An assortment of writing scraps from various projects, compiled for your... pleasure?
Just what it says on the tin, kiddos. This is where I'll throw my writing scraps and things I'll probably never use or finish. It's probably for the better.
It was a bright and sunny day in Ponyland, when Rainbow Dash couldn’t find her favorite hat. “Oh no! Where’s my favorite hat?” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, looking through her closet. It was full of all her favorite clothes and jewerly, from neckalces to sungalsses to scarves and her new boots. There were a bunch of hats hanging on the wall from pegs, and one was missing! “I thought I put it back?” she asked, looking all around for it.
She eventually gave up and decided to search somewhere else. She left her closet and decided to look around her room. She looked through her dresser and under her bed and in her other closet, but the hat was just nowhere to be found. “I really wish I had my hat...” Rainbow Dash sadly said.
The blue pegasus left her room and tried to look around her house for her favorite hat. It was blue with pretty feathers on it and a bit of glitter that made it shine in the light. Dash loved to wear it around and when she went flying so she could show it off to all of her pony friends like Cheerilee and Surprise and Posey. They didn’t have pretty hats like her, so it made her feel really special, and that’s why she missed it so much.
“Now where could I have left my hat?” Dash asked, leaving her room, but not before grabbing a fashionable neckalce and putting it on. It couldn’t replace her hat, but it would have to do. “Maybe I left it in the kitchen!” she exclaimed, trotting to the kitchen happily. The happily dissapeared though as she got into the kitchen and couldn’t see her hat. She even looked in the cabinets and drawers and the refrigerator, even though the refrigerator is a silly place to put your hat. Dash was about to get sad again but then she remembered she was the coolest and prettiest pony in all of Ponyland, and she couldn’t be 20% cooler if she was sad. “I just have to keep looking!”
Rainbow Dash went to the next closest room which was the living room. It was round and stylish looking and full of fancy furniture that Dash picked out because it looked the best. She looked around the sofa and chairs but her hat wasn’t found. She even looked under the furniture but there was nothing but dust which made her sneeze. “I’m running out of rooms to check!” Dash thought, starting to panic a little bit.
She went into the laundry room and looked around for her hat. She flew up to the top of the room and looked along all the shelves, then she chcked the washer. She looked inside but there were only some wet clothes and not her head. Dash looked into the dryer and even stuck her head all the way inside it, but it was just emptyy. She frowned as she pulled her head out and sadly walked out the room. her rainbow mane and tail started to droop because thats how sad she was.
The last room she checked was the bathroom, which was really clean and nice looking because thats how she liked it. She checked inside the bath tub but there was no hat. She looked under the sink but there was no hat. She looked in the cupboard and on top of the cupboard but there was no hat at all. “This is the last place my hat could have been, so I guess I lost it forever.” Dash finally said to herself.
She walked back to her room and started to cry a little bit because it was her favorite hat ever. All the ponies loved her hat and they always said how good it looked, and now it was gone forever! Dash collapsed on her bed and cried more, but then she looked up and saw the mirror across from her bed. She saw her reflection and after a few seconds she gasped as she noticed THE HAT WAS ON HER HEAD!!!
Dash laughed for a really long time because it was silly that she got so worried over a hat that was on her head the whole time. After finishing laughing she put her hat back in it’s spot in her closet and then went to tell all her friends the funny story about how she lost her hat and looked through her house to find it only to find that it was actually ON HER HEAD the whole time.
YOU ARE NOW TRIXIE. You have moved to Canterlot, and are living life of magic shows and a waitress job at the local restaurant. Your shift starts in one hour, and you have just woken up. Input command.
>Gaze longingly at picture of Twilight Sparkle.
You look to your end table and pick up a framed picture. It's of that foolish, ignorant, meddling Twilight Sparkle from Ponyville. How you despise her. You only have this picture to remind yourself of your never-ending rage. Then again, she does have nice hair. And her eyes are- NO. You put the picture down. Input command.
>Equip swag.
In the same end table is pair of sunglasses. Some call them gaudy, but you find them to be 'swag'. That's what the kids are calling them these days. You adorn your face with the gem encrusted and darker than normal shades. Input command.
>Rob somepony.
You look around, but there is nopony but you. You decide to rob yourself instead. Checking the pockets of your robe, you find ten bits and a paper clip. You don't even know why you have a paper clip. Oh well. Input command.
>Equip socks.
You may as well start the work day by putting on a pair of socks. The restaurant you work at requires them anyway. Walking to your dresser, you pull a set of four socks out, then pull them on. Comfy. Input command.
>Brush the greatest and most powerful mane.
While you're at your dresser, you decide to brush your mane. While very great and powerful, it still can't withstand a night of sleep. Levitating your hair brush, you go through your hair until it is smooth and presentable. You don't have to do anything else, because you were born with a naturally incredible luster. Input command.
>Make breakfast
Your stomach rumbles, signaling it's time to eat. You walk to your kitchen and open the cupboard, pulling out a box of cereal. Cheap and filling... kind of. You pour a bowl, then look in the refrigerator to find you're out of milk. Curses! You sit down dejectedly and eat dry cereal.
>Use Vodka in place of milk.
After the first few bites leave your throat dry, you realize that you cannot eat this cereal without a liquid. You look around and the first thing you see is a bottle of vodka on the counter. It'll have to do. Levitating it over, you pour it into the bowl, the smell of hard alcohol filling your nose. You then start to eat again, thinking that this might not be the best idea. Input command.
>Wash cereal down with more vodka and stagger to work
You finish your cereal, starting to feel lightheaded. Your vision is also beginning to blur. You do not take kindly to Vodka, so your next decision while impaired is to wash it down with more Vodka. After doing so, you glance to the clock, which looks like it says you have 15 minutes until work. Or you're 15 minutes late. Either way, you stumble out of your house and attempt to go to work. Input command.
>Go to the wrong workplace
After walking for a while, you look to the nearest doorway. This has to be it. You barge into the building and yell "Trixie is on time!'
All you get are stares, and shortly after a fashionable stallion walks up to and asks "Excuse me, ma'am, are you... lost?" He wrinkles his nose as the smell of booze assaults it. Input command.
>Kiss him.
"Trixie thinks you are... handsome," you slur, looking into his beautiful eyes. "Let us kiss!" You lean forward and pucker your lips, only to feel nothing but air. You then hit the ground, but the alcohol numbs the pain. "Why do you... ignore Trixie" you ask, throwing a hoof in the air lazily. The floor feels rather nice. Input command.
>Nap
You decide that while you're here, it might be a good time to take a nap. You've been tired since you woke up anyway. Closing your eyes, you drift off to sleep. After an undetermined amount of time, you wake up with a throbbing headache. Looking around, you notice you're in a cell. Canterlot jail. Perfect. There's nothing but a toilet, a cot, and a sink. Input command.
