine. The crowd roared their approval, even Princess Luna, using her royal voice, had joined in.

She slid her forehoof into position and placed the other one on the bridge of the guitar. Twilight and Vinyl both noticed this and got back into the game, readying up for their final few songs. Her hoof picked a series of noted, falling into the rhythm of a familiar riff. Twilight smiled, of all the songs she learned, this was one of her favorites. She yelled, "Are you still out there?" and the crowd shouted back in earnest.

Enter Sandman – Metallica

Say your prayers little one

Don't forget my son

To include everypony

I tuck you in

Warm within

Keep you free from sin

'Til the sandmare she comes

Sleep with one eye open

Gripping your pillow tight

Exit light

Enter night

Take my hand

We're off to never never-land

Something's wrong, shut the light

Heavy thoughts tonight

And they aren't of snow white

Dreams of war

Dreams of lies

Dreams of dragons fire

And of things that will bite, yeah

Sleep with one eye open

Grippin' your pillow tight

Exit light

Enter night

Take my hand

We're off to never never-land

Feeling confident after her unexpected reveal, Rainbow had started inching closer to Twilight during the solo. Quickly jabbing her hoof in the direction of the microphone, Rainbow conveyed her intention-She wanted to sing. Twilight nodded and inched closer. They were almost side by side now; though with enough clearance that she could manipulate her guitar comfortably. The music quieted down to a low thrum, She started to sing, easily able to lower her voice to a growl, Twilight mimicking her lines in a light voice, like that of a filly.

Now I lay me down to sleep

Now I lay me down to sleep

Pray to Luna my soul to keep

Pray to Luna my soul to keep

And if I die before I wake

And if I die before I wake

Pray to Luna my soul to take

Pray to Luna my soul to take

Hush little filly don't say a word

And never mind that noise you heard

It's just the beast under your bed

In your closet in your head

Exit light

Enter night

Grain of sand

Exit light

Enter night

Take my hand

We're off to never never-land

We're off to never never-land

Take my hand

We're off to never never-land

Take my hand

We're off to never never-land

We're off to never never-land

The song drew to a close, Twilight's voice fading off and drowned out with ecstatic cheers. Once the crowd settled down a bit, she spoke the final farewells for the night, "Thank you everypony for coming, I hope you had a really great time!" A wave of cheers broke out, and she continued, "It's been great entertaining you all, but now we have to wish you a goodnight." A groan of disappointment was heard, followed by a call for an encore.

An idea suddenly popped into Twilight's head, she had a song that she'd wanted to do but they were unable to fit it in anywhere. It just didn't mesh with the theme-But now she could fit it in. The memories of the past few months had come back, and filled her with joy. She wanted to thank Rainbow Dash for all of this. The dedication she'd shown, even when she was at her worst. Her openness with Twilight about her past issues. The way she'd stuck by her, loyal to the end. Just thinking about Rainbow filled her with an unexplainable feeling. She felt like she was on top of the world, all thanks to that cyan angel. Gathering her voice, she announced her intentions, "Since everypony wants it, I think I'll indulge you. But first I want to hear you scream!"

The gathered ponies roared their approval, they wanted an encore badly it seemed. "Alright, you've convinced me. I wanted to thank you one last time, for being here. You've made this night really special. I hope you enjoy the rest of it, and from the three of us, to all of you an angel comes tonight." She finished, her eyes never leaving Rainbow's figure.

Vinyl noticed the slight emphasis on the word angel and smiled. The unicorn had seemed downtrodden when they couldn't fit the song in earlier, but now she could sing it. But that didn't seem like the real meaning behind the word, she noted that Twilight's focus remained firmly on Rainbow Dash. Setting her instrument panel to the proper settings, her hooves sliding to the embedded electronic keyboard, she gave a wave signifying her readiness.

In the meantime Twilight quickly went over the plan with Rainbow. She couldn't sing the song alone, it just didn't sound right. Her guitar toting counterpart nodded, recognizing the song from the list. It was an interesting song and she was looking forward to playing it. They spaced themselves out a bit, not too far, but with enough space to allow Rainbow to comfortably play. A pair of synthesized sounds from Vinyl kicked things off and both the performers began to sing.

Wish I had an Angel – Nightwish

I wish I had an angel

For one moment of love

I wish I had your angel

Tonight

The song kicked into full force now, Rainbow playing the notes with perfect accuracy. Twilight stepped up.

Deep into a dying day

I took a step outside an innocent heart

Prepare to hate me for when I may

This night will hurt you like never before

Old loves, they die hard

Old lies, they die harder

I wish I had an angel

For one moment of love

I wish I had your angel

Your Lady Candance undone

Rainbow screamed out her part, fully partaking in the finale. If she was going to do it right, it was going to have an impact. Twilight joined in, their voices mixing together melodiously.

I'm in love with my lust

Burning angel wings to dust

I wish I had your angel tonight

I'm going down so frail and cruel

Drunken disguise changes all the rules

Old loves, they die hard

Old lies, they die harder

I wish I had an angel

For one moment of love

I wish I had your angel

Your Lady Candance undone

I'm in love with my lust

Burning angel wings to dust

I wish I had your angel tonight

Greatest thrill, Not to kill

But to have the prize of the night

Hypocrite, Wannabe friend

13th disciple who betrayed me for nothing!

Last dance, first kiss

Your touch, my bliss

Beauty always comes with dark thoughts

I wish I had an angel

For one moment of love

I wish I had your angel

Your Lady Candance undone

I'm in love with my lust

Burning angel wings to dust

I wish I had your angel tonight

I wish I had an angel

I wish I had an angel

I wish I had an angel

Twilight finished the last line with a raw scream of pure joy.

I have an angel tonight!

The crowd roared one last time, and the final pyrotechnics blasted out. Shrouded by smoke Vinyl walked over and joined them. The three gave a final bow and disappeared in a flash; no doubt to a teleportation spell of Twilight's doing.

With a pop the three reappeared backstage, panting heavily. It had been a heavy night, Twilight never having done something so strenuous. They quickly took a seat at the table nearby, and each grabbed a bottle of water. Even though she'd gone through several bottles during the show, Twilight was still parched. Singing and prancing about on stage took a lot out of you apparently. In her mind it was a successful show; everypony enjoyed it and Rainbow had gotten a reveal unlike any other. She'd almost panicked when she saw the helmet flying from Rainbow's head. Thankfully Rainbow recovered and continued on; even being brave enough as to sing with her!

"Best night ever!" Rainbow called out. Her mane was slick with sweat, hanging down in long strands. To Twilight she looked amazing, having that natural recklessness she was known for, but also a hidden beauty. Twilight found herself looking away, a blush burning on her face.

"That it was!" Vinyl replied, ecstatic at the two's performance. "That was the best concert I've ever hosted. You two did great, we should do this again sometime. Anyways, I'm off to mingle with the crowd. Enjoy the rest of the night Sparkles, you too Rain." She departed, leaving Rainbow and Twilight alone.

Rainbow's head had started to droop, the days events catching up with her. Stifling a yawn, she turned her focus to Twilight sitting across from her. She found herself staring at her eyes, lost in those mesmerizing purple orbs. Their eyes met, for a brief few seconds, and they found themselves turning away; blushes evident on their faces.

They'd continued to sit there, the occasional piece of chatter exchanged between them. Twilight had gone to grab a bite and was now returning, plates with fresh hayfries suspended in her magical grasp. Setting the plates down, the two dug in. The food was quickly devoured, a bit of their energy restored. Rainbow groaned, more tired than usual-she had been hovering for most of the performance after all. Twilight noticed her friend's tiredness and questioned, "Do you think you'll be able to make it home tonight?"

