The sun was slowly disappearing in horizon. Once again garden was quiet and the only sound was birds singing. But garden wasn’t empty. Two ponies were watching the beautiful sunset. These two ponies were a pale blue stallion which was sitting happily and a rainbow maned mare with an unknown destiny and a beautiful ring at her hoof.
Yes, that mare was me. I looked at my hoof again. A very beautiful ring was shining there. It was pretty expensive but the one gave me this was a rich stallion. The ring had shiny little diamonds on it and at center of it there was a red thunderbolt. I smiled. I really liked that ring. No, I loved it! And I should say something to that stallion next to me…
“Soarin, this ring is very…very…” what was the right word for a ring like this? Well except from beautiful because that wasn’t my style…
“Cool?” he said with a smile.
“Yeah cool, exactly. Thanks,” I said.
“You’re welcome. It wasn’t anything too much.” He looked forward again and we got quiet again. But it was almost time to come back in the house.
“Um…Soarin, don’t you think it’s time to come back in the home?” I asked.
His eyes came wide. “Oh yes, you’re right. We should go back now.”
We quickly stood up and walked toward home. After minutes of walking between the flowers and bushes, and losting our ways for a thousand times, we finally reached to the front door and Soarin knocked on the door.
“Oh there they are. Come in, come in,” said my mother.
We stepped in and…a big wave of confetti fell on our heads. Right after that everybody in the room cheered.
“Whoa, what is that for?” I asked.
“It’s your engaging party!" said Pinkie enthusiastically. "Did you surprise? Huh? Huh? Huh?”
“Yeah…it was pretty surprising.” I said.
“And it haven’t started yet. We’re gonna go to restaurant and…” Pinkie started talking about her plans but I didn’t listen to rest of it.
I was engaged. That was unbelievable. The great Rainbow Dash, a girl which all of the stallions in Ponyville dreamed to be with, a girl with the fastest wings, was now engaged. To someone she didn’t know. Maybe he was my favorite Wonderbolt but I’ve never known him as a normal pony. It was my biggest false. But it still wasn’t late. If there was a party that night, then I had a great opportunity to meet the real soarin not the Soarin the Wonderbolt.
“I think we should get ready for a little family party tonight. Well I’m ready,” said Soarin with a smile.
I smiled back and said, “I’m ready too.”
“Then let’s go cause others got ready when we were in the garden.”
I nodded. “Then let’s go.”
Right in front of me Rarity was glaring angrily. Maybe the reason of it was a certain stallion…
* * *
The restaurant was in a beautiful garden with lots of trees. At behind of restaurant, there was a big space filled with play equipment for young fillies and colts and also teenagers and every other pony.
It was great for me. I always loved swings with high speed. It’s not like I can’t fly fast. No. I’m awesome at this one but sometimes using earth pony equipment was very fun. It was my little secret. No one knew about it. But who said that adults can’t enjoy these stuff? And more importantly who said I can’t enjoy them?
Tonight was very great and I wanted to make it even greater. And no one couldn’t bother me.
Others sat and waited but I didn't even seat. I quickly walked outside and right behind the restaurant where playground equipments were waiting for me. The back yard was empty and no one was around so it was the greatest time for me to play.
“Rainbow is that you?” I quickly turned around and saw Soarin looking at me with wide eyes. Oh good he saw me walking toward swings. Now my deepest secret was manifest to a Wonder…oh no, to my fiance.
I should put that together quickly. “Uh…well…yeah. It’s me. I was just…”
“Hey, don’t be nervous. You don’t have to lie to me,” said Soarin. Then he came closer to me and whispered, “I wanna confess that I really love play equipment and I don’t care what others say about it.” He smiled at me. I smiled too. That night was getting very good.
“Well if it’s so..." I began. "I confess that I love swings with very high speed. But I do care what others tell about me.” I looked at the solid ground.
“Hey, you have to know that you shouldn’t pay attention to what others think about you.” Soarin grabbed my hoof. I looked at him.
“But then I’m not cool anymore.”
“But you should know that you can’t live like what other ponies want. Every pony has a different life style. Paying attention to what others thinking about you isn’t a true life style,” said Soarin. “Now who wanna try swings? Cause I wanna try one in a very fast speed."
I smiled like a little foal in a candy shop. “Me! Do you wanna come with me?”
“Sure,” said Soarin with a smile.
After that I quickly ran to the swings. I sat at one of them.
“Uh…Soarin, I need a little help here.”
“Oh! Ok! I’m coming” he stood behind the swing and push it forward. Slowly, the swing gained speed. The fun was starting…
“Yay! This is amazing!” I cheered happily.
I was enjoying the high speed of swing when Soarin said, “Rainbow, I’m bored.”
“Could you please stop the swing?” Soarin stopped the swing. I hopped off of it. “OK. Let’s do something together.”
“What about that swing?” he pointed to a swing with two seats. It looked like a nice and fast swing.
“That swing looks awesome! Count me in!”
