The water poured out of the faucet and into the tub like a cascading waterfall Twilight had seen on one of her many trips around Canterlot. Warm steam gently rose from the surface as she added some scented bath salts to the mix. She inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh lilac fragrance of the salts.

Twilight had woken up rather late that morning, still a bit tired from staying up late last night and studying one of her books about transformation spells. Even though studying was exhausting, all those hours of having her eyes glued to the book pages would pay off someday. After all, she wasn’t Celestia’s personal student for nothing.

After the bathtub was full enough, Twilight turned the faucet and dipped a hoof in the water. It wasn’t too cold or too hot, exactly how she loved it. She let out a faint gasp, feeling as the warm water soothed the tension on her hoof. If a single hoof in the water felt so good already, she sure was up for a very relaxing bath.

Twilight turned around and opened the bathroom window, releasing some of the hot steam that shrouded the room. She doubted about opening it for a second, but for pony’s sake, she was on the second story of the library. It was not like somepony would spy on her or something. She glanced around her tiny bathroom and shrugged, turning back to the bathtub that was waiting for her.

With her magic, Twilight hung her pink towel on the hook right in front of the door, carefully sliding in the bathtub and sighing as the warm water moved up her sides. Finally, she sat down, humming in pleasure and closing her eyes as the mixed bath salts began to do their work on her body. Stretching her hind legs, Twilight let the water heal the weariness of her body.

Oh, sweet Celestia… It’s been ages since I’ve had a bath this good. She half-opened her eyes, her face blushing red from the warmth of the steam that was still lingering the room. It didn’t take long until the rest of it escaped through the window. Twilight closed her eyes once again and sank herself deeper into the bathtub, the water reaching up to her muzzle.

As time passed, Twilight’s mind was focused on nothing but the bath. She was relaxed, calm, and at peace with herself. It was such an experience that she didn’t wish for it to ever end. She didn’t move a centimeter. Her body was shut off. She didn’t want to disrupt that perfect position. From her hind hooves to the tip of her horn, she let herself go in the bliss of scented lathering.

Soon enough, Twilight lost the track of time. She wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting there. Maybe seconds? Or just a few minutes? Or even an hour? She didn’t mind. Nopony was going to interrupt her. The library was deserted that morning. Spike had gladly went to gather gemstones with Rarity again, so he wouldn't come back until that afternoon, and Owlowiscious was probably asleep somewhere in the foyer.

Twilight raised her head and rested it against the edge of the bathtub, opening her eyes and gazing at nothing in particular. “What could possibly go wrong now?” Coming from somepony who said “It can’t get any worse” before it did in fact get worse, it didn’t seem like she had learned her lesson. She was unaware that she would soon regret saying those malicious words. Or perhaps, just perhaps, things weren’t going to go wrong at all.

The soothing morning silence in the bathroom was interrupted by what seemed like a faint squeal coming from far away. Twilight’s ear twitched as she barely managed to hear it. At first, she wondered if it was just a foal playing around outside the library, but the squeal didn't really sound like it came from a foal, since it sounded too raspy. Before too long, it became louder and louder, until it sounded like yelling.

Twilight, curious about the matter, turned her head and gazed at the window. Intrigued, she decided to interrupt her bath for the sake of satisfying her curiosity. Her body was imploring her to stay right there, but her mind was telling her to go and investigate the source of the yelling. Finally, she made up her mind, although, somewhat unwilling.

Luckily for Twilight, she didn’t have to get out of the bathtub at all. Just a second before she sent the command to her legs to raise, a familiar pony dashed inside the bathroom window, through the window, almost as fast as the final lap of a Wonderbolts rally. The pony crashed against the wall, only a meter away from where Twilight and the miraculous bathtub was.

Twilight raised her front legs and put them in front of her face for cover. The sudden crash happened so fast that it was the only thing she managed to do. She could have sank herself in the water, or jumped outside of the tub, or even attacked the stranger with her magic, but in the end, she chose the most common method of self-defense. At least she could say her reflexes were as sharp as a cat’s.

After everything was over, Twilight opened an eye, moving up her leg to stare at the brave soul who dared to not only invade her home, but interrupted her glorious bath as well. Twilight was ready to nag and yell at the unexpected visitor, until she noticed who it was. That unmistakable colored mane and tail were all the telltale evidence she needed to identify the reckless pony, Rainbow Dash.

