Beyond the Books

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six

Chapter One

Beyond the Books
Chapter One

Every morning started out this way, didn't it? Hear the alarm go off when you're supposed to get up, reach out and smack the snooze button. Repeat about ten times before you realize you're late. Then you spend the next five minutes panicking, as you rush to leave for your job which starts at “Obnoxiously Early” o'clock. Just like every other work day, you proceed to forget how to open doors in your panic and run into them before actually working the doorknobs. By the time you're out of the house and flying towards your job, some ponies might wonder how you escaped unscathed. Sometimes you wonder that yourself.

“Slept in again?” your friend at the Ponyville Weather Team office chuckled, right as you raced in. “Have you considered removing the snooze button?”

“If I did that, I'd just smash the alarm clock until it shut up,” you retort, just as you do every day, before yawning. This whole thing was routine, although the words said were different. Sometimes. “What's on my schedule today?”

Your friend chuckles, “You'll love it – you have the day off.”

You stop what you're doing and slowly turn to him. The look you give – the one with your eyes half-lidded and looking unimpressed – makes him crack up. You scowl at how he's just standing there laughing.

“You could've told me yesterday!”

He snorts, “Aw, but where's the fun in that?”

“That was a dick move, dude,” You sigh, shaking your head. You don't know why you're surprised, he plays these kind of pranks on you all the time... which is fair, 'cuz you play pranks on him in revenge.

You hear your boss call out your name, and turn to see her land. Even though her actual name is Skydancer, but 'Boss' works just fine for you, and she hasn't yelled at you for it yet.

“Heya, boss,” you say casually.

“What're you doing here?” She asked, giving you an odd look. Then she spots your friend. “...He didn't tell you yesterday, did he?”

“It may have slipped my mind,” He snickers. Both the boss and you shake your head.

“Get your flank back home, you look like a mess.”

You chuckle, “Sounds about normal!”

“Yeah, 'cuz you keep hitting the snooze button, sleepyhead.”

Laughing as you head on back into the skies, aiming to fly at a much less panicked pace than ten minutes ago, you wave as you plot to find a spare cloud and sleep until it was no longer “Obnxiously Early” o'clock. Finding just the spot, you immediantly land and just as quickly resume your sleep from earlier.

By the time you wake up, the sun is in the middle of the sky. Realizing you just spent half of the day sleeping and only had half a day to hang out on your day off, which was a rare occurance in itself, you zoom back down to the ground, hoping to find something to do. Your friend is still working at the weather office, doing the usual thing of paperwork probably. Walking about, you are just looking around at Ponyville, appearing bored at the fact that everypony seems busy.

Your other friends are at their jobs as well, so they were off-limits to hang with for the time being. So you decide to just let your hooves steer you where they want to go. After a few minutes, your eyebrows rise. For some reason, your hooves seem to think you want to go into the Ponyville Library.

I've got nothing else to do, you think to yourself with a shrug.

Walking up to the door, you give it three short knocks, wondering just what you'd check out from the place. That gets you thinking, what books does the library offer? You've not been inside it before, so you don't really know. All that you know is that it's taken care of by a mare that apparently moved here from Canterlot quite sometime ago; you vaguely remember one of Pinkie's welcome parties, but considering the frightening frequency of her parties, those memories are very vague. The door's suddenly enveloped in a violet aura of magic, and you step back a bit as you watch it swing in.

“Oh, hello,” A lavender mare greets you with a smile. You recognize her from her welcome party as Twilight Sparkle. “Do you need something?”

“Well, I've got the day off and I was wondering if you had any books you might recommend,” you say.

You watch as the unicorn's face brightens in an instant. Clearly she was as much of a bookworm as everypony said she was. This was only confirmed as she dragged you inside to see what you'd be interested in.

"What kind of things do you like?" She asks with a smile. You shrug.

"I don't know, I haven't been here before," you admit. She gets a determined frown at this.

"I'm sure we can find something for you!"

Your eyebrow raises as you watch her remove books from an entire shelf. You notice that most of them were adventurous titles, and decide that you aren't really in the mood for some super-adventurous story right now. Perhaps something else will do. Looking about as Twilight puts the books back, every now and then hovering one by you just to get rejected politely, you finally find a section you think you have a craving for right now.

“Those?” She asked, pointing a hoof at the shelf. You nod. “You actually like those kind of books?”

“I don't know," you say about one. "It just looks interesting, that's all. Worth a shot, right?"

Twilight blinks, before shrugging and the two of you go about checking out the book. Once that's taken care of, you thank her – your words muffled by the book you hold in your mouth – and take off for your napping cloud. Once there, you settle down with the book, open it, and start at the beginning.

Once upon a time...

Chapter Two

Beyond the Books
Chapter Two

By the time you finish the book, the sun looks about ready to set. Is the library open? Perhaps you can still return it. Heading over to the library from the apartment you rent, you notice ponies are returning home from places like Sugar Cube Corner, taverns... the like. Deciding that trotting was taking too long with that heavy book on your back – you briefly wonder how you finished it in one day, before reminding yourself that it had been an epic story – you launch into the air with your wings, flying off to the library. Landing at the door soon after, you knock.

“Coming!” A male voice calls from inside, catching your attention – before your remember hearing something from others: Twilight has a baby dragon as an assistant. The door soon opens. “Uh, hello?”

“Hey,” You say with a smile, before reaching back and pulling the book out of your saddlebags. “I checked this out, and I'm here to return it.”

“And you're here to return it?” The dragon guesses, receiving a nod. He invites you inside, which you thank him for. “Wait, this says you checked it out today! You've already finished reading it?”

Hearing it from somepony other than yourself, you blush at the realization that, yes, you did finish reading it in one day. Then again, it was a Sherhoof Holmes story, and those were worthy of reading in a single afternoon.

“And here I thought only Twilight was crazy enough to –” Spike began with a grin, as he checks the book in.

“Crazy enough to what?”

Spike jumps and turns around on the spot, sweating visibly at spotting Twilight standing right there. You just stand there, trying to keep your laughter quiet. After making some obscure excuse involving an owl and waking said bird up, the little dragon races upstairs. Shaking your head as you chuckle, you turn back to see the mare finishing what her assistant had started.

“You actually finished it in one afternoon?” She inquires, levitating the object up to its proper spot.

“It was too good to put down,” you shrug.

