I'll Do Anything for You
by The Abyss
First published
Twilight and Rainbow have just started a new life with their newly-adopted daughter, Scootaloo, but the filly’s old parents have returned with a vengeance.
A budding love, a new family.
Rescued from her horrible parents by Twilight and Rainbow, Scootaloo begins a long journey of recovery from the years of mental and physical abuse. Now Rainbow’s and Twilight’s adopted daughter, she looks forward to what the future has in store for her. However, Scootaloo's happiness and her life are at risk now that her parents have escaped from prison, fully intent on revenge.
Meanwhile, Rainbow and Twilight try to make their relationship work as they face the difficulties of raising a filly together. To accomplish their dream of a happy family, they all must face numerous challenges that will test the strength of their love and friendship.
Unbridled Love
“Goodnight, Scootaloo.” Rainbow smiled down at her and laid a small kiss on the filly’s forehead. She had just tucked Scootaloo into bed after an exhausting day of flying lessons. It was already well past her bedtime, but the last chapter of the newest Daring Do book had kept them all up late. Spike had passed out against Twilight’s side as she had read the last chapter out loud for everyone down in the library, a fact that had made Rainbow giggle. He had looked so cute all snuggled up under Twilight’s wing. “That sure was a good book, wasn’t it?”
“Mhm...” Scootaloo smiled and closed her eyes. She stretched out under the covers and yawned, then curled up. “Oh, and thanks for the flying lessons today; I had a blast!”
“Yeah, me too. You’ll get up in the air with me one day, I promise,” Rainbow said, her voice soft and full of love. She brushed a few stray strands of hair out of Scootaloo’s face then gently nuzzled her cheek. “And then we’ll soar through the clouds for as long as you want to.”
“And maybe take naps on them as well?”
“Pfft, totally! That’s like the best part of being a pegasus. Well, aside from flying fast of course.” Rainbow slid off of Scootaloo’s bed. “Now get some rest, okay? I’m pretty busy tomorrow, so do you want to train the next one after that?” Scootaloo nodded happily. “Hehe, and when we’re done, I’ll show you how awesome it is to nap up there! Doesn’t that sound great?”
“Yeah, it sounds awesome, Rainbow! I can’t wait! And, um... can you maybe hold me with your wing?” she asked hopefully. “You know how much I like that...”
“Definitely.” Rainbow smiled and kissed Scootaloo’s forehead. “Now don’t stay up too late, okay?”
“Okay.” Scootaloo rolled over and made herself comfortable. “See you tomorrow,” she said with a small yawn.
“See ya, squirt...” Using her wing, she flicked off the magical lights and turned on the fan, just how Scootaloo liked it. Rainbow cast one last look over her shoulder as she stood in the doorway, and right as she was about to go find Twilight, she heard Scootaloo mumble something. “Say somethin’?”
Scootaloo sleepily cracked an eye open and smiled at her. “Um, I said I love you, Rainbow.”
Rainbow was momentarily taken aback. She blinked a few times as she straightened out her thoughts. Woah... she’s never said that before. Happiness flooded into her, sending tears of joy into her eyes. She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes, then winked at her and smiled. “Oh, I love you, too, Scootaloo.” Rainbow turned and closed the bedroom door, the latch making a soft click.
Rainbow giggled and shook her head. She began to turn but stopped short as she found herself muzzle to muzzle with Twilight. “Oh, hey Twilight. Ready for bed?” she asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. A soft blush tinted her cheeks a rosy pink as she looked up into Twilight’s eyes. This was the part of the day that she looked forward to the most, for it meant that she got to snuggle with her favorite pony in all of Equestria.
“Sure am.” Twilight nuzzled her, then yawned softly. She draped a wing over Rainbow’s back and pulled her up against her side. “Come on, let’s get to bed.”
“Well, I’m not gonna say no to that.” Rainbow chuckled as she let Twilight guide her into their bedroom. She used to call it her bedroom, but Twilight slept in it so often that they just started calling it their bedroom. Twilight used her magic to pull the sheets back and they slid in on opposite sides, meeting in the middle of the bed.
“So... do you want to be the big spoon tonight, or do you want to be the little spoon again?” Twilight asked with a soft smile, running her hoof through Rainbow’s mane. She made herself comfortable and stuck her hind legs under the covers.
Rainbow brought a hoof up to her chin as she thought. “Um... can you be the big spoon again? I really love it when you, er...” She glanced away, only to have Twilight gently guide her to look back at her.
“You love it when I what, Dashie?” Twilight asked with a sly grin.
Rainbow bit her lip, then looked back into Twilight’s eyes. “I... I just love it when you hold me,” she said softly, her blush deepening.
Twilight nuzzled her cheek. “Good, because I love it too.”
“Awesome... So anyways, you know what Scootaloo said to me after I tucked her in?”
“What? She call you an egghead for liking books like you used to call me?”
“Nah...” Rainbow chuckled again. “She told me that she loved me. She’s never said that before, and...” She trailed off as she tried to come up with a way to finish her sentence that wouldn’t make her sound all mushy.
“Hm?” Twilight prompted after several seconds of silence.
Rainbow awkwardly cleared her throat. Well, I might as well go ahead and say it... “Aaaaaand it meant a lot to me.” She thought that Twilight would poke fun at her, but instead she felt her grab her hoof. “There, I said it. Now you got me saying all this sappy stuff.”
“So?” Twilight asked as she rubbed Rainbow’s hoof. “I think that’s wonderful. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the sappy you.” She laid a kiss on her cheek. “Oh! And Scootaloo hasn’t had a nightmare for... how many weeks now? I’ve been meaning to ask for a while, but I’ve just been so busy.”
“It’s been about a couple weeks, maybe a day or two more.” Rainbow slid closer to Twilight and settled down on her side. “I’m glad she’s stopped having them, you know? I was afraid we’d have to bug Princess Luna to get involved.”
“Yeah... I’d be fine with asking her to watch over Scootaloo for a few nights, but for a couple weeks? Maybe a year? I don’t think it would be proper to ask that of her.”
“But what if it came to that? What if she starts having nightmares every night? I don’t want Scootaloo to be afraid of going to sleep.”
“Well, I guess we’d figure it if we ever got to that bridge,” Twilight said. “I just hope that it doesn’t come to that.”
“Yeah, same.” Rainbow laid her head down on the pillow and waited until Twilight did the same. “So get this! Rarity said that she could have the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Spike over for a sleepover tomorrow night. You know what that means, right?”
Twilight’s breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened. “Do we finally get to go on our first real date?”
“You know it!” Rainbow giggled and slid closer, a mere inch separating her muzzle from Twilight’s. “And you know where we’re going? The best place in town, that’s where! I already got us a reservation at that cute little place that you like at seven.”
“Oh, this is going to be awesome!” Twilight lifted her head from the pillow and rolled onto her belly. She grabbed Rainbow’s hooves in her own, holding onto them tightly. “To be honest, I never thought that we’d get around to this with all of our responsibilities, and on top of that, I’m gonna have to clear my schedule for tomorrow night, which means I’m gonna have to move what I was going to do to the next night, and I—Mmpf!”
Twilight’s eyes went wide as she felt Rainbow’s lips brush against hers. Her ears fell flat against her head and she blushed furiously, her eyes drifting shut. Those gloriously soft lips made all of the tension melt from her body. She smiled and pushed back a little, only to have Rainbow take the lead. Twilight melted into the kiss as Rainbow gently pushed her back down onto her pillow, small shivers of excitement running through her body. She rolled onto her back, her tail swishing back and forth under the sheets while her wings fluttered beneath her.
With a grin, Rainbow slid on top of her, placing her hooves on either side of her head. Just as Rainbow’s tongue finally breached her lips to meet with her own, Rainbow broke the kiss, a loving smile plastered on her face. Twilight panted softly as she stared up into Rainbow’s eyes, her heart beating frantically. She smiled and bit her lower lip as Rainbow lowered her head to nuzzle her cheek.
“Woah...” Twilight whispered, smiling as she felt Rainbow’s soft fur caress her belly. “Where’d you learn to kiss like that?” She squirmed underneath Rainbow, staring straight into those beautiful eyes of hers.
“Heh, believe it or not, but... I practiced on a pillow,” Rainbow admitted with a sheepish smile. “And now I get to practice with you.” She pulled Twilight into another kiss, making Twilight moan softly. Twilight parted her lips just wide enough for her, their tongues dancing a quick tango of love a moment later. Rainbow twirled her tongue around Twilight’s then forced it down, only to have Twilight fight back. Mildly surprised, Rainbow pulled back for a moment and then accepted Twilight’s silent challenge. With a confident grin, she dove back in and wrestled with Twilight’s tongue until she felt the need to breathe. “Heh, you know, you’re not that bad of a kisser. I had always pegged you as an inexperienced bookworm.”
“Beginner’s luck. You know, I wouldn’t mind getting in some ‘practice’ every night,” Twilight cooed happily as Rainbow slid off of her barrel. She snuggled up against her pegasus, Rainbow’s soft wings caressing her belly. “Wow...” she murmured. “How do you get your wings so soft?” Twilight snuggled closer to her, relishing every moment that passed on by.
“Oh, that’s easy.” Rainbow fluffed her pillow and snuggled back in. “I preen them a lot.”
“Preening, huh? You’re supposed to do that only when your feathers start getting out of place, right?”
“What? Nah, you’re supposed to do it... I don’t know, maybe once a week?” Rainbow let off a soft chuckle. “When was the last time you preened yourself?” She felt Twilight fidget a little.
“Um... nearly a month ago?” Twilight asked. “Why, is that bad?”
“Yeah, kinda.” Rainbow lifted her head and looked at her. “You know... if you want, we can preen each other from now on.” She blushed and glanced away for a couple moments. “Do you trust me enough to let me do that? I mean, I’m fine with it if you are, and—”
Twilight cut her off with a gentle kiss to her cheek. “Of course I trust you, Dashie. And I suppose letting someone else preen me would help with those hard to reach feathers.” She loved how all the coldness slipped away from her the moment they touched. Rainbow was especially warm right now, most likely from cuddling down by the fireplace earlier that night. “You’d have to teach me how to do it right, though. There’s only so much one can learn from a book, you know?”
“Yeah. I’d have no problem with that.” Rainbow yawned, then grinned as she heard Twilight yawn behind her. “It just means I get to spend more time with you.”
Twilight unfurled a wing and laid it around Rainbow’s barrel, then tugged her close. She laid her hind leg over Rainbow’s and snuggled closer to her. Rainbow took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her breath teasing the tips of Twilight’s wing.
“You know, I think tomorrow is going to be awesome,” Twilight whispered. She smiled and laid a small kiss on Rainbow’s head.
“Why’s that?” Rainbow murmured, already on the verge of falling asleep.
Twilight lit her horn and tucked the sheets around them with a spell. “Because I get to wake up beside you,” she whispered into Rainbow’s ear. “And that’s the thing that I want most.”
“Mmm... good morning, Dashie,” Twilight whispered into her marefriend’s ear, her voice soft and full of love. It was rather late in the morning, but since today was the start of the weekend, they could sleep in for as long as they wanted.
And that’s exactly what Rainbow was doing. She snoozed away, contentedly lying in Twilight’s embrace with a soft smile. Her back was still firmly pressed up against Twilight’s belly and her forelegs were curled up and pinned to her chest by one of Twilight’s soft wings.
Twilight rubbed her eyes with a hoof, nuzzled her marefriend, then kissed the back of her head right in between her two twitching ears. Rainbow just smiled a bit and shifted in her sleep, gently pushing herself further into her embrace. She mumbled something in her sleep, making Twilight pause. She flicked her ears forward, but after a few moments of silence, Rainbow just squeezed her hoof, still fast asleep.
Twilight couldn’t help but giggle, barely being able to stifle herself with a hoof in time. She absolutely loved it when Rainbow did that, or anything cute in her sleep for that matter. Ever since Rainbow had asked her out that wondrous night a month ago, Twilight had made it a point to snuggle with her every night that they were able to. Rainbow never said no anytime that Twilight wanted to snuggle with her, and even though she would never admit it to anyone but Twilight, she had started being the little spoon more and more. It helped that Twilight was slightly bigger than her, and to make things even better, Rainbow had suggested that they go to bed earlier so that they’d have more time for each other.
The sun’s morning rays shined through the window, lighting up the opposite cloud wall in a soft yellow light. Worried that the light would wake Rainbow up and stop them from cuddling, Twilight lit her horn and yanked the curtains shut. She froze as she felt Rainbow start to stir, so she loosened her grasp on her, but instead of waking up, Rainbow simply rolled over and snuggled back in.
Rainbow tucked her forelegs back up to her chest and laid her head under Twilight’s, giving her an unintentional nuzzle in the process. Much to her surprise, she opened a wing and slowly laid it over her, all while staying asleep. She really does like to snuggle... With a soft and content chuckle, Twilight laid her wing back over Rainbow and tugged her a little closer, then used her magic to tuck the sheets back in. Her marefriend’s warmth threatened to pull her back to sleep but Twilight didn’t mind one bit. They had the morning to themselves, after all.
Waking up next to you is the thing I want most... Twilight repeated Rainbow’s words over and over in her mind, butterflies flitting about in her stomach. She squeezed her and held her close, and even though Rainbow was still fast asleep, Twilight still felt loved and that’s all that mattered to her.
In the past month, the word ‘love’ had bounced around on the tip of her tongue, but something had always held her back from saying it. Their responsibilities with their jobs and taking care of Scootaloo had kept them from going out on the town for their official first date, but that was going to change tonight and she couldn’t be more excited.
Twilight felt Rainbow’s heart beat against her chest, making her wonder if she could feel hers too. The warmth from her body and the blankets threatened to pull her back into the world of dreams, so Twilight gave in. She closed her eyes, fluffed her pillow, and fell asleep a couple minutes later.
Rainbow stirred awake hours later, feeling relaxed and, above all else, safe. Being able to sleep soundly next to someone meant that you trusted them without any reservations, and she was happy that she was able to trust someone on such an intimate level. The snuggling was just the icing on the cake, for what she really craved was to be loved by somepony special.
She had woken up a few times, but Twilight looked so cute and adorable sleeping beside her that she didn’t want to disturb her. Part of her had thought it was a competition to see who could last the longest, and she had been pretty determined to not lose. Although, as time went on, she came to realize that Twilight was simply enjoying the moment like she was.
After a few minutes, Rainbow felt that it was finally time to get up. She folded her wing back to her side, nuzzled Twilight, and laid her head on her neck. “Morning, sleepyhead,” she mumbled. “Or is it the afternoon?” She shrugged, smiling when she felt Twilight stretch.
“Uhhh...” Twilight glanced at the clock. “Yeah, it’s definitely the afternoon.”
“What makes you say that?” Rainbow mumbled back.
“Because it’s two o’clock.” Twilight chuckled. “We sure slept in, didn’t we?”
Rainbow giggled. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. C’mere, you!” Before Twilight could respond, Rainbow rolled onto her back and pulled Twilight on top of her in one fell swoop. Belly to belly, Twilight looked down at her with her eyes wide open. “You know, you look beautiful even with the worst bedhead.” She pushed a few strands of hair out of Twilight’s face, then used the same hoof to pull her head down. They locked lips for a brief kiss, though it was nothing passionate like the one last night. Still, it was the thought that counted, and Rainbow was going to make sure that Twilight knew she cared for her. Rainbow rolled onto her side and let Twilight slide off of her with a soft ‘oomph.’
“Wanna make some breakfast?” Twilight stretched again and laid a wing over Rainbow’s back. “Well, technically it’d be a late lunch, but I could whip us up some pancakes.”
“Yeah, that can work.” Rainbow stretched and let loose a yawn. “You mind making them? I want to fit in a quick flight around town.” She slid out of bed and stretched out her wings.
“Of course, Rainbow. How many do you want?”
“As many as you want to make me! I’m pretty hungry, and I’m sure I’ll be starved by the time I get back. I shouldn’t be too long, maybe ten minutes?”
“Well, if we’re going out pretty soon, why don’t I just make us something small? Maybe one or two pancakes each instead of a whole stack?”
“Oh... yeah.” Rainbow giggled. “That’s probably a good idea. I’ll see you soon, alright?”
“Sure. I’ll be down in the kitchen in the library,” she said as she turned to walk out of their bedroom. “And when we finish our ‘lunch’, we can pick out our dresses for our date!”
“Sounds great, Twi!” Rainbow walked out onto the balcony. She took off a moment later, leaving Twilight standing alone in the bedroom.
Twilight heard her stomach grumble, so she trotted from the room. She didn’t see Spike or Scootaloo anywhere as she walked through Rainbow’s house, nor did she hear them as she made her way into her kitchen. Movement outside caught her eye, so she glanced up to see Spike and Scootaloo in a snowball fight just outside the kitchen window.
Twilight smiled, then went and searched around for the cooking supplies. After she got the stove heated up, she found a large pan, made a small batch of batter for the pancakes, then poured it all into the pan. As the pancakes cooked, Twilight looked outside to find Rainbow dropping snowballs on Spike and Scootaloo. She couldn’t help but giggle as she watched Scootaloo hit Rainbow with one as she flew past her.
After a few more minutes, Rainbow trotted through the front door of the library, brushing snow from her coat. She was panting slightly, and as soon as she spotted Twilight, she made a beeline for the kitchen. They ate their pancakes in relative silence, the two of them sneaking looks at each other. Every time their eyes met, they’d look away, butterflies flitting about in their stomach.
“So...” Rainbow stood up and put their dirty dishes in the sink. “Think we should get ready for this date of ours?”
Twilight nodded, an excited smile on her face. “Sure! I’m gonna go jump in the shower in a few minutes. You should probably do the same.”
“Yeah, not a bad idea. I’ll be back down in about twenty minutes or so. I love letting the hot water soak into my coat,” Rainbow said.
“Okay, see you soon.” Twilight stood up and used her magic to wash the dishes. She put them back up where she had grabbed them from and then made her way outside to find Scootaloo and Spike still in an intense snowball fight. “Hey, you two! It’s time to come in so we can get you all packed up for your sleepover tonight!”
“Aw, already?” Scootaloo lowered her hoof, a freshly-made snowball ready to be thrown. “But we’re having so much fun!”
Twilight giggled. “I’m sure you guys can resume your snowball fight at Rarity’s. Who knows, she might even join in!”
“Hey, yeah! And then maybe we could get more ponies to join in, too!” Spike exclaimed. He dropped the snowball he held in his hand, but only after he saw Scootaloo do the same. Spike looked at Scootaloo and yelled, “Truce?”
“Truce!” Scootaloo called back. “Wanna be on the same team over at Rarity’s? You’re a pretty good shot!”
“Sure!” Spike stood up from behind his makeshift fort and brushed the snow from his knees. “Might as well get this over with so we can get over there sooner, right?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, I guess. Last one inside’s a rotten egg!” She bolted off, running around the corner with Spike hot on her hooves.
Twilight merely chuckled and followed them inside. After closing the door behind her, a small shiver ran down her spine as the library’s warmth abolished the winter cold from her coat. “Alright, you two, settle down!” she said with a small smile. “Spike, have you packed your stuff for tonight?”
“Nah, not yet. Want me to go and get that done now?” Twilight nodded. “Alright. I’ll be back in a little bit,” Spike said, making his way towards the stairs.
“Scootaloo, I left some bits in a bag for you and Spike to share if you two wanted to get some snacks at the bakery, okay? It’s in the desk on the far side of the room, so go ahead and grab that before you head upstairs to pack.” Twilight pointed to her desk that lay against the wall. “I’m going to go upstairs and jump in the shower for my date with Rainbow tonight!” She pranced in place for a few moments, then trotted upstairs. “I’ll be back downstairs to see you and Spike off in a little bit!” she called out as she turned the corner at the top of the stairs.
“Okay!” Scootaloo called out after her. She trotted across the room and walked up to the desk that Twilight had just pointed out. I wonder which drawer she put it in... Might as well start on the bottom and work our way up from there... She pulled the bottom drawer on the right open and looked inside. The bag of money was nowhere to be seen, so she pushed it shut then pulled open the next one. The drawer held a bunch of desk supplies, so she rummaged through it, hoping to find the small bag of bits.
Just as she was about to give up and move onto the next drawer, a manila folder with her name on it caught her attention. It had the words ‘Ponyville General Hospital’ on the front just below her name, piquing her interest.
Huh... never saw this before... Scootaloo pulled out the folder and laid it on the ground. She used a hoof to flip open the cover and saw a bunch of official-looking documents that she didn’t care much for. She realized that the dates on the papers were from when her parents had attacked her. Scootaloo flipped through the papers, and just as she was about to put it all back, she discovered that the last page was titled ‘Summary.’
Scootaloo figured that it was just a bunch of boring stuff, but a certain word caught her eye.
Flightless.
Her heart beating faster, she laid that piece of paper down and started to read, skimming through the boring technical parts until she found the word again.
The patient, Scootaloo, has a very unique wing condition that renders her flightless, one that I have not encountered outside of an academic setting. This young filly has a wingspan smaller than any other pegasus her age would have, and I have been made aware that she has much difficulty flying at this point in time. Records show that fillies and colts a full year younger than her have been able to attain most of their flying abilities, and that leads me to believe that this filly will never be able to fly.
Tears welled up in Scootaloo’s eyes. Her eyes glazed over as the document slipped from her hoof to rest on top of the folder. “Never be able to f-f-fly?” she whispered to herself, her mind struggling to comprehend what she had just said. She reread the last part of the document and pushed it away from her. Why would Rainbow give me flight lessons if she knows I’ll never fly?
Spike was stuffing a few comics into his backpack for the sleepover when he heard the library’s front door slam shut. His curiosity piqued, he scampered over to the window and looked outside just in time to see Scootaloo jump on her scooter. He watched, confused, as Scootaloo pushed herself forward a few feet, fell down, and then repeated that a few more times until she got her balance. Much to his disbelief, she looked like she was very upset. Tears streamed down Scootaloo’s face and he heard her sobbing through the window. He knocked on the window, trying to get her attention, but Scootaloo never looked up.
Spike turned around and ran out of his room, running as fast as he could go. He bolted down the stairs, and just as he yanked open the front door, he saw that Scootaloo was already halfway down the street. His shoulders slumped in defeat, for he knew he had no chance of catching up to her.
Spike shook his head and closed the library door. “What happened in the few minutes that I was gone? She seemed like she was alright when I was playing with her...” He saw a bunch of scattered documents on the other side of the room, marring the appearance of the otherwise clean room. Slightly annoyed at the mess, he rolled his eyes and walked over there. He found the empty manila folder under the desk and saw that it was from Ponyville’s hospital. What was Scootaloo doing looking at some hospital folder? He glanced down and saw Scootaloo’s name written on the front.
Wondering if this was what had caused her to leave in such a hurry, he looked through the papers but didn’t see anything remotely interesting. “Eh, whatever it was, it sure messed her up...” he muttered to himself. Spike stood up when a crumpled up piece of paper hidden behind the cushion caught his eye. Fearing that it was what had caused Scootaloo to become so upset, he placed the folder on top of the desk and reached for the paper.
His eyebrows furrowing, Spike flattened the paper out and read it. His breath caught in his throat as he read the last line, and all he could mutter was a soft, “Oh...” Spike glanced about the library as the full ramifications of what the paper said sunk into him. “Twilight! Twilight, I need you!” he yelled. When he heard no response, he ran towards the stairs, the document held tightly in his claw. He was halfway up the stairs when he felt that familiar sensation in his throat: an incoming letter.
Spike paused as he burped the letter out. He snatched it out of the air and recognized Princess Celestia’s royal seal on it. “Probably just another letter of them catching up...” Spike took another few steps up the stairs before he glanced at the scroll again. While the typical scroll from Celestia bore no markings other than her royal seal on it, this one was different. The words “Important: Read Now!” were written on both sides of the seal, so without further ado, Spike ripped open the letter.
Princess Twilight,
I regret that I had to send this letter to you so late, but I will get straight to the point. Scootaloo’s parents escaped from prison a few days ago, and I have only just learned of this now. The guards stationed at the prison tried everything they could to recapture the parents, but they were not able to do so.
I fear that they might already be in Ponyville. Because of that, I have dispatched a squad of my guards to your location. My sister has been made aware of this situation, and she has sent her personal guards as well.
I pray that this letter finds you all well. My stallions should be there within the hour.
“Twilight!” Spike screamed at the top of his lungs. He scrambled up the rest of the stairs and raced to Twilight’s room. He slammed into the door at top speed and started hitting it with his fists. “Twilight, open up! It’s important!”
The door opened several moments later. “Spike, what’s wrong?” Twilight asked. Her ears flicked forward and her face bore a look of concern.
“Look!” Spike panted as he thrust the papers up at Twilight. “Did you or Rainbow ever tell Scootaloo what you guys learned about her at the hospital?” he asked as Twilight read through it all. “If not, then I think she just found out that she’ll never fly. I found those sheets scattered on the floor by your desk. She ran out the front door, and before I could stop her, she was already gone!”
All of the color drained from Twilight’s face. “She ran away?!” she shrieked. “And Scootaloo’s parents escaped days ago?!” Twilight felt her heart rate rocket sky-high. Sweat grew on her brow as she stared at the papers and she felt a shiver run down her back. “Oh no, oh no oh no oh no! This couldn’t have happened at a worse time, Spike!” She felt all of her strength leave her. Her legs nearly gave out from under her, so she sat down, her mind a whirlwind of mixed thoughts. “Rainbow...” she mumbled. I have to get her... She has to know! Tears formed in her eyes but she wiped those away with a hoof.
Twilight stood up on shaky legs, then lit her horn and teleported into Rainbow’s bedroom. She heard Rainbow singing some tune in the shower, so she rapped on the wood door with a hoof. “Rainbow! We have to talk!” she called out. “It’s about Scootaloo; she ran away!” She heard the water shut off a second later, then heard the shower curtain being ripped aside.
“What?!” Rainbow yanked the bathroom door open. “Why?” she demanded.
“I think she found the doctor’s note saying that she’ll never fly...” Twilight mumbled, the note falling from her grasp. “Spike found it lying on the floor next to the desk where I had left some bits for them for their sleepover, but...”
“But what, Twi?! Spit it out!” Rainbow grabbed a nearby towel and dried herself off as quickly as she could.
“That’s not the worst part...” Twilight sat down, her tail flicking from side to side. Her ears lay flat on her head, and she couldn’t bear to look up at Rainbow. Tears formed in her eyes as she thought of what could potentially happen.
“Then what is??” Rainbow flexed her wings, ready to fly at a moment’s notice.
“Her parents es...” Twilight choked up as tears streamed down her face. She took a few deep breaths and looked back at Rainbow. “Her parents escaped. Princess Celestia thinks that they’re here in Ponyville, so she sent a bunch of guards down to keep us all safe...”
“They... Scootaloo’s parents are here? In Ponyville?!” Rainbow poked Twilight’s chest, shocking her. “If they hurt her, I swear...” She shook her head angrily. “I can’t be held accountable for what I’m going to do to them.” She paced back and forth, her breath coming in short, angry pants. “Okay, okay...”
“What?” Twilight asked weakly.
“Here’s what we’re gonna do. I’m gonna go out and look for her, and when the guards get here, I want you to organize search parties. Got it?” she asked, her voice demanding and harsh. “Get everypony in town involved if you have to.”
Twilight nodded and sniffled, tears running freely down her cheeks.
Rainbow looked up at Twilight and saw that she was an absolute wreck. She was trembling and she was staring at the floor with an empty gaze. “Hey...” she said as she calmed herself down. She stepped up to Twilight and pulled her into a hug, then wrapped her wings around her. “Everything’s gonna work out fine, Twilight. Don’t worry, we’re gonna find her,” she said with a comforting nuzzle.
“Y—You promise?” Twilight asked. She felt Rainbow pull away only to feel her kiss her on the cheek.
“Yeah, Twi... I promise.”
Scootaloo was lost in a bleary tear-filled haze. She lost all track of time as she rode out of Ponyville. Luckily for her, the roads were relatively clear of snow, only giving her minor problems as she sped off. Tears streamed down her face, and she had never felt more hurt and betrayed in her life. Her limbs shook with exhaustion, screaming at her to stop and rest for a minute. She blocked those feelings out, for the amount of pain she felt in her heart was more than enough, more than she could bear.
Somehow, she ended up at her old parent’s house. Scootaloo let her scooter fall to the ground as she stared at the place that she had once called home. It looked as bad as it always had, but a yellow sign hung from the front door. Slightly curious, and more than freezing cold, Scootaloo numbly walked up the steps and lifted her head.
Condemned... she read. Just like I am... Scootaloo pushed the door open and slammed it shut behind her. I’m worthless... What good is a freakin’ pegasus that can’t even fly? She walked upstairs, heading to the only place where she ever felt safe: her old bedroom. The tears flowed as freely as they ever did as she stepped into her bedroom. Everything was just like how she’d left it. Her Wonderbolts posters were still on the walls and her room was still rather messy.