“R-Rainbow!?” Of course it had to be Rainbow Dash. Who else loves to crash into the library at the most unexpected of times? Twilight wanted to say she was surprised, but she would only be lying to herself. Maybe she was surprised the first or second time, but it was getting old to have her hasty friend colliding over and over in one of her flights.

“Owww,” Rainbow groaned, rubbing a hoof against her head. She had impacted really hard against the wall, but it was nothing she hadn’t already experienced before. She shook her head, still dazzled about the impact, but she managed to get back on her hooves. “Darn it,” she said, completely oblivious about the relatively close by unicorn taking a bath.

“Rainbow, are you okay? What in the hoof happened?” Twilight could’ve just yelled at her, but Rainbow’s well being was more important than a silly nag. She had to admit that was a pretty rough impact, and Rainbow didn’t seem to be so glad about the accident.

“Ugh, sorry, Twi.” Rainbow shook her head once more, attempting to get rid of the incessant dizziness, her head still pounding due to the collision. “I’m okay, just a little mishap with my flight routine, don’t worry.” Her voice didn’t seem to be spitting the whole truth. She was kind of anxious, more than the common anxious Rainbow Dash.

“Are you sure you didn’t break anything there?” Twilight tilted her head, noticing Rainbow’s legs twitching, like if she was late for a very important date or something.

“I’m okay, Twilight, really,” Rainbow hasted to answer, receiving a strange look from Twilight. Rainbow pretended as if she didn’t see her, rolling her eyes around in mischief.

“You look somewhat tense. Are you really sure you’re okay?” Twilight asked. The thought about her disrupted perfect bath slipped from her, being replaced with the thought of finding out what was irking her friend.

“I’m fine, really!” Rainbow was determined to stick with that answer, even if Twilight had already noticed that something was indeed bothering her. She could just flap her wings and dash her way out of the library, but she owed some sort of explanation to Twilight for intruding and interrupting what seemed like her morning bath.

“You can’t fool me, Rainbow Dash. Something’s bothering you, what is it?” Twilight invited Rainbow to speak, giving her a friendly smile. However, she only received a grunt and a head tilt from Rainbow.

“Ugh, fine!” Rainbow frowned and rolled her eyes. "I've been under a lot of stress lately, and it's been messing up my flying. That's why I crashed into your house," she confessed, avoiding eye contact with Twilight.

“Huh, is that all?” Twilight smiled and let out a faint snicker. “Oh, Rainbow Dash, there’s no reason to hide something like that. It’s perfectly normal for anypony to get stressed every now and then. Don’t be so silly!” She couldn’t come up with better words than those. Although she was sure they were good enough to snap some sense into Rainbow. Twilight patiently waited for her desired positive answer, which wasn’t going to come anytime soon.

“W-whatever, Twi. It’s like… none of your business. Leave me alone.” Rainbow stretched her wings, ready to take flight anytime and escape from the awkward environment she found herself into that moment.

Twilight, astonished by her answer, opened her mouth to protest, but Rainbow interrupted her before she could even articulate a single word.

“I’ll let you resume your bath, see ya.” Rainbow aimed her body at the window, calculating the distance between her and the portal to freedom. She arched her back, prepared to bolt away from the library and return to the sea of clouds, where she could freely fly without any kind of barrier or obstacle in her way.

“Please wait, Rainbow!” Twilight extended one hoof, hoping that her request would make Rainbow change her mind. Against all odds, Rainbow didn’t dash away, and instead, she looked back at Twilight. They both exchanged stares in silence for a few seconds.

“W-what now?” Rainbow asked, her voice stuttering a little. How many times did she have to tell her that she didn’t want to talk about the matter? She sure was a persistent unicorn, but she couldn’t blame her. Twilight is always there for her, even when she’s not asked to be.

Twilight bowed her head, giving the bathtub a quick glance. She slid a hoof around the water surface, in an innocent manner. Finally, she gulped, staring back at Rainbow Dash. “Would you like to, um… take a bath with me?” Right after spitting out the question, she looked off to the side, her cheeks natural color giving way to a deep shade of red in embarrassment.

