It's Not the Gift, Rainbow Dash
It's the Thought, Twilight Sparkle
Author's Note
I'm nothing if not timely.
Happy (late) Singles Awareness Day
EDIT: I accidentally tagged this with OctaScratch because I was going to do OctaScratch before changing my mind. I'm sorry if I got you excited with OctaScratch and then took it away.
It's the Thought, Twilight Sparkle
"Now, let's just do one last check before we begin," Twilight Sparkle said, a scroll and pen hovering before her in a lavender glow.
Rainbow Dash let out a long sigh from her longing position on her couch. The Pegasus and the Alicorn were in the former's cloud home. The place was unusually tidy for the moment, although Rainbow was determined to fix that. She had been munching on little candies a since Twilight had rudely woken her from her mid-morning nap and the candies came in little wrappers. She was hiding the wrappers in the couch cushions for the moment, planning on scattering them around later.
She was sliding another into the couches velvety nook when Twilight shot her a slightly annoyed look over the top of her scroll.
"There's nothing wrong with being through, Rainbow," Twilight said in an offended tone.
"I didn't say nothin'," Rainbow replied defensively, speech slurred by the bit of hard sugar in her cheek.
Twilight shook her head, dropping the subject and moving onto her list. "Okay, so we both received our week early warning about the holiday, right?"
"Check," Rainbow nodded, tongue wrestling with her candy.
Twilight checked off the appropriate box. "Right. We then picked a gift that we individually deemed to be thoughtful and not too expensive, right?"
"Check," Rainbow said, rolling the candy from one side of her mouth to the other.
Twilight checked the next box. "And we both are aware that in the end it is the thought that counts, not the gift itself, right?"
"Yup," Rainbow said, trying to bite the candy in half. There was a loud crack and Rainbow let out a yelp of pain.
Twilight dropped her scroll right in the middle of filling the last box with ink and rushed to Rainbow's side. Rainbow had rolled onto her back, hooves clutching her mouth.
"Did you crack your tooth? You did, didn't you. I told you not to eat so many, Let's get you down to the dentist right now!" Twilight babbled, trying to lift Rainbow off the couch.
"Tongue," Rainbow slurred, batting Twilight's hooves away.
"What?" Twilight backed up a few steps.
"I bit ma tongue," Rainbow said, hooves still at her lips. She rolled onto her side and met Twilight's gaze. "You into blood play?" she said, puckering her lips and managing to give Twilight something akin to a suggestive look through pain watering eyes.
Twilight let out a relieved sigh. "Darn it, Rainbow." She smiled and shook her head. "Do you want an ice cube?"
"Yesh, please," Rainbow nodded.
Twilight nodded and trotted off to the kitchen. A week ago the room would have been a mess of dirty dishes piled in intricate pyramids and towers. Today, the kitchen was spotless. Or as spotless as a kitchen made of clouds and frozen lightning could be. Twilight suppressed the urge to wipe the newest layer of condensation off the counter top and moved to the fridge. She opened the freezer door, greeted by a cold arctic blast. She pulled the ice tray out and popped a single cube from its housing.
Twilight stopped a moment, ice tray and cube held aloft in her magic. She looked from the now empty spot in the tray and then the little droplets on the counter. After a few heartbeats and a twitch of her ear, Twilight let out a nervous chuckle and just filled the tray from the sink. She put it back in the freezer and left the kitchen, her prize in tow.
"Here you go," Twilight said, levitating the ice cub to Rainbow, who stuck it in her mouth.
"Tank ooo," Rainbow slurred, sucking on the ice.
"Now, where were we?" Twilight said, picking up her scroll and pen from where she had dropped them. She quickly finished checking off the half checked box and moved down to the last item on her list. "Ah, now we exchange gifts. Would you like to go first Rainbow?"
Rainbow shook her head. "Nah. A'ter ooo."
Twilight nodded and tucked away her scroll and pen. "Alright then." The Alicorn's horn lit up and there was a blinding flash of purple tinged light. The light soon faded and Rainbow's eyes lit up when she beheld what the magic had brought forth.
It was a doll. A doll the size of a pony. A life-sized doll, if you would. The doll's coat was tan like parchment, and it's mane and tail were a dark smoky gray. Expertly crafted wings were folded at the doll's side and a very familiar pith helmet was perched on its head. Glossy eyes starred at her from beneath it's brim.
It was perfect.
Aside from the ball gag in its mouth.
