Testing Testing
Rainbow Dash eyed the clock. Tantabus was still giving a lecture to the class, but to Dash’s ears, his words were muffled by the sound of the second and minute hands ticking away.
A chill struck Dash as Tantabus’s voice came back into prominence. “Was that made clear, Ms. Dash?”
Dash had a sharp intake of breath. Her cheeks flushed as more eyes turned to her.
“I will repeat it then,” Tantabus sighed. “My exams do not coddle you, as I’m sure my quizzes have given you a taste of. Midterms are no exception. That is why I am giving you, and all the other students, a warning, to use the school’s resources well and engage in proper time management. Is that now clear?”
“Y-yes, sir!” Dash yelped.
“Very well.” The bell rang. “Stay safe and enjoy your weekend, everyone.”
~~~
“You okay, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked. She walked alongside Dash and her other friends through the main hall after they’d all grabbed their things. “You seemed a little distracted today.”
“Yeah.” Dash rubbed the back of her head. “I’m heading out to see Scootaloo this weekend, so I was a little antsy for class to end.”
“Ah.” Twilight’s lips drooped just a small degree. “Should’ve checked with you earlier. Got distracted planning things out. I’d been hoping we could all get together to study a little this weekend.”
Dash raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow back at Dash. “The midterms?”
“That’s not for another two weeks!”
“I was in the same boat,” said Applejack, “‘till I looked at the syllabus and how the midterms are structured. Short and sweet: it makes the entrance exam look like a cakewalk.”
“I find that term insulting to cake, especially the harder to make ones!” Pinkie chimed in.
“Point is, darling, I don’t think any of us have taken a test quite as hard as this.” Rarity turned her head to beam at Twilight. “So, Twilight had the wonderful idea of a study get together. I offered my place to host, and Applejack and Pinkie were up for providing snacks.”
“I… I’m bringing extra supplies,” said Fluttershy.
“And I’m a secondary notetaker,” said Spike. “In case we miss anything, I’m there to catch it.”
“Though the train ride to Manehattan is also a good chance to get some studying in too,” Twilight said to Dash.
“Well, I was just thinking of catching some Zs.”
“If you have a chance, you should try and take a practice exam too. I think I’m steady with history and operating procedure, but I feel a little shaky on my costume protocol.”
Dash felt a cold twinge in her gut. “Practice exam?”
Twilight undid the clasp on one of her saddle bags and floated out a few sheets of paper. “We got them in the middle of class. Part of the big packet explaining the midterm in more detail.”
“Oh… right. Right!” The twinge grew heavier in Dash’s stomach. “Sorry, guess just a bit too focused on the trip.”
“Not a worry at all, Dashie!” Pinkie gave Dash a slap on the back. “I hadn’t really thought of studying and parties together but Twilight’s now got me thinking of all sorts of fun ways to get ready for this test! So, there will be plenty of chances to study together. But, don’t you think for a second I haven’t got my eyes on the prize!”
Rarity’s eyes glimmered. “An actual chance to go to the Gala.”
“Tantabus was really going all out with that,” said Spike.
“Well, it puts you in the ranking, but the finals will be what determines the two winners,” said Twilight.
Questions danced atop Dash’s tongue, but the earlier embarrassments sealed her lips.
Applejack sighed, “Guess you can tell who the top ones are in our group. I’ll be happy to just avoid the remedial punishment.”
The weight in Dash’s gut returned, doubled.
“Wh-what do you think it could be?” Fluttershy paled. “D-do you think it’ll m-make the winter training even worse?”
“No doubt there,” said Twilight. She reached out and gave Fluttershy a pat on the shoulder. “Winter training alone won’t be that bad though. You might even meet some nice new critters while we’re out camping.”
“R-right…” Fluttershy took a breath. “I’ll just have to study the best I can!”
“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie cheered.
While the other girls talked, Dash had slipped away.
~~~
As the train chugged along, Dash stared at all her prior quizzes, tests, and homework assignments spread out in no discernible pattern. Most bore red Cs and Ds, a few Bs, and even fewer As. Her notebooks for various subjects were also stacked in front of her. Even with all this out, her saddlebags were still bulky with books. The only thing that had any organized feature was the stack of papers in the middle. The top sheet read: “Syllabus” and was turned to a section marked: “Examinations.” Under that section were two bullet points:
· Midterm- 40%
· Final- 50%
Below each bullet point was a breakdown of how the exams were structured with a written half and a practical half and what subjects might be covered. Looking over the syllabus and the materials Tantabus has given the class, Dash started to feel the weight in her gut lessen. There were a few more subjects, but to her, it was just like the entrance exam. She had managed to squeak by in the written section and aced the practical then, so she reasoned a little study like before and she would be fine.