Twilight has a look of interest, “I've heard good things about the series, but I've never –”

“You've never read Sherhoof Holmes?!” you exclaim, wings flaring in shock as you gape. “But... but... aren't you supposed to be some sort of major bookworm or something?! How could you not have read something as awesome as Sherhoof Holmes!”

The mare fixes you with a look that makes you blush at your outburst, as you try to reel in your wings from where they'd popped out to. Twilight giggles a little at the look on your face. The soft, gentle sound is enough to make it about three times harder to pull in your wings, but you manage anyway. Letting her words wash over you for the moment, you ponder what just happened. That giggle had made you feel all fuzzy inside, and had made your wings stiff. Opting to ponder the phenomenon later, you focus back on what the unicorn is saying, trying not to appear rude at ignoring her.

“...I do get caught up in my studies, but not that much,” She says, before blushing a bit. “I mean, is reading for four hours straight all that excessive?”

You stop her with your gaping mouth at what she'd just said. She reads books for four hours straight? And from the way she said it, it seems like that happens quite often.

“You can actually read a single book for four hours straight?” You ask, eye twitching a bit at the thought. “How do you have the patience?”

Her blush deepens a touch, “Well, I have a lot of practice...”

“You should see her on test nights,” Spike pipes up from nearby with a devious grin. “She once stayed up for fourteen hours to cram for one.”

You can't help but laugh a little at Twilight's expression of embarrassment, before you decide that it's late enough to warrant going to bed. Especially since you have to get up early again tomorrow.

“I have to get going,” you say to them, heading for the door. “If you got anymore of those books, could you save 'em for me?”

“Sure,” She nods. “Nopony really comes in here that much, anyway, so that shouldn't be much of a problem.”

“Just go to bed on time, mmkay?” you say with a teasing grin, chuckling with the little dragon as her face flushes a deeper shade of red. “See you later.”

With that, you launch back into the chilled night air, relishing a flight back home in this kind of night. You remember your mother telling you stories about how Princess Luna had felt jealous over ancient ponies not appreciating the night, and right now, you wonder mildly how they could ignore this awesome view. You put those thoughts aside, however, as you arrive back at your humble abode. That title fits really well, just as it did when you first started to rent the place – which you're close to paying off after years of saving up. As you step inside, a frown covers your face as you recall that strange feeling that tugs at your wings even now.

I mean, she was just giggling, you think with a shrug as you head for the bathroom. You never got a shower earlier that day, considering how fast you moved out the door and such. Sure, it sounded kinda cute, and that mane of hers just –

Poomf.

You freeze at the sound, and slowly turn your head to look at your back. Sure enough, your wings were stiff as a board. Blushing lightly as you step into the shower and turn on the lovely water, you wonder just what had caused you to pop a wingie. Returning to your previous train of thought as the water ran over you, you notice as the thoughts cause your wings to stiffen to the point of actually being a little painful. Almost immediantly, your face turns a deep shade of red.

“I can't believe it,” you murmur to yourself, embarrassed at your feelings. “I've got a crush on Twilight Sparkle.”

Burying your face in your hooves, you wonder just what it was that caused that to happen. Looking back on it, you're not all that surprised; she is cute. It doesn't help that your friend has mentioned her several times over, as have your other friends. They've talked about her now and then, and apparently, interest for her had reached the point where you went and met her yesterday. And now you have a crush on her. As you contemplate your feelings for the mare, you finish your late-night shower, grab a quick snack, and head for bed.

“I'll be talking to her again tomorrow,” you say to yourself. “I mean, I promised I'd pick up another book...”

Maybe you can introduce her to Sherhoof Holmes? That wouldn't be such a bad idea, considering her love for reading. You fall asleep with a smile on your face, carefully ignoring the slightly-painful wingie you still have going on. By the time morning rolls around with your alarm going on, you've mostly forgotten about why your wings are still stretched out aside from it being comfy to sleep that way. The only difference about this morning and others was that you actually got up on time. It takes you all the way to getting in the shower to fully wake up, and realize that you're not sleeping in.

“A first for everything, I guess,” you muse quietly. “Certainly makes it easier to get there on time...”

As you go about, taking your time in getting ready, you think back on yesterday and your realization of your feelings for the lavender librarian. When you get off your early morning shift today and go back for another book from that series, perhaps you could stay and talk with her? That wouldn't be so bad. You decide that doing so would be the best course of action, provided you can keep your wings at your sides when you're there. Your thoughts continue on the same route as you head off to work, probably to clear the skies for the morning. After the last few rainy days, it only makes sense that the schedule would plan for some sun.

“Wow, you're here early,” your friend comments as you land and walk in.

“Your tone of surprise is one I find insulting,” you say with a grin, making the two of you chuckle.

“Well, today's pretty simple for you,” He continues. “You just gotta clear the skies about Sweet Apple Acres, then you're done.”

With a nod, you head out to get the work done right away. No point in wasting time. Lifting off and back into the skies, you head for the nearby farmlands of the best apple trees ever. As you head there, one thought continuously goes through your mind:

What am I going to say to Twilight later?

Chapter Three

Beyond the Books
Chapter Three

You fly over Sweet Apple Acres at a leisurely pace, making sure you'd taken out each of the clouds before you report back to the office. It wouldn't do to go back and say you removed all the clouds and later find out that you didn't. Finding that the sky was perfectly clear now, you start to head on back to the office, but stop when another pony calls up to you. Looking about, you find an orange earth pony waving to you with a hoof. You wave in return as you fly down to talk to her, although you know you have to be quick in returning to the office. You don't want to get in trouble, after all.

“Heya, sugar cube!” She greets cheerfully. You recognize her from cider week as Applejack.

“Hey,” you greet with a smile. “Is something wrong?”

“Nah, jus' wanted ta thank ya for clearin' the skies,” she replied, reaching back for something. The next thing you know, a bag of apples have been shoved into your arms. “Ya'll can have these.”

“I can't just –” You try to protest at the sudden gift, but she interrupts you.

“Nonesense!” Applejack says with a grin. “Go ahead an' take 'em! It's the least we can do for takin' care of the skies!”

You smile, “Thanks!”

“No problem, bud!”

Carefully balancing the bag as you take off, you wave to the farmer as you head back towards the office. Stopping by your apartment to drop off the apples and put them away later, you return to base.

