Chapters Edited October 29th, 2012: fixed a grammar mistake.
"Hey Twilight, I've been wondering—what does 'penchant' mean?"
"Oh Rainbow, didn't they teach you things other than flight in... well, flight school?"
"Uh, well... they taught us some math, spelling. A bit about how magic works, and a lot about air currents and clouds. General education stuff, really, with a lot of pegasi stuff mixed in." Rainbow Dash fluttered over to a spare pillow and plopped herself down onto it, as she took a glance at a nearby stack of books.
Twilight Sparkle sighed, before levitating a copy of the Equestrian Dictionary, Fourth Edition to her hooves. "Penchant: noun. A taste, liking, or inclination for something." Twilight raised a brow as she looked back up at the pegasus. "Is this seriously all you needed? Why'd you want to know this?"
"Uh, f-for reasons, and stuff." Rainbow took this opportunity to admire the beauty and detailing of the inside of Ponyville's library. Indeed, it had not occurred to her until this particular moment in time that the effort put into making a live tree with a hollow inside, complete with openings for windows and doors, was a massive undertaking that was undoubtedly the work of someone with a penchant—Hah, just used that word! Awesome. —for delicate architecture.
"Okay then, Rainbow. I suppose your reasons are your own." Twilight went back to shuffling through the stacks of books, placing them back into their proper locations on the shelves.
The dictionary sat on the ground next to the unicorn, oblivious to the turmoil that raged within Rainbow Dash. The pegasus sat on the pillow, gaze locked onto the hardcover compendium of Equestrian vernacular, sweat dripping down her face. She didn't think she'd ever be this nervous before trying out for the Wonderbolts, but it was plainly obvious that, if she were found out, she'd never live it down.
'Now or never, Rainbow Dash. Get your hooves on that book! '
Slowly, silently, she stalked forward with the continuous thumping of organized books as her only companion. Twilight's back remained in her view at all times, lest she turn around and find Rainbow Dash half-forward into a prowling form. 'And unfortunately, not very good for my adventurous reputation! '
"So, Rainbow. How are you liking the Daring Do series so far?"
Rainbow Dash instinctively jumped backwards, letting her wings slowly settle her down onto the pillow she was sitting on. Twilight turned around just as she accomplished the deed, and the pegasus gave her a sheepish smile. "Uh, yeah. Totally loving it. I think I'm on... the fifth book, or something. How many books are there?"
"I think there's nine so far. The author's been really busy this year, and she's been brushing up for a big epic finale. I guess you're postponing your reading until the last book is out?" Little clouds of dust appeared on the shelves as Twilight tidied up around the books.
"Uh, hehe. Yeah, I am. Gonna finish the whole series in one reading. I'll probably take a few days off of weather duty for this. It's going to be so awesome ."
"Where have you been picking the books up, Rainbow? I know I have copies here in the library, but I've never seen you come in here..."
Rainbow's eyes locked onto the shelf where the Daring Do series was kept. 'Oh, I was here, Twilight... ' "Uh, yeah. I get Derpy to deliver them to me when the books release, straight from Canterlot. I gotta admit, I really like that smell from a new book. That magic glue is really weird like that, but I totally dig it."
"Oh, I remember when you got one of the books. You looked positively ecstatic!"
"You could say it was rapturous, almost," Rainbow blurted out.
Twilight blinked for several seconds, before speaking up. "I... Rainbow, have you been reading other books?"
"Not really, why?" A few of Fluttershy's birds passed by the library window. Rainbow could see the Blue Jay that always admired her flying. The bird was like a mini-Scootaloo, in a way. 'Heh, even the animals like my flying. Totally unexpected, but I appreciate all my fans. '
"You just said 'rapturous.' I'm pretty sure general Equestrian education doesn't really cover words like that unless you're into the finer arts," Twilight said.
Realizing her mistake, her eyes widened as she attempted to mislead Twilight. "Oh, uh. Yeah. I totally heard Rarity say it the other day. It's a pretty neat word, don't you think? Had to ask Sweetie Belle what it meant, but I kinda like learning new words now."
"That's great, Rainbow! I think I have a few books that might be a good read for you. They're a bit slower than the Daring Do books, but I think you'll just—"
"Can I have the dictionary?"
Twilight blinked again, this time in shock. "Dictionary? But Rainbow, I thought being an 'egghead' was uncool? Remember when you said that?"
"Well, er, I just need to like... identify a few words in the almanac! Yeah, the almanac. Applejack got a copy for Ponyville from Mayor Mare, and she needs me to help identify some words."
Twilight was not enthused. "But Rainbow, you're a weather pegasus. Everything Applejack needs, she can get from the weather schedules. And I'm pretty sure her farming schedule isn't really something you need to know."
'Oh crud, I'm losing her! ' "Y-yeah, I guess so. There's been some words popping up in the Daring Do books that I don't know, though. Mind if I borrow the dictionary?"
"Oh! Of course you can, Rainbow. But just remember, you have to return the books like everyone else. I'll have you return it in a week, alright? The foals at the schoolhouse are supposed to be doing a big essay the week after that, and they always want to impress Cheerilee with big words."
"Well if they're going for big words, wouldn't a thesaurus be better for their limited knowledge?"
"Eh?"
"N-nothing. I'm just saying weird things again." Rainbow took the dictionary underneath her wing and headed for the door. "Thanks for the dictionary, Twilight. I'm going to catch up on some reading."
"Alright, Rainbow. See you later!" Rainbow waved a hoof nonchalantly as she closed the door, then took a quick glance around. After making sure no other ponies were around, she took out the dictionary and cradled it in her hooves, stroking it gently.
"Oh yes, catch up on some reading..."
Twilight was interrupted early one morning by banging on coming from the library door. Naturally, she being as organized as she was, did not plan on having her sleeping schedule interrupted. With a sigh, she brought forward her list and crossed out the entry labeled "obtain sapphires for Spike." Twilight had faith in her little assistant's patience for gems, and she definitely admitted the little dragon was gaining weight anyways.
She trudged over to the door and opened it slowly with a creak. Applejack stood on the other side, wide awake and clearly annoyed by something. Twilight knew she could have put more thought into it, but her mind was just as frazzled as her mane was in the wee hours of the day.
"Applejack."
"Oh, hey Twilight. I was wonderin' if you've seen Rainbow? We're supposed to be gettin' some showers over at Sweet Apple Acres... like, right now. And she's late by an hour."
"Uh huh." The unicorn dragged a hoof down her face. "So... is there a reason why you're telling this to me right now, when most ponies should be asleep?"
