These Lives We Liveby Sir_FredrickChaptersAsking a FavorDecisionsReach Out and Grab HerBetrayal of the HeartAsking a FavorRainbow Dash tore through the sky at mach speeds, well outside ponyville's city limits. The early morning winter sun was still climbing over the mountains in the east. Rainbow Dash was high enough that she caught the first rays of sunlight before the rest of the world below. The rays of heat felt good on her ice cold skin as she spiraled upward, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake, fizzling out shortly after. Dash flared her wings, slowing her speed considerably before bursting through a small cloud and coming to a rest on top of it. She looked down to the south at ponyville, still dark and lifeless with its snow filled streets. Most ponies wouldn't be up this early, It being the middle of the winter holidays, but Dash had been up all night. Yesterday's small storm had caused a wall in her home to all but dissipate, letting the harsh cold of winter in. Her cloud home wasn't the warmest of places at the best of times, but with her wings, and several layers of blankets, she made due. Adrenaline had kept her warm and awake for the night, but fatigue was starting to catch up to her, and as she laid her head on the the soft cloud, she felt like she could nap through the winter. A cold gust of wind blew past her. She shivered so much she sunk into her napping cloud, causing her belly fur to dampen with moisture. "Okay. Not the best idea. Time to go home." Dash pressed off the cloud with her hind legs, rolling forward off the cloud, and somersaulting through the air for several metres before straightening out. She dived head long towards the ground until she flared her wings and glided off towards ponyville faster than most pegasi would ever care to go. Dash entered her house from where the window into her room that she always used would have been, had the entire wall not been caved in. Dash sighed. Another gust of chilly air whistled through her room. The blue pegasus shivered, and tightened her wings around her body for warmth. "Guh. Guess I won't be sleeping here today...Tank?!" Dash yelled out. No reply. "Of course he can't answer, he's a turtle. Right." She said to herself. Dash descended to the lower level of her house, looking for her little green shelled friend. The house was a mess. Pizza and mail boxes filled each corner of the house. Socks that she never wore littered the staircase. Her floor might as well have been made of sports magazines and the odd newspaper. "Tank?! Taaaa-oh there you are." The tortoise was encased in his shell in a corner of the living room. "Hey Tank, wake up." Rainbow prodded his shell with a hoof. He poked his green head out from the cover of his shell. He had the same dopey look on his face that Dash had come to love. "Hey dude. I'm thinking maybe we should ditch this place till I can get that wall fixed. Whaddya say?" Tank stared at her with a small smile. She knew what he meant. "Yeah but where do we go? Rarity's? I'm sure I could 'convince' her to let us crash for a few days. Heh heh." Tank's smile vanished. "Oh come on! You know her and I have a thing!" Dash looked up to the corner of her eye. "Sort of." Tank made his best attempt at a hissing noise, and swatted at her with one of his forelegs. "Right... Opal. Forgot about her..." Dash thought about where else she could crash for a few days. Pinkie is a lot of fun, buuuut there's such a thing as too much Pinkie Pie. AppleJack would most likely make me help on the farm in exchange for a room. I guess that's not so terrible, but it'll most likely cut into valuable nap time. Fluttershy's cottage is always nice and warm.....But the smell... "Okay. What about Twilight's? I'm sure she won't try to dissect you...Unless you suddenly start casting spells. In which case, all bets are off." The little green tortoise's smile returned. "Perfect! Lets go." Tank kept up his smile, and slowly brought his head back into his shell. He wasn't coming back out. "Ugh. Fine. Lazy turtle." Dash picked up her pet in both forehooves, and set a course for ponyville's library. The trip was already short, but being back out in the cold had encouraged the pegasus to pick up the pace. She hovered just outside the library door, with Tank in her hooves. "Okay, how should I go about this." She asked herself as she kicked the door three times with her hind hoof. Just ask, What's she going to do? Say no? That wouldn't be rude? Dash, you need a place to stay. You're not asking for her first born foal. "Right." She rationalized with herself. Dash heard noise from inside, and soon after Twilight opened the door, a mug of coffee magically levitating behind her. "Hello? Oh Rainbow, its you. What're you doing-" "Hey Twi." Dash said as she flew over the purple unicorns head, into the library. Ah geez, was that rude? "Sorry Twilight, but its cold out there." "Uh, no problem." Twilight said, closing the door. "What are you doing here so early in the morning though? And...why did you bring Tank?" Dash set Tank down on the floor near one of the bookshelves. She turned back to Twilight. "Yeah...Ya see. My house sort of, collapsed into itself last night. And I was wondering if I could stay here for a few days?" Dash grinned a wide and hopeful smile. "Oh, of course Dash. It shouldn't be a problem. I'll have Spike get the spare bed ready for you." The blue pegasus spiraled into the air. "Sweet! Thanks Twilight! I-woah." Dash felt dizzy, and her vision blurred black. Her wings gave out, and she fell from the air. She landed on the edge of the table in the centre of the room with a crash and bounced off, landing on her back, staring at the ceiling, as the opposite end of the wooden table lifted into the air for a moment before dropping back into place with a loud thud. "Rainbow!" Twilight cried. The unicorn ran over to her pegasus friend, and stood over her, inspecting for injuries. "Dash, are you okay?!?" Dash looked up at her purple friend. Her similar colored eyes staring down at her. "Heh heh." Dash giggled, disoriented from the fall, and gently touched her friend's muzzle with a poke of her hoof. "You're so cute when your worried." Wait what did I just say? Dash shook her head before rubbing the area of it that she had landed on. Owwwww! "Ugh. I mean, I'm fine." "What happened Rainbow? You just kind of...fell." It was then that Twilight first noticed the dark bags under Dash's eyes. "Rainbow Dash, have you been up all night?" "Heh, yeah." Dash put a hoof to her chest in an act of pseudo-pride. "I was busy training, and learning some new stunts." She paused for a moment. "Plus...its kinda hard to sleep when your house is an ice box." "Dash this isn't good. You're over-tired. You need rest." "I'll be fine Twi, after that, I don't even feel tired anymore!" Rainbow Dash sat up, pushing her friend off herself. "Rainbow, that's just adrenaline. You cant run on it forever. You need to-" "I'll be fine, Twilight!" "You need to rest, feather brain!" Twilight said sternly. "Look just step off!" Dash yelled loudly, finishing with a heavy sigh. Twilight stepped back, a worried look on her face. Oh real nice Dash. Just go ahead and yell at your friend who was nice enough to let you stay in her home. She was telling me what to do! Because you're being stupid! You really do need to sleep. Yeah but- Shut up and apologize. "Twilight I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Dash looked down with a sigh and regretful eyes. "I don't know what came over me." "Its Okay Rainbow. You're just irritable." She said softly. Twilight stepped closer to her friend, and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Trust me, I know what its like. Remember when I thought the world was going to go through some disaster because of future Twilight?" Rainbow Dash looked up into the unicorn's eyes, and both ponies chuckled when they recalled the memory. "Oh yeah, hahaha! That was a crazy few days. Did you ever figure out what the problem was? I came by tuesday morning, and no one was here." "Yes, and I...Sort of caused it. Again." Twilight let out a shameful, and exasperated sigh. "Hah! What!?" Dash yelled. Twilight explained to her blue pegasus friend how she used a time reversal spell, and set all the events into motion by her own hoof. By the end, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but roll onto her sides, giggling at her friends misfortune. "Oh Twilight. You-You pffftchhahahahaha!" The purple mare smiled down at the pegasus. "Okay, Rainbow. Its not that funny." She said, giggling herself. Shes so cute when she giggles like that. Shes always adorable, idiot. Yeah but, even more so......Did it just get warmer in here? "Augh! Would you two shut up! Its 7 am!" Spike appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes free from their slumber. "Seriously. Some ponies." Spike grumbled, before he descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen. "Spike, would you mind fixing some breakfast for us?" Twilight called to Spike. "Us? Didn't Rainbow Dash eat before she came here?" He yelled back. "Dash, did you eat?" Twilight realized she forgot to ask. "No. I didn't realize it till now actually, but I'm starving." Dash picked herself up off the floor again. "I'll have whatever you're having." "Two bowls of hay and milk, Spike!" "Yeah Yeah!" "Now, Rainbow. About-" Twilight started. "I know Twi. I'm an athlete, I know how important proper rest is." Dash admitted with a sigh. "Then why did you..." "I don't know. I guess I wasn't thinking about it. And then when you tried to tell me what to do I just kinda snapped. It was stupid, I know." There was a long pause before either pony spoke. Spike walked in from the kitchen, holding a bowl of hay cereal in each claw. He set them on the table that Dash had almost flipped over previously. "All right." He said. "What were you two yelling about earlier? What's up?" Rainbow Dash walked over to her bowl, and started on it. "Err. Nothing Important." She lied. "Actually." Twilight began, magically levitating her own bowl. "Rainbow will be staying with us for a few days, until she gets her house repaired." She said as she took her first spoonful. "Oh." Spike stared at the rainbow pegasus. He leaned over to Twilight, and whispered. "She's not going to be doing air stunts in the house is she? It's hard enough cleaning up after just you. I don't think I could deal with a daily house tornado." "Spike!" "What? We've had to re-shelve the bookcases more than once because of her." Spike shrugged. "Never the less, she is our guest and we'll do our best to make her feel at home." Twilight said, rather Rarity-esque. "Could you two please not talk about me like I'm not two feet away." Rainbow interrupted in between slurps of hay. "A heh-heh." Twilight blushed. "Anyway, Spike? Would you please prepare the spare bed?" "Actually...You kind of lent it to Cloudchaser a few weeks ago. Remember? You teleported it to her house yourself." Twilight's face blanked. "Oh....right." Twilight paused, magically bringing another spoonful of hay and milk into her mouth. "We'll I'm sure we can figure out something." "Don't worry Twi." Dash flipped over their heads, having finished her breakfast. "Me and Tank can take the floor. I've slept on trees before. Sleeping in one can't be much different." Twilight was about to argue, but she caught herself before she spoke. She had a better idea. "Well then Rainbow, perhaps you'd like to catch up on some reading?" She asked in a way and with a grin that made Dash eye her up suspiciously. Twilight was never a very good liar, and almost always transparent in her schemes. "IIIIIII don't know..." What's she planning? Maybe it involves her bed. Shut UP, brain. "Come on Rainbow! Its too cold to do anything outside this early, and Spike and I have chores." "All right, I guess." Whatever, I'm probably just over thinking it. Twi wouldn't trick me like that. "I was on, uhh. Daring Do and the Emerald Elephant." Wait. Chores. Should I help? But chores are hard! And Twilight's the one who offered the option. But I'm staying here...for nothing! I should help out. Next time. There's Daring to read. Twilight grabbed the specified book from a shelf magically, and brought it over to Rainbow Dash. "Here you are Rainbow." Dash took the book in her hooves, and sat down, opening the books spine to a random page. "Thanks!" Rainbow started to scan the page but Twilight gently placed a hoof on it, making Dash look up at her. "Actually, Its kind of chilly in here. How about you come sit near the fireplace?" Twilight suggested, again with that suspicious grin of hers. "You have a fireplace?" Dash eyed the unicorn. "Yes, and don't worry. Its was constructed so it wouldn't burn down the house, and its magically protected for added security." Why would it burn the house down?...OH! Its a tree. Right. Fires and trees don't usually mix too well. "If you say so." Dash followed Twilight to the fireplace, with the book held in her teeth. During their short walk, Dash's eyes were caught by Twilight's swinging rear. Enjoying the sights? Yes. I mean!...yes. You like her. What? Twilight. You like her. You want her. What! No way. She's too nerdy and smart for me. I'd never stand a chance. No I mean I wouldn't be interested! Riiiight. I'm not! They reached the fireplace, a few already charred logs sat inside. Twilight added a couple fresh ones, and quickly set to making her horn glow a hot white. A few sparks clicked over the logs, and then a small flame burst across them. "There. That should-" The flames flickered violently before extinguishing themselves. Twilight reeled in embarrassment. "A heh heh. I'm still working on my pyro kinetics." Rainbow Dash gave a muffled chuckle through the book in her mouth. "SPIKE! FIRE!" The little dragon appeared in an instant. "Really? Its not even cold in here." He said in a dead pan. "It's not to you because you're cold blooded, Spike. Ponies have a naturally higher body temperature and thus-" "Alright alright, I get it. Its too early for lectures" Said Spike, waving her off. He inhaled heavily, and held it for a moment before exhaling a stream of green flames. The logs ignited immediately. The fire was as green as Spike's breath for a few moments, but with every second it burned into its natural orange-red. Twilight sighed. "Thank you Spike. Now Rainbow, can I get you anything else?" "Nmph." Dash set the book down on the floor. "No. I should be good. But let me know when Tank wakes up. I should go grab his food when I get the chance." Twilight nodded, and started off to start her chores. "And Twilight?" The unicorn stopped, and turned back to her friend. They both smiled. "Thanks for letting me stay here. It was really cool of you." Rainbow didn't know it, but a slight rose tint was covering her cheeks. "Anything for a friend Rainbow. Now get some res-err...Hope you enjoy your book!" Twilight ran off to some part of the house, leaving Dash alone in front of the fire with her book. She opened it and flipped around until she found the last page she remembered reading, and laid down to enjoy the adventure. "But if there was one thing Daring hadn't accounted for it was time. Time would play-" I don't suppose Twilight would wanna...Nah, she's probably not the type. Probably more of the romancey, be-with-me-forever type of mare. Still. I would wreck that mare. I bet she would be into some real kinky stuff, being cooped up in this library, all alone.. And that crazy magic of hers could be used for some-. The fire crackled, and Dash looked up from her book, and stared into the flames, heavily flushed in the face. Celestia damn it dash. Okay. So I think Twi is a smokin' hot mare. No big deal. I think a lot of mares are hot, it doesn't mean anything. Except when was the last time you felt like this? Dash groaned, frustrated with her thoughts. She felt heavy eyed, and laid her head on the page of the book she was reading. Whatever brain, think whatever you want. Maybe I should talk to someone about this? Another opinion might be refreshing. You know what you want, go get it. Shut it, not doing that to Twi. Why not, It worked with- Not. Doing. That. Dash kept this course,mentally arguing with herself, not noticing how heavy her eyes were getting. When her eyes finally closed, she was fast asleep in an instant. Twilight probably wouldn't appreciate the drool coating her book. Author's Note Well. This is my first fic in a long time. My first pony fic too. All in all I feel its okay. It feels rushed to me, but I guess its just an introduction for the places I want to go. Let me know what you think. And to anyone wondering, no Dash isn't a schizo, that's just her thinking to herself. =p EDIT: Fixed the format a bit. No more wall of text! DecisionsUgggghhhh. Wake up. No. Sleep. No. Gotta wake up. Its hot. Rainbow Dash groaned, rolling around on her bed. Why is it so hot! Gotta get outta bed. She rolled until she dropped from the bed's surface onto the hard wood floor, still wrapped up in blankets. The surprisingly