A ticklish experiment by RiggyRag


                                            Based on this image >https://derpibooru.org/1092636


                                            >Frost grew on the corners of the windows, crystal fingers gripping the glass.

                                            >A crack of the fire sprays torrid sparks into the room before their glow dims as they rest upon the tile floor.

                                            >The heat parches the cozy room, making the scrolls thrown across the floor curl.

                                            >"Dear Princess Twilight," one reads

                                            >"My name is Lemon Zest. My pen pal in Baltimare hasn't responded to my last letter.

                                            >"I don't think I did anything wrong... but I am not sure. Should I apologize to them, or should I leave them be? I don't know if they want to be my friend anymore."

                                            >"Thank you Princess! -Lemon Zest"

                                            >Twilight chuckles, shifting her wings under the snug blanket that has been heated by the fire.

                                            >She hovers a quill to a nearby piece of paper.

                                            >"Dear Lemon Zest," Twilight says aloud as she writes, "I am sorry to hear that your pen pal has not responded to your recent letter. However, I would not worry. Don't forget that Hearth's Warming is right around the corner. It's a busy time of year, and the post office is being flooded with presents. Remember part of being a friend is understanding when your friends are busy, and being patient with them. Just make sure you tell them you missed them when they finally do respond!"

                                            >Twilight smiles at the life lesson she hopes to bestow upon her young subject before signing her name.

                                            >"Your Princess, Twilight Spark-"

                                            >Twilight's quill twitches as something jabs her in the back of the neck.

                                            >A freshly made paper airplane flutters to the ground in front of her, its nose dented from its recent impact.


                                            >Twilight looks over her shoulder at the snickering Rainbow Dash, currently folding the second member of the Twilight Nusiance squadron.

                                            >"Rainbow Dash" she says in an annoyed tone.

                                            >Rainbow looks around dramatically.

                                            >"Who? Me?" she says with a smirk.

                                            >Twilight huffs air out of her nose.

                                            >"When I asked you to assist me in responding to letters I expected you to be a bit more... well helpful."

                                            >Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes.

                                            >"But we've been at it for HOURS. If I have to put one more ribbon on a scroll I think I'll SNAP!" Rainbow says, falling backwards on her final word.

                                            >She flops against the ground with a thump, sending nearby scrolls airborne.

                                            >"Do you know how hard it is to tie a ribbon without magic?" Rainbow asks, still on the ground.

                                            >Twilight looks back at her letter.

                                            >"I know, but we're almost done. Just hang in there." Twilight says dismissively.

                                            >Rainbow rolls among the scrolls with a long groan.

                                            >"You need more fun in your life Twi. Who spends their nights responding to letters?"

                                            >Twilight continues writing her letters.

                                            >Rainbow doesn't move for a while, then finally sits up.

                                            >If Twi won't alleviate her boredom, she'll fix it on her own.

                                            >Rainbow pushes away the scrolls that were cover the construction of her next paper airplane.

                                            >The best thing about having hooves is how easy it is to get a nice crease.

                                            >Rainbow folds the plane with great ease.

                                            >She lifts it up, inspecting its design and how it sits in the air.

                                            >A smile crawls across her face as Twilight continues to read letters out loud.

                                            >Rainbow's keen eye for anything aerodynamic has made her confident.

                                            >This plane is going to be a beautiful flyer; its journey decorated with death defying loops and graceful banking.


                                            >Quietly Rainbow begins to flutter upwards. She wants as much air time as possible, and starting high is a great way to get an edge. Fortunately the ceilings in the castle are high, and the study she is in is no exception. There is plenty of flying space, so Twilight will most likely not notice.

                                            >She reels back before letting it fly.

                                            >At first the plane delicately drifts through the air before banking away from the wall and beginning a corkscrew descent.

                                            >Rainbow watches happily as the plane displays its dexterity, pulling out of nosedives and fluttering gracefully.

                                            >Suddenly it takes an unexpected turn and soars over Twilight's head.

                                            >Rainbow watches in shock, realizing what was happening all too late.

                                            >She lets out a sigh of relief when Twilight makes no mention of the dancing paper in front of her. She is far too absorbed by her writing to notice Rainbow's antics.

                                            >As Twilight lifts her quill to begin writing again, the plane dives like a hawk on the hunt.

