“RAINBOW DASH!”

SMACK!

“Rainbow you take that back right now! I cannot believe you would say something like that!” Twilight rubbed her sore hoof after bruising it upside Rainbow’s head. For Rainbow’s part, she rubbed her own hoof along the huge red mark on the side of her head. The hit had hurt her a little more than she wanted to admit.

“You need to apologize this instant.” Twilight glared daggers into her friend. She could not comprehend why Rainbow would say something so insensitive to this mare. Especially not in front of these two representatives from the Griffin Empire. Even Rainbow should know better to leave such an impression on foreign dignitaries.

“It’s ok, really.” Aurora tried to defuse the situation; one look at Twilight told her that she would not let Rainbow off that easy.

“No, it’s not ok. My marefriend will not go around calling mares fat. Especially not when it’s obvious that they are expecting a foal.”

Aurora could not help but notice one specific word Twilight had said. ‘Marefriend’, her look of confusion turned to a grin as she wrapped her hooves around Rainbow and squeezed tightly. “Congratulations!” she yelled out.

“Thanks…” Came Rainbow’s subdued reply to her daughter’s sudden hug. In any other situation, she would have been as happy as Aurora was. However, those situations did not include finding out that her daughter was several months pregnant, and having the cause of that pregnancy within ten hooves of her. Rainbow stared daggers over Aurora’s shoulder at the Emperor of the Griffin Empire.

At his best of times, Icarus was a loud-beak braggart. He always considered the griffin race to be superior to ponies, and while his views had been undergoing a paradigm shift as of late. Mainly due to the presence of Aurora Flash, who would not let him get away with any of the shit he would normally say. Some of those feelings did remain.

Despite that, Icarus could only meet Rainbow Dash’s gaze for two seconds before he looked away. With one look, that mare seemed to be able to spot every flaw he had and brought them to the forefront. He could easily see the hatred and contempt she held him in. It was as if she was staring into his very essence, grabbing every imperfection there and holding them in front of him for the entire world to see. Saying in no uncertain terms: ‘Look at how flawed you are, how dare you think you are worthy for my daughter.’ He would never admit it, but she scared the hell out of him.

The two mares let each other go; Aurora went back over and placed a hoof on Icarus's shoulder. An action that caused the griffin to somewhat recover from his funk. Rainbow looked sheepishly at Twilight, who was still not happy about her earlier behavior and looked quite confused about the hug.

Twilight stared daggers into her friend. “Rainbow, say you’re sorry.”

“I’m sorry.” Rainbow mumbled.

“Louder.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Still can’t hear you Rainbow.” Twilight said as she started to get even more upset.

“I’m sorry, alright.” Rainbow spoke aloud this time.

“And what are you sorry for?” Twilight asked.

Aurora almost bit her tongue off to stop from laughing. She must have heard that phrase a million times growing up. Hearing it now, used by her mom who suffered from amnesia after her accident, directed not at her, but her other parent. It was both the funniest thing she ever heard and gave the mare hope for the future. ‘Maybe my mom is still in there.’

Rainbow shrunk down even lower at that, she could not believe how badly the situation had turned against her. Any other day and Twilight would have been just as mad as she was, even if she would have handled it better. However, that knowledge would not get Rainbow out of this. She gritted her teeth and turned to Aurora. “I’m sorry I said you better be getting fat. It was insensitive of me and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Congratulations on your foal.”

Rainbow said all that, but her face said something completely different in a MUCH louder message that no one who saw could misinterpret. Thankfully for her, Twilight was standing by her side and could not see what that message said. It said, in no uncertain terms: “You two are up shit creek without a paddle and if you think for even a second that this is the end of this conversation, you are in for a world of hurt.”

Aurora took that as a win, Rainbow knew, and nopony… no griffin, died. Given the circumstances, she supposed that was the best result that she could reasonably hope for.

“Thank you for the apology.” Aurora said as she tried her best not to sound smug when she said it.

It did not work. Rainbow’s temper only increased. However, a soft hoof placed on her shoulder from Twilight threw a bucket of ice-cold water on that fire. Rainbow visibly relaxed as she sunk back on her haunches. Somehow, even after all this time; that one gesture never failed to calm the mare’s nerves, even in a situation like this.

Twilight smiled at her friend, she was still unsure what the hug was about, but she could let it go for now. “That was big of you Rainbow.”

For Rainbow, that smile made it all worthwhile.

“Princess Rainbow, Princess Twilight, why don’t we put this unpleasantness behind us and have dinner together?” Siros said, his comment punctuated by a loud grumble of protest from Aurora’s stomach from not having eaten in a while.

Both Rainbow and Icarus looked at him with an ‘are you serious’ look. However, Twilight and Aurora agreed. As such, the two were stuck going along with it. Regardless of the fact that neither of them wanted to be within ten hooves of the other at this time; one wanted to kill the other, and the other was very much afraid for his life.

As they walked down the hallway to the banquet table, Icarus could not help but cringe as Rainbow dragged a wing tip along the wall, producing a loud screeching noise as she did so. When he looked back, Rainbow’s wing was digging a small trench into the wall to her right. A clear threat of what she wanted to do with the griffin.

“Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow returned her right wing to her side at Twilight's words. She knew that was pushing it, and nopony would be happy about the scratch marks she left down the hallway.

“Rainbow, can I speak to you alone for a minute.” Twilight’s tone spoke volumes to the level of frustration she felt at Rainbow’s actions today. It seemed the mare was doing everything in her power to be offensive.

“You sure, Twi? We do have guests after all….”

“That’s fine with us, if you two need to talk go ahead.”

Aurora wanted to face-hoof at Icarus’s dumb statement. She vowed that Rainbow would not be the only one who had to answer for their actions today. She would make sure of that. Rainbow stared daggers into the griffin, a gaze he would not meet.

“Rainbow, now.” Twilight pointed to an adjoining room and started walking in that direction. Rainbow knew she was in trouble, the scratch marks down the hallway were a little too much, even for her. She lowered her head down and followed Twilight into the room. ‘Better to meet my fate head on.’

As she walked through the doorway, Twilight shut the door behind her. “Ok, what the hell is that about, first you insult that mare, then you leave scratches down the hallway?”

“You don’t understand.”

“What? What don’t I understand?”

“She’s too good for him.” Rainbow took the time to admire the carpet as she spoke; she wanted to tell Twilight the truth. She wanted that almost as much as she wanted her wife back. However, the latter was still greater than the former.

“Rainbow, he is the emperor of an entire country… I would say she did rather well.”

Ok, she had to give Twilight that... Of course, that does not mean she had to like it.

When Rainbow refused to offer up her own comments, Twilight asked the other question that was on her mind. “Why did she hug you?”

‘Crap.’

Rainbow looked for any reason she could to stall. Her mind played out every possibility that she could think of. There was nothing... nothing she could say that would defuse this situation without digging a bigger whole with Twilight. It was killing her; she wanted more then anything to tell Twilight the truth. To tell her why she was mad, or simply to tell her that they were going to be grandparents. This should be a happy moment, but she was anything but happy.

That realization hit Rainbow like a ton of bricks.

“Rainbow Dash, what’s going on?”

“Twilight, can we not?”

“Rainbow.” Twilight’s tone conveyed her annoyance with this. She wanted answers about Rainbow’s behavior.

Rainbow looked up from the floor at Twilight; she stared right into Twilight’s eyes. For a moment, for just a second, it all came back. Her memories overran her mind. The years they spent together hoof and hoof. Raising their kids, birthdays, holidays, the good, and the bad. They all flooded the mare's mind. However, the memories she most cherished was simply spending time with Twilight. Relaxing under the stars together, holding her at night, kissing her when she was sad, and simply being there for her during the good and the bad. It was all too much, too much to deal with at this moment. She considered, just for a second, telling Twilight everything.