Scootaloo hopped up on her bed and sobbed into her only pillow. Why didn’t they tell me? Why would they lie to me?? She slammed a hoof down onto her mattress, then rolled over onto her other side. Maybe... maybe it was because they knew I wouldn’t be able to take it...
Scootaloo cried into her pillow for the next several minutes, torn over what she had done. She remembered all the awesome times that she had spent with Rainbow and Twilight, especially the time when she had flown with Rainbow on the way to Canterlot for the trial. Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks as she slowly came to realize that she had thrown away her only chance at a better life.
Another hour passed in a haze of tears but to her it felt like a lifetime. She heard the door slam shut downstairs, jerking her fully alert. It’s probably Rainbow and Twilight... Gosh, they must be worried sick. She felt a dagger of guilt pierce her heart; she never meant to hurt them like this.
“R—Rainbow?” she called out weakly. The sounds from downstairs ceased completely, so she slid off of her bed and opened her bedroom door. Her legs trembled as she walked down the hallway. “Twilight? Guys, I’m so sorr—” She turned and looked down the stairs, and instead of seeing Twilight and Rainbow, she saw the terrifying sight of her real parents. Scootaloo locked eyes with her father for several seconds, her heart racing a million miles a second.
“You!” Brick Lump roared, his voice full of anger and hate. “You’re going to pay for what you did to us!”
Scootaloo gulped.
Absolute Terror
Scootaloo froze, her heart racing in her chest. “N-no...” she stuttered, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Her wings drooped down, her ears flicked back, and her eyes widened as large as dinner plates. “No!” She was so terrified that she felt her bones turn to jelly.
She turned and ran back to her bedroom. Slamming the door behind her, she fumbled with the lock for a few seconds before she got it to turn. Looking for avenues of escape, Scootaloo looked at the window before throwing the idea out of her mind. The window’s latch had been permanently stuck in the locked position, and she wasn’t anywhere near strong enough to break the glass. On top of that, she didn’t see anything she could use to break it. Scootaloo knew that the locked door wouldn’t hold her father back for long, so she frantically darted around her room, looking for anything to barricade the door with.
Her eyes fell on her nightstand; it was the only thing that was light enough for her to move. She swiped everything off of its surface, not caring about her favorite comic that she’d left behind. Scootaloo had left behind quite a bit of her old personal life. Part of her wished that she had come back to grab some of her personal belongings, but that opportunity was long gone now.
As she heard her parents run upstairs, she got behind her nightstand and put all of her weight against it as she pushed. It barely budged. She strained against it, her hooves uselessly scraping against the wood floor. “Come on! Move!” she yelled, hearing her parents make it just outside of her door.
Scootaloo gave up on trying to push the nightstand. Instead of trying to push it in front of the door, she grabbed the bottom of it and tried to tip it on its side. She pulled upwards as hard as she could, making her hind legs tremble from the sudden stress. Her back started to hurt, but she forced herself to forget about the pain, especially when she saw that it started to tilt. A sudden and jarringly loud hit on the door shocked her, making her drop it on her back left hoof.
“Ow!” she cried out. Another bang on the door made her look up in terror. The doorknob jiggled wildly, only making her freak out even more. She heard her parents hit the door again, and much to her disbelief, she saw it start to splinter in the middle. Her breaths came in short pants and her heart was beating so fast she thought it was going to break through her skin and escape. Scootaloo watched, utterly terrified, as the splinter suddenly became a small hole with another hit.
Her terror giving her the strength she needed, she put her front hooves back under the nightstand’s edge and pulled upwards with all of her strength. It didn’t budge much at first, but she was able to make it fall on its side, half of it laying in front of the door.
Now that she had bought herself more time, she took a couple of deep breaths and looked around. She was trapped in her room, and the only way to safety was through her window. Scootaloo knew the door wouldn’t hold forever. Her head whipped about. She didn’t see anything sitting around her room, so she dashed over to her closet. She whipped the door open and rummaged through the mess until she found her old scooter. Her breath catching in her throat, she stared at it, wondering if she’d be able to use it to break the window. Another bang on the door, followed by sounds of the door splintering even more, made her make up her mind rather quickly. She heard her father breathing heavily and her mother egging him on, although she couldn’t make out what she was saying.
Scootaloo grabbed the scooter and pulled it out of her closet. She shot a glance over her shoulder as the door broke nearly in half. Her father was peering through the door with one eye.
“Be a good little filly for once and unlock this door, hm? I promise I’ll make it quick...”
Hearing that scared Scootaloo to heights previously unknown. Scootaloo lifted her prized possession as high as she could and threw it at her window. The glass cracked, but it didn’t shatter like she had hoped. She lifted her scooter again and threw it at the same place.
“Aw, come on, now! Don’t be like that!”
With one last throw, the glass finally shattered. Her scooter fell through the window to the snow just outside of her window, disappearing in the thick snow. The sight of the glass shattering brought hope to her. She swiped at some of the jagged glass, trying to widen the hole. It was just big enough to fit her forelegs through but not the rest of her body. The sound of the door splintering apart scared the living daylights out of her, and as she swiped at the glass again, she cut her hoof on a particularly sharp piece. The pain from that was just enough to make her falter, giving her father the time her needed to break down the door.
Scootaloo’s head snapped around just in time to see her father rush over to her, a maniacal grin on his face. She tried to push herself through the small hole she made, uncaring as to how bad the glass would cut her, but her father grabbed her hind legs and yanked, nearly ripping her away from the window. The sharp glass cut into her legs, but she wouldn’t let go. She couldn’t.
“Help! Rainbow, anypony, please help me!” Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs a moment before her father tossed her all the way across the room. She hit the floor hard, knocking most of the breath from her lungs. Her head slammed into the wall, making her vision become blurry. Scootaloo tried to get up and used a wing to help her do so, but before she could stand up all the way, her father stomped on it. Pain exploded from her wing, making her scream out in agony. It was the same wing that had been broken before and it sure felt like it was broken in the same place.
Scootaloo looked around for any other possible avenues of escape. She thought to make a run for the hallway, but her mother stood in the doorway. Her wings were flared and held low, blocking any avenue of escape that Scootaloo once might have had.
Scootaloo’s chest heaved up and down as she looked up at her father in fear. Knowing exactly what Rainbow Dash would do, Scootaloo tried to put on a defiant look, but the pain was simply too much to bear. He simply stared right back at her, his unsettling grin never faltering. She whimpered as she slumped down against the wall. “Wha... what are you going to do to me?!” she asked, her voice trembling. She couldn’t stop shaking. The bones in her legs felt like jelly again, and the pain from her broken wing robbed her of her strength.
“What do ya think, ya runt?” he asked with a chuckle. As her father raised his hoof to hit her, Scootaloo came to one simple conclusion: she was going to die.
Rainbow... save me, please!
Strains
Twilight paced back and forth in front of the assembled guards that stood outside of her home. Snow fell from the sky, coating the ground in a thick layer of the fluff that rose a few inches above her hooves. Twenty-four royal guards stood in front of her in formation, their gaze locked on some indeterminate point off in the distance. Twilight idly wondered how many of these guards had been under Shining’s command before his wedding. Shaking her head to rid herself of the random thoughts, Twilight cleared her throat and centered herself in front of the guards.
“I’m sure some of you have been made aware of the situation,” she said, her voice strong and with purpose. Twilight was grateful that her fear of Scootaloo being in danger wasn’t making her sound weak, for this certainly wasn’t the time for that. “But I will go over it so that we all may be on the same page.”
Rainbow had left minutes before the guards had shown up, saying that she was going to fly a grid pattern over Ponyville and the surrounding area. She had promised that she would return every fifteen minutes with a status update once she had gotten the rest of their friends involved in the search.
“From what I know, Scootaloo’s biological parents escaped from prison a few days ago. Their location is unknown, and nopony has reported seeing them in the time that they have escaped. I have a pretty good feeling that they have returned to Ponyville, and that is why the Princesses have sent you here. You shall stay under my command until Scootaloo’s parents are apprehended and thrown back into prison.” She looked at the guards standing stock still before her. Oh, right! “Is… is that understood?” Twilight asked tentatively.
“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” twenty-four guards shouted in unison.
Twilight smiled. “Perfect.” She resumed pacing back and forth, muttering to herself as she assembled her thoughts. Come on, Rainbow... Where are you? She cast her gaze to the cloudy sky, looking all over the place as she searched for that familiar rainbow trail that she had come to love so dearly. She felt the guards’ eyes on her, but she didn’t care.
“Now, I don’t believe that Scootaloo’s old parents would go back to their old house. If I was on the run, that’d be the first place that guards would look for me, so it stands to reason that they wouldn’t be so careless.” Even the dumbest of ponies can’t be so stupid... Twilight felt a rather annoying tingle on the back of her head. She instinctively flicked her mane trying to throw the feeling off, but it persisted.
With an irritated roll of her eyes, she rubbed the back of her head and thankfully, it went away. Clearing her throat once more, Twilight looked back at the guards and sat in front of them, wincing as the snow quickly sapped the warmth from her rear. A shiver ran down her back, but she steeled herself, knowing that she would get to go back inside to grab something to warm herself up with soon. “I want you to break up into search teams of four members each. Once Rainbow Dash comes back, we will determine the best area for you to search based on what she hasn’t covered yet.”
“Ma’am?” one of the guards spoke up.
“Yes?” Twilight recognized him as the lieutenant based on his fancier armor. This guard outranked the rest of the guards, and was one step below her in command of the present troops.
“Do you have any photographs of Scootaloo? I think our mission would go much more smoothly if we knew who we were looking for.”
Twilight blinked. Wow... how did I forget about that? “...Right. One moment.” She teleported into Rainbow’s bedroom and glanced about, smiling as the warmth abolished the cold from her coat. A few pictures of Rainbow and Scootaloo hung on the wall, so with a quick spell, she snatched a random one and teleported back outside. A small part of her felt hurt that Rainbow didn’t have any pictures of her, but she pushed that thought to the back of her mind for another time. Still holding the picture in her magic, she levitated it to the lieutenant. “Here. Pass it around.”
The sound of wings flapping behind her caught her attention. Silently praying that Rainbow had found Scootaloo, she looked over her shoulder to find her marefriend alone. Her shoulders slumping down in disappointment, she offered a weak smile at Rainbow. “Any luck, Dash?”
Rainbow frowned and swiped at the snow beneath her. “No,” she groaned. “I flew over the eastern parts of Ponyville plus Sweet Apple Acres and I didn’t see a trace of her. This stupid snow covered up her tracks before I could pick up her trail.”
Twilight felt hurt that Rainbow didn’t return her smile. “I’m sure we’ll find her,” she said softly. Twilight waited several seconds for Rainbow to respond, but she never did. Looking back at the guards, she said, “Since an aerial survey failed to turn up any results, I want you all to commence the ground search. Both Rainbow Dash and I will stay here and work on managing this—”
Rainbow scoffed and looked at Twilight incredulously. “You kidding?” She poked Twilight in the chest, pushing her back a couple steps. “There’s no way that I’m gonna stay here while Scootaloo’s in danger!” she yelled.
Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She stepped back, her eyes scrutinizing Rainbow’s face, searching for why she was acting so rudely to her. Twilight understood this was a rather stressful situation, but shoving her in front of all the guards was definitely uncalled for. She opened her mouth, but Rainbow flew away before she could utter a single word.
Worry gnawed at her heart. She desperately wanted to talk to Rainbow, but a small part of her mind reminded her that finding Scootaloo should be her top priority now. There’d be time for talking later.
With a sigh, Twilight looked at the guards and barked, “Dismissed! I want reports on your progress every half hour!” And with that, she turned and walked back inside the library. As soon as the door shut behind her, she collapsed to the floor, crying. It was all too much for her to bear. With Scootaloo running away without giving them a chance to explain, and with Rainbow being so standoffish... it felt like she was losing control.
Twilight couldn’t imagine what was going through Rainbow’s mind to make her act so cold towards her. It was the first time she had ever gotten angry at her, and just like Scootaloo, Rainbow had left before Twilight could try to figure things out. She hated feeling so helpless, but more so, she felt even worse for betraying Scootaloo’s trust. Tears streamed down her face as she curled up into a ball on the floor of the library. With everything going on, she needed Rainbow’s support now more than ever.
“Tw-Twilight?” She looked up to find Spike standing before her, biting his lower lip. “Is Scootaloo alright?”
“I don’t know, Spike...” Twilight lifted her head up off of the floor only to have Spike rush forward and wrap his arms around her neck. She wiped the tears from her face and wrapped her wings around him, letting a shaky smile form on her face.
“Well... no news is better than bad news.” Spike let go of her and nuzzled her neck, making Twilight smile a little bit. “Come on, let’s figure this thing out, alright? We got this!”
Twilight smiled at her number one assistant. She loved how he could always reassure her and talk some sense into her whenever she lost it. “Okay,” she said with a shaky smile. “Let’s do this.” As she stood up, she felt that annoying tingling sensation on the back of her head again. This time, it was much stronger than before. Her hoof snapped up to the back of her head to try to rub it away, but as much as she tried to make it disappear, it would not go away.
Twilight gasped. Her gaze became unfocused and her ears fell flat on her head. “How could I not have known...” she muttered. Twilight blinked a few times, then turned her head slowly to look at Spike.
“Uh... Twilight?” Spike asked with a cocked eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything, Spike, but that’s not the problem...” Twilight shook her head. She turned around and darted back outside, hoping some of the guards were still within sight. Her head whipped around as she peered through the falling snow for a few seconds before she saw a group of guards walking towards the center of town. “Guards! Come back!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. Much to her relief, the guards heard her and dashed back to her in mere moments.
“What is it, your highness?” one of them asked.
“I know where Scootaloo is! She’s at—”
“How could you possibly know where she is?” one of the guards asked before another one nudged him with a hoof. “M-my apologies, Princess Twilight. I did not mean for my question to sound so rude, and—”
“It’s fine,” Twilight snapped at him. She looked at each one of them in turn before speaking up again. “Back when I had taken Scootaloo out of her parents’ custody with Rainbow Dash, I had placed a tripwire spell around the property to alert me if anyone tried to leave, or...” She cast her gaze to the ground, ashamed that she didn’t come to this conclusion fast enough. “If anyone walked onto the property. I felt the tickling sensation twice, the first one being weaker than the second. If I remember correctly, the weaker one was for one pony, which I believe to be Scootaloo, and the stronger one to be her parents.”
“So that means that...”
“Yes, that they’re back at their old house. Hang on, I’m going to teleport us there.” Twilight lit her horn and took a deep breath. She concentrated on focusing her magic on each of the stallions in front of her, then teleported the five of them away in a flash of purple light.
Rainbow flew as fast as she could through the falling snow. It impaired her vision, and though while it was not as bad as when she had found Scootaloo below her house those few months ago, it still limited her sight to less than one hundred feet.
It was absolutely freezing and the tips of her hooves were so cold that they had started to hurt a while ago, but Rainbow would not rest until Scootaloo was safe and unharmed in her grasp. She meant the world and more to her. Rainbow silently swore to herself that she’d beat Scootaloo’s parents to Tartarus and back if they so much as laid a hoof on her.
Through the haze, Rainbow spotted two figures trotting away from town on the road leading towards Scootaloo’s old house. Her parents! Her eyes going wide and her heart rate increasing, she prepared herself for a fight. She put on another burst of speed and dove down, speeding inches just above the road. Though just as she was about to hit them and knock them off their hooves, she recognized the two ponies as Bon Bon and Lyra.
Panic surged through her. She was going much too fast to slow down in time, and in the split-second she had before she hit them, she folded her right wing to her side and twisted away, barely missing the two ponies. She heard them cry out in alarm before she slammed into the ground, the impact knocking all the breath from her lungs. Pain burst from the wing that Rainbow landed on as she slid along the ground, and while the snow lessened the impact, it still was enough to cause her a good deal of harm.
Rainbow struggled to pull in air as she lay in the snow. It sapped the warmth from her fur, sending a shiver down her back. Bon Bon and Lyra rushed to her side moments later, looks of concern and shock strewn across their faces.
“Rainbow! Are you okay?” Lyra asked as she knelt down beside her.
Rainbow nodded back and gingerly rolled onto her belly, tears forming in her eyes. She looked away and wiped her eyes with a hoof to try and keep up her tough facade. Her left wing was fine, but her right wing was missing a few feathers. She groaned as she flexed her wing. Even though it wasn’t broken, and even though it hurt a great deal, it felt like she’d still be able to use it to fly.
Finally able to breathe, Rainbow took a few deep breaths to fill her lungs. Her heart rate slowed down and the pain in her wing died down a bit. She knew her shoulder was going to bruise up, and as she tensed her muscles, she felt a few cuts along her shoulder. Thankfully, they were small enough that they didn’t show through her coat.
“What the heck were you thinking, flying so close to us like that?” Bon Bon demanded. “You could have hurt us!”
“Yeah, sorry about that, guys.” Rainbow flicked her mane out of her face and glanced up at them. “Long story short, you remember that filly that Twilight and I adopted? She ran away and her parents somehow escaped from prison a few days ago.”
Lyra’s mouth formed a small circle in surprise. “And you thought that we were them?” Lyra asked.
Rainbow nodded. “I’m sorry I scared you like that, but I really need to keep looking for Scootaloo.” She lifted herself off the ground and flapped her damaged wing tentatively. “Listen, if you find her, bring her back to Twilight’s house immediately. Okay?” She lifted herself off the ground and hovered in front of the two.
“Yeah, you got it, Rainbow,” Lyra said.
“Yeah, good luck!” Bon Bon chipped in, her tone lighter and friendlier than the demanding one she had previously used.
Rainbow flew away, shaking her head. How could I have been so stupid? she thought as she flew away from town. Rainbow looked straight ahead just in time to see a soft purple flash way off in the distance. She felt her heart sink into her stomach as she realized that that was where Scootaloo’s old house was. As a pit of worry grew within her, she flapped her wings as hard as she could, propelling her through the wintery cold.
She landed to see the first of the royal guards trot kick the door in. Rainbow barely noticed the sign condemning the building as she ran inside. The guards all whipped around to face what they assumed was a threat but they calmed down as they recognized her. Before she could ask them why they were here, Rainbow heard Twilight gasp in shock from upstairs.
Her mind focused in on one thing: Scootaloo. She galloped upstairs and ran to Scootaloo’s old bedroom, dreading what she might find inside. The first thing she saw was the splintered door then the shattered window. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw bloodstains on the broken glass.
Rainbow turned and looked down to where Twilight stood. She saw a familiar tuft of purple tail, blocked by Twilight’s body. Rainbow walked up to Twilight and saw Scootaloo’s limp figure lying near the foot of her old bed. She bit her lip and although she didn’t want her worst fears confirmed, she had to know.
She gingerly walked up to Scootaloo and nudged her still body with her snout. She touched her chin to Scootaloo’s neck to try and feel her pulse and to see if she was still breathing. Rainbow didn’t feel any sort of pulse, but she did feel Scootaloo’s neck rise and fall by just a very small amount.
Before she knew what was happening, Scootaloo’s room disappeared and was replaced by the lobby of the Ponyville Hospital. Scootaloo floated in Twilight’s magical grasp, still unconscious.
“I need help! This is an emergency!” Twilight yelled, getting the nurse’s attention behind the desk. She saw her hit a button next to her, then she stood up and grabbed a nearby gurney.
“Oh no, not this sweet little filly again,” she murmured. The nurse motioned for Twilight to lay Scootaloo on the gurney just as a doctor galloped towards them from down the hallway.
“What do we have, nurse?” the doctor asked as he pulled on his white coat.
“It’s the same filly from a while back, doctor.” The nurse trotted behind the desk and went through a file cabinet until she pulled out a manila folder, similar to the one that Twilight had back home. “It looks to be similar to the same injuries as before, but we won’t be able to see the extent of the damage done until we can move her into the emergency room!” She gave the folder to the doctor and pushed the gurney down the hallway.
“Alright. Move her into room two,” the doctor ordered. He followed the nurse down the hallway, using his magic to push the gurney. They disappeared around the corner a few moments later, the sound of a door slamming shut, momentarily shocking Twilight.
“Oh, Scootaloo...” Rainbow moaned as she sat down. She felt numb all over. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and her stomach twisted itself into knots. She nearly threw up, but she swallowed what came up. Her wings drooped down to the floor and her ears flicked back as she tried to hold back her tears. Alas, she was not strong enough.
As the tears began to stream down her face, she felt Twilight move closer to her. She heard a feathery rustle, then felt Twilight pull her into a hug with her wing. Rainbow let loose and cried into Twilight’s shoulder, not caring about what the ponies around them thought about her.
“I hope that we weren’t too late…” Rainbow heard Twilight murmur. She pushed Twilight’s wing off of her and threw on her tough front. “What do you mean, you hope that we aren’t too late?!” Rainbow demanded. “What do you know, Twilight?!” Rainbow’s query wasn’t a question but a demand.
“I… it’s pretty bad, Dash. I’d really rather not say…”
“I don’t care! Just tell me!”
"Please don’t make me...” she murmured. I really don’t want to think about what happened to Scootaloo right now... Tears formed in the corners of Twilight’s eyes. She looked aside, but Rainbow roughly pulled her head back up with a hoof. Rainbow’s gaze was unforgiving and cold, making Twilight wilt before her.
“Tell me, Twilight!”
Twilight stayed silent, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared into Rainbow’s eyes, silently pleading with her. She shook her head and saw Dash’s expression worsen. “Rainbow, let’s… can we just see how she’s doing?”
Rainbow didn’t respond, but she did start walking down the hall. Twilight didn’t want to push the issue, choosing to stay silent as she followed her down the hallway. After wiping the tears from her eyes, Twilight made her way to stand beside Rainbow just outside of the emergency room doors.
They peered through the circular windows each door had and watched as those inside did their job. A few minutes passed in silence as the doctors and nurses hooked Scootaloo up to the machines inside. A steady beeping noise showed that her heart was still beating, but it wasn’t sounding off as fast as it should be.
“She’s lost a lot of blood, Rainbow…” Twilight finally said, her voice soft yet full of pain. She saw Rainbow look at her out of the corner of her eye. “Both of her wings are broken, feathers are missing, and... and she has numerous cuts on her forelegs.”
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, I saw blood on the shards of her broken win—”
“Please let me finish, Dash. This is taking a lot for me to say this.” Twilight took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly. “I saw a lot of bruises on her neck and face. She’s got one heck of a black eye, and—”
“We’re losing her!” Twilight heard one of the nurses yell from inside. No! Her ears flicked back as she watched on in horror, everything feeling like it was going in slow motion. The sound of the heart rate machine stopped beeping and changed to a loud and dull monotone sound.
“Her heart’s stopped! Somepony get the crash cart!” the doctor yelled. A nearby nurse rushed it over and the doctor lit his horn to grab the defibrillator paddles. “Clear!” he yelled. Once everypony stepped back, he placed the paddles on Scootaloo’s chest and zapped her once.
Nothing changed. The heart rate monitor kept giving off that dull monotone.
“Alright, let’s try again!” The doctor rubbed the paddles together and yelled, “Clear!” once more. He zapped Scootaloo’s limp form again, but nothing changed.
“No…” Twilight heard Rainbow mutter beside her. She turned to look at Rainbow, reassuring words on the tip of her tongue, only to have Rainbow scream, “No!” at the top of her lungs. Rainbow’s breaths came in long, shaky bursts and Twilight could have sworn she heard her grinding her teeth. She lifted her hoof to try and break Rainbow out of her fit of rage, but Rainbow kicked the wall, creating a hole large enough for her to crawl through. Rainbow turned and ran down the hall, leaving Twilight alone.
Twilight cast a glance back into the emergency room, catching the doctor lay the paddles on Scootaloo’s chest one more time. She watched him zap her yet again, but this time, the heart rate monitor stopped that horrible tone and started beeping normally again. Tears of joy sprang to her eyes, and she turned around to yell down the hallway. “R-Rainbow! Come ba-hack!” she choked out. All she got was an annoyed flick from Rainbow’s tail as she galloped down the hallway.
After ensuring that Scootaloo’s heart was still beating, Twilight teleported outside and saw Rainbow spreading her wings as she ran down the sidewalk. The sudden change in temperature made her falter slightly, but she still made herself run at Rainbow. She knew there’d be no way she could ever catch her if she got into the air, so she did the first thing that popped into her mind, which also happened to be the thing that Rainbow hated most.
Twilight bit down hard on Rainbow’s tail right as she jumped into the air.
Rainbow flapped her wings, but instead of speeding away, pain erupted from the base of her tail. She shot a glance over her shoulder to see the end of her tail caught in Twilight’s mouth. She felt her eyes tear up from the unexpected pain, but she flapped harder and harder, trying to free herself.
“Let go, Twilight!” she yelled at her. Rainbow felt Twilight shake her head and mumble something, but she didn’t care what she had to say right now. She had to find Scootaloo’s parents and do to them what they did to her sweet little filly.
Her daughter.
In her fit of blind rage, Rainbow flailed about, trying desperately to rip her tail from Twilight’s mouth. One of her rear hooves connected with the side of Twilight’s face, making her let go of her tail with a pained yelp.
Twilight collapsed to the snowy ground in a heap, pain erupting from the side of her face. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks and her ears lay flat on her head. She curled up into a ball as she sobbed, crying her heart out for all to hear.
Everything that could have gone wrong had gone wrong. Scootaloo was fighting for her life in the hospital, her once-perfect relationship with Rainbow Dash was on the rocks, and Scootaloo’s parents were still on the loose. Twilight cried, not only because her head hurt from where her marefriend had struck her, but from all of the emotional stress that Rainbow had put her through.
Twilight had never felt more alone and helpless in her life.
She covered her face with her hooves as sobs wracked her body. The snow sapped what little warmth she had left, leaving her feeling like an ice cube.
Rainbow immediately regretted what she had done. Her blinding rage subsided as soon as she heard Twilight cry out in pain. She landed beside Twilight and sat down, an uncertain hoof raised. Rainbow bit her lip, trying to figure out what to do. She whimpered softly, then gently ran a hoof through Twilight’s mane.
“I’m so sorry, Twilight...” she murmured. “I never meant to hurt you.” Tears sprang to her eyes as she spoke. “It’s just... you know how it is! I wanted to go and get those lousy excuses for ponies and, and you tried to stop me! I couldn’t let that happen, and...” she trailed off, realizing exactly how selfish that made her sound.
“No. What I did was wrong, Twilight. I honestly and truly never meant to hit you, and knowing that I hurt you makes me sick to my stomach.” She waited for Twilight to respond, but she just kept on crying. Even though it pained her immensely, Rainbow whispered, “With Scootaloo g-gone, and after all of this, I understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore...”
Twilight’s sobs died down. “N-no...” Twilight muttered. She lifted her head to look at Rainbow, her tears feeling like they were freezing on her face. “Rainbow, you pushed me away when I needed you the most!” she said angrily as she climbed to her hooves. “Why?! How could you do that to me?! I was as hurt as you were, and how could you not have seen how much I was hurting inside?!” Tears streamed down her face as she stared into Rainbow’s eyes. “And why would you think kicking me in the face was a good idea?” Several seconds passed in silence before she spoke up again. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself?”
This time, Rainbow wilted before Twilight. She looked down at the ground and flicked her tail around her flank, ignoring the cold snow sapping her body’s warmth. Rainbow looked back up at Twilight and bit her cheek. She hesitantly looked up into Twilight’s eyes and saw nothing but a fiery rage. Glancing off to the side, her ears flicked back as she felt her heart beat faster. Rainbow wiped the tears from her eyes, swallowed, then cleared her throat before looking back up.
“Uh... I’m sorry?” she asked weakly.
Twilight’s face scrunched up. “Really? All you have to say is you’re sorry? Gah!” She rolled her eyes and sat down, angrily staring at Rainbow. Twilight took a deep breath. “I can’t believe you right now...”
“Twilight, listen—”
“No, you listen!” Twilight huffed. “The doctors brought Scootaloo back after you left. If you had waited to see what happened like a normal pony, you would have seen that she’s alright, but instead, you thought it was better to lose your mind and kick a hole in the wall!”
“Twilight, stop!” Rainbow waved her forelegs in front of her. “She’s alive?!”
“Yes, I literally just said that! Weren’t you listening?” Twilight snapped at Rainbow. “You should go check up on her and see how she’s doing.” She stood up and flicked her tail to get rid of the snow on it, then started trotting away from the hospital.
“W-what about you?” Rainbow asked, her voice soft and full of pain. “Don’t you want to be there when Scootaloo wakes up?”
Twilight stopped, but didn’t look back. “Yes, I do, but I don’t know when that’ll be. Besides, I have to make sure Spike is doing okay.” She began her trek back into town with a heavy heart, leaving Rainbow standing alone in the snow.
