Readying Rainbow

"I can't believe I agreed to do this," Rainbow Dash grumbled, ears pulled back. She looked at herself in the Carousal Boutique's triple mirror. Above her head floated a hairbrush, held in a pale blue aura of magic.

"Oh, come now, darling," Rarity said as she continued to brush Rainbow Dash's mane. "It is simply one date with Marble to see if the two of you are actually compatible. It's not such a bad thing."

"It's not that," Rainbow replied. "I like Pinkie, and Maud turned out to be pretty cool once you get to know her... even if she is a bit rock obsessed. I have no problem spending time with one of her other sisters. I just can't believe that I'm going on a date with her because some rock I've never heard of before thinks that we might be a good relationship or whatever." She turned to look at Rarity as best she could. "Besides, didn't Applejack say that Big Mac liked her or something?"

"Hold still," Rarity stated, using her magic to have the other mare look forward again. "I'm still trying to untangle this... rat nest you call a mane. I swear, would it kill you to take better care of it?" She let out a snort.

Rainbow Dash snorted back, but said nothing. It was not her fault that her mane was messy. At least not entirely. Flying at speeds that she did tended to send hair flying and whipping around. Even if she was willing to take the time and effort to put as much care into her mane and tail as Rarity did (or half, or even a quarter for that matter), it would still end up getting tangled when she was flying. It was also one of the reasons that she liked to keep it short.

"The Pairing Stone is a very important tradition to Pinkie's family," Rarity said as she continued her work. "Especially her parents. So it is important to them -- and thus, their children, Pinkie Pie included -- that they at least attempt to do as the stone dictates. You are simply being asked to go on a date with Marble and see how it goes. It's not as though they are asking you to marry her immediately.

"Besides, I for one think it's so romantic." Rarity let out a sigh, her mind drifting away as hearts filled her eyes. "Two ponies, chosen by fate to be together. Both barely know each other, but as they spend time together, they find that they are perfectly compatible for one another. Until finally, one decides to make the bold move and propose. Of course I'm somewhat shocked, but not entirely surprised, and of course say yes. There is a grand wedding, where all our friends and family are invited to watch as we became husband and wife, living happily ever after at his grand country estate."

She let out another sigh.

"Really?" Rainbow asked, bursting Rarity's fantasy bubble. "I didn't know you would take relationship advice from a rock, just wanted to marry one." She then burst into laughter.

Rarity's eyes narrowed and her lips pursed.

"I thought we agreed not to talk about that."

"I don't remember agreeing to that," Rainbow said. "Just you declaring that we never would." She then started chuckling again.

Which quickly turned into a yelp as the brush yanked at her mane hard.

"Oh," Rarity gasped out, eyes wide as she brought a hoof to her mouth. "Terribly sorry about that Rainbow Dash. I must have found a particularly nasty snag." She narrowed her eyes. "I do hope that I don't find any more like that."

Rainbow Dash huffed out, giving Rarity a dirty look in the mirror. The smug look she could see irritated her more. On one hoof, she did not like the idea of Rarity getting the last word on the matter. On the other, she also did not want to risk having to suffer more of the mare's brush-related wrath. She was willing to bet that Rarity could competently wield the thing like masterful torture device.

"You know, Dash," Rarity said gently, "there is a little bit of time before your date. I could fix your mane and tail. Give it a trim and a little bit of styling. Why, it would be absolutely elegant."

"No," Rainbow replied. "I like my mane the way it is. And the whole idea is that the two of us get to know each other, right? So I should just go as myself and see if that works out. Not pretend to be somepony that I'm not."

"I'm not saying that you not be yourself... although, traditionally a pony does try to be a more idealized version of themselves. I was merely suggesting that perhaps you would like to have your mane look a little more stylized. However, it is your date and your choice. Although I do think it is a bit of a waste."

"Oh come on," Rainbow huffed. "You've already got me wearing this dress."

At that, Rainbow Dash looked at herself in the mirror again. She would never actually admit it to Rarity out loud, she actually kind of liked the dress. The red belt was kind of strange, but it did seem to help the skirt show off her backside, and probably hold the thing in place. Really, it was the yellow and orange streaks that she liked. It reminded her of flames, which was a nice contrast for a pony as cool as her.