At the last second, she stopped herself. She took those feelings and stuck them into the box marked ‘later’. She crammed it to the breaking point. Those would not solve anything right now. They would only make things worse, not better. So for the hundredth time this year, she put aside her emotions for the sake of the future.

Rainbow walked over and grabbed her marefriend’s hooves. Her eyes conveyed her pleading tone to Twilight more than any words could ever hope to. “Twilight, I… I can't get into this right now, there is nothing more in the world I would like to do than tell you, but… but I can’t, I just can’t right this second. Please… I will tell you everything, eventually. I promise I want to tell you, I need to tell you, but I can’t. Not right now… please, let this go, for now, for me… please.”

Taken aback by that, Twilight did not know if it was the conviction in Rainbow’s voice, the tone of her words, or the sincerity in her eyes. Those big, beautiful, pleading eyes, Twilight shortly forgot her own doubts and questions; in the six months she knew Rainbow, she never once heard the mare speak with such sincerity, or in such a pleading tone. “Alright, Rainbow… I trust you.”

Rainbow wrapped her in a hug. Squeezing Twilight as hard as she could, an action that caused the purple alicorn to blush, until she felt several drops of liquid fall onto her back.

‘Whatever this is, it’s big…’ Twilight thought. Rainbow wasn’t the sort to cry, not like this. “Just, be nice ok?”

“Whatever you want, Twi.” Rainbow squeaked out, doing her best to answer the request.

It was five minutes before they broke apart. For both of them, it was an eternity and far too short at the same time. Neither wanted the moment to end and at the same time, they were both unsure what it meant. Eventually, they were composed enough to rejoin their guests in the other room.

To everypony’s relief, when they rejoined the others, Rarity, Spike, Ataxia, Night, Cadance, and Luna were already there. The distraction of the others lessened a lot of the tension between Rainbow and Icarus. However, any pony that paid attention could not help but notice the tension between the two did not entirely go away. It was small, little glances here and there, but Rainbow would stare daggers into the griffin whenever he would glance over at her.

Night, Ataxia, Rarity, Spike, and Cadance could not get enough of Aurora’s pregnancy. Only Luna seemed to have already known. However, Rainbow was too busy thinking of all the ways she might dispose of a body to catch onto that.

“Is it a colt or a filly?”

“What are you going to name it?”

“Is it a griffin or a pony or something in-between?”

“Hey girls, she's probably a little uncomfortable answering all of these questions. Can you tone it down a little?”

They all stared over at Twilight, who surrounded Aurora in a magical aura which prevented Ataxia from rubbing the mare's stomach for the tenth time that day. That action earned her a silent ‘thank you’ from Aurora. Rainbow smiled as she watched her wife protect their daughter. ‘Even with her memories lost, she's still protective of her kids.’

Ataxia went back to her seat, pouting as she was no longer able to feel the baby kick. Shimmering Night grabbed her hoof and squeezed, all the while giving the mare a small smile, an action that seemed contagious as Ataxia’s face took on that smile when she looked at the princess.

“Well, we're going to call him Orion Knight, and he's a hippogriff.” Aurora smiled at everypony as they all added their own ‘awes’ in turn. Icarus grabbed her hoof with his claw and smiled at her, all the while avoiding the soul-piercing glare Rainbow was giving him.

However, with the talk of the new baby, not even Rainbow was able to keep up her sour mood for long. Even the cyan mare found herself gushing over her first grandkid.

“So, Rainbow, where are you two going on your date?”

Every set of eyes turned to Siros. Then back to Rainbow.

“You… you two are going out on a date?” Shimmering Night stumbled over the question, her mind still trying to wrap itself around the concept. When it finally did, her face grew to a huge smile. “YOU TWO ARE DATING!!!”

Night jumped up and hugged Rainbow with all her might. Too many months have passed, too much time since she last saw her parents together. When Night was younger, her parent’s affection for each other was a mark of embarrassment. Now? Now it was physically painful to see them apart. To have to lie to Twilight each and every day about who they were. She knew it was Cadance’s advice, it was her plan, but that did not make it easier. Now, it looked like all that was finally coming to an end.

“Thanks, Princess Night.”

Night suddenly realized that Twilight might misconstrue her actions; she pulled back and looked at Rainbow sheepishly. “Congratulations on finally asking her, I know you have been interested in her for a while and you two are always so cute together.”

“Actually, I asked her. Wait? You were interested in me all this time?” Twilight turned to Rainbow and raised an eyebrow at her. "Why didn't you say something?"

Rainbow smiled at the mare. “Twilight, you are one of the smartest mares in all of Equestria. Even with your accident, you still put most ponies to shame with your natural talent alone. As good as I am at flying, you're better at magic. How could I not be interested in you?”

“Why? Why didn’t you say anything sooner, Rainbow?”

“You were going through so much, I didn’t want you to feel pressured into going out with me, I didn’t want you to feel like you were somehow obligated to do it. I want you to be my marefriend because you want to, not because you feel like you have to.”

“So you waited until I got up the nerve to ask you?”

“What can I say, it was good advice.” Rainbow winked at Cadance, an action that did not go unnoticed by the lavender alicorn. Twilight dismissed it and planted a kiss on Rainbow's cheek. ‘How long was she holding her emotions in check for me? How long has she been putting herself out for me?’ That thought caused no small amount of concern to Twilight. She did not know the answer to that question.

Rainbow’s smile grew ten-fold at that kiss. It had been so long since they had a true moment of intimacy with each other. She hoped… She knew that this would be the first in a long line of such moments. She knew that in the same way she knew the sky was blue, that Equestria would always exist, and that she would forever love the mare sitting next to her. Until the day she crossed over into Elysium, she would love this mare. Even then, her Elysium would be an eternity with Twilight. After all, she knew from personal experience that she would settle for nothing less.

“So where are you taking her?” Siros asked.

Rainbow's smile left her in an instant. She had not considered that question just yet. She wanted; no, she needed this to be special. This needed to be the date that would end all other dates. It had to be, this date had to put her awesomeness to shame. It needed to be perfect, it needed to be romantic, and it needed to be…

“I know exactly where you two can go, I have a few friends in Prance. Why don’t you go there for the weekend?”

Rainbow looked up from racking her brain trying to solve this problem. She glanced over at Princess Cadance as if she was a gift from one of the Gods. It did not dawn on the mare that it was not far from the truth. Cadance had a unique ability when it came to love that allowed her to say the right thing at just the right time to help anypony. This was due in no small part to Eros, the God of Love that created Cadance as her Avatar.

Rainbow did not quite know what to think of the whole ‘Avatar’ situation. On one hoof, it seemed entirely stupid to the mare. Why would any God want to play around at being mortal? In addition, the whole deal has caused a flank-load of problems in the past forty years. However, on the other hoof, because of that Twilight Sparkle existed and spent the last forty years as her wife. She had given Rainbow three beautiful, talented, and generous kids. So yes, she was thankful for the Avatars. Without them, she would not have Twilight in her life. That alone was worth any amount of trouble.

“What do you think Twi? You want to go to Prance for the weekend?”

“Prance, for the weekend?” Millions of thoughts crossed through Twilight’s mind, ranging from the fact that she would have to leave her studies and classes for two whole days… Not to mention that it was incredibly short notice and a strange activity for a first date. However, the thought of going to Prance for the weekend overshadowed those. She could not imagine a more romantic place in the whole world. The stories she heard about it alone…

“I would love to go there one day; it would be great to study a whole new culture.” Aurora said with a grin as she knew exactly what her mom was considering and how to get her past it.