>Use magic.
Closing your eyes, you focus your magic and try to cast a spell. Unfortunately, your hangover makes this impossible. Instead of a spell, you only get a momentary searing pain in your horn that makes you cry out. "Finally awake, are ya?" A voice says. Walking in front of the cell is one of the royal guards. Input command.
>Seduce the guard
"Of course Trixie is awake." You say, walking to the guard with a deliberate sway in your step. You bat your eyelashes, then continue with "Trixie has been waiting for a big, handsome guard to come along and help her out."
The guard raises an eyebrow. "Have ya now? Well look, I'm just here to-"
You cut him off, intent on using your charm to get out of this. "What can Trixie do to get out of this cell, hm?"
The guard rolls his eyes, then pulls out the keys. "We're only keepin' you in here until you ain't drunk anymore. And it looks like you ain't drunk. Maybe." He opens the door and lets you out. It worked! "Now go on and get outta here, and don't let us catch ya drunk again."
You nod, and walk down the hallway, then find your way out of the building. Another success for Trixie! Input command.
>Go to work.
Looking at how it's just about dusk, you conclude that you've missed work today. That's going to take some explaining to your boss. You may as well go there and explain while you can. You find your way to the restaurant you work at: The Canterlot Elite. High class, stuffy, and always busy. You take a breath and walk inside. Input command.
>Find boss.
You start to look for your boss, but the near incomprehensible shouting from behind you indicates that he's found you first. Yikes.
"Trixie, just where in Celestia's name were you today? Do you even REALIZE how big of a lunch rush we get on weekends?!" he shouts.
"Tri- er, I got into a bit of an accident earlier..." you say, trying to be vague.
He opens his mouth to say something, but stops and puts a hoof on his face. "You know what, I don't care. Be on time tomorrow, and if you miss another day without even TELLING someone, I swear I will fire you. Do you understand?"
You nod your head. You understand. Input command.
>Go clubbin'
You turn around, leaving the building feeling half the size you were when you entered. It was only one day though, right? It'll be fine. You're fine. You decide to shake off the stress and embarrassment by going to your favorite club. It's nearby, so it doesn't take you long to get to. There's a line, but you're recognized as a regular, so you nod to the bouncer and walk inside. The music is loud, it stinks of hard liquor, and there are flashing lights all over. Just how you like it. Input command.
>Make a fool of yourself
In a spur of the moment thought, you decide to make a fool of yourself. If anything, you'll get some much needed attention! Going to the middle of the dance floor, you begin to perform some embarrassing dance moves. Slowly but surely, the crowd begins to look at you. Some laugh, others seem disapproving and others still aren't sure what to do. By the time you finish, a spotlight is on you, the music has stopped, and the club is silent. Then, a tidal wave of laughter comes from the rest of the club. Good work Trixie, they're laughing at you, not with you.
Bright flashes of purple dotted the Equestrian countryside, fading as quickly as they appeared. They travelled along the dirt roads, making their way to the mountain range that Canterlot laid on. In the middle of the flashes of light was Twilight, pushing both her physical and magical skill to their limit as she teleported and galloped to the city of royals. The only thing running through her mind was that she needed to get to the city and speak with Celestia, fast.
She made her way up the mountain path, panting heavily as the burn of exertion pulsed through her legs. Even her horn was beginning to ache, with every jump through reality shooting a wave of pain through her skull. Only a bit more... Come on Twilight, you can do this! she told herself, gritting her teeth and fighting through the growing headache.
The gates to Canterlot appeared on her left as she passed between two walls of the mountain. The path had been carved in long ago, and at points dug through the stone itself. Twilight banked left and onto the road to Canterlot, and in a few short moments she was over the bridge and in front of the gates. She stumbled forward and gasped as her fatigue finally caught up with her, forcing her to lean against the gate. Ugh... no magic for a little while... she thought, her head still rhythmically throbbing in pain and her ears ringing. Lowering her head to rest, she looked towards the ground at the base of the large gate and noticed that something seemed ‘off’ about it. It took her a moment before she realized what was wrong: the gate was partly opened.
That’s strange... she thought, eying the gate curiously. Why would the guards leave it ajar? In fact... She raised her head and looked around. Where are the guards? It was then that the dull humming in her ears began to subside, and she heard the last thing she wanted to hear at that moment: panicked screams, originating from beyond the gate. Oh no... Her eyes grew wide as she looked through the iron bars and into the depths of the city. Not here... As the gears in her head turned and clicked into place, the Keyblade materialized in front of her and fell to the ground with a clink. Gulping, she stepped forward and attempted to levitate the Keyblade, but found herself recoiling as a fresh wave of pain surged through her head. After a moment to recuperate, she bent down and grabbed the Keyblade between her teeth, then crouched low and slipped under the gate. Twilight took a deep breath before galloping through the gatehouse and into Canterlot.
- - -
Nothing could have prepared her for the sight she beheld upon emerging into the residential district. The dark creatures she had fought before moved in droves among the city, terrorizing anypony they could find. Joining them were similar looking creatures, but they donned helmets and light armor on their taller frames.
In the chaos, Twilight made out the royal guard doing the best they could to fight back the invaders. The tough unicorns and pegasi were holding their ground, but without the Keyblade they would be sitting ducks. I’ve got to help them! the unicorn thought, charging into the fray. She fought back the lingering pain in her muscles and rushed towards a group of guards that were surrounded by the beasts.
There’s seven of them... four armored ones and three small ones. They’re focused on the guards, so I can come in with an attack. Four blasts should take out the armored ones, then I can sweep through and take care of the small ones. Oh... I hope this works. Twilight set her plan into motion, lighting her horn up. She swung the Keyblade in an arc, sending multiple blasts of violet energy - and throbs of pain to her head - burning through the air, in an arcing pattern. Just as Twilight planned, they hit the armored creatures squarely in the back, causing them to shriek in pain and collapse to the ground. Still running towards them, she used her momentum and jumped, spinning to the side as she did. The Keyblade cleaved through the smaller monsters, and as she landed on her hooves and skidded to a halt, they fell apart in a shower of black dust.
She dropped the Keyblade and panted, not quite recovered from her journey to the city and now with a fresh headache. Rubbing her head, she glanced upwards and looked to the three guards. “Are you... okay?” she asked, between breaths.
The group shared the same expression of disbelief before one of the pegasi coughed and spoke up. “Yes, ma’am, but all thanks to you. We would’ve been done for if you hadn’t shown up...” The other two nodded.
“That’s good... now, when did these creatures start appearing?” Twilight asked, lifting her head and breathing more calmly.
