//------------------------------// // Keep Your Hooves Off // Story: Dusk Dawns // by AlphatheGriffin17 //------------------------------// After taking some time out of his break to help with the repairs around town, in the aftermath of Spike's rampage of greed the previous day, Dusk was starting to make his way back to the library. Fortunately, Spike hadn't done a great deal of damage in his gigantic form and, thanks to everypony working together, they were well under way. Looking around, watching as Pegasus ponies used their wings to lift up bricks to others, earth ponies using their inherent strength to lift heavy loads and unicorns assisting in work with their magic, he was reminded ever more of the reason why he loved it so much here in Ponyville. Everypony knew everypony and were all willing to help their neighbours, if and when they were needed. Nopony was left out, sect or gender didn't matter and it was the true magic of friendship in everyday life. It wasn't something that needed seven magical items to show. At the same time, however, he was also reminded of what he also had to cope with and keep hidden, for the sake of his home and friends. Spike had let his greed grow out of out of control and, as a result, had destroyed parts of the town in the process. The destruction wasn't as bad as it could have been and nopony had been badly hurt, though the Wonderbolts were left a little shaken, but it still served as a message in his mind to never let his own more savage side roam free. It could be said that he had found another kindred spirit in Spike. Not entirely true. Few others knew of his pain, but everypony knew of Spike's. Most didn't feel too badly towards him, that was just the way of Ponyville, but that was probably because nopony had been badly hurt and the things Spike had stolen had been returned. Blackhole wouldn't be so lenient if he ever got out and he wasn't interested in taking what others had… at least, nothing material. He heard the growling in his mind again and suppressed it. Still there and he would never go away, but he could keep a smile… keep him away. "Dusk, oh thank goodness!" He turned at the sound of Fluttershy's voice to see her hurrying up to him, looking quite frantic. "I need your help… if you don't mind, that is." "You shouldn't even have to ask that, little sister," he smiled in comfort. "What's wrong?" She looked visibly relieved. "Oh, well, I was sorting out my animals in the wake of Spike's um… you know. When Angel, while I was looking the other way, he ran off… into… into…" "The Everfree Forest," he finished. "It's okay Fluttershy, I'll help you find him." "R-r-really? You will? I mean, you don't have to, but um…" "Like I said, it's okay," he repeated. "The Forest isn't exactly the most hospitable of environments, I understand. I'll go and find him, you wait at your house." Fluttershy's face broke out into a smile and she hugged him. "Oh, thank you so much, big brother! Are you sure you don't want me to… come with you?" He smiled a little at the squeak she finished with. "It's not a problem, he couldn't have gone very far. He's just trying to wind you up. I'll go in, find him and get out." "Right, that's what I'd do too… if I were brave enough to go in, that is…" He gave her a comforting smile, which seemed to raise her spirits a little. She told him roughly where the rabbit had run off to and Dusk set off towards the forest, quelling the fear that threatened to take over. He was doing this for a friend and it wouldn't take long. Any creatures that he did come across he would be able to fend off with his magic, though it hopefully wouldn't come to that. That rabbit was more trouble than he was worth. Even if he could handle himself, for the most part, he would have preferred it if he had some company with him in the Forest. Surprisingly, he got his wish, though not as he expected. "Hey, there's my partner in colour!" He managed a smile in the direction of Rainbow Dash, who had started flying casually next to him. "What are you doing this far out?" "I'm going to retrieve Angel from the Everfree Forest," he told her. "Admittedly, not what I'd normally be doing, but for my friends… well, you know." "Everfree, huh? Well, say no more, Dusky. I'll head along with you and watch your back. It'll be dangerous, I know, but you can count me. You can always count on me." She threw him what she probably thought was a flirtatious smile, but it just came off as her usual cocky one. He politely returned it. "You don't have to go to the trouble, Rainbow. I'll be fine by myself, I won't be in there long." "It's no trouble if it's to help my friends, especially if it's you," she said, broadening her smile and flexing a little bit. "Right…" He raised his eyebrow a little bit at this. "Well, if it's no trouble, let's go then." "Sure, right, yeah." Her confident tone was gone there for a bit and her cheeks were red as they both proceeded towards the Forest. As they walked, or flew in her case, Dusk kept an eye on her out of the corner of his, noticing her taking lingering glances at him, her face still tinged with crimson. He kept his eyes off her, not encouraging her like he'd been advised. Rainbow's sudden disappearance yesterday hadn't gone unnoticed, especially by Dusk's romantic advisor. Like him, Rarity had been noticing Rainbow's increasingly strange behaviour around him and had told him what he already knew, but didn't really want to admit: she was interested in him. In that way. She couldn't explain why she'd suddenly left like she had, but she could tell him that much and Dusk wasn't exactly content with that. Both of them knew one certain thing about Rainbow. She didn't like to lose, which was probably why her romantic feelings were increasing. She may have had these feelings before, but had perhaps just assumed that Dusk would eventually come to her, because she was just that 'awesome'. Now that she'd lost him to Twilight, she was becoming more agitated as a result and unsure as to what to do, probably torn by her loyalty to her friends and her feelings for Dusk. Simply put, Rarity had advised him to make it very clear to Rainbow that he wasn't interested in her in the way she was in him and to confront her about it, if need be. That was something Dusk wasn't too eager to do. Even though he knew Rainbow was tough, he didn't want to hurt their feelings and make their friendship awkward. He just decided to try and show signs, like Rarity said and hoped she'd come to her senses before long. He probably could have done with some different company in the forest, but he'd just put up with it. He kept his eyes resolutely fixed on the forest ahead and not the increasingly agitated Pegasus flying alongside him. Dusk's attitude was really starting to grate on Rainbow's nerves. She'd attempted a fly-by a few times to get him to notice her, but apart from that polite smile of his that always just made her mind go blank, he just wouldn't pay attention to her. Why wasn't he looking at her?! She knew that he was with Twilight and that those two looked like they were doing okay, but that wasn't going to stop her from having one last shot at this herself. When she first met Dusk, she hadn't expected anything like the unicorn Twilight had told them all to be nice and welcoming to. Sure, she'd be nice to him, but he sounded like a stuttering geek to her, something she wasn't that impressed by. Then, she'd seen his magic and thought it was pretty cool, as she'd said. Not to mention that he was alright to look at, even if he was a little skinny and stuttered more than Fluttershy talking to a crowd. Or even to them. She never actually thought she'd go for the guy. Then, he'd gotten better. He stopped stuttering, mostly anyway and become more confident. She discovered that he could kick flank if he needed, even if it was a little clumsy and uncoordinated. He smiled more, he thought that she was cool, something she always thought, but was made better coming out of him. He became an Element of Harmony, a student to a princess and that just raised his coolness levels to Cloudsdale heights. Even if he became a little more geeky with his increased studying and wearing glasses. But there was something else about him too. Despite how obviously cool and athletic she was, there were times when he managed to make her unable to look as cool as she usually did. He could talk his way out of a problem she probably would have just thrown her hoof at, look at a problem another way and come up with something way better than what she thought of. He could prove her wrong. Normally, she didn't like that but, when it was coming from him… she just didn't know what to say. That was why she'd left yesterday, because he'd done it again. This time, it was proving not only that they didn't need to fight giant Spike, but that it was the dragon's crush on Rarity that had been strong enough to solve the problem. So she'd gone home, thought about it for a while and decided that if Spike's crush could turn him back to normal, then with her own and how awesome she was, she could easily win over Dusk. It would be easy. So, why didn't it seem to be working? "Right, here we are then." She watched intently, while Dusk conjured a puppet of Angel. It didn't move with the same speed as others though. "I thought this might be the