"No, I don't think so. Too sore." she punctuated this by giving an experimental flap of her wings. The soreness intensified and she grimaced, "I'll survive. I'm just gonna walk most of the way." she added with a bit of disdain. It wasn't that she hated walking, but as a pegasus she was naturally drawn to being off the ground.

"You could sleep at my place for the night. I've got plenty of space and it's closer." Twilight offered, secretly hoping Rainbow would accept.

"Sounds good, does leaving now alright with you?"

"Yes it does, just relax. I'll get your guitar." Twilight responded, already moving in the direction of the discarded instrument. She lifted it in a gentle aura and placed it securely in the case. With a satisfying snap the case was closed, and the latches were fastened. Picking it up with her magic she joined Rainbow at the door into the main area of the club. Rainbow held the discarded helmet, having picked it up before the teleport. Noticing Twilight approaching she pushed open the door, allowing the lavender mare through. Rainbow following, they made their way into the much calmer crowd.

Several ponies gave their appreciation, thanking them for an amazing performance. Rainbow's keen eyesight noticed three shapes approaching. She recognized the Cutie Mark Crusaders instantly. Scootaloo seemed to barely contain herself. "That was awesome! You rock Rainbow, and I thought you couldn't get any cooler!" she all but screamed out.

"Thanks kiddo, I was pretty awesome wasn't I?"

"Like 20% more awesome than usual." the three fillies intoned.

"I can't take all the credit though, Twilight was a big part too. Without her, probably none of this would have happened." Rainbow added, noting the look of amusement on Twilight's face. "I'm pretty tired, I gotta get some rest. I'll visit my fan club sometime later." she finished, but before leaving plopped the helmet she held on Scootaloo's head. The orange filly's smile grew even larger, only to be obscured by the helmet sliding down over her head. Scootaloo pushed the helmet back into place and wished Rainbow a goodbye, before scampering off after the other two crusaders.

Rejoining Twilight they made their way out of the club and into the fresh night sky. "Sure is beautiful, ain't it Twilight?" she asked, just wanting to make conversation. Twilight nodded back, partially focused on keeping the instrument suspended beside her. Up in the sky they noticed Princess Luna's chariot, pulled by a pair of her bat-pony guards.

Continuing on their merry way, the two soon found themselves at the library. Rainbow swung the door open, allowing Twilight through with the guitar. With an overly theatric bow, Rainbow beckoned, "After you, milady." Unable to keep a straight face she soon burst into laughter, Twilight joining in once the guitar was safely set down.

"I'll go get the guest bed ready, you might want to get out of that armor." Twilight noted, seeing the large clasps on the torso piece. She soon disappeared, leaving Rainbow alone. Looking around once, she got started. The bracers came off first, they were the easiest to remove. Manipulating each of the buckles, she managed to get almost all of them undone. Except for the one just behind her wings, try with all her might, she couldn't get her hooves on the annoying buckle.

By now Twilight had returned and looked on with amusement as Rainbow struggled to reach the buckle. Having enough mirth at her friend's expense, Twilight asked, "You want some help with that?"

"Yeah, that'd be great." she deadpanned.

Twilight moved behind Rainbow and undid the offending buckle. Her hoof brushed Rainbow's wing and the appendage fluttered. Curious, she ran her hoof through the feathers near the base of the wing. Rainbow tried to hold in a laugh, "No wait don't!" She didn't get to finish, her words drowned out in laughter as Twilight tickled her. Standing on her hindlegs, she attempted to move out of Twilight's reach, to no avail. Over extending herself, Twilight fell taking Rainbow with her. The two lay in a tangled heap, faces just inches apart. Scrambling to separate, the two blushing mares wound up untangling themselves. Clearing her throat, Twilight spoke, "Well, I think it's about time we went to bed. Don't worry about the armor, we'll put it away later."

The duo made their way up the stairs, and into Twilight's room. Spike's bed lay empty, he would be staying with one of the crusaders tonight. The guest bed had been prepared, fluffy white sheets looking really inviting. Rainbow made her way over, but realized something. She stank, the armor while awesome looking, really didn't allow for much breathability. "I'm gonna go shower first Twi." she informed her friend.

"Alright, shampoos in the blue bottle, and soaps in the green." Twilight informed her. Nodding Rainbow made her way over to the bathroom. Turning the water on she waited for it to heat up. 'Nothing beats a hot shower' she thought.

Humming a song from the show, she stepped into the warm stream, pulling the curtain closed behind her. Releasing a sigh of relief, she let the water cascade down her body, carrying away most of the dried sweat that clung to her coat. She reached over and grabbed the blue bottle, squeezing a dollop onto her hoof. Returning the bottle to the small rack, she scrubbed her hair. The shampoo smelt nice, a scent of lilac permeated her nostrils. It smelt like Twilight and she found herself breathing in heavily.

Finishing, she rinsed off the last of the soap and turned the water off. Grabbing a towel off the rack, she dried herself off. Folding the wet piece of cloth she hung it on the bar that held the shower curtain. Normally she'd just throw it over, but she wasn't at her place. Running a hoof through her mane, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. A sleepy face stared back at her, and she smiled. Today had been a great day.

Making her way back into the bedroom she found Twilight on her side, asleep, a book clutched loosely in her hooves. Gently pulling the book away, she placed it on the nearby nightstand. She pulled the covers over the lavender form, tucking a stray hoof underneath. "Goodnight Twi, sleep tight." she whispered, blowing out the candle on the stand.

Making her way over to her bed, she blew out her own candle. Snuggling into the covers, she closed her eyes. Her mind went blank, the only thought remaining was one of Twilight. With a content smile she drifted off to sleep, pleasant dreams of the lavender unicorn awaiting her...

Aftermath

Guardian Angel

Chapter Thirteen: Aftermath

The warm rays of Celestia's sun gently crept across the sleeping form of Twilight Sparkle. Waking from a blissful sleep, she sat up, soaking up the warmth. With a quiet groan she stretched, the vertebrae in her back popping in a satisfying fashion. Slipping the covers off, Twilight looked over at the nearby guest bed-or more specifically its occupant. Rainbow Dash looked peaceful, even if she was drooling on the pillow. With a faint giggle Twilight made her way out of the room, down the stairs and into the kitchen.

While she was no gourmet chefpony, she could cook the basics quite well. She still didn't know how those flakes caught fire once, but it was just a one time thing... With a shrug she pulled out a box of oats, pouring a generous amount into two bowls she'd pulled over with her magic. 'I wonder of Dashie likes oats.' she paused mid-step. 'Since when do I call her Dashie?' Her thoughts wandered back to yesterday, and the events that happened. She recalled Rainbow Dash right beside her, belting out the lyrics to a song, nearly touching with the unicorn.

I wish I had an angel

For one moment of love

Twilight blushed, realizing how close Rainbow had been-they'd even brushed against each other a few times! Dwelling on the experience, she decided that she quite liked having Dash close by. A tinge of crimson appeared on her cheeks; thankfully Rainbow wasn't around to see it. Twilight had her doubts before, but now it was clear.

She was falling for Rainbow Dash.

