“How in Equestria am I supposed to deal with being this bored all winter?” Rainbow Dash paced around her bedroom making strained faces at nothing in particular. “I've already read all of my Daring Do books three times over and the next one isn't due out until summer. Think Rainbow Dash, think!” She stopped in her tracks as she saw the corner of a magazine that had been hastily stashed under her mattress. “I really hope my friends didn't see that when they were over. Tank being gone is hard enough, imagine if they saw that. I might be able to run damage control on almost destroying half of Cloudsdale but my reputation after that...” She trailed off. Pausing for a few moments, she glanced around and allowed herself a small smile. With her trademark speed Rainbow Dash reached under her mattress and removed her guilty pleasure. “I am going to be up all night with this aren't I? It... it has just been so long. I just need something to relieve this tension. Tomorrow though I have got to find a new book series or something. I can't make this a habit... again.”
The next morning was brisk but pleasant one for the middle of winter. Twilight was in her study looking over the scientific journals and periodicals that had just been delivered. She was particularly interested in the new edition of the journal Neighture. She'd hoped to get it last week, but was forced to request a new copy after the first somehow got lost in the mail – a distressingly common occurrence. Flipping it open, she saw a name she recognized. Alphabert Equine. That pony that was on his way to make his name synonymous with cutting-edge physics. “Special... relativity? That's new” she said staring contemplatively at nothing in particular. She'd hoped this paper was a bit more intuitive than others she'd read recently. Though the math made sense, some of the most bizarre things were coming out of physics journals as of late. Next thing you know they'll be telling you things can pop in and out of existence or be in two places at once, she thought, giggling quietly to herself.
A few minutes later, a still drowsy Spike lazily walked up to the doorway of the study to see Twilight hastily scrawling in her notebook, then looking back at whatever she was reading, then back to the notebook and so on. Clearly struggling to understand something. Whatever she was looking at, he knew better than to bother her. He also saw opportunity. If Twilight wasn't so enthralled, she'd probably be assigning him chores at this very moment. Thinking about what she'd likely assign him, Spike decided he would take the initiative and started shuffling back to bed. Nearing his prize, he felt a cold burst of air rush down the hallway and a door slam shut. A surprisingly sluggish, and surprisingly grounded Rainbow Dash walked in.
“You're up early” he said
“Hey Spike” she mumbled through a yawn “Actually... I haven't slept yet. Where's Twilight?” she said, quickly changing the subject.
“Uhh, I don't know Rainbow, Twilight just got some ultra-nerdy science thing and is in one of her... moods. She probably doesn't want to be bothered”
“Of course she won't be bothered, it's me. Everypony is always excited to see me”
“Whatever you say. She's in her study.”
“Okay great. Thanks Spike.” As she started lifting her hoof to turn, paused. “And where is that exactly?”
Spike mumbled something unintelligible gesturing to the left as he walked into his bedroom and slammed the door.
Rainbow wandered up and down the vast empty hallways, her hoofsteps echoing loudly. Spike's “helpful” directions did not make finding the study a simple task. Rainbow Dash peeked into the open door. Twilight was quietly reading a magazine... not unlike the ones hidden away under her bed. Twilight's mane was a disheveled mess. It looked like she hadn't gotten around to brushing it that morning yet. She tried to make her presence known to the unicorn by stepping with extra force, yielding no discernible reaction from the mare.
“Twilight”
“Twilight!” she said again, louder
“TWILIGHT!”
“Alright, forget this”
Taking to the air, the still tired (and grumpy) pegasus meandered up into the top of the vaulted ceiling and swooped back down to snatch the copy of Neighture from the magenta aura surrounding it.
“On the electrodynamics of moving bodies? Sounds like some reeeeally exciting reading” she deadpanned.
Twilight just stared at where the book had been before looking around and finally noticing her friend. Indignant, Twilight slammed her hoof on the floor.
“Hey! Why'd you do that?”
“Well I tried to get your attention twilight but you were so lost in this nerdy stuff...” she trailed off having looked down at the pages in front of her with a mocking smile across her face.
Twilight stared at her friend. Her hair hung just a bit lower than usual and her lower eyelids showed telltale dark circles and puffiness of a mare that had not slept. Twilight had seen this many times before. Rainbow was a pony who highly valued her sleep. The smile slowly faded as she stared at the periodical. Suddenly, the pegasus' eyes shot open with a look of shock. In no mood for being mocked, she quipped “Well it isn't Daring Do, but some ponies like a little more cerebral reads from time to time.” This time, it was Rainbow who was completely lost to the world around her. “Rainbow?” Twilight asked quietly. It was at that moment, Rainbow Danger Responsibility Dash, the coolest pony in all of Equestria, did the unthinkable.
