Don't Give Up

Don’t Give Up

Chapter 13

Revenge

“I saw her today.”

“What? Why? You know that’s against the rules.”

“It wasn’t my fault, she was with my friend, and I had no choice.”

“What do you mean ‘with’?”

“A date.”

“Is that so? Your friend’s a mare, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting…”

-_-_-_-

Rainbow was woken up by the smell of food, combined with a rather large gurgle from her stomach. Groaning she shifted her weight and sat up, a few joints cracking as she did so. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open, her vision instantly filling with bright white light.

Her eyes adjusted to the light after a few moments, the room coming into focus as she swung her rear hooves to the edge of the bed. She shifted her weight just enough to slide slowly off the bed, landing on her hooves with a soft thud. She stumbled a bit, one of her hooves numb from sleeping on it. Eventually she regained her balance enough to walk over to the door, nudging it open with a hoof she stepped out into the hall.

As she walked down the stairs she stretched out her wings, a quick spike of pain shot through her body when they reached their full span. She still wasn’t ready to fly, and it probably didn’t help that she had already flown twice. It would be at least another week before she could even think about hovering, never mind getting home. Though she didn’t think that was a particularly bad thing.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs she spotted the source of the smell; a few hay cakes sitting on a plat at the table. Twilight was sitting across from them, a plate of her own in front of her.

“Morning.” Twilight greeted through a mouthful of hay cake. Smiling and waving with a hoof.

“Hey.” Dash answered, walking over to the table.

“Hope you like hay cakes, they’re about the only thing I can cook without burning something.” Twilight admitted, grinning sheepishly.

“Nah, they’re fine, but where’s Spike? Doesn’t he normally make breakfast?” Dash asked, sitting down across from Twilight and picking up her fork.

“Normally, yes. But this isn’t exactly breakfast; it’s a little past 11 AM. He’s already left to help Rarity with whatever it is he helps her with.” Dash just nodded in response, her mouth full of hay cakes and syrup.

For a while they ate in a peaceful silence. The room filled with the clacking of fork on plate, the occasional sip of apple juice. All complimented by the quiet and steady noise of two ponies chewing. While it was not uncomfortable, there was a slight tension in the air. A tension neither of them wanted to deal with, but they both knew they would have to.

“Listen.” Twilight started timidly. Rainbow flinched slightly; she knew exactly where the conversation was going. “About last night, what you said. I think.” Twilight hesitated, giving Dash a chance to jump in.

“Don’t rush the decision; take your time with it.”

“No, I’ve had enough time. I think… I know… I don’t think we should-” She was silenced by a single tear; a single tear, rolling slowly down Dash’s cheek. Not enough to silence the average pony, but enough to stun anypony that knew Rainbow. She never cried.

“Okay.” Dash said quietly, her voice shaky and uneven. She stood from the table slowly, legs shaking as she made her way to the stairs.

“Rainbow, wait,” Before she could finish her sentence, the cyan pegasus was already in the guest room, a loud thud punctuating her wish to not be disturbed. Twilight was left alone at the table, still stunned at the mare’s reaction. That was not the one she had expected.  She had run the scenario through her mind at least 30 times, and none of the possible outcomes were anything like this.

-_-_-_-

“Alright, it’s okay. You knew this could happen; you prepared yourself. You can get through this. You still have friends; Twilight is still your friend. You’ll be fine.” Rainbow told herself over and over again. Though each time she said it, it sounded more and more like a lie. It wasn’t going to be alright, that was a lie and she knew it; it would take a better lie then that to trick THE Rainbow Dash.

Nothing would be the same ever again. Twilight didn’t feel the same as she did. Fine, she could accept that, but she still had feelings for Twilight. Nothing could get rid of those. It was funny, Dash thought: A few days ago she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t stop looking at the purple mare, and now the term “love” came to mind every time she thought about her.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Rainbow? Are you there?” Twilight called from the other side of the door.

“Uh, no?” Dash said weakly.

“Then who just talked to me?” Drat, she had found out her brilliant plan.

“Uh, Sorry, Twi, but I need to… work out? Yeah, that’s it, I have to exercise after a meal, keeps me in shape.” Dash said, struggling to keep her voice from cracking and ruining her even more brilliant plan B.

“I just want to talk.” Twilight insisted.

“Fine…” Dash sighed in defeat, walking over to the door and unlocking it. Opening it slowly, her eyes glued to the floor. She stepped to the side to allow Twilight entrance.

“What’s wrong Rainbow? I thought you would be happy.” Dash was struggling not to scream at Twilight. Happy? How could she be happy? She was just rejected by the first pony she had ever really loved, and she had no choice but to live with her for at least a week. How in Equestria could she be happy?

“Nothing, I’m fine.” She lied, tears threatening to escape her eyes.

“No, you aren’t. I told you I wanted to be with you, and then you run off and lock yourself in your room. Call me crazy, but that’s not how most ponies would react.”

‘Wait… what?’ Dash thought, ‘She said that she didn’t think we should be together, and here she is telling me she said the exact opposite. Is this some kind of cruel joke?’

“You said that you didn’t think we should-” Dash started, only to be cut off by Twilight finishing her sentence.

“Tell our friends yet.” Rainbow was stunned. She stood there for a moment, not sure how to react. Just letting what she meant sink in. She felt a smile blossom onto her face, the shock giving way to relief and happiness. She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.

Leaping forward she hooked her legs around Twilight’s neck, pulling the unicorn into grateful hug.

“Thank you.” Dash said quietly into Twilight’s fur. Her soft, lavender chocolate scented fur.

“Um… your welcome?” Twilight said uncertainly, not expecting such a random change in mood, but happily welcoming the embrace anyway.

For a while they sat in the embrace; Dash crying quietly out of relief. Releasing pent up fears and doubts into purple shoulders. Twilight taking it in and slowly calming the cyan pegasus. It was weird for Dash to show any emotions other then happy. It was even rarer for her to cry. She felt privileged to be able to evoke such emotions from such a strong and independent mare. But at the same time guilty for causing them in the first place.

After a while Rainbow fell silent, her tears at stopped and her breathing had slowed.

“Rainbow?” Twilight said softly. She was answered with a rather loud snore.

“RAINBOW!” Twilight yelled, still she was answered with an even louder snore from the sleeping pegasus. Sighing and chuckling at the sight, she wormed her way gently out of the hug. When she was free and sure that she hadn’t woken her she levitated her over to the bed and tucked her under the covers with a light purple glow.

For a while she watched the steady, almost hypnotic rising and falling of Dash’s chest. Her face bent into a relaxed and relieved smile. Twilight smiled lightly, she looked so peaceful when she was asleep: Maybe too peaceful to get revenge on her for falling asleep at a time like that. Or maybe not, Twilight thought, running to get a bucket and some ice. One too many pranks under Dash’s belt made revenge necessary.

After a quick trip to the sink she opened the door to the fridge, reaching down to the freezer drawer in the bottom. Her eyes were stopped half way down, a purple liquid catching her eye. It had been moved.

‘Odd’ Twilight thought ‘Dash knows what happens when she drinks that, she wouldn’t take it. And Spike would see the label I put on it, so then who moved it?’ For a while Twilight was puzzled, but then an idea started to take shape. What if Dash had? Twilight shook the thought from her head; Dash would never do that.

Pushing the thought to the back of her mind she reached her magic out to the ice box and took out a tray of ice, dumping it into the bucket. Then she turned to the sink and filled it with cold water. One revenge prank coming up. Giggling she ran back up the stairs and into Dash’s room. Poised for revenge.

SPLASH

“TWILGHT!”