The Day Before
Rainbow Dash awoke with a sense of dread enshrouding her mind like a wet, heavy blanket. Why she had such a feeling was unknown; her surroundings were the familiar brown shades of the tree she had called home for the better part of five months. The ever-present heater known simply as Twilight Sparkle lay nestled behind her, close enough that she could feel the unicorn's gentle, peaceful breathing. Through the window, partially covered by deep blue curtains, she could see that the sun was already raising into the sky, so she had neither under nor overslept. The steel-blue hue of the sky implied a crisp, cold morning of weather work was ahead of her. Had it not been the holidays.
And then she remembered why she was worried: It was the day before Hearth's Warming Eve, and she still hadn't gotten her marefriend a present.
Eyes flying wide open, Rainbow quickly rolled out of bed, only to be stopped by two lavender hooves tightening their grip around her barrel. She sighed, settling back down and giving a sleeping Twilight what she wanted. After a few moments, her iron tight grip – one even an earthpony would find formidable – loosened, just enough for Rainbow to slowly, gently slip out. Once she was out and off the bed, she turned around to see Twilight frowningly slightly in her sleep, and a little bit of guilt filtered through her mind, but she shook it off, assuring herself it would be worth it in the long run.
Walking on the tips of her hooves, she made her way across the room to the window. She shivered as she pushed it open, a bitterly cold wind blowing into the room and making the curtains billow out around her. With a quick flick of her wings she took to the air and slipped through the window, closing it behind her and taking off into the cloudless sky.
A quick scan of the town below revealed mostly unmarked snow covering most of the streets, leftover from the previous evening's storm organized by the part-time holiday workers on the weather team. The day before Hearth's Warming Eve, and freezing cold to match, very few tracks could be seen in the few inches of snow lying on the roads. Another wind ruffled Rainbow's main and she remembered why exactly she was even outside on a day like today. With a couple flaps of her wings she shot off in the direction opposite the rising sun, towards a large white structure floating in the sky.
Though she'd officially moved into Twilight library months ago, Rainbow never could bring herself to sell her cloudhouse, a home her parents had helped her build when she decided to move to Ponyville. Though not one for sentimentality, some things held value, and her house was one of those things. As it happens, it made an excellent storage area, as well as the perfect place to hide things she didn't want Twilight to find.
Like a large bag of bits, saved up for nearly two months of overtime and extra shifts, for the perfect gift. Rainbow pulled the bag out of her desk drawer in the front room of her house, opening it and examining the money inside. She just hoped it would be enough. Without delay she jumped back into the sky, the bag still in her hooves, and turned back towards Ponyville. As soon as she flapped her wings, a strong wind blew against her, setting her off balance. Her expert flying skills allowed her to easily regain control, but her hooves – shaking and slightly numbed from the cold – could not hang on to the open bag of bits, and she looked down just in time to see hundreds of gold coins spill out in the air and fall down into the snow beneath her house.
Rainbow watched in fascinated horror as months of savings was lost in a snowdrift, the empty bag clutched upside-down in her hooves. It took several seconds for what had just happened to sink in, but as soon as it did Rainbow immediately flew down to the ground, shivering as she landed. The snow climbed half way up her legs.
“You have got to be kidding me...” she muttered through chattering teeth, digging through the snow and extracting a bit. She dropped it into her bag, and sighed. “One down, hundreds to go...”
It was going to take forever. She knew it was going to take forever. The cold wind buffeting her coat reminded her that it was going to take forever. The icy snow clinging to her coat and hiding her bits told her it was going to take forever.
She didn't care if it was going to take forever. She needed these bits, and she had more than earned them. Another bit was added to the bag, clinking quietly with the one already in it. Then another. Then a fourth, and a fifth. Bit after bit was dug up from the snow and dropped into the small cloth pouch. Clinking turned into clattering, then jingling. The sound grew louder and louder with each new golden coin added, and just as the sun reached its zenith, the bag looked to be almost full.
Rainbow Dash was numb. Completely, utterly numb, from the tip of her tail to her ears. Her nose was running and snow caked her coat and feathers. She examined the bag carefully, matching it up against the image her memory provided. It looked to be the same size. She looked around for any bits remaining, a circle nearly seven meters in diameter had been almost completely cleared of snow to aid in her search. No more holes could be seen in the perfect sheen of white covering the area around her clearing, and no shiny gold pieces could be seen poking through the snow.
