Call Him in the Morning

    Two pastel ponies trotted along the path to the library, chatting amiably as the life of Ponyville came into focus. The blue sky was tinted slightly in the late afternoon sun, and the wafting sugar-sweet smell of Sugar Cube Corner filled the air as the two mares, Applejack and Fluttershy, enjoyed themselves with talk of work, life, and the various antics of little fillies. "An' the bigger ones tha' act like 'em!" Applejack laughed slightly, watching the sky for a certain rainbow pegasus. "Ah swear, paintin' apples is one thang, but tryin' ta mess with mah pappy's hat..."

    Fluttershy giggled slightly, turning her head as she got a better look at the accompanying mare. "But I'm sure even he dreamed of flight sometimes." She defended the other pegasus, causing the Earth Pony to cast an indifferent gaze. Pressing, the yellow coated pony nuzzled her love gently. "And now he got to, if only for a short time. But if she crossed a line, I'm sure she'll apologize, um. Sometime." She added meekly. In truth, when Fluttershy pursued the pony and explained to the other pegasus why taking the hat was wrong, Rainbow Dash had immediately gave the hat back, apologizing. However, she begged Fluttershy not to tell Applejack before she could. Applejack softened her expression, putting a hoof to her hat.

    "Don't you worry about it none, Fluttershy. Not many ponies know how special it is tah me. Rainbow especially." Applejack calmed down a bit, letting go of the last vestiges of indignation she felt for the cyan pony. Fluttershy gave a pained smile, not wanting to betray Dash's wishes. "So what do ya suppose Twi has us comin' to the Library fo', anyway?"

    Shaking her mane, Fluttershy simply didn't know. She wasn't a pony to venture a guess on unbased assumptions. The discussion trailing off, she started to take in the late afternoon activities of other ponies. She could even see Pinkie Pie putting away the outside stand for Sugar-Cube Corner, dancing about and quite possibly singing a little ditty she made on the spot. Snips and Snails were talking about Celestia knows what to little Dinky, but she seemed to be responding well to it. A gentle breeze flowed through town, brushing Fluttershy's mane aside. It was a wonderfully warm wind that offset the slight cool air that had been descending around them. Breathing it in deeply, the pink maned pegasus looked to Applejack, leaning slightly upon her. "Whatever it is, I think...."A long pause. "I think it'll be good. She didn't sound too urgent in her letter."

    Applejack smiled, nodding. The two ponies continued their way, listening to the sounds of Ponyville. As the library came into sight, Applejack paused, feeling a second weight on her other side. Closing her eyes, she sighed, shuddering her flank a bit to remove it. "Pinkie Pie. Leanin' privileges extend only to members of tha Apple Family." Turning her head, the hyperactive pink pony smiled hugely as she removed her head from Applejack's broadside. Fluttershy did the same, looking over Applejack's mane to see the bouncing hair of Pinkie move energetically in place.

    "Hi girls! I saw you walking by and then I remembered that I got a letter from Twilight, except I really didn't forget but I was going to wait a little bit longer to finish working, but then there you two were and I was like HAAAAAAAAUUUUUHHHH," The sudden intake in breath spooked the pegasus, but she kept herself firm and on the ground. Pinkie's almost permanent smile shifted from the two ponies before pointing toward the Library. "So I finished up super-quick! Super-duper quick! And then I caught up and I was all 'Awwwww' when I saw you two and I wanted to lean against you too because it was so cute. But then you said it was Apple Family only and since I'm not part of it, at least I don't think I am. Oh, could you imagine if I was?!"

    "Ah fear it everyday." Fluttershy laughed despite herself, before covering her mouth for a bit. Pinkie laughed more explosively at Applejack's deadpan delivery, causing the only sane Earth Pony to take small pride in her humor. "So Pinkie Pie, you got a letter from Twi, too, huh?" Looking toward the sky, Applejack's eyes scanned the skies for Rainbow Dash, expecting that all of them had been called by this point.

    "Yep! Rarity too! She was with me when Derpy delivered our letters." Pinkie mentioned, putting a hoof to her chin. Somehow, she continued her forward momentum despite the loss of one of her hooves to thought, something which the other ponies had ceased to question. Applejack stopped and reached a hoof out, rapping at the door as she looked to the other two ponies. "So why does Fluttershy get to lean on you? She's not Apple family."

