Feelings

Rainbow Dash liked Applejack... or maybe it was Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? She wasn't sure. Sometimes she'd tell more complicated stories to her friends just to throw them off the scent. Not that there was a scent mind you, because if there was one thing that Rainbow was sure of, it was that there was no way she liked Twilight Sparkle.

Rainbow was a tough pony, the kind of pony that worked hard every day to achieve her dreams. She had sweat so much in her life that she could probably have a lake named after her. She bucked clouds, shattered thunderheads and broke the sound barrier for a living. She was the epitome of awesomeness.

Twilight was a nerd, the kind of pony that laid around in her library every day stuffing her brain with useless junk like advanced physics and math problems. If she read any more, Rainbow figured her head would explode from sheer lack of room for storage. She read, checked out books and cleaned for fun. She was the definition of egghead.

They were so different from each other. There was no common ground; no mutual interest. Twilight didn't enjoy sports or flying or awesomeness, and Rainbow certainly did not enjoy sitting around all day learning useless things! No love could stem from that! No place for affection to grow! Liking an egghead like Twilight would be undeniably, unquestionably, uncool.

So why then, was Rainbow having such a hard time concentrating on the one cool book in Equestria? Why were her eyes always so glued to the lavender posterior that bounced about softly as its owner hummed to herself while re-shelving books? It definitely wasn't because Rainbow was attracted to it; the mere thought was ridiculous!

Applejack. Now that was a mare that was cool to like! The earth pony was brave, strong, loyal, honest; and she was a winner. Applejack worked harder than anypony else in Ponyville! The one mare that could give Rainbow a run for her money in any contest from running to horseshoes, Applejack always forced Rainbow into her A-game. Liking a pony like that was obvious, there was so much common ground there! Applejack was awesome, just like Rainbow! Not as awesome, of course, but awesome nonetheless. This was precisely what she told her friends, aside from the mare herself.

Yet, no matter how many times she said it, no matter how much she wanted it to be true, her thoughts always returned to that infernal librarian! Not because of loyalty, there was nothing to be loyal to; most certainly not feelings, and that was the bottom line!

Besides, the Rainbow Dash didn't have time for lovey-dovey, sappy feelings like that- not that any were there to begin with. Especially not feelings geared towards beautiful violet eyes, or a shining lavender coat! Rainbow was going to be a Wonderbolt, and if she wanted to be a Wonderbolt, she had to live and breathe awesomeness.

Twilight? She was the opposite of awesome. She was boring. She liked slow paced music, eating by candle light and watching the sun set. The very idea of such activities sent a shiver down Rainbows spine- not because she wanted any part of them, mind you! They just... weren't cool. Rainbow needed excitement, the thrill of adrenaline coursing through her veins. There was no way she was going to get that near Twilight, especially because her heart most certainly did not beat faster with a nerd like her around!

Pinkie Pie was funny and carefree. Her ridiculous antics were enough to keep most of the town in stitches. There seemed to be no limit to the things that pony could do, from baking to partying, joking to pranking, Pinkie Pie was an authority on fun. She was another pony that Dash could get behind liking. Pinkie was sweet and innocent, never expecting anything more than good times from her friends. She was generous, often giving out free baked goods to her close, personal friends (a demographic that included the whole town, much the the Cakes' dismay.) What wasn't there to love?

Still, that one spark that Rainbow wanted could not be found when the party pony pranced around her. Not that it ever appeared around Twilight! That would be absurd!

No, the spark belonged to Fluttershy, her longtime best friend from flight school, or so Rainbow wanted to believe. Fluttershy would never do anything to hurt her friends. She was always in a good mood, often greeting everypony she managed to talk to with a smile or piece of advice. Since Rainbow knew her the longest, it would make the most sense for the cyan pegasus to like her, right? But much as Rainbow searched and searched, she still didn't feel anything beyond friendship for the meek young pony.

There was one unicorn who managed to get Rainbow a little hot under the collar. Not Twilight, she'd never think of her that way! Especially not in her dreams! No, this specific plot was white and studded with diamonds. Well, not really. Rarity's cutie mark hardly consisted of real diamonds, but they still complimented her fine figure. On more than one occasion, Rainbow had been forced to hold herself back, lest she give it a resounding slap. However, despite being a close friend to the pegasus, Rainbow didn't really want anything more from Rarity. Art appreciation was as far down that road as she wanted to go.

Not that Twilight didn't have a rocking bo- ahem, nice figure, but she was still Twilight. A librarian. An egghead. Uncool...

Then again, in her own way, Twilight was kinda like all of her friends. She was brave, hard working and honest like Applejack. Fun and endearing like Pinkie Pie. She was smart and caring like Fluttershy. And Rarity certainly had nothing on her in the generosity or beauty departments! It really was too bad that her eggheadedness and dorkiness rendered all of those other awesome traits worthless. Seriously, Twilight was the only pony who could manage to make cool things uncool.

"Rainbow, could you give me a hoof with this?" came that angelic- Rainbow shook her head violently- Twilight asked. "I can't quite reach the top shelf."

"Uh, sure, Twi'," Rainbow set her book down, she wasn't getting that much reading done anyway, Twilight's flank had made sure of that. Not that she'd been staring at it.

A thick, leather bound tome floated over to the pegasus, who took it in her mouth. Grunting slightly from the excess weight added to her face, Rainbow took to the air. She drifted over to the top shelf and set the book in the empty spot. "There," she said with a smirk. "That wasn't so bad."

"Thank you Rainbow," Twilight breathed. "Sometimes I wonder just what I'd do without you."

Suddenly, Rainbow's wings felt stiff, (probably because she'd been flapping them all day long helping Twilight clean up the library.) At any rate, they were rendered unflappable. With a gasp, she dropped to the floor, or rather, the pony that was standing on the floor directly under her.

"Oof!"

"Ah!"

Dash opened her eyes. Her vision was filled with a wonderful shade of lavender, and a subtle, yet intoxicating smell of lilacs filled her nostrils. She pulled her head back and noted with mild surprise that her face was just an inch or so from Twilight's face.

Was it this hot earlier? Dash wondered. She didn't remember her skin feeling like it was on fire just a few minutes ago. Celestia must have cranked up the sun, there was no other explanation. Rainbow would personally buck anypony who said otherwise.

"Um, sorry, Twi'," she said quickly, scrambling off the unicorn as fast as she could. "I don't know what happened."

"It's okay," Twilight answered. She brushed herself off. "It was an accident."

Oh, Celestia, that was another thing! That unicorn was so darned forgiving! How many times had Rainbow crashed into her now? She was losing count, and that by itself spoke volumes. Yet every time, it was always the same thing in Twilight's eyes: an accident to just brush off.