Rainbow’s eyes went wide open as her cheeks displayed the same red color as Twilight. She didn’t know what to answer since she was caught off guard. Take a bath together? That question haunted Rainbow’s mind for the very few seconds she stared at Twilight without an answer in her mouth. However, she finally had her thoughts clear to formulate a response to the sudden request. “Psh, take a bath with you? Are you out of your mind?”

Twilight was more or less expecting an answer like that coming from Rainbow Dash. It wasn’t like she was going to agree right away. “Aw, come on! Shining Armor and I used to take baths together when we were younger. It will be fun!” She grinned, hoping for Rainbow to maybe reconsider the possibility of sharing the bathtub with her friend.

“Yeah, but you two are siblings. We are not. This is totally different.” Rainbow didn’t delay to answer this time. She was starting to get a little uncomfortable.

“I know,” Twilight said, “but it’s just that you seem to be under a lot of stress, so I only wanted for you to take an invigorating bath, with me.” She let out a sheepish smile. “And the water is great!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, still unsure if whether to agree or not. It was definitely weird, but she couldn’t ignore Twilight’s generous offer just like that. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all. “T-thanks, but I don’t even like baths. I prefer showers,” she claimed, looking at Twilight’s face shutting down in disappointment.

“Oh, please, please, please, please join me,” Twilight begged, bouncing on her hooves. “I’m sure you’ll love it if you give it a try.” She wasn’t going to give up so easily. Anypony with feeling in their limbs would absolutely love the warm waters of that bath. However, Twilight was only worried about Rainbow. She only wished for her to relax and get rid of that so claimed stress she was dealing with.

“It really feels that good, huh?” Rainbow thought about it. No way she would go and do such a fancy thing like taking a bath with all those bath salts and stuff. A shower would do the trick, but there was none to be found in that bathroom. “All right, if only that will make you stop doing a big deal out of this.” She was still a bit unwilling to do it, but she guessed she could take a quick bath and make Twilight happy. “Guess it’s the least I can do for crashing in here.”

“Hooray!” Twilight clapped her hooves together, a huge smile from ear to ear displaying on her face. “I know you’ll love it!” She squirmed to one side of the bathtub, leaving space in the other side for Rainbow to get in.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Rainbow walked towards the bathtub, looking at the water with certain disconcert. Normally, she’d have thought that there would be no way she’d be caught dead taking a bath, much less with an egghead like Twilight. Well, she couldn’t really call her an egghead anymore, and the bath sure looked very pleasant. “It will be real quick, though.” She raised a hoof and dipped it in the water. All of a sudden, chills of pleasure ran from the tip of her hoof through the rest of her body. The exquisite sensation of the liquid made her squint a little.

“How is it?” Twilight asked. If Rainbow’s hooves were anything like hers, she’d probably be wondering why the water felt so amazingly good. She did notice Rainbow’s face emanating the slightest sign of pleasure, but Twilight wanted to hear it from the mare’s mouth herself.

Rainbow, unwilling to show any sign of weakness, tilted her head to one side. “Eh, it’s nice, I guess.” It was more than nice, way more. It was the greatest sensation she had ever felt from a body of water. Words couldn’t describe how wonderful it felt. It was almost like if all the tension from her hoof vanished into nothingness. Where would Twilight get such a marvelous fluid? Rainbow wanted to know, but she had to be subtle about it. She couldn’t let herself get caught wanting to try more of that softy stuff.

“Well then, hop in,” Twilight invited, her silly smile still stamped on her face. She waited for Rainbow to step in, looking at her from the other side of the bathtub. It wasn’t that big, but big enough for two ponies to fit in.

“Ugh, fine,” Rainbow sighed, submitting to Twilight’s persuasions. She couldn’t deny the water felt good, though. If only a hoof brought so much joy to her, what would it feel to have her whole body submerged in the water? After a few seconds, she raised her hind leg and carefully stepped inside the bathtub, raising her other hind leg and finally sitting in the other side of the bathtub, feeling the water surrounded her body with its gentle warmness. The water level rose a bit, but it didn’t overflow.