case…" "What's up? Can't you use your thingy to find him?" She hoped that she wouldn't sound stupid. Wait, why should she be worrying about that? "My emotional connection to Angel isn't as strong as it is with you girls, not in a positive sense anyway." "Yeah, there's not exactly a lot of reasons to like that long-eared jerk," she commented. "Not really, no," he replied with a smile. Rainbow allowed one of her own at this small victory. "I can still track him, but it won't be as precise as it normally is. I would suggest keeping an eye open for him, just in case." "Sure thing." She decided to be bold and flew in a little closer. "Good to know that you can always find me, when you need me. Know what I mean?" "I think I do…" He took a few steps away, but Rainbow did notice a slight redness in his cheeks. "Let's get going then." She seethed a little bit from this lack of response and followed him in. Still, they were alone now. Here was her chance to try and win him over. Twilight couldn't complain if he changed his mind and chose her instead. It would be his choice, she couldn't do anything about it. "You and me are more alike than I thought, Dusk. We're both gutsy and we don't leave our friends hanging," she tried, putting on her confident air. "I suppose we are." She couldn't tell what he meant by that, but she tried to get in the message further. "Not only that, but we both have our way with colour. I know that your stuff isn't as spectacular as my sonic rainboom, but I always said that your colours were pretty cool, especially now you're making them better. That's something else too, we're both training ourselves up to be the very best. I know I'm already good, but you're definitely getting up to my levels too," she said appraisingly. In her eyes, having a pony compared to herself was quite compliment. Dusk knew that too and he'd be sure to get the message this time. "Thanks for saying but… I still need to improve quite a bit," he said modestly. That could be a little annoying, but she didn't mind it all that much. "Not that much. When you're done, I wouldn't be surprised if you became the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria," she complimented. "Rainbow… I um…" Good, she had him in an area where she could press her advantage. He was the one stuttering, not her. As it should be. "Then, once I become a Wonderbolt, you and me will be look great. The greatest flyer in Equestria with the greatest um… magicer thingy pony." She recovered from that little slip-up as best she could. "That sounds good, doesn't it? You and me?" "I… suppose but, I don't think I'll be as powerful as Twilight. Her magic is more potent than mine and she's had more training than I've had. I'll still do my best though," he added brightly. Now they were getting into Twilight territory. This wasn't good. "Yeah, but… I still think that…" "Of course, I have no doubts at all that you won't become a Wonderbolt," he added. "You are definitely the greatest flyer I've ever seen and they'd be insane not to accept you at the academy." "I uh… well um… thanks." No, he got her stuttering again! This wasn't the way it was supposed to be going! "No problem, I always have faith in my friends," he replied. "I think we might be getting close now…" "A-and another thing!" she said, a little loudly. "We don't only act cool, we also uh… both look good, am I right? You know, windswept mane, sleek body, great hooves, not all bad. In fact, I'd say definitely all good." She posed to emphasize this and glanced to see Dusk staring at her, but also trying not to. He looked to be opening his mouth to say something, but couldn't get the words out. Blown away, just as she'd intended. Good, she had him on the ropes again. She was back in the game. "Not only that, but scruffy mane, cool hat, slim, good-looking." She dared to wink and locked eyes on him. "Quite a set, aren't we?" "I um… uh…" She had him now! But then, he looked away and recovered himself. "Thanks for the um… the compliment, Rainbow but um… I'm not really that impressive… as looks go, I mean." "Not from what I think," she said, trying to recover it. "I think you're pretty ho-" "Thank you, Rainbow," he cut off, a little sharply, "but I really don't think I'm all that spectacular. You're quite um… attractive though, so I won't dispute that." Yes, he thought she looked good! Maybe she hadn't lost this! "And…?" "And… thank you, again, for the compliment, though I'm sorry I had to dispute it a little. It's nice to know my friends seem to think I'm decent enough." He gave her a friendly look, though his blush lessened. "Right, back to finding that rabbit…" He started walking off again, the Pegasus trying to contain her frustration. She'd had him, she'd almost had him in her hooves, but he'd slipped out! How could he resist her?! "Rainbow, can I ask something of you?" Wait, maybe she'd seen it wrong. This might be it! "Oh yeah, sure. You can ask anything of me, Dusk," she said, joining him close by. "Just say the word and I'll do it." "I wouldn't ask, but I can't track Angel any further. He's somewhere in this area, close-by in fact, but we'll need to search for him manually. Can I ask that you search the area on the left, while I do the right?" "What?! That's it?! But I thought that… that you would…!" He was taken aback by her outburst. "Sorry. If you're not happy with that, we can stick together but… I just think it might be quicker if we divide ourselves up, spread out and search. Unless you… wanted to try something else?" Rainbow couldn't argue with that, much to her frustration and just let out a disgruntled sigh. "It's nothing. I'll go look for him here then…" "You sure you're okay?" "Yeah, yeah, whatever." She hid her disappointment by darting off and pretending to scan her eyes over the bushes. "Right… let's not take long then." She glanced around as he actually started searching, now and again referring to his puppet. Once he was out of earshot, Rainbow slammed her hoof into a nearby tree, cracking the wood a little, sending some startled birds flying and earning some angry chittering from a squirrel. It was all she could do to stop herself screaming. What the hay did she have to do to get this pony to like her?! She'd tried everything she could think of with him, everything to make her stand out and look like the better choice, but it still hadn't worked! She thought, as hard as she could, of some other way to get Dusk to notice her, to like her! There was something, there was always something! She always came out on top and this would be no different! Maybe she could… or even… or perhaps… no, nothing she thought of seemed clear or good in any way. She tried to telling herself that she could do it, that she could win him over if she just tried a little harder! She could do it! In the end though, she just sighed and hung her head. While she hated losing, she also knew there were times she had to recognise she was beaten, even if she didn't like it. She could argue about it, fight about it even, but not this time. While she did really like Dusk, she also didn't want to show herself as a selfish jerk to Twilight and Dusk and risk losing them as friends. She'd been as subtle as she could with her feelings, but Dusk either didn't notice or just wasn't interested. She couldn't show herself now without actually kissing the guy and he knew neither he nor Twilight would be happy with her. They might be eggheads, but they were also her friends and she didn't do things like that to her friends, no matter how much she wanted to win. She'd already tried that with Applejack and they'd both lost as a result. She'd learned her lesson and, while she really wanted Dusk as her coltfriend, she didn't want to lose him as her actual friend. He might be grateful if she found Angel before him, but it wouldn't win him over. She didn't know what it was that Twilight had that she didn't, but it was obviously something that had won over Dusk for her and not Rainbow. Whatever it was, she didn't have it. She didn't like thinking this, but maybe it was time to quit… the thought hurt her a lot more than she thought and she screwed up her eyes to keep the tears back. A small sound reached her ears, enough to raise her head. She looked around the forest. Nothing. She went to lower her head, but she heard it again. Louder this time. Then again, louder and closer. It sounded like the ringing of a bell. A tiny little bell. Or a load of those bells, ringing at once. Her first thought was that it might be dangerous and she raised her hooves to defend herself, but she heard the sound again. That little ringing of bells. She lowered her hooves. How could anything that made a noise so… well, pretty ever be dangerous? She scolded herself for thinking of such a sissy word, but that's what it was. Pretty. Her ears followed the sound, as it seemed to be getting louder. It guided her body towards it. She wasn't even sure of what it was, but she just knew that she had to find it. There it was again, louder just like before. Where was it coming from? From that tree? No, from that bush… yes, the bush. Cautiously, but with more curiosity, she peeped her head through the bush, trying to get a glimpse of what might be making the noise. She saw something. It looked like a bright light. A small ball of light, darting around in front of her face. Was it some of Dusk's magic? No, it didn't look like it. She thought she could make out something in the light… a shape. Like a body. The ringing sounded again. It definitely came from this thing. Suddenly, it darted at her. She thought of trying to run, to fight, that it indeed might be dangerous. It flew right into her face, she shut her eyes, moved to bring up her hooves. "Agh! Get away from me you… you…" But she couldn't hear anything else. Still with some caution, she opened her eyes to see that it had gone. There was no sign of it in the bush's leaves or branches. She stuck her head out of the bush and looked around. Nope, still nothing. Maybe she'd scared it off. Too bad, she was a little curious to know what it was. "Rainbow? Rainbow! I found Angel! Where are you?" The sound of Dusk's voice made her turn her head. Maybe he would know what it was, he was quite brainy… really brainy, something she liked about him. Really liked. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. No, no. She wasn't meant to think of Dusk like that anymore. He just wanted to be her friend and, as much as she didn't like it, she had to try and accept it. "I'm over here!" she answered. "I'm fine, nothing came after… me." Her voice trailed off when Dusk walked into the clearing and everything else was driven out of her mind. She didn't care about what that weird light was or where it had gone, barely noticed the struggling rabbit held in the aura of his magic. All she could focus on was the stallion standing in front of her. She was reminded, in that instant, why she wanted him so much. The way his teeth glinted when he smiled, that slim, attractive body and his chiselled, perfect face. His hat had come off, allowing the wind to blow through his mane. It was so wavy and sleek, she just wanted to run her hoof through it, to feel how soft and coarse it no doubt was. His lips seemed to beckon to her, call to her to grab him and crash her own against his and show him just what- "Rainbow? Rainbow, are you okay?" That voice was sweet music to her ears, even better than feeling the wind whipping through her mane at top speed. It was so alluring, she could listen to it all day, telling her how awesome she was, both in the air and in- She suddenly realised what she had been thinking and mentally slapped herself. Where the hay had all of that come from?! She had just decided not to go for him anymore, now she couldn't stop staring at him. After all, who couldn't stop staring at this handsome, hunk of a stallion, who… no, no! Stop doing that! "I'm fine!" she replied, in a high voice. "Totally fine, yeah. Nothing wrong at all. Everything's great with me, after all, it's me. Why wouldn't it be?" He was looking at her with concern. He really cared about her. If he cared about her, maybe he liked her and even then, maybe he loved… no, no, no, NO! Stop it! "Are you sure you're…?" "What are you talking about?! I wasn't staring!" She shoved her hooves against her mouth, too late, her cheeks flushed red. So were his. Celestia, he was so cute when he did that. "I… I didn't even-" "Whoa, would you look at the time?" she interrupted, looking at a non-existent watch. "Nice seeing you, Dusk, but I really gotta get going. Later!" She sped off, like she knew she could, to get back to her house and away from him, barely even hearing when he called after her. Calling her back, so that they could… no! She had to control herself and, to do that, she had to get away before she did something stupid. When she arrived back at her home, literally crashing through the cloud wall, she thought that was the end of it. She tried to distract herself, working out with her weights, shooting some laps around the sky or just taking a nap. Anything to stop thinking about him and, when she did, she would give her head a hard smack and tell herself to stop doing that. But when she was lifting the weights, she started to think if he would be impressed watching her work at it and at how much she could lift. When she shot through the skies, she wondered if he was down there, watching her with awe and cheering about how great she was. When she lay down to rest, she imagined him there with her, wrapping his legs around her and holding her close. And her slaps, her conviction, grew weaker every time. In the end, she finally stopped resisting and just let the fantasies happen. She didn't know why she was suddenly thinking like this and she didn't really care. All she knew was that she had given up too easily. She was Rainbow Dash! The best flyer in all of Equestria, she'd won the Young Flyers Competition, met her heroes and saved Equestria twice. She could win over Dusk. She would win over Dusk. It was obvious he would feel the same way as she did. He just needed a little encouragement. She lay down to sleep that night, her mind already coming up with a few ideas and plans. She noticed vaguely that there seemed to be something sparkling in the air, but she didn't pay it any mind. All she knew was, when she saw Dusk tomorrow, she was going to start him on the right way. The Rainbow Dash way. Rainbow sat on a cloud, ready and waiting to begin her plan to land Dusk as her coltfriend. It had taken her a lot of careful thinking, something she wasn't usually in the process of doing, but this was no practice stunt. She would need to plan and think about what she would have to do to win her goal this time. It would be tough, but it would be worth it. Using stealth that would make a thief jealous and speed that would make Captain Spitfire herself turn her head, she'd followed Dusk for a few days, seeing just what he did each one. He varied it up sometimes, but he otherwise kept a regular routine. Every morning, he'd get up early and arrive at the library, where he'd remain for a good few hours, after which he might leave for a walk or for lunch. Now and again, he might go and see one of the others, but he would always go home at the same time in the evening. That gave her three windows of opportunity, which she would be exploiting today to win him over. A three phase routine, just like for the Young Flyer's Contest he'd helped her to plan for. Maybe she'd bring that up once they were a couple. Her eyes locked on the door as it opened, revealing her prize-to-be. Even from here, she could feel the thudding against her chest, the kind of heart beat that she would normally get from a few hours solid flying. This, however, would be far more satisfying than that. She noted briefly that the air seemed to twinkle a little, like the world itself knew how magical they would be. She then chastised herself for thinking of something so soppy and spread her wings. Without waiting any longer, her excitement from both him and the coming flight, she closed her eyes and dived off, shooting towards the ground at break-neck speeds. She kept her eyes shut, feeling the wind shooting past. At the last second, she snapped her eyes open and pulled up from the fall, skimming the ground below with her belly. Pulling up, she shot back up into the air and towards the clouds. She spun around them, enough to give them momentum so that they started to spin too. Once all three of them were whirling in a blur, she kicked or punched them to a central point, darting to each one in less than a second. They formed one big mass, which she ran her hooves up and down, like a potter on a… well, a pot. But when she was done, it was a giant sculpture of a Pegasus pony. She posed next to it for a second, glanced at the ground to see a blue spot remaining stationary and shot towards the sky. She had his attention. Now, time for the finale. She reached a certain height, banked around and flew back towards the sculpture, gathering speed as she went. It wasn't enough for a sonic rainboom, but it would be enough for what she had in mind. Grinning from the sheer joy she felt at travelling at such speeds, plus from her captive audience, she kept her eyes locked on the centre of the sculpture. Hooves forward, she crashed into it, taking apart the whole thing in a spectacular explosion. It had been blocking the rays of the rising sun, so the added effect was the pieces of cloud streaming around her, twinkling in the light, the same for her mane and tail as the water from the clouds soaked them. She posed at the centre of the point, letting him take in the full image and descended back to the ground. "Aw yeah, that was awesome!" She made to look like she was saying this to herself. He might think her too obvious if she'd shown off with her knowing he was there. This would add surprise and awe to the whole show. To her satisfaction, it worked, just like she'd planned. "I find it hard to argue with that assessment," his pleasant voice said, filled with reverence. "That was incredible!" "Oh, hey Dusk, I didn't know you were there," she fibbed, keeping a cocky smile on. "Yeah, it was pretty good, wasn't it?" "Indeed. I know you're a good flyer, no, a great flyer, but I think you just set yourself some new standards with that trick," he said. "Truly spectacular." "I knew it would be, but thanks anyway." She dusted herself off with her hooves, knowing how good she must look right now. "I just had the idea for that yesterday, but I wanted to wait a little to try it out. I didn't mean to have anypony watching, but it was still