//------------------------------// // Chapter II // Story: Gold-Tinted Lenses // by Incredible Blunderbolt //------------------------------// Yes. Yes! Yes! They were hers! After months of staring at the ad in Flight Illustrated and saving every spare bit in her paycheck, Rainbow Dash finally had her very own Wonderbolt 260 sky mask! She shivered with delight as she strutted down main street, her boots crunching through the snow and the world tinted a bright, happy sunset gold. A grin split her face open when she caught yet another stallion’s head following her as she walked by. I look so badass! Rainbow thought with a triumphant fluff of her wings. And, even though she really preferred soft curves and long eyelashes, she treated her sidewalk audience to a few happy flicks of her tail. I love these goggles! Rainbow had never been one for fashion. In fact, much to Rarity’s dismay, she abhorred the subject; with all the cool things there were in Equestria—The Wonderbolts, Rainbow Dash, Daring Do, Rainbow Dash, hoofball, sonic rainbooms and Rainbow Dash, just to name a few—who would want to talk about clothes? But even she had to admit that a Rainbow Dash without style was like a dragon without fiery breath: way less awesome. A warm, tingly feeling flooded Rainbow’s belly as she imagined the look on Rarity’s face when she saw her in her new goggles. The dressmaker would probably gush about how the tint of the glasses worked great with her mane, or that they brought out her eyes, or something like that. The tingling in her belly grew more intense, and her wings fluttered against her sides. “Come on, Spike! We’re almost there!” It was always something wonderful to catch Rarity’s attention. That unicorn hardly ever wanted to focus on anything other than sheer perfection and beauty. Sure, she was always kind and courteous, even downright loving, but Rainbow Dash knew that nothing other than the finest things in Equestria ever fully pulled Rarity’s mind from fashion. And if these goggles did the trick, then they’d pass the ultimate test of—“Woah!” “Gah!” Thoughts of Rarity’s eyes vanished from Rainbow’s mind as she suddenly crashed into a wall of soft, lavender fur. The wall proved to be quite unsteady, however, and quickly gave out. Flapping her wings did nothing as Rainbow tumbled like a rag doll over the object and fell face-first onto the not-so-soft cobblestone street. Pain shot up her nose and she yelped as she rubbed it, rolling on the ground with her eyes clenched shut. “Ow! Ow! Owwww!” she hissed through her teeth. “Oh my gosh!” a voice cried through the darkness. “Rainbow Dash, are you okay?” Rainbow’s face was pulled tight. Her teeth poked out under her lips, opening a gateway for Rainbow’s breath to escape and surround her hooves like fresh steam. She rolled a few more times on the road before clenching her teeth and opening her eyes back up. The bright blue sky greeted her, and with it, a purple alicorn hanging over her with a look of fierce regret etched all over her face. “I didn’t even see you there . . .” Twilight Sparkle said, biting her lip. The green-spined drake standing next to her blinked. “Didn’t she crash into you?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. Twilight rolled her eyes. “That’s not the point, Spike.” She offered a boot-covered hoof to Rainbow, who took it, and helped her up. “I could have moved out of the way, or something.” “It’s fine,” Rainbow said, scrunching her nose and wincing. She shook her head, hoping it might help get rid of some of the pain in her poor snout. “I wasn’t watching where I was—” Her eyes landed on Spike as she slowed her shaking down and pushed her bangs off the lenses of her goggles. The young dragon was positively buried under a vast assortment of wrapped boxes and colored paper bags. How his stumpy purple legs could possibly hold it all up was a complete mystery to her. “Spike?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow at him. “Need some help there, little guy?” The dragon’s eyes widened a little bit, and he started to smile. “Well, actually—” “Oh, he’s fine,” Twilight said with a wave of her hoof. The saddlebags on her back hung loose and empty, save for a single brown package Dash didn’t have to unwrap to know was a textbook. “Thanks for asking, but we’re only heading back home.” She gestured down the street to the large crystal castle overshadowing the town. Rainbow shrugged and shot Spike another sympathetic look. “I really don’t mind. I was actually heading over to your place anyway to drop off a few books I borrowed last month.” She shook her back to show Twilight the various titles that filled her own saddlebags. “I can take a few of those bags, or something.” Twilight’s face brightened. “Oh, well, if you’re sure . . .” The horn on her head glowed bright with magic, and Rainbow heard Spike let out a sigh of relief. The small brown package flew out of Twilight’s saddlebags and settled snugly into Rainbow’s. “I really appreciate it, Rainbow Dash. The uneven weight distribution was putting a lot of undue stress on my back.” Spike’s face soured in an instant. Rainbow offered him an apologetic smile, but Twilight just bent at her forelegs and flared her wings out, stretching like a cat. “That feels so much better,” she said as a series of pops filled the air. Shaking her head and stifling a