“So? How does it feel?” Twilight asked. She knew the answer. She knew that Rainbow was enjoying herself. Only somepony with hatred towards life and happiness would think otherwise. The fragrance of the lilac essences from the salts was still lingering the room, greeting the newcomer with its aroma.

Rainbow was speechless. All she could do was to feel the warmness of the sensation that flowed within her body. It was like a mother’s hug, but a hundred times better. She heard Twilight’s question very clear, but her mind didn’t allow her to answer. She couldn’t tell her “Oh, feels amazing!” or something like that. As much as it did, she didn’t want to sound like a common spoiled pony. She had her pride, and she wasn’t going to give up so easily. “F-fine, just fine,” she claimed.

“I’m glad you like it. I knew you would,” Twilight chuckled, turning back to look at the small basket with several hair products lying right behind the bathtub. There were all kinds of stuff, from simple mane shampoo to almond mane conditioner. Of course, she was no Rarity, but Twilight had her fair share of hair care products. With her magic, she enveloped a bottle of lavender mane shampoo and levitated next to her, looking back at Rainbow.

“Whoa, hold up, what’s that?” Rainbow broke from her inner peace for a second to ask that question. “I agreed to hop in, but I never said I wanted my mane to smell like…” She crooked her eyes to take a better look at the bottle. “Lavender.”

Twilight offered another of her smiles, waving a hoof around in the air. “C’mon, Rainbow. You never know until you try.” Her enthusiasm was overwhelming. Not only did she convince Rainbow to take a bath with her, but she was hoping to persuade her to let her scrub her mane as well.

With each new offer, Rainbow doubted if that was just a normal bath to relieve stress. Maybe it was only Twilight being Twilight, or was there a reason for her to be so kind? Nah, it had to be only her imagination. “Forget it, Twi. I don’t like posh stuff like Rarity. Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll pass.” She crossed her front legs, declining to let a single drop of that girly shampoo to slide through her mane. If anything, she would only use her own generic shampoo for the dandruff control, although she preferred to keep that topic for herself.

“Oh, please, Rainbow. Don’t make me beg again.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I promise you that it will feel good, trust me.” She didn’t hesitate to open the bottle and squeeze the contents of the bottle, seeing thick, violet slime ooze out of the tube. She grabbed it with her hoof and presented it to Rainbow, in hopes for her to agree to be pampered just a little.

Rainbow closed her eyes to think about it for a bit. She couldn’t deny the water was soothing her weary muscles and healing her bruises. However, her head wasn’t getting any of that special treatment. Who knew? Maybe Twilight’s shampoo would have similar effects to the bath itself. And it could possibly do something about her dandruff. “Meh, whatever, if you want,” she replied, not giving Twilight the satisfaction of a full and rich positive answer.

Twilight snickered, content enough with Rainbow’s answer. It seemed like at last she would co-operate. “Okay, turn around, so I can scrub you,” she requested, receiving a sigh from Rainbow. The latter moved around the small bathtub and managed to turn around, her back and wings facing at Twilight. The unicorn rubbed her hooves, moistening and spreading the slime across them. “Wet your head, please.”

This time, Rainbow didn’t complain. She simply sank her head into the water for less than a second, receiving the warm sensation she had been feeling on her body the whole time. She raised her head, taking a quick breath with her mouth. Her mane and face, dripping wet, were a refreshing sensation after a long session of flying.

“So, how was your morning?” Twilight asked. It was the perfect moment to talk with her. She applied the slime on Rainbow’s head and scrubbed her mane with gentle strokes. Foam and bubbles created almost immediately on the mane.

“It’s been fine,” Rainbow answered. The strokes on her head felt as relaxing as scratching an itchy mosquito bite. When she took showers, she would usually scrub her mane as fast as she could and then wash it. However, Twilight was taking her time, even giving her what it seemed like a head massage. “Nothing to report.”

“Are you sure about that, Rainbow?” Twilight grabbed some locks of Rainbow’s mane and spread the shampoo all over them. Her purple, blue and green mane colors were all mixed in several locks. Twilight grabbed the entire locks and joined them together in one single ponytail.

“Yes. I’m okay, all right?” Rainbow gave a hesitant answer. She began to splash the surface of the water with her hooves in a childish way, playing around with the little waves that would originate. Some foam from the shampoo would drop in front of her face with each tilt of her head.

