Hearts and Hooves Day

by PonyTom

Rainbow Dash and an Open Mind

Twilight was nervous again. No big surprise there. No, rather, the big surprise was that she was even more nervous than usual. Of course, there was good reason for this.

"Rarity, I'm not certain I'm ready for this..."

The two ponies sat in the front of a local bowling alley - was admittedly not Rarity's ideal space for a date, but she insisted that it might be good for who she had set Twilight up with. The marshmallow unicorn waved a hoof dismissively at her friend. "Darling, here's the way I see it. If it's not your cup of tea, you can consider it a friendly lunch! But, if something DOES click..." Rarity giggled a bit. "Oh sweetie, I do believe this is one of those... oh... what does she say... 'Don't knock it if you haven’t tried it' deals?"

Twilight relented and hung her head. "Fine... but if this ends weird, I am holding it against you."

Rarity laughed. "Well, I'll assume if it works out you'll be thanking me as well?" Rarity turned around and smiled. "Oh! There she is now!"

Twilight turned.

Her eyes shrank to pin pricks.

Stepping into the establishment was none other than Rainbow Dash.

She turned to Rarity and yelled at her, as close to one can get to yelling while whispering. Or at least trying to. "Are you INSANE!? Trying to date a mare is one thing, but a mare I'm close friends with!? If this doesn't work out--"

Rarity held up her hoof. "IF it doesn't work out, you won't have to worry. Rainbow Dash understood what was going on, and she agreed to it whole heartedly, so if it doesn't work out, there is no problem."

Twilight did not seem entirely convinced. Rarity rolled her eyes.

"Also, she's competitive. Bowling does not take much in the way of physical fitness, so you can learn a new activity as well. The way I see it, if nothing else, you won't come out of this one empty-hoofed."

Twilight sighed and hung her head. "Fine... fine..."

Eventually, Rainbow Dash stepped up to the two and smiled. "Hey Rares! Hey Twilight! 'Sup!"

Twilight smiled, obviously nervous. "H-hi, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Wow Rarity, you wasn't kidding! She's REALLY nervous!"

Rarity sighed. "Yes, well, you two do what comes naturally, I'm going to be... uhh..." the marshmallow unicorn looked around desperately for a safe haven - she did not see any. Not a lobby, not a waiting area (at least not one that didn't involve fitting horse shoes) and most other mares were either playing or watching others play. "oh... ah..."

Rainbow grinned. "Why not join us Rarity! Never too late to learn a new skill!"

Rarity gasped. "What!? No! Nonono, this is YOUR date! I'm not going to interfere! I'll try to be within reachable distance, but I don't want to be invasive! I... ah... I think I'll just... " She sighed a bit. "... I guess I can play... but not with you two! I'll just go find somepony else to join... or something..."

Rarity trotted off, and Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other. Twilight rubbed one of her forelegs over the other.

"Soo..."

"So..."

"What now?"

Rainbow Dash grinned. "Well, first we get our bowling shoes, we pick a lane, and then we start our date! Oh, and don't worry Twi, I'm totally okay with this, and I'm cool! I don't try to smooch on the first date or anything!" Rainbow Dash paused a bit and grinned, waggling her eyebrows. "Unless you want to."

Twilight laughed nervously. "Ahhh, haha, we'll just see how the night goes, shall we?"

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Twilight looked down at the shoes she had been given; they were definitely not something she was used to wearing, but she guessed they must have helped with traction on the hardwood floor?

"Alright! So, Twilight, you wanna go first, or should I be the lady?"

Twilight blushed madly. "Ah.. uh.... I..."

She was at a loss of how to respond. This particular question seemed like no matter how she answered it, she would make a suggestion that could affect her and Rainbow Dash's relationship forever.

"Twilight, I know that look. I'm just teasing.." Rainbow rolled her eyes at her panicky friend. Twilight sighed. "Uhh... you go first Rainbow. I have no idea what I'm doing..."

Rainbow grinned. "Right! Well, take some notes - I know you love to do that - and watch the pro!"