hard impact of the floor awoke Dash from her blurry semi-conciousness. "Ow. What the heck? Why are my floors made of-Oh." She said, realizing she wasn't at home. "Where am I? Augh! So HOT!" Dash threw off the blankets covering her, letting the heat escape from her body. "Ahhh. Much better." Dash laid on her back, and heard the clip clop of hooves ascending stairs, and turned her head lazily to look. "Ah, good afternoon Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "Glad to see you're finally awake. You've been sleeping all day." Ooooh. Right, came to Twi's because of the whole wall problem. Gosh she's hot for doing that...awesome. I meant awesome, Right? Yeah, She's awesome for doing that. "Oh uh, hey Twi. Guess I really did fall asleep, huh?" Twilight giggled. "I'm just glad it worked." "Glad...what worked?" Dash squinted suspiciously. The unicorn giggled some more. "The sleep spell I placed on the fire logs." She said with a prideful chin raised. "When did you....." Dash's head shot up with realization, and she stared at her friend. "You mean your failed pyroki-whatsits wasn't actually-" "Nope. Sleep spell. I'm actually quite good with pyro-kinetics. I'd be a pretty poor understudy of Princess Celestia if I needed Spike for something as simple as lighting a fireplace." Twilight giggled again. Dash dropped her head and splayed across the floor. "I don't. Believe it. Twilight Sparkle. Pulled a fast one on me. ME!" Rainbow Dash covered her eyes with her hooves. Waiiiiit a minute here....yeah. "Oh, how will I ever live this down!" She said with an obvious over exaggeration, that made Twilight tilt her head. "I'll have to hand in my daredevil's license!" Dash slowly rolled over, and planted her forehooves to the ground. "I'll never be able to join the wonderbolts now! Unless..." Rainbow was crouched and ready to pounce before Twilight realized what was going on. "I silence the only loose end!" Rainbow yelled as she jumped at her friend. "Ahhh!" Twilight screamed and recoiled, but it was too late, and Dash crashed into her sending the two rolling across the floor. "Rainbow!" Twilight couldn't help but laugh out loud as the two ponies tumbled over each other. "Don't resist Twilight! You can't-" "Rainbow!" Twilight shouted in a panic. huh? In that moment, both ponies rolled off the edge of the upper level of the room. Twilight was on the bottom. FUCK! Fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it! Rainbow Dash used momentum and her flared wings to flip, and steady herself into the bottom position. She beat her wings in reverse in a futile attempt to cushion the blow. She hit the floor back first. The impact wasn't nearly as hard as she had thought it would be. Is Twilight okay!? "Rainbow! Are you okay?!" Dash looked up, and for the second time that day, saw her purple friend standing over her with worry on her face. Good. She's fine. Now... With a beat of her wings, and swing to her left, Dash toppled her friend and rolled over, taking the dominant position. She brought a hoof to her own chest, and put on her best villain voice. "Now, miss Sparkle. I hope you've realized how impossible escape is." Rainbow Dash glanced down at Twilight with one open eye. She still looked worried, and a little confused. Come on Twilight! Play along! "You're my prisoner, and until I decide how to deal with you," Dash placed her hoof on Twilight's nose. "You aren't going anywhere." "Uhh...well, uh....You won't uh, get away with this! My partner, Spike, still has the key to the whole thing! And you'll never find him!" Not....bad. "Oh, don't worry. I'll have him in my clutches soon. He wont escape my minions!" "Hey Twilight? You up here?" Spike appeared at the top of the stairs, as if on cue. He stared at the two ponies he had interrupted. "Uh...what are you two doing?" Rainbow Dash jumped, and in a flash held Spike up in the air. "If you don't return what you stole from me, your little assistacant here will meet an unfortunate end." "Aggh! Twilight! Don't worry about me! Save yourself!" Wow. Little guy catches on quick. "Let him go you...you-" "Pah! And what are you going to do? Your magic has no effect here! You're powerless!" Rainbow yelled down at the unicorn, holding the dragon in her hooves like a hoofball. Twilight's horn started to glow. "I'm sure I can..." Twilight faltered, as if casting was causing her extreme physical stress. "Manage...something!" "Hah! Nice try, but-" Spike vanished from her hooves in a flash of light. "Hey!" Rainbow looked around the room for the missing dragon. "Aha! She dashed down to Spike, who lay flat on the floor below her. She reached to grab him, but just as she reached where he was, he vanished again. Again Rainbow looked around the room, searching for the elusive dragon. "I got her Twilight! Now!" Spike jumped on Rainbow Dash's back, and held her in the best choke hold he could manage. He whispered some instructions in her ear. Dash liked his idea, and complied, standing on her hind hooves, beating her wings in psuedo-resistance. "Your evil reign is over! For Equestria!" Twilight shouted, and charged at the vulnerable pegasus. Rainbow stifled a laugh at Twilight's overzealous acting. At least she's more enthusiastic about it. Twilight lowered her head, pointing her horn at Rainbow's chest. "Hngg!" Dash grunted, as the shining purple knight, Twilight Sparkle plunged her horn deep into The evil Commander Rainbow Dash's heart. The royal squire, Spike Drakescale released his chokehold, as Twilight pulled her bloody horn away, and Dash fell to the floor. "This changes nothing." The commander said with her dying whisper. "Celestia still governs over the earth ponies with an iron hoof. When will the unicorns see the betrayal their princess has gifted to them. When will...will...." "She's dead Twilight. What do we do now?" Twilight stayed silent, staring down at her defeated foe. "Twilight?" Rainbow opened her eye a crack, and watched her friends. Come on Twi....think of something with that big sexy brain of yours. And your adorable eyes, and that hot flank....damn I just want to snuggle her forever. Not now brain, shut it! Ah well, I guess she's stumped, it was fun while it lasted. Rainbow flared her wings. It was the only warning she gave before she tackled Spike and Twilight to the floor. Using her momentum, she rolled over top of them, knocking into one of the small bookcases filled with some of Twilight's personal books. She jumped up and stood over her friends triumphantly. "Hah! That was fun guys. Good acting Spike. You might need some work though, Twilight. All in all a solid performance." Spike giggled as he sat up. "That was awesome! We gotta do that again!" "Another time, Spike." Twilight said, dusting herself off, with a silent smile on her face. "Now was there a reason you came up here?" "Oh, right, the princess sent you a letter Twilight." Spike said, pulling a rolled and sealed parchment from his person. Where....was he hiding that? "Ah, thank you Spike." Twilight said, taking the sealed scroll in her magical grasp. She unraveled it, and began reading it to herself. Her eyes darting from side to side, running down the larger than usual scroll. "So Twilight. Wanna hangout? I got nothing to do for the rest of the day." Said Dash, stretching her legs. "Hold on Dash. This is important." "Well," Spike started for the stairs. "You two do whatever. I got errands to run." "By yourself?" Dash asked. "uh...yeah?" "Can I come with?" Rainbow hovered over the dragon. Spike stopped at the top of the stairs. "No! its uh, important dragon....guy stuff." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "What kinda guy stuff?" "Just.....stuff. Kay gotta go!" Spike turned on his heels and ran down the stairs. "Well that was....odd. Don't you think Twi?" Rainbow turned to the unicorn who was still entranced with her letter. "Oh. Right." Dash gave a heavy sigh, and flopped to ground, laying on her side. Bored bored bored. So boring. Looking for something interesting, Rainbow noticed the books she had knocked from their shelves. Oops. I should probably clean that up...Later. She glanced over at Twilight again. Wow. She is really into that letter. Letters are usually pretty boring. And long. I guess its from the princess though. Well one of the princesses. I always forget about Luna. I wonder what its like to be Celestia's personal student. Probably awesome! I bet Twi knows a lot about her......I bet she knows a lot about Twilight. I wonder what their relationship is like. Stop it! They're teacher and student! Or maybe Twi sees her like a mother. They're definitely not......that way. Wow, I cant believe I'm jealous of the princess. Or am I jealous of Twilight...You like her. Yes. Okay, I like Twilight Sparkle, one of my best friends, in maybe more then just a sexual way. Damn it, why was that so hard to admit? Should I just ask her on a date? Yeah... I guess I might as well. And what's she going to do? Say no? To me? No Way! You got this Dash......just ask her. Nothing will get in your way. "Phew. All done. Looks like the princess wants to see me for important business. Now what were you saying Rainbow?" "Huh?" Dash snapped away from her thoughts. "Oh uh, I......Hey can I ask you something?" "Sure. Anything Rainbow." Twilight levitated her letter over to her desk, and sat attentively. "I'm all yours." She said with a beaming smile. Its just that, uh...Stop that adorable smile. Stop it!Would you wanna... Come on, who are you, Fluttershy? You got this Dash. She's yours! "Would you- "Hey where's Spike?" Twilight asked, looking a round the room. "He went out said it was guy stuff." Dash said quickly. "That's gotta be code for: being Rarity's personal slave for the day." Twilight sighed. "Go on Dash." "Will-" Rarity?......RARITY!!! "OH HORSEAPPLES!!" Dash yelled. "...I'm sorry?" Twilight asked quizically. "Ooooooh no." How the heck did I forget about Rarity! "Dash, is everything all right?" Twilight put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "No! Ah! I mean, yeah. Everything's fine. Look I gotta go. I just remembered I've got....weather, stuff." "This late in the day?" "Yeah, uh..." Rainbow jumped up to the higher level of the bedroom. "The weather scheduling is weird. Look I gotta go now." Rainbow ran over to the window by Twilight's bed and pushed it open. She flared her wings, and prepared to bolt. "Rainbow wait-" Dash shot out of the library as fast as she could. "How could I forget about Rarity like that! I'm the worst kind of pony!" Rainbow zoomed through town at a high velocity. The weather team had cleared most of the clouds from last night's storm, and the sun was already low in the winter sky, and the night chill would soon set in again. The carousel boutique came into view, and Dash skidded to an aerial halt. "Wait, what am I doing? I can't just barge in there, expecting her to forgive me!" Forgive you? You haven't done anything wrong! You're blowing this out of proportion Dash. "Okay. Slow down, and lets think about this for a second." Rainbow said, grabbing her head with her hooves. She spotted a fair sized cloud leftover from the night before just above her, and spun over onto it. "Okay. All right.....Okay. ALL RIGHT! What do I do?" Dash said, still holding her head. First, what happened? I FORGOT about Rarity, and tried to ditch her, one of my best friends, for another of my best friends! How do you forget about a pony you've been with for months! "Been with", might be a little strong for what we have. Regardless, its still deplorable! "Okay. How can I fix it..." Get Rarity's permission to date Twilight? Get her permission!?!?! That has to be the dumbest thing you've ever thought Dash. I guess I'll just have to... "Break up with Rarity..." Rainbow Dash let out a long and drawn out groan. "So I'm officially dumping one of my friends for another?" its not like me and Rarity are married. We just, fool around every so often. Heck, I was counting on her breaking it off eventually. It still feels wrong... Well what are you going to do? Keep it up, stay with Rarity, forget about Twilight, and lie to everyone, including yourself? Dash planted her face in the cloud, and let out another muffled groan. "Fuck!" Dash lay with her face buried in the cloud for long minutes. When she finally lifted her head, it was darker than she remembered. "Enough thinking. I just gotta get this over and done with." Rainbow dashed from her cloud, dispersing it with the force of her take off. She reached the Boutique in seconds. Opening the window she usually entered through, she landed gently in Rarity's room. "Rarity! Rarity, you here?" The window shut behind her, and as Dash turned to look, she was pounced upon. Rainbow Yelped in surprise, falling to the floor. "Rarity!" "Ooh, Rainbow Dash. How romantic. Storming into a ladies room on a cold, wintery night to keep her safe. Keep her," Rarity leaned down to whisper in Dash's ear. "Warm." This isn't happening. I came here to-Oh Celestia what is she doing! Rarity nibbled Dash's ear tenderly. "Ah. Rarity. Stop that..." Maybe....just one more time? Rarity ceased her biting. No! I couldn't do that! It'd be.....wrong? "Come now Rainbow Dash. You're being much more reserved than usual." Rarity said in her usual sultry tone. "Oh, Its just that....uhh....." How would it be wrong? You're not dating Twi. You haven't even asked her yet. But- Rainbow's mind blanked as Rarity kissed her lips, gently, at first. I can't! I've gotta put an end to this! Rainbow pushed Rarity off herself. "Rarity, look I-ahh!" Rarity levitated Dash up with her magic, and threw her, unceremoniously, onto her bed. Never mind how hot that was! You've gotta....uhh Rarity stalked up to Rainbow Dash, slowly. "You're not going to disappoint a lady, are you dear? You might just," She leaned into Dash's ear again. "Break my heart." Maybe just........one more time? "Don't keep me waiting, Rainbow." Rarity gave Dash another peck on the lips. Rainbow looked deep into Rarity's Azure eyes. She sighed. "I am the worst kind of pony." Dash lunged forward, pinning Rarity to the bedsheets. Author's Note Finally! I feel I messed up some parts of this chapter, but I can't think of how to fix it without ruining other parts. As always, constructive criticism welcome. P.S Despite how the ending might seem, there will not be any clop in this story. Or at least it wont be written into it. Reach Out and Grab Her"Cold cold cold cold cold cold cold COLD! Aggghhhhh!" Rainbow shouted, trying to get her blood pumping faster. She hadn't expected to be flying naked through a snowstorm on one of the coldest nights of the year, and there were times she wondered if karma was out to get her. A tree jumped out of the darkness, and Rainbow had to make a quick roll through it in an instant. Her hoof clipped a branch as she barrel rolled, causing her to tumble through the air for a moment before crash landing into a bank of snow on the edge of the street. She was quickly covered up by the snow, reaching a new level of freezing. That's it. I give up. I'm just going to die right here. Forget it all. Death, I embrace you. Rainbow picked herself up and set off again for the library, covered in snow and ice water. It hindered her wings, weighing them down with moisture but still she pressed onward. Even going as fast as she could, Rainbow couldn't wait to get indoors any sooner. "I have seriously underestimated how much I really hate the cold." She pumped her wings harder, picking up as much speed as she could without going supersonic. Just as she came to the library, she realized to she was going far too fast, and would have to loop around the treehouse if she didn't slow down. Every second out here was torture, and looping around was out of the question. No time to think! Improvise With a flare of her wings, her speed dropped considerably and she dropped to the ground like a brick. Keeping her balance has she landed, she skidded along the snow on all fours for at least twenty metres, stopping just outside the front door. That was pretty awesome... I should work on using that in a stunt. Dash thought as she threw open the door and hurried inside, slamming it and leaning against it as if trying to impede someone that had chased her home. Dash shivered the cold out as best she could, and folded her wings tight to her torso. They made excellent heaters most of the time. Most of the time not including when they were soaking wet and covered with ice particles. Luckily the library's fire was still going strong in the other room, and Dash used it as a source of warmth for many minutes. As the ice water evaporated, heat reinvigorated her body. Oh damn, that is so much better. Thank you ancestors for inventing fire. Whilst drying, and getting back to a normal body temperature, she used the time to think of something, anything, to say to Twilight. Unfortunately she wasn't downstairs like Rainbow had planned, but being ice cold probably would have prevented her from saying anything intelligent anyway. I like you Twilight Sparkle. I like you... Good enough. Just do it, and it'll be over with. "Twilight!? You here?" She called as she neared the staircase. Just do it quickly. I'm sure she likes me back. Of course she does, what's not to like? She chuckled to herself. Arrogant. Brash. Rude. Total jerk sometimes. Dumb. "Thank you for that brain. Really helps the self confidence..." Rainbow whispered to herself. She ascended the stairs after Twilight didn't reply back, unsure of her assuredness. "Twi?" Rainbow opened the door to the bedroom. "Aghh!" Spike yelled, falling to the ground with a thump. "Oh, its you Spike. Is Tw-WHAT THE HAY ARE THOSE!" "Nothing! It's not what it looks like!" Spike yelled, trying to hide them behind his back whilst scrambling to his feet. Unfortunately for him, the items in question were a bit bigger than the rest of him. "Spike are those-" "No!...Don't tell anyone! Please!" Spike dropped to his knees and begged. "Why wouldn't I tell everyone you've got wings, Spike! That's awesome!" Attached to Spike's back, was a pair of wings that looked somewhat similar to a bat's. Spanning at least two feet each, their forearms were coloured a deep shade of purple, and the membranes a medium green. Rainbow jumped over to Spike and grabbed his right wing, pulling it out to its full length and examining it. "When did you get these? This is sweet! They look pretty strong and maneuverable. You've gotta show me what you can do with these." "Woah, hold on!" Spike pulled his new limb away from the entranced mare. "First off, they showed up a couple months ago. One day my back was itchy, and when I went to scratch it a handful of scales came off, and these things slid out." "Did it hurt?" "Not really. It was weird, I guess. They just kinda....came out." "Wait you've had these for months? But I saw you this morning. You were pretty wingless." "Uh, yeah." Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "They go back." "Go....back?" Rainbow asked, feeling very confused. Spike sighed. "Just watch." He turned his back to Rainbow. She saw what was happening next, but she didn't believe it. The membranes of Spike's wings tightened up to their forearms, and the entire length slid smoothly into his back. She inspected his back, and on either side of his spine, was a small gap in between his scales that you wouldn't be able to notice if you weren't looking for them. "I don't know if that's the creepiest thing I've ever seen... or the most badass. How do they come out?" Without warning, his wings shot out of his back and unfurled in an instant, making Rainbow jump back in surprised. Spike turned towards her again. "Well?" He asked. "Yeah. Definitely badass. So... what can you do with them?" "That's why I don't want you telling anyone about them. At least, not yet. I.. can barely keep off the ground for a few seconds. Its really embarrassing..." "Ooooooh." He's embarrassed that he can't do something all dragons do, seemingly so naturally. I understand. Wait, is that where you went today? That guy stuff you were talking about?" "Yeah...I was out practicing flying just outside the everfree, where nopony could see me. Its really hard, and I don't know if I'll ever get the hang of it." "Psh. Well there's your first problem." Rainbow pushed Spike back a little with a jab of her hoof. "Huh?" "Learning to fly out in the cold winter air? Not going to happen." "What? Why not?" "Well if you had any kind of wing muscle control, it wouldn't be too bad. But for a beginner? Frigid air is not your friend. You need to start off easier. Here." "Wuh, Hey!" Dash grabbed Spike by the torso, and brought him to the roof. She held him away from her body. "Okay. Flap." She let go. "Ahhh!" Spike yelled as he fell. He tried his best to flap his wings, but he was falling too fast. He closed his eyes and braced for impact with the floor. He fell softly onto Rainbow Dash's back. "You're not going to fly by covering your eyes, Spike. Flap those wings." "You just dropped me!" "Like a bird from a nest. Let's try again." Spike almost fell from her back as she spiraled up to the roof once again. "Ready?" "No!" "Fly!" Rainbow said as she bucked him off her back. Spike yelped again, and tried to flap his wings again. He pressed harder this time. On his second down stroke, his descent slowed. "There you go Spike. See?" Rainbow said from above him. Spike continued flapping. He would go up on each down stroke, and down on each upstroke. He was still losing altitude, but it was progress. "I'm doing it! This is great!" "Good. Now spread out your wings. Keep them loose, and glide." "Spread, keep loose, and...glide." Spike did as he was told, and spread his wings. His downward motion turned to lateral movement in an instant, and he glided across the room. "Now turn!" Rainbow yelled. Spike snapped out of his flight induced wonderment. "Wuh-How do I-" He spun his body to the left, overturning, he flipped himself upside down, and gravity dragged him downwards once more. "AH!" "Gotcha." Rainbow held Spike by the tail, a foot off the floor. "Phew. Thanks." "No problem." She said, letting his tail go free. He face planted. "Ow." "Pretty good Spike." Rainbow landed next to him, far more gracefully than he had. "Flying upside down is probably a little out of your league, but If you want, I can get you flying like a pro before summer. In secret too, if you really want." Spike looked up at her from the ground. "Really? You'll help me learn to fly?" He looked up at her with awe. "Sure. It'll be fun."She said. "I've never really taught anyone before, so I might not be, uhh... actually, I'm sure I'll be the best instructor ever. Who better to teach you to fly then the best flier in Equestria." Dash flaunted her ego. Spike crawled to his feet and hugged Rainbow Dash, tears of happiness in his eyes. "Thanks Rainbow Dash! You're the best." "Heh. I know. We'll have you flying like, well, like me, in no time. Then you can get out there and show off your stuff. You'll get all the mares on your tail." Rainbow chuckled. Spike wiped his eyes dry. "Is that why you show off all the time when you're flying?" Spike joked as he took a step away from her. "Psh, no. I fly because it's.. It's quite literally the most amazing thing ever. The feeling of wind blowing through your feathers. The updraft of a sweet thermal. The weightlessness of it all. It's just...perfect." I wish it weren't negative a million degrees out, cause now I want to fly. "And I don't show off, I radiate awesome. Getting all the mares is just a wicked side effect." Spike started to laugh, but stopped after his brain processed Rainbow's words. "Wait, seriously? You like mares?" "Ya huh. Mostly, anyway." "Why?" "Why do you?" "Huh... Touche. Hey, uh... you wouldn't have any tips on how get a girl's attention?" Spike asked. Rainbow bit her lip, realizing who Spike was talking about. "You mean Rarity?" "Uh...yeah. Don't go spreading that around either!" Said Spike, still unaware that the entire town probably knew "Well, uh..." Rule one, don't dump her for someone else... "I wouldn't know. Rarity... isn't really my type. Too high maintenance, ya know?" "But so worth it." Spike swooned. Rainbow could swear she saw hearts floating around in his eyes. "You've no idea Spike. You've no idea." "Huh?" "Nothing!" Rainbow panicked, having said her thoughts out loud without realizing. "So how about another quick lesson!" "Sure, I-" Spike held is breath for second, and yawned deeply. After which, his eyes would only open half way. "I can't wait to learn more." He said sleepily. "Haha, okay, maybe we wait till morning, after you get some rest. Flying is tough work, and you can't learn it half asleep." "What? No, Dash. I'm totally good, I swear. Never mind that dragon's can fall into an out of sleep at a moment's notice when they're tired." Spike waved it off, as if what he just said was perfectly normal. "Dragons?" Rainbow Dash laughed. "Or just you?" "Whichever. Come on. Flying, lets do it." Rainbow dashed forward and whisked Spike into the air, carrying him over to Twilight's bed. "Tell you what Spike." She dropped him onto the star patterned bed. "Come get me in ten minutes, and then we'll keep it up. Till then, take a break. "Heh. Alright. I'll just, rest here and.....gather my strength. Gonna be the best fly-" Spike flopped, and curled up. "What a guy, already out. Wish I could fall asleep that fast." Rainbow zipped to the lower level, and trotted down the stairs. As she reached the plateau of the staircase overlooking the library, she asked herself. "Now, what was I doing? The front door swung open, snowflakes quickly storming in and melting just as fast. In walked Twilight, covered head to hoof in winter garb. She magicked of the first layer off quickly, happy to rid of her frozen clothes. "Oh, hey Twilight." Rainbow said. Shit shit shit shit shit! "How's it are you doing?" Nice one brain. "Huh? Twilight looked up to Dash, noticing her for the first time. "Rainbow Dash, you're here." "Yeah I got back just a couple minutes ago... had to make this crazy storm. Almost got trapped in it actually. Where did you head off to?" Twilight removed the rest of her winter attire. "Oh, I'm glad you're okay Rainbow, wouldn't want to find you frozen in an ice block on winter wrap up day." She laughed lightly. "I was at Rarity's though. Needed a favour." Alarm bells went off in Rainbow's head. "OH!? and uh, what did you talk about?" "Just wanted to see if she would check on Spike tomorrow." Rainbow sighed in relief. "Wait, why would she need to do that?" "I told you before you left Rainbow, I'm going to meet Celestia at the castle tomorrow. She wants to see me, and I might be gone for the entire day. Maybe longer. Rarity will just make sure Spike doesn't get into any trouble while I'm gone..." "Oh, okay..." There was a short awkward pause, as Twilight expected the pegasus to insist she could take care of it. Instead Rainbow simply jumped down from the staircase. Just ask her something! "So Twilight do you wanna do something?" Rainbow asked with a big grin. "Sure." Oh Celestia Yes!. "I was going to do some reading before bed. We could do it together, if you want?" Damn it! "Yeah, sounds great..." Twilight levitated a pair of books from the wall, and handed the same copy of Daring-Do from earlier to Rainbow Dash. "Please try not to drool on it this time. There are other ponies who like to read these too." Twilight said, half joking. "Aheh heh. Sorry Twi." Rainbow grabbed the book from Twilight's magical grasp, and looked at the cover, then to Twilight who took her own book, opened it up and lay on the floor. I've gotta make a move. Rainbow placed her book on the table and walked over to Twilight, leaning over her shoulder to look at the book she had grabbed for herself. "Hey Twilight? What what are you reading?" "Hm? Oh, this is just a little novel I ordered a little while ago." She levitated it, and showed Rainbow Dash the cover. "It's about a few real life historical events. Heavily fictionalized, of course. Cheerilee recommended to me, actually." "Sounds cool... Do you think, we could... read it together?" Dash asked nervously. Oh Celestia what am I doing! No, stick with it Dash! Twilight gasped audibly. "Yes!" Twilight jumped up, hugging Rainbow tightly. "Oh, this is so great! We can read it together, then talk about it and discuss the plot and its holes, it's characters! It'll be amazing. I've never had a book buddy before!" Twilight beamed. Rainbow blushed in Twilight's embrace. A deep smile crept onto her face. "That sounds like a lot of fun." She said honestly. Twilight broke the hug. "Oh, but I've only got the one copy." "Not a problem Twi. Lie down, like you usually do when you read." Twilight complied, setting the book down in front of her again. "We can share." Rainbow moved closer, and shimmied into the spot next to Twilight. As their coats brushed up against one another, Rainbow let out a yelp and jumped up. "Twilight, you're freezing!" "I am? Well I did just step inside. Hey, If it isn't too much trouble, could you..." "Way ahead of you." Dash said with a wave of her hoof. She settled in next to Twilight, ignoring the chill of her fur, and wrapped her right wing around her. "There. You'll be warm in no time." Smooth Dash. Real smooth. Twilight chuckled a little. "What? "Not what I was going to say Rainbow, but I appreciate it. I was going to ask if you could grab my blanket, but-" "Oh! Yeah, sure I can do that!" "Rainbow wait-" Twilight tried to stop her, but she was already gone, up the stairs, and leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. Damn, was I too forward? Not forward enough? No, she just wants her blanket. Ugh this is hard. Why can't I just tell her I like her? As Rainbow returned to the bedroom and flew up to the bed, she noticed something she had forgotten. "Ah, Spike! Wake up!" Rainbow said, shoving him moderately. Spike didn't move. His snoring was light, and he was still curled up on the bed. "Spike, put your wings away, Twilights here!" Rainbow half whispered, half yelled. "Rubies are... better than sapphires." He mumbled. Rainbow groaned. "Get. Up!" She hurdled Spike several feet into the air, and he landed back on the bed, bouncing several times. He slept still, laying on his stomach now. "Uggh. How do these things work?" Rainbow said, jumping on the bed and standing over the sleeping dragon. She grabbed his wings and spread them out at first, then tried to force them back in their sockets. "Come on, stupid wings!" After a couple seconds of her futile attempt, she stopped. "Agggghh. Why am I even bothering? Twilight should probably know Spike went through some, evolutiony change or whatever." But I guess if he really wants to keep it a secret, I should at least try to help him out. Think, what makes my wings relax when they're tense? Maybe... Rainbow put her left fore hoof on Spike's back, right between his wing sockets, and pressed down. His wings curled up like a projector screen and slid into his back. Spike's sleeping form didn't react at all. "Huh. Didn't actually think that'd work..." Rainbow said, grabbing the blanket she had come for. She had to yank it out from under Spike to get it free. He tumbled over several times, but still slept soundly. "And I thought I was a heavy sleeper. Kid could probably sleep through a tornado." Actually, I could probably make one right now... No, no. Twilight's waiting...Another time though. Heh heh. Rainbow crumpled up the blanket in her hooves, and grabbed a couple pillows for good measure. "Back." Rainbow said, dropping the blanket and pillows on the ground. She picked up the blanket in her mouth, and spread it over her friend. "This wasn't necessary Rainbow. You're wing was actually really comfortable." Twilight said with a smirk and a hoof resting on her cheek. "Oh. But you said-" "You really need to let me finish my sentences before you fly off." "Aheh heh. Sorry. Its a habit." Rainbow said, rubbing her neck. "More like a lifestyle." Twilight giggled, levitating one of the pillows under her fore hooves. Dash grabbed the other, and crawled under the blanket doing the same. "Ready to start?" Twilight asked, laying the book in front of them. "Just a sec." Rainbow stretched her wing over Twilight again, and brought her in close as she could. "Ready." "Okay, let's begin. Chapter one." Twilight began reading the first page of the book, her eyes darting from left to right and back again. Rainbow did the same. This is going great! Twilight definitely likes me. I just gotta tell her. Or, ask her? Whatever. Just do it. Now? "You done?" Twilight broke her train of thought. "Huh?" "The page. Are you done reading the page?" "Oh, yeah. Were you waiting on me?" "Yeah, a little. I'm a bit of a fast reader, so its okay if you need a little more time to finish. I'll slow down, if you like." Rainbow's eyes widened. "Twilight, are you trying to tell me... you're faster than me?" "What? I-" "I think you are! New rule. When you finish a page, tap your hoof on the ground. Whoever finishes the most pages the fastest, wins." Twilight smirked at Rainbow, and in a tone reminiscent of the first time they met, said. "Bring it." Twilight flipped the page with her magic, and both mares read through it as fast as they could, their eyes blazing across the pages. Rainbow tapped her hoof on the wooden floor, a split second after Twilight did. "Hah!" Twilight gloated. "Next page!" Rainbow declared. Twilight flipped the page again, and again. Each time, Twilight just beating her out by the smallest amount. It wasn't long before they reached the end of the first chapter. "Aggh!" Rainbow moaned as she lost out again. "End of chapter retention quiz." Twilight smirked. "The main character lost her-" "Wife. Who's name was Vociferous Whirlwind." What else happened worth mentioning? "The chapter takes place in-" "The town of Storm Blaze, which is based on what is now Vanhoover. The king was famous for-" "Killing a giant swarm of harpies, and defending the town from being destroyed, by using his wit to trap and separate them all. He's totally going to be the villain