A new flying buddy!

Twilight pushed open the door to the Library, still distracted in deep thought about Rainbow Dash. Twilight had never seen her cry before. If this whole situation was enough to make the blue mare cry, then it must mean a hell of a lot more to her than Twilight originally thought.

“Oh hey, Twilight!” called a voice. “How was your flying lesson? And where’s your saddlebag?”

An apron-clad Spike was standing in the doorway between the main room and the kitchen, chef’s hat atop his head. He smiled, and waited for Twilight’s response.

Twilight walked over to the couch and sat down without saying a word, furrowing her brows in concentration.

Spike’s grin fell, and he wandered over to Twilight with a confused expression on his face.

“Are you okay, Twi?” he asked.

Twilight said nothing.

“Twi?” Spike repeated again, raising his eyebrows.

Twilight still said nothing.

Spike clicked his fingers in front of Twilight’s face, causing her to shake her head and look up, her concentration finally broken by the small dragon.

“What?” she snapped angrily.

Spike took a step back, both surprised and slightly frightened by Twilight’s attitude.

“Uh, I was just asking if you were okay?” he said apprehensively.

Twilight sighed.

“Yeah…I’m fine…I’m just a little…distracted, that’s all” Twilight replied, hanging her head a little. “Sorry for shouting at you…”

Spike tilted his head.

“Okay…” he said, taking a seat next to the purple alicorn. “How was the flying lesson?”

Twilight’s mind wandered back to the kiss, and she blushed, shaking her head to try and move her mind away from those thoughts.

Spike was about to ask why Twilight was blushing, but he was cut off before he could open his mouth.

“It…was pretty good…I managed to fly quite a bit more than I thought. I’m going back tomorrow for some more practice…” Twilight said slowly.

“Cool! But, uh, where’s your saddlebag?” Spike asked.

“Oh…I must have left it at…Rainbow Dash’s house…” Twilight said, turning red when she said Rainbow Dash’s name.

Spike was worried about Twilight’s strange attitude; it was almost like she was there in body, but not in mind.

“Twilight…are you sure you’re okay? I don’t mind, you can tell me anything. Let Uncle Spike help!” Spike said encouragingly.

Twilight sighed again.

“No Spike, I’m fine… I just need some time to myself, that’s all…” Twilight said quietly.

“Are you sure? I won’t tell anypony about anything if-”

“Spike! I’m fine! Just…leave me alone!” Twilight bellowed.

Spike jumped back in shock, hurt by Twilight’s sudden and irregular outburst of frustration.

“Well, uhm…I’ll be asleep if you need me…I baked a cake instead of taking a nap so…yeah…uh, goodnight…” Spike said as he retreated up the stairs.

Twilight watched as Spike climbed the stairs, and then after he was out of sight, she returned to her deep state of thought.

***

Twilight sat at her desk in the library, silently twirling a quill in one hoof, and resting her chin on the other. She gazed out of the window, over to Rainbow Dash’s house in the distance.

It was very quiet.

The only sound she could hear was the steady ticking of the cuckoo clock on the wall. A single candle on the desk flickered, its soft amber glow barely illuminating the room.

Twilight looked at the clock. Quarter to Twelve. But she couldn’t sleep. After mulling it over in her head for what seemed like forever, she gave up and went to bed, hoping that sleeping on it would make things clearer. But it didn’t. She tossed and turned, but whenever she closed her eyes she saw Rainbow Dash. Why? Why was this happening?

Twilight had been trying to make sense of everything all day, but she had got no closer to a solution to the dilemma.  Her mind and heart were restless, and she needed to think about this logically and in an orderly fashion, and set things straight. But how could she? The emotions in her head and her heart ran wild, fighting against one another, keeping Twilight from coming any closer to an answer.

Twilight was feeling so many conflicting emotions that it was beginning to overwhelm her. She was still confused about Rainbow Dash’s feeling for her. Even though Dash had declared her love for Twilight right in front of her, somehow, she still couldn’t make sense of it. And her own feelings for Rainbow Dash were present as well. Twilight felt sorry for the pegasus, leaving one her best friends alone in their time of need; she had no idea how much this all could mean to Rainbow Dash. And Twilight had this strange fluttering sensation in her heart when Rainbow Dash had kissed her, and strangely, she was feeling it again now. But she had no idea what it was, or what it meant. Twilight was so angry with herself; not being able to make sense of all of this, how she reacted to the actions of Dash, and leaving the blue pony alone at exactly the wrong moment.