    Applejack sighed, shaking her mane. "Well she's close enough!" Exasperated, she didn't notice the smile that had appeared on the yellow mare's face. Fluttershy turned slightly to look at Pinkie, who was ready to meet her gaze with a crafty smile, her tongue hanging out of her mouth playfully. She couldn't help but giggle, which caused the Earth Pony to look about her. "What? What're you two fillies sayin' behind mah back?" In all her mock threatening, she missed the door opening, revealing a white unicorn standing inside the Library.

    "Applejack, really. If you are going to knock please have the decency to face the door. I, unlike someponies, take no pleasure in being greeted with your flank." Rarity chided, a mischievous smile on her face. Not always known as a joker, the quip caught Applejack completely off-guard, and Fluttershy had to hang unto Pinkie Pie to keep her face from exploding into laughter and embarrassment. The pink pony simply looked proud, as if surveying a new protege.

    "H-Hey now! I-I-It wasn't mah fault!" The hardworking mare had trouble defending herself. Taking in the moment, Rarity breathed deep, stepping aside to let the others in.

    "Applejack, it was a joke. You simply mustn't be so easy to haze so even I can..." Rarity turned her head over to Pinkie Pie, who was currently looking around, a puzzled expression hanging on her face. "'Pull a fast one' on you. Pinkie Pie, this isn't a party, darling. There aren't any drinks or sarsaparilla." Trotting over her friend, she noticed the downtrodden Earth Pony and shook her mane. "Ahem. However, I'm sure if we ask Twilight nicely, she can cook something up last minute, even if it might be a bit... small. I mean, we are all together."

    Looking about, Fluttershy took note of a couple missing factors. "Um. Where is Twilight? And..." Looking straight up, she scanned the ceiling space for the weather pony, but to no avail. "I don't see Rainbow Dash."

    "Hardly everypony, then." Applejack huffed, bringing her attention back to Rarity. "Well, you let us in. Where is Twilight anyhow?"

    "Oh, I'm sure she's in her bedroom, talking to Whoof and creating MASSIVE experiments! Like, maybe they're making Spike into a GIANT DRAGON, or maybe purple!" Pinkie hopped about, thinking heavily on just what the two intellectual ponies could possibly be doing alone in the bedroom.

    "Darlin', Spike already is purple." Applejack stuck a hoof out as Pinkie collided with it across her chest. "An' Ah don't think they're into experimentin' on livin' things." Putting a finality on her opinion, she added, "'Least of all, Spike."

    "Somebody call?" Opening the upstairs door, the purple dragon appeared, followed closely behind by a brown Earth pony, an hourglass adorning his flank. Looking down below, he saw the one pony, the one brilliant, beautiful, perfect unicorn Rarity - and the other three. "Oh, uh. Hey guys. Twi's gonna be with you all in a sec'. Me 'n Whoof here are gonna go get a bite to eat."

    Applejack raised an eyebrow at the two. "Oh, and what an' where to?"

    "If – you don't mind us asking." Rarity cut in, tittering at the orange mare. What she got in return was a low bleat and an eyeroll, landing on Fluttershy who simply smiled at her companion.

    "Quite alright, really." The Doctor mentioned, trotting contentedly down the stairs. "I believe I owe Spike a dinner for an ill-placed bet."

    "Yeah, Doc here didn't even consider the idea of distortions in time and space being able to be manipulated by magic and technology." Spike sneered, as if he knew the words that were coming out of his own mouth.
   
    Laughing, the Doctor turned to look at the group. "It's an interesting concept, really. Right now I'm referring to such an object capable of that ability as a DTS – that is, Dimensions in Time and Space. However, I believe that's a bit off, as there are still many variables to be found."

    "Time and Relative Dimensions in Space." Pinkie's mouth ran, her nose literally crammed in a nearby book. The Doctor looked blankly on as the mare giggled a bit. His eyes clouded over a moment as Pinkie continued. "Then you'd have a T-R-D-S. 'Terds'!" She yelped suddenly, feeling a hoof against her flank, deftly delivered by the other Earth Pony. "Owie, why'd you do that, Applejack?"