The pegasus looked into the sky, finding where the sun was. He then looked back to Twilight and said “Only an hour or two ago. They came out of nowhere, literally. We don’t have a clue how they entered the city.”
“Okay...” Twilight said, shaking her mane out. “You need to get back to the castle, right now. I’m the only one who can fight... whatever these things are. Go warn the rest of your squad, and get the rest to fall back!”
“But, how can-”
“There’s no time!” Twilight said, her brows creasing as she stared at the guard. “You need to leave, now.” She then bent down and picked the Keyblade up, and after taking a moment to crack her neck, she galloped farther into the city.
Twilight made a beeline to the castle, trying to avoid the creatures the best she could. When one tried to get in her way, she jumped around it or evaded it. When a group was in her path, she cut her way through with several strokes of the blade. I need to get to the princess... she’ll know what to do... She pressed on, approaching the great structure quicker with every passing second.
After dodging another few monsters that tried to stop here, she arrived at the gates, which to her relief were being barricaded. Many guards stood in formation outside the entrance, weapons at the ready and shield by spiked walls. Murmurs of ‘Twilight Sparkle?’ travelled through the squads as the unicorn in question ran through, only to be stopped by a bulky, dark stallion in decorated armor. “Halt, citizen.” he gruffly said, staring the mare down.
“Ehcus meh, ah neef to geh froo!” Twilight grunted through the hilt of the weapon. The stallion raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side.
“Pardon me?”
Twilight rolled her eyes, then spit the weapon out. The stallion followed it with his eyes as it landed on the ground. “I said I need to get through!”
He snorted, then said “The castle is on lockdown, ma’am. I’m afraid I can’t let anypony through.”
“But I need to speak with the princess. It’s of the utmost importance!”
“As I said, the castle is-”
“Sir, I am Twilight Sparkle. Student of Princess Celestia, bearer of the Element of Magic and, with the help of my friends, defeater of Nightmare Moon and Discord. I need to get inside!” Twilight huffed, eyes narrowed at the stallion in front of her.
The guard’s expression didn’t falter as he continued to give Twilight an unimpressed scowl. “I’m going to need proof of your claims, Miss. Sparkle.”
“I can vouch for her, Sergeant,” came a light, almost melodic voice from behind the stallion. Both him and Twilight looked to see none other than Celestia herself looking over the two of them.
The sergeant bowed in respect, saying “Your majesty! I was not expecting you to be on the front lines.”
“It’s quite alright, Sergeant Stormwind. I had a feeling my student may be paying me a visit, although I wish the circumstances could have been better.” She briefly looked to Twilight and frowned, then returned her gaze to Stormwind.
“I apologize for any inconvenience, your majesty. I was not aware of Ms. Sparkle’s status. Had I known, I would have let her through without-” He was cut off by Celestia raising her hoof.
“As I said, it’s quite alright. Now, myself and Ms. Sparkle have some important business to discuss. I entrust the safety and defense of the main gate to you, Sergeant.” She then nodded to Twilight and turned around, beginning to walk back to the castle.
Stormwind saluted, then began to bark orders to the other guards. Twilight picked up the Keyblade and trotted past him, catching up to Celestia. As she approached her, the Keyblade mysteriously disappeared, fading off into gold sparks as it had before. Before Twilight could question it, Celestia spoke.
“How does Ponyville fare in this unwelcome visit? And most importantly, are you okay, my student?”
“I’ve been better, Princess... but for right now, I’m... okay. Yes, that’s the word. As far as Ponyville goes, I’ve had my friends warn the rest of the town and defend it.”
Celestia nodded, turning a corner as she did so. Inside the castle, there was no screaming or fighting. There was only the faded light casting itself through the windows and the hollow echo of their hoofsteps through the halls. It was serene and peaceful - a harsh contrast to the journey here. Twilight became lost in the calming atmosphere and her mind began to wander, until Celestia’s voice went through her head.
“Twilight?”
The unicorn shook her head and blushed. ‘I’m terribly sorry, Princess, I don’t know what came over me, I just-”
“Twilight, please,” Celestia started, with a smile. “I understand. The trip here must have worn you out, so you can feel free to take a moment and rest.” She slowed her pace, watching the little filly next to her slow down as well. “That’s better. Now, we should discuss the matter at hoof.” The princess turned her head to Twilight as she walked, adopting a more serious expression. “I’ll be honest, Twilight. I don’t know what these creatures are or where they’ve come from. Quite frankly, that frightens me.”
Twilight gulped, one of her fears coming to reality. Celestia not knowing about something? The very prospect put a lump in the pit of her stomach. “I’m not certain what they are either, Princess. However, I have a way to defeat them.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “Is that so, my student? Do tell.”
Okay, work with me here... I want you to appear. The violet unicorn closed her eyes in concentration, and after a moment the Keyblade flashed into existence in front of her, hitting the ground with a metallic thump that echoed through the room. The Princess gave the slightest indication of surprise as her eyes widened. “My, that’s an interesting new trick. How did you acquire this... key?”
Twilight bit the handle and pulled it up, looking towards Celestia. “Ih juf apearf in fro’ oth me.” She attempted to move on, but was interrupted by Celestia’s muffled laughter. “Huh?” She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.
“Ah, hah, my apologies Twilight. I couldn’t help but laugh over how you sound. Is there a reason you don’t simply levitate it?” The alicorn brought a hoof away from her mouth as her giggling subsided.
A deep pink glow surrounded the Keyblade as it floated out of the mare’s mouth and hovered next to her, dipping and rising the smallest amounts. Twilight looked to the ground in thought, then looked back to Celestia. “I guess it helped me concentrate on my magic. I can’t really describe it, but I get this... feeling when I hold it. It’s like some sort of energy is in it.”
Celestia nodded and began walking again. “I don’t fully understand, but some things are just like that, aren’t they?” She let a light smile crawl across her face. “Perhaps you can discover more about that object. I’m sure it would make an interesting report, would it not?” She flashed a grin at Twilight.
Twilight blinked a few times, then widened her eyes in realization. “Oh! Of course it would! I’ll be sure to report all of my findings to you about this...” She looked over the weapon. “...whatever this is.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it. Now then...” Celestia looked through one of the windows, finding where the sun rested in the sky. “If you’re ready and able, Twilight, we must secure this fine castle. You appear to be the only one that can truly stop them, so I understand this may be a large burden for you.”
The unicorn then noticed that they had made a large circle and were back at the entrance to the castle. She looked to Celestia and gulped, then shifted her gaze to outside. The guards positioned outside were now locked in combat with the creatures, with various shouts and commands going through the air. She gulped, glancing to the princess.
“The general plan is to fend them off while your brother and I prepare a more potent shielding spell for the city. Something that won’t give him such headaches, I assure you.”