“But if that's right, then any object nearing the speed of light would effectively increase in mass as energy is added. Energy that would be converted to mass causing some sort of feedback loop, meaning there is a maximum speed limit to the entire universe, even in space where a drag coefficient isn't an...” her words had morphed into unintelligible mumbles. With any lingering evidence of the sleepless night displaced by adrenaline, the cyan blur Twilight thought she knew streaked across the room towards the chalkboard.
Stupefied, it was at that moment, that Princess Twilight Sparkle, former protege of Celestia herself, did the unthinkable. Trying to figure out what was going on, her mouth hang agape and a single drop of saliva fell from the corner of her mouth. Her eye caught as it hung there sparkling in the sunrise that shone through the window, frozen in time. She could almost swear she heard some music as it hung in the air for what seemed like one minute and fifty-four seconds. It was at this instant, however brief in actuality, that the mare affectionately known as “book horse” was reduced to a drooling idiot. The drop hit the floor with a deafening thud. Twilight could swear she heard it echo around the world.
Rainbow Dash used her wing to clear the board in swift one motion, coating her wing and filling the room and with chalk dust. Thoroughly disrespecting “do not erase” written in the corner. The dust caused Twilight to cough, breaking her trance. She shook her head, took a small step back and glanced around the room to assess the situation. Yes, Rainbow Dash had in fact snatched her copy of Equestria's premier scientific journal, clearly understood what she was reading and was as interested in it as the latest gossip on the Wonderbolts. Yes, she was indeed at her blackboard doing evaluating the equations and double checking the work of the most respected and well known contemporary physicist.
Twilight couldn't imagine why her close friend had never mentioned being into physics and clearly, mathematics as she was. Come to think of it, she recalled times where Rainbow clearly would have understood something she was saying but must have pretended not to. If she can wrap her mind around this, she certainly did not need to send Fluttershy to her for advice on calculating population estimates of Everfree creatures. Even Twilight had to take a few seconds to catch up to what Rainbow Dash was scrawling. She watched in silence for several minutes until suddenly, without warning Rainbow Dash froze, dropped the chalk and turned around to face her friend, sliding her wing across the chalkboard as she did in an attempt to destroy her work.
“Uhh... I mean... Wow, that's something Twilight. I'll bet you'd start writing random stuff on the chalkboard just like that, and say something like 'great scott!'.” Her huge forced smile and blush betrayed her, even if Twilight wasn't standing right there watching the entire time and fully capable of following her now, only slightly smudged work.
“Rainbow, I didn't know you knew that level of mathematics! That's so awesome!”
“What are you talking about Twilight? I may read books but I certainly don't stay up all night obsessing over math.”
“Is that really what you were-”
“I mean... I was just pranking you”. Cherilee put me up to this and told me what to write. Ha ha funny joke right?”
“I'm not stupid, Rainbow. I just don't know why you think there is anything wrong with being good at math. This isn't different from realizing you can like books and still be yourself, still be the athlete you always were.”
“This is totally different. Books, sure, but math? I can't let anypony know about that. That's like writing fanfiction.”
“Hey!” Twilight said, clearly offended. “Being good at math is perfectly respectable. Those two aren't even remotely comparable.”
“Sure, if it's part of your job or... whatever it is you do.”
“I'm a... a... a professional student, Rainbow”
“Keep telling yourself that's a thing.”
“Oh howdy Twilight! You're up early Rainbow. Wowee those are some faan-cy mathematics you two are workin' on” Applejack said, staring at the chalkboard in awe.
“Oh, I was just coming by for a new book and I accidentally rubbed against Twilight's blackboard. I'm SO SORRY Twilight. I haven't slept all night so I'm awfully tired.”
Applejack frowned and raised her right eyebrow. A glare that burned right through the pegasus. She turned back to face the chalkboard.
“You do look tired. This looks like your hoof writing though. And yer covered in chalk... on both yer wings.”
Applejack was a lot more observant that many ponies give her credit for. Realizing her mistake Rainbow turned to Twilight and simply mouthed “Please. Anything.”
“Well you see Applejack, it is not easy to write on a chalkboard and read from a magazine at the same time. Rainbow was helping me write out my 'nerdy' math on a bet she lost after I beat her in a race over the forest south of town yesterday.”
“You... Beat Rainbow Dash in a race... in the air? Like... with wings?”
“Well it was close of course, but I edged out a win. Isn't that right... Dashie?” She said teasingly. Nopony interrupts her reading so rudely with impunity. Besides, she figured this would be a way to get this over with before it became an ordeal... or yet more criminal charges she had to get swept under the rug. She was certain Dash wasn't about to admit losing a race to her. She figured there couldn't be a quicker way to get Rainbow to get this silly nonsense out in the open. Surely losing a race to her would be far more damaging to her reputation than some silly intellectual pursuit. There was no shame in being smart, even if this "push" was a step further than she'd normally go. Then she noticed the panic in Rainbow's eyes.
