Rainbooms and Royalty

Observations and Observatories

Rainbow Dash hovered around the observatory ceiling, Zecora and Twilight having finally reached the top of the stairs. That left the two of them standing on a ramp that jutted out from the walls about fifty feet up from the floor. Twilight looked down and promptly regretted it.

“You okay?” Rainbow asked, fluttering in front of her.

“S-sure. No problem.” Twilight smiled nervously. She looked up at hole at the very top of the dome. “I was hoping the stairs would lead up to the opening. Do you think you could take a look outside and—”

“On it! Hang on!” Rainbow Dash wrapped her hooves around Twilight’s middle and started flapping hard.

Twilight yelped as her hooves suddenly left the ground. “Rainbow Dash!” Her eyes widened as the floor started getting further and further away. “This isn’t what I meant!”

“Aww, relax.” The confident pegasus said as they flew up out of the observatory and into the night sky. “You wanted to take a look right? Well, here you go!”

“Oh look you’re right there’s nothing here you can put me down now!” Twilight said quickly after the most minimal of glances, scrunching her eyes closed.

Rainbow snorted. “No way! Come on Twi, it’s not that bad. I promise, I would never let you fall.”

Twilight took a deep shuddering breath. “O-okay.” She opened her eyes. “Wow…” Dash gently spun in a circle, giving Twilight a panoramic view of the Everfree Forest, the old palace of the Royal Pony Sisters, and beyond. “I can see Canterlot from here!” The unicorn smiled. Somehow seeing the lights on in the mountainside city, shining all the brighter against the dark night, made her feel better. The city was a beacon, in more ways than one.

“Toldja it was awesome.” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Pay up purple pinto!”

Twilight pouted. “It wasn’t a bet and I’m NOT a pinto!”

“Whatever. But more importantly, no sign of Nightmare Moon, her lame Shadowbolts or anypony or anything else. I think we’re good. Next stop: the castle.”

Twilight nodded, then found her gaze distracted by something. “Hey Rainbow look.” She pointed a hoof up at the full moon. “The Mare in the Moon is missing.”

Turning to look, Rainbow saw what Twilight meant. The typical shadow cast over the moon in the shape of a mare’s face was gone. “I guess Nightmare Moon really was banished INTO the moon. With her here, she can’t be up there.” Dash reasoned.

Her flightless friend nodded. “It’s strange…in spite of everything bad that happened—the moon somehow looks better for Nightmare Moon not being there.”

“Yeah I guess…but I think Equestria will look even better than that once Nightmare Moon is gone.” Rainbow countered. “Let’s get going.”

Zecora waited patiently as Rainbow Dash and Twilight came in for a landing. “The coast, is it clear? Nothing in our path we need to fear?”

“Clear as the full moon!” Rainbow announced. “So let’s get the others and get those Elements!”

Twilight looked down and frowned when she saw the rest of their friends. “Huh, I wonder why they’re all standing still like that.”

Rainbow Dash flew up to get a better look, only to wince. “Gah!” Twilight turned to her.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Rainbow rubbed her eye with a hoof. “Just caught a gleam off one of those stupid mirrors.” She grumbled, observing the now cleaned up observatory. “Who would design an observatory full of mirrors and ugly statues?”