giggle, Rainbow nodded her head toward Spike. He straightened up and whispered a quick “thanks!” as he handed Rainbow a few of the handled bags. She took them in her teeth and gave him a conspiratorial wink. “Well, then,” Twilight said, straightening herself back out. “Let’s get back to the castle, and I’ll make us all some hot cocoa!” She let out a contented sigh and started down the street once more with a smile on her face. Rainbow and Spike followed behind. The bags and boxes they carried jostled and swung around as they weaved between the various ponies making their way through town. Rainbow smirked as she saw a small yellow filly hopping outside a display window, pointing at a miniature robotic dragon as it roared in place. “But mommy, I want it!” the little girl protested, even as an older golden mare pulled her away. “It’s too expensive, honey.” The filly crossed her forelegs as she was dragged backwards through the snow, her orange tail trailing after her. “If you loved me, you’d get it for me for Hearth’s Warming!” she pouted. Rainbow giggled and watched them vanish around the corner while the mother made monotonous assurances that, yes, she did love her daughter. She caught Spike eyeing the toy with childish curiosity as they passed by the toy shop window, but said nothing. “I like your goggles,” Twilight said after a moment of silence. “Did you just get them?” Pride swelled in Rainbow’s chest, and she fluffed her wings. “Heck yeah!” she exclaimed as best she could around the handles of the bags. “Brand new! Top of the line! Don’t I look awesome?” Twilight giggled and stepped around a colt that was darting down the street, shouting something about a hoofball. “Always, Rainbow.” A shiver woke up in Rainbow’s neck. It ran down her spine, then hijacked her tail, which whipped around wildly at the praise. Once again, she found herself excitedly wondering what Rarity would say about her new lenses if Twilight found them as cool as Rainbow did. They traveled in silence for a few more moments, taking in the crispness of the winter air and the festive looks of everypony in town. There was hardly a frown to be seen from Town Hall to Sugarcube Corner, and the foals in town seemed to be taking full advantage of it. There were snowballs flying all over the place near the bakery; Rainbow suspected they might have been pre-made by some well-meaning pink prankster, but the fillies and colts didn’t seem to mind one bit. “So, what did you borrow from the library?” Twilight asked next to her. Her eyes were focused on the many bright lights and candy cane decorations surrounding the street. Rainbow’s cheeks warmed at the unexpected question, and she coughed into her hoof. “Oh, uh, just books,” she said, shifting her saddlebags on her back. They were safely buckled with her books inside, but that didn’t stop her hooves from clamming up. Twilight snickered and gave Rainbow a deadpan look. “I figured out that much,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Is it more Daring Do? Danger Mare?” “Not exactly . . .” Rainbow answered sheepishly. Before she knew it, she heard the unmistakable clicking of her buckles being undone and her blood ran cold. Several thick books slid out of Rainbow’s saddlebags, suspended by a light purple aura, and floated their way to Twilight. “Hey—wait!” “I just want to see if you’ve checked out that biography on General Firefly yet.” The books swirled around Twilight, whose face steadily grew more and more confused with every passing title. After several moments, she looked up at Rainbow with a raised eyebrow. “Sewing? Dressmaking? What in the world . . .” Rainbow groaned and grit her teeth. She wished she could melt with the snow into a storm drain. “I know, I know . . .” she grumbled, eyeing Twilight’s mailbox with disdain. She lashed out with her back hoof as they walked by it, and instantly regretted doing so. The assortment of bags she was carrying dropped like rocks from her mouth as she yelped and shook her hoof out. “I don’t understand . . .” Twilight continued without missing a beat. Her eyes were now glued back on the small stack she’d pulled out of Rainbow’s saddlebags. “You’ve never shown any interest in dressmaking. You can’t even hold still for a fitting at Rarity’s!” As fate would have it, Rainbow was saved from having to answer when the mailpony appeared over the horizon again. This time, his rickety carriage thundered down the road and straight through a muddy puddle. There were several terrible gasps as the freezing water sprayed all over the ponies on the sidewalk. “Princess Twilight!” the mailpony shouted fervently. His voice was hoarse and desperate, and he closed the space between himself and Twilight so quickly that Rainbow thought he was going to trip over his own hooves. “Princess Twilight! Special delivery!" Spike’s grin stretched from one scaly dragon ear to the other. “Sweet!” he exclaimed, rocking back and forth on his feet. “More presents!” “Prin . . . Twi . . .” the stallion said breathlessly, finally pulling to a stop at the end of castle walkway. Rainbow had to admit he was strong for such a lanky guy; it was a wonder he hadn’t passed out from exhaustion before now. “Special . . . hnn! delivery . . .” “Woah, dude,” Rainbow said, eyeing him carefully and edging a bit closer. If he was going to collapse, she figured she might as