"I was hopin' you could cast a cloud-walkin' spell on me and Pinkie. Pinkie and I are gonna fly up to Rainbow's house and bang on her door until she comes out."
"What makes you so sure she's in her house?"
"Really, sugarcube? We're talkin' Rainbow Dash, here. Since when is she not in the skies?"
"Well, considering that you even managed to wake me up this early... maybe she's asleep, yeah?" Twilight could feel her sarcasm rearing its ugly head, but she wasn't too inclined to rescind it.
"Come on, Applejack! The cupcakes are getting cold!" Pinkie Pie could clearly be seen sitting on the rooftop of Sugarcube Corner, preparing another iteration of the flying machine she used during the Running of the Leaves. The details of the design were lost on Twilight, and she made it a note to never find out how Pinkie modified the craft, even if she did provide some of the parts.
"Alright, fine. Just hold still a minute, and..." Applejack was surrounded in a purple aura before she felt a shock running through her, sending her jumping into the air. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to do that, but... concentration's a bit hazy right now."
"You could wake up a pony with that! Whew, what a shock. Thanks Twilight!"
"Ooh, tingly!" Pinkie's laugh echoed throughout Ponyville.
As Applejack ran off to join Pinkie in the flying-craft-thingama-traption (as eloquently named by Pinkie), Twilight yawned and walked back into the library, closing the door behind her. She snuggled herself back into her bed, pleased that the warmth was still present within the layers. As she lay there, returning to sleep, she realized one thing.
'Rainbow Dash needed to return the dictionary yesterday. '
"Oh boy! I wonder what Rainbow Dash is doing?"
"Probably sleepin' her way through the day, I reckon. When Rainbow said she'd take over all weather duties over Sweet Apple Acres, I thought she was bein' mighty generous. Looks like my faith was misplaced," Applejack sniffed.
"Aww, don't be like that! I bet she's got some super-duper secret project... like making cloud cupcakes! Or maybe she's working on another flying technique to get into the Wonderbolts! One time, Rarity and I were watching Rainbow and she was so awesome, at least until she flew into the tree!"
A light breeze passed through the craft's carriage as Rainbow Dash's cloud house neared. "Well, Pinkie. You know I ain't one for ditchin' duties, and I know you have your job at Sugarcube Corner."
"Right-o, Applejack! You can count on me, or my name isn't Pinkamena Diane Responsibility Pie!"
"Y'all can help me ask Rainbow to get to her job. Come to think of it, she's been real quiet lately. I wonder why that is? Unless she found a new cloud, it ain't like her to—"
Applejack was interrupted by a flash of purple light within the carriage, scaring both ponies. The light coalesced and materialized into a familiar purple unicorn. Pinkie was jumping up and down while Applejack regained her bearings, ready to scold her friend.
"Dangit, Twilight! Do you realize how far up we are?!"
"Don't worry, Applejack. I ran through the safety precautions. Also, I put a homing crystal in the carriage, right about... here," Twilight said as she poked a hoof at a bright purple square on the flooring of the craft. "Last time Pinkie used this thing, she ended up losing it somehow and I had to track it down. It was halfway to Canterlot when I finally found it!"
"Land ahoy!" Pinkie was standing on the edge of the carriage when the trio were suddenly tossed out onto cloud cover as the craft collided with Dash's "lawn." The magical engine sputtered and died as Applejack helped Twilight to her hooves, while Pinkie Pie continued her exuberant leaping.
"Ugh, remind me not to do that again." Twilight could feel a headache coming on as she turned to Pinkie.
"Let's go again! Let's go again!"
"Maybe some other time, Pinkie. Let's go get Rainbow Dash."
"Rainbow? Are you here?" Twilight knocked on the door repeatedly, before turning to her friends.
"I reckon I got a way to get her out." Applejack took a deep breath. "Rainbow Dash! Get down here! "
Sounds of scuffling were apparent from the upper windows as the mares looked at each other in confusion. After a few seconds, they could hear hoofsteps before the door opened, revealing a surprisingly awake pegasus. Rainbow Dash put on her best smile as she found three of her friend right on her doorstep.
"Oh, hey girls. What brings you up here?"
Applejack thrust the weather schedule into her face. "Rain. Now."
"Oh. Ohhh. Sorry about that, Applejack. It shouldn't take too long. Be right back!"
As Rainbow shot off into the sky, Twilight peeked inside the still-open door to Rainbow's house. "Do you think she'd mind if I grab my dictionary?"
"Ooh, I'll leave the cupcakes on the kitchen table!" The party pony bounced back to the carriage, still lodged into the cloud cover.
As Pinkie began unloading two very large crates from the craft, Twilight made her way through Rainbow's home. It was very much like she had expected, as there were various Wonderbolts memorabilia strewn about through cups, posters, and autographed pictures. But at the top of the stairs, down the farthest corridor, was Rainbow Dash's room.
Twilight was about to reach for the doorknob when a light blue blur knocked her away from the door.
"What gives, Twilight? You just barge into other ponies' homes and search the premises?"
"Rainbow, I just want my dictionary back. It's still pretty early in the day, so if you give it to me now, I'll waive the late fee for you."
"Hmm... alright. Wait. Here." She prodded Twilight with a hoof before carefully opening her bedroom door and slipping inside and closing it, her eyes locked on the unicorn the entire time. Applejack and Pinkie joined Twilight, the latter having blue frosting covering her mouth.
"What are we waiting for? Is Dashie still looking for her book?"
"Aha! Here it is." Rainbow Dash burst out of the door and handed Twilight the book, a triumphant look on her face. "Sorry I kept it so long, it was scattered among the clutter in my room."
"Rainbow, this is a copy of Ye Olde Equestrian Dictionary ."
"Oh. I-I knew that. I totally thought you should get a copy so I bought one for you."
"Sugarcube, why do you got all these books all of a sudden? I don't recall you ever bein' a bookworm."
"Just wanted to, uh, expand my vocabulary. Yea. Those Daring Do books are getting really heavy. Like, one time, they used the word 'detritus' to describe some ruins, and I was like 'what does that mean?' And then I looked it up."
"Wow! There's so many books in here we could make a book fort! Fshh, this is Book Fort, over. Book Fort to Agent Twilight, come in!" Pinkie sat in Rainbow's room surrounded by walls of books, with an antenna made out of magic journals.
"Oh my gosh, Rainbow... there's so many books in here! How do you even know where your bed is?" Twilight looked around at the various columns of literature in Rainbow's room. It was like walking through a forest of book stacks, and it was so dense to the point that the only things visible were Pinkie's book fort and a wall of books.
