The Moon is Shaded Polychromatically

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.