Rainbow Dash rocked on the edge of her bed. She was kind of disappointed for causing her friends problems like that, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. The most she could hope for was that she wouldn't see them again until her clumsiness had blown over-again.
She glanced up at the clock. Two hours and thirty four minutes until the dance. What to do? Or rather what could she do? She rolled over onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, legs and wings outstretched. She couldn't think of anything interesting in the least to do.
"Argh!" Dash groaned and slammed her head against the pillow. She was just so freaking BORED.
She hadn't recalled ever being this anxious since that one time at flight school when the Wonderbolts had been scheduled to appear for a show. She had nearly even gotten to talk to Spitfire. The autographed picture of the flight captain she still had was lying around somewhere. She had to admit to herself that she still had a crush on her, although that wish now seemed distant and insignificant at this point.
Two hours and sixteen minutes until the dance. Rainbow Dash sighed and figured that a brief nap might do her some good. She sat back against the mattress, trying to get comfortable, and drifted off to sleep.
Rainbow Dash adjusted Derpy's blue bow tied in her mane. They giggled but Rainbow herself covered it up as a cough, trying not to seem too girlish. They trotted along quietly together for what could've been minutes or hours, as time was a relative term when she spent it with Derpy Hooves. They turned a corner and were greeted by festive lights.
She awoke slowly, smiling dreamily from her nap. She lazily turned to check the time. It had probably been about thirty minutes since she last checked. Maybe an hour.
Fifteen minutes until the dance. Dash was still not quite awake and squinted at the clock again.
"OH, BUCK!" She jumped out of bed and scrambled on the floor. She had about five minutes to throw herself together to appear reasonably presentable.
As she was simultaneously awkwardly brushing her teeth, brushing her mane, and trying to find some clothes that didn't happen to be visibly dirty, the clock ticked on. Twelve minutes until the dance.
"Oh buck, buck, buck, buck, BUCK!" she cursed while lifting piles of clothes with her wings to find something, ANYTHING. She threw the brush in the sink and spat in the drawer. She paused, and then slowly shut the drawer.
She rooted through the abyss of her dresser and pulled free an old pink ribbon Fluttershy had given her a long time ago, after they had gotten out of Flight School. It would have to do for now. She tied it quickly and admired her right foreleg.
"...Maybe this would go better in my mane." she giggled nervously. She pulled it loose and tied back her mane, quickly glancing at herself in the mirror and nodding in approval. Seven minutes until the dance. She flew out the window, hoping she would make it in time.
She arrived at the outside of the dance, which was just beginning to pick up, and she looked around for Derpy. She saw her flying and awkwardly trying to keep her elaborate hat from falling off her head. Their eyes met and they both grinned. Derpy landed, almost falling over into the dirt but Rainbow caught her, and they grinned at each other again.
"Hey there Rainbow Dash, sorry I'm so late, I kinda...lost track of time. I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" Derpy asked a bit embarrassed as she rubbed the back of her neck with her right front hoof as Rainbow Dash waved her off.
"No, no. I just got here too," she giggled before covering it up as a cough, she was NOT a filly anymore, and no way in hay was she ever going to act like it, even in front of Derpy.
"What are you wearing?" she glanced up and down Derpy.
"Oh, this...?" she shifted nervously. "This is my grandmother's old green dress with white snowflake trimmings...I don't look too silly, do I Rainbow Dash?"
"No, no, it's absolutely beautiful!" she answered with an honest grin making Derpy smile wide.
"Thanks Rainbow Dash!" She hugged her tightly. Dash chuckled and hugged her back.
"Well? Shall we?" Rainbow extended the crook of her left foreleg and Derpy took it, giggling.
Inside the dance floor, which was entirely outside but lit up by lanterns, it had a perimeter of tables, leaving a large area for the ponies to dance together. Dash glanced around, looking for anypony she knew. She suddenly froze in place.
"Something wrong Rainbow Dash?"
Dash gulped. Over on the opposite side of the dance floor, stood Rarity in a stunning blue dress with ruby gem trimmings with Fluttershy who wore a pink with blue ribbons trailing the sides dress, the former looking rather annoyed.
Fluttershy looked as though she was trying to calm Rarity down, but was doing poorly. Applejack was a short distance away in a green with red apple designs printed on the bottom dress, looked about twenty percent more annoyed than Rarity herself did as they glared at one another in anger.
"Ah, horseapples...." Dash muttered under her breath.