“F-f-finally...” she said, her voice shaking as much as her body. Even if she hadn't gotten them all, she'd probably gotten enough to afford what she needed to buy. She jumped into the air, this time firmly tying the bag closed first, and fell face first into a snowdrift.
Rainbow glared back at her extended wing, looking at the frost lining the edge of her feathers. Until it melted, there was no chance of flight. Sighing, she curled her wings back against her sides, the bag of bits nestled in her feathers, and started off on her long, cold trudge back through the snow towards Ponyville. Though the sun was higher in the sky, it offered no more warmth than it had early in the morning. The wind blew across the barren, snow covered hills outside Ponyville with a strength rarely seen when surrounded by the buildings of a town, and it carried with it the first flakes of a fresh snowfall blowing in from the Evefree Forest.
The icy flakes pelted her face as they increased in size and frequency, making her squint against the wind. In its unused state, Rainbow's cloudhouse had slowly started drifting further and further from the outskirts of Ponyville, until it was just barely within the town's limits at all. A few buildings could be seen dotting the crest of a hill just in front of her, but with the increasing thickness of the snowfall, they were beginning to fade into a blurry white. Although not quite ready to be considered a blizzard, it was still strong as far as snowstorms go, and by time Rainbow reached a path leading into town, whatever warmth she had left in her body vanished.
Entire body shuttering from the cold, teeth chattering and limbs completely numb, Rainbow made it back into Ponyville, walking close to the walls of the buildings in an attempt to shield herself from the worst of the wind.
“Rainbow Dash!?”
Rainbow looked up, squinting towards where she'd heard the voice. In front of her was an all-too-familiar building. “H-h-hey, P-p-pinkie P-pie....”
Pinkie looked aghast, leaning out the front door of Sugar Cube Corner and staring at her friend, who looked more like a pegacicle than a pegasus. “What are you waiting for? Get in here!”
“C-c-can't,” Rainbow stuttered, shaking her head. “Gotta... gotta g-g-go get T-twi's p-p-present.”
For a moment Pinkie stood there in shock as Rainbow Dash continued to force her way through the snow, but as soon as she came near the door to pass it, Pinkie reach outed and grabbed her, throwing her into the store and slamming the door shut.
“P-pinkie!” Rainbow snapped, glaring harshly at the pink baker who stood between her and the door like a prison guard.
“It can wait a little while. You look like you're gonna freeze any second! Then we'd have to call you Rainbow Freeze, or Freezer Dash, or maybe Rainbow Dice...”
Rainbow rolled her eyes, her shivering slowing to a halt as the warmth of the bakery met her icy coat. “I don't have time, Pinkie. The store's are all closing early because of the holidays, and I already lost a lot of time. It's already noon!”
“Actually... it's almost 1:30,” Pinkie admitted awkwardly, before shaking her head. “But that's beside the point! Well... it's more of a really, really far removed cousin to the point. Like, 22nd removed. The actual point is that a present is not worth freezing your tail off,” she commanded, sounding more like a mother than a friend.
“It's not just any present, Pinkie,” Rainbow growled. “It's for Twilight. This is important!”
Pinkie met Rainbow's glare with one of her own, mastered through years of watching the Cake twins. “Then I'll go get it while you warm up. What is it?”
Cheeks lighting up in a scarlet blush – or at least they would have, had they not already been a bright red from the cold – Rainbow shook her head vehemently. “N-no... I have to buy it myself.”
“What is it?” Pinkie pressured, sudden curiosity at Rainbow's secrecy overpowering her concern. Or maybe it was just one of her mood swings – nopony could ever tell.
“Nothing, I just... wait, did you say 1:30!?”
Pinkie frowned. “Yep! Well, actually I said ' it's almost 1:30'. It'll actually be 1:30 in four minutes and twenty-two.... twenty-one.... twenty...”
Rainbow's eyes flew wide open for a split second before she dashed at the door, effortlessly dogging around her pink warden. “The shop closes at 1:30! I gotta go!”
Slamming through the double doors of Sugar Cube Corner left her out in the middle of a snow storm that was growing stronger by the second. Pinkie wasn't far behind her, chasing her out into the street shouting at her to come back, as well as something about soup. Rainbow ignored her and forced her way out into the street, the wind blew snow in her face, the small shards of ice clawing at the heat she'd managed to regain indoors. Through the snow she could see either side of the street, as well as a dozen or so meters down, but otherwise she could see nothing. She knew where she needed to go, however, and it took only a few minutes of hastily ploughing through snowdrift after snowdrift to find the shop she was looking for.