“That wasn't so hard,” you say as you enter.

“It better not have been, or I'd be worried,” your friend grins to you. Rolling your eyes, you go over to the desk he's stationed at. “Anyway, that's all for you today, dude. Go home and sleep or something.”

“Right, see ya,” you say as you check out.

The job with the weather office tended to be this easy, so you aren't really surprised to be out this quickly. Opting to return home for now, you start to put the apples away into places where they wouldn't rot as quick as they normally would. After all, being given fresh apples and letting them rot would just be rude. After a moment's thought, you grab a couple of the apples and head on over to the library, planning to make good on your plans to return. You knock three short times upon arrival at your destination, hope rising in your chest to see the face of your crush.

“Oh! Hello,” Twilight greets you with a smile. “Back for the next book?”

“And to introduce you to it!” You exclaim, as she lets you in. “I still can't believe you haven't read Sherhoof Holmes! I mean, they're only the best mystery stories ever.”

The unicorn rolls her eyes, starting to clear the floor from the previous night's studies. You watch as she cleans up piles and piles of scrolls, and an almost equal amount of books.

“Just how much studying do you do?” You can't help but blurt out, before blushing as she fixes you with a look of both embarrassment and amusement.

“She usually stays up at least half the night,” Spike said, making Twilight fix him with a look that got him to be quiet.

You shake your head in amusement at this, “So you have the next book, right?”

“Right here,” the mare says, as she hovers the book over to you.

“Well, I said I would introduce you, and that's what I'm gonna do,” you say. “Unless you're busy today...?”

“I don't believe so... Spike, anything on the schedule?”

“Nope, it's clear,” Spike answers, after glancing at the calendar.

“Alright, then, show me what's so good about these books,” She challenges you.

You grin at this, happily putting the book down in front of the two of you. As you begin to read, you find yourself completely immersed in the story, almost forgetting that the unicorn is there reading with you. If not for the both of you reading at pretty much the same speed, you'd probably be far more aware of her presence.

“Uhh, excuse me?” She suddenly says, breaking you out of your stupor, and you realize that you've started to lean against her.

Backing up quickly, your face flushes as you also notice that you've gone poomf again. The only consolation here is that you don't see Spike anywhere nearby, and her face is just as red as yours. Well, without a mirror, that's a hard comparison to make, but it's what you hope anyway.

“S-Sorry about that,” you mumble carefully. “Uhh... maybe we should do this another time?”

The unicorn was a bit too embarrassed to really answer, as you dash out of the library in a hurry and immediantly head off for home, leaving behind everything in your rush. What happened back there? First you were reading, then the next thing you know... you pause to shudder a bit, realizing that leaning against her like that, wings out as they had been, was incredibly comfortable. You liked being that way, you realize.

“Oh, horseapples,” you murmur as you enter your apartment. Sometimes you wonder why you can't just speak your mind. “I... think I'll wait another day before I go back.”

It would be best to have that sort of twenty-four hour barrier between the two of you, clear your head for a bit. Which isn't going to be easy, considering that everytime you close your eyes her face dances across your vision. Her voice goes through your ears.

“Man... I'm crushing on her harder than I thought,” you admit aloud to nopony, as you start making dinner.

Back where you'd left Twilight, the book, and the apples you'd brought as snacks, the unicorn was still sitting there in a bit of a stupor. Well, the 'bit' part is probably inaccurate, considering she's been in the same gaping-mouth position for almost five minutes. It wasn't until the door was heard to be opening that she returned to the world around her, and noticed that the Sherhoof Holmes book was still open in front of her.

“Hey, Twi'!” A familiar, brash voice called.

“Hello, Rainbow,” Twilight replied, having quickly used her magic to put away the left-behind saddlebags and other items.

“You okay?” The cyan pegasus asked. “Your face is all red. You got a fever or somethin'?”

The unicorn shook her head almost violently, “No! I'm fine!”

The chromatic pegasus backed up a little, making a Twilight wince at how she'd shouted her response.

“Sorry,” she continued. “What is it you need, Rainbow? The next Daring Do book?”

“Uh, yeah,” Rainbow said, reaching for her saddlebags and producing the one she'd finished. As it was being checked in, she spoke up again. “Are you sure you're alright?”

“Yes,” Twilight replied, emphasizing the word as she put the next book of the series in Rainbow's hooves.

The pegasus could tell from the obvious tone that she wasn't gonna get anything out of the unicorn, and made to leave, only to be stopped by Spike.

“Don't tell anypony I mentioned this,” He began, grinning slightly as he whispered to Rainbow. “But there was another pegasus here earlier. He and Twi' were reading a book together, and his wings kinda...”

“Oh. My. GOSH,” Dash whispered back and grinning, knowing where Spike was going with this. “This is too good, do you know who it was?”

“No, but he left his saddlebags behind.”

Said bags, after being snagged from their hiding spot, were now being held in the baby dragon's claws at that very moment, and after only a moment's thought, the chromatic pegasus grabbed them and raced out of the library. Only moments later, she's knocking on the door to your apartment. Opening it, you wonder why the craziest stunt-flyer of Ponyville is hovering right outside your door.

“Heya, you got a minute?” She grins at you. With a confused look, you nod and let her in.

“Whatcha need, Rainbow?” you ask.

She tosses your saddlebags to you, “You left these at Twi's place.”

You raise your eyebrow, catching the bags easily and simply tossing them onto the couch, where they usually rest.

“And I wanted to talk to you.”

Your heart skips a beat for a moment, worried that somepony may have noticed your feelings and told her, but the only ones who had any idea of it were Spike and Twilight. So she couldn't know, could she?

“I hear you're crushing on my friend,” She continues, flopping onto the couch.

She knows, you think with a groan, as you sit in the chair across from her. “Yeah... and...?”

“Just wanna know why, that's all.”

Oh, boy, that was a loaded question. You aren't quite sure of why you like the bookworm, either, so this would be an answer you'll have to think about for a bit.

“I... I don't know,” you admit after a few minutes. “I... I just...”

“Hey, it's cool, I'm just wondering,” Rainbow intervenes to calm you down. Then she grins. “And dude? You might wanna get some better control over your wings.”

Glancing back, you notice that you've once again managed to pop a wingie.

“You must really like Twilight to pop one of those from just thinking of her.”