~~~
Dash grumbled to herself. The faint scent of aged paper and even old parchment drifted into her nose. She glanced up at one of the Manehattan Public Library’s grand windows, namely the bit of blue she could see above the skyscrapers. Despite willing herself here after a few hours with Scootaloo, Dash’s pegasus instincts drew her to the outside air.
Focus. She shook her head and hefted up her saddlebag onto the table. You got to hang out with Scootaloo and you’ll be having dinner with her too. So, just take the afternoon and get a little studying in.
As Dash pulled out one of the practice exams and a stopwatch, she cracked a grin. “Bet I’ll do even better. I mean, I’ve actually been doing real hero stuff now…”
~~~
There were deep indents in Dash’s quill from her teeth. She had finished the exam over half an hour ago and had just gone though, checking her answers for at least the fifth time. She had not dared to write down her score, as if that would prevent the accurate tally she had done from becoming real. The library was not cold, but Dash was covered in goosebumps.
“I’m screwed.”
~~~
“I’m really screwed!” Dash wailed.
“W-well we can try some more fla—”
“No!” Dash yelped, cutting Twilight off. “No more cards! No more rapping! No more costumes! No more plays! And no more apples!”
Dash exploded off the ground and zoomed off into the sky. Rarity, decorated in a replica of Celestia’s silver age costume; Pinkie, in a wide brimmed hat, a poofy shirt and pants, and a golden necklace and large clock; Fluttershy with Angel and Rarity’s family cat, also garbed in costumes from different heroic ages; and Twilight with cards floating around her stared where Dash had been.
“Was offering a fritter really the thing that made her crack?” Applejack asked, said pastry still in her hoof.
Twilight bowed her head. “I’ll go apologize. I wasn’t giving her enough space.”
“D-do you need my help?” Fluttershy asked.
“No, I’ll get ready on my own. That’ll give us both enough time to cool off.”
~~~
Dash rested atop a cloud and stared down at Equestria. The outskirts of Canterlot spread out before her. She wished her problems were as tiny as the ponies below appeared.
“Rainbow Dash?”
Twilight’s voice caused Dash to jump to her hooves. She had thought her mind was playing a trick on her at first, but then she spotted Twilight hovering beside her. Translucent rainbow wings flapped at her sides.
“Guess I shouldn’t be too surprised you found me up here,” Dash sighed. “I know what it takes to make those wings though. It would’ve been better if you’d used your time and magic to study, instead of wasting it on a failure like me.”
“You’re not a failure,” Twilight insisted. She was about to say more, but Dash pushed her away. She worked to reorganize her thoughts but was cut off when a pair of blades sheared through the cloud Dash had been on and where Twilight had been standing. A pony with blades in place of a mane rose up past Dash and Twilight.
“Oh, sorry!” she exclaimed. “Thought it was pretty empty out here to practice.”
“All good,” Dash moped. The helicoptering mare flew off, leaving Dash and Twilight alone.
“Uh, thanks.” Twilight furrowed her brow. “How’d you manage to notice that?”
“Nothing in the sky gets past me. I’d always been good at spotting things while flying but Shadowbolt drilled it into me to notice every single thing.” Dash looked away from Twilight. “I’m not a good student, Twilight. I only got through the entrance exam because I was so focused on showing him that I could succeed without his help, but now…”
“Rainbow Dash?” Twilight drew close and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You only need to do this if you want to, but tomorrow afternoon, would you mind showing me how to fly?”
Red flooded Dash’s face. Twilight tensed and braced for a hit, but instead Dash stammered, “Wh-what? Where is this coming from?”
“I do feel bad for overloading you,” Twilight gulped, unable to get a read on Dash. “I think the best solution now is to destress and get your mind off of things. So, how about it?”
“But asking to show you how to fly like this is…” Dash shook her head. “Oh, what the hay, it can’t hurt at this point. I’m getting hit with the remedial, so may at least enjoy a last bit of freedom before Prof comes down on me.”