Whatever, she still wasn't cool.

"Thanks for your help today, Rainbow," said Twilight. "I really do appreciate it. You're always here for me when Spike's away."

Rainbow's stupid wings didn't want to stay the buck down. She'd probably overused them today, and they were sore. Yeah, that's it! It would explain their stiffness too!

"No problem," she answered. "Anytime, really." Dang, Twilight must have learned some kind of mental manipulation spell, cause she was finding it increasingly difficult to look her in the eyes. She had to leave, this was too much craziness for one day, and if she kept hanging around Twilight like this, she was bound to catch her lameness.

"So, uh, I gotta go home now. To do... something...Tank! Yeah, gotta feed Tank, y'know... my pet." she started for the door. "He gets hungry sometimes." The door opened. "When he does, I just... give him food!"

"Um... okay?"

"So, I'm just gonna go home now," Rainbow said, closing the door. "To feed him... Tank, that is."

"Uh, bye?"

"Bye, Twi!"

With a sigh of relief, Rainbow clicked the door shut. She double-checked to make sure no one was watching, then shook herself off and walked down the steps. She was just going home, not running away. There was nothing to run away from! She wasn't running away from her feelings or anything!

That would be uncool.

The Deal

Under the darkness of the night, deep in the undergrowth of the Canterlot park, a young stallion paced back and forth. He was unaccustomed to shadows, having lived in mansions all of his life. He was also unused to traveling alone, servants had always followed him around, stuck up his plot. But the letter had said to come alone, and here he was.

He'd been surprised, at first, to receive a small slip of paper addressed to him in the morning. It told him of something spectacular; an offer no sane stallion could ever refuse. Rich as his family was, he got a distinct feeling that it wasn't to be passed up.

A rustling of the branches behind him alerted him to a newcomer's presence. Perhaps the stallion who sent the letter, then? About time, he'd only been waiting around for an hour!

A shadow made its way towards him, stopping just feet away. It wore a cowpony hat, he mused. How interesting. Cowponies were a rare and nigh unheard of breed in the upper echelons of Canterlot society. What was this one doing here? What was his business with him?

"Ah see ya made it."

Her business, his subconscious corrected. "Of course," he said plainly. "A gentlecolt is never late."

The cowpony nodded. "Okay, let's git down tuh business." She pulled out a small sheet of paper and gave it to him. It was a photograph. A photograph of a beautiful young unicorn mare with a white coat and purple mane. She smiled happily at the camera, her eyes sent a chill down his spine.

"Oh, my," he whispered softly. "She is quite fetching."

"Tha's Rarity," the shadowmare said. "An' tommorah, she's gonna ask you tuh be her date at the Gala."

"Really?" the stallion said, surprised. "A mare like her? Why, that's fantastic!"

"No," the cowpony said firmly. "It's not."

The stallion raised an eyebrow. The mare on the picture was the definition of beauty, of elegance, what would possibly be wrong with taking her to the Grand Galloping Gala? "Oh?" he asked. "Why is that?"

"'Cause that's not the deal."

"Deal?"

Another nod from the shadow mare. She pulled a large, jangling sack out of her saddlebags and tossed it on the ground at his hooves. "Five hundred Bits," she said. "It's all Ah own. Five hundred Bits and a good word from me to any mare in Ponyville, if'n yah make her sick o' stallions."

"Sick of stallions?" the stallion spluttered. "You mean mistreat a fine lady? What kind of colt do you take me for?"

"The sensible kind," the shadowmare said. "Yer only gonna go tuh one dance with her, right? Why not make a little money on the side, and get a chance with another cute filly in the future?"

The stallion's brow furrowed. He looked at the sack of Bits sitting at his hooves. "You make an interesting case," he said. "But why? What do you get from this?"

"Let's jus' say yer not th' only pony who know how tuh treat a lady right." she answered.

Suddenly, the stallion understood. This wasn't some kind of underhoofed trick, or some scheme for petty vengeance or spite. This was a matter of attraction, something he definitely understood. He'd spent many a youthful day chasing after young fillies that always seemed to pick all the wrong colts. If he could help something go right for once... "Sick of stallions, you say?"

"Make her hate their guts."

Another look at the sack of Bits, another thought about her deal. Any mare in Ponyville, huh? Even that beautiful dentist? For helping a love blossom? It seemed so right, no deal with other businessponies had ever been this good, or clear cut for that matter.

Still, there was the issue of morality. Could he really just walk all over a beautiful mare's feelings like he was being asked to? For money? Even if he was being paid to help a true love grow, that seemed incredibly uncouth.

Then again, it was only one dance, right? It wasn't like he had to become her colt friend and treat her that way. Certainly the mare in the picture could stand a few hours of stereotypical rich snob. Would anypony truly get hurt? He didn't think so. Not for very long, at least.

He looked back at the shadowmare in the cowpony hat. "You've got a deal."

Curiosity

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Scribble, scribble, scribble.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Twilight Sparkle watched as, for the umpteenth time, Rainbow Dash scribbled something out on her infernal notepad. She sighed and turned her attention back to her book, Starswirl the Bearded: Unappreciated Greatness, but found that she was still unable to block out the constant scratching of her friend's quill. The short, light noises where spaced just far enough apart to pull Twilight out of her zone every time she entered it—it was impossible to get any reading done at all!

With mild indignation, the unicorn remembered the first day Rainbow had shown up to the library with her notepad in hoof saying something about needing to vent. She had strutted right through the door and plopped herself on the couch, writing on the sheets of paper like a madmare. At first, Twilight had been excited, perhaps even a little impressed to see her athletic friend taking such a sudden interest in the art of note-taking, but day after day of Dash's constant writing had worn her down, and now that excitement was gone, replaced mostly by annoyance at the distracting noises that kept interrupting her studying.

Scribble, scribble scribble.

Scratch, scratch, scratch.

"Rainbow, what are you doing over there?" she asked finally, a hint of her irritation seeping into her tone.

Over on the couch, a single pegasus ceased all movement and flushed. "Um... nothing?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well, could you go do nothing somewhere else?" she asked. "That scratching is driving me nuts! What are you writing that's so important anyway?"

Dash visibly gulped. She set her quill down and eyed her notepad. "Erm... nothing?" she said with a squirm.

"Really?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You've brought that thing here every day for almost a month and you expect me to believe that it's nothing?"

"Well, that's what it is!" the cyan pony huffed defensively. She adjusted herself on the couch so that Twilight couldn't see her face before picking her quill back up and resuming her writing.

