//------------------------------// // 3 - Rocking at the 'Cube Tonight // Story: Top Wings // by Outlaw Quadrant //------------------------------// Chapter 3 – Rocking at the ‘Cube Tonight Within one of the many corridors in the Cloudiseum was a door bearing a red cross. It swung open, and the eagle involved in the earlier accident limped out, his motions restrained by the many white bandages around his body. Inside the pale blue room, Blaze sat on a bench next to Rainbow Dash. Calling out to the eagle, “My condolences again, sir. Maybe we could have a friendly match down the road.” “Many thanks,” the eagle replied before closing the door. Rainbow paid them no attention. While she had her head buried in a tattered magazine, her thoughts weren’t on the articles. Instead, her eyes occasionally shifted to another door next to a bubbling water cooler. Somepony across the pony yelped at regular intervals, and she responded by tightening her grip on her reading material. Then came a prolonged hiss; Rainbow immediately slammed the magazine onto the nearby table. “When I get my hooves on Gilda, I’m gonna—” Blaze held up his wing. “You must calm down, Rainbow.” “Calm down?” She hovered around the room, waving her hooves in the air. “How can I calm down at a time like this?” “The doctor did say it was only a minor scar to the head and a mild concussion.” Pointing at her forehead, “But stitches, Blaze! Stitches! If Gilda didn’t crash into me, this would’ve never happened!” He sighed in frustration. “I appreciate your concern for Fly, but if you call yourself a competitor, then you should understand that racing naturally carries a high risk of injury. What happened out there could’ve happened to anyone else, just like with that eagle. You should consider yourself fortunate that Fly chose to spare you from serious injury.” Her boiling anger turned icy cold. “I am but, you know, this was supposed to be fun.” Rainbow sat back down. “I didn’t think something like this would happen. I should be looking out for him, not the other way around.” Her shoulders suddenly grew heavy, and her eyes grew wide. It’s my fault, isn’t it? Finally, the patient entered the room. Right away, Rainbow immediately spotted slight discoloration around his left eye. Above it was a small crescent shaped wound, latticed with stitches, expertly sewn to close up what was destined to scar. Swift casually brushed his medium blue forelocks in front of it, intending to conceal the wound. On any other pony, she would have called it a proud battle mark. On him, it was a wretched mistake, her mistake. Swift gave her a welcoming smile. “’Sup, Rainbow. You’re not hurt, are ya? I didn’t really see you in there.” Rainbow couldn’t bear looking at him. “Swift, I’m sorry. I should have—” “No worries. Besides, that’s what I get for literally using my head to tackle.” He started laughing before touching the side of his head. “Ow!” Blaze came up to him. “I’m relieved to see you’re in good spirits. Did the doctor clear you to resume, Fly?” Frowning, “Well, it’s a definitely no go for today. I’ll have to check back with the doc tomorrow and see what he says. Doesn’t matter. I’ll stick around here anyways.” “You don’t need to,” Rainbow interjected. “Maybe you should take it easy. You can even crash at my place and catch some z’s.” He’d expected agreement, not actual concern. “I’m good, Rainbow, really. I’m just gonna watch, that’s all.” “I must agree with your friend here,” said Blaze. “A brief respite will do you well.” Swift trotted toward the exit, shooing his concern with a smile. “Don’t need it.” Rainbow opened her mouth, but he was already walking down the corridor. Whether he was actually neglecting his welfare for the sake of others, no one could convince her he wasn’t. Sitting on the canopy’s top by the racetrack, Swift cusped both ears. The track noise was bad enough for a pony with a headache; trying to follow the competitors go around the track was even worse. They just keep going around in circles. I’m getting dizzy. Then again, Blaze had told him that he’d learn a lot through mere observation - he was right. For example, he noticed the winged wolf had flown together for the better part of the hour and as a result, their lap times were fast and consistent. One of the creatures remained at the front, presumably their leader. Based on how often the other wolves stepped out of formation or even banged wingtips with one another, Swift