That settled it, if she could go to Prance with Rainbow on their first date AND study a new culture; it was as good as done. Twilight teleported behind Candace and squeezed the Princess with all her might. Shouts of “Yes, yes, yes!” accompanied her outbursts after she let her go and begun jumping around like a filly that just got her cutie mark.

Rainbow smiled at Twilight’s reaction. Regardless of what happened, how old they got, or what sort of responsibilities they took on. Twilight would always be Twilight. She would always be the mare she married. The one who gave up being a God for Rainbow, Rainbow smiled at Aurora, mouthing a silent ‘thank you’ to her daughter.

Aurora smiled back at her mom, no thanks was needed, not for something as important as this. She knew her mom’s proclivities from years of being in that household. It still amazed her how Rainbow never learned to anticipate Twilight's actions. Aurora was grateful that her siblings and her all seemed to inherit the best of their parents. It seemed as if they all got Twilight’s intelligence with Rainbow’s skill.

Her smile faded at that realization. Yes, it was true, but it did remind her that her twin, Dayspring Gleam, was not here anymore. Ever since she could remember they had a special bond with each other. He gave her his life; it was the ultimate act of love, the selfish, stupid, arrogant, jerk-face, noble, and honorable dork that he was. It still hurt. It always would, she knew that for a fact.

Icarus wrapped a claw around her shoulder and squeezed tightly. He did not know a lot about social interactions and politically correct behavior, but he knew when the mare he loved was about to break down. When her mind was about to go to a dark place. He could not stop it from going there, but he could support her through it. It was an action that was appreciated by Aurora Flash.

it was an action that did not go unnoticed by Rainbow.

“Perhaps soon, you two will be ready to reassume your royal duties?” Luna asked the two.

Spike facehoofed. Even after all this time Luna still did not quite understand social norms, or, for that matter, when NOT to ask a question.

“Dear, I think we should let them get to that conclusion on their own.” Rarity replied.

It seemed to get the job done. Luna did not press the issue anymore; however, it did nothing to help the awkward silence that fell over the group. After six months, it seemed that Twilight was no closer to regaining her memories.

At the end of the meal, they all went to their separate rooms. Both Twilight and Rainbow stopped on their way due to Rarity shouting for them.

“Twilight, Rainbow, you simply must come by my room before you leave tomorrow and let me do your hair and outfits for you!”

“I don’t know, Rarity. Rainbow really doesn’t like all that kind of stuff.”

“What time do you want me to swing by?”

Twilight turned and stared at the cyan mare, her mouth agape. “Rainbow, you don’t have to do this for me.”

“I know that, Twi.” Rainbow looked her in the eyes, giving her patented cocky grin as she did so. “I want to do it for you, I want this to be the best weekend of your life. Even if they might get messed up on the way over there, you deserve nothing less.”

Twilight blushed at that. “Thank you, Rainbow.”

‘I think I might know just the spell though…’ her mind started to trace back to a particular spell that would be useful in this situation.

“Twilight, why don’t you come by around nine, and Rainbow can swing by around eleven; that should give me more then enough time.”

“Thanks, Rares’”

“Thank you, Rarity.”

The old mare smiled at the two as they turned around and walked to their separate bedrooms. Her smile faded as she saw Rainbow look over from her door and watch Twilight enter her own room without her. In that one second, she had an idea how Rainbow felt, she knew how hard it was for Rainbow to be so close to her wife and yet a mile away at the same time. It was agonizing to the mare. That is why it came as no surprise to Rarity when a single tear fell from Rainbow’s eye as she entered her own room.

Rarity turned around and went to the guest room Spike and her were staying in. He did not know it now, but she was going to give him a present for being there for her. After seeing Rainbow and Twilight apart like that, she wanted to reaffirm her own relationship with the dragon.

Before she turned down the hallway, a voice stopped her. “Excuse me, Miss Rarity.”

“Yes?” Rarity turned around and looked at the griffin that spoke her name. “Emperor Icarus, what can I do for you?” She made to bow but a claw reached out and stopped her.

“No need for that, I just wanted to speak to you real quick and say thanks.”

“Thanks? For what?”

“Everything.” The griffin’s smile was odd to the unicorn. She could only stare on in confusion as he turned around and rejoined Aurora. Realization of just what he was thankful for dawned on the old mare as he followed Aurora into a room.

“You’re welcome.” She smiled.

……………………………………

Twilight paced back and forth on the balcony, she checked the clock for the tenth time that hour. It was a very old clock, one that stubbornly refused to tell time as she wanted it too, and worse, it was one that seemed to be making all the other clocks run slow too. It read 1:10… It had taken Twilight a little less than two hours to finish with Rarity this morning. She expected Rainbow to finish sooner.

Although, looking at her reflection, she had to admit, Rarity outdid herself today. Twilight never truly styled her hair before, but now. Her coiffure was breathtaking. It ran down both sides of her head, giving her the appearance of a seductress looking to wrap her victim around her little hoof. The natural stripe was duplicated down both sides of her head, accenting her beauty perfectly. And her eyelashes! Twilight never gave any thought about how eyelashes could make a mare just seem that much MORE. Yet, Rarity did it, and they fit her head perfectly. With one bat of her eyes, she could make the crystal guards swoon at her. (Something she tested one time for scientific purposes only.) Whatever shampoo Rarity washed her coat with almost caused the mare to glow. Truly she never felt prettier in her life.

If her coat looked good, it did not hold a candle to her outfit. On each hoof, she wore golden shoes, each with three encrusted gems in them, all surrounding a fourth gem in the shape of her cutie mark. Around her neck she wore a golden necklace with six embedded cyan gems. They surrounded a seventh gem in sapphire red. Her jewelry alone was worth a fortune, but her dress simply made the outfit. It was a dark lavender affair that highlighted her flank perfectly; the flowing end came up and off her tail, leaving just enough room to see her cutie mark. The chest piece came to her front two legs and left her necklace completely revealed. She did not know how, but Rarity made the fabric itself to resemble the twilight of the day, having both a star pattern and the setting sun at the same time. It made her jaw drop to simply look at it, much less wear it.

She had to admit, she looked hot.

While admiring her reflection she failed to notice somepony else admiring her too.

“Wow…”

Twilight almost jumped onto the roof. She was embarrassed at the idea of somepony catching her checking herself out like that. When she looked over at the pony that disturbed her, her face suddenly dropped in stunned silence at what she saw. If she thought Rarity made her look good, Rainbow looked gorgeous. She wore no makeup but she did not need to; Rarity highlighted all the different colors of Rainbow’s mane to stand out from a mile away. A rainbow sash held her hair in place, all the while keeping its unruly appearance. A see-through silk material made up her dress, it faded perfectly from purple to blue, to green, to yellow, to orange, and finally to red. All the while outlined in gold trim. It did not hug Rainbow's chest like Twilight’s did. Rather it simply came to the tips of her golden wings and was held in place by a golden latch that crossed her chest. An emblem of Rainbow’s lightning bolt cutie mark decorated the latch. The earring she wore on her left ear only duplicated that emblem. Plain white shoes covered her hooves, ones that highlighted the rest of her outfit.

“Rainbow you look…”

“Twilight you look…”

“Gorgeous.”

They said at exactly the same time. In a mirror image of each other, both ponies blushed and looked away sheepishly at the ground, Twilight due to the unusual attraction she now felt, and Rainbow due to some long repressed memories of exactly what she wanted to do to the mare in front of her.

After an uncomfortable silence, Rainbow was the first to say anything. “It’s a shame these outfits will be ruined on our trip over.”