pretty sweet." "Once again, I agree," he nodded. "Once you show that to the Wonderbolts, they'll be as blown away as that sculpture you just took apart." "Which is just how I want 'em." Now, for her suggestion. "I still feel like it could have something though, like what you did with your magic that one time." "I think it looks fine as it is but, if I can help at all, let me know," he offered. "I'll bear it in mind. I'd be happy to perform any tricks for you. Any tricks," she added, with a lingering look. "Oh… um…" She had him speechless again, that meant she had an advantage. "Who knows, when the Wonderbolts do take me on, you can come with me as my partner. I can picture it you know. You, me, the crowds… all of them watching us perform. Together." She let her gaze turn sultry. "Yes, well… as um… great as that sounds, I don't think that… show business is a career for me," he told her. "Sorry to disappoint." "No sweat, you'll have time to think about it, trust me." "Can I… just say one thing?" She hadn't expected him to be won over so soon, but she preferred speed. He must have caught her hints and meanings. "Sure, Dusk." She moved a little closer. "You can tell me anything you like." "Just that… you might want to try that trick in the afternoon, instead. When the sun is highest and brightest, I feel that would give you the full effect of the trick and truly dazzle those watching." She felt a twinge of annoyance at the outcome, but she again, she wasn't too fussed. There were still two phases to go. "Sure, thanks for the suggestion. As long as it helps make me look more awesome, I'll take all the help I can get. Especially from my close friends." "Glad I could help." Either he didn't catch her meaning, or he was ignoring it. "Have a good day then, Rainbow." "I'll make sure of it. See you later! Or sooner," she added to herself, once he'd gone. "I can see it now, you and me. This is gonna be great!" "Well, miss, I'm very flattered that you'd say so." She jumped at the voice of a mule who was standing right next to her. She stared in disbelief as he raised his eyebrows suggestively, before flying off as quickly as possible. She followed him silently, using a cloud as cover while he walked off to the library, now and again tipping his hat to ponies he might know or to return a greeting, another thing he did regularly. She couldn't help but seethe a little when he entered the library and she could see through the window 'greeting' Twilight. Enjoy him while you can, she thought, he'll be mine soon enough. She positioned herself on the cloud, whipped out the wrapped-up package she'd brought with her and started fiddling with pieces of cloud idly, letting the water run down her leg to cool her off. In a way, this little interlude before phase two was a good thing. It would give him time to allow the awesomeness of her display to sink in, to let him think about how great she really was, so much better than Twilight and allow doubts to surface if he'd made the right choice. That said, this was still pretty boring. She could actually feel her wings twitching, like they were just as impatient as she was to get up and get flying. She would do little circuits, now and again, to relieve the tension that the waiting bought, but she couldn't allow herself a proper flight. She had to remain close to the library at all times. She knew what time he usually got out, but that could just as easily change. Just wait, it would all be worth it. Finally, just when she thought she would go mad with boredom, after making and smashing her one-hundred and fifth sculpture on her cloud, he came out of the library, no doubt leaving to either get some fresh air or to get his lunch. Either way, she had a chance catch him on his own again. She darted off her cloud to land on the street, checked her reflection in a shop window and strode with purpose out into town. Phase two. This time, she was deliberately looking for him, or that was how it would appear to him. She soon found him, arriving in the town square, caught his smile and flashed him her best smile as she approached, carrying the package on her back. "Hey, twice in one day. Must be a real treat for you," she said charismatically. "Good afternoon, Rainbow," he greeted politely. "Here to perform your latest daring deed for all to see now?" "I thought about it, but I was actually looking for you. I hoped Twilight might have released you from that stuffy place at some point. Must get pretty dull, working in a library day after day..." "Not really. Spike and Twilight always help brighten my day and I rather like the quiet atmosphere we usually have," he said brightly. "Yeah, but you must wanna a little excitement, now and then. Living life on the edge, taking daring risks, showing everypony what you can do, you know." "Are we talking about myself or you now?" He laughed a little. "Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't go seeking excitement and adventure. You know me, that's not really my intrigue. You have that covered fairly well already." "Glad you noticed." Not really what she was hoping he'd say, but she had to stay on track. "Okay, so it works for you, but you'd never catch me in there." "Suit yourself, to each their own after all," he remarked. "It's a shame that you don't like reading, Rainbow. I can understand why you find books boring, but they're not all bad." "For you, maybe," she dismissed, but then noticed she could earn some more points here. "But, if I ever do that reading might be cool, as unbelievable as that sounds, I'll know who to come to." "I'll be happy to help. And if I feel the sudden urge to break all my bones in the most spectacular way possible, I will, likewise, know who to approach," he returned. "Good to know you can come see the master, huh?" Rainbow felt elated as they laughed, glad they could make a joke now without him stuttering. "Anyway, speaking of stunts, that was why I came to find you." Dusk looked worried. "This isn't going to be like when you used that catapult, is it? Pardon my opinion, but I can still remember my organs hurtling into my throat from that." "You sure you can't go another round?" She laughed at his horrfied expression. "Nah, I'm just kidding. I just wanted to give you this." She whipped out the flat package and handed it to him. He levitated it before his eye. "A gift? Rainbow, you… you didn't have to go to the trouble. It's not… you know, my birthday or anything…" "I know, but I saw these and I thought you might like them, especially since you can fly now." "Not very high, not very long and not very fast," he pointed out. "Even so, if you do need to speed things up, it might be good to have these on you." She winked at him again. "You never know when I might need a new flying buddy." He still looked a little unsure, but she felt the warmth from the grateful smile that he gave her. Opening the package, he examined the contents, with Rainbow watching intently. "Pretty cool, huh?" She took them and displayed them. "These are a replica of the flying goggles used by the Wonderbolts, treated with the same care and devotion. They're specially designed to resist against high wind speeds, are treated so they don't get fogged up or soaked so you can still see and, best of all…" She whipped off his glasses and snapped them on. "They make you look as awesome as they do! Am I right, or am I right?" She felt her spirits fall a little when Dusk still didn't look convinced. He examined his reflection in a window, adjusting them a little in places. "Well… they certainly look… unique," he noted. "And look, I got my own pair as well!" She snapped on her own and joined him looking in the window. "How about that? We match each other perfectly." "I… I suppose we do…" She liked using this as an excuse to look at him longer. Not that she needed one. Dusk looked at his reflection a few minutes longer, realised how close Rainbow had gotten to him and backed away quickly, replacing the goggles with his glasses again. "Yes, well um… thank you for the gift, Rainbow. I appreciate it and feel reassured that I'll have protection whenever I decide to go… flying." He seemed to shiver at the word, but she knew that it was with excitement. "Great to hear! Like I said, I'll be here whenever you want to try them out," she said suggestively, leaning forward a little, close to his face. "Thanks… for the offer." He backed away again, his eyes shifting nervously. He was so cute when he got flustered. "Right, I'd better be going… good day, Rainbow. I hope I can repay you for this… gift." "No problem, it's on me. See ya!" she called out, then whispered to herself again, "Besides, you're gonna be repaying that gift sooner than you think with an even better one: you, my hunk of a stallion." "Again, miss, I find myself flattered by your kind words." Again, the same mule made her jump. "You're quite a forward kind of girl, aren't you?" "Believe me, I aim to be," she snapped back, but he didn't seem put off, so she quickly high-tailed it out of there again. She repositioned her waiting post, this time near the path that Dusk took from Ponyville to his home once he was done working at the library. By now, she was sure she'd got him pretty convinced as to who he should be with, thanks to the efforts of her routine, her gift and her suggestions in her flirting