//------------------------------// // To the Library // Story: Take to the Skies // by Gallifrey //------------------------------// Take to the Skies by Gallifrey Chapter Four To the Library Rainbow eventually woke in the cold dusky evening, feeling much better and accepting that her sleeping pattern was now ruined. Without much to do, she decided to return the unread 'Legend of the Silver Arrow' to Twilight Sparkle while she still remembered; her track record of returning books on time was poor at best, and it ended up being quite costly when it all added up, which was all very good for her purple pony friend, but not so good for Rainbow Dash, so she was determined to start returning them on time. She pulled the blue covers from over her body and stretched. Routing through her beside cabinet, through scraps of paper, books and unwashed plates, she found the book, and blew the fluff and crumbs off it. The mare rose up to leave and sighed when she remembered she owed Twilight a few bits for when she bought her that sandwich. She slipped a note into the book and trotted outside, using her little used door for a change to exit. She galloped to the edge of the cloud and jumped into the abyss, savouring the freedom and simple thrill of the open air before she flared her wings and soared into the orange skies. Mind now suffused with adrenaline, she took a moment to appreciate Celestia's beautiful sunset. The clouds were in stark contrast tonight which made them look almost alien in their exotic appearance combined with the rich orange sky. Wings feel funny, she thought to herself, quite unable to remember the massage Spitfire had administered her due to her copious alcohol consumption. What Spitfire had planned to do, and had indeed carried out, was a trick that she had learnt long ago. Spitfire had massaged Rainbow's flight muscles, removing the substantial tension they were carrying, but what she had neglected to do, was to stretch her wing bones to release the pressure in the joints, instead allowing it to build up during her ministrations. Rainbow flew up high, very high. There was a knack to cracking those bones, which could only happen at high speeds. Rainbow dived, falling, faster and faster, flapping to increase her velocity, she pulled sharply out of her dive, speeding along the ground in a straight line. She twisted violently and a resounding series of cracks was produced, the shockwaves jolting her highly sensitive wings in a delightful way. "Oh sweet Celestia that felt good!" she exclaimed, as had been part of Spitfire's cunning plan. She twisted the other way, and her other wing cracked too. Shuddering again, and still none the wiser why it felt quite so good, she continued on her flight, now aided with extremely flexible and supple wings. ------------- Being careful not to crash into the purple pony's precious literature again, Rainbow decided to enter the library in a conventional way. She knocked lightly on the wooden door to have it opened by magic. She entered the warm library to see Twilight washing up her's and Spike's dinner plates in the sink. "Oh good evening Rainbow Dash, what brings you up here?" "Oh you know, to hang, and also return this book before it's due, and also pay you for the sandwich from yesterday." "Well it certainly is new that you're returning it early," commented the lavender mare, "it's a pity you didn't get a chance to read it." "Yeah, it looks really good too, but I haven't had the time, what with the race coming up and... stuff." Twilight raised a slightly suspicious eyebrow at 'stuff,' but made no further comment. "So what have you been up to Twi?" asked Rainbow as they made their way to Twilight's living room, where Spike was resting in front of a small, crackling fire. "Hey Spike." "'S'up?" he murmured, lazily opening one eye half way in acknowledgement. "You mean since yesterday?" asked Twilight. "Yeah, a lot of crazy stuff can happen in one day ya know," she replied, thinking about her own last twenty-four hours. "Well, I did do some research into how to decrease the temperature of high magic use. I don't know if you know-" "I do," said Rainbow immediately. "That certain forms of magic create quite a bit of heat on its target, as well as the user's horn, and I, being somewhat... more adept than the average pony, have often overheated my horn which gives me the worst headaches, so I've been experimenting into how to negate the effects by trying to make the majority of the flux of the magical energy flow over my horn instead of through it." "Yes," said Rainbow, nodding fervently, having no idea. "My results so far are promising, I can now cast spells thirty percent stronger than before and my horn is now twenty percent cooler than it was. So that's been my day, what have you been up to Rainbow?" "Oh not much, just wound up at Spitfire's last night and made out with her," said Rainbow as casually as she could, although she was