Twilight nodded, looking back to the fighting ponies. “How long until the shield is up, princess?”
“Several minutes at most.”
“Then I should be fine.” Without another word, she took the Keyblade in her mouth and headed into a full gallop, charging to the fight. Celestia watched her student for several moments before nodding, turning around and transitioning into a brisk walk through the hall.
- - -
Unbecoming of her, Celestia’s brisk walk turned to a gallop as she traversed the castle halls, heading for the barracks. If Shining Armor was anywhere it the castle, it would be there. Her hurried pace went unnoticed, as the regularly patrolling guards had a more serious situation to deal with.
She approached a set of double doors that led to one of the castle’s courtyards, and with a brief flash, they flew open with a groan. Celestia treaded from royal carpet to crafted stone as she ran outside, and for a brief moment she slowed to both remember her bearings and take a breath of air. The break was short lived, as she flared her wings and took to the air with a powerful flap. Loose feathers were left behind as the sun princess ascended, her eyes searching for her target.
“A-ha,” she mouthed, spotting the barracks. The building was styled as the rest of Canterlot was; smooth stone walls with a curved, golden roofs which glinted in the sunlight. Only, this building had a large gold shield above its entrance, with two crossed swords and a knight’s helmet over it. Several guards were hurrying out of the building, fully equipped and yelling indistinguishable orders to each other.
Celestia hung in the air for several brief moments before diving towards the building. She fluttered to a stop as she landed in front of it, touching the ground lightly. The princess wasted no time entering the building, where an assault of shouting on her ears gave her pause.
“Send squads five and six to the main gate, and by Celestia, get some support to the residential district!”
The princess smiled softly as she recognized the voice of none other than Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard. She stepped into the main area, where the captain was looking over a map of the city and magically pushing small pieces about. He wore his suit of armor, which styled his mane into a tall and imposing crest. Shining looked over the map with a frown, which turned to a scowl as his eyes darted around the board. “Where’s squad seven?!” He lifted his head and looked around. It took him a moment, but his head snapped back to Celestia, who stood still just inside the door.
“Princess!” He brought his hoof up in a quick salute, then approached her. “I’m doing what I can to position the troops, your majesty. We’re doing our best to protect the citizens and fight off... whatever these are.”
Celestia nodded, glancing to the map on the table. “That may not be necessary, Captain.”
Shining Armor gave her a puzzling look, but remained silent.
“I’m sure you recall your wedding, not too long ago?” Celestia walked to the map, looking over the intricate sketches and small figures that were positioned upon it.
“Of course. I could never forget that night...” The white stallion looked off into the distance, smiling as he recalled fond memories.
The princess glanced over, also giving a smile of her own. Despite the complications of that day, the ceremony had turned out well. “Yes, I’m sure you had a lovely time with Cadance. However, I was more referring to the defenses that were in place that day.”
Shining Armor blinked a few times as reality came back to him and he promptly blushed. “Oh, of course, the defenses. Yes, I remember the shield I had to keep active. Why do you bring it up, your majesty?”
“I plan on using a similar tactic here.” As she spoke, her horn adopted a faint yellow aura. “If you can raise your city wide shield,” she nodded to Shining Armor, who returned the gesture and willed a miniature shield around the map. “I can reinforce it with my own powers.” A second, golden aura surrounded the deep red one and the two merged, forming a humming, pulsing shield with patches of golden that shimmered throughout the crimson. “This should take care of any uninvited guests that still remain in the city.” The enemy representing models inside the city were suddenly flushed of the map and clattered against the floor, to Shining’s surprise.
The unicorn looked from the pieces on the ground to the small shield, then to the princess, who stood with a faint smile as nothing but her mane moved. “I will do my best, your majesty. Should I start now?”
“Not just yet, Captain. We need to move to a more optimal position.” She turned and began to walk to the exit, Shining Armor quick to follow her. “Also, we may want to be quick about this. There is a certain unicorn defending the gate right now who could use a break.”
“Who?” Shining asked, looking up to Celestia.
“None other than your sister.”
“What?!” He yelled, throwing a hoof to his mouth to suppress the noise and halting dead in his tracks. He looked at Celestia with fearful eyes - the first frightened look he’d had in a while. “What do you mean Twily is on the front lines? She’s my little sister! She can’t be fighting! I need to help her!” He was about to break off into a full gallop when Celestia’s hoof touched his shoulder and their visions locked together.
“Shining Armor, your sister is very capable of defending herself. Right now, we need to focus on shielding the city and protecting all of its inhabitants. As soon as we’re done, you can meet with Twilight.”
He gulped, then snorted as he scuffed a hoof against the ground. He looked back to Celestia, his brows creased. “Okay... Let’s go then.”
Celestia nodded, her horn beginning to glow. With a golden flash and a pop, the two disappeared.
- - -
- - -
Twilight came to a stop as the Keyblade ceased its incessant humming, and looking up, she saw the entryway to Trottingham. The arced letters were painted onto a similarly curved piece of wood, which was beginning to warp and crack with age. Nonetheless, the town seemed inviting, even at night. The architecture was very similar to Ponyville, and even the number of buildings seemed similar. Twilight gave a slight smile and entered the town. As she passed under the arch of the entryway, the Keyblade faded away. Heartless hadn’t reached here yet.
So, the other Keyblade bearer is somewhere in this town... but where? Her question answered itself as her vision passed upon the largest and brightest structure by far: a multi-story building with ‘The Trottingham Inn’ engraved over its doorway. Light poured through the windows, illuminating the whole area. Quite a few residents were there, and even if the Keyblade wielder wasn’t inside, she could get some information about them.
She trotted towards the building, trying to figure out who in Equestria the other Keyblade could have been given to. No obvious answers came to mind, so she gave up on it about five paces from the doorway. Twilight was about to open it when the Keyblade popped back into existence. She widened her eyes in surprise, but managed to catch it before it hit the ground. “Well, that’s not good...” she mumbled, floating it behind her. Pushing the door open, she walked inside.
It was darker than she expected, and as the door shut behind her, it only became darker. The contrast to how it looked on the outside gave her pause, but she shook her head to clear her head. Not sure how to ask about a Keyblade, she approached the bar. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a slurred, rough voice next to her. “Ain’tchu a pretty lil’ filly.”
Twilight turned her head to look at the patron next to her. He was a dark grey pegasus with a messy, brown mane, several scars on his face, and more empty cups in front of him than any one pony should have. She then scrunched her nose as the heavy scent of alcohol passed her nose. “Goodness, you certainly... enjoy your drinks.” The unicorn forced herself to smile.
“Yesh I do. An’ you kno wha’ else I like?” He took a moment to hiccup, then leaned in closer to Twilight, to her displeasure. “I like purple. Jes’ like you.” The pegasus punctuated his sentence by poking Twilight in the chest. She stepped to the side as her false smile turned to a soft frown.