And this scared her. Memories of her previous relationship and the thought of losing Rainbow's friendship terrified Twilight. Thankfully a knock from the front door startled her, and she pushed those thoughts aside before they got out of control. Trotting over, she pulled open the door with a hoof. The mailmare Ditzy Doo, stood there a stack of magazines clutched in her muzzle. "Morning Twilight, your magazines came in today," she greeted, words muffled by the thick string that held the gazettes together. Twilight quickly took the magazines in a field of magic, much to the grey pegasus' relief. "All your subscriptions are in there, Sky Tracers, Discover, Scientific Equine, Mystery Cures and Equestria Daily. Oh almost forgot, that special order you placed a few weeks ago is there too." Ditzy finished, adjusting her mail cap in the process.

"Thank you very much, how is Dinky doing?" Twilight asked, content to make small talk for now.

Ditzy responded, a smile breaking out on her face from just the mention of the little unicorn, "Dinky is doing great, she's pacing herself like you recommended. Those books have helped, for both of us. Being a pegasus naturally we're a bit wary around magic, but Dinky enjoys it so much that I just want to smile every time I see some magic."

"That's great to hear, you let her know that if she ever needs help, just come see me." Twilight replied, a smile of her own present. It reminded Twilight of herself at that age, she'd shared that same burning enthusiasm for learning everything, she still did today. Realizing that Ditzy had other places to visit on her route, Twilight bade her goodbye. The mailmare responded in kind, and took off. "When you stop by Sugarcube Corner, ask Pinkie for a muffin, tell her I sent you."  Twilight called out to her receding form, receiving a hasty thanks in return. Ditzy was a hard worker, and she definitely deserved a treat once in a while. Pulling the stack of magazines inside, she closed the door.

Setting the stack on a table, she cut the string with a simple spell. Pulling the string away, she wrapped it around her hoof, finishing by tying it into a knot. She set it aside and took a look through her magazines. Most of them were scientific or magic related journals, only Equestria Daily was the one not study related. Twilight had always enjoyed the monthly, it was always filled with stories and creations by normal everyday ponies. Celestia had shown it to her when she'd first found out what being the princess' student was like. She'd shown the young filly that you didn't need to be rich or high on the social ladder to be important. Ponies should love each other for their traits, not their wealth-a fact that some of Canterlot's elite sometimes seemed to forget. Twilight hadn't missed a single issue since, even with her move to Ponyville two years ago.

'Two years, so much has happened that it doesn't feel like it.' She recalled her meeting with Rainbow Dash that fateful day. The mud, the drenching and the "Rainblow Dry-" she cringed at the terrible wordplay; -and her appearance afterwards. In all honesty she'd do it again, just to hear Rainbow's uncontrollable laughter once more. That cute expression Rainbow had made, attempting to hold her laughter in, and utterly failing to do so. Twilight sighed, it was moments like those that made her glad she'd made friends. She learned what it's like to laugh, to cry and to be happy with those around you. Plus she'd saved Equestria...twice!

She was startled by a tickling sensation on her ribs. Twilight jumped up in an attempt to escape, only to end up losing her balance and falling onto her assailant. Lavender eyes met cerise, a twinkle of amusement present in those normally sharp orbs.

"Good morning Rainbow, did you sleep well?" asked Twilight, getting off of the prone pegasus. She noted with amusement at the flushed pegasus that had been under her a few seconds ago. Realizing the position she'd been in, a blush of her own broke out, but she disguised it by moving towards the kitchen. 'I seem to be blushing around her more often...'

Calling out from the kitchen, she informed Rainbow that breakfast was almost ready. Taking the milk jug out of the fridge, she trotted over to the main room, and to the table where Rainbow now sat. The bowls followed, carefully held in her magical aura. "I hope you like oats...It's the only thing I've got right now." she finished sheepishly. In preparing for the concert, she'd forgotten to buy groceries. The bowls landed with a pair of faint clinks, in front of their owners.

"Oats Twi? Of course I don't mind...it's just..do you have any honey?" Rainbow asked. She really didn't mind oats, but she liked to pour a bit of honey in to sweeten them beforehand. A jar hovered out of the kitchen, nearly empty. Twilight noted with some smugness that it paid to be organized as Rainbow plucked the jar out of the air. With a twist the lid came off, and she poured the sticky substance all over her bowl, covering the oats in a thin layer.

In the meantime, Twilight had started pouring herself some milk, but she soon found herself staring at Rainbow's face. The way her face scrunched up as she tried to coax the last drops of honey from the jar was just too cute. Twilight let out a startled yelp as she felt milk splash over her chest and forehooves. While she'd been staring at Rainbow she'd overfilled her bowl, the milk flowing over the edge. She quickly set down the carton.'Please don't notice, please don't notice, please don't notice...Celestia damn it.' She cursed inwardly as Rainbow realized what her friend had done.

A cyan hoof immediately shot to cover it's owners mouth, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she tried her best to control her laughter. It was just too funny; she looked over at Twilight, a look of disbelief on the unicorn's face. Milk stained her coat in several places, and ran down the unicorn's forehooves, culminating in a puddle at their base. Unable to hold it in anymore, Rainbow burst into laughter, falling onto her back. Rolling with mirth, she almost ended up tumbling into the puddle herself!

Twilight originally had a look of displeasure, but in seeing her friend laugh, she joined in. Truth be told, it had been pretty funny. The two laughed together for a few minutes more, Rainbow was the first to stop-the laughing was starting to hurt actually. Collecting herself, Rainbow remarked on Twilight's accident. "Wow, Twi...you're kinda, well you're kind of a mess right now." A pointed glare from Twilight immediately caused Rainbow to feel some remorse. 'Maybe I shouldn't have laughed so hard...I need to make it up to her.'

She didn't know what spurred her to do it but she quickly offered to clean up. "You probably should go take a shower, I'll clean up here." Twilight scrutinized Rainbow, before nodding gratefully, and trotting off towards the staircase. Rainbow's eyes subconsciously followed her form, focusing on her flanks. 'Gotta admit, she isn't too bad.' The milk still dripping down her receding form's coat didn't help Rainbow's imagination at all, and she felt her wings beginning to stiffen. Quickly she busied herself, trying to turn her focus away from Twilight and the fact that she was staring at her best friend's flanks.

Flying over to the kitchen, she grabbed a few tissues, and a rag from underneath the sink. Normally she'd open every single drawer looking for the stuff, but the labels placed everywhere did help. Wetting the rag with some water from the sink, and supplies in hoof, she fluttered back over to the spill. As she cleaned up the spill, letting the mass of tissues soak up the liquid, her mind wandered. 'Wonder what was so distracting that she had gone and spilled her milk. Probably some egghead science stuff.' She no longer used the term "egghead" as a derogatory remark, after Twilight showed her the joys of reading, it just didn't feel right. Nowadays she used it as a pet name, usually in jest.

With a satisfied huff she returned to the kitchen, throwing the soggy tissues in the nearby wastebasket. She quickly rinsed the rag, and hung it to dry on a nearby rack. Once more Rainbow made her way back to the table and finally was able to start eating. Not that she minded helping Twilight. Pouring what remained of the milk Rainbow dug into her meal.

Twilight stepped out of the shower, feeling much more refreshed. Her cheeks were still slightly pink from her accident before. 'I can't believe I did that...especially in front of her...' Drying herself off, she stepped out, but made a detour into her room. She needed to clear her mind before facing the pegasus again, lest she blurt something she didn't intend to. Something was off with Rainbow today, the pegasus never liked to clean. 'I wonder what brought that on, she probably just felt bad for me.'

Making her way downstairs, she found Rainbow sitting at the table, finishing off her breakfast. Twilight quickly sat down beside her cyan friend and with a flare of magic she picked up her spoon. "Wow, excellent work Rainbow!" She remarked, looking around at where her spill occurred.

