The bass was pumping loud enough for Rainbow Dash to hear it from outside the castle. Clearly, the party had started already, and everypony was happily carrying on without her. Bright lights spun and flashed out the windows, and the dark silhouette of a curly-maned earth pony could be seen spinning around, forelegs flying every which way.
Rainbow shivered and gripped the fresh box under her wing. It had taken the better part of an hour, but she’d finally managed to finish and wrap up Rarity’s dress. The idea of actually giving it to her still made Rainbow’s stomach do backflips, but she climbed the stairs to the entryway of the castle nonetheless. After all, she’d never be able to actually present her gift if she stayed outside all night worrying about it.
Even though that seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea.
A quick rap on the door later with her hoof later, and the music cut out. The door swung open and Spike showed his cheery face underneath a bright red Hearth’s Warming ball hat almost identical to the one Rainbow was wearing. She frowned and wondered if Rarity had given him one, too. Suddenly, her own hat felt much less special.
“Oh! Hey, Rainbow Dash!“ Spike’s smile grew. “Glad you could make it!” Behind him, their friends were waving with bright eyes. “Come on in!” he said the ball of his hat bouncing around as he shuffled out of the doorframe. “You know you don’t have to knock here!”
Rainbow’s wings fluttered as she stepped over the threshold, gripping her gift for dear life and staring pointedly at the floor. “Hey guys!” she said with a small wave. Butterflies kicked up a storm in her belly as she saw Rarity wave back alongside the rest of her friends.
It’s totally fine, she thought to herself, but her wing still clamped down even harder on the box. The corners were digging uncomfortably into her skin, but she didn’t care. She’s gonna like it.
I hope . . .
“Here!” Spike laughed as the door shut behind him. He set a clawed hand on the box, and gestured with his head toward the pile of gifts near the fireplace. “Let me take that for you and you can go have fun. The girls were just playing musical stockings.”
“It’s super-duper fun!” Pinkie piped up, pulling a long purple and black striped sock off her forehoof. “I could totally play another round if you wanna try, Dashie!”
Rainbow spun around and backed away from Spike. “Oh, uh, it’s okay, Spike,” she said swallowing and making sure to walk beyond the dragon’s reach. “Really, I don’t mind holding onto it until later.”
Applejack snorted and adjusted her hat. “Don’t talk nonsense, Sugarcube. How’re you gonna play any of these games Pinkie Pie dreamed up if you’re haulin’ that there present around the whole time?”
“I’m sure you have nothing to worry about,” Twilight added with a knowing smile. “So just put it away and forget about it.”
Forget about it? Yeah, right. How was Rainbow supposed to do that when she was holding the most awful present in Equestria? With Rarity right here? What if she opened it early or something? No, this present was much safer tucked under her wing.
Until it was torn out of her grasp in a flash of pink.
“Got it!” Pinkie sang as she danced away to the far side of the room with the box held over her head. The ribbon waved through the air like a streamer as she spinned and plopped it down right under a small sign that read Rarity.
Rainbow did a double-take and checked her wing.“Hey!” she protested, starting for the fireplace.
“Oh, relax, Darling,” Rarity tittered from the far side of the room, freezing Rainbow mid-step. Next to Rarity was Fluttershy, who was sipping a cup of tea and sitting on a plush red chair. “Have one of Fluttershy’s cookies—they’re simply divine!”
“But—”
“If you’re in that big of a rush to open presents,” Twilight said between giggles as she leaned back into her own chair. “I suppose we can get started a little early.”
“No!” Rainbow barked, wings flaring out. Was Twilight crazy? She wanted to delay this whole mess as long as possible! Maybe she could talk to Rarity and tell her she was pretty, or something, and butter her up enough to not absolutely hate what she’d be getting from Rainbow.
Twilight just rolled her eyes and smirked.
Rarity had suggested cookies, right? Well, maybe she should have one. Or two. Or five. They were right next to Rarity and Fluttershy, so if she stuck around, maybe she could sneak in a compliment or two and get a head start on saving her skin.
With that plan set, Rainbow made for the snack table with pins and needles in her hooves. She helped herself to a cookie and raised an ear as she sat down, hoping to hear a few snatches of conversation between Rarity and Fluttershy, but all she could make out where the muffled sounds of their voices as the music blasted back on.