by the way. The main character could be described as-" "Strong willed, quick on her hooves, cold and ferocious in the face of danger. Very... Rainbow Dash-esque." Both mares stopped and stared at each other for a moment, and couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. "Very nice Twilight. But last I checked, you were the cold one!" "Sorry, I couldn't help it." They laughed some more. Now. Make a move. Rainbow laid her head against Twilight's neck and shoulder, and gave a small sigh. "You're a lot more fun than I give you credit for Twi." "Wow. I'm not sure if I should be flattered, or insulted." She laughed. "Now then, on to the next chapter, and how about this time, we take our time and enjoy it?" "Sounds good Twi." Rainbow said, still snug in Twilight's shoulder. What are you waiting for? Reach out and grab her, she's yours. "Of course, you'll still need to tap your hoof, so I know when I can turn the page." Twilight teased. Dash pulled herself off of Twilight. "You are pure evil Twilight Sparkle. Pure. Evil." Both mares read through to the end of the sixth chapter in just under an hour. Twilight deeply enjoyed it so far, and Rainbow was deeply enjoying spending the time with Twilight. Often she caught herself just staring at her, having to quickly read through the current page if she stared for too long. "Phew. I think that's good for now. Twilight said, closing the book. "It's getting late. Time for bed Rainbow?" "Sure..." Last chance Rainbow. Twilight levitated the book back into its place on the shelf. The pair separated from their embrace and crawled out of the blanket, stretching their tight limbs. "I'll be right back Rainbow, I've got to write something down, then we'll figure out a sleeping arrangement for you." Twilight levitated the blanket and pillows and teleported up to the stair's plateau, quickly ascending further, into her room. This is it Rainbow. Go up there and tell her. You need to tell her. Tonight. Now. The pegasus jumped and with a single beat of her wings, soared onto the stairwell, and up into the bedroom. "Twilight." She was writing something in a small book she had never seen before. "Hold on a sec Dash." Do it now "Twilight it can't wait." She walked up behind her. "It's important." Twilight put her quill down, and turned to face her friend. "What is-" "I like you Twilight. More than what we are. More than a friend. I want t-to be with you." She took a step forward, and Twilight a step back. "You're special to me. Even If I don't know why, I know that you are. I think I... No, I do love you Twilight. You're a great pony, and I love spending time with you." Rainbow advanced even more, her eyes slowly closed as she leaned forward, trying to catch Twilight's mouth and her voiced turned to a whisper." I don't know if that's what love is, but it's what I feel like it is. So, please tell me you feel the same." "Rainbow, I..." The absence of Twilight where she should have been made Dash open her eyes just slightly. What she saw, horrified her. Twilight was leaning back, far as she could, her eyes big as saucers. "Rainbow I... Don't like mares like that." Twilight breathed, just loud enough to be heard. "Oh..." Ow. "I didn't..." Ow. "I'm sorry..."Stop hurting. "I didn't mean..." Rainbow felt her eyes beginning to water. Please stop hurting. She spun on her hooves, and dashed for the exit. "I have to go!" "Rainbow! Please wait!" No. No more crying. Dash told herself as she ran down the corridor. You knew this was a possibility. Things don't always work out the way they do it books. You can deal with it. She emerged from the stairwell running as fast as she could, and jumped down to the floor. I'll just leave, and forget all about this. It never would have worked anyway. She slowed and stopped right in front of the door. She sniffled, and wiped her eyes.Right, and where would I go? Out there to freeze to death? Yeah, great idea... "Rainbow Dash!" Twilight ran up behind her, huffing. "Please wait! I... I'm sorry." Rainbow turned around, and they both gazed into each other's eyes. "No Twilight." Dash sniffled again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you in that situation. And I tried to force myself on you." "No Rainbow. I should have seen it. Looking back, its obvious. I'm sorry I didn't catch on, I just didn't think that it was even a possibility. I-" Twilight was lost for words. Dash looked to the ground. She felt Twilight's embrace before she noticed she had moved. "Twilight..." "I'm sorry Rainbow. I...I can't return your feelings. But I- I can still be your friend. Please don't go. I care about you Rainbow, even if its not the same." Rainbow hugged Twilight back as hard as she could. "I know...I was just hoping. It really was just a dream anyway... "I'm so sorry Rainbow. I don't know what else to say..." "I'll be okay Twilight." She sniffled. We're friends. It sucks, and it hurts now but... it will do... "I'll get over it Twilight...I love you." Dear Diary, Rainbow Dash has been acting really peculiar today. Not in a bad way, in fact, I kind of like it. It's kinda cute, I guess.. It makes me think of how great a friend she really is, and how much I enjoy her company sometimes. Still, I do wonder why I couldn't help thinking about her for most of the day... She's a great friend, but I don't think of Pinkie Pie or AppleJack this often, I wonder what it is about her that's so interesting to me. Maybe tomorrow I'll- "Twilight." "Hold on a sec Dash." "Twilight it can't wait." She walked up behind her. "It's important." Twilight put her quill down, and turned to face her friend. "What is-" Betrayal of the HeartRainbow laid on the soft, over sized bed, wide awake with her fore legs wrapped around Rarity and her belly pressed tightly against the unicorn's back. She lifted her head slightly to look at the clock hanging on the wall. 8:30 p.m. She dropped her head to her pillow once more. I can't believe I let this happen. I'm so weak willed. How could I... But was it worth it? Well it was great but, why do I have this feeling like I've done something terrible in my gut? Just ignore it Dash... No. I have to break this off. Now. "Rarity? You-" There was a lump in her throat, like she was holding back a sob. She swallowed hard, and tried again. "Are you awake?" "Mmmh. Of course, Rainbow Dash." Rarity breathed quietly. "We... need to talk." Rarity rolled over in place, bringing their muzzles together. "Ooh. You're not usually one for pillow talk." Rarity looked into Rainbow's eyes. They held a sorrow she couldn't comprehend, and had the beginnings of tears in them. "Dash, is something wrong?" Rarity's tone shifted from soft and affectionate to worried and caring. "No, I mean, yeah. I don't know..." Dash choked, looking down. "Its stupid." Tell her anyway. I can't, I don't know how. Just do it. "Please Rainbow. I want to help. What's wrong?" "Rarity pulled Dash's head gently to face her again. "Tell me what's wrong. I care about you, darling." "I... I" Dash bit her lip, as tears streamed down her face. "I feel like I've done something terrible." Rainbow Dash broke down. "Rainbow, its alright." Rarity pulled her in a tight embrace. "Sshhh. Its okay Rainbow. Tell me whats wrong." "No!" Dash pushed herself away from Rarity. "This is what feels wrong. It feels like, like I've betrayed her." Rarity recoiled at Dash's words. I'm not making any sense... "W- wrong? Betrayed who?" Rarity felt hurt, and some semblance of anger, but Rainbow needed her to listen. And she would help her friend. "Which is stupid! Because we don't have anything. We aren't together. She doesn't know about this, and probably doesn't even care!" Rainbow cried loudly, letting go of restraint. "Then why! Why does it feel so terrible! Why does it hurt like this!" Rarity embraced her friend once again, hugging her tightly. Rainbow weakly tried to push her away, but soon conceded. "Its okay Rainbow Dash. Let it out. I'm here for you." Dash cried into Rarity's shoulder. Her sobs halted any attempt at speech she made, and for a long time, she let her tears flow freely. The clock ticked to 9:05, and Rainbow sobbed one last time, Rarity comforting her by stroking her mane. "Better?" Rarity asked. "Yeah..." Rainbow Dash sniffled, taking a step away from Rarity. The two lied on the bed, Rarity crossing her hooves. "I'm sorry Rarity, I don't know what came over me." Dash held her head low. "Its okay Rainbow. We all need a good cry sometimes. Who- umm... what brought this on?" "Truth be told Rarity, I..."Do it. "Came here to end, what we have." Neither pony said anything, and neither broke eye contact. Rarity sighed, breaking the silence. "I figured, from your outburst earlier. May I ask, whatever for?" Don't ask her that! You already know why... "There's... another mare. And when the decision came down to her and you, I... I'm sorry Rarity." "I... see. Have you two, consummated your relationship?" Rarity gasped. "And I, I forced you to-" "No! Rarity, we....I haven't even told her how I feel. I don't even know if she feels the same. Which makes it even stupider considering how badly I over reacted!" Rainbow planted her face in the bed and groaned. "I'm so dumb." "I don't want to hear that from you Rainbow Dash! The feelings of the heart are deep and complex. You were simply doing what your heart desired, no?" I wish I could do the same. "I...guess? Maybe? I don't know. It just felt wrong. It felt like I betrayed her." "Or perhaps you betrayed your heart." "What?" "Nothing darling. Do you mind if I ask who-" "Twilight." "Huh?" "It's Twilight." "Oh..." Well, that explains a few things... "Do you love her?" "What! No! That's...I couldn't." "And why not?" Why not me? "You two are very close, and you've spent a lot of time together." I wanted us to be together. "Especially lately, ever since you started reading books." I've tried my best to keep you close, but not hold on too tightly. "I've seen you over there more than once, and more often than not, you two were having some sort of conversation." What did I do wrong? "Whether it was about the weather, how troublesome your mane was being that day, or whatever your newest aerial stunt was." I want you Dash. But, I suppose that will never happen now. "You were talking like a pair of star crossed lovers. If that isn't something, then call me a novice of romance." The realization hit Rarity as hard it did Dash. Rainbow stayed silent, darting her eyes to the corner of her eye. "Face it Rainbow Dash. There's some connection between you two. And based on your manner earlier, I'd say you, at the very least, care for Twilight deeply." "Then what do I do, Rarity? How do I..." Rainbow asked. "Be yourself Dash. Tell her how you feel." "I'm no good at that mushy stuff. I'd probably make a fool of myself." That sounded pathetic... "Rainbow Dash. You are one of the strongest mares I've ever met. When has looking stupid ever stopped you from doing something?" Did she just call me... No, she's right. "Don't think about it Rainbow. Just look inside yourself, and do." Rainbow Dash sighed, and smiled. "You're right Rarity. I guess I've got to stop moping, and just get it over with." She jumped forward, wrapping Rarity in her fore hooves. "Thanks. You really are a great friend, Rarity." And I really mean that. "And I really mean that." "A heh, just helping, Rainbow Dash. Now go on. You've got a mare to romance." Her voice sounded strained. Rainbow jumped away, and with a beat of her wings, flew over to the window she had come in through hours prior. Her hoof hovered over the lock. "Rarity. Are we... are we cool?" I totally ignored her feelings, didn't I? "No hard feelings?" Rarity looked up to her, closing her eyes, and with a tilt of her head she said. "No hard feelings Rainbow. Consider our little relationship, over and done with. I had fun, while it lasted." Rainbow smiled, and opened the window. "Later Rar. See you around." and she was gone. I'll miss you... Rarity closed the window behind Rainbow Dash. She turned away, and her head lowered, as tears welled in her eyes. "If you love something, let it go..." There was a knock at the door a few minutes later. "Oh? Who could that be? And at such a late hour." Rarity rubbed her eyes dry, and hurried out of her room, down the stairs to the first floor of her boutique. She opened the door, and there standing out in the frosty, stormy winter night, covered with a scarf and saddle, was Twilight Sparkle. Her hoof raised up in the air, ready to knock on the door once more. "Twilight!" Rarity gasped in surprise. "What are you doing here?!?" Wait if she's here now...Oh dear. "Hey Rarity. Can I a-ask a favour of you?" Twilight asked, muffled by her scarf and chattering her teeth in the cold. "Oh, uh, of course darling." Oh this is so terribly awkward... "But please do come inside, it must be below freezing out there." "Thanks Rarity." Twilight stepped inside, and pulled her scarf down from her face. "Now, what is it that you need, dear?" Rarity asked, still a little nervous. Why you, Twilight? Of all the mares, it had to be you. "Well I just got a letter from the-" Twilight stopped, and sniffed at the air. "Ugh. What is that smell?" "Smell? What smell? What do you mean? I cleaned the boutique not six hours ago!" Twilight sniffed again, tracking the scent. She leaned in towards Rarity. She instantly covered her nose, magically moving her scarf back over her face. "Rarity! You smell like you ran the running of the leaves five times over! How did you get so... sweaty?" "I- wha-" Rarity was appalled at the allegation. She lifted a foreleg, and smelled herself. She wrenched away. Vile! But how did this happen...Oh. Rarity giggled her nervous giggle. "Uh, well you see Twilight. I was, uhm...Do you know how hard it is to make a dress? All that running around, grabbing cloth, separating fabrics. It can be absolutely exhausting sometimes. I've been working all day and night. I was absolutely wrecked tonight!... I mean I am an absolute wreck!" She did her nervous giggle again. Oh Celestia this is awkward. "I'm sorry Rarity. I guess I never really realized how strenuous making dresses is..." Twilight said, still holding her scarf over her nose. Rarity trotted over to a small cabinet. She magically picked up some perfume, and gave herself a few sprays. "A heh. Hopefully that will do for the time being. Now, what did you come all this way in the cold for, Twilight?" Twilight lowered her scarf warily. "Like I was saying. I got a letter from the princess earlier. She want's to see me. Tomorrow. I'll most likely be gone the whole day." "And what is it you need from me, exactly?"What is it about you that enabled you to steal Rainbow's heart from me? "I want you, to watch Spike while I'm gone, if you could." "I'm sorry?" "Well, not watch exactly. Just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Just check on him a few times?" "Won't Rainbow Dash be there dear? Couldn't she watch Spike while you're away?" "How... did you know Rainbow was staying at my house?" Oh no...Think fast Rarity! "Pinkie...Pie?" Rarity said, grasping at straws. Twilight brought a hoof to her lip. "Hmm. That's right, she was there today." Rarity sighed silently. "But that's actually the reason I want your help. Spike on his own, probably wouldn't do anything that dumb. But under Rainbow Dash's influence?" Twilight shuddered. "That's a disaster waiting to happen." "I suppose," Rarity giggled again, this time out of real amusement. "Very well Twilight. I will check on Spike and Rainbow Dash tomorrow, and make sure they don't destroy Equestria. And to make sure Rainbow Dash confesses her feelings to you...and not me. "Great! Thanks Rarity! Hey, speaking of Spike. He wasn't here today was he?" "No, Why would he have been?" "He told Rainbow Dash he had "guy" stuff to do. And he hasn't come back yet." "Oh my. We'll, I'm sure he's alright Twilight." Get over yourself Rarity. Rainbow Dash is gone. It's time to move on... "I'm not too worried. He's been disappearing a lot lately. I honestly thought he was here all those times." "Here? Why would he come here, Twilight?" Twilight stared at her friend with her best 'seriously' face. "What?" Rarity asked, a little bit offended. "Nevermind." Twilight said, shaking her head with a smile. "Thanks for your help Rarity. Hope those two aren't too much trouble." Rarity pulled her scarf back up to her face, and magically tightened it. "So long Rarity." "Do take care Twilight. Keep safe." Twilight waved herself off, and left the boutique, leaving Rarity alone with herself. "Upside, I guess I'll be the first to know if Ponyville has a new pair of love birds. Downside..." Rarity sighed sadly letting her head hang for a moment, but quickly she picked herself back up. "Right... bath time." Author's Note A shorter chapter. Reason it took so long was because I've written most of the next chapter as well. Should be out soon. I had trouble with some wording, and properly expressing some things I wanted to. I don't think I did it exceptionally well, but I hope it still gets the message across. Thanks for reading. Constructive criticism welcome!
