//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Happy Anniversary, Rainbow Dash // by Axolotl222 //------------------------------// Twilight sat on the bench, trying to resist the urge to pace. Okay, I just need to calm down, she thought to herself. She’s not that late yet. Twilight glanced up at the clock tower. 6:01. A few more minutes won’t be enough to throw the whole evening off, right? She resumed staring at her hoofs. Sure, being punctual wasn’t exactly one of Rainbow’s strong suites, but it wasn’t like her to be late for something this important. It’s not like she would just forget their anniversary. Was the weather team holding her up? She would have said something if that was a possibility. Or maybe she did? Twilight tried to think back to their last conversation. “Rainbow, are you alright?” Twilight asked. “Huh?” the Pegasus replied, having been shaken from whatever day dream she had been having. The two were eating lunch in their usual hangout: the local Hayburger. Everypony around them was in a cheery mood, mostly talking about the summer sun festival later that evening. “You barely touched your hayfries,” Twilight noted simply. “Oh. I … uh … I’m not really that hungry.” Twilight gave a small “humpf.” Rainbow knew that sound; it was the sound Twilight made when she was trying to figure out a problem. Normally she didn’t mind. She thought it was kind of cute how Twilight could get fixed on little things like that, actually. Now it filled her with a sense of dread. She pushed the plate towards her. “Here,” she said with what she hoped was a smile. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And you keep looking at your hoofs,” she added. “Yeah, ‘cause they're as awesome as the rest of me. Is that a crime?” “Well maybe if you asked Rarity about how you manage your hoofs…,” Twilight trailed off. Rainbow snicked, then let out a quiet sigh. Twilight grabbed some hayfries in her aura and ate them silently. Rainbow, despite her earlier clam, stole a few as well. “I can’t believe it’s already been a year,” Twilight said after a moment. Rainbow swallowed and gave her a soft smile. “I know,” she said. “It seems incredible when you think about it.” “That’s what I just said.” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and Twilight frowned. “Wait, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to be rude, I jus- “ Rainbow Dash cut her off with a laugh. “S’okay Twilight,” she said. “I guess after a year I’m starting to rub off on you.” Twilight let out a relieved laugh. Suddenly, a thunder clap sounded from the outside. “Oh no,” Rainbow muttered. “I left them alone for half an hour …” A second thunderbolt hit the sky, followed by a shriek. “Dang it. Twi, I better go make sure everypony is okay.” Twilight sighed but gave her a small nod. She flew over and gave Twilight a small kiss. “Alright,” Twilight said. “I’ll see you tonight around six, then.” “Wouldn’t dream of missing it.” Maybe she’s being held up by her weather team? Twilight shook her head. She knew Ponyville had the occasional wild storm blow in from the Everfree forest. They were messy, but usually nothing that the locals couldn’t handle. She then thought about how she had worded her invitation: “I’ll see you tonight around six then,” she had said to her. Around six. What kind of time frame was that? Did it mean a few minutes before or after six? 15 minutes? More? She really needs to watch her wording next time. “Boo!” “GAH!” Twilight jumped into the air, her wings spreading reflexively, prepared to fly away from danger. Instead of danger, however, Twilight turned around to find her snickering marefriend. “Rainbow,” Twilight snapped. “Oh, come on Twi,” she said once she finished chuckling. “I got you good.” Twilight did not verbally reply, instead choosing to give the pegasus a stern stair. “You know you’re cute when you're mad,” she said, the grin never leaving her muzzle. Twilight held her composure for a few more seconds before a giggle escaped from her lips. She then ran over and scooped her up in a hug. “Happy anniversary,” she whispered into Rainbow Dash’s ear. Then she leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the lips. Twilight grinned smugly at Rainbow’s flushed expression. “Heh…uh, I brought you some flowers,” the pegasus said, gesturing to the boutique lying that she had dropped nearby. “Oh, Dash...” Twilight said as she lifted them into her basket with her magic. Seeing her little smile caused Rainbows confidence to return. “Yeah, I got them from Roseluck after lunch,” she explained. The boutique she had prepared for Rainbow Dash was composed of blue … something squalls and lilacs. Rainbow had initially questioned the lack of subtlety, but Twilight seemed to neither notice or care. She lifted the flowers into her basket. Twilight then began to hover just off of the ground. “And you’re wearing your saddle bags,” she noted. Twilight smirked. “I wonder what’s inside.” “Only the most amazing, awesome, wonderful gift provided by yours truly,” Rainbow beamed, closing her eyes and puffing out her chest. “I can’t wait to see it,” Twilight added.” But first, we have a cloud to get to. Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and grinned. “Shall we?” “So, then we finally got the clouds back over the Everfree,” Rainbow finished. She was laying on her back on top of a picnic blanket on top of a cloud. Twilight had been careful to select the perfect cloud ahead of time. It was a cute Cumulus humilis cloud just slightly larger than her picnic blanket when fully spread. Not too soft, not too firm, and just the right altitude to see the fireworks later tonight. Rainbow was eating the dinner Twilight had made sure to bring: a pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough bread and cider. “So, anything exciting happened today?” Rainbow asked. “Well, Celestia sent me a report on a dispute between shipping routes from the near the Equestria’s maritime borders and fishers from the Griffon Empire during- “ “Egghead stuff, got it.” “Rainbow,” Twilight said while rolling her eyes, although she still grinned. Rainbow swallowed the last piece of her sandwich and let out a satisfied burp. Twilight couldn’t even pretend to be annoyed. She then grabbed her cider and finished it with a loud gulp. Rainbow then let out a satisfied sigh and patted her belly with a hoof. Twilight smiled at the sight before her. Everything was going exactly as planned. Twilight walked over to her marefriend until her face was directly above Rainbow’s. “Well hey there,” Rainbow Dash chuckled. Twilight bent down and kissed her. “It’s funny,” Twilight said after breaking her kiss. “It’s like you said this morning: if you were to tell me a few years ago that I would be moving to Ponyville with the best friends I could ask for, I wouldn’t have believed you. And I especially wouldn’t believe that I would fall in love with the strongest, bravest, kindest, and most loyal marefriend that I could ever ask for. “ Rainbow blushed, deciding that she was actually okay with the sappiness of the moment. “I love you too, Twilight.” She tilted her head forward for another kiss. “I know,' Twilight said, moving away from Rainbow. Before the Pegasus could get too confused, Twilight said, “Which is why I got you this.” She levitated a small box wrapped in a tiny red bow over towards Rainbow Dash. “My anniversary present.” Rainbow said. It was more of a statement than a question. “No offence Twi, but I think mine’s gonna top whatever you got.” Twilight laughed at the boldness of the statement. “We’ll see about that,” she retorted. Rainbow stuck out her tongue as Twilight set the box next to her. This is it. It’s finally happening. The world seemed to fall into slow motion as Rainbow pulled the ribbon off the box with her teeth. Twilight barely suppressed a squee of delight. Rainbow looked back at the alicorn, pausing with a smile on her face. She nodded for her to continue. Rainbow then eagerly clasped her hoof together, like a foal about to open her Hearth’s Warming present. She flipped the lid off of the box. Rainbow stared at her gift. She blinked. Her smile slowly fell. “Twi?” she said softly. There was no excitement or joy in her voice. Only … confusion? No. “Twi?” Rainbow repeated. No. An icy dagger stabbed through her heart. She can’t. She doesn’t want… “It’s empty.” Distracted by the horrible thought, it took Twilight a moment to process what she heard. “W-what!?” “There’s nothing in here,” Rainbow said matter-of-factly. “I-I don’t understand …” Twilight’s aura snatched the box from Rainbow Dash. She turned it upside down and furiously shook it. Nothing fell out. Twilight dropped the box onto the ground and stared at it for a moment, as if expecting something to suddenly spring out of it. “H-how…?” “Twi, it’s not that bi- AAACK!” Rainbow finished with a startled yelp as Twilight lifted her into the air. She managed to wiggle out of Twilight’s grasp and flipped herself over. Beneath her Twilight was furiously pawing at the cloud, searching in vain for her lost gift. “I-I forgot it?” Twilight said to herself. “H-how can this happen? I’ve been preparing for this for days...” Twilight began to quietly mutter to herself. Rainbow had known Twilight long enough to know this was no good. If she didn’t snap her out of this now things will get out of hoof quickly. “Twilight,” she said as gently as she could. Rainbow laid a hoof on her withers, stopping her rant. “It’s no big deal.” Twilight slowly turned towards her with a glare that could melt a glacier. “No. Big. Deal,” she spat. “IT’S A REALLY BUCKING BIG DEAL!” Rainbow grimaced. “Ow, my ears,” she muttered. Twilight sat down on her haunches. “Tonight was supposed to be perfect. I ruined everything.” Rainbow couldn’t bear the misery in her voice. She sat next to Twilight and draped a wing around her shoulders. “C’mon Twi, tonight isn’t ruined.” “Yes, it is,” Twilight groaned. Rainbow realized that now might be her chance. “You know, “she removed her wing from Twilight. “I still haven’t shown you my gift.” Twilight turned towards her; her look of misery replaced by one of curiosity. “Trust me,” Rainbow continued, “and think the girls back home are gonna be really happy about this to.” “Home?” Twilight asked. Her eyes widened. “THAT’S IT!” With a flash, Twilight teleported away, leaving her dumbfounded marefriend behind on the cloud. “Next time,” she said to herself. She then took off in search of Twilight.