//------------------------------// // White Day // Story: White Day // by Rose Quill //------------------------------// Moondancer ran a brush through her mane before tying it up into a loose bun. She was rather excited, getting ready for another meet up with Rainbow Dash to have lunch and discuss books. She stopped for a second when she realized that this would likely be the last time to do so, as she was going to be handing in her study tomorrow and returning the book. The last three weeks had been fun, though, the flyer actually meeting twice a week for recommendations. The Unicorn smiled. So far, after the Sandstone series, she had recommended Hayrrison, Manedee, and Richchardon. The mare seemed to read them almost at the speed she could suggest them! And they talked about things besides that. Moondancer wondered briefly where Rainbow had found the time to do all this reading between her job as a weather pony and Wonderbolt. Her friends hadn’t given her a hard time over it after the initial instance over tea three weeks ago. Twilight had even swung by and didn’t seem surprised. “I recognize the tastes in fiction,” she had remarked with a smile and a hug. “She may have actually given up cloud naps to get those last few pages read sometimes.” So, since this was likely to be the last time she’d see Rainbow if she couldn’t work up the nerve to ask her on a social date, Moondancer was putting more than her usual care into her appearance, having brushed her mane and tail till they shone and put on her best sweater after currying her coat to a nice soft texture. She glanced at the clock before giving her bangs another quick pass with her brush and set out the door, heading for the cafe that had become their usual spot for meeting up. She had barely been there long enough to order tea and a slice of quiche before Rainbow dropped from the sky and trotted over. “Yo, Moonie,” she said, sliding into her seat, opposite the Unicorn. “Rainbow,” Moondancer returned, smiling behind the rim of her teacup. “You look nice,” the athlete said, ordering a coffee and some crisps. “What’s the special occasion?” Moondancer was about to tell her the truth, but her nerve failed. “I just wanted to dress up a bit today,” she murmured, blushing slightly and cursing herself mentally. “I like your mane like that,” the Pegasus said as she stirred some sugar into her coffee. “It looks good.” The Unicorn blushed again, the coloration seemingly unnoticed by the Pegasus. “So,” she said. “What did you think of the Greywalker book?” Rainbow popped the last of the thinly sliced crisps into her mouth, glancing at the bookish mare in front of her. She steeled her thoughts and sighed. “Listen, Moondancer,” she started. “This has been fun and all, but we both know that you’re practically done with your paper.” The Pegasus pawed at her empty plate for a second, missing the sad look that flashed across the Unicorns eyes. “But, I was thinking,” she said. “Maybe we could, ya know, still meet up and talk? I’ve kinda enjoyed this.” She met the eyes of the mare across from her and smiled. “Next week is White Day,” she said. “Are you familiar with that?” Moondancer thought for a second. “It’s a Pegasi holiday similar to Hearts and Hooves Day,” she said. “Usually geared for Pegasi to share with their earth-bound friends or special somepony. It’s been appropriated by the Earth Ponies and called Cloud Day.” Her mouth froze in mid-sentence. “What are you asking?” “I wanted to know if you want to, you know,” Rainbow said, rubbing the back of her neck. “Dinner or something? If you’re not busy, you know, as sort of a thanks for the recommendations? I know this great place in Cloudsdale, and I can get a cloudwalking charm from Twilight. ” “Oh, I already know the Cloudwalk spell, Dash,” Moondancer replied. “Well, great!” the Wonderbolt rookie floated above her chair for a second. “So, are you free?” “I’m sure I can shake some time free,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed these meetings too, you know.” The Unicorn got up and put some bits on the table. “I’ve got to run, but just let me know when you want to meet up again, ok?” Rainbow nodded, hugging the Unicorn with a wing. She was shocked, however, when Moondancer placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. “See you next week,” the scholar whispered before trotting off. Dash put a hoof on her cheek, not realizing her wings had spread slightly in excitement. Twilight put a hoof on Moondancer’s shoulder. “Stop, you’ll be fine,” she said, digging her back hooves into the floorboards of her friend's house. “I can’t do this,” the yellow-gray mare said, pushing against the larger pony. “I can’t, I don’t know anything about this sort of thing.” “You didn’t know much about it before we mended our friendship,” Twilight pointed out. “And trust me, Rainbow Dash may not be the most refined, as Rarity would say, but she won’t hurt you. She is asking you to share in a holiday that is special to Pegasi so that at least means she has some level of caring too.” Moondancer calmed down, pulling her glasses back up her muzzle. “I know, it’s just…” “Nerves?” Minuette said from the side. “We get that. How do you think Lyra was when she and Bon Bon started hanging out?” “Didn't they hate each other at first?” Moondancer asked. “Well, yes,” Minuette admitted. “But we all got the wedding invitations last week.” Moondancer looked at the Pegasus-shaped crack in her drywall. “You could say that,” she said. “Muffins may get it delivered, but she leaves something to be desired in accuracy.” “Regardless,” Twilight said, bringing a brush over to Moondancer. “We’re your friends, and Dash is your friend. No matter what happens, we’re here for you.” She winked. “And if Dash upsets you, I could always threaten to banish her to the moon.” They all laughed for a moment, the tension broken finally. Dinner had been surprisingly delightful, the food great and the water drawn fresh from the clouds. The two had chatted over the books they had been sharing. Dash set her glass down after a sip and looked over at Moondancer. “Listen, Moonie,” she said. “I got to be honest with you.” “Didn't actually like the books?” Moondancer said, mind still on the literary subject. “No, that’s not it,” Rainbow said. “Tonight wasn’t just to thank you for letting me know about those awesome books.” “Oh?” Moondancer said, her heart starting to race. “Yeah,” the Pegasus rubbed her foreleg with a hoof. “Y’see, I kinda got to where I looked forward to our little meet-ups, even if I wasn’t quite done with a book yet.” “I wondered why you asked to meet three times that second week,” Moondancer said. “I thought it wasn’t entirely all about the fact that you had checked out all ten Greywalker books out at once.” A tinge of red crept into Rainbow’s face. “Yeah,” she chuckled. She glanced down at the table. “Well, truth is, I kinda like spending time with you.” She fidgeted. “Traditionally, White Day is a day where Pegasi return the favor of those that gave them attention on Hearts and Hooves day. “It may not have been directly that day, but you did let me into a couple of new worlds, and let me get to know you,” Rainbow said. “So, this seemed like the right thing to do in return. I don’t care if we talk about books, or our days, or whatever, but I’d love to keep spending time together if you want to.” Moondancer smiled, a tear leaking free. “I’ve been trying to get the nerve to ask you that for weeks, actually,” she said. “I love the idea, you know.” Rainbow grinned. “Great!” she crowed. “Any ideas on what to do after dinner?” Moondancer’s smile shifted into a sly grin. “Oh, I’ve got a few,” she whispered as she leaned over and kissed Dash.