Asking a FavorRainbow Dash tore through the sky at mach speeds, well outside ponyville's city limits. The early morning winter sun was still climbing over the mountains in the east. Rainbow Dash was high enough that she caught the first rays of sunlight before the rest of the world below. The rays of heat felt good on her ice cold skin as she spiraled upward, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake, fizzling out shortly after. Dash flared her wings, slowing her speed considerably before bursting through a small cloud and coming to a rest on top of it. She looked down to the south at ponyville, still dark and lifeless with its snow filled streets. Most ponies wouldn't be up this early, It being the middle of the winter holidays, but Dash had been up all night. Yesterday's small storm had caused a wall in her home to all but dissipate, letting the harsh cold of winter in. Her cloud home wasn't the warmest of places at the best of times, but with her wings, and several layers of blankets, she made due. Adrenaline had kept her warm and awake for the night, but fatigue was starting to catch up to her, and as she laid her head on the the soft cloud, she felt like she could nap through the winter. A cold gust of wind blew past her. She shivered so much she sunk into her napping cloud, causing her belly fur to dampen with moisture. "Okay. Not the best idea. Time to go home." Dash pressed off the cloud with her hind legs, rolling forward off the cloud, and somersaulting through the air for several metres before straightening out. She dived head long towards the ground until she flared her wings and glided off towards ponyville faster than most pegasi would ever care to go. Dash entered her house from where the window into her room that she always used would have been, had the entire wall not been caved in. Dash sighed. Another gust of chilly air whistled through her room. The blue pegasus shivered, and tightened her wings around her body for warmth. "Guh. Guess I won't be sleeping here today...Tank?!" Dash yelled out. No reply. "Of course he can't answer, he's a turtle. Right." She said to herself. Dash descended to the lower level of her house, looking for her little green shelled friend. The house was a mess. Pizza and mail boxes filled each corner of the house. Socks that she never wore littered the staircase. Her floor might as well have been made of sports magazines and the odd newspaper. "Tank?! Taaaa-oh there you are." The tortoise was encased in his shell in a corner of the living room. "Hey Tank, wake up." Rainbow prodded his shell with a hoof. He poked his green head out from the cover of his shell. He had the same dopey look on his face that Dash had come to love. "Hey dude. I'm thinking maybe we should ditch this place till I can get that wall fixed. Whaddya say?" Tank stared at her with a small smile. She knew what he meant. "Yeah but where do we go? Rarity's? I'm sure I could 'convince' her to let us crash for a few days. Heh heh." Tank's smile vanished. "Oh come on! You know her and I have a thing!" Dash looked up to the corner of her eye. "Sort of." Tank made his best attempt at a hissing noise, and swatted at her with one of his forelegs. "Right... Opal. Forgot about her..." Dash thought about where else she could crash for a few days. Pinkie is a lot of fun, buuuut there's such a thing as too much Pinkie Pie. AppleJack would most likely make me help on the farm in exchange for a room. I guess that's not so terrible, but it'll most likely cut into valuable nap time. Fluttershy's cottage is always nice and warm.....But the smell... "Okay. What about Twilight's? I'm sure she won't try to dissect you...Unless you suddenly start casting spells. In which case, all bets are off." The little green tortoise's smile returned. "Perfect! Lets go." Tank kept up his smile, and slowly brought his head back into his shell. He wasn't coming back out. "Ugh. Fine. Lazy turtle." Dash picked up her pet in both forehooves, and set a course for ponyville's library. The trip was already short, but being back out in the cold had encouraged the pegasus to pick up the pace. She hovered just outside the library door, with Tank in her hooves. "Okay, how should I go about this." She asked herself as she kicked the door three times with her hind hoof. Just ask, What's she going to do? Say no? That wouldn't be rude? Dash, you need a place to stay. You're not asking for her first born foal. "Right." She rationalized with herself. Dash heard noise from inside, and soon after Twilight opened the door, a mug of coffee magically levitating behind her. "Hello? Oh Rainbow, its you. What're you doing-" "Hey Twi." Dash said as she flew over the purple unicorns head, into the library. Ah geez, was that rude? "Sorry Twilight, but its cold out there." "Uh, no problem." Twilight said, closing the door. "What are you doing here so early in the morning though? And...why did you bring Tank?" Dash set Tank down on the floor near one of the bookshelves. She turned back to Twilight. "Yeah...Ya see. My house sort of, collapsed into itself last night. And I was wondering if I could stay here for a few days?" Dash grinned a wide and hopeful smile. "Oh, of course Dash. It shouldn't be a problem. I'll have Spike get the spare bed ready for you." The blue pegasus spiraled into the air. "Sweet! Thanks Twilight! I-woah." Dash felt dizzy, and her vision blurred black. Her wings gave out, and she fell from the air. She landed on the edge of the table in the centre of the room with a crash and bounced off, landing on her back, staring at the ceiling, as the opposite end of the wooden table lifted into the air for a moment before dropping back into place with a loud thud. "Rainbow!" Twilight cried. The unicorn ran over to her pegasus friend, and stood over her, inspecting for injuries. "Dash, are you okay?!?" Dash looked up at her purple friend. Her similar colored eyes staring down at her. "Heh heh." Dash giggled, disoriented from the fall, and gently touched her friend's muzzle with a poke of her hoof. "You're so cute when your worried." Wait what did I just say? Dash shook her head before rubbing the area of it that she had landed on. Owwwww! "Ugh. I mean, I'm fine." "What happened Rainbow? You just kind of...fell." It was then that Twilight first noticed the dark bags under Dash's eyes. "Rainbow Dash, have you been up all night?" "Heh, yeah." Dash put a hoof to her chest in an act of pseudo-pride. "I was busy training, and learning some new stunts." She paused for a moment. "Plus...its kinda hard to sleep when your house is an ice box." "Dash this isn't good. You're over-tired. You need rest." "I'll be fine Twi, after that, I don't even feel tired anymore!" Rainbow Dash sat up, pushing her friend off herself. "Rainbow, that's just adrenaline. You cant run on it forever. You need to-" "I'll be fine, Twilight!" "You need to rest, feather brain!" Twilight said sternly. "Look just step off!" Dash yelled loudly, finishing with a heavy sigh. Twilight stepped back, a worried look on her face. Oh real nice Dash. Just go ahead and yell at your friend who was nice enough to let you stay in her home. She was telling me what to do! Because you're being stupid! You really do need to sleep. Yeah but- Shut up and apologize. "Twilight I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Dash looked down with a sigh and regretful eyes. "I don't know what came over me." "Its Okay Rainbow. You're just irritable." She said softly. Twilight stepped closer to her friend, and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Trust me, I know what its like. Remember when I thought the world was going to go through some disaster because of future Twilight?" Rainbow Dash looked up into the unicorn's eyes, and both ponies chuckled when they recalled the memory. "Oh yeah, hahaha! That was a crazy few days. Did you ever figure out what the problem was? I came by tuesday morning, and no one was here." "Yes, and I...Sort of caused it. Again." Twilight let out a shameful, and exasperated sigh. "Hah! What!?" Dash yelled. Twilight explained to her blue pegasus friend how she used a time reversal spell, and set all the events into motion by her own hoof. By the end, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but roll onto her sides, giggling at her friends misfortune. "Oh Twilight. You-You pffftchhahahahaha!" The purple mare smiled down at the pegasus. "Okay, Rainbow. Its not that funny." She said, giggling herself. Shes so cute when she giggles like that. Shes always adorable, idiot. Yeah but, even more so......Did it just get warmer in here? "Augh! Would you two shut up! Its 7 am!" Spike appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes free from their slumber. "Seriously. Some ponies." Spike grumbled, before he descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen. "Spike, would you mind fixing some breakfast for us?" Twilight called to Spike. "Us? Didn't Rainbow Dash eat before she came here?" He yelled back. "Dash, did you eat?" Twilight realized she forgot to ask. "No. I didn't realize it till now actually, but I'm starving." Dash picked herself up off the floor again. "I'll have whatever you're having." "Two bowls of hay and milk, Spike!" "Yeah Yeah!" "Now, Rainbow. About-" Twilight started. "I know Twi. I'm an athlete, I know how important proper rest is." Dash admitted with a sigh. "Then why did you..." "I don't know. I guess I wasn't thinking about it. And then when you tried to tell me what to do I just kinda snapped. It was stupid, I know." There was a long pause before either pony spoke. Spike walked in from the kitchen, holding a bowl of hay cereal in each claw. He set them on the table that Dash had almost flipped over previously. "All right." He said. "What were you two yelling about earlier? What's up?" Rainbow Dash walked over to her bowl, and started on it. "Err. Nothing Important." She lied. "Actually." Twilight began, magically levitating her own bowl. "Rainbow will be staying with us for a few days, until she gets her house repaired." She said as she took her first spoonful. "Oh." Spike stared at the rainbow pegasus. He leaned over to Twilight, and whispered. "She's not going to be doing air stunts in the house is she? It's hard enough cleaning up after just you. I don't think I could deal with a daily house tornado." "Spike!" "What? We've had to re-shelve the bookcases more than once because of her." Spike shrugged. "Never the less, she is our guest and we'll do our best to make her feel at home." Twilight said, rather Rarity-esque. "Could you two please not talk about me like I'm not two feet away." Rainbow interrupted in between slurps of hay. "A heh-heh." Twilight blushed. "Anyway, Spike? Would you please prepare the spare bed?" "Actually...You kind of lent it to Cloudchaser a few weeks ago. Remember? You teleported it to her house yourself." Twilight's face blanked. "Oh....right." Twilight paused, magically bringing another spoonful of hay and milk into her mouth. "We'll I'm sure we can figure out something." "Don't worry Twi." Dash flipped over their heads, having finished her breakfast. "Me and Tank can take the floor. I've slept on trees before. Sleeping in one can't be much different." Twilight was about to argue, but she caught herself before she spoke. She had a better idea. "Well then Rainbow, perhaps you'd like to catch up on some reading?" She asked in a way and with a grin that made Dash eye her up suspiciously. Twilight was never a very good liar, and almost always transparent in her schemes. "IIIIIII don't know..." What's she planning? Maybe it involves her bed. Shut UP, brain. "Come on Rainbow! Its too cold to do anything outside this early, and Spike and I have chores." "All right, I guess." Whatever, I'm probably just over thinking it. Twi wouldn't trick me like that. "I was on, uhh. Daring Do and the Emerald Elephant." Wait. Chores. Should I help? But chores are hard! And Twilight's the one who offered the option. But I'm staying here...for nothing! I should help out. Next time. There's Daring to read. Twilight grabbed the specified book from a shelf magically, and brought it over to Rainbow Dash. "Here you are Rainbow." Dash took the book in her hooves, and sat down, opening the books spine to a random page. "Thanks!" Rainbow started to scan the page but Twilight gently placed a hoof on it, making Dash look up at her. "Actually, Its kind of chilly in here. How about you come sit near the fireplace?" Twilight suggested, again with that suspicious grin of hers. "You have a fireplace?" Dash eyed the unicorn. "Yes, and don't worry. Its was constructed so it wouldn't burn down the house, and its magically protected for added security." Why would it burn the house down?...OH! Its a tree. Right. Fires and trees don't usually mix too well. "If you say so." Dash followed Twilight to the fireplace, with the book held in her teeth. During their short walk, Dash's eyes were caught by Twilight's swinging rear. Enjoying the sights? Yes. I mean!...yes. You like her. What? Twilight. You like her. You want her. What! No way. She's too nerdy and smart for me. I'd never stand a chance. No I mean I wouldn't be interested! Riiiight. I'm not! They reached the fireplace, a few already charred logs sat inside. Twilight added a couple fresh ones, and quickly set to making her horn glow a hot white. A few sparks clicked over the logs, and then a small flame burst across them. "There. That should-" The flames flickered violently before extinguishing themselves. Twilight reeled in embarrassment. "A heh heh. I'm still working on my pyro kinetics." Rainbow Dash gave a muffled chuckle through the book in her mouth. "SPIKE! FIRE!" The little dragon appeared in an instant. "Really? Its not even cold in here." He said in a dead pan. "It's not to you because you're cold blooded, Spike. Ponies have a naturally higher body temperature and thus-" "Alright alright, I get it. Its too early for lectures" Said Spike, waving her off. He inhaled heavily, and held it for a moment before exhaling a stream of green flames. The logs ignited immediately. The fire was as green as Spike's breath for a few moments, but with every second it burned into its natural orange-red. Twilight sighed. "Thank you Spike. Now Rainbow, can I get you anything else?" "Nmph." Dash set the book down on the floor. "No. I should be good. But let me know when Tank wakes up. I should go grab his food when I get the chance." Twilight nodded, and started off to start her chores. "And Twilight?" The unicorn stopped, and turned back to her friend. They both smiled. "Thanks for letting me stay here. It was really cool of you." Rainbow didn't know it, but a slight rose tint was covering her cheeks. "Anything for a friend Rainbow. Now get some res-err...Hope you enjoy your book!" Twilight ran off to some part of the house, leaving Dash alone in front of the fire with her book. She opened it and flipped around until she found the last page she remembered reading, and laid down to enjoy the adventure. "But if there was one thing Daring hadn't accounted for it was time. Time would play-" I don't suppose Twilight would wanna...Nah, she's probably not the type. Probably more of the romancey, be-with-me-forever type of mare. Still. I would wreck that mare. I bet she would be into some real kinky stuff, being cooped up in this library, all alone.. And that crazy magic of hers could be used for some-. The fire crackled, and Dash looked up from her book, and stared into the flames, heavily flushed in the face. Celestia damn it dash. Okay. So I think Twi is a smokin' hot mare. No big deal. I think a lot of mares are hot, it doesn't mean anything. Except when was the last time you felt like this? Dash groaned, frustrated with her thoughts. She felt heavy eyed, and laid her head on the page of the book she was reading. Whatever brain, think whatever you want. Maybe I should talk to someone about this? Another opinion might be refreshing. You know what you want, go get it. Shut it, not doing that to Twi. Why not, It worked with- Not. Doing. That. Dash kept this course,mentally arguing with herself, not noticing how heavy her eyes were getting. When her eyes finally closed, she was fast asleep in an instant. Twilight probably wouldn't appreciate the drool coating her book. Author's Note Well. This is my first fic in a long time. My first pony fic too. All in all I feel its okay. It feels rushed to me, but I guess its just an introduction for the places I want to go. Let me know what you think. And to anyone wondering, no Dash isn't a schizo, that's just her thinking to herself. =p EDIT: Fixed the format a bit. No more wall of text!