Twilight wasn’t born yesterday. Rainbow was anything but okay. Why was she trying so hard to hide whatever she was hiding from her? “Please, Rainbow. I only want to help you. Tell me, what are you so worked up about?” This time, she scrubbed the red, yellow and orange sections of Rainbow’s mane. Somehow, the locks felt softer than the previous ones. Twilight thought it was due the air from when Rainbow was flying.

“I-I don’t wanna talk about it,” Rainbow muttered, her voice showing doubt, as if she actually wanted to talk about it. She raised a hoof and rubbed below her shoulder, her head bowed down a little. She took a slight breath, watching as the pinkish foam began to spread across the surface of the water.

“I’m here for you, Rainbow. You know you can talk with me about anything. What is it? How can I help you? Please, tell me.” If Twilight weren’t the Element of Magic already, she would definitely be the Element of Honesty, seeing as how pure and honest her words were. Nothing but the single sound of bubbles popping echoed in the room for a few seconds. Twilight had stopped scrubbing Rainbow’s mane for a moment, waiting for some kind of answer from her.

Rainbow turned her head a little, enough to be able to see Twilight. “Do you… do you promise not to say anything?” As soon as she asked that, she bowed her head once again. “Pinkie Promise?”

Twilight smiled, dragging her hoof to her chest and drawing an imaginary cross on it. “Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake on my eye.” Luckily, she had closed her eye before softly poking it with her hoof. She definitely wouldn’t want to touch her eyeball with a hoof covered in foam. “I promise, Rainbow. Not a single word will come out of this room,” she assured.

Rainbow smiled and turned back her head, letting Twilight resume with her scrubbing. “Okay then.” She looked at her distorted reflection on the water, looking back at all the events from the past few days. She trusted Twilight. If she said she wouldn’t tell anypony, then there was nothing to worry about. “It’s about the upcoming Thunder Rally in Cloudsdale.”

“Oh, right. You told us about it some days ago.” Twilight was now finished with Rainbow’s mane. She had given it a very good treatment. It almost felt as silky as Rarity’s mane. Perhaps she could use that shampoo as well. “Sink your head again, please,” she requested. Rainbow did as instructed and dipped her head back into the water, closing her eyes to keep the soap from burning her eyes. She raised her head again, so Twilight could finish washing off the leftover shampoo on her mane.

“So, anyway,” Rainbow continued. “I’m gonna participate in the Rally.” She rubbed her eyes with her hooves, getting rid of the foam all around them. She couldn’t let her vision to be blurred if she was going to be competing in a race, after all.

“So that’s why you’re nervous? Because of the Rally?” Twilight, with her magic, grabbed a blob of water and spilled it on Rainbow’s mane to wash off the soap. With her hooves, she squished the rest of the mane to clean the foam hidden deep within the hair.

“It’s not because of the Rally itself. I could outrun those slow pegasi and even have time to eat a snack!” Rainbow sounded very confident, as expected from somepony who won the Young Flyer Competition. “It’s because I’ve heard rumors that Spitfire and Soarin’ will be in the audience, watching the Rally. They might even see me win and ask me to join the Wonderbolts!”

Twilight chuckled, giving Rainbow’s mane some final strokes before finishing. “Well, I doubt they’ll let you in only by winning a rally. At most, they might take interest in you in the future.”

“I know, but still, I feel nervous about them being there. What if I don’t win? What if I mess up and crash like just now? They would think I’m a total failure and might never even give me a chance to join them! What am I gonna do?” Maybe Rainbow was exaggerating things a little. She was no drama queen like Rarity, but with that outburst, maybe she would challenge the master for the title.

“Oh, Rainbow. You’ve got nothing to worry about. You’re the best flyer in Equestria. I know you will do great. I just know it.” Twilight was done with Rainbow’s mane. She gave it one last stroke before declaring it officially clean and aromatized of lavender. She glanced at Rainbow’s wings, and an idea popped in her mind.

“T-thanks, Twi.” Rainbow was touched by Twilight’s words. It felt like that time when Twilight, along with everypony, went all the way up to Cloudsdale just to cheer for her. A sheepish smile formed on her face, along with a faint red color on her cheeks, both not visible to Twilight.

