//------------------------------// // Chapter Three // Story: Beyond the Books // by TTV_KingPhoenixEmbers //------------------------------// Beyond the Books Chapter Three You fly over Sweet Apple Acres at a leisurely pace, making sure you'd taken out each of the clouds before you report back to the office. It wouldn't do to go back and say you removed all the clouds and later find out that you didn't. Finding that the sky was perfectly clear now, you start to head on back to the office, but stop when another pony calls up to you. Looking about, you find an orange earth pony waving to you with a hoof. You wave in return as you fly down to talk to her, although you know you have to be quick in returning to the office. You don't want to get in trouble, after all. “Heya, sugar cube!” She greets cheerfully. You recognize her from cider week as Applejack. “Hey,” you greet with a smile. “Is something wrong?” “Nah, jus' wanted ta thank ya for clearin' the skies,” she replied, reaching back for something. The next thing you know, a bag of apples have been shoved into your arms. “Ya'll can have these.” “I can't just –” You try to protest at the sudden gift, but she interrupts you. “Nonesense!” Applejack says with a grin. “Go ahead an' take 'em! It's the least we can do for takin' care of the skies!” You smile, “Thanks!” “No problem, bud!” Carefully balancing the bag as you take off, you wave to the farmer as you head back towards the office. Stopping by your apartment to drop off the apples and put them away later, you return to base. “That wasn't so hard,” you say as you enter. “It better not have been, or I'd be worried,” your friend grins to you. Rolling your eyes, you go over to the desk he's stationed at. “Anyway, that's all for you today, dude. Go home and sleep or something.” “Right, see ya,” you say as you check out. The job with the weather office tended to be this easy, so you aren't really surprised to be out this quickly. Opting to return home for now, you start to put the apples away into places where they wouldn't rot as quick as they normally would. After all, being given fresh apples and letting them rot would just be rude. After a moment's thought, you grab a couple of the apples and head on over to the library, planning to make good on your plans to return. You knock three short times upon arrival at your destination, hope rising in your chest to see the face of your crush. “Oh! Hello,” Twilight greets you with a smile. “Back for the next book?” “And to introduce you to it!” You exclaim, as she lets you in. “I still can't believe you haven't read Sherhoof Holmes! I mean, they're only the best mystery stories ever.” The unicorn rolls her eyes, starting to clear the floor from the previous night's studies. You watch as she cleans up piles and piles of scrolls, and an almost equal amount of books. “Just how much studying do you do?” You can't help but blurt out, before blushing as she fixes you with a look of both embarrassment and amusement. “She usually stays up at least half the night,” Spike said, making Twilight fix him with a look that got him to be quiet. You shake your head in amusement at this, “So you have the next book, right?” “Right here,” the mare says, as she hovers the book over to you. “Well, I said I would introduce you, and that's what I'm gonna do,” you say. “Unless you're busy today...?” “I don't believe so... Spike, anything on the schedule?” “Nope, it's clear,” Spike answers, after glancing at the calendar. “Alright, then, show me what's so good about these books,” She challenges you. You grin at this, happily putting the book down in front of the two of you. As you begin to read, you find yourself completely immersed in the story, almost forgetting that the unicorn is there reading with you. If not for the both of you reading at pretty much the same speed, you'd probably be far more aware of her presence. “Uhh, excuse me?” She suddenly says, breaking you out of your stupor, and you realize that you've started to lean against her. Backing up quickly, your face flushes as you also notice that you've gone poomf again. The only consolation here is that you don't see Spike anywhere nearby, and her face is just as red as yours. Well, without a mirror, that's a hard comparison to make, but it's what you hope anyway. “S-Sorry about that,” you mumble carefully. “Uhh... maybe we should do this another time?” The unicorn was a bit too embarrassed to really answer, as you dash out of the library in a hurry and immediantly head off for home, leaving behind everything in your rush. What happened back there? First you were reading, then the next thing you know... you pause to shudder a bit, realizing that leaning against her like that, wings out as they had been, was incredibly comfortable. You liked being that way, you realize. “Oh, horseapples,” you murmur as you