Okay... Twilight thought, turning back to her book. Sorry for asking...

Scribble, Scribble, Scribble.

Scratch, Scratch, Scratch.

"Hey, um, Twi?"

Twilight closed her eyes and breathed out sharply. "Yes?"

"What rhymes with coat?"

At this, Twilight immediately glanced up. The sheer randomness of her friend's question was enough to force an incredulous look onto her face. "What? Why would you want to know that?"

Dash squirmed uncomfortably on the couch, biting her lip. "Well... I..." she spluttered. "I just do! Okay?"

Twilight sighed—she hadn't been expecting a straight answer anyhow. Searching her expansive vocabulary, she began listing off appropriate words. "Well, there's 'boat,' 'tote,' 'gloat,' 'throat,' 'float—'"

"Float!" the pegasus exclaimed excitedly, her eyes alight with fire. "That's perfect! Thanks Twi!"

"'—bloat...' huh?" Twilight looked back at Rainbow, who was now scribbling furiously on her notepad again. "Um... You're welcome?"

Why would she even need to rhyme anything at all? Twilight wondered, watching Dash hum as she worked. Rhymes didn't usually hold any place in writing except for one field. Suddenly, something occurred to her. She... she wouldn't be doing that! Would she? Once again, she studied her feathered friend—her eyes were drilling into the paper, scrutinizing whatever it was that she had written down.

With a growing suspicion, Twilight reached out with her magic and pulled the Library's Card Catalog off of her desk. Flipping through the pages, she examined each name until she found—ah! Rainbow Dash... hm... Gah!

Quickly, Twilight launched a hover spell and caught herself before she fell off the couch in surprise. She had to double check just to make sure she wasn't somehow imagining the words. T. S. Fillyot? Colt Whitman? Cloud Mckay? But... but I've never checked out any of these for her! Her eyes slid over to the management column, and sure enough, Spike's name was signed under every single one of Rainbow Dash's recent check-outs.

Poetry books? Rainbow Dash—the Rainbow Dash—had been borrowing poetry books from her library?

One more time, Twilight examined her friend. She was lithe and strong—the perfect athlete. Rainbow had always been about one thing, and one thing only: speed. Anything else had always taken a backseat in her world. Most days, her skipped weather shifts left her without any bits to buy food, and Twilight wound up feeding her supper—not that she really minded, that's what friends were for, right? Still, it'd been just a few months since Dash had even considered reading anything at all, let alone poetry.

"Rainbow? Are you writing... poems?" Twilight asked, fighting back her shock.

Dash froze; her eyes widened and her quill dropped out of her mouth. "W-what?"

Her reaction, along with the growing redness on her face, all but confirmed Twilight's assertion. Reaching out with her magic, Twilight grabbed a hold of Dash's notebook. "Can I see them?"

"No!" Dash exclaimed desperately, latching onto the wordpad with all of her might as Twilight hoisted it up. The pegasus beat her wings with the fury of a hurricane as she tried to pull it back whilst hanging in the air.

"Oh, come on, Rainbow Dash," Twilight chuckled. "They can't be that bad!"

"They're private!"

Twilight blinked. She'd never seen Dash so flustered; her face could have rivaled Big Macintosh's for color, and her tone was worse than begging—pleading. With a pang of remorse, Twilight realized that, in Dash's position, she wouldn't want her literary artwork read either. Without thinking, she let go of the notebook.

Rainbow was launched across the room and into the couch the second Twilight released her magical hold. She crashed into the cushions and tipped the piece of furniture over, spilling out onto the floor on the other side. With a groan she sat back up and swayed a bit. "Ow," she said rather calmly, massaging her forehead.

Twilight leaped off her chair and charged across the room. "Rainbow Dash!" she cried out, "Are you okay?" In a flurry of wholesale panic, she scooped up her friend and examined her forehead. A bright red fluid dripped from her skin, just below Dash's hairline. Come to think of it, her entire face was looking rather pink at the moment... probably a result of increased blood flow due to physical exertion, Twilight reasoned.

"'M fine, Twilight!" the pegasus protested, her speech slurred just the tiniest bit.

"No, you're not, you're bleeding!" Releasing her friend's head—only to grab her hoof—Twilight began escorting a heavily remonstrating Rainbow Dash to another room. "Come on," she said, "I've got a First Aid kit in the kitchen."

Immune to Rainbow's struggling, Twilight plopped her friend down on the floor by the table and began searching for her medical supplies. "Now," she mumbled to herself, "Where did I put that bag?" She pulled open the nearest cabinet and shifted a few loose papers to the side, revealing a small tote bag filled with assorted bandages, gauze, scale-scrapers and needles. Behind it was something not quite unwelcome in her circumstances.

"Oh, look!" she said, hauling both items out of the cabinet. With a silly grin, she turned back to her patient and placed the nurse's hat upon her head. "I don't even remember buying this! How do I look?" she asked, striking a pose.

Rainbow Dash just stared at her unblinkingly from her spot on the floor.

After a moment of silence, Twilight frowned. "Okay," she sighed, taking the hat off and placing it back in the cabinet. "I guess it was rather silly, wasn't it? I'm sorry for wasting time."

After pulling a bandage and some antiseptic out of her First Aid bag, Twilight zipped it back up and set it on the table. She walked back over to Rainbow Dash and made to apply the antiseptic, but a light brushing on her side alerted her to a problem. "Um, Rainbow, could you put your wings down? They're in the way..."

Dash's face grew noticeably pinker at Twilight's words, but her wings stayed put. "I... I can't..." Rainbow responded, her eyes shut tight.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow. "Why not?"

If it were at all possible, Dash managed to squeeze her eyes even tighter. "I just can't! Okay?"

"Um, okay... Hang on then, this will only take a second." Twilight could have used her magic, but she needed to see what she was doing, and that meant getting up close and personal with Dash's little laceration. Strangely, Rainbow seemed to be even further away than before—it was like every for inch Twilight grew closer, Dash shied away.

"Seriously, Twi," she protested. "I'm fine!"

Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. "You may be fine now," she groaned. "But we have to cover that cut up before it gets infected! Now hold still; it's just a little antiseptic."

As Twilight's hoof settled on Dash's forehead, said pegasus's wings gave a frantic little twitch and she gasped. "Sorry," Twilight said, grimacing. She noted her friend's erratic breathes and shakes. "Does it sting?" she asked.

Dash grunted in the negative and allowed Twilight to place the bandage.

"There, done!" Twilight smiled happily.