“Hey, Rainbow. Want me to scrub your wings?” Twilight asked, levitating a piece of soap and a bath sponge from the basket behind her.

Rainbow doubted for a second about the offer, but if she had agreed to take a bath and then let Twilight wash her mane, she might as well let her take care of her precious wings. “Y-yeah, I’d really like it if you did,” she said, opening her wings just a little. Maybe a good wing massage was everything she needed for the upcoming Rally.

With Rainbow’s permission granted, and by using her magic, Twilight rubbed the soap against the bath sponge. It didn’t take long until it was all covered in foam. She took a wing under her hoof and used the other one to scour through her wing with gentle strokes. “And besides,” she said, “you’re the bravest mare I know. You wouldn’t let something as silly as stage fright to keep you from reaching your dreams, would you?”

“I guess you’re right,” Rainbow said. She felt how the muscles of her stiff wings started to get loose, making her sigh in relief. The tension on them was gone, and instead, a pleasant sensation remained. She had been using her wings nonstop since breakfast, and they finally got the rest they deserved. “Although, it’s not really stage fright,” she added, paddling the water surface with her hooves.

“Hmm, then what is it?” Twilight asked. She moved on with the next wing, leaving the other one drenched in soap. Much like before, she did the exact same thing, with each feather receiving the gentle strokes of Twilight’s hoof.

Rainbow bowed her head. Words didn’t come out from her mouth this time. Instead, she had a knot in her throat. She bit her lower lip, trying to avoid spilling out a calamitous truth that she didn’t want anypony to know. She hadn’t told anypony about it, but Twilight was close in being the first one to hear about it. Finally, Rainbow gulped, clearing the thoughts in her mind. “Do you really, really, really promise not to tell anypony?” she asked.

“Yes, Rainbow. I won’t tell anypony. Not even if they forced me to talk. Don’t worry, I Pinkie promise,” Twilight assured, interrupting her wing massage and resting a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. “You can trust me with anything.” She offered her warm smile, which was spotted by Rainbow as she turned her head to look at her.

Rainbow gulped once again. This was it. Her most secluded and dark secret would finally meet the light of the day. Twilight promised. She promised that she wouldn’t tell anypony, not her friends, not her family, not even Princess Celestia. It was going to be kept between her, herself, and the bathroom walls. “O-okay,” she mumbled. “I…” As much as she wanted to complete a full sentence, it was hard for her to reveal such a secret just like that. “I’ve got a…”

“A what?” Twilight didn’t want to hustle Rainbow, but the curiosity was killing her. Was the thing she was about to know the reason why Rainbow was so nervous about the Thunder Rally? Only Rainbow herself held the answer to that question. “Rainbow, you don’t have to hide your feelings from me.”

“I’ve got a crush, okay?” Rainbow spit the answer as if somepony were asking her for an autograph. She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, expecting for Twilight to laugh at her. For her surprise, not a single snicker was heard. Why? She was the most athletic and awesome mare in Ponyville. Who wouldn’t laugh at her for something as silly as a crush?

“Huh, a crush? Is that what this whole deal is about?” Twilight tilted her head, unsure why Rainbow would be so worked up about it. “That’s nothing to be nervous of, Rainbow.” She offered a smile, waving a hoof around.

“W-what do you mean? I’ve got a crush. Me, a crush! Do you know what would happen if everypony knew about it? I’d be a laughing stock! My reputation would be ruined!” Rainbow placed her hooves on her face. Oh, the horror if that ever got out of the room. It would probably reach the Wonderbolts ears. They wouldn’t ever accept someone who has a crush. Only weak and soft ponies have that. Not her. So why did she have it? Was she weak? Was she not worth of her title? Those questions ran in frenzy inside Rainbow’s mind.

“Rainbow, Rainbow!” Twilight shook Rainbow’s body gently, hoping to stop the outburst before it got out of hoof. “Having a crush is completely normal for everypony, no matter who you are. It’s totally okay for you to have one.” Even if Twilight found Rainbow’s assumptions a bit silly, she had learned before not to ignore even the slightest concern a friend might have, even if what they were worrying about didn’t seem to be important. “The fact that you have a crush doesn’t mean you’re weak or anything.”