    "'Cause you're letting yer mouth run without you on board." The orange mare chuckled regardless, keeping her head facing Doctor Whoof and Spike, the latter of which had clambered onto the former's back. "Well, Ah ain't gonna act like Ah know what y'all are sayin', but Ah know we're holdin' you up. An' Spike gets grouchy when he's hungry."

    "I do not!" Spike shouted, raising a fist at Applejack's comment. The jolt brought the stallion he sat upon back to reality, causing him to distressingly look about, as if fearing an impending fight. The mare simply laughed it off, pushing Spike's claw back with her front hoof. "What a ridiculous claim. I'm perfectly fine - I don't get grouchy."

    "That you don't, Spike." The Doctor chimed in, ending their tirade. Clearing his throat, he counted the ponies. "Well, anyway, Twilight will be out soon, although I don't think she'd mind..." Trailing, he looked about the room. "Say, isn't there supposed to be one more of you? Let's see... Fluttershy... Rarity... Applejack, of course, Pinkie Pie... Ah! Ponyville's famous weather pony, where is our Rainbow Dash?" Looking about, all he was met with were shrugs and shaking heads. "That so? Well, our new Wonderbolt is obviously quite busy, so of course she'd be excused for being a little late-"

    "A Wonderbolt is known for it's speed, Egghead!" Coming in in a burst of wind, the cyan mare trotted about on the upper floor, having flown in from the balcony. Goggles adorned on her visage, the rainbow-maned pegasus smirked at the ponies below, one of which was clapping her hooves together happily. "I'm never late!"
   
    "Whoo! Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie cheered her friend, as if she was in attendance of a celebrity. Turning her head away from the others to hide a threatening red blush on her cheeks, the pegasus acted as if she could find Twilight by looking about where she came in.

    "So Egghead two, where's Egghead one?" Rainbow called from the upper floor, still hiding her face from her friends below. Applejack took it upon herself to trot up the stairs, whereas Fluttershy and Rarity decided to catch up in the downtime.

    "Apt..." Whoof trailed, before shaking his mane. "Well, now that you girls are all together, I believe it's best Spike and I are off. Twilight's in her room cleaning up a bit, she'll be out momentarily. She asked that we vacate the premises before hand."

    "Heh, yeah. Don't wanna be here when all the huggin' and stuff happens." Spike pointed at his tongue in disgust, obviously not pleased with whatever sort of reaction the news Twilight was going to break to the group would bring. However, a quick buck from Whoof quieted the dragon. "Oh, right, the saps don't know yet. Eh, whatever." Shrugging, the dragon kicked his feet softly against the Doctor's flank, egging him on to leave. The other girls which had caught on by this point started to move in.

    "Right, right, we're off then." Sweating bullets, the good doctor made for the door, barely making it past Rarity as she slammed the door behind him by accident. The sound of a gallop could be heard as Spike's laughter coincided with it perfectly as they rode out toward the sunset. Rarity frowned and shook her mane, decidedly livid that she had reacted too slow to stop the gossipers from spilling everything.

    "What do you think he meant by that? Do you think Twilight's news is... bad?" Fluttershy breathed, tapping the ground uneasily. Applejack's attuned senses wheeled her about at the sound of the soft spoken pegasus, having missed Spike's faux pas.

    "What's wrong, sugarcube?" Raising her voice slightly to clear it over the others, the attention it brought caused the door to be opened behind her, revealing a very tired looking unicorn. Looking back, Applejack looked her friend over a moment before smirking. "Well Ah'll be, Ah 'spect that professor's gone and worked you to the bone there, Twilight."

    The purple unicorn gestured something between a wave and a dismissal as she strode into the room. She took quick stock of her guests and smiled. "Hello everypony. Nice to see you all again-" She got cut off by a yawn as she rubbed her eyes with a free hoof. "Oooof, sorry. Nice to see you all." The other girls started to make their way to her, Pinkie Pie having somehow already accomplished such when nopony was looking.

    "Oh, Twilight, you look dreadful!" The white unicorn looked her friend over, tittering over her. "You must get some rest soon. That stallion must be working you so hard." Rarity dismissed the colt quickly as she set to work moving the other unicorn against her will toward her couch. "Please, darling, at least take a seat." Less a please than an instruction, the purple mare was too tired to refuse the gesture, and lacked the ability to stop her friend.

