Author's Note
Violet Swan is an OC of mine. She will be in my other stories and she has no connection to the other stories. This story is a redone version of the old Book Club. Enjoy.
Secrets
Twilight lifted the last poster onto the tree. That was it. The last poster. Twilight smiled. It read:
TWILIGHT SPARKLE’S BOOK CLUB
Come join now with addition of free cake!
It had been Twilight’s dream for a while now to have a book club. She had always wanted to talk about books and her love of books with many ponies who loved the same. The posters were a way to let Ponyville know of her new book club without going door to door and annoying them into it. The poster also offered free cake which would bring the ponies in faster if the book didn’t. Twilight wiped the sweat off her face before heading back to her house away from the only tree in Ponyville with a million posters stamped to it.
“Twilight, this is a bad idea.” Spike said as he dusted off her shelves. She trotted around to make sure everything was perfect for tonight’s grand opening of book club. “I happen to know that Ponyville isn’t very interested in books as much as you.”
“They’ll come.” Twilight said as she set down a plates of chocolate cake on a table next to the punch bowl. “I have free cake.”
There was suddenly a knock at the door. Twilight to it in excitement and opened it to see Rarity. Rarity smiled as she levitated a poster in front of Twilight.
“I heard there was a book club?” Rarity asked. Twilight nodded and stepped aside to let her in.
“I didn’t know you liked books.” Twilight said as she shut the door behind her.
“Oh, I have a thing for romance novels. They are simply lovely with the handsome princes and such.” Rarity said and took a seat in one of the chairs. Spike instantly sat beside her and the two began to a conversation just as there was another knock at the door.
“Coming!” Twilight said. She opened the door again to see a stallion.
“Book club?” He asked as he held up the poster.
“Sure.” She stepped aside to let him enter. He went straight for the cake and Twilight frowned. She knew they’d come for cake, but she still hoped they might come for the book club too.
Another knock on her door alerted Twilight and she went to open it, but the door swung open on its own. A unicorn mare smiled and trotted inside.
“Book club?” She asked Twilight who pointed at the cake then the seats. She nodded and headed towards the chairs. Twilight went over to her door when Applejack and Soarin ran up out of nowhere and stopped while leaning on her doorframe and breathing heavily.
“Book club.” They both said at the same time and fell into her house in exhaustion. Twilight pointed at the chairs and they both went over to the chairs. Twilight peeked outside. This seemed to be it. Hopefully this was it because Twilight only had one chair left and it was meant for her. She shut the door and walked over to the circle of chairs.
“Hello and welcome to my book club! I am Twilight Sparkle and I will be your host for this evening. Why don’t we begin by you all taking a turn to introduce yourselves?” Twilight asked.
“Hello, I’m Rarity.” Rarity said.
“Hi. I’m Winning Star.” The stallion said.
“I’m Soarin.” Soarin said.
“I’m Applejack.” Applejack said directly after Soarin.
“Violet Swan.” The unicorn mare said as she levitated a random book off of Twilight’s shelves. She flipped through it as though she was slightly bored.
“I’m Spike.” Spike said happily.
“Well, if we could now get started with book club-”
“Wait, this really is a book club?” Soarin asked.
“What else would it be?” Twilight asked, unhappy that she was interrupted.
“Well, book clubs are normally a fast way of learning gossip around town and sharing secrets between members.” Rarity said. “I didn’t know this was actually a book club.”
“Yeah, and if it isn’t then I can go.” Violet said unenthusiastically.
“No! This is a… gossip club.” Twilight said reluctantly. She hoped to not lose all her members on the first day and would do anything to have them stay especially if this was the turnout of ponies on the first day. Perhaps they could talk about books later in the week.
“So who wants to go first?” Twilight asked. Soarin shrugged.
“I went on a date with Rainbow Dash once.” He said. Everypony oooed him.
“How wonderful! Was it as lovely as you hoped?” Rarity asked him. He stared at the floor.
“Not really.”
“I have fallen in love with a mare.” Winning admitted. “But I can’t seem to get her attention. Any advice?”
“Try being yourself and don’t be afraid to go for it.” Spike said wisely. He nodded towards the small dragon.
“Thanks.”
“I heard that Big Mac was going out with Rainbow Dash.” Rarity said and everypony stared at her. “It seems, Soarin, that she is into the strong and silent types.”
“My brother?” Applejack asked in surprise. “I never knew. I knew he always sneaked away late at night, but I always thought her wrote horrible fanfiction in the dead of night in the barn.”
“Well, Scootaloo and Rumble seem to be getting along well.” Violet said as she looked up from her book. “Oddly well.”
“Ah, young love!” Rarity said wistfully.
