The sound of learning was a wonderful one, in Twilight's opinion. It was really a combination of sounds. It was the crackling of pages turning, the soft scratching of quill on paper, and the pervading aura of nothing else. A focused environment was paramount for studying, Twilight Sparkle knew. It was just a shame that Rainbow Dash didn't appreciate it as well.
The sound of Rainbow Dash's environment of never learning her lesson was a yell, starting quiet and getting loud, the whoosh of her flying through a window and right by Twilight, and then the crash and tumbling of books when she was forced to a stop by a bookcase. The alicorn idly noted that it was never a wall or a door, always a bookcase, like she was trying to make more work for her.
"Another sudden crosswind?"
Rainbow dug herself out of the book pile and brushed herself off. "Yeah. You know how it is. Never my fault I was blown off course. And landed in your library. Through your window. But anyway!" Twilight jumped as Dash sidled up right next to her. "Whatcha got here?"
"Magimagnetic Field Theory. The sort of stuff that'd put somepony like you to sleep."
"Oh yeah? Somepony like me? What's that supposed to mean?"
Twilight placed a bookmark, closed it carefully, and then slammed it onto the table startling the pegasus into the air. "It means I'm very busy and I either don't have time, or am not willing, to put up with you pestering me for no reason."
"So, this isn't important?"
"Wha-of course this is important!"
"Okay, show me."
Twilight stared at her. "How can I show you something that can't be seen?"
Rainbow Dash scoffed. "Well what does it do?"
"It...I don't..."
"So you don't know?"
The alicorn was at the end of her patience. "It doesn't have any application yet! It can do plenty!"
"Seems dumb." The pegasus struggled not to smile or laugh at the glare she got for that one.
"You did not just call magic dumb."
"I think I did." Twilight was about ready to burst into flames. Dash was still perfectly calm. "All I'm hearing is 'theory' this and 'hypotheis' that-"
"Hypothesis"
"-That's blasphemy. You're one of the best at magic, right? Then show me how powerful magic is."
Twilight glared at her still. "How?"
Dash reached in and bopped her lightly on the nose. "Duel me. Ten paces each, first to land a hit. Loser has to do one thing for the winner."
"Violence? Rainbow Dash, magic is wonderful and useful and you want to waste it on something so, so, so barbaric?"
"Who are you, Rarity? Oh, I get it. You know your magic is no good when actually put to use!"
"You've seen me cast-"
"Talk, talk. Show me, don't tell me."
Twilight fumed for another second. "SPIKE!" she nearly screamed.
In the room above, a thud was heard before Spike came sprinting out and slid down the railing, landing perfectly in front of Twilight. "What! What is it!? Are we under attack?!"
She snorted. "No. First of all, I told you not to slide down that railing."
"But it sounded like an emergency!"
"It is, Spike. I need to you to moderate a duel between me and Featherbrain."
Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash stood nose-to-nose, glaring their hardest at each other. They were currently in an open field outside of Ponyville. Off to one side, the other bearers lined up in a row. Pinkie Pie had caught them on their way out of town, and from there gathered the rest for the show.
"Alright!" Spike spoke loudly. "The duel is first blood! First to land a hit is declared the winner! The loser must do one thing the winner says! The competitors will turn, walk ten paces at my count, and then begin when I yell 'turn'!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "Are the duelists ready?"
The two nodded. Both their faces were a little flushed, but Spike wrote it off as anger. He began counting slowly and loudly until he reached "TEN!"
The ponies and dragon were completely silent for a while. A breeze picked up for a second, producing a soft wooooooosh as air caught on grass, making it rustle. Spike took a few steps back, not wanting to be caught in the middle of the two. Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash stood facing away, both wearing faces of determination. The crowd was silent and tense, anxious to see who would land the first hit.
"TU-" wham!
Before anypony else could even register that Spike had yelled, Dash stood over Twilight, having tackled her to the ground. Wearing a smug grin, she looked down at the alicorn. She raised a forehoof over the stunned mare's face, before touching her lightly on the nose.
"Boop."
"And the winner is, RAINBOW DASH!"
The crowd erupted into applause, Pinkie Pie cheering and Applejack giving off whistles. They began walking away, since the show was finished. Rainbow stepped off Twilight, laughing. "Your magic's no good if I don't give you a chance to use it. Anyway, I'll pick you up at seven thirty. Dress nice and bring a telescope."
Twilight just lay there looking up at the sky, thinking over and over, what?