surmised they themselves could be their biggest threat. That wasn’t the case with the few bats, dragonflies and pegasi that passed his sights; the turbulent air on track that continually knocked them off the ideal path was their biggest nemesis. Unsurprisingly, the track announcer called out many of their names as those that withdrew, along with those that found an early end to their weekend through a nasty collision. “Oh shoot!” To his left, a light turquoise pegasus ricocheted off the outside wall and right into oncoming traffic. Down she went along with seven others onto the safety barrier below, among them a griffon and a falcon. Swift ran to the canopy’s edge for a better look - he recognized none of the injured. The PA system confirmed his observation. “That’s definitely not Blaze Peregrine or Gilda,” said the play-by-play announcer. “But I believe that was Lightning Dust involved in the accident and by the looks of it, I doubt we’ll see her return. That’s a real shame. She was really climbing up the speed charts.” Swift uncovered his ears, only to jam cloud bits in it minutes later. Another noise below his hooves drilled into his head. He peeked under the canopy to find the source, a golden and white colored goose among many others with the most boisterous and grating voice he’d ever heard. He walked to an area furthest away but Swift still heard every annoying syllable. “This is our time to really shine,” said the goose. “It doesn’t matter who’s in front. Our team will take all the front spots or my name isn’t Hermes Goossens! Now, allow me to regale you about our last victory a month ago! It was a cold and windy morning just outside of Featherton. I had myself a—” Finally, the green flag returned and in no time, happily adjusted to the sound of roaring fliers. Less ideal was the afternoon sun beating down on him and the few spectators willing to put up with the balmy weather just to watch a practice session, especially since fewer competitors chose to continue running laps. Among them were Gilda and Gecks but everyone felt their presence long after their departure. Their numbers, six and thirty-six, never came off the top two spots on the scoring pylon. Eventually, Blaze not only took command of the largest group on the track, his racing number sixty inched up all the way to third. Swift expected Rainbow’s to rise as well but instead, she lollygagged among the slower fliers with autopilot engaged. Every few laps, she looked his direction with little spunk or elation. What in Equestria’s wrong with Rainbow? Suddenly, flashing lights accompanied with shouted questions grabbed Swift’s attention. He hovered below to the platform, finding a gaggle of reporters surrounding three pegasus wearing skin-tight blue suits. One of them, a mare with a fiery orange mane nodded at a stout pegasus stallion wearing a headset, silencing all the others. “This is Burning ‘Mike’ Chicane, your humble announcer of the Equestrian Grand Prix.” His voice immediately echoed throughout the entire track. “I’m here with none other than Spitfire, leader of the Wonderbolts. Tell me, isn’t it somewhat unfair having you, Soarin and Fleetfoot in the race considering your extensive training and combined experience?” “I was expecting that question,” she coolly replied. “Although we do have our occasional Wonderbolt Derbies, those are relatively short races so we actually have less experience with a longer format compared to quite a few others I’ve met here. In the interest of fairness, however, I limited the entries to three and we decided to skip practice. We even successfully lobbied to disallow the use of body suits just so that we’re all playing on a level field.” “So you’re going into qualifying tomorrow cold?” “That’s correct. We came here today mainly to be goodwill ambassadors for Equestria, and have a closer look at our competition. From what I see, we’ll definitely have a fight on our hooves.” “And why you three specifically?” “We had our own little Wonderbolts mini-races to determine who would get the honors to represent our group. Who we have here were the top three—” She smiled coyly at Soarin. “—with one notable exception.” Red-hot bulbs flashed at the blushing blue stallion. “Okay, okay. Rapidfire beat me to the line, but he’s got the feather flu, so I’m taking his place.” “And I wonder where that came from,” Spitfire quipped. While the reporters laughed, Rainbow and Blaze pulled off the track and