“Well, I believe it is kind of late.” Twilight said. “I have to get Spike to bed.”
“What? This just got started.” Rarity said as they all stood up to leave.
“Yes, I know and I promised we will talk longer tomorrow, but for now you have to go. Bye!” Twilight waved as the last pony left. She shut the door and sank onto the floor.
“Well that wasn’t half bad.” Spike said. “It could have gone worse.”
“Yes and perhaps tomorrow we will have ponies who actually want to read books.” Twilight muttered.
***
Unfortunately, Twilight’s luck with the townsfolk of Ponyville was no better the next day. The same ponies showed up once again for their little ‘gossip club’ and there was nothing that Twilight could do about it. She tried everything from new posters to offering free cake and ice cream, but no one new came.
“So you’re all back.” Twilight said bitterly, but with a smile as if the ponies would not hear how unhappy she was about all of this if she put a smile on. Nopony seemed to pick up on her mood so she figured they bought it.
“Yes, I wouldn’t miss this for the world, darling.” Rarity said and smiled. “So what do you have for tonight? A juicy story?”
“Well, I do have this.” Winning Star said and pulled out a rose from nowhere. He gave it to Violet who reluctantly took it in her magical blue aura.
“Thanks.” She said then began to munch on it. Winning frowned.
“So where’s Spike? I haven’t seen him since I got here.” Applejack asked as she looked around the room for Spike who was nowhere to be found.
“I sent him to bed early.” Twilight said. “He shouldn’t be hearing this kind of stuff anyways.”
“Good thing he’s finally gone.” Applejack said and wiped her forehead. “The awkwardness in the room was heating up. He asked me out once you know.”
“Really?” Rarity asked and leaned forward. “Do tell.”
“It was out of nowhere. He had wrote me this poem about my beauty and proceeded to ask me on a date.”
“Did you turn him down?” Winning asked.
“I couldn’t do that to the poor little guy. So I went out to make him feel good and let him down easy at the end of it. He’s never been the same around me since.” Applejack said and sighed. “I hope I haven’t hurt his feelings or anything like that.”
“Probably not.” Rarity said. “He is a strong little dragon.”
“It’s funny because he’s always liked you.” Applejack said while pointing at Rarity. “You are his everything.”
“Well, that’s a little deep to describe his crush on me as his ‘everything’. It’s just a simple crush is all.” Rarity said and Applejack shook her head.
“It’s hardly just a crush. The poor dragon gives everything towards you when he’s not working with Twilight. He’s seriously deeply in love. I’d give him the hard cold truth if I were you instead of letting him hope that he has a chance. Let him down easy.” Applejack said and Rarity looked away.
“I suppose you’re right. After all, I have been getting his hopes up, I suppose.” Rarity said. “I just can’t understand why he would like you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Applejack asked, getting angry.
“I didn’t meant that you are unappealing. You just somehow grabbed Spike’s attention and he asked you on a date faster than he ever asked me out. I wonder what that means to the stallions.” Rarity said.
“Is that a complement?”
“You have inner beauty and outer, darling. The question is: do I just have the outer beauty?” Rarity asked.
“Nah, you’re beautiful on the inside too, Rarity.” Applejack said in an odd voice. “You know that and so does everyone else.”
“Thank you.”
“By the way, did anyone else notice the look that Rainbow Dash gave me yesterday?” Soarin asked. “It was almost like pity.”
Rarity put a hoof over her mouth and gasped. Soarin looked at her.
“What?”
“You didn’t know? Well, I suppose you wouldn’t. Should I tell you? Is it my place to tell you? Goodness, would you be mad? Would Rainbow be mad?”
“Just tell me.” Soarin said as he cut Rarity’s ramblings off.
“Rainbow Dash is engaged.” She said quietly. Soarin jumped up and ran into the nearest room which was a closet. The sound of low sobbing was heard.
“Ok.” Twilight said, wondering mostly why she didn’t know that her own friend was getting married. “How long have you known? To whom is she getting married to? Big Mac? Why is Soarin so upset over this? I thought that they broke up?”
“As far as I know, she’s been engaged for months now. She broke up with Big Mac over a couple of weeks ago.”
“Wait, doesn’t that mean that Rainbow would have had to been cheating on Big Mac for this to occur?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“They were never dating in the first place it seems.” Rarity said. “My…er… sources were wrong.”
“So he really does write horrible fanfiction in the barn.” Applejack said. “I knew it.”
“I’m not exactly sure who she’s engaged to, but it must be someone special.” Rarity added. “She’s always so happy. But she still has feelings for him which she implied to him at my last party. Now that she’s getting married, Soarin is heartbroken.”
“Huh.” Violet said. “I never would have guessed it.”