Rainbow picked up a ball in between her forelegs and used her wings to keep her front end lifted off the ground. She stared down the alley and licked her lips. She trotted forward on her hind legs, wings still keeping her front end up, and then threw her hooves forward, making sure to put effort on not putting in too much force as to send the ball askew, and it rolled down the alley.

It hit the pins, and struck them all down.

Rainbow jumped into the air and pumped her foreleg. "YES! I! AM! AWESOME!"

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"SO! It's settled! Tomorrow, we'll be the "Cutie Mark Crusaders: Demolition Squad!"

Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Applebloom sat in their clubhouse at their latest meeting to discuss their next mission. Suddenly, Scootaloo shuddered a bit, and everypony looked to her.

"Hey Scoots, what was that?" asked Applebloom, a look of concern adorning her face.

"Huh... I think my 'Rainbow Dash is being awesome' sense just went off..."

Sweetie sighed. "You know that doesn't make sense, Scootaloo."

Scootaloo huffed, crossing her forelegs. "Says the pony who predicts the future through alphabet soup!"

Sweetie gasped. "I do NOT predict the future with alphabet soup! Those were coincidences! Predicting the future when not Pinkie Pie is impossible!"

Scootaloo waved her hoof around. "Yeah? And I imagine your soup spelling 'Moon Mare' the day before Nightmare Moon arrived was just a coincidence? What about when it said 'You free chaos?"

Sweetie shouted defensively. "That was just coincidences!"

She bit her lip as she remembered her most recent 'coincidence.'

'Scootaloo Handicapped'

"Uhh... changing the subject... Scootaloo, have you gotten the results from your physician about your wings?"

Scootaloo shrugged. "Not a word! I'm sure I just need to grow into them a bit more though!"

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Twilight looked at her ball, eyeing it with almost an analytical precision.

"So... can I use my magic on it?"

Rainbow shrugged. "Uhh... I think Magic's prohibited. Too much potential for abuse in this sport..."

Twilight hummed. Taking the ball into her mouth, she looked down the alley and gulped. Trotting forward, she came to a stop and spat the ball out.

It hit the ground and rolled.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

Painfully slow.

It fell into the gutter.

It continued to slowly roll.

Why is it moving so slowly?!

Twilight groaned and stomped away. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "You don't just spit it out, Twilight. You gotta have technique! Try... uhh... flinging it! yeah!"

Twilight sighed as she picked up yet another ball. Sweat began to trickle down her face. Her eye twitched slightly. She trotted forward, and swung her head; careful not to hurt herself, and let the ball go.

It hit the hard wood.

It rolled, faster than before.

It hit the pins, knocking them all down.

She stared wide-eyed, and a massive grin slow built into her features as her brain processed what it had just witnessed; what she had accomplished. On her first (okay, second) try at bowling, Twilight had knocked down ALL pins!

"D... did you see that!?"

Rainbow Dash stared, eyes wide, but not too shocked, letting out a pleased whistle. "Wow! Nice Twi! I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting you to do that on your second try!"

It was Rainbow Dash's turn once again. She used the same technique; forelegs holding the ball, wings keeping her afloat. She trotted forward, and threw it, sending it on it's way. The ball hit the pins, taking down all but two. "Awww... so close!"

A ball rolled up, and she picked up up. Once more, same technique, ball down the alley.

The last two pins were taken down.

Twilight stepped forth, watching as the pins were set back up. Taking the ball into her mouth, she gritted her teeth, a grin plastered on her face. She remembered what she did, she remembered how she did it, she could do this! She could beat Rainbow Dash at a game she had been playing for who knows how long; a game Twilight herself had literally JUST started learning.

She threw the ball forward.

It rolled. It teetered to the edge.

It took down one pin.

Twilight stared, dumbfounded, jaw hanging wide open.

"Wha-- but... but I did everything... how did..."

She groaned, and picked up another ball. She got into position. She focused. Hooves in the right place. Body posed for maximum muscle output. Making sure flow of physics and momentum and all that sciency stuff were on her side.

She trotted forward, and flung.

The ball fell in the gutter.

"WHAT!?"

Rainbow laughed a bit. "Wow, Twi... it seems you just had beginners lu-"

"I'VE GOT ONE MORE TURN!"

She picked up the ball.

Focused.

Flung.