Motherly Instincts
Rainbow watched Twilight trot away into the darkness, quickly disappearing behind the falling snow. She yearned to go after her to try and make things right, but a small part of her mind told her that she needed her space right now. Biting her lower lip, Rainbow turned around and shot one last glance over her shoulder, then sullenly walked back inside the hospital, her head hung low.
She pushed the door open and allowed herself a smile as she felt the heat from inside purge the cold from her coat. Rainbow felt a shiver run down her back as she closed the door behind her. She stood in the empty lobby as her stomach twisted itself into knots. Rainbow swallowed, trying to keep the contents of her stomach down. She was starving, but her concern for Scootaloo outweighed everything else. Even though she trusted Twilight without reserve, she still had to see Scootaloo alive with her own eyes.
Rainbow knew she had to find out where Scootaloo was. She figured that setting a couple of broken wings and bandaging some cuts wouldn’t take that long, so Scootaloo must already be in one of the recovery rooms.
Everypony here knew that Rainbow Dash was strong, that nothing could ever faze her. She had to be strong. Showing that she was hurting would make her look weak in everypony’s eyes, and she could not have that at all. Rainbow took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, puffed out her chest, and fluffed her wings.
She didn’t feel tough at all.
Stepping up to the nurse’s desk, Rainbow lifted her head to meet her gaze. The nurse offered a comforting smile as she stood up. “Come with me, Miss Dash. I’ll take you to her.”
“T-thank you,” Rainbow choked out. She was grateful that the nurse knew what she needed because she doubted she had the strength to ask. The nurse led her down the hall and up the flight of stairs at the end. They walked past a few empty rooms, then the nurse opened a door on the left side and held it open for her.
Rainbow nodded at the nurse, silently expressing her thanks. Though just as she was about to turn and step inside, her stomach grumbled loudly, making the two of them pause.
“Would you like me to fetch you something to eat, dear?” the nurse asked softly.
Rainbow’s stomach grumbled again. “Yeah, that’d be... nice. I’ll be inside, if that’s alright.”
“Of course it is!” She glanced inside the room. “We had to give her some pretty strong pain medication, Miss Dash. Having both her wings broken, I... can’t imagine how much that would hurt. But never fear, for she’s going to get the best care around! I’ll be back with some food for ya.” The nurse turned and trotted down the hallway, leaving Rainbow alone.
Rainbow turned to look inside the room, and as soon as she saw Scootaloo, her breath caught in her throat and tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Scootaloo was fast asleep, laying on her stomach. Her wings were fully encased in a cast that ran over her back. Her feathers were completely encased in thick bandages and her cuts were covered by gauze. Scootaloo’s mane was an absolute wreck. She was missing a little bit of her mane and tail, and her face and neck were covered in large, black bruises.
Rainbow’s eyes glazed over as she began to feel light-headed. Rainbow stumbled over to Scootaloo’s bed, tripping over her hooves. She sat down on the cold floor and heard what sounded like a group of stallions trotting down the hallway. Rainbow looked and saw four of Luna’s personal guards stop outside of the room. She knew, deep down inside of her, that Twilight had sent them for her. Rainbow cracked a small smile and looked back at Scootaloo.
A few seconds later, the guards outside slammed their spears on the ground, shocking Rainbow. Her head whipped around as she glared at their backs. Feeling anger build up inside of her, she trotted up to the door and yanked it open to find the nurse blocked off from the room by four very sharp spears. The poor mare was quivering in terror as she looked up at the four bat ponies blocking her way. The tray of food she was holding looked like it was about to slip from her grasp. “Can’t you guys keep it quiet out here? Scootaloo is trying to sleep!” Rainbow snapped, her voice hoarse.
“Sorry ma’am, but we have strict orders from Princess Twilight to keep this room locked down.”
“Even from the doctors and nurses that are doing their job to help our daughter?” Rainbow asked incredulously.
“We were just about to ask for her credentials, ma’am,” the same stallion answered. “Once we are able to determine that she works here, we’ll—”
“Don’t bother, this nurse was just bringing me food. I vouch for her.” Rainbow pushed her way past the guards and held out her hoof. The nurse hesitantly took a step forward and placed the tray in Rainbow’s outstretched hoof then darted away.
Rainbow walked back inside Scootaloo’s room and closed the door as softly as she could. She walked back towards the bed and placed the tray of food on the edge of Scootaloo’s bed, eyeing the applesauce hungrily. She ripped the lid off of it and emptied the entire thing into her mouth in one go. Rainbow swallowed it, and did the same to the other one. Tossing the empty plastic cartons back on the tray, she slid it under Scootaloo’s bed.
Rainbow’s shoulders slumped as she looked back at Scootaloo. The poor filly slept away soundly, her chest rising and falling with each breath. She looked so peaceful laying there. It occurred to Rainbow that the last thing Scootaloo must have seen before she was knocked unconscious was her parents beating her. Rainbow knew from personal experience that waking up in a strange place after an accident was pretty disorienting, so she wanted Scootaloo to see her first. She hoped that Scootaloo didn’t hate her for not being there for her in her time of need, just like she had promised.
Rainbow hopped onto the bed, doing her best to not disturb Scootaloo. She lay down on her side and laid a wing over Scootaloo’s back, taking care to not touch the cast. Even though she knew that Scootaloo was out from the medicine, it didn’t stop her from doing what she wanted to do. She nuzzled her daughter right between her ears, a loving smile forming on her face as Scootaloo’s left ear flicked back and forth.
“Momma’s here, Scootaloo...” Rainbow laid the lightest of kisses on the back of Scootaloo’s head and brushed the filly’s mane out of her face as gently as she could. “And Momma loves you very much...” She lay her head down on a pillow and settled down for the night. Rainbow thought about turning off all of the lights, but decided against it. If Scootaloo did happen to wake up in the middle of the night, Rainbow figured that, after such a horrific experience, she would like to see where she was: safe in Rainbow’s embrace.
As sleep tugged at her weary mind and body, Rainbow laid one last kiss on Scootaloo’s muzzle, then fell asleep a few minutes later.
Rainbow woke up in the middle of the night, feeling something stir under her sensitive feathers. Knowing that it was Scootaloo waking up, she sat up and lifted her wing to find Scootaloo wiping her eyes with her hooves. Rainbow cleared her throat as softly as she could, making Scootaloo’s head whip up.
Their eyes met. Rainbow simply smiled as Scootaloo stared up at her. Scootaloo’s whole body trembled, her eyes were filled with confusion and terror, and her ears lay flat on her head.
“M-Mom? Is that r-really... you?” Scootaloo croaked out. Tears filled her eyes as she slowly recognized Rainbow looking down at her with a warm and comforting smile on her face. She coughed a moment later as her tears began to fall down her cheeks.
“Yeah, Scootaloo, I’m here... Momma’s here...” Rainbow choked on her words, her breath catching in her throat. Rainbow covered Scootaloo’s forehead in kisses. She leaned down and nuzzled Scootaloo’s cheek, closing her eyes as tears flowed down her face. “I'm so s-sorry, squirt... I’m so glad you’re alive.”
Scootaloo buried her face into Rainbow’s side, right behind her shoulder as the tears started to flow freely. “Everything hurts... M-my wings... will I ever get to fly with you?”
That drove a spike into Rainbow’s heart. “Of course you are!” Rainbow gently pulled Scootaloo closer with her wing and held her tightly, letting her daughter cry as much as she needed to. “There, there... I’m not going anywhere, Scootaloo...” She felt Scootaloo latch onto her leg, her tears wetting her fur.
Scootaloo sobbed into Rainbow’s leg for the next couple of minutes. Her cries softened after several seconds, then she fell silent. Rainbow lowered her head and found that she was fast asleep. A soft giggle escaped past Rainbow’s lips when she saw that Scootaloo’s head was propped up against her leg like it was a makeshift pillow. Rainbow knew her leg wasn’t the softest thing around, but she figured that if it worked for Scootaloo, then it’d be alright.
Laying her head back on the pillow, Rainbow silently prayed that Princess Luna was watching over Scootaloo’s dreams.
Making Up
Twilight groaned as she woke up. She had a bit of a headache and her neck felt stiff as a board. Her hooves wrapped around her marefriend, Twilight tugged her closer to her, then planted a small kiss on the back of her head. But, instead of finding a messy mane, Twilight found something even softer. She cracked open an eye and found, not Rainbow in her grasp, but one of the many pillows they had on their bed.
It took only a few moments for last night’s events to come rushing back to her. With Rainbow watching over Scootaloo in the hospital, Celestia’s and Luna’s guards patrolling the streets of Ponyville, and with Scootaloo’s old parents still on the run, Twilight felt that everything was much too overwhelming. Silently wishing that she actually had woken up with Rainbow softly nestled in her grasp, Twilight set the pillow aside and rolled over, idly staring out of the window with bleary eyes.
The sun was already high in the sky, its light barely penetrating through the thick cloud cover. The wind howled around Rainbow’s cloudhouse, though it wasn’t nearly strong enough to break the bonds that tied her house to the library. Snow fell from the sky, covering everything in a nice, thick coat.
As Twilight sat up, she felt her head throb. She reached up with a hoof and rubbed the side of her head, right where Rainbow had kicked her. She whimpered as her hoof brushed against it, and it had formed into a nice little bump on the left side of her face, right above and to the side of her eye.
After rolling out of bed and making herself look presentable, Twilight trotted downstairs to Spike’s bedroom. She cracked open his door and stuck her head in far enough to see that he was still fast asleep. She watched him for a few more moments, then gently closed the door.
She went all the way down to the kitchen and pulled out a piece of spare parchment and a quill, then wrote, 'Spike, if you wake up before I get back, I’m at the hospital with Rainbow and Scootaloo.'
Twilight placed it the parchment at the bottom of the stairs, grabbed her favorite scarf, then left the library, taking care to not let the door slam shut. After nodding at the two bat ponies standing guard in front of the door, Twilight opened her wings and flew off in the direction of the hospital. The cold, wintery air bit at her muzzle as she flew along. She contemplated slowing down, but she didn’t want to waste any more time than necessary.
A part of her told her that she shouldn’t have left Rainbow standing alone in the dark last night. She bit her lip as she remembered the look of hurt on Rainbow’s face. Twilight sighed and closed her eyes for just a few moments, the image of Rainbow’s face burned into her memory. Twilight wanted to forgive Rainbow, but... her actions were way out of line. Throwing a tantrum in the hospital, damaging hospital property, making a scene in front of everypony... Twilight understood why Rainbow did all those things, but she definitely should not have jumped to conclusions, and she definitely did not have to kick her.
Twilight wondered how different things would be if she had stayed with Rainbow to talk things through.
She landed in front of the hospital and brushed what little snow had accumulated on her back. Stepping into the warm lobby, she felt a shiver run through her as the winter coldness left her coat. Twilight made her way up the stairs and walked up to the guards standing on either side of Scootaloo’s room.
With a wave of her hoof, they stepped aside for her, the one on the right opening the door for her. She whispered her thanks to him and walked inside, then closed the door behind her. Twilight looked up and stared in shock. Rainbow, still fast asleep, was laying next to Scootaloo, but that wasn’t the part that shocked her.
Scootaloo was only a couple of inches away from the edge of the bed.
Twilight’s eyes narrowed as she lit her horn. The memory and the pain of what Rainbow did to her last night still vivid in her mind, Twilight lifted Rainbow away from Scootaloo with her magic while she held Scootaloo in place. She let Rainbow fall onto the only other bed in the room as she gently moved Scootaloo back to the center of the bed.
Rainbow woke up a couple of inches before she landed on the other bed. “Oof!” she exclaimed. Most of the air was knocked from her lungs, and she struggled to pull in air. She had no idea what was going on, but there was one thing that she knew: someone had just thrown her away from Scootaloo. With that thought in mind, she knew she had to take action to protect her daughter.
After pulling in as much air as she could, Rainbow opened her eyes and tried to sit up, only to find Twilight stalking towards her. She paused as her eyebrows furrowed. Twilight did that? Why would sh—
“Are you out of your freaking mind?” Twilight hissed. She pushed Rainbow back down onto the bed so she could look down upon her. “You’re sooo lucky I got here when I did. Scootaloo was an inch or two from falling off of the bed, and all it would have taken was for you to kick her, or heck, even shift in your sleep to hurt her even worse than she already is!” Part of her begged, no, screamed at her not to say what she had on her mind next, but she was already on a roll. “I knew I should have stayed here last night to make sure something like that didn’t happen.”
Rainbow looked up at Twilight in shock. She tried to sit up, but a glare from Twilight told her that wasn’t a good idea. “What, are you saying you don’t trust me with her?” Rainbow stared at Twilight incredulously, waiting for her to respond. She never did. Twilight didn’t have to say anything, for the look on her face told her everything she needed to know. “Listen, Twilight, I—”
“No, Rainbow, you listen!” Twilight took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Your lack of responsibility could have hurt Scootaloo even more than she is right now. Do you want to hurt her? Hm?”
Rainbow rolled over onto her stomach and sat up on the bed, and this time Twilight didn’t push her back down. Her heart raced, and she wanted nothing more than to take this situation down a few notches. She took a couple of deep breaths, then hopped down off of the bed and sat down next to Twilight. Her ears flicking back to lay flat on her head, she glanced over at Scootaloo and hung her head.
She glanced back up to look into Twilight’s eyes, rubbing her foreleg nervously. “I... I didn’t think about that...”
“Of course you didn’t.”
Rainbow winced at that. “All I wanted was to make her happy, to make her feel safe. I realized that the last thing she saw before blacking out was her father beating her, and... she probably thought she was going to die.” A sole tear formed in the corner of her eye as she looked back at Scootaloo. “And when she woke up, I wanted to be the first thing she saw, just so that she would know from the very first moment that she was safe... safe with me. The only way I knew I could do that was if I held her.”
Rainbow brushed a few stray hairs out of her face, then flicked her mane around the other side of her neck. “She woke up last night, Twilight. She was absolutely terrified, and she had no idea where she was until she saw me. And when she saw me, she knew that she was going to be alright. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry for upsetting you like that, but... I’m not sorry for what I did. I didn’t want Scootaloo to be scared, and me being right there for her... I’m sure it meant the world and more to her, and even if I could, I wouldn’t change what I did.”
Twilight pursed her lips, then relaxed. “I... I see.” Her ears flicked back just like Rainbow’s. “I’m sorry for snapping at you like that. I... I should have heard you out before I jumped to conclusions like that.”
“Yeah, you should have.” Rainbow stood up and roughly pushed Twilight aside with her shoulder, eliciting a small gasp of shock from the alicorn. She walked up to Scootaloo’s bed and brushed her mane out of her face, then laid the lightest of kisses on her forehead.
Twilight opened her mouth to put Rainbow in her place, but as the words danced on the tip of her tongue, simply begging to be released, she relented. Now was not the time nor was it the place for starting an argument. She stepped up to Rainbow and placed a hoof on her shoulder. Much to her disbelief, Rainbow shrugged it off without looking at her.
Twilight bit her lip and sighed. I don’t want it all to end... not like this... “Rainbow, I’m... I’m concerned about you, about... about us.”
“Twilight, just... just stop, okay?” Rainbow ran a hoof over her muzzle and groaned. “I have too much on my plate right now.”
Twilight felt her stomach twist into knots. “I’m sorry, Dashie,” she murmured, hoping her affectionate nickname for her marefriend would somehow make her open up.
Rainbow stayed silent.
Twilight let her head droop. She blinked back the tears that formed in the corners of her eyes as she took a step back. “C-can we talk? Pl-please?” I need you to comfort me, to tell me that everything’s going to be okay...
Rainbow turned around when she heard Twilight’s voice change. Her expression softened when she saw Twilight on the verge of tears. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then moved to sit in front of Twilight. Her marefriend simply sat there, staring into her eyes as she waited for her to say something, anything. Rainbow bit her lip and rubbed the back of her head, then hesitantly leaned in for a nuzzle. As her cheek met Twilight’s, she felt Twilight tense up, then relax. She nuzzled her gently for a couple of seconds, then as she started to pull back, Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her and pulled her into a tight hug.
She felt Twilight sob into her shoulder more than she heard her. “Hey... it’s alright, Twi...” She wrapped her forelegs around the back of Twilight’s neck and rubbed the back of her head, then wrapped her wings around her.
“I... I d-don’t want you t-to leave me!” Twilight choked out. She buried her face into Rainbow’s shoulder, taking care not to poke her with her horn. “I can’t do th-this a-alone...” She felt Rainbow gently push her back. She thought that she was finally fed up with her, but instead of seeing a look of scorn on Rainbow’s face, she saw nothing but a loving and comforting smile.
Rainbow wiped Twilight’s tears from her eyes with a feather, then kissed her right on the lips. “Did you really think I was going to break up with you? After all we’ve done?” she asked softly, a hint of worry in her tone. Twilight nodded. “Come on now, stop crying...” She rubbed Twilight’s shoulder, then grabbed her hoof. Holding onto it tightly, she looked Twilight dead in the eyes. “I’m not breaking up with you, Twilight. I...” She bit her lip as she blushed madly, then glanced away.
“You what?”
Rainbow lowered her voice until it was nothing more than a whisper. “I... I like you too much to let something like this come between us.” She laughed nervously, then cleared her throat. “I know that there’s a lot for us to talk about, and I know we have some issues, but... we can work them out.”
Twilight smiled and took her hoof back. She nuzzled Rainbow’s cheek, then kissed the side of her neck. “Thank you...” she whispered as she laid her head on Rainbow’s shoulder. “That’s all I wanted to hear from you...” She felt Rainbow rub her back with a hoof.
“Yeah... how’s your head feel? I’m still super sorry about kicking you.”
“It’s... alright. It hurts a little bit, but only when I touch it.” Twilight pulled back and looked at Scootaloo. The poor little filly was still fast asleep. “And you’re right, we do have some... issues to work through, and I... I just want, you know... us to be alright.”
“We are, Twi... Now, come on, I want us both to be there when Scootaloo wakes up. I bet she’d love that...” She moved to stand next to Twilight, then laid a wing over her back. The two of them walked the short distance back to the bed and sat side by side.
A few minutes passed in silence before Twilight spoke up. “I... I missed you last night.” She laid her head against Rainbow’s and laid a wing over her back, tugging her as close as she could.
“Same here, Twi... same here.”
Decisions
“So... I was thinking that we go on a vacation, just the three of us. You, me, and Scootaloo.” Twilight paced around the island in Rainbow’s kitchen, a hoof rubbing her chin as she thought. Rainbow was sitting down on the border of the kitchen and the living room, watching her walk in circles with a small smile on her face.
Four days had passed since Scootaloo had been admitted into the hospital, and they had just been able to bring her back home about an hour ago. Scootaloo was taking a nap on the couch, letting the pain medications wear off. Her wings were healed, but the doctor had told both Twilight and Rainbow, in no uncertain terms, that she was not to use them for the next week or so just to be safe.
“Wait, the three of us?” Rainbow asked softly, trying to keep her voice down for their daughter. “What about Spike?” She turned to look out the window. Another snowstorm raged outside, tugging her house this way and that. Might be a good idea to reinforce the bonds connecting our houses... It was pitch-black outside. The clouds were so thick and heavy with snow that it blocked out the moonlight.
“Well... I need someone to watch over and run the library. Shutting it down for a week, or however long we plan to go on vacation for, is something I do not want to do.” Twilight paused and shook her head. “What if someone wanted a book? Or what if someone wanted to return a book? Nobody would be there to help them!” She resumed pacing. “Besides, living in constant fear is something that I will not do. Scootaloo’s old parents have shown that they do not want Scootaloo alive, so I think taking Scootaloo out of harm’s way is a good idea.”
“But what if Scootaloo’s old parents try to get in the library? What if they get to Spike?”
Twilight shook her head. “I seriously doubt that would ever happen. The town is crawling with guards, and we have at least two always in front of the library. I'll talk to him about this tomorrow when we all get up, too.”
Rainbow took a sip of coffee from her mug. It warmed her hooves just enough to keep her content. “Huh... okay. So where should we go?”
Twilight sat down in front of her and grinned. “I was thinking that we could go introduce Scootaloo to our families!”
“Hey, yeah! That sounds like fun! Hehe, I wonder what my parents are gonna think when I show up with you at my side! They haven’t met Scootaloo yet, but they know I’ve adopted her.” Rainbow blushed madly as she remembered her visit with her parents. “And they, um... I kinda told them that I had a thing for you the last time I saw them.”
Twilight cocked her head to the side and grinned. “What, you tell them that you had a massive crush on me?”
“Well, kinda. I told them I had a small crush on you, and that—”
“Come on, a small crush?”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and giggled at that. “Okay, a big crush. I did tell them that I couldn’t tell if you were into me or not, and...” Dash scratched the back of her head. “I wonder what they’re gonna think when I tell them that I actually mared up and asked you out.”
“Hehe...” Twilight cracked a smile and nuzzled Rainbow’s cheek. “You know... We still haven’t gone on that date yet.”
Rainbow blushed a little and bit her cheek as she glanced away. “Oh yeah, about that.... What if... hm.” She heard Scootaloo yawn softly, making her turn around to look. Lowering her voice, she said, “Tell you what... Why don’t we go somewhere nice up in Canterlot? You pick the place, and I’ll pay for the whole thing!”
Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, that sounds great! I know just the place, too! It’s right on the edge of the city, looking over the valley. It is really expensive, but—”
“You’re worth it.” Rainbow scootched closer and laid a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Every last bit...” She leaned in, closed her eyes, and laid a gentle, tender kiss on Twilight’s lips. “We’re gonna have fun, you and me.” She let her hoof fall back to the floor as she blushed. “But first, I think we should check up on Scootaloo... It sounds like she’s waking up.”
Twilight nodded. The two of them walked around the side of the couch and sat down on either side of Scootaloo. Rainbow lay down on her stomach and brushed Scootaloo’s mane with a hoof. “Hey there, sleepyhead...” Rainbow scratched her daughter behind her left ear. Scootaloo groaned and pushed up into Rainbow’s hoof, the beginnings of a smile pulling the sides of her lips up. “How’re you feeling?” she asked softly.
“Mmm... sleepy still...” Scootaloo murmured. She cracked open an eye and saw Rainbow Dash laying beside her. As a shiver ran down her back, she pushed herself up against Rainbow’s side and laid her head on Rainbow’s hoof. She nuzzled Rainbow and smiled when she felt Rainbow lay a wing over her. “Love you guys...”
Twilight slid closer to them and nuzzled Scootaloo’s head, right in between her ears. “And we love you too, little one.” Scootaloo hummed in content. Twilight laid a tiny kiss where she had just nuzzled her, then she sat back. “If you’re awake enough, Rainbow and I have some good news to tell you!”
“Hm?” Scootaloo opened one eye and looked up at Twilight. “Whatcha mean?” she mumbled.
Twilight glanced at Rainbow. “You wanna tell her?”
“Sure.” Rainbow rubbed Scootaloo’s side with the tip of her wing. “We’re gonna go on a vacation!”
Scootaloo perked up at that. Her ears flicked up and she lifted her head from Rainbow’s leg. “Really? Where are we going?” Her gaze switched from Twilight to Rainbow a few times.
Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo’s mane. “First, we’re gonna go see Twilight’s parents in Canterlot, then we’re gonna go see mine in Cloudsdale, and then we’re gonna go to the Crystal Empire!”
“Oh my gosh, that sounds awesome!” Scootaloo stood up and hopped in place, a wide grin on her face. Her head swayed back and forth, making her slump back down against Rainbow’s side. “Oh gosh, I feel kind of dizzy...”
“I think the pain meds are still wearing off, squirt. If you want, I can bring you upstairs and we can snuggle up in my bedroom.” Rainbow tickled Scootaloo’s side with the tip of a feather again. “And I’m sure Twi would have no problem joining us, right?”
“You know I’d never say no to that, Dash! But instead of wasting time walking up there...” Twilight lit her horn, concentrated on the three of them, and teleported them up to their bedroom. “We can get right to the best part!”
“Oh, so you’re admitting that you skip ahead to see what happens at the end of your books now, hm?” Rainbow quipped, nudging Twilight’s neck with her muzzle.
“W-what? I would n-never do such a thi— Oh.” Twilight grinned and nudged Rainbow back. She lay down on her side and used her magic to pull Scootaloo up against her side, then let a warm smile slip on her face when Rainbow snuggled up to them. She laid a wing over Rainbow’s back, making sure to cover all but Scootaloo’s head.
“So Canterlot first, huh?” Rainbow laid her head down on a pillow and scootched closer so that her head was only a few inches away from Twilight’s. She saw Twilight’s horn light up, then felt the sheets cover them. As warmth seeped into her, she yawned, and right as she was closing her mouth, she felt Twilight’s lips upon her own. Dash returned the kiss with a subdued vigor, then broke away after a few seconds. “I love it when you kiss me when I’m least expecting it,” she admitted.
“I thought you might like that... So yeah, Canterlot first. I can’t wait to tell my parents about us.” Twilight tucked her head under Rainbow’s chin, taking care to lay her horn on the side of her neck. The last thing she wanted to do was to poke her throat with the tip of her horn. She nuzzled her and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “You have no idea how much I love snuggling with you, Dashie...”
“Heh, well, if you like it as much as I do, I think I have a pretty good idea.” Rainbow unfolded the wing that she wasn’t laying on and wrapped it around Twilight’s back, then she flicked her tail around her flank. “You know, I really can’t wait to take you out.” She felt Twilight squirm for just a moment.
“Me too, Dash...”
“Gosh, do you two have to be so sappy when I’m around?” Scootaloo asked as she rolled over onto her back. She wriggled in between the two of them, trying to find the perfect snuggle spot.
“Only when we’re all snuggling together, little one,” Twilight murmured. “Anyways... we’ll leave tomorrow evening. I want to talk to Rarity about something, plus I want to give my parents enough of a heads up that we’re coming for a few days.”
“What do you need to talk to Rarity about, Twi?”
“You’ll see.”
Are You My Grandparents?
As the train came to a stop in Canterlot’s station, Rainbow woke up from her nap with a small snort. She blearily opened her eyes to look out of the window only to get a faceful of bright light from the setting sun, making her wince. They had taken the early afternoon train out of Ponyville, and after talking with Twilight for a little over an hour, Rainbow had decided to sleep the rest of the trip up, and naturally, Scootaloo had fallen asleep nestled safely in her grasp.
She felt Scootaloo stir between her forelegs, then heard her mumble something inaudible. “What was that?” Rainbow croaked out, her voice hoarse. She spread her forelegs to give Scootaloo a little bit more room, then brushed her daughter’s mane with a hoof. Rainbow glanced down at the cast that pinned her wings to her side before Scootaloo spoke up.
“I said, are we there already?” Scootaloo rubbed her eyes and sat up to peer out the window. “Wow... I must have slept through the entire train ride, huh?”
“Sure looks like it!” Spike said from the seat across from them as he stowed his latest addition to his comic book collection in his backpack. “I just spent the whole train ride re-reading the entire Power Ponies series!”
“Yes, Spike, I know,” Twilight said with a light giggle. “You and I talked about it all the way up here, remember?”
“Heh, yeah...” Spike sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, then he slid from the seat. “So we going or what? You told your parents that we’d be up here by eight, but it’s already half an hour past that! See?” He gestured at the train station’s clock with a claw, pointing out the window.
“Well then, we’d better hurry up! I don’t like being late, you know.” Twilight nudged Rainbow’s flank with her muzzle, nearly pushing her from the seat. “Come on, sleepyhead. There’ll be time for us to snuggle later. My parents said that they were making a big dinner for us, and I am getting pretty hungry.” She felt Spike hop up onto her back.
“Yeah, same here.” Rainbow hopped off of the seat and nuzzled Scootaloo again. “So whatcha say, squirt? Wanna get some grub?”
“Sure! Can I ride on your back?” Scootaloo asked rather sheepishly, eyeing Spike on Twilight’s back. A small yawn parted her lips moments before Rainbow held out her wing for her to climb onto. “T-thanks, uh... Mom.”
“No problem, Scoots.” Rainbow waited until Scootaloo settled down between her wings, then she tightened the strap on her saddlebag. She felt Scootaloo lay down and wrap her small forelegs as far around her neck as she could, so she made a mental note to not whip her head around for fear of throwing her daughter off. Shooting a smile at Twilight, she asked, “So what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
They made the trip to Twilight’s street in record time, the promise of food making their steps light and quick. The thought to fly was ever prevalent on Twilight’s mind, but a part of her preferred to simply trot down the roads that used to be so familiar to her as a filly. Most of the shops that she remembered had been long since replaced by other businesses, but the walk back home still held an aura of familiarity that she held close to her heart.
Walking up the road that led up to her old house, Twilight paused a few houses down. She was so used to just walking in and out of the place that she once called home, but now that she had her own place, it felt rather improper to just walk inside. So, after taking a breath to steady her nerves, she looked at Rainbow and asked, “You ready? I’m pretty sure my parents aren’t aware of the fact that we’re a couple, so just be prepared for that. I don’t think it’s gonna be a problem, but...”