Your face turns a shade of red brighter than the red on Rainbow's mane, making said pegasus chuckle.

“When're you gonna tell her?” She asks.

Another loaded question, something Rainbow seems to be good at. As for when you're going to admit your feelings...

“I don't know,” you admit.

“Well,” Rainbow says, hopping off the couch. “Just tell her soon, 'kay?”

You nod at this.

“And dude, you break her heart... you'll have five mares coming after you, got it?”

You gulp at the threat, nodding anyway. Then she grins cockily and waves cheekily as she flies off. After a few minutes of thought, you decide to go to bed early. Perhaps you could get your head together while you're asleep or something... or maybe Celestia will take mercy on you and send you to the moon or something... who knows? All you know is that tomorrow, you need to stop by the library again, and talk this out with Twilight Sparkle... and hope that she doesn't break your heart...

Chapter Four

Beyond the Books
Chapter Four

“Hey man, you alright?”

“I'm fine.”

You look to your friend when you hear him heave a sigh.

“Dude, you really suck at lying, you know that?” He says. “You ordered your favorite dish, and you haven't even touched it yet. C'mon, what's up?”

You heave a sigh as you finally start to chew your favorite meal, made so perfectly by the resturaunt you two met up at. After swallowing your first bite, you contemplate how to say this.

“You know that mare at the library?”

“Yeah?” He answers with a questioning look. “What about her?”

You don't really say anything for a moment, just giving him a look, and it quickly dawns on him.

“You serious?”

You shrug, “Yeah, is that a problem?”

“No, I just didn't think it'd happen.”

“Neither did I, but it did...” You trail off, moving back to your food and finally starting to eat it a little.

“Have you told her yet?”

You blush as you mumble, “Not really...”

“You're gonna, right?”

“Of course I will!”

“Good, then get moving!”

With that, your pal kicks your leg from under the table, making you yelp outloud and making you jump away from the table. Ignoring the looks from the other eaters at the restaurant, you glare at him as you rub your leg, hissing a bit at the sore spot already forming.

“What was that for?!” You hiss at him.

“I'm telling ya I'll pay for lunch, get your flank out there,” He answers nonchalantly, as he sips from his coke at the same time.

Glaring at him, you know that with how stubborn he is he won't let you sit back down without hurting you again, so you decide to give in to his rather painful demands and leave the cafe. Deciding to put plotting your revenge on hold, you focus on what you're going to say to Twilight. Do you just blurt out that you like her? No, mares don't like that, do they?

You don't know, you've never been on a date before! Wait, you're a mess, so why are you going to ask her now? Glancing at your reflection in a store window, you grimace at the rat's nest that is your mane and tail. Not how you want to present yourself to the mare you want to date. Should you run home? Nah, you decide, as you run a hoof through your mane to straighten it.

“Good enough,” you decide with a shrug. You decide to just let the tail fix itself, mostly because it's obviously a lost cause and move on.

You don't even get to knock on the door to the library, because just as you're about to, it opens and promptly smacks you in the snout.

“OW!”

“I'm sorry!”

Snapping to attention, you immediantly notice Twilight. And she's close. Really close. Your face turns crimson, but she doesn't seem to notice, she's more focused on getting your hoof away from your nose so she can inspect it for wounds.

“Are you alright?” She asks, gently prying your hoof out of the way. “Oh my gosh, you're bleeding!”

Blinking out of your proximity-induced stupor, you glance at your hoof, and realize that she's right. You really are bleeding, and pretty badly.

“Come in, quick, let me at least take care of that for you,” Twilight says, and you can only hobble along as she drags you into the library and try to hold pressure to your bleeding nose.

“You looked like you were in a hurry,” You begin to say. You don't want to impose. “Don't let me stop you, I can get home and take care of this myself.”

“Nonsense, I did it to you, so let me at least help.”

“No, no, I can't impose on you... what were you off to do, anyway?” You ask, as you move your hoof out of the way again, her magic carefully applying a gauze and dabbing away the blood.

“Rarity wants to meet at the spa, and I said I'd come,” Twilight said nonchalantly. She gives a look at how you raise your eyebrows, and pauses momentarily in cleaning up your muzzle. “What?”

“Nothing!” You answere quickly, before trailing off. “Just... didn't take you for a spa-going mare...”

She giggles, making you blush from the sound, “I didn't either until I came to Ponyville. I don't do it as often as Rarity and Fluttershy do, though.”

“What, they go every week or something?”

Her giggle is enough of an answer, even as she focuses on very carefully placing a bandage on the cut on your snout. In order to ensure that it applies correctly, she interrupts your personal space again and gets up incredibly close; close enough for you to get a good whiff of her mane.

Is that... some sort of berry? You think, but the moment ends before you can get confirmation and she pulls back.

“There!” She smiles, then she gives a confused look at noticing your very red face, and puts a hoof to your forehead. “Are you alright? Your face is all red, and you feel kind warm...”

Well, you already knew that. Anything else out of place? A quick mental once-over, and –

“And your wings are –” Twilight gasps and backs up a bit, blushing a bit at the implications. “Err...”

Well this is awkward, You think, and it's clear she's thinking the exact same thing. Obviously one of her pegasus friends – probably Dash – told her what the wingie means. Or she read about it. Either way, this was incredibly embarrassing...

“Uhh...” You begin to say, unsure of how to put this.

“I should... go...” Twilight manages, slowly making her way to the door. Just before she steps outside, you gather your wits.

“Wait!” You call, making her turn to you. Despite how embarrassing this moment was, she manages to laugh at the look on your face. “Uhh... if... if you're not busy later... d-do you wanna...”

She giggles again at your flustered look, “How about that new diner on the edge of town, tonight at 9?”

“Sure,” You agree easily, and watch as she takes off for the spa with a wave.

Looking about, you notice that there's not much to do and – wait, is that that time? Uh... perhaps you should go see the barber's or something, you don't have that much time! With a dash you race out the door – pause as you close it – and race to get ready for your date. That very thought makes you giddy with excitement, you're actually going on a date!

“Wow, you look excited,” your friend says, flying up to you. He raises an eyebrow at the little band-aid on your muzzle. “What, you run into the wall or something?”

“No,” You chuckle, to happy about this to feel anything else. “I was about to knock and she opened the door in my face.”

