It was no secret that Rainbow Dash had a crush on somepony. Sometimes one of her friends caught her staring off into space with a faraway look in her eyes and two-thirds of a smile on her face. At times she seemed distant, focused on something else entirely. One time, Rarity actually talked and talked and talked to Dash for almost an hour before suddenly screeching, "ARE YOU LISTENING RAINBOW LIGHTNING DASH!?" And Rainbow Lightning Dash had to admit that, no, she hadn't been listening.
And then, one day, when Dash was at Fluttershy's cottage, the yellow mare caught her gazing at nothing and...was that an extremely slight blush?? Confused, she shyly and somewhat hesitantly inquired, "Um...Rainbow Dash? Do...do you have a crush on somepony?"
For an instant, Rainbow was frozen, her eyes open wide, staring at Fluttershy. Then suddenly she shouted, much louder than necessary, "NO!! I do NOT have a crush on somepony!!"
All at once she realized she had shot forward, her wings stretched out to their full extent, hooves gripping Fluttershy's shoulders, her face contorted in a snarl, while the butter-yellow pegasus was staring at Dash, eyes wide, pupils barely more than tiny dots, trembling. She let out a small whimper.
Rainbow Dash forced her body to relax, folding her wings at her sides and taking deep breaths to calm herself down. What troubled her was that she had to take three before she felt like she could speak again.
"I'm so sorry, Fluttershy!" she murmured softly as she drew her friend into one of her rare genuine hugs. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that, it's just..." The cyan mare trailed off into silence, and Fluttershy didn't ask her to continue.
Dash wasn't sure why nopony ever asked her that question again. Maybe Fluttershy told them, or maybe they just didn't care. Or maybe - which was probably the case with Applejack, who didn't like bringing up touchy subjects in public - they thought it just wasn't something that should be talked about. Whatever the reason, none of her friends ever asked her if she had a crush again.
Which was fine with her - because then she wouldn't ever have to tell the truth.
She did have a crush. And her crush...was on somepony else...who would be very hard to explain. Rainbow didn't even understand why she was in love with her...she just felt that way.
But maybe her love of flying at night had something to do with it.
***
It was no secret that Princess Luna had a crush on somepony. Sometimes her sister would catch her on the balcony, staring at the stars with a dreamy look on her face. Celestia would ask her what she was thinking about, and Luna would just reply, "Oh, nothing." But it definitely was something...something that was occupying almost every single minute of the younger princess's day and every single moment of her night. A thought that tasted sweet as a spring day, felt as soft as a certain pony's multicolored mane...a thought that would always, always bring a light pink color to the night-goddess.
One night, she spread her wings and took off from that balcony she seemed to always be standing on at night lately. She flew through the sky, reveling in the light of the moon and how the stars twinkled around her. Luna soared, then stopped.
Below her was Cloudsdale. Seeing the great city sprawled in the sky below, Luna thought of Rainbow Dash, in her cloud palace on the outskirts of Ponyville.
The dark alicorn hesitated there. She wanted so badly to fly to Dash's house and peek into her window, to see her lying in her bed, peacefully asleep...dreaming of flying with the Wonderbolts in the bed Luna herself so badly wanted to lie in, too...to feel the warmth of the pegasus's body against hers...
She checked herself. Goodness, Luna! she thought. Sleeping with Rainbow Dash? That'll never happen! She reluctantly turned and made her wings carry her - unwillingly - back to the palace.
Not that she would sleep. She had tried to become a day pony for a long time now, but it just didn't work out. Now she was slipping back into a nocturnal state, and no doubt the thought of Rainbow Dash would keep her up all night anyway. She heaved a sigh. Might as well stay up...
Luna landed on the balcony - to see her sister standing there. Uh-oh, was her immediate thought. This can't be good.
"Gone for a midnight flight, Sister?" asked Celestia.
"Yes, Tia. My wings were restless."
"Couldn't sleep? Again?"
Luna shook her head. "My body is trying to be nocturnal again..."
Celestia sighed. "Never learns, does it?" She chuckled. "I can't imagine myself trying to turn nocturnal! I'd be wide awake the whole day...and when night came I'd end up asleep, every time."
The dark blue mare didn't smile. "Um, Tia? I'd like to go to bed now."
Her sister's smile faltered. "Oh, all right Luna. Sleep tight."
"I probably won't sleep at all," Luna muttered as she pushed past Celestia and went into her room. But to her surprise, her sister followed her.
"Luna, are you all right?" she inquired, and there was genuine concern in her voice. "Is there anything you maybe need help with?"
"No," came the other's reply from under the blankets. A tiny wisp of starry blue-black mane was poking out from under the corner of the covers; now it receded out of sight. "I don't need anything. I just want to sleep."
If Celestia heard the cross edge to Luna's voice, she didn't let on. "Well, all right. Goodnight, Luna. Sleep well."
"Goodnight, Sister."
The elder of the two stood for a few moments more, as though deep in thought, but then turned and closed the curtains that led to the balcony before crossing the room and going quietly out through the door.
Luna tossed and turned all the rest of the night. And the only thing she thought about, the one thing that plagued her mind, refusing to let it drift into the sleep it so badly needed...was a certain cyan pony, with a deliciously multicolored mane....Rainbow Dash.
It was a bright spring day in Ponyville, and at Twilight Sparkle's house...
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Twilight looked up from her book. "Spike, go answer the door," she told the little purple dragon who sat in the chair next to hers, dozing.
"Huh? What? Oh, yes Twilight." He got up hurriedly and went to the door. "Oh, hi Rainbow Dash."
"Hi Spike," said Rainbow Dash wearily. "Could you maybe ask Twilight if I could stay and crash for a couple hours?"
"There's no need to ask me, Spike. I heard." Twilight came up to the door now, her book forgotten. "Rainbow, you said you need a place to 'crash'?"
Dash nodded, practically falling asleep where she stood. The lilac unicorn smiled; this had happened before.
"Wonderbolt training?" The pegasus nodded again.
"Come on, then." Twilight led her friend up the stairs to her room. No sooner had Dash flopped on the bed than she was asleep.
***
Two hours later...
A light rapping on the door finally brought the heavily asleep Rainbow Dash to her senses...mostly. She groaned and rolled over to face the door, getting even more tangled up in the sheets as she did so. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Twilight. Can I come in?"
I'm sure you can, but may you? That sentiment floated up in Rainbow's brain, but where had it come from? Suddenly she remembered - it was one of the only things she remembered about her mom. She smiled and replied, "Sure."
"Hey Rainbow Dash, I've got great news!" cried Twilight as she entered the room. "We're going to Canterlot tomorrow!"
Dash sat bolt upright, wide awake instantly. "Canterlot!?" she repeated as eight million alarm bells and sirens blared as loudly as possible in her brain.
"Yup!" replied Twilight, smiling. "Aren't you just SO excited? I know I am! I'll get to see the Princess again!"
Rainbow sat frozen as her friend talked about how great a time they were going to have. A trip to Canterlot?? she thought wildly. At the palace? WHERE LUNA IS!?!? How in the hoof am I going to get through this trip without totally going INSANE?!
She knew there was no way that could ever happen. But she couldn't say anything. What would her friends think about the fact that she was in love with the princess of the night? So she kept quiet.
Little did she know that the trip to Canterlot would be the best trip she had ever taken in her entire life.