with him. Already, she had shown him how great the two of them would be if they were a couple and he was probably already considering dumping Twilight. Now, she just needed to give him a little more of a push to seal the deal. He was a pretty nervous guy when he didn't know what he was doing, so she was going to make it very easy for him, with the help of her karate skills and her own brand of charm that was unique to her. If he was having fantasies about her now, as she had no doubts he would be doing, he would be begging on his knees for her to take him instead. She would, of course, gladly accept. As she set up the practice dummies for the final phase of her plan, she could feel her excitement and tension mount for the coming encounter. It was like the nerves and chills she got before performing her latest dare, but this was far better. She liked the tingle that she got in her brain as she pictured her and Dusk at the end of all this, in each other's arms, together as they should be. He'd treat Rainbow just like he'd been treating her, but with much more vigour and enthusiasm, she could tell already. Twilight had had him for long enough, now it was time for Rainbow to claim what was rightfully hers. She licked her lips, preparing them for that moment when they'd finally capture Dusk's. Her brain seemed to tingle at the thought and the air seemed to twinkle again with that same light. Just more proof for her case that Dusk was going to be hers. It was only a matter of time and that time was drawing so close now. Waiting this time was a lot easier than for the gift, because she was so close to fulfilling her dream and because she could move around a lot more. She could remain a little more active, either by running or flying or else practicing fighting moves on the dummies she'd brought along. She rather needed to work off the excess energy anyway and not just from lack of exercise. Well, not typical exercise at any rate. Not long now, she thought, swinging her hoof at the dummy's head and following it up with a hard punch. After it had fallen, she looked out of the corner of her eye to see Dusk diverting his own and continuing down the road. How cute. He was shy. She could understand that, so she would just have to be the one to approach him. "And that makes three, better make a wish," she remarked, walking up to him. "It really is your lucky day, isn't it?" "I um… suppose, though it might depend on one's definition of luck." "So, what's your definition of it then?" she asked, taking a step closer and locking eyes with his. "Uh…" He diverted his own gaze and changed the subject. "That was an… impressive display of martial arts." "Watching me sweat, were you?" She smiled at how flustered he was. "Yeah, I thought that it might be a good spot to practice out here. Spacey, breezy and I can draw a little bit of… attention too." He cleared his throat noticeably. "Well, as long as you use it in self-defence only." "Oh don't worry, I do. Most of the time, anyway," she shrugged. "Actually, you've just given me an idea for something else to use it for." "Which is what, may I ask?" "I remember you told us you were sparring with that guy in Canterlot for Luna, to try out your skills and stuff." She held her hooves out wide. "I'm just saying, but…" He looked shocked at the idea. "Rainbow, I… I could never bring myself to hit you. You're my friend, I don't want to hurt you." "Come on, we both know I've been through worse than anything you could throw at me. No offense." "None taken, but… I still dislike the idea of having to fight you. Or fight at all, for that matter," he added. "I've finished learning battle magic, for now anyway." "Yeah, but you've gotta keep practicing, otherwise you won't be as good as you could be." She flexed her muscles a little. "Keep at it, that's how you get to be a champion." "I suppose…" He appeared to consider it. "Are… are you sure about this?" "If I wasn't, do you think I would have asked?" "Fair point." He sighed and stepped into the field. "Okay, I suppose, if it'll help… I apologise in advance for any discomfort I end up causing you." "Noted, now let's rumble!" She stretched her limbs in preparation and stood in a battle stance. "Now come on, gimme your best shot!" "Right…" He loosened his limbs too and turned his hooves orange, but still looked like he was grappling with the idea of hitting her. As much as she loved how sweet he was, she needed to get in close to him for what she had in mind. If he wasn't going to make the first move, she'd have to take the initiative. Quick as a flash, she darted forward, bring her hoof at his side. That got him into action, going on the defence and blocking it with a cream shield. Another kick was met with the same result, as was every attack that followed. Whether he was on the defensive or offensive, she didn't mind. Her plan was to wear him down and then move onto the final part of phase three. That didn't mean she couldn't have fun with him first. She feinted a kick, followed up with a punch that broke through. She felt a jolt as her skin touched his and knew that she wanted more. Overcome with the desire, she grabbed his leg and held it in lock, meaning that any movement would be very uncomfortable. For him, anyway, but certainly not for her. She reached for his mane, to run her hoof through it, to intake the scent that was close to driving her crazy. "Gotcha now," she whispered. "Hardly," he returned. "I still have three limbs free." Suddenly, his hooves turned pink and he slammed two into the ground, causing his body to bounce in an arc and forcing her to let go. He landed far off from her and lowered his head. Recognising what was coming, Rainbow darted off as colour pellets, the same colour as her fur, shot at her. Her excitement mounted. That meant something, it had to! "Yes, yes, that's it!" she cried out. "Give it to me, come on!" "If you insist." She saw a slight smile, as he stepped up the attack. Rainbow weaved around the bombardment, feeling one occasionally graze against her skin, very rarely letting one to hit her. When she did though, it was only to feel the elation of knowing that he was trying to get her… and she liked it! She charged at him again, diving straight at him, with the intent of bringing him down. But he ducked as she got in close and she hit something soft, a colour cloud that he made her crash into. This was followed up with an impact on her flank as she bounced back, shooting up over his head and followed by one more punch to the chest, flooring her. Wondering why it didn't hurt as much as it should have, she looked to see that his hooves were still pink. He was making them softer, so he could touch her without having to hurt her. He did want her! She knew it! Their battle continued on, Dusk for the most part remaining on the defence, only striking her in order to get some distance away, so he could perform a long range attack. Rainbow kept up her attack, sprinting across the ground, getting in close and hitting him, touching him and loving every single minute of it. She could tell that he was too, even if he didn't want to hurt her badly. That just showed how much he obviously loved her. Soon enough, they both started to show signs of strain, sweating and panting more as their attacks continued. Rainbow just couldn't take it anymore, not because she was getting tired, although that was part of it. She wanted this to end in the moment she'd been waiting all day for, the ultimate climax. It was time to finish this. Charging in one, last time, she blocked the punch he sent at her and hit him in the chest. While he was winded, she kicked him from underneath, making him lose his hoofing and landing on the floor. With one, final leap and a whoop, she landed on top of him, pinning all four of his legs with her own. He tried struggling, but there was no escape. She had him, at long last. "I submit, I admit defeat!" he cried, laughing a little. She pinned him down harder. "I can't hear you!" "I said you win! Victory is yours, I'm no match for you!" "I know, I know." She flipped him over, so he was looking right up at her. "But that didn't stop you trying, did it?" "There's no point in not trying," he countered. "After all, if I hadn't, I would never have met you." "And you would have been forever full of regret for never knowing the awesomeness that is me," she remarked. "How tragic that would have been." They both laughed again, Rainbow gazing intensely at him. "Um… anytime you want to get off me, that would be good." "I will, there's just something I want to do first. That we need to do." His lips were practically begging to be kissed by hers. She saw his eyes widen in anticipation, slowly moving her head in closer. "Right well… um… can I just point out that… you've already given me enough of… one thing." "And what's that?" she whispered, moving in even closer. So close… "One thing that… I really, really needed more of. I would… be above this, usually but… I feel you leave me no choice," he stammered, trying to wriggle his head away. "I don't care," she said, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "I'm gonna give you even more of this then." "I feel… you've um… given me enough already." "Of what?" "Time." That puzzled her. "Time? Time for what?" "This." A bright light suddenly flared in front of her, forcing her to shield her eyes and back off. "Sorry!" "What? What the-?" She felt his presence leave and she felt around blindly for him. "Where are you?! Come back! Get back here!" There was no response. When her eyes finally cleared, he had gone. There was no sign of him. She was left, alone in the field. Gone. At first, she felt disappointed, which grew into anger, finally surmounting in rage. She screamed, at her wasted effort and time, smacking the dummy again and taking its head off, completely overcome by her anger. He'd gone! He'd run off! Why?! What had she done wrong?! He obviously wanted her, why did he leave?! "You stupid, stupid stallion!" she screamed. "When are you going to get that I want you?! I need you! YOU!" "Now, I feel that we need to get to know each other a little better first, miss," the mule from before said. "Shut up and quit following me!" she yelled, not even bothering to gather up her stuff and just darting off home. She crashed through her wall again, leaving another hole next to the first one. She hadn't bothered fixing it, for she had better things to focus on. Now, all she had to focus on was her frustration at the pony she wanted so badly. Was she just going to have to grab him and kiss him for him to get the message? What did she need to do?! It had been going so well, they'd been making contact with each other all that time. Her brilliant skills, matched with his own less graceful, but precise attacks and dodges. All exactly where they needed to be, every time… like he knew what she was going to do. Where had she seen that before…? No… no, it couldn't be. "Dusk?!" she shouted. "You were the Shadow Spectre? You?! That just proves it more! We were both heroes, we belong together, I know it!" She didn't know what it was that was driving her, only that she was more determined than ever to get him. The fact he'd run away just meant that he was shy, that she would need to make the first move. She was just fine with that, then he'd realise just what he'd been missing out on. She needed to show more that they just fitted, more than what she could normally do. She needed to get closer to him, to be where he always was. But how…? Then, she had an idea, how to win him and to get him to be hers. One that he'd given her… "It's a shame that you don't like reading, Rainbow." That was it! He'd given her a hint to figure it out, to tell her what he wanted! That was how Twilight had done it and that was what she would do. "I know what to do," she muttered. "I know just what to do, then he'll be mine. Mine!" Giggling giddily, making a terrified Tank hide in his shell, she wrenched open her wardrobe and pulled out a woollen sweater and found her comb in the bathroom, blowing the dust that had gathered on it. As the dust cleared, she laughed even more when she realised she was missing one, more thing, but she could get that tomorrow. The air seemed to twinkle again around her, her thoughts as focused as a laser beam. There was no escape for him now. Tomorrow, Dusk would be hers. Forever! "Something wrong, Dusk?" Twilight asked her coltfriend, as she walked by him in the library the next day. "You've been staring at those swirls of magic for a while." He barely looked up, moving his hoof through them. "Just something I have on my mind, Twi," he replied absently. "I wonder… I could just talk… but how?" Her concern only grew. He only did stuff like this when there was really something on his mind, something that he would probably think he could do on his own and not ask her or any of the others. He usually hid it, but she could spot it. She had a suspicion of what it might be, something that they still hadn't talked about and hadn't brought up. Would this be it then? "Is there anything that I can do to help?" she asked. "You know I'm here for you, right?" He remained pensive for a few seconds longer before looking up, smiling more easily than he usually did when thinking about his darker side. Maybe he hadn't been thinking about it. "It's okay, Twilight," he assured gently. "It's not a big problem and I rather hope it'll resolve itself before long." "If you're sure, but the offer is still open, if you want it," she reminded him, smiling warmly. "What is the problem, out of curiosity?" "Well… it's just that-" "Hey, Twilight!" She turned to see Spike, leaning through the door. "There's a pony here, who wants some help around the library." "Well, why can't you help them then?" "I could but…" He suppressed a snigger. "You just gotta see who it is, come on!" Her curiosity piqued by Spike's behaviour, she followed him into the main body of the library. When she saw who it was, she felt the surprise that Spike no doubt expected, as well as a slight urge to giggle herself. Standing in the middle of the library was the last pony she expected to see here. Rainbow Dash was looking around like a scared filly who wasn't sure if she should be here or not, trying and failing to maintain her usual air of confidence. Her mane had been neatly combed to one side, she wore the sweater she remembered she wore as part of her plan to find a pet and wore a pair of square-framed glasses to complete the whole learned look. With any other pony, it might have worked, but considering who it was, it would be like if Fluttershy tried to look like a body-builder or Rarity tried dressing up like a clown. It was just… strange. "Good afternoon, Rainbow," she greeted, trying to keep the smirk off her face. It wasn't helping with Spike sniggering close-by. "Can I… help you with something?" "Oh, hey Twilight," she said, with a slight nervous tone. "I just um… I came looking for a… well, a book." The purple unicorn glanced around the library. "Well, we certainly have plenty of those. Was there any particular book you had in mind?" "Oh um… I dunno just… you know, a book, any book I guess. You know, with words and stuff." "All books have words in them, Rainbow." An idea occurred to her. "Did you lose a bet with somepony to have to do this?" "What?! No!" "Is this a prank?" "No, no! Nothing like that." she insisted. "I just thought that… reading might be something good to… get into, I guess." Twilight was just as surprised by this, but allowed herself a smile. "Rainbow, I think that's-" She was cut off when Spike suddenly burst out laughing. "Rainbow Dash, reading! I mean, actually wanting to read! How hard did you crash to end up thinking that?" "Hey, shut up!" she snapped, her attitude showing through despite the new look. "You wanna go a round, dragon boy?" "I don't know, maybe you should… look it up first!" His laughing intensified, rolling around on the floor. "Spike, are you gonna shut up or is my hoof gonna have to do it for you?" she threatened, holding up the limb in question. That shut Spike up, along with a glare from Twilight, who motioned with her head that he go into the next room. He did so, but not before taking one last glance at Rainbow and mouthing 'one of us' before shutting the door and leaving them. Twilight turned back to the seething Rainbow. "Anyway, I was just saying that I think it's great that you're taking an interest in reading. I like the whole look you have going on too, I love that sweater." "Heh, thanks," she mumbled, her eyes darting around a bit. "I thought that this might… help a bit." "I'd say it does, but it's not the look that counts, it's the interest." She thought for a moment. "Although, you'll have to tell me where you got that sweater. I think it might look good on Dusk." Her eyes flashed at the mention of her coltfriend and she noted a slight twinkle in them too, which quickly left. "Yeah, I guess he might. I'll find out soon enough," she muttered, before speaking more loudly. "So, where should I start?" "Well, all the books are organised into different categories and then ordered alphabetically, as you might know. Just go for a subject you think might interest, pick something and go ahead," she advised. "You won't regret doing this, I think I might recommend-" "Twilight, what's going on? I heard Spike laughing and came to…" He froze and stared at the sight of Rainbow Dash, who stared back at him. It could have been easily seen as just shock, but there was something in her gaze that made Twilight feel… uneasy. But just as soon as it was there, it was gone again and Rainbow spoke a little louder again. "Well, thanks for your help, Twilight, but I think I'll be fine from here. I'm sure I'll learn my way around quickly enough and find something that I like." She gave Dusk another glance and darted towards one of the shelves. As she did, Twilight could have sworn she heard something in her wake. Like a ringing of a tiny bell, that rung one of her own. She dismissed the thought, however, just as Dusk approached. "What's she doing here?" he asked her, a note of concern in her voice. "She said that she's taking an interest in reading. I know, I think it's rather strange too, but I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt. She might really take to it, you never know," she said optimistically. "I… suppose…" She couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him. "What's this? The logical, fact-based mare has accepted faith when her open-minded, imagination filled stallion refuses to accept it?" "I didn't say I refused it, I just find it a little odd," he insisted. "Besides, that