(Possibly) The Best Night Ever
Tank was fine. I'm pretty sure he had only taken a few steps from where I'd left him last time I saw him. Anyway, I split a head of lettuce and put half in his bowl. It'd be another half hour before he reached his food, so I decided to check out an issue of Pegasus Quarterly I hadn't got around to reading. I don't really read the articles, but some of the models are pretty hot, and those perfume samples smell amazing.
Anyway, I could barely make it through the first few pages. My dumb wing incident earlier was making it impossible to concentrate on reading. I know Twilight probably didn't think much of it, but I just know Rarity is probably having a great time giggling to herself about it. Maybe if her horn grew a couple of inches around ponies she liked she wouldn't be laughing!
As I flipped through the pages, I ran across an ad for some kind of overpriced hoofwarmers and winter coats. The models were two mares who were looked like they were a little closer than friends. I could barely pay attention to the magazine. Stupid Twilight. I don't even know why I'm stressing about all this noise. The night of the gala was almost here, and I was sure we'd have a great time. I mean, we always have fun. Why would this time be any different?
Okay, I could probably guess why this time around might be a little different. Still, the girls wouldn't care that I'm bringing Twilight, right? We're always given the option to bring a plus one, and it could be a friend! It's just that one friend might have a tiny, insignificant, barely-even-there-at-all, crush on that friend.
That's okay though, because Twilight has no idea. Heh, sweet, oblivious, innocent Twilight. It must be nice to never realize how much another pony likes you... never having to worry whether or not you could ever do something so totally boneheaded that it ruins you in their eyes forever. Not that I ever have.
Once I returned home with Spike, I couldn't help but giggle at Rainbow's little incident earlier. I know it was mostly my fault, but still, I found it pretty entertaining, regardless. As Spike ran upstairs to put away his formal wear for the gala, Rarity's words still rang in my ears.
I suppose she was right, after all. I mean, we would have seen each other at the gala anyway. Why would Rainbow want to take me specifically to someplace we were both certain to be? It did lend credit to her theory, but that's all it was: a theory.
Then again, gravity is technically just a theory, and I'm fairly certain it's one I wouldn't want to try and disprove. I hardly had time to consider the implications of Rainbow Dash liking me as more than a friend when the tiny bell above my door let me know I had a customer. "Welcome to the Golden Oak library!" It was a pony I recognized as one of the flower vendors from the town square. Roseluck, if I recall.
"Hi." She seemed content to shuffle nervously toward the shelves while her eyes darted between my tomes and I.
"Something I can help you find?" I asked. She scratched the back of her foreleg with the other.
"Uh... I was actually looking for a book on... well, I need to know if somepony likes me as their special somepony," she admitted, as though she was professing her guilt before a judge. "Do you have anything that might help me figure that out?"
What a coincidence, I thought, giving her a reassuring smile. No subject is off limits as long as a book about it exists!
"No problem." I brought the ladder near the 'L' section and climbed up. "I've got just the book!" I began searching for Love for the Oblivious: A complete guide to realizing what's right in front of you when I noticed the space where the book would have been was empty. That seemed unusual, as I had three copies of that particular guide. I don't remember checking them out, but Spike sometimes runs the library when I'm gone, so it was possible he lent them out.
"Huh, well, I've got another one I think will be exactly what you're looking..." I slid myself on the ladder over to the 'R's, on the hunt for Romancing the Pony: How to realize what is obvious to your friends. "... for." No dice there, either! Just what in the hay had happened to all my romance books? "Spike!"
"What is it?" he replied.
"Did you checkout all the books on romance?" There was a few seconds of silence from upstairs. Looks like he knew a bit more than I anticipated.
"Not technically..." I hopped off the ladder and trotted to the bottom of the stairs.
"Then where are they?" Another few seconds of pause.
"Up here..." I knew it! He had to have read those books cover to cover, twice! I'm glad Spike has learned the joys of reading, but he can't just hoard all the books in his basket. In fact, I thought he learned his hoarding lesson a few months ago.