"Uh-thanks Twi, it was nothing." The pegasus replied, attempting to hide the heat in her cheeks that popped up from Twilight's praise. Breakfast was finished quickly, and Twilight levitated the dishes over to the kitchen. She'd clean them later and just let the dishware float into the sink. Her daily list flew over, almost like a faithful pet. Twilight looked it over and made a few changes.

"So uh, got anything planned today Twi?" The pegasus asked, a bit of trepidation in her voice. 'Why was this so awkward... I'm just asking her if she's doing anything. It's not like I'm asking her on a date... wait, did I just think of asking her on a date? '

Twilight thought over her day plans, and Rainbow's question. "Well I've got to go to the market, as you've seen, my food supply is dreadfully low. You're welcome to come, if you're not too scared of some heavy lifting." She teased, silently hoping the pegasus would tag along.

Rainbow puffed out her chest in response to the unicorn's comments and Twilight immediately noticed how toned her friend was. Even under her coat, you could see the lean muscle. Not too much, as Rainbow was still a mare and had a figure to keep, but more than most mares. With a giggle to disguise the fact she'd been oogling her friend, Twilight tossed a pair of saddlebags to the pegasus. Rainbow caught them without breaking a sweat, cocky smile present on her face.

"Well then, shall we go?" she asked, slipping the bags on.

"Yes, lets." Twilight responded, opening the door.

The two wouldn't return until much later in the day...

Afternoon Rush

Guardian Angel

Chapter Fifteen: Afternoon Rush

Try as hard as she could, Twilight Sparkle could not finish her book. It wasn't the plot or anything about the book. The few chapters had been exhilarating, the story solid. The problem was Rainbow Dash, who currently lay on a nearby rock, engrossed in a book. 'Not problem... distraction. No that doesn't sound right either.' she thought. Recently all of her thoughts seemed to point to the pegasus. Sometimes she swore she could spot Rainbow out of the corner of her eye, turning around expecting her to stand there grinning, only to find out she was mistaken. Anything colorful reminded her of Dash, and she couldn't get the pegasus out of her head! Even in her book, she found herself replacing the main character with Rainbow; surprisingly the two were very much alike.

When faced with a difficult situation, she'd ask herself, "what would Rainbow Dash do?" Most of the time she'd immediately discard the thought, especially when handling chemicals. But now... what would Rainbow do when faced with romantic feelings with a close friend?

Would she just come out and say it? Or would she bottle those feelings up, and save it for an opportune moment?

With a huff of frustration she set her book down. "I'm going for a walk, I'll be back in a bit," she called out to the pegasus, who was engrossed in her book. This brought a smile to Twilight's face. Even the mighty Rainbow Dash liked reading! Too bad she was too engrossed to hear the unicorn's notification, so Twilight tried again, "Rainbow? Equestria to Rainbow Dash!"

The pegasus jerked, realizing Twilight had been talking to her. Sheepishly she apologized, "Sorry Twi, I was just at a good part. Big battle with a dragon and stuff. Anyways did you need something?"

"Just letting you know I'm taking a walk, I need to stretch my legs a bit. Just thought I'd let you know, just in case."

"Oh, alright Twi. Have fun?" Rainbow responded, a bit of dejection detectable in her voice. Thankfully Twilight hadn't picked up on it, and the unicorn trotted away.

Rainbow Dash quite enjoyed reading even more when the librarian was around. Of course she wished she could be doing other things with the librarian besides reading. Like snuggling close to that warm lavender filly, in front of a crackling fireplace.

Who was to say she didn't desire a bit of romance? Rainbow's goal in life was to join the Wonderbolts, a target she was well on her way to achieving, but there was also the urge to find that special somepony. Somepony to share your deepest secrets, to help you up when you were down, to give your heart out to. Somedays she wished she could just say what she felt, but Rainbow had never been good with words, another reason she picked up reading. She wanted help in voicing what she felt. Sure she could have just grabbed a dictionary, but that was boring. Rainbow Dash didn't do boring.

With a sigh, she returned to her tale. She'd think about what to do with her feelings for Twilight later... right now she wanted to see what would happen to the heroine of the story.

Twilight trotted along, moving through the brush almost like a predator. She observed the various fauna, her mind rattling off the names of most of the plants and organisms. She watched a butterfly flutter about through the air, without a care in the world.

'Was this what Rainbow felt like when she was flying?' Flight had always intrigued the studious unicorn. The brief taste she'd gotten with Rainbow had been both exhilarating and terrifying. Exhilarating because she really could see everything, from the setting sun, to the small town of Ponyville, to Canterlot perched on the mountain like a miniature castle in a diorama. The Everfree Forest stretching out for miles and miles over the countryside.

Terrifying, because, well there was always the chance of falling, and from heights like which Rainbow performed her tricks from it was all the more dangerous. She gained a larger respect for the daring mare, flight wasn't as easy as she imagined. While it came naturally to pegasi, like magic to unicorns, formal instruction was still needed. You couldn't just "wing it" and hope to fly. With a groan Twilight facehoofed at her unintentional pun, 'Thank Celestia Rainbow isn't around, she'd never let me live it down.'

She soon found herself making her way back to their spot, finding it very much the same as when she left. Once again Twilight found herself staring at the prismatic mare, entrapped by the sight of her stretched out on the rock. A grumble from her stomach broke Twilight out of her staring and she shifted her attention to the issue at hoof. She made her way over to the bag, and started rummaging for something.

Rainbow's sensitive ears picked up the not so quiet rustle of Twilight's bag, and she turned her head to greet the unicorn. What she hadn't expected to see is Twilight's rump in the air as she looked through the bag. She knew it was rude to stare, but she just couldn't pull herself away. The way those lavender flanks shifted as the unicorn rummaged about in her bag was hypnotizing.

Twilight cursed, she'd forgotten about their dinner reservation. In her excitement of finally having another reading night, or Daring Do Night as Rainbow preferred to call it, she'd completely skipped over making a reminder for herself or bringing a clock. 'Should've made a list.'

With a huff of annoyance she straightened out, letting out a quiet moan as the strain on her back lessened. Bending over like that was not comfortable. She turned around to deliver the bad news, but stopped. Rainbow seemed to be flustered for some reason, her cheeks tinted a adorable shade of pink. 'Probably just a 'saucy' passage in her book. She's been reading a lot more non-Daring Do and she was bound to run into *that** kind of fiction.'*

"Rainbow what time is it?" she asked, awaiting the pegasus' reply. Twilight couldn't tell the time as accurately as a pegasus. Pegasi had a natural connection to the weather and as such developed an accurate sense of time telling. Rainbow simply gave her the answer... "We're going to be late for our reservation!" she cried out.

"Not good Twilight! Where is it?" she asked, eager to change focus from the fact she'd been staring at Twilight's flanks. Thank Celestia she hadn't been caught. That would have been embarrassing to explain. 'Oh I was just oogling your backside, don't mind me. Truth is it was a nice backside. Damn it Rainbow! Get your head out of the gutter, this is no time to be thinking about that!'

"That's the problem, I forgot to prepare any reminders for myself!" Twilight continued to mumble. This was one of the worst times to forget something! "I guess we'll have to cancel then. We can always eat at the library..." she finished dejectedly.

