Chapter 1
Birds sang and danced around one another in the air as Celestia's sun gave rise to a beautiful new day, the warmth of the sun wrapping itself around the ponies below. Though as it made its way through a window of sugarcube corner it fell upon the face of one Rainbow Dash, who was attempting to sleep off one of Pinkie Pies more intense parties.
The intruding sunlight rudely dragged her out of one of her best dreams yet and tossed her from the couch she had crashed on down to the cold unforgiving floor below. The mare grumbled to herself as she stood, stretching her wings and putting a hoof to her head.
"Ugh...thats the last time I drink at one of Pinkies parties..." the pegasus groaned.
"HI DASHIE!" Pinkie Pie yelled, causing Rainbow to clutch her head in pain.
"Geez Pinkie, not so loud..." Rainbow said, barely above a whisper.
"Oh, sorry. Hehe, thats what you get for challenging Applejack to a cider drinking contest." the baker sang, hopping on the tips of her hooves as she went about cleaning last nights mess merrily. Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"I was totally winning! ow..." Rainbow sighed, rubbing her hooves against her temples to try and calm the throbbing headache. Pinkie giggled quietly.
"Don't drink if you don't wanna pay the consequences Dashie." Pinkie Pie teased from the kitchen.
"yea yea...sorry for crashing here. I figured it wasn't a good idea to fly home." Rainbow Dash apologized. Pinkie only shook her head and smiled.
"You're always welcome Dashie and I'm glad you decided to stay. You said a lot of cute things in your sleep." Pinkie Pie pointed out as she hopped around a corner.
"Huh? Wait! Pinkie!" Rainbow raced after the Earth pony, tackling her to the ground.
"Whee! Do it again!" Pinkie laughed, clapping her hooves.
"What did you hear?" Rainbow whispered, recalling the dream she had that night.
"Oh, nothing much. Something about Books and stars and a unicorn." Pinkie said as if it were a list of ingredients for one of her sweets. Rainbow shook her head.
"Pinkie you gotta promise not to tell anypony!" Rainbow yelled, shaking Pinkie Pie by her shoulders.
"I-I-I-I wo-o-o-n't te-e-ell any-y-ypo-o-ny-y-y!" Pinkie managed to say, Rainbow finally letting go of her.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Nopony will hear from me that you like Twilight" Pinkie smiled, the sound of a bowl crashing against the ground echoed through the kitchen, Rainbow and Pinkie turning their heads to see Twilight Sparkle standing there in shock.
"oops..." Pinkie mumbled.
"Ah feel right down awful 'bout leavin so early last night. Ah hope th' girls ain't sore 'bout it..." Applejack admitted to Rarity as they made their way to Sugarcube Corner.
"I'm sure everything is fine dear. From what you told me it was quite the party. But knowing Pinkie Pie there probably isn't anything left for you to help with dear." Rarity pointed out.
"Ah know, but ah'd still like t' try an help out if ah can. Ah would've helped last night but Applebloom got hurt an ah had t' go take her t' th' hospital." Applejack sighed.
"Ah told that filly it was only a matter o' time before she broke somethin..." she mumbled, both ponies jumping in shock as Rainbow Dash tore through a window of Sugarcube corner with enough force to shake the entire building. Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie quickly running out of the sweet shop and chasing after her
"RAINBOW DASH WAIT!" Twilight called after her, sighing as the pegasus faded in the distance. Applejack and Rarity glanced at one another, quickly rushing to their friends side.
"What in Celestia's name is going on?" Rarity asked. Pinkie Pie hung her head.
"I broke a Pinkie Promise..." the mare said sadly.
"What? Ya'll ain't never broke a promise Pinkie"
"I KNOW! It was an accident! But...I still broke it...oh poor Dashie, I hope she's not mad..." Pinkie sulked, her mane falling flat against her.
"Why don't you explain from the beginning dear?" Rarity suggested.