As usual, when the large, ornate sign came into view, her pace slowed down. A nervous ball formed in the pit of her stomach, and her knees grew weak. She'd put it off as long as physically possible, quite literally the day before Hearth's Warming Eve, but now she needed to pony up and get it done.
She needed to buy Twilight an engagement ring, and this was the only shop to get a decent one in all of Ponyville.
Rainbow sighed, half anxious and half relieved, as she walked up to the door and pulled it open. Only for it rattle it in its frame.
“No...” she whispered, almost disbelievingly, as she pulled on the door a few more times. It was just frozen, right? They had to be open. Still, no matter how hard she pulled or how hard she denied what was sitting in front of her, the door wouldn't open. “No no no... this can't be happening!”
Cupping her hooves and pressing her face up against the window, she peered inside at the darkened, empty, closed jewelry store.
“Come on... please be in there...” Desperation took over as Rainbow started knocking against the class, trying to be louder than the wind blowing in her mane. “Regal Cut! Regal Cut, are you in there!?”
No response came.
Rainbow fell back onto her haunches, landing in a small mound of snow as she stared dumbstruck at the closed up store in front of her. She'd been so close. If she hadn't dropped her bits. If she hadn't been stopped by Pinkie. If the storm had waited just a few more minutes to hit, she'd have made it in time. Fate, apparently, had other plans.
“Of all the times to be late, you had to pick today. Good job, Dash, you really screwed this one up...” she trailed off with a sigh, standing and turning in the direction of home. It was going to be a long, cold walk back to the library, where she would be met with the mare she had no gift for. It only seemed fitting she wouldn't be able to propose if she couldn't get something as simple as buying a ring done right.
Twilight hummed to herself quietly, eyes switching between a book levitating next to her and the stove, upon which sat a silver-grey pot. The low sound of gentle bubbling filled the kitchen along with the thick scent of soup. After double checking the instructions, she gave an approving nod at the pot and put the lid on top, lowering the heat and allowing it to simmer until it was ready to be eaten.
A sudden creaking, followed by a gentle slam broke the relative continual silence of the library, and Twilight smiled to herself as she trotted out of the kitchen to see who'd come in. Very few ponies would dare venture out in such weather, but she knew of one for sure who had. To her mild surprise, she was right.
“Welcome back, Rainbow,” Twilight said with a smile, watching as Rainbow shook the snow out of her wings. “Where did you get off to this morning? You were gone pretty early.”
Rainbow looked up, her bag of bits clutched in her jaw, and sighed, transferring the pouch to her hoof. “I just had some things to do.”
Twilight frowned at the vague answer. “What happened? Did the weather team call you in to help with this storm or something?”
“Yeah. Just some routine cloud busting to make sure it doesn't get too out of control,” Rainbow replied, latching onto the convenient excuse handed to her.
“What's with the bag?” Twilight asked, motioning to the bits Rainbow held as she set her book down on a nearby table to be picked up later.
Rainbow winced imperceptibly, hiding the bits back in her wing and shrugging. “Nothing. The real question is; what's with the cookbook? I thought we agreed to let Spike do the cooking after your last radioactive pie.”
“It wasn't radioactive!” Twilight protested defensively.
“Right, all it did was glow bright green. What'd you do, use glow sticks instead of eggs?”
Twilight rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore the bait. “I'll have you know I'm cooking dinner tonight because Spike is-”
“Trying to sleep!” A impatient shout called from the top floor of the library. “But two certain ponies cannot learn to keep quiet!”
Rainbow glanced towards the stares with an amused smirk. “Winter really gets to him, huh?”
“He's like that for a few months when the really cold weather hits. The whole cold blooded thing probably doesn't help...” Twilight trailed off into silence for a moment before perking up. “Anyway, I made soup for dinner, and this time I used the stove instead of my magic, so I can guarantee it won't be-”
“Radioactive?”
“-Glowing,” Twilight finished, shooting a glare at a cheekily grinning pegasus. Eventually she gave a giggle, returning the smile and leaning in to gently kiss Rainbow. “Glad your back. I can't wait for Hearth's Warming Eve, though; I think you're going to love your present.”
Rainbow's smile fell, replaced by a frown. “Yeah... I'm sure I will...”
“Rainbow?” Twilight asked. “What's wrong?”
She didn't answer. Instead Rainbow walked over to the window and looked out at the storm blowing through the streets, more than strong enough now to be called a blizzard. A final hope popped into her mind as she gazed out into the whiteness, beyond which she knew lay her last chance. She spun around to face Twilight, who had come up behind her while she stared out the window. “I gotta go. Probably won't be back until late; don't wait up for me.”