“Please, don’t touch me again.” Hoping to ignore him, she turned away and looked to the barkeeper. He was a sturdy built stallion donning a short length beard and a slicked back navy mane, against a coat pale violet.
It had been a week since Twilight and her friends reverted from stallions to mares, and things were starting to settle down in Ponyville. The party had died down the day afterwards, and everypony was beginning to resume their normal schedules. Twilight sat in the library, quill and blank piece of parchment in front of her. Her eyes widened as an idea came to mind and she pushed the quill to the paper, but just as quickly pouted and shook her head, pulling it back.
"I just don't know what to write..." she said, leaning into her hoof as she pondered.
"Do you really need to write something?" Spike asked, walking by with a stack of books. He set it down next to the nearest bookcase and began to shelve the pile. "I'm sure the princess knows whatever lesson you learned. I mean, you were with her the entire time at the party!"
Twilight groaned, putting her head on the desk. "I know, I know, but I still feel like I should write a formal report. We all learned a lot about ourselves, and I feel like I can organize it better in writing." She raised her head slightly and scanned over the paper. With a sigh, she lifted the quill and wrote 'Dear Princess Celestia,' along the top of the scroll. "That's the least I can do..." she mumbled.
"Just do what you do with your other reports, Twilight," Spike said, propping a ladder up against the top of the shelf. "Go over your experiences, write an outline, format it like an essay... you know, all that geeky stuff."
"Hey!" Twilight exclaimed, shooting a glare at Spike. "It's not 'geeky', it's 'organized'. There's a difference!"
Spike let out a chuckle, then said "I'm sure there is..."
"Regardless..." the unicorn continued, looking back to her paper, "you're right. I should just approach it like I would approach any letter!" She floated an extra piece of parchment in front of her and began to scribble notes down as she recalled the past two weeks of her life.
Twilight was in the middle of jotting down her notes on their Cloudsdale journey when a peculiar sensation washed over her. It started as faint prickling in her horn, then spread through her body like pins and needles. "What the..." she mumbled, touching her horn.
"You say something, Twi?" the small dragon asked, hopping down from the ladder.
"I feel this weird sensation in my horn... I've only ever felt like this in Old Canterlot," she replied, attempting to look up at her horn. "And only incredibly powerful magic can cause something like this. But as far as I know, I'm the only pony in Ponyville who can-"
A loud boom echoed through the library, with such force that it shook the entire building. Following it was a dull crash, and from the vibrations of the falling objects, Twilight could tell it happened in the basement. "What the heck was that, Twi?" Spike asked, fighting to regain his balance.
"I have no idea." the unicorn replied, immediately standing up. "But I know whatever it is, it was powerful, and it's in our basement." The dragon gulped, his eyes darting to the basement door. "Keep a lookout up here, Spike." Twilight said, heading to the door. "If anything happens, I'll call you."
She opened the door and descended into the basement, lighting her horn in the process. At the bottom of the staircase she opened the door, and after a brief pause and a breath of air, she walked in and peered around the room. Dust hung in the air, and it didn't take long for her to find the cause. In the far corner was a pair of toppled bookcases with their contents strewn about the ground in a large pile. She slowly walked to the heap of books and looked observed it for a moment. "Well, that was a relief..." she said, letting out a sigh.
It was then that a unicorn thrust their head out of the pile and stumbled over themselves and the books, crashing front of Twilight. The lavender mare screamed and jumped back, but not entirely because the unicorn had startled her. What frightened Twilight the most was that when the unicorn picked themselves up and shook their head, she saw Dusk Shine.
"What in Equestria happened?" The stallion said, frantically looking around.
"You... y... you... you can't exist!" Twilight stuttered, her eyes wide as she took in the features and look of this stallion. There was no doubt about it. He looked just like she had a little over a week ago.
"Who are you?!" Dusk Shine quickly asked, Twilight's existence finally registering in his head. "And why do you look like me? Where am I?!"
Twilight gulped, still looking at the stallion in fear. He couldn't exist. It wasn't possible. There was no way that another version of herself could be in the same room as her, let alone the same plane of existence. "You... you're me," she finally sputtered out, pointing at him with a hoof. "You're Dusk Shine..."
"What... how... how do you know my name?" he asked, staring at Twilight with disbelief.
"That doesn't matter right now, what were you doing before you got here?!" Twilight asked, leaning forward slightly.
"I was... I was attempting a teleportation spell." He replied, looking upwards in thought.
"Did anything happen while you were casting it?!" she exclaimed, near frantically. She inched ever closer, pleading to the stallion.
"I... I was looking at the calendar!" Dusk answered, recoiling slightly.
"And? What about the calendar?!"
"I noticed..." he gulped, eyes shifting away from Twilight. "I noticed that..."
"What?!" She demanded, barely able to keep her balance as she anticipated the answer.
"...it was April 1st."
- - -
That was really mean. I'm sorry guys. Don't hate me.
Until recently, I hadn’t really thought about what it would be like to lose what makes you stand out. We each have something special about us which defines who we are, you know - a quirk or an ability. For example, Pinkie Pie has her peculiar Pinkie Sense, Rarity has that unique eye for style and Fluttershy has her attunement to animals. Me? I have my horn and my magic. Most of us go about our lives, day to day, not thinking much about our special gifts and talents - but not me.
Why? I know somepony who lost everything they had.
Oh, I’m sorry, I really should have introduced myself first. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I’m Ponyville’s resident librarian. I also happen to be Princess Celestia’s pupil, but that isn’t really important right now. What is important is the story I’m about to tell you, so you should listen. You can even take notes, if you’d like to, but it isn’t necessary. I’m not going to quiz you on it, I promise.
- - -
It started one Saturday afternoon when I was cleaning the library, like I normally do at the end of the week. All the shelves had been freshly dusted and I had even swept the floor, saving Spike - my dragon assistant - a bit of work. I had also just received a new copy of the Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy and was busy putting it on it’s shelf when my pegasus friend, Fluttershy, just about broke down the door. Obviously, I was shocked, and I was just about to say something about common courtesy when I noticed the look on her face.
She wore an expression that was a mix of deep seated fear and painful sadness, and seeing that took the words from my mouth. She was breathing heavily, and several times she opened her mouth as if to say something but stopped midway. My train of thought stalled for a moment before I finally asked “Fluttershy, what’s wrong?”
“It’s... it’s Rainbow Dash!” she said, her voice wavering. I had never seen her this frightened before - not even when we had taken on that dragon, so I knew whatever happened to Dash was serious.