    "Aww, I think Twilight's too tired to have a party!" Giggling, Pinkie accepted this as a good enough reason to postpone any sort of party she may have been gearing up in her head. Sipping absentmindedly on some nearby drink, Applejack was trying to contemplate where Pinkie came across it.

    "So, um, we got letters from you, Twilight..." Fluttershy began, causing the unicorn to lift her head towards her. "I was hoping it wasn't, um... Bad." The pegasus' wings folded in tight along her side, prompting Applejack to move over to her and rest her head against the pony, calming her.

    Smiling at the two, Twilight shook her head. "No, it's not bad at all, really." Intention confirmed, the ponies in attendance breathed a collective sigh of relief. The purple mare shook her mane incredulously. "Really, girls, if it was bad news do you think I would of sent a letter through the mail?"

    Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Well, sometimes you can't catch me, being up in the air and all, so you could of sent Derpy after me with a letter." Defending the prospect seemed important, but Twilight gave it little thought.

    "Dash, you may go a mile a minute, but I know you always come back." She smiled. Turning her head, she missed the ferocious blush which crawled over the cyan mare's visage as she suddenly found the window being of the utmost fascination. "Sorry for making you girls wait, though. We were on a roll and we just had a bit of a breakthrough-"

    "Oh, think nothing of it, Twilight. We know how important your studies are." Rarity put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, smiling and patting her friend's back. "What's a minute or two of waiting when we've got each other to talk to in the meantime." She mentioned, gesturing to the other girls, who nodded in agreement. The group mingled for a little while, letting each other in on their days, and praising Rainbow's admission into the Wonderbolts which had happened only a month prior. "And let me say, darling, I'm always happy to give your mane and coat a quick brush up if you need to be spic and span for a show."

    Rainbow hesitated before finally nodding, trying not to mind that her tough-guy attitude was being threatened again in front of the others. "Really guys, it happened a month ago, and uh – Hey, weren't we here to listen to Twilight anyway?" Deflecting questions was a bit of a specialty she was developing, but Rarity let it drop as she was quite interested in having to hear what the other unicorn had called them for.

    "Hm...? Oh, right! My letters!" Twilight pushed a hoof into the couch, bringing herself up a full head above the others. Looking about, it took a moment for the tired mare to realize she didn't actually have to reach for anything, and she laid back on her haunches again. "I just wanted to let you all know... I'm dating somepony again." She murmured, her purple cheeks turning pink.

    The reaction was instant and explosive. Pinkie and Rarity tied for loudest shriek, both of them fawning over the unicorn – for different reasons, of course. Applejack chuckled deeply as she patted the unicorn on the back. Rarity was prodding on just who the lucky pony was – taking great care not to assign a gender role, 'lest she end up with hoof in mouth disease. Pinkie's idea for parties began anew, as Twilight couldn't even begin to cut through their chattering.

    Fluttershy made the first coherent messages clear. "Oh that's wonderful, Twilight." She graced, brushing her hair to the side. Her azure eyes pierced through the crowd of ponies, locking eyes with the unicorn and catching her undivided attention. "Is it the Doctor?" It was a simple question, but blunt. Just like the unicorn's own tact, she responded in kind.

    "Yes. Yes it is." Closing her eyes, she allowed her friends time to digest the new information. It wasn't surprising to them, really. "He and I just sort of... click, I guess. It's nice to have somepony who I can talk to so candidly." She spoke of their shared intelligence, and of their similar upbringing in Canterlot and attending the university there. Twilight sighed, nodding her head. "Plus I can tell he really needed someone. So I extended my friendship, and got back more than I bargained for." She smiled, staring off as if in a dream.

    "Aww, that's super-duper sweet!" Pinkie bounced from one end of the couch to the other in one solid motion, peering out a window to see if she could see the escaping Earth pony. She couldn't of course, but she still made as if she could. Winking slightly, she leaned close at her own reflection. "Plus he totally has a nice flank."

    "PINKIE!" Twilight shouted, in unison with Applejack and Rarity. There was a long pause, before Pinkie looked back with a huge smile on her face.

    "Well he does."

    The ponies couldn't help but laugh, Pinkie Pie spreading her element around gleefully. Even Fluttershy was giggling uncontrollably, causing a few hiccups to cut in the laughter. The high pitched squeaks were harmlessly embarrassing, and the group couldn't help but laugh harder, until streams of tears were pouring out almost all ponies present.