“Oh, no. I found a spell that will protect them from the wind resistance of our flight. We can fly all the way around the world and look just as we did when we left.” Twilight was almost giddy with being able to share that knowledge. Rainbow simply smiled at her wife; seeing Twilight happy made her day, and based on what Cadance had just told her, this day was only going to get better.

“Then go ahead, egghead.”

“And do what?” Twilight questioned.

Rainbow laughed a little at that. “Cast your spell, we've got a big weekend ahead of us.”

“Oh, yeah, right…” Twilight faked a smile as she cast the spell, first on herself and then on Rainbow. She extended her wings and went to take off, only to find herself plucked up from the ground.

“No need for that, egghead.” Rainbow said as she flew forward and lifted Twilight off the ground in her hooves. “Prance would take several days to get to for a normal pegasus.”

“Well then, it’s a good thing you are anything but a normal pegasus.” Twilight smiled at Rainbow as the two flew out of The Crystal Empire’s airspace. She wrapped a hoof around Rainbow’s neck, breathing in the scent of the mare as she did so.

“Do you trust me, Twi?”

“Always and forever.”

“Then hold on tight.”

In a flash, Rainbow created her first sonic rainboom to get the two of them over water and away from any populated area. It was quickly followed up by four more as soon as they passed over the ocean. There was much to admire about the journey: The way the rainbooms reflected off the water, the ocean passing by at such extreme speeds. The flight of several native birds they passed in the blink of an eye. Twilight did not pay attention to any of that, she merely shut her eyes and placed her head against Rainbow’s chest. Nothing else mattered, as the warmth of Rainbow’s fur became her whole world. It did not matter to the mare at that moment if they ran into the side of a mountain. If she died right then and there, she would die happy.

Her consciousness started to drift away as she felt the warmth take over. The spell protected them both against the g-forces they felt from the flight. The added benefit of it kept away the cold wind also. For Twilight, it was nothing more than a trip held in the hooves of her marefriend.

She soon found herself in a blissful sleep.

………………

“Hey… wakey-wakey, Twi.”

Rainbow didn’t want to wake her. To Rainbow, there was not another site as lovely as the mare pressed against her chest, Sleeping soundly as Rainbow held her lovingly in her hooves. However, there was one slight problem. Twilight is an alicorn. That naturally made her bigger than Rainbow, and if she held her in place any longer, Rainbow was afraid she was going to drop her.

“Twi… Twi…” She cooed softly into Twilight’s ear.

“Rainbow, can’t you check on the kids this time?”

Rainbow almost did drop her at that. She knew Twilight was asleep, she knew that was not a conscious thought, yet somehow, Twilight knew about her kids… Risking everything, Rainbow kissed Twilight on the forehead. That one action caused the mare in her hooves to awaken. Twilight looked up at Rainbow, she smiled lightly at the mare.

Rainbow realized then that the spell had been a waste. Even if every strand of hair on Twilight's head was completely destroyed by the flight over here. Even if the outfits were ruined beyond recognition from the saltwater and wind. There would not be a more beautiful mare in a thousand miles. Not to Rainbow at least.

“Hey there sleepy head.”

“Hey Rainbow… are we there yet?”

“Yes Twi, we made it here about an hour ago.”

“An hour? Why did you let me sleep like that?” Twilight jumped down out of Rainbow’s hooves. An action the mare was happy and sad about at the same time.

“Quick question Twi… Do you remember what you said when I first woke you up?” Rainbow did her best not to get her hopes up. She could not help but feel a small flicker of the flame reignite though.

“I asked if we are there yet.”

Just like that, the flame extinguished. “Yeah… that’s it.”

“How long was the flight?” Twilight asked as she looked around, based on the sun’s position in the sky it should only be six o’clock here, but with the time change that would mean that it only took…

“About thirty minutes.”

‘It’s cute the way her jaw drops like that’ Rainbow thought as Twilight took in the full implications of that knowledge. Better yet, it was backed up by the facts.

“Rainbow, you never cease to amaze me.”

“What can I say? I’m amazing.”

“Yes… Yes you are.” Twilight smiled at Rainbow who returned it. They both simply stared into each other's eyes.

The whole of Prance was in the background, one of the most romantic cities in the world. However, Twilight could not care less at that moment. She had eyes only for Rainbow Dash, who in turn had her eyes squarely locked on her. They gazed into each other’s very soul. Finding their opposite in a world full of possibilities, it was a one-in-a-million chance of happening, but for two souls it happened, they both knew it, all they needed was time for it to become something more.

“Shall we get going?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow broke off and looked around. It felt like they were on this rooftop for hours. Yet the sun was still in the sky. She pulled out the schedule from her travel bag. “What time is it?” She asked Twilight

A glance up to the sky told Twilight they had only been up here for ten minutes, something that seemed impossible to the mare. “It’s six-ten Rainbow.”

“We have reservations at the Maison Balgian at six-thirty.”

Twilight’s mind went blank at that, according to the books she read last night, the Maison Balgian was one of the most exclusive restaurants in all of Prance. Even for royalty it was hard getting a reservation there. For Rainbow and her to have a reservation made last night… it was unheard off.

“Unless, you don’t want to.”

Twilight stomach answered for her, but she still did manage to find her voice. “Oh, no… I would love to.”

“Great! Let's get going!” Rainbow stretched her wings and took off. Flying a few hooves in the air before Twilight finally joined her. Twilight found herself actually wishing that Rainbow would carry her, but she knew that such an action would be preposterous….

‘I hope we get a seat with a view of the tower.’ She smiled as she followed her marefriend into the air; it was a fool’s hope, as nopony got those seats without a relationship with the owner. Even then, there was a waiting list a mile long. Twilight dismissed the idea and resolved to simply be happy that they were here at all.

Prance was amazing. It was the capital city of the country that it took its name from. Everywhere she looked screamed romance to Twilight, from the gondola boats in the canals to the beautiful landmarks dotting the land. To her left she could see the Louvre off in the distance. Her mind raced at the thought of checking out some of the magnificent works of art there. ‘No, Rainbow would never want to go there. Although, she has surprised me before.’

Despite the sights, sounds, attractions, and history all around her, Twilight found her eyes constantly drawn back to the cyan pegasus with the golden wings. She was everything Twilight wanted… She just did not know it before. Whatever they did, it would be perfect because she did it with Rainbow. She did not know why, but the Universe seemed wrong whenever they were apart. Everything felt... it just felt off. It was as if Rainbow and she were meant to be together and Rainbow not being next to her was akin to disrupting the natural order.

Twilight’s thoughts cause her to miss Rainbow stopping right in front of her. She almost flew directly into the mare. Only Rainbow’s experience with the years they lived together prevented that fate. As much of a muscle reaction as anything else, Rainbow spun around and caught Twilight in her hooves. Fanning out both wings, she stopped their forward momentum from taking them any farther.

“Sorry.” Twilight looked at her, for the first time noticing how close their muzzles were to touching, it caused her to start to freak out. Rainbow gently raised a hoof and ran it down Twilight’s face, gently caressing the fur down from the impact and goose bumps Twilight felt.

“Don’t be.” She whispered the words, letting the wind carry them to the mare she loved. An action that caused Twilight’s embarrassment to disappear immediately, replaced with a new feeling she was coming to know all so well.

Twilight placed her muzzle on the nip of Rainbow's neck, allowing the mare to carry her weight with her wings. Rainbow slowly started rocking them back and forth, letting Twilight relax from the sudden impact. “Why did you stop anyway?” She asked as her breathing returned to normal.

“’Cause we’re here.”

“Oh… right.” Despite that knowledge, Twilight was in no hurry to let go. She stayed like that for a few minutes. For Rainbow, the rest of the world could buck-off. She would hold Twilight in her hooves for as long as she could.

