Spellbound Fireflies (22 page)

Watching the filly’s face over her head, dozens of images overlaid Scootaloo’s vision.  Suddenly, she was in a stately ballroom with an orchestral score filling the air.  She twirled Sweetie in time with the music, their matching dresses smart and refined.  The hall was grand and glittered with polished marble, but she only had eyes for her dance partner.

She was in a nightclub.  The dark and grimy floors reverberated violently into her hooves as the bass pumped, louder than she could comprehend, and she rocked out with the filly in energetic sweeps.  With each pass, they stepped closer together, bobbing with the beat, reaching for each other’s hooves.

She was at a concert that had just let out, waiting backstage as Sweetie bowed to applause.  The unicorn left the spotlight, beaming at Scootaloo with that same gigantic grin, those same wet eyes.

She was landing on a cloud, sliding the cowl back from her Wonderbolt uniform and wiping the sweat from her brow.  Sweetie Belle rushed to meet her and leapt into her outstretched legs.  She hugged the filly close.

She was in a park, laughing in celebration, full of fiery victory and endless joy, her hooves gently gripping Sweetie Belle as they cheered.

Scootaloo pulled Sweetie Belle close and kissed her.

Her eyes shot wide the minute her lips touched the delicate muzzle of her friend.  
‘Aaaah!’
she mentally screamed at herself,
‘What am I doing?!’
  Nearly every fiber of her being demanded she stop, but for a moment she was frozen in place, pressed against Sweetie Belle.  The extremely small portion of her that wasn’t busy panicking never wanted to pull away.

Sweetie Belle felt so
right
.  All her silly little imagined kisses with her pretty crush had a sappy, cloying, perfumed quality to them, closer to a mouthful of roses than anything else Scootaloo could think of.  
Actually
kissing Sweetie Belle was a marvel of simplicity.  A gentle warmth spreading from her lips down to her hooves, a plain lightness lifting from the pit of her belly, a heady buzzing between her ears.  Nothing frilly, nothing saccharine, no fireworks, no sudden music.  Just a bare and honest connection between her and another pony.

It was better than Scootaloo ever dreamed it could be.

Scootaloo set Sweetie Belle back on her hooves and stepped away quickly.  She felt morbid heat rise to her already flushed face, reaching from the end of her snout to the tips of her ears in an inferno that could shame a dragon.  She dropped her gaze and sunk to her haunches, swallowing dryly in an attempt to staunch the nervous guilt flooding her system.

Cringing and shaking her head, she forced herself to look back up.  Sweetie Belle’s shocked eyes skittered away from her gaze, the filly’s rosy cheeks darkening and her whole body trembling.  “I-I…uh…I…” Scootaloo stammered.

Sweetie Belle turned in place and galloped from the park, faster than Scootaloo had ever seen her move.  The little pegasus sunk in on herself further, lowering her head, drooping her ears, and pawing at the ground.

It took her a very long time to find the strength to go home.

Rainbow Dash settled gently on the library’s balcony.  Twilight slid from her marefriend’s back and patted down her windswept mane.  When she turned to face Rainbow, her expression grew puzzled.  Rainbow looked at her with a tentative uneasiness that reminded her of the night they had gotten together.  The pegasus stepped forward and grasped Twilight’s face in her hooves, kissing the mare quickly and somewhat roughly.  She pulled back and smirked, the smile not quite convincing, drawing Twilight’s brows further together in confusion.  “Wait here,” Rainbow mumbled.

Opening the balcony door, Rainbow jumped into the air and sailed through the room and down the staircase.  Still bewildered, Twilight tentatively entered her bedroom.  The gentle clack of hooves on risers drew her to the staircase as Rainbow came back into view.  Her marefriend had an opened envelope in her mouth.  Smiling wanly around it, she leaned forward to present it to Twilight.

Lifting the envelope in a glow of magic, Twilight pulled the letter out and unfurled it in front of her.

Team Lead Rainbow Dash,

Your required two year Wonderbolt Academy enrollment is due to be completed by the end of the month.  In light of your outstanding academy record in physical skill and leadership ability, a special deliberation committee was called to order last week, discussing you and your talents.

By unanimous decision, the Wonderbolts extend to you an official offer for placement on the team.  A standard five year commitment contract pending your review and approval will be rendered available on Academy grounds in seven to ten business days.  If you accept, a month-long team acclimation training period will be scheduled to begin the first of the month.