“Then let’s go!” after that, we both walked to swing and sat on it. I pushed the swing with my back hooves. Soarin did the same. Soon, the swing gained up speed.
I looked at Soarin with a smile. Well, he smiled back but one of those scary mysterious smiles. My eyes widened.
“So you like speed. Right?” he whispered. Even his whispering was mysterious and scary... Something wasn't right...
“Soarin what do you wanna do?” I asked with fear.
He laughed. “Wait and experience the true speed of this swing…”
“Wha- wait! No! Soarin don’t do this!” But he didn’t pay attention to me and pushed the swing more and more. Swing was getting faster by any minute. Its speed was unbelievable. Even I hadn’t gone that fast in my life.
My face was the funniest thing around. Wide eyes, scared face and me grabbing one of the shafts of swing. But it wasn’t because I was scared. It was because the high speed. The reason of grabbing the thick shaft was because I was afraid I might fall. But I clearly knew that I was scared a little. But only a little. Then a thought came to my mind. Also this was a little test for Soarin to see if he can be as protective as he said. I really wished Soarin would help me…
“Rainbow, you can grab my arm instead of grabbing that shaft,” he said with a smile. I was just waiting for these words from Soarin so I quickly grabbed his arm with both of my hooves. “Rainbow I can stop the swing if you want.”
“No don’t do it. I just afraid that I might toss out of swing.” It was strange because I’ve never told anyone that I afraid of anything. I normally only hid them. Soarin was the first pony. I thought that it was because I knew he protected me. After a minute of riding the swing, I got used to its speed so I let Soarin’s arm go. I even put my hooves in the air and cheered. Well that led to almost falling. If Soarin wasn’t there to grab me, I would certainly fall. And he’s response was only rolling his eyes.
“Soarin, do you wanna go back in?” I asked.
“Oh, sure.” We trotted toward the doors of restaurant. Inside of the restaurant, was like one of the super fancy restaurants in Canterlot.
“I don’t like these fancy places. In fact I hate it.” Soarin said with a frown.
“I don’t like them either. They make me feel twenty percent less cooler.”
“Yeah but it’s the only reason for me,” said Soarin. “These restaurants are filled with lots of fanfillies. If one of them see me then the whole place will explode with fans and tonight will be ruined. Also I don’t think your pink friend will be happy of this.”
“You…hate fanfillies?” I just hoped he say ‘no’ but everything can’t be what I want.
“Yes, I hate them.” What did he mean? Did he wanted to say…he hated me? So then why did he treated me like a friend? You can’t be friend with someone you hate…
“Do you mean…you hate me?” I looked at him.
He smiled warmly. “You’re not a fanfilly. Fanfillies are the girls who scream when they see me, you know, the one that shout ‘I love you Soarin’ or ‘you’re the best’ and such things. I don’t think you’re that kind of fan. Are you?”
“Of course no,” I said quickly.
“And that’s why I don’t hate you. Actually I’m starting to like you,” said Soarin. After that he quickly started to walk toward where my family were sitting.
And at the middle of restaurant, I was standing with wide eyes.
“Excuse me ma’am, could you please step away?” I turned my head and saw a fancy couple standing behind me. Good. What I hated the most. Talking to fancy ponies. What will Rarity say if she was here? ...Oh, I got it.
“Pardon me,” I said as I stepped away. The couple nodded and walked past me. I started to walk toward the table my family and friends were sitting along Soarin’s family and friends.
“Oh, there you are Rainbow!” said my mother happily.
I wanted to sit when my mother said, “Oh no Rainbow, this is your first dinner with Soarin. You two shouldn’t sit here.”
“Ms. Firefly is right. Now stand up Soarin and take your fiance to good table,” said Soarin’s mother. Soarin and I rolled our eyes at the same time but who can argue with two stubborn mother at a fancy restaurant? Well not me…
Soarin sighed. “Okay. Rainbow, wanna come?” he smiled at me.
I smiled back. “Of course.”
We stood up again and started to walk toward one of waiters. Soarin talked to him and he led us to a beautiful balcony with a nice view of Ponyvill.
Ponyvill was very divine with flickering lights and it was even more beautiful from the balcony. The smell of some unique flowers was clear in the air. There was a table at the center of the balcony. Some fancy candles were burning and next to them, was a vase filled some beautiful roses. There weren’t any other tables at balcony and that made the atmosphere more…romantic, I guess?
“Are you sure we should sit here?” I asked.
“Yeah. Why? Don’t you like it? I can change our table if you want…” said Soarin.
“No, no, I didn’t mean it. It just looks like…different. I bet it costs a lot.”
“No matter how much is here. I’ll pay for it.” Soarin said proudly.
“Then OK. Just one more question. Is this a date?” I looked at Soarin’s emerald green eyes. What a beautiful eyes…
I came back to reality. I was almost drowning out in his eyes…
“It can be a date if you want,” said Soarin
“I’ve always wanted to know what a date looks like.”
“Then it’s a date…” Soarin smiled at me and we started to move toward the table