Twilight tilted her head, frowning. “But I made dinner! Where are you going that's so important you can't wait until after Hearth's Warming?”
“Just... trust me Twi,” Rainbow urged. “I have to do this. I promise it'll be worth it.”
“It's a blizzard out there, Rainbow!” Twilight protested, pointing out the window. “You'll freeze! Not even you can fly out there for more than ten minutes.”
Rainbow gave the storm a challenging smirk. “I know. I can get out of it in five minutes, though, and then I'll be fine to fly the rest of the way.”
Her frown deepening, Twilight asked, “Rest of the way to where?”
“Canterlot.”
“You're crazy! It might only be snowing in Ponyville, but it's still freezing out there, and there's no way you can make it that far in this weather.”
“I've done it before, and I'll do it again. I can only have gotten better since last year,” Rainbow explained with a shrug, walking over to the closet and digging out a scarf as well as her saddlebags.
“What do you mean you've done it before?” Twilight asked, following the pegasus around but not stepping in to stop her.
Rainbow raised a brow. “I mean I did it last year... oh right, I never did tell you about that. Long story short, I went and asked Celestia for ideas on what to get you for Hearth's Warming last year.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah. Luna's the one who told me about the comet. Anyway, it was about this cold last year, and I made it to Canterlot and back in a single day. Actually, it was exactly one year ago today... huh... funny how things work out.”
Twilight held a pensive frown for a moment, before her eyes widened in realization. “You waited until last minute to decide what to get me? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised but... wait... you did it again, didn't you?”
Rainbow froze, half way through wrapping the scarf around her neck.
“You did! You put it off until the last minute, and by now all the stores in Ponyville are closed so you have to go to Canterlot! I can't believe you!”
“Hey, Twi, it's not my fault,” Rainbow argued, throwing her saddlebags over her shoulder and dropping the bits in one side. “I just-”
Twilight ignored her, spinning around and starting off towards the kitchen. “Put it off until the last possible second, like you always do. How many times have I asked you to stop doing that? How many things have you missed because you put it off and forgot?”
Rainbow's wings flared. “I'll have you know I was going to buy it today, but I was held up by Pinkie.”
“And why didn't you buy it yesterday? Or the day before? Or when you first thought of what to get me? Do you ever think of the consequences of waiting?” Twilight shouted, still refusing to face the pegasus. “Go to Canterlot. But if you're not back in time for Hearth's Warming Eve with our friends tomorrow, then don't bother bringing a gift at all.”
“Yeah yeah, I get the picture. I promise, Twilight, I'll be home in time.”
Twilight looked over her shoulder, meeting Rainbow's earnest, sincere eyes, and sighed. “I hope you will. I just wish you'd stop doing this.”
Instead of responding, Rainbow just nodded guiltily before walking over and taking off out the door, grabbing it in her tail and slamming it closed as she sped out into the blizzard covering Ponyville.
Rainbow Dash landed with a shudder in front of the only open jewelry store for blocks. Though it had only been snowing in Ponyville, it was freezing all the way to Canterlot, and the wind at her speeds hadn't helped matters. However, now that she was in Canterlot, her journey was almost over. The sign above the door was small and plain, simply announcing it as Sapphire’s Jewelry. It was a small, ordinary looking store, probably a lower end one, especially to have to be open this late during the holidays. At this point, Rainbow would take what she could get.
She reached for the handle to the door, and paused, the same feeling of nervousness overtaking her mind. There was no reason for her to feel it; she wanted to marry Twilight, there was no doubt, but something held her back. Something made her wait until the last minute and that something was still stopping her. Being in Canterlot made the feeling grow stronger, as though her problem was closer. But what was in Canterlot that involved her marrying Twilight?
A memory, hazy with age but still recognizable, floated into her head. Her father’s voice, stern but kind, filled her ears. “Dashie, you're going to marry somepony one day. It'll be one of the happiest days of your life, and I will be more than happy for you. But no matter who they are, they will be stealing my daughter from me. I ask only on thing from you; make them ask me permission first. I don't want just anypony taking my daughter.”
Rainbow frowned. It may be on the other side of the coin from what her father had meant, but she was marrying somepony, and that pony was another father's daughter. That father might want the same thing, whether he'd told Twilight or not. She checked the sign on the door, proudly announcing that the store would be open until 8PM, and if the sun was anything to go by, it was only five now. She knew where Twilight's parents lived...