DecisionsUgggghhhh. Wake up. No. Sleep. No. Gotta wake up. Its hot. Rainbow Dash groaned, rolling around on her bed. Why is it so hot! Gotta get outta bed. She rolled until she dropped from the bed's surface onto the hard wood floor, still wrapped up in blankets. The surprisingly hard impact of the floor awoke Dash from her blurry semi-conciousness. "Ow. What the heck? Why are my floors made of-Oh." She said, realizing she wasn't at home. "Where am I? Augh! So HOT!" Dash threw off the blankets covering her, letting the heat escape from her body. "Ahhh. Much better." Dash laid on her back, and heard the clip clop of hooves ascending stairs, and turned her head lazily to look. "Ah, good afternoon Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "Glad to see you're finally awake. You've been sleeping all day." Ooooh. Right, came to Twi's because of the whole wall problem. Gosh she's hot for doing that...awesome. I meant awesome, Right? Yeah, She's awesome for doing that. "Oh uh, hey Twi. Guess I really did fall asleep, huh?" Twilight giggled. "I'm just glad it worked." "Glad...what worked?" Dash squinted suspiciously. The unicorn giggled some more. "The sleep spell I placed on the fire logs." She said with a prideful chin raised. "When did you....." Dash's head shot up with realization, and she stared at her friend. "You mean your failed pyroki-whatsits wasn't actually-" "Nope. Sleep spell. I'm actually quite good with pyro-kinetics. I'd be a pretty poor understudy of Princess Celestia if I needed Spike for something as simple as lighting a fireplace." Twilight giggled again. Dash dropped her head and splayed across the floor. "I don't. Believe it. Twilight Sparkle. Pulled a fast one on me. ME!" Rainbow Dash covered her eyes with her hooves. Waiiiiit a minute here....yeah. "Oh, how will I ever live this down!" She said with an obvious over exaggeration, that made Twilight tilt her head. "I'll have to hand in my daredevil's license!" Dash slowly rolled over, and planted her forehooves to the ground. "I'll never be able to join the wonderbolts now! Unless..." Rainbow was crouched and ready to pounce before Twilight realized what was going on. "I silence the only loose end!" Rainbow yelled as she jumped at her friend. "Ahhh!" Twilight screamed and recoiled, but it was too late, and Dash crashed into her sending the two rolling across the floor. "Rainbow!" Twilight couldn't help but laugh out loud as the two ponies tumbled over each other. "Don't resist Twilight! You can't-" "Rainbow!" Twilight shouted in a panic. huh? In that moment, both ponies rolled off the edge of the upper level of the room. Twilight was on the bottom. FUCK! Fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it fix-it! Rainbow Dash used momentum and her flared wings to flip, and steady herself into the bottom position. She beat her wings in reverse in a futile attempt to cushion the blow. She hit the floor back first. The impact wasn't nearly as hard as she had thought it would be. Is Twilight okay!? "Rainbow! Are you okay?!" Dash looked up, and for the second time that day, saw her purple friend standing over her with worry on her face. Good. She's fine. Now... With a beat of her wings, and swing to her left, Dash toppled her friend and rolled over, taking the dominant position. She brought a hoof to her own chest, and put on her best villain voice. "Now, miss Sparkle. I hope you've realized how impossible escape is." Rainbow Dash glanced down at Twilight with one open eye. She still looked worried, and a little confused. Come on Twilight! Play along! "You're my prisoner, and until I decide how to deal with you," Dash placed her hoof on Twilight's nose. "You aren't going anywhere." "Uhh...well, uh....You won't uh, get away with this! My partner, Spike, still has the key to the whole thing! And you'll never find him!" Not....bad. "Oh, don't worry. I'll have him in my clutches soon. He wont escape my minions!" "Hey Twilight? You up here?" Spike appeared at the top of the stairs, as if on cue. He stared at the two ponies he had interrupted. "Uh...what are you two doing?" Rainbow Dash jumped, and in a flash held Spike up in the air. "If you don't return what you stole from me, your little assistacant here will meet an unfortunate end." "Aggh! Twilight! Don't worry about me! Save yourself!" Wow. Little guy catches on quick. "Let him go you...you-" "Pah! And what are you going to do? Your magic has no effect here! You're powerless!" Rainbow yelled down at the unicorn, holding the dragon in her hooves like a hoofball. Twilight's horn started to glow. "I'm sure I can..." Twilight faltered, as if casting was causing her extreme physical stress. "Manage...something!" "Hah! Nice try, but-" Spike vanished from her hooves in a flash of light. "Hey!" Rainbow looked around the room for the missing dragon. "Aha! She dashed down to Spike, who lay flat on the floor below her. She reached to grab him, but just as she reached where he was, he vanished again. Again Rainbow looked around the room, searching for the elusive dragon. "I got her Twilight! Now!" Spike jumped on Rainbow Dash's back, and held her in the best choke hold he could manage. He whispered some instructions in her ear. Dash liked his idea, and complied, standing on her hind hooves, beating her wings in psuedo-resistance. "Your evil reign is over! For Equestria!" Twilight shouted, and charged at the vulnerable pegasus. Rainbow stifled a laugh at Twilight's overzealous acting. At least she's more enthusiastic about it. Twilight lowered her head, pointing her horn at Rainbow's chest. "Hngg!" Dash grunted, as the shining purple knight, Twilight Sparkle plunged her horn deep into The evil Commander Rainbow Dash's heart. The royal squire, Spike Drakescale released his chokehold, as Twilight pulled her bloody horn away, and Dash fell to the floor. "This changes nothing." The commander said with her dying whisper. "Celestia still governs over the earth ponies with an iron hoof. When will the unicorns see the betrayal their princess has gifted to them. When will...will...." "She's dead Twilight. What do we do now?" Twilight stayed silent, staring down at her defeated foe. "Twilight?" Rainbow opened her eye a crack, and watched her friends. Come on Twi....think of something with that big sexy brain of yours. And your adorable eyes, and that hot flank....damn I just want to snuggle her forever. Not now brain, shut it! Ah well, I guess she's stumped, it was fun while it lasted. Rainbow flared her wings. It was the only warning she gave before she tackled Spike and Twilight to the floor. Using her momentum, she rolled over top of them, knocking into one of the small bookcases filled with some of Twilight's personal books. She jumped up and stood over her friends triumphantly. "Hah! That was fun guys. Good acting Spike. You might need some work though, Twilight. All in all a solid performance." Spike giggled as he sat up. "That was awesome! We gotta do that again!" "Another time, Spike." Twilight said, dusting herself off, with a silent smile on her face. "Now was there a reason you came up here?" "Oh, right, the princess sent you a letter Twilight." Spike said, pulling a rolled and sealed parchment from his person. Where....was he hiding that? "Ah, thank you Spike." Twilight said, taking the sealed scroll in her magical grasp. She unraveled it, and began reading it to herself. Her eyes darting from side to side, running down the larger than usual scroll. "So Twilight. Wanna hangout? I got nothing to do for the rest of the day." Said Dash, stretching her legs. "Hold on Dash. This is important." "Well," Spike started for the stairs. "You two do whatever. I got errands to run." "By yourself?" Dash asked. "uh...yeah?" "Can I come with?" Rainbow hovered over the dragon. Spike stopped at the top of the stairs. "No! its uh, important dragon....guy stuff." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "What kinda guy stuff?" "Just.....stuff. Kay gotta go!" Spike turned on his heels and ran down the stairs. "Well that was....odd. Don't you think Twi?" Rainbow turned to the unicorn who was still entranced with her letter. "Oh. Right." Dash gave a heavy sigh, and flopped to ground, laying on her side. Bored bored bored. So boring. Looking for something interesting, Rainbow noticed the books she had knocked from their shelves. Oops. I should probably clean that up...Later. She glanced over at Twilight again. Wow. She is really into that letter. Letters are usually pretty boring. And long. I guess its from the princess though. Well one of the princesses. I always forget about Luna. I wonder what its like to be Celestia's personal student. Probably awesome! I bet Twi knows a lot about her......I bet she knows a lot about Twilight. I wonder what their relationship is like. Stop it! They're teacher and student! Or maybe Twi sees her like a mother. They're definitely not......that way. Wow, I cant believe I'm jealous of the princess. Or am I jealous of Twilight...You like her. Yes. Okay, I like Twilight Sparkle, one of my best friends, in maybe more then just a sexual way. Damn it, why was that so hard to admit? Should I just ask her on a date? Yeah... I guess I might as well. And what's she going to do? Say no? To me? No Way! You got this Dash......just ask her. Nothing will get in your way. "Phew. All done. Looks like the princess wants to see me for important business. Now what were you saying Rainbow?" "Huh?" Dash snapped away from her thoughts. "Oh uh, I......Hey can I ask you something?" "Sure. Anything Rainbow." Twilight levitated her letter over to her desk, and sat attentively. "I'm all yours." She said with a beaming smile. Its just that, uh...Stop that adorable smile. Stop it!Would you wanna... Come on, who are you, Fluttershy? You got this Dash. She's yours! "Would you- "Hey where's Spike?" Twilight asked, looking a round the room. "He went out said it was guy stuff." Dash said quickly. "That's gotta be code for: being Rarity's personal slave for the day." Twilight sighed. "Go on Dash." "Will-" Rarity?......RARITY!!! "OH HORSEAPPLES!!" Dash yelled. "...I'm sorry?" Twilight asked quizically. "Ooooooh no." How the heck did I forget about Rarity! "Dash, is everything all right?" Twilight put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "No! Ah! I mean, yeah. Everything's fine. Look I gotta go. I just remembered I've got....weather, stuff." "This late in the day?" "Yeah, uh..." Rainbow jumped up to the higher level of the bedroom. "The weather scheduling is weird. Look I gotta go now." Rainbow ran over to the window by Twilight's bed and pushed it open. She flared her wings, and prepared to bolt. "Rainbow wait-" Dash shot out of the library as fast as she could. "How could I forget about Rarity like that! I'm the worst kind of pony!" Rainbow zoomed through town at a high velocity. The weather team had cleared most of the clouds from last night's storm, and the sun was already low in the winter sky, and the night chill would soon set in again. The carousel boutique came into view, and Dash skidded to an aerial halt. "Wait, what am I doing? I can't just barge in there, expecting her to forgive me!" Forgive you? You haven't done anything wrong! You're blowing this out of proportion Dash. "Okay. Slow down, and lets think about this for a second." Rainbow said, grabbing her head with her hooves. She spotted a fair sized cloud leftover from the night before just above her, and spun over onto it. "Okay. All right.....Okay. ALL RIGHT! What do I do?" Dash said, still holding her head. First, what happened? I FORGOT about Rarity, and tried to ditch her, one of my best friends, for another of my best friends! How do you forget about a pony you've been with for months! "Been with", might be a little strong for what we have. Regardless, its still deplorable! "Okay. How can I fix it..." Get Rarity's permission to date Twilight? Get her permission!?!?! That has to be the dumbest thing you've ever thought Dash. I guess I'll just have to... "Break up with Rarity..." Rainbow Dash let out a long and drawn out groan. "So I'm officially dumping one of my friends for another?" its not like me and Rarity are married. We just, fool around every so often. Heck, I was counting on her breaking it off eventually. It still feels wrong... Well what are you going to do? Keep it up, stay with Rarity, forget about Twilight, and lie to everyone, including yourself? Dash planted her face in the cloud, and let out another muffled groan. "Fuck!" Dash lay with her face buried in the cloud for long minutes. When she finally lifted her head, it was darker than she remembered. "Enough thinking. I just gotta get this over and done with." Rainbow dashed from her cloud, dispersing it with the force of her take off. She reached the Boutique in seconds. Opening the window she usually entered through, she landed gently in Rarity's room. "Rarity! Rarity, you here?" The window shut behind her, and as Dash turned to look, she was pounced upon. Rainbow Yelped in surprise, falling to the floor. "Rarity!" "Ooh, Rainbow Dash. How romantic. Storming into a ladies room on a cold, wintery night to keep her safe. Keep her," Rarity leaned down to whisper in Dash's ear. "Warm." This isn't happening. I came here to-Oh Celestia what is she doing! Rarity nibbled Dash's ear tenderly. "Ah. Rarity. Stop that..." Maybe....just one more time? Rarity ceased her biting. No! I couldn't do that! It'd be.....wrong? "Come now Rainbow Dash. You're being much more reserved than usual." Rarity said in her usual sultry tone. "Oh, Its just that....uhh....." How would it be wrong? You're not dating Twi. You haven't even asked her yet. But- Rainbow's mind blanked as Rarity kissed her lips, gently, at first. I can't! I've gotta put an end to this! Rainbow pushed Rarity off herself. "Rarity, look I-ahh!" Rarity levitated Dash up with her magic, and threw her, unceremoniously, onto her bed. Never mind how hot that was! You've gotta....uhh Rarity stalked up to Rainbow Dash, slowly. "You're not going to disappoint a lady, are you dear? You might just," She leaned into Dash's ear again. "Break my heart." Maybe just........one more time? "Don't keep me waiting, Rainbow." Rarity gave Dash another peck on the lips. Rainbow looked deep into Rarity's Azure eyes. She sighed. "I am the worst kind of pony." Dash lunged forward, pinning Rarity to the bedsheets. Author's Note Finally! I feel I messed up some parts of this chapter, but I can't think of how to fix it without ruining other parts. As always, constructive criticism welcome. P.S Despite how the ending might seem, there will not be any clop in this story. Or at least it wont be written into it.
Reach Out and Grab Her"Cold cold cold cold cold cold cold COLD! Aggghhhhh!" Rainbow shouted, trying to get her blood pumping faster. She hadn't expected to be flying naked through a snowstorm on one of the coldest nights of the year, and there were times she wondered if karma was out to get her. A tree jumped out of the darkness, and Rainbow had to make a quick roll through it in an instant. Her hoof clipped a branch as she barrel rolled, causing her to tumble through the air for a moment before crash landing into a bank of snow on the edge of the street. She was quickly covered up by the snow, reaching a new level of freezing. That's it. I give up. I'm just going to die right here. Forget it all. Death, I embrace you. Rainbow picked herself up and set off again for the library, covered in snow and ice water. It hindered her wings, weighing them down with moisture but still she pressed onward. Even going as fast as she could, Rainbow couldn't wait to get indoors any sooner. "I have seriously underestimated how much I really hate the cold." She pumped her wings harder, picking up as much speed as she could without going supersonic. Just as she came to the library, she realized to she was going far too fast, and would have to loop around the treehouse if she didn't slow down. Every second out here was torture, and looping around was out of the question. No time to think! Improvise With a flare of her wings, her speed dropped considerably and she dropped to the ground like a brick. Keeping her balance has she landed, she skidded along the snow on all fours for at least twenty metres, stopping just outside the front door. That was pretty awesome... I should work on using that in a stunt. Dash thought as she threw open the door and hurried inside, slamming it and leaning against it as if trying to impede someone that had chased her home. Dash shivered the cold out as best she could, and folded her wings tight to her torso. They made excellent heaters most of the time. Most of the time not including when they were soaking wet and covered with ice particles. Luckily the library's fire was still going strong in the other room, and Dash used it as a source of warmth for many minutes. As the ice water evaporated, heat reinvigorated her body. Oh damn, that is so much better. Thank you ancestors for inventing fire. Whilst drying, and getting back to a normal body temperature, she used the time to think of something, anything, to say to Twilight. Unfortunately she wasn't downstairs like Rainbow had planned, but being ice cold probably would have prevented her from saying anything intelligent anyway. I like you Twilight Sparkle. I like you... Good enough. Just do it, and it'll be over with. "Twilight!? You here?" She called as she neared the staircase. Just do it quickly. I'm sure she likes me back. Of course she does, what's not to like? She chuckled to herself. Arrogant. Brash. Rude. Total jerk sometimes. Dumb. "Thank you for that brain. Really helps the self confidence..." Rainbow whispered to herself. She ascended the stairs after Twilight didn't reply back, unsure of her assuredness. "Twi?" Rainbow opened the door to the bedroom. "Aghh!" Spike yelled, falling to the ground with a thump. "Oh, its you Spike. Is Tw-WHAT THE HAY ARE THOSE!" "Nothing! It's not what it looks like!" Spike yelled, trying to hide them behind his back whilst scrambling to his feet. Unfortunately for him, the items in question were a bit bigger than the rest of him. "Spike are those-" "No!...Don't tell anyone! Please!" Spike dropped to his knees and begged. "Why wouldn't I tell everyone you've got wings, Spike! That's awesome!" Attached to Spike's back, was a pair of wings that looked somewhat similar to a bat's. Spanning at least two feet each, their forearms were coloured a deep shade of purple, and the membranes a medium green. Rainbow jumped over to Spike and grabbed his right wing, pulling it out to its full length and examining it. "When did you get these? This is sweet! They look pretty strong and maneuverable. You've gotta show me what you can do with these." "Woah, hold on!" Spike pulled his new limb away from the entranced mare. "First off, they showed up a couple months ago. One day my back was itchy, and when I went to scratch it a handful of scales came off, and these things slid out." "Did it hurt?" "Not really. It was weird, I guess. They just kinda....came out." "Wait you've had these for months? But I saw you this morning. You were pretty wingless." "Uh, yeah." Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "They go back." "Go....back?" Rainbow asked, feeling very confused. Spike sighed. "Just watch." He turned his back to Rainbow. She saw what was happening next, but she didn't believe it. The membranes of Spike's wings tightened up to their forearms, and the entire length slid smoothly into his back. She inspected his back, and on either side of his spine, was a small gap in between his scales that you wouldn't be able to notice if you weren't looking for them. "I don't know if that's the creepiest thing I've ever seen... or the most badass. How do they come out?" Without warning, his wings shot out of his back and unfurled in an instant, making Rainbow jump back in surprised. Spike turned towards her again. "Well?" He asked. "Yeah. Definitely badass. So... what can you do with them?" "That's why I don't want you telling anyone about them. At least, not yet. I.. can barely keep off the ground for a few seconds. Its really embarrassing..." "Ooooooh." He's embarrassed that he can't do something all dragons do, seemingly so naturally. I understand. Wait, is that where you went today? That guy stuff you were talking about?" "Yeah...I was out practicing flying just outside the everfree, where nopony could see me. Its really hard, and I don't know if I'll ever get the hang of it." "Psh. Well there's your first problem." Rainbow pushed Spike back a little with a jab of her hoof. "Huh?" "Learning to fly out in the cold winter air? Not going to happen." "What? Why not?" "Well if you had any kind of wing muscle control, it wouldn't be too bad. But for a beginner? Frigid air is not your friend. You need to start off easier. Here." "Wuh, Hey!" Dash grabbed Spike by the torso, and brought him to the roof. She held him away from her body. "Okay. Flap." She let go. "Ahhh!" Spike yelled as he fell. He tried his best to flap his wings, but he was falling too fast. He closed his eyes and braced for impact with the floor. He fell softly onto Rainbow Dash's back. "You're not going to fly by covering your eyes, Spike. Flap those wings." "You just dropped me!" "Like a bird from a nest. Let's try again." Spike almost fell from her back as she spiraled up to the roof once again. "Ready?" "No!" "Fly!" Rainbow said as she bucked him off her back. Spike yelped again, and tried to flap his wings again. He pressed harder this time. On his second down stroke, his descent slowed. "There you go Spike. See?" Rainbow said from above him. Spike continued flapping. He would go up on each down stroke, and down on each upstroke. He was still losing altitude, but it was progress. "I'm doing it! This is great!" "Good. Now spread out your wings. Keep them loose, and glide." "Spread, keep loose, and...glide." Spike did as he was told, and spread his wings. His downward motion turned to lateral movement in an instant, and he glided across the room. "Now turn!" Rainbow yelled. Spike snapped out of his flight induced wonderment. "Wuh-How do I-" He spun his body to the left, overturning, he flipped himself upside down, and gravity dragged him downwards once more. "AH!" "Gotcha." Rainbow held Spike by the tail, a foot off the floor. "Phew. Thanks." "No problem." She said, letting his tail go free. He face planted. "Ow." "Pretty good Spike." Rainbow landed next to him, far more gracefully than he had. "Flying upside down is probably a little out of your league, but If you want, I can get you flying like a pro before summer. In secret too, if you really want." Spike looked up at her from the ground. "Really? You'll help me learn to fly?" He looked up at her with awe. "Sure. It'll be fun."She said. "I've never really taught anyone before, so I might not be, uhh... actually, I'm sure I'll be the best instructor ever. Who better to teach you to fly then the best flier in Equestria." Dash flaunted her ego. Spike crawled to his feet and hugged Rainbow Dash, tears of happiness in his eyes. "Thanks Rainbow Dash! You're the best." "Heh. I know. We'll have you flying like, well, like me, in no time. Then you can get out there and show off your stuff. You'll get all the mares on your tail." Rainbow chuckled. Spike wiped his eyes dry. "Is that why you show off all the time when you're flying?" Spike joked as he took a step away from her. "Psh, no. I fly because it's.. It's quite literally the most amazing thing ever. The feeling of wind blowing through your feathers. The updraft of a sweet thermal. The weightlessness of it all. It's just...perfect." I wish it weren't negative a million degrees out, cause now I want to fly. "And I don't show off, I radiate awesome. Getting all the mares is just a wicked side effect." Spike started to laugh, but stopped after his brain processed Rainbow's words. "Wait, seriously? You like mares?" "Ya huh. Mostly, anyway." "Why?" "Why do you?" "Huh... Touche. Hey, uh... you wouldn't have any tips on how get a girl's attention?" Spike asked. Rainbow bit her lip, realizing who Spike was talking about. "You mean Rarity?" "Uh...yeah. Don't go spreading that around either!" Said Spike, still unaware that the entire town probably knew "Well, uh..." Rule one, don't dump her for someone else... "I wouldn't know. Rarity... isn't really my type. Too high maintenance, ya know?" "But so worth it." Spike swooned. Rainbow could swear she saw hearts floating around in his eyes. "You've no idea Spike. You've no idea." "Huh?" "Nothing!" Rainbow panicked, having said her thoughts out loud without realizing. "So how about another quick lesson!" "Sure, I-" Spike held is breath for second, and yawned deeply. After which, his eyes would only open half way. "I can't wait to learn more." He said sleepily. "Haha, okay, maybe we wait till morning, after you get some rest. Flying is tough work, and you can't learn it half asleep." "What? No, Dash. I'm totally good, I swear. Never mind that dragon's can fall into an out of sleep at a moment's notice when they're tired." Spike waved it off, as if what he just said was perfectly normal. "Dragons?" Rainbow Dash laughed. "Or just you?" "Whichever. Come on. Flying, lets do it." Rainbow dashed forward and whisked Spike into the air, carrying him over to Twilight's bed. "Tell you what Spike." She dropped him onto the star patterned bed. "Come get me in ten minutes, and then we'll keep it up. Till then, take a break. "Heh. Alright. I'll just, rest here and.....gather my strength. Gonna be the best fly-" Spike flopped, and curled up. "What a guy, already out. Wish I could fall asleep that fast." Rainbow zipped to the lower level, and trotted down the stairs. As she reached the plateau of the staircase overlooking the library, she asked herself. "Now, what was I doing? The front door swung open, snowflakes quickly storming in and melting just as fast. In walked Twilight, covered head to hoof in winter garb. She magicked of the first layer off quickly, happy to rid of her frozen clothes. "Oh, hey Twilight." Rainbow said. Shit shit shit shit shit! "How's it are you doing?" Nice one brain. "Huh? Twilight looked up to Dash, noticing her for the first time. "Rainbow Dash, you're here." "Yeah I got back just a couple minutes ago... had to make this crazy storm. Almost got trapped in it actually. Where did you head off to?" Twilight removed the rest of her winter attire. "Oh, I'm glad you're okay Rainbow, wouldn't want to find you frozen in an ice block on winter wrap up day." She laughed lightly. "I was at Rarity's though. Needed a favour." Alarm bells went off in Rainbow's head. "OH!? and uh, what did you talk about?" "Just wanted to see if she would check on Spike tomorrow." Rainbow sighed in relief. "Wait, why would she need to do that?" "I told you before you left Rainbow, I'm going to meet Celestia at the castle tomorrow. She wants to see me, and I might be gone for the entire day. Maybe longer. Rarity will just make sure Spike doesn't get into any trouble while I'm gone..." "Oh, okay..." There was a short awkward pause, as Twilight expected the pegasus to insist she could take care of it. Instead Rainbow simply jumped down from the staircase. Just ask her something! "So Twilight do you wanna do something?" Rainbow asked with a big grin. "Sure." Oh Celestia Yes!. "I was going to do some reading before bed. We could do it together, if you want?" Damn it! "Yeah, sounds great..." Twilight levitated a pair of books from the wall, and handed the same copy of Daring-Do from earlier to Rainbow Dash. "Please try not to drool on it this time. There are other ponies who like to read these too." Twilight said, half joking. "Aheh heh. Sorry Twi." Rainbow grabbed the book from Twilight's magical grasp, and looked at the cover, then to Twilight who took her own book, opened it up and lay on the floor. I've gotta make a move. Rainbow placed her book on the table and walked over to Twilight, leaning over her shoulder to look at the book she had grabbed for herself. "Hey Twilight? What what are you reading?" "Hm? Oh, this is just a little novel I ordered a little while ago." She levitated it, and showed Rainbow Dash the cover. "It's about a few real life historical events. Heavily fictionalized, of course. Cheerilee recommended to me, actually." "Sounds cool... Do you think, we could... read it together?" Dash asked nervously. Oh Celestia what am I doing! No, stick with it Dash! Twilight gasped audibly. "Yes!" Twilight jumped up, hugging Rainbow tightly. "Oh, this is so great! We can read it together, then talk about it and discuss the plot and its holes, it's characters! It'll be amazing. I've never had a book buddy before!" Twilight beamed. Rainbow blushed in Twilight's embrace. A deep smile crept onto her face. "That sounds like a lot of fun." She said honestly. Twilight broke the hug. "Oh, but I've only got the one copy." "Not a problem Twi. Lie down, like you usually do when you read." Twilight complied, setting the book down in front of her again. "We can share." Rainbow moved closer, and shimmied into the spot next to Twilight. As their coats brushed up against one another, Rainbow let out a yelp and jumped up. "Twilight, you're freezing!" "I am? Well I did just step inside. Hey, If it isn't too much trouble, could you..." "Way ahead of you." Dash said with a wave of her hoof. She settled in next to Twilight, ignoring the chill of her fur, and wrapped her right wing around her. "There. You'll be warm in no time." Smooth Dash. Real smooth. Twilight chuckled a little. "What? "Not what I was going to say Rainbow, but I appreciate it. I was going to ask if you could grab my blanket, but-" "Oh! Yeah, sure I can do that!" "Rainbow wait-" Twilight tried to stop her, but she was already gone, up the stairs, and leaving a rainbow trail in her wake. Damn, was I too forward? Not forward enough? No, she just wants her blanket. Ugh this is hard. Why can't I just tell her I like her? As Rainbow returned to the bedroom and flew up to the bed, she noticed something she had forgotten. "Ah, Spike! Wake up!" Rainbow said, shoving him moderately. Spike didn't move. His snoring was light, and he was still curled up on the bed. "Spike, put your wings away, Twilights here!" Rainbow half whispered, half yelled. "Rubies are... better than sapphires." He mumbled. Rainbow groaned. "Get. Up!" She hurdled Spike several feet into the air, and he landed back on the bed, bouncing several times. He slept still, laying on his stomach now. "Uggh. How do these things work?" Rainbow said, jumping on the bed and standing over the sleeping dragon. She grabbed his wings and spread them out at first, then tried to force them back in their sockets. "Come on, stupid wings!" After a couple seconds of her futile attempt, she stopped. "Agggghh. Why am I even bothering? Twilight should probably know Spike went through some, evolutiony change or whatever." But I guess if he really wants to keep it a secret, I should at least try to help him out. Think, what makes my wings relax when they're tense? Maybe... Rainbow put her left fore hoof on Spike's back, right between his wing sockets, and pressed down. His wings curled up like a projector screen and slid into his back. Spike's sleeping form didn't react at all. "Huh. Didn't actually think that'd work..." Rainbow said, grabbing the blanket she had come for. She had to yank it out from under Spike to get it free. He tumbled over several times, but still slept soundly. "And I thought I was a heavy sleeper. Kid could probably sleep through a tornado." Actually, I could probably make one right now... No, no. Twilight's waiting...Another time though. Heh heh. Rainbow crumpled up the blanket in her hooves, and grabbed a couple pillows for good measure. "Back." Rainbow said, dropping the blanket and pillows on the ground. She picked up the blanket in her mouth, and spread it over her friend. "This wasn't necessary Rainbow. You're wing was actually really comfortable." Twilight said with a smirk and a hoof resting on her cheek. "Oh. But you said-" "You really need to let me finish my sentences before you fly off." "Aheh heh. Sorry. Its a habit." Rainbow said, rubbing her neck. "More like a lifestyle." Twilight giggled, levitating one of the pillows under her fore hooves. Dash grabbed the other, and crawled under the blanket doing the same. "Ready to start?" Twilight asked, laying the book in front of them. "Just a sec." Rainbow stretched her wing over Twilight again, and brought her in close as she could. "Ready." "Okay, let's begin. Chapter one." Twilight began reading the first page of the book, her eyes darting from left to right and back again. Rainbow did the same. This is going great! Twilight definitely likes me. I just gotta tell her. Or, ask her? Whatever. Just do it. Now? "You done?" Twilight broke her train of thought. "Huh?" "The page. Are you done reading the page?" "Oh, yeah. Were you waiting on me?" "Yeah, a little. I'm a bit of a fast reader, so its okay if you need a little more time to finish. I'll slow down, if you like." Rainbow's eyes widened. "Twilight, are you trying to tell me... you're faster than me?" "What? I-" "I think you are! New rule. When you finish a page, tap your hoof on the ground. Whoever finishes the most pages the fastest, wins." Twilight smirked at Rainbow, and in a tone reminiscent of the first time they met, said. "Bring it." Twilight flipped the page with her magic, and both mares read through it as fast as they could, their eyes blazing across the pages. Rainbow tapped her hoof on the wooden floor, a split second after Twilight did. "Hah!" Twilight gloated. "Next page!" Rainbow declared. Twilight flipped the page again, and again. Each time, Twilight just beating her out by the smallest amount. It wasn't long before they reached the end of the first chapter. "Aggh!" Rainbow moaned as she lost out again. "End of chapter retention quiz." Twilight smirked. "The main character lost her-" "Wife. Who's name was Vociferous Whirlwind." What else happened worth mentioning? "The chapter takes place in-" "The town of Storm Blaze, which is based on what is now Vanhoover. The king was famous for-" "Killing a giant swarm of harpies, and defending the town from being destroyed, by using his wit to trap and separate them all. He's totally going to be the villain by the way. The main character could be described as-" "Strong