enter your apartment. Sometimes you wonder why you can't just speak your mind. “I... think I'll wait another day before I go back.” It would be best to have that sort of twenty-four hour barrier between the two of you, clear your head for a bit. Which isn't going to be easy, considering that everytime you close your eyes her face dances across your vision. Her voice goes through your ears. “Man... I'm crushing on her harder than I thought,” you admit aloud to nopony, as you start making dinner. Back where you'd left Twilight, the book, and the apples you'd brought as snacks, the unicorn was still sitting there in a bit of a stupor. Well, the 'bit' part is probably inaccurate, considering she's been in the same gaping-mouth position for almost five minutes. It wasn't until the door was heard to be opening that she returned to the world around her, and noticed that the Sherhoof Holmes book was still open in front of her. “Hey, Twi'!” A familiar, brash voice called. “Hello, Rainbow,” Twilight replied, having quickly used her magic to put away the left-behind saddlebags and other items. “You okay?” The cyan pegasus asked. “Your face is all red. You got a fever or somethin'?” The unicorn shook her head almost violently, “No! I'm fine!” The chromatic pegasus backed up a little, making a Twilight wince at how she'd shouted her response. “Sorry,” she continued. “What is it you need, Rainbow? The next Daring Do book?” “Uh, yeah,” Rainbow said, reaching for her saddlebags and producing the one she'd finished. As it was being checked in, she spoke up again. “Are you sure you're alright?” “Yes,” Twilight replied, emphasizing the word as she put the next book of the series in Rainbow's hooves. The pegasus could tell from the obvious tone that she wasn't gonna get anything out of the unicorn, and made to leave, only to be stopped by Spike. “Don't tell anypony I mentioned this,” He began, grinning slightly as he whispered to Rainbow. “But there was another pegasus here earlier. He and Twi' were reading a book together, and his wings kinda...” “Oh. My. GOSH,” Dash whispered back and grinning, knowing where Spike was going with this. “This is too good, do you know who it was?” “No, but he left his saddlebags behind.” Said bags, after being snagged from their hiding spot, were now being held in the baby dragon's claws at that very moment, and after only a moment's thought, the chromatic pegasus grabbed them and raced out of the library. Only moments later, she's knocking on the door to your apartment. Opening it, you wonder why the craziest stunt-flyer of Ponyville is hovering right outside your door. “Heya, you got a minute?” She grins at you. With a confused look, you nod and let her in. “Whatcha need, Rainbow?” you ask. She tosses your saddlebags to you, “You left these at Twi's place.” You raise your eyebrow, catching the bags easily and simply tossing them onto the couch, where they usually rest. “And I wanted to talk to you.” Your heart skips a beat for a moment, worried that somepony may have noticed your feelings and told her, but the only ones who had any idea of it were Spike and Twilight. So she couldn't know, could she? “I hear you're crushing on my friend,” She continues, flopping onto the couch. She knows, you think with a groan, as you sit in the chair across from her. “Yeah... and...?” “Just wanna know why, that's all.” Oh, boy, that was a loaded question. You aren't quite sure of why you like the bookworm, either, so this would be an answer you'll have to think about for a bit. “I... I don't know,” you admit after a few minutes. “I... I just...” “Hey, it's cool, I'm just wondering,” Rainbow intervenes to calm you down. Then she grins. “And dude? You might wanna get some better control over your wings.” Glancing back, you notice that you've once again managed to pop a wingie. “You must really like Twilight to pop one of those from just thinking of her.” Your face turns a shade of red brighter than the red on Rainbow's mane, making said pegasus chuckle. “When're you gonna tell her?” She asks. Another loaded question, something Rainbow seems to be good at. As for when you're going to admit your feelings... “I don't know,” you admit. “Well,” Rainbow says, hopping off the couch. “Just tell her soon, 'kay?” You nod at this. “And dude, you break her heart... you'll have five mares coming after you, got it?” You gulp at the threat, nodding anyway. Then she grins cockily and waves cheekily as she flies off. After a few minutes of thought, you decide to go to bed early. Perhaps you could get your head together while you're asleep or something... or maybe Celestia will take mercy on you and send you to the moon or something... who knows? All you know is that tomorrow, you need to stop by the library again, and talk this out with Twilight Sparkle... and hope that she doesn't break your heart...