It hit the pins, taking out all but five.

"SON OF A--"

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Twilight and Rainbow sat at the dining area of the bowling alley, the purple unicorn clearly a bit disappointed in herself. Rainbow Dash laughed. "Wow Twi, I'da never known you were so competitive... or that you had such a colorful vocabulary..."

Twilight blushed a bit. "Yeah... s... sorry... I don't know what came over me, I don't think I've ever acted that way before..."

Rainbow waved a hoof. "Don't worry about it none, Twilight. It's cool, just means we gotta try bowling again until you learn it!" The rainbow maned pegasus gave a wide grin. "Even if you don't, it's fun hearing you say words that I've never heard you say before!"

Twilight sighed. "Oh well... at least I know I'm not the worst player here..."

Suddenly, there was a sound of pins clattering, and a loud "HAHAAA!"

Twilight and Rainbow turned to see Rarity, who was with Pinkie Pie and Braeburn. Rarity was at the alley, and she was trotting in place. "I am Rarity! Queen of the alley!"

Rainbow Dash's jaw fell open. Twilight simply head-desked against the table, the blow softened by her dandelion sandwich.

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Twilight and Rainbow trotted out of the bowling alley, making their way down the street. Twilight sighed a bit and looked to Rainbow Dash. "Well... what now?"

Rainbow hummed and tapped her hoof to her chin. "Well... we can always talk I guess?"

Twilight nodded, pondering what to ask. "Yeah... but we already know a lot about each other... what do we ask?"

Rainbow shrugged. "Not always about learning Twilight, sometimes it's just chatting, maybe sharing ideas... " Rainbow laughed a bit. "Of course, idea-wise, you and I are kinda night and day... I'm sure most of my ideas are probably stunt-related and yours probably involve a lot of magic and science and stuff."

Twilight shrugged. "... Ya know, I have to say, I didn't know you were.... well... you know..."

Rainbow blinked. "What? Oh! OH! Oh yeah, no. I mean, sort of. I'm not a filly fooler, at least not dedicatedly... I play both teams." Rainbow Dash grinned proudly at this.

"Huh... how come you never said anything?"

"Psh, you never asked!" Rainbow smirked and shook her head. "I'm loud about my stunts and my achievements. I don't see a point in just running around telling ponies I'm not picky about my partner's gender... besides, some ponies might get the wrong idea."

Twilight nodded, understanding that a bit.

"What of you, Twilight? I kinda figured you'd be the 'stallions only' type."

Twilight blushed and gasped. "Oh! Uh, well, I'm not against the idea, but I admittedly wouldn't say I ever considered myself... uhhh..."

Rainbow smirked and gave her an undeniably seductive stare. "Well, we can test that if you like with a nice little kiss."

Twilight bit down her lip and laughed. "Uhh... wait... what? Really? Now?" Her cheeks turned a deep red.

Rainbow smirked. "Haha, whoa whoa, Twilight, I was joking."

Twilight seemed both visibly relaxed and at the same time disappointed.

"It's nothing personal Twilight, but we're friends. I don't wanna screw that up messin' with your head... that said, if you still think you might be interested in dating mares, I can help! I also know some stallions!" She blinked and smirked nervously. "Uhh... well, I could FIND stallions..."

Twilight sighed. "No, that's alright Rainbow... I think I'll just go talk to Rarity now..." She snorted. "Or at least I will once she's done learning she's really good at bowling."

Rainbow smirked. "That's good..." She grimaced a bit, seeing the down look in her unicorn friend's face. "Ya know Twilight, you're not a bad lookin' mare, and you're really fun, so don't think it's you, okay?"

Twilight nodded. "Thanks Rainbow, and it's okay. I don't really know if I'm the 'Mare's Mare' type of girl anyway. I think I'm just going to go home. I'll talk to Rarity tomorrow."

Rainbow smiled faintly, not convinced Twilight was alright. "See ya later Twi..."

Twilight simply nodded. "Later, Rainbow..."

With that, the unicorn took her leave and trotted down the street. Rainbow Dash gave a sigh, feeling a bit of worry for the lavender librarian as she left.

"... poor girl."

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TO BE CONTINUED...