"Its my fault. I stayed at Sugarcube corner last night." Twilight admitted with a blush. It was more than common knowledge that the bookworm was a lightweight in many respects. Two glasses of hard cider and she had passed out in a corner of the kitchen.
"I was in the room when she made the promise and overheard what was said. Its not your fault Pinkie, you didn't know I was there." Twilight said quickly, hugging her downtrodden friend.
"S-so...Dashie won't hate me and stop being my friend?" Pinkie asked, her bottom lip wobbling. Twilight rolled her eyes and laughed.
"She isn't going to stop being your friend and I'm sure she won't hate you. Lets go find her and just...figure out what to do from there." Twilight replied, glancing over her shoulder at Applejack and Rarity.
"Its...oh I'll explain on the way, come on!" Twilight yelled, chasing after Rainbow Dash.
"LOOK OUT BELOW!" a voice yelled, Rainbow Dash grunting as a filly sized bundle of joy crashed into her from above, sending her rolling through a nearby tree.
The daredevil pegasus reacted without thinking, throwing her hooves around the bundle and kicking off a branch of the tree, bending her lithe body around another branch as her momentum kept her moving, flaring her wings and flapping once before snapping them back in to weave through a set of thick tree limbs before rolling and weaving out of its grasp and out into the open air.
She panted heavily, looking down and seeing a flustered Scootaloo in her hooves with several strings tied around her midsection.
"Scootaloo, what in the hay are you doing up here?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"uh...I...was tryin' to fly." she mumbled, brushing a hoof against the strings tied to her.
"Scootaloo! oh thank goodness your alright..." Sweetie Belle said from below them. Rainbow rolled her eyes and landed, setting the filly down.
"Ah told ya it wouldn't work Scoots." Applebloom mumbled, her front left hoof wrapped in a cast and held with a sling over her shoulder
"Hey, I was up there!" Scootaloo argued.
"you could've gotten hurt!" Sweetie Belle yelled.
"WHOA, Chill out! Whats goin on?!" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo sighed.
"I got them to help me tie a bunch of balloons to me so I could fly. I saw Pinkie do it and...I thought..." Scootaloo sighed, hanging her head.
"Kid, you can't just go an try an copy Pinkie Pie. Nopony should. Your parents should be teachin you how to fly!" Rainbow fussed.
"W-well they don't really have the time to, they are kinda busy ya know..." Scootaloo mumbled. Rainbow Dash blinked in shock.
"What kind of parents are too busy to teach their kid how to fly?!" Rainbow all but screamed. Scootaloo lowered her head, scuffing a hoof against the dirt road.
"Oh...hey I'm sorry kid. I-I didn't mean it to sound like that." Rainbow apologized, reaching for the filly. Scootaloo flinched and backed away, turning tail and running away.
"Scoots wait!" Sweetie Belle yelled, chasing after her.
"Aw ponyfeathers..." Rainbow mumbled, gasping as Pinkie Pie tackled her to the ground.
"DASHIE! I'm soooo sorry! Please don't be mad!?" Pinkie begged.
"Pinkie Pie! I'm not mad!" Rainbow yelled, struggling to push the earth pony off of her, her eyes scanning for where Scootaloo had run off to, but the filly was long gone. Rainbow sighed and shook her head.
"What the hay was that about?" she thought aloud, gasping as another pony tackled her, the two tumbling across the ground and groaning as they lay next to each other. A cloud of dust faded away as several others ran up to them.
"Rainbow! Oh, I'm sorry!" Twilight apologized as she leapt to her hooves, hefting her friend up in her magic. Rainbow shook herself, still not altogether there after being tackled twice. Her mind was still focused on Scootaloo, she hardly noticed Twilight sitting in front of her, or their friends sitting just a few feet away.
"Rainbow? Please tell me I didn't break anything..." Twilight mumbled, looking her friend over frantically. Rainbow Dash finally snapped back to her senses as a brush of magic ran through her wings.