    -----

    "So you're Twi's boyfriend now. Huh." Spike mentioned idly, playing with a emerald, passing it around in his hands. Whoof broke the news at the table among a couple of other colts who they had run into at the restaurant. Spike knew, but he had barely given the concept thought. "Guess I'll be seeing you around the old library a lot more." Leaning back in his chair, the dragon found that the high chair – while demoralizing - was quite comfortable with the additions of arm rests at the sides - perfect for sitting up a filly, or housing a baby dragon.

    Caramel laughed a bit. "Well, Whoof here can never seem to pry himself from there ever since that librarian invited him in. If you see any more of him, he might as well live there!" He chuckled, taking a bite of his orange and apple salad. The multitude of colors in the dish made it look like a bowl of shining gemstones in the low-light atmosphere, and Spike had twice found himself snacking on an apple on accident. Not that he minded. He was an omnivore, after all.

    "Well enough with the joking, please. I'm sure I'll be there just as much as I normally am. Just under newer pretenses." Whoof strangled out, trying to hide the red that had been glued on his features since he told everyone. "It's quite a trip, being with another pony, I have to say."

    Spike snorted. "I'll say. Do you know how this guy asked Twilight out?" He slammed the table to get the party riled up, and the dragon scanned their faces. Caramel seemed quite interested, and Whoof liked death himself was on Spike's features. Butterscotch, Caramel's twin sister, seemed passingly interested, and was more keen on watching the bar for potential fun. Filling out the ranks of their table was one blue stallion with an adapt name – Blues. Blues was leaning back, fiddling with an unwieldy instrument. "He tripped." Spike finished, a victorious grin on his face.

    "You tripped?" Butterscotch echoed, looking back toward the men at the table. "Like, stumbling hooves and everything?" Doctor Whoof shrunk in his seat, trying desperately to disappear completely from the conversation.

    "Right into her. BANG!" Chuckling like a fool, Spike turned to see the Doctor giving him a pleading look. Relenting, Spike fell back into his chair, as if the story bored him suddenly. "Kissed her right then and there. Should of seen the look on his face when she kissed back. Apparently she'd been reading about how to." His own face reddened as Spike recalled the memory visually, trying to erase it from his mind.

    "She could have been practicing with that rainbow pony – what's her face-" Butterscotch drummed on the table with her hooves, her tongue sticking out and up.

    "Rainbow Dash? I dunno, they only went out on one date." Spike mentioned, shrugging. "Don't even think they kissed."

    Caramel laughed aloud, nudging the pony next to him. "There you go, Doc, you're already one step ahead of the Ex!" Whoof chuckled nervously, shrugging slightly at his friends. Blue peered over with a simple expression, and nodded in approval toward his friend. "Hey 'Scotch. What about Dash, she's available!"

    "Oh-ha-ha, bro." Butterscotch clocked her brother's side with an open hoof, turning over to Blues and Spike. "So how're you two's love lives treaten' you? You get that unicorn yet, Spike?"

    Huffing, Spike crossed his arms. "Pheh, no. I tried a suit and a mustache and a beard and Luna knows what else. I can't seem to get my mind around it. What am I missing." Leaning forward, he drummed his claws on the surface, leaning his head on his free hand. Butterscotch stifled a giggle before turning to Blues.

    Catching Butterscotch's stare, Blues sighed. "Bah, can't get 'er to look'it me." Blues mentioned, rolling a hoof through the air dismissively. "Figure she thinks I'm too artsy for her tastes." Bringing the instrument up to his lips, Blues belted out a few chords as Butterscotch hummed in harmony with the tune, laughing slightly as Caramel ordered another round for the table – taking pains to make sure the dragon didn't get any.

    "I already told you, man, Dragon's aren't affected by alcohol." Spike defended, watching the pony behind the counter get to work. The others always got drinks, and here he was with... well, gemstones. Taking a turquoise, he found himself no longer minding.

    "Oh, I know little dragon. But I also know it's highly flammable, and it's highly gaseous. Right Doc?" Caramel mustered, prodding the Doctor.