fit to bursting with excitement. "You what?!" exclaimed Twilight, shocked. "Yup, met her and Soarin' in Canterlot last night, she offered me a place to stay, and well, you could say one thing led to another." "You didn't um..." "Huh? Oh no! No no no, we didn't do that, apparently I threw up at some point." "Lovely." "Anyway, yeah, so that happened, and we decided that we actually want to know each other better before we jump into anything without thinking it over first." "A very wise decision, I wish you both the best of luck." "Thanks Twi, though one thing is on my mind." "Oh, what's that?" Rainbow felt decidedly uncool as she opened her mouth. "I'm not sure I'm good enough for her," she admitted. It was painful, she would never normally imply that she wasn't awesome at something, but this was not a normal situation. Twilight studied Rainbow carefully before saying: "What makes you think that?" Rainbow was taken aback, expecting sympathy rather than a question, she thought for a moment, looking around the neat and tidy library. "I guess, it's because she is the pony I look up to the most? Who I aim to become one day?" "Precisely," said Twilight nodding, "and naturally, you consider her to be a far more magnificent pony than she prehaps is? Above us mere mortal ponies?" "Maybe a lil'," she admitted. "Adding that this is a rare stroke of luck where the very pony you idolise so much has seemingly taken a shine to you, I am not at all surprised that you feel like this Rainbow. But, what you have to remember, is that under all of all her hype and ah, 'awesomeness' as you would say, she is a normal pony just like you or I, with normal thoughts and feelings." Rainbow thought this perspective over for a few minutes. Now that she thought about it, when she had been talking to Spitfire, she had been acting more like her fan than her equal. "I see what you mean," said Rainbow in her scratchy voice, feeling a lot of weight leave her chest. "You're pretty good at this advice stuff ya know Twi." Twilight's cheeks turned a little pink at the compliment. "Thank you Rainbow, I'm glad I could help. How are you feeling about the race?" The very weight that had been so recently lifted crashed back down upon her as realisation hit her. "The race. Oh no, Spits is racing in it!" "Is that a problem?" asked Twilight, puzzled, "I think it'll be a great bonding experience for you both." "No no, you don't understand! I can't beat her, because I don't want to upset her, but I can't lose either, because why will she let a slow pony into the Wonderbolts?" "Rainbow, listen to yourself!" snapped Twilight, "how can you possibly consider yourself slow?! Just do your best out there and Spitfire will be impressed no matter what." "Yeah, maybe," said the cyan mare, not entirely convinced, then she smiled. "You sound like my mother." "I do wonder sometimes," said Twilight teasingly. ------------- Rainbow took her leave, which left Twilight to get back to her work. It was as she was writing a report to the Princess summarising her progression, quill flying over parchment, when there came another knock at her door. She opened it to reveal an orange earth pony standing on the porch. "Oh hey Applejack, I'm starting to feel popular this evening!" "Evenin' sugar cube. What make ya say that?" Applejack asked, walking in and closing the door. "Rainbow came round not half an hour ago." "She did? Shoot. She's the reason ah'm here at all. If ya feel kind enough, could you perform that cloud walkin' spell on me like ya did when we went Cloudsdale?" "Sure AJ, do you want to visit Rainbow or something?" "Yeah, ah do, I need to apologise to her." "Oh," said Twilight, wondering what Applejack could have possibly done. "Do you want to borrow the balloon?" "Thanks fer the offer Twi, but since you're already giving me the spell, I went to see Pinkie a few minutes ago to borrow that flying contraption o' hers." "Do be careful won't you Applejack? That thing never looked very safe to me." "Ah'll do mah best darlin'." "Good good, is there anything else I can help you with?" "Nah, ah'm good thanks Twi, if you need any favours, you know who to come to." "Thank you, we still on for that picnic the day after tomorrow?" "Yup, though I will be a lil' late, will have a bit o' farm work t'do." ---------- Applejack rose with Celestia's Sun the next day, as she always did. She began her day as she began any other, with a shower and breakfast. After she had searched the south field for thieving animals she went out to the barn, where she retrieved the pedal-powered machine that belonged to Pinkie Pie. She dragged it out and prepared herself for a long haul, she didn't much feel like becoming airborne until it was absolutely necessary. The Sun was fully risen by the time Applejack was directly beneath Rainbow's cloud home. She clambered onto the machine with some trepidation, being an earth pony, she was not overly keen in taking her hooves