Twilight Sparkle was baffled at the cyan pony sitting next to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight had been asked by Rainbow Dash to help study basic aerodynamics in order to study for a new trick. Twilight happily accepted, and offered to teach Rainbow Dash in sessions at the library. She couldn't help but notice, that all throughout this particular lesson, Rainbow Dash was unfocused and gazed at the kitchen for most of the time.

"Rainbow Dash, you don’t seem too well. Are you hungry? ...I could get Spike to make us some snacks-" Twilight started, but was interrupted by Spike, who had come from the upper floor of the library carrying a pile of fabrics. Or should I say, balancing a pile of fabrics. This got some attention of the rainbow-colored pony, even if for a short time.

"Sorry Twilight, but I agreed to help Rarity with a new dress for her upcoming fashion show," Spike explained while walking to the door. He stopped at the door and just stared at Twilight.

"Oh, sorry. I'll get that for you." Twilight eventually said after realizing why he was standing there. Her horn glowed, and the door was enveloped in her magic. The door opened, and upon this, her dragon assistant walked out as he rolled his eyes. Twilight shut the door behind him.

"Well, now that Spike's gone, I could make us some snacks. What do you think, Rainbow?" Twilight asked.

"...uh, yeah, sure. I'm kinda hungry. It's kinda hard to focus with an empty stomach, you know?" Rainbow Dash responded, with a sheepish smile on her face, and Twilight noticed a reddish tinge had formed on her friend's cheek.

Dismissing this, Twilight got up from their book called "Aerodynamics for Dummies" and used her magic to set up two plates in her kitchen. Rainbow Dash saw this as an invitation, and she got up to sit at her spot at Twilight's table.

"Rainbow Dash, is there anything you want in particular?" the lavender pony asked while rummaging through her fridge.

"Nah, I can eat just about anything," Rainbow Dash said in automatic reply, her eyes fixed on Twilight's kitchen sink.

The slam of Twilight's refrigerator startled Rainbow Dash, but before she could utter a scream, she placed her hooves over her mouth. Looking over to Twilight, she saw that Twilight was levitating a couple of flowers and some slices of bread.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. This is actually all I have right now, and I'm gonna make my favorite sandwich: Daisy and Daffodil," Twilight said as she walked over to the kitchen counter. She levitated a kitchen knife and began slicing the flowers and arranging them on a piece of bread. A few minutes passed by, and once she was done, she brought the sandwiches over to the table.

"Here you go. I thought you would be really hungry, so I made you three of these." Twilight said as she put Rainbow Dash's snacks on her plate. Twilight had two sandwiches for herself and immediately started eating once she sat down.

From what Rainbow Dash could see, Twilight was so engorged in the sandwiches that she wouldn't notice her. She picked up a sandwich between her hooves and let her gaze slip to Twilight's sink.

The sink itself was in a pretty messy condition, despite Twilight's organization skills. Rainbow Dash almost cringed at the thought that something so beautiful was being treated so badly. Despite this, she couldn't tell Twilight, of all people, what she felt. If Twilight knew, then the whole population of Equestria would know, and she'd be singled out for falling in love with a sink. And this would put all of her chances of officially joining the Wonderbolts down the drain. She pondered over this as she ate, paying no attention to anything else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twilight Sparkle was baffled at the cyan pony sitting next to her. She had already finished both of her sandwiches and looked over to Rainbow Dash once she had done so. Strangely, Rainbow seemed to be staring… at the sink?

“No, she can’t be looking at my sink that way,” Twilight thought to herself. It actually seemed pretty believable to Twilight, seeing that Rainbow wasn’t scarfing down her sandwich. This meant that Rainbow wasn’t really hungry. And the way her cheeks turned red, when Twilight suggested to make them snacks – it wasn’t because of her, it was because she wanted be closer to the sink! It almost frightened Twilight that Rainbow Dash would do such a thing. She did what she would do in any situation like this: lecture her friend.

“Uh, Rainbow? You don’t really seem like you’re feeling like yourself,” Twilight said to the cyan pony as she dabbed her mouth with a levitating napkin. This unexpected dialogue caused Rainbow Dash to jump a bit, dropping her sandwich on the plate. Soon realizing what she’d done, Rainbow Dash tried to think of an excuse for this, but all she could come up with was…

“Er- I saw an ant crawl into your sink!” Rainbow Dash blurted out, avoiding eye contact with her purple friend. After a moment, she realized what she had done, hit her face with a hoof, and reluctantly turned to Twilight. She could already feel blood rushing to her face. The way Twilight was looking at her, she knew what would come next: a lecture.