“Everything’s gonna be fine, Twilight!” Spike spoke up. “They’re your parents, and they’ve always loved you no matter what. Why would you being with Rainbow make them think otherwise?”
“Exactly, Spike!” Rainbow said with a confident grin. “If anything, they should feel glad that you’ve found somepony to love.”
“Yeah, I guess. I just, well... they were always talking about grandfoals and all that. I know that Cadence and Shining will eventually have foals of their own, but...”
“What, I don’t count?” Scootaloo lifted her head from the back of Rainbow’s neck and giggled.
“Of course you do, squirt!” Rainbow started walking again. “She was just saying that she thought that her parents assumed that she’d get with a stallion, and not an awesome pony like me. Isn’t that right, Twi?”
“Yeah, it is.” Twilight caught up to her and nuzzled Rainbow just below her left ear. “You really are a catch, Dashie... One in a million.” Their conversation lapsed into silence as they walked up the path leading to Twilight’s old house. Twilight felt Spike rub the side of her neck. As she lifted her hoof again to knock on the door, she looked over her shoulder and whispered, “Thanks, Spike.” Then, after taking yet another deep breath, she fluffed her wings and knocked on the door three times. Twilight heard hoofsteps come from inside, then a few seconds later, the door flew open to reveal her mother.
“Twilight! Rainbow!” Twilight Velvet pulled the both of them into a fierce hug, one that only a mother could pull off. “It’s so good to see you all!” She let go of them and looked at Spike. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, mister!” Velvet stepped in between her daughter and Rainbow and laid the wettest of kisses on Spike’s cheek.
“Heh, yeah, it’s good to see you too!” Spike wiped his cheek off with a claw.
“H-hello,” Scootaloo said, rubbing her left leg with a hoof. “You’re Twilight’s mom, right? So... are you my grandma?” she asked hesitantly. Sliding off of Rainbow, she stepped up to Twilight Velvet and cocked her head to the side, her breath catching in her throat.
“I suppose I am, little one!” Twilight Velvet leaned down and nuzzled Scootaloo’s head. “It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Scootaloo. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you!”
“Honey, is that them? Night Light’s voice echoed from deep inside the house.
“Yep!” Twilight Velvet yelled over her shoulder. Looking back at her guests, she stepped aside and waved them in.
Spike jumped off of Twilight’s back and scampered up to Velvet. “So whatcha cookin? Anything particularly tasty?”
“You bet! We made Twilight’s favorite salad, iceberg lettuce with baby carrots soaked in ranch dressing! But for you? We made so many hay fries and nachos that you’ll be eating leftovers for days!” She paused as she closed the door behind everybody. “Hey Twilight, why don’t you go show Rainbow and Scootaloo their guest room? I made sure both your old bedroom and the guest room was squeaky clean!”
“Guest bedroom? When did we get one of those?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side.
“Oh, I redid your older brother’s room last year. I also found his stash of some rather... inappropriate magazines, too,” she added with a blush. “I figured that since he and Cadence have their own castle now that he wouldn’t mind me redoing his room.”
Separate rooms? Twilight licked her dry lips and glanced at Rainbow, knowing that she was thinking the same thing. She saw her open her mouth to say something, but with a nudge from her flank, she shut her up. “Sure, I’ll get everybody’s stuff upstairs, and then we’ll come right back down!” She nodded towards the stairs, and thankfully, Rainbow took the hint.
“You wanna come help Mommy put your stuff up, Scootaloo?” Rainbow asked.
“Sure!” Scootaloo scampered upstairs, beating Twilight and Rainbow to the top. “So where are the bedrooms? This place is huge!”
“My bedroom is this way, little one,” Twilight said, nodding to the left. She stepped forward, Rainbow and Scootaloo close behind. With a quick spell, she pushed her door open. Her bed was neatly made, complete with two light purple pillowcases. Her floor to ceiling bookshelves looked like they had just been freshly dusted, and her usually dirty desk was bare of any books, quills, and parchment.
“So, uh... Twilight?” Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck as Scootaloo took her saddlebag off. As her daughter hopped on Twilight’s bed, she asked, “I know your mom just said that she made a separate room for me and Scootaloo to sleep in, but... do you have any idea how she’s gonna react when we tell her that we were planning on sleeping together?”
Twilight giggled. Hehe, phrasing... “Well... she might be a little shocked that we’re already snuggling, but I don’t think that she’d be opposed to it. Just... let me do the talking, okay?”
“Yeah, alright. So what about Scootaloo and Spike?” Rainbow used the tip of a feather to unfasten her saddlebag, which she stowed in the corner.
“They can sleep in the guest bedroom, I suppose.” Twilight lit her horn and lifted Scootaloo from her bed, then placed her on her back. “Wanna go see where you and Spike are sleeping?”
“Totally!” Scootaloo let her legs fall on either side of Twilight’s back, then she yawned. “Even after that nap on the train ride, I’m still feeling pretty sleepy.”
“Yeah, me too,” Rainbow said as she left Twilight’s room, looking left and right. “So where’s Shining’s old room?”
“Just to the left of mine,” Twilight said as she trotted past Rainbow. “Riiiiight here!” With another flash from her horn, she opened up the door to Shining’s old bedroom. “Woah...” All of Shining’s old posters had been replaced by a few pictures of the scenery around Canterlot. The Royal Gardens, Waterfall Park, and the Overlook? The dark blue walls had been painted a light brown color, the window had a pair of white curtains, and the stench was all gone. The bed was noticeably bigger and was clad in a pure white comforter.
“Wait, only one bed? What about Spike?” Scootaloo cocked her head to the side as she jumped off of Twilight’s back. She hopped up onto the bed and curled up into a ball, sinking down into the bed. “Dang, this is comfy!” With a light giggle, she glanced at Rainbow. “But not as comfy as your bed, Dash!”
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow grinned as she flew to the bed. “Well, this bed is pretty nice, and super big, too. Would you mind sharing it with Spike while we’re here?”
Scootaloo thought about it for a couple of seconds. “Nah.”
“Awesome. Now come on, you two lazy bugs! Mom’s made dinner, and I’d hate to keep my parents waiting.” Twilight stepped to the side, letting Rainbow and Scootaloo walk past her. They trotted downstairs and made their way into the dining room where Night Light, Twilight Velvet, and Spike were.
“Twilight!” Night Light stood up and embraced his daughter. “It’s been much too long!”
Twilight wrapped her hooves around his neck and nuzzled him. “I know, and I’m sorry we didn’t stop by after the trial. We were just so caught up in things that I didn’t even think to come home for a while.”
“Oh, that’s okay. You’re here now, and that’s all that matters!” Night Light stepped back and looked at Rainbow Dash. “Ah, Miss Dash, I presume?” he asked with a warm smile.
“Yep! It’s nice to finally meet you, sir.” Rainbow glanced around the table. “So, uh... where do you want us all to sit?”
“Oh, just sit wherever you want to, dear!” Twilight Velvet said with a dismissive wave of her hoof.
“Sweet...” Rainbow watched as Scootaloo walked around the table to sit next to Spike. Twilight sat down across from her mother as Night Light sat down at the head of the table. Eyeing the cushion next to Twilight, she shook her mane out of her face and sat down next to her marefriend. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Velvet eyeing her, so she forced herself to not look in her direction.
Once everybody had plenty of food on their plates, Night Light cleared his throat. “So, Twilight? How’ve things been? I’m sure you and Rainbow Dash have had a lot on your plate since you got legal custody of Scootaloo.”
“Yeah, things have been a little rough, but we’ve gotten through them just fine,” Twilight said, sneaking a glance over at Rainbow. She smiled at her and flicked her tail around Rainbow’s flank, then looked back over at her father, knowing all too well that he couldn’t see her small sign of affection towards her marefriend. “Scootaloo is recovering pretty well, and since her abusive parents are still on the loose, we thought it’d be nice to get away for a while.”
“Hey, you guys aren’t abusive!” Scootaloo said indignantly. She tried to hold a neutral expression, but she couldn’t hold her smile back.
“Yeah, you bet your flank we aren’t!” Rainbow said with a giggle. She looked over at Twilight’s parents. “We’ve already given her a bedroom in my house.”
“Don’t you live in a cloudhouse, Rainbow?” Twilight Velvet spoke up.
“I sure do!” Rainbow shoved a forkful of salad into her mouth.
“So do you two have a schedule or something for who watches over Scootaloo? Or does she stay at your house all the time?” Velvet asked, toying with the food on her plate.
“Oh, we don’t have any sort of schedule. Since our houses are connected, we don’t have to worry about dropping Scootaloo off at all. Since our daughter can’t fly yet, she needed a way to get up to my house.”
“Mo~om!” Scootaloo glared at Rainbow as she crossed her forelegs. “You didn’t have to tell them that...” she mumbled.
“Oh...” Woops... Me and my big mouth! Rainbow’s shoulders slumped as her smile left her face. “Sorry, Scootaloo, I—”
“Gotcha! Hehe, you sure are gullible.” Scootaloo grinned and looked over at Twilight’s parents. “My wings are smaller than usual,” she explained. “Even though some doctor said that I’d never be able to fly, I don’t believe him. You know why? Because Rainbow promised me that she’d help me get up there, no matter what!” She didn’t notice Rainbow grimace.
“Aww, how sweet...” Velvet cooed. “So... why are your houses connected?” she asked Twilight.
“Well... in order for us to get custody of Scootaloo, we had to make certain arrangements. We were told that we couldn’t use the library as Scootaloo’s primary residence because it was public property, and Rainbow’s home floats in the air, so... Rainbow tied her front porch to my bedroom’s balcony.”
“So... let me get this straight.” Night Light propped his head up on his hooves. “In order for Scootaloo to get to Rainbow’s house, she has to go through your bedroom? Wouldn’t that get a little annoying if you were trying to sleep, having ponies walk in and out of your bedroom?”
“It’s not like that, Dad,” Twilight said, feeling her cheeks warm up as she blushed. “Rainbow and I, we’ve... grown really close since we’ve started taking care of Scootaloo, and...” She looked at Rainbow as she paused, her heart racing in her chest.
“Let’s just say that we share the same bed,” Rainbow said, finishing Twilight’s sentence for her. She pushed her cushion up against Twilight’s and laid a wing across her back, tugging her close. Feeling just how tense she was, she massaged her back for a few moments, then said, “We’re together now.” Twilight kept shivering under her wing, even though the room wasn’t all that cold. “And I love Twilight, too,” she added with a smile.
“...I see,” Night Light said, his voice low. “Is this right, Twilight?”
“Yes, it is.” Twilight flicked her gaze up to meet her father’s, expecting his face to wear a look of disapproval. “We, um... we’re in love, Dad.” She felt Rainbow grab her hoof, which she held onto with all of her strength.
Night Light chuckled, then grinned. “Well, I’m glad to hear that.” Looking at Rainbow, he said, “You’ve got yourself a very special mare, Rainbow. Don’t ever forget that.”
Rainbow pulled Twilight up against her side, then said, “I never will...” As Twilight turned to look at her, Rainbow nuzzled her cheek. “I love you, Twi...” she whispered, her voice so soft only Twilight could hear her.
“I know... I love you too, Dashie...” Twilight whispered back, her eyes closed. Her ears laying flat on her head, she looked up see her mother wink at her.
“Anyways...” Rainbow loosened her grasp on Twilight as she started eating again. “I was thinking that Scootaloo and Spike could share Shining Armor’s old room so that Twilight and I can sleep together.”
Night Light dropped his fork, his mouth open wide as he stared at Rainbow. “Wait, what?”
The Love of a Mother
Twilight trotted inside the doctor’s office in Celestia’s castle, folding her aching wings. She had arranged for Scootaloo to get examined by the best doctor in the land, knowing that a second opinion could bolster Scootaloo’s confidence if they were given the answer that they were all hoping for. Earlier this morning, she had sent a letter to Celestia asking if they could have Scootaloo checked up, and thankfully, Celestia said yes, also saying that they could come in around noon.
“Hey, what kept ya?” Rainbow asked, opening a wing for Twilight to sit under. “I was starting to think that you weren’t gonna make it.” Scootaloo was sitting on the edge of the doctor’s bench, letting her hind legs sway back and forth.
Twilight sat down next to her, laying her head against Rainbow’s neck. “I was, uh... getting some things set up for our date tonight.” She sighed and smiled when Rainbow draped her wing over her back, purging the wintery cold from her feathers.
“Oh yeah?” Rainbow lightly nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “What sort of things?”
“It’ll be a surprise, Dashie. But don’t get your feathers all rustled; tonight’s gonna be awesome.”
Scootaloo giggled. “What about Spike and me? What’re we gonna do while you’re gone smooching all night?”
Twilight closed her eyes and blushed at the thought of her and Rainbow making out. She and Rainbow usually only shared quick pecks on the cheek, and had only kissed a couple of times on the lips. The idea of spending a night with her marefriend, alone, made her legs quiver in nervous excitement. “That’s Spike and I, Scootaloo,” Twilight corrected her with a grin. “And Mom and Dad were gonna take you guys to a nice restaurant first, then you’re going to get ice cream and see a movie.”
“A movie? Awesome! I haven’t seen one since Rainbow and I binge-watched Daring Do last summer!” Scootaloo stood up and gleefully hopped around the bench, using her wings to give her an extra bit of air with each hop.
“Yep! Aside from Cloudsdale, I heard that Canterlot has the biggest screen in all of Equestria! Kinda makes me jealous that I won’t be able to go, though...” She glanced at Twilight and shot a sly wink at her, making Twilight chuckle.
“Don’t you worry, you and I...” She glanced at Scootaloo and grinned. “Are gonna have even more fun... just the two of us.” Twilight fought back a squee as she thought, Tonight cannot come soon enough!
“Can’t wait, my little bookworm,” Dashie murmured, nipping the tip of Twilight’s ear.
“Glad to hear it,” Twilight replied, her voice equally as soft. “I’ve waited so long for us to go on a date, but...”
“We’ve just been so busy with adult things.”
“Yeah. So to make up for all the times we could have gone out, I’ve planned this evening to be the best date ever!” Twilight said, her voice bubbling with excitement. “I got us some nice new dresses, a reservation at the best-rated restaurant in town, and...” Her lips formed a small ‘O’, then she grinned at Rainbow as she clammed up. “Hehe, you almost made me spill the beans! I guess the rest is just gonna have to be a surprise, Dash. Don’t wanna spoil the fun, right?”
At that moment, the doctor walked back inside. He looked up from his notes and spotted Twilight. “Ah, Miss Sparkle! How wonderful it is to see you again! It’s been much too long!”
Twilight recognized the aging unicorn instantly. “Doctor Heart!” She let Rainbow’s wing slip from her back as she stood up to greet him. “I haven’t seen you since I was a filly! How’ve you been?”
“Fairly well, thank you!” Doctor Heart looked her up and down with a gentle smile. “My my, you’ve grown so much! If my memory is correct, I think the last time I saw you was when you were just seven years old. Time sure flies, doesn’t it?” he asked with a chuckle. “I still can’t believe you’re an alicorn now. When I heard the news, I could not believe my ears.”
“Yeah, I’m still getting used to having, well... wings.” She looked over her shoulder at Rainbow. “But my marefriend, Rainbow Dash, has been teaching me a lot.”
“Is that so?” Doctor Heart chuckled as he adjusted his white coat. He glanced at the notes in his folder. “So now young Scootaloo has not one, but two esteemed ponies teaching her how to fly, hm?”
“Yes, well... we’ve run into a bit of a snag,” Rainbow said, moving to sit beside Twilight. “The reason we’re here is to get Scootaloo’s wings tested. She’s still having trouble getting in the air, and it’s starting to worry me... well, us,” she said, motioning between her and Twilight with a hoof. “A doctor back in Ponyville said that she’d never be able to fly, but after hearing Twilight talk about you this morning, we figured that we’d get a second, and better, opinion from you.”
“Hopefully she didn’t talk bad about me!” the doctor said with a laugh before looking at Twilight. “I know how much you hated getting shots.” He looked over at Scootaloo. “She cried for hours after one tiny shot!” he said in an exaggerated whisper. “We’ll just have to see how tough you are when I give you your shots today.”
“Hey, I did not!” Twilight said in mock indignance, taking a step back. Everyone in the room stared at her, making her clear her throat nervously. She sat down and chuckled, then said, “Okay, fine... it was more like twenty minutes, but it was a big shot and it hurt!” She stomped a hoof on the ground, then heard Rainbow muffle a snicker. She shot a dirty look at her. “Oh please, I’m sure you cried even longer than I did!”
Rainbow snorted and shook her head, looking at her in disbelief “Oh yeah? You don’t have any proof of that!” she said, a grin nearly splitting her face in two.
“We will soon! Remember how we’re going to introduce Scootaloo to your parents in a few days? I’m sure they’ll have all sorts of stories of you at the doctor!”
Rainbow’s grin faded and her ears drooped. “Heh, you better not ask them!”
“Yeah? Or what?”
“Or... or... I’ll withhold snuggles for a week!”
Twilight gasped. “You... you wouldn’t dare! ...would you?” she asked, her voice coming out more meekly than she intended.
Rainbow giggled. “Nah, of course not. I’d be missing out just as much, if not more, than you!”
“Ladies, ladies...” The doctor used his magic to lay a tray full of needles on Scootaloo’s bench. “Can we get back to the task at hoof? Scootaloo here has never had any sort of shots before, at least that’s what her records show here. It’s a wonder that she hasn’t gotten sick all of these years.”
“Oh, um... wow, really?” Twilight glanced at Scootaloo to find her quivering in a ball. “Is this true? You’ve never gotten a shot?” Scootaloo slowly shook her head, her eyes never leaving the three large needles on the tray. Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, rubbing her temple with a hoof before she looked back up. “What about a dentist? Have you seen one lately?”
“N-never,” Scootaloo croaked out.
“Never ever?” Rainbow’s eyebrows furrowed. “What about the spa? You ever go there to get your wings done?”
“Uh... nope.”
“Huh... guess that’s gonna be on the list of things to do when all of this blows over.” Twilight nodded at the doctor. “Go ahead and give her her shots, please.”
“W-wait, what about Spike? How come he d-doesn’t have to get shots?” Scootaloo asked, her ears laying flat on her head. “And I thought we were here to just get my wings tested!”
“We are, Scootaloo, but it’s better to get the shots out of the way. As for Spike, that’s because he’s already gotten all of his shots.” Twilight rubbed Scootaloo’s leg, making her look up at her with a tiny smile. “He’s out getting lunch with my parents right now.”
Scootaloo shied away from the doctor as he stepped up to the tray. Her eyes flicked to Twilight’s. “It isn’t gonna hurt that bad, r-right?”
“You’ll just feel a little pinch is all. Besides, you’re a tough filly like me, right?” Rainbow asked, nuzzling Scootaloo’s cheek. She paused. “Well, I’m not a filly, but you’re still tough like me! You know what I was trying to say, right?” Rainbow asked with a slightly nervous chuckle.
“Y-yeah,” Scootaloo said, relaxing a bit as she laughed with Rainbow.
The doctor lifted the first needle with his magic, and after wiping a patch of fur on Scootaloo’s leg, he asked, “Are you ready? I promise it won’t hurt that much. Trust me, I’m a doctor. I know what I’m doing.” When Scootaloo hesitantly nodded her approval, he lowered the needle and gave her the injection. “See? Not bad at all!”
“Hey, yeah... It wasn’t bad at all!” Scootaloo snickered and looked at Twilight. “I can’t believe you cried from that! I’ve had worse falling out of bed!” she said as the doctor gave her the second shot.
“Come on, I was three years old when I got my shots! You have a decade of time on me. It’s not fair to compare us like that.”
Rainbow nudged Twilight. “Yeah, she’s got a point, Scoots. It’s like you telling yourself six years ago that it’s easy to pull off a ten foot jump while spinning your scooter beneath you. You had just started riding back then, and there’s no way that you could have landed a trick like that back then.”
“Oh.” Scootaloo humphed. “I guess so. You guys just made me think that getting a shot would hurt a ton, and... it’s really not that ba—ouch!” She winced as the doctor injected her with the last shot.
“I was gonna say that it hurts when you don’t expect it,” Twilight said as Scootaloo rubbed her leg, eyeing the doctor with a wary gaze. “And now we can get your wings looked at, right doctor?”
“Mhm! Just follow me to the next room!”
Twilight followed the doctor across the hall as Rainbow let Scootaloo hop onto her back. “See? I knew you were a tough filly,” Rainbow said as Scootaloo plopped down between her wings. “And now we get to the good part. I can’t wait for the doctor to tell you that you can fly!”
The doctor stood before them back in his office where he’d given Scootaloo the shots, a folder tucked under his leg. Twilight noticed he wasn’t smiling, and all of his mirth from before had vanished like an ounce of snow in a flaming hot pan. She snuck a glance at Rainbow and saw a big smile on her face much like the one that Scootaloo was wearing. Oh no... they’re gonna be so let down when he says that she can’t fly. My very first date with Rainbow could be ruined! She bit her lip and looked up at the doctor when he cleared his throat.
Doctor Heart sighed as he sat down before them. “Listen, there’s really no easy way for me to say this, but... after running every test in the book, I... have to agree with the previous doctor’s assessment.”
Rainbow’s ears flopped down. She felt as if a boa constrictor had wrapped itself around her, tightening down around her chest and making it hard to breath. “What exactly are you saying, Doctor Heart?” She pulled Scootaloo in between her forelegs and rubbed her leg with a hoof.
The doctor looked down at his hooves, then set the folder onto his desk. “My results pretty much show what the first doctor told you three. The reason that Scootaloo can’t fly is because of her unusually small wings. I’ve never seen a case as extreme as hers, and if she isn’t already flying at this point, I’m not sure if she’ll ever fly.”
Twilight felt a tear well up in her left eye as her stomach twisted itself into a knot. “I see... Thank you for your time, doctor. It was nice to see you again.” The doctor nodded in reply. Standing up, Twilight walked out of the room and out into the hallway, leaving Rainbow and Scootaloo with the doctor.
“Come on, little one,” Rainbow murmured, sluggishly placing Scootaloo on her back. She stood up, nodded at the doctor, then joined Twilight out in the hallway. “Are you... okay, Twilight?” Rainbow asked softly, the door clicking shut behind them. She placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
Twilight wiped her eyes and threw on a fake smile. “I think so. But what about Scootaloo?”
Several moments passed in silence. “I don’t know. She hasn’t said a word since the doctor... well, you know what he said.” She pursed her lips and glanced over her shoulder. “Uh... you alright?” she asked, expecting a flood of tears.
Scootaloo smiled wistfully at her. “Yeah,” she said after a moment. “I’m fine.”
“R-really?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side. “I sorta thought you’d be crying your eyes out by now.”
“Nah. Like you said, Rainbow, I’m a tough filly.” Scootaloo slid from Rainbow’s back. She looked up at Twilight and opened her eyes wide for a second, making sure that Rainbow couldn’t see.
“Yeah... you were very brave getting those shots today,” Twilight said as she rubbed Scootaloo’s back. “Say... Rainbow? You mind if I take Scootaloo up in the clouds for a few minutes? We can meet you back at my parents’ house.” She felt Scootaloo climb up her hind leg and onto her back. “Please? There’s something I’d like to talk to her about, one on one.”
“Well, so long as you tell me about it later, I don’t really see a problem with that. I’m gonna grab some donuts for us so we can all snack out when you guys get back. Sound good?”
Twilight nodded. “Sure does! Ready, Scootaloo?”
“Mhm,” Scootaloo murmured, wrapping her legs around Twilight’s neck.
Twilight cantered down the hall with Rainbow at her side. As they made their way outside, Twilight nuzzled Rainbow on the cheek and whispered, “When you get back home, keep your eyes on the sky, Dashie.” And with that, she took to the sky, leaving Dash alone on the ground. She flew upwards in a casual loop, letting an updraft carry them up high above the city. Spotting some fluffy clouds nearby, Twilight leveled out and flew to the closest one. Folding her legs under her, she settled down on the cloud and relaxed, laying down on her side.
Scootaloo walked around until she was standing in front of Twilight. “So...” she said, her head hung low. She sat down and rubbed her foreleg where the doctor gave her the shots.
“Yeah...” Twilight glanced away, the wind ruffling her mane as their conversation lapsed into silence. After a minute, she saw Scootaloo stand up, her head still hanging low, then settle down between her forelegs, her side pressed up against her breast. Twilight hummed in content as Scootaloo laid her head on her right foreleg. After a few more moments of silence, Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry that you didn’t get the answer we wanted, Scootaloo. I know how much flying means to you,” she said, her voice light and soft, barely audible above the wind.
Scootaloo nuzzled Twilight’s breast in silent thanks. “It’s okay, I guess. I kinda already knew what the doctor was gonna say before going in to see him, but hearing him say that I’ll never fly hurt.” She felt a tear slip from her right eye, leaving a tiny trail down her cheek. “It hurt a lot.” Scootaloo felt her cheek grow cold from the wind, but she didn’t raise a hoof to wipe her tears away. “After seeing that folder back home, I thought my life was over, that all of the things that Rainbow told me were never going to come true.”
Twilight’s mouth grew dry. She licked her lips, at a loss for words. “I... Listen. Rainbow believes in you, and you should too. This morning, I thought of a way that could potentially allow you to fly, albeit for a short duration.”
Scootaloo’s ears perked up at that. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sat up so she could look at Twilight. “Huh? W-what do you mean?” she asked tentatively, her voice trembling with hopefulness.
“Well... we know that you can hover above the ground by flapping your wings really fast, which results in you burning up all of your energy, which in turn makes you fall back to the ground. I can’t make your wings bigger, nor can I give you those butterfly wings that I gave Rarity all of those years ago. But, what I can do is give you most of the energy I have through a rather easy spell, which in theory, would allow you to stay aloft for a much longer period of time. If you want to give it a shot, we can. It’ll feel rather strange though, like you’ve just been force-fed a ton of coffee. It’ll wear off pretty fast when you fly, even if you’re standing still, so if I perform this spell, you would have to fly seconds later if you want to take full advantage of it.”
Scootaloo’s eyes lit up. “That sounds great! But... what about you? How would it affect you?”
“I’d just feel really, really tired. To be honest, I’d have to eat a lot and take a long nap to regain the energy that I would give you. But if this would allow you to fly, even for a very short time, I think it would be worth it. After all, I—” Scootaloo rushed forward and wrapped her forelegs around Twilight’s neck, nuzzling her all the while. Twilight was taken aback by the sudden sign of affection, but that didn’t stop her from wrapping a leg around her.
Scootaloo stepped back. “So... if it isn’t going to hurt you, I think... I think I’d like to give this a shot. I want to prove those doctors wrong!”
“That’s the spirit!” Twilight stood up and lit her horn. “Stay perfectly still, okay?” She lowered her head until her horn was resting on top of Scootaloo’s head, then clenched her eyes shut. A deep thrumming sound came from her horn, its light growing in intensity.
Scootaloo closed her eyes as the light became too much to bear. It felt as if ants were crawling all over her body, her wings tingling all the while. She opened them slowly as the sensation of pure energy coursing through her veins turned into a fierce confidence, and then moments later, the light faded away.
Twilight opened her eyes just as she collapsed, her legs unable to support her weight. She panted heavily, her chest heaving up and down. Her vision was blurry at best, and the tips of her hooves were numb.
Scootaloo rushed to her side. “Twilight! Are you okay?” She nuzzled Twilight’s chin with the tip of her nose, hoping for a response.
“Yeah...” Twilight groaned in between pants. “I think I... overdid it, though. I feel like I... could sleep for... a week... Mmm... that sure sounds... nice.”
“Take some back! Please! I don’t like seeing you like this!” Scootaloo begged, her eyes wide. She pushed Twilight’s shoulder with a hoof, rocking her back and forth, wishing that she’d get up and tell her everything was okay.
After a few seconds of silence, Twilight mustered what little energy she had left and sat up, much slower than normal. “I’m fine, little one. See? I just need... a minute.”
Scootaloo humphed. “Fine. I’ll wait right here until you tell me you feel better!” She plopped down against Twilight’s side and crossed her hooves. “And there’s nothing you can do to make me go, either!”
Twilight chuckled. “I’m fine, Scootaloo, really! I bet Rainbow’s already gotten us those donuts, so why don’t we go surprise her? I’m sure it’d mean a lot for her to see you flying, especially after what that doctor said.”
“Uh-uh!” Scootaloo shook her head. “I’m not leaving this cloud until you do!”
If I just glide most of the way, I think I can make it. Twilight stood up and spread her wings. “Oh, is that so?” she asked with a sly grin. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she stepped up to the edge of the cloud. “First one to the house gets the first pick of the box!”
Scootaloo walked up to Twilight, then looked over the edge of the cloud. She took a few steps back and glanced up at Twilight. “Can you, um... fly below me in case I fall?”