joined Swift. “‘Sup,” said Swift. “Can you believe who’s joining this race? Talk about star power!” Blaze gazed at the trio, now signing a few autographs. “I’m not exactly familiar with these ponies. I’ve seen similarly dressed individuals but that was ages ago.” Rainbow leaned forward, ready to barge through the crowd. However, the second she saw his scar, her balloon filled with enthusiasm popped. Focusing on the floor, “Yeah, I guess.” “You’re not gonna try and talk with them?” he said, raising an eyebrow. With a shrug, “Maybe tomorrow. They look kinda busy.” “Busy? You practically breathe Wonderbolts! Are you okay?” She looked at him, struggling for a smile. “Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah. Um, how about you?” He saw right through her wafer-thin disguise, but Rainbow wasn’t one to spill the beans so easily. Now wasn’t the time to press the issue. “Head’s still hurting but I should be good for Pinkie’s pre-race party.” She flinched. “Huh? Wait a minute. You just had a concussion. What about that scar on your head? Wouldn’t you’d rather have some peace and quiet instead?” “Eh? I don’t know what’s up with you but no worries, all right? I can handle it.” Her pupils made a quick retreat. “But, but—” Ignoring her, “Blaze? You want to join us?” The falcon rubbed his beak. “A social gathering? I’m ready to, how do you say, party-hearty?” Swift blinked a few times without saying a word. “Yes, well—” said Blaze, breaking the awkward silence. “Let’s depart, shall we?” The two walked into the Cloudiseum’s depths, while Rainbow straggled behind them. Even without seeing his face, she swore that small gash on Swift’s forehead was ready to unleash a river of wretched red. Please let this be a small party. Pegasi, pegasi everywhere. Inside Sugarcube Corner’s first floor, nopony dared spread their wings, lest they strike somepony else. Even if they could, balloons and checkerboard streamers clogged up the skies. Occasionally, Pinkie Pie ventured upwards, then down again, only to repeat it. For her, it was the best mode of transportation, so she could replenish every table’s spread, which included doughnuts, banana chips, pretzels, and energy punch served from cups shaped like trophies. At one of the room’s corners, Vinyl Scratch, wearing her usual purple shades, was busy connecting wires from two tall speakers into a turntable station. On the other side, ponies waited in line for Pin the Tail on the Pony. Unfortunately, pegasi were the most hampered by the blindfold, with most of their tails off the sheet. Laughs got lost within the noisy floor, as did most conversations. Upstairs, it was a much quieter atmosphere, perfect for all the board games in session. Pinkie soon came up, checking up first on Twilight and Blaze. On their table laid a checkerboard with assorted pieces sitting on various squares shaded green, blue, or brown. Some of them shared a striking resemblance to Princess Celestia and Luna, certain members of the Royal Guard, and famous historical ponies such as Commander Hurricane. Naturally, she poked her head in with childhood enthusiasm. “Ooooh! Are you playing fancy checkers?” Twilight gave her a polite shush. “You could say that.” “How do you play? Can I join?” She pointed at a Commander Hurricane statuette. “What does that piece do? It looks scary!” “Ugh! Just read the rules, Pinkie.” The unicorn levitated over a sheet, which rolled open. The bottom hit the floor, just like Pinkie’s jaw. Blaze nudged over a scrawny Royal Guard piece forwards, immediately prompting Twilight to make a similar move with a different piece, triggering a flurry of actions that sent Pinkie’s eyes twirling. Finally, the unicorn placed a Star-Swirl the Bearded figurine by the falcon’s Princess Luna figure. “Excelsior!” she proclaimed, raising her front hooves with glee. Blaze’s wings swung open, his eyelid twitching. “Oh, such a daring move!” He stood up for a gracious bow. “Well done, Twilight. That’s a game apiece. Shall we go for three?” Raucous laughter prompted Pinkie to check in with Spike, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity. On their table, each had a spread of red cards with apples on them. However, only Spike and Applejack had green cards in their possession. Fortunately for the group, Pinkie already knew the game, so she stayed back and zipped her mouth. “This game isn’t exactly prope,” said Rarity as she levitated a red card face-down toward