willed, quick on her hooves, cold and ferocious in the face of danger. Very... Rainbow Dash-esque." Both mares stopped and stared at each other for a moment, and couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. "Very nice Twilight. But last I checked, you were the cold one!" "Sorry, I couldn't help it." They laughed some more. Now. Make a move. Rainbow laid her head against Twilight's neck and shoulder, and gave a small sigh. "You're a lot more fun than I give you credit for Twi." "Wow. I'm not sure if I should be flattered, or insulted." She laughed. "Now then, on to the next chapter, and how about this time, we take our time and enjoy it?" "Sounds good Twi." Rainbow said, still snug in Twilight's shoulder. What are you waiting for? Reach out and grab her, she's yours. "Of course, you'll still need to tap your hoof, so I know when I can turn the page." Twilight teased. Dash pulled herself off of Twilight. "You are pure evil Twilight Sparkle. Pure. Evil." Both mares read through to the end of the sixth chapter in just under an hour. Twilight deeply enjoyed it so far, and Rainbow was deeply enjoying spending the time with Twilight. Often she caught herself just staring at her, having to quickly read through the current page if she stared for too long. "Phew. I think that's good for now. Twilight said, closing the book. "It's getting late. Time for bed Rainbow?" "Sure..." Last chance Rainbow. Twilight levitated the book back into its place on the shelf. The pair separated from their embrace and crawled out of the blanket, stretching their tight limbs. "I'll be right back Rainbow, I've got to write something down, then we'll figure out a sleeping arrangement for you." Twilight levitated the blanket and pillows and teleported up to the stair's plateau, quickly ascending further, into her room. This is it Rainbow. Go up there and tell her. You need to tell her. Tonight. Now. The pegasus jumped and with a single beat of her wings, soared onto the stairwell, and up into the bedroom. "Twilight." She was writing something in a small book she had never seen before. "Hold on a sec Dash." Do it now "Twilight it can't wait." She walked up behind her. "It's important." Twilight put her quill down, and turned to face her friend. "What is-" "I like you Twilight. More than what we are. More than a friend. I want t-to be with you." She took a step forward, and Twilight a step back. "You're special to me. Even If I don't know why, I know that you are. I think I... No, I do love you Twilight. You're a great pony, and I love spending time with you." Rainbow advanced even more, her eyes slowly closed as she leaned forward, trying to catch Twilight's mouth and her voiced turned to a whisper." I don't know if that's what love is, but it's what I feel like it is. So, please tell me you feel the same." "Rainbow, I..." The absence of Twilight where she should have been made Dash open her eyes just slightly. What she saw, horrified her. Twilight was leaning back, far as she could, her eyes big as saucers. "Rainbow I... Don't like mares like that." Twilight breathed, just loud enough to be heard. "Oh..." Ow. "I didn't..." Ow. "I'm sorry..."Stop hurting. "I didn't mean..." Rainbow felt her eyes beginning to water. Please stop hurting. She spun on her hooves, and dashed for the exit. "I have to go!" "Rainbow! Please wait!" No. No more crying. Dash told herself as she ran down the corridor. You knew this was a possibility. Things don't always work out the way they do it books. You can deal with it. She emerged from the stairwell running as fast as she could, and jumped down to the floor. I'll just leave, and forget all about this. It never would have worked anyway. She slowed and stopped right in front of the door. She sniffled, and wiped her eyes.Right, and where would I go? Out there to freeze to death? Yeah, great idea... "Rainbow Dash!" Twilight ran up behind her, huffing. "Please wait! I... I'm sorry." Rainbow turned around, and they both gazed into each other's eyes. "No Twilight." Dash sniffled again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you in that situation. And I tried to force myself on you." "No Rainbow. I should have seen it. Looking back, its obvious. I'm sorry I didn't catch on, I just didn't think that it was even a possibility. I-" Twilight was lost for words. Dash looked to the ground. She felt Twilight's embrace before she noticed she had moved. "Twilight..." "I'm sorry Rainbow. I...I can't return your feelings. But I- I can still be your friend. Please don't go. I care about you Rainbow, even if its not the same." Rainbow hugged Twilight back as hard as she could. "I know...I was just hoping. It really was just a dream anyway... "I'm so sorry Rainbow. I don't know what else to say..." "I'll be okay Twilight." She sniffled. We're friends. It sucks, and it hurts now but... it will do... "I'll get over it Twilight...I love you." Dear Diary, Rainbow Dash has been acting really peculiar today. Not in a bad way, in fact, I kind of like it. It's kinda cute, I guess.. It makes me think of how great a friend she really is, and how much I enjoy her company sometimes. Still, I do wonder why I couldn't help thinking about her for most of the day... She's a great friend, but I don't think of Pinkie Pie or AppleJack this often, I wonder what it is about her that's so interesting to me. Maybe tomorrow I'll- "Twilight." "Hold on a sec Dash." "Twilight it can't wait." She walked up behind her. "It's important." Twilight put her quill down, and turned to face her friend. "What is-"
Betrayal of the HeartRainbow laid on the soft, over sized bed, wide awake with her fore legs wrapped around Rarity and her belly pressed tightly against the unicorn's back. She lifted her head slightly to look at the clock hanging on the wall. 8:30 p.m. She dropped her head to her pillow once more. I can't believe I let this happen. I'm so weak willed. How could I... But was it worth it? Well it was great but, why do I have this feeling like I've done something terrible in my gut? Just ignore it Dash... No. I have to break this off. Now. "Rarity? You-" There was a lump in her throat, like she was holding back a sob. She swallowed hard, and tried again. "Are you awake?" "Mmmh. Of course, Rainbow Dash." Rarity breathed quietly. "We... need to talk." Rarity rolled over in place, bringing their muzzles together. "Ooh. You're not usually one for pillow talk." Rarity looked into Rainbow's eyes. They held a sorrow she couldn't comprehend, and had the beginnings of tears in them. "Dash, is something wrong?" Rarity's tone shifted from soft and affectionate to worried and caring. "No, I mean, yeah. I don't know..." Dash choked, looking down. "Its stupid." Tell her anyway. I can't, I don't know how. Just do it. "Please Rainbow. I want to help. What's wrong?" "Rarity pulled Dash's head gently to face her again. "Tell me what's wrong. I care about you, darling." "I... I" Dash bit her lip, as tears streamed down her face. "I feel like I've done something terrible." Rainbow Dash broke down. "Rainbow, its alright." Rarity pulled her in a tight embrace. "Sshhh. Its okay Rainbow. Tell me whats wrong." "No!" Dash pushed herself away from Rarity. "This is what feels wrong. It feels like, like I've betrayed her." Rarity recoiled at Dash's words. I'm not making any sense... "W- wrong? Betrayed who?" Rarity felt hurt, and some semblance of anger, but Rainbow needed her to listen. And she would help her friend. "Which is stupid! Because we don't have anything. We aren't together. She doesn't know about this, and probably doesn't even care!" Rainbow cried loudly, letting go of restraint. "Then why! Why does it feel so terrible! Why does it hurt like this!" Rarity embraced her friend once again, hugging her tightly. Rainbow weakly tried to push her away, but soon conceded. "Its okay Rainbow Dash. Let it out. I'm here for you." Dash cried into Rarity's shoulder. Her sobs halted any attempt at speech she made, and for a long time, she let her tears flow freely. The clock ticked to 9:05, and Rainbow sobbed one last time, Rarity comforting her by stroking her mane. "Better?" Rarity asked. "Yeah..." Rainbow Dash sniffled, taking a step away from Rarity. The two lied on the bed, Rarity crossing her hooves. "I'm sorry Rarity, I don't know what came over me." Dash held her head low. "Its okay Rainbow. We all need a good cry sometimes. Who- umm... what brought this on?" "Truth be told Rarity, I..."Do it. "Came here to end, what we have." Neither pony said anything, and neither broke eye contact. Rarity sighed, breaking the silence. "I figured, from your outburst earlier. May I ask, whatever for?" Don't ask her that! You already know why... "There's... another mare. And when the decision came down to her and you, I... I'm sorry Rarity." "I... see. Have you two, consummated your relationship?" Rarity gasped. "And I, I forced you to-" "No! Rarity, we....I haven't even told her how I feel. I don't even know if she feels the same. Which makes it even stupider considering how badly I over reacted!" Rainbow planted her face in the bed and groaned. "I'm so dumb." "I don't want to hear that from you Rainbow Dash! The feelings of the heart are deep and complex. You were simply doing what your heart desired, no?" I wish I could do the same. "I...guess? Maybe? I don't know. It just felt wrong. It felt like I betrayed her." "Or perhaps you betrayed your heart." "What?" "Nothing darling. Do you mind if I ask who-" "Twilight." "Huh?" "It's Twilight." "Oh..." Well, that explains a few things... "Do you love her?" "What! No! That's...I couldn't." "And why not?" Why not me? "You two are very close, and you've spent a lot of time together." I wanted us to be together. "Especially lately, ever since you started reading books." I've tried my best to keep you close, but not hold on too tightly. "I've seen you over there more than once, and more often than not, you two were having some sort of conversation." What did I do wrong? "Whether it was about the weather, how troublesome your mane was being that day, or whatever your newest aerial stunt was." I want you Dash. But, I suppose that will never happen now. "You were talking like a pair of star crossed lovers. If that isn't something, then call me a novice of romance." The realization hit Rarity as hard it did Dash. Rainbow stayed silent, darting her eyes to the corner of her eye. "Face it Rainbow Dash. There's some connection between you two. And based on your manner earlier, I'd say you, at the very least, care for Twilight deeply." "Then what do I do, Rarity? How do I..." Rainbow asked. "Be yourself Dash. Tell her how you feel." "I'm no good at that mushy stuff. I'd probably make a fool of myself." That sounded pathetic... "Rainbow Dash. You are one of the strongest mares I've ever met. When has looking stupid ever stopped you from doing something?" Did she just call me... No, she's right. "Don't think about it Rainbow. Just look inside yourself, and do." Rainbow Dash sighed, and smiled. "You're right Rarity. I guess I've got to stop moping, and just get it over with." She jumped forward, wrapping Rarity in her fore hooves. "Thanks. You really are a great friend, Rarity." And I really mean that. "And I really mean that." "A heh, just helping, Rainbow Dash. Now go on. You've got a mare to romance." Her voice sounded strained. Rainbow jumped away, and with a beat of her wings, flew over to the window she had come in through hours prior. Her hoof hovered over the lock. "Rarity. Are we... are we cool?" I totally ignored her feelings, didn't I? "No hard feelings?" Rarity looked up to her, closing her eyes, and with a tilt of her head she said. "No hard feelings Rainbow. Consider our little relationship, over and done with. I had fun, while it lasted." Rainbow smiled, and opened the window. "Later Rar. See you around." and she was gone. I'll miss you... Rarity closed the window behind Rainbow Dash. She turned away, and her head lowered, as tears welled in her eyes. "If you love something, let it go..." There was a knock at the door a few minutes later. "Oh? Who could that be? And at such a late hour." Rarity rubbed her eyes dry, and hurried out of her room, down the stairs to the first floor of her boutique. She opened the door, and there standing out in the frosty, stormy winter night, covered with a scarf and saddle, was Twilight Sparkle. Her hoof raised up in the air, ready to knock on the door once more. "Twilight!" Rarity gasped in surprise. "What are you doing here?!?" Wait if she's here now...Oh dear. "Hey Rarity. Can I a-ask a favour of you?" Twilight asked, muffled by her scarf and chattering her teeth in the cold. "Oh, uh, of course darling." Oh this is so terribly awkward... "But please do come inside, it must be below freezing out there." "Thanks Rarity." Twilight stepped inside, and pulled her scarf down from her face. "Now, what is it that you need, dear?" Rarity asked, still a little nervous. Why you, Twilight? Of all the mares, it had to be you. "Well I just got a letter from the-" Twilight stopped, and sniffed at the air. "Ugh. What is that smell?" "Smell? What smell? What do you mean? I cleaned the boutique not six hours ago!" Twilight sniffed again, tracking the scent. She leaned in towards Rarity. She instantly covered her nose, magically moving her scarf back over her face. "Rarity! You smell like you ran the running of the leaves five times over! How did you get so... sweaty?" "I- wha-" Rarity was appalled at the allegation. She lifted a foreleg, and smelled herself. She wrenched away. Vile! But how did this happen...Oh. Rarity giggled her nervous giggle. "Uh, well you see Twilight. I was, uhm...Do you know how hard it is to make a dress? All that running around, grabbing cloth, separating fabrics. It can be absolutely exhausting sometimes. I've been working all day and night. I was absolutely wrecked tonight!... I mean I am an absolute wreck!" She did her nervous giggle again. Oh Celestia this is awkward. "I'm sorry Rarity. I guess I never really realized how strenuous making dresses is..." Twilight said, still holding her scarf over her nose. Rarity trotted over to a small cabinet. She magically picked up some perfume, and gave herself a few sprays. "A heh. Hopefully that will do for the time being. Now, what did you come all this way in the cold for, Twilight?" Twilight lowered her scarf warily. "Like I was saying. I got a letter from the princess earlier. She want's to see me. Tomorrow. I'll most likely be gone the whole day." "And what is it you need from me, exactly?"What is it about you that enabled you to steal Rainbow's heart from me? "I want you, to watch Spike while I'm gone, if you could." "I'm sorry?" "Well, not watch exactly. Just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Just check on him a few times?" "Won't Rainbow Dash be there dear? Couldn't she watch Spike while you're away?" "How... did you know Rainbow was staying at my house?" Oh no...Think fast Rarity! "Pinkie...Pie?" Rarity said, grasping at straws. Twilight brought a hoof to her lip. "Hmm. That's right, she was there today." Rarity sighed silently. "But that's actually the reason I want your help. Spike on his own, probably wouldn't do anything that dumb. But under Rainbow Dash's influence?" Twilight shuddered. "That's a disaster waiting to happen." "I suppose," Rarity giggled again, this time out of real amusement. "Very well Twilight. I will check on Spike and Rainbow Dash tomorrow, and make sure they don't destroy Equestria. And to make sure Rainbow Dash confesses her feelings to you...and not me. "Great! Thanks Rarity! Hey, speaking of Spike. He wasn't here today was he?" "No, Why would he have been?" "He told Rainbow Dash he had "guy" stuff to do. And he hasn't come back yet." "Oh my. We'll, I'm sure he's alright Twilight." Get over yourself Rarity. Rainbow Dash is gone. It's time to move on... "I'm not too worried. He's been disappearing a lot lately. I honestly thought he was here all those times." "Here? Why would he come here, Twilight?" Twilight stared at her friend with her best 'seriously' face. "What?" Rarity asked, a little bit offended. "Nevermind." Twilight said, shaking her head with a smile. "Thanks for your help Rarity. Hope those two aren't too much trouble." Rarity pulled her scarf back up to her face, and magically tightened it. "So long Rarity." "Do take care Twilight. Keep safe." Twilight waved herself off, and left the boutique, leaving Rarity alone with herself. "Upside, I guess I'll be the first to know if Ponyville has a new pair of love birds. Downside..." Rarity sighed sadly letting her head hang for a moment, but quickly she picked herself back up. "Right... bath time." Author's Note A shorter chapter. Reason it took so long was because I've written most of the next chapter as well. Should be out soon. I had trouble with some wording, and properly expressing some things I wanted to. I don't think I did it exceptionally well, but I hope it still gets the message across. Thanks for reading. Constructive criticism welcome!