In a few minutes they were packed up once more, and Twilight slipped on the once more full saddlebags. Rainbow quickly realized that she'd need to carry Twilight once more, and an idea quickly formed in her mind. Putting her plan into action, she beckoned to Twilight, "Hop on and hold on tight. I'll get us to Ponyville in ten seconds flat." They both knew that the feat was impossible, but the meaning was the same. Walking over, Twilight gingerly crawled on top of Rainbow Dash, taking care to avoid disturbing the extended wings. From what she'd read pegasus wings were very sensitive. Her hooves wrapped around the cyan mare's neck, and with a gulp she confirmed her readiness, hopefully Rainbow wouldn't do any stunts like last time.

Rainbow tensed, adjusting to the feel of having Twilight as a passenger. She gave a few experimental flaps, not used to carrying a pony on her back. Most of the time the passenger was underneath her.

"Just no stunts Rainbow. Please." Twilight beckoned. After what happened immediately after landing, Rainbow was content to agree. She preferred not being covered in vomit.

"Alright, just hold on tight Twi. I promise I won't do anything too crazy." She shouted out, already getting a running start. The cliff's edge rapidly approached, and Rainbow Dash leapt into the air, wings extended to their full width.

Flying with a passenger on her back was a bit strange at first, but she quickly found herself picking up speed. Then an idea struck her. She couldn't perform a Sonic Rainboom within town limits, the results being that the shockwave would shatter almost every window in town. Oh and the fine. While not short on bits by any means, Rainbow did not want to pay the 5000+ bits for damaging town property, or in this case every piece of town property.

But out here in the wilderness, there were no windows to shatter. Sure some animals may get a scare, but Fluttershy would take care of it. Even though she was no good with animals, Rainbow would still offer to help, it was only fair. With her thoughts in order, Rainbow flapped her wings harder, a mach cone starting to form. Twilight quickly deduced what was going to happen, and instead of wasting her breath, she simply clutched on tighter. It was already too late to stop anyways, unless they wanted to be tossed back like ragdolls, they'd have to continue on.

It was also very interesting to see for Twilight, she'd always wondered what the Rainboom looked like from Rainbow's perspective. This was her opportunity. Perhaps Rainbow would be willing to make a quick stop at the library afterwards so she could make some notes on the experience. A spark flew across her vision, burning a bright red and blue. The amount of sparks slowly increased. They were close.

Just like that, it happened. They broke the sonic barrier, and somehow the visible light spectrum.

A sense of weightlessness enveloped the two, and then they shot forward, even faster than before. Twilight felt the wave of energy pass over her, tingling every one of her senses. Her eyes took in the range of colors, but quickly closed to prevent damage to her retinas. Twilight's ears rung, and she could smell the slightest hint of burnt ozone in the air. How she wished she'd had some recording equipment on her!

Rainbow gave a cocky grin and an ecstatic whoop, her third Rainboom was a success, and on the first try too. It was also the first time she'd done it while carrying another pony. She couldn't wait to tell the rest of their friends!

The rainbow colored ring continued to expand, slowly disappating into nothingness. The rainbow trail she was known for was present and burning bright. While unnoticeable to her, the trail seemed to have a bit more purple than usual, as noted by the denizens of Ponyville, who had flocked outside to investigate the sudden noise.

Pulling into some wide banks, Rainbow gradually slowed herself down, and eventually landed in the town market. The few ponies still present looked on in interest. They'd heard of the Rainboom, whether through Fluttershy's unusually loud cheering upon the ponies' return or from the performer herself, but most ponies hadn't seen the phenomenon. A tentative clap sounded out, followed quickly by the rest of the ponies joining in.

Twilight climbed off of Rainbow's back, the clapping intensifying once the crowd realized that there had been a passenger! Rainbow basked in the attention, imagining if this is what the Wonderbolts felt like after a show. As the claps died down, Rainbow gave a bow to the crowd, and called out a simple thanks. "Thanks everypony. I'll be here all week." she added, a bit of lighthearted sarcasm in her voice. The crowd chuckled and dispersed, returning to their previous tasks.

"21.65," Twilight gasped out, still shaky on her hooves.

"Huh?" Rainbow asked, perplexed by the number Twilight had said.

"21.65 seconds to get to Ponyville town limits." she repeated.

Rainbow started to snicker, soon enough erupting into full blown laughter. Twilight had also started laughing, and gave a small gasp of surprise as Rainbow pulled her into a hug. Normally she wouldn't be caught dead hugging in public, but right now Rainbow didn't care.

"Never change egghead. Never."

"Only if you won't... featherbrain."

Dinner

Guardian Angel

Chapter Sixteen: Dinner

"Never change egghead. Never."

"Only if you won't... featherbrain."

Rainbow blinked, her laughter abruptly stopping. Twilight paled and immediately began to panic. 'Oh no. I've done it now. Did I offend her? Is featherbrain an insult in pegasi culture!?'

Her worrying was for naught as Rainbow burst right back into laughter. "Th-that's a goo-good one Twi. Didn't expect it f-from yo-you. Featherbrain huh?" She stuttered out, voice punctuated by giggles, "Now weren't we going to get some food?"

"Y-yes." Twilight tentatively responded, releasing the breath she'd been holding in, "I was wondering if you'd like to try out the new place that opened up last month. I've been meaning to go, but I just haven't had the time."

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way."

With that the two set off in a brisk trot. Their destination quickly came into view. It was a simple building, white with red shingles. Red banners hung off the roof, proudly displaying the restaurant's logo.

The inside of the restaurant looked very much like the outside, with more banners hanging on the walls. A sea of hardwood stretched out across the floor, punctuated by smaller red carpets. 'If Rarity were here, I'm pretty sure she'd say this was marvelous or something equally as disturbing.' Rainbow thought, with a wry grin.

After seeing them enter, a waiter trotted over, clipboard at the ready, "Greetings ladies, I am Quick Service and I will be your waiter for tonight. I'm assuming a table for two, is that correct?" he greeted.

"Yes. Just the two of us." Twilight responded.

"Excellent, if you'd follow me please." he said, beckoning for them to follow. They briskly arrived at their table. It was placed in such a way that the occupants could look out the window. Twilight and Dash quickly got seated and the saddlebag from the librarian's back was placed on the ground beside the chair. "Please make yourselves comfortable whilst I fetch the menus. I hope your date goes well."

"Date? What...?"

"I'm not dati- we're just friends." Twilight sputtered, oblivious to the slight look of disappointment on Rainbow's own feelings hurt, she felt a dull ache course through her. 'Why do I feel this way. I mean I like Rainbow Dash... but am I ready to try dating again? Is she even interested in dating somepony?'

Meanwhile Rainbow was having some more disappointing thoughts, 'I like her... but from her reaction it seems that she isn't so enthusiastic. I think I'll take a leaf out of Twi's book and wait a bit. It's for the best,' she reaffirmed internally, as much as she didn't want to. Waiting was never one of her strong suits.

"I'd merely assumed that...erhm never mind." Trailing off, Quick turned and made his way away from the two patrons. The air seemed to grow dense, almost suffocating. It was as the phrase went, 'thick enough to cut with a knife'. Returning with a pair of menus, he began a hasty apology, "I'd like to apologize for my assumption. It was not my place. Now, I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders."

He trotted off, leaving the two bookworms to browse through their menus. Rainbow immediately noticed how expensive the food was... but did it look ever tasty. The flame cooked salad caught her eye, it looked so appetizing. According to the menu it was coated with spices and cooked over an open flame. 'Wonder what Twi's getting. Knowing her it's probably the simplest thing on the menu.' If there was one thing about Twilight Sparkle's eating habits, it's that she was very boring in that regard. Rainbow even recalled one time having a discussion on that, but what brought it on she couldn't remember.