“Of course! I wouldn’t have it any other way, Scoots,” Twilight said, using Rainbow’s affectionate nickname for their daughter. Scootaloo giggled in relief, then climbed up Twilight’s hind leg to sit down upon her back, just in front of her wings.
“Ready when you are!” Scootaloo said, patting the side of Twilight’s neck with a hoof.
Twilight readied her wings, then looked over her shoulder. “Listen, if you just feel comfortable gliding down to the house, you can do that too.”
Scootaloo vigorously shook her head. “Nuh-uh! You said that it would let me fly, so I’m gonna fly!”
“Okay then!” And with that, Twilight threw herself off the cloud, finding a breeze in the general direction of her parents’ house. She felt Scootaloo’s weight disappear from her back, so she looked up, adjusting her flight path to match Scootaloo’s.
Scootaloo flapped her wings as hard as she could, and as soon as her hooves left Twilight’s back, instead of finding herself hovering, she found herself soaring higher and higher than even before. “Woah!” she exclaimed, momentarily freezing in midair. Twilight’s airspeed had already given her a bit of a speed boost She dipped down, flapping her wings a little slower, and found that she was able to overtake Twilight’s glide path with ease. She banked to the left, then right, then left again to burn off some speed so that Twilight could catch up beneath her.
Spotting the house several blocks down the road, Scootaloo banked slightly to the right, always keeping an eye on Twilight. She saw Rainbow trot through the gate, cantering up to the front door. “Hey, Rainbow! Look at me!” she called out, her voice all but lost in the strong headwind. Noticing that she was losing altitude rather quickly, Scootaloo flapped her wings as hard as she could, barely regaining her previous altitude.
Twilight heard Scootaloo call out for Rainbow and knew that she wouldn’t be able to hear her at this distance. Leveling out on a smooth glide path that would put her roughly in the front yard, Twilight mustered up the last little bit of energy she had, then lit her horn. She performed a simple, yet taxing, amplifying spell and whistled as loud as she could.
Rainbow’s ears perked up when she heard somepony whistle from behind and above. Turning around, she saw a small orange blob rocketing towards her. There’s no way that’s... Oh my gosh, it’s Scootaloo! Dropping the box of donuts on the path leading up to the door, she jumped into the sky and hovered fifty or so feet above the ground, her forelegs outstretched.
With a wide smile, Scootaloo figured out what Rainbow wanted. She flared her wings to bleed speed, but found herself falling instead of slowing down. She tried to flap her wings again, but couldn’t sync them up. She looked for Twilight, but as she spun towards the ground, all she saw was a blend of colors from her surroundings.
“Don’t worry, I gotcha!” Rainbow said, swooping in to catch Scootaloo in her forelegs. She flew them to the ground moments before Twilight landed nearby, her horn lit. “Scootaloo, how... What were... You were so awesome!” she exclaimed, nuzzling Scootaloo on the cheek so hard that the filly lost her balance, collapsing onto the ground in a heap. Rainbow tickled her stomach with a hoof, unrelenting as Scootaloo writhed beneath her, giggling uncontrollably.
Twilight walked up to them on shaky legs, folding her trembling wings back to her side. Rainbow looked up, then wrapped her in a ferocious hug. “Thank you,” she whispered, tears of joy dripping from her eyes. “I don’t know what you did or how you did it, but thank you.” Twilight gingerly laid a hoof around Rainbow’s back, her grasp weak. Her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, Rainbow pulled back. “T-Twilight?” Her eyes ran up and down Twilight’s worn-out form. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice holding no small amount of worry.
Twilight panted softly. “I’m fine, I... I just need to go rest. If we’re gonna go out later, I need to go take a nap.”
Spike and Twilight’s parents walked outside, wide smiles on all of their faces. “How were you flying, Scootaloo?” Spike asked, helping Scootaloo back up to her hooves. “I can’t believe that the doctor was able to get you flying in just a couple of hours!”
Scootaloo bit her lip, then wistfully smiled at Spike. “He... didn’t. It was all Twilight.”
“Wait, huh?” Spike scratched his head, looking back to find Twilight and Rainbow munching away on some donuts..
“Yeah, what did Twilight do?” Night Light asked. “Whatever she did, it left her not looking so good...”
“Well, she sorta gave me most of her energy just so that I could fly for a minute,” Scootaloo admitted, watching Rainbow and Twilight walk inside the house, their wings draped over the other’s back. Looking up, she saw Night Light purse his lips, a grim look on his face.
“I still can’t believe that Scootaloo can fly now!” Rainbow said, helping Twilight walk up the stairs.
“I... know,” Twilight panted. “You’ve said that like, fourteen times now.”
“Yeah, but still! How’d you do it? Especially after the doctor said she’d never fly?” Rainbow shouldered open the door to their room.
“Bed... first. Questions... later.” Twilight’s legs felt like they were jelly. If it wasn’t for Rainbow helping her up the stairs, she probably would have collapsed upon the first soft thing she found. Rainbow guided her to the bed, then pushed her on top of it. Twilight flopped down onto her stomach, then pulled a pillow over to lay her head upon. She groaned as she relaxed, most of her muscles feeling like she’d just finished working out for an entire day. Letting her wings unfold, she spread them wide, covering the width of the bed. “I feel... cold,” she murmured.
“Hey, don’t worry, Twi... I’m here.” Rainbow hopped onto the bed and settled down on Twilight’s back, covering her with her body. She loosely wrapped her wings around Twilight’s belly, then started massaging her wing joints with her hooves. She heard Twilight sigh happily, her wings twitching from her ministrations.
“Gods above, that feels wonderful...” Twilight whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips. She pulled the pillow closer to her, laying her head down on the far end of it.
Many minutes passed in silence as Rainbow worked relentlessly. After she finished with Twilight’s wings, she moved up to her shoulders and spent a good few minutes working on those. Placing her hooves on either side of Twilight’s head, Rainbow leaned down and planted the softest of kisses on the side of Twilight’s neck, wishing that she had access to Twilight’s lips. After a few more kisses, Twilight folded her wings, giving her enough space to lay down next to her.
Rainbow slid off of Twilight’s back and laid a wing across her folded wings. “So... you wanna be the big spoon or the little spoon?” she asked, a blush tinting her cheeks a light pink that contrasted nicely with her fur.
“Big spoon, please,” Twilight whispered. “I wanna hold you close, Dashie.” She gingerly rolled onto her side and tugged the covers up. Rainbow rolled onto her side and pressed her back into her belly. “Hehe, I can see why you like being the big spoon so often... you’re so warm, soft even...”
“Yeah, it sure is great, especially when you have the cutest mare in all of Equestria,” Rainbow said, her blush deepening. She felt Twilight’s wing wrap around her belly, then felt a hoof weave its way in between her forelegs. Rainbow grasped it without a second thought, wincing when she felt that it was cooler than usual. After several moments of silence, she murmured, “What did you do? For the cutest mare, you don’t look so good right now...”
Twilight chuckled. “I know why Scootaloo can’t fly, and what I did confirms it.”
“Yeah, her wings aren’t big enough, right?” She felt Twilight nod.
“Mhm, but there’s another aspect to it, too. She burns through all of her energy before she can really fly, so I’m thinking that her body can’t store the energy she needs that allows us, and all other pegasi, to fly normally. The reason why I’m so exhausted is because I gave her most of my energy, allowing her to fly for a very short time.”
“Wow... so whenever she wants to fly, she could just go to you?” Rainbow asked hopefully, already knowing the answer.
“Um... yes and no.” Twilight smiled as Rainbow tucked her head in beneath her chin. “As you can see, to let Scootaloo fly for even a minute leaves me completely drained,” she said with a yawn. “So yes, she can fly with my energy, but it would leave me vulnerable. I feel as if performing even a simple levitation spell would leave me panting right now. This is... just a short term solution until I can find a way to let her fly like us.”
Rainbow frowned, hearing the disappointment clearly in Twilight’s tone. “We’ll find a way, Twilight. With me by your side, and with Spike as your faithful research assistant, nothing is impossible.”
“R... right.” Twilight yawned again. “Mind if we take a nap for a while? I don’t want to be a zombie for our date tonight...”
“Of course... Anything for you, Twilight.”
Wanting to check up on his daughter, Night Light crept up to the door and peeked through the crack. Instead of finding Twilight alone in bed, he found Rainbow nestled safely in Twilight’s grasp, snuggling in the most intimate of ways. Both Twilight and Rainbow had small smiles on their faces as they slept away. Night Light huffed, unsure of what to do. His hoof rested on the door knob, half of his mind telling him that what they were doing was inappropriate since they were still in the formation stages of their relationship. Back in his day, snuggling like that was typically done between married couples.
Licking his lips, he started to push open the door, but felt a sharp tug on his tail. His head whipping around, he found his wife with a mouth full of his tail. He cocked an eyebrow at her, then shut the door and followed her down the hallway, away from Twilight and Rainbow. “What is it? he asked.
“Were you about to go wake them up?” Twilight Velvet asked, getting right to the point.
“Yes! I don’t feel comfortable with them sleeping together like that, in such an intimate way, too!” Night Light snapped. “I won’t have it in my house.”
“Really?” Twilight Velvet deadpanned, then chuckled.
“And that’s not all! Scootaloo said that Twilight gave her most of her energy! And judging by how she looked when she came home, it looked as if she was near death!”
“Honey, I know you worry about her... I do too!” Twilight Velvet placed a hoof on her husband’s shoulder. “But she’s a princess now; I’m sure she knows what she’s doing.”
“But what if she went too far? What if she gave up all of her energy? She could have died!” Night Light stomped a hoof on the old wood floor.
“Yes, well—”
“Died, Velvet!” Night Light glared at her, his nostrils flared. “I’ve told her a thousand times to never use spells like that. She knows better! Just because Princess Celestia has given her access to those forbidden spells doesn’t mean that she has the right to use them!”
“Dear, I’m sure she knew the risks when she used the spell, but—”
“Listen to me!” Night Light snapped. “It’s a forbidden spell for a reason. Lots of unicorns have died while performing that spell, and I won’t have our daughter become another statistic.”
Twilight Velvet nodded slowly, then sighed. “I understand. Why don’t we talk to her tomorrow, after the date? I’m sure this was just a one-time thing to bolster Scootaloo’s feelings.”
Night Light humphed, then relented. “Oh... alright then. I just want to impress upon her that that spell should not be performed under any situation, but... I guess it can wait until tomorrow. Don’t want to ruin their first date night, eh?”
“Exactly. I’m glad you think so. As for the issue of them snuggling like that... don’t you remember how things were back when we were dating? You couldn’t keep your hooves off of me.” Twilight Velvet grinned slyly and stepped up to her husband, a hoof tracing small circles on his chest.
Night Light took a step back and rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof, glancing away from his wife. “Yes, well, be that as it may, it doesn’t change the fact that I think they’re taking things too fast. They’ve only been together for a couple of months, and they’re even going on their first date tonight.”
“Come on... you know they’ve been friends for years,” Twilight Velvet said, stepping up to him once more. “And them not being able to go on a proper, romantic date is excusable due to events out of their control. With all that has happened, I think things turned out pretty good for those two.” She sat down and grabbed one of Night Light’s hooves in her own. “Can you let them have this? I checked up on them earlier, and they looked so happy with each other, just like how you and I were back when we were their age. Knowing how we were back then, it’s easy to tell that they’ve fallen hard for each other.”
Night Light chuckled. “Yeah, I noticed that they’ve become really close, too.” He looked back down the hallway, then sighed. Turning back to face his wife, he smiled at her, then said, “I suppose we can let them be.”
Twilight Velvet scooted up, then kissed her husband. “Glad you think so, dear. Come, let us go see how Spike and Scootaloo are doing. If our little lovebird isn’t awake in a few hours, I’ll just have to go wake them up.”
“With a cold bucket of water, I hope!” Night Light said with a deep chuckle, ignoring the playful glare from his wife as he trotted down the stairs.
Our First Real Date
“Ya know, I can’t remember a time when I saw Scootaloo as happy as she was today, Twilight,” Rainbow said as she placed her fork back down on the table. They were in Canterlot’s finest restaurant, and somehow, they had gotten a table even though the waiting list was months long, but Rainbow had figured that it was because of Twilight’s position as a princess. The walls were a scarlet red, complimented by white crown molding all-throughout the establishment. White tablecloths that felt like they were made of silk covered each small table, only big enough for two. Faint light from several flickering candles, one on each table, lit the room with just enough light to set a very romantic mood. Thankfully, the sky was clear, and it seemed as if there wouldn’t be any snow that night.
As a waiter trotted past them, levitating a tray of food for another table, Rainbow eyed the silky white gloves that ran just past her knees, keeping her warm on this most chilliest of nights. They had been a gift from Twilight, along with the rest of her outfit. In stark contrast to her dress that she had worn to her first Grand Galloping Gala, this one was pure white, just like her gloves. It hugged her body as if it was a leotard, and ended in a skirt that stopped a few inches above the ground. It wasn’t really her thing, but it felt wonderful, and if it made Twilight happy, then she would gladly wear it. Thankfully, Twilight was in a similar dress, but instead of white, it was a midnight blue, a color she envied. She was wearing gloves like hers, and to top it all off, she was wearing a cute bow that matched the color of her dress. Rainbow scratched her right ear, feeling her own bow brush against her hoof. She’d almost said no to wearing it, but when she saw how adorable it made Twilight look, she had changed her mind.
“Yeah, same here,” Twilight said, pushing away her empty plate. “I knew that it’d make her really happy, especially after the doctor said… well, you know what he said.” She sat back, biting her bottom lip.
“Sure, but for you to figure out why she can’t fly is a step in the right direction, uh… right?” Rainbow pushed her plate away too as their waiter brought the check. She reached out and grabbed the check before Twilight could. “Uh… Twilight?”
“Yes, Dash?”
“Why is our bill over a hundred bits?” Rainbow let her hoof drift down as she stared at Twilight.
“Well, this is the best restaurant in Canterlot, after all. I told you that we had to dress up really fancy for this, so I had Rarity make us these fantastic dresses.” She took a sip of wine and licked her lips.
Rainbow placed the bill back down on the table, then rubbed her foreleg. “So you had Rarity make us these dresses in what, a day? I know it can take her weeks for her to make a nice dress, but for her to make these overnight had to have been really expensive. And on top of getting us the dresses, you want to pay the bill? You’ve already paid too much, Twilight. Let me pay, please; it’s the least I can do.”
“Nope!” Twilight chirped with a smile on her face. She lit her horn and grabbed the bill, then placed a significantly-sized bag of bits on top of it. There, that should easily cover the bill and the tip… “Each dress was more expensive than this bill, but…” She stood up and nodded towards the door on the other side of the room.
Rainbow stood up and followed Twilight outside, leaving the candle-lit room behind them. “What?” She saw Twilight trot down the sidewalk a little bit, stopping in front of an alleyway. Rainbow walked up next to her and opened her mouth, but instead of words coming out, she felt Twilight’s tongue coming in instead. Her eyes going wide, she felt Twilight push her up against the restaurant’s wall, just inside the alley, pinning her as she moaned softly into her mouth. Rainbow’s eyes drifted shut as she let Twilight take the lead, their tongues dancing a furious, needy tango of love.
Twilight broke their kiss, panting softly as she stared into Rainbow’s eyes. Her heart yearned to feel Rainbow’s lips upon her own once more, but she knew that there would be much more time for that later.
Rainbow’s chest rose and fell in quick intervals as her heart raced, beating so fast it was like she had just finished a race with the Wonderbolts. “You know, you didn’t answer my question back there…” she whispered as she felt Twilight’s hoof drift to the back of her head.
Twilight’s eyes drifted almost all the way shut, her lips mere centimeters from Dash’s as she whispered, “Because you’re worth it…” She pulled Dash back in, biting her marefriend’s upper lip. Twilight heard Rainbow whimper as her head slipped down a few inches, so with a sly grin, she kept their lips locked together as she took the more dominant stance.
Rainbow felt her heart flutter at Twilight’s words, making her legs feel as if they were made out of jelly. Using what little reserves of strength she had left, Rainbow pushed up, accidentally breaking their kiss before their tongues could meet once more. Her eyes wide, Rainbow blinked a few times as her ears flicked to lay flat on her head. “Gosh… where’d you learn to kiss like that?” she asked, blushing furiously.
“A book, and I know you’re probably gonna laugh at this, but…” Twilight blushed equally as hard, and as she glanced away, she murmured, “I practiced on my favorite pillow when you weren’t around.” Instead of hearing a snicker, she felt Rainbow’s hoof on her cheek. She flicked her eyes back up and saw Rainbow smiling gently.
“Yeah? You get that idea from me?” Rainbow asked with a snicker.
“…Maybe,” Twilight said, drawing out the word as a grin formed on her face.
“You know, since we’ve been together for a while, you could have just asked me for practice,” Rainbow said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, I know, but I wanted to get a little practice in. You know I’d never go to an exam without studying, so I figured that practicing by myself a little would help when the moment came.” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck, then checked to make sure that her bow was still in place.
“But what about getting a tutor, to… ya know, practice with?” Dash grabbed Twilight’s hoof in her own. “Because I’d love to be that tutor; I know a thing or two about kissing, after all.”
“That’d… that’d be nice,” Twilight said with a widening smile. “But when could we practice? I think it’d be a little awkward if Scootaloo or Spike saw us making out,” she finished with a giggle.
“Yeah, I bet…” Rainbow rubbed her chin, then smiled. “Hey, I know! Why don’t we spend five minutes, or however long we want to, practicing every night in bed before we snuggle, starting tonight?”
“That sounds wonderful, Dashie.” Twilight stood up and nuzzled Rainbow’s neck. “Come, let’s go to the overlook. I hear it’s really nice this time of year, and since it’s a clear sky tonight, we can see for miles…”
“Sure!” Rainbow stood up and followed Twilight down the street. “Should we fly?” she asked, eyeing their dresses as she wondered if it’d be alright for them to fly while wearing them.
“Actually, I kinda wanted to walk there if that’s okay with you.”
“Yeah, that’s cool.” Their conversation lapsed into silence for a minute before Rainbow asked, “Say… any chance of you letting Scootaloo fly again sometime soon? You know I’d love to fly with her.”
“Of course I’ll let her fly sometime soon, but we really cannot do it often,” Twilight said. She lowered her voice, leaned in, then whispered, “To be honest, the spell I used on myself is kind of… illegal.”
“Wait, why?” Rainbow stopped in her tracks as her eyes went wide. Illegal? What’s she talking about, black magic? The doc back in Ponyville said nothing short of black magic would let Scootaloo fly, so… Her heart dropped into her stomach, and as she saw Twilight stop a few steps in front of her, she flapped her wings once to catch up to her. Rainbow sat down in front of her, blocking her path as she stared into Twilight’s eyes, searching for any sliver of an answer.
“Well… the reason why I was late to Scootaloo’s check-up this morning was two-fold. I had gone to prepare the last bit of our date night, and once that was taken care of, I had accessed Celestia’s personal library in her bedroom, with her permission, of course. I searched for spells that could help Scootaloo, but I guess a part of me knew I had to access the restricted section. Celestia unlocked it for me, and I found the spell I used on Scootaloo after only a few minutes…” Twilight sat down, flicking her tail up to keep part of her dress from getting dirty on the ground. “You see, Celestia, over time, has eradicated as many of the books that held such spells that she deemed illegal or unsafe to use by the general population, only keeping one copy of each spell for herself while making sure that every other book that held the knowledge on how to perform such spells no longer existed, aside from her own personal library. Lots of unicorns have died from using the spell I used on Scootaloo due to giving away too much of their energy. You saw how exhausted I was when I got home earlier, after all.” Twilight saw something out of the corner of her eye, and as she looked to her left, she saw a couple of ponies walking on the other side of the road. Not a moment later, she felt Rainbow’s hoof hit her breast. With her eyebrows furrowing in confusion, she looked back at Rainbow and found her glaring at her.
After she set her hoof back on the ground, Rainbow glanced both ways down the sidewalk to make sure that nopony could eavesdrop on them. “I know you’re really experienced in using magic and all that, Twi, but if there’s even the smallest chance of you dying from helping Scootaloo, I don’t want you using that magic, ever,” she snarled.
“Rainbow, you saw how happy Scootaloo was… And you had just asked me if I could use the spell more often. I know my boundaries, so I really think it’s safe enough to use,” Twilight said as calmly as she could, keeping her voice soft. “I’m not going to die, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“No!” Rainbow said, her voice cold and firm. “There has to be another way!” Her wings bristled in anger as she stomped on the ground, making Twilight jump slightly. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes as her voice caught in her throat. “Y-You were so c-cold back when I helped you into bed. You were so weak, and… pale.” Her voice lost its nervousness. “You looked like you were on the verge of death, and to hear you say that you were literally hanging onto life by a thread?” She turned away from Twilight as tears leaked out of her eyes. Rainbow didn’t bother to wipe them away as she tried to keep the idea of her best friend dying out of her mind.
It didn’t work.
Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow’s neck, then wrapped her wings around her as she nuzzled the side of her neck. “I… I didn’t know you would feel so strongly about that, Rainbow…” Twilight whispered as she swayed back and forth, much like she was rocking a baby to sleep. Rainbow wiped her eyes with a hoof, then laid it on top of Twilight’s legs. “I promise I’ll never use that spell again. In hindsight, I should have talked to you first before using such a risky spell, but… I just wanted to see Scootaloo happy after this new doctor told us she’d never fly…” She planted a light kiss on the side of Rainbow’s neck, humming softly in content when she felt Rainbow lay her head against hers. “You know I didn’t do this to hurt you, Dash… I’d never do something like that…”
“Th-Thank you,” Rainbow choked out, feeling Twilight’s ear flick back and forth against hers. “Just the thought of losing you over something so small makes me feel like I’m going to be sick. I know we haven’t been together for that long, but I really, really care for you… I hope you know that.”
“I do, Rainbow… I do,” Twilight whispered into Rainbow’s ear. She closed her eyes as Rainbow’s grip on her legs tightened. “I promise I’ll never leave you; Scootaloo’s too cute to leave behind, after all,” she added with a soft giggle. She planted a few kisses on Rainbow’s cheek, feeling Rainbow’s wings tickle her belly through the bottom of her dress.
“Yeah, she is,” Rainbow stood up, making Twilight lose her grip as she turned to face her. “I’m sorry I got a little emotional, but…” She bit her lip and glanced away as she scratched her cutie mark.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Dash,” Twilight said as she stood up. “It was wrong of me to risk my life to give Scootaloo a minute of happiness… I didn’t even think about how you would feel about me using that spell, so… I’m sorry,” she whispered, pressing her head against Dash’s forehead. Several moments passed in silence as she listened to Rainbow’s breaths slow, the sounds of the city’s night life buzzing all around them. A pair of ponies walked past them, but she paid them no mind. “Want to call it quits for the night?” she asked, her tone making it sound like she’d be let down if Dash wanted to go back home. The rest of her plans would be ruined if Rainbow wanted to call it a night.
Rainbow’s head whipped up. “What? Of course not! We’ve already had so much fun together, so why cut it so short?” Her tail flicked once as she fluffed her wings. “Didn’t you have more planned for us to do?” She wiped the tears from her eyes with a hoof, the soft silk of the glove gliding wonderfully across her fur.
“Well, yes,” Twilight said carefully. “If you feel like you’re up for it, I’d love to take you to the overlook. I hear it’s really pretty at night.”
“Of course I feel up for it!” Dash nuzzled Twilight’s neck, then opened her wing. She placed it on Twilight’s rump and pushed, then nodded down the sidewalk. “Also, Twi?” She felt Twilight lay a wing over her back, so she did the same. “Please don’t tell anypony that I cried a little back there, especially on our first date.”
“Heh, I might tell Scootaloo,” Twilight teased.
“You wouldn’t dare!” Rainbow said in a playful tone. “She’d stop seeing me as the super strong and awesome pony that you have as a marefriend!”
“Yes, that might be a problem… I might just have to tell Pinkie Pie, then!”
Rainbow gasped. “You… no. You know how she is with secrets; she’d tell everypony in town before I could say I love you.”
“Hehe, yeah, you’re probably right.” Twilight grinned as they walked onto the path that ran along the length of the overlook. “You know, last night was the first time I heard you say you loved me…” she admitted with a blush.
“Really?” Rainbow stopped and sat down in front of the low wall that kept them from falling over the edge of the cliff, taking care to not get her dress dirty. She glanced away as she thought for a few moments, then said, “Yeah, I guess it was…” She felt Twilight’s lips surround the tip of her left ear a moment before she felt her tongue brush against her super-sensitive hairs on her ear. “Hey, that tickles!” she said as she pulled away with a giggle. She rubbed her ear with a hoof as Twilight sat down next to her, keeping her wing wrapped around her back. Dash let out a content sigh as she laid her head against Twilight’s neck. She closed her eyes as she flicked her ears to lay flat on her head, nuzzling aside Twilight’s mane so that she could get a good view of the stars.
“Can you say it again?” Twilight asked, her voice so soft that she barely heard herself speak. “…Please?”
“Huh? Say what, it tickles?” Rainbow asked with a light giggle, which abruptly stopped as her eyes widened. “Oh… oh! Of course...” She licked her lips as she lifted her head from Twilight’s neck. Rainbow planted a tiny kiss just underneath Twilight’s ear, nuzzled it in as she smiled, then whispered, “I love you, Twilight.” She felt her heart blossom into a million beautiful roses as she spoke those words. Rainbow shifted closer to her and wrapped her foreleg around Twilight’s as a cold breeze sent a shiver down her back. Her wings bristled in nervous excitement as she heard Twilight hum happily, and as Twilight tightened her grip on her hoof, she felt her lips make a trail down from the side of her forehead, to her cheek, then finally to her lips.
Twilight couldn’t help but smile as she flicked her tongue against Rainbow’s lips, letting off a soft moan as she bit her marefriend’s bottom lip. Her ears flicked up as she heard voices come from further up the path, and as a small part of her rational mind screamed at her to break the kiss to preserve what little decency they had left, a much bigger part of her screamed equally as loud for her to not care. She felt her heart race in her chest as a small group of ponies walked past them, whispers of “Is that Princess Twilight?” echoing from them. She let go of Rainbow’s hoof, letting it slide up her back until it rested on the back of her head, keeping Rainbow exactly where she wanted her.
Twilight’s smile widened as Dash bit her bottom lip, holding it in place as her tongue teased it. As Dash let go of her lip, Twilight spotted her opportunity, and with the help of her hoof tactically placed on the back of Rainbow’s head, she pushed her tongue inside of Rainbow’s mouth, fighting with her tongue until it grew too sore. She let off a surprised ‘eep’ as Rainbow took the lead, pushing her tongue back into her mouth as she stood up. As she felt her breath start to run low, Twilight broke the kiss and panted softly as she stared up into Rainbow’s eyes, a small bridge of saliva connecting their lips. She licked her lips, breaking that bridge as her wings bristled. The words of ‘I love you’ that had rested on the tip of her tongue for so long simply begged for her to utter them once more, but she knew they could wait a few seconds more. Twilight’s eyes slowly drifted shut as she leaned back in for a quick peck on Rainbow’s lips, and as she nuzzled Rainbow’s cheek, she whispered, “And I love you, Rainbow…”
Rainbow blushed as she saw Twilight sit back, so she scooted over so that they were sitting side by side again. After laying her wing across Twilight’s back, she smiled when Twilight laid her head against hers. “So… I know we’ve been together for only a couple of months, but… well, it just makes me really happy to hear you say you love me. Some ponies might think we’re taking things too fast, but who cares, right? So long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“Yeah…” Twilight murmured as she thought back to last night. “I think my father was a little put-off when you told him you were in love with me, by the way.”
“He didn’t say anything bad about us being together back at dinner last night, so what makes you say that?”
“Trust me, I know my dad. Just because he didn’t say anything about it now doesn’t mean he won’t say something about it later. I saw the way his face changed when you said you loved me. I’m just glad you said it in front of everybody because I’m sure I would have gotten an earful about it.”
“About what?”
“Well… let’s just say my dad is a little old fashioned. He was always talking about getting grand foals from both Shining Armor and I, and since neither of us is a stallion, well… you know,” Twilight finished her sentence in a whisper.
“We have Scootaloo, though. Technically, since we’re both her legal guardians now, she has your parents as grandparents; same with mine. She’s our daughter, so that means your dad is her grandfather.”
“Yeah, I know that, but… I think my father was expecting me to give him foals, and since I’m his only daughter...” Twilight sighed. “I don’t regret that we can’t have a foal together at all, just in case you’re wondering, Rainbow. I couldn’t be happier with you at my side…”
Rainbow took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Yeah, who needs a stallion when you have a wonderful, loving, and adorable mare like you?” she asked, blushing a teensy bit. After a few moments of silence, she asked, “So what about Spike? How does he fit into all of this? You raised him, right? So wouldn’t that make him your son? Just because you didn’t give birth to him doesn’t mean he's not your son.”