    Whoof looked up sharply a bit, looking left and right quickly. Spike tapped his shoulder, getting his attention, before flicking the colt's snout quickly. "Yowch, what was... Oh hey Spike." He murmured, before taking stock. "Right. What was that, again?"

    "Nothing, Doc. Caramel just doesn't want me burping flames." Spike informed bitterly, having taken quite a shine to the idea. "Speaking of which – ever seen a dragon sneeze?"

    "Yes. That's how Celestia got her hooves on some of my more important research. Never expected to see those again." The Doctor rolled his eyes, looking about the table as the conversation was dying down.

    "Hey, it put in a good word for you at Canterlot U, didn't it?" Spike cheered, rubbing his claws against his chest. "If anything, a good word from the Princess has to be the best kind of words."

    The brown Earth pony chuckled, turning to his friends. The lot over at Canterlot University were a bit tougher crowd than that, to be won over by simple words from the princess. Taking in the musty odor of the bar, he hadn't noticed Blues had left the table until he had made it up on stage and was playing with the band. One extremely garish cowboy tuned his guitar slightly before grabbing the mic. Whoof leaned back, content with the direction his life had been taking in recent months. The Dragon to his right drummed his palm on the table, intent on listening to the song. It was going to be an interesting future, as well, it seemed.

    "Alright, let's get this rollin'." The singer started, his voice low and gravelly. "We're gonna start with a song a little pink pony taught me, about Friendship. Hit it." The lead pony on stage hit his guitar with his hoof limply, causing the rest of the band to start up, filling the room with the fresh sounds of the band. The jazzy tunes hit them with a modified western song that Spike swore he had heard somewhere before.


    -----

    "I noticed you didn't stick around very long." Rarity called, stepping out into the balcony. Above, on a branch of the library, lay a very dejected pegasus. "Come down here, Rainbow Dash. Why are you even up there?"

    "No reason. Too much girly stuff in there. Cramps my style." She muttered, picking herself up and stretching. "So Twi's dating the Doc, huh? Fits. Egghead for an egghead." Hopping down, the rainbow-maned mare landed on the balcony's railing, her face a mask of unamusement. "What's it to you, anyway? You normally love this kind of stuff."

    "Rainbow Dash, I put up with your little quirks as well as anypony, but I will not be accused of leaving a friend out in the cold while they're so obviously hurting." She took a step toward the mare, who's wings shot out, threatening to leave the premises quickly. "Stop right there, Rainbow. Please." Rarity added, halting her forward motion. Putting her haunches down, she sighed.

    Rainbow paused for a moment. Running was cowardly. She wasn't a coward – she wasn't! "I'm not... hurting. Or anything like that. I mean, why would I be? I'm a Wonderbolt! Do you know what that means? I'm the best, Rarity!" She stomped at the ground angrily, but didn't take into account the small surface area of the railing and clipped the edge. Losing her footing at the energy leading down, the pegasus toppled over, her wings outstretched in an attempt to take off before she fell – and completely failed it. Hitting the balcony with a loud thump, Rarity rushed forward to her aid, but was rebuked almost immediately. "Get off, Rarity, it was only a tumble." Rainbow gnashed her teeth as she moved her hoof, wincing slightly at the action.

    "Hmph, so this is how 'the best' acts." The unicorn sighed, shaking her head sadly. She moved forward to help the cyan mare again, but again the pegasus backed off.

    "Flap off, I don't need this right now." Dash challenged, picking herself off the ground and into the air.

    Rarity would have none of it. Her horn glowing, she focused hard on grabbing the pegasus' foot in a locking spell, something she had seen Twilight pull off before. Resisting, the pegasus flapped hard against the spell which was slowly working her down to the ground. "I. Respectfully. Disagree! Now. Sit. Down. You. Silly. Little. Filly." Each word was drawn out with baited breath as she struggled against the pegasus, but she finally brought her friend down, finishing off with a small binding charm that kept Rainbow grounded. Exhaling long and hard, she opened her eyes and saw a now very disgruntled mare in front of her. "I think this is exactly what you need, darling. Now please, Rainbow Dash, talk to me."

    Struggling against the binding that held her hoof down to the balcony, the cyan pony ignored her for a time. However, it became clear in time that Rarity wasn't going anywhere, so in a bid for freedom, Dash sighed, laying down completely. "Look, there's nothing to talk about, okay?"