I dropped what I was doing, quite literally, as the book slammed to the back of the shelf it was on. “Where is she? What happened?” I asked, a million different thoughts running through my mind. This was Rainbow Dash we were talking about, the pony who would do just about anything if it made her look ‘cooler’, so I really had no idea what to expect.
“She’s in... the hospital,” Fluttershy replied. The hospital?! That was much worse than I had thought. In fact, now I was starting to feel scared, so I didn’t waste any time in leaving the library.
We rushed outside, and slamming the door behind me, galloped to the hospital. A sickening mix of emotions spun around my head, ranging anywhere from fear to confusion to hopelessness to concern, and in my panicked state I barely noticed the large building we had quickly arrived at. The two of us got inside and found Nurse Redheart waiting there, with a very bleak stare, coupled with a somber frown, like this was the worst thing she’d ever seen happen to a pony. In hindsight, now that I think on it, it most likely was.
“Please, come with me,” she said, her voice little more than a whisper. Fluttershy and I followed her without a word, through the corridor with the ‘Emergency Room’ sign on it. I remember looking at that sign and just gulping, from both fear and uncertainty.
We stopped in front of the ER. There were no windows looking into it, save for a single square pane of glass on the door, most likely just for checking to see if somepony was using it. Now, only ponies that suffered horrible tragedies ever went into that room, so you can probably imagine how I felt, looking at that door.
“She’s in very bad condition...” Redheart said, looking to the two of us.
“Just... how bad?” I asked. It was sort of a silly question, considering it was obviously really bad, but my curiosity got the better of me. All Redheart could do in response was shake her head.
“She’s very unstable right now, mentally,” She said, putting a hoof on the door handle. “Just... try to comfort her, okay?”
Both Fluttershy and I nodded as she opened the door, allowing us in. Nurse Redheart immediately started checking the medical equipment, which comprised part of the small collection of things in the room. The other main thing was the bed, which Rainbow Dash was occupying. I could see the redness of her eyes and how unkempt her mane was - well, how more unkempt than normal it was. She didn’t notice us at first, because she was just blankly staring at the opposite wall. It was like she was in permanent daze, and she only acknowledged us once I spoke up.
“Hi, Dash,” was what came out of my mouth. I suppose seeing one of your friends in an emergency room will sap you of your thoughts, so that was the first thing that came to mind.
She looked over to us, barely turning her head. “Hey...” she replied, in a quiet, raspy voice. Her eyes were glistening in the soft light of the room, like she would break down at any moment. I remember thinking ‘This must have been a terrible,’ and I couldn’t have been more correct.
I moved closer to the bed, and that’s when I really saw just how bad she was. Her fur was matted and dirty, with various cuts, scrapes and bandages all over her body. There was severe bruising in multiple places, and all I wondered was ‘How could this have happened?’ You probably haven’t met her, but this was a pegasus who had single-hoofedly destroyed a barn, suffered multiple collisions, and was consistently pit against crazy g-forces. I just couldn’t believe what was going on.
That’s when I made, what I consider, the most poorly thought out decision I’ve ever made. Well... except for one instance where I may have cast a fairly potent ‘Want It Need It’ spell... but that’s not relevant. This decision was, right then and there, to ask Rainbow Dash what had happened. I feel so... silly for it, because it was so blunt and deliberate, almost like I was trying to get her to re-live the experience. Honestly, I didn’t mean it like that, but the way I said it was... well...
“Dash... what happened to you?”
There are two distinct things I remember about the seconds immediately following the question. The first was Fluttershy’s expression as she turned her head and looked at me. The way she was staring, it was like every fibre of her being was screaming at me ‘Why would you ask that?’ She stayed silent, of course, but it was in her eyes. The second thing I recall was the way Dash’s eyes widened and her pupils shrunk. If I had to describe ‘fear’ to somepony, I probably would have given them a picture of that moment.
She stammered at first, struggling with the words. “Oh... uh... I... Well...” then, she inhaled and exhaled deeply before continuing. “I was trying a new trick out... kinda close to Everfree Forest. And... I wanted to see what using lightning would be like.”
The words ‘Oh no’ shot through my head as she said ‘lightning’, mainly because not even the most talented weather pegasi really know how to harness electricity. I probably said it out loud on accident, because I remember Fluttershy giving me another look.
“So,” Dash continued, “I built up a nice, big storm cloud to fly through. I thought that maybe... I don’t know... the lightning would trail off behind me in some kinda electric rainbow.”
She seemed to brighten up just the tiniest bit at the thought, which was good.
“I finished the cloud, got ready, then flew at it... and... as I got near... it went off before it was supposed to.” She sniffed. At the time, I really hadn’t considered how much this was going to hurt her to explain, and that one little sniff was my first clue.
“The lightning struck out at me... took me off guard. I couldn’t react in time and just... I went through the cloud... and...” She paused, taking a small breath. “It keep shocking me... it hurt so bad I couldn’t move...” Now, a small stream of tears was coming down her face. I wanted to tell her to stop, but couldn’t form the words. It was like watching a train wreck.
“So... I fell... and... I couldn’t do anything. I fell into... into the Everfree... where I... I... the trees... and branches... they...” she blinked, a fresh set of tears trailing down her face. “T-they...” she shut her eyes, hard, trying in vain to hide her crying. “I... I lost...”
And that was where she broke down. I stepped back in shock as she went from light tears to wracking sobs, her forelegs crossed over her chest. The poor thing was crying so hard she was shaking, and was constantly gasping for breath over her heavy weeping. To be honest, in my whole time knowing Dash, I had never seen her in this state. It was... surreal, for lack of a better word.
Almost as quickly as Dash had started crying, Redheart rushed over to us and pushed us out of the room. The doors closed behind us, but that didn’t stop the sound from coming through. Even from a distance, the noise was just as painful as being right next to her, and I felt downright awful for having caused that. However, I still didn’t know what exactly had happened.
Glancing through the window briefly, I asked “Nurse, I can tell she’s very hurt... but what exactly happened?”
“Well... I’m afraid she’s... lost her wings,” she said, frowning at both of us. At that point, I was able to feel my blood run cold as the words were processed. Rainbow Dash. Lost. Her wings. Apparently Fluttershy didn’t know either, because she immediately whimpered, and I spotted some moisture in her eyes. Overall, I wasn’t sure how to respond to the situation.
So, I replied with a quiet “Thank you, Nurse Redheart,” and turned to leave. Fluttershy followed me out, and we silently said our goodbyes, both heading in different directions.
I walked back to the library, not really paying attention the the world around me. Ponies and buildings just passed by, and I felt like I was just viewing things through another ponies eyes. The shock of Rainbow’s accident didn’t wear off until I was outside the library, and even then, I only knew I was there because I walked into the door. Shaking my head, I went inside to find Spike finishing up the day’s cleaning.