off the ground, but she had to see Rainbow Dash, so with steely resolve, she set it into motion, rising gently up into the sky.What she realised as she was hovering outside Rainbow's door was how the machine itself was supposed to be supported by the cloud, but apparently Pinkie Pie had already considered that because as she descended onto the cloud, it came to rest upon it without falling through. She tested the ground before hopping off herself; she had faith in Twilight, but still was naturally cautious about stepping onto a cloud. She walked up to Rainbow's white, wooden, and little used door and knocked. No answer. She tried again, to receive only silence. She took a few steps back to see that the windows of Rainbow's bedroom were slightly ajar. "RD? You up there?" she called. She could hear a faint mumbling and then a very tousled rainbow mane appeared at the window, followed by a Rainbow Dash that had clearly just woken up. "Mmmrrrhh, AJ? What are you doin' up here? And this early?" "It's half past ten Rainbow." "Like I said, early." "Sorry to disturb ya from your sleep, but might I come in?" "Yeah, sure, gimme a few minutes." Rainbow Dash eventually opened the door for her earth pony friend, looking slightly more awake as she dragged herself to the kitchen. "Do you want some coffee?" she asked. "Nah, I can't stand that fancy stuff." "Why not? It's good stuff," Rainbow said, flicking her kettle on. "What brings you up here anyway?" "Ah came to apologise fer the other day," said Applejack, looking down at her hooves. "Apologise? For what?" "For being so tactless in telling you Spitfire was competing in the race next week." "Huh?" Then she remembered the minor panic attack she had, flying away from Sweet Apple Acres without any explanation. "Oh yeah, that. It's no big deal AJ, in fact I suppose I should thank you in a way." "How d'ya work that one out?" "Well, after I left you, I went to Canterlot to hit the bars, and I met Spitfire and Soarin'. I ended up staying at Spitfire's for the night and we had a little fun together." "Fun." "Yuhuh," she said, routing through untidy cupboars, preparing coffee. "What kinda 'fun'?" "Just kissing, ya know?" "Can't say ah do know, to tell truth," said the earth pony, feeling suddenly rather lonely. "What?" said Rainbow, pausing, "You've never kissed somepony?" she asked, incredulous. "Nope." "We'll have to do something about that girl. Get you out there ya know?" "I'd like that Rainbow." "Of course you will," she said happily, taking a drink of her much needed coffee. "Ah, that's the stuff," she said with a satisfied sigh. "Bitter and fancy." "Whatever you say, pony gal," said Rainbow, now feeling much more awake. "What you gonna be up to today?" "Not much, just gotta work out how business is doing, numbers and all that." Rainbow shuddered. "What will you be doing RD?" "Well, I booked off this week from the Weather Team to practise hard, so that's what I'll be doing all day." "Sounds good, though try not ter burn yerself out sugar cube, you won't get very far if you're exhausted." "That's what I'm worried about to be honest." "You'll do fine sugar cube," she said with a warm smile. ---------- Splash! Rainbow Dash was completely worn out after a day of hard practise, sweat was pouring from her hot and aching body. She had thought it a good idea to take a dive into a lake on the outskirts of Ponyville. She immediately regretted her decision. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Gasping and spluttering, the poor, bedraggled pegasus pony swam to the water's edge and attempted to shake herself dry, shivering violently all the while. "What in Celestia's Sun possessed me to do that?" She looked behind her at her matted fur and dripping tail. "Well at least it's just water and not sweat now." She gave her wings a few strong flaps, spraying water everywhere, then she took off towards her home. Buck it's cold! she thought as the water in her fur chilled her. That really was a stupid idea. By the time she reached her home, the Sun was beginning to set over Equestria, and a certain blue pegasus was suffering from what felt like borderline hypothermia. Her priority when she entered her house was to put the kettle on and pull out several empty hot water bottles. She ventured upstairs to dry herself as much as possible with lots of fluffy towels. A high pitched whistling let her know that the water had boiled and with her mane looking as though she had been dragged through a hedge backwards, she descended to make herself some hot chocolate as well as fill up the hot water bottles. She'd rarely been so happy to get into bed as she was then. Tired from her day and freezing cold, getting into her soft and gloriously warm bed felt sublime to the blue mare. She soon finished her cocoa and turned out her lights, and with the warmth and comfort surrounding her, her last thoughts were of Spitfire as she closed her eyes, and fell asleep.