“Really?” Rainbow removed her hooves from her face, turning her head to look back at Twilight. Her words echoed in her head several times. “Is it really okay to have a crush? They won’t laugh at me?” The blush on her face was brighter than a fresh, shiny apple from the farm. She squirmed and turned around to face Twilight eye to eye. Her interrupted wing scrub could wait for later.

“Of course not, Rainbow. In fact, I think it’s wonderful that you have a crush.” Twilight smiled, leaning closer to Rainbow. “So, who’s the lucky pony?” She tapped her chest with her knee, acting somewhat playful to lighten up the mood. “Is it somepony I know?”

Rainbow’s cheeks felt like two balloons filled with hot water that could burst at any moment, and Twilight’s insinuation wasn’t making it any better. “It’s, um…” She rolled her eyes, her hooves rubbing against each other with haste. “It’s… Sohmph.” She shut her mouth before she could finish her sentence, which caused Twilight to raise an eyebrow.

“So- what? I didn’t understand. Could you repeat that again, please?” Twilight requested.

“Soarin’! It’s Soarin’, all right?” Rainbow shook her head and slid to the other side of the bathtub. She bowed her head, trying to hide her blush, without success, though. She couldn’t believe she had told Twilight about her secret crush. In fact, she thought she would never have to tell anypony about the matter. “D-don’t you dare to go around announcing it, you hear?” She pouted.

“I would never do that, Rainbow. I gave you my word.” Twilight waved a hoof around, offering her best smile. “I think it’s wonderful that you’ve got an eye for Soarin’. I noticed how you danced around with him at the wedding.”

“Sorry, I got a little nervous. You’re the first one to know about this.” Rainbow stared at the foamy surface of the bathtub, wondering what Twilight would say next. Maybe she would congratulate her? “I actually needed somepony to talk about the matter, and… you’re the only one I trust.” She raised her head and looked straight to her eyes.

“Wow, I don’t know what to say. I’m really flattered that you chose to open yourself up to me. It means a lot to me, Rainbow.” Twilight moved closer to Rainbow, leaving the corner she was sitting in the whole time. Rainbow Dash could have talked with Applejack, Rarity, or even Fluttershy about the matter, but no. Twilight was the chosen one.

“So, I guess you can figure out why I’m so stressed.” It wasn’t hard to figure out. One thing was beating weaklings at a simple race, but another was having a Wonderbolt, which happened to be a crush as well, watching the performance. “I feel Parasprites inside my belly each time I see him. It’s just so… ugh.”

“I think I understand.” Twilight knew exactly what was Rainbow talking about. It sure wasn’t easy to be relaxed and cool with your crush watching every move of your performance. “And about him, am I really the only one who knows about it? Am I the only one you trust?”

“No, I mean, it’s not like I don’t trust the other girls. I do, honestly, but...” Her eyes closed for a second. She took a quick breath, inhaling once again the lilac essence in the air. It was an aroma that she wouldn’t forget in a long time, because it was the aroma of the day she decided to tighten the bonds with her best friend. “With you, the bath, and the things that happened today, I felt safe to share my feelings with you.” She opened her eyes, a weak smile formed on her face. One of those faces was like an extra special gift to anypony who happened to witness it. “Thank you, Twi.”

“I-it was nothing, Rainbow,” Twilight assured. “I have to thank you as well, for being so kind and agreeing to take a bath together,” she added. Her trademark smile was stamped on her face again. She felt a funny, itching sensation coming from deep within her eyes.

“What do you mean?” Rainbow asked. Now it was Twilight the one who was grateful? What for? Only because they shared a bathtub together?

“It only feels like… like if I were taking a bath with the sister I never had,” Twilight giggled, feeling the itchy sensation in her eyes growing stronger, like if it were trying to break free. Finally, her eye couldn’t hold it anymore, and it shed single, yet powerful tear from one of its sides. It slid down across her cheek, and even if her face was soaking wet, it was clearly visible. “Thanks, Rainbow.” She couldn't help but whimper.

“S-silly, don’t cry! You’re going to make me cry too…” As much as she hated to shed tears in public, Rainbow’s eyes weren’t going to co-operate with her no crying policy. She tried her best to hold it, but Twilight’s single tear was enough to make her fabricate some of her own. In a matter of seconds, the tears leaked out of her eyes without her consent, causing her to squeak like a little filly.