Twilight shrugged. “I suppose, but our relationship has always felt more like a brother and a sister. I don’t know what he thinks about it, but that’s just how I feel. But with Scootaloo in the picture now, I think it’d be best to consider him my son just like how I consider Scootaloo our daughter. And if we ever get married…” Twilight glanced over at Rainbow to gauge her reaction, worrying that she’d feel uncomfortable at the mere mention of marriage, but found her smiling back at her, giving her the courage to finish, “By law, he’d be your son.”
“Yeah… so should we make it official?” Rainbow felt Twilight lift her head from her neck as she peered down at her with wide eyes. Oops! Gotta learn how to phrase that stuff better… “Uh… you know, like… should we tell Scootaloo that they’re brother and sister now?”
“Oh!” I could have sworn she was going to propose to me, and on our first date! “Isn’t it a little early to tell?” Twilight asked, her heart racing in her chest. “I mean, what if we break up, kinda like how we almost did back at Ponyville’s hospital?”
“We didn’t even come close to breaking up, Twilight,” Rainbow’s tone was firm, yet her voice was as gentle as ever. “We just had a stupid fight, is all.”
“I wouldn’t really call it stupid, but… yeah.” Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I want you to know that I’m in this relationship for the long haul. We’ve been friends for so long, and I’m ashamed that it’s taken me so long to uncover this awesome, sensitive side that you have, so… I guess what I’m trying to say is that I would love nothing more than to be with you, Dashie…”
“Yeah, same,” Rainbow whispered. “I know Scootaloo would hate to lose you as a mom, and I’m not saying I want you to stick around just because of her, either. You mean more to me than you can ever know, and…” She licked her dry lips and swallowed. “I know we’re gonna have some fights now and then, but that’s normal with every relationship, right? I know that we can get through them, just like that night.”
“After all we’ve gone through as friends, if we can’t get through an argument as marefriends, then we really shouldn’t be together,” Twilight said with a giggle. “Because relationships, as awesome as they can be, will always have issues. But with us? I can’t see us not being able to find a solution to whatever problem that may arise in the future.”
“Yeah, but… what about Scootaloo’s old parents? What are we gonna do about them?” Dash asked, her voice filled with no small amount of worry. “I mean, ever since they escaped and put our daughter in the hospital, I’ve been getting startled by the littlest of things. I’ve done my best to not let it show, but… yeah.”
“I know what you mean, Dash,” Twilight said.
“I… Have you ever wondered what you would do if we catch them ourselves?” Rainbow asked before Twilight could continue speaking, her voice hard. “After all they’ve done to Scootaloo, I… I don’t know what I would do.”
Twilight took a few moments to collect her thoughts, wondering what Rainbow was thinking about. “I… That’s a good question. I haven’t really given it much thought, but I would prefer for the guards to catch them. If they’re anywhere near Scootaloo, you know I would do everything in my power to protect her, and you if need be. I don’t want you to end up in prison because you wanted a little revenge, after all. And since we don’t know where they are, we can’t really go and catch them. If they aren’t in Ponyville, who knows where they could be?”
“Cloudsdale, maybe? If I was a pegasus and on the run, I’d go there.” Rainbow ran a hoof over her muzzle as she groaned. “Aaaand we’re going there next to see my parents tomorrow evening. Great… Should we just cancel on them and go straight to the Crystal Empire instead, or just stay here for another couple of days?”
“Well, there’s no reason to believe that they’re actually in Cloudsdale, so I don’t think we should cancel on your parents just because of the possibility of Scootaloo’s old parents being there. For all we know, they could be halfway across the country by now. If they had even an ounce of smarts, they won’t go anywhere near Canterlot or Ponyville, especially if they think that Scootaloo is dead.”
“I guess… I wonder how excited my parents are gonna be when we swing by their place. They already know about Scootaloo being our daughter, but not that we’re in love. I think the last time I saw them, I told them that I had this huge crush on you, so for me to bring you home to them as my marefriend is gonna make them really happy for me… for us. In the letter I sent before we left on this trip, I left out the fact that we’re together because I wanted to keep it a surprise for them. The last time I was home, I know that they hoped you would feel the same way about me that I felt about you.” Dash felt herself shiver again. “So… have anything else on your list for tonight, you know… like a bedroom? It is getting pretty chilly, after all.”
Twilight threw on a sly grin, then nuzzled Rainbow’s cheek. “I have just the place, Dashie,” she whispered, nipping at her lips. She lit her horn, and as she concentrated on where exactly she wanted to go, she enveloped Dash with her magic, then cast the teleportation spell. They reappeared exactly where she wanted them to: her old bedroom back in Canterlot’s castle. Rose petals marked a path to the bed, where more petals lay scattered all over the sheets. The bed was surrounded by many candles, their flickering luminescence giving them just enough light to see in the dark.
Rainbow looked around the room in awe as she felt the night’s cold slip from her feathers. When she heard Twilight light her horn again, she glanced back at Twilight and saw her slowly unzipping the back of her dress. With her eyes going wide and her breath catching in her throat, Rainbow stared as the dress slipped from Twilight’s body.
“I told my mother not to wait up for us tonight, Dashie,” Twilight said as she stalked forward, making Rainbow step back until her hind legs hit the bed. “Because you and I are going to spend all night to ourselves, without…” She leaned in until their lips were less than an inch apart, then breathed, “Any… interruptions…”
In the moment before Twilight’s lips met her own, Rainbow’s wings made a soft ‘pomf’ sound as they unfurled from her body, the very tips of her feathers tingling with excitement.
Author's Notes:
Remember how I had asked a while ago if I should write a clop chapter, as a separate story, naturally? Yeah, well, I'm totally going to do it because I've set it up so perfectly!
The clopfic is up! It's called "I'll Do Anything To You"
The Morning After
Twilight trotted down the street alongside her lover, Rainbow, nearing her parents’ house. “So... about last night,” Twilight said, flicking her eyes up to meet Rainbow’s as she licked her lips. “I hope it was good enough to live up to your expectations.” She leaned in and planted a light kiss on Rainbow’s cheek, then tugged her up against her side with her right wing. As she felt her cheeks warm up, she felt Rainbow lay her head against the side of her neck as they slowed down to a walk.
“Heh, yeah. I don’t think it could have gone better, if you ask me,” Rainbow murmured. “We didn’t get much sleep last night, though... How come we couldn’t have slept in a little bit?”
“I told my mom that we’d be back for breakfast. I love it when she makes pancakes on Sundays, so whenever I’m home, I make it a point to stick around long enough to get a nice home-cooked meal. And trust me, you won’t want to miss my mom’s pancakes!” She used her magic to push open the front gate of her parents’ house, then stopped in front of the door. “It probably would have been a good idea to take a shower back at the castle.”
“Why, do we smell?” Rainbow lifted a wing and sniffed her side. “Nah, I think we’re good.”
Twilight rolled her eyes and giggled. “No, from what happened after our date last night, silly!” She made sure that their dresses and leggings were still neatly folded on her back, then opened the door as quietly as she could. “Do you think we can make it upstairs and to the bathroom before my parents realize that we’re back?”
“Only one way to find out!” Rainbow trotted forward, only to walk right into Night Light’s chest. “Oof!” She glanced up rather sheepishly, a nervous smile on her face. Her tail clamped down between her hind legs as she took a couple of steps back. “H-Hey, Night Light! Sleep well?” she asked. Of all the things to say, you said that?! Idiot, idiot, idiot!
Night Light lifted an eyebrow as his gaze flicked between the two disheveled mares. “Your mother is almost done cooking breakfast, Twilight. I think it’d be a good idea if you and Rainbow freshened up upstairs,” he said with a blank expression.
“Y-Yeah, sounds good to me!” Rainbow bolted up the stairs and around the corner before he could utter another word.
“Hey Dad...” Twilight stepped inside and closed the door behind her, a shy smile on her face as she blushed furiously, avoiding her father’s gaze. She looked up, expecting for him to give her a lecture, but all she saw was a gentle smile.
“You have a nice night out?” he asked, using his magic to pick up the dresses from Twilight’s back.
Twilight’s ears flicked back as she bit the inside of her cheek. “Y-Yeah, it was great, Dad. Better than anything I could have hoped for.”
“Glad to hear it, really,” Night Light said as he set the dresses down on a nearby chair. “Do these dresses need to be washed, or...”
Twilight blushed furiously. “N-N-No! Uh-uh; they’re fine! We only wore them for a couple of hours, so they shouldn’t be—” She glanced up and saw her father smirking at her. “D-Dad!” She huffed as she ground a hoof into the wood floor. “That’s not what I meant, I—”
“Hehe... it’s okay, Twilight. I know you’re not my little filly anymore,” Night Light said with a soft chuckle. “Now go on, go upstairs and get cleaned up before breakfast. Be quick about it, though! You know how your mother can get if her little filly isn’t at the table on time.”
“Okay!” Twilight took a few steps up the stairs then paused. “And Dad? Thanks for, well... you know...” She shot him a nervous smile as her forelegs started trembling from relief.
“It’s not a problem, really. Oh, and you might want to clean Rainbow’s lipstick from your neck before your mother sees.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide as she stared at her father in shock. “...Good idea, thanks,” Twilight muttered as she let her mane hide her face. Since when does Rainbow use lipstick? she thought, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. With a flick of her tail, she trotted upstairs and slipped into the bathroom, using her magic to shut the door as quietly as she could. “Hey, Rainbow?” she asked, gazing at the closed shower curtain.
Rainbow poked her head out from the side with a lifted eyebrow. “Y-Yeah?”
“Do you, um... mind if we take a shower together?” Twilight stuttered, licking her dry lips as she rubbed her left foreleg. “It’d take too long if we took showers one at a time, and Mom has already finished making those pancakes that I love so much, and since you’re already in there, I—”
“Geez, Twi... you don’t have to come up with a laundry list of excuses if you want to shower with me.” Rainbow beckoned her in with a hoof. “Come on, there’s easily enough room for both of us in here!”
“Y-You sure?” Twilight asked rather tentatively. Her heart yearned to feel Rainbow’s touch once again, but after last night, she didn’t know if she should give Rainbow her space, or to stay by her side even more.
“Of course!” Rainbow wrapped a wing around Twilight’s neck and pulled her in, letting her stand underneath the showerhead.
“So I was thinking we could go see your parents after breakfast today. That sound okay?”
“Totally. We’re gonna have to carry Scootaloo and Spike on our backs though. I don’t know if I told you or not, but they live up in Cloudsdale.”
“Yeah, I think I remember you saying something about that.” As warm water cascaded down Twilight’s back, she opened her wings a little bit, letting the water soak into her feathers. She lit her horn and grabbed the bottle of shampoo, but Rainbow snatched it out of the air before she could squirt any on herself. Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but instead saw Rainbow squirting some shampoo onto her front hooves. Once her lover had set aside the bottle, Rainbow rubbed her hooves together, then ran them through Twilight’s mane. With her mane all shampooed up, Rainbow squirted a line of shampoo down her back, then her wings. “You know I can clean us both in a minute, right?” Twilight asked softly, her ears flicking back as she felt Rainbow tend to each and every one of her feathers.
Rainbow paused, then resumed washing Twilight’s feathers. “Yeah, I know, but after last night, I feel like I have to show you, even if it’s a small way, that I do appreciate what you did for me last night. I had a lot of fun on our first real date and, uh... I’d like to do what we did afterwards again,” she said, moving down to clean Twilight’s tail.
Twilight felt butterflies appear in her stomach as her thoughts drifted back to last night’s events. “Y-Yeah, same... Oh, and since when do you wear lipstick?” She shot a smirk over her shoulder as Rainbow massaged her flanks, her tail swishing about in the sudsy water. “My dad said that I have lipstick on my neck. If I’d known that you had left some on my neck, I probably would have at least washed it off.”
“What, you don’t want ponies to know that we’re lovers now?” Dash shot back with a sly grin. “It’s not that big of a deal, right?”
Twilight shrugged. “Not really, although I’d like for us to have a little bit more discretion, especially around Spike and Scootaloo.”
“Well, duh! It’s not like we’re gonna go flaunting it around the house, so... yeah.”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Twilight said after several moments of silence. “You know, about the lipstick? I couldn’t even tell that you had any on.”
“Oh, right, about that...” Rainbow blushed as she flicked her wet mane over her shoulder. “Well, since we were going out on our first real date, and since you got us those nice dresses, I figured that I’d, I dunno, try to look pretty for you? I kinda wanted it to be a night for us to remember.”
“Twilight!” came Night Light’s voice from downstairs. “Your mother just finished cooking your favorite pancakes! You coming down?’
“In a minute!” Twilight yelled back. She stood up and let the water rinse the suds away. Grabbing the bottle of shampoo, she squirted a big dollop onto Dash’s mane. “Your turn, cutie,” she said with a soft smile.
“What, you’re not gonna use your magic?” Rainbow asked, cocking her head to the side as soapy suds slid down her mane.
“Nah. I wanna do this right.”
Interlude
“Well, that was a wonderful day, Twilight,” Twilight Velvet said as she wrapped her forelegs around her daughter’s neck. “It is a pity that you guys can’t stay longer... Are you sure that you don’t want to stay another night? The sun’s already well past the horizon.”
“Yeah. We want to make it to Cloudsdale and surprise Rainbow’s parents before they head to bed or something like that. It was Rainbow’s idea, and you know how headstrong she can be when she has her mind set on something,” she said, teasing Rainbow.
Rainbow rolled her eyes with a grin, then looked up at Twilight’s mom. “Ya know you could always stop by our place whenever you want, right?” Rainbow asked, using her muzzle to guide Scootaloo towards the chariot that Spike stood in. The sun was starting its slow descent towards the horizon, giving them at least a few hours of daylight left. “After we get back from our little vacation, of course. Just be sure to give us a day’s notice or two before you come down.” She trotted back up to Twilight’s side and bumped her flank with her own. “Ya ready to go, cutie?” she asked, nuzzling her behind the ear.
“Y-Yeah, in a minute.” Twilight blushed furiously at Rainbow’s display of affection, especially since they were standing in front of her parents. Her ears flicked back as she glanced away for a moment, and after she cleared her throat, she looked back up to see her mother wearing a wide, happy smile.
Night Light bumped his wife’s shoulder with his own. “Might be a good idea to head on down to Ponyville for a week or two, provided that Twilight has enough room in their new house,” he said, nuzzling Velvet behind her ear.
“Oh, we’ve got tons of space back home! Don’t we, Twilight?” Rainbow asked.
“Yup, we sure do! You wanna make sure that Spike and Scootaloo didn’t forget anything?”
“Yeah, okay... Don’t take too long, alright? It’s getting a little chilly out, and I need someone to keep me warm during the flight to my parent’s place,” Rainbow said, her wings ruffling at her sides.
“Okay, I’ll be quick.” Twilight watched Rainbow return to the chariot, then glanced back up at her parents. “So...”
“Hehe, you don’t need to explain yourself, Twilight...” Night Light said with a wink. “I know what true love looks like.” He stepped forward, pulling her into a tight hug. “Thanks for stopping by. It pains me greatly that we don’t see each other more often, and if things go well between you and Rainbow, I think it would be pretty awesome to be Scootaloo’s grandfather one day.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide at that. Marriage? But we haven’t been together for that long... Does he really think that Rainbow and I could get married? Images of a wedding ceremony ran through her mind. Rainbow was staring deep into her eyes, wearing a wonderful white veil that only served to make her even more beautiful. A tear of joy formed in the corner of Twilight’s eye as she imagined hearing Rainbow profess her love for her in front of the massive crowd, though that tear was quickly wiped away by a quick nuzzle into her father’s neck. She stepped back with a light smile. “Heh, we’d have to get married first!” she said. “And it really hasn’t been that long, too.”
“Well... you know your father proposed to me after only four months of dating, right?” Twilight Velvet laid her head on her husband’s neck and nuzzled it with an insistent need.
“When you know, you know, cutie,” Night Light murmured, nuzzling the top of Velvet’s head. “I just couldn’t waste a perfect opportunity, and I think we turned out alright.”
“Hey Twilight, ya coming?” Rainbow yelled from the chariot.
“In a second!” Twilight called back. “So... it’d be great if you two could come down to Ponyville. Like we said, we have a lot of space.”
“Fantastic. I think you should get going now, sweetie. Don’t want to keep your family waiting, after all!” Twilight Velvet used her magic to tighten Twilight’s scarf a little bit, then sat down.
My... family. I like the sound of that... “Yeah, okay...” Twilight turned to walk back to the chariot, then paused. She bit her bottom lip, rolled her eyes with a grin, and turned back around to pull both of them into a hug. “I love you guys...”
“We love you too,” Night Light murmured, letting go of her. “Now go on, really. I’m starting to get a little chilly!”
“Oh, I know a good way to warm you up...” Twilight Velvet purred, wrapping a foreleg around her husband’s. “Why don’t we go back inside and you can... you know...” She twirled a hoof on his chest, making his cheeks flush red.
Twilight giggled. “Heh, I think now would be a good time to leave.” She trotted to the chariot and looked back over her shoulder as her parents walked back inside, then hopped inside. “You guys ready to go to Cloudsdale?” she asked, laying a wing over Rainbow’s back.
“Sure am!” Spike said, sitting down between Twilight’s forelegs and pressing his back up against her stomach for warmth.
Scootaloo spotted what he was doing and did the same thing with Rainbow. “It’s okay if I sit like this, right?” she asked, looking up at Rainbow with hopeful eyes. “It is pretty cold out after all, and like you taught me, the air gets pretty chilly the higher you go!”
“Heh, yeah, that’s right...” Rainbow said, tousling Scootaloo’s mane. She draped a wing over Twilight’s back, then nodded at the two pegasi standing at the ready in front of their chariot. “We’re ready to go now, sirs.”
“Yes, ma’am!” they both barked out.
As the chariot took to the skies, Twilight snuck a glance at Rainbow. Since a stallion usually pops the question, and since we’re both mares... how do we figure out who pops the question? Laying her head on Rainbow’s neck, butterflies appeared in her stomach as she thought, I’ll just have to think about this later...
Rainbow had noticed Twilight glance at her out of the corner of her eye, but had chosen to not bug her about it, but now, feeling Twilight quiver on her neck, she licked her lips and tilted her head to the side, letting her head rest on top of Twilight’s. As they rose above the clouds, she gazed up at the moon that rose off to the right. “Hey, Twilight? Everything okay?” she murmured, feeling Twilight tense up for the smallest of moments, so fast that she wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her.
“Yeah,” Twilight whispered back. “Just thinking about our future...” She closed her eyes as her breathing slowed, though she felt the butterflies in her stomach return with reinforcements.
“Our future?” Rainbow’s eyebrows furrowed as she tried to figure out what she meant by that. “What, uh... what do you mean?” She felt Twilight tense up again, and this time she was sure that she felt it, then she barely heard her let out a soft sigh. Several moments passed in an awkward silence. She bit her lip, then sighed. “This something we should talk about in private?” She felt Twilight nod against her chin.
“...Yeah.”
“Got it.”
“Dash?”
"Yeah?"
“...I love you.”
Rainbow paused, her ears flicking back. Why did that sound like a question? She blinked a few times, tightened her wing’s grasp around Twilight, then grabbed her right hoof with her own. “I love you too...”
A Familial Encounter, Part I
The trip to Cloudsdale didn’t take much more than an hour’s flight, thanks to the two strong pegasi that pulled them along. With the moon at their back, they landed in the middle of an empty street a couple of blocks away from Rainbow’s parents’ house. A few ponies on the street peered at them for a few moments, but otherwise paid no attention to them.
While Rainbow used her muzzle to help Scootaloo get on her back, Spike glanced up at Twilight. “Uh... wanna cast that spell on me? It’d be pretty bad if I fell through the cloud,” he said with a chuckle.
“Even if she forgot, Rainbow would catch you because she’s the fastest flyer ever!” Scootaloo said, hopping up and down on Rainbow’s back.
“You got that right, squirt!” Rainbow looked over her shoulder, bit down on Scootaloo’s scarf, then yanked on it. “That tight enough? Don’t want you catching a cold out here.”
“Yeah, it’s fine, thanks! So where’s your house?”
“Just a little ways down the road and around that corner,” Rainbow said, pointing down the road. “Hey Twi, you know what time it is?”
The light from Twilight’s horn faded away, and as Spike hopped onto the cloud, she lit her horn again and fished a little timepiece from her saddlebag. “It’s eight thirty-four. You think your parents would still be up?” she asked, a little hint of worry plain in her tone.
“Of course! They’re night owls! Every time I snuck out of my bedroom after they put me to bed to get a snack, their light was always on, and I doubt that anything has changed since then. Come on, I’ll lead the way!”
“Alright, but first things first...” Twilight dug into her saddlebag and pulled out a small bag of bits. “Thank you for your services, kind sirs. Your service will not be needed anymore,” she said, levitating the bag of bits into the hoof of one of the guards. They nodded at her, then promptly took off into the night sky. “So, about your parents’ house?” she asked, looking at Rainbow.
“Like I said, it’s just down the street!” Rainbow said as she started to trot down the road, a gleeful pep in her step. “The house isn’t as big as mine, Scootaloo, but it still was a great place to grow up in. I’m hoping that I can give you as good a life as they did for me when I was growing up.” They rounded the corner, and Rainbow quickened her speed as the house she grew up in came into view. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed that the entire house was dark. “Hm...” She walked up the short path to the door and knocked. “Mom? Dad?” she called out, rapping on the door yet again. “You guys home?”
“Is everything okay, Rainbow?” Twilight asked, feeling the tips of her feathers start to grow cold. A shiver ran down her back as a breeze ran by.
“I... I don’t know. They should be home!” Rainbow flicked her tail in annoyance, then hit the door a lot harder. “Come on, stop playing games! I know you’re in there!”
“Don’t you have a key or something?” Scootaloo asked, cocking her head to the side. “My old parents never gave me a key to the house because they didn’t really trust me, but they each had one, so... where’s yours?”
“I didn’t really ask for one when I left because... I dunno.” Rainbow shrugged, then hit the door again.
“Hey, would ya keep it down?!” a neighbor yelled from their right. “Do you even know what time... Wait, Rainbow, is that you?” he asked, his voice changing from one of anger to one less angry.
“Stormy?” Rainbow asked as she turned to get a better look at him. “Is that you?”
“Sure is!” Stormy flew over the small fence separating the two properties, then landed in front of them. He glanced at Twilight, then his eyes went wide as he recognized her. “Princess Sparkle!” Stormy bowed low before her. “Please forgive me for not recognizing you earlier. It is rather dark out, and my eyes haven’t fully adjusted to the darkness yet.”
“It is quite all right, Mr. Stormy,” Twilight said, using a hoof to guide him back up. “So... any idea why Rainbow’s parents’ house is all dark? She said that they usually stay up pretty late, and we kinda didn’t tell them we were coming.”
“Oh, uh... they left for Manehatten a few days ago...” Stormy said with unease. He glanced to the left, then the right, fluffed his wings, then finally sighed. “They’re not coming back for another week and a half, too. I just know this because they asked me to get their mail while they were gone.”
Rainbow groaned into her hoof. “Ugh... how could I forget about their vacation? They do this every year around this time!”
“You know, you could stay at the Cloudy Inn on the other side of town. I know it’s nothing fancy like a five-star hotel or anything like that, but it’ll hold you over until tomorrow if you want to go somewhere else!” Stormy said.
Twilight sighed, letting her shoulders droop. “'Tis a pity; I was looking forward to meeting your parents, Rainbow,” she said, sitting down next to her.
“Yeah... oh well. Thanks for the tip, Stormy,” she said, bumping her outstretched hoof against his. “Your folks doing okay?”
“Yeah, they’re good. They gave me their house, and decided to go live in a nursing home. They’re getting pretty old, and they don’t want to hold me down. I still visit them every day, though, so it’s not like I’ve pushed them out of my life.” Glancing back at his house, he said, “Well... it’s getting pretty chilly out, and I told my folks I’d meet them for breakfast tomorrow morning, so I’m gonna head back inside. It was nice running into you!” He opened his wings and after a small wave, he flew back to his warm house and shut the door.
“So... the hotel?” Spike asked, rubbing his arms with his claws to generate warmth.
“Before we go...” Scootaloo slid from Rainbow’s back and sat in front of Spike. “Could you do that fire breathing thingy that dragons do?” she asked, looking at him with a hopeful grin. “I’m pretty cold.”
“Sure, but only if Twilight’s fine with it.” He looked up at Twilight with a raised eyebrow, silently asking for permission. When she nodded, he blew a stream of fire in front of Scootaloo, holding out for as long as he could as he clenched his eyes shut.
Scootaloo slid closer to the flames and held out her two front hooves, rubbing them together in the few seconds that she had. “Ahh... much better, thanks!” She wrapped her forelegs around Spike’s neck for a moment, then stepped back.
“Any idea where the hotel is, Rainbow? I don’t know much about Cloudsdale aside from that time we all came to watch you in that flying competition,” Twilight said, rubbing her forelegs together.
“Yeah, I remember. Come on, I’ll lead the way.” She shot a forlorn glance at her parents’ house, then solemnly walked away.
After checking into one of the last rooms available, they locked their hotel room door behind them after deciding to go to one of Rainbow’s favorite restaurants from when she was a filly. Since it was only a few blocks away and a couple of streets over, they made quick time.
Feeling pretty worn out, Twilight walked inside and stopped, noticing two small walls separating the restaurant in half with a small bar in the middle. She noticed Rainbow walk towards the right, so she trudged after her, grateful to get out of the cold. They picked a random booth near the back, and she chose to take the bench on the right, finally letting her weary head rest on the table. Scootaloo climbed up on the seat beside her while Rainbow and Spike took the other booth. Hearing hoofsteps approach their table, Twilight lifted her head and threw on a smile for their waiter as he walked up to them.
“Hello everyone, welcome to the– Princess Twilight! It is an honor to have you dine at our fine establishment. If you had let us know that you were coming, we would have reserved our finest seat in the house for you and your party. I shall inform the chef of your arrival, but first, what drinks will you be having tonight?” He levitated a quill and a small notebook in front of him. “If it pleases you, I would be happy to serve you and Miss Dash our finest wine on the house, of course!”
“That’d be great!” Dash said with a wide grin. “Sure could go for something to help me relax! As for the rest of us, water would be great.”
“Four waters and a bottle of our best wine, got it!” the waiter said as he tucked his notepad away. “I’ll be right back!”
Scootaloo’s ears flopped down as she looked up at Twilight, letting her shoulders slump in disappointment. After a couple of seconds, she glanced away with a huff.
Twilight’s ears perked up at that. “Everything okay, sweetie?” she asked, wrapping a wing around Scootaloo.
Scootaloo sighed. “It’s just... alcohol ruined my old parents’ lives, so why are you guys drinking?” she asked. “I don’t want you to turn into them...”
Oh... Twilight winced. How to handle this... “Well... what your old parents did was wrong. Drinking consumed their lives, and it twisted them into the monsters they are. If they drank a lot, and if they drank pretty often, they could have been alcoholics, which means that they would feel a strong craving to keep drinking, or they would have to drink a lot more than normal just to feel buzzed or drunk. Now, what proper mares do is drink in moderation. Never enough to get drunk, only a little buzzed, just enough to help you relax. Fine wine also doesn’t have as much alcohol as liquor, which is what your parents drank, and we’re only going to have a small glass.”
“On second thought...” Rainbow fluffed her wings as she chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe we should hold off on the wine tonight. Might be a little too soon for that.”
Twilight’s smile faltered. “Very well.” She caught Rainbow’s eye, then mouthed, “Good idea.”
“Thanks, guys.” Scootaloo nuzzled Twilight’s side with a smile, then said, “I”ll be back in a minute, okay? I’m going to go use the mares room.” She pushed herself off of the seat and stood, waiting for Twilight’s answer.
“You want Rainbow or me to go with you?” Twilight asked, starting to slide out of her seat.
“Nah, I’m pretty sure I can handle going to the bathroom by myself,” Scootaloo said with a giggle. “I’m not a foal anymore, after all!”
“What do you want if the waiter comes back before you do?” Rainbow asked.
“Just a salad with a lot of croutons and cheese! Oh, and ranch, too! Can’t forget the best part of the salad!” With that being said, she trotted away from the table and found her way towards the back of the restaurant, trotting past many occupied tables. “Huh, sure is busy around here...” she muttered to herself. Pushing open the door to the bathroom, she walked into the first stall and shouldered the door closed, though right before she was about to do her business, the door to the bathroom opened again.
“Are you sure she wasn’t there?” Scootaloo heard a familiar voice say, a voice that made her heart stop and her eyes go wide. My mom! What’s she doing here?! she thought, trying to make herself as small as possible. All worries of how clean the bathroom floor was disappeared, for the fear for her life reigned supreme in her mind.