Quick Service returned, two glasses of water on a tray. He set them on the table gently, along with the tray. Pulling a notepad out of his apron, he got ready to jot down their orders. "Are you ready ladies?" He asked, keeping a level tone to hide his earlier blunder.

Rainbow, ever quick, spoke up first. "Yeah, I'll have the Spitfire Salad and a side of bread sticks."

Twilight quirked her eyebrow before explaining her own order, "I'll have the Minestrone soup and some prench garlic bread."

Jotting their orders down, he gave a nod and walked off. Twilight shook her head slightly, "You do know why it's called Spitfire salad right?"

"Uh... it's named after the Wonderbolt?" Rainbow stated obliviously.

"Wrong. It's actually named for- You know what? I'll let you figure it out." She finished with a sly smile. After a few minutes their waiter approached and swiftly deposited their meals, along with cutlery. The aromas wafting immediately took over their senses, Rainbow's spicy meal more prevalent.

Twilight raised her glass in a toast, and clinked it against Rainbow's, who had mimicked her action."I'd like to dedicate this toast to a successful Nightmare Night and concert. That was the most fun I've had in a while and well, the opportunity came up today. So I though what the hay, let's celebrate." The unicorn finished with a smile. Rainbow grinned right back and looked down on her meal. A mass of orange and yellow peppers greeted her, interspersed between lettuce leaves. A few embers flickered on the meal and all of the chopped vegetables had a nice crispy look to them. Some smaller leaves were scattered about, colored in a mix of orange and black.

Grabbing her fork, Rainbow jabbed a small amount of salad onto the utensil and brought it to her mouth. She plopped it into her mouth, gingerly chewing. 'This isn't so bad, I wonder what she's on about.' A few mouthfuls later Rainbow realized why it was called Spitfire. Her mouth felt like the inside of a fireplace. Scrambling she gulped down her entire glass of water in a few gulps, sighing in relief as the burning died down. She paled as she realized that there was still about two thirds of the salad left. Thankfully their waiter planned ahead and left a pitcher of water nearby, so Rainbow refilled her glass.

On the other side of the table, Twilight held a hoof near her mouth, shaking with mirth. This was too great, as soon as she'd seen the word spitfire, she knew that would be Dash's choice. Rainbow glared across from her, a challenging look in her eyes. Twilight gulped. If her suspicions were correct, which they usually were, then her future looked a lot hotter all of a sudden.

Rainbow watched with glee as the unicorn squirmed. 'This is so much fun, though I do miss how she looked earlier.' While her brain had been processing the fact that her mouth was on fire, Twilight had moved a hoof to her muzzle, attempting to hide her giggle fit. In Rainbow's opinion she looked cute. 'Oh jeez. I'm turning into Fluttershy. I'd never describe something as 'cute'. But I guess with Twilight it isn't so bad.'

"Rainbow Dash you are not getting me to try that. I'm perfectly happy with my soup." She warned, wary of the pegasus' next move.

"Come on Twi. Lighten up a little? 'Celebrate' like you said?"

"By celebrate I didn't mean roast the inside of my mouth."

"Come on... please?" Rainbow pleaded.

"No."

"I'll come by and help around the library?"

"I have Spike and Owlowiscious to do that."

"I'll read some history books..."

"No, we both know you'd just fall asleep on top of it."

They both chuckled, as they knew that was exactly what would happen. One time Twilight had attempted to get Rainbow to read a historic text, on the great Commander Hurricane no less, but that had ended with Rainbow asleep, drooling on the image of the good commander.

"So you're still not gonna try it?"

"For the last time, no."

Rainbow grimaced, she had one last trick to play. Remembering what the Crusaders did sometimes, she pulled a pout that would make even Rarity proud. She immediately noticed Twilight's resolve weakening. 'Now to execute the rest of the plan.'

"Aww, come on Twi. Just one tiny bite." she cooed.

"Noo- alright. Just a small bite..." Twilight knew she'd regret it, but the pout Rainbow pulled off had shattered her resolve. 'Damn her for being so cute.'

"Yeessss!" Rainbow squealed, her plan had worked. Twilight levitated her own fork, still unused, and jabbed on a few pieces of the spicy meal. She hesitantly brought it into her mouth, and upon Rainbow's not-so-subtle encouragement, bit down on the food. Her eyes immediately watered, and all moisture in her mouth ceased to exist. 'Sweet Celestia. It's like the gates of Tartarus opened in my mouth. Is boiling lava now an ingredient? How the hay did she manage to eat a third of her meal before needing to chug a glass of water!' She thought as she gulped down her drink, Rainbow's snickers clearly audible.

Twilight retorted with a barb of her own, "Laugh it up now, but you've still got another two thirds to go."

"Oh ponyfeathers..."

Several more glasses of water and an hour later the two finally left. Twilight had paid for the meal, leaving a generous tip. Any attempt by Rainbow to help pay was promptly shot down. They now just walked through Ponyville, the sun having set almost an hour ago.

"The days are growing shorter, winter's going to be here soon." Twilight mentioned.

A groan sounded from Rainbow, "You do know that means I'm gonna have a bunch more work than usual."

"Come on Rainbow Dash, it's not so bad. You can always stop by my place afterwards. We can curl up together by the fire, sipping hot chocolate and reading a good book..." She trailed off, a look of horror present on her face. 'Goddess! I just blurted one of my fantasies out loud! In front of her no less... What are you doing Twilight!' She mentally berated herself.

Rainbow was thankful it was dark outside, otherwise the raging blush on her face would be very noticeable, "Huh Twilight. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting with me," she teased. She couldn't possibly be... right?

"Uh- I...well- bluh," was all Twilight could muster. The situation was rapidly deteriorating and it took all of her willpower not to teleport away just there.

She was Twilight Sparkle, personal protegé to Princess Celestia and the element of magic. She'd faced down Nightmare Moon and Discord almost singlehoofedly and yet here she was completely dumbstruck when talking to one of her closest friends! 'An incredibly cute friend, one you find very attractive.' Her brain added, further confusing her. It wasn't just physical attraction either. Twilight very much liked Rainbow's personality. She was brave, creative, spunky and the embodiment of loyalty to boot. It was hard not to be attracted. 'Well it's official now. You're undoubtedly in love Sparkle. Now what are you gonna do?' She internally monologued, 'Maybe pull a page from that filly you love's book and *do** something!'*

Rainbow walked silently, looking on with a bit of curiosity. Twilight was acting very strange today. Unbeknownst to them, they'd arrived at Twilight's home and now stood near the front door. She continued to look on, wondering what the unicorn was up to.

Twilight decided that it was time for action.

"Rainbow I... well," she began, attempting to voice what was currently running through her brain. "They say actions speak louder than words right?"

"Yeah Twi, but I don't see where this is go-"

Her question was interrupted by Twilight's lips crashing onto her own...

Deliberations and Decisions

Guardian Angel

Chapter One: Deliberations and Decisions

Flower of the Season - Bronyfied (Featuring Aviators)

A quiet melody played across a small valley where a cliff was nestled. One lone cloud drifted across the morning sky; the soft strums of a guitar echoed through the valley.

The source of this melody was a mare by the name of Rainbow Dash. A guitar was cradled in her hooves, a small amp resting next to her. Not many ponies played the guitar, even less knew that Rainbow Dash played the instrument.

It wasn't often that Dash played the guitar outside of her home; she only played outdoors when she was troubled, and right now she was very troubled.

Her best friend, Twilight Sparkle, had recently returned to Ponyville after a long trip to Canterlot. While there she had fallen in love with one of her research partners. Dash was happy for her; the bookish mare had never had a relationship before and in Dash's opinion it was one of the best things to experience in life, right behind a sonic rainboom.

