//------------------------------// // Shopping Spree // Story: Even Rainbows Falter // by Pracca //------------------------------// “Um… how about a plushie? She said she wanted a Wonderbolts doll, right?” Rainbow Dash found herself in a cramped aisle in a stuffy store smack dab in the middle of a cold winter’s day in Ponyville. The Bit Store had served her well for many years, and by Celestia she wasn’t through with it yet. The faded, off-white walls and tacky green carpeting gave both an air of lovable bargain-shopping, and just the slightest hint of untrustworthiness, and the shelves were stocked with every item under Celestia’s sun. At the moment the pegasus found herself in aisle 14, staring down a wall fit to burst with Wonderbolts paraphernalia. Truth be told, she’d probably buy it all for herself on any other day. But today was different. She and Twilight had come to the store with the purpose of gift buying. “Yes, she did, Dash; when she was nine. What does a twelve-year old want with a doll?” asked the purple mare herself, stepping into the aisle with a floating basket full of potential gifts. “I don’t know,” Dash shrugged, giving a sly glance at her wife. “why don’t you ask Smarty Pants?” Twilight’s eyes narrowed, and Dash felt the curse of death fall on her. She snorted trying to hold back the laughter as she put back the doll, and eyed a particularly nifty poster. A lot of electric blue in this design, back when they switched up their costumes a few years back. The moment Dash had joined, she had set her efforts into getting rid of the new abominations and go back to the classic look. “This poster’s kinda rare, how about—“ She smacked her own face with a hoof. “Aw, horseapples, this is the one Applejack and Whooves are getting her!” Twilight looked at Rainbow with a worried frown, the pegasus falling back on her haunches and groaning in frustration. “Come on, how hard can it be to buy a stupid gift!” The purple mare approached her shouting wife and sat next to her, scratching just behind her ear with a raised hoof. She watched a dreamy smile spread over the mare’s face, only for it to be replaced with icy shock and horror. She leaned forward, away from the hoof, and looked back at the other pony with embarrassment written all over her face. “Twi!” she hissed. “Not in public!” Twilight sniggered at the blushing pegasus, and opted to just pat her on the shoulder. “You need to relax; we still have plenty of stores to check around Ponyville. And there’s always Cloudsdale. I know you’re getting nervous about making sure you find her the perfect gift—“ “Try terrified.” Dash corrected, her lips squirming between a frown and a spastic grimace. “I make enough screw-ups, y’know? But even the worst mom can buy a stupid present…” Twilight rolled her eyes, thankfully from an angle Rainbow couldn’t see. “Dash, we’ve been over this a thousand times. You’re not a bad mother just because you make a few mistakes; it’s a learning process.” “Twi,” she exclaimed. “I barged into her classroom and beat up that filly with the spoon on her flank!” Twilight felt a warm blush rising in her cheeks as she awkwardly scratched the back of her own head. She hissed a bit, saying “Ok… yeah, maybe that was a little… overzealous, but that’s not completely a bad thing.” She leaned in and gave Dash a quick peck on the cheek. “You’re trying, that’s all that matters. Now come on, get up. There’s plenty of stores to try, and you could always check Cloudsdale. We’ll find something.” Dash gave a pathetic little smile as she stood up. “You think?” “Absolutely.” Twilight said, tilting her head to the side with a smile. “You worry too much!” Three days earlier… “I AM COMPLETELY FREAKING OUT.” ZAP Twilight Sparkle vanished in a blink of light, re-appearing on top of Rarity’s bed. Her expression was utter panic, teeth grinding and eyes going googly as she looked ready to fall to pieces. The fashionista beside the bed was still looking as poised and calm as ever, eyes closed as her magic neatly packed some conceptual dress designs into a large suitcase on the mattress. “Oh, Twilight, you’ve really got to relax yourself. You’re going to have an aneurysm if you keep this up!” “Relax?” the violent violet mare asked, popping in an out of existence to appear next to her friend. “How am I supposed to relax when there are no presents?” She ground her teeth again for good measure, something Rarity tried extremely hard to ignore. The white mare chose to give a disarming smile, and nuzzle the side of her friend’s face. “Dear, you have to have a little faith. You’ve been in situations just a bit more dire than trying to find a gift, you know. Just buck up, and trust yourself to find something. Besides, do you honestly think Opal Dart will think any less of you if you don’t get her a gift?” “No!” Twilight said, hesitating for a moment afterwards. “…Ok, yeah, I do.” She gave an embarrassed frown and lowered her eyes to the floor. Rarity made a tsk’ing noise. “Good