“Yeah, the house was dark. I knocked for like, five minutes, but nopony came to the door. Maybe they’re out looking for you two? And let’s be real here, you shouldn’t be out in public, either,” an unknown voice said.
“Ugh, fine!” Scootaloo heard her mother stomp the floor once. “And nopony’s gonna look for us here. We appreciate that you’re letting us crash at your place until we figure out our next move.”
“About that... What’s your husband been up to? I haven’t seen him in a few days.”
“He’s been out talking to some of our old friends around Equestria, trying to figure out if they know anything about the Princess’s whereabouts. He should be back sometime tonight; at least, that’s what he said before he left.”
“Very well. Shall we return to dinner? Our food should be coming out any minute now, and my friends don’t like to be kept waiting.”
Scootaloo heard the bathroom door open then shut. With her entire body trembling, she crept forward and pushed her head underneath the small space of the stall’s door, and once she saw that the coast was clear, she cautiously opened the stall’s door, wincing at the loud, obnoxious squeak that it made. She bolted to the bathroom’s door, then as slowly as she dared, she pushed it open just enough to check that the area just outside of it was clear, then bolted back to her table and scurried underneath it.
“Scootaloo, what are you doing?” Twilight asked with a giggle as she used her magic to pull her out from under the table. She placed her back in her seat, and barely a moment passed before Scootaloo tried to hide herself in her wing. “This is a nice restaurant, we can’t be play...” Her eyes narrowed when she felt Scootaloo’s body trembling against hers. “What’s wrong?” she firmly asked.
“She’s here!!” Scootaloo whispered as loud as she dared, her eyes as wide as they could go as she gazed up at Twilight.
“Who’s here?” Rainbow asked, placing her front hooves on the table as she stood up.
“My mom!” Scootaloo said, looking at the rest of the tables on the other side of the restaurant. Her eyes scanned the tables, going from left to right. “There!” she said, pointing at the table in the farthest corner, where four ponies sat. “There she is, right there!”
Rainbow jumped up onto the table, staring directly at Scootaloo’s mother. “Hey, you!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. Tranquil’s head whipped up, her eyes locking with hers. “I’ve been waiting too long for this...” Rainbow muttered as a smirk grew on her face.
A Familial Encounter, Part II
Everything moved in slow motion for Twilight. Her heart raced in her chest as she watched Rainbow’s wings flap down, propelling her from their table. Her eyes went wide as she saw Scootaloo’s mother leap from her seat, a shiny object that reflected the nearby candlelight with a sickly glow held tightly in her right hoof. No! she thought. Without a moment of hesitation, Twilight lit her horn, focused her magic on Rainbow, on everybody sitting at their table, then teleported them all into the first place that she could think of that was relatively close by: their hotel room.
Their table and the booths they sat upon reappeared in mid air, falling upon the edge of the bed with a terrific clash. Everybody slipped off of their seats, collapsing to the carpeted floor in a heap. Due to her momentum, Rainbow flew straight into the wall on the other side of their small room, leaving a dent where her head struck it.
Twilight lay still on the floor, panting heavily. Her vision was swimming so badly that she felt a bit nauseous, even though there was nothing in her stomach. Her head ached terribly, and her mouth was as dry as sandpaper. All of her energy was gone, and her muscles burned as if she had just finished a five mile race at full gallop. She closed her eyes and licked her dry lips as she pushed away the urge to throw up. “S-Spike!” she croaked out, her voice barely louder than a whisper. “Send a letter to Celestia... for help...” Twilight coughed out as she tried to push herself up.
“On it!” Spike yelled, looking around the room for anything to write on. Fortunately, he spotted a small notepad, a quill, and a small ink pot on the desk next to Rainbow. He scampered over there, dipped the quill in the ink pot, hastily wrote a small message to Celestia, then sent it off. “Done!” he yelled. Rainbow groaned and pushed herself up, shaking her head with an annoyed flick of her tail. “Yo Dash, you okay?” he asked, kneeling down next to her with an outstretched claw.
“No, I am not okay!” Rainbow growled, pushing him away with a wing. She stood up, rubbing her forehead with a hoof as she glared at Twilight. “How could you?!” she asked, barely-restrained anger in her voice as she stalked up to her.
“Wh... What?” Twilight asked in a daze, struggling to lift her head as she forced her vision to focus on her special somepony. Rainbow snorted once and stormed away, breathing heavily through her nose as her legs and wings shook in a furious rage. Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed, but she pushed her feelings aside for the moment and remembered that they were still in danger. She swallowed once, the stark reality of their situation sinking deep into her mind. Wincing at the fact that she was going to have to cast another spell, especially after casting such a complicated and energy-consuming spell, she knew that there would be no small amount of pain. Nevertheless, she lit her horn once more, a bright purple aura coating the door and the window as she sealed them inside. Her headache doubled in intensity, making her groan and clench her eyes shut. It was just a little bit too warm in their room, and she desperately wished that they could crack a window to cool things off, but she simply wouldn’t dare risk their safety for her own personal comfort. “Rainbow...” she muttered. “I... I couldn’t...”
“Couldn’t what?!” Rainbow shot back, stomping up to her again. “Couldn’t let me capture one of Scootaloo’s parents? Sure, I would have let her have it and then some, but still! Why didn’t you let me?”
“Because I... I...” Twilight weakly flapped her wings as she finally got back on her hooves, a few of her feathers falling to the floor. On trembling legs, she cautiously walked over to the bed and flopped down upon it. She felt so tired that she knew if she closed her eyes, she would be asleep in seconds. “I didn’t think... Ugh...!” She buried her muzzle under her front hooves as tears welled up in her eyes; the pain in her head was simply too much to bear, and Rainbow’s yelling wasn’t helping her headache in the slightest.
“And once again, the all-powerful princess doesn’t think before she acts!” Rainbow yelled, her voice becoming hoarse from all the yelling. “If you ever loved me, you wouldn’t have stopped me, and—”
“Rainbow, stop!” Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs. She trotted up to her and slapped her leg with a hoof, then glared up at her. “Did you really just say that?! Look at her!” she said, standing up on her hind legs as she placed her two front hooves on Rainbow’s chest. When Rainbow’s gaze didn’t budge from her own, she jabbed her left hoof into Rainbow’s chest and used her right hoof to gesture at Twilight, who still had her muzzle buried under her forelegs. “I said look at her!” she hissed out as her eyes narrowed. “She kept all of us safe. You, me, and Spike. I admire that you want to hurt my mother, but not if there’s a small chance that you could get hurt.”
“One on one with a drunk? Pfft, I could have totally won that!” Rainbow said with a snort.
“She was eating dinner with her friends, Rainbow! Do you really think you could take on all four of them by yourself?” Scootaloo asked moments before Twilight coughed and lifted her head from the sheets.
“She had a knife, Rainbow,” Twilight said, staring daggers at Rainbow. “I have no doubt that you would be able to subdue Scootaloo’s mother, but she was ready to kill you!” Tears streamed down her cheeks as the thought of living without her best friend grazed against her mind. She wearily lifted a hoof towards her as her throat grew tight. “I love you too much to let that happen to you...” Her muscles screamed in protest as she fought to keep her hoof aloft, and as the seconds passed, her vision started to become blurry.
Rainbow’s eyes locked on Twilight’s hoof before they flicked up to meet Twilight’s tired gaze. “She had a... a knife?” she whispered, her ears flopping down as her heart sunk into her stomach. Everything clicked into place in her mind. She was going to kill me? she thought, her stomach twisting itself into a tight knot. “I... I, uh...” Rainbow walked up next to the bed and sat down, grabbing Twilight’s hoof in between her own. She held it close to her chest as she laid her forehead against Twilight’s, feeling heat radiate from her horn through her disheveled mane. “I’m sorry, Twi,” she choked out, holding onto Twilight’s hoof with all of her strength. “I’m sorry for yelling at you, and...” Rainbow gently nuzzled her cheek, then whispered, “I love you, too,” so quietly that only Twilight could hear her. “Forgive me?” she asked with a sheepish smile as she sat back.
Twilight cracked a small smile. “Only on two conditions, and I think you already know one of them.”
“Snuggles after Celestia comes with her army to lock down the city?” Rainbow asked with a smirk.
“Yes,” Twilight said with a nod. “You want to know the other?”
“Mhm!” Rainbow nodded furiously.
Twilight yanked on Rainbow’s hoof, pulling her back up against the side of the bed. Twilight placed her forehead on Rainbow’s like Rainbow had done seconds earlier and stared deep into her eyes. “Don’t ever scream at me like that again. Got it?”
Rainbow’s eyes drifted shut as her head tilted to the side, letting her lips find Twilight’s. “Anything for you,” she whispered into Twilight’s flicking ear. Suddenly, somepony banged on their door, making her head whip up. “Scootaloo, Spike? Get behind me.” She flicked her wings open wide, preparing herself for the worst. The door glowed in a pale yellow light, then their door swung open wide. Rainbow’s lips parted as she snarled, grinding a hoof into the carpeted floor as she lowered herself, ready to tackle whoever was about to walk inside.
“Twilight? Rainbow?” Princess Celestia strode inside their room and paused as two of her royal guard trotted past her, deadly-looking spears held under their right wings. They took up position in the back of the room while two others took up position in front of the window. “Thank goodness you all are okay. I came as quickly as I could,” she said, eyeing the table and the two booths with a curious gaze.
Rainbow’s shoulders drooped in relief as she bowed before Celestia, folding her wings back in. “Thank you, Princess Celestia,” she said as she stood back up. “How many guards did you bring with you?”
“On such a short notice, I only managed to bring sixteen.” Celestia shut the door with a quick spell, then sat down in front of Rainbow and Twilight. “More are on the way, for my sister is rousing the guards in the barracks. We are going to do a full sweep of Cloudsdale, and I give you my word that we will find the escapees.”
“Princess...” Twilight croaked. She pushed herself up on the bed, feeling nothing but an overwhelming hunger in her gut coupled with a horrendous headache. “Thank you for coming in the middle of the night. We didn’t wake you, did we?” she asked, noticing the lack of regalia.
“...Yes, but I had only just retired for the evening. With a fellow princess in need of assistance, I would go many nights without sleep if need be.”
“Good to know.” Twilight slipped from the bed and sat down, closing her eyes for a few moments as she gathered her thoughts. “All I know is that Scootaloo saw her mother. She knows more than I do in this situation, so...” She looked over at Scootaloo and opened a wing for her to sit under.
Scootaloo’s gaze flicked between Twilight and Princess Celestia, biting her tongue as she trotted in place. They need to know I only saw my mother! she thought, a small groan slipping from between her lips. Celestia looked at her with a lifted eyebrow, making her wilt in place.
“What is it, little one?” Celestia asked, laying down on the floor. She crossed her forelegs and beckoned her forward with a hoof. “You are among friends; there is nothing to fear.”
“Um... Okay.” Scootaloo took a few steps towards Celestia and sat down beside Twilight, rubbing her left foreleg with a hoof as she stared at the floor. “I don’t think my dad is here,” she squeaked out as Twilight’s wing wrapped around her. “I heard my mom saying that he was gonna come back soon.”
“Hm...” Celestia’s eyebrows furrowed as she let out a deep breath.
“And it sounded like she has friends here in Cloudsdale, too. My dad used to work up here in the factory, so maybe ask around there?” Scootaloo glanced up at Twilight and shrugged. “His friends might not want to give him up if they know anything, though...” Scootaloo sighed as her tail swished back and forth behind her. “Why can’t they just leave us alone?”
“My guards will surely find them, little one, I promise you that.” Celestia stood up and fluffed her wings. “When reinforcements arrive, you all will be on the very first chariot back to Canterlot.” She saw Twilight open her mouth to speak, but she waved her off with a hoof. “Including you, Twilight. You are a target to these ponies, and you must be kept safe above all else.” A knock on the door kept her from speaking, so she shot a glance over her shoulder just in time to see the door open. “Oh, Lieutenant! Have our reinforcements arrived?” she asked, turning around to face him.
“Yes, Princess!” he barked out. “As per your commands, a chariot and an escort of pegasi are waiting just outside to escort the V.I.P.’s back to Canterlot!”
“Excellent.” Celestia looked back at everypony in the room. “If you would all follow him, we shall get you back to safety in no time at all!”
Rainbow huffed. “So what are you going to do to find Scootaloo’s mother?” she asked, looking up at Celestia with a defiant gaze. “Are you going to search each and every house and building here until you find them? Scootaloo made it sound like her mother was crashing with some friends, and I don’t think they have a house up here.”
“Well, no, we are not going to do that, Rainbow,” Celestia said, her voice light but firm. “That would not be appropriate.”
“For a situation like this? I think it’s totally appropriate!” Rainbow said. “We need to catch her as soon as possible!”
“For all we know, she could have flown away into the night,” Celestia said, her voice becoming firmer. “We do not know if she is still in the city.”
“Exactly! She might still be here!” Rainbow stomped on the floor with her front hooves. “I’ll do it myself if I have to!”
Celestia’s lieutenant strode up to Rainbow and looked down upon her with a steely gaze. “With all due respect, if you try to do anything of the sort, you will be arrested, ma’am.” Rainbow flicked her tail once, her gaze never leaving his until Twilight nudged her with a wing.
“Rainbow... they’ll get her,” Twilight said, letting Scootaloo go. She looked down at her and said, “Follow the nice guard down to the chariot, okay? Rainbow will follow you to make sure everything is safe.”
“Okay...” Scootaloo nuzzled Twilight’s leg, then trotted away after Rainbow.
Twilight stood up, her head hung low. “Spike, can you send word to my parents that we’ll be coming home late tonight?” she asked.
“Uh...” Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know how to do that.”
Celestia lit her horn for several seconds, then said, “It is done. A guard has been dispatched to their home.”
“H-How?” Twilight asked, blearily looking up at Celestia.
“I will teach you later, my faithful student, but now is not the time for such things,” Celestia said with a gentle smile. “You should not keep the nice pegasi at the chariot waiting, though.”
“Good point.” Twilight wrapped her forelegs around her former mentor’s neck. “I wish we wouldn’t have to keep meeting under such stressful circumstances...”
“As do I, Twilight...” Celestia gently nuzzled Twilight’s neck, then let her go. “Perhaps I shall invite you all for tea once this is all taken care of.”
“That would be awesome,” Twilight said with a grin. “Thank you for coming...” she murmured as she walked past her.
Spike walked up to Celestia, then chuckled nervously. “Hey, so... I just wanna say that I’m sorry for waking you up, Princess. I don’t like it when Twilight makes me get out of bed, so I’m pretty sure that you don’t like being woken up, either.”
“It is quite alright, Spike,” Celestia said with a light chuckle. She lit her horn, then levitated Spike up onto her back. “So... why does it look like Twilight teleported a table and chairs in here?”
Spike laughed. “Long story.”
Middle of the Night
Twilight woke up with a start. The room was dark, save for a little bit of moonlight that slipped past the tightly-drawn curtains. A warm weight pressing up against her side provided a small modicum of comfort. She felt that weight move, then felt the familiar touch of Rainbow’s feathers graze against her belly. She coughed a few times, the pain in her head doubling. “Ugh... R-Rainbow? That you?” she softly asked, looking to the right as she rubbed her eyes with her hooves.
“Yeah, it’s me, Twilight...” Rainbow whispered. She folded her wing back to her side then lifted her head. She nuzzled Twilight’s cheek with a tender, loving touch. “How’re you feeling, cutie?” she asked, planting a light kiss on her lips.
“Horrible... Like I’m gonna throw up.”
Rainbow sat back, wondering if she was actually going to throw up. “You want some water? Your mom left us a couple glasses on my nightstand,” Rainbow said, grabbing one of the glasses with her other hoof. “Here, sit up a little more so you can drink this.”
Twilight gingerly pushed herself up, then rolled onto her belly. Her vision was swimming so badly she felt her stomach try to push something up. “We’re back at my parents’ place?” she asked, struggling to keep the contents of her stomach where they should remain.
“Yeah. You passed out when we were like, ten minutes from Canterlot. You literally collapsed on me, so I had the pegasi flying us race as fast as they could. A guard checked you out when we landed and said that you just needed rest. You were going in and out once we landed... You remember any of that?” Rainbow held the glass up to Twilight’s lips and let her take a few sips.
Twilight tried to remember arriving at her foalhood home. “Not at all.”
“Probably for the best,” Rainbow said with a wry chuckle. She lifted the glass up again. “Your parents were freaking out a ton; they thought something horrible had happened to you.”
“Sweet Celestia...” Twilight groaned as she closed her eyes, her ears flopping down to lay flat on her head. “I’m sure they’re worried sick...” She lifted a hoof, tilting the glass of water back towards her lips.
“Oh yeah, they totally are. It took me ten minutes trying to calm them down before they would even listen to me. Your dad is, uh... pretty upset with me. He blames me for what happened to you, and... I think he’s right. You wouldn’t have had to teleport us all, our table, and our seats back to the hotel room; I bet we could have just snuck out and found some guards, and then Scootaloo’s mom would be behind bars instead of... wherever she is now.” Rainbow placed the empty glass of water back on the nightstand and scooted back over until their sides were touching. She wrapped a hoof around Twilight’s, then nuzzled her cheek. “I’m so sorry for putting you in that situation, and I’m sorry for yelling at you. I feel sick to my stomach seeing you like this, and... I know I already apologized, but... I still feel horrible for making all of this, well... happen the way it did.”
“Thanks.” Twilight licked her lips and laid her head against Rainbow’s. “How long was I out for?” she asked, praying that her headache would go away sometime soon.
“After we got back here? Dunno, between three and six hours? There’s no clock in here.” Rainbow tightened her grasp on Twilight’s hoof and laid a wing over her back.
“Geez...that long?” Twilight asked. She felt Rainbow nod. “How are Spike and Scootaloo?”
“They’re worried sick, of course. It took your mother half an hour to get them to go to bed.” A particularly loud snore came from the other side of the door. “Oh yeah, and did I mention that your dad is sleeping in front of our door?” she asked with a chuckle. “With the guards out front, your dad in front of our door, and me in here, I don’t think anything bad can happen.”
“Don’t think you mentioned anything of the sort, no,” Twilight said. She lifted her head and looked into Rainbow’s eyes, shooting her a soft smile. “I’m still feeling a little queasy, so... can we snuggle some more and talk about this tomorrow?” Rainbow opened her mouth, but Twilight simply placed a hoof on her lips. “And yes, I want to be the little spoon.”
“Heh, how’d you know I was gonna ask that?” Rainbow asked, letting go of Twilight’s hoof.
“Because, believe it or not, I know you very well,” Twilight said, letting a little bit of mirth tint her tone. She rolled over onto her side, then fluffed up the pillow. “It’s not nice to keep a mare waiting, you know.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know...” Rainbow murmured. She snuggled up against Twilight’s back, tucking her marefriend’s head into the crook of her neck as she took care not to poke an eye out on her horn. Rainbow closed her eyes as she leaned forward a little bit, planting her lips at the base of Twilight’s horn. Her head shot back as she felt a bit of heat radiate from it. “Uh... Twi? Your horn is pretty warm.”
“So that’s why I still have a headache... great.” Twilight sighed. Her tail swished about on the sheets until Rainbow’s came to rest on top of it. Rainbow draped a hind leg over her flank and tugged her close, her wing coming to rest across her forelegs, just how she liked it.
“Why is it like that?” Rainbow murmured. “And are you warm enough?”
“Thanks to you, yeah.” Twilight nuzzled the bottom of Rainbow’s chin. “And as for my horn? It’s like that because I had to teleport everything around us. I didn’t have time to focus my magic on everybody, so I just teleported everything in a sphere around us, and... now I have to suffer the consequences.”
Rainbow’s eyebrows furrowed at her words. “What do you mean?”
“Well... If I want my headache to go away, then I’m gonna have to keep myself from using magic. My headache will only get worse if I try to use magic.”
“Oh. I guess that makes sense.” Twilight nodded. “So it’s that bad, huh? When do you think you’ll be able to use magic again?” Rainbow asked.
“Probably sometime in the afternoon, though it’s never been this bad before.” Twilight snuggled deeper into Rainbow’s embrace. “You don’t have to worry; things like this can happen if you’re not too careful.”
Rainbow pushed a hoof in between Twilight’s forelegs and held her as close to her body as she could. “I can’t help but worry about you, Twilight. I hate seeing you like this.”
“Yeah... hopefully we’ll get some good news tomorrow from Celestia.”
“Ya know, if she tells us Scootaloo’s parents were caught while we were sleeping, I’d probably have Celestia marry us on the spot,” Rainbow said with a giggle.
Twilight’s eyes shot open wide. “Heh, that would definitely make tomorrow pretty awesome.”
“Totally! And you know I’m all about being awesome...” Rainbow hummed softly in content.
Twilight lifted a single eyebrow as she replayed Rainbow’s words in her head over and over. “Um, so... that wasn’t your way of asking me to marry you, was it?” she asked, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. She felt Rainbow tense up, her mind overflowing with worry.
“What? N-No, of course not! When I—” She nervously cleared her throat. “I’d never ask you to marry me like that.”
With her racing heart starting to slow down in her chest, Twilight thought back to when they were flying to Cloudsdale, remembering how she had told Rainbow that she was thinking about their future together. Is she on the same page as I am? We’ve only been together for what, a month or two? We’ve been best friends for years, though, so... would that make up for it? Is it even proper to ask for somepony’s hoof in matrimony after a couple of months? A rather insistent nuzzle from Rainbow jerked her from her thoughts.
“I love you, Twilight,” Rainbow whispered. “I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.”
“You and me both...” Twilight relaxed, letting her body go limp in Rainbow’s grasp. Feeling the need to plant her lips on Rainbow’s, Twilight rolled over and grinned as she felt no small amount of butterflies flitting about in her stomach.
“What’re you—” Rainbow’s words were cut off by a loving smooch from Twilight. “Oh, hehe... Should have seen that coming.”
Morning Smooches
Rainbow woke up from the sun streaming in past the curtains. She laid the gentlest of kisses upon Twilight’s snout and lay still, staring at her with a soft smile on her face. Wanting to wake her up in the best way she could think of, Rainbow folded her wing back to her side and rolled over onto her belly. With a cheeky grin, she pushed herself on top of Twilight and nuzzled her cheek. “Hey there, cutie,” she whispered, her lips finding Twilight’s before she could open her eyes. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she gently pushed her tongue into Twilight’s mouth, wrestling with her half-awake marefriend for control.
A soft moan of pure content slipped from Twilight’s lips as she wrapped her left foreleg around the back of Rainbow’s head, deepening their kiss. The thought of being unable to do anything but kiss Rainbow back made Twilight’s wings flutter at her sides, and she wouldn’t have changed anything about it. Minutes passed in silence, save for the sounds of their kiss, before Rainbow pulled away, a thin bridge of saliva connecting their lips. Twilight panted softly as she stared deeply into her lover’s eyes, her heart yearning for more. With a smirk, she wrapped her wings around Rainbow and rolled over so that she was on top of her.
“Feeling better, Twi?” Rainbow asked, brushing a bit of Twilight’s mane out of her face.
“A little bit, yeah, thanks to that awesome kiss!” Twilight said with a giggle. “But I still have a headache, and I know of only one thing that can make me feel better.”
“Hehe, what’s that?” Rainbow asked, her tail swishing about underneath Twilight’s.
“More of this,” Twilight whispered, pressing her lips against Rainbow’s once again. She wrapped a hoof behind Rainbow’s neck as she held her close, feeling her squirm about beneath her. “Why don’t we—eep!” she said, her eyes going wide as they rolled over again.
Rainbow planted her hind legs in the sheets and used her weight to keep Twilight pinned down to the sheets, exactly where she wanted her. “Why don’t we what?” she breathlessly asked.
“Why don’t we do this every morning?” Twilight asked, biting her bottom lip as her heart soared in the clouds.
“Do what, exactly?” Rainbow smirked, her lips mere centimeters from Twilight’s lips.
“Oh, you know...” Twilight said as she blushed. Rainbow’s chest floof tickled her belly, so she leaned in and stole a quick kiss from her. “That.”
“Heh, that was nothing! Lemme show ya how it’s done...”
Twilight Velvet heard somepony rap on the front door. She set her cup of coffee down on the kitchen table and trotted through the tight hall leading towards the front of the house, wondering who it could be. Peeking through the window, her eyes went wide as she recognized the familiar shimmering mane of none other than the prettiest princess in all the land.
Second only to her daughter, Twilight, of course.
With her heart racing in her chest, Twilight Velvet began hyperventilating. “I haven’t showered, I haven’t brushed my mane, and I look like a mess!” Her head whipped around, looking for a brush, or anything that would improve her appearance, but it was all for naught. She bit her lip as she groaned, then used her magic to open the front door with a wide smile.
“Princess Celestia? How wonderful it is to see you!” Twilight Velvet said as she pulled the front door open the rest of the way. She bowed low before standing up a few seconds later. “It is quite an honor for you to visit us! I take it that you’ve brought news?” she asked, shooting a hopeful look up at her.
“Why yes, yes I have,” Celestia said with a warm smile. A yawn forced itself past her lips. “I am sorry for coming so early... I did not wake you, did I?”
“No, I’ve been up for a while. Would you like a cup of coffee?” Twilight Velvet stood aside and gestured for her to come in.
“If you have some tea, that would be lovely.” Celestia’s wings bristled in excitement as she trotted inside with a gleeful pep in her step. “How is Twilight? One of the guards outside told me that there was an incident on the flight back,” she said, no small amount of worry in her tone.
Twilight Velvet’s ears flicked back. “Yeah... She fainted, or... something minutes before she got here. She’s still in bed with Rainbow; those two are inseparable!” She nodded towards the kitchen. “If you would come with me, my princess, I can whip us up some of my favorite tea!”
“Please, just call me Celestia. There is no need to be so formal around me, especially when we’re in your home.”
Twilight Velvet paused. “Um... okay. If I may be so bold, why?”
“Well, with Twilight being a princess, that makes you royalty by default.”
“Oh! I see. So... where’s my castle?” she asked with a mirthful giggle.
Celestia chuckled. “That is a very good question, though I am afraid you will have to speak to Twilight about that.”
“Hehe, I figured as much. Or maybe I should talk to Shining and Cadence... If you would like to find a comfy seat, I’ll get the tea going and go wake Twilight up. I’m sure that she’ll be most pleased to hear that you are here!” She lit her horn, using her magic to fill the teapot with water.
She turned the stove on with her right hoof, then placed the teapot on the burner. “I’ll be right back, Celestia!” she said as she trotted away, a gleeful pep in her step. She made her way up the stairs and rounded the corner, finding her husband fast asleep on his side. “Get up, you big oof! she said with a light giggle. She nuzzled him awake, then sat down as he wiped his eyes.
“Hey, you...” Night Light said with a grin. “Is it morning already?”
“Yes, and you need to move! Princess Celestia is in our kitchen!” Twilight Velvet hissed out, unable to keep her tail from flicking about.
“What? Why?”
“She brought news for Twilight, and you and I both know it’s not nice to keep a princess waiting!”
“But... our daughter is a princess. Wouldn’t it be considered a crime to wake up a sleeping beauty?” Night Light asked with a smirk as he pushed himself up.
Twilight Velvet simply rolled her eyes, knocked on Twilight’s door, then pushed it open. “Twili— Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” She glanced away and shielded her eyes with a hoof, but she’d already seen Rainbow laying on top of her daughter with their lips locked.
Twilight’s eyes went wide as she heard her mother’s voice. Her ears flicked back as she broke away from Rainbow’s soft lips, her heart yearning for more. “M-Mom!” Twilight indignantly said, lifting a wing to hide her crimson cheeks. “Haven’t you heard of knocking first?”
Rainbow flopped down on her side, Twilight’s saliva still wet on her lips. She bit her bottom lip as her eyes danced across the room, rather ticked off that they had been interrupted.
“I, uh... I did knock first!” Twilight Velvet stammered out.
“Well, we didn’t hear you!”
“Obviously! You two were too busy smooching,” Twilight Velvet said. She peeked over her hoof. “Are you two, er... decent?”
Twilight’s blush deepened twofold. “Mom! Of course we’re decent! We were only, uh...”
“Making out for the last twenty minutes,” Rainbow said with a smirk, earning a playful shove from Twilight. “I think that might be a new world record!”
Twilight Velvet scoffed. “Only twenty minutes? Heh, try an hour,” she said with a smirk.
Rainbow shot her a grin. “We’d have kissed for a lot longer if you hadn’t interrupted us,” she said. She and Night Light kissed for an hour? Geez... that’s gonna be hard to beat, but I’m sure Twilight wouldn’t mind breaking her mother’s record with me!
Twilight rolled her eyes as she folded her wing back to her side, wiping Rainbow’s saliva from her lips with a hoof. She sighed, then momentarily glanced at Rainbow. “What’s so important that you had to storm in here?” she asked, setting her gaze on her mother as Rainbow laid her head on her belly.
“Princess Celestia is here to see you!” Twilight Velvet said. “She said she has news!”