"Whoa! hey!" Rainbow gasped, stumbling backwards. She blinked, staring at Twilight, the unicorn staring back. A heavy silence filled the air as the two simply stared at one another.
"Kiss her!" Pinkie yelled, earning a smack to the back of the head from Applejacks hat. Rainbow spun, her face burning red as she spotted her other friends.
"uh...hi...girls...um..." Rainbow stammered.
"Is it true Dash?" Twilight asked suddenly, the pegasus turning back towards Twilight.
"well...yea" she sighed in defeat, hanging her head. Twilight tried to think of something to say, but for once her mind had gone blank.
"Why me? I'm not strong, or athletic, or anything."
"Twi', for an egghead, you're pretty dumb." Rainbow chuckled. Twilight raised an eyebrow, obviously not understanding what her friend was getting at. Rainbow sighed.
"Twilight, you lead us through the Everfree forest to save not only Princess Celestia, but also Princess Luna and all of Equestria. You got us through Winter Wrap Up, you lead the march to stop that Dragon from filling Ponyville with smoke, you were the ONLY pony to see through that bug-queens disguise. You're a hero for ponys sake!" Rainbow rambled on, pacing back and forth.
"And if thats not enough, you're an amazing friend. Whenever AJ is too busy to help me with a trick you were always there trying to figure out how it worked. You always order the next Daring Do book for me before I even know its out and you never get mad when I return them late and...you're cute..." she mumbled, scuffing her hoof against the ground.
"What i'm tryin to say is...you're an awesome pony Twi. At first I thought I just liked you as a good friend...but whenever you were too busy to come see me do a trick I felt...empty. Like there wasn't a point to doin it if you couldn't see me do it. I never felt that way when AJ couldn't show up." she sighed, turning to Twilight and finding the mare just staring at her.
"I knew this would be weird. Look, just forget I said anything!" Rainbow huffed, running and throwing out her wings, gasping as something tugged on her tail. She looked back to see a purple aura surrounding her tail and keeping her grounded. Twilight marched over to her and looked her in the eye.
"You really think all that Rainbow?" Twilight asked softly. Rainbow turned away, kicking a pebble away.
"Well yea...I dunno how it started but..I always look forward to seein' you egghead." She admitted.
"I...I dunno what to think Dash." Twilight admitted
"Kiss her!" Pinkie yelled again, suffering another hat blow to the head. Rarity cleared her throat
"If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion girls?" the white unicorn asked, looking between them. They shared a nod, looking to their friend.
"Why not spend the evening together and see where it goes?" she suggested with a hint of a smile. Both unicorn and pegasus blushed and began stammering excuses.
"Oh hush!" Applejack yelled, both of them falling silent.
"Now ah ain't no expert on romance or nuthin, an Rarity ain't either, no matter how many fancy novels ya'll have read." she directed at the fashionista.
"But maybe she has a point. Rainbow obviously cares fer ya as more than a friend Twi'. It won't hurt nothin t' find out how ya feel 'bout it, will it?" Applejack asked. Twilight bit her lip, looking over at Rainbow Dash.
"I...suppose so." she said slowly.
"Think of it like a friendship report thingy!" Pinkie called out, dodging another swat of Applejacks hat.
"Actually thats quite a good idea Pinkie Pie. Princess Celestia sent you here to learn about friendship Twilight. This is but a larger step in being friends. Maybe you will learn something more from this." Rarity urged.
The entire time Rainbow sat there silently, slightly hunched over and ready to take off at a moments notice. Twilight glanced at each of her friends, turning back to Rainbow and smiling.
"Alright! I'll do it!" she declared.
"Wait, what?" Rainbow asked.
"Oh Wonderful! I know just the place for your first date Darling." Rarity said excitedly.
"Whoa! Hold up!" Rainbow yelled, standing on her hind legs and throwing out her fore-legs.