heavens, I try to go on vacation for one week and you’re all falling apart before I’m even out the door. Twilight, you gave a scared little filly a loving home, when no one else would. You and Dash are the only presents she needs.” The pair shared a little giggle at how corny that had come out, but it seemed to work; Twilight was smiling back at Rarity now. The fashion pony nodded resolutely. “So you’ll be all right then, darling? You know where to reach me if anything comes up.” “Absolutely;” Twilight said. “are you and Zootsuit going to be OK out in Las Pegasus?” “Oh, of course Twilight.” Rarity said, sounding just a bit too desperate to sound assured of herself for the other unicorn to like. Twilight looked at her friend, worried, until Rarity turned back around with a very wide smile. “Not every day a girl gets invited out to the hottest spot in Equestria, you know!” Twilight had nodded, leaving several minutes later. Though Rarity had tried so hard to assure her otherwise, there was something in her eyes that made the other mare worry. Not fright, or anything like that. The closest word Twilight could find was “disappointment.” “…Twi? Twilight? You there?” CLONK “Yowch!” snapped Twilight, throwing her hooves up to shield her throbbing snout. Rainbow pulled her own hoof back, placing it on the ground as she eyed her wife curiously. “Earth to Twilight? You were zoning out again.” “Oh, uh, sorry! Ow… you really didn’t have to hit so hard…” “Sorry.” Rainbow’s ears flattened as she lowered her head to the ground. She had an uneasy smile, like she was trying to convince her mother she hadn’t actually stolen from the cookie jar. “I wasn’t trying to, y’know, hurt you or anything—“ “I know, I know.” Twilight reassured her with the usual warm, forgiving smile. “You’re lucky you’re so adorable when you feel guilty. So what’s up?” “I was thinking… Opal’s birthday’s coming up, right, but a couple days after that is our tenth anniversary.” The shock hit Twilight like an oncoming wagon. She had entirely forgotten, and her dropping jaw illustrated as much. She struggled to find the right words, eking out a shocked “Tenth..?” Rainbow nodded at her, empathizing with the surprise. If Twilight had been paying attention, she figured she would have seen her wife going through the same motions. After another moment of silence, she asked, “Well… what are we going to do?” Rainbow shrugged, and Twilight swore she could see just a hint of a smile tugging on her lips. “Dunno,” the pegasus said. “I mean, it’s a pretty big day, so I guess it’d have to be pretty special… but I mean, what are we supposed to do? We’re just two mares with connections to the rulers of Equestria, capable of sending any subject they choose off to the most scenic, romantic spots in the world…” Twilight mulled it over, and responded with “Whatever we do, it’s gotta be something we can include Opal Dart in.” The look of devastation on Rainbow Dash’s face was difficult to put into words. Her jaw nearly hit the floor, and her eyes warbled like a little filly about to cry. “B-b-bu—“ “No buts.” Twilight affirmed. “A trip like that would probably take a week, maybe even more. And I’m really not comfortable leaving Opal here alone that long.” She leaned in closer, and in a hushed voice added, “And for whatever you had planned, we can just send Opal for a sleepover at Applejack’s one night; how’s that sound?” Rainbow’s expression perked up at that last part, but she tried hard to maintain that level of disappointment she’d had before. Her mouth trembled, settling into a neutral expression. She creased her brow to make up for the loss of frown. “I… guess that sounds pretty good. But I still think you’re being a killjoy.” Twilight giggled and planted another kiss on her wife’s lips. “You know you love the killjoy.” Dash pushed her away half-heartedly, letting loose a short fit of laughter as she rose back to her feet. “C’mon, Twi, I’m gonna die of embarrassment here. So uncool.” “Whatever.” Twilight tersely retorted, sticking her tongue out. The pair, no gift to be found yet, began walking for the exit. “So, did you have Wonderbolt practice today?” “Uh… nah, I don’t think so—oh! Right! The Captain called some kinda short-notice meeting at her place tonight, I’ll head out after dinner.” “What’s the meeting about?” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Who the hay knows? The Captain’s always flighty when she has some big announcement to make. The letter was really vague, but I still need to go and make sure it’s nothing crazy-important.” “Well,” Twilight mused. “that’s after dinner. Right now it’s only noon, so how about some lunch?” “Yeah, that sounds pretty good.” replied the pegasus, daydreaming as she imagined all sorts of cuisine. She suddenly was jolted back to reality to add, “But none of that fillipinto stuff! Seriously, who the hoof thought a half-grown plant bulb was good to eat?” The pair of mares stepped out the door, off in search of something to tide them over.