A/N I intended for this chapter to be out last weekend, and its Wednesday now... Yeah, shows how good my time management is.
Uh, I suppose I should say that I don't own MLP: FiM. They are owned by Hasbro. Yup.
Okay, stop reading the A/N, just read the story.
Twilight's eyes widened at the revelation. "The Shadowbolts! Weren't you a member of the Wonderbolts!"
Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof and put it behind her head sheepishly. "Uh, yeah, I was. But about a year ago, the princess went to one of our shows. After the show, she was really impressed with my flying, she practically begged me to join! So about a month ago, I took her up on it."
The uniformed mare chuckled. "The first day, I showed them how to actually fly. I mean, I flew circles and squares and all sorts of shapes around them." She smirked. "So they just decided to make me captain and be done with it!"
Pinkie Pie hugged her friend, showing unusual restraint as she didn't disturb the clothing at all. "Congratulations, Rainbow Dash! We should throw a party! Yeah!" With that, Pinkie Pie disappeared from the entry hall, to the kitchen if the sounds emitting from that room were any indicator. Spike left as well, presumably to help.
"Uh, yeah, ok?" Rainbow Dash said to the now-vanished Pinkie. "So what's been going on with you girls?"
Rarity was quick to speak up. "Well, Twilight has her eyes on a certain stallion."
Twilight immediately grabbed the nearest book with her magic and chucked it at the fashionista. "Rarity!"
"What? It's true!" The white unicorn nimbly dodged the book.
"I would like to know more about him, Twilight," Fluttershy's soft voice called out.
"Yeah, me too!" Rainbow was hovering near Rarity.
"Fine then!" Twilight shouted. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then said to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, "His name is Rising Dusk and we work together. Happy?"
"The egghead? You like an egghead?" Rainbow Dash said incredulously. "Well, I guess that makes sense, you are an egghead after all." Twilight frowned at her blue friend.
"You know Dusk?" The purple unicorn asked.
"Of course. He's one of Luna's advisors. So am I, for that matter." She paused, looking at the expressions on Twilight's and Rarity's faces. "Yup, I'm her flight advisor. Dusk is like her magic advisor or something. I kind of forget. Didn't seem very interesting."
Rarity rolled her eyes at the comments. "Of course you would say that, Dashie darling. You find nearly anything not related to flying boring."
"It's not my fault if he doesn't do anything cool. All I ever see him do is stargazing," Rainbow shot back. "That's right, stargazing. Not any cool magic stuff. Ever."
"Magic is a lot more than just flashiness," Twilight said to her rainbow-maned friend. "Magic is a lot of effort as well. You can't just think of something and it happens."
"Anyways, back to the subject at hand, Twilight has her eyes on a stallion. I think that answers one question-" Rarity began before cut off by Twilight.
"Rarity! You know that-" Twilight stuttered.
"Please Twilight, I was just joking." Rarity tossed her mane out of her eyes. "And with how you've been acting around the stallions of Equestria..." Rarity trailed off after receiving a glare from Twilight.
Both of them turned towards Fluttershy, who had coughed slightly to garner their attention. "Why do you like him? I mean, if you don't me prying..." the pale yellow pegasus asked, her voice clearly nervous.
Twilight pondered the question for several seconds before answering. "I guess," Twilight began, "it's because he doesn't see me as Celestia's student like everypony else does. He doesn't see me as someone who's a bookworm or a pony who's too bossy. He sees me as, well, me."
"Now isn't that romantic," Rarity said. "Not to mention that he's absolutely gorgeous. And he walks like he's royalty!"
"Jeez, Rarity, you almost sound like you're with him," Rainbow Dash commented.
"What? Oh no, I have my eyes on someone else!"
"Oh really?" Rainbow had crossed the distance between the two of them in less than a second.
"Spill!" she practically shouted.
Whatever Rarity would have said would never be known, for at that moment, the pink mare known as Pinkie Pie exploded out of the kitchen. Before her was her infamous party cannon. "Party!" she called out.
Twilight and Rarity knew enough from living with her to duck; Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash didn't. The confetti that shot from the cannon passed over both of the unicorns and covered the pegasi. Both of the covered ponies had looks of utter shock from the confetti.
Surprisingly, Fluttershy recovered first from her sitting position. She looked at the two of them, then towards the three clean mares.
"Yay," she said.
The party had gone well, albeit with a few minor mishaps. The biggest one being that Rainbow didn't know that the lemonade had been spiked. Twilight visibly grimaced at the pun. After ensuring that the half-drunk pegasus made it to her room, left her apartment for a walk amongst the now present lunar sky.
She walked through the palace gardens for several hours, finally stopping and sitting in front of the statue of the imprisoned Discord. His arms were still outstretched, as if trying to shield himself.
"Twilight?" a voice called out. Twilight turned to look at the voice. She saw Luna's advisor walking towards her.
"Hmm? Oh, Dusk!" Twilight could feel the blood rushing to her face. "What are you doing out here?"
"I walk out here a lot; it helps clear my mind." He stopped and sat next to her, joining her gaze towards the statue. "Remembering the past?" he asked.
"Yes and no," Twilight replied.
The unicorn stallion raised an eyebrow at this.
"Well, I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. My friends, my job, the future in general really. I mean, here I am, working at the castle, but I don't really know what I want to do. I don't see myself working here in five years, you know? I just don't see me doing this. My job and my friends all make me happy, but I don't know what I want. My friends all are moving on, doing things. Meanwhile, I've been here for the past five years."
"So you want to know what you'll be doing in five years or so?" Dusk replied. "What if you don't like what you see?"
"Then I'd try to change it. The future isn't set in stone."
Dusk looked at her, his face clouded. He gave a small smile. "Always trying to change the world. Well then, we should probably head back towards our rooms." He rose and gestured for Twilight to do the same. The two walked side by side, until they reached the tower where Twilight lived.
"You know," Dusk said. "You never did answer my question."
"What..." Twilight managed to stutter.
"If you would go to the Summer Sun Celebration with me," he said, staring into her eyes.
Twilight blushed and looked away. "I, uh..."
"Do you?" he asked again.
"Yes," Twilight whispered after a moment. "Yes, I would like to go to the festival with you."
She looked up and realized how close they were.
A/N Oh, no! I left you on a cliffhanger! Why would I do something like that? Oh, right, dramatic effect. I'm not apologizing for it.
So now all I have to do is introduce AppleJack, another semi-important OC, and plot elements. Wait, that's what all writers do.
Review please? Pretty please?