Suddenly, the door to the library crashed open and in stomped a lavender pegasus with a golden mane. "Rainbow Dash!" Cloud Kicker roared. "Your patrol started three hours ago! Captain or not, I'm dragging your plot to work!"

Twilight thought she heard Dash say something like "oh thank Celestia!" before calling out to her colleague: "I'm in the kitchen! Hang on!"

Dash looked back at Twilight, whose surprise was clear on her face. "I've actually been expecting her for some time now," the pegasus explained, her features settling back to normal. "She always makes me work... Sorry, Twi, I've gotta go."

"Three hours?"

"Uh, yeah." Rainbow chuckled nervously. "I figure if I can clear the sky in ten seconds, I can afford to blow off a little time..."

"Come on, Dash!" Cloud Kicker complained. "Some of us have clouds to buck!"

"Right! Uh, see ya later, Twi!" With that, the pegasi galloped back out the door and leaped into the skies.

"Ugh, why do I even bother?" Twilight grumbled as she put the First Aid bag back in the cabinet. "That pony will never learn!" At least Dash was actually going to work today, as opposed to shirking her duties... again.

Twilight walked back into the lounge room of the library and sighed when she took in the mess. The couch was still flipped over, and various cushions and throw pillows littered the floor—add that to the tea she'd spilled and the books she'd knocked over in her hurry to tend to Rainbow Dash's injury, and it looked like a hurricane had blown through.

Grabbing a towel from the counter in the kitchen with her magic, she started sopping up her spilled drink before it could spread to anything made of paper. At the same time, she reached out and began to stack up the assorted fallen books, placing them in the corner for Spike to re-shelve when he returned from his sleepover at Apple Bloom's house. When she was finished, she flipped her couch back over and started to put it back where it belonged, but something fell to the floor with a slap.

It was a notebook. A light blue notebook with "Property of Rainbow Dash, PRIVATE!" written on its cover. Rainbow Dash must have left it here by accident, Twilight thought, picking it up. I wonder if... She began to open it, but immediately slammed it shut. No! She said she didn't want me to read it! With a look of fierce determination, Twilight placed her friend's notepad on the coffee table and went back to cleaning.

While she worked, Twilight found her attention continuously drawn to the little blue wordpad. It sat there, mocking her with it's forbidden interior. I don't see how taking a peek could hurt... That's when she'd tear her eyes off of it and went back to work, she wasn't about to betray her friend's trust like that. No matter how curious she was about Rainbow's sudden interest in poetry.

She finished cleaning faster than she'd initially anticipated and found herself back in her chair with her Starswirl biography. Try as she might though, Twilight still couldn't take her mind off of Rainbow's book. It wasn't like she wanted to disobey her friend's wishes—quite the contrary, actually. It was just that Rainbow Dash had been bringing that notebook with her wherever she went for weeks, and Twilight wasn't the only pony that wanted to know what was written within. Lately, a common topic of conversation among her friend's was a debate over what Dash could possibly be doing. Now that Twilight knew what it was—poetry, of all things—she had to read it.

Besides, if Rainbow Dash was indeed writing poetry, she'd need to show it to somepony someday, right? Who writes poetry for themselves? Twilight would be doing her friend a favor in pre-reading them! Who could possibly catch more errors in syntax or prose? Dash may have been taking leaves from some of Equestria's best poets, but she was still new to writing, she was bound to make plenty of mistakes. Now that she thought about it, it was more of a travesty to not read Dash's notebook.

Newly convinced of her most righteous and noble of missions, Twilight reached out with her magic and grabbed the notebook off of the coffee table. With a fat grin, she opened it and looked at the first page. That is, until she realized what she was looking at.

Twilight's jaw dropped. Is... is that what I think it is?

Hearts. Dozens, maybe hundreds of them littered the paper. Each held the phrase: "RD+TS." Twilight stared blankly at the page, unsure what to make of them. How... what?

Stay calm Twilight! Hearts are fine! They're organs! They mean life, and happiness and joy! Twilight gulped. And love... But only sometimes! Besides, "TS" doesn't necessarily mean me... It could mean... It could mean... Gah! Why the heck can't I think of anypony!

I've gone crazy! Twilight exclaimed inwardly. Yes, that's it! I've gone crazy and I'm hallucinating! There aren't really hearts on this paper, and Rainbow Dash definitely doesn't have a crush on me!

A few shaky breaths later, and Twilight decided she'd come back to examine the true contents of the page at some other point; after all, she was supposed to be reading poems, not looking at Rainbow's... doodles.

Flipping to a random page somewhere far away from the first one, Twilight came to her first lines of writing. Twilight sighed with relief, words were something she knew. There was a comfort in words. Comfort she definitely needed after that nearly panic inducing illusion. I can't believe that I even believed myself for a second, Twilight thought with a chuckle. Now to examine some of Dash's artwork.

Her eyes settled on the first words, and, settling into a pattern, began to read the poem with much fervor. Twilight's excitement, however, was short lived, as the hallucinations fled from her and revealed the terrifying truth.

My Twilight, my Twilight, who shines like a star,

I wish I could tell you just what you are.

Your beauty, your brains, for me know no bounds,

they make me want to howl like a pack of wild hounds.

I wish I were worthy; I wish I were smart;

I wish I had brains, to make better art!

When you hold me, you don't know, but you make me shiver;

you send a great chill from my heart to my liver!

My Twilight, my Twilight, I'll never have you,

but I know in my dreams, I'll always be true.

Seriously? Was this for real? When the heck did this start? Twilight racked her brains looking for something, anything that could have even hinted at Rainbow's feelings.

Nothing. There was nothing at all.

Wait. There was earlier, when Twilight had been applying the antiseptic to Rainbow's forehead—her face had been bright red. But that was it, wasn't it? Dash hadn't even so much as hinted at her affection before that... had she? Twilight was smart, but even she had to admit that without any experience in the field of love, anything that the pegasus might have done would probably have flown over her head—no pun intended.

Well, whatever this was, at least she knew it now. Then again, Twilight had just snooped into her friend's private notebook and learned one of her most personal secrets. Considering the nature of said secret, Twilight was conflicted about continuing.

Closing her eyes and cursing her photographic memory, she turned the page. Okay, just one more. I mean, it's not like she's written too many more of these; I bet this is the only one! The poem was really good in and of itself, actually—much better than what I'd expect from somepony like Rainbow Dash!

It was the truth. When she stepped back—way, way, back—she actually found herself enjoying Dash's poem. It was nice, if a little simple, and it definitely wasn't lacking emotion. Twilight didn't exactly know what to make of the compliments, that was for sure; she was beautiful? The poor pegasus likely needed to have her head examined.