"I simply want you to look your best for the evening," Rarity said. "I feel like I'm seeing my sister off on a date." She shifted, tapping at her chin. "Although... if I actually were sending Sweetie Belle out on a date, it would not require as much work as you since she is at least able to brush her own hair without too much trouble."

"Oh, ha ha," Rainbow responded, rolling her eyes.

After finishing with the mane, Rarity moved on to the tail.

"Rainbow, I want you to promise me something."

Turning her head, Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity as best as she could.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to make an actual, sincere effort on this date. Try and get to know Marble and see if there is any genuine possibility of a relationship between the two of you. And most importantly, do try to be patient. From what I've gathered, Marble Pie is very shy, possibly even more so than Fluttershy. So you're going to need to take time to work on drawing her out of her shell before you get to know the real her. Can you do that for me, dear?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rainbow Dash asked, turning around to look at Rarity directly.

"Oh come now," Rarity said with a roll of her eyes. "You are my friend, and I care for you, but you are not what one would call a 'patient' pony. You also tend to get rather irritable when you grow impatient. I don't want you to miss out on the possibility of a great romance because you could not take the time to get to know a mare properly."

Rainbow Dash chewed her lip, but did not say anything as she turned back around. If she were honest with herself, it was pretty true. She could still remember how often she got annoyed with Fluttershy for being so shy and meek. She could also remember that if she had not been around, she would not have seen how awesome Fluttershy could be when needed. Like standing up to a dragon.

Once Rainbow Dash turned around, Rarity let out a small sigh of relief. In truth, the reason that she gave was not the actual reason that she had asked for a promise. It was an odd thought. Silly. Outrageous even. She was not even sure why she would think such a thing. Still, there was a part of her that could imagine Rainbow Dash -- intentionally or not -- sabotaging her date with Marble Pie in order to have Marble end up with Big Macintosh, free of obligation.

It was not much longer before the date preparations were done. Rainbow Dash was all brushed up, dressed, and with a bare hint of make-up. It had been more than Rainbow Dash had wanted, but not as much as Rarity thought sufficient. Just the small bit had been pretty much a compromise between the two. Although, Rarity did try to coax Rainbow in a little more, much to her annoyance.

Once the time had come and Rainbow Dash left, it was almost a relief. Although, now she felt a little bit of nervousness at the prospect. She was actually about to go on a date. It was not her first date. She had been on plenty of them. There had even been a couple where she had been the one in charge of it. So why did she feel so nervous about this one?

Flowers. She should totally pick up some flowers. That was part of the dating ritual stuff, right? The one that was supposed to be in control of the whole thing brought flowers to the intended date? But what kind should she get? Rarity or Twilight would both want -- or give -- roses, Rarity because it was classic romance, and Twilight because it was probably what was in her books. Fluttershy would like daisies. If it was with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow could go with honeysuckles. Marble was Pinkie's sister, so maybe that would work for her as well. Except if it was Maud, she would not want actual flowers, but probably some sort of flower shaped rocks, so that did not entirely work.

What all did Rainbow Dash know about Marble Pie: one of Pinkie's sisters, and the youngest of the triplets; spent pretty much her entire life on a rock farm; was the shy and quiet type.

That last one gave her an idea. It would all be easy enough for her to do as well. The flower stand was actually on her way. Rainbow would just swing by on her way, and hope they had what she was looking for. If not, then she would probably be able to get a recommendation from one of the flower mares.

...provided they did not freak out and faint...

At the stall, Rainbow found that Lily Valley was there, and so were the flowers she was looking for. Once she had the bouquet -- and put up with some stomach-churning gushing by the flower mare -- Rainbow Dash continued on her way.

Soon she found her way to Sugarcube Corner. Inside, Marble Pie would be waiting for her. All Rainbow had to do was go up, knock, and Marble would be there. That was it. At this point, she did not even need to meet with Marble's family. Although that was rather moot since she pretty much had already.

Closing her eyes, Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and slowly let it out. This was easy. A piece of cake. It was just a date with a mare. Not like she was going to be doing a stunt show or anything. Nopony was going to be watching or paying attention to them. Dates happened all the time. At worst, it would mean that Marble Pie would get with another pony, be it Big Macintosh or somepony else she was set up with. At best...

