Chapter 4: Is This Really Love?

Twilight woke up before the crack of dawn the next morning, hoping to get her chores done before Rainbow woke up so that they could spend the whole day together. Little did she know Rainbow had also woken up, and was already on her way to the library, just a eager to spend her entire day with Twilight.

"Hey Twilight!" Rainbow shouted as she came flying in through an open window, landing expertly on the table.

"AH!" Twilight screamed, caught off guard by Rainbow's entrance, "Oh, hey Rainbow"

"What are you doing?" Rainbow asked, seeing an entire section of shelves empty.

"I'm checking for damaged books," Twilight said as she magically flipped through a book, "Sometimes Spike gets food in them, or a pony returns them with a page missing"

"Really? I thought everypony respected the books" Rainbow said as she picked up a book called Everything You Need To Know About Love, "Did you read this one?"

"Huh?" Twilight said as she turned to face Rainbow, "No, but Spike has"

"How can you tell?" Rainbow asked as she looked at the book inquisitively. Twilight quickly lifted the book in the air and began to flip through the pages, looking for something inside. When she finally stopped Rainbow started laughing uncontrollably. A sketch of Rarity was in the middle of the page, with the words Mrs. Spike written all around it.

"This is how" Twilight said with a grin.

"Wow, I never knew Spike was that love crazy!" Rainbow said between laughing fits.

"Yeah," Twilight said as she fixed the book, "Hey, maybe we should read this"

"Why?" Rainbow asked, her laughing suddenly stopping.

"Well, we would know if we're going to fast, or if we're doing something we're not supposed to do"

"I don't think there are any rules when it comes to love Twilight"

"Yeah, but it couldn't hurt, right?" Twilight said.

"Oh, fine, we'll read it" Rainbow said as she sat next to Twilight.

"Okay, it says first to find out if you really are in love" Twilight said as she began to read the book.

"And how would we know that?" Rainbow said sarcastically.

"Number 1: Are you physically attracted to the other pony?" Twilight said, quickly looking at Rainbow, "Yes"

"I think I'll have to say yes too"

"Number 2: Are you mentally attracted to them, and if so, why?" Twilight said, scrunching up her face in thought.

"So, does it mean why we love each other?" Rainbow asked in confusion.

"I think"

"Well, I love you because, um..."

Awkward silence...

"You showed me the Daring Do books!" Rainbow said happily, "And, um..."

"That it?"

"I don't know" Rainbow said, her face scrunched up in frustration.

"Okay, well, I love you because..."

Awkward silence...

"You're really good at flying!" Twilight said, "And I really like your mane..."

"We messed up, didn't we?" Rainbow said quietly while dropping her head.

"Maybe..." Twilight said, also dropping her head.

"Um, I think I'm gonna go..." Rainbow said as she slowly picked herself up of the ground.

"Oh, uh, okay, see you later I guess..." Twilight said, suddenly having chest pains. As Rainbow flew out the window, Twilight felt as if some part of her was leaving too, but she couldn't figure out why. After a few minutes she went back to cleaning the books, but this time, when she thought about Rainbow, all she wanted to do was cry.

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As Rainbow left the library she could feel her heart breaking, it was as if the Wonderbolts had turned her down. She couldn't figure out why. Did me and Twi just break up? Is that why I feel so bad right now? Rainbow thought to herself as she flew around randomly. Before she knew it she was heading towards Fluttershy's cottage, and as she got closer she began to tear up, her broken heart starting to come to the surface.

"Fluttershy, I need your help!" Rainbow shouted as she came in the door, only to look up and see one very worried Fluttershy, and one very confused Applejack.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, what's wrong!" Fluttershy said as she noticed Rainbow's teary eyes.

"Yeah Rainbow, what's wrong?" Applejack asked, only somewhat worried.

"I think I just got dumped!" Rainbow said, her emotions finally getting the best of her.

"What?!" Fluttershy and Applejack both shouted, both caught off guard by Rainbow's statement. The two of them quickly looked at each other, both confused and afraid. Fluttershy was worried for her friend's emotions, whereas Applejack was worried that this could be another one of Rainbow's pranks. When Rainbow didn't start laughing Applejack began to actually worry about what was causing Rainbow to act this way.

"What's goin' on sugar cube?" Applejack said as she leaned down towards Rainbow.

"I don't think she's going to respond Applejack" Fluttershy said as she started to pull Rainbow towards her couch, "We need to give her time to calm down"

"Well, okay then..." Applejack said she sat next to Rainbow.

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"Are you ready to talk now sugar cube?" Applejack asked when Rainbow started to stop crying.

"I, I think" Rainbow said quietly.

"So what's goin' on?"

"Well, me and Twilight went on a date last night"

"Really?" Applejack asked, surprised that her two friends would go on a date.

"Yeah, and I had said that I loved her, and I think she felt the same, but this morning..." Rainbow said, fighting back tears.

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked.

"Well, there was a book, and we started to read it..." Rainbow said, her eyes tearing up.

"What was the book on?" Applejack asked while she rubbed Rainbow's back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Love"

"So what happened?" Fluttershy asked.

"We couldn't say why we loved each other" Rainbow said as she put her hooves to her face. Applejack and Fluttershy quickly looked at each other, not sure of what to do now.

"Well, Rainbow, maybe the book was wrong" Applejack said quietly.

"Yeah" Fluttershy said.

"Yeah but, still, we couldn't think about why we're in love" Rainbow said, slightly crying.

"Rainbow," Applejack said as she turned Rainbow to face her, "Sometimes you just never know why you're in love, but you just are, so don't worry about it"

"Yeah, but"

"No buts, do you love her?"

"Yeah"

"Then you love her"

"But"

"No, buts, just go to her, and fix this" Applejack said as she motioned towards the door.

"But what if she doesn't want to?"

"Then you have to make her love you" Applejack said, "This isn't the Rainbow Dash I know! She wouldn't be afraid of something like this!"

"Yeah Rainbow, you're not this afraid of anything else" Fluttershy said, trying to cheer on Rainbow.

"Yeah, I guess I am" Rainbow said, her confidence starting to return.

"Yeah!" Applejack said as Rainbow started to get up.

"Yeah!" Rainbow said as she shot towards the door, "Well, I'm off, thanks for the help!"

"No problem sugar cube!" Applejack shouted as Rainbow flew away.

"So..." Applejack said as she turned to Fluttershy, "How long have you known about that?"

"A few days..." Fluttershy squeaked.

"Huh" Applejack muttered, "I wonder why she didn't tell me about this..."