"I can explain... all of this." Rainbow's blank expression made Applejack snicker a bit.
"Equestrian Magical Studies and Advanced Resonance Theory, Volume II , Of Mice and Mares , and the last two editions of Pegasi Encyclopedia ... all fifty-two volumes."
"Hey! Those books are pretty cool. It's like a quick facts book, except... for... everything. Ehehehe."
"Shucks, sugarcube. Y'all could make your own library in here, if you wanted to." Applejack started browsing through a book about apples, and frowned as she opened it to the middle of the book. "Hey, Sweet Apple Acres ain't on this list o' farms!"
"That's because the book is about pre-modern Equestrian farming, Applejack." Rainbow Dash grabbed the book and flipped it to the cover, showing the antiquated photos that dotted the front. "See, this one right here is garden of the Royal Pony Sisters. It used to sit just outside the castle, the one we went into when we fought Nightmare Moon! Pretty cool, huh?"
"You read about pre-Equestrian history?! Now I have someone I can talk to about Star Swirl's theories on friendship and magic! But first, let's get all these books back to library."
Rainbow dragged a hoof across her face. 'What have I gotten myself into? '
"Oof!" Rainbow dropped the crate onto the library's floor, sending a wave of force along the ground. The dust rising up from the wooden floorboards made Spike sneeze flames, but he was quick enough to cover his mouth with his claws.
"Well, here we are. I'm glad you agreed to move your collection here, Rainbow! It would have been a shame if the cloud-walking spells that were on the books wore out. Didn't you know that books don't normally come with that?"
"Agreed" was not a word Rainbow Dash agreed with at the moment, but she smiled and nodded to appease, in her mind, Twilight Sparkle the expert persuader. But again, "persuader" may not be the correct term here... particularly when the purple unicorn menaced over her, cowering the corner due to her continued insistence on moving the book collection to the Ponyville library...
...and her insistence in becoming "study buddies."
"Oooookay Twilight, I'm just gonna go now—gah!" Before she could fly off, a shroud of magic enveloped her pulled her upstairs along with Twilight, setting her down on a pillow next to a table prepped with books, a few snacks, and tea. Rainbow cringed as she observed all the sweets and pastries strewn about. 'It's almost like a tea party! I really have to get out of here! '
"Okay, Rainbow. Why don't you take a look at the book in front of you, and tell me what you think?" Twilight took a sip from her cup of tea, smugly smiling at the pegasus.
"Twi, if this is some book about unicorny stuff, I'm gonna—" she laid her gaze on the book before her, covered in familiar blue and yellow tones. "No way ! The Wonderbolts Flight Maneuver Manual ! I'd ask where you got it, but I've got an inkling of how you managed this... but anyways, let's start!"
"Eager to begin now, are we?" The smile still remained on Twilight's face.
"Uh... nah. It's just Wonderbolts' stuff, after all. You know how I am about them," she quipped nonchalantly. However, she couldn't help eyeing a certain book in the stack labeled Pegasi Recipes and other Non Sequiturs , recognizing the title as part of a pegasi humor compilation. She made a mental note to pick up the newest copy as soon as she could, and perhaps show it to Twilight. The hilarity of the Pegasi Parody Parade was not limited to skyward ponies.
"Well, then, shall we begin? We can read the same book, or we can read different things. It's up to you, Rainbow."
"Well, I'm just gonna read my book. What are you going to read?"
Twilight patted a thick tome with Celestia's seal on the cover. "Just going to do some light reading on Princess Celestia's most recent research endeavor."
Dash snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that. You're going to read through the whole thing?"
"Oh, no! Of course not. I'm just going to take notes on the first chapter and note any possible discrepancies with notable research documents!" The erudite mare remained true to her vocation as a faithful student and began writing down notes as she opened the book to its first page. "Hmm... note to self: contact the Princess about horrid font choice."
Grabbing her own book, Rainbow grabbed as many spare pillows as she could to create a mountain of comfort to relax herself on. "Oh, one more thing, Twilight." The unicorn looked up from her notes to see Rainbow Dash giving her an even, serious glare. "No one is to know about this, okay? Not a single pony."
"Well why not, Rainbow? I'd hardly think it's something of worth to note."
"No, it's because... well, you haven't been in this town as long as I have. Some ponies in this town are... crazy. About finding people who enjoy their hobbies, even if they're tangentially related."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say... books are a pretty big topic among a handful of ponies here. Not including you, of course." Dash coughed to accentuate the awkwardness.
"Is it any pony I know?" Twilight pushed her glasses back up to her eyes with a hoof.
"I'd say it's pretty easy to guess, but if you don't know I'd rather not risk getting pulled into a book club. No offense, of course." Rainbow Dash reclined into her pillow pile and cracked open the book. "Haha! Look, there's a picture of Spitfire making fun of Soarin'!"
Twilight glanced up at the clock, pulling her head off the table in a daze. She could easily judge from the shade of the sky outside that it was somewhere in the late afternoon. Had she been out that long? It was an insult to her mentor if she found out that her studious student fell asleep reading one of her works... or at least Twilight thought in her mind. She didn't dare overreact like with her friendship reports, but this was fairly minor, and not one on a schedule.
She was brought out of her thoughts by a series of giggling snorts emanating from her right. Looking over, Twilight saw Rainbow holding a book in her hooves, gleefully peering through the pages. The pegasus was surrounded by towers of books, not unlike the forest she had in the cloud house.
"My gosh, Rainbow... did you read through all those books?"
"Huh? Oh, you're awake. Sorry for taking your book, Twilight, but I ran out of material to read and I wanted to save Pegasi Recipes for last. I didn't understand it at first, but I saw that Princess Celestia put in a whole section for basic explanations! Totally awesome. Oh, by the way, you should tell her that her magical resonance equation is just a bit off. I saw the proper version in Vertical Magical Cascades , volume... three? I think?"
"You can understand magical equations, Rainbow?" Twilight wasn't sure how to take this.
"Nah, I just read about them. Pretty cool stuff, though. I think in the fourth volume it talks about how magical cascades are the realm of pegasi magic, and—bahahaha! That's a funny one!" Rainbow clutched her book unevenly as she shook herself with laughter.
Just as Twilight was about to get up, a knock rang out through the library. The sound was dulled due to the duo being on the second floor, but both were still able to hear it. Rainbow glanced at Twilight and nudged her head toward the staircase frantically and urgently. Twilight merely rolled her eyes and trotted downstairs, answering the door with a flourish only to come face-to-face with an aquamarine unicorn.
"Oh, hey Twilight. I was wondering if you had the most recent edition of Pegasi Recipes and other Non Sequiturs ?"
"Oh, interested in some humor, Lyra? Come on inside, I'll go get it right now."
Lyra obliged, and entered the library as Twilight went back upstairs to grab the book. Unfortunately, Twilight arrived back upstairs to find Rainbow still reading the book, face barely inches away from the text. She was obviously enjoying the humor found in the book as she wore a wide grin on her face while her eyes dashed across the pages.
"Rainbow, Lyra wants to borrow the book you're holding. I'm afraid you're going to have to give it up."
In a manner similar to Rarity, Rainbow adopted a look of incredulity and shock, shifting her gaze from Twilight to the book, and back several times before sighing and giving the book to Twilight's magical aura. "I guess I can just pick up a copy the next time I'm in Canterlot for weather reports. Speaking of which, I hate it when a story starts out with those! 'It's a bright and sunny day', they say. Of course it is, especially if the awesome Rainbow Dash on the weather team."
Twilight could only laugh at her friend's statements, knowing all too well that many novels started out with weather intros, and the fact that Rainbow Dash would have cleared the skies quite easily. Rainbow picked up a book and cracked it open, blissfully unaware of Lyra's entry onto the second floor of the library.
"Oh my gosh, Rainbow Dash!"
"Gah!" Rainbow tossed the book up into the air, watching it neatly land on top of a shelf. "L-Lyra! What are you doing here?" She grinned sheepishly as her eyes darted about, looking for an avenue of escape.
"Did you change your mind? I always knew you liked books! Bonbon's not much of a book reader herself since she has to work, but I think you're a great reading buddy!"
"Look, Lyra. We only did it once, okay? It was for—"
"The Fast and the Flying , I know. Why didn't you reply back, Rainbow? You were one of the first ponies in this town to really touch on some good, old fashioned reading, and I thought I found somepony else in town who I could read with."
Twilight couldn't help but feel a bit sad for Lyra. It was obvious to her that there was some shared past with Rainbow Dash, but she knew better than to butt in. "Well, I'll just leave the book here. I'm going to go organize the books downstairs."
"Okay. See you later, Twilight." Lyra never broke her gaze with Rainbow Dash as Twilight went back downstairs, steadily moving closer until she was face-to-face with the pegasus.
Lyra sighed, surprising Rainbow. "The least you could have done was reply back. I always see you in town but I was afraid to talk to you. I thought I had done something wrong."
"No!" Dash didn't realize that the word came out of her own mouth. "No. It-it's my fault, really. If you don't mind, I'd like to sit down and have a chat with you some time."
"Well, that certainly sounds great! But we are going to read books, okay? I have a really cool book about pegasus music! Did you know some pegasi use their wings to play instruments?"
"I think Spitfire said she could do that, once." Although speed was one of the ways to get into the Wonderbolts, a bit of extra talent could never hurt.
"Great. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then? I know you usually work in the morning, so I'll just meet you at my house in the afternoon. Is that fine?"
"Uh, sure. That sounds alright. I'll see you tomorrow!" Lyra departed, Rainbow Dash wearing her best grin as the unicorn went back downstairs. As soon as she was out of sight, she sighed. This day just kept getting better and better for her.
Dash slinked back downstairs, sitting down across from Twilight, who was now re-reading Celestia's research tome. "Ugh, if this keeps happening my reputation will be ruined! Ruined, I say!"
Twilight laughed. "Oh Rainbow, what's the problem? So somepony finds out you're reading, what about it?"
"You don't understand, Twilight! If everypony in town finds out that I've been binge reading, they'll laugh at me! Or even worse, they'll call me an egghead! Or even worse , those other mares I've been telling you about might start asking me to read with them! And you know I just can't resist!"
"Rainbow, are you referring to Lyra? That's rude!"
"What? Oh, nononono. I'm not saying anything else. She has eyes like a hawk, and ears like... a dog? Either way, I'm not saying her name."
"So it's a 'she', hmm?" Twilight couldn't help but chuckle as she saw Rainbow Dash's gears turning in her head.
"Gah! Okay, fine. Let's just get back to reading, okay? I took today off for a reason and I'm not going to let anypony else ruin my book time."
The two settled back down on the second floor, silence overtaking the library. Rainbow pursed her lips as she looked around at the mess of books scattered about the ground. "Well, there goes the one book I wanted to read."
"Can you believe this, Twilight? Check it out!" Rainbow brought over her book and laid it out on the table. A picture of a yellow pegasus mare stood out on the page, wearing the traditional uniform of Cloudsdale's Highwing University. "Look at her glasses! They remind of Rarity's work glasses. Hehe."
"My gosh, look at her! Didn't we see her at the Gala? She looks like she came out of the School for Gifted Unicorns here!"
"This is why I love reading. I get to find out about all this awesome stuff, and read about cool things. I think I can see why you love surrounding yourself with books, Twilight."
"Well, certainly! I'm glad you think that way too, Rainbow. Most ponies only use the library for reference, and only the foals read in their spare time. I guess that's part of being an earth pony town: everypony's busy working, so they never have time to read."
Rainbow put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "Hey, don't be like that, Twi. Everypony in town appreciates you, and I know a few ponies in town read some books. I'm sure even Princess Celestia is too busy sometimes to read books, you know how it is. I just know it'll pick up during winter. Nopony can keep their hooves off books then."
Twilight beamed at Rainbow's praise. "Thanks, Rainbow. Sometimes I forget that ponies are busy. It's really easy to just forget sometimes that ponies are just as equine as I am." She looked at her hooves and fidgeted. "It used to happen pretty often when I was in Canterlot. I treated almost everypony like an object, even the guards. Only Princess Celestia was a 'pony' to me. Oh gosh, it was so embarrassing when I realized what I was doing! I went around to everypony apologizing, and I remember when I got to the guards I was crying."
Rainbow laughed. "Boy, that must have been awkward for them! And you were just a little filly then, right? Still preoccupied with your books?"
Twilight nodded, a smile coming to her face as she reminisced. "It was really funny. You remember when the guards came to Ponyville, and how they were always stone-faced? I think I managed to startle them. They were so scared that they had done something wrong, and called for the Princess herself."
"No way! I would have loved to see the looks on their faces!" Rainbow flew around the room, perusing the shelves for more reading material. "I usually save the bigger books for winter. It's really cool flying then, and I literally mean cool . Pegasi are usually resistant to colder temperatures, but it's still pretty uncomfortable."
"Isn't everything regulated, especially since Ponyville is so close to Cloudsdale?"
"You bet. Aside from Canterlot, Ponyville is the most heavily regulated town for weather. Something about keeping up appearances, and all that. After that stunt we pulled with the tornado, a lot more ponies took notice of our little town. And I'm in charge of it all!"
"If you ever need help with paperwork..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyways, I gotta go. I'm going out for some afternoon lunch with Flutters, and it's totally not cool to be late." She finished stacking all of the scattered books on the table. "I'll see you later, Twilight! I think I've read enough books for this week!"
Rainbow Dash flew out the window she usually crashed into, thankfully this time without any incident. She was content with the happenings of the day, especially reconnecting with Lyra, and smiled to herself as she flew towards Fluttershy's cottage. If she were paying attention, she would have noticed a pony enjoying the afternoon sun outside one of Ponyville's cafes, nearest the library.
The pony put down her cup of tea and looked skyward, watching Rainbow disappear into the distance. She grinned, realizing that the pegasus would no longer be able to hide her love for books.
"Now, Rainbow Dash, I have you. There is no escape!"
Edited October 29th, 2012: Fixed some spelling mistakes. Thanks coandco!
Rainbow's hoof hovered in front of the door to the Heartstrings residence. She recognized the flowers that grew on the windowsill, as well as the colors of the walls. None of them had changed a single bit from when she visited so many years ago, when Rainbow had first moved to Ponyville, still fresh-faced out of Cloudsdale. Her ego was a bit tamed after leaving the home she had known for so long, and she had sought to find an outing for her homesickness.
Pegasi books were the first things she thought of. Though the pegasi race was thought of as a mostly agile and athletic race, it was common knowledge that years of pegasi excellence were only achieved thanks to the tireless efforts of Cloudsdale scholars. It was considered a great honor to hold a position of pegasi magical theory, but many elected instead to follow a simpler life.
Ponies like Rainbow Dash, who adored the more practical sides of pegasi magic.
She grimaced as thoughts ran through her head. Why would Lyra be so willing to accept her even after so long? What of Bonbon, Lyra's roommate? How would she react to the fact that Rainbow had stood up her friend on a simple reading date? What was Lyra's relationship with Bonbon? When did Lyra even meet Bonbon? Rainbow was absolutely certain that Lyra was lived alone before. Or was Bonbon actually...?
"Gah! No, no, no! That's none of my business!" Rainbow Dash folded her hooves in front of her chest and sat down in front of the door, admiring the lone cloud above Ponyville. 'Why is this so hard for me? '
The sound of a doorknob rattle startled Rainbow, who got to her hooves and turned around just in time to see Lyra standing in the doorway.
"Oh my, you actually showed up! And a bit early, too!"
"Showed up? Were you expecting something else, Lyra?" Rainbow couldn't help but be a bit insulted.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry, Rainbow. I just thought since you're Ponyville's head weather pony, and an Element of Harmony, you'd be a bit busier."
Rainbow rubbed the back of her head. "Oh. I didn't mean to say that, I'm sorry. It's just... well... you know how I am and all that. I'm the awesome Rainbow Dash, Equestria's fastest flier!" She puffed out her chest with bravado.
"I can definitely see why you didn't want anypony finding out! Come on inside, I've got some tea waiting! I know you don't usually drink it, but I do remember you always liked the chamomile."
Lyra moved aside as Rainbow entered, the door closing behind her. Rainbow wasn't sure what she was expecting when she stepped inside. The night before showered her with dreams about a multitude of home interiors, each one drastically different from the next, but the reality was far more mundane.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Lyra sighed. She took a spot on the far side of the living room table,
"Totally." Rainbow took the chair on the other side. "Smells kind of funky in here."
Lyra giggled. "Oh, that's just Bonbon's cooking. Her chocolates are really popular in Canterlot, but she doesn't think it's enough. She'll experiment late into the night, and then I wake up and find the kitchen splattered in chocolate. Good thing I keep my lyre upstairs!"
"So, um... how did you meet Bonbon?" Rainbow fidgeted with her hooves, unsure if this was too personal a question.
"Oh, that! It's actually a rather funny story. You see, I was checking the newest harmonics book a few months ago, and I accidentally bumped into Bonbon when she was looking for the newest edition of Equestrian Chef . And, well, that's how it happened."
"Didn't she have her own house here?"
Lyra shook her head. "Actually, when she first showed up at the Summer Sun Celebration, she was visiting Berry Punch. After everything that happened here, she decided she wanted to move here. Bonbon was staying with Berry Punch until I ran into her."
"Uh huh." The book on the table was Gray Telescope , an introspective story that Dash had thought about reading several times. "Oh, it's this book, huh? I've been trying to get around to reading it, but I didn't really have the time."
"Oh? What were you busy doing?"
Rainbow's cheeks reddened. "I was busy reading encyclopedias."
Lyra's lilting laugh carried through her abode, exacerbating Dash's embarrassment. "You really have changed, haven't you? I remember you used to be so shy about reading when we started our little book club. Although, I remember a certain pony was—"
"Shh!" Rainbow put a hoof over Lyra's mouth. "I think she's still on to me. She's lessened up a bit and stopped observing me at the odd hours, but she still keeps an eye out for me. Last time I said her name I could have sworn she was just around the corner."
"Come on, Rainbow. You don't honestly think she's still at it, after all this time?" Lyra opened her book to the foreword, levitating the book up to eye level.
Rainbow copied her, opening up her own copy of the book. "I don't know why she hasn't asked you yet. I mean, why me of all ponies? You have just as many books as I do!"
"Perhaps she considers it strange and wonderful that a pegasi actually takes interest in literature outside of Cloudsdale's main academia?"
"It can't be that rare, can it? You say that as if pegasi only read pegasi books, or something."
"Actually, Equestrian survey studies have indicated that in the past five years—"
"Let's just read, Lyra. Please." Rainbow put on an exhausted smile. "The past few days have been pretty crazy, and I'd like to just read some more."
"How'd he do that?"
"How'd he do what?" Lyra peeked over the top over her book.
"This! 'Trotson Gray took this opportunity to stock up on Bar None's choice cider. He wasn't sure if it would be needed, but his premonition gave him the sense that it would be needed.' This sentence is so confusing! I can't imagine how it made it into the Canterlot Times' bestseller list!" Rainbow took a sip of her lukewarm tea, dropping her book onto the table. "Sometimes I think I could write a better book."
"Now, Rainbow. Let's not get uppity about this, although I do have to agree with you." Lyra closed her book as well.