At best it would be the start of a lifetime relationship.

That possibility sent a thrill of excitement and a chill of fear through Rainbow Dash's body.

Pushing the fear aside and focusing on the excitement, Rainbow Dash made her way to the door.

With a slight tremor in her hoof, she knocked.

The door opened and Marble Pie stepped out.

Preparing Pie

Marble Pie sat in the bathtub in Pinkie Pie's bathroom. She laid stretched out in the warm water, watching the bubbles shift with each slight movement she made, and pop as it slowly disappeared.

She had never taken a bubble bath before. It... really did not seem that much different from a regular bath. At least she did not feel any different. It kind of looked like the water after she had thoroughly soaped up and rinsed off. Although she could kind of see why Pinkie Pie liked it so much. The bubble bath was pink before it bubbled up (which, disappointingly, was white), and it could be played with and shaped a little. Plus, there was a scent to it that was nice. Pinkie said that it was lavender, and was supposed to be relaxing. Marble was not too sure about that last part for her, but it did smell better than just plain soap.

The rubber duck, however, Marble Pie could understand completely. Not only was it cute, but it was kind of fun to play with. If she gave it a little squeeze, it would let out a squeak, then wheeze as it filled up with air again. When she pushed it under the water, it would pop right back up, bobbing and wobbling. Marble could not help but find the whole thing entertaining.

Then again, there was a lot that Pinkie Pie had that she found entertaining. Although, that was kind of the point of it all, was it not? Pinkie Pie had decided that her purpose in life was to make other ponies happy, to make them smile and feel loved. So Pinkie Pie would become friends with any pony -- any creature, really -- that she met, especially when she thought they needed one.

Marble Pie wish she could do that. Not specifically make ponies happy, but to create some sort of emotional response. She wished that she could get ponies to feel something strongly. To get them to feel something like what she felt. Unfortunately, that also meant interacting and socializing with a lot of ponies on a regular basis, most of which she would only see once or twice. So she would never have time to get fully used to a pony and be comfortable around them.

Another way that she wished she was a little more like her sister.

Something moved against Marble's leg, causing her to jump slightly. Reaching down into the water, she managed to grab a hold of whatever it was and pull it up.

There was Gummy, Pinkie's pet alligator, staring at her with his big, reptilian eyes.

"How did you get back in here?" Marble asked as she set the gator down on the edge of the bathtub. "I know I took you out already."

Gummy just stood where he had been set, blinking once.

Curious, Marble took a hold of the rubber duck. After quickly rinsing it off, she lifted it up above Gummy and gave it a squeak. The noise got the little alligator's attention. At the second squeak, he jumped up, snapping his toothless jaws around it. He then started biting down on the toy, making it squeak repeatedly, and getting a giggle from Marble Pie. It was a cute creature. Not the type of pet Marble would ever want -- toothless or not -- but it made sense for her sister.

A knock at the door drew Marble Pie's attention from Gummy.

"Marble," Pinkie called out, "are you still in the tub?"

"Mmhmm," Marble called back, looking toward the door.

"Well it's time to get out and get ready. Don't want to be late for your date."

"Mm-mm." She then reached for the plug, and noticed that Gummy had disappeared from his spot by the side of the tub.

Stepping out, she grabbed a towel and started drying herself off. The towel she used was so thick and fluffy, it almost seemed like it was more of a blanket. Also felt kind of warm. It made a part of Marble want to just wrap herself up in it nice and tight, then take a nap.

Instead, she finished drying off and set the towel aside. At the vanity, she grabbed the brush and began to work on her mane. Maybe she should try doing something with it. Maybe she could find a barrette and pin it back or aside. That way, she would not be hiding behind her it, and her date would be able to look at her directly.

Or not. Just the idea of doing that filled Marble with anxiety. It was kind of like a security blanket for her. If she got scared or nervous, she could just kind of hide behind her mane, and nopony could see how she felt. Some times she just needed a moment or two to get the nerve to respond. Other, she would just kind of stay hidden until whomever decided to leave her alone or somepony else stepped in to help.

