“Spike, where did that book go?” Twilight's hues stared through three bookshelves, crammed with literature from nursery rhymes to Princess Celestia's elimination of Discord and his reign. Her head shook from left to right, her eyes scanning every title in front of her. It just wasn't there. Spike was rushing down the stairs, a pile of books stacked on his arms. Twilight levitated the stack over to her table, where she started to sort through them. “No, none of these are it!” she said, whining slightly as she pushed one of the books off of the table out of frustration. “How am I supposed to do this without the book! I am going to look like a complete egghead!”
Twilight hated that word, she only endured it when Rainbow Dash decided to use it. Although ever since she started reading the Daring Do series, that word was being used less and less. She appreciated that, but a correction of one's slurs was not important right now. What was important was that book. “Please tell me that you found it!” Twilight said, as she moved her head an inch away from the baby dragon, her slightly bloodshot eyes staring into the dragon's own.
“Uhh... no Twilight, I haven't found it. I'm sorry, but it looks like you are going to have to go out on that date without it.” Spike replied.
“Oh that's just great.” Twilight replied, “The one time that I actually wanted to read that book, it disappears. How convenient.” she turned towards her door, sighing as she levitated a few bits a few inches from her face. “I'm going to go and have a sandwich to calm my nerves.” she said, as the door opened in front of her. Spike nodded his head, and descended the stairs, claiming the new stack of books as his job.
Twilight walked down the road, keeping her head held high, but the prospect of a date was still lingering in her mind. Her date was tomorrow, and despite the three days that she spent looking for that practical book on how to impress a colt, they were all for naught. The book was not found, and in her panic, she didn't realize that out of her five friends, one of them has probably gone out on a date before. She stopped walking as a yellow building passed her vision. The same restaurant that she dined at when she got her tickets to the Gala. Now that she thought about it, out of the four years that she had been in Ponyville, she didn't go to that restaurant. Spike cooked so well, and her friends usually brought over something when that wasn't the case.
Twilight's neutral expression turned into a smile as she walked into the restaurant. The waiter was surprised to see her, but it was quickly hidden with his own smile as he brought Twilight to a table outside. There was not a cloud in the sky, hopefully her entree would not be waterlogged again. The waiter disappeared and came back with a glass of water, which he placed in front of the studious mare. Twilight thanked him, and the waiter nodded, “Let me know when you are ready to order.” he said, before providing another nod of respect. While the waiter disappeared again, Twilight looked over the menu. It was weird, the difference between the layout of a menu and the layout of a book. Run on sentences were rampant in this menu, but the creator probably did not have to abide by basic literary rules. After all, who cared? They wanted food, not a lesson in English.
“Twilight?”
“Huh?” Twilight turned around, the combination of her focus on the menu and a divergent mind conversation keeping her from realizing who it was that spoke. Rainbow Dash was standing a few feet away from her, the two of them separated by the restaurant's fence. She was smiling, and Twilight was able to see that her friend's eyes were slightly drooping. She was tired, and her mane was out of its usual order. “What's up?”
“Oh, well I am just trying to get some food in my stomach.” Twilight said, placing her internal problem on the back burner for the moment. Maybe a little interaction with her friends could trigger some kind of epiphany. Her friends attending a date was still eluding her. “I'm just thinking about what I am going to do. I have a problem.”
Rainbow nodded her head, and her wings flapped a few times to bring her over the fence and onto the opposite side of the bench. She was skeptical over what Twilight considered a problem, since it was usually something that she couldn't help with. She liked Twilight, she really did, but a previous “problem” was finding a book that Rainbow didn't want to find, and didn't know where to look. But at the same time, she felt guilty that Twilight had done so much for her, and yet Rainbow wasn't able to pay her back. Maybe this was her chance. “What's the problem? I'm sure it's nothing for the best flier in all of Equestria.” she said, a smirk on her face as she looked to her wings.
