hey there! anothjer chapter for my little twilight is hot off the presses! :D well not quite, i actually wrote this the other day but forgot to publish it... so here it is now! enjoy! c:

chapter six: lciking our wounds

twilight watched helplessly as the ravenwood school nurse bandaged up applejack on the bed before her.

the room was quet. tense. the only sounds one could hear were apple jack's breathing, and the cloth bandages spiraling around her leg. her torso had alreayd been bandaged and tied up in a nice big bow (courtesy of rarity).

"twilight," ambrose began, leaning over to look at twiglight, gently. "i wont be mad... can you tell me what happened?"

twilight looked up at him. tears welled in her eyes. "... i"

"twilight?!" cried a familair voice. ambrose and wrilight wipped around. princess celsestia was marching proudly into the ifurmary.

"celestia, my student," said mabrose, reaching out to take her goof and welcome her. "it's wonderful to see you again."

"the feeling is mutual, my beloved teacher," celestia said warmly, but sighed. "i just wish it were under better circumstances. she walked over to twilight. "twilight, you are not suppose to be here. this was all a big mistake. gather your friends and come back to ponyville."

"what?!" said twilight, surprised. she jumped up from her seat. to face celsetia. "but... but you were the one who sent me here in the first place! why would you want me to come back?"

"i... i wasn't thinking. you really shouldnt be here," said celestia.

"but, princess celestia! you can't!" her voice was starting to rise.

"twilight," celestia growled, "this was a mistake. you are coming back to canterlot with me this instant. grab your friends, you're leaving."

"now, girls, calm down-" ambrose tried to inject.

"no!" twilgiht demanded, stamping her hoof. "i am NOT leaving!"

"twilight sparkle, i am your princess and mother, and you will obey my orders!" celestia boomed.

"why? you weren't my mother until twenty four hours ago!" twilight snapped.

celestia boiled for a few moments. "FINE!" she said, before bolting out of the small building.

twilight stood, heaving, gritting her teeth. ambros set his hand on her shoulder. "twilight, your mother has a reason for not wanting you to continue your jounrey here." he said.

"i mean no disresepct, headmaster, but... what good reason could she have?" twilight asked.

"well... whatever it could be, it is important enough to her to cause her to want to keep you away from this place."

twilight looked down. "i... i didn;t mean to yell at her like that."

"she knows" said ambrosse, "and she still loves you." he patted her shoulder like a good pony. unfortunately he didn't have any carrots to give her. but... "perhaps you should go talk to her."

"i don't think that's a good idea," twilight said. "i think i need a little air."

"okay," said ambrose, "but i want you to talk to her before you and your friends go to dragonspyre. it's a dangerous place, and if you're set on going there, she'll appreciate it if you talk to her first."

"okay" said twilight and she left applejack's side.

when she left and ambrose left and the nurse went on her lunch break, rsarity snuck into the room, and satdown next to applejack.

she stifled a sob. "oh, applejack..." she said, slowly and carefully stroking her ponyfriend's shoulder, well away form the bandages. "i'm so sorry."

rarity crossed her forelegs on applejack's bed and rested her still applejack hatted head down on them. she sighed. "applejack... i don't know if you can hear me... but... im so scared." applejack didnt stir so rarity continued. "do you remember when i first arrived in ponyville? uck, im sorry.. im rambling" beat "but, i'll go on... when i first arrived in ponyville, and was walking through town... i'd never been around so many coiuntruy folk. they were all dusty and muddy and moldy and there i was, clean as a whistle, with my designer bags and hauling them through town to get to my new store/house, because that's why i was walking through town in case you never knew..." beat "and i just so happened to walk past sugarcuvbe corne, and one of my mane bows fell out. so i bent over to pick it up, and you came barrelling out of the place, and swung the door into my hindquarters. i fell face first into the dirt, and my bag was forced into the ground. then i felt something flutter onto my head. i turned over and saw that it was your hat that fell off your head in the confusion, and onto mine. you were so apoloigectic... and i snapped at you that you ruined my bag. i got up and dusted myself off, then threw your hat back at you and said, "but you can keep your ugly dandruff pocket."" beat. rarity smiled, and looked down at applejack. tears splotted down into her flank. "i'd seen you several times around town after that, purposefully avoinding you... but... after a little while... okay, a LONG while... my resentment, became adoration."

rarity began tracing the muscle lines on applejack's shoulder. "i'd see you saunter down the street, with the kind of confidence that's hard to find even in models... swaying your blonde mane side to side. i would be entranced. your form, your poise... your musculature... it was like a statue. but a moving one." beat " i was head over heels, but i couldn't approach you, not after how our introduction went! so i stuck to admiring you from afar, and squeezing every ounce of information from our mutual friends. what you liked, how you were doing... sigh, i can't tell you how ecstatic i was when we both became friends with twilight and started seeing each other on a regular bassis, and how you eventually forgave me for my behavior that day in front of sugarcube corner." rarity sighed. she looked at her friend. more tears rolled down her horse face. "i... i just wish i could've told you how much i love you sooner..." devastated, rarity slumped down onto the bed, crying into her hooves.