"Bring them down here please, mister." I turned to Roseluck and apologized, though she seemed more embarrassed about it than I was. I wonder who it was she thought was interested in her? It wasn't springtime already, was it? I know estrus doesn't start until at least mid spring... not that I would know the exact time mine begins. It's absolutely not marked in my day planner as the day I lock myself in my room and let Spike run the library for those weeks while I try not to lose my mind.
Definitely not.
Anyway, he finally came down the stairs with just about every book on romance in my library in his arms. "Which one did you need?" he asked.
"All of them." I took them in my magic and sorted them accordingly, giving Roseluck the volume she was after. "Sorry that took so long. Spike knows he's only allowed to check out two books at a time." He mumbled something about having a good reason for it as he headed back upstairs. I wonder what's gotten into that dragon? Visiting Rarity usually leaves him in a great mood!
I figured he had probably found out Rarity was taking Big Mac. I couldn't help but feel bad for my little guy. After all, you don't pick who you love. Or so I've read.
I bid Roseluck goodbye and set about re-shelving the others Spike had taken. As I did, I began to wonder if some of those chapters might help me determine Rainbow's feelings. I mean, I had evidence she was just my pal who didn't want to go to the gala alone when all her friends had gotten dates. Then again, Rairty had brought up a point I couldn't easily dismiss.
I cracked open another copy of the book I'd lent Roseluck and began skimming through the introductory section. Inside was a list of the basic patterns of pegasus behavior when they harbored a crush, and the best ways to get the crushee to notice your feelings without being very direct. As I scanned the list, I began to realize everything in the book was nearly identical to the way Rainbow had been acting! She'd come over using flimsy pretexts for her visits, stayed for way longer than any of my other friends when they visited, and even cared to listen to things I was fairly certain she had no interest in!
It was all too coincidental. What are the odds that Rainbow would attempt every one of the items listed?
That's when I realized my third copy of the book was not with the ones Spike had brought down with him. I set the book on the couch and retrieved the library checkout log. I scanned the entries for the title and when I found it, I couldn't believe my eyes. Rainbow had checked out my third copy! Before I knew it, I was nearly hyperventilating.
"This is why I had all those books with me," said Spike from the steps. I glanced over at him as he held out my breathing bag. I took it and began to calm myself down.
"Why?"
He sighed. "Because I knew you'd react this way."
Sweet Celestia, did I need to clear my head. I knew a quick flight was usually just what the doctor ordered. I couldn't keep everything that'd happened in the past few days out of my thoughts to save my life. It was bad enough I'd embarrassed myself in front of Twilight, but now I had to relive the shame every time I had an idle thought! It wasn't fair. What did I ever do to deserve such a bruise on my reputation?
Rainbow Dash is always in control! To lose it like that, and in front of my friends! I shook my head. Maybe that would empty out those thoughts. As I glided across the city limits, I came to one of my favorite spots. The sky was usually clear here, thanks to the mountains, and it was perfect for practicing my moves. Yeah, I know I hadn't really had a chance to show them off at any of the other six galas I've been to so far, but you never know when Spitfire or Soarin might want an on-the-spot demonstration, right?
To be honest, it had been a while since I'd practiced. With all of this Twilight business going on, my mind had been somewhere else. You never really forget how to do the tricks I do. I bet it's like how Squirt rides her scooter. She could lay off it for a few days and still hop back on a week later like she'd just set it down to eat lunch or something. I hope her wings get strong enough to carry her soon. She's gonna kill herself on that thing. Anyway, after a few warm ups, I was ready to lay down a solid routine.
Rolls, loops, twists and sharp turns were coming back to me like my favorite cloud on a hot day. Maybe I'm not so bad a metaphors! Or was that a simile? I should ask Twilight what the difference is... anyway, no sooner had I finished, did I hear a voice shout at me from behind. I barely avoided some jerk with no sense of direction in a blur of... not yellow, but not orange either. Kind of in-between.
I was so ready to give this guy and earful when I realized who it was. "S-Spitfire?"