“Literally, I see,” he chuckles. “She's strong to get you to bleed like that, huh? D'you pop a wingie in front of her or something? You're still all red in the face, dude.”

“Something like that.”

“And...?”

“Got a date! Tonight at 9!”

“Where?”

“That new diner.”

Your pal grins and offers his hoof, which you happily smack for a hoof-five.

“Get your flank moving, don't wanna dissapoint your date, do you?”

“Yeah yeah, later!”

You land at the barber's, ready and willing to shell out a few bits to look presentable for your date tonight. The mane-cutter reads your mind, probably gets stallions like you all the time. He even gives you some advice from a married stallion on how to be on your first date, and you make sure to pay attention; somepony with experience when it comes to dates is very obviously worth listening to.

It takes almost two or three hours for you to get fully ready, mostly because in the meantime between your mane being done by that awesome stallion barber, you stopped by the Carousel Boutique. That had been interesting, you'd been there to rent dress clothes, but apparently Twilight had talked to the white unicorn that ran the place about your upcoming date, and she'd already had something prepared – and, if you were honest, it was absolutely awesome.

As for right now? You were on your way to pick your date, after having spent the last hour building up enough nervous energy to almost ruin your mane and tail again. Not to say that you aren't nervous anymore, Celestia no, you're practically hyperventilating! Finally landing at the library, you take several deep breaths and knock on the door.

“Come in,” You hear, and so you carefully open the door and enter the tree building.

You smile at who you see, “Hey, Spike. Is Twilight here?”

“She's upstairs getting ready. Want me to go get her?”

“That's not necessary,” Twilight's voice says from the stairs, making you turn around.

Hey, you remember those deep breaths you took? Consider all that air gone. This mare has gone all out for this date, and her beauty is absolutely breath-taking. Her coat has been shined and cleaned thoroughly, probably back at the spa and perhaps by her fashionista friend. Or was Rarity responsible for the purple and star-covered dress that flowed over Twilight's back? Either way, the white shoes on her hooves and the little white star tucked behind her ear suit her better than can be described. She blushes at the way you're looking at her.

“I didn't go overboard did I?” She asks, wondering why you're just staring.

“No!” You answer immediantly, eager to disprove that idea. “No... you're just... really pretty.”

Wow, how corny can you get? Either way, you've set the reservation, and it's in a few minutes, so the two of you start to head out. Twilight pauses to make sure that Spike knows to get to bed on time, to which he gives a reluctant confirmation. Smiling at his rather childish antics, the two of you head out for the diner. The walk is a little awkward at first, mostly because you don't really know what to say.

“So...” You begin. “How'd you meet Spike?”

She brightens up immediantly, “It happened back when I was filly...”

You listen carefully, happy to be able to talk to your date like this. She pauses in her chat as you finally arrive at the fancy restaurant and get the booth you reserved a couple hours ago.

“So that's why you were bouncing about a couple months ago?” You grin to her when she gets to the part of Celestia accepting her as a student. She blushes from the embarrassment that she feels at reminding her of that.

“W-Well... I, uh...”

You chuckle at her stammers, “What do you want to eat?”

The sharp change in topic catches her off-guard for a moment, but she looks at the menu and makes her choice for a sandwich and shake, while you go for some soup and a soda.

“Really?” Twilight asks with a raised eyebrow. “A soda, this late at night?”

“It's alright,” You insist, grinning. “I'll just, you know, be up all night.”

She giggles at your joke, and it helps to ease the anxiety you are both obviously feeling. The two of you spend your time happily talking with each other, talking between bites once the food arrives. You're telling a story about how you and your friend met, just as the two of you are heading back to the library.

“And then I end up having to save his sorry flank from the teach,” You chuckle, before sighing with a smile. “Sometimes I wonder if it was really worth it.”

“Why's that?” She giggles, as you arrive back at the library.

“He's a prank-loving brat,” You say easily, rolling your eyes at some of the memories.

“I'm sure you could tell me about him later,” Twilight says, as she starts to open the door. “Thanks for taking me, I had a really great time.”

You smile, “I'm glad you did.”

“But you really didn't have to pay for it all, you know.”

“Psh,” You say, dismissing it with a wave of your hoof. “What else was I gonna use those bits for? New clothes?”

Twilight just gives you an amused look as she pointedly looks over your suit, making your point fall flat, but you just roll your eyes in an overly exaggerated manner that makes her smile.

“Alright, I get your point, but I'm still fine with paying for it,” You insist, before pausing. “Talk to you later?”

“Of course. Want to meet up tomorrow at the park?”

“Sure, how about sometime around noon?”

“I'll see you there,” She agrees with a smile. “Well... good night.”

“Good night,” You say, watching as she heads in.

After a few moments, you decide to head home. You realize that there is a bit of a stupid smile on your face, but you know that after the success that was tonight's date, you don't really care. By the time you get your mane and tail back into their usual messy forms, and you've put the rented suit back in its proper sleeve so that it can be returned tomorrow. Laying down, you have just one thought.

Tomorrow couldn't possibly come fast enough.

Chapter Five

Beyond the Books

Chapter Five

“So how'd it go?”

“How'd what go?”

She rolls her eyes, even as she checks in the tux you're returning. With a bit of a chuckle, you give her a straight answer.

“I'd say it went well, we split up smiling.”

Rarity smiles as she hangs up the clothes, “I'm very happy to hear that. Do you have another one planned?”

“What time is it?”

“Eleven-forty-five.”

There's a pause, before you exclaim, “WHAT. It's that late already? I gotta get going!”

“You've already paid, so go ahead, dear.”

You thank the dressmaker quickly and race out of the Carousel Boutique, trying to get to the park before your date – but by the time you can see the place, you can already see the purple unicorn relaxing on a bench and reading some obnoxiously large tome. Deciding to take your time for a moment, you hover high above her. How should you make this entrance? Dramatical landing, casually come in on that spare cloud you see over there, or a boring old landing?

What kind of choice is that?

“Hello,” You say casually, as you calmly float down on the cloud. Twilight giggles and rolls her eyes at your antics.

“Hello,” She responds. “How long were you up there?”

“I had enough time for a short nap.”

The look she gives you only makes you laugh and you admit that you'd just gotten there.

“How'd you guess?”

Twilight gives a knowing smile, “I saw you.”

“So you asked just to humor me?”

“More or less.”