Both mares didn’t hesitate to throw themselves at each other and embrace in a tight hug, spouting tears like a fountain. They only focused on comforting each other, not willing to break the hug anytime soon. It could pass minutes, even hours, and they wouldn’t even mind being attached to each other inside a bathtub.

The climate in the bathroom became much warmer. It wasn’t the water, though. It was the power of friendship that radiated from both Rainbow and Twilight. The bond that tied them together could not be snapped, not even with the sharpest of razors. It was real friendship. Twilight was filled with joy in that moment. She was thankful to the Princess, for letting her stay in Ponyville to study the magic of friendship. Perfect timing for Twilight, since she already had her next friendship report in mind.

“Hey, Twi.”

“Yes, Rainbow?”

“Got the new Daring Do issue?”

“Heh, of course I do!”

Rainbow and Twilight resumed their bath, washing each other’s manes and tails, scrubbing each other’s backs, and even playing around by splashing some water around. Sadly, all good things have to come to an end, and it was time for Rainbow to leave so she could finish her weather schedule in time. It was no big deal, though. They were nothing but some scattered clouds over Ponyville, which could be taken care of in a matter of ten seconds, to be exact.

“Remember, you promised not to tell anypony!” Rainbow had finished drying herself off with one of Twilight’s spare towels. Her wings were pampered enough for today and were ready to take flight in the skies of Ponyville. It had been a terrific experience, which she sure hoped to repeat again in the future.

“It’s a promise, Rainbow. You can sleep in peace.” Twilight was the last to step out of the bathtub. With her magic, she took the towel hanging in front of the door and dried herself from hooves to head. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow’s bath. It was going to be so great, but she only needed to ask Rarity for more of those magical bath salts.

“If I find out you told anypony, I’ll come and kick your flank, you hear?” Rainbow raised a hoof and placed it right in front of Twilight’s face. She was serious. It didn’t matter who it was. Not even if it were any of her friends, she would go and take care of the gossiper with her own hooves.

“Don’t you have a job to do?” Twilight smirked and looked at the window. She received a smile from Rainbow Dash, who stepped back and faced the window, not giving an answer to Twilight’s rhetorical question. It was at last, time to say good-bye, at least for the time being.

Before Rainbow could spread her wings and launch herself out of the library, she gave Twilight one final glance. “Hey, Twi. Let’s take a bath together again sometime.” And with those words, she dashed outside the library faster than a skyrocket. She left a rainbow trail behind her, which continued all the way to the sky, until Rainbow got out of sight. The trail slowly began to fade away, until Twilight was left all alone in the bathroom.

“That Rainbow,” Twilight chuckled, looking through the bathroom window at the blue sky. She took a deep breath, feeling the cool breeze of the noon against her face. After a hot bath, it felt absolutely refreshing. Seconds later, she turned and left the bathroom, not before closing the bathroom window. She was glad she decided to leave it open, not for the sole fact of Rainbow crashing in, but because thanks to that, she had discovered a new side of her dear friend.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’d like to tell you about the wonderful lesson I learned today.

I used think that somepony who didn’t share their feelings was a cold and distant individual, but that’s totally the opposite of what I learned. My friend, Rainbow Dash, showed up this morning, very stressed about the upcoming Thunder Rally. Now, I promised her that I wouldn’t say a word about it, not even to you, Princess. I’m really sorry. But leaving that aside, we took a bath after lots of begging from my side. It was really great.

After a while, Rainbow opened and shared her feelings with me. I meant a lot to me, since I was the first pony she ever did that with. Let me tell you: even if Rainbow looks sassy and proud, she is a sweet little mare on the inside. We even had a very emotional moment, which I will never forget as long as I live.

Friendship is a very wonderful thing, and I discovered a very valuable lesson from this unexpected visit. I’d love to talk more about the matter the next time we meet, Princess. I’m looking forward to it, and I’m sure you are as well.

Oh, right. I bet you’re wondering what I mean with “unexpected”, correct? Well, it’s a really fun story, but I guess you could say that she came in through the bathroom window.

Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle