romance Reading Days Gone Awry

[Prof. Yana 16]

I will also post it here, but I could really use the views on my Fimfiction.net account, so if you would, could you read it here?

 

When Rainbow Dash acquired a Daring Do costume when Berry Punch moved away, she figured she'd only be using it on Nightmare Night. But when Rarity is in dire need of emeralds for a special dress suit for Soarin', Rainbow Dash and Soarin' venture forth to retrieve them from the paparazzi infested Canterlot and are in need of disguises. While they're gone, Twilight learns that it's better to let your feelings out, rather than bottle them up. But are the feelings what she thinks they are?

 

Written for the Twidash group's contest, Abandoned Fic Challenge. Anything before the first page break was not written by me.

 

Pre-read/edited by Rainbow Skywalker

 

Word count: 10,599.

 

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“No!” Dr. Negative cried, scrambling backwards on the ground as his own groaning servants began to swarm him. He managed to get a short distance across the courtyard before he backed into a wall. “What have you done? Wha-what have you done?” He fumbled through his satchel and seized a small vial with his hoof. His triumphant cheer was cut short though, as the vial was knocked out of his grasp and crushed beneath the hoard of drugged ponies. Frantically, he reached for his bag again, only to find it trampled beneath the hooves of a large red stallion; multicolored fluids coated the ground around it.

 

“No!”

 

“It's no use, Doctor,” Daring Do called out as she watched the physician's struggle from her perch on the balcony above. “You did this to yourself.” She hopped off the railing and started for the door, walking passed a fedora-wearing Earth pony.

 

“You're just going to leave him?” he asked, following her back into the manor. “Seems a little cold for you, Do...”

 

Daring paused as the door shut, canceling out the screams of agony now echoing about the place. Her gaze fell to the floor with her wings. “It's not like he doesn't deserve whatever happens to him down there.” She shuddered. “Brainwashing ponies like that... It's... It's just wrong.”

 

When no response came, Daring's eyes shot up. She could handle danger; give her a crazed doctor with way too many drugs or an ancient temple filled with traps and she couldn't care any less—but him? She needed him. If she upset him—scared him off or ignited his righteous fury—she'd never forgive herself. A quivering desperation seeping into her tone, Daring asked, “You... You don't think I'm a horrible pony for this, do you?”

 

A brown hoof settled on her shoulder as Manehatten Silver looked her straight in her watery eyes. “No,” he said softly, pulling her into his embrace. “Negative's the monster here, not you.”

 

Daring choked back a sob as she nuzzled deeper into Silver's chest. “Wh-when he had you—back at the lab... You... a-and the syringe... When you... When you...” Her words failed her and turned into incomprehensible sobs. Gently, a hoof patted her back. Soft words were whispered into her ears, causing her to only hold on tighter to the stallion she'd so nearly lost.

 

“I was so scared,” she whimpered. Her whole body trembled in his forelegs, but he only held her tighter. “I wanted to kill him—I wanted to rip his throat out and stomp it into the dirt! I-I—”

 

“Shh,” Silver whispered, running a hoof down the pegasus's gray-scaled mane. “It's over now,” he said. “It's all over.”    

 

“All I could think about was that night in Fillydelphia,” Daring continued, “And how stupid I was for walking out and... I'm so sorry...”

 

Biting his lip, Silver shifted his weight and looked away from his long-time friend and rival adventurer. “Look, Dare, you don't have to—“ A tan hoof interrupted him and jarred his face down towards Daring Do's. Her eyes shone like rubies in the dim light of the hall.

 

“Just shut up and kiss me,” she whispered, pulling him closer. Her wings flared as their lips furiously collided in a passionate—

 

“What?” Rainbow Dash cried indignantly, raising her hooves in the air. She glared at the book before her with furious distaste “That's... that's...”

 

“So sweet,” Twilight sighed dreamily. She closed her eyes and smiled, her tail lightly sweeping across the wooden floor of the library. “Don't you think so, Rainbow?”

 

“So stupid!” the pegasus finished, batting the novel aside. It flew across the room and smacked the wall with a ruffled thud. Paying no mind to Twilight's irritated stare, Rainbow began pacing around the room. “What about Rosetta?” she growled, flapping her wings furiously. She glared out the window at the sunset.

 

“What about her?” Twilight asked as she picked up her new copy of Daring Do and the Devious Doctor Negative and carefully placed it back on her personal bookshelf. “She's still back at the college, right?”

 

Dash huffed and blew a stray bit of her mane out of her face. “So?”

 

“So...” Twilight rolled her hoof in the air, gesturing for her friend to explain further. When Rainbow didn't turn around, she sighed and continued: “What's the problem?”

 

“Everything!” Rainbow roared, spinning around. Twilight stumbled back in surprise as Dash's hooves slammed into the floor and shook the picture frames on the walls. “How can Daring just... Why would she...”

 

Twilight's brow furrowed. “Rainbow?” she said slowly, watching Rainbow curse and kick another book into a wall. “Are you okay?”

 

“No!” the pegasus exclaimed, bringing her hoof to her forehead. “Yes!” She growled at the floor as Twilight stood up and stepped closer. “Ugh! I don't know! I don't get it!”

 

“What don't you understand?”

 

“She kissed him!” Dash spat; just saying the words left a bad taste in her mouth. “I can't believe it!”

 

Frowning, Twilight gave her friend a curious look. “What's wrong with that? I think it's a very sweet conclusion to the story.”

 

“But what about Rosetta?”

 

Twilight brought a hoof to her head and rubbed her temple. “I don't think I understand where you're going with this, Rainbow,” she groaned. “What do you mean?”

 

Dash rolled her eyes. “I mean that Daring totally belongs with Rosetta—not stinkin' Silver!”

 

Jerking her head back, Twilight's curious expression quickly switched from bemused to amused. An eyebrow raised as Twilight shook her head. “What?” she snorted. “You're joking, right?”

 

Rainbow's face hardened. Her wings ruffled. “No,” she said. “I'm not.”

 

“But there's been no evidence that Rosetta and Daring feel anything more than platonic friendship at all, Rainbow,” Twilight giggled despite Rainbow's steadily growing scowl. “Not a single scrap in the whole series.”

 

Dash's eyes drifted down to the floor and cursed silently. Without thinking, her gaze shot back to her friend and she protested, “They got milkshakes in the beginning of the book!”

 

“Oh,” she said, smirking, “Then it must be true love!”

 

“It was a date!” Rainbow stuck her tongue out. “And that's way better than some stupid kiss!”

 

“It was not a date!” Twilight countered, “Daring Do has never gone to her for more than advice or to hang out!”

 

“That's not dating?” Dash huffed, glaring at Twilight. “Daring's totally crazy for her!”

 

“Just because somepony gets a milkshake with somepony else doesn't mean that they're romantically involved, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, a hint of annoyance seeping into her tone. “How many times have we gotten milkshakes on reading days?”

 

Dash's wings flared and her ears slicked back behind her head as she turned to the side; the setting sun peered through the window and lit her face, coloring it red. Her cheeks felt warm. “I-it wasn't about the milkshakes, Twi...” she mumbled to the floor. “I mean, I could totally see that... that they were happy together...”