After a few minutes, Rainbow’s stomach broke up the two. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Twilight smiled at her. They both proceeded down to the entrance of the restaurant. Twilight had to admit, it definitely lived up to the hype. The building itself was along the lines of Cloudsdale architecture, with columns for support. However, the gorgeous windows overlooked the entire city, allowing its customers to dine with the city serving as their backdrop.

Rainbow led Twilight inside. Despite the formal attire of the entire restaurant, there was no doubt who stole the attention away from everypony. Rarity’s designs were known even this far away from Equestria. Something Twilight knew she took pride in.

“It’s not the dress you know.”

“What?” Twilight looked confused at her friend.

“They’re looking at you, not the dress.”

“How do you know?”

“’Cause I've been staring at you the entire time too.”

That comment earned Rainbow a kiss on her cheek and then a slap with Twilight’s tail as she walked ahead. “I think you’re getting a few looks yourself Rainbow.” Twilight said.

They were both right. Twilight’s spell held true the entire trip over. They both looked just as beautiful as they did when Rarity had finished with them. Not a strand of hair out of place, even the maître d’ was at a loss for words when Twilight walked up to him.

“Excuse me sir, I believe we have a reservation for six-thirty, for Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.”

It took the unicorn a few seconds to find his words, eventually his training did kick back in. “Bonjour madams, welcome to the Maison Balgian, Let me check the reservation... Ahh here we are, Princess Rainbow Dash and Princess Twilight Sparkle. I see you madams have a reservation for our state dining room. Come; come allow me to show you to your seats.”

“State dining room….” Twilight’s mind went blank at that. Rainbow walked up and wrapped a wing around her.

“Only the best for my marefriend.” She planted a kiss on Twilight’s cheek.

“Rainbow… how did you?”

“Oh, it wasn’t me; Princess Cadance got with Spike last night and called in a few favors. Apparently she was responsible for hooking up the owner with his wife.”

“She… you… we… us.…”

“C’mon, egghead, you can practice more of your vocabulary later, we still got a big night ahead of us, and we're going to need our energy.

“But… but… but….”

“No buts.” Rainbow said with a smile.

She lead a stumbling Twilight past the crowd and up the stairs. The two were getting quite a few looks as they headed to the state dining room. It seemed as if every stallion watched them go past and even a few of the mares seemed to turn their heads, although they were a little more discreet about it. When they reached the top of the stairs, a huge set of double doors greeted them. Their maître d’ reached into his pocket with his magic and pulled out a set of keys. The door opened, revealing one of the most elaborate dining rooms either mare had ever seen in their lives.

The table was a round cider oak designed for two ponies to sit comfortably. A bottle of sparkling champagne sat chilled in a vase of ice. Two crystal wine glasses sat on either side. The table itself was covered in a sheer white cloth made of the smoothest silk. A pearl white carpet covered the floor, which accented the walls and decorations perfectly. Paintings hung all over the walls, each from different areas and time frames around the world. Rainbow cringed a little when she saw that the biggest painting was of Celestia, there were some days she envied Twilight’s memory loss.

Nothing in the room compared to the view out the windows. Rainbow watched as the one thing that proved her wrong ran to the windows and look out. ‘Ok, almost nothing compares to that view.’ The entire back wall was a huge window overlooking the city, elevated just right to give the occupants the perfect view. They could see every major landmark out those windows as well as a perfect view of the impending sunset. The glass was magically enchanted as to block out most of the sun’s light but to let them enjoy the view of the sunset all the same.

“I take it the room is to your liking?” The maître d’ asked.

“Almost.”

Both Twilight and the unicorn turned to look at Rainbow. She merely smiled and walked up to the table. Pushing one of the chairs next to the other, an action that earned a giggle from her marefriend.

“Ahh, perfect.” The maître d’ spoke. “The garçon will be in shortly, please. Make yourselves comfortable and enjoy the champagne.”

“Ahh… excuse me sir, but I don’t know if we can afford all this.” Twilight looked around at everything, her mind running through all of the calculations in her head. Just standing here, they have already exceeded the amount of bits she brought with her, never mind if they actually ordered anything.

“Nothing to worry about madam. It’s all c’est cadeau.” He paused as a strange expression crossed Twilight’s face.

“Free? How is that?” She asked.

Rainbow walked over and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry about money this weekend. Just relax and let me treat you.”

The maître d’ smiled and left the two to settle in. Unsurprisingly, Rainbow took immediately to the champagne, an action that earned a small giggle from Twilight. What did surprise her is when Rainbow passed her the first glass.

“A toast to Prance?” Rainbow asked.

“How about a toast to the best marefriend in the world.”

“I can drink to that.” Rainbow smiled and sipped at her drink, an action that Twilight repeated as she smiled at the pegasus.

“You know, Rainbow, if we had to go home right now, this would still be the best date in the world.”

“Then the rest of the weekend will simply have to be icing on the cake.” Rainbow smiled.

As to interrupt the moment, at that comment the door opened. Causing both mares to turn and look at the pony that just entered. It was a unicorn stallion that wore a very fancy black suit. “Bonjour mademoiselles, I am Savor Maitre, I will be attending you two young madams tonight.” Rainbow smiled at the thought of somepony calling her ‘young'. “Have you had the chance to look at the menu yet?”

Rainbow looked at the table with a slight embarrassed look on her face. “Ahh… Not yet, one second.” She walked over and sat down on her seat, gesturing with one wing for Twilight to join in her in the other seat. Twilight just smiled and sat down. She was momentarily surprised when Rainbow wrapped a wing around her, an action that seemed reflexive as Rainbow had her nose buried in the menu at the time. Twilight did not mind, if she had to spend the rest of her life in that wing she would consider it a life well lived.

“We will have the Escargot a la Bourguignonneee…” Rainbow stumbled over the words.

Both Twilight and Savor looked at her. “Are you sure mademoiselle? That is an acquired taste.”

“What?” Rainbow looked up, unsure what in Tartarus he just said.

“Rainbow, you just ordered snails.” Twilight whispered to her.

“Oh… Oh… Ew, no thanks, Twi, why don’t you order something?” Rainbow handed the menu to her friend. Slightly embarrassed about not knowing what to get, in truth, she just picked the first item on the menu she had a chance of pronouncing.

“Savor Maitre, we will have the ratatouille with the chicoree-frisee salad.”

“Twilight, I don’t want to eat rats.”

Twilight merely smiled at her, “Trust me Rainbow, I wouldn’t want you too.”

“Ok, fine.”

“Very good choice madam, I shall be back to take your order in a little while. Please look over the menu and feel free to ask any questions you might have.” Savor Maitre bowed to the alicorn and turned to leave. A smile crossing his face at the two mares he left alone. Rainbow caught the look on his face and assumed the worst.

“He seems nice.”

“I don’t like him.”

“Rainbow!” Twilight hit her on the shoulder with a hoof. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He was too friendly with you.” Rainbow added; she couldn’t quite look at Twilight when she said that.

“It’s his job, Rainbow.”

“Above and beyond if you ask me.” She went to pout about it; she tried, anyway, but a hoof reached around her neck and brought her in for a hug.

“Hey, I’m here with you, I asked you out, not him. I wouldn’t want to spend the day with anypony else. Remember that, ok?”

“Ok, Twi… I’ll try.”

The two slowly started to sip on their champagne as Twilight began to review the menu. She passed on a few ‘that looks tasty,’ and ‘ohh’s’ to Rainbow, who, after the second time stopped asking. She simply told the mare to order two of whatever she thought they might like. Rainbow had no hope of understanding any of that stuff. As such, she spent her time staring at the one object in the room that would always hold her attention.

“Tell me Twi, how is it you understand any of that stuff?”

“What do you mean?” Twilight looked up at the menu, unsure of what Rainbow was referring too.