Congratulations, cadet.

With regards,

Captain Spitfire, WB

Twilight’s slack jaw gradually shifted into an enormous grin.  She quickly moved the letter away from in front of her face and beamed at Rainbow.  “Oh my gosh!  You made it, Rainbow!  I’m so excited for you!”  Twilight rushed forward and swept Rainbow off the floor in a crushing hug, drawing a surprised wheeze.  “You have your dream!  Oh, this is such wonderful news!”  Rainbow chuckled weakly as Twilight spun her around and set her back on the floor.  Twilight hurried to her desk.  “This calls for a Pinkie party!  We need to tell everypony right away!”

Rainbow shuffled her wings without opening them and cleared her throat.  “Yeah, that sounds like fun,” she said quietly.

Twilight halted and turned back to the surprisingly reserved mare.  “Is everything alright?”

Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively.  “Yeah, yeah…”  She gave Twilight a small smile.  “I’d kinda like to maybe do somethin’ with just you first, though.”

Twilight’s confusion melted and her expression grew warm.  She reapproached Rainbow and hugged her marefriend more gently.  “I’d love to do that, Rainbow.  Let’s go to that new bistro, just the two of us.”

Grinning, Rainbow pecked the unicorn on her cheek.  “Sounds great.”

Twilight hurried away again, bee lining for the bathroom.  “Oh, I have to get ready!”

Shaking her head and smirking, Rainbow slowly descended the stairs to the main room of the library.  She wandered to the fireplace and sat down, fidgeting her wings.  She grabbed a book without looking at it and tried to read, finding herself glancing up at the stairs every few minutes.

After an agonizing amount of time for Rainbow Dash, Twilight came down to meet her, looking much the same as she had before, although her mane and tail were completely devoid of signs that they had flown home and her coat shined almost imperceptibly brighter than normal.  “You’re not going to get ready?”  She blinked and shook her head.  “Of course you’re not going to get ready; you always look good.  C’mon, let’s go.”  She floated a saddlebag around her neck.

Snickering, Rainbow dropped her book and headed for the door.  “You always look good, too.”  She held it open for her marefriend with a smile.

“That’s because I work at it.  Believe me, when I was studying for finals as an undergrad, there was a solid two weeks where the only thing I did was shower to get the ick off.”  Rainbow shut the door behind them and they took off at a sedate canter towards downtown Ponyville.  “If I’m remembering right, I was almost late to my last exam because a couple of birds tried to use my mane as a nest.”

Rainbow gently shoulder checked Twilight.  “I’d pay to see that.  Bet you’d look even cuter with Owlowiscious curled up asleep on your head.”

Giggling, Twilight shoulder checked back.  “Couldn’t be cuter than when Tank falls asleep on your back.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.  That little guy’s heavy.  Makes me feel like he’s a paperweight and I’m a stack of papers.”

They shared a chuckle.  “Has he done well since the move, by the way?  I don’t see him around the library very often, and you always read him better than me, anyway.”

“Oh, he’s been fine,” Rainbow said nonchalantly, “He just keeps to himself a lot.  Loner type, ya know?  Plus, I think he found a lady tortoise friend who lives in the White Tail Woods.”

“Aww…”

“Chicks dig flying tortoises.”

Twilight giggled and shoulder checked Rainbow again.  “I certainly dig the owner of one.”

“See?” she teased, “He’s just doing his job.”

Twilight glanced up, catching sight of the sign hanging above The Nosh and Nicker Bistro.  “Wow, we’re here already.”

Rainbow held open the door for her marefriend and they stepped inside the cozy restaurant.  The rich, stained wood walls and floor held an intimate warmth that was accentuated by the flickering lantern lights set along the walls and in the center of each table.  After a short wait for a place to sit to come free and be cleaned, they were sat at a two-pony table in the middle of the main dining room, surrounded by the low murmur of conversations occurring throughout the space.

Their conversation shifted to discussing dishes, and after they had ordered their meals, Twilight smiled fondly at Rainbow across the table.  She watched her marefriend shift and twitch her folded wings.  “You look like you’re itching to fly, Rainbow.  I’m so happy for you.  We knew this day was coming, but it’s still so exciting!”  She blinked and shook her head.  “Oh, gosh!  Think about how excited Scootaloo’s gonna be!”

Rainbow snorted and shook her head, grinning.

“Think about it!” Twilight teased, “Especially if you told her right after her first flight!  She’d explode!”

