//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: A Nightmarish Double Date // by Jondor //------------------------------// Rarity and Rainbow Dash sat, rather rigidly, in the total and oppressive darkness.  They could still feel the wooden bench beneath their rumps, could hear each other breathing and the rhythmic beating of their hearts, and could smell, and almost taste, a slight sheen of nervous sweat on their coats.  Except for the faint heat of each other’s bodies, the vast empty space was quite chilling.  Unconsciously, their forehooves found one another in the dark and they gripped each other’s tightly. Though it felt like an eternity, in reality they had not long to wait before a pale light showed itself in the gloom.  It began as merely a bright white speck directly before them, where the two other benches should have been.  As they continued to move forward, the pale light expanded outward, turning the solid black before them into a dim grey gradient. The growing white light now became fragmented.  It shone pale blue on top, bright green below, and between them, a tumult of colors from throughout the spectrum.  A faint warmth spread over their coats, emanating from the light ahead.  The cold chill was slowly left behind in the darkness.  On a warm breeze, voices wafted toward them as the scene began to take shape. “Rainbow Dash, you did this all for me?”  Rarity’s affected Canterlotian accent was unmistakable. “I know how much you like surprises, Rares.”  Likewise, Rainbow’s scratchy voice could not be missed. “Oh, this is simply too much, darling.”  Rarity’s phantom voice broke in a sniffle.  “You said you were going to be busy and you got me these lovely earrings last week, I expected I’d be spending Hearts and Hooves day on my own.  Oh, I think I may cry.” “Nah, Rares.  I’d never leave you hangin’.”  The scene before their eyes grew sharper and sharper as the conversation poured into their ears.  Colors resolved into shapes, and shapes resolved into recognizable objects.  The streets and skyline of Canterlot grew out of an insubstantial blur, and suddenly Rarity and Rainbow Dash were faced with a touching scene playing out before them. The phantom Rainbow Dash, wearing a brand new Wonderbolts rookie uniform, hugged a teary eyed Rarity to her chest.  The front of her uniform was already a mess of tear stains and eyeshadow, which the real Rarity thankfully noted was almost the exact same shade of blue as the fabric. The phantom couple sat at a red, heart shaped table at an outdoor cafe in Canterlot.  The street behind them was decorated in streamers of red, pink, and white, and everywhere, ponies walked, talked, cuddled, and kissed in pairs of all sorts, as well as an occasional threesome. “Dare I ask what you have planned for us today, darling?”  Rarity’s voice came out a bit hoarsely and was muffled by Rainbow’s chest, but the watchers were able to understand every word perfectly. “Well, I don’t want to spoil the surprise yet, but let’s just say I got a helping hoof from Fancy Pants.”  Rainbow grinned down at her marefriend.  “So, I think you’ll like it.” Rarity slowly raised her head, tears no longer flowing freely, but still glinting at the corners of her eyes.  “Oh, Rainbow Dash.  I simply don’t deserve a marefriend like you.”  The phantom Rainbow stroked Rarity’s mane for a moment looking back into her eyes.  “Rarity, you deserve the best.  You’ve worked hard to get where you are; your name is famous all over the city.  You deserve a cool and totally awesome marefriend to go with your success.  And lucky for you, I am cool and totally awesome.”  The phantom Rainbow gave a her best cheesy, overconfident grin, to which Rarity giggled as she wiped a tear from her eye. “Thank you, Rainbow.”  The phantom Rarity leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Rainbow’s lips.  “I don’t know how you always manage to be so upbeat and cheerful, but you are just the good influence I need.” As the phantom couple shared another, more passionate kiss, the scene before the real Rarity and Rainbow Dash’s eyes began to blur again.  Beginning at the edges, the sights and sounds of Canterlot grew fuzzy and faded around the two ponies, locked in a deep, loving embrace.  The blurred outline framed them for a moment, portrait-like, frozen in each other’s hooves, and the scene winked out entirely. “That was so awesome when those ghosts just swooped out of the brick wall!”  Scootaloo’s wings buzzed excitedly as she hovered in circles above the heads of the other youngsters. “I liked the part with all the zombies fightin’ the skeletons,” Apple Bloom stated defiantly. “No, no.  The best part was that witch trying to hypnotize us!” Sweetie Belle said, adding her opinion to the fray. “I just liked all the delicious gem cakes.”  Spike licked his lips. “Eww!  Spike, those were all rotten!”  The three fillies chorused as one. “The gems weren’t!”  Spike’s tongue lolled out and his eyes slid out of focus.  All three fillies closed their eyes tight and stamped their hooves, trying to get the image out of their heads. The clatter of a bench seat emerging from Discord’s ride caused them all to stop.  Twilight and Applejack stepped off as the seat popped out of existence, and both adults stared, rather confused, at the children. “How in tarnation did y’all get out before us?  We went in first, shouldn’t we have come out first?”  Applejack looked first at the fillies and dragon, then turned to Twilight beside her. After a moment of silent debate, they agreed on the answer: “Discord.” Apple Bloom cantered up to the pair excitedly.  “What did y’all see in there?  We saw all kinds of great, spooky stuff an’—What’s that on yer horn, Twilight?” Twilight blushed and raised a hoof to her horn, gently touching the shiny golden ring fitted around the base.  “It’s an engagement ring.  Applejack asked for my hoof in marriage.” Four young pairs of eyes went wide with amazement, and suddenly Applejack and Twilight were surrounded by three chattering fillies and a dragon, all hugging them and talking over each other in a jumble of excited voices. When the cheers and tears had settled down into smiles and sniffles, Twilight looked around, craning her neck to find the final two members of their group.  “Where are Rarity and Rainbow Dash?” “Maybe they’re still inside?” Scootaloo suggested.  “They weren’t here when we came out.” “Discord?” Twilight trotted around to the opposite side of the box.  “Rarity and Rainbow Dash haven’t come out yet.  Please tell me nothing went wrong.” Discord put a single claw to his chin, looking puzzled.  “Let me take a look.  With those elements of yours, you all have rather abnormally strong magical auras.”  Discord stuck his head into the darkness of the box.  His neck craning this way and that, and eventually doing a full 360 degree turn that left Twilight feeling slightly nauseous. He pulled his head out once again, properly attached to his neck despite the implied contortions, and leant over to place an ear to the box.  In one final move, he rapped on the box twice with his lion’s paw and gave the cardboard a little shake.  “They should be out in a moment, Twilight Sparkle.  Just a minor malfunction; probably some heated emotions interfering with the thought pickups.” Twilight rejoined the rest of the group at the exit, just in time to see Rarity and Rainbow Dash emerge, both slightly stunned from the scene they’d watched.  Twilight and Applejack couldn’t help noticing that their forehooves were clasped tightly together.  The two of them grinned openly at each other before turning their attention back to their friends. “I take it y’all didn’t see a haunted house, then?”  Applejack’s grin grew even more smug. “We did not, darling.  We saw something, well...  Something a bit more personal,” Rarity admitted. Rainbow and Rarity turned to look at each other.  As their eyes met, they instinctively flexed their forehooves a fraction of an inch and discovered that they were still gripping each other tightly. Twilight and Applejack held their breath, while Spike and the fillies watched with wide eyes. Rainbow swallowed a lump she hadn’t even known was in her throat and opened her mouth to speak.  Her voice began a bit shaky, but quickly grew in strength and confidence, heedless of their audience.  “Hey, Rares?  You wanna go on a date sometime?  Like dinner or something?” Rarity smiled, and reached over with her free hoof to tousle the lion’s mane of Rainbow’s costume, as well as the bits of her own rainbow mane sticking out from under it.  “I would love to, darling.” Sweetie Belle filled the air with another ear splitting shriek of joy. As Rarity and Rainbow dismounted from the bench seat, Rarity caught sight of the gold band around Twilight’s horn.  “Twilight, is that—can it be?” Twilight wrapped a wing around Applejack and nuzzled her neck, her cheeks still happily flushed.  “We didn’t see a haunted house either.  Instead, we saw ourselves getting married during the Summer Sun Celebration, and Applejack proposed before we left the ride.” Rarity closed the ground between herself and Twilight like a shot.  She let out a squeal of delight that rivaled her sister’s, clasping both of Twilight’s forehooves in her own.  “Absolutely marvelous, darling!  I’m so happy for you!” While Twilight and Rarity were busy exchanging happy squeals and tears, Rainbow strode forward to join the other adults and offered Applejack a congratulatory hoof bump. “Not that you’ll need it, but good luck, AJ.” “Thank ya kindly, Dash.  An’ good luck yerself.  We’ve been rootin’ fer ya, ya know.”  Applejack gave a sly wink. Rarity let Twilight go, turning to Rainbow.  “I must confess, I’ve been waiting for you to gather up your courage and offer to share my heart.” Rainbow grinned and wrapped a wing around Rarity, pulling her close.  “Still on about that book, Rares?” Rarity leaned against Rainbow, resting her head on her shoulder.  “It is a classic, darling.  Perhaps after we take Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo home, you’d like to come to the boutique and read it together, in front of the fire?”  Rarity flicked her ear, tickling the underside of Rainbow’s chin. “Eww!  Dash, you’re not gonna let Rarity turn you all mushy are you?”  Scootaloo frowned, raising an eyebrow at her mentor. Sweetie was quick to run up and brush her tail in Scootaloo’s face.  “That’s my sister you’re talking about, you know?  And if she and Rainbow Dash are dating, I bet we’ll get to spend more time together.” Rainbow chuckled and grinned.  “Sweetie’s right, Squirt.  I’ll make sure of it.” She fought the urge to giggle as Rarity hit a particularly ticklish spot with her ear, still waiting for a response.  “Okay, Rare.  We’ll go read the book tonight on one condition.” “Yes?” Rainbow waved a hoof vaguely in front of them.  “If I ever, ever get as sappy as we saw in there, I want you to give me a smack upside the head.” Scootaloo just looked back incredulously, peering at Rainbow through the long pink and purple tail hair still obscuring her face. Rarity chuckled and nuzzled against Rainbow’s shoulder.  “No promises, darling.”