She regretted being holed up the library most of her time. What Rainbow Dash had said to her really made an impact; she didn’t realise how long she had spent studying, or how much pain she had caused by doing it. Her mind kept going back and replaying her experience that day, over and over again in her head. Twilight wasn’t sure how much longer she could last; she had to make a decision.

***

Twilight slowly stood up from her desk. She licked her hoof and snuffed the candle, plunging the room into darkness. Using the magical glow of the tip of her horn, Twilight managed to slowly navigate her way through the library, carefully pushing open the front door, and tiptoeing out.

It was a beautiful, clear night. The unimaginable amount of stars shone brighter than Twilight remembered them being before. The silver glow of the full moon illuminated the land just enough for one to see without the need for another source of light. It was strangely warm, and an easterly wind blew gently through the trees.

Twilight moved soundlessly through Ponvyville, her heart beating faster with each step as she headed for Rainbow Dash’s house.

***

Twilight breathed out slowly, and raised her hoof to the door.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Twilight had no idea what she was going to say when Rainbow Dash came to the door. She just knew she had to do something.

Suddenly, a quiet voice called through the door.

“…Who is it?” the voice said, sniffling.

Hearing Rainbow Dash’s saddened voice made Twilight feel a pang in her heart.

“It…it’s Twilight…” she said, almost choking up.

There was a pause.

“…Whaddya want…?” the voice said.

“I…I want to talk to you…” Twilight said softly. “Can I come in...?”

“No…no…we can talk tomorrow…for your next flying lesson” the voice said slowly. “Bye…”

“N-no, Rainbow Dash…please…” Twilight called. “I feel really bad for leaving you alone earlier…”

“I’m fine…it’s fine…go home and sleep…I’ll be fine” the voice replied.

“It’s not fine at all!” Twilight said. “Look, Rainbow Dash…I’m sorry…please….let me in…I want to talk…”

No response.

“Whenever I close my eyes…I see that moment where...” Twilight gulped. “Where…you kissed me and…I…” she trailed off, tearing up. “I…”

Twilight didn’t know what to say. All the emotions in her head were screaming at her to say different things, and she couldn’t control them.

“…Please Dashie…just…I…” Twilight choked, trying to form a sentence.

There was a long silence.

“I…don’t want you to see me like this…” the voice said finally.

“Please, Rainbow Dash…there’s no shame in crying…even if you are the toughest pony in Equestria…” Twilight assured. “I don’t mind at all…there’s no need to be nervous…please…”

There was a short pause, and Twilight heard the distinctive click of a door being unlocked. The door slowly swung open, and a tear stricken Rainbow Dash stood in its place. Twilight could see that Rainbow Dash had been crying; her eyes were red and her cheeks had darkened in colour from tears.

“Oh, Rainbow Dash…” Twilight said, pulling the blue pegasus into her hooves. “I’m so sorry I left you alone earlier…I was just so…confused and…I should have stayed…I just feel so guilty about it...”

Twilight broke the embrace, but leaving her hooves firmly on Rainbow’s shoulders.

“I’m really sorry, Rainbow Dash…” Twilight said softly.

Rainbow Dash shook her head.

“You shouldn’t be saying sorry. It’s me who should be. I mean, you had no idea, and I just kinda…said I love you without even thinking that you might not like me the same way…or that you didn’t even know. I just thought that you would love me back straight away...” Rainbow Dash replied.

“No Rainbow Dash, you got it all wrong. I didn’t give you any credit for helping my fly, hell, I didn’t even say thank you!” Twilight said, becoming angry with herself. “All those times when you cheered for me and encouraged me and when you caught me when I fell. And then I just leave straight away after crushing your heart?! I’m gonna make this up to you, I swear.”

“Nononono, I-”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight interrupted. “After what you said, with me being stuck in the library forever, oblivious to everything else that was going on, you made me think for a long time about your feelings towards me, and mine towards you. You made me think about my friends and my emotions, and for once in my life I didn’t just pick up a book and look for an answer. I thought it through myself. I tried to sleep on it, but I just couldn’t. My mind was full of chaos, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I have had this strange fluttering sensation in my heart ever since I left earlier, and I still have it now. I don’t understand it, but I know what it means. The moment you kissed me, and forced me to stop and think for one minute, changed me for the better.”

Twilight smiled, and placed her hoof gently on Dash’s cheek.

“You’ve opened my eyes, Rainbow Dash, and for that...I love you” Twilight finished, before leaning forward and touching her lips with Rainbow’s, to form a deep, passionate kiss that said more than words ever could.