The pegasus landed on the nearby couch with a huff. "I guess reading too much Daring Do has raised my standards. The book is pretty acclaimed, after all; it'd only make sense for the author to keep up standards, especially when it's so popular." She turned over on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Sometimes I think I'm getting too caught up with books. Maybe I should just slow down a bit, regain my old habits."
"Of course. I certainly don't spend all my time reading, since I also have to practice with my lyre. Ponyville's musicians are teaming up with Canterlot's this year in the annual philharmonic ball, and we're going to crush Manehatten's orchestra this year!" She smiled evilly as she shoved her hooves skyward. "Well, at least I hope we do. We didn't do so well last year because Octavia got sick."
"I like reading books, but sometimes it gets... really tiresome. It's like eating too much, or drinking too much apple cider."
"Oh, I agree. All pursuits in life are better when taken in moderation..." Lyra grinned. "Unless it happens to be for the Young Flyers' Competition, of course."
"Aw, hayseed. You heard about that too?" Rainbow retreated into the pillow she was hugging.
"A sonic rainboom isn't common gossip, Rainbow Dash. Everypony in Ponyville could see it, although many didn't suspect it was you. I certainly had an idea about who pulled it off, though." Lyra turned her eyes to a picture sitting on the mantel. Within it was a rather enthusiastic Lyra with a hoof around a sheepishly grinning Rainbow Dash.
"I remember when we took that picture. It was a few weeks after I first moved here, right? It was so hard for Fluttershy to get around town, and then I ran into you at the library." Rainbow trotted over and picked up the picture, smiling slightly. "You know, before I came to Ponyville I thought I would never have unicorn or earth pony friends. I thought I'd be up in the skies all the time, flying through the streets of Cloudsdale. I'm really glad I came down here though, and not just because of the cider."
"All that's in the past now, Rainbow. Now, Twilight tells me you wanted to read a certain humor book?" The thud of Pegasi Recipes and Other Non Sequiturs caused Rainbow to turn around, glee on her face.
"Boy, do I! I only left off on page five, and this one's the biggest compilation yet!"
The remainder of the afternoon was filled with raucous laughter and gleeful giggling as Lyra and Rainbow Dash sat together on the couch, enjoying the best the Pegasi Parody Parade could offer. Gray Telescope was thrown completely out the window, though not in the literal sense, in lieu of lighter material from Lyra's decently-sized library.
Rainbow's concerns were assuaged after Lyra did a bit of explaining regarding Bonbon—the earth pony was just a friend and roommate, nothing more, although when Rainbow tried to articulate the question across in a series of nervous stutters, Lyra broke out laughing when she finally pieced together the question.
After several games of hoof wrestling, in which Rainbow easily triumphed, the two ponies elected to slow down and laze the rest of the day away, occasionally dropping a comment to the other about the quaint nature of Ponyville in comparison from their cities of origin, as Lyra had moved long ago from Canterlot.
"I gotta say, Lyra. I could totally see us doing this like, every week or something. Or maybe every other week, don't want to run through all the books. Does Bonbon read much?"
"Well, not as much as I do, but a little bit. She usually goes for the sappy romance novels. Berry Punch likes to read the monthly winery magazines to keep on top of the latest trends and flavors, but other than that I'm not sure if she reads at all. The Canterlotians are usually too busy practicing to get any real time to read, which was part of the reason I left. I still keep in contact with them, but it's not like it used to be."
"I guess everypony's pretty busy this time of year." Rainbow looked past the flowers on Lyra's windowsill, watching the sun bathe the horizon in orange as it set. "I guess I should probably get going, too. What book do you wanna read next? I guess we could pull something from the bestsellers' list, but I like to go for the obscure stuff. That is, uh, not because I don't like the mainstream stuff, hehe."
"I'm sure I'll find something by then, Rainbow. It's been nice catching up with you!"
Rainbow Dash waved a lazy hoof as she trotted out into the brisk evening air. Pinkie and Applejack didn't seem to mind Rainbow's tenacity in reading, the two even going as far as borrowing a few baking and farming books, respectively. The pegasus regretted the loss of her encyclopedia collection, but she knew that moving it to the library was a wise choice—clouds really were not ideal for laying books on since they had a tendency to fall through, even with enchantments.
She decided to wind down her day with a nice assortment of vegetables—obtained hastily just as many stalls closed—and a nice bottle of apple cider, left chilled in the fridge for several days. Before Rainbow went back, though, she decided to take a walk through the Ponyville park to reflect a bit.
She idly sat at a pond's edge as the sun dipped below the horizon. Although she never wanted for Twilight or anypony to find out about her reading, she had to admit that the string of events that came afterwards was not so bad. Lyra was one of the first friends Rainbow had in Ponyville other than Fluttershy, and it was thanks to Lyra's recommendation that she got onto the weather team.
All because they had met in the library. Of course, back then it wasn't run by Twilight, but by a stallion who had to relocate his occupation to Canterlot. Rainbow distinctly remembered that the stallion was employed by the Royal Court... was the stallion recalled to give Twilight the position of librarian?
Dash nearly had the inclination to hit herself with a hoof right then. She was not a particularly clever mare in most cases, and often resorted to her temper to lead things through. Such ideas, like Twilight's appointment or Lyra's relationship with Bonbon were, to her, a rather disloyal thing to think. She should have faith in her friends, shouldn't she? It could merely be a coincidence, and in all cases wasn't really much of her business.
The pegasus sighed as she pondered her entire life. Books had always played a role, from since she was a filly learning about the great Commander Hurricane, to the end of flight school, in which she barely scraped by. It was always books around her in some shape or form, and she never thought about it too much. Rainbow's brow furrowed over remembrance. Fluttershy was a very erudite pony in school due to her shy nature, and she regretted not joining her foalhood friend. It could have meant better grades in flight school, and it also could have meant more bonding time with Fluttershy.
"Hello, Rainbow Dash."
Dash's ears perked up and turned towards the source of the voice, which Dash recognized all too well. "Cheerilee."
"I couldn't help but notice you weren't in the skies today." Cheerilee wore a smug grin that put Rainbow in a state of unease.
"Uh, yeah. Busy doing some weather stuff for the office! You know, paperwork and all that." Rainbow turned and maintained eye contact with the earth pony. "What are you doing out here? Everypony's probably eating dinner right now, which is something I should also be doing." Rainbow shrugged her shoulders to adjust her saddlebags.
"On the contrary, Rainbow Dash. I finally have you!" Cheerilee moved forward, closing the distance between the two. "I know what you were doing today, you sneaky pegasus. You were reading , weren't you?"