Bracing herself, Twilight opened her eyes and prepared to read the next poem. "Oh, come on!" she cried when she saw the title: "This thing I feel."

There's this thing, it's called love, and I've got it real bad;

It's not simple love, like for mom or for dad.

It's not like a love for a brother or sister,

or even a love for a magazine mister.

With your beautiful eyes of a deep purple hue,

oh, Twilight Sparkle, my love is for you!

Twilight found herself smirking as she finished. Magazine mister. She chuckled. How clever...

Still, it was another poem about her—one that actually declared love. An uneasy feeling grew in her stomach; this wasn't just some schoolfilly crush, was it? This was serious. Perhaps she should talk to Rainbow Dash tomorrow—No! If I do that, she'll know I went through her notebook! Her inner voice screamed.

This is more important! Twilight reasoned. Rainbow was Twilight's friend, and a close one at that. If she was having problems, she'd be there for her—regardless of how awkward things could become, or how angry Dash might get. Still, she wouldn't know what to say anyway—that she'd never really thought about her that way?

Come to think of it, Twilight hadn't really ever thought about anypony that way before; she'd always been too focused on her studies. After a few moments of pondering her feelings, Twilight decided that she didn't really have a problem with the idea of an intimate relationship with the cyan pegasus. But just going for it, especially not knowing if she could ever truly love Rainbow back was far too rash of a decision to make in a few short moments. Honestly, she was still getting used to the idea that anypony could like her of all ponies.

Cautiously, Twilight flipped through the notebook until she discovered a series of blank pages. Turning back a few sheets, she found the last entry. The ink was still fresh, no older than an hour or two. This must be the poem Rainbow Dash was working on earlier, Twilight thought, recalling the series of infuriating quill scratches that prevented her studying. It was funny really, if she hadn't gotten so annoyed by them, she'd still be ignorant of her friend's feelings. And again, Twilight felt her stomach tie itself in a knot. She was still unsure whether or not this discovery was a good one.

One month? Two months? Three months? More?

How many times have I knocked on your door?

Well passed two years now, maybe three yet,

I've loved you since the day we met.

Your eyes, your nose, your lavender coat,

all of your beauty makes my heart float.

It's your smarts, your dorkiness, your bookish ways,

even your eggheadedness brightens my days.

I want to tell you—I want to so bad,

but I'm afraid you'll reject me and make me feel sad.

So I hold it in as much as I can,

and forevermore, I'm your number one fan.

Somewhere, something deep inside Twilight clicked. Most of Dash's poems seemed to have one common theme: worry. For some reason, that didn't sit well with Twilight. Sure, she'd never been in a relationship—sure, she'd never make a decision so major as this without thinking it through—sure, she'd never actually considered Rainbow Dash as a potential lover, but that didn't mean she'd just crush all of her friend's hopes without giving her a chance! She almost felt offended that Rainbow would even consider Twilight capable of such callousness!

She needed to confront Rainbow Dash about this. If the pegasus truly had been hiding these feelings ever since their first meeting—Dash's jumpiness and giggling now taking on a different meaning under the light of new information—then it was imperative that Twilight take some initiative and alleviate some of her friend's stress. She'd need to think about what to say, of course, and whether or not she should actually start a relationship with her was still in the air, but there was something, some little voice in the back of her mind that didn't find the idea of getting intimate with Dash so bad—in fact, it seemed to be trying to convince her that not only would it not be bad, it would be great!

Come on, Twilight! it said. It'll be fun!

How do you know that? Twilight defended. I don't even know how a real relationship works! What if I screw it up and wind up not friends anymore?

Please, the voice laughed. You really think Rainbow Dash could ever hate you? Take a look at that notebook right there and tell me the Celestia honest truth.

The voice had a point there. From the poems she'd read, it certainly looked like Rainbow was head over hooves for her—a concept that Twilight found both flattering, and scary.

But... but I don't even know if I like Rainbow that way!

That's why there's this thing called "dating," duh!

Once again, that voice had a point.

One by one, Twilight's arguments fell victim to the voice's logic, until she came to only one conclusion: she would give Rainbow Dash her chance.

With the weight of a heavy decision off her shoulders, Twilight decided to talk to Dash the next day and, if she was willing—Twilight had a had a hard time believing she wouldn't be—they may even go on their first lunch date.

Turning back to the first page, Twilight reexamined the little hearts. It was still hard to believe that a pony like Dash could develop any kind of attraction to her. What was so special about a librarian? The only things Twilight had to her name were the title of "Celestia's Protege," and a perfect grade point average—things that somepony like Rainbow wouldn't even care about in the first place.

Even harder to believe was the fact that, in just a few short hours, Twilight might be about to begin her first non-platonic relationship. She turned the page and found yet another poem, probably the first that Rainbow had ever written. Twilight chuckled at the thought that this whole situation had been kicked off by Rainbow's very own folly: skipping out on work.

It was getting late. The sun had long since set, and Twilight was getting sleepy. She looked at the poem before her.

Heh, poetry. Poetry had never been a literary genre Twilight had particularly cared for before—honestly, she actually found it boring. Poems were too dressed up and fancy to be all that enjoyable. Often times, they were simply garbage thrown together by love-sick ponies. Who would have thought that it would have been through this medium, that Twilight entered the world of dating?

Twilight yawned. She needed to get to bed soon if she wanted to be well-rested for tomorrow. Still, it wouldn't hurt to read one more before turning in, would it? After all, it was the poems in this notebook that had told her the truth about Rainbow Dash's feelings for her. Besides, it was a short one—beginner's writing at best. She'd read it and get to bed after.

Her eyes settled on the page, and she began reading, her face warming as she took in the words. By the end, she thought she felt steam coming out of her ears.

Roses are red,

So are my eyes,

I want to stick my tongue in your thighs.

On second thought, maybe she'd just wait for Rainbow to tell her herself...

Seven Minutes

The room was dark and quiet; the only sounds that could be heard were the heartbeats of the ponies within. The air was warm and heavy, uncomfortably so. Once again, Twilight Sparkle slammed her shoulder against the door, then groaned when, again, it yielded no positive results. "Darn it!" she growled, stomping a hoof on the floor. "Whose bright idea was it to play this stupid game, anyway?"

"I think it was Pinkie Pie's," a raspy voice answered. "And she's not gonna unlock the door for a while—you know how she gets..."

Twilight sighed and rested her head against the soft wood of the door. "Ugh! Tell me about it! Really, who thinks up a game where you lock two ponies in a dark closet?"