“Good to know for when I need to humor you, I suppose,” you tease, earning a giggle. “What book is that? It's huge!”

“Just some research,” She answers casually, before snapping it shut and shoving it into her bags. “So, what do you want to do?”

You shrug, “Something fun? I don't know.”

“You're a lot of help.”

“Glad to be!” You grin, making her laugh. Such a nice sound. “How about we just chat for a bit?”

“Uh, what about?”

You shrug, before asking her about what her days were like in Canterlot. She perks up, and happily tells you about what she used to do back in the capital city. You'd never been there before, and after admitting this, she gives a gasp.

“Oh, I have got to take you there!” She exclaims enthusiastically. Then she pauses at the idea, and you catch on.

“I'm free this weekend, what about you?” You ask.

Twilight thinks for a bit, “I believe I'm free, but I'll have to check my calender to make sure."

“What time should we hop on the train?” you assure her with a chuckle.

“It's a fairly short ride, so how does 8 sound?”

You know that such an hour is extremely early considering your sleeping habits, but you agree to meet her at the train station at the time anyway. You realize that you probably won't make it on time, but that's a risk you gotta take. Especially since this is really important to the both of you, clearly. You stay to chat for another hour or so, before you admit that you have to run off.

There's a light rain that you have to help set up, which you don't mind telling her so that she can get back to her home where she'll have some cover. Taking a moment to watch her go, you put your resting place back and fly over to the weather office. There, you get to the meeting just in time for it to start.

“You're just in time,” The boss says to you with a grin. “What were you doing, hangin' with your marefriend?”

You blush. That's enough of an answer as she giggles. Deciding to let it go and take a seat, you plop your butt down on the floor and pay attention. It appears that, either as a twist of fate or some sort of prank, your boss has charged you to be the one to place the clouds above the library. Deciding to visit first, you head on in without knocking. Twilight doesn't seem to notice, and an idea comes into your mind. Sneaking up as quietly as possible, you stop next to her and remain silent as she focuses on the book before her. Looks like something about... well, you don't really know, but whatever it is it's way over your head. It's as she turns the page that you lean close, hold your breath, aaaand...

“Boo.”

“GYAAH!”

The unicorn promptly scrambles backwards, tripping over her own hooves in the process and winds up knocking into a bookshelf. The books protest by falling on top of her. For a moment, you wonder if you hurt her – but then her head pops up out of the top of the pile, and you can't help yourself. You fall over laughing.

“Haa ha, you should'a seen your face!” You exclaim, holding your sides from how hard you're laughing. “It was perfect!”

Twilight has to take a moment to gather her wits from her panic before glowering down at you. The effect is weakened considerably when she starts to giggle herself. Spike comes running down the stairs, and looks in confusion at the two crazily laughing ponies and the mess of books that Twilight was laying in.

“Uhh... what're you guys doing?” He asks.

You try several times to explain, but every time you start to speak, Twi's spooked look pops up in your mind and you start laughing all over again. The unicorn just shakes her head and starts to help her assistant reorganize. She bonks you over the head with a particularly thick tome to catch your attention.

“Ow!” You say, despite the grin on your muzzle. “Okay, okay, I'll help pick up. But still, that was perfect!”

“I thought you had a storm to set up.”

“I do. I'm setting up the clouds above the library. We don't start for a while, so I thought I'd hang here before we do that.”

She nods, as she hands you a book to put on the top shelf. Hovering up, you quickly put it in its proper place.

“What'd you do that for, anyway?”

You give her a wide grin, “Because it was fun!”

She gives you a flat look, and bonks you on the head again. You laugh anyway, getting a smile out of her. You spend a few minutes in relative silence, only speaking to clarify where a book goes. By the time you're finished, you've got to get back outside and do your job. Don't want to get fired, after all. Once in the air, you spot the rest of the team pushing clouds around as well. In not time at all, the entire little town of Ponyville is covered in dark clouds, all of which are ready to give a downpour. You take a couple of minutes to make sure that, like it's supposed to be, none of the clouds you're in charge of have a electrical charge. It's not supposed to be a shocking night, just a wet one.

“You all set?”

You turn and nod, “All clear here, boss.”

“You know the signal.”

You nod again as she heads off; of course you know the signal – an incredibly loud whistle that your boss has grown ridiculously attatched to. A few moments later, said object is blown, and you give the large pile of interconnected cloud a swift buck. The entire weather team waits a minute before heading out, having to stay to ensure the rain happened the way it was supposed to. Then you waste no time racing back down to the library, since Twilight offered you a place to stay for the night earlier that day.

“There you are,” She greets you as she hears the door open. “You were only out there for a few seconds, how are you that soaked?”

“Twilight, it's a downpour,” You deadpan. “I was going to get wet at least a little bit.”

She giggles a bit before letting you know where the bathroom is so that you can dry off. When you return to the main room, you spot her back at her reading stand. A notepad and quill are hovering beside her, and the sound of notes being taken fills your ears. You hover around the library, hunting for a book that might catch your attention – but your gaze keeps getting drawn towards the mare.

“So... any books you want to recommend?” You ask at last.

“They're on the desk there,” She answers, nodding to the circular desk in the middle of the room.

You take a minute to look over their titles, “These are all books on flying.”

“Yes? What's your point?”

“Twilight... look at me.”

She finally turns to you, and a look of realization appears on her face.

“Oh... right...” She finally says. “Pegasus.”

“Yeah.”

“I'll, uh... go find some... better suggestions...”

You laugh, “Don't bother. What is it you're reading now?”

“It's the Theories and Laws of Natural Magic, and it's all about... uh...”

“Stuff that I probably wouldn't understand?”

“Yeah...”

There was a mutual silence for a moment.

“Should I ask Spike to cook something?” Twilight asks.

“Nah, don't worry,” You assure her. “I'm fine.”

That is when your stomach growls, proving otherwise to your statement. It is rather late, but your composure still fails a bit as you blush and give a sheepish smile. Twilight just laughs, and invites you to join her and Spike for dinner, something you can't help but accept. The little dragon is already cooking, and he easily adjusts it to accommodate you.

“Will you be staying the night?” Twilight asks you as the three of you eat.

“I can make it back home.”

“In this kind of a storm?”

“I'm not that bad of a flyer.”

“Never said you weren't, but that's not the point.”

“What, are you inviting me to stay?”