Mind made up and mystery solved, Rainbow jumped into the sky and shot off towards the Canterlot suburbs. Hopefully Night Light and Twilight Velvet wouldn't mind a sudden guest, if only for a few minutes. It was something she needed to do, otherwise the guilt would kill her. Maybe it was just a pegasus tradition, maybe it wasn't, but even if it was, she was a pegasus, and she would stick to it.
Twilight's parents lived in a cookie-cutter neighbourhood of white-picket fences that separated one house from another. The only things making them unique were the numbers adorning the front wall next to the door, and Twilight’s parents happened to live in the house numbered 223 in large bronze plates. She'd been there enough times on trips with Twilight to know it.
Once again landing in the streets of Canterlot, this time in front of a house rather than a store, she looked up at the suddenly imposing door. What if Night Light said no? Both of Twilight's parents already knew and approved of their relationship, but what if they didn't want them getting married? What would Rainbow do then?
She shook her head firmly. Even if they said no, it didn't matter; it was Twilight's choice, not theirs. She owed them the courtesy of asking, not of obeying them. Raising her hoof Rainbow knocked sharply on the door before she could second guess her decision again. Somepony called from inside, probably something along the lines of 'coming'. A few moments later, Twilight's mother, Twilight Velvet, opened the door. Her light grey coat and two-tone white and purple mane were neatly brushed, almost like she'd been expecting company.
“Rainbow Dash?” Velvet asked curiously, opening the door wider. “And no Twilight. What brings you here so close to the holidays? Surely you should be back in Ponyville with your friends?”
Rainbow fidgeted nervously. “I'm actually just in Canterlot to buy Twi a present, and I needed to stop buy. Is Night Light here?” The stallion in questioned turned a corner into the entry way, he too looked like there were guests coming, his light blue coat cleaned and brushed along with his blue mane slicked down and combed neatly.
“I'm here,” he said, smiling kindly at the pegasus at his door. “What can I do for you?”
“I... actually need to talk to you both about something...”
Twilight Velvet’s smile faltered as she glanced back at her husband. “We were actually just getting ready to go out...”
“We've got time,” Night Light said, motioning with his hoof for Rainbow to come in. “There are very few reasons our daughter's marefriend would come to our house without Twilight bringing her, and most of them are pretty important reasons.”
Rainbow smiled uneasily. “Yeah... I guess you could say this is important.” After all, it's only our life for the foreseeable future.
“If that's the case, then come in,” Velvet urged happily, stepping aside and allowing Rainbow to enter their home. It wasn't anything special; she'd seen it plenty of times before and had long since grown used to its near impeccable cleanliness. Lived in, but not cluttered in the slightest sense of the word. This time, however, the hall to the living room was much longer than she remembered, and the family pictures hanging along the wall seemed to be looking a her. Watching her.
The last one, hanging at the very end of the hall next to an archway leading into the living room, was a picture of her and Twilight on a vacation they'd taken as a couple. She didn't know Twilight had sent her parents a copy. When she'd finally made it into a large, comfortable couch, the weight in the pit of her stomach had grown heavier than an anchor. Her mouth was dry as cotton by time Night Light and Twilight Velvet joined her, each in their own armchairs.
“So,” Night Light started, leaning forward. “What did you need to talk to us about? You did say it was important.”
Rainbow swallowed. “I... uh...” Had her voice always been that squeaky? She cleared her throat and tried again. “One year ago tomorrow.” She could barely hear her own voice over the thundering of her heart. Why was she so nervous? It didn't matter what they said, right? “I started dating Twilight.”
Velvet laughed. “Indeed. I still remember the letter she sent us. She was so happy...”
“And it's... it's been an awesome year but...” No, no don't pause for a breath there! They'll-
“But?” Night Light frowned. “Is something going on between you two? I admit, relationships have their difficulties from time to time, but... well, I'm not sure you want to tell your marefriend's parents you've been fighting with her.”
“No!” Rainbow nearly jumped out of her chair, wings flaring wide as she panicked. Slowly, she leaned back as the startled expressions of Twilight's parents watched her carefully. “Things have never been better. Like, my entire life hasn't been better than it is right now.”
Night Light's eyes widened, and relaxed back into his chair with a content smile. “So that's why you're here.”
“What's that?” Velvet asked, glancing curiously at her husband.
“I have to admit,” he continued, ignoring the questioning glance he'd received. “It's old fashioned. Then again, I was raised that way, so I appreciate the gesture.”