“Oh, heya Twilight,” he said, cheerily. He hadn’t seen my face yet, which explained his good mood. My voice, however, was about to clue him in.
“Hey,” I flatly replied, closing the door behind me. I was still a bit lost in thought, so I didn’t pay much attention to him as I climbed the stairs and went into my room. Shutting my bedroom door, I let out a heavy sigh, then sat down at my desk and rubbed my temples. I shut my eyes, trying to collect my thoughts, and that’s when I decided I needed to do something to help Rainbow Dash out.
I just wasn’t sure what.
Now, I wanted to be a good friend, so I thought about the things I could actually do for her. A moment of pondering lead to my decision of visiting her the next day. It was really the least I could do, after causing her to go into a fit like that. Even now I still feel bad about it, to be honest. So, I levitated my calendar over to my desk and picked up a quill, jotting down my plans for the next day.
It was then thought to send a letter about this to the Princess. You see, that’s what I do in Ponyville. I send Celestia occasional reports about my studies of friendship, and how they’ve affected me. Although this wasn’t a lesson in friendship, I wanted to tell her anyway, so I wrote a letter that went something like this:
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today, I learned that a terrible accident had befallen my good friend, Rainbow Dash. She’s lost her ability to fly, so I plan to do something to help her. Tomorrow, I’m going to visit her in the hospital and speak with her more. Afterwards, I want to do something really nice for her, to calm her down. I’ll send you a longer report when I’ve spent more time with her.
Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.
After I had finished that, I brought it down to Spike to send it. Being in a slightly better mood, I did the last of the cleaning with him, and then retired to bed for the night.
The next day, I rushed my breakfast, grabbed a few Daring Do books from the fiction shelf and left Spike with a simple “I’m going out! See you later.” My only concern, from the moment I opened my eyes that morning, was seeing Rainbow Dash - and I did exactly that. I practically ran into the hospital, and after noticing the strange looks I was getting, smiled awkwardly and slowed to a more reasonable pace. I went through the normal sign in procedure and then went to see Dash, who was still in the emergency room.
I opened the door quietly and walked in, letting it shut behind me. She was laying down in the bed, lightly snoring. Thankfully, she looked a little better this time around, with her hair looking more presentable and having a fairly clean coat. My timing was pretty good, because she slowly opened her eyes only moments after I had walked in.
“Good morning, Dash,” I greeted her, with a bright smile. She blinked a few times before rubbing her eyes, then looked over to me.
“Hey, Twi,” she said, weariness still in her voice. She gave me one of the most forced smiles I’ve ever seen, which was a little off putting. I didn’t let that dampen my mood, however, and kept up the cheery attitude.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, pulling a chair next to her bed and sitting. I made sure to be involved and attentive. I needed to show I cared, which I’m sure you understand.
She shrugged lightly, then rolled her shoulder a bit, saying “I’m really sore... like, every part of me hurts.” She then frowned, fidgeting in the bed to get more comfortable.
“That’s understandable.” I replied, softening my slightly over-enthusiastic smile. It was starting to hurt my mouth, and I’m pretty sure I got the message across that I was happy to see her. Not sure what else to say, I asked “Has anyone else come to visit you?”
She nodded and said “Yeah. AJ, Rarity and Pinkie dropped by yesterday, a couple hours after you and Fluttershy left.” She used a hoof and motioned to the balloons floating on the end table. Right under it was a small, pink card that said ‘Get Well Soon!’ on the cover. I thought it was a little tacky, but Pinkie Pie was just being Pinkie Pie, and by itself it was a kind enough gesture.
She then continued, “You’re the first one today, though.” and she genuinely smiled. I thought it was great to see some happiness come back to her!
“Well, you know how I am. Always early!” I added, with a light laugh. She started to laugh, but then abruptly stopped, putting a hoof to her chest and wincing. “Oh! I’m sorry.” I quickly added.
“It’s fine, Twi,” she replied, leaning back and letting her hoof fall limply to her side. “I’ll get over it.”
I just remember how sad she looked, even through the smile she gave me. They say your eyes show how you really feel, and right now, she was absolutely heartbroken. And who wouldn’t be in a time like this? She was trying so hard to be strong, and tough out her accident - but this just wasn’t something she could get over.
I did what I thought was right. I stood up and looked her right in the eyes, and for a split second she let slip what her mind was really thinking. Just that tiny bit of time where her sly smile faltered, and that tiny glimmer of hope was stolen from her eyes.
Without a word, I hugged her. That was all. I wrapped my hooves around her, and gave her the most comforting embrace I could manage. At first, she gasped, but then she accepted it. I felt her forelegs hold me as well, followed by her face buried in my shoulder. Mere seconds passed before I felt warm tears on me - and that was just fine. She was almost silent this time around, but that gave it no less of an impact. In fact, I felt my own eyes growing moist from the friendly gesture, but I wouldn’t let myself cry. I hadn’t lost anything. I didn’t have any reason to cry. This was Dash’s moment, and I let her have it.
I’m not entirely sure how long that lasted, but she finally broke away, wiping her eyes and sniffling a bit. “Twi... I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything,” I replied, sitting back down. “I thought you needed that.”
She looked downwards, at the sheets covering her, and her own two hooves resting on top of one another. After a moment, she softly nodded and said “Yeah... I guess I did...” She then looked to me. “Thanks, Twilight.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m doing what any good friend would do,” I replied, with a soft smile. Dash nodded again, then leaned back down into her pillow, sighing. After that, we were both silent, her looking at the ceiling, eyes half shut, and myself observing her - making sure she was okay.
It wasn’t until I had the urge to get a drink that she said something. I shifted the chair backwards to get up, and her eyes jerked open at the sound. Dash quickly looked to me, with an almost fearful expression in her eyes, but that faded as I stopped mid-motion and looked back to her.
“Dash?” I asked, a hint of curiosity in my tone.
She blinked, like she was lost in a daydream and had to come back to reality. “Twi... are you... leaving?” she asked, her voice having the slightest quiver to it.
“Oh... no,” I said, a little surprised at the question. “I was just getting something to drink.”
She let out a sigh, then looked to me as a filly looks to their parents when leaving for the first day of school. “Alright. I just didn’t want you to leave without saying goodbye, you know?”
I smiled softly, understanding her feelings almost immediately. If she wanted my company that much, she should have just said so! Then again, that was Rainbow Dash for you. She would never say how she actually felt - she would always mask it under something.
She went on, “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble... could you maybe... stay with me? Please?” With a plea like that, there was no way I was going to say no - not that I intended to leave any time soon.
So I smiled and said, “Of course I will, Dash. I’ll stay for however long you want.”
That made her happy. I could almost see the twinkle in her eyes as she leaned back into the bed, resting her head on the pillow. She had a content smile on her face as she closed her eyes, and it really... made me feel good. I was really glad to be there for her.