Fluttershy. “But it is quite amusing. Photo Finish? Demure?” She giggled in delight. Applejack rolled her eyes. “It’s might funny, but still think this game’s false advertising. It says Apples on the box. This game ain’t got nothing to do with apples!” Spike nudged over a card to Fluttershy. “That’s all of them. You have to choose the winner.” “Okay.” She whispered in Spike’s ear, “Um, how do I do that?” He face palmed, having explained this to her, twice. “It’s completely up to you. That’s what makes this game fun.” That didn’t stop the sweat from her forehead, but she kept going, scrutinizing a green card in front of her. Nice, it said. Then she flipped over three red cards, revealing Parasprites, Princess Celestia, and Hay. Fortunately for Rarity, she correctly guessed that Fluttershy would play it straight, as she earned a green card. Pinkie finally made her presence known with a long, loud yawn. “Bo-ring! I would have picked hay!” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Why in tarnation would you pick that, Pinkie? That don’t make a lick of sense!” With a sneer, Spike replied, “I think you answered your own question.” They all had a good chuckle, which was more noise than from the two pegasi playing BattleCloud by the dark windowsill all the way across the room. Rarity peeked their way. My, Rainbow has been especially quiet since she and Swift arrived. Is that gash troubling her for some reason? She keeps looking at it. Again, she guessed correctly. As Swift rubbed his chin, contemplating his next move, Rainbow’s imagination ran wild on what more could happen to him. Time and again, she was accustomed to putting herself in the thick of things. Danger might as well be her middle name, and she’d been guilty of getting her friends caught up in her messes multiple times, sometimes resulting in nicks and scrapes. Usually, she would say her apologies and be no worse for wear. This time, however, that scar ate at her psyche like piranhas feasting on meat. “Sky Seven,” said Swift. Her head slinked lower. I didn’t want this to happen. “Um, Sky Seven? Did I hit something?” Not again. A gray hoof crossed her line of sight. “Equestria to Rainbow, helloooo.” Her wings flung open with a small gasp. “Oh, sorry. Sky Seven?” In that spot, there was a blue square. “Nope.” She tapped her hoof a few times. “Um, Cloud Three?” “You plucked my seagull.” He flicked off the miniature off with a sneer. “Then again, I don’t really care for them, so I ain’t complaining.” She strained a few chuckles, each one weaker than the last. He quietly whined. Seeing her this mopey ate at his conscience but doubted whether saying anything would help. Swift tried holding it in but after a few more depressing rounds of Battlecloud, he latched onto his mane as he always did during a nervous moment. “Rainbow, I know something’s bothering you. Go ahead and tell me.” “Huh?” She forced out a smile. “Oh, no, no, no. There’s nothing wrong. Nothing wrong at all.” “It’s about what happened to me, isn’t it?” She immediately looked away from him. “It’s not that… well, maybe.” Swift paused before exhaling deeply. “Rainbow, we’re good on that, all right? I’ll just be more careful next time.” Rainbow’s jaw shuddered. “Next time?” She leaned across the table. “Are you sure about that? I won’t blame you if you wanna drop out of this race. It’s safer that way.” His mouth wanted to blurt out a big what, but pushed it back in. Lowering his voice, “What’s your deal, Rainbow? This isn’t like you at all. There’s no reason to get all worked up. It’s just a small cut.” “I know that,” she whispered back. “It’s just that I… because of what I put you through.” “Eh? You mean—” She nodded as she remembered one particular day, that one Saturday many weeks ago but forever vivid on every recollection. The pony in front of her had been a mere stranger pulled into her mess and in a short time, turned into a friend she had all but lost, forever. “I put you through so much already and I’m doing it all over again,” she said, voice trembling. “And for what? Because of some silly race? Is it really worth it?” “Yeah,” he instantly answered. “You’re still worth it, Rainbow.” “Huh?” Winking, “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. I said something like that before, remember?” Finally, the corners of her mouth inched upwards. “Oh, yeah.” With an amused eye roll, “It’s still cheesy, you know.” “I know, but I still mean it. That hasn’t