“Rainbow Dash, is there something you want to tell me?” Twilight implored, her gentle, lavender eyes searching for an answer within Rainbow Dash’s magenta ones. Rainbow Dash was torn; on one hand, if she lied, then Twilight would know she lied – her look gave a sense that she knew --, while on the other hand, if she told the truth, then Twilight would know that it was true, and word would spread around Ponyville and all of Equestria! She had to decide between losing a friend or losing out on becoming a Wonderbolt.

In defeat, Rainbow decided to tell the truth. “Twilight, I-“ she started, but was interrupted when a blur of purple and green broke into the main library of Twilight’s house.

“Twilight! You gotta come, quick! Princess Celestia-“ Spike started. Twilight Sparkle perked up and turned around to face Spike. She saw that Spike was covered in pins and sections of fabric, so this news must have been urgent.

“Princess Celestia? What about Princess Celestia?” Twilight questioned, getting out of her seat and walking towards the main chamber of the library.

“Well, if you let me finish, then-“ Spike began, but was again interrupted by Twilight.

“Spike, this is all just wasting time! Now what did the Princess say?” Twilight said, almost yelling, eager to know what the news was.

Spike muttered something under his breath, but Twilight’s suddenly keen sense of hearing caught it.

“…What was that?” She asked.

“She left you a letter!” Spike blurted out, holding up rolled-up parchment that was bound by Princess Celestia’s official seal.

The letter was immediately surrounded by Twilight’s magic and opened in the air while Twilight drew it to her. Twilight eyed over the contents of the letter, written in Princess Celestia’s elegant script.

My Faithful Student Twilight,

I regret writing this to you on such short notice, but Princess Luna and I are g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶v̶a̶c̶a̶t̶ travelling to Manehattan to participate in an extended celebration that they hold for us annually. I often hire a housesitter for occasions like these, but I could not find anyone suitable for the job. This is why I am asking you, and only you, Twilight Sparkle, to watch the royal palace in Canterlot while we are gone. I expect this celebration to take several days.

Your mentor and teacher,

Princess Celestia

After reading the letter, Twilight sported a wide grin.

“Spike, take a letter,” she commanded, walking over to the library’s upper floor to pack her things. Spike got some paper and Twilight’s quill and set the paper up on the library’s podium.

“Alright, Twilight, I’m ready,” Spike called, quill in hand.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight began, slightly muffled from being on a different floor, “I am truly honored to take on this responsibility, and I shall be there as soon as possible. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.” She levitated her toiletries and linens into her travel bag and zipped it shut with a flourish of magic while Spike sent the letter to Canterlot. Twilight headed down the stairs, using magic to transport the bag, and glanced at the kitchen. The sight of the cyan and rainbow pony finishing a sandwich almost startled her. Twilight then remembered why Rainbow Dash was there.

“Rainbow Dash? I’m sorry, but we’ll have to talk about it some other time,” Twilight said, with the tiniest bit of anger in her voice. “…I think I can trust you to watch the library while I’m gone.” Twilight gave a slight nod to signify a goodbye, and then ambled out the door, leaving it open.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rainbow Dash didn’t know how to respond to what had just happened. It was a blur when it had happened, but her thoughts organized themselves when Twilight trotted out the door. Rainbow Dash had been found out by Twilight, and Spike had barged in to give a letter from Princess Celestia. Now Twilight had been asked to leave the library for a couple of days, and Rainbow Dash was left in charge. She just sat there in the kitchen as everything took place.

“Phew,” Rainbow Dash said out loud, rubbing the back of a front hoof against her forehead.

“Uh, did you say something, Rainbow Dash?” Spike called from the library. Rainbow Dash thought he had left with Twilight, and was startled at the sound of his voice.

Rainbow Dash turned around and heard a distinctive voice calling from outside the library.

“Spikey! Oh, where has that dragon gone…” the voice called. A few seconds later, the white and purple unicorn entered the library. “Oh, there you are Spike. Where’s Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“Oh, she had to leave for some business at Canterlot,” Rainbow Dash replied, ambling into the main chamber of the library.

“Is that so? Well, I don’t think she would mind my borrowing her Spikey-wikey for some more dresses to assist with. Follow me, Spike,” Rarity concluded, heading for the door.

“Yes, Miss Rarity,” Spike commented before following the unicorn out of the door.

“Goodbye, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity called as her magic surrounded the door and shut it.

Rainbow Dash was left alone in the library, and she slowly turned around to glance at the sink.