When no response came from Rainbow Dash, Twilight tried to blast the door open with a heavy burst of purple magic. The wave of energy filled the room and crashed into the paneled barrier that held them prisoner, but when it impacted, nothing happened. The magic dissipated without so much as vibrating the door, vanishing with a silly squeak.

"What?" Twilight cried disbelievingly, "How in Equestria?" She took a deep breath and exclaimed: "Pinkie!"

There was a short pause, followed by the sound of ruffling feathers. "Um... Y-you do know what we're supposed to be doing... right?"

Twilight thought back to when Pinkie Pie had explained the rules of the game. She hadn't heard exactly what they were supposed to do while they were in here, but then again, she hadn't really understood anything that came out of Pinkie because she'd been so excited that she'd hopped around the library like a hyperactive bunny while she talked. "Not really, no," she admitted.

Again, there was that pause. The air grew warmer, and Twilight felt the closet shrink. Well, maybe it wasn't shrinking, but she felt like Rainbow Dash was awfully close to her. Then again, they were in a closet, they were bound to have little room to move.

"C'mon, you've never played this game before?"

"No," Twilight huffed. "Forgive me if I sound rude, but getting locked in a small dark room is not my idea of fun!"

"Twi, that's the idea."

There was another pause. Twilight took the time to note that the closet did seem to be shrinking—her back was now pressed firmly against the wall, and Rainbow still seemed only inches away. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Of course it's not actually shrinking! she thought. That's impossible! It's just an illusion—because there are two of us in here the closet seems like it's half as big, that's all.

"So, Rainbow, what are we supposed to be doing?"

More feathers ruffled, and Twilight wondered why her pegasus friend couldn't keep her extra appendages still. "Well, uh..." Rainbow paused for a moment. "We're supposed to be doing, um... stuff..."

"Stuff?" Twilight raised an eyebrow, although she was sure Rainbow Dash wouldn't be able to see it through the darkness. "That's very articulate, Rainbow..."

"Huh?" came the response from her friend. Twilight didn't have to see Rainbow's face to know that she had, again, used a higher than fifth grade vocabulary with the speedster.

"Ugh," the unicorn groaned. "What I meant to say is, can you explain a little more? How are we supposed to play this stupid game if I don't even know what we're doing?"

"Oh." There was a short pause, followed by the closet shrinking even more. "Well... one of those things is, uh, kissing..."

"What?" Twilight practically shrieked. Suddenly, the warm presence was gone and Twilight felt the closet rapidly inflate back to full size. There was a series of muffled thumps, followed by the sound of snapping wood.

"Ow."

"Why in Celestia's name would we do that?" This game was getting more ridiculous by the second! Why did they have to kiss? That didn't make any sense at all! What kind of game consisted of going in the closet and kissing?

Twilight smashed her shoulder on the door, it jarred violently, but held strong. "Pinkie Pie!" she exclaimed, slamming against the door again. When she got out of here, she was going to give that pony a piece of her well-read mind! "Open this door!"

"Nope!" an over-ecstatic voice cheered from the other side. "Five more minutes!"

"What?" the unicorn cried, kicking the door. "Pinkie!"

"Aw, c'mon, Twilight!" Rainbow's voice had a distinct shakiness to it—like she was trying to talk while an earthquake rumbled under her hooves. "It... It's not so bad..."

Suddenly, the unicorn ceased her murderous assault on the poor closet door. Angling her vision to where she thought her pegasus friend sat, she said: "Not so bad? Pinkie Pie just locked us in a closet and now I find out that the only way I'm getting out is by kissing you? Please, Rainbow Dash, tell me what bad really is, then!"

"Well, at least you'd actually get a kiss for once!"

The hostility in Dash's tone startled Twilight into silence. Her mind reeled as she tried to figure out just what her friend meant by her very hurtful comment. "I... I've been kissed before..." she mumbled lamely.

"By who?" Dash growled. "Your parents? Shining Armor? We both know you've never even been on a date!"

"Shut up!" Twilight snapped. "You haven't met him! I don't know why you're pushing this stupid game so hard! We are locked in a closet right now, the last thing I'm worried about is getting kissed by anypony—especially you!" When Twilight was through, she was breathing heavily and fighting a twitching eyebrow. She waited impatiently for Rainbow Dash's angered comeback, but nothing came—there was only silence. Then, after a moment, she got her response, but it wasn't what she'd wanted—in fact, it was so quiet, so gentile, that she'd barely heard it.

A sniffle.

In one instant, Twilight felt her balloon of anger come crashing down in a huge torrent of guilt. She'd never been the patron saint of empathy, but she certainly wasn't stupid! Twilight had never heard of Rainbow Dash crying before—that was unheard of! But she was, a second sniffle—just as soft and hidden as the first—cut its way through the silence and confirmed it; that one fact by itself was enough for her sharp mind to piece two and two together. A strong feeling of discomfort solidified in her gut, making her feel like she'd swallowed a bowling ball.

Taking a tentative step forward, ignoring her unease, Twilight closed the small gap between her friend and herself. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Go away."

Ignoring her friend's frustrated whimper, Twilight placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder. She noted with shame that the pegasus was quivering under her touch. "Rainbow..."

"Go." She sniffled again. "Just leave me alone."

Wordlessly, Twilight wrapped her friend up in her forelegs and squeezed her tight against her chest. Initially, the stubborn mare fought her and tried to maintain distance, but after a few moments, Twilight won their battle of wills and held her close. A warm wetness made contact with Twilight's fur as Dash buried her head under her chin. The spastic motions Rainbow made as she breathed sent shivers up and down Twilight's spine, but eventually they began to subside, growing farther and farther apart until the only signs of Rainbow's sadness were her occasional whimpers.

With a comforting nuzzle, Twilight closed her eyes and took in the light, airy scent of Rainbow's mane. Still, despite her comfort, Twilight couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Why did this feel so right? The warmth, the silky softness of Rainbow's fur, the way Dash's body seemed to fit perfectly against hers, Twilight felt like she was made to hold her friend—like her entire duty in life was simply to embrace Rainbow Dash. These feelings were foreign and scary—she felt content, like nothing could ever go wrong as long as this happening, but that was wrong, right? The house could burn down, they were still locked in a closet, a war could break out, leading to the deaths of thousands of ponies, and she didn't care at all.

Twilight didn't know how much time had passed when she heard Dash mumble something into her chest. Despite herself, Twilight gently ran her hoof through the other mare's mane. "What was that?"

Rainbow squirmed a little in her friend's embrace before bringing her head level to Twilight's. "Why?"

Twilight adjusted her hooves to compensate for Rainbow's shifting weight. "Why what?"

Dash's mane tickled Twilight's neck as she nuzzled back into a comfortable position. After a moment or two, Rainbow took a deep breath and answered her, "Why don't you like me?"

Twilight bit her lip, before she could answer though, she was interrupted.

"I mean, I'm trying so hard, but nothing's working! I... I just want you to like me, Twilight... like I like you..."

"How long?" Twilight's tone was carefully monitored—she didn't know anything about this subject and she didn't know what she felt. Then again, perhaps her continued desire to comfort Dash and stroke her mane was all the answer she needed from herself.

Rainbow nuzzled deeper into Twilight's embrace and sighed. "I don't know... since forever?"

Twilight fought the urge to laugh at her friend's simplicity. She was pretty sure Rainbow Dash was the only pony she knew who wouldn't question herself, or split hairs if she felt something like infatuation for another pony. "Is that why you chose me to play with?"

A few heartbeats later, Rainbow's head gently shifted up and down. "I... I thought that maybe if we did this that you might... that we could..." she trailed off with a soft sob.

"That we could what?"

"Never mind, it sounds stupid."

With careful hooves, Twilight took hold of her friend's head so she could look her in the eyes. Though the closet was very dark, in close proximity, Twilight could make out Rainbow's glistening magenta orbs. Without blinking, Twilight ran another hoof through Dash's mane and spoke, "Rainbow Dash, you are my best friend; you know that you can tell me anything, right?"

Rainbow shifted her weight and turned her head away. "Well, um..." She paused. "I-I was hoping that maybe you might wanna be my very special somepony..."

Twilight's felt her cheeks grow warm and retracted her hooves, slowly placing them on the floor. "R-Rainbow... I've never... I-I don't..."

"It's okay... I understand." Silently, Rainbow brought herself back onto her hooves. "I-I'll tell Pinkie to open the door..."

Somehow, Rainbow's choked remark stung more than anything else that had happened in the past few minutes. The weight in Twilight's stomach grew, expanding to her chest and settling around her heart. Why did that one fact feel so important? Was her body trying to tell her something?

Was she nervous?

Without really knowing what she was doing, Twilight released control of her body and allowed her instincts to take over. Reaching out, she wrapped a foreleg around Rainbow's midsection and pulled the pegasus back into her embrace. "Wait!"

"Whoa!"

Acting purely in the moment, Twilight latched onto Dash's face and jammed her lips onto Dash's—

"Um, Twilight? That's my nose..."

With a panicked squeak, Twilight let go of Rainbow Dash and jumped back. "I-I..." What did she just try to do? Did I really just... Biting her lip, Twilight closed her eyes and waited for her friend to react.

Nothing happened.

The silence filled the room like a heavy blanket; not even the sounds of Rainbow Dash's ruffled feathers could be heard now. With her heart beating like a jackhammer, Twilight decided to speak.

"I'm sorry—" she started.

"Did—" Rainbow began.

"Um." Twilight gulped. Mustering up her resolve, she opened her eyes. "You go ahead."

"Did you mean that?"

Did she? Twilight had never done anything without having thought it through very thoroughly before now, how could she gauge her intent when she hadn't even meant to do it in the first place? It was a decision made out of desperation, out of fear. But fear of what?

And that's when it clicked.

In retrospect, it was fairly obvious: wondering what her cerulean would do when she was in a tight spot or knowing exactly how to cheer up a saddened Rainbow Dash, that feeling of completeness she'd gotten just by holding Rainbow in her forelegs, they told her what she should have already known—what she did know, in a way. How could she not have known? Even before she'd gotten to know her friends very well, Dash had always been special, an anomaly. All of Twilight's friends held a place in her heart, but now she realized that Dash's place was much, much larger than usual.

"Yes," Twilight whispered—more to herself than to Rainbow. "I-I think—no—I know so."

Suddenly, a wall of flesh, fur and feathers slammed into Twilight, knocking her to the ground and pinning her down—she wasn't even able to yelp in surprise because her mouth had been taken hostage by a set of alien lips.

It wasn't magical; it wasn't a surreal, crazy, becoming or any of the adjectives Rarity's overly romanticized descriptions contained. Fireworks didn't explode and sparks didn't fly anywhere, but Twilight didn't care, it was still the single greatest feeling she'd ever felt. Rainbow's wings beat softly above her, creating a gentile breeze inside the closet and sending chills down Twilight's spine. A hoof wrapped itself around Twilight's head and pulled with all it's might, forcing her as close to Rainbow as physically possible. Not wanting to be left out, Twilight ran her hoof through Rainbow's mane for what was probably the hundredth time that night, causing her to shudder.

Sadly, it had to come to an end, as all good things must. Breathless and flushed, the duo lay on the floor, drunk on affection and satisfaction. They held each other close, sharing their warmth. No longer were they Twilight and Rainbow, somehow they had transcended beyond physical boundaries and become one spirit, one soul. If you asked Twilight at that moment, she'd swear that even their hearts were beating in unison.

"Twilight, I—" Dash started.

"Rainbow," Twilight interjected, snuggling deeper into Rainbow's embrace. "Do you know why still waters run deepest?"

Taking the hint, Rainbow stayed silent, setting her head back down on the floor of the closet. With a contented sigh, Twilight squeezed her once, and closed her eyes.

[X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]

Twilight woke with a start. Where was the light? Why was she on the floor? What the heck was breathing—Oh! Right! Rainbow Dash... They must have fallen asleep in the closet.

Gently slipping herself out of Dash's grip, Twilight sat herself up and released a long, tired yawn. A few taps on the head woke Rainbow up, and she too rose from the ground, cracking her joints in a crass, uncaring way. "What time is it?" she asked, popping her wings.

"I don't know," Twilight answered. "Passed seven minutes, probably..." The pair shared a laugh in the darkness of the closet.

"Best. Game. Ever," said Rainbow. She nuzzled Twilight. "So does this mean that we're..." she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Twilight snickered. "I certainly hope so."

"Really?" Rainbow cried, her wings flapping exuberantly. "I-I mean... cool. I've got some free time later, y'know... if you wanna hang out..."

Twilight couldn't help but smile at her friend's antics. She never would have pegged the Rainbow Dash as the shy type, but it was just too cute to mention—if she did, Rainbow would deny it and make an effort to change herself, and Twilight liked her just the way she was. "I'd like that."

"C-cool."

"So..."

"Yeah..." Dash shuffled her hooves against the floor. After a moment of silence, she opened the closet door, revealing a pitch black library. "I guess I should be heading home now, huh?"

Twilight bit her lip. "Well... I-if you want to..."

