"That's the food all taken care of." Spike ticked the item off his list. "At least, if you left any behind it might be. How can you eat so much, Twilight?" He reached down and poked Twilight's side—at the edge of her armor.

"Skipped lunch, remember? Princess Celestia summoned me just as I was done in class, and then I went straight to weapons practice." Twilight felt energized. "It was great food, though. I hope there are more celebrations here…" Her belly gurgled in gastronomic contentment. "So what's next?"

Spike looked down at the scroll "Well, there's supposed to be a pegasus named Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds." Craning his neck, Spike looked up at the cloud-filled sky. And was promptly knocked off Twilight's back when she did the same, and her helmet's crest shoved back into his face.

"I'm sorry Spike!" Twilight glanced up again once she saw Spike get up unhurt. "Where is this pegasus though? They don't seem to be doing a very good job, do they?"

Rainbow Dash herself was just finishing off practicing her latest aerial stunt and was trying to pull up on her barrel roll. Zooming just a few hoof-lengths from the ground, her attention was suddenly locked on the two Royal Guard pegasi walking through town.

Twilight stumbled as a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane crashed into her side. Bracing her legs, she held her feet while the stunned pony that hit her crumpled to the ground. "Why don't you watch where you are flying?" She paused a moment. "Are… Are you okay?"

"Of-Of course I am!" Rainbow Dash was seeing stars, and for a moment her eyes wouldn't uncross. A good shake of her head stopped the world spinning and let her focus. "Whoa…" She blinked at Twilight. "Uh… Hi!"

"Hello." Twilight decided that since nopony had been hurt, there was no reason to hold a grudge. "I'm Twilight Sparkle." She held out a hoof to the pegasus.

Rainbow Dash had to shake her head again. He's cute, Rainbow thought, then regained her focus. "I'm Rainbow Dash, the greatest flier in all Equestria!" Her eyes could help but trace the heavy armor on Twilight—every inch of it. Reaching up, she clopped her hoof against Twilight's.

"Just the pony we are looking for." The collision was water under the bridge now, as far as Twilight was concerned. "The Princess sent me to check up on the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. You are listed as the pony in charge of the weather?"

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow Dash felt her wings twitching with a need to show off. "I'll get right on that once I am done practicing." She struck a pose, turning to the side, loosening both wings a fraction and tilting her head up.

"Practicing for what? Isn't Princess Celestia's Summer Sun Celebration the most important thing around here?" Twilight looked at the pegasus, and couldn't help admiring the mare's tight frame and astounding wingspan for her size.

"The Wonderbolts!" Puffing her chest out like the proudest peacock ever, Rainbow Dash made an expansive gesture to the sky. "They're performing tomorrow at the Celebration, and I—"

"Really?" Twilight brightened up. "Spike, where's the list?" She turned her attention to Spike, and completely failed to see Rainbow Dash's pose wilt just a little at the lack of attention. "Thanks, Spike."

"You're welcome." Spike twirled the pencil in his hand and looked at Rainbow. "So, you want to show off for the Wonderbolts?" He had cut to the quick, not that Rainbow cared.

"Do I?! I am going to be a Wonderbolt!" Rainbow Dash spread her wings to show off. "You'll see, they will see me flying, and doing stunts, and—"

Twilight smiled, but was worrying at how to swing the conversation back to getting the sky cleared in time for the Celebration. "I am sure when Captain Spitfire and—" She froze as Rainbow Dash rushed forward, and their snouts pressed together in a fashion more intimate than Twilight would have liked it.

"You know Spitfire?" Rainbow's heart was thudding in her chest. She hadn't meant to overreact and rush against Twilight, but finding somepony who knew one of her idols was overwhelming. Then a new voice whispered softly in the back of her head, This is technically your first kiss with a stallion.

Never having seen blue turn red so quickly, Twilight pulled back from the unintended intimate encounter. "Well, yeah. My brother is Captain of the Royal Guard. They often meet as part of their jobs, and usually do a bit of light training. Shining says it is good to learn the techniques of other regiments."

"Right, right. But you know Spitfire?" Her first kiss wasn't exactly a disappointment, not when Rainbow was meeting somepony who knew one of her idols. "You could totally get me to talk to her, right?"

"Well…" Twilight's brain connected all the threads of conversation and she smiled. "Well I could, but with the sky full of clouds I am going to have to call the whole Celebration off and move it somewhere…" She trailed off as a blue/rainbow streak shot into the sky. "… else." Smiling in satisfaction, Twilight watched with building amazement as Rainbow Dash not only cleared all the clouds from the sky, but did it in eight seconds flat.

"That's amazing…" Spike stared at the excited Rainbow Dash when she returned. "You're amazing!"

Twilight just nodded. "Impressive." She smiled even wider inwardly than out. "And so long as it stays clear like this I think the Summer Sun Celebration will definitely be here. Captain Spitfire will have a perfect view of the skies."

Snapping a wing up, Rainbow Dash saluted just like she had practiced. "You bet!" Her heart beat faster, getting praise from a hunky stallion she had just met—one that knew the Wonderbolts by name—made quite the impression on her ego.

"Keep up the good work. I might just be able to get a word in with Spitfire when she arrives." Twilight saw pure devotion to the new cause in Rainbow Dash's eyes. Before Twilight could continue, the pegasus launched herself—having spotted a cloud that had just dared peek its way over the horizon.

Spike snorted. "When did you get so tricky?" He took a few steps, and a jump, and landed astride Twilight's covered back.

"I didn't lie, Spike." Twilight rolled a hoof in the air and floated the list back to her brother. "Besides, she really is a great flier. Captain Spitfire keeps telling Shiny that she needs more talent."

"Next on the list?" Spike was already glancing down, reading through the items. He crossed off "weather" and looked below it. "Decorations. We need to go to the town hall for that." Spike pointed at the biggest building, smack in the middle of town.

Already the big building's exterior was dressed up with bright, summer colors. Twilight nodded appreciatively as she entered the front door. "This already looks well in hoof, Spike. I don't think we need to…" Twilight trailed off at the gasp from her back. "What's the matter, Spike? This all looks beautiful."

"It's not the decor…" His gaze fixed on the very image of marely beauty, Spike felt a lightness like never before. "Her…" Butterflies flapped and fluttered within him, and Spike pointed at the most beautiful mare he had ever seen. Perfect white fur covered her body, and Spike's eyes were pulled in so many directions. "Her legs are perfect. Her tail is perfect. Her mane is perfect. Her eyes—"

"I get it, Spike. She is definitely a pretty mare." While Twilight found the white unicorn beautiful, her trained mind still reached back to the memories of Rainbow Dash's body that showed years of training, or even Applejack who had seemed almost as strong as Twilight. Leaving Spike to stare, Twilight strode forward. "Good afternoon—"

"Just a moment, please." Rarity was working to put the finishing touches on a stage fit for a princess—literally. "I'm in the zone, as it were."

Twilight watched the mare natter away as she tied a large red bow to a trailing streamer from above. "I really didn't want to intrude, but Princess Celestia sent me to ensure that the Summer Sun Celebration was just perfect."

The preparations were done, but even if they weren't, Rarity would have immediately snapped her attention back on Twilight. "An official from Canterlot?" Rarity spun around to lay eyes on the pony speaking to her. I bet she is simply beautiful, considering the tone of her voice, Rarity thought, but when she saw Twilight she revised that. A stallion with a soft voice, Rarity's inner filly gave a soft squeal of excitement at the thought, Oh my! "Rarity, at your service. As you can see, I have all the decorations well in hoof."

"I was just here to see about the preperations, and then we will be out of your hair." Twilight smiled at the mare, and couldn't help but see her beauty blossom anew. When Rarity smiled, it was like staring at the sun itself. "Uh… my name is Twilight Sparkle."

"It certainly is." Rarity couldn't take her eyes off Twilight's form. The way her body carried the armor, the shape of her neck and mane, even Twilight's tail was cropped off a little short in a perfectly military manner. Rarity's heart beat a little faster, and her mind imagined marriage to a stallion just like Twilight. "Is that what you are wearing to the Celebration?"

Twilight blinked owlishly and looked down at her field plate. "Uh… Yes?"

"No, that simply won't do!" Rarity shook her head and rushed at Twilight. "Come along, I have the perfect idea for a wonderful ensemble to compliment your armor." Pressing her forehead against Twilight's side, she began pushing.

"Spike! Help!" Twilight, despite outweighing Rarity—particularly in her Royal Guard armor—was being pushed along by the power of fashion. A glance at Spike revealed the dragon staggering along, practically drooling in Rarity's wake.

Holding swatches of fabric against Twilight's side, Rarity was in her element. That she also had what she thought was the hunkiest stallion she had seen in her fitting room was something else entirely. "Hrmm." She moved the fabric in a parade, comparing colors with Twilight's complexion and the armor's shine. "Too yellow. Too green. Too plaid. Too octarine… Where did you say you are from?"

Twilight was bored, but that was a good thing. Royal Guard training had prepared her for this moment. She could get bored and still pay attention perfectly to her surroundings. Standing still for hours on end was another plus. "Canterlot." When Rarity gasped in surprise, Twilight lifted a hoof to forestall another verbal explosion from the fashionista. Not that it helped.

Words flowed into Twilight's head as Rarity was off on a new topic, but while keeping track of everything said, she was still bored. The moment Rarity's focus was elsewhere for more than a fraction of a second, Twilight made her break. "Come on, Spike!"

Yanked from where he stood, Spike was dragged outside by his sister. "What? Where? Who…" Just as his head began to clear, he remembered the vision of beauty that was Rarity. "Wasn't she wonderful?"

"Focus, Casanova." Twilight now knew a lot more about color combinations than she ever wanted to. Her training made sure she could recall every word Rarity said, but her mental stability was not in agreement with her training. "What's next on the list?"

Shaking his head to be able to think, Spike pulled the list up to his eyes. "Music. And it's the last one." As he spoke, soft whistling filtered through the air, catching his attention. "Is that…"

"It sounds amazing." Voice hushed to not disturb the beautiful notes on the breeze, Twilight sought the source of the music. The straightest path beckoned, and it pulled Twilight and Spike through a bush to see a yellow pegasus discussing music with some birds. What seemed to be a one-sided conversation was startlingly effective, as revealed when the chorus of avian began to sing again.

The singing birds were somehow even more perfect. Twilight would have just stomped out, but interrupting the music seemed like a crime. When the yellow pegasus finally cut them off and started talking to the birds again, Twilight had her chance. "Hello!" Despite her efforts at being unobtrusive, Twilight managed to scare half the birds away. "I'm so sorry! I was sent by Princess Celestia to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration, and I was checking in on the music. That is…" She trailed off and gestured to Spike.

"Fluttershy?" Spike read the name from his list, before suddenly being rushed by the yellow pegasus.

Her eyes widening in surprise, Fluttershy ignored what she thought was a stallion talking to her. "A baby dragon?!" Fluttershy couldn't hold back the rush of delight. "And he talks! I am just so excited I don't know what to say…"

Twilight did a double take. For the first time since arriving she hadn't been assaulted in some way. It was almost disappointing. "You are Fluttershy, right?"

Fluttershy's attention followed the dragon as he floated over and was set on Twilight's back. Forced to acknowledge the big pony, she felt herself suddenly grow meek. "…" Her mouth opened, but Fluttershy couldn't get a word out.

"Let's try again. Hi there, I'm Twilight Sparkle." Twilight was a little put off by being ignored, but she was seeing something new in the mare. "What's your name? Fluttershy?"

Almost completely locked up, Fluttershy noticed Spike on Twilight's back again. "Wait, wait! What's his name?"

"I'm Spike!" Spike was moving backwards, and only needed a quick glance to see Twilight was annoyed.

"Hi Spike, I'm Fluttershy. Wow, a talking dragon!" The world was brighter when Fluttershy was with an animal, but Spike was something completely new. She couldn't help but feel excited. And the stallion is pretty cute, too, Fluttershy thought, and immediately felt her face turn red in a hot blush. No, no, no. I can't let the chance to speak to a real live dragon slip away just because a big, strong unicorn stud is his friend, the thought solidified Fluttershy's resolve.

Twilight wasn't bored, but she was done with the situation. Everything she needed to know was handled: the pegasus was named Fluttershy, she was the pony in charge of the music, and the music seemed amazing. It was a tiny checklist in Twilight's head, and she was able to tick off each item on it.

Her eyes spotted the tree-house after hours of searching. The sun was going down, and having found the only building in Ponyville that matched the description of "A library in a tree," she was not about to give up. Turning, she saw that Fluttershy was still chatting away with Spike. Nope, Twilight thought, I am done. There was nothing that said I had to work overtime.

In the quickest and slickest move Twilight had ever performed, she extracted Spike from Fluttershy's conversation and slipped into the Golden Oaks Library.

Author's Note

Twilight Velvet: What was your initial reaction to your husband wanting to enlist your daughter into the Royal Guard?

"A little confusion. Night is a darling, but he has some of the strangest ideas. I raised my eyebrow at him several times, but he had a counter each time. In the end I allowed it for a week and..." Twilight Velvet sipped a cup of tea, a soft sigh of pleasure leaving her lips at the taste. "... and it worked. Little Twily was so talkative. She wouldn't stop talking about marching, and the colts she met in the academy. The filly was born to stand on her own four hooves, I could hardly say no after that."

So I do this "Ask x" thing, x can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and ~~I~~ they will definitely hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories and of course, ~~I~~ they will answer the best question(s) in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer, try and keep it to one answer per post! ~~I~~ They will pick one question per chapter.

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