 

Twilight shook her head. “Rainbow, I'm sorry. I don't know how you got the idea that Rosetta and Daring love each other—let alone the fact that they are both homosexual—but it just isn't there.”

 

Rainbow's eyes never rose from the floor. There was a crack traversing the length of one of the boards on the far side of the room, she followed it across the floor to Twilight's hooves. “But... but it has to be...” she whispered so low that Twilight didn't manage to catch it. “Daring... Daring totally loves her...”

 

“Besides,” the unicorn added, tapping her chin with her hoof. “Daring and Rosetta would make for a very strange couple—don't you think so, Rainbow Dash? I mean, Rosetta's a professor at Canterlot University—it'd be awful hard for somepony as adventurous and free-spirited as Daring Do to stick around and be in a real relationship with her.”

 

Dash jumped to her hooves, her hackles raised. “She could do it if she wanted to!”

 

Twilight raised her hooves. “I'm not saying that she couldn't,” she reasoned calmly. A scroll on a shelf on the far side of the room lit up in a purple light. It floated over to the duo and presented itself to Twilight, who opened it. An illustration of a unicorn wearing glasses and a lab coat adorned the back. “And I guess I don't see any major flaws in their dynamic...”

 

Rainbow's face lit up for a ghost of a second and she looked at the floor once more. “See?”

   

“But, there's still the complete lack of anything beyond friendship exhibited in their actions, Rainbow,” Twilight sighed, setting the scroll down on her desk. “Just because they get along doesn't mean that they'd make a good romantic couple. Daring Do has been known to have a soft spot for Manehatten Silver—she is obviously in love with him if she asked him to kiss her.”

 

Dash’s smile faltered. Her eyes narrowed as she opened her mouth to say something, but before she’d even started to speak, the door to Twilight’s bedroom burst open and a little purple dragon crashed through. He fell to his knees, huffing and puffing as he tried to catch his breath.

 

“Spike?” Twilight cried out in surprise. The dragon continued to wheeze, but looked up at her when he heard his name called.

 

“Twilight!” he gasped, clutching his chest. His eyes were wide with panic. “She... they... help! It’s horrible!”

“Spike, how many times have I told you?” asked Twilight, an annoyed look in her eye. “Only come into the library in a panic when there’s an actual problem!”

 

“But it was a problem,” Spike pleaded, looking up at her with wide eyes.

 

“Spike, Rarity not having enough gems to finish a suit for a client is not a serious problem.” Twilight looked around Carousel Boutique for Rainbow Dash, who was busy poking a mannequin in the head. Twilight smiled at it. “Are you ready to go, Rainbow? We never finished our discussion.” At that moment, Rarity walked in from the backroom with her client in tow.

 

“Soarin’!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, her voice cracking, as she darted over to the Wonderbolt. She quickly turned away and wiped a hoof over her face. She turned back. “I mean, uh, Soarin’. Hey,” Dash said, playing it cool.

 

“Rainbow Dash? I think I remember you. From the Best Young Flyers competition, right?”

 

Rainbow’s face lit up. “Uhm, yeah! I kicked all the other ponies’ butts! And the way I saved Rarity!” She did a small loop in her excitement.

 

“Ahem,” coughed Rarity, eyeing Rainbow Dash.

 

“Oh, uh, sorry. I guess it’s still a sore subject,” said Rainbow Dash, rubbing the back of her head. “Anyway, what are you doing here, Soarin’?”

 

Soarin’ glanced over at Rarity, and then lowered his head toward Rainbow Dash and spoke quietly so only she could hear. “Look, can we talk about this in the backroom?”

 

Rainbow nodded. “Okay.”

 

Once they were in the backroom, Soarin’ grinned. “ Okay, I didn’t want Rarity to hear this, as she seems like the type to spread rumors, but I asked Spitfire on a date yesterday!”

 

“No. Way. You asked Spitfire out?!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, fluttering lightly in the air.

 

“We have a date tonight!”

 

“But why are you here? Don’t you and Spitfire live in Canterlot?”

 

Soarin’ laughed and smiled sheepishly. “Well, I, uh, wanted to look my best tonight, so I, uh, ordered a new suit.”

 

“But why here? Why Ponyville?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

 

“Well, I met Rarity back at the Best Young Flyers contest, and again at the Gala. She’s the only pony I could think to turn to outside of Canterlot. I can’t do it in Canterlot because of the paparazzi. Anyway, let’s head back out to the main room. They’re probably wondering where we are.”

 

While they were in there, Twilight remained outside, alone with Rarity and Spike. Oh no... thought Twilight. Soarin’ must be in there asking Rainbow Dash on a date! That’s why he came to Ponyville of all places to buy a new suit! But... I never considered Rainbow Dash would be taken away someday... I need to ask her now! There might not be another chance!

 

At that moment, Soarin’ and Rainbow walked out, Rainbow attempting to hide wild giggles and blushing lightly. Oh no... Twilight thought, crushed. I was right.

 

“So!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash. “Rarity, what’s the problem? Why can’t you finish Soarin’s suit?”

 

“Well, Rainbow, my dear, if you must know, I ran out of emeralds for Soarin’s suit. My most recent shipment was delayed, you see.”

 

“Shipment?” Twilight asked. “I thought you dug your gems up.”

 

“That was before I got more popular. In recent months, I began ordering them from a supplier in Canterlot. The problem is, the most recent shipment was delayed, and I don’t have time to dig new ones up and put them through the cleaning process before I can use them. Nor am I fast enough to go all the way to Canterlot to get them and still have time to finish Soarin’s suit.”

 

“I can go!” Rainbow Dash perked up. “I am the fastest pony in Equestria, after all. I’ll have your emeralds in no time!”

 

“Whoa whoa whoa, I can’t let you go alone! I’ll go too,” said Soarin’.

 

“But you’ll be recognized by the paparazzi. Speaking of which, so will I if you’re with me. Saving Equestria does get me noticed, at least in Canterlot.” Rainbow Dash brought her hoof to her chin in thought. Her eyes widened. “I know! Rarity, you got any cloaks or anything in here?”

 

“Hm? Oh, um, I should have them in the back. Let me just fetch one.” Rarity strode into the backroom with a confused look on her face.

 

“Okay, when Rarity comes out, you put that cloak on. I gotta run back to my place. Be back in a minute,” Rainbow said, bolting out of the store, leaving a faint rainbow trail behind.

 

Okay, okay... Twilight thought. When Rainbow Dash gets back, I have to tell her my feelings. This could be my last chance. While they were gone, Sweetie Belle came downstairs and asked if Spike would like to go play with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike agreed and they left together. Meanwhile, Rarity came back out with the cloak, and Soarin’ went into the backroom to put it on. Twilight slowly worked up the courage to say exactly what she felt, whatever that may be. “Rarity?” she asked.

“Yes, dear?” responded Rarity, who was busy dusting the boutique.

“Can I, uh...” Twilight stammered. “Can I ask for some advice? Just friend to friend?”

 

“Of course, dear. What would you like advice about?” asked Rarity.

“Well, this is just hypothetical, but what if, uhm, I had feelings slightly, um, stronger than friendship for somepony? What, um, what should I do about it? This is all hypothetical, mind you.”

Rarity smiled at her. “Well, for one, I wouldn’t keep it bottled up for too long. I’d try to get it out in the open. If this certain pony rejects you, whatever you do, don’t lie to them. Be honest and hope for the best. If they still deny you, then it’s their loss. You are a wonderful pony, Twilight. Don’t let anypony tell you otherwise.”

Twilight sighed and smiled. “Thanks, Rarity. Remember, this is all hypothetical. I wouldn’t want any of you girls think I was biased towards one of y—” Twilight stuffed a hoof in her mouth before she could complete the sentence. She looked at Rarity to see if she had been listening closely enough, but she just smiled back at Twilight.

A couple minutes later, Soarin’ and Rainbow Dash stood next to each other by the door. Rainbow Dash wore a Daring Do hat and green button up t-shirt, a wild grin etched on her face, and Soarin’ had a cloak, with a confused look on his face.. “Introducing... Wait, I need a drumroll. Really? No drums? Whatever. Introducing... Daring Do and Manehatten Silver!”

 

Damn, Rainbow Dash sure looks good in that hat... Twilight’s imagination began to run wild. No! thought Twilight, forcing herself to look down. I can’t fantasize right now. I... I need to tell her how I feel. Twilight gulped and slowly raised her head, resting her eyes on Dash. “R-Rainbow Dash?”

 

“Yeah, Twi?” asked Rainbow, looking over to Twilight.

 

Twilight’s breathing quickened and her face flushed. She could feel her heart pounding furiously against her chest. She closed her eyes. “I...” Twilight sighed and opened her eyes. She couldn’t ruin Rainbow Dash’s day. Rainbow finally had a chance at happiness. Twilight couldn’t interfere with that. “Have a good time in Canterlot... We can finish our discussion later at the library...” With that, Twilight slowly walked out of Carousel Boutique, her head hung low. While Rainbow Dash was busy chatting with Soarin’ about Wonderbolt related stuff, Rarity watched Twilight leave, her eyes widening slightly.

Twilight shut the library door behind her and walked into the main room of the library. The Daring Do book remained where Rainbow Dash left it, open on the desk. Twilight levitated a bookmark over to it and closed it over the bookmark to prevent any damage. With that done, Twilight sighed and sat down. She levitated the book she had been reading over to her and began reading. She needed to distract herself.

 

Not ten pages later, Twilight heard the soft creak of the front door opening. She spun around to see Rarity standing in the doorway. “Rarity?” Twilight asked, eyebrow raised.

 

“Umm... Hello, dear,” Rarity said hesitantly. “I figured you might, um, be lonely with Rainbow Dash gone to Canterlot for the day. I know this was one of your reading days.” She laughed awkwardly.

 

“No, I’m fine,” lied Twilight. “This book is really... interesting.”

 

“...Maybe I could read something? I do tend to enjoy a good romance novel,” Rarity said, walking in and looking around.

 

“Oh! I certainly wouldn’t stop you from reading. The romance novels are over there,” said Twilight, pointing to a far off section of the library.

 

“Thank you.” Rarity quickly cantered over to the romance novels section and promptly returned. She sat down at the desk Rainbow usually sat at, glancing down at the Daring Do novel as she did so. “So, you and Rainbow sit here and read together every Saturday?” asked Rarity.

 

“Yes,” replied Twilight.

 

“And do you ever do anything else? Go out to lunch or something?” While speaking, Rarity glanced between the Daring Do book and Twilight.

 

“Well, sometimes we go out to lunch or to get milkshakes,” said Twilight, staring into space and smiling fondly at the memories.

 

“And does it ever turn into... anything more?” asked Rarity, eyes focused on Twilight

 

A noticeable red tinge appeared on Twilight’s face and her voice rose slightly. “Umm... like what?”

 

“I... I’m just going to come right out and say it. I saw the way you were looking at Rainbow Dash earlier.”

 

Twilight’s book slammed shut. “Oops... I... What?”

 

“Dear, it’s not hard to see. You were downright ogling her in that Daring Do outfit. And the way you walked out... I’m so sorry...” Rarity put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.

 

Twilight shrugged it off. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have any extra feelings for Rainbow Dash.”

 

“Come now, dear. You don’t have to deny it. You practically admitted it when you asked for advice earlier.” Rarity smiled invitingly at Twilight.

“Bu-But that was hypothetical. That wasn’t real!” Twilight stood up.

“Wasn’t it? We’re alone here. Spike won’t be coming back for a few hours. He went off to play with Sweetie Belle and the other crusaders. You’re alone and among friends.” Rarity stood up as well.

 

“But... But you just walked in earlier when I was alone! We aren’t private here!” Twilight backed away, accidently knocking over the chair she had been sitting in.

 

“Then why don’t we go upstairs? We’d be alone up there. And you can even put the closed sign up and lock the door.” Rarity began to make her way to the stairs.

 

“Wait!” yelled Twilight, stamping her hoof. “Why are you even doing this? I didn’t ask for your relationship advice!”

 

Rarity gazed sadly at Twilight. “...Dear... I couldn’t bear to see a friend so sad. It was obvious you were crushed when Rainbow Dash came out of the backroom with Soarin’, all giggly and happy.”

 

Twilight sighed and looked down. “I... I messed up, Rarity. I should have realized...”

 

“Come now, dear. Why don’t we talk about it over a nice cup of hot cocoa? I’ll get the door and the hot cocoa, you just make yourself comfortable upstairs. I’ll be up in a minute.” Twilight smiled and went upstairs while Rarity went about preparing the hot cocoa.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ arrived in Canterlot shortly after leaving. They landed a little outside and chose to walk in, as they figured they might be more noticed if they flew in. Rainbow Dash donned the Daring Do hat and shirt, while Soarin’ continued to wear the cloak. Rarity had told them exactly where to go to get the emeralds. All they needed to do was give them an order confirmation letter from Rarity, get the shipment, and fly back to Ponyville. No paparazzi, no suggestive pictures; just a smooth, clean job.

 

They walked side-by-side as they entered through the gates, unchecked, as the guard pony was being rather lax about security. And he had good reason to. It had been months since any form of attack against the rule of the princesses. There weren’t even any rumors about any rebellions. Everypony was enjoying a time of peace while they could. And with no major crises happening, the magazines had nothing better to report on than the daily lives of celebrities.

 

The pair walked in silence through the residential district, passing by houses large and small, apartment complexes, and even a couple of small shops. They passed ponies coming back from their daily errands in the market, their saddlebags loaded with goods. While the streets were near deserted when the two entered the city, as they approached the market, the streets became much livelier.

 

The pair was just entering the market square when Soarin’ lightly nudged Rainbow Dash. “What is it?” asked Rainbow.

 

Soarin’ kept looking straight ahead. “There’s a pony staring at us. I think she may have noticed,” he said quietly.

 

“What, where?” asked Rainbow Dash, glancing quickly around.

 

“Wait! Don’t make eye contact!” Too late. Rainbow Dash locked eyes with the pony. The pony stared at her for a second before running off down a side street. “Great! Now our cover is blown for sure!” exclaimed Soarin’, annoyed.

 

“H-Hey! You didn’t actually tell me not to look at her!” Rainbow Dash turned to glare at Soarin’.

 

“I thought it was obvious.”

 

“I’m not famous like you! I’m not used to having to avoid the paparazzi” pleaded Rainbow Dash.

 

Soarin’ sighed and smiled at her. “Whatever. It’s no big deal. She was probably just excited that she saw two celebrities. Well, one celebrity and one not-so-celebrity.” He smirked at Rainbow.

 

“Yeah, but just so you know, I’m the celebrity,” mocked Rainbow Dash. Soarin’ laughed, and then they continued in a peaceful silence.

 

The two pegasi continued for a short while, past all of the shops filled to the brim with ponies gathering their goods for the week to come.

 

“Hey, is this our street?” asked Rainbow Dash, glancing down a side street that was almost deserted. There were a couple market stands, but the owners were asleep.

 

“Yeah, I think so,” replied Soarin’. Rainbow Dash turned down the street just as Soarin’ raised a hoof in warning. “Be careful! You never know who might be waiting.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotcha.” Rainbow Dash brushed off his warning, walking down the street without looking.

 

Soarin’ looked around suspiciously before following her. “The warehouse is down here, right?”

 

“Yeah,” replied Rainbow, just as they passed the market stands.

 

Suddenly, Rainbow heard a chair shift slightly. She looked back to see if the market stand owners had woken up, when she found them both staring at her with cameras in their hooves.

 

“It’s a trap! Run!” cried Rainbow Dash, bolting into the air as fast as she could. Soarin’ quickly followed, leaving the paparazzi in the dust.

“I guess it all started just after I got Rainbow Dash into reading Daring Do...” said Twilight, sipping her hot cocoa. She was wrapped up in a fluffy blanket, nice and warm. Rarity sat opposite her on the bed. The shades were drawn. “She used to come by every once in a while and take me into a side room. She’d quietly ask for the next Daring Do book and I’d give it to her. I guess she was still getting over the fact that she actually liked reading...” Twilight smiled down into her mug.

 

“That certainly sounds like her,” said Rarity.

 

“Yeah. And every time she’d do it, I’d tell her how silly she was being. I guess it sunk in, because eventually she was asking me right in the open. That’s how it worked for a while. I’d just be the librarian, not the friend. She’d come to me for the book only, and she’d leave after she got it.”

 

“That sounds painful, dear. I’m sorry,” Rarity said gently. She patted Twilight on the shoulder.

 

“It wasn’t at the time.” Twilight took another sip of her cocoa. “I hadn’t thought much of it. In my mind, I was just helping out a friend in need.”

 

“What changed?” asked Rarity.

 

“Well, one day, Rainbow Dash returned after reading the last edition of Daring Do that was released at the time. She was just gonna leave in a huff, but I convinced her to stay while I got some other books for her to try out. She decided to stay while she read them, in case she didn’t like them. Well, it turns out she liked them, but she didn’t leave. She must have been too engrossed. Eventually, I got hungry and asked if she’d like to get lunch with me.”

 

“I assume just as friends?” asked Rarity, shifting to get more comfortable.

 

“Yes, of course. I hadn’t recognized my feelings at that point. While we were eating, I suggested that we do this every Saturday. You should have seen the sparkle in her eyes when she agreed... It was magical.” Twilight’s eyes lit up as she recalled that day. “Rainbow decided to stay for the rest of the day and read, and while she was there, I couldn’t stop staring. Every time she looked at me, I found myself blushing. I had no idea why! After she left, I went through just about every book I had on any sort of ailments, but I couldn’t find anything on the subject.”

 

“How did you find out, then?” Rarity took another sip of her cocoa.

 

“Well, when Berry Punch moved away, she gave the library a bunch of romance novels, and she gave Rainbow Dash her Daring Do costume. Anyway, at that point I’d already read every book in the library, so I took it upon myself to read the romance novels, a genre I had never ventured into before. Needless to say, I started reading exact descriptions of what I felt when I was with Rainbow Dash.”

 

“Oh dear, that must have been awkward to realize you had feelings for Rainbow Dash.” Rarity looked sympathetically at Twilight.

 

Twilight took another sip of her cocoa, sighing as the warmth flowed throughout her body. “Yeah, it was. The next few reading days we had were really hard. I couldn’t even look at her without blushing like crazy. I stammered constantly and kept finding myself going to the other room to cool off.”

 

“It had to have gotten better, right? You two seem marvelous when you’re together.”

 

Twilight smiled. “Yeah, it definitely got better. Now I can at least talk to her without thinking too hard about it. Whenever it gets bad, I distract myself with whatever we’re talking about. I focus as hard as I can on the subject until the feeling passes.”

 

“But now you’ve waited too long and she might be with Soarin’ now,” said Rarity, knowingly.

 

“Yeah, and what I said to her earlier doesn’t help either...” Twilight’s lip quivered.

 

“What did you say?”

 

“Well, Rainbow Dash was just getting to the end of the latest Daring Do novel, and when Daring Do and her male love interest, Manehatten Silver, kissed, Rainbow got upset about it. In her mind, Daring Do was saving herself for Rosetta, a female professor at a college. I... I tried to convince her that there was no evidence of any sort of romantic relationship between the two, but she wouldn’t listen. I may have pushed her away... Even convinced her to move on and find somepony else to occupy her time.”

 

“But... I can’t let that happen,” said Twilight. “She makes my day—no, my week. I spend all week looking forward to the few hours we get to spend together on the weekend. Whenever she’s around, I feel happy. Like we could do anything together. Whenever I’m nervous or scared, she’s right there to help me feel better. And when she isn’t there, her face drives me. She pushes me to be the best I can be, and more. She makes me. I... I can’t let her be taken by some hotshot Wonderbolt!”

 

“Oh dear... You really have it bad, don’t you? I can’t let a friend suffer like this. I’ll tell you what; I’ll help in any way I can to get you Rainbow Dash.”

 

A smile started to break out on Twilight’s face at the thought of actually getting Rainbow Dash back from Soarin’.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ quickly rose to the rooftops. Rainbow Dash kept flying higher and farther away, but Soarin called to her. “Wait! We don’t want to go too far away! We could lose our street!”

 

Rainbow Dash flew back down to him. “What else are we gonna do?!” she exclaimed, waving her forelegs around.

 

“I don’t know! We can’t let them get any pictures of our faces, in any case,” said Soarin’. He flew around trying to find a hiding place. Rainbow Dash glanced around for a hiding place as well. What she saw made her stomach drop.

 

“They’ve got pegasi! Run!” Pegasi were coming out of most of the side streets in the market district, all with cameras in their hooves. Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ dove into a nearby alleyway at top speed, the paparazzi in hot pursuit. They snaked their way through the city, turning left, right, left again, and then right. This brought them upon a dead-end, where a paparazzi lay in wait for them.

 

“Turn around!” yelled Rainbow Dash, covering her face with the Daring Do hat. They quickly doubled back, flying up and out of the alley. A few pegasi followed them, surrounding them on all sides. They were boxed in. “Come on, follow me!” ordered Rainbow Dash, diving down as fast as she could. She quickly slowed as she neared building level. She spotted an open window in an apartment building. Soarin’ tailing behind, Rainbow Dash flew through the window and into a living room.

 

“Hey, don’t get up,” Rainbow said to the pony sitting on the couch. She left the living room, flew through the dining room, and from there into a kitchen. “Smells delicious,” she told the pony cooking lunch. In the kitchen, Dash spotted an open door leading onto a balcony. “Lunch’s ready,” she told the rest of the family sitting on the balcony. Rainbow Dash leapt off the balcony, spreading her wings as she did so, Soarin’ following closely behind. Sadly, her little shortcut didn’t help. The paparazzi were still hot on their trail. “Geez, they must have an army!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “Listen! I’ve got a plan! Help me get two of them alone!” commanded Rainbow.

 

Rainbow Dash flew up to one of them and stuck her tongue out, provoking her. The paparazzi fell for it, snapping a picture of Rainbow and following her down into an alley. Soarin’ followed closely behind with a paparazzi of his own. “What’s the plan, Rainbow Dash?” he asked.

 

A few minutes later, two ponies dressed as Daring Do and Manehatten Silver flew out of the alley, prompting every paparazzi to chase them. Unbeknownst to the paparazzi, Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ flew out of a nearby alley, unclothed. They soon found a rooftop garden to hide in. As soon as they got in, they heard a few pegasi past very quickly. Rainbow panted lightly. “Who knew paparazzi were so fast...”

 

“I know,” replied Soarin’. “A few have even given me a run for my money. If only their destiny wasn’t photography.”

 

“Really? I guess chasing ponies around all day does get them a nice workout. Maybe I’ll try it some time,” said Rainbow Dash, holding up her hooves as if holding a camera. “Click.”

 

Soarin’ laughed lightly. “Heh, you’d make a good paparazzi pony. Anyway, hopefully they won’t be so bad tonight. That’d make a bad first date.”

 

“Yeah, I can imagine. I can’t think of how embarrassed my date would be... She’d probably freak out and teleport home...”

 

“She?”

 

“Never mind, it’s not important,” Rainbow said quietly, averting her eyes from Soarin’. “Anyway, why did you ask Spitfire out?” she asked, looking at him.

 

Soarin’ rubbed the back of his head and smiled. “Well, I’m not getting any younger, and she was there, so, you know...” Soarin’ laughed awkwardly.

 

“Wait, wait, wait, you only asked her out because she was there?! That’s not why you should ask a pony out!” yelled Rainbow Dash, stamping a hoof down.

 

“Okay, okay. Maybe there was more than that. I don’t know! It was a spur of the moment thing! We’d just completed a big show, and I’d been thinking about trying to settle down, and everypony in the stadium was cheering, so in the heat of the moment I asked her! Simple. Nothing more to it.”

 

“Ugh, fine. I don’t want to hear about it anymore. Ponies that toy with other ponies’ hearts just make me sick. You’re not on my bad side yet, but unless you want to be, stop acting like you don’t care about Spitfire. Let’s just get to the warehouse and get the emeralds. I just want to go home.” Rainbow Dash turned and flew off, leaving Soarin’ speechless. “I need to tell somepony something...” she whispered under her breath.

 

“Hey! Wait!” called Soarin’, flying after her. Unnoticed behind them, more paparazzi followed quietly, while two others flew back down to street level, zigzagging through the alleys and streets.

Twilight opened the shades and window, letting light and fresh air flood into the bedroom. “Rarity, are you sure about this? I mean, I could just let it go and grow old, maybe find somepony else? Why make it awkward for Rainbow Dash?”

 

“Dear, you made it very evident how strongly you feel for Rainbow Dash. You can’t just give up,” said Rarity, who was getting ready to go downstairs.

 

“You’re right, but do we have to do it today? I-I’m not prepared...” Twilight’s gaze fell to the ground, where it focused hard on the floorboards.

 

“Come on, dear, I’m off to make the reservations at Trotellini’s. Why don’t you go get the flowers?”

 

“Wait, we’re doing this now? Shouldn’t I read up on the subject more?”

 

Rarity sighed. “Trust me, dear. It will be fine. Just trust your instincts.”

 

“But—“

 

“No buts. Come on, Twilight, I’ll walk you to the flower shop. It’s on my way.” Rarity began to walk down the stairs. Twilight hesitated for a moment before following.

 

“Wait up!” Twilight called, falling into stride next to Rarity. “You know I want to do this. I do. But what if she says no? What will I do then?” asked Twilight as they walked out the door and into Ponyville. Twilight instinctively locked the door with her magic.

 

“I’ll do everything in my power to help you, Twilight. If after the massive effort and courage you put forth, she says no, then you move on. She doesn’t deserve you.”

 

“Thanks, Rarity. I’m probably just acting crazy again...” said Twilight.

 

“Oh, you are not!” exclaimed Rarity. “Is this the first time you’ve felt this way?”

 

Twilight’s immediately flushed a deep crimson and she looked the other way. “Umm... I-I guess so... I mean, I know I haven’t felt this way about another pony before...”

 

“Then it’s perfectly natural for you to be nervous! In fact, with the way you described her to me, I’d be surprised if you weren’t nervous. She means the world to you, and you don’t want to ruin that by making things awkward. I understand.”

 

“But if she does say no, then things really will get awkward. Our reading days will be ruined, a-and I’ll have to move away to get away from the awkwardness, and then—“

 

Twilight was interrupted by Rarity shushing her. “Dear, you know things won’t work out that way. Worst case, things are awkward for a few months. Trust me... I-I may have some experience in the subject...”

 

“Um, with who?” asked Twilight, eyebrow raised.

 

It was Rarity’s turn to blush furiously. “Oh, you know... You and Rainbow Dash have your reading days, and, um, Fluttershy and I have our spa days. Naturally I became interested in her, with us having so much in common...”

 

“What happened? You two seem fine now.”

 

“Well, it turns out she didn’t feel the same...” Rarity eyes revealed a long-lasting sadness etched within. She blinked it away, but Twilight swore she saw her eyes watering. “For a while, our spa days were canceled. I didn’t even go back there for weeks. Fluttershy was too embarrassed to talk to me for a long time. Eventually, I worked up the courage to go talk to her again. I... I’m so ashamed of myself, Twilight...”

 

“Why? What did you say to her?” Twilight stared worryingly at her friend.

 

“I-I told her the feelings I had weren’t real. That they were just some petty attraction and that I never actually thought of her in a way so strong as that... I lied to her, Twilight. I lied to the pony I love!”

 

“Lo-love? Um... How strong is your love, if you don’t mind me asking?” asked Twilight, her voice quivering.

 

Rarity stared into the distance, lost in a daydream. “Yes, love. I love the way she squeaks when she’s nervous, and I love the way she can keep up with me about fashion. I love the way she sticks up for her friends when they’re being pushed around. And don’t even get me started on her beauty. She is so, so, so beautiful, I get goosebumps when I even consider making a dress for her. I love her more than I love fashion. I love her. She makes me so happy when I’m around her...”