"Uh, yeah? Paperwork and stuff?" Sweat dropped down Rainbow's brow. She was quite close to being caught by this mare of all mares—the one who single-hoofedly ended her early preoccupation with books!
"No, Rainbow Dash. You were reading literature. Literature ! Don't get coy with me, mare. I saw all the books Twilight hauled into her library. You know, some still have your name on them."
'Crud .' Rainbow knew the jig was up. "Yeah, alright, fine. I'm reading again, okay? What do you want from me? Are you going to force me to do your terrible reading sessions again? I only read for fun, Cheerilee, not for that literary analysis stuff you always do! I'm not a teacher, dang it! Why can't you just leave me alone?!"
Cheerilee stood speechless, watching as Rainbow dash tempered her breathing. "O-oh my. I'm very sorry, Rainbow Dash. I didn't realize I was so overbearing last time... or, even now, actually." She chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry. I was actually wondering if you wanted to join me for some reading tomorrow, then? N-not that you have to, of course. I was a bit manic back then, since the education office was on my hooves."
Rainbow blinked. "Yeah, sure," she blurted out.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow at one," Cheerilee noted. "Oh, and you don't have to bring anything. I'm just starting the Daring Do series myself, and I know how much you like it. Good night!"
Rainbow simply watched Cheerilee disappear among the streets and clamor of Ponyville, taking in everything that just happened. She read some books with Twilight, reestablished her relationship with Lyra, and now she was going to read books with Cheerilee, who was basically borderline stalking the weather pony simply because she liked to read books.
Today was a weird day.
Rainbow Dash never went to the Ponyville schoolhouse. As a matter of fact, she was only vaguely aware that Ponyville even had a schoolhouse, despite the fact that she passed by it every morning as she worked in the sky, batting away the clouds for the month-long clear skies scheduled by the bureaucrats up in Cloudsdale. She spent her days napping, as she was wont to do, and usually forgot about the little red building that stood on the outskirts of town.
Today, though, she stood face to face with the door. It was an unusual door, in that it was actually larger than a regular door, and Rainbow suspected that it used to be a farm when it was first constructed. Ponyville was an earth pony town, after all, and vegetables of all kinds were harvested in its early days. This particular building used to belong to the Rich family, before it was donated to the town a few years after Ponyville was founded.
She yawned and smacked her lips before rubbing her eyes with a hoof. She was about halfway through her nap before she realized it was almost one o'clock, and let the cloud float off towards her home where it would attach itself to the underside of the house, as usual. The little cloud had proven quite invaluable in secretly transporting literature through the skies without anypony noticing. Just Rainbow Dash being Rainbow Dash, moving clouds around for the next day's weather lineup.
The previous day or so had rendered it all for naught, though. All her books now resided in Ponyville's library, and here she was at Cheerilee's schoolhouse, on a weekend. The part of her mind that housed her usual, spunky self screamed at her to just get out of there, to go and enjoy the beautiful day by practicing maneuvers or challenging Applejack to a nice race. However, she was never one to back out of an appointment, especially since Cheerilee had dropped her previous habits and hadn't been as forthcoming. It wouldn't be very friendly of her to turn down the teacher down, would it?
Rainbow rapped on the door with three sharp clacks. No point in letting a weekend go to waste, especially if it involved books. She briefly wondered what would happen if the foals wrote a Gabby Gums article about her reading, and frowned. Scootaloo and her friends weren't acting very nicely during that period, and she really hoped that invasive journalism wouldn't take hold in Ponyville. It was to be expected from larger places like Manehatten or Canterlot, and the Wonderbolts were no stranger to mass media. Would she be ready for that, when the time comes?
The schoolhouse door swung open, revealing Cheerilee in reading glasses. "Oh my, Rainbow Dash! I was half expecting you to not show up, but you're actually a bit early."
"Hey, I'm a mare of my promises! Uh, most of the time." Certain memories involving Discord were dredged up, and Cheerilee raised an eyebrow as she put on a grimace. "I'd really rather not talk about it."
"Right, right. Well, come on in! I took the liberty of setting out a few books for you to read, and I've got my own copies as well. We can start with whichever one you want!"
Rainbow followed Cheerilee into the schoolhouse, and noticed the various posters and projects lining the side of the building, as well as the various little desks that dotted the center of the room. She could easily identify Scootaloo's desk, rainbow-colored streamers and various drawings of Wonderbolts dotting it.
And then she turned her attention to Cheerilee's desk.
"Whoa!" Her eyes followed a stack of books that nearly reached the ceiling. Normally this wouldn't be a problem for the book-loving pegasus, but the choice of literature shocked her. "These books have so many pages, Cheerilee! Do you see that book right there? It's twice as thick as my hoof! And that one's almost the size of Scootaloo!"
"Ah-ah, Rainbow. I saw the books you had with your 'study session' in the library. Those were some really high-level books!" Cheerilee's breathing became uneven and she put on a manic smile. "I'm so glad you gave me a second chance, because I'm going to make you read forever !"
"Wah!" Rainbow Dash recoiled as Cheerilee suddenly advanced forward, and looked around to find an exit. Of course, this being a schoolhouse there were plenty of windows. Rainbow threw caution to the wind as she darted for the closest one to escape—repair fees can be worried about later!
Unlike the usual happenings in Twilight's library, the window did not burst open, nor did it explode. Rainbow bounced off the surface of the window, spinning straight into Scootaloo's desk and sending rainbow streamers into the air. This was impossible! The windows weren't supposed to act like a rubber ball! Rainbow clambered over the desk and saw Cheerilee closing in, and attempted again to escape.
After being rebuffed from every single window, Rainbow Dash fell onto her back, exhausted. The door was for naught, as the lock had somehow jammed itself into place. Cheerilee stood still as she watched Rainbow Dash panic, and simply trotted over to the tired pegasus and peered down into her magenta eyes.
"I've got you now, Rainbow Dash. "
"My goodness, Rainbow Dash. Where are your manners?"
"But I—you were going to make me read forever, and... and... horseapples. That was a nightmare, wasn't it?"
"It must be a very serious one for you to scream like that, Rainbow. My ears are still ringing." Cheerilee rubbed her ears with her hooves. "I guess I should have been used to screaming since I deal with foals all the time, but your voice is quite shrill for pony like you."
Rainbow looked down at the book she was reading, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no bits of drool on the pages. "Ah, right. We were reading The Haymaker's Omnibus . Not really into farming myself, so I guess I fell asleep while reading."
"Did you say I was going to make you read forever ? As amusing as that would be, the last time I asked you to read that was exactly what happened. I really don't know what came over me that day, but I promise you it won't happen again."