"... rarity," came a weak reply from in front of her. rarity lifted her head, sniffling. apple jack was awake, and turning over!

"a-applejack!" rarity squeaked, delighted. "did... did you hear what i said?"

"yeah," she said, "i've been awake this whole time."

"so... what do you think?" rarity said, a little afraid.

"rarity..." applejack began, "... i'm straight."

"... oh." rarity said, a little crushed.

"but," applejack said, slowly gathering her friend's hooves in hers, "i... i wouldn't mind trying something new."

rarity beamed brighter than the diamonds she worked with.

meanwhile, twilight was sitting on the dock in the commons, mulling over everything in her head. fluttershy and pinkue psi were out eating lunch in town, but twilight wasnt hungry for human food and stayed to brood over her own reflection.

soon, another reflection joined hers. "your mother's in my office, twilight," said headmaster ambrose.

"okay," said twilight, nervous.

"i already talked a litle bit with her," ambrose assured. "we can say i warmed her up a bit for you." he smiled.

"was she upset?" twilight asked.

"she was positivley steaming when i first sat down with her," he explained. "she kept pacing back and forth in front of my desk, talking about you. i let her blow off her steam, then when she gave up and sat down, i gave my own argument for you. i told her that you're a grown mare now, and, most of all, the spiral desperately needs you in this up and coming threat."

"wow," said twilight. "thanks. what... what did she say?"

"nothing, really," he sighed. "i think she still needs you to finally break the ice."

"well," twilight said, standing and smiling, "if the spiral really needs me... i'll do it."

"atta filly!" ambrose cheered, and showed her to his office. he went in through another door so as to give them some privacy.

"princess celestia?" twilight said, softly. celestia picked up her head, and looked at her.

the princess sighed. "hello, twilight." she looked slightly ashamed, as did twilight.

twilight sat down in a chair on the other side of the room. both ponies were quiet. they made quick, uncomfortable glances at each toerh until princess celestia spoke up. "headmaster ambrose told me about rainbwo dash," she said. "i'm very sorry."

"thank you, princess," twilight said, hanging her head.

"he also told me that you're planning on going to dragonspyre."

"princess," twilight began before celestia could argue, " i... i don't know what happened here that you feel every need to keep me away. i understand, though, that you're worried... and i respect your feelings." twilight swallowed. "but... mom..."

celestia looked up at her student turned daughter. twilight continued. "i need you to respect my wishes, too. i've got two friends in trouble, ad i need to do everything i can to help them. they mean everything to me. and, if your hesitance to let me continue here is in some way related to me..." celestia flinched a little. "... then it's only fair to me to learn more about myself."

"twilight," celestia said, trembling, "i just... i don't want you to get hurt."

"i'm capable, mom. you know that."

"that's not what i mean," celestia said, standing and walking over to her daughter. she placed her hoof on her shoulder. "twilight, there are things that i haven't told you yet... things i wish i never had to."

"things... about my father?" twilight asked.

slowly, celestia nodded. "if... when... you learn, i don't want you getting hurt. but... i understand. you're much too inquisitive, there's no way i could ever hide anything from you." celestia smiled, tears glittering in her eyes. "just like him..."

twilight's eyes grew wider. celestia stepped back. "you have my blessing, daughter. all i want is for you to promise me, promise me, that you'll be careful around malistaire."

twilight nodded, choking back her tears. "i promise."

with her mother finally on her side, twilight gathered pinkie, rarity, and fluttershy. ambrose gave them dragonspyre's spiral key, and they were led inside bartleby, who had this huge freakin door inside him to other worlds for some reason. it was probably very annoying.

twilight used the spiral key to open the door, revealing a swirling red vortex. ambrose and company, and celestia, wished the mares luck. they thanked them, and stepped into tje vortex.

END OF CHAPTER SIX~