Rainbow nodded, slowly relaxing. He knew what she was doing, and he didn't seem mad about it. Everything would be fine. “It's just... it's something my dad said to me a long time ago when I asked him about his wing band after I found it in the closet.
“Sounds about right for his generation,” Night Light agreed thoughtfully. “So, where is it? You're normally supposed to show us to make sure we like it.”
Her face fell. She hadn't known that! “I... uh... actually don't have it. That's the entire reason I'm in Canterlot; All the stores in Ponyville are closed, and I really needed to buy it today. I got there, and I remembered what my dad said and... well, decided to come by.”
“Okay,” Velvet said firmly, standing up. “Something's going on that I'm not getting, and you ponies are going to tell me.
Rainbow blinked. Night Light laughed. “And now you know where Twilight gets her obliviousness,” he said, laughing harder at his wife's red face. “Though I suppose you should officially tell us.”
The laughter eased her mind, and Rainbow managed a weak smile as she said, “I'm going to ask Twilight to marry me, and I'd like to ask for permission.”
“What!?” Twilight Velvet shouted. Rainbow cringed at the reaction, but relaxed again as she saw what was possibly the biggest grin she'd ever seen on the mare's face. “That's amazing! Twilight goes on and on about you in her letters; she'll be so happy!”
Rainbow smiled, her wings finally folding into her sides. “I hope so, at least. I... uh... I'm really glad you're both okay with it.”
Night Light snorted. “Like we could do anything about it. From the day that filly hit six she did whatever she wanted regardless of what we said. If she wanted to read a book we wouldn't buy for her, she'd find a way to get at it. Even if we said no, if she wanted to marry you she'd go to another country to do it if she had to.”
“That sounds about right,” Rainbow agreed with a small chuckle. “But now I can buy the ring, and I should probably get going, too; Twi expects me back home tonight.”
“We should go too,” Velvet urged, looking at the clock. “We were already running late.”
Night Light nodded. “True. Well, Rainbow Dash, thank you, and good luck. We'll be expecting a letter with her response as soon as you ask her. Oh, and don't worry too much; if I know Twilight, she'll say yes in a heartbeat.”
“That...” Rainbow trailed off as she followed the couple down the hall towards the door. It was shorter than when she walked in. The pictures smiled at her. “Actually makes me feel a lot better. Really though, who'd say no to this?” She motioned to herself with a cocky grin.
“Not Twilight, if the past is anything to go by,” Night Light said with a small laugh. He opened the door. “If you still need the ring though, you should probably be going; it can take forever to pick the right one. Took me three days to decide.”
Rainbow sighed. “I have an hour. Thanks again!” She called, taking to the air and waving for a moment before shooting off back towards the jewelry store, not all that far from Twilight's parent's house. Landing on the doorstep once again, she felt only the barest tickle of nerves worming into her mind as she pushed open the door and walked inside, knocking the snow off her hooves on a small mat. It was bone dry.
Glancing around the small, dimly-lit shop, she spied a series of tables, each covered by a large glass case displaying the shop's wares. Everything from earrings to necklaces. Along the back wall was what she was after; for unicorns, a display case sat full of beautiful rings, for pegasi the wall was covered with jewel-incrusted silk wing bands, and for earth ponies a second display case held bracelets, larger but no less elegant than the rings.
“Hello!” A cheery voice called, drawing Rainbow's attention to a sapphire blue mare behind the counter. Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, partially covered by her medium-length slicked down frosted blue mane. “How can I help you?”
Rainbow smiled at her, walking over and pointing at the case containing the rings. “Just looking for a ring.”
The mare, presumably named Sapphire, raised an eyebrow. “During the holidays? Must be one important stallion.”
“Mare, actually,” Rainbow corrected absently, mulling over the rings. Some were gold with diamonds, some were silver with topazes or emeralds. “And yeah, important is one way to describe her.”
“Well,” the owner said, coming over beside Rainbow. “Feel free to browse. You're the only customer I've had all day, so I'm available for anything you need. The name's Sapphire Shine.”
Nodding slowly, Rainbow pointed to one of the rings. It was a simple gold band with a gentle design etched into it, reminding her of flowering vines, with small diamonds running around it. “Can I see that one?”
Sapphire nodded, levitating a keyring out from behind her desk and unlocking the case. She opened it, and motioned for Rainbow to pick it up. “Good eye you have there. Pure gold ring with 8 0.2 carat diamonds equally spaced, along with a beautiful etching.”
