//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: The Spell to Happiness // by ScientistTrixie //------------------------------// After a brisk flight, the pair arrived at a large building that had a small river of liquid rainbow pouring from the roof. A large sign identified the building as The Proud Pegasus. Rainbow smiled and took a deep breath as she recalled several fond memories of her favorite restaurant. Twilight scrunched up her nose, the smell of liquid rainbow burning her nostrils. Rainbow giggled at Twilight’s expression and held the door open as she waved the unicorn inside. They entered the restaurant and sat themselves down in a booth with an amazing view of the city. Rainbow reached forward and grabbed her menu and started to flip through it. Twilight glanced at hers, reading the different salads and sandwiches as she examined the diner. Their server, a crème-colored pegasus, trotted up and was about to take their order when she recognized the two ponies in front of her. “Excuse me, but are you Twilight Sparkle?” The mare asked, eying the unicorn’s wings. Twilight's eyes widened as she looked at the pegasus as she frantically tried to recognize her. “Yes, I am, but do I know you?” Twilight asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. “No, but I think everypony knows you!” The pegasus said, clapping her hooves together as she suddenly recognized Rainbow Dash as well. “Ah, and Miss Dash as well! We can't have you sit here; come with me and we'll get ya'll set up with the VIP table! Just give me a minute to prepare it!” Twilight shook her head and tried to tell the waitress that they were just fine where they were, but she had already trotted away. Rainbow giggled at Twilight’s exasperated expression. A moment later, the mare returned, and beckoned them to follow her outside to their new seats right on the edge of the cloud. As they approached the table, Twilight could see for miles around, and she glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who said, “At least we get to see the most beautiful thing in Cloudsdale!” She waved a hoof, gesturing at the beautiful view in front of them. Twilight turned, her eyes raking the distance. “What's so beautiful up here?” Twilight asked curiously as they took their seats. Dash shifted, suddenly becoming very interested in her wing. She mumbled something under her breath. “What was that?” Dash sighed and mumbled something incoherently again. “Come again?” “I said: You are!” She said, as she glared at the unicorn. “Awe… Dashie thinks I'm beautiful!” Twilight said, tossing her mane forward and peering at her marefriend through her bangs. Dash turned red, her expression deepening. Before Twilight could say anything else, their waitress was back, looking expectantly between the two. Dash glanced at her menu, and ordered a salad. Twilight glanced down at her menu nervously, not sure what she wanted. “I'll have the same!” She blurted, and handed the mare her menu. Twilight glanced across the table, and giggled lightly as Rainbow tried to fight the blush on her cheeks. “Dash, I must confess that you look adorable when you blush.” Dash smiled, grinning at Twilight’s words. The pair fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments, and then Dash began telling Twilight several stories about her time in Cloudsdale, before she moved to Ponyville. “So, why did you move all the way to Ponyville?” Twilight asked as she watched a cloud drift by, chased by a group of young fillies. The silence stretched on for a few moments, and she looked over to see Dash staring off into the distance. “Fluttershy and I had been roommates throughout flight school, and after we graduated, she moved to Ponyville, and I couldn't exactly leave my best friend by herself, ya know? So I just followed the silly mare here.” She said, her eyes glistening ever so slightly. Twilight wanted to ask her about it, but felt like it would be a touchy subject. Their waitress arrived and placed two large bowls in front of them. She also pushed a miniature black rain cloud over the table. “Is there anything else I can get for ya'll?” She asked, smiling helpfully at the couple. “No thank you.” Twilight answered, smiling as the mare retreated back into the restaurant. Twilight leaned forward, and bit into the salad with relish as her stomach began to grumble. Her eyes widened as she swallowed, surprised at the sweet taste. “Wow, this is really good Dash!” Twilight said, smiling