“Uhh... Yep, I could not believe it. Twilight somehow did win a race against me. Eh heh heh” She looked like she could barely get the words out without being sick.
Applejack's eyebrow could have reached escape velocity if it were not firmly attached to a tough, earth pony forehead. She glanced back and forth at Rainbow and Twilight, paused for a few moments then, let out an exasperated sigh.
“Look, I ain't gonna judge. I may be a farm pony but I respect everpony's personal choices. Ya both look like you just rolled out of bed and are acting more suspicious than Rarity's interest in learning to tie knots. I am just disappointed you two felt you had to hide something like this from me. Anyway, I stopped by to let you know that Pinkie invited all of us to a party this afternoon at Sugar Cube Corner at umm... four. Guess I'll tell Fluttershy she doesn't need to go looking for ya Rainbow. I need to get going though. I have a heck of a lot to do today.” At that, Applejack hastily left the room and started down the hallway, leaving the pair to blush deeper and deeper, staring at the floor, stunned silent.
Outside, Applejack slowly shut the door behind her. There may have been a fresh dusting of snow on the ground, but in seconds she was rolling on the ground, laughing hysterically. Laughter that hearty doesn't go unnoticed in Ponyville, especially in the quiet of winter. Soon the laughter turned to a harmony with the addition of a quick, high pitched laugh. Startled, Applejack turned to see Pinkie matching her movements in the snow perfectly, laughing along with her. Pinkie wasn't in on the joke. But she would be.
After the pair collected themselves, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were left to ponder their predicament, which, through a bit of a lapse in judgment, Twilight had gotten herself tangled up in as well.
“Nice going Twi. Why would you even say that? You know Applejack has the power to sense lies.”
“Even though we all still posses some power because of the Elements, they never gave Applejack special truth-seeing powers. At least I don't think they did. Is that even possible? The nature of the Elements were never that well established...”
“Twilight, FOCUS! You thought you were being clever and it backfired on both of us. Now Applejack thinks we're a couple.”
“I never expected you to tell Applejack I beat you in a race! I had no idea you considered this such a dark secret. I was just trying to prod you to get it over with. But really, do you give Applejack, or any of us so little credit that you think we would think any differently of you, after all we've been through together? Do you think I'll see you any differently, other than being impressed my friend is so talented?”
“Well, I guess it makes sense you would think it makes me awesomer and stuff. I do trust everypony else but I really don't know if I can handle putting it out there. I'm just not ready for that. We do have to clear this up with AJ though.” Twilight mumbled something about grammar under her breath, before responding: “We do.” Sadly adding, after a long pause: “She probably thinks we don't trust her.” Rainbow Dash may not have special loyalty powers, but she did care tremendously about her friends and never intended to tell a lie and hurt them.
Twilight and Rainbow arrived at Sugarcube corner, shaking off the little bit of snow off their backs and manes that the growing winds hadn't been kind enough to blow off of them. The temperature was falling in advance of a healthy accumulation of snow scheduled later that night. They had looked for Applejack, but between the bone-chilling cold and the lack of useful information on her whereabouts from their friends, waiting until the party to speak with her privately seemed the best choice.
Applejack wasn't too great a liar, but she didn't tend to gossip. It seemed a reasonable assumption that there was no harm in waiting. “Considering what applejack thinks is going on, I don't think she would have said anything to anypony.” Twilight said quietly as they made their way to Pinkie's “VIP lounge” upstairs. They heard soft instrumental music wafting down the stairs as they slowly acended them. “By the way, Applejack never mentioned what this party was for, did she? This music is a little... different from usual.” Dash remarked. Twilight simply shook her head. Just before coming to the top of the stairs, they heard Rarity's unmistakable voice “Well it was sort of obvious with Rainbow, but I certainly never expected her and Twilight.” “As long as they are happy, I'm happy too.” came the soft reply from Fluttershy. They peered over the top step to see a banner hanging from the ceiling: “TwiDash OTP. Congratulations!” They both stood there, reading it again and again to make sure they weren't hallucinating. “Shit” they both said in unison. At that moment, a pink blur swept them up like a tornado and set them down at the table with the rest of their friends, who were all beaming with delight.
“Congratulations you two!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I just had this feeling we were going to need a party for something this afternoon and oh boy was I right! I mean we were all kind of afraid Twilight was going to bealoneforeverandstartwritingfanficsandthatmademesadbecuaseIwantallofmymmmmph” Applejack silenced the spastic pony with her hoof and chuckled.
“What she means to say is that all of your friends are so happy for you both. We know this makes you nervous but there ain't cause for that now.”
“It is so wonderful to see something positive like this during such an isolating winter and the dreadful cold.” Rarity added.