changed one bit.” Rainbow’s cheeks were flushed red with slight embarrassment. “When you asked me to come here, I could’ve said no, like when you asked me to help you learn how to fly again. The thing is, though, I made that choice, Rainbow. We may have gone through a lot after that, but the thing is that we really had some wicked fun, didn’t we?” “Hey, yeah,” said Rainbow with mild enthusiasm. “And we’re going to have some more fun this time around. It may get a bit rough out there, but that’s okay.” He pointed at his scar. “I got your back, and I know you’ll have mine. That’s why I’m not worried. You shouldn’t be, either.” Rainbow could feel the nervousness dripping away, but like a persistent cold, she continued sensing it. “Well, if you really want to do this—” “I do,” he interjected. He raised his hoof, ready for a bump. “We’re cool on this?” When she looked in his swirling, blue eyes, Rainbow saw unwavering confidence. Whatever risks lay ahead, he was ready for them regardless of consequence. She admired him for that. She slapped his hoof with a wide smile, adding “All right, but I do have to make it up to you for saving my flank out there.” “But—” ‘No buts!” She softened her tone. “Please? It doesn’t feel right not paying back.” He raised his forelegs. “All right, all right. Whatever you wanna do is cool with me.” “Okay! I’ll… um.” A question mark popped in her head. “Okay, I’m not quite sure yet but it’s gonna be a surprise.” “Gotcha,” he beamed. Swift gazed at the game board. “So, whose turn was it, now?” Pinkie rose right behind him. “It’s your turn, silly!” “Ah!” Swift leaped into the air, and if he wasn’t a pegasus, he’d have come crashing back down. “Geez, a little warning next time?” he said, clutching his chest. “Oops,” she said, giggling. “Just checking if you guys wanna join us downstairs.” Pinkie did a little jig. “We’re going start dancing. Woo hoo!” The beat below was something funky and fast, Rainbow’s favorite. “Heh, yeah! Count me in!” Swift landed back down, noting most in the room had already left. “I dunno,” he said while scratching his mane. “You’re just afraid of looking like a dork like Twilight,” she teased. “I heard that!” yelled the offended unicorn, as she trotted down the stairs. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the exchange. “Rainbow, I’m actually not that bad of a dancer—” With some hesitation, “—at least that’s what my friends tell me.” Rainbow hovered right up to his face, crossing her hooves. “Then prove it.” Usually, Swift ignored her challenges, or otherwise chickened out of them. This time, however, he thought some dancing would be therapeutic considering what had transpired today. He calmly replied, “I’m a little rusty, but… oooof!” Pinkie nudged him toward the staircase, with Rainbow following behind. Apparently, the two mares had already decided for him. As they approached the bottom level, they found themselves bathed in a full spectrum of colors flickering to the beat of the music. Some of the ponies had gone outside to carry on their conversations, allowing space for a dance floor right in the middle. Twilight and Blaze danced near each other by the kitchen entrance, which must have been by divine design. The unicorn flailed her hooves around like a deranged maniac while the falcon’s large, bulky frame meant constant apologizing for bumping into everypony around him. Applejack, standing by the stairs beside Rarity and Spike, pulled down her hat. “Golly, that’s just painful to watch.” “And you would do any better?” countered Rarity. She patted her bulging tummy. “I already told ya I wanted to munch on some bites first, so I gotta wait. What’s your excuse?” “I’m just waiting for something that’s not so… brash. I already asked Fluttershy to ask the DJ for something nice and slow.” They all glanced toward the DJ station, where Fluttershy stood amongst a small crowd in front of the turntable. Her lips were moving, but whatever meek noise came out of it got lost in the sea of shouted requests and the raw power of the speakers. “Nice and slow,” said Applejack, bewildered. “Why ask for that?” Rarity stroked the small dragon’s head, much to his delight. “I promised Spikey-wikey that we’d have one dance together.” Suddenly, she gave Spike a brief, but cold stare. “And one dance means one. Got it?” His head bobbed yes, now aware that her generosity had a limit. A pirouetting Pinkie then went by him, followed by two pegasi. Rainbow