If I could only make you smile

Make you happy for a while

But you won't seem to let me

Recently, though, it seemed like Twilight's relationship was spiralling downward, if the tone in her letters spoke anything. It seemed like Twilight and her marefriend were butting heads more often, fighting and speaking only when necessary. Then one day, it all came down to a boil. The two split, and with her work in Canterlot done, Twilight went home to Ponyville.

That was a few days ago.

What happened to your joyful ways

Your smiling face on a sunny day

Is this who you really wanna be?

The Twilight that came home was not the same bubbly, bookish unicorn Dash knew. While Twilight was always a bit quiet, this Twilight was simply distant. A facade was what greeted them at the train station. Short clipped sentences and half answers. Untold sorrow, hidden behind moist eyes.

Dash sighed.

Her hooves moved the strings, the melody continuing to echo as the sun kept to it's daily path.

What happened to the pony I once knew

What's the source of this sadness inside of you

Rainbow just wasn't sure what to do. True she was a bit brash, prone to making bad decisions. She had always hidden some of herself behind boasting and arrogance. She was afraid of what others would think of her then. The amazing Rainbow Dash, a softie?! So she became more "cool", suppressing parts of herself.

That all changed when she met Twilight. With Twilight, she felt like she didn't have to worry about a thing. She could show her softer side, her more subdued personality. Twilight embraced this side of Dash, encouraging her not to hide. It was then Dash realized she was only hurting herself, and began to open up and accept the parts of her personality, subdued for so long.

Thanks to Twilight's help, Dash matured. She still enjoyed playing pranks and sleeping the day away, but she was a lot more thoughtful. She was more considerate for others, especially the weather team. They had to put up with her antics almost daily. Not everyone had her raw flying ability either.

Truth be told, the pony she was now was who she wanted to be, but was too scared to have been before.

You're the flower of the season

Not yet blooming for some reason

Lift your head up from the ground

To the bright light of the sun

Push your way through all the sadness

All the hatred, all the madness

Bloom with beauty once again

There's no reason to run

Rainbow honestly wasn't sure what to do. All of her friends had tried cheering the unicorn up, whether it was a party courtesy of Pinkie, or a trip to the spa from Rarity. Dash herself even created a new trick to try and help cheer up Twilight. It had worked, though only a little.

I wish you could feel hope again

I wish I could be a friend

But I can't seem to get through

This wall you've built around your heart

A barrier tearing you apart

Please, I want to help you

What happened to the pony I once knew

What's the source of this sadness inside of you

Rainbow Dash was a bit older than her group of friends, she had experienced heartbreak before. She knew what Twilight was going through. During her college days, she'd had fallen for a mare. That mare had been one of the best things to happen to Rainbow.

Like most good things, this too had to come to an end. After graduation her marefriend was given a choice: pursue a career in Manehatten away from Rainbow Dash, or stay in Cloudsdale. She chose her career. That was one of the most painful moments of Rainbow's life. She hadn't known where to go. Cloudsdale was too painful, each place bringing unwanted memories to the surface. She drifted from place to place, her guitar her only real possession.

Broken and alone

Falling apart

And so far from home

So far from home

Eventually she settled in Ponyville, and began to recover and come to terms. She hadn't been with anypony since, she just couldn't take another heartbreak. She wasn't going to lie, she was no expert when it came to relationships.

Now Twilight was in her horseshoes.

Dash launched into the solo, her hoof moving along the guitar's neck. Her wing reached over her shoulder, helping press some of the strings.

You're the flower of the season

Not yet blooming for some reason

Lift your head up from the ground

To the bright light of the sun

Push your way through all the sadness

All the hatred, all the madness

Bloom with beauty once again

There's no reason to run

Dash gave a small smile. That solo had always been difficult. Rarely did she manage to correctly hit all the chords.

Slowly the music died down, the song coming to a close.

Dash slipped off the strap, returning the guitar to it's case. The cord followed, and the case was closed with a satisfying snap.

Slinging the case over her shoulder, she wiggled her wings, the case resting between them. It had been difficult to fly at first, but eventually she learned to secure the case so it wouldn't interfere with her flight.

Her amp was cradled in her front hooves. Dash was heading home.

She knew what she had to do.

She was going to help Twilight.

She would be her Guardian Angel.

This Was a Triumph

Guardian Angel

Chapter 14: This Was a Triumph

It was that time of the week again for Rainbow Dash. The moment she cherished so dearly, a time she could go on adventures, to visit places she could only imagine. To get lost in a sea of words and stories. It was Daring Do night once more.

She was exceptionally giddy this time around. After having missed the past two weeks due to Spike's "Dragon Quest", and taking care of coaching Ponyville's pegasi population to help refill Cloudsdale's water supply, she finally had some time. While eager to finish off the current book she was reading, she wasn't as desperate as Twilight. Rainbow chuckled- a few days without reading was like an eternity without books to Twilight.

There were also the strange feelings she'd been having around the librarian recently. Rainbow noticed her heart beating a little quicker when in proximity to the unicorn. She stuttered occasionally, and once she'd even been caught staring. Thankfully she'd managed to play it off as being lost in thought and Twilight was none the wiser to her true thoughts.

Rainbow now knew she was attracted to Twilight. If it wasn't for all the time they spent together preparing for the concert, she may have not seen this herself.

She adored hearing the unicorn's voice, even if the topic was completely boring, Rainbow could listen for hours. The way her mane bounced as she paced, stressing over some trivial issue. While not as courageous as herself, she also admired Twilight's take charge attitude, especially when faced with dangers such as Discord and Nightmare Moon.

And her eyes. By Celestia she loved those lavender orbs.

They were a sea of lavender, so easy to get lost way they sparkled as Twilight devoured a book's contents-metaphorically of course. Rainbow was pretty sure Twilight would have a heart attack if she saw somepony eating a book.

Soon enough she found herself entering the library. It was still mid-afternoon, but she was pretty sure Twilight wouldn't mind an earlier appearance too much. After a few minutes of waiting Rainbow found herself searching for the librarian. The main floor was empty, and so was her study and bedroom.

Her ears twitched as she picked up faint singing. It seemed to be coming from a door on the main floor, so she fluttered over. Opening the door revealed a staircase leading downwards, and she gave a small gasp of surprise. 'How big is this tree exactly?'she found herself wondering. Twilight's voice could be heard clearly now. Rainbow crept silently down the stairs as Twilight moved into another song. The source of the music, a radio she recalled, sat on a nearby table, playing a tune for the scientist.

Twilight bounced along the room, lab coat fluttering behind her, as she checked up on the various beakers and recording devices. She smiled, everything was going fine so far. Grabbing a nearby clipboard, she began scribbling down some notes, never once stopping her singing.

This was a triumph.

I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.

It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.

Equestrian Science

We do what we must

because we can.

For the good of all of us.

Except the ones who are dead.

Rainbow sat down near the base of the stairs. head bobbing to the tune that the radio was playing. For now she just watched the unicorn in her element. She'd seen Twilight in various moods, from happy to serious, but this was a new one. The unicorn looked so carefree, which was rather ironic considering some of the complex looking stuff in the room.

But there's no sense crying over every mistake.

You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

And the Science gets done.

And you make a neat spell.

For the ponies who are still alive.

I'm not even angry.

I'm being so sincere right now.

Even though you broke my heart.

And killed me.

And tore me to pieces.

And threw every piece into a fire.

As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you!

Now these points of data make a beautiful line.

And we're out of beta.