Twilight smiled lightly, a small glimpse of the Sonic Rainboom moving past her mind as she focused on the problem. “I wasn't able to find my book. I remember so many times, throwing it to the side because it wasn't useful to me at the time. But now that I actually need it... the book disappeared.” she said.
Rainbow had spaced out partially when she heard, “Book” but she nodded her head anyway. Another book problem, it seemed. “Well, do you remember the last place that you looked? Are you sure that no one took it and we need to open up a can of whoop flank?” she asked.
“No, I'm sure that the book wasn't stolen. Who would steal a book?” Twilight replied. Discord came to her mind, but she ignored it. He wasn't coming back. “I needed that book for my date!”
“Wait, what?” Rainbow's attention was brought back to Earth, her head snapping to stare into Twilight's eyes. The egg... well read pony getting a date? She would have fallen over laughing if she wasn't so shocked. “You are going on a date?”
“Yes!” Twilight replied, standing up on the bench in a hysterical manner. Some of the diners were looking over at her, and Twilight sat back down on the bench, her face turning slightly red. “I have a date tomorrow with one of Shining Armor's friend's brothers. I need that book or else I am going to fail my date!”
Rainbow Dash let out a sigh, “Twilight, I'm sure that you are going to do fine without the book. Just be yourself.” she responded. Rainbow wished that she could give her own advice, but when it came to dates, Rainbow had not officially gone out on one. No one had asked her. Her eyes drooped as she realized that her egghead friend was asked out on a date before she was. However they widened back to regular shape. The last thing she wanted was to be depressed, she had tickets to the Wonderbolts tomorrow! Before she was able to add another suggestion, Twilight interrupted.
“But, I'm not sure if myself is what the date is for!”
“Just trust me Twilight, if you be yourself, then the date will end up the way that it was supposed to.” Rainbow responded, “I gotta go, I hope you don't mind. See you later!” And she was off.
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Delectable. Delicious. The taste as the flowers relaxed against her tongue and combined with the bread was priceless. If she wasn't meagerly paid by library wages, she would have paid more for this sandwich, just out of the adept mastery of the chef. Twilight's smile became brighter as the sandwich was set down on the plate. She almost jumped as she heard that one particular party pony. “Hey Twilight! Whatcha doing!”
“Hey Pinkie, I'm just eating and thinking.” she responded.
Pinkie climbed up the bench and sat down, smiling as she managed to break the laws of physics again and move from the ground up into the bench. “That looks like a good sandwich,” she started. Pinkie blinked as she finally realized the second part of Twilight's response. “What are you thinking about?”
“You promise not to tell anypony?”
Pinkie placed her hooves over her chest, before lightly poking her eye. Twilight wasn't sure why she made her friend Pinkie swear, even though she told Rainbow. She should have Rainbow do the swear the next time they meet. “I have a date with somepony tomorrow.”
“Ooh! I remember my first date.” Pinkie said, giggling as her mind started to backtrack. “So many cupcakes were made that day.”
Twilight didn't want to ask, it was probably best to focus on her problem, “I don't know anything about dates. I never went out on one, and the last time that I heard of them, was from my brother!” She placed her hooves over her face, as her chin touched the bench. “I'm going to fail my date!”
Pinkie giggled again, and reached across the bench to remove Twilight's hooves, “Twilight, I'm sure that you are going to do fine.” she said.
“But, I'm going into something completely unprepared.” Twilight's voice was slowly becoming lower as she spoke. She wanted to disappear, but at the same time, if she could just find that book, her confidence would come back and she could attend that date. Pinkie let go of Twilight's hooves and then placed her own below her chin. “Hmm... how about the both of us role play out a date?” she asked.
Twilight was taken aback. Sure, Pinkie would help every pony with anything, but if a date consisted of a mare and a colt talking and getting to know each other, wouldn't two mares ruin the purpose? It made sense. That was like having X as a variable, and then trying to solve for Z, when there was no Y or X. Confusing mathematical similes aside, if it would train her for her date, then she couldn't disagree. “Thank you Pinkie.” she said.