 

Love. The word stuck itself in Twilight’s mind, and the more she thought about it, the more everything made sense. The way Rarity described her love for Fluttershy. The pure heart and truth behind the words caused something to click in Twilight’s mind. She felt just as strongly about Rainbow Dash.

 

“Thank you, Rarity. You helped me realize something.” Twilight smiled at Rarity.

 

“What is it, dear?” asked Rarity, her voice still shaking a little from her confession.

 

“I love Rainbow Dash. I love her more than anything in the world. You helped me realize that. I always thought it was just a silly feeling I had.” Twilight giggled as she said it out loud. She didn’t know why she giggled. It ought to have terrified her.

 

“I thought... The way you described her earlier... You didn’t realize you loved her?” asked a bewildered Rarity.

 

Twilight had to fight back giggles to speak. “I just thought I wanted her to be my best friend, as opposed to my ordinary friend. The thought of being romantically involved never occurred to me. I didn’t realize the gravity of the situation.”

 

“But,” Rarity stammered. “But what about Soarin’? You were so worried that he would take Rainbow Dash away from you.”

 

“I just thought that she would start spending all her time with him, instead of with me. Our reading days would stop as her Saturdays became unavailable.”

 

“But... You know what? I give up.” Rarity let out a single laugh. “You seem happy enough with your conclusion. Wait! What about the romance novels? You said they described exactly what you felt,” proposed Rarity.

 

“I just thought that it was the kind of love I have for all of you girls, just a little stronger than ordinary friendship. You know, like a best friend. A companion to share in experiences. A partner in crime, if you will. I had no idea that’s what romantic love felt like. Romance was never a motivation of mine, or so I thought. Thanks again!”

 

“You’re welcome,” deadpanned a defeated Rarity. Suddenly, they arrived at Trotellini’s. “Oh dear... It seems we passed the flower shop. I just got too caught up in our conversation... Thank you for listening, Twilight. I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that before.”

 

“No problem. I really enjoyed this conversation, Rarity. I don’t think we spend enough time together. Anyway, I’ll meet you back at the Boutique. I still need to get the flowers. See you there,” said Twilight, hugging Rarity and turning away with a wide grin plastered on her face.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin’ walked through the alleys and streets, slowly making their way toward the warehouse. The two passed an assortment of dumpsters and trash cans littering the back alleys. They were walking on the ground because they would be spotted easier in the sky.

 

“Why won’t you talk to me?” asked Soarin’, noting the silence between them.

 

“Because I have a lot on my mind. Also,” said Rainbow Dash, reeling her mind for a good excuse other than that. “The way you throw around Spitfire’s feelings so easily is awful!” she exclaimed, stretching the truth. She wasn’t that mad at him.

 

“I... I know how that feels. It hurts, I know,” mumbled Soarin’. “I didn’t just ask Spitfire out for no reason! I’d been considering it for a while, and we get along great together. She knows just as well as I do that we’re just testing this, seeing if it will work. So just lay off, will you? I wouldn’t be going through all this trouble to get a fancy suit if I didn’t care.”

 

“Fine, but why did you act like you didn’t care earlier?” asked Rainbow Dash, following up and glaring at him.

 

“Well, because—“ Before he could finish that thought, they heard a trash can shift close behind them. They immediately dove behind a dumpster, out of the way of a potential paparazzi. Rainbow Dash slowly peeked up over the edge of the dumpster. She quickly pulled her head back down.

 

“It’s another paparazzi,” she whispered.

 

“Crap,” whispered Soarin’. “What now? We don’t have our costumes anymore, thanks to your great idea,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

 

“What else was I supposed to do?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know, we could have out flown them. We are two of the fastest ponies in Equestria, after all.”

 

“But we tried that, and it didn’t work,” Rainbow Dash reminded Soarin’.

 

“Whatever. How do you propose we get out of this, huh? We can’t fly away.”

 

Rainbow Dash smirked. “Like this,” she boasted. She waited until the paparazzi was turned away before quickly jumping up and grabbing an empty can from the dumpster. “Okay, the moment you hear this clank, fly to the rooftops,” Rainbow Dash told Soarin’. She counted to three and threw the can directly at the paparazzi. The moment it struck home, the paparazzi grunted and the two flew as quick as they could onto the rooftop to their left. “Phew, we made it,” said Rainbow Dash.

 

“I guess that was a pretty good idea, Dash,” said Soarin’, patting Rainbow on the back.

 

“Yeah, I guess it was.”

 

“Sorry for acting so mean back there. I’m just tired and stressed about tonight, you know?”

 

“Yeah. Let’s get going. We don’t want you to be late for your date, do we?” And with that, they ran across the rooftops, hopping over the gaps with ease. With no paparazzi following them, they actually started to enjoy it. The pair playfully raced across the rooftops, sometimes having Rainbow Dash in the lead, and sometimes having Soarin’ in the lead. They laughed the whole way, letting the tensions of the day slide off. By the time they got to the warehouse, they were positively ecstatic.

 

“Now that,” Rainbow panted, “Was fun!” she exclaimed, continuing to pant.

 

“Yeah, yeah it was. I don’t think I’ve had that much fun since that day we got to hang out with you after the Best Young Flyers competition.” Soarin’ grinned at her, and then they hoof bumped.

 

They looked around to make sure no paparazzi were around, and then they hopped down to street level and looked upon the warehouse. A small sign read, Emeralds Extraordinary! They walked into the industrial warehouse. There were stacks of crates all around, all full of emeralds. A bunch of ponies in safety helmets walked around with clipboards, checking off crates as unicorns loaded them into large metal shipping containers. There seemed to be an office raised above the warehouse floor, which they assumed was the foreman’s office.

 

“Is that the foreman’s office?” Rainbow Dash asked one of the unicorns lifting crates.

 

“Yeah,” he grunted, barely paying her any attention.

 

“Fine,” she huffed in response. Her and Soarin’ flew up to the office and knocked.

 

“Come in,” they heard a male voice reply. Rainbow Dash opened the door and they walked in. It was a small office with a bunch of filing cabinets off to one side, and a desk in the center, laden with the foreman’s personal materials and some paperwork.

 

“Um, hi,” said Rainbow Dash, still standing in the doorway. “We’re, um, we’re here to pick up an emerald shipment for Rarity at Carousel Boutique in Ponyville. She said her shipment was delayed.”

 

“Yes, I understand. Do you have the order confirmation?” he asked, eyebrow rising.

 

“Uhm. I didn’t know we needed one... Rarity didn’t give us one,” said Rainbow Dash, furrowing her eyebrows as she made sure Rarity didn’t say anything about it. Her stomach clenched when she remembered. “Oh no! I left it in my costume!” she exclaimed.

 

“I’m just kidding ya. Somepony came by earlier dressed like an explorer with a confirmation letter. You can go pick up the shipment downstairs. Tell them it’s for Rarity,” he said, smiling kindly at them.

 

Rainbow Dash let out a sigh of relief at that. But why did the paparazzi give them the confirmation letter? “Thanks,” she said and turned to leave.