Rainbow examined it for a second, glancing between it and the others in the case. All together there were about two dozen, but this one was the only one to grab her attention. The chiming of a wall clock, announcing the time as six in the evening., reminded her that she didn't have much time to be picky. “How much?”
“850,” Sapphire said, “but for the holidays it's only 775.”
That was a lot of money, but Rainbow had prepared for the price. “I'll take it,” she said, pulling her bag of bits out of her saddlebags.
Sapphire's eyes widened. “Really? Just like that?”
“Yeah... is that bad?”
“No! No... it's just surprising,” Sapphire explained as she lead the pair back to her counter with the till. “Most ponies we have looking at rings spends at least an hour browsing, and another two before deciding on one.”
Rainbow shrugged. “Guess I just know what she'd want.”
Sapphire genuinely smiled. “I think she's one lucky mare, for what it's worth. Anyway, that'll be 775.”
Setting the bag on the counter, Rainbow nudged it forward. “There should be enough in there. Take what you need.”
Lighting her horn, Sapphire's light blue magical glow enshrouded the bag, weighing it a second. She frowned. “There's only 734...”
Rainbow's jaw dropped. “N-no! I had at least 800 saved up! They're all in there! Unless...” She trailed off, remember her blunder early in the morning. Had she really missed nearly a hundred bits? The snow was deep but...
Sapphire frowned. “I'm sorry... I'm open until 8, if you can get the bits you need and be back by then.”
“I... I'd have to get all the way back to Ponyville... Gah! I'm such an idiot!” Rainbow shouted, stomping away from the counter and staring out the window. “I need this today, and you're the last store open...” She hung her head sadly, glaring at her own hooves.
“Look...” Sapphire bit her lip. Sighing, she took some bits out of the bag and slid it back across the counter, along with the ring in a small velvet box. “It's Hearth’s Warming Eve tomorrow. Go ahead and take it for 700.”
Rainbow's ears perked up. “A-are you sure? I mean, I couldn't just-”
“Take it,” Sapphire urged, pushing the ring box towards her. “You came all the way out here in this weather from Ponyville to get this. If you need it today, then you probably want to give it to her on Hearth's Warming Eve, right? What kind of pony would I be if I stopped you from asking the mare you love to marry you? I've never seen a dedication quite like yours.”
Tentatively, Rainbow reached out and accepted the box, but didn't touch the leftover bits. “At least keep the change?”
Sapphire giggled, but nodded. “I suppose I could.”
“You have no idea how thankful I am,” Rainbow said, admiring the ring. “If you hadn't done this...”
“Think nothing of it,” Sapphire said. “Just go and sweep her off her hooves. Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, what's this mare's name?”
“Twilight,” Rainbow said, tucking the box into her saddlebags as she walked to the door. “Twilight Sparkle. Thank you so much.”
With that she flew off out the door, leaving Sapphire Shine with a dropped jaw. Slowly, she regained control of her mouth, and muttered. “I just helped The Twilight Sparkle get married...”
Rainbow Dash was nothing short of exhausted as she landed in front of Ponyville library. The storm covering the town was still blowing strong, and it was nearly a crash landing through the bedroom. She stumbled into the darkened room, lit only by the small slivers of moonlight penetrating the cloud cover as the moon rose into the sky. Rainbow didn't know what time it was, but she knew it was late. Very late. The flight back had been longer than the flight to Canterlot on account of her already frozen and sore muscles, but she'd made it home on time.
Quickly rummaging through a few drawers, Rainbow found a tag and a quill, marking out a to and from tag before tying it onto her ring box. She slipped it among the presents already surrounding the hearth, watching ti carefully for a second before nodding in approval. It was all worth it in the end. Sighing, she turned to the stairs, only to be stopped by an incessant, almost panicked sounding knock at the door.
“Seriously? It's like 11 at night,” she muttered, contemplating just ignoring the late night visitor. However, the knocking didn't even let up, and she decided to go tell off whoever was trying to disturbed Twilight's sleep. When she opened the door, however, that plan fell off a cliff as she saw thee pegasi waiting outside the door. Three pegasi who just so happened to be officials on Ponyville's weather team, ranking just below her own position.
“Thunderlane? Blossomforth? Cloud Chaser? What are you three doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on break?”
“Cap, we got a problem,” Thunderlane said quickly. “This storm came in from the Everfree-”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “I figured. It's not too bad though; nothing the part timer's can't control.”
Blossomforth shook her head. “No, it's not that. It's... there's something else coming. Something much, much bigger. One of the holiday workers spotted coming from the Everfree. I took a look, captain. It's... not good.”