"I said 'heads up'!" she shouted over her shoulder, doubling back around and hovering in front of me. You know, I don't think I've ever really seen her without some kind of flight suit or uniform on before... not that it mattered. I could feel my tongue tying itself in knots. When I had time to prepare, talking to Spitfire, Soarin or any other Wonderbolt, was no problem. But just thrust into interaction like this? With no warning? I probably sounded like an idiot. "You should keep your wits about you if you want to join my squad, Dash."
"Sorry, I was... uhm... just practicing—"
"I noticed!" She smiled at me. I gotta admit, that grin was pretty disarming. I relaxed my shoulders and just hovered beside her. No wonder she was captain, she really knew how to put somepony at ease. "You're pretty good, you know."
"Thanks!" Pull it back, Dash. Don't want to sound too eager. "I mean, yeah, I put in a lot of hours." I scratched my mane with a hoof before I even realized I was doing it. How cliche is that? I quickly dropped my hoof back to my side. "So, what are you doing all the way out here? Don't you live in Manehattan?"
"Yeah, I do in the offseason. But when spring training starts, I have an apartment in Cloudsdale I crash in." She began to grin, brushing her foreleg with the other. What is with the cliches today? "I'm actually here to grab some food. I'm kind of a vegetable snob..."
Spitfire just blushed while admitting to being picky about her food. Maybe she's a normal pony after all. "Well, we do have some pretty killer carrots and stuff around here."
"Yeah, so I've heard..." Nothing like an awkwardly long pause to make you feel like you're a filly back in flight school. "You're coming to the gala this year, right?"
"Heck yeah!" Reel it in, Rainbow. "I mean, yeah, I thought I'd stop by, you know. My friends are going and I'm taking one of them, so I pretty much have to." Played it cool. Perfection!
"That's great! Who're ya taking?" She seemed genuinely interested. No use in keeping it a secret.
"Oh, just Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic." If that doesn't impress her, nothing will!
"Nice. She's pretty cute."
"Heh, yeah, she's a total ba—I mean, uh... w-what about you?" Whew, that was a close one! I was this close to acting like a schoolfilly with a crush in front of the Wonderbolt head of recruitment! Great save, Rainbow! Now let's make it out of this convo with my dignity intact. "I bet you've got some hot piece lined up, right?"
"Actually, yeah." Her eyebrows raised above her orange shades. "You know Broad Sword?"
I put a hoof to my chin. I'd practiced my 'I'm thinking' look for just such an occasion. "That sounds familiar..." I said. It didn't sound familiar at all.
"He's the new royal guard captain. Once Shining Armor became a prince or whatever, they needed a new one. He's the youngest ever appointed." Oh yeah, she was proud. I could see it in her eyes, even through those retro glasses.
"Right, I think I read about that in the paper the other day!" I don't read the paper. I don't even have a subscription. But I can't look afford to look like an oblivious idiot in front of Spitfire!
"Yeah, he's pretty cool. Really laid back for a military type," she replied, straightening her glasses. "I gotta get going, but I'll see you at the gala, right?"
"Definitely!"
"Cool. Hey, if you want, you can come hang with us at the after-party."
No. Way!
"Really?!" C'mon Rainbow, what did I just say about not acting desperate? I was flapping my wings so hard I started to gain altitude. I got them back into a hovering rhythm and collected myself. "That'd be awesome."
She chuckled. I'm going to assume that was with me and not at me. "No problem, besides, the more you get to know us, the better your chances are."
Holy shit.
"You can bring the rest of your friends too, if you want. They're all pretty cool."
"Y-yeah..." Okay, screw not sounding desperate! She just implied I was possibly being considered to be a Wonderbolt! Sure, I went to the Wonderbolt Academy, but anypony can go to that so long as they pay the processing fee and sign up. But this! She practically told me I had a shot! I knew today would be an awesome day, I just knew it!
"See ya, Dash!"
Before I knew it, she was on her way to Ponyville, leaving me hovering there with my mouth open. I didn't even think to close it until she was just a speck on the horizon.
"Yes!" I shouted, pumping my hooves in the air. "Rainbow Dash, you rule!"
Did I ever! Just wait till I tell Twilight!