Skipping a Couple Thousand Feet

I flew up to a cloud, and stuck my head through it. My neck felt strange, lodged in a cloud. Oh well. I climbed up through it, and looked up to the sun. Celestia sure did a good job, maintaining everything. it put me at peace, and I laid on my back. I could get used to this. Looking up in the sky, I had a lot of time to think about a lot of things. First off, Gleaming. Who exactly was she? I'd never heard of Twilight and Shining having a cousin. She looked a lot like Shining. And's it's odd that Cadence and Twilight were pushing her to go on a date with me.  I guess I'd have to cross that bridge when I got to it. Next, home. The human world, I mean. What was Hotshot bucking up? If I ever made it back, what'd have happened? Would I be in jail? Injured? Was I...dead? Okay, now's not the time to think like that. Third. How was I going to take Gleaming out on a date if I didn't have money, let alone know where I live? Too many questions that I didn't have the answers to. Maybe if I talked to somepony, and asked if they wanted to hang out...Vinyl! That's a..no, wait. I've got to get a suit or something for the date tonight. I'll ask Rarity to come over in like an hour to get the sizes and whatever. I love my mind sometimes.

I flew down to the ground, and paused for a moment to actually start to appreciate my surroundings. There was a small filly and some friends of her playing in the square. The sweet aroma of..well...sweets drifted from Sugarcube Corner. I could hear a stallion and a mare in the house I was by talking about having foals. The cobblestone streets felt firm, but somehow soft under my hooves. I could get used to Equestria. I really did like it here. Oh well, enough sightseeing. I walked my way down to Carousel Boutique. It practically screamed fashion in my face.

I didn't like it.

Before I even got to the door, Rarity opened it. "Oh. It's you, Hotshot. Forgive me, but I have things to do, unlike....whatever it is that you do." Damn, that's colder than Hoth.

"Okay, but I actually am here on business." I took a step forward.

"You can't really call that stunting of yours-" She began.

"No, not stunting. I have a date tonight. I need a suit or something." I quickly cut her off.

"Really? A date? Miracles can happen, it seems." She rolled her eyes, and stepped aside for me to come in.

"Hilarious. I thought you were the element of Generosity, not Laughter." I joked, and stepped inside. So much for having her over. She seemed to dislike me anyway.

"Now, you said you needed a suit?" She closed the door behind me. Carousel wasn't that great of a place, but it certainly wasn't shabby.

"Yeah, a suit. I don't know my size or anything." I stood, not sure of what to do.

"Not a problem. I'll just measure you." I heard her horn activate it's magic, and I saw a tape measure..thing float over to her. "Okay, hold still." She took a few measurements, including my wing length and width. "Okay." She said, in the midst of her measuring. "Who's the victi-I mean, lucky mare?"

I resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably. "Did Twilight ever tell you about her cousin?"

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "What cousin?"

"I'm not the only one who hasn't..her name's Gleaming Shield..but she looks a lot like her brother." What if..nah. That's not possible.

"And her name sounds a lot like Shining Armor.." Rarity stopped for a minute. "Maybe it's actually another sister."

Yeah...that's it. Just a long lost sister. "I hope so."

There was a long silence. "Why do you always give me such a hard time, Rarity?"

She sighed, and set the measure down. "Well, I suppose it's because we just aren't alike. Two ends of the poles."

"I suppose that's fair. But..ya know, we could try to make it work. I mean, look at Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. Their music and personalities are opposites, but they make it work." I turned to her. "Why can't we at least try?"

"I suppose we can try." She took her final measurements. "Okay, I've got it all. I'll deliver it by your house in...say, two hours?"

"Yeah, that'll work." I smiled and nodded to her.

"Excellent. I'll see you then." She smiled and nodded back.

I exited and thought of what else I had to do. Suit, check. Etiquette. Octavia.

I flew over by Vinyl's house, and knocked on the door.

Octavia answered. "Oh, hello, Hotshot. Vinyl's not home."

I shrugged. "I know. I came to see you. I need to learn how to dine elegantly in less than two hours."

She sighed. "Why change? You said you were happy."

I looked behind me, because I felt my stomach knot again. There was Gleaming, doing Celestia-knows-what. "I've got a date. Just...don't ask. I need to know how to dine to impress."

Octavia stepped aside. "Two hours isn't much time, but I can try."

I stepped inside, and was fretted by classical music playing somewhere in the house. "Well, just teach me what you can."

"Okay, take a seat at the table." I started to walk. "No, stop."

"What did I do wrong?" My mind wandered to Gleaming..I had gotten distracted.

"You need to walk like a gentlecolt." She corrected my stance.

"So..like the classy guys in movies?" I didn't walk until I got a picture.

"No idea what a movie is, but sure. If it works for you." She nudged me, to go.

I took a minute to think about how they walked, and walked as such afterwards.

"There you go. Now, if they act a certain way, act like that." She encouraged.

"Okay." I slid out the seat opposite me, Octavia sitting there in lieu of Gleaming, and I pushed the seat back in.

"You're doing wonderful. You might not even need me." She grinned, and I sat opposite her. Was she...blushing a little?

"Okay, now. How do I eat?" I rolled my eyes. "Don't say, 'With your mouth.'"

"Just try to eat in small portions, and be courteous to the mare." She kept smiling. Seriously...why was she blushing? I wasn't hitting on her.

"Thanks, Octavia. You've been a big help." I stood, and started to walk out. "Put your imagination to rest, Octavia. This doesn't mean anything." I gave her a quick thank-you kiss on the cheek, and left.

Okay. Suit, check. Classiness, check. Still had an hour to spare. I went on a walk through Ponyville, and found Vinyl knocking on the door of a house. I walked up to her. "Heya, PON3."

She turned to me, and laughed. "Well, this explains why you're not answering the door." Vinyl found my house.

"Yeah, I've been out." I opened the door, which was unlocked.

"What were ya doing?" She stepped inside, and handed me a note. "This was on your door."

Go upstairs.

"Just..prepping for a a date tonight." I looked upstairs, and went up really quick. Hanging on a door was my suit. I slipped it on, and it fit like a glove. Rarity even cut slots for my wings. How nice.

When I went back downstairs, Vinyl's jaw was on the floor. "You have a date?!"

"Yeah, with that mare from last night." I adjusted the tie.

"Why didn't you tell me, numbnuts?!" I couldn't tell if she was happy, angry or upset.

"Because I've had to get ready." I looked at a clock. "The date's in 20 minutes."

She opened the door, smacked my flank, and pushes me out the door. "Good luck, Shot."

"Not gonna need it." I spit in my hoof, ran in through my mane, and walked to the library.