well catch him. “Cool your jets and take a breath.” The mailpony swallowed and wiped his brow with a clumsy swipe of his hoof. “Sorry, my lady,” he answered, bowing his head to Twilight. He fixed his hat and looked back up a moment later. “It’s just that the service has been swarmed with mail for days now, and most of our shipments are gifts that must be delivered today. I’ve been running nonstop since dawn!” “Of course,” Twilight said with a polite smile. “It’s only natural, given the time of year. Has the Pony Express been hiring extra carriers to counterbalance the influx of—” Rainbow rolled her eyes and tuned Twilight out. She hoped the mailpony wasn’t on too tight a schedule, because Twilight was clearly just getting warmed up. That pony could talk and talk and talk and talk about the most boring things ever like they were . . . were the Wonderbolts or something. “Bet you she asks him what his delivery per hour ratio is,” Spike said with a sigh. He stared at the the pair for a moment before shrugging and gesturing to the castle doorway with his head. “Come on, let’s get these inside the entrance hall. I can take care of them from there.” Nodding, Rainbow fell in line beside him, and they trotted up the steps in a few quick motions. “So, you excited for Santa Hooves to come by tonight?” she asked as Spike opened the door. A rush of warm air flowed over her like a wave at the beach, and she sighed in relief. The sound of a clearing throat pulled Rainbow back into reality, and she saw Spike holding the door open for her with his tail. Smiling sheepishly, she skulked passed him. “Did you ask him for anything special this year?” she asked quickly. “Santa Hooves?” Spike’s lip pulled up in a smirk. He let the door fall shut and placed his collection of gifts on the floor. “Please,” he said, crossing his arms and chuckling. “I don’t think I ever believed in him.” Rainbow’s jaw dropped to the floor—and so did her bags, which clattered loudly. “Never?” she gasped. “Not even when I was little,” Spike answered with a nod. “Or the Tooth Fairy, or the Eggster Bunny.” “What?” Spike shrugged. “Twilight always said they were just holiday icons, and that it was silly to think that they were physical beings.” “But . . . but . . .” Rainbow couldn’t wrap her head around it. How could a kid not believe in Santa Hooves? She herself was almost twenty years old now, and she still—well, not out loud at least. “That’s crazy!” she exclaimed. “Who do you think brings you your presents?” Spike opened the door and squinted as the wind burst into the room. “Well,” he said matter-of-factly, “there’s a mailpony outside.” Rainbow blinked and stared at him. “You’ve been hanging out with Twilight too much,” she decided, skirting around him and back out the door. A few more hops—and a totally on-purpose slip on the last step—and Rainbow was back on the road. She shivered and clamped her wings tight against her sides. Even if it was only for a few seconds, she already missed the warmth of the castle. “But yeah!” Spike announced, letting the door slam behind him and sliding down the rail of the stairs; he landed, skidding on his feet, right in front of Rainbow with a proud grin on his face that made Dash huff and wonder to herself why she’d never thought of doing that. “I’ve been dropping hints to Twilight about this really rare emerald that’s only found in the outer ridges of the Griffon Empire for weeks now. “I hope that’s what this guy’s dropping off,” Spike said conclusively, leading Rainbow back to the mail cart. “The more presents, the better! Opening up a huge stack of gifts is my favorite part of Hearth’s Warming!” “Spike!” Twilight said, her mouth wide open. Her narrow-eyed leer was frightening, even from across the street. “I know I didn’t just hear you say that!” “Busted,” Rainbow hissed quietly, snickering at the glare Spike shot her. “Hearth’s Warming isn’t about the commercialization of toys or jewelry, or receiving presents!” Twilight chided—clearly unaware, Dash thought, of the other ponies on the sidewalk who were stopping to watch the alicorn yelling across the road. “It’s about setting aside your differences with other ponies and becoming friends! It’s about spending time with the ponies who care the most about you in the world!” Spike’s face turned up in a pout. “But we already do that all year!” he barked back, cheeks reddening. “I don’t get presents from you in May!” Rainbow had to admit Spike had a point, but Twilight must have caught her nodding or something, because she quickly found herself the subject of Twilight’s fiery eyes. She gulped, fluttering her wings and taking an unconscious step backward. “Oh, you think it’s funny, Rainbow?” Twilight huffed. “You want to see the most important day of friendship and unity reduced to greed and self-satisfaction?” Dash quickly shook her head, her mane whipping back and forth. Even if she did want to see that, there was no way she’d ever tell Twilight of all ponies. If there was one thing Twilight took seriously—and there were a ton of things Twilight took seriously—it was friendship. She was, after all, the Princess of Friendship. Twilight nodded curtly and turned back to the mailpony. “Good one, Spike,” Rainbow muttered as they crossed the street. “Way to get me in trouble.” “Me?” the dragon asked incredulously. “You’re the one who started