Laughing lightly, Rainbow reached across the table and cupped Twilight’s hoof.  “She totally would.”  She grinned at the unicorn, idly stroking the soft hairs of Twilight’s coat.  “Thank you, Twi’.  For helping me plan all the training.”  She looked down at that table, her expression growing coy.  “After that very first speed test, I stopped worryin’ so much.  I was prepared for her to start off way worse than she was…”  Her smile fell as a ghost of memory passed over her face.  “…My dad told me he couldn’t do one wing-up at all when he started learnin’ to fly…”

Twilight moved her other hoof to the table and squeezed Rainbow’s limb.

Squeezing back, Rainbow continued, “But after that?  After I saw she’d definitely be able to make it?”  Her smile widened and she shook her head.  “I never would’a been able to plan the ‘Bolts training without your help.”

The server arrived with their food and they sat back, providing room for their plates.  Twilight turned to the server and smiled.  “Thank you.”  She turned back to her marefriend.  “And you’re welcome.  I was happy to help.  I’m so glad I did, too; being there for the training and watching the two of you together has been wonderful.”  She inhaled the aroma of her eggplant parmesan.  “Mmm, this smells good.”

“I’ ‘astes ‘ood, ‘oo,” Rainbow mumbled around her enormous mouthful of noodles.

Giggling, Twilight took a modestly sized bite.  “It does taste good.  Anyway, I’ve been more than happy through all the training.”  She smirked ruefully between mouthfuls, her speech slowing down with pauses as she ate.  “I’ve always
liked
watching you fly, but helping with the plans and watching you and Scootaloo in action…I get it now.  I mean, I understood before, abstractly, but I really
get it
now.  How much work and effort you put into it.  It’s really amazing.  And seeing you with Scootaloo…”  Her smile widened.  “It’s cute.  She adores you.”

Rainbow snorted derisively, shoveling another wad of noodles into her mouth.  To her credit, she swallowed before saying, “It’s been great seein’ you tutor her.  I know she was a little cold for a while, but she definitely warmed up to you.  
That’s
cute.  Scoots an’ me?  We’re
cool
.  Get it right.”

Twilight had to swallow quickly to keep from choking from her chuckles.  “My mistake.”

“You’re cool, too, so I’ll forgive you.”

Waving a hoof in a playful dismissal, Twilight mused, “Fine, if you say I’m cool, I can be cool.  But
you’re
cute.”

“Slander!”

They fell into giggles, working their way through the rest of their meals.  Twilight’s grin gradually shrunk and became introspective.  “…It’s been really great having Scootaloo around so much.”

“Yeah, it has.”  Rainbow finished licking her plate and set it back down as the waiter approached.  She quirked an eyebrow at her marefriend.  “Dessert?  I think I saw tiramisu earlier.”

“Mmm, coffee.”

The waiter nodded congenially and cleared their plates.  A pleasant lull fell over their conversation as they waited, bellies full of food.  Rainbow sat back and sighed in satisfaction, fidgeting her wings.

“There you go again,” Twilight teased, “Still wanting to fly.  I’m surprised you actually walked the whole way here.”

“It was a short walk.”  The waiter returned with their dessert and the check.

Twilight levitated a fork to the plate and grinned mischieviously.  “Open up; tell me how it is.”  She floated a bite past her marefriend’s lips.

Rainbow’s eyelids fluttered as she chewed.  “Oh, man…” she murmured.  Her voice grew serious.  “It’s poison.  I’m gonna have to eat all of it, just to protect you.”  She grabbed a fork and dug out a large piece.

“I’ll take my chances,” Twilight struggled out through her mirth, bringing a bite to her mouth.  “Oh, wow…”  Her muzzle crinkled in satisfaction as she chewed.  “We’re definitely gonna need to bring the girls here.  They’d love it.  The food is terrific and the atmosphere is—”

Rainbow cut her off, as much with the sudden downshift in tone as what she said.  “I’m not gonna do it.”

Twilight froze with a forkful of tiramisu halfway to her mouth.  Her eyes trained on Rainbow’s face, suddenly as serious and resolute as her voice.  She set her fork back down.  “What?”

“I’m gonna tell Spitfire no.”

Shaking her head hard enough for her ears to loudly flap against her head, Twilight marveled, “What?  Why?  We’ve been waiting for this for years!”

Rainbow shrugged noncommittally.  “Not gonna do it.”