"Twilight?" Rainbow slurred slowly, giving the Alicorn a look caught between befuddlement and intrigue.
Twilight had a smug look on her face until she looked over and saw what she had summoned. "Ahh, you weren't meant to see that!"
There was another flash of light, somehow even more blinding than the one before it, and the doll was gone, replaced by a book.
"I-it's the, uh, new Daring Do book," Twilight said with the biggest fake smile she could muster, sweat dripping down her forehead. "The, ah, one that's not out yet."
"Ooh," Rainbow said, eyes growing large as the book was levitated over to her.
Twilight coughed awkwardly. "Glad you like it."
"Mmhm!" Rainbow nodded eagerly. "Now ee."
The Pegasus placed her new book on the cushion beside her and hopped down from the couch. With a 'pleh!', she spat the slightly red and mostly melted ice cube into her newly acquired trash can. She trotted over to the closet, pausing at the door.
"Close your eyes, Twilight," Rainbow said with a grin.
Twilight smirked back and did as she was asked, closing her eyes. There was then a great deal of grunting and the sound of something heavy scraping over the floor.
"Rainbow..." Twilight began, only to be hushed.
"Keep 'em closed, Twi."
Twilight sighed and again did as Rainbow said. There was more grunting and she could tell that whatever was scraping the floor was coming closer to her. There was one last great grunt from Rainbow, and then the Pegasus spoke again.
"Okay, open your eyes!"
Hesitantly, Twilight cracked her eyes open. She was greeted by the sight of an absolutely massive present box. It was a violent shade of pink, with a silky red bow tied around it. Hanging from the bow, in the shape of a very large heart, was a card. Scrawled on it in messy hoof writing were the words:
To Twilight
From Rainbow
"Eh?" Rainbow said, longing on top of the box.
"It's... it's too much, Rainbow." Twilight said suddenly feeling inadequate.
Rainbow scoffed. "Reserve your judgment for after you open it." She hopped off the box and gave Twilight a hip bump. "Come on, open it!"
Twilight lit up her horn and pulled the bow apart and then took the lid off of the box. She spread her wings and flapped up the the box's rim, perching on it.
"Rainbow?"
"Yes, Twilight?" Rainbow said in a smug voice.
Twilight looked over her shoulder. "...This box if full of rocks."
"Look in the middle." Rainbow said, urging her on with a hoof.
Twilight turned her attention back to the box. And there, nestled among the many rocks, was another box identical to the larger one save for size. Twilight levitated the smaller box out of the larger one and glided back down to Rainbow Dash.
"Well, go on and open it," Rainbow said, a hint of smugness in her tone.
Twilight repeated the process of undoing the bow and pulling the lid off of the box. It was not filled with rocks. Instead, laying there in rich red velvet, was a photo album. The cover image was Rainbow Dash herself, dressed in a Daring Do costume, eyes lidded and lustful, with a single rose clutched in her mouth. Twilight pulled the album out of the box, looking from the Rainbow Dash on the cover to the Rainbow Dash standing into front of her.
"Rainbow, is this what I think it is?"
The Pegasus shrugged. "I dunno, give 'er a look."
Twilight slowly opened the album, peering at what was inside. The purple mare briefly turned a fetching shade of scarlet and she slammed the book closed.
Rainbow was grinning smugly. "So, do you like it?"
Twilight met Rainbow's gaze and said in a flat tone, "No."
Rainbow's smug grin wavered. "No?"
"No." Twilight repeated, slowly walking towards Rainbow. "No, Rainbow Dash, I don't like it."
Twilight circled Rainbow like a predator and then suddenly wrapped a wing around her, pulling her close. The Alicorn's breath was hot and moist in the Pegasus' ear.
"I love it,"
Rainbow let out a breathy laugh, blushing. "Th-though you would."
Twilight hummed softly, wing still holding Rainbow in place. "You're such a naughty mare, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow giggled excitedly. "Ooh, I am so going to get it."
It was at that moment that a sound like a cannon firing rang out and the room was suddenly showered with dozens and dozens of tiny plastic candy wrappers. They shot into the air in a great cloud and began fluttering down around the two mares. A thump sounded as a pair of couch cushions landed somewhere.
Twilight pulled her wing away from Rainbow, looking around the room and all the wrappers and then back to the Pegasus.
"Rainbow," Twilight said, sounding decidedly less seductive than she had a moment ago.
"Uh, yes, Twilight?" Rainbow said, chuckling nervously.
"You are so going to get it."