Pinkie Pie bounced by, twirling a strand of garland and singing Up on the Parapets, which Rainbow assumed was her own version of some old Santa Hooves song she’d heard as a filly.
Rainbow allowed herself a small chuckle. If nothing else, Pinkie’s antics were good for relieving her nerves. She bit into her cookie and breathed out, relaxing her wings and letting them fall to her sides. This was fine. She could talk to Rarity after Fluttershy. She had all night, after all.
A few seconds later, Applejack sat down next to her. “So, what’s got you all worked up?” she asked with a bit of a smirk. She reached around her side and grabbed a cookie for herself. “I figured you’d be one of the first ones here.”
Rainbow shook her head. If Applejack found out that she’d made a dress—even if it was for Rarity, she’d never hear the end of it from her. “I had something important to do, AJ. It was kinda last minute.”
“Somethin’ important, huh?” Applejack chortled. A teasing gleam sparkled in her eye. “Anything to do with Rarity?”
A crumb of Rainbow’s cookie slid down the wrong pipe, and she coughed and spluttered. “What?” she cried, beating her chest with a hoof. “What gave you that idea?”
Applejack’s laughter grew louder. “Oh, nothin’,” she said, biting down on her cookie. “Just a lucky guess, I suppose.”
Rainbow huffed and ruffled her feathers. What was with her friends lately? All they ever seemed to talk about with her these days was Rarity. Not that the unicorn was a bad subject to talk about—in fact, lately, she was becoming one of Rainbow’s favorites, but it was still annoying. “Well, it wasn’t,” she growled.
“Sure thing, RD,” Applejack said as she chewed. Her smirk only grew as she elbowed Rainbow. “You might wanna stop starin’, though. It ain’t polite.”
“I’m not staring at anypony!” Rainbow’s cheeks grew hot. She turned her gaze on Applejack, offering her a stern look instead. Maybe Applejack would shut up if she was impolite at her.
Instead, Applejack snickered. “I know,” she said, taking another bite of her cookie. She shook her head with a smile. “I know.”
“Good!”
Rainbow continued to wait for Rarity to have a free moment, but Fluttershy seemed to be unusually long-winded tonight. And between her and Applejack, who continually pestered her about something or other every few minutes, it didn’t look like she would have much luck. She eventually found herself sitting in a chair by the fireplace listening to Applejack and Twilight debate the value of apples to the Equestrian economy, but most of it flew over her head. She was pretty sure most of it flew over Applejack’s head, too, but the farmer continued to insist that apples were one of the largest grossing domestic-what’s-its in the country.
Pinkie Pie and Spike seemed to have invented a new game involving gumdrops and candy canes, and were busily rushing back and forth across the room after a bouncing ball. Fluttershy and Rarity still hadn’t moved from their chairs, but they seemed to be casting a glance at Rainbow every so often. That’s what it seemed like to Rainbow, at least. Unless they were looking at the pile of presents next to her. She half-hoped they were.
The evening passed by quickly, and before Rainbow was ready, Spike was begging Twilight to open presents. He rocked on the balls of his little purple feet as Twilight smirked and brought a hoof to chin. Rainbow knew what she’d say—it was obvious she was just teasing Spike—but her blood still ran as cold as ice when she heard Twilight say “yes.”
Rainbow swallowed thickly as Twilight called out for everypony to gather around the fireplace. Last year, Last year, Spike was the designated gift giver, and he wasted no time directing everypony to their seats with a mad gleam in his eye. Applejack and Twilight stayed where they were, but Rainbow had to scramble to the side as Pinkie Pie leaped onto the chair and squished her against the armrest. She jabbered on and on about how much she looks forward to presents every year as Spike directed Rarity and Fluttershy to a couple of cozy cushions on the far side of the fireplace, opposite them.
When everypony has found their seats, Spike turned his hungry gaze upon the stacks of gifts. He immediately ran up to them and set his claws upon a bright green wrapped box.
“Spike!” Twilight chided, her face stony.
Spike winced and put the box back down. “Fine. . .” he grumbled, reaching for a different box.
Fluttershy and Rarity giggled.
When Spike’s probing hands neared the box that Rainbow had brought for Rarity, Rainbow felt her heart stop. Before she could think, her hind leg snapped out and bumped it away from him.
Spike’s brow creased. “Uh . . . Rainbow?”
“My bad!” Rainbow said suddenly, sitting bolt upright. Her ears folded as she noticed all eyes in the room were now on her. “Uh, lemme grab that for you, Spike,” she offered as she hopped off the chair.