"Whats with you guys playin matchmaker?" Rainbow demanded.
"Trust us Dash, its fer yer own good. Ya'll are too hard-headed t' pony up to yer own feelins anyhow. 'sides, ya'll can't honestly think we didn't notice ya starin at Twilights flank whenever she looked away do ya?" Applejack asked, letting out a laugh as the pegasus blushed. Pinkie suddenly gasped.
"I need to start planning the party!" she said, rushing off into the distance. Twilight gasped as Rarity nudged her towards Rainbow with a flick of her magic, the two bumping into one another.
"Well? go on then you two! Be sure to tell us all about it when you return!" Rarity said, her magic enveloping them for a moment, the two vanishing in a flash of magic.
"...When th' hay did ya'll learn t' do that Rarity?" Applejack asked.
"Its a little trick I learned to send gems back to the Boutique so I don't have to carry them." Rarity said with a sigh.
"Though two ponies is a bit harder than a cart of gems. I hope they got there in one piece..."
Twilight gasped as she fell onto a table, Rainbow landing beside her. A waitress slowly walked up to them.
"Um...excuse me but you have to use the front entrance..." she said to them.
"Yea, yea. Sorry, we're sorta here as a joke gone bad. We'll just get out of your mane." the pegasus explained as she pushed to her hooves. Twilight yelled out as she rolled off the table, Rainbow zipping over to her with a buzz of her wings and catching her before she hit the ground.
The two stared at one another for a moment before awkwerdly pulling away from one another.
"Ok, this is weird." Rainbow mumbled.
"Agreed." Twilight sighed.
"Wait, are you Miss Twilight and Miss Rainbow? We have a reservation for you at one of our private booths." the waitress said with a smile.
"huh? How in the hay do we have..." Rainbow smacked her forehead with a hoof.
"Rarity...when I see her again I'm gonna..." Rainbow paused as she felt something against her cheek. It had only been there for a moment and if not for the smile on the unicorn beside her she would've thought she imagined it. Twilight Sparkle had kissed her cheek.
"We're already here Rainbow and it would be a good experience for my friendship research for the Princess..." Twilight said quietly. The rainbow maned pegasus stared at her, taking in everything this mare was and telling herself this was actually happening.
"I...guess so. Its just one little lunch together." Rainbow said, trying to remain the tough tom-colt. Twilight smiled, nodding to the waitress who led them to a small closed in booth. With a flick of magic the doors opened and they were allowed inside, seated across from one another, a red stained marble table between them.
The doors closed, leaving them in the dim candlelight of the booth. The music played by the band in the center of the resturaunt echoed faintly within their booth. No doubt it had all been Rarity's idea.
"That mare needs to pull her nose out of those romance novels." Rainbow muttered, resting her forelegs on the table. Twilight wanted to say something, anything, but nothing appropiate came to mind. She hadn't studied for this, all she had known was the kiss on the cheek.
She had seen her mother use it to calm her father on several occasions, but other than that she was hopelessly lost on what to do.Rainbow noticed as Twilight tensed up and chewed on her lip. She chuckled, reaching over and placing her hoof over Twilights.
"Relax Twilight. Aren't you suppose to be studying or something?" she teased with a smile. Twilight felt that smile infect her, bringing a smile to her own lips as she relaxed.
She was about to learn something new, a completely new experience. She cleared her throat, a quill and a sheet of parchment suddenly appearing beside her.
"Twilight Sparkle: Study Journal. First Date...oh my gosh first date..." Twilight gasped as the quill stabbed through the parchment.
"Whoa! Chill out Twilight!" Rainbow said quickly, yanking the quill free with her teeth and holding it out for the unicorn. Twilight chuckled nervously, taking it in her magic.
"I...um...well to be honest Rainbow Dash, I've never been on a date before." Twilight mumbled, hanging her head as her cheeks flushed. Rainbow wasn't surprised.