“I don’t recall you in classes to learn a second language anytime in the past few months.”

“Rainbow, you slept through most of my classes.”

“Hey, I get credit for going, don’t I? Besides, It’s not like I can do magic or any of that junk.”

Twilight laughed at that, she had tried a few times to get Rainbow to go do something else, but the mare insisted that she accompany Twilight everywhere she went, unless she absolutely had to be someplace else. If Twilight was being honest with herself, she was grateful for the company. It was intimidating trying to relearn everything she should already know, and while her professors were more than patient with her, they were not her friends. Not like Rainbow anyways. Somehow, having the mare by her side made all the difference in the world. Even if the first spell she mastered was a sound dampening spell for Rainbow’s snoring. Something she still venomously denies doing.

“Yes Rainbow, you get credit for being there for me. Thank you by the way. To answer your question, last night I did some late reading after we went to bed and picked up enough to get by.”

“You learned an entire language in a night?!”

“No… just the basics.” Twilight said sheepishly.

By ‘basics,’ Rainbow knew that Twilight could probably speak it better than some of the natives. “Twilight, you never fail to impress me.”

“Says the mare that flew several hundred miles a minute.”

“Twilight, as amazing as I am, you got me beat hooves down.” Rainbow placed her hoof on Twilight’s face. Holding her steady as she brought her own in closer. They each stared into the other’s eyes. There was no doubt between the two what would happen. Inching closer, Rainbow slowly bridged the distance. The mood was perfect, the mare was perfect, and the atmosphere was perfect. It was as if the Gods themselves had designed this moment. She laughed a little inside as she realized that was not that far from the truth. In a way, Eros, the God of Love had designed this moment. Twilight slowly closed her eyes and readied herself for her first kiss. In the background, the sun’s rays had shone through the window, illuminating the two mares in its warm glow. Rainbow closed her eyes and went in to claim those lips, the ones she dreamed about for the last six months. It was a crime to keep them from her for so long.

The doors opened up. “Madams, your appetizers are ready.”

“Motherbucker!!!” Rainbow tried to shout. Fortunately, Twilight used her magic to close Rainbow’s mouth as the second syllable left it. She did not want them to be kicked out of a restaurant. Such an action would no doubt ruin her weekend and it was going far too well for that.

Twilight simply smiled at Savor as he led two other ponies into the room, they each place a dish down on the table. Rainbow got the ratatouille and Twilight the chicoree-frisee salad.

“Are the Mademoiselles ready to order?”

“I think we are actually, let’s go with an order of your baked Aubergines au four lasagne and legume.”

“An excellent choice for the madams; I shall leave you two in peace for now, jusqu'à Ce que plus tard.”

“Gesundheit.” Rainbow added.

“Rainbow, it’s an expression. It means until later, or until he returns.”

“Why didn’t he just say that?”

“He did, Rainbow…”

Humph.’ “If you ask me he can stay gone.”

“Well, no one asked you did they.”

Rainbow looked down at her soup. ‘Ok, maybe that was a little far.’

“Sorry…” Rainbow said.

“Hey, lets just eat. We have a whole night still ahead of us.”

“Twi…are you sure there isn’t rats in this.”

Twilight smiled. “Yes Rainbow, I’m sure. If you like we can switch. You know, if you're not daring enough to try it.”

“Hey, I never said that!” rising up to meet the challenge head on, Rainbow begun slurping at the soup. She had to admit, it tasted great. The tomatoes and garlic went down smooth on her tongue. However, before she could drink any more Twilight lifted her head up out of the bowl. Somehow the lavender alicorn had the expression of someone humored and embarrassed on her face at the same time.

“Rainbow, we're in a nice restaurant. Please don’t slurp your soup.”

“What, no one is around. They won’t care.”

“I’ll care.”

“Oh, sorry…” Rainbow picked up a spoon and began digging in, doing her best to not make the offending noise. Twilight simply smiled at her. From what she knew of the mare, Rainbow attempting to do anything against her nature was a mark of the respect she held her company in. In a way, Twilight felt truly honored that Rainbow was even making the attempt, even if she was failing at it.

“What am I doing wrong now?” Rainbow asked. She noted the look Twilight was giving her.

“Nothing Rainbow.” Twilight smiled, she might have been staring a little longer then she meant too. Twilight went back to her salad. It was nothing special but she wanted to save room for the main course. Something she knew would be delicious. Besides, she did not know how late they would be out for tonight, or if they would stop somewhere else.

“Hey, Rainbow?”

“Yeah?”

“What did you think about the way Ataxia was looking at Princess Night? Do you think they might make a cute couple?”

Rainbow barely managed to spit her soup back into the bowl. “What?!”

“What, you didn’t see the way Ataxia looked at her at dinner last night?”

Rainbow stopped and thought about it… those two had been spending more time together as of late. It seemed like a shift had occurred some three months back. “Maybe… I don’t know Twi, Night just went through a very painful breakup, I’m not sure her heart is ready for something like that.”

“The heart wants what the heart wants Rainbow. It doesn’t consult with us and ask us if the time is right or if we're ready. It strikes when we least expect it to, and gives us the greatest gift of all.”

“I know, I just worry about Night is all…”

“Rainbow, she’s a big girl, and a princess. I’m sure she can take care of herself.”

“I know that… I do.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“It’s complicated…”

‘Isn’t it always?’ Twilight thought to herself as she started to move some of her salad back and forth on her plate. Rainbow began to mentally berate herself; this was definitely not how she wanted the evening to go. She started to rack her brain for any sort of conversation starter she could think of. Sadly, the only thing that came to mind was the food.

“So… What did you order us anyway?”

“Oh, that… Yeah we got a baked eggplant lasagna coming and a vegetable quiche.”

“A what now?”

“A quiche, it’s like baked tarts with a savory filling in it. I think they put in their stylized lily flowers here too.”

“Sounds great!”

“I think so too.”

“…”

“…”

A silence descended upon the room. They both wanted to talk but neither had anything to say. After a few minutes, it was Rainbow that finally broke it.

“Hey Twi?”

“Yeah Rainbow?”

“Do you think she's happy?”

“Who?”

“Aurora… Princess Aurora Flash… Do you think she's happy, with him?”

Twilight looked at Rainbow, she could tell that was really bothering her, the cyan mare did not even look up from her soup. Yet she seemed to be carrying the weight of all of Equestria on her shoulders right then.

“Honestly Rainbow, I don’t know.”

“What?” Rainbow looked up; a look of shock crossed her face that Twilight would not know… Twilight knew everything about everything. She had to quit keeping track of the number of times that mare seemed to be right. It was easier to keep track of the number of times she was wrong. So far, even adding the times after she lost her memory, Rainbow had counted six times in forty years.

“I don’t know Rainbow; I haven’t met her before yesterday. I will tell you this though, she looked happy, and Icarus seems to deeply care for her. She seemed to love him too. In the end, isn’t that all we can hope for? Someone to care about us as much as we care about them, I would say she is very well off. Plus, she did not seem like the type of mare to do something she did not enjoy.” Twilight smiled.

“You’re right about that.” Rainbow laughed, a whole slew of memories came back to her in that instant. “Well, unless you give her a cookie.” She silently vowed that if that was what caused it, she would personally skin the griffin alive, emperor or not.

“A cookie?”

“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later.”

“I’ll add it to the list.”

At that moment, the glass changed spectrum, causing the setting sun’s light to shine through it in much the same way as it would through a prism. The ambient light in the room split into its component colors. Lighting up the table, floors, and walls with all the colors of a rainbow, Twilight stared on in amazement at such a simple, yet elegant display of magic. “Wow… that’s beautiful.”