“Okay . . .” Spike said shifting his weight. “I’ll just start with a different one, then. It’s no big deal.” He turned around and reached for a bright pink box. “Pinkie Pie! It looks like you’re up first!”
“Woo-hoo!”
Rainbow quickly fumbled around behind the pile of gifts. When her hooves made contact with Rarity’s gift, her gut lurched, and she made a split-second decision; she couldn’t risk Rarity opening her gift before she buttered her up—that would be a guaranteed disaster—so she swung her foreleg around and batted the box behind the tree. When she was satisfied Spike wouldn’t be able to see it, she stood back up and made a show of sitting back in her chair.
Once Pinkie opened her gift—a set of Hinny of the Hills inspired cookie cutters—Spike set about handing out the presents one at a time, taking care to make sure that everypony went in order and had plenty of time to show everypony what they got. Fluttershy unwrapped a box of raspberry mint tea; Spike, a chunk of emerald as large as his fist; Twilight, of course, received not socks, but books, and Rainbow felt a little guilty when she saw her friend’s wings lower just a hair. She knew that’s what she’d get from Rarity, but she also knew she’d feel a thousand times worse when it was on the dressmaker’s face.
When Spike handed Rainbow her first gift, she sat up and picked at the paper for a few moments while Pinkie Pie bounced up and down beside her, practically chanting for her to rip it open. All Dash could think about, however, was what would say when she finally got Rarity alone. The thought had been bugging her all night. She knew she had to say something nice, but she couldn’t come up with anything that didn’t seem creepy. “I think you’re beautiful,” was too weird, and so was “Your eyes are especially pretty tonight,” even though they were both completely true. She shifted and pulled a large piece of paper away from the box, revealing a thick pack of signed Danger Mare comics that Fluttershy had gotten her. They were cool, she guessed, even though she’d already read the entire run of the series.
“Thanks, Shy,” Rainbow said, the corner of her mouth raising up as she looked up at her friend. Fluttershy nodded back, tapping her hooves together.
Spike scratched his head as Twilight unwrapped her last gift—another book—and stared at the floor. “I couldn’t think of any books you hadn’t read yet,” he said, tapping his foot on the floor. “So I made you a scrapbook out of all the photos I had of the two of us.”
Twilight held up the scrap book for everyone to see with the widest smile Rainbow had seen on her all night. It was clumsily made, with the construction paper lettering misaligned and the picture of her and Spike eskew on the cover, but Twilight scooped up Spike with her magic and wrapped him up in a choking hug as soon as she set it on the floor with her other books. Spike’s face could have rivalled the fireplace for light.
“Aww!” Pinkie gushed next to Rainbow, her hooves on her cheeks.
Rainbow rolled her eyes at the sight. She only likes it because Spike made it for her, she thought to herself. If he’d bought it that way, I bet she’d totally return it. It looks awful! Still, even Rainbow, had to admit it was kind of sweet of Spike, though she wasn’t sure that Twilight wouldn’t have preferred to get socks instead.
There were only one gift left by the fire, and Rainbow’s heart pounded in her chest as Spike approached her with it. This was Rarity’s gift, she could tell just from the wrapping. The crisp folds of the paper and the perfectly tied bow would only ever be done as perfectly by a pony who truly appreciated aesthetics. She looked up at Rarity, who motioned for her to go on with a hoof and a smile.
“Uh, thanks,” Rainbow said as shivers run up and down her spine. What could Rarity have gotten her? She hadn’t been dropping hints about anything, lately. Heck, just helping her out in Canterlot seemed like enough of a gift to Rainbow, but here was a present nonetheless. She quickly ripped off the bow and tore through the paper. Inside was a small gift box with a lid, and Rainbow wasted no time pulling the top off of it and revealing—
No way . . . She wouldn’t have . . .
Rainbow’s eyes stung as she reached into the box and pulled out a pair of flight goggles. Her flight goggles. The very same pair that she’d thrown away back in Canterlot after the big show at the garden opening. But they were all different, now. The metal rims were gleaming and the lenses were crystal clear. The biggest change by far, though, was that the previously held-together-with-duct-tape strap was now a tightly-knit weave of fabric embroidered with intricate cursive lettering: Rainbow Dash.