just shows how much you've learned." "Only because I've had a good teacher. Maybe we should have a one-to-one session to see what I've learned," she added, moving in closer. "I think that sounds like a great idea." Their lips met in a kiss, something that still made Twilight's heart flutter. Even if she knew that it was just due to an increased heart rate from her body reacting to the possibilities a stallion could offer, she could see why it was romantic. Even though the thought made her blush even more. "Just so we're clear, that doesn't mean that I think we should… you know," she muttered. "Hm? Oh, right!" He blushed too when he caught her meaning. "No, we're not even close to there yet, I think. We can just take it as another meaning instead." "That sounds like a reasonable compromise," she agreed. "Not that doesn't mean I wouldn't…" "Neither would I… I mean I think… well you're… anyway, we're just not at that point yet, right?" "Exactly, right." "Ugh, eggheads," she heard Rainbow mutter, glancing to see her gaze lingering on Dusk again. With another deep blush, the two of them returned to their work. After a few minutes of reading, practicing magic with Dusk, both his and hers and making a few notes, along with some shouting after Spike spilled a hay shake on them, Twilight went to check on Rainbow, who seemed engrossed in a book. "How's it going then?" "Oh, this is great!" she said loudly. "Yeah, reading this is really interesting, it really speaks to me." Twilight looked at the cover and frowned. "Really? This book interests you?" "Yeah. I feel that there are a lot of messages in this, you know, to do with society and… and the government and… you know, stuff." "Societal messages? In Fantastic, Fun and Frivolous Filly Fables?" "Yeah, so?" "Isn't that a children's book?" voiced Dusk from across the room. Rainbow's eyes widened and stared at the book. "It is?!" "It is," confirmed Twilight with suspicion. "What messages did you find in that?" "Oh, heh heh, I was just messing with you." Laughing nervously, she returned the book to its shelf. "I'll find uh… a different book, one that might be more… suited to me." "I see…" Twilight shrugged it off again. "Well, I'll be here to help if you need it. Dusk too, right?" "Yes, of course…" He did smile, but she felt that it was forced, for some reason. "Oh, I'll be glad to get help from you," she replied, turning her eyes to Dusk again. "I'm sure I'll find something much easier that way." Again, not thinking much of her activity, Twilight placed her own book, Transformations and Teleportations on the shelf. She was just taking down another when she heard movement and looked to see that Rainbow had taken down the exact same book she had just put back. She'd also gotten a quill and some parchment and looked like she was making notes, just as Twilight was doing with her own book. That was odd. Why was she taking an interest in magical studies when she couldn't even do magic? And why did she keep staring at Dusk? And why did the way she was doing it give Twilight a sudden urge to hit her? Twilight noticed this increased activity throughout the Pegasus' time in the library. Whenever she was done with a book, Rainbow would take it for herself. When she left her notes on the desk, she would glance to see Rainbow looking over at them. She even saw her comparing the quills she was using, like she was measuring them up, all the while looking over at Dusk. What was she up to? Why was she copying her? Then, an idea hit her. It was a horrible idea, one that she at first saw to deny. But the more she thought about it, the more she knew it made sense, considering Rainbow's actions and her own negative feelings towards them. There was only one way to find out how… "Oh darn," she said loudly. "Looks like I don't have enough parchment. I'm going to have to go and get some more. Dusk, you stay here and keep studying. Spike, I'll need your help." "As you wish," her fellow unicorn complied. "No fair! I was resting!" Spike protested. "Well, now you can get some work done, come on." She levitated him to the door, saying to Dusk she'd see him later and stopping outside. "Twilight, what the hay was that for?!" demanded Spike. "Shh! I need to find out something. Just stay quiet…" She pressed her ear against the door, to listen to the conversation taking place inside. "Looks like it's just you and me then. Alone," Rainbow was saying, her voice level having dropped. "I um… noticed," replied Dusk. "You and me, alone, in the library. Anything could happen. Anything." "Um… I er… hope nothing bad." "Oh, don't worry. Nothing bad is going to happen, for either of us." She heard her hoofsteps moving to where Dusk's voice was coming from, who sounded more nervous by the second. "Rainbow… um… what are you… doing?" "Something I've wanted to do for a very, very long time," she replied in a sultry tone of voice. "I… I don't… what are you…?" "There's no need to be scared, Dusky. She's not here, she's not going to see us." There was the sound of something hitting wood. "Besides, once I'm done, you might not want to see her again." "Rainbow, stop!" He was trying to sound like he was taking authority, but she could hear the quiver in his voice. "I don't… I don't want this! P-please, get off me!" "No need to be shy, even if it is so cute when you stutter," she assured. "Come on, show Rainbow what a quick study you are." "No, no stop!" She didn't want to believe it. She thought she knew her friend, that she wouldn't dare to do something like this. But the evidence was undeniable… as was the anger that had been building to boiling point the more she listened. "Twilight?" Spike sounded scared, knowing what was coming. "Are you… okay?" "ALRIGHT! That's it!" Calling on her magic, she teleported back into the library, to see Rainbow on top of Dusk, who was trying desperately to get away. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" "What does it look like what I'm doing? I'm taking what's mine," answered the Pegasus, who didn't move from her position. "Twilight, please get her off me!" asked Dusk from beneath. "Oh, I plan to!" She shot a bolt of magic at her and teleported between her coltfriend and her unexpected rival. "If you ever, ever do that again, I swear I will make you regret it!" Rainbow was getting to her hooves and she snorted. "Big words, Sparkle. You got what it takes to back them up?" "Just try me," growled Twilight, her horn glowing threateningly. Dusk seemed to sense where this was going. "Ladies, there's… there's no need for this." "Believe me, Dusk, there is every need for this," replied Twilight, not taking her eyes off Rainbow. "Yeah, don't worry, my Dusky," added Rainbow. "Just sit back and watch mamma work. You can get your turn later." "Stop flirting with my coltfriend!" she screeched. "Why? What are you gonna do about it, bookworm?" "I'll show you exactly what I'm going to do, you self-centred little bi-!" The rest of her words were lost by a blast of magic. Rainbow leaped aside, the bookshelf taking the brunt, a few books getting hit and scattering their pages around the Pegasus. Her eyes were wide and mad, the jingling of that bell more noticeable than ever, as well as some kind of small twinkling lights. Possibly magical residue from her spell. "You wanna play, huh?" In the blink of an eye, she darted at her and struck her across the face repeatedly. "Well… I… play… rough!" "Both of you, stop!" "Woo hoo, catfight!" whooped Spike. Twilight ignored them, too caught up in her blind anger at Rainbow Dash. The pony who was supposed to be her friend… the anger that fuelled her. With a scream, she forced her back with a magic shield, levitating a large book over. "You want a book, Rainbow? Here you go!" She slammed her head in it and threw her across the room. "It's quite heavy reading, isn't it?!" "I don't know, you tell me!" She yanked the book off and threw it at her, along with a few others. Twilight caught them all and levitated them around her, dropping them to the floor. "This is a library! Treat the books with respect, as well as your friends!" she snapped at her. "There's something I'm gonna treat with respect and it's not a book." Her gaze turned to Dusk again, sparking Twilight's anger further. "Silence in the library!" She hit her with a spell that filled her mouth with feathers. "How's that for a mouthful?" Rainbow spat them out, her eyes livid. "That's it, you asked for it!" "Bring it on!" Her horn glowing and her wings ready, they both charged at each other… until Twilight was suspended in mid-air by a shimmering aura of purple, as was Rainbow. "That's enough!" Now, Dusk had found his courage enough to stand up to them both. "I'm sorry to say this, but I'm truly ashamed at both of you!" "But… but she started i-" "I don't care who started it! You're both fully grown mares, who should be able to resolve this maturely, but instead you're acting like school yard fillies over the last cup of pudding!" His eyes were on Twilight as he said this. "You're friends, you should be better than this." Now that she was being held in place, Twilight actually stopped to think. She saw all the books that had been ruined in their short fight, the damage done to the library and the look on Dusk's face. Shame overwhelmed her anger and she hung her head. "Dusk… you're right, we should be better than this." There was another flare when she looked at Rainbow. "Maybe we would be, if she had kept her hooves to herself." "I'm getting to that." He turned to Rainbow. "I know that you have some sort of crush on me. I can barely fathom exactly why myself, but I know. I just willing to try and show you that I'm not interested, but you just had to take it further despite that." "Because I want you! I need you!" she cried. "I know, Rainbow and I'm truly sorry, but… but I don't feel for you in that way." She could tell that this was hard for him too. "I only see you as my friend, nothing more. I'm with Twilight, that's my choice and you just have to accept that." "No! I can't, I won't! You're mine! You should be mine! Choose me, not her!" Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew Rainbow didn't like losing, but this was astonishing, even for her. However, now she looked closer, she could see that maybe this really wasn't like her. She noted, again, that ringing from before, the twinkle in her eyes and the magical residue… coming from her ears. Just like that, she knew what was causing this. "Rainbow, please just listen to me. I don't want…" "Dusk, let me down," requested Twilight. "I know why she's acting like this and I know what to do to prevent it. Just put me down and I can fix this." "You're not going to attack her again?" "Trust me." She looked imploringly at him. He held her gaze, nodded and let her down. "Thank you. Spike, would you get me that empty jar of jam from the kitchen?" "Huh? Oh, sure." Looking quite confused, he hurried off and returned with it. "Good. Hold it ready, with the lid off." She then approached the still struggling Pegasus. "Rainbow, this is going to feel a little strange, but I promise you'll be back to normal once I get rid of it." "No, no! Lemme go! I can take her, lemme show you Dusk! I'm better than her!" They ignored her protests and Twilight cast her spell. The glow around her head intensified, making it shudder and shake, the ringing getting louder. After a few seconds, her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out, as did a small ball of white light that flew out of her ear. Now, the ringing of that bell was louder and angrier than ever. Not missing a beat, Twilight caught it as it tried to make a dash for Dusk, holding it in the levitation spell. The little creature was persistent and she could feel it struggling against the spell while she lowered it down. "Spike, the jar!" The dragon hurried forward, opening it and Twilight stuffed the creature in, the lid shutting on it. "Good work." "No problem." He looked at the struggling ball within. "What is it?" "Simply put, it's a humanoid entity of magical energy that influences and feeds on the emotional energy of ponies by increasing the neuron activity in the hippocampus of the brain." "Uh… what about a hippo?" "It's a fairy, at least, I think it is." Dusk lowered his glasses as he examined it. "Yes, it is. They're meant to get into pony's heads and use their magic to heighten emotions towards another, then feed off them." "Oh, right," nodded Spike. "See, that was a simple explanation." Twilight just rolled her eyes. "It must have infected Rainbow, then heightened her emotions towards you to feed off them, if you were the closest to her at the time or if she'd been thinking about her at the time." "We were in the Everfree Forest at one point, so that would probably be why," he confirmed. "How did you notice it?" "I remember from a book I'd read on them. Sometimes the fairy can get greedy, so the emotional energy they feed off needs to be vented in excess, in the form of a sparkling residue out of the ear, though it can also be seen through the eyes, if you look closely," she explained. "Also, her behaviour was a big factor in it. Even she has more self-control than that." "It's a good thing you spotted it then." "And that I studied it." Another thought occurred to her. "Just to be clear, was this the problem you were thinking about before?" "Um, yes." "And you decided not to talk to me about it because…?" "I um… I didn't want to worry you." "Oh, Dusk…" She sighed and shook her head. "When she wakes up, I think we're all going to have a little talk." Rainbow had woken up a few minutes later with a pounding head and a well of shame when she recalled all that she had done under the fairy's influence. She had been really sorry for all that she'd done, having trouble actually looking at Dusk and Twilight, even though they'd forgiven her in the end and gave their own apologies for not noticing it sooner. That didn't mean they hadn't been angry. Twilight had said that, even though it had been due to the fairy, she thought that she'd been able to trust her better and that she'd have to work to regain it again. Dusk too had expressed his disappointment, but she felt even worse with it coming from him that she'd had from the much angrier Twilight. He hadn't raised his voice, or anything like that. He just said: "I expected more." She had said that she'd meant to leave them alone after and that, along with the influence of the fairy, had made it easier to forgive, but not to help Rainbow feel better. She'd left the library to write her report on the hill, because she honestly couldn't face them after all of that. She'd never felt so ashamed in her whole life, so much like a complete jerk. She'd meant to leave them alone, to accept Dusk's decision, but thanks to that stupid fairy, she'd ended up hurting her friends. It had vanished from the place Twilight had left it, jar and all, but they didn't pay it any mind. The creature would find its way back to the forest in the end, as they didn't like to hang around towns because of all the noise. She hoped they'd never see it again. How could they honestly forgive her after all that? How could Dusk say it was okay, after how she'd acted around him? It just made her want to bury her head in shame. "Need some company?" Dusk had arrived, that polite smile on his face. She lowered her head further. "You want to be around me, I know." "Then, you don't know me very well then." She heard him sit on the grass beside her. "I see you're done with your letter then." "Yeah…" Why was he doing this? "Twilight and I just finished ours," he told her. "She wrote that she shouldn't have resorted to violence and I said that I should have spoken to you about this in the first place. At least we were all at fault today." "Only because of me though," she said bitterly, still not looking at him. "How can you still sound so happy after all I did?" "Rainbow, neither of us blame you. It was the fairy that made you-" "Not before that though!" she shouted. "Before that, I was still trying to make you my coltfriend, even though you were with Twilight. I butted in on your date, made you feel weird to be around me and just looked like an idiot! How can you forgive me after all that?" He was silent, as she expected, But not for long, for his voice was reading out Celestia's letter. Dear Princess Celestia When you find yourself with strong feelings for somepony, you might go to great lengths to get them to feel the same, even doing things you might not normally do. This might not work in the end and they may have already made their decision. If they don't return the feelings, it can be hard to accept, but you have to accept it with maturity and good nature, or it'll just be made even worse, for them and for your friends. In the end, you'll be better friends for it. Your loyal subject Rainbow Dash. "Now, to me, that sounds like a pony who's learned her lesson and who knows how to do right by her friends in future." His hoof was placed gently on her shoulder. "It's not easy to admit when you're wrong, Rainbow, I understand and this was hard for all of us. But we need to learn from this and move on from this. You too, because you don't want to be without us as friends… I know that I don't." This time, she looked up at him. The smile was genuine, the look in his eye was warm and forgiving. The things she'd done and felt sorry for, it was like he… understood, somehow. He meant it. He really meant it. Even if she couldn't have him, he was willing to be her friend. That still made her chest ache but… she'd take it. "Alright, I'll try. Thanks, Dusk." She laughed and punched his arm. "You softy of a stallion, I don't know what I saw in you in the first place." "Neither do I. And who are you to talk of being soft, I saw your eyes shimmering there." "I was not going to cry!" she insisted, wiping away a few tears. "I'm too tough for that." "If you insist," he chuckled. "I'm sorry again about… you know." "Eh, don't sweat it. When it comes down to it, you're not really my type anyway," she quipped, ignoring the ache she felt from that. "I'll be fine and, who knows, there may be another stallion I can snag." "Excuse me, miss?" Her head shot up to see the same mule from before, wearing a bowtie and carrying flowers. "Don't suppose you're still willing to take me on, are you?" "Perhaps sooner than you think," remarked Dusk, laughing again. Rainbow just groaned, again ignoring the slight feeling of regret that she would never be the one to make him laugh from what she could give him. Although she wondered what could have happened that he'd understand so well what she'd been through anyway.