"Sorry about that. It's still kind of scary. You being creepy, that is. Totally doesn't suit you, in my opinion."
"I admit I was wrong. A lot of what happened that day stems from certain things in my past, regarding a pegasus colt that I met very long ago."
Rainbow arched a brow. "Mind if I ask what happened?"
Cheerilee slammed her hoof down on the desk, snapping a pencil in half. "He threw out all my books! All of them, including my favorite picture book! I thought he was my friend, but he did it anyways!" Cheerilee huffed a bit before closing her eyes in meditation. "Later I found out it was by accident, but by then all the books were gone. I still have a bit of a sore spot when it comes to pegasi reading books, and I'm sorry I took it out on you, Rainbow."
"Wow. If somepony threw out all my books, I'd probably get really angry. You forgave him for that?"
"Well, to be honest he was kind of a klutz. I can barely remember his name now, although I did hear he got into the Wonderbolts. He's the vice captain now!"
"Wait. You're telling me you know Soarin'?" Rainbow leaned forward, interests raised.
"That's him! He was a good colt, but he was a bit of an airhead. He sends me a lot of the Wonderbolts merchandise, and Scootaloo eats it right up! Unfortunately, that's the only way that I can get her to pay attention, but Soarin' seems to be fine with it." Cheerilee looked over at the Wonderbolts stickers littering Scootaloo's desk. "I guess he was never really one for books, anyways. Belongs up in the clouds, just like his parents."
"Back up a minute. You've known Soarin' since he was a foal? How fast was he then? Did you know when he met Spitfire? Did he go to Highwing University?"
The rapid-fire nature of Dash's questions caught Cheerilee off guard, and she stuttered out her answer. "I-I don't know! He moved away after he started flight school, and he's only started sending me letters this year!"
"Hmmmm." Rainbow leaned back and reclined on the chair and gave Cheerilee a level gaze. "Okay. Back to the book."
Cheerilee looked down at her own copy. She was woefully behind Rainbow Dash, who appeared to be a speedreader—the pegasus went straight for the meat, and ignored many details. In the past few hours that Cheerilee had read with Rainbow, the former also noticed that certain things, like one-line sentences or equations, stood out far more easily to Dash. She could easily absorb multiple facts, but had a hard time digesting passages from history books and the lengthier novels.
Just like Soarin' used to.
Rainbow frowned as she picked up the Omnibus again. The inner workings of Equestria's hay farming industry were lost on her, and she tilted her book left and right to get a better look at a diagram of farming techniques. "Hey, Cheerilee. Did you used to work on a farm?"
"Hmm? Well, no I haven't." Cheerilee wrinkled her nose. "My family has always been more about public service."
"Yeah, my family's been pretty big into that stuff too. Working around the weather factory and all that."
"Well." Cheerilee cleared her throat. "I think that's quite enough for today, don't you?"
"Eh? But I just started on this chapter about the, uh... Natural Processes with Earth Pony Magic ." Rainbow squinted at the text and snorted. "These eggheads are so literal with these chapter titles."
"I would like to talk, Rainbow Dash." Cheerilee closed her book gently and folded her hooves on the table. "I think I should clear up any bad ground we may still have about that incident."
"But, the book!" Rainbow shrunk back as Cheerilee silently glared at her, and sighed. "Alright, alright. I guess we can talk. Anything on your mind? You know I've already forgiven you about that mess, right?"
"No, nothing at all, Rainbow. I just want to get to know you a bit better."
"Uh, okay. Well, I'm Rainbow Dash, the awesomest pony in Equestria." Rainbow laughed. "That phrase is so overused! I really need to get a new introduction. Maybe one of the books about Wonderbolts has something I can use."
"Oh, Rainbow." Cheerilee waved a hoof in jest. "Everypony knows about you by now. I think even some ponies from Manehatten and Trottingham know, too!"
"I haven't been to Trottingham, though. I've been to Manehatten once for a Wonderbolts show, but I don't recall introducing myself to anypony except Fleetfoot."
"I believe your little fan Scootaloo may have been instrumental in that." Cheerilee brought out a bottle of water and took a long drought from it. "Hm. Scootaloo's actually quite the serious fan, you know. She mentions you to everypony who cares to listen, most of all me. I suppose that's why I wanted to apologize to you—Scootaloo is an ever-present reminder that you're still in town."
"Well, at least she's getting my name out, haha. I should ask her to tone it down, though. I don't want the Wonderbolts to think I'm some kind of braggart."
"As if you weren't already one?" Cheerilee smirked at her minor victory.
"Oh, hush." Rainbow smiled back belatedly. "Anyways, I guess you kinda want to know how I got into books? Funny story, actually—I think Fluttershy was the one who got me into books, even if she doesn't realize it. I was pretty into the Wonderbolts at that time, but she gave me a little flight manual that the Wonderbolts hands out to all the foals in flight school. I ate it right up, but it wasn't until Twilight gave me that Daring Do book in the hospital that I really started reading again."
"Ah, so that was what she was so happy about back then... please, do continue."
"I guess it sort of snowballed from there. I just had to finish reading the other Daring Do books, so I asked Derpy about any mail-order book magazines. She always has a few in stock to buy books for the mayor, so she lent me one. Let's just say one night of apple cider and a bunch of bits in the bank equates to a lot of new books in my house."
Cheerilee sat in silence for a minute before beckoning her conversation partner to continue. "Oh, um. I guess there's really not much to it after that. I started going for the Daring Do stuff first, then I branched out to all the other adventure books. Started getting a bit bored of that, so I looked up some pegasi history books, which led to Equestrian history books, which lead to Equestrian culture books, which led to comedy..."
"So I guess it's safe to say you've had a taste of every genre?"
"Well, almost. I stay away from the horror stuff. I can't believe anypony books like that! Why would they want to read about ponies getting killed in such gruesome fashion? Totally not awesome."
"Well, do you read romance novels as well?"
"Nah. That's more like Rarity's thing. The mushy stuff I can usually get from Fluttershy. She's always got good taste in that lovey stuff."
"Hmm." Cheerilee looked around idly while Rainbow played with a pencil on the desk. The situation had played out entirely differently in her head, especially the part where they would talk a bit more. She should have known that Rainbow wasn't really much of a conversationalist, but she was riding on that. The teacher gave out a long, heavy sigh before bringing out a new book from the nearby shelf.
"Want to read some Prench?"
Rainbow's gaze switched from Cheerilee to the book in her hooves, and back again. "Eh, why not?"