Pinkie stood up, that trademarked smile on her face, “Oki doki loki! I'll be at your house in two hours!” was her last words, before a puff of pink clouds had indicated her quick departure. Twilight should have talked to Pinkie in the first place, she either completely knew how to fix something, or had no clue. Either way, asking her first was her new preference.
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Were you supposed to be nervous on a fake date? If not, then why was her gulping so much louder when Spike wasn't home? Twilight had sent her assistant out to get some groceries, since a refill of parchment and ink was in order. She was sitting down near her living room table, fighting the urge to pace in nervousness. Pinkie would never stand her up, but it had been one hundred and nineteen minutes. As that last minute moved across the clock, there was a knock at the door. The door illuminated in purple magic before it was opened, and Pinkie bounced through the archway and into the room, a bright smile on her face. Twilight's eyes widened as she looked over the mare.
Pinkie had dressed very formal for this fake occasion. She was wearing a new dress that Rarity had designed, a beautiful creation of pink and white, which reminded Twilight of the mares in the fairy tales. Her hair was (somehow) pulled back into a more manageable fashion, and a beautiful red topaz necklace was adorned on her dress. Twilight wasn't wearing any clothes, only her saddlebag, which now made her feel more naked then any point in her life. Pinkie's eyes scanned her body, but not a single comment came out about her lack of clothing. “It is nice to see you Twilight.” Pinkie said, as she moved to her knees at the table. Twilight moved to the other side, and realized that one of her wooden figures was blocking the view between the both of them. She knocked it onto the ground, before letting out a nervous laugh.
Pinkie giggled a slight amount, and the sound of her Party Cannon rang out. The door was closed after the room was completely modified. A candle for each mare was burning on their side of the table, purple for Twilight and pink for Pinkie. Two dishes were placed in front of the mares, five cupcakes sitting atop them. “I baked these for you.” Pinkie added, as glasses of water followed. The windows were also closed, and Gummy started to slowly roll the Party Cannon back to Pinkie's room. Twilight was lost for words, and she turned to the pile of cupcakes in the middle of the table. She took one, and bit into it. Her red face had still not dissipated, and Pinkie took a cupcake as well. “I failed the dress portion of the date, didn't I?” Twilight asked.
Pinkie shook her head, “That is how you regularly dress, I am only wearing this because colts usually overdress for us mares!” she replied. “On a date, you wear whatever you want Twilight!”
Twilight looked back to her cupcake, not sure if Pinkie actually knew what she was talking about, or if a date was actually as laid back as Pinkie was claiming it to be. She looked back to the cerulean eyes of her friend, and then she placed the cupcake on the table. Pinkie asked another question, “So, Twilight? What do you do?”
Twilight laughed a small amount, “Pinkie, you know what I do.” she responded.
“No I don't, I haven't seen you around.” Pinkie replied.
Twilight blinked a few times, and when her date winked, that was when she realized the “role play” part of this aspect. “Um... I'm a librarian in Ponyville... I like to read books, go outside, and play with my friends.” she said. There was a pause, “I failed that too didn't I?”
Pinkie shook her head, “There is no wrong answer, that you have.” Pinkie replied, thinking of the many rich colts that could easily ruin a date. However her attitude was not spoiled, that smile remained on her face, like the mare in the moon for a thousand years. “I'm sure you heard this before, but if you be yourself, then you will never fail a date. Okay?”
Twilight nodded her head, Rainbow and Pinkie's lesson finally sinking into her brain. Her nervous disposition turned into a smile, “Thank you for all of this help Pinkie... is there anything that I can do to repay you?” she asked.
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As expected, Twilight never got to repay Pinkie, despite all of her attempts. Her purple hoof moved over her eyes, as her eyes began to water again. If she didn't fail that date, then maybe she could have had a colt friend to cry on. Despite all of Pinkie's help, Twilight had not only failed the date, but failed to pay Pinkie back. “I love you Pinkie.” she whispered to herself, her hoof shaking as her tears rolled down the sides.