“Rarity, I . . .” Rainbow whispered, looking back up at the unicorn and holding the goggles close to her chest. “They’re perfect.” Her cheeks were hot, and she knew Applejack would probably give her guff later for being so sappy, but it was the honest truth.
Rarity’s smile lit up the entire room, and Rainbow’s heart skipped another beat. “I saw how disappointed you were when you threw them away,” she said, sitting up straighter. “And I thought to myself, ‘I know just the perfect way to cheer her up!’ I’m just sorry it took so long—I’ve been absolutely overwhelmed with dress orders this season.”
Rainbow ran her hoof across the embroidery. Rarity had way gone out of her way to make this for her. Not only to fix the goggles that she’d first gone to flight camp with, but to make them better than ever—and right after saving her from being kicked off her dream team of fliers. The butterflies in her stomach kicked back up at full force.
“That’s all of them!” Spike declared, dusting his hands off. “Another year down! I already can’t wait to see what I’ll get for my birthday!”
Twilight chuckled and shook her head.
Spike started to walk off, carting his small mountain of toys toward the stairs, when Pinkie gasped and jumped off the chair. “Wait!” she cried, her mane frazzled. “We’re missing a present!” She turned and aimed a hoof directly at Rainbow’s nose. “Yours to Rarity, Rainbow Dash!”
A lump formed in Rainbow’s throat. “Uh, well . . .“
“I don’t see it,” Spike said, tapping a claw on his chin. “Wasn’t that the first one I grabbed?” He looked at Rarity. “Didn’t you open it?”
Rarity shook her head. “No,” she said softly. She traded a look with Fluttershy before turning back to Spike. “But it’s quite alright. I really don’t mind—”
“No way!” Pinkie cut her hoof across the air. “Dashie worked way to hard to get it for you! We searched all day!”
Rainbow wilted. This was getting worse and worse by the second. Rarity was sure to think that she’d put off shopping for her until the last minute now. She clutched her goggles tight and grit her teeth. After everything she’s done for me . . . she thought ruefully. She must think I don’t even care about her at all.
“Oh!” Spike laughed, smacking his palm off of his forehead. “There it is! Under the tree!” It only took him a second to retrieve it before he was proudly marching off to Rarity with it held above his head.
Rainbow couldn’t help but notice everything about it. She’d always been awful at wrapping presents, and this box was no different. She didn’t even know how to tie a ribbon, so she’d simply stuck a store-bought one on top. On top of all of that, the paper was creased and ripped in some spots from its fall from the stack and subsequent slide across the floor. A ball formed in her stomach, and she couldn’t help but remember the utterly pristine gift box that Rarity had given her.
Rarity’s face grew tight. “Spike, dear, I don’t know if right now is really—”
“Come on!” Pinkie whooped, bouncing from hoof-to-hoof. “Open it! Open it!”
Rainbow bit her lip and clamped her wings tight to her sides. There wasn’t any backing out now. She couldn’t just take the present away from Rarity, and she couldn’t hope to get some extra points with Rarity beforehoof if everypony else was standing around her.
“I . . . Well, okay then.” Rarity pulled at the corner of the wrapping paper, unfolding it delicately. If Rainbow didn’t know any better, she’d say her friend was doing it on purpose, but this was how she always unwrapped presents—like she was going to try to save the paper and tape for later, or something.
It drove Rainbow crazy.
A few minutes later, the wrapping paper was on the floor, and Rarity was taking the top off of the box. Rainbow Dash chewed on her forehooves as Rarity let the box top fall to the floor and gasped. “Rainbow Dash. . .” she said breathlessly. A blue aura filled the box, and pulled out a too-long red dress with uneven white trim and misthreaded golden laces. Affixed at the collar was a black cape with faded gold embroidery, freshly washed and ironed.
Rainbow cringed.
Danger alert! Rainbow had to say something! She knew she had to, or Rarity might think she didn’t care! That’s what Pinkie had said, right? “I wanted to make something for you!” she blurted out before she could stop herself. Her cheeks grew very hot, very quickly. She scratched the back of her neck and stared at the fire in the fireplace. The flames were awfully interesting tonight. “I mean, because you’re always making stuff for other ponies, I thought it’d be nice if somepony made something for you . . .” she added quietly.
Rarity stood up and walked over to Rainbow, holding the dress up in the air. “Rainbow, this . . . This is—”
“Awful,” Rainbow pouted, shifting her weight and keeping her eyes trained on the fire. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Absolutely my favorite dress in my collection.” Rarity finished with a titter.