~~~
“I… I did this?” Dash stared with wide eyes at a piece of paper floating in front of her. Her hooves reached out to confirm it was real.
She had wondered why Twilight had insisted on asking her a variety of questions about hero work when all Dash had wanted was to comment on Twilight’s flight performance after the flight. She had assumed it was Twilight geeking out and her growing enthusiasm throughout the conversation seemed to confirm that. It only felt fair to indulge her since Dash had spent a large part of the flight talking about wings, weather, and the Wonderbolts.
Just as it seemed Twilight had been getting ready to say goodbye, there was a flash. Some sheets of paper, now free of their invisibility spell had floated over to Dash. It was another practice test. At the top, in fresh ink was an 87 out of 100 grade.
“You sure did.” Twilight smiled. “You’re not a bad student, Rainbow Dash. You just have your own way of studying.”
Dash started at the score for a moment longer. “But what did you do? You were way too busy trying to stay in the air to use any other spells.”
“This is all you.” Twilight glanced back at the sound of hoofbeats. Spike, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie all appeared from down the street all either costumed, balancing large signs on their back, or ferrying some animals also in costumes. “With a little help. I realized yesterday you don’t miss a single detail while flying. So, I got everyone to put together a study session on the fly.”
“Hee-hee! I love the pun!” Pinkie giggled.
“I… oh, wow.” Dash let the tension out of her body. “Twilight this is… I don’t even know how to repay you.”
“Anything for a friend.” Twilight gave Dash a pat on the back. She then noticed how red Dash was getting. She could practically feel heat coming off her. “Dash? You ok—”
“I don’t know how to deal with this!” Dash screamed and then flew off.
“O-oh my.” Fluttershy pressed a hoof to her cheek. “I… I was worried this might happen.”
Twilight folded her ears. “Did I do something to upset her?”
“No, no, no!” Fluttershy whipped a leg back and forth. “It’s just, well… how did you ask Rainbow Dash to go flying with you?”
“Hmm, well I may have played with my wording a little.” Twilight glanced back at the translucent wings still attached to her sides. “I asked if she could help show me how to fly.”
“Twilight, there’s something you should know.” Fluttershy gulped. Throughout the conversation, she, like Dash, had gained a blush. She now appeared ready to start emitting steam. “Pegasi don’t talk about it with other races, but asking one of us to ‘show you how to fly’ is, um…”
Fluttershy’s lips moved but the last part of her sentence was cut off. With a growing sense that she had committed a cultural faux pas, Twilight drew closer to Fluttershy. “Sorry. I didn’t hear that last part. I’ll make sure to apologize to Rainbow Dash though.”
“Th-that’s not it!” Fluttershy stammered, flustered enough that her volume rose past her usual cadence. “A-asking how to fly is… is…”
“Is?” Twilight drew even closer.
Eyes spinning, sweat soaking her face, and lips trembling, Fluttershy yelled at the top of her voice. “It’s a courtship ritual!”
Stats
Page generated in 0.016 seconds
Total duration
984 users online
1,242,919 hits today, 1,960,719 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Reminds me of a quote from episode... 3 of Food Wars : Shokugeki no Soma.
I will go on the record and state, I ship it.
On one hoof Dash should know Twilight as a unicorn has no clue about Pegasus courtship rituals... On the other this is Rainbow Dash and he understanding of love is lacking subetly.
It was a great chapter adapting a FIM episode to the cross over. With cross overs that are combinations of the two series (as opposed the characters from franchises meeting types) there is a tendency to replicate the plot or episodes from one show but ignore the other one.
BIG mood.
Joy.
You would.
You're lying.
Oh, honey...
BIG mood.
Given your shtick, that makes sense. Also, I see we're doing some Testing, Testing 1, 2, 3. Which checks out, given the title of this chapter.
Solid.
Now if only more teachers got that,
Cute.
I get the feeling Twilight just cultural faux-pas'd.
Called it~
While TwiJack will always be my OTP this wouldn’t be unacceptable.
Now how long until it turns into a Polycule?
I was not expecting that ending but I'm here for it 😂 wonder what Twilight will do now lol
Didn't expect possible hints of a ship in this chapter.
I loved that you referenced Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3
Twilight.exe needs a reboot..................reboot failed do to overheating.