                                            >It smacks Twilight's levitating quill and ink to the floor, making the ink splatter onto Twilight's face, and puddle on the letter she was about to write.

                                            >Rainbow lands, the color draining from her face.

                                            >Both Twilight and Rainbow watch as the plane, having successfully caused its havoc, lands directly into the fire, making it flare for a moment before returning to its initial size.

                                            >Rainbow stares at the back of Twilight's head, waiting for her to scold her.

                                            >"Tw-Twilight, I'm sorry I didn't mean to..."

                                            >She is surprised to see Twilight's shoulders bob up and down as she silently chuckles to herself.

                                            >Rainbow nervously joins in.

                                            >Suddenly Twilight clears her throat.

                                            >"Dear Princess Twilight," she reads out loud.

                                            >"I was wondering if you could conduct an experiment for me." she continues.


                                            >Rainbow tilts her head in confusion. Is she not going to wash off the ink before getting back to work?

                                            >"I was wondering if a Pegasus could be tickled by feathers, especially since they have feathers of their own."

                                            >Suddenly the quills that were once lifeless upon the floor sprung to life, and floated in the air in front of Rainbow.

                                            >Rainbow's eyes grew wide.

                                            >She knew what Twilight was getting at.

                                            >Before she could attempt to get away, however, Twilight's aura encompassed her.

                                            >There was no escape.

                                            >"TWI? NO NO NO" she said, treading on air.

                                            >"An interesting inquisition!" Twilight said in an authoritative tone, "I think I will test this..."

                                            >Twilight finally turned to face Rainbow Dash, revealing her ink stained coat. Several blots of ink danced around her muzzle and eyes, making her look like a purple dalmatian.

                                            >"IMMEDIATELY!" she shouts with a smile.

                                            >Before Rainbow can say another word the quills begin to caress every part of her as she levitates in the air.

                                            >Rainbow tries to keep it together, holding the laughter inside.

                                            >But soon tears well up and she finds herself giggling to the point of exhaustion. The quills tickle the bottoms of her hooves and under her chin. All her weak points are abused, and she laughs until she is out of breath.

                                            >Twilight lets her down after a few minutes of this display before trotting to her side.

                                            >Twilight smiles down at the heavily breathing Rainbow Dash still trying to catch her breath.

                                            >"Less bored now?" she laughs, sticking her tongue out.

                                            >Rainbow flops limp on the floor, exhausted from all the laughing.

                                            >"I... guess..." she says between breaths.


                                            >Suddenly Rainbow feels an overwhelming sense of drowsiness.

                                            >The tiles are so warm, and all the action took more out of her than she anticipated.

                                            >She rolls onto her stomach and lets out a sigh.

                                            >Now that she thinks of it, she is way overdue for a nap.

                                            >After all, you can't sleep in trees when they have snow on their branches.

                                            >She closes her eyes for a moment, enjoying the dry warmth of the fire.

                                            >A comfy blanket is suddenly tossed over her back.

                                            >She doesn't open her eyes, it just feels too cozy right now.

                                            >There's movement under the blanket, and a soft, warm body lays next to her's.

                                            >Twilight whispers her responses to her letters as she lays next to Rainbow by the fire.

                                            >Rainbow's lips curl into a smile.

                                            >The sound of papers being jostled and rolled as Twilight continues to respond is almost like a lullaby. Its such a subtle and lovely sound, and it puts her right to sleep.

                                            >Nothing like taking a nap with a good friend by your side.

                                            >After awhile, Twilight sighs as she puts away her quill.

                                            >She slides away the last letter carefully, as to not wake the snoozing Rainbow Dash.

                                            >The black spots of ink on her coat shout at her to get up and clean them off, but she really feels quite wonderful where she is.

                                            >She slowly rests her head down next to Rainbow's and lets her eyelids become heavy.

                                            >Rainbow was right.

                                            >Being a princess is hard work... she deserves to take a break from time to time.

                                            >Finally her eyes close entirely, and her breathing slows to a heavenly crawl.

                                            >The frost on the window has grown to take up the entire frame.

                                            >The wind whistles by.

                                            >Outside the air bites and stings like a wild beast.

                                            >But in here, under the blankets between two friends, the air swaddles them in a reassuring warmth that says there will always be time to work tomorrow.