` "We usually have to wait for spring for us to see new lives emerging. Like cute baby birdies hatching with the love from their parents. Seeing two of our closest friends finding a very special somepony at the same time warms our hearts as the winter tries to chill them. To see what joy you two have found in each other makes us feel so lucky.”
Twilight sat there, completely dumbfounded. Rainbow Dash on the other hand, shot up into the air and screamed “We aren't together, I just didn't want anypony to know I can do differential calculus and read scientific journals and other nerdy things like that. Okay?” The room stood in complete silence for a moment, then all at once, their friends fell onto the floor laughing hysterically. Applejack was gasping for air, reaching for out for it, almost like she was drowning. A snort was was clearly heard that originated from either Rarity or Fluttershy, who had fallen on top of each other in a fit of laughter. Even Pinkie's laughter seemed more hearty than usual as she wiped away tears from her eyes. Twilight was looking around clearly about as confused as Rainbow was, though this time she managed to keep her precious bodily fluids from sliding out of her mouth.
Once Applejack finally caught her breath and wiped away her own tears she smiled slyly at them both. “Never lie to an Apple, girls.” She said with a wink. “You and Pinkie don't have a monopoly on pulling pranks.” Rainbow Dash landed and slumped to the ground. “Do you know how well sound travels in the hallway of that castle? I don't know how you two didn't hear me walking up.”
“So you heard everything?” Rainbow asked, pinning her ears back.
“At least the tail end of it. For a pony who is so full of herself, you sure do have some intresting things you choose to hide.”
“So you had already told everypony about my darkest secret?”
“That really wasn't a tremendous secret, darling”
“I think she means the math thing, Rarity”
“Oh! Yes... Of course.” Rarity said, blushing.
“No ah didn't tell anypony about that. I would never go off spoutin' somepony's secret if'n they didn't want it to be told. No matter how silly it is.”
“Silly? You think this is silly? This is serious. My reputation is everything!”
“Pssst... Rainbow Dash” Pinkie loudly whispered, somehow sticking her head out from from inside a teacup. “Nopony cares.”
Rainbow Dash looked around with some trepidation, but finally sighed and seemed to relax. “I suppose you are right, Pinks. I still would rather not have it leave this room.” Rarity and Applejack seemed ready to protest, but a glance from Pinkie made it clear that the only option was to respect their friend's wishes.
“Hey! What do you mean you thought I was going to be forever alone?”
“Uhh, that was definitely part of the prank Twilight.” Pinkie looked around nervously “Anyway, the truth is it's Rose's birthday and I'm putting together quite the party. Live band, adult beverages and all. Applejack just told you guys to get here a teensy bit early. Applejack can be really scheming and meticulous at times.” Adding, with a smile on her face and a happy tone: “It's actually completely terrifying.”
Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash perked up at the mention of 'adult beverages'. Fluttershy, while masterful in the delivery of her lines earlier, decided it was time to show some mercy to her friends and brought them each a tall glass of “Sweet Apple Strong, Bucking Cider”. Rainbow Dash downed her drink all at once. Wait, she thought, did she say live band? Had other ponies heard her secret. It looked like the band had just finished setting up, but she knew she heard music coming in. She walked over to the band, trying to gauge just how long they'd been there and just how much they had heard. She tried to keep in mind what Pinkie said: “Nopony cares”. She was probably right. Nopony would think of her any differently. It certainly isn't Ed Reignden level revelations here. She was still as awesome as ever. As the rest of the band members finished preparing their sheet music, the mint green pony on the lyre bounded over to Rainbow Dash.
“Oh hey Lyra”
“Hi Rainbow Dash! I couldn't help but overhear you... yelling a bit ago and I just want you to know it's totally cool to be good at math. Don't worry about anypony judging you. It is a really awesome thing to be talented at when you have so many others.”
“Thanks Lyra, I really do appreciate that”
“No problem. Nopony will think any differently of you. I'm sure of it. By the way, I heard you like Daring Do. Do you want to collab on a fanfic with me? I thought maybe you'd be into that sort of thing.”
Author's Note
So after all these years of trying to deny it, I guess I am indeed into that sort of thing. It starts with the show. Then you try to limit yourself to one or two short one shots. Then you're reading 500,000 word behemoths not realizing the line in the sand was miles back.
Then, it hits you. A spark of inspiration. Oh, you can try to bury it. You can try to deny it is even there. But sooner or later, you'll be hitting that submit button, accidentally liking your own story, realizing how much of a narcissistic asshole that makes you seem, wondering how you strayed so far from your intended path.
Fanfiction: Not even once
Ok so that silliness aside I've got to thank you tremendously for reading. This would be the first time I've written anything creatively in 10 years (read: not since college) That said, I hope anyone who is kind enough to take some time to offer criticism will. I have no idea what I'm doing.
Also, a big thanks to Astral Blaze for help pre-reading and offering feedback.