“Yes! I can't let you risk flying home in this weather!”

“It's only rain!”

“And it's dark and cold! You could get sick! No, I simply must insist that you stay!”

“But –”

“No objections!”

“Oh, fine,” you sigh as you decide to stop arguing with her. It's not like you actually mind staying the night.

Twilight smiles, “Good. We'll set up a place for you to sleep.”

“Thanks.”

After dinner and helping Spike clean the dishes, you join the mare in the library. She already set out a book of your favorite series, one you had yet to read. You thank her, and start reading almost immediantly. It's not until you yawn almost three hours later that you finally stop, and look at the clock. Then you rub your eyes and look again – is it really almost midnight?! Looking over at Twilight, you notice that her note-taking is starting to slow down and you make an executive decision.

“Alright, c'mon, let's go to bed,” You say as you shut your book.

She yawns as she shakes her head, “I have to get these notes done.”

“What time is it?”

“It's... almost midnight, why?”

“And you're yawning again. That's three times in less than a minute.”

“...So I'm a little tired. It's fine.”

“No, it's not. C'mon.”

Twilight tries to put up a fight, but the night has drained her of a lot of her energy, and that just makes it easier to get her upstairs to her bed. Spike had been tucked in a couple of hours ago, and was already snoring; you're careful to be quiet as you basically force her under her sheets. When she's about to fall asleep, despite her protests, you manage to ask where you're sleeping. She doesn't appear to think about it as she levitates another pillow onto the bed, scoots over, and pats the spot beside her.

Then she turns over and falls asleep. Your face is red, but you decide not to argue – not that such would be possible now – and carefully take up the remaining space. Deciding to not tempt fate, you face away from her, and manage to calm down just enough to fall asleep. Hopefully she doesn't take this the wrong way in the morning...

Chapter Six

Beyond the Books

Chapter Six

Something very, very warm was pressed against you. Did you know what it was? Not a chance. Did you care? Not really. It felt... nice, comforting. Something that could push away all of your fears and nightmares. You're not sure you wanted to let go.

“Umm... e-excuse me?”

Since when did snuggle pillows talk? And why did the voice make your wings flutter in happiness? You weren't sure, but you just snuggled up closer to the soft, fluffy pillow. You were careful to avoid the mane it had that was trying to stuff itself up your nose.

Wait.

A mane. A purple and violet mane.

...Horseapples.

“Oh my gosh, I'm so, SO sorry!” You exclaim as realization dawns on you, and you push yourself away from the target of your affection. In the process, you end up crashing on the floor in your haste to back up. “I-I didn't mean to spoon you like that! I-I mean –”

You stop as she giggles at you, making you pay attention to her blushing face and realize how hot your cheeks feel.

“It's alright,” She says, as she carefully steps down next to you. There's that blush with that smile again. Oh Celestia, has anyone told her how adorable it looks? “You were just holding me a bit tight.”

“Uhh... y-you didn't mind?” You ask, voice squeaking in the process. Thanks, brain, for making me sound like a colt.

Twilight just giggles again, as she gently helps you up, “It's alright. I remember letting you share the bed with me.”

You visibly relax for the most part, but your wings once again perform mutiny. They refuse to move from their upright position. What does Twilight do when she notices? She gives a very flirtatious brush of her tail against your muzzle, swaying her flanks as she heads out of her loft and down towards the kitchen.

“Once you've taken care of your...” She says, pausing at the door and giving you her best sultry look. Her emphasis on the next word doesn't help your current state. “Wings... come on downstairs for breakfast.”

You know how your wings were the only thing stiff this morning? Yeah, about that... you're thankful that she's as brilliant as she looks, and displeased that your body is a traitor to your mind. Somewhat. By the time you get downstairs, your wings are not nearly as stiff as they were several minutes ago, and your mind is much clearer.

“Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for what I said earlier!” Twilight exclaims, her face showing how embarrassed she was. “I-I wasn't really thinking, I'd just woken up, a-a-and...”

You silence her with a kiss, making her freeze in place. After about a minute of this, you pull away. Somewhere in your mind, you're wondering what the buck you're thinking, but at the moment, you don't care.

“It's fine,” You say slyly, as you head over to the kitchen. You flick your medium-length red tail over her snout as you pass. “Thanks for breakfast.”

There's no response as you enter the kitchen, where Spike is waiting with a pan of lukewarm pancakes. You pause to listen to the other side of the door, giving a smirk when you hear Twilight race upstairs and shut the door. Spike doesn't seem to notice as he greets you. You thank him for the food, to which he just waves it away and says it was no problem. About a minute later, you finish, and help him clean up before the both of you get to work. On your way out, Twilight comes back down from her room, and you notice that her mane is slightly disheveled.

“Where are you going?” She asks hastily, trying to keep your attention away from her messy appearance.

“I have to get to work. I'm late as it is,” You answer, letting a smirk take over your face. Her blush deepens.

“Put away that smirk!”

“I can't help it, you just look so –”

“If you even THINK of finishing that –”

“Oh my, what's that I smell, Twilight?” She freezes as you give an exaggerated sniff of her mane. “Come now, there are young ones here!”

She stomps her front hooves foalishly, “Stop it! Just get going!”

Her frustration is belayed by the smile tugging at her mouth, making your smirk widen into a naughty grin. Dear Celestia, look at that horn glow. With a twitch of her eyes, she grabs you in a lavender aura of magic, flings open the door, and chucks you outside. You turn just in time to watch the door slam shut before you hear the distinctive click of it locking. You're chuckling as you start to head out, but then your head is enveloped in the same aura and dragged back just in time for one hay of a kiss. Unfortunately for you, your wings shoot straight up once more.

“That is for kissing me without asking,” She scolds softly. “I'll see you back here tonight?”

“Yeah, sure.”

This time the door closes much more quietly, and it takes you a minute to gather your thoughts before finally flying off to work.

“Took you long enough,” Your bud states, giving you a strange look as he passes you your assignment. “You fight the alarm again?”

“No,” You say, as that old smirk comes right back.

“What'd you do?”

“Woke up late.”

“What? No, that can't be it! C'mon, something happened! Tell me!”

“Tell you what? There's nothing to tell.”

“Yes there is, you wouldn't be smirking like that! You did something last night! Who was it with? Tell me it wasn't – OW! Hey boss.”