 

“Hey, you’re Soarin’ of the Wonderbolts, right? Can I get your autograph? My daughter’s a huge fan.” The foreman turned a picture of his family around, showing him, his wife, and his daughter at a Wonderbolts show.

 

“Sure,” said Soarin’, smiling at him. “Rainbow Dash, why don’t you go get the emeralds? I’ll only be a minute.”

 

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash replied. She turned and flew down to the warehouse floor and looked for somepony who liked like they might be in charge. While they were in the office, it seemed everypony stopped working. “Hm, must be on their lunch break,” reasoned Rainbow Dash. She found one pony still checking boxes in the back. “Hey, do you have a box for Rarity?” asked Rainbow Dash.

 

“Oh yes, right here,” replied the pony, pointing to a small chest of emeralds. Rainbow went to go pick them up when she heard the door to the foreman’s office shut.

 

She looked up to see if Soarin’ had come out, but he wasn’t there. “Soarin’?” she called. No response. Suddenly, a ton of ponies started filing in from the loading bays, all with cameras. “Oh no...” muttered Rainbow Dash. “Soarin’!” she shouted. Flashes began to sprout from the sea of paparazzi as Rainbow flew up to the office. “Open up,” she yelled, slamming a hoof on the door.

 

“Rainbow, run!” she heard Soarin’ call. “I can deal with the paparazzi, but you don’t need your reputation ruined!”

 

“No. I’m not leaving without you!” Rainbow Dash turned around and bucked as hard as she could at the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “Fine,” she said. Rainbow flew back as far as she could facing the door, and just as she began to fly back towards it, she saw flashes coming from inside the office, prompting her to fly harder. As she neared, she shifted so her back legs were ahead, and then she flew into the door as fast as the small warehouse would allow. Crash! The door came down in a flurry of dust and wood splinters. The dislodged door smacked right into the paparazzi, who were standing in the center and had backed Soarin’ up against the filing cabinets.

 

“I told you I wasn’t leaving without you,” said Rainbow Dash, walking up and stomping on the camera. “Now, we need to get out of here fast. Their entire army is waiting downstairs for us. Soarin’, how fast is your hyper precision flying?” Rainbow asked.

 

“Pretty fast, I suppose. What’s your plan?” he asked.

 

“Just follow my lead.” With that, Rainbow Dash bolted out of the office. She flew in super tight circles all around the warehouse, much too fast for the paparazzi to keep up with. Soarin’ quickly joined her, further confusing the paparazzi. Rainbow Dash spotted an open spot next to one of the stacks of emerald crates, and in a split second it was tumbling over, spilling emeralds all over the paparazzi. She then began flying in close and stealing all of the cameras and depositing them in the now-empty emerald crate. Once enough chaos had been caused, Rainbow grabbed the chest of Rarity’s emeralds and flew out of one of the loading bays, Soarin’ once again following closely behind. The paparazzi attempted to chase them, but in the disarray they couldn’t keep up with Soarin’ and Rainbow Dash.

 

Soon they were back on the outskirts of Canterlot. They flew down and landed, Rainbow setting the crate down. “We made it!” cried Rainbow Dash, tackling Soarin’ to the ground in a hug.

 

“Yeah, we did,” he said, laughing underneath her.

 

“I can’t believe we fell for that trap! I thought we were doomed back there. When I saw the flashes from the office, I knew I needed to get you out of there pronto.”

 

“It’s okay now. We made it, thanks to you,” said Soarin’. Suddenly, without warning, he leaned up and kissed Rainbow Dash.

 

Her eyes grew wide and she pushed away, frantically getting off of him, blushing hard. “Uh, Soarin’... I don’t feel that way about you... I already dedicated myself to somepony. I’m not gonna betray them,” she said, standing a fair distance away.

 

“Oh, um...” Soarin’ mumbled, standing up. “Sorry about that. Heat of the moment, you know? Uh... Don’t tell Spitfire about that, please? I really didn’t mean it.”

 

“No, I won’t. In fact, let’s just never mention it again, hm?” Rainbow asked.

 

“Uh... Yeah, that works,” he agreed. An uncomfortable silence between them, they flew off back to Ponyville, Rarity’s chest of emeralds in Rainbow’s hooves.

Twilight sat on the purple couch in the main room of the Carousel Boutique, with the bouquet in her hooves. Rarity was busy in the back preparing a dress for her. Twilight picked a single flower from the bouquet and levitated the rest behind the couch. Her heart was pounding furiously against her chest as she waited for Rainbow Dash to return. “She loves me, she loves me not,” said Twilight, picking the petals off the flower with her magic as she did so.

 

Rarity walked out of the back, levitating a beautiful dress behind her. “Oh dear, don’t do that, it will only make the wait harder,” she said, seeing what Twilight was doing.

 

“But what if she says no?” said Twilight. She laughed darkly. “And I thought it was hard confessing to her before. This is pretty much torture.”

“But what about back in front of Trotellini’s? You seemed so happy at your realization.”

“That was just the euphoria of realizing my feelings. It’s worn off now, though...” Twilight accidentally tore all the remaining petals off the flower at once. She sighed and put it into the trash can.

 

Rarity set down the dress carefully and sat next to Twilight on the couch. “Listen dear, I already told you this before, but I’ll tell you again. If she still says no after all the trouble you went through, after all the courage and bravery you put forth, then she doesn’t deserve you.” Rarity put a sympathetic hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.

 

“But you didn’t move on from Fluttershy. You still love her.”

 

Rarity’s gaze fell. “Dear, that’s... that’s different...” She looked Twilight in the eye. “Tell me something, Twilight.”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t lie to her. I can’t let you hurt as much as I do. If she says no, find a different way to remain friends. Promise me that, Twilight.” Rarity strengthened her grip on Twilight’s shoulder.

 

“I promise, Rarity. But what would I do to stay friends if she says no?”

 

“Well, everypony is different. Rainbow Dash is different than Fluttershy. I don’t know what will work with Rainbow Dash, so we’ll just have to see. Remember, dear, you can always come to me for any advice should you need any.”

 

Twilight smiled at her. “Thanks, Rarity.”

 

“And don’t be afraid to be yourself and it will work itself out. Now, um, I was actually supposed to be working on Soarin’s suit while he was gone, and I didn’t. So I’m afraid I must go now. I’ll see if I have time to talk to you before they get back.” Twilight’s lips curled into a small smile as Rarity walked back into the backroom, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts once again. She went over the plan again in her head, thinking about any possible thing that could go wrong. But the plan was too simple. It wasn’t complicated enough to have any flaws, apart from Rainbow Dash saying no.

 

Twilight was very antsy, constantly looking up at the clock. Her heart continued its endless trampling of her chest. She tried to distract herself with anything she could in the room, be it Rarity’s mannequins or her fabrics. Twilight looked back at the clock, to see only a minute had passed. “Ugh, what am I going to do?! The wait is killing me!” she exclaimed, flailing her hooves around, and then settling back down into a slump. “I don’t really have a choice... This is where she’ll come back to, so this is where I have to be.”

 

Suddenly, the door opened and Twilight’s heart leapt. “Rainbow Dash?” she asked hopefully.

 

“Oh, um, were you expecting Rainbow Dash?” asked a very timid voice. It was Fluttershy’s.