Rainbow blinked. Huh?
“Certainly better than anything Clear’s could hope to sell, wouldn’t you agree?” Rarity held her hoof up to her mouth and giggled.
“Oh, yes, definitely,” Fluttershy said with a nod and an extra-wide smile. She made an odd, jerking motion with her hoof that looked to Rainbow that she might be having a stroke, but she didn’t get the chance to dwell on it for too long.
What?
Rainbow stared at Rarity, slack jawed. Better than anything at Clear’s? Not even to a blind pony! Rainbow had seen dresses in there that looked like they were meant for Princess Celestia with how fancy they were!
Wait a minute . . .
Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know about Clear’s?”
Rarity’s smile softened. “Darling, I’ve been talking with Fluttershy,” she said, placing a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder.
Rainbow’s stomach started doing cartwheels, but she cinched her wings down and sat up straight. She knew how important posture was to her friend.
“She told me all about what happened on the way here,” Rarity continued. “She feels simply dreadful about the whole thing. She thought she’d ruined your present for me.”
Rainbow’s ears fell. Of course Fluttershy would tell Rarity about that. “Well, it kinda was . . .” she said, biting her lip. “I mean, it was an accident, but—”
“—But it turned out splendid in the end, didn’t it?”
The wings on Rainbow’s back felt like lead weights, and she let them drop to the floor. “The first one was better,” she mumbled. “Even Pinkie Pie thought so.” A white hoof settled under Rainbow’s chin and pulled her face back up to meet Rarity’s eyes. Rainbow’s heart leapt into her throat as her vision was suddenly filled with the lightest pools of blue she could imagine.
“Darling, I make dresses.” Rarity’s smile stretched into her eyes, keeping them bright and vibrant. “I can tell without even examining it further that you’ve put an incredible amount of thought and hard work into this.” Mirth flooded Rarity’s face as her hoof dropped to Rainbow’s shoulder and pressed on in jokingly. “And that’s not even taking into account that Rainbow Dash, the pony who absolutely abhors doing anything ‘girly’ or ‘uncool’ making me a dress.”
Rainbow’s will gave out, and she quickly turned back to the fire. She wondered if it was burning too hot or something, because her whole body was tingling and feverish. “I wanted to pay you back,” she murmured. “For everything you’ve done for me, I mean. It’s totally because of you that I’m still a Wonderbolt. And I know I already said thank you before the show, but I-I wanted to show you how much it meant to me that you kept believing in me. Even when I didn’t. . .”
When Rainbow turned back to face Rarity, her eyes widened. Somehow, just like back in Canterlot, Rarity had managed to completely switch costumes in the span of a few seconds. The bright red dress and white trim looked as perfect as Rainbow had dared to dream over the past few months, but it was the cape, made from the ruined dress Pinkie had set her out to buy earlier that tied it all together.
“Oh, aren’t you just the sweetest thing?” Rarity gushed next to her. Before Rainbow could even think of a response, Rarity ducked forward and planted a kiss on her burning cheek. “You are simply adorable!”
Fwap! Rainbow’s wings flared out with the force of a dragon slamming his fist on the table. “R-Rarity?” she gasped.
“This is certainly the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful gift anypony has ever given me, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said, placing a hoof on Rainbow’s lips and silencing her splutters. “And I could never ask for anything else.”
As she walked away, Rainbow tried desperately to process what just happened. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her wings refused to fold back down to her sides. Even when she noticed that Rarity was walking to the far side of the room, where the rest of the party seemed to be taking place, her mind was whirring with possibilities.
An orange leg threw itself around Rainbow’s shoulders, and she jolted back into reality. “Close your mouth, Rainbow,” Applejack hissed next to her. “You’ll swallow a bug.”
Rainbow’s jaw snapped shut, and Applejack howled with laughter. Her face felt hotter than ever before, but she brought a hoof to her cheek and watched Rarity sit down next to Twilight and Fluttershy with a deck of cards in the dress that Rainbow made for her. A few cards landed in front of Rarity before she suddenly looked up and waved at Rainbow with a giggle before motioning for her to come to the table.
A big grin stretched its way across Rainbow’s face. A single thought darted through her mind before the feeling leaked back into her hooves and let her rush over to her friends:
Pinkie Pie was right.