it!” "Did not!" "Did too!" Rainbow’s nose crinkled, and she stuck her tongue out at Spike, who simply rolled his eyes. “Anyway,” the mailpony said, taking a deep breath. “I should really get going. I’ve got three more of these carts to take care of before lunch!” Rainbow let out a low whistle. His current cart was still stacked higher than the walls with gifts, and it was already way past breakfast. She had to give him credit—he’d have to be almost as fast as her to get all of that done before lunch. Almost. “Well, good luck with that,” Twilight said with a smile. A thin brown package shrouded in purple flew through the air and settled in Twilight’s saddlebags. “I hope you can get home soon, and have a merry Hearth’s Warming!” “Oh, I’m actually from Gryphonia,” the mailpony said with a chuckle. “I volunteered to work today because we don’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming back home.” What? If Rainbow had been drinking something, she most certainly would have spewed it all over the place. As it was, she nearly choked on her own spit. “What?” she exclaimed in disbelief. That didn’t make any sense! No Hearth’s Warming meant no Santa Hooves—no presents! “You don’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming?” “Of course not, Rainbow,” Twilight said, with a gentle giggle. She turned to the mailpony and offered him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have assumed. Happy Kawnzaa!” The mailpony’s face brightened immediately. His eyes sparkled with delight. “You’re the first pony I’ve ever met in this country that knows about Kawnzaa. Thank you!” “But what the heck is a Kawz—” “Farewell!” Twilight said, waving her hoof as the mailpony trotted off happily. She turned to Rainbow and sighed. “You mean you were best friends with a griffon and you know nothing about Kawnzaa?” Rainbow shrugged. “No, not really.” “Nothing?” Twilight asked incredulously. “Uh . . .” Rainbow shrank a little under Twilight’s gaze and frantically searched her mind for anything that might get the nerdiest mare alive off of her back. “I remember Gilda used to wear a funny hat after Hearth’s Warming every year . . .” she offered tentatively. “Ugh!” Twilight groaned, dragging her hoof down her face. Rainbow grimaced as Twilight’s wings snapped to her sides. “It’s called a kawfi cap, and it’s a core aspect of griffon pride! How can you not know this?” Rainbow snorted indignantly and raised her goggles to her forehead. The sun glared blindingly into her eyes, and she was forced to squint at Twilight, but set her jaw and locked gazes with Twilight anyway. “I don’t know! She never talked about it!” Twilight’s eyes finally closed, and she shook her head. “Fine,” she relented. “Let’s just go inside. I’ll have Spike fix us up some hot cocoa, and I’ll tell you all about Kawnzaa. “Yeah, sure,” Spike grumbled from behind Rainbow. “I’ll make the cocoa between wrapping all the presents and setting up every decoration for the party tonight; it’ll be no trouble at all.” “Rainbow?” Twilight said, looking back at her. “What’s so funny?” Rainbow froze mid-chuckle. Somehow, Twilight was already halfway across the street. When did she get all the way over there? she wondered. “Nothing,” Rainbow said quickly. She bit her lip and tapped her hoof anxiously against the ground. The last thing she wanted to do on Hearth’s Warming Eve was listen to a long-winded spiel cooked up by Twilight on the history of some Hearth’s Warming ripoff. She had to think of a way out, and fast. Luckily, she had just the thing sitting at home. She needed to finish it up before tonight anyway. “Hey, look, Twi,” Rainbow said, biting her lip and trotting over to her. “That sounds cool and all—and I mean it!” she added with haste as she saw Twilight’s brow crease, “Super cool. But, uh, I still have to finish up Rar—somepony’s present before tonight, so I can’t really stick around. How about some other time?” Twilight blinked. “Some other time?” she echoed, cocking her head to the side. “Uh, yeah,” Rainbow said, kicking the slush in the road for good measure. “I mean, it totally sucks that I can’t learn all about Cornzaa—” “—Kawnzaa—” “—Kawnzaa,” Rainbow said with a nod. “But first things first, right? Can’t show up empty hoofed for Rarity.” “I guess not,” Twilight agreed slowly, her ears dropping a fraction of an inch. Rainbow felt a pang of remorse as she heard the disappointment in her friend’s voice. “Some other time, I guess.” Rainbow nodded. “Some other time!” She took to the sky, pulling her goggles back down over her eyes. “See you tonight!” she said, waving and taking off back toward the center of town and hoping that Twilight would forget about their little lesson on Kawnzaa like she had all the others. She still couldn’t believe that Gilda didn’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming at home. Who did they get their presents from? Did they even get presents? Rainbow shuddered at the thought. A friend’s present is the most important thing about Hearth’s Warming, she heard Pinkie’s voice echo in her mind. It tells them how much you care about them. It’s the best way to show your friends what they mean to you! How could you do that without the best presents possible—let alone no presents! Griffons are weird, Rainbow decided. Cool, but totally weird. No wonder most of them don’t have any friends.