Twilight wasn't the most outgoing pony. If not for her friends, Twilight would keep herself cooped up in the library with her muzzle buried firmly in a book with far too many pages. Twilight cleared her throat, the quill continuing its scribbling.
"First Date...Forced into a fancy resturaunt by our friends who are determined to see us together. Friends obviously approve of possible relationship."
"Do ya have to write it like that?" Rainbow asked.
"I hate to sound like Rarity but..that kinda removes the Romance from it..." she continued with a blush. Twilight couldn't help it, watching the normally cool and collected pegasus blush forced her into a fit of giggles.
Rainbow frowned, ticked off that the unicorn found her fumbling funny. Though Twilights laughter was contagious and soon Rainbow Dash was laughing with her, both of them surprised as the waiter returned.
Having no idea what to order they settled for a salad each, time seeing to fly by as they laughed the night away, all the while the Quill scribbled away.
"So, there I am, flying straight down in a crazy dive. The whole world seems to just stop around me and BOOM!" Rainbow slammed her hoof on the table.
"Next thing I know, I'm zoomin forward so fast I can't tell left from right or up from down and instinct kicks in. I snatched Rarity and the Wonderbolts and saved the day!" Rainbow said excitedly. Twilight giggled and rolled her eyes.
"I was there Dash. Though I admit, its interesting hearing what it was like. I sometimes wonder what it'd be like if I had been born a pegasus instead of a unicorn."
"Hm...You would look pretty awesome with wings now that I think about it." The pegasus said, eyeing her up and down.
Twilight blinked, realizing Rainbow Dash was, as one of her on-hoof guidebooks had said, checking her out. She blushed bright red, covering herself with her hooves.
"H-hey! don't ogle me like that! I-its only the first date Dash!" Twilight argued. Rainbow blushed, raising her hooves in defense.
"I was just kiddin Twi'!" she said quickly. They fell silent, bursting into another fit of laughter. Twilight sighed as she calmed down and began looking around
"oh no...Rarity poofed us here without my bags! I don't have any bits on me to pay for lunch!" she panicked.
"Heh, well ever tried a dine an dash?" Rainbow grinned, peeking outside their booth.
"What?" Twilight asked, utterly confused. Rainbow sighed.
"Just follow my lead egghead." the pegasus whispered, standing up and stretching a bit. She nudged Twilight towards the door, resting a wing over here.
"Thank you for coming!" the mare at the door said as they made it outside.
"RUN!" Rainbow yelled, shoving Twilight forward and making a mad dash for the Library.
"But we didn't pay!" Twilight argued, running beside her.
"Thats the point Twilight!" Rainbow laughed.
"But thats wrong!" the unicorn yelled, confused.
"We'll pay em later! Now just run!" Rainbow urged her friend
It didn't take them long to reach the Library, both out of breath and collapsing after running inside. They glanced at one another, falling into a fit of giggles.
"So, I take it your lunch was a success?" Rarity asked. Twilight and Rainbow spun, finding their friends gathered around a board game
"It would've been if SOMEPONY had left us with any bits to pay for lunch!" Twilight fumed.
Applejack chuckled. Pinkie, strangely, remained silent, looking between Twilight and Rainbow Dash.
"...Ok thats really creepy." Rainbow pointed out.
"Whoops! Sorry!" Pinkie giggled, bouncing around them.
"Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, you still didn't tell us how it went!" Pinkie pestered, poking and prodding, trying to get an answer.
"Well..." Twilights horn flashed, a scroll appearing beside her with a small hole in it. She unfurled it, blushing as she read over it and clearing her throat, quickly closing it in her magic.
"It went well." she said simply.
"Ah'll say. Ya'll are more red than a ripe red delicious ready t' be picked." Applejack said with a grin. Rarity flashed a smile
"At least everything went well." the unicorn declared.
"Yea, Twi' did her first Dine and Dash." Rainbow chuckled.
"I AM going to go back and pay them. Its not right to run out like that."