Frowning, Rainbow asked, “How 'not good'?”
“If we don't stop it...” Cloud Chaser swallowed nervously. “By tomorrow morning Ponyville will be completely berried in snow. It won't stop, either; we figure it might make it all the way to Cloudsdale if left unchecked.”
Rainbow bit her lip. “How long do we have before it hits?”
“Five minutes,” Thunderlane said. “We got some of the regulars already working on it, but we've been searching for you all day. We're gonna need you.”
Rainbow nodded, wrapping her scarf back around her neck. “Alright, lead the way. Ain't no storm messing with Hearth's Warming if I have anything to say about it.”
“Oh...” Rarity trailed off, eyeing the present in her hooves. “This one's for Rainbow Dash... we'll just set it to the side... with the others....” As the pony designated to hand out gifts, she had the delightfully awkward job of announcing whenever she pulled a gift that was meant for the only pony absent from their group. Each time the name would come up, Twilight would silently grit her teeth and refuse to even look at the small pile amassing off to the side of the room.
“Where could that girl be?” Applejack asked aloud. “It ain't like her. Twilight, do you know-”
“No,” Twilight snapped. “I don't. Last I heard she was going to Canterlot.”
Everypony present eyes the unicorn carefully for a few seconds, until Rarity awkwardly cleared her throat and handed a present to Applejack. “This one's from Rainbow.”
“Oh sure,” Twilight muttered. “She didn't put you off until the last minute.”
Fluttershy frowned. “Um... Twilight? If you don't mind me saying, I'm sure she just got held up with something important. Maybe a storm trapped her in Canterlot?”
Twilight's eye twitched. “Well who's fault is that!? Who's fault is it that she had to go to Canterlot? Hers! She has no excuse. I don't care if a dragon showed up and ate her; she promised she'd be here.”
“Aw silly! You don't mean that! She was just trying to get you the perfect present!” Pinkie called, bouncing in from the kitchen carrying a plate of assorted snacks. The early morning sun filtered through the windows and made the tray of sugary delights sparkle.
The unicorn huffed. “Could have done that any time, but no; she had to put it off. Like she always does.”
“Oh! Twilight, this one's for you,” Rarity said, picking out a small box from the pile. It wasn't even wrapped. “It says it's from-”
“I'm here!” Rainbow Dash shouted, running in through the front door, panting heavily. Her mane was wet, tangled and matted, her wings hung slack by her sides, and she looked about ready to fall over. “I... I didn't...” her legs gave out, and she flopped to the floor, shivering as a cold wind blew from the open door over her wet body. “Miss it...” Her eyes closed and she passed out into a black void.
The next time she woke up, she was laying on her back in a soft bed, staring up at the familiar sight of the roof of Twilight's bedroom. She groaned quietly, her head pounding with every beat of her heart.
“You're finally awake,” a voice said gently.
Rainbow smiled weakly, turning her head to see Twilight sitting in a chair next to her bed. “Told you I wouldn't miss it...”
“Actually you did,” Twilight admitted, her ears folding. “We were pretty much done when you got here.”
“Oh...” Rainbow's face fell. “Twi, I am so-”
“Don't,” Twilight interrupted quickly. “Thunderlane came a few minutes after you to make sure you made it back here alright. He explained what happened. Said you wouldn't even take a break from fighting the storm, and that you kept saying something about being on time?”
Rainbow chuckled. “Heh... yeah. The storm didn't stand a chance.”
“Except you nearly died from hypothermia on your way home because you refused to stop and dry off first,” Twilight deadpanned. Her face could only hold a neutral sneer for so long before she sniffled and gave in, jumping out of her chair and tackling Rainbow's prone form into a strong hug. “I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been so harsh on you...”
Smiling into the embrace, Rainbow asked, “Did you at least find the present I left?”
Twilight pulled away, reaching over and bringing a small velvet box from the bedside table. “I haven't opened it; I was waiting for you to wake up. Speaking of, the rest of the girls are waiting downstairs, do you want me to get them?”
“No...” Rainbow motioned to the box. “Open it first.”
Nodding, Twilight complied, holding the box out so both of them could see it as she flipped open the lid, and promptly dropped the box – as well as he jaw. She quickly recovered, snatching the ring off the floor and examining it. “Rainbow, are you-”
“Last shop open in Canterlot,” Rainbow said. “I didn't even have enough bits for it; the owner gave me a massive discount. Heck, I even asked your parents for permission. What do you say, Twi?” She grinned. “Wanna spend the rest of your life having to put up with me?”