Chapter One: Self Expression
The library door creaked open slightly and bled light into the dark room.
"Hello... Is anypony here?" Firecharge called out unevenly.
The upstairs floor shook a little and the lights in the foyer turned on.
Guess that's my queue... Firecharge thought, slowly trotting in and pressing the door shut behind him.
The walls shook a little more and something purple began tumbling down the stairs.
"Ooh! Ahh! Uhhg!" Twilight's voice moaned out as she came towards the bottom the stairs.
Twilight opened one eye and noticed Firecharge standing before her. She quickly hopped up and inspected her wings.
"Sorry, I'm still leaning with these things..." Twilight giggled.
"D-did I miss something?" Firecharge uttered out, his jaw agape as he stared at Twilight's wings.
"It's... a long story...." she said, folding her wings. "So, what's on your mind, Fire? It's been awhile."
"Well... there's this mare... and...."
"Oh dear Celestia... Not this again..."
"Wait! It's different this time!" Firecharge shouted, stomping a hoof.
"Good grief... Can we sit down for this?" Twilight asked, motioning towards her study table.
Firecharge nodded and the duo marched over and sat down.
"So, anyways, I met this mare named Dark Mane and for once... We kinda share feelings..." Firecharge said, smiling little.
"Well, that's certainly progress. Why did you need me for this again?" Twilight asked, trying to wedge out of the awkward situation.
"I-I don't know how to ask her out..." Fire mumbled, looking down.
"What? How can you NOT know how to ask a pony out? Heck, even I'VE done it before!" Twilight was some-what outraged.
"I grew up in Cloudsdale heights, remember? Not the best place for a blue stallion" Firecharge said, offended by Twilight's lack of understanding.
"Well, you do have a point"-Twilight said, settling a little more in her chair-"I was a little like you... Accept I chose not to have friends. I still don't see how I tie in."
Firecharge cleared his throat and beat his chest. "Well, you did make five friends in two days and you are a mare... So I figured you'd know what mares liked."
Twilight nodded and thought for a second. "Well... express yourself. Write a poem, write a story, draw her a picture, anything like that. And another pro-tip: that chocolate and flowers stuff doesn't work."
Firecharge made a mental note of everything Twilight said and followed all of her words very closely.
"Okay, thanks Twilight..." He said sliding out from the table and trotting towards the door.
"Good luck, 'Charge!" Twilight hollered as she flew back up the library stairs.
On the way home Firecharge noted everything: The tress, the birds, even the way the clouds moved. Hey, I guess everything is beautiful....
When he got back to his house he went into his office and booted up his B. Mac. to write Dark Mane a poem. It went something like this:
Dem Feels
By Firecharge
Whenever I'm near you, my heart warms up
A sign that something good was coming
But all I every say is "sup"
Your smile makes me want to laugh
For it's beauty is unmatched
But what your seeing of me is only half
I guess, that's just how it all works out
But we change that, right here right now
By reading this and taking a bow.
For in years I wish to be with you, taking a vow
It was Monday again. The day Firecharge and Dark mane usually met up at the Advanced Fliers Academy. The two would usually meet up on the third flying course, which hardly took any socialization.
And that's how it went today. Except Firecharge and Dark Mane had more of a drawn out chit-chat waiting for the instructor to show up.
"So, what's in the bag?" Firecharge asked, referring to the satchel Dark Mane had on her back.
"Oh, it's just a bunch of poems I've been writing. It keeps the stress down." Dark Mane replied, tightening the strap.
"Cool, can I read one? I've recently gotten into poetry myself." Fire said, eyeing the satchel.
"No... I mean, it just wouldn't be comfortable" Dark Mane replied, looking Firecharge in the eye.
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
Firecharge tackled Dark Mane onto the ground and gave her a brief noogey as she giggled like a schoolfilly.
"How about now?" he asked, fixing her man and helping her up.
"Fine. Because you're so pushy."
Dark Mane flicked her pack onto the ground and opened it up, pulling out a paper with her left wing. Firecharge met this by using his right wing to grab it.
He read it briefly and a solitary tear dripped down the side of his face.
"I-is that... true?" He asked slowly, trying not to offend or offset Dark Mane.
"Uh-huh." she replied, putting her papers back.
"That's... That's dark.... And yet you're so mellow about it...."
"Yeah, it's something you learn to live with after awhile."
Firecharge wanted desperately to hug Dark Mane and ease her pain- but she had none. She was a strong mare anyway. It just never seemed like it because of her cheery attitude.
He went to get closer to her but was cut off by the flight instructor, who had arrived ten minutes late and with five o'clock shadow.
"ATTTEEENNNTTTTTIIIOOOOONNNNN!" the instructor shouted. "Give me a line, Cadets!"
The ponies all scrambled to assemble their line and get to their designated spots. Unfortunately, Firecharge was twenty ponies away from Dark Mane and could never even hope to be paired with her.
"Your ordinary course has been canceled today, for obvious reasons. But don't think that you're gonna get away scott-free. You will each fly around the entire facility two times before heading to the mess hall! Am I clear, Cadets?"
"Yessir!" The ponies all shouted, putting a hoof to their heads.
The instructor blew a whistle and the cadets were all off. Firecharge had always been the fastest flyer of the group, but he somewhat hated the fact that he couldn't control his urge. Dark Mane was in the back talking to her friends and a race of questions fluttered through his mind.
What are they talking about? Are they talking about me? Is my love... a game to her? All of that went through Firecharge's mind as he completed his first lap.
Better not let it get to me... He thought to himself, bottling up his emotions.