as she chewed. She grabbed the small black cloud, held it over her glass, and gave it a quick squeeze. She yelped as the cloud gave her a minor shock. She shot the cloud a glare, and stuck her tongue out at the giggling pegasus across the table. Rainbow leaned over and grasped the cloud in her hooves and gave it a gentle prod. A clear stream of water rained from the cloud, pouring into Twilight's glass. A smile formed on the mare's face as she took a sip from the glass. “Why didn't it work for me?” Twilight said, poking her lip out in an adorable pout. Rainbow grinned at her, shaking her head slightly as she pushed her empty bowl away with her hoof. “You can't just force the rain out of them, you have to coax it out!” She grinned at the mare across from her, who was already buried snout-first in her salad. Twilight glanced up, blushing as she wiped a stray leaf from her muzzle. “Hehehe…sorry Dashie...” She said, her cheeks burning as she looked away, admiring the beautiful Cloudsdale skyline. The sun was setting in the distance, the clouds taking on a beautiful orange tint. “I understand why you eat so much now!” She blurted out, slapping a hoof over her mouth in embarrassment. Rainbow just narrowed her eyes at the mare, a grin pulling at her muzzle. “I just mean with the energy you need to fly, your calorie intake has to remain elevated so you can go about your day!” She backpedaled, her ears laid back ever so slightly. “Its fine Twi; I know what you meant!” Dash said, patting her hoof. “Are you finished eating?” “Yes, I'm finished. Thank you for an amazing day; it was a lot of... fun.” She said seductively, her cheeks flushing slightly as her mind drifted back to what happened on the cloud. She blinked as she noticed a cyan hoof waving in front of her face. “Helloooo…Rainbow to Egghead?” “Wha..? Wait, what?” Twilight said, focusing on the smirking pony before her. “I asked if you were ready to go.” Rainbow said, smiling as Twilight nodded repeatedly. Rainbow beckoned with her muzzle, and tossed a few bits onto the table as she stood. Twilight trotted after the pegasus, and brushed her spine with a wing, sending a slight shiver down Dash's back. Dash stuck her tongue out at her marefriend, and poked the unicorn in the side with a feather. Twilight squealed in surprise, and bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. They stepped to the edge of the cloud and jumped, launching themselves into the sky. She smiled at Rainbow, flying a loose circle around her as she flew. Before long, Twilight fell in beside her, the cool breeze of the night whistling past her. She gazed over at the mare flying next to her, her smile slipping as she saw Dash's expression. Where moments ago the mare was all smiles, her face looked determined now, her eyes shifting from side to side every so often. Twilight lagged behind, following the pegasus in silence as dusk slowly turned to night. Without a word, Dash turned, heading toward the ground in a silent dive. She glided into the shadows of a large building, and waited patiently as Twilight landed beside her. Twilight opened her mouth, questions dying in her throat as Dash looked her in the eye, slowly shaking her head. Rainbow stepped forward and silently gestured to a cloudhouse across the street. Twilight stepped forward, putting a hoof on Dash's shoulder, giving the pegasus a concerned look. Eventually Twilight tore her gaze from her and gazed across the street to where Rainbow was pointing. Two pegasi were visible, sitting at a table in what she guessed was the living room. From this distance, she could make out a beautiful deep blue mare, and a pale white stallion. Twilight narrowed her eyes, watching silently as the mare stood, disappearing from the window. A moment later, the door opened, revealing the mare clutching a bag of trash in her teeth. As she dropped the bag into a trash can, she flipped her mane over her shoulder, her tail flicking to the side as she trotted back into the house. Twilight stared at the mare, her eyes locked on the mare's rainbow-colored mane. “Rainbow... Are those your...” Twilight asked as she turned to look at Rainbow Dash, but all she saw was a quickly fading rainbow. “...parents?” Twilight stood still, her gaze shifting between her fleeing marefriend and the cloudhouse across the street. She sighed and threw herself into the sky, and by the time she had risen above the buildings, Rainbow’s trail was already fading off into the distance.