"Twi' if you go back right now you'll be in huge trouble! Its not like there was anything you could do anyway. We didn't have any bits!" Rainbow argued.
"I don't care Rainbow. I'm going back and thats that." Twilight stomped her hoof for emphasis, snatching up her saddlebags. Rainbow groaned.
"Alright, I'm goin with you then. I'm the one that made you bail so I'll take responsibility."
"Thats...very mature of ya' Dash." Applejack pointed out. Fluttershy giggled, drawing everyones attention.
"Oh, i'm sorry. Its just...Rainbow only acts like this when...well um...Nevermind." Fluttershy squeaked, hiding behind her mane. Rarity however was intrigued, scooting closer to the pegasus and hardly noticing as Twilight left with Rainbow.
"You seem to know more about Rainbow Dash than anyone else Fluttershy." Rarity mused, putting a hoof against her chin.
"Ya know, you aren't suppose to pay on a Dine an Dash Twi'. Its not like our meal was crazy expensive or anything." Rainbow huffed.
"Which means there should be no issue in paying for it. Those ponies work hard to make sure everypony in their establishment enjoys their food and has a good time. Its not right to simply take and give nothing back." Twilight lectured. Rainbow rolled her eyes, even though she knew Twilight was right, it was still a joykill.
As they neared the resturaunt Rainbow started to have second thoughts. She turned to Twilight to argue, wanting to tell her that it would be alright, that they didn't have to pay, but the unicorn wore a determined look.
She probably already had her entire apology thought out and rehearsed four times in her head. Rainbow shook her head and sighed to herself.
"How the heck did I get myself into this?" she thought aloud.
"By admitting you had feelings for me and the two of us being forced into a restuaraunt without any bits." Twilight said, Rainbow throwing her a sideways glance.
"I was bein re-rheto, UGH! I was being sarcastic." Rainbow groaned. Twilight giggled.
"Oh, sorry. And the word was Rhetorical Dash." the unicorn said to her, ringing the front bell as she entered the resturaunt.
"Oh, welcome back!" the waitress said with a smile. Obviously they hadn't realized the two had simply left without paying.
"Can I help you with anything today?" the unicorn asked.
"Yes, you see, my friend and I..."
"Had to go home and get our bits, we weren't able to pay earlier so we came back to pay now." Rainbow interrupted.
"Oh, I see. Well there was no need. Your reservation was paid for before your meal." The waitress said, showing a flowery signature on their bill. Rainbow and Twilight glanced at each other then back at the mare.
"...RARITY!"
Two little fillies stood on a lone pathway, out of breath and sharing worried glances.
"Ah can't find her anywhere..." Applebloom sighed, Sweetie Belle lowered her head
"Maybe she went home? Or she is just hiding somewhere." the unicorn said, feeling hopeful. Applebloom shrugged, which was difficult with a hoof held in bindings.
"We gotta find her Belle 'fore she does somethin she'll regret. We might have t' break our Pinkie Promise..." the two fillies gulped as a menacing "FOREVER" echoed around them in said mares voice.
"No! You remember what happened last time somepony broke a Pinkie Promise don't you?!" Sweetie Belle panicked. Applebloom sighed.
"Well we better work fast then. Ya'll check downtown an ah'll check th' orchard again. Ah'm sure we'll find her...we gotta." Applebloom said, standing on shaky legs.
"Bloom...maybe you should get some rest. Your leg isn't going to get any better running around out here. I'll look for her ok? And we can look together again once you finish resting."
"Ya'll sayin ah'm not strong 'nough t' keep goin? Ah'll have ya know we Apples are proud an strong ponies. This here leg ain't nothin t' fret about. Ah jus' need a minute s'all." Applebloom argued. Sweetie Belle shook her head and sighed.
"Alright then...we'll meet up at the clubhouse." she said, waiting until her earth pony friend nodded in agreement to head for Downtown.
"Where are you scoots?"