went straight to the middle of the room without a word, but Swift thought it’d be best for a quick greeting. “Sup, little dude.” “Hey, Swift.” Spike poked him on the side, shifting his eyes between Swift and Rainbow. “I see what’s going on. Go get ‘em, champ.” “Eh?” Rarity bumped Spike out of the way. “Don’t mind him, dear. Go have some fun out there.” Her ears perked up, picking up the end of the rock song. Rarity took a step forward, expecting something slow, tender, and soothing for the heart. Instead, the bass from the twin speakers grabbed hold of Sugarcube Corner, shaking it with such vigor, the walls groaned in displeasure. Spike pranced toward the floor, only for her to pull him back. “Oh, no.” She raised her head. “I’m not dancing to that.” Swift had no reservations, however, joining the ever-growing masses. With no sight of Rainbow, he found an open spot, and performed simple hoof steps in place, while rocking his head about in a slow, deliberate fashion. Certainly, he didn’t embarrass himself, as his moves mimicked those around him, only he wasn’t enjoying the moment. For the agile pony, what he did was plain, uninspiring, robotic, even boring. Nah, I can do better than this. Shutting his eyes, he allowed the music to flow into him like a river, with the waters carrying the notes throughout his entire body. Soon, he spun in place, slid sideways, stepped back and forth, all while bobbing his head to the rhythm, tossing his mane into disorder. His headache crept back, but it was an afterthought. For a while, he was in his own little world, with only himself and the music notes dictating every move he made. Even a few encouraging words from those around him were insignificant background noise, except for one. “Pretty cool moves,” shouted Rainbow over the music. “You mind if I join?” He stumbled to a stop. “Eh?” The idea cranked his thermostat to boiling hot. “Well, I don’t usually, um, dance with others. Do you know h–how to—?” “Relax, Swift,” she said, waving her hoof nonchalantly. “It’s not like I got moves of my own. C’mon!” Swift gulped, as his heart competed with the music for most beats per minute. He played it safe, giving himself plenty of space while, again, immersing himself with the brash song. Rainbow crept in closer, feeling the vibes she had felt from him earlier returning to its smooth, tingling state. It met up with her wild, untamed energy and wrapped around it along with the music. Such a fusion for most ponies would end up in chaos, with stepping on each other’s hooves, and bodies colliding by accident. Instead, they found a new way in speaking to each other without words or thoughts. With the rock song reaching the chorus section, they both knew what to do. It was time to let loose. Suddenly, their moves reached the pinnacle of harmony, with every action done by one mirrored by the other. With each passing second, they pushed the envelope with more complex moves, gyrating on the floor, going from steps to small leaps, even switching to complementary dancing without missing a beat. Their energy became infectious, with the ponies in the room either wrestling in vain to match them, or stomping their hooves in the unfolding spectacle. They gave them room, allowing the duo to spread their wings, adding another piece in their arsenal. Soon, they were flipping backwards, air walking, air guitaring, and whatever else fit the moment. Vinyl flipped on her mike for some commentary. “DJ Pon, rockin’ from the ‘Cube! Who says pegasi got no moves other than on the track? Give it up for…” She flipped off the mike, grasping for their names. Pinkie rose up beside her. “They’re Dashie and Fly-Fly!” Fluttershy leaned over the turntable. “Oh, excuse me. Can I, oh please? I’m just trying to—” Still unaware of the yellow pony, Vinyl stuck out her tongue. “P, I can’t work with that.” Fluttershy tried poking Pinkie, but she was just out of reach. “Pinkie, can you, um, I have a request for the DJ. Can you please, tell—” Pinkie was more interested in coming up with a group name. “Ok! How about S & R, or the Swift-Dash experience, or… wait!” She banged her hooves together. “Dashie would want her name first! Rainswift?” Vinyl facehoofed. “P, how about we just go with—” Fluttershy opened her mouth wide. “Ex-cuse, meeeee!” Both mares fell on their hindquarters, with Vinyl’s lenses cracking at the power of Fluttershy’s momentary rage. Pinkie gave the huffing yellow pony a limp hoof