The silhouette of Rainbow dropped it's head. "So, I'll, uh, see you tomorrow?"

"Of course!"

A few steps later and Dash was at the front door. Twilight used her magic to light a lantern on the wall, revealing the shelves of books decorating the walls.

For the first time since before they were locked in the closet, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash in the light. Her coat was decorated in dust and dirt, her hair matted and tangled, hooves dirty and feathers disheveled: she'd never looked so beautiful. Twilight felt her heart jump as Dash opened the door to leave.

"Bye, Twilight."

"Good-bye, Rainbow."

With a final glance behind herself, Rainbow Dash walked out the door and started on her journey home. Twilight watched the door begin to close, but snatched it and held it open. "We open at six!" she called out as Dash disappeared into the darkness. "But I have to do some pre-opening cleaning, so drop by anytime!"

When the last shades of Rainbow's prismatic tail faded into the night, Twilight let the door close and sighed. If you would have told her that morning that she would have a special somepony by the end of the night—Rainbow Dash at that—she would have called you crazy, especially considering the avenue in which she'd gotten one, but nonetheless, it had happened, and Twilight was thankful for it.

Deciding it was well past bedtime, Twilight started for the staircase, only to spot something peculiar on the table: a note. It's messy, mouthwriting—even by non-unicorn standards—signified that Pinkie Pie was the messenger. She must have gotten tired of waiting for us, Twilight thought. Picking it up, Twilight held it against the light and read:

Told you so, Dashie!

Chocolate

She's not gonna like it...

Don't be stupid! Who doesn't like chocolate?

It's not that, it's the day!

Duh, that's kinda the point!

The box tucked under my wing weighed a lot more than it should have. It was heart-shaped, as befitted the season, and the brightest shade of red imaginable. I gulped and knocked on the hard, wooden door to the library. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. My legs seemed to grow shakier as the time slipped by.

This was a bad idea...

C'mon! You're really gonna run away now? What kind of daredevil are you?

The door drew open; my heart skipped a beat. A beautiful lavender unicorn stood in the doorway, her eyes shining like amethysts.

The kind that doesn't take stupid chances...

"Oh! Hello, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said cheerfully. "What brings you here?"

I bit my lip and looked away—I learned a long time ago that, if I stare at her too long, I'd start blushing; that was the absolutelast thing I'd need right now. "Uh... I..."

"Rainbow? Are you hyperventilating?"

That got my attention. I wasn't hyperventilating, was I?

Come to think of it, my breathing did seem to be a little fast—like just ran a marathon fast.

Oh, Celestia, this is so uncool...

Forget it! Just bail!

"No!" I screamed, throwing the box to the ground. Twilight jumped back in surprise, taking cover behind the door as the container flew into the space she once occupied and landed on the floor of the library.

"R-Rainbow?" came her worried voice a second later, but I was already in the air.

I flapped my wings as hard as I possibly could, each stroke getting me farther and farther away from the train-wreck I'd just made. My eyes were watering, but I didn't care—they always do that when I muck this up.

Great job, fearsome daredevil! Make sure you look as brave as possible while you run away!

Hearts and Hooves Day is a stupid holiday...

All Your Fault

What a great friend you turned out to be...

The room was silent except for the occasional sniffle or melancholic snort. Rainbow Dash sat at the front, nearest to the large, ornate container except for a few openly weeping ponies. Her normally wild and unkempt mane was neatly brushed and freshly washed; it flowed over her head and drooped over her face, covering her watery eyes. She was dressed in a simple set of lavender colored steel armor, decorated with stars —the only suit of its kind, and it was soon to be destroyed.

It's all your fault, you know. You insisted on having the job.

One of the crying stallions at the front approached her, tears still flowing down his cheeks. He took a deep breath and removed his ceremonial helmet before sitting down beside her.

You said you could handle it...

"I know how you must feel," he said after a moment, looking at the box.

"Oh, really?" Dash squeaked venomously. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she stared into the Guard Captain's eyes with unbridled rage. "I'm sure you lost the pony you lo—were best friends with on the first day you were charged with protecting her!"

You said you could keep her safe...

Shining Armor bit his lip. "You can't blame yourself, Dash. This is a sad day, but nopony could have stopped him; nopony expected it..."

"She did!" Dash sobbed, waving at the casket. "She did, and nopony believed her! And he... he..."

You said you would trust her...

"I know, Dash... I know," Shining said softly, pulling Dash into his embrace. "Discord's going to pay for what he's done."

"I don't care if he pays!" Dash cried, burrowing her face into the Captain's protective shoulder. "I just want my Twilight back."

And now she's gone forever, all thanks to you.

Moonlight

Princess Luna inhaled the sweet, cool air of the night as she soared through the air and basked in the glow of her sky. If there was one thing that she was proudest of in her whole life, it was the idea of moonlight; it was not as harsh as her sister's sun, nor was it as beneficial, but little else could compare in the sense of sheer natural beauty.

Her moon was full tonight, and it cast its light wondrously upon the landscape. Luna loved to drift across the Equestrian skylines on these most gorgeous of nights—something she'd found herself doing much more often now than before she... left.

In the air beside her, Princess Celestia wore a frown as she beat her wings. "It's not that she can't take care of herself," she said, a touch of anxiety breaching her carefully constructed mask of confidence. "Far from it, it's just that she's so new to flying; I can't help but worry..."

"You should not, sister," Luna assured her, smiling in hopes that she might alleviate some of her sister's stress she that she too, could enjoy their flight. "Today is simply her first day as a princess, it is only natural for her to want to explore."

"But the skies..." Celestia countered, biting her lip. "The guards said their search turned up nothing. She's never flown before today—"

"And you know she won't take any needless chances," the Night Princess finished. "Twilight is a very sensible young mare, and I'm sure she's fine." That seemed to do the trick. Celestia's jagged wingbeats slowed down to a more controlled tempo.

"Besides," she added for increased effect, "isn't her friend Rainbow Dash with her? I am certain that the skies show Twilight no danger with her around."

Celestia sighed, and the sisters came to rest on a soft patch of cumulus. "You're right—I'm sure she'll be fine." When her sister didn't respond, Celestia glanced up at her. "What are you looking at?"

Smiling gently, Luna gestured with a hoof at an even smaller cloud drifting below them. Cuddled up in the moonlight laid a pegasus and a slightly larger alicorn in a shimmering tiara. Their tails were entwined, muzzles almost touching. Both were breathing deeply and facing the western horizon, where the sun had set just hours ago.

"Oh, I am more than sure," Luna said, stifling a giggle.