“Yeah… you sure are.”

Twilight looked over to Rainbow. Even with the magical show in the room, Rainbow only had eyes for her. “You know what they say about rainbows, don’t you?”

“What’s that?”

“Rainbow’s shine in the sky; a promise of what’s to come, a promise of the future.”

Rainbow paused to let that sink in before continuing.

“You know what I always say, don’t you?”

“You’re awesome?”

“Well, that too… but no.”

“What do you always say?”

Rainbow leaned back in, her breath may smell like garlic, but she did not care and neither did Twilight. She whispered the next words as she sought after the prize lost from her earlier. “Rainbow Dash always keeps her promises.” She moved in for the kiss denied to her earlier.

“Dinner is served!”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“Hush you.”

Savor Maitre walked in front of a long line of ponies, each pushing a cart in front of them. Rainbow had to admit, the food looked amazing. Only at royal functions had she seen such a spread. The lasagna was quite literally steaming in its container. The bread looked to die for. Best of all, the servers cut all the food for them and added it to each of their plates in turn. Savor Maitre folded a napkin and placed it gently on Rainbow’s lap. Luckily, (for him) he let another pony do the same for Twilight. The final icing on the cake was two candles placed down in front of the two, as the setting sun had dipped below the horizon by the time the servers left. It left the room lit by candlelight.

“I shall leave you mademoiselles for the rest of the night. Please, enjoy your meal, and if you need anything, simply ring this bell.” He magically lifted a bell from one of the carts and placed it on the table.

“Thank you Savor, we will.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Bonne soirée.”

As Rainbow watched him leave, she could not quite remember the last time she wanted to hurt another pony this badly in all her life... well, that was not true. She would never forget her fight with Tartarus. She had wanted to hurt THAT pony quite a bit more, she promised it even, and Rainbow Dash always keeps her promise. Not that she would actually hurt this pony; Twilight would be upset about that.

“Well, dig in.”

…………………………………

“Sweet Luna, I’m stuffed.”

“I know the feeling.” Twilight added.

The two left the restaurant after finishing dinner, it was amazing. Rainbow could not remember the last time she ate so well. The texture of the food was divine. And the flavor! It was to die for. They both paid their compliments to the chef before leaving. Although, Rainbow let Twilight do the talking on that one as she could not understand a single thing he was saying.

After dinner, it was Twilight who suggested they walk it off. Something Rainbow was more than happy to do, as she felt too full to fly anyway. To her annoyance, even with the romantic atmosphere, candlelight, great food, even better company, and a promise that no pony would disturb them again, that moment never came again. The first two times had been perfect. It simply called for it. It did not happen again, but as Twilight said, the night was young.

Therefore, they went for a walk, right outside of the restaurant was one of the canals they followed for a while. As the wind swept over it, they got a scent of the water on the cool night’s breeze. It simply felt right.

“Hey Twi?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Have you given any thoughts about what you want to do once you finish your tutelage?”

“Aren’t I supposed to pick up being a princess again?”

Rainbow laughed. “I suppose, but is that what you want to do? Is that what will make you happy?”

“I… I haven’t really thought about it. It just seemed like that’s what I should be doing. After all, I am an alicorn and alicorns are royalty. It doesn’t seem right to go against that, at least not to me anyway.”

“Oh… ok.…”

“Why? What do you want to do?”

Rainbow paused from walking alongside the edge of the canal; she crouched low and looked Twilight in the eye. “What do you mean?” Rainbow asked the alicorn.

“You've got to have goals, something you want to do with your life, don’t you?”

“Goals. You know, I had something I wanted to do with my life. It was my dream to one day join the Wonderbolts.”

“Rainbow! You would make an awesome Wonderbolt!” Twilight began jumping up and down at the thought of the Wonderbolts getting a mare like Rainbow in their ranks. “I bet they would even make you captain if you wanted it.”

Rainbow laughed. “Twilight, I said it was my dream to become a Wonderbolt. One that I already lived.”

“Oh… what happened?”

“Simple, I lived it. It’s a hollow life, one full of bits and fame, but it never truly made me happy. I thought I was happy mind you, but it was a lie. Without even realizing it, I found a new dream to live, one with all my friends, with you.” Rainbow jumped down from the ledge and looked Twilight eye to eye. She reached a hoof out and grabbed one of Twilight's. “Twi, you are my dream now, one that I have been living for ever since I realized what was really important in life, and one that I have never regretted chasing after. I… I want to be wherever you are. I want to live my life for you, with you. That's my only dream now.”

Twilight gazed deeply into those magenta eyes. Rainbow's eyes were pools of water she could jump in to. She willingly dived head in, not caring if she ever found her way back out. Rainbow’s words, she never heard anything more profound in her life. This mare, she trusted Twilight with everything she was. Twilight was her dream now. It was a dream Twilight did not intend to ever tread on. It dawned on Twilight what that meant. it was an honor and a responsibility all at once. Rainbow would live her life for Twilight. “Rainbow… I… I don’t know what to say.”

“Then say nothing.” Rainbow smiled at her, she had been afraid that such a reveal might be too much, but everything about tonight told her it was time, and who was she to argue? Someponies often feel that the Universe conspires against them, almost as if everything in the world works to actively prevent whatever it is that they hope to achieve. However, the reverse is true too, it is rare, but in some moments, the Universe conspires to give us exactly what we want most in life. Rainbow Dash was having one of those moments now; as she went in for the kiss long denied.

Or so she thought.

A bright light turned on from the other side of the water as the Prance Carnival started up its operation. Several rides turned on at once and a pony got on the bullhorn to address the crowd. “Approchez, pas tout de suite! Venez, bienvenue à la légendaire Carnaval la France! Soyez l'une des premières juments et étalons à l'intérieur!”

Rainbow and Twilight bumped heads, each just as flustered as the other was, until Twilight heard the pony on the bullhorn that is. “Rainbow! That's the Prance Carnival! You know how lucky we are?! C’mon, let’s go check it out!” Twilight took flight to the other side of the canal.

“Lucky… right.” Rainbow took off after her. Unsure just how much more of this she could take before somepony would push her to do something she would NOT regret. Well, save for how mad that might make Twilight, that part she would regret.

Rainbow landed next to Twilight. “Don’t you think we might be a little overdressed for this?”

“I doubt anypony will care. It just means we might get a few extra looks.”

“If you say so.” Rainbow grunted.

As they walked up and bought tickets, Rainbow could not help but look around. The two had been to quite a few carnivals in their time, but those were almost always with the kids. She would always remember how Aurora got a kick out of the bumper cars, or how Night would simply die if she didn’t get any cotton-candy, something Pinkie would always be more than willing to get for her. She smiled as she looked at the biggest ferris wheel she had ever seen in the background. ‘Dayspring always loved those.’ Her smile turned to ash at that thought.

‘Not now, not now…’ She told herself over and over, as she felt the tears beginning to form. It took everything she had, but she was able to hold those emotions back. She took all of that and put it back into the box marked ‘later’ in her mind. Using all the willpower she possessed, Rainbow closed that box and locked it.

“You ok, Rainbow?” Twilight asked.

“I will be… Just some painful memories is all.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Concern permeated throughout Twilight’s voice as she looked on in worry at her marefriend.

“Maybe later.”

“If you don’t want to go, we can always find something else to do. I don’t mind.”

“No… it’s fine, let’s just enjoy the evening.”

“Oh, ok… If you’re sure.”

‘Rainbow, why won’t you talk to me?’ Twilight was racking her brain to find the answer to the million bit question.

“Yeah, I’m sure…”

‘Twilight, you have no idea how badly I want to tell you everything.’ Rainbow was crying on the inside.