wave. “Hey, Fluttershy. Did you need something?” Meanwhile, Applejack tossed a few yee-haws in Swift and Rainbow’s direction. “Just look at ‘em two! They pair up like biscuits and gravy!” “You’re most certainly right,” said Rarity. With a downcast sigh, “If only they could see that, Applejack.” Scratching her head, “What are you talking about?” Eschewing words, Rarity pouted her lips while fluttering her eyelashes. “Hold yer horses,” she replied with a raised eyebrow. “I know we tease her about the mushy stuff, but we all know that she ain’t interested in that stuff. Hasn’t been since the day I’ve met her. Why, it’s like you suddenly likin’ splashing in the mud during a rainstorm. I just can’t see it happening.” Rarity quickly dismissed it. “Applejack, even Rainbow Dash won’t be able to ignore the allure of romance forever. Of course, Swift might just be a passing fancy.” “A what now?” “You know, a crush,” interjected Spike. Applejack shook her head. “But they’re just dancing together, to a rock song. That don’t mean anything.” Vinyl came on the air. “Whew! Rainbow and Swift are servin’ some hot action! Course, we wanna save some of that for the track, so how about let’s…” She did a record scratch. “…slow it down.” With every second, the verve from the speakers turned from a raging inferno to a warm, ocean breeze, enticing ponies in pairing up for the slow, rock ballad. Twilight and Blaze immediately pulled off the floor, as they were more interested in appetizers than embarrassing themselves any further. As for the dancing duo, they had landed back down, but were looking away from each other. Rarity rubbed Spike’s chin. “Come along, Spikey-wikey.” She then used her eyes to direct Applejack toward Rainbow and Swift. “Just watch.” Her giddiness made her tremble in anticipation. “Something special’s going to happen!” The song was well underway, but the two pegasi stood together amongst the crowd like lost sheep. In fact, one would wonder how Swift’s forelocks didn’t fall off, given how hard he was rubbing them. Whatever words he came up with fell apart the moment he came up with one. Across from him, Rainbow opened her mouth, only for audible pauses to come out. Part of her wanted to gallop to the sidelines, but the warmth pumping from within draped around her doubts like a blanket on a cold morning. Finding some courage, she turned toward him, pondering on how to make a suggestion that, maybe, just maybe they should give this song a chance. However, Swift had more immediate concerns; his head was scolding him with persistent throbbing. “Shoot. Guess I really overdid it.” His ears folded in. “My bad, Rainbow, but I may have to call it a night.” Disappointment slammed her out of nowhere. She hid it behind a feigned smile. “Oh, okay. Don’t wait up on me. I may just party all night, you know.” “Gotcha,” he said with a chuckle, quickly stopped by a wince. “Later, then.” While Swift stopped by everypony he knew for quick goodbyes, Rainbow stared at the dance floor, as the music continued soothing the souls around her into tighter embraces. The spectrum of lights flashed everywhere except where she stood, leaving her in the dark. She soon no longer heard the music, only her solitary thoughts. This stinks. I was having so much fun with you, Swift. Rainbow closed her eyes, imaging what could’ve been; the tingling sensation when her fur touched his, those blue eyes she would get herself lost in, the cheesy lines either had an equal chance of saying, and finally, their muzzles approaching each other as the music reaches its apex, then coming to a record scratching halt. Her pupils trembled in shock. Oh, Celestia! Did I just imagine that? She slapped herself hard, adding more red to her cheeks. I gotta get out of here! She trotted past Rarity and Spike, neither responding other than a frown from the unicorn. What terrible timing! I should have put in that song request myself. Rainbow stopped by Applejack, just as Swift left Sugarcube Corner. The cowpony tipped her hat his way. “Well, that’s a darn shame, Rainbow. You two looked like you were havin’ a bushel of fun.” Applejack went for the gullet, using a sultry tone. “So tell me. You really wanted to dance with him, didn’t ya? Maybe have something special happen?” Her wings swung open, putting up a defense wall made of tissue paper. “What? No! Friends don’t dance to that! It’s totally not cool! And what’s this special thing supposed to mean? I