Your smirk widens to a grin as you watch your boss smack your friend on the back of his head. “Morning, boss.”

“What took you so long to get here?” Skydancer asks you, giving you a raised eyebrow.

“Woke up late.”

She continues to stare at you, and you just stare back calmly, because it isn't a lie. It's not the whole truth, but it certainly isn't a lie. After a few moments, she just smirks right back at you and waves at you with her wing, beckoning you to follow outside.

“How're things going between you two?” She asks as soon as your friend is out of earshot.

You aren't surprised she figured it out so easily. She's the boss for a reason, after all. “Pretty well. Got stuck at her place last night, let me sleep in the same bed. Woke up accidentally spooning her, left after breakfast and some sleep-induced flirting.”

“And your assignment today is...?”

“You're the one that wrote it.”

“I write a lot of things, humor me.”

“I'm just clearing the skies over by the Everfree Forest.”

“Then get moving. Lots of clouds over there, I bet Twilight'll be waiting for you to get back. Even if you end up spooning her again.”

She grins at the blush on your face as she says that, just before heading back inside to probably do more paperwork. You take a moment to shake off that talk with your boss and head out towards the most frightening place ever: the Everfree Forest.

Well, okay, you weren't going to actually be in the forest, but it's still a scary place. You were just going to be flying about very close to those dark, shady trees and the creepy shadows lying in between said trees and the bushes with the – OKAY. STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT. Keep your cool.

It's just a forest.

The Everfree Forest. The creepiest, darkest, most dangerous forest in Equestria.

Yeah, you're doomed, even though you're not going in. At least, that's your thought as you try not to fly the buck out of there while kicking the clouds into oblivion. It only takes a couple minutes for you to relax, thankfully, realizing that your fear is completely irrational since you're not even going into the forest.

But it's still a damn scary forest.

You finish your assignment about three hours later, mostly because clouds from over the forest kept creeping into the area you had to keep clear. At least it was done now. Thank Celestia. The reason for your near panic attack for simply being near the bucking forest is one you keep to yourself. Not even your best friend knows. And if you have your way, it's a secret you'll take to your grave.

You're not sure if you'll even be willing to tell Twilight, no matter how much your adoration for her has grown.

It takes only a moment to return to your boss, giving her a cheesy salute once you've landed.

“I told you to stop that!” Skydancer exclaims, despite the smile trying to show itself on her muzzle.

“I may or may not have forgotten that.”

“Whatever. Did you do your assignment?”

“Yup, clouds near forest are no longer in existence. Also got rid of clouds that were creeping into my area from over the forest.”

“...I'm sorry for having to give you that assignment,” She said after a moment, giving you a sad look. You look down. You hadn't told her why you hated that forest so much, but she was one of the most perceptive ponies you knew; she had her suspicions about your reasons, and respected your wish to keep it to yourself.

“It's fine,” You say after a moment of reminscing,that one memory forever burned into your mind leaping forth. “I'll be alright. Is that all today, boss?”

“Yeah, that's all, you can head out.”

You nod and immediantly head to the desk, where you tell your friend that you've finished your work, and that you'll be leaving. He only nods, he's got a lot of paperwork to deal with right now. You know that you told Twilight you'd return right away, but after dealing with the clouds by the forest... you need a moment.

You can't risk losing your composure. Especially with that on your mind.

Landing near Sugarcube Corner, you head in for a light lunch, or perhaps a large one. You're not sure yet, but it'll certainly taste delicious and take your mind off of your memories.

“Hello, dear,” Mrs. Cake smiles to you, as you approach the counter. “Anything in particular you're looking for?”

“Hmm... not really, just something to snack on, I guess,” You admit. “How about one double-chocolate muffin?”

“Alright, that'll be two bits, please.”

You hoof over the requested price, and take a few minutes to sit inside and nibble on the delicious morsel. You've been to other cities and their resturaunts, but none of them seemed to beat Ponyville's Sugarcube Corner. Once you've finished, you find that despite the calm, welcoming interior of the building didn't soothe your mind all that much. All the food did was satisfy your stomach. So you head out, towards the outskirts, opting to walk this time. It's important that you do. It takes only a minute to reach your destination, and you look down at the stone.

“Hey... it's been a while.”

You lay down where you stand, laying a hoof on the patch of grass there. You proceed to quietly tell her everything that had happened in the past week. The tears drip down your cheeks some. No matter how long it's been...

It still hurts. It always will...

By the time you return to the library, it's been almost three hours since you last ate, but you certainly feel better.

“Hey,” You call as you enter the building, smiling as you spot the lavender unicorn standing at her podium, book open and several others floating above her head.

A quill is scratching furiously against a nearby roll of parchment, taking notes as quickly as she could read. She didn't hear you. You sneak up behind her, temporarily consider doing what you did last time, but then get a better idea: you gently press your lips against her the side of her neck, right on her jawline. Twilight Sparkle immediantly freezes, almost dropping the floating objects as her cheeks and neck warm up right under your lips.

“Looks like I got your attention,” You grin when you pull away, as she turns to you, face red.

“Good afternoon,” She decides to say, once she places the books down on the circular table behind her. “How was work?”

“Wasn't hard. Had to clear the skies near the Everfree, but it only took me a couple hours, so it wasn't too bad.”

“That's good to hear. Is there anything you'd like to do?”

“Hhmm... not really. Any other books you'd like to recommend me?”

Twilight smiles and immediantly floats over a book that she'd set down. Reading the title, you feel a bit confused.

“The Science of Clouds?” You ask, looking at the book as you pick it up. “Twilight, I work in weather control.”

“I know, but this is about the magic of clouds and how a pegasus' magic relates to it.”

You raise an eyebrow and open the book to the table of contents. The titles of the chapters catch your attention.

“Clouds of the Past?” You read quietly, before flipping to the first chapter. “This is how they dealt with weather a thousand years ago!”

“See, I knew you'd like it!”

“Twilight, this is really cool!” You exclaim, reading a line.

She grins and returns the sneaky smooch you gave her, before she moves over to near you and continues her studies right by you. It was going to be a quiet afternoon, and after today, you needed that.

Whether she knew it or not, this unicorn knew how to treat you right, how to make you feel better.

There was a reason you liked her, after all...

Author's Note

And after taking almost forever, I have finally made Chapter Six! Enjoy, everypony.