    "I should say not. Nothing wouldn't of struggled against me and had to have been bound to the deck." Rarity rebutted, rolling her eyes. A cool wind blew from behind Dash, chilling her slightly. The unicorn chuckled a bit, feeling that the wind coincided with her friend's demeanor quite well. "Rainbow, it doesn't take a PhD in Friendship to know why you're out here."

    "Oh yeah?" The challenge was nearly gone from her voice, but she withstood it. "And why is that, oh Element of Generosity? This isn't even your area of expertise."

    "And you think Element of Loyalty would be loyal to herself." It hit Rainbow across the face like a ton of bricks, and she looked away. Hot, angry tears threatened to come out. "Rainbow Dash... we're friends. More than that, really. Despite all odds, me being a dressmaker with a penchant for styles..." Walking over to the pegasus, the unicorn spun around a couple times before laying next to her friend, sharing her warmth against her friend in the cold wind. "And you, a rough and tough Wonderbolt!" Rarity drummed her hooves along the ground, giving Rainbow reason to move a bit. Pushing a hoof against her friend's shoulder, she smiled. "You know I'm not out to hurt you, darling. I want to help, in any way I can."

    Rainbow was defeated the moment Rarity laid next to her and helped her stand the slight cold that was creeping up. "I-I know. But... I'm not hurting. Really. I'm just..." She trailed. She didn't have the words, but suddenly she laughed. "I guess I am now, a little. It's good though, I think." She hastily added, wiping away the threatening tears. "I don't know. It's more of a... missing, feeling."

    "Missing?" Rarity parroted, much to her own displeasure.

    "Yeah, missing. Missing a chance. Missing the signs. Some of you didn't look at all surprised, and I know the squeal you made was more for Twilight's sake than your own, Rare." The pegasus sighed, cushioning her head on her hooves. "It was a surprise to me." Looking away from her friend, she sniffed uncharacteristically.

    Rarity nodded her head slowly. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash... up until you stormed out here I didn't even realize you still held feelings for our dear Twilight."

    "SSSSHHHH! Not so loud..." The pegasus warned, looking wildly about. Some part of her expected buffalo of all things to have rushed up to her the moment Rarity said that. "Look, I kinda maybe still have a... thing for... her. But it's my damage." Standing up, Rainbow noticed Rarity's enchantment had been gone for awhile, and she happily kicked her hoof at the ground a couple times to make sure. "So I missed my chance while being an awkward little pony. It's not like I'm going to stay away from her now that she has somepony else."

    Rarity picked herself up gracefully, feeling the cold wind herself batting around with her posh mane. "That's very brave of you, Rainbow." She gave a soft smile as she trotted forward, placing a hoof on her friend. "It might hurt awhile, but eventually it will heal." She smiled, playfully pushing against the pegasus' chest. There was a small crash from inside the library as she did, drawing the attentions of the two mares. "Well, I do believe our visitations are up, or Pinkie has fallen down."

    "Or both." Rainbow chuckled, stretching her wings out. Blowing an insect from her, the cyan pony moved toward the door back inside. "Oh hey, Rarity... how do you know?"

    "Know what, dear?" Rarity asked, halting slightly, believing whatever Rainbow might ask might be fairly personal and not fit for the ponies inside.

    "You said whatever hurt... whatever hurt I may have will go away with time. How do you know that?"

    Rarity paused, giving a faraway look. Giving it some thought, she took a step forward and shook her mane. "I... think I may have read it in a book once, I'm not sure." She normally posh pony gave a lopsided grin. Messing with her hair a moment, she moved inside once no curl was out of place. "But it's sound advice, I assure you. If not, a lifetime of free makeovers from mwah." Gesturing toward herself, Rarity fluttered her lashes, giving a small showcase of her style.

    It didn't much effect the pegasus. "Well, sounds more like a gift to yourself than one to me." Dash added wryly.

    Swishing her tail about, Rarity opened the balcony door and let the mare in first. "Well, I didn't say I couldn't be generous to myself, now did I?" Giggling, she let the door shut itself on her way in, content with bringing Rainbow back into the fold. She looked on as the rainbow-maned pegasus started talking with the others, and finally discussing Whoof with Twilight, keeping a straight face and being exactly what could be asked of her.

    Being a friend.