- - -
Over the next week, I got into the habit of visiting Dash every day for as long as I could. Some days, she would sleep the majority of the time, others, we would talk for hours on end about whatever came to mind. During the chats we have, I got to know her quite well - far more than I already knew her, that is. In fact, by the time the week came to a close, I probably could have written a biography all about her. I guess talking is really all you can do in a hospital bed, isn’t it?
Even still, after all the sharing and bonding we did together, I still felt like there was something else. It was this nagging feeling, deep in my mind, and it wouldn’t go away. It kept telling me to help her out and do more for her, but I really didn’t know what. She had lost the only thing she loved, and it wasn’t like I could give the gift of flight back to her.
Or could I?
- - -
The idea had been floating around in my head for a while, but it wasn’t until Dash was out of the hospital that I finally decided on it. You see, when she was released, they didn’t tell her to do much other than rest, and let what was left of her wings heal up. For any other pony, this would be fine, but there was one thing Dash had forgotten - her house was in the sky.
I had just finished reading Basic Mechanics, Volume IV, and had a small plan formulated in my head for a way to give Dash her flight back. However, I needed to test my theory out on a smaller scale to see if it was plausible, and the best way to do that was with a model.
After gathering a few materials and referencing some pages, I managed to build a small kite. It wasn’t the most advanced technology, but I was certainly proud of my progress! All that was left was to test it. If it worked, it would prove my hypotheses and I could move on to a real prototype. Tying the small contraption to my back, I trotted over to the door and opened it, only to find Rainbow Dash standing there, her hoof raised.
“Dash! It’s great to see you out of the hospital!” I said, smiling brightly at her. I was sincere with that, too. Seeing her standing upright and being able to walk around was far better than watching her confined to a bed. My grin faltered a bit, though, as my vision trailed down and noticed her sides. They were wrapped in heavy bandages and clipped together, with small protrusions and bumps where her wings normally would’ve been. I quickly averted my gaze, hoping she hadn’t seen.
“Don’t worry about it, Twilight... I know it’s weird,” she said, looking to her left side. I cringed slightly.
“That’s not why I’m here though,” Dash then continued, looking back to me. “Now, I really hate to have to ask you this... but...” She pawed at the ground with her hoof.
“...Yes?” I asked, waiting for a continuation.
“Well...” she started, but then looked to the ground. “I kinda... Uh... Jeez, this is embarrassing...” she muttered under her breath.
“Whatever it is, Dash, I can probably help,” I added, with a smile.
She then stamped a hoof on the ground, looking to me with some unexpected anger in her eyes. “I need to use your balloon, Twilight.”
The question confused me at first. I cocked my head ever so slightly and began to ask “Why do you need my...” but then my eyes trailed down and back to her bandaging. “Oh,” I quietly said, immediately shifting my gaze back to her.
“I... can’t get to my house without it,” she replied, looking downwards and scuffing her hoof against the ground.
I nodded and took a step forward, touching a hoof to her chin and raising her head up so she could see me. “Dash, I understand. You can use my balloon whenever you’d like.”
“Thanks, Twi.” She cracked the faintest of smiles at me. We stood there looking at one another for several moments, with nothing but the occasional chirping bird or rustling of leaves in the wind. Neither of us were saying anything, so I decided to break the silence.
“Would... you like to learn how to use it? I was just about to go to the launch pad before you showed up.”
“Oh, uh... yeah.” She looked away, and I could’ve sworn I saw the tiniest blush in her cheeks. I shrugged it off, figuring it was just embarrassment, and decided to start our lesson on ballooning.
“Okay then, follow me!”
We set off to where I kept the balloon. It was a small area not far from the library, but it was a long enough walk that we could talk a little bit. Avoiding discussing her accident any further, I decided to jump right into ballooning. “Now, the first thing you want to do is make sure there aren’t any holes in the balloon. Well, besides the ones that are supposed to be there.”
Dash gave me a confused glance, then asked “Wait, balloons have holes in them?”
I chuckled, then nodded. “Yes, but they’re called vents. They’re used to do things like raise and lower the balloon. You can also use them to turn, but usually you won’t need to do that.”
I was a bit surprised when she only looked more confused. “Now hold on, why wouldn’t I need to turn it? Don’t I have to steer it somehow?”
“See, that’s the thing about balloons,” I replied, looking into the sky. “You normally don’t turn it yourself. You use air currents to guide it. I’m sure you’re familiar with that, right?”
This time it was her turn to nod. “Yeah, I used them all the time to get around faster. I can get some serious extra speed if I catch a wind current just right.” She seemed to brighten up at the idea of flying, and that was expected. Hopefully, my plan would work and she could be way more excited. All I wanted was to see that light in her eyes again. I needed to see it - because without it... she just wasn’t the Dash I know and love. But anyway, I’m getting off topic.
By this time, we had reached the clearing, and the balloon was right where I had left it. It was deflated and laid out neatly, just waiting to be used again. I pointed to the basket, which sat in the middle of a wooden landing pad. “Stand near the basket, Rainbow. I’ll just do a quick inspection before we go.”
“Sure thing, Twi.” A simple reply, but that was all she needed. I started looking at the balloon and making sure there was nothing out of the ordinary - there wasn’t, so I made my way to Dash.
“Now, after we’ve inspected it, we need to tip the basket over.” I got on my hind legs and pushed the basket over, then dragged it over a bit so the balloon wasn’t covering the burner. “You do this so you can get the initial heat into the balloon.”
“Uh huh...” she replied, cocking her head a bit as she watched me. I wasn’t sure if she fully understood why I was doing what I was doing, but I had to be thorough.
“Next, you have to start the flame up. Normally I do this with magic, but it’s made so it can be done with hooves. First, you lift up the edge of the balloon...” To demonstrate, I pulled the lip of the balloon up. “Then, you turn the flame on.” I reached over and turned a valve, causing a jet of green flame to shoot out.
“Green?”
“Uh huh. It’s magic flame, so there’s no resources required. It’s good for the environment and efficient!” Dash looked as though she could care more about anything else in the world, so I simply continued with the explanation. I motioned to the rest of the balloon, which was starting to puff up and inflate. “You need to wait until the balloon is filled with enough hot air that it drags the basket upright, then you can turn the flame down.”
“How long does that usually take?” Her gaze moved from the flame to the rest of the balloon, and she seemed fairly unimpressed with the rate.
I looked at the parts the same way before giving a light laugh and saying “A couple of minutes.” Fifteen minutes later, the balloon had risen and lifted the basket, which was now settling comfortably on the ground. “Alright, that’s done. Now we’re ready to go.”
“Is it going to take that long every time?” She was tapping her hoof at a steady pace