“By the way, this question has been nagging at my mind for a while and I hope you don’t mind me asking Twilight, but I have always wanted to know if you’ve ever liked somepony.” Rarity asked and everypony faced Twilight with smiles. Twilight deeply blushed.
“No.” She said in a tiny squeaky voice.
“We both know that with the look on your face, that isn’t true.” Applejack said. “So spill it.”
“I-I can’t. Sorry.” Twilight said as she put a hoof over her face to cover her blush.
“Come on. You’ve barely said anything since we’ve all gotten here.” Violet said. “At least give us something to work with.”
“You’re one to talk. You’ve said less than me since you’ve been here.” Twilight snapped. Violet shrugged.
“Whatever then. If you so badly want to know, then I’ve got wonderful news. Rumor has it that Applejack asked Spike out and not the other way around.”
“Is that true?” Rarity asked as Applejack stared at out with her jaw dropped. Applejack glared at Violet who raised an eyebrow at her.
“I-I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Applejack said nervously.
“Look at the way you’re sweating dear. So it is true.” Rarity said. “Why would you ask him out? Do you like him?”
“Look, I was trying to get the attention of somepony I like.” Applejack admitted in an almost mumble. “It didn’t work I guess.”
“Oooo, how cute!” Rarity squealed. “Who is it?”
“I can’t tell.” Applejack said and put her hat over her face. “But I will if Twilight spills who she likes.”
Everypony looked to Twilight. Twilight stared back.
“This is ridiculous!” Twilight said loudly. “I shouldn’t have to say anything.”
“I’m not talking.” Applejack mumbled.
“Well, let’s think through this logically, shall we?” Violet asked and set down the end of the flower stem on the floor beside her chair. “Applejack dated Spike to get somepony’s attention. The only ponies who know Spike well enough to be jealous of them as a couple would be Twilight, Rarity, and whoever else knows Spike as well as those two.”
“She has a point.” Soarin agreed.
“Yeah.” Twilight and Rarity both said and turned to look at the deeply blushing orange mare who had sunk down into her chair and placed her hat over her eyes.
“Nope.” Applejack said. “Try again.”
“It’s ok if you… like me darling.” Rarity said. It seemed she was trying to force out her words. “It’s perfectly ok.”
“Twilight likes Soarin.” Violet said and flipped through a random book. Twilight blushed. Soarin slowly peeked out of the closet and pulled himself from the room. Despite the fact that his eyes were red from crying, he was also clearly blushing.
“Um what?” Twilight asked. “Me like him? No, no, no.”
“Her and me?” Soarin asked and laughed nervously. “Yeah right.”
“Look!” Winning shouted. Everypony jumped. “It’s great that you all have been in love or whatever, but can we hear something juicy? I heard Rumble and Scootaloo were going out.”
“Is it true darling?” Rarity asked, ignoring Winning’s words and staring at Applejack. “Do you like me?”
“No.” Applejack said. “Somepony else.”
“Well, who else knows Spike as well as Twilight and Rarity?” Violet asked.
“I met a stallion.” Applejack said. “On my… vacation to Canterlot. He was nice and said he knew Spike.”
“And you tried to make him jealous. How interesting dear!” Rarity said happily. “Who is he?”
“Thunderlane.”
“What was that?” Rarity asked again though she clearly heard the now melting Applejack who had sunk so low in her chair that she fell on the floor.
“Thunderlane.”
“Thunderlane knows Spike?” Twilight asked.
“He does hang out at the bar a lot.” Soarin said.
“WHAT?” Twilight asked in shock.
“The donut shop. We call it the bar because we like donuts instead well, getting drunk.” Soarin said.
“Who’s we?” Applejack asked.
“Thunderlane, Spike and I.” Soarin said. “It’s like a stallion party and Spike’s cool.”
“Oh.” Twilight said.
“So who do you like, Twilight?” Rarity asked. “Soarin, perhaps?”
“I believe that it’s time for you all to go.” Twilight said and stood up. “Now.”
“Why? The night is young dear.” Rarity said.
“I meant for this ‘gossip club’ to be a book club. I wanted the ponies of Ponyville to enjoy books and learn the wonderful worlds and places they can go in a book. I wanted to meet ponies who loved books as much as I did and talk about books with them. Gossip isn’t my favorite, books are. I would love it if this club could be real book club and not a gossip club. Can we make a book club for real this time?” Twilight asked hopefully after her inspiring speech. Everypony looked at each other and left.
“Huh.” Twilight said.
“Hey.” Soarin said as he peeked his head back in the doorway. “We should hang out sometime, Twilight. I’ll be in town a while if you want to. Later.”
Twilight waved and blushed then shut her door.