Rainbow’s ears perked up. “Okay, that’s a pretty good reason to run in here.” She pushed herself up, then hopped over Twilight. “You coming?” she asked, looking over her shoulder.
“You what?!” Twilight shrieked, her eyes wide. She ignored her throbbing headache. The cup of tea held aloft with her magic fell to the floor, the fine china shattering upon impact. She shot a quick glance at Rainbow and saw that she shared a similar expression of disbelief.
Celestia’s smile widened. “We caught Tranquil Breeze.”
“How?” Rainbow demanded, placing her forelegs on the table.
“She was hiding on top of a cloud, just outside the city.” Celestia smirked. “A few of my guards found her and subdued her with little effort. They told me she tried to hide herself in the cloud, but it was not big enough. I personally threw her in the prison chariot, and she is now residing in the dungeons beneath my castle. I would love to see her try to escape from those.”
Rainbow burst out laughing. “What an idiot! I can’t believe she actually tried to do that!”
With tears in her eyes, and with her legs feeling like they were about to collapse, Twilight walked around the table and wrapped her legs around her old mentor’s neck. As tears streamed down her cheeks, Twilight nuzzled Celestia’s neck over and over again. “Th-Thank you...” she murmured.
“You are most welcome, little one,” Celestia said, returning Twilight’s nuzzle. She pulled her into a hug as Twilight cried her cute little heart out, her tears wetting her fur. Celestia wrapped her wings around Twilight’s back, concealing her from everypony’s view in a vain effort to preserve her dignity.
“But what about Scootaloo’s father?” Rainbow asked.
“He is still... unaccounted for,” Celestia said. She felt Twilight tense up in her grasp.
“He’s... missing?” Twilight asked as she sat back, looking up into Celestia’s eyes.
“Yes, he is. We have no idea where he could be, but he is definitely not in Cloudsdale. Tranquil Breeze, in her flurry of threats aimed at me, let slip that he was due back in town sometime today or tomorrow, so I have stationed guards all over Cloudsdale. I truly hope that his capture will be swift and uneventful.”
“Yeah, hopefully.” Rainbow grinned as her eyes lit up. “I gotta go tell Scootaloo!” she said before flying at breakneck speeds down the hallway and up the stairs. She landed at the top of the stairs and galloped down the hallway, then burst into Scootaloo’s and Spike’s room. “Guys, wake up!” She flew onto Scootaloo’s bed and shook her awake before lifting her up and pulling her into the tightest of hugs.
“Oof! What’s going on?” Scootaloo asked, wiping her eyes with her front hooves. “Why are you so excited, Dash?”
“Your mother was caught last night!” Rainbow exclaimed, jumping up and down on the bed.
“R-Really? How?!” Scootaloo asked, her wings fluttering at her sides as her eyes went wide.
“Celestia’s guards found her cowering on top of a cloud!” Rainbow giggled as she nuzzled Scootaloo’s head. “They didn’t catch your dad, though, but I’ll take what I can get!”
Crystal Empire
Twilight stared out of the train car’s window as they passed through the darkened scenery. It was snowing so hard that she could barely make out the forest just feet away from the train. The tips of her wings trembled, not from the many loud thunderclaps that made her ears flick back with each startling sound, but from the aftereffects of casting that unrestrained teleportation spell. With her head still feeling like someone had kicked it repeatedly without mercy, she thought to try a simple spell but quickly shoved that thought away for fear of worsening her headache.
Celestia had been most gracious in allowing them to use her personal train car, giving them the privacy that they needed; both Celestia and Twilight did not want the public to see her in such a weakened state.
Twilight sighed as she blinked a few times. Rainbow was fast asleep on the bed that she had snuck out of an hour ago, for she couldn’t sleep. The only light in the train car came from a single magical orb that floated near the ceiling in the middle of the train car, casting just enough light to illuminate the outlines of the furniture. Twilight closed her eyes as she tugged the blanket up a little further with a hoof, tucking it in around her barrel in a vain effort to try to warm her wings up.
Minutes passed in silence before she felt someone poke her flank, making her eyes snap open wide. “Oh, it’s you,” she softly said, letting a smile grace her lips.
“Yeah, it’s just me,” Rainbow said as she climbed up on the couch. She pulled the blanket out from under Twilight’s side and wiggled underneath it. “Here, I brought us another blanket,” she said as she draped another thick blanket over them. Rainbow snuggled up against Twilight’s side and laid a wing across her back. Twilight’s feathers felt cold to the touch. “You feeling any better, Twilight?” Rainbow hesitantly asked, fearing the answer.
“...No. Not really,” Twilight said as another shiver ran down her spine. She coughed a couple of times, then laid her head against Rainbow’s warm neck. After nearly a minute of silence, she asked, “What are you doing up? It’s the middle of the night; you should get some rest.”
“I could say the same about you,” Rainbow murmured. “What are you doing up?”
“...Couldn’t sleep.” Twilight coughed again.
Rainbow chuckled. “Even with an expert snuggler?”
Twilight laughed, but it turned into a cough part of the way through.
Rainbow’s eyebrows furrowed as she nuzzled the top of Twilight’s head. “You need some water, Twi?” she asked, wrapping a hoof around Twilight’s.
Twilight shook her head. “No. I... I just need you...” she said so quietly she barely heard herself speak. She cleared her throat, then asked, “So... what are you doing up?”
“Well... I woke up and realized that you weren’t there, so... yeah,” Rainbow lamely said. “Something the matter?” she asked, feeling her marefriend tense up under her wing. When Twilight didn’t respond, she huffed and flicked her tail. “Come on, Twi, what’s up?”
“...Nothing.”
“Doesn’t seem like nothing,” Rainbow said. She glanced back at the bed, then nuzzled Twilight between her ears. “Scoots and Spike are still so asleep, so you don’t have to worry about them hearing us.”
Twilight sighed, then looked up at Rainbow. “I’m afraid to use my magic,” she finally squeaked out, her ears flicking back as her shoulders slumped. “There, I said it.”
I never would have thought to attack Scootaloo’s mom if I knew it would hurt her like this... Rainbow winced. “Well... uh...” She shut her mouth to avoid sounding like an idiot, then stayed silent for several seconds. “Why are you afraid? Does your head still hurt?” Twilight nodded. “Hm... do you still feel like throwing up?” Twilight shook her head. “Is your headache getting better or worse?”
“Better, but it still hurts. Like around here,” Twilight said, pointing around her forehead.
“Like at the base of your horn?” Rainbow brushed aside Twilight’s mane and took a better look. “Nothing looks different; at least your horn hasn’t fallen off,” she said with a giggle.
“Hehe, yeah, at least that hasn’t happened. It’s just... I’ve heard stories where unicorns have either lost nearly all of their magic or have permanently lost their magic by trying a spell far past their abilities. There was one instance where a mare even tried to bring a loved one back from the dead, but it ended up costing her her life. While my spell wasn’t as complicated as the ones in those stories, I cast it on an empty stomach, and it drained what little energy I had left. I’ve never felt this way before, and... I’m scared.”
“Well... you said it yourself; you’re starting to feel better. Just give it some time.” Rainbow stood up and trotted over towards the front of the train car and grabbed a couple of apples, then slipped back under the blankets. “Here, eat this; you need to keep your strength up.”
“I’m not that hungry,” Twilight said, laying her head on the windowsill.
“Twilight, I insist. You barely ate anything at dinner, and I know if I had ate so little, I’d be starving right now. To be honest, I’m a little hungry right now!” She lifted one of the apples to her lips and took a humongous bite. “Mmm... this might even be one from Applejack’s farm; here, try the other one!” She placed the other apple on the windowsill a few inches away from Twilight’s snout. “I think I’m right, but I’m not sure. Can you try it and see?” she asked with a grin. She nudged Twilight’s flank with her own as she took another bite.
Twilight grabbed the apple with her right hoof, glanced at Rainbow, then took a small bite. After a few chews, a small grin broke out on her face. “You know, you just might be right. Applejack’s have always had their own special taste, or... maybe we’ve just grown used to eating her apples for all these years,” she said. She took another few small bites, then swallowed. “You think that Princess Celestia buys Applejack’s apples and has them shipped to the castle?”
“They’re the best in Equestria, and they’re definitely fit for royalty, so probably, yeah,” Rainbow said. She finished off her apple and tossed the core aside, then patiently waited for Twilight to finish hers. “Doesn’t Applejack ship some of the farm’s cider to Celestia’s castle?”
“Maybe. I don’t remember.”
“I’m pretty sure she does. We can just ask her when we get back to Ponyville.” Rainbow kissed Twilight’s cheek and nuzzled it in for good measure. “So... feel better now?”
“A little bit, yeah.” Twilight laid her head down in between Rainbow’s forelegs as she closed her eyes, then felt Rainbow lay her head on top of hers. “Thanks, Dash.” A soft smile graced her lips as she felt Rainbow kiss the base of her horn, and as she felt Rainbow’s warmth seep into the back of her neck, she finally slipped into the blissful world of dreams.
As the train came to a jarring stop, Twilight cracked her eyes open and noticed that Rainbow had placed her head beside hers; she knew from experience that sleeping like that would end up with a sore neck. The orb was significantly brighter, as if it knew that they had reached their destination. As she lifted her head, the blankets that she and Rainbow shared slipped down to the small of her back, revealing just how cold the air was. She shrugged the blankets back up as far as she could, then nuzzled Rainbow awake; somehow she hadn’t woken up. “Rainbow, it’s time to go,” she said, laying a light smooch on her cheek.
“Ugh... five more minutes,” Rainbow groaned. “Oh, right; we’re on a train. Are Scootaloo and Spike up?” she asked as she looked up.
Twilight glanced back at the big bed, then nodded. “Yeah, they are. Come on, we gotta get our stuff.”
“Good thing we traveled light, huh?” Rainbow asked as she stretched.
“Mhm... Say, do you mind fetching our scarves from our bags?” Twilight asked as she pushed herself up. She yawned as she trotted over towards the bed. “Alright sleepyheads, time to go find Shining and Cadence,” she said.
Scootaloo slid out of bed and stretched like a cat, letting loose a ferocious yawn. “Okay, but only if one of you carries me. I’m super tired,” she said, rubbing her right eye with a hoof.
“I can do that,” Rainbow said as she came back with everyone’s scarves. She looked at the base of each scarf and handed them to their rightful owners, then helped Twilight put hers on. “All good, everyone?” she asked as she looked at each of them in turn. She tightened the strap of her saddlebag, then slipped on Twilight’s saddlebag as well, even though she knew she’d look goofy.
“Rainbow, I can get that. You don’t have—”
“Nah, don’t worry about it; I got this,” Rainbow said. She nodded towards the exit. “You think Shining and Cadence are waiting for us on the platform?” she asked, peering out through the window. “The snow’s still coming down pretty hard.”
“If they are, we shouldn’t keep them waiting,” Twilight said, casting a forlorn glance at the blankets that had just moments ago kept them as snug as a bug. “I’m certain that it’s freezing outside, and I’m not sure how long they’ve been waiting, either.” She leaned down and let Spike climb up to sit near the base of her neck.
“Yeah, no kidding...” Rainbow took a deep breath as she stopped in front of the door leading outside. As Twilight walked up beside her, she stopped her with a hoof, then draped a wing over her back to help keep her warm. Twilight smiled at her, making a few butterflies flit about in her stomach. Scootaloo scampered up her hind leg and settled down in between the saddlebags. “Ready, Scoots?” she asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be!” she said, wrapping her front hooves in her scarf to help keep them warm.
“Good.” Rainbow opened the train car door and walked out onto the platform, her hooves sinking several inches into the snow. “Kinda wish that we packed some mittens,” she muttered.
“Would have been a good idea, yeah,” Twilight said, glancing around. “Shining? Cadence?” she called out, her words getting lost in the howling wind.
“Over here, Twilight!” came a familiar voice.
“Shining? Is that you?” Twilight called back.
“Yeah!” Shining said, his voice sounding a bit louder.
He came into view from the other end of the platform, weaving his way in and out of the passengers. “You guys just had to take the last train here, didn’t ya?” he asked with a smile.
“Heh, you know it!” Dash shot back.
Twilight nudged Rainbow’s shoulder with her own and shot her a smirk. “Where’s Cadence?” Twilight asked, peering around her big brother.
“She’s already in bed,” Shining said. “I told her that I’d pick you guys up so that she could get some sleep. I’m sure you guys are pretty tired, so we had the servants set up a couple of rooms for you guys when we got the letter saying you were coming.” He lit his horn and gently lifted the saddlebags from Rainbow’s back. “Here, allow me,” he said as he fastened them around himself.
“Thanks,” Rainbow said as a shiver ran down her back. “Uh... can we get a move on? If we stand around out here any longer, my hooves are gonna freeze off!”
Complications
Why do I still feel so cold? Twilight thought, flipping over onto her other side as a rough cough forced itself past her lips. Even though she had loads of blankets on top of her, her wings and the tips of her hooves felt as if she’d stuck them in snow for an hour. She blearily cracked her eyes open and felt her head throb as light streamed in through the windows, reminding her of that dull pain that had been with her for the last day; at least it didn’t feel like somepony was driving a nail into her horn anymore. “R-Rainbow?” she croaked out.
Twilight tensed up as she felt Rainbow twitch against her side. But... she’s snuggling with me. Why don’t I feel her against my wing? She threw the sheets off of her and rolled out of bed, wobbling on her hooves before she collapsed, the side of her head smacking against the nightstand. Tears erupted in her eyes as she cried out in pain. Her vision filled with stars as she curled up into a ball, her left wing pinned in an awkward position between her and the hard, crystal floor. “Why, why, why?!” she groaned, hitting the bed frame with her right front hoof. Twilight expected pain but felt a light tingly numbness instead. Her eyebrows furrowed as she held her hoof in front of her, staring at it as if it had changed in some way. Hearing Rainbow move around on the bed above her, she glanced up to see a concerned look on her marefriend’s face.
“What’re you doin’ down there, Twi?” Rainbow asked with a sleepy-sounding giggle, cocking her head to the side. “If my snuggling skills needed some work, you coulda just...” She blinked a few times as her vision came into focus, noticing that tears were streaming down Twilight’s face. Rainbow felt her heart drop into her stomach. She flapped her wings once and lay down around her marefriend, wrapping her in her forelegs. Rainbow rocked back and forth, feeling Twilight go limp in her grasp. “Everything okay?” she asked softly, feeling Twilight bury her muzzle into her neck. Yeah... that’d be a no. “Let’s get you back up on the bed and then I’ll go find Cadence, okay? I’m sure that she can help.” She felt Twilight nod, so she tightened her grasp on her and lifted them back up onto the bed. She placed a few pillows around Twilight’s back, and as she stood up and turned around to go fetch Cadence, she felt Twilight weakly wrap a hoof around her hind leg.
“W-Wait.”
“...Ok.” Rainbow flopped back down on the bed, then dragged the blankets back over them with her teeth. “Uh... what’s up?” she tentatively asked. “Were my snuggles pretty bad?” she asked with a nervous laugh, hoping to dissolve the tension hanging in the air. “I hope I didn’t kick you out of bed in my sleep.” She felt something tickle her stomach, so she rolled over and reached down with a hoof, pulling out a couple of large, purple feathers. Hold on a minute...
Twilight slowly shook her head. “No, Rainbow, it’s... something else.” She licked her dry lips, and as her ears flicked back, she locked eyes with Rainbow and wrapped a hoof around hers, praying for any semblance of feeling. She hoped that the mere touch would restore the sensation of Rainbow’s soft fur gracing hers, but all she felt was a cold numbness. She spread her wings wide, hoping to feel the cool touch of the air tickling her feathers, but felt nothing.
“Twilight, your wing!” Rainbow exclaimed, her eyes going wide.
“What about it?” Twilight looked to the left and gasped. Her wing was missing more than a few feathers, and the rest were tattered or out of place. She struggled to find her voice again, and when she did, she pushed herself towards Rainbow and awkwardly wrapped her forelegs around her neck, her wings limply laying out at her sides. “I... I can’t feel my hooves or wings, Dash,” Twilight croaked out in between sobs. “I’m so scared; I don’t know what to do!”
As much as she wanted to stay by Twilight’s side and comfort her as much as possible, Rainbow knew she had to get her help, and fast. “Twilight, I promise I’ll be right back, okay? I’ll be gone a minute tops!” she said, nuzzling Twilight’s cheek. “Okay?” she asked again, a little more forcefully this time. Twilight nodded, then wrapped her forelegs around a pillow and laid her head on top of it. Rainbow galloped out of the room, their bedroom door slamming against the wall. Where the heck is Cadence’s bedroom?! she thought, her head whipping every which way. She slowed down to a trot, every fiber of her being screaming at her to go faster. Oh, there it is! she thought as she recognized a large wood door. She darted past the two guards keeping watch outside the royal bedchambers, ignoring their cries of protest as she burst inside a short hallway with a single door at the other end, making her take pause; she expected to find Cadence’s bed, not some empty hallway.
“Are you mad?” one of the guards asked as they grabbed Rainbow’s right foreleg. “The princess and her husband are not to be disturbed!”
Rainbow fought to rip her leg from the guard’s grasp, but it only tightened. “You don’t understand! Twilight’s in trouble, and we need Cadence right now!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Cadence!” The door at the end of the hallway creaked open, revealing none other than the pony she so desperately needed. “Cadence, it’s Twilight! Something’s wrong!” she said as the princess trotted up to them.
Cadence’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean?” she asked as she nodded at the guard to release Rainbow.
As the guard’s grasp loosened, Rainbow pulled her leg free and huffed at him. “I don’t know what’s wrong. She’s been feeling a little off, and I think she’s getting worse!” Rainbow turned and galloped down the hallway, ignoring Cadence’s next question. She heard Cadence and the guards follow close behind. Rainbow slowed down to a trot, then walked inside her bedroom, her tail flicking from side to side as her heart raced in her chest. “She told me she can’t feel her hooves or her wings,” she said as Cadence trotted inside the room. “And she’s lost some feathers, too!”
Cadence’s throat tightened as she took in Twilight’s pale appearance. “Oh dear...” she quickly whispered, lifting a trembling hoof to her lips. Time seemed to slow down before she heard hoofsteps behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Shining pause inside the doorway, his mane a complete mess. “Shining, go fetch the doctor. Twilight needs him!”
“Wait, what’s wrong? She was fine when I brought her here last night!” Shining said, puzzled as he rubbed his eyes with a hoof.
“There’s no time, dear!” Cadence snapped, pushing him out of the room with a wing. “Go, run!”
“Fine, I’m going, I’m going!” Shining said before lighting his horn, disappearing in a bright flash of magic.
“Guards! Notify the nurses that we need the infirmary wing prepped at once!” Cadence looked back towards Twilight and trotted up to the bed, brushing some of Twilight’s mane back behind her ear as she lay down next to her. “Good morning, little one...” she said with a soft smile, hoping to project an overwhelming feeling of calmness, something that she felt little of herself. “You have nothing to worry about; we have the best doctors around.” She rubbed Twilight’s back with a hoof, right in between her wings. “Can you feel this?” she asked softly.
“Y-Yes,” Twilight whispered, lifting her head from the pillow as she heard a magical pop, like somepony had just teleported around them. Her vision immediately grew blurry and her headache doubled in intensity. She flicked her ears up, hoping to hear the comforting voice of her marefriend again, but she had no such luck. “Rainbow? I-I’m... so cold,” she murmured, fairly certain that she’d heard her speak a few moments ago. She closed her eyes as she fought to stay awake, but it was all for naught as every sensation slipped away.
No! Rainbow thought, her eyes going wide as she watched Twilight collapse. She ran over to the bed and placed her forelegs on the edge of the bed, fearing the worst. “Is... Is she—” Her eyes darted between Twilight and Cadence, the tips of her wings bristling in dread.
“No, she just passed out,” Cadence said, holding a hoof against the side of Twilight’s neck. Her ears perked up as she heard somepony arguing with her husband. As the sounds of squeaky wheels came ever closer, her head whipped up just in time to see Shining push a gurney inside the room at breakneck speed, a startled stallion still in his pajamas gripping the sheets for dear life.
“I got the doctor!” Shining said as they screeched to a halt beside Twilight’s bed. “So can anypony fill me in with what’s happening?” he asked, sitting down beside the bed.
The doctor rolled off of the gurney with a groan, but after a couple of moments, he straightened up and gave a quick bow to Cadence. “Princess, I came as soon as I heard I was needed,” he said, staring daggers at Shining for a couple seconds. “While I don’t appreciate being dragged out of bed and teleported to the other side of town, I give you my word that I will do everything I can to ensure Princess Twilight’s health.” He lit his horn and lifted Twilight onto the gurney and promptly pushed it out of the room with a couple of guards following him.
Cadence let out a deep sigh as she rubbed her temple with a hoof. “Did you really drag him out of bed?” she asked, lifting a sole eyebrow as she eyed her husband.
“Well... yeah.” Shining rubbed the back of his head with a hoof. “You said to get the doctor and pushed me out of the room! I thought it was a life and death situation!” he said, gesturing about in the air with his front hooves. “And this is my little sister we’re talking about here; there was no way I was going to gallop all the way across town and back with a half-awake pony. That would have taken way too long!”
“I see your point, but I would appreciate it if you would use a little more tact next time,” Cadence said, her shoulders slumping. “Did you at least explain to him what’s going on?”
“Uh... no? How could I? I still have no idea what’s going on; all I know is that Twilight is sick, and you told me to get the doctor.” Shining stood up and held his head high. “I’m sorry that I acted without thinking, dear...” he spoke softly, leaning forward to nuzzle Cadence’s cheek. “My military training just took over; I promise I’ll do better next time.”
“Let’s hope there’s not going to be a next time,” Cadence said with a light smile, giving into Shining’s insistent nuzzles.
“Yeah, definitely.”
Rainbow cleared her throat. “So... what now?”
Cadence slipped off of the bed and nodded towards the door. “Now we wait. Come on, the infirmary is this way.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Rainbow fell into step behind Cadence and Shining, following them out into the hallway.
“Only time will tell.”
“You know I’m not going to leave her side, right?” Rainbow asked.
Cadence grinned and pulled Rainbow close with a wing. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
Where am I? Twilight thought, trying to remember the last thing she saw before everything went dark. Her headache wasn’t as bad as before; in fact, she barely felt any sort of pain whatsoever, save for her horribly dry throat. A blissful warmth surrounded her entire being in contrast to the numbness that she’d past felt. She tensed her neck muscles, pushing her head back only to realize that it was tucked in the nook of Rainbow’s neck. Is she... Twilight moved her right foreleg outwards, but felt a warm leg kept her forelegs tucked gently against her chest. Heh, she is, just like when we were back in Scootaloo’s hospital room...
Twilight let loose a soft huff as she shifted about, rolling over so that she and Rainbow were muzzle to muzzle. Feeling Rainbow’s wing tighten its grasp on her back, she nuzzled the tip of Rainbow’s nose, mostly certain that her marefriend was already awake. “Hey, you...” she murmured with a soft smile.
Rainbow’s eyes snapped open wide, then she relaxed. “Hey...” Rainbow said, letting her hoof come to rest on the side of Twilight’s face. She tilted her head and swooped in, stealing a quick, tender kiss from Twilight’s lips. “I’m glad that you’re finally up,” she said as she folded her wing back against her side.
“How long have I been asleep?” Twilight asked, feeling Rainbow rub her side with a hoof. “And what time is it?”
“Almost three days, and it’s ten in the morning. You’ve had everyone worried sick, me most of all.”
Twilight’s breath caught in her throat. “I’ve been asleep for almost three days? Seriously?” Rainbow nodded. “Sweet Celestia... Was it really that bad?” she asked, noticing the look of concern that sat plainly on Rainbow’s face. Rainbow nodded again.
“...Yeah, kinda.”
“Do they know what’s wrong with me?” Twilight breathlessly asked.
“I think. The doctor said some mumbo-jumbo that I didn’t really understand, but Cadence broke it down for me. Since you used that spell teleporting us out of danger, your immune system was pretty weak, and you caught some sort of infection or disease... somehow.”
“O-Oh. Am I infectious? You just kissed me, and you could catch what I—”
“No, it’s not infectious, that’s why I kissed you just now,” Rainbow said with a quick laugh. “Have you ever been sick like this before?”
“No, I haven’t, and I don’t remember reading about anything like this.”
Rainbow glanced off to the side. “Do you think it’s due to you not being able to use magic right now?”
Twilight wilted. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to think about that.”
Rainbow wrapped her front hooves around Twilight’s and held them tightly. “Hey, don’t worry; it’ll come back! In the meantime, your wing is still a little messed up, but I can fix that in a jiffy.” She pushed the sheets off of them and slid down the bed a little bit until she sat near Twilight’s rump. “Wing please,” she said with a soft smile, holding out her hooves.
Twilight carefully extended her left wing for Rainbow, her eyes lighting up as she felt Rainbow’s soft touch grace her feathers. “Hey, I felt that!” she said, perking up a bit. Her ears flicked up as a nervous, though excited, grin broke out on her face.
“Yeah? That’s great!” Rainbow ran her hoof along the leading edge of Twilight’s wing, feeling her heart throb with joy. “What about that?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
“Mhm! It still feels a little tingly, but it’s not numb like it used to be.” Twilight fell silent as Rainbow went to work, placing her feathers back in order and licking them clean. She wrapped her hooves around a pillow and pulled it close, laying her head upon it and letting her eyes drift shut.
After a couple minutes, Rainbow paused. “Can I pluck broken feathers out if I need to?” she hesitantly asked, eyeing a feather broken halfway down its length.
“Is it absolutely necessary?” Twilight asked, cracking her eyes open.
“...Yeah. They have to come out so new ones can grow back.” Rainbow’s tail swished around, knowing that she was about to make her hurt.
“They? As in more than one?” Twilight took a deep breath, then nodded. “I know they have to come out, but... please do so as gently as you can. Plucking feathers hurts...” She ran her hooves over her face as she groaned. “Ugh... Why didn’t you do this when I was passed out?” she asked with a terse laugh.
“Because the doctor said it wasn’t a good idea.” Rainbow rubbed Twilight’s back with a hoof, then leaned in close to the base of the broken feather. “You ready? This is a large flight feather, so it’ll hurt a little.”
Twilight nodded once and gripped the pillow tightly. “You know you’re an awesome marefriend for doing this, right?” she asked, hoping to delay the inevitable.
“Mhm...” Rainbow took great care in biting down near the base of the feather, then plucked it out with a quick jerk of her head. She winced at Twilight’s soft gasp, spat the feather out, then held her hoof over the small hole until it stopped bleeding. “We’ve still got a couple more to go, Twi... I know it hurts, but I’ll be as gentle as I can.”
“I know you will... Anyways, I was wondering why I was so warm when I woke up,” Twilight whispered as she blushed a little, feeling Rainbow wrap her lips around another broken feather. “You were snuggling with me like when we first brought Scootaloo to the—”
“Hospital,” Rainbow said, finishing Twilight’s sentence as she spat out the feather. “I thought you’d appreciate it.” Huh, no blood this time...
Twilight bit down on her bottom lip she felt Rainbow latch onto the base of the last feather that had to come out. “You sure this is the last one?”
Rainbow sat back. “As far as I can tell, yeah. I don’t see any other broken feathers. Your other wing looked fine, so I preened that one while you were out.” Rainbow felt Twilight’s wing trembling in her hooves. “This is just a small one, so it shouldn’t hurt that bad. You ready?”
“Yeah, do it.” A second passed before she felt Rainbow’s hot breath grace her wing, her eyes clenching shut as the feather was yanked out.
“There we go...” Rainbow rubbed Twilight’s back again, then gently folded Twilight’s wing back against her side. “It’ll take some time for the feathers to grow back, so just be careful if you have to fly; your balance might be a little off.” She flopped back down next to Twilight and shot her a comforting grin. “So... you hung—” She let loose a surprised squeak as Twilight darted forward, planting her lips against hers. As Twilight’s tongue teased her lips, silently begging entrance, Rainbow’s eyes drifted shut as she felt Twilight’s hoof drift around to the back of her head. She melted into the kiss, feeling her heart pulse with pure, unbridled love as Twilight’s warm breath tickled her muzzle. Parting her lips, their tongues danced to a silent tango, one that sent a furious blush to Rainbow’s cheeks and made her mind go all fuzzy.
Their lips eventually parted, a small bridge of saliva connecting them for the briefest of moments. Twilight panted softly, her cheeks matching Rainbow’s deep blush. She wrapped her freshly-preened wing around Rainbow, tugged her close, then tucked her head underneath Rainbow’s chin. “I love you, Rainbow. I have no idea what I’d do without you...” she whispered.
Rainbow’s blush doubled as her heart pulsed even harder, almost to the point where, if she looked down, she’d be able to see it throbbing against her chest. “I love you too, Twilight,” she said, her voice filled with as much adoration, love, and affection as she could put into it.