Despite the ‘incident’ at the front gate, they soon found themselves having a blast. Twilight even caught Rainbow smiling much sooner than she expected she would. They went on a few different rides throughout the carnival, several that Twilight enjoyed, but even a few that she did not, such as the death drop. Even though she had wings, the thought of strapping herself into a cart and falling without the ability to do anything about it almost caused her to teleport out of her seat. The smile on Rainbow’s face was more than enough to keep her seated though.

Sadly, she could not say the same for her dinner.

“You ok, Twilight?”

“Rainbow, next time you want to go on a crazy ass ride like that again, I want at least two days’ notice.” Twilight spoke from behind the bathroom door. Rainbow simply laughed at that.

“Two days ago I didn’t even know we were coming here.” Rainbow said.

‘Sorry about that Twilight.’ Rainbow thought.

“What was that?”

‘Crap, I said the loud part quiet and the quiet part loud, didn’t I?’

“Nothing Twi.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Rainbow smiled as she heard the toilet flush. Twilight stepped out looking a little worse for wear, but it was nothing a little water would not fix. Rainbow handed the mare a water bottle as she went over to the sink and rinsed out her mouth. Rainbow had to admit, Twilight still looked amazing. She knew it was not just the spell either. Even at her worst of times, Twilight never failed to look that way to her. It was as if a glow simply surrounded the mare.

Once Twilight was decent, they left the restroom and began walking around the carnival. That is when Rainbow's jaw dropped. She saw it, the one ride she totally forgot about. The one she suddenly wanted to go on more than any other ride here.

“Hey, Twi?”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Do you trust me?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course I trust you.”

“Then go on one more ride with me.”

“Rainbow, I don’t know if I can stomach another thrill ride.”

“Trust me.” Rainbow looked at her pleadingly.

“Ok Rainbow, I trust you.”

Rainbow grabbed her hoof and started leading Twilight through the crowd. She did her best to keep up, unsure exactly where they were heading. Until, at last, she saw the sign, Le tunnel de l’amour, otherwise known as: The Tunnel of Love.

“Rainbow, are you sure?”

She turned around and looked at the mare, “Twilight, I've never been more sure of anything.”

Twilight smiled a huge grin as they went and got in line. There were only a few couples in front of them, but that did not take away from the excitement she felt. When they reached the front, another boat came up for them. Lucky for Rainbow, the operator spoke both languages, he tried to help them in, but Rainbow was not having any of that. She helped Twilight in the boat and then got in after her, but not before Rainbow passed him a hastily scribbled note and a few bits first.

‘That’s weird… we already gave him our ticket.’ Twilight thought.

“Rainbow, what was that about?”

“You’ll see.” Rainbow’s cocky grin accompanied her reply; if this worked out, she might be able to give the universe a little push in the right direction. Isn’t that what they say, ‘Opportunity might knock, but it’s up to you to open the door.’

Twilight dismissed the thought for now and moved a little closer to Rainbow. As the boat started moving, she faked a shiver. As expected, Rainbow’s right wing stretched out and wrapped itself around her. Twilight smiled as she felt the warmth of the wing throughout her body, warming her up with the energy that went into their creation. Rainbow wrapped a hoof around Twilight's shoulder and squeezed her closer, to the point that you could not fit a piece of paper between them.

“Rainbow?”

“Yes, Twi…”

“Thank you. For everything, this night has been just perfect and it’s all because of you.”

“Even with the little event earlier?” Rainbow asked, she was not sure if that had ruined things or not.

“Even still. With a hundred do-overs, I wouldn't change a single thing about tonight.”

Twilight pressed her head against Rainbow's neck, fully relaxed as she heard Rainbow’s heartbeat. ‘I love that sound.’ She thought.

The music started playing in the background as the operator made good on his promise. It took him a while to find an Equestria version of the song, but for the amount of bits he was paid he made sure to find it.

‘Can you feel the love tonight?’

Twilight smiled. “Was this your doing, Rainbow?”

‘The peace the evening brings.’

“What would give you that idea? Wait? Have you heard this song before?”

“No, I can’t say I have. But I know this was your doing.”

‘The world, for once, in perfect harmony.’

“How do you know that?” Rainbow asked playfully.

“Because, it would be in Prance otherwise.”

‘With all its living things.’

“Oh, yeah, right…” Rainbow smiled at her. “What can I say? Only the best for you.”

After a few moments, Twilight thought about something Rainbow said, something she wanted to make sure that Rainbow knew. “But I already have the best, Rainbow.”

‘Stealing through the night’s uncertainties’

“What’s that?”

“I already have the best, because I have you.”

It is said that the Universe is out to get some ponies, and that is sometimes true, but not always. For those few lucky ponies, everything simply falls right into place. At this moment, at this time, Rainbow was one of those lucky few ponies. She was on a love boat in Prance, her wife; Twilight Sparkle was in her hooves. She could not ask for more if she had a million years to think about it.

‘Love is where they are.’

Twilight had other ideas though, reaching out with her right hoof she gabbed Rainbow's face and forced her to look her directly in the eyes. She jumped up and stole the kiss that had been denied to them all night. There was no more waiting for the moment to be right. She knew in her heart, that this was it. The moment would not be any more perfect than this right here. She savored the look of surprise in the cyan mare. It was her… victory.

Unfortunately, the unexpected contact was a horrible idea on a boat over water. The sudden act of intimacy caused a very expected, very BAD reaction from Rainbow’s wings. Both wings shot back, becoming very stiff very quickly. For most pegasi, this was no big deal, a little embarrassing yes, but nothing of note. Rainbow was not most pegasi. Her wings were made of pure magic energy, a God’s magic energy. When they became stiff, they became sharper than diamonds. Easily able to cut the strongest steel in half, or cut straight through a mountain if she wanted. The wooden boat they were in never stood a chance.

Both ponies splashed right into the water as Rainbow cut the boat in half. Twilight’s quick thinking teleported the two out of the water and to the outskirts of the town. As neither of them wanted to deal with a boat cut in two.

Rainbow slunk off to the top of a hill. Her head downcast.

“Rainbow, what’s wrong? Don’t worry about the outfits, they'll be fine, my spell is still going.” Twilight’s concern permeated her voice; she could not understand what was so bad to cause Rainbow to act this way. “Am I a bad kisser?”

Rainbow turned around when she reach the top of the hill. “What? No…”

“Then what’s wrong?” Twilight asked again as she walked up the hill and joined her friend, her marefriend.

“I… I wanted it to be perfect, to be something you would remember forever. You know, in a good way… not like this.”

Twilight reached a hoof around and brought Rainbow’s face to look at her. “Rainbow, it was perfect. It will be something I will always remember. I'm not a little foal, Rainbow. I never expected it to be some fairy book ending. What happened, it’s what made it perfect. It was perfect because it was flawed, and because it was with you.”

“Really?” Rainbow looked up; she gazed into the mare she loved. Twilight's eyes were full of love and affection, just as she always remembered them.

As a way of response, Twilight leaned in and kissed her again. There was no fanfare, no big romantic gesture, it was simply an expression of her love for Rainbow, and it was a kiss that Rainbow would remember for the rest of her life as Twilight’s bulk caused them both to fall back. They spent the next few moments like that, Twilight lying on Rainbow, their tongues finding one another after too many months apart. In the sky, several shooting stars passed overhead, a late present from Luna for the two.

When she had no choice but to come up for air, Twilight pulled back and smiled at the mare. She said just one word. “Perfect.”

Rainbow smiled back. “Just wait for what tomorrow brings.”

“Really?”

“It’s the promise of a rainbow.”

Author's Notes:

Somepony remind me to stay the hell in Equestria... Too... Much... Research...

Translations found online or by using google translator (for what that's worth)