//------------------------------// // Day 1 of the Festival. // Story: Purple Skies // by WinterTwister //------------------------------// The mayor readied the microphone at the town square, and then cleared her throat. "Ladies and Gentlecolts! I now announce the Welcome Summer Festival now open!" The town square was flooded with ponies all cheering at the week-long festival beginning. "Now without further adieu...I give you... The WonderBolts!" The mayor said as she raised her hooves in the air and the WonderBolts shot up in the air from behind town hall and started widening their lines. The WonderBolts all flew off in several directions in a star pattern but then turned around and started flying in a circle that made a weak tornado with lightening sparking out of it. Then WonderBolts stopped the rotation and the tornado followed afterwards and exploded sending shock waves of air in all directions. The WonderBolts ended their performance by flying in a single-file line in a tight spiral and landing in order with perfect landings. The crowd went wild at the end of the performance, all cheering on the WonderBolts. Twilight was in awe at the performance stomping along with he crowd in a smile. She could tell why Rainbow Dash obsessed so much about the WonderBolts. Twilight scanned the WonderBolts to see the talented pegasi's faces. She stopped at a single WonderBolt that was near the end of the line, her heart skipped a beat while watching him wave at the crowd. Her gaze was glued to the sight of the colt and his bright smile. Soarin' landed and closed his eyes until he heard the sound of the crowds cheering before he opened them up. He heard the raging screams of the crowd so he started waving at his fans with a smile on his face feeling loved. He scanned the crowd while waving at them to see the faces of his fans that he enjoyed entertaining. Soarin' almost did a double take when he saw a lavender pony in the crowd, it felt as if he was in slow motion as he connected eyes with the mare. His jaw dropped slightly at the beauty of the lavender unicorn and time moved slower than before, it felt as if an invisible line was pulling him towards her. He fixed his dropped jaw and smiled even harder than before at the mare, but his heart sank as she tore her eyes away and started walking away from the large crowd. 'No...' Twilight was in a locked gaze with the WonderBolt who she thought was staring right back at her, she couldn't find the ability to move. She felt time itself stop as they connected eyes and that beautiful few seconds felt as if it lasted hours. Twilight blinked her eyes and thought to herself. 'No.. he can't possibly be interested in me...hes a super star and im a nopony...' Twilight started to tear up a little and decided to get away from the crowd in case her crushed hopes would start to show. She made her way out of the crowd and started into a gallop after feeling her heart break from her thoughts about the colt. Soarin' just starred at where the mare had just been, feeling his heart yearning to meet the mare. 'Is she the one I have been hoping for...?' Soarin' redirected his attention to the front where SpitFire was giving her speech to the crowd "-and we hope to continue to entertain you ponies for a long time! Enjoy the festival!" SpitFire finished her speech and the crowd cheered again. SpitFire returned the microphone to the mayor and turned to her team. "Alright guys, lets have some fun!" The WonderBolts cheered as their captain released them to enjoy the festival. Soarin' was in a frantic mind-rack to think about what to do. He finally decided on a course of action and dove into the town hall. He removed his WonderBolt uniform and wore a jacket over his wings that he found on a coat hanger and started trotting out of the town hall in the direction he saw the mare leave. 'I have to find her!' Twilight had stopped galloping realizing how stupid she was. 'I didn't even talk to him.. what am I so worked up about? I should just enjoy the festival..' She turned around and started heading towards the attractions that the festival had to offer. Soarin' was searching all around Ponyville to find the lavender unicorn. There was one lavender unicorn he had spotted and from the back it looked like the real one, but it turned out to be a guy. Soarin' was still embarrassed from the encounter. Soarin' had been searching for about an hour now and started giving up hope. His heart sank and his pace moved from quick to very slow. He sulked into the art gallery, he always had appreciation for art and he hoped it might cheer him up. Soarin' walked into the art building and lifted his head up, and across the room he saw the most beautiful piece of art he had ever laid his eyes on. The lavender mare had a long flowing dark purple mane with red and light purple highlights, she was admiring art that was on the wall in front of her. Soarin' was awestruck at the sight of the mare and his jaw dropped again freezing in the entrance. Twilight was admiring the art along the wall, she stopped at a portrait of Princess Celestia. She stared at it for a few minuets remembering her times with the Princess, Twilight felt like she was being watched so she turned around and saw a colt in the doorway staring at her. She felt angry for a moment thinking it was just another perverted colt...but then as she connected eyes, realizing he was the WonderBolt, with him time once again slowed as they walked towards each other. Inch by inch they ignored the crowd around them and closed in on each other, Twilight stopped a few feet from the colt. "H-hello." Twilight stammered a bit while trying to speak. "...Hey..." Soarin' said, still not believing his eyes. Twilight gave her head a light shake and repeated herself with a smile. "Hello, I'm Twilight Sparkle." Soarin' did the same and returned the smile with hope in his heart. "Hey, I'm Soarin'." They both starred at each other thinking of the same thing. 'This was who I was looking for...' Soarin' held his smile and thought to himself. 'Stupid! Say something!' "I..uh...I like art..." Soarin' forced himself to say. 'Idiot!' Twilight giggled. "Yeah, me too." 'Her laugh is so cute...Ugh! Say something else!' "Uh...Would you like to..um... talk?" Soarin' said, his mind blank. Twilight smiled and walked next to Soarin'. "Sure, where do you want to go?" "I'm new to this town, you should lead.." Soarin' said, hardly able to belive he was talking to her. "Okay, I think I know a quiet spot, follow me." Twilight said while smiling. The two weaved through the crowds that were enjoying the first day of the festival and they finally were freed from the sea of ponies. Twilight led Soarin' to Sugar Cube Corner, and they sat at some of the tables they had set out for people to use for the festival, to their luck they were inhabited. Twilight sat at one of the small tables and Soarin' sat across from her and they started to talk. "So are you really a WonderBolt?" Twilight asked with her eyes shining. With confidence Soarin' removed his jacket to show his wings. "Yeah.. it's a fun job." "That's incredible, I loved watching you fly today." Twilight said while clapping her hooves. "Yeah, I love flying more than anything." He paused for a moment and moved his hoof across the table to touch Twilight's hoof. "Well, I used to love it more than anything...." Twilight's eyes grew a bit while she blushed and looked down at Soarin's hoof over her own. 'It's just like in my books...' Twilight shivered a bit, the sun was setting and the cold night wind started to roll into town. Soarin' saw her shiver and moved to sit next to Twilight and he extended his wing over her shoulders. He smiled down at her as she moved closer to him and nuzzled the side of his chest. "..Thanks.." "No problem.." Twilight looked up at Soarin' he was a bit taller than she was, but she slowly started to lean towards his face. Soarin' did the same thing, slowly edging toward her face. Twilight tore away and felt embarrassed. 'No..I can't go too fast or I might scare him away...' "S-sorry..." "For what?" Soarin' was confused. "I didn't mean to do that.." Twilight looked down and fiddled with her hooves. "I-its getting late.. I better get home." Soarin' removed his wing and let Twilight get up. "Will I see you again tomorrow?" "Of course!" Twilight said before she walked away, she came back quickly and pecked Soarin' on his cheek before walking away again. Soarin' watched Twilight walk away, dumbstruck, after he came to his senses he almost jumped into the air with joy. 'She likes me! I better go to bed myself and rest up for tomorrow...' Soarin' flew up into the sky with grace as he thought about Twilight.