 

“Oh, hey, Fluttershy. No, it’s okay. Rainbow will be coming by later.” Twilight leaned settled back down onto the sofa. She hadn’t realized she was leaning forward.

 

“Oh, okay. Is Rarity here?” asked Fluttershy, glancing around. “I, um... I need to talk to her. I just got back from another class about being assertive. Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as with Iron Will,” Fluttershy added, seeing Twilight’s worried face. “This class teaches much healthier techniques.”

 

“That’s nice, Fluttershy. I’m glad to see you’re working on it. Rarity’s in the back working on a client’s suit,” Twilight told her. Fluttershy thanked her and walked into the back. A couple minutes later, Fluttershy trotted out, a wide smile on her face. As soon as she left, Rarity walked out, her eyes wide and a huge grin on her face.

 

“Twilight?” asked Rarity in a slightly high voice. “I think you can definitely ask Rainbow Dash on a date.”

 

“Why’s that?” asked Twilight.

 

“Fluttershy just asked me out.”

 

Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Really?! I’m so happy for you!” exclaimed Twilight. “She said she had just gotten back from an assertiveness class, so she was probably feeling confident...”

“Yes, she did mention her class. She said that she really did have feelings for me all along, but she was just too nervous to pursue them. She said that her class taught her this week that if you want something with all your heart, if you desire it with all your being, you should not only pursue it, but work your very hardest to achieve it. I guess she realized I was that thing she desired.”

 

“We have a date tomorrow night. She’s cooking me dinner at her place... If I can find happiness, so can you Twilight. You just have to believe in yourself.” Rarity smiled warmly at Twilight. “Tell you what, dear. You must be suffering out here. Why don’t you come back and help me out?”

 

“Really? Of course! I kind of am suffering...” And so, Twilight assisted Rarity in the backroom. Although it turns out Rarity didn’t need much help with the actual dressmaking, so she had Twilight organize her materials, a task she’d been meaning to do for a while. Twilight was able to focus her whole mind on it, so any thoughts of Rainbow Dash were wiped away. Before they knew it, an hour had passed, and Rainbow and Soarin’ were due back any minute.

 

“Why don’t we go out there, dear?” asked Rarity. Twilight agreed and they walked into the main room together. No sooner had they walked out, than the front door opened. Rainbow Dash flew in, a chest in her hooves. Soarin’ followed closely behind her. “I’ll take those, Rainbow,” offered Rarity, levitating the emeralds from her grasp. “Thank you for the help, you two. Soarin’, can you come in the back with me? I... Um... I need to do some final measurements on your suit,” she lied. Rarity winked at Twilight and led Soarin’ away.

 

Silence reigned between the two for an awkward few seconds. “I,” they both said at the same time.

 

“You first,” said Rainbow Dash, her wings ruffling.

 

“Um... Ra-Rainbow? I, uh... I saw what you were like with Soarin’, and, um...” Twilight’s face was flushing the deepest red it had all day. All of the feelings of the past few months, of the realizations of that day, and of the possibility of failure, of Rainbow Dash saying no, all came flooding back to her in an overwhelming sea of doubt and uncertainty. It all rested on this one decision. Those three words that could change the course of history, that could bend rulers and kings to their will. And here Twilight was, about to say those three powerful words. With no certainty of whether or not they’d be accepted. “I can’t do this.” Twilight turned and teleported away.

 

Rainbow Dash stood there dumbstruck. Twilight had just run away. Why? Without a second thought, Rainbow flew to the place Twilight would most likely run to. The library.

 

Rainbow landed softly just outside the giant tree that housed the library. She tried the doorknob, but it was locked. She heard sobbing from inside. She slammed her hoof lightly on the door. “Twilight. Let me in. Please?” plead Rainbow Dash. When no response came, she flew up to Twilight’s bedroom window. To her luck, it was wide open. Rainbow Dash flew in, looking around for any sign of Twilight. She heard more faint sobbing from downstairs. When Rainbow went down, she found a sad sight. The desk that she usually read at was knocked over, and Twilight lay crying in its place. Rainbow walked over and kneeled down next to her, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Twilight, what’s wrong? You can talk to me.”

 

Twilight shrugged her hoof off and turned away. “No, I can’t. You’d just think of me as a freak.”

 

“Twilight, trust me. I won’t think of you as a freak no matter what. I will never, never think of you as anything but my awesome little egghead, all right? You can talk to me.”

 

“It’s just...” Twilight let out a sob. She looked up at Rainbow Dash with watery eyes. “When... When I saw you with Soarin’, so happy and giggly, I thought... I thought he had asked you on a date. That made me feel so hurt, I just had to get away. And then I talked to Rarity and revealed things to her. Things I had never told anypony. I had thought I just wanted you to be my best friend, but I realized something. I realized—” Twilight was interrupted by Rainbow’s lips falling upon hers.

 

It felt like the best thing in the world to Twilight. The soft lips brushing against hers, Twilight closed her eyes and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow Dash’s back, pulling her tighter. Rainbow, who was still standing, fell over against Twilight. Twilight rolled over onto Rainbow Dash, who then rolled over onto Twilight. Twilight felt a certain book under her, and she teleported it upstairs for later.

 

Finally, with Twilight on top, she pulled away. “I realized I loved you,” she breathed.

 

Rainbow Dash’s eyes watered up at that, and she pulled a similarly conditioned Twilight into a watery, messy, sloppy kiss.

“Hey, Twilight? What’s this hoof written bit in the back?” asked Rainbow Dash, who had just finished the latest Daring Do book. They were sitting in Twilight’s bedroom on the same night.

 

“It’s a surprise. Go on, read it,” said Twilight, who was putting clean sheets on the bed.

“Did you write it?” she asked, beginning to read it.

“Yes, while you were asleep after we, um.” Twilight cleared her throat. Rainbow Dash smiled as she continued to read, her smile steadily growing as she did so, and then she tackled Twilight onto the freshly made bed in a flurry of kisses. Rainbow Dash and Twilight soon lay together on the bed, the Daring Do book long forgotten.

 

“Hey, Rarity is probably wondering where we are. We had this whole date planned for you and I,” said Twilight, snuggling up against Rainbow.

 

“Oh yeah? What was it?” asked Rainbow Dash, hugging her close.

 

“I had this special dress that Rarity made for me and I had a bouquet of flowers to give to you... We even had reservations at Trotellini’s.” Twilight kissed Rainbow Dash’s chest.

 

“What? That place is like, crazy expensive!”

 

“Anything for you,” giggled Twilight. They cuddled for a few more moments in silence, enjoying the warmth of each other’s body. Suddenly, Twilight spoke up. “Hey, that reservation at Trotellini’s is only a few minutes from now. Since I figured you might want to take a break after flying all the way to Canterlot and back, we scheduled it later. Do you want to go?”

 

“What? On a date? With the town egghead, Twilight Sparkle? Hmm... I’d have to think about it... How about yes? Is that a valid answer?” Twilight giggled, and then, happy as can be, the two of them walked out of the library, a pegasus’ wing draped over a very pleased unicorn.

 

Edited July 26, 2013 by Prof. Yana