have no idea what you’re talking about! Why do you ask so many silly questions?” She snorted, pointing her muzzle away. Applejack blinked a few times. She expected a simple no, not a sputtering retort. Now she wondered whether Rarity actually had a point. However, getting a definitive answer from the perturbed mare wasn’t wise, so she let her off the hook. “Well, okay, then. Didn’t mean to rattle your cage.” Twilight and Blaze came over, unaware of what just transpired. “An exemplary performance,” said the falcon. “I may have to ask my friend for some pointers.” “You two really know how to dance,” said Twilight, smiling. “Have you two practiced before or something?” With Rainbow flailing her hooves, “There’s nothing going on!” She stormed to the exit, each hoofstep heavier than the last. Her hasty departure left the group in silence. When Pinkie and Fluttershy came over, the latter heard Rainbow’s distant grumblings, and could only guess on what got her upset. “Oh, did she not like the song I chose? I’m sorry.” Five minutes. For that long, Rainbow stared at her front door. On the other side, she knew a pony was on her couch, but her ears only picked up the light, crisp wind blowing through her mane. Rainbow hoped he was asleep, lest he possibly bring up what happened earlier in the night. Although she shoved her embarrassing thoughts into a jar, the lid was a mere touch from flying off. With a gentle nudge, she slipped through the door into the dim living room. On her left, in the middle of the three-side sectional sofa, she saw a white blanket with a lump beneath, beside a mountain of soft pillows. However, the subdued snoring that she expected was missing, which she found rather odd. Against her own wisdom, she whispered, “Psst. You asleep yet?” An amused, louder voice emerged. “Psst. No.” The sheet flew right off, revealing Swift with an ice bag on his head. He wasn’t expecting Rainbow on the floor, gasping for air. “My bad. Did I scare you?” “Me?” she panted. Rainbow got up, fixed her frazzled mane, and struggled for an excuse. “No. I just… tripped on something.” With a cough, she regained composure. “So, why are you still up?” “Having trouble staying asleep,” he said, adjusting the ice bag. “My headache’s backing off, so it’s not that.” With a sneer, “Aw, you need me to tell you a beddy-bye story so you can go to sleepy-land?” “Whatever,” he replied, not letting the taunt bother him. “You know, I wasn’t expecting you this early. Did something happen?” “No!” she blurted out. Rainbow reigned in her voice. “I mean, no. Nothing. I just, um, felt tired. That’s all.” He leaned in closer, with Rainbow’s nervous laughter adding to his suspicions. At this point, his eyes grew heavy, making him too weary to play a guessing game. With a nod, he gave up trying. “Gotcha. Well, Blaze told me before I left, that we should meet up early in the morning. Said something about gathering all our intel, and update our race strategy.” Finally, Rainbow had a reason to leave. “Ok, then. Guess we should both hit the hay. Night!” She bolted toward a nearby spiral staircase. “Hold up a sec,” he said groggily. The jar cracked, dripping anxiousness all across her body. She hovered back toward him, tapping her hooves together. “Um, yeah?” “About tonight, how was I out there? I wasn’t dragging you down, was I?” This was her usual opportunity to elevate herself above everypony else, except she couldn’t. Just thinking about the dance made her smile grow even wider. “You were great out there.” A short pause later, “I just wish it didn’t have to end so soon.” Immediately, the jar shattered into pieces, and her body’s temperature approached that of molten lava. Darnit. Why did I say that? Swift covered himself with the bed sheet. “Yeah, well—” He let out a long yawn. “—I was sorta bummed out too.” Hearing that made her relax, although she was still boiling hot. “We’ll just have more fun tomorrow, right?” “Huh?” She shook her head repeatedly. “Oh, yeah. Tomorrow.” With that, they said their goodnights, and Rainbow headed to her room. Many things floated about in her mind, the race itself, Gilda, Blaze, her friends, the party, but the most prominent was that svelte, gray stallion. Her eyes closed halfway, as she plopped onto her bed. Swift’s my friend, isn’t he? That thought earned her another self-inflicted slap. Of course he is! Ugh! I should be thinking on how to pay him back! Think, Rainbow! Think! Think! Think!