We're releasing on time.

So I'm GLaD. I got burned.

Think of all the things we learned

for the ponies who are still alive.

Go ahead and leave me.

I think I'd prefer to stay inside.

Maybe you'll find someone else to help you.

Maybe Black Mesa

That was a joke.

HAHA. FAT CHANCE.

Anyway, this cake is great.

It's so delicious and moist.

Look at me still talking

when there's Science to do.

When I look out there, it makes me GLaD I'm not you.

I've experiments to run.

There is research to be done.

On the ponies who are still alive.

And believe me I am still alive.

I'm doing Science and I'm still alive.

I feel FANTASTIC and I'm still alive.

While you're dying I'll be still alive.

And when you're dead I will be still alive.

Still alive.

Still alive...

Twilight was surprised by the sound of clapping, letting out a small gasp, before noticing Rainbow Dash sitting on the stairs; a goofy grin present on her face. "Oh, hi there Rainbow, welcome to my lab." She greeted, waving a hoof in the direction of all the scientific equipment nearby.

"So that's what this place is for... interesting song by the way," The pegasus retorted, drawing a chuckle out of the unicorn. "Though what's with the lyrics at some points? And the cake."

"I'm not exactly sure. The pony who wrote this song wasn't exactly regarded as sane. Kept muttering something about the cake being a lie, amongst other things. How a pastry could cause so much trouble is beyond me."

"Oh well then...Daring Do Night is still a go. Right?" Rainbow asked, dismissing the the now weird topic.

"Of course, let me clean up in here and I'll join you upstairs. Don't get too comfortable though. I've got something special planned for tonight." Twilight responded, already putting away her equipment. She was done her experimentation for today anyways. The various beakers and other tools floated to their proper places. Satisfied, she slipped the lab coat and goggles off, placing both on a hook near the stairs. She flicked a switch with her hoof; the crystal lamps dimming slowly leaving the lab dark once more. 'Now to see if she'll go along with my idea. Come on Sparkle, you can do this!'

Turning she made her way up the stairs, finding Rainbow lounging on one of the nearby cushions. "We've never really celebrated our success at the concert, and well I'd like to treat you to a nice congratulatory dinner. Of course after we do some reading." She summarized, ending up sounding more like Fluttershy than she'd wanted.

"Sounds interesting Twi, any idea where we might go?" Rainbow was always excited at the prospect of free food, within limits of course.

"I was thinking we'd go to the valley, maybe on top of the cliff? Afterwards there's a new cafe I'd thought we might visit." Twilight mentioned, while stuffing a blanket into her saddlebag. She'd always wanted to see the top of Horseshoe Valley, but every time she was there something always distracted her from going up top. 'Not this time'

Rainbow in the meantime picked out a pair of books. She was almost done with one and eager to move onto the next in the series. Trotkien was one heck of an author, she had to admit. Trotting over to Twilight, she gave a nod signifying she was ready to go.

"Let me take those for you." Twilight said, motioning to the two books under Rainbow's wing. The pegasus handed over the books and straightened her feathers. As soon as Twilight packed away the novels, they walked out and left the library behind. She'd already left a note for Spike for when he returned from his adventures with the Crusaders.

In no time they had arrived at their destination, the base of the massive semi-circular cliff that gave "Horseshoe Valley" it's namesake. Twilight looked around, seeking for any way up the cliff. Teleportation was a no-go, as there were too many unknowns. She could end up teleporting into a rock or a tree. That wouldn't be good at all. So she sat there, contemplating on whether to ask Rainbow for a lift- literally.

Meanwhile, similar thoughts fetted through Rainbow's mind. Should she offer a lift, or let the unicorn figure out her own way up. The sun was already past it's highest point and this was the perfect time to be outside, while it was warm the sun wouldn't be completely shining down on them. She prodded the ground with a hoof and decided on a course of action.

She was Rainbow Dash, most talented flier in Equestria, future Wonderbolt and a pretty good guitarist to boot. A simple cliff wasn't going to stop her from enjoying Daring Do Nigh- er, day... and more importantly, time with Twilight.

She crept closer to Twilight, and before the unicorn could even react, wrapped her hooves around the librarian's midsection. With a powerful flap she took off, screaming passenger clutched tightly in her forelegs.

Twilight stopped yelling at the sudden acceleration and opened her eyes. What she saw took her breath away. The cliff rushed by at an alarming pace, soon giving way to almost clear skies. Ponyville stood proudly in the distance, multicolored rooftops gleaming in the rays of the sun. The cliff around her looked insignificant, even the massive waterfall looked tiny from up here. Twilight tilted her head up slightly, getting a good look at the bottom of Rainbow's muzzle. An involuntary shiver coursed through her body as she felt those athletic forelegs keeping her safe.

"Feeling cold Twi?" Asked the pegasus flier, feeling the slight tremor her passenger gave off.

"N-no. I mean yes! Yes, just a chill." Twilight responded hastily, hiding her blush quickly. "Now can we land? I'd like to get to reading."

"Alright, just one more thing."

Twilight paled at her companion's quip. 'I hope she isn't doing what I think she is.' She gulped as the pegasus gripped her even tighter, a slight adjustment in their course could be felt as Rainbow leveled out. 'Oh sweet Celestia help me,' was her last thought as the force of acceleration could be felt once more. "Rainbow Dash! You had better not be doing what I think you are! I swear I'll-" She cried out in vain as the daredevil pegasus pulled into a loop, letting out a joyful whoop in response. Twilight felt a wave of nausea and clenched her mouth shut tight.

The pegasus leveled herself out, having completed the simple maneuver, and turned downwards for a landing. She managed to slow herself down enough and angled her wings. The two glided down into a clean stop and Rainbow let out a sigh. A job well done. Twilight, on the other hoof, immediately made a beeline for the nearest bush and emptied her stomach's contents. The loop had not helped at all.

Rainbow sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Oops, guess I got a little carried away...Sorry Twi." The freedom of the skies and the fact that she'd been holding the mare of her (recent) dreams had allowed her to overdo what should have been a simple lift. While Rainbow didn't know if anything would come of those dreams, she couldn't help but hope. 'Perhaps some day...'

Twilight, having finished emptying the contents of her stomach, reassured her companion, "That was amazing Rainbow. I could see everything from up there. Though I could have done without the loop." She finished, a tinge of green still present on her face. "Now lets set up in another area that doesn't smell of regurgitated lunch." Rainbow nodded in agreement, crinkling her nose.

A grin from Rainbow was Twilight's only warning before the pegasus blurted out, "Race you there!" Twilight quickly recovered, running after her cyan companion. The two raced their way over, laughing all the way, closer to the waterfall near the center of the large horseshoe shaped cliff. A pond rested there before flowing into the waterfall and the same river that cut through Ponyville.

This was the same place where she'd first shown Twilight her guitar, and that portion of her life. With a barely contained excitement Rainbow hopped up onto a rock and laid down, letting out a quiet hum, soaking up the heat the stone had absorbed during the course of the day.

Twilight instead busied herself in setting up the blanket, spreading it out with her magic. She levitated their books out of her bag and passed Rainbow's selected reading material over. The pegasus accepted with a nod of thanks, delving right into her book. There were adventures to be had after all.

With Rainbow squared away, the lavender unicorn turned to her own books. Twilight didn't get much reading done though. She found herself zoning off, unable to focus on her book. She'd been excited to read the newest book in a series she cherished, but her mind didn't allow her. Instead she found herself thinking only of Rainbow Dash... and how to understand her attraction to the cyan angel that was so important in her life.