Not the best way to deal with a problem, admittedly, but between Maud, Limestone, and Pinkie, it had become a very effective one.

So, her mane was going to stay as it normally was. Maybe she could put on a little bit of make-up. Not much. Just a little bit of mascara or eye shadow. Maybe some lip liner. Although nothing too bright or colorful.

Except Pinkie did not have any make-up for dating. There was plenty of what could be considered make-up, but it was more for face painting. Not really anything that Marble could use, unless she wanted to go out looking like a clown.

That idea got another giggle from her. It would be kind of funny.

Too bad it was something that she would never have the courage to do. Draw way too much attention to her.

Washed, dried, and brushed. All that remained now was for her to get dressed, and she will be ready to go.

It was a pretty dress. More colorful than any that she owned, with its sky blue and soft pink. It was also kind of strange. Why would the part that goes around the neck be pink while the mane dress would be blue? Why was that part sewn into the rest, making it look like it was part of a different outfit?

Still, it did look pretty nice.

And once she put it on, Marble found that it fit her very well. A little tighter around the barrel than she would have liked, but not too bad. It was better than most of the off the rack dresses that she tried out, which were either too tight around her barrel because of how much muscle she had, or too large since they were made for a bigger built mare. Pinkie's friend Rarity seemed to know how to accentuate a more muscular body type. Considering that she was also friends with Applejack, it did kind of make sense.

Turning her attention back to the mirror, she took in how she looked all dressed up in her new outfit.

Marble thought she looked pretty good. The off the shoulder strap drew attention to said shoulder, showing off the toned shape of it. The same could also be said with the length of the skirt and the thick muscles of her legs. The collar of the outfit also drew some attention to her neck. She took a deep breath, being able to do so easily and watching the dress expand against her. For a moment, she worried that a stitch would pop.

When it did not, she exhaled. It was so lovely, she felt like she was too... plain for the dress. She was just a grey on grey earth pony mare that grew up on a rock farm. She spent her times either working on the farm, or on her art. This was not really the type of dress a mare like her was worth wearing. If she were to wear something, it should be more simplistic, like Maud's dress. Not something so elegant and colorful.

No. That was no way to think. She was worth wearing something like this. It was made for her. Literally, in this case. Pinkie's friend had worked hard to make this dress just for her. She was going to wear it, she was going to go out on a date in it, and she was going to look "absolutely fabulous" (to quote Rarity) as she does it.

She could do this. She would do this.

A knock at the door, caused Marble Pie to jump, letting out a squeak of terror.

"Marble?" Pinkie Pie asked. "Are you okay?"

"Mmhmm," Marble replied. Walking over to the door, she opened it, revealing her sister standing there.

"Aww," Pinkie cried out as she grabbed her sister and pulled her into a Pinkie Pie Hug®. "You look so cute." Her grip tightened and Marble heard several vertebra pop. "Rainbow Dash is just going to love you."

I hope so, Marble thought. Rainbow Dash was the pony that The Pairing Stone had put her with. It was important that this work out between them. It meant a lot to her family, especially her parents. If things did not work out, it would devastate them.

"Mmhmm," was all she could say. Although even that was tough while caught in an extra tight Pinkie Pie Hug. Some times it seemed like Pinkie was even stronger than Maud, but unaware of it.

"Come on," Pinkie said as she finally broke the hug. "We need to get you downstairs and waiting. That way you'll be ready when Rainbow shows up, and she won't have to knock loud enough to wake Pound and Pumpkin."

She then took off, dragging Marble with her.

Soon -- almost instantly -- they were down in the main room of Sugarcube Corner. Despite how quickly they had moved, Marble's mane and dress were in the same condition they had been upstairs. Still, Marble rubbed at the chest of her outfit to make sure that it was smooth and clean.

Standing there and waiting, Marble had the urge to ask -- to beg -- Pinkie to come along on the date. This was an extended period of social interaction with a pony that she did not know. It was not something that Marble normally did. Having a pony there that knew her, that could act as a buffer and speak up for her, sounded like it would be very useful.

Although it would not be very romantic, which would kind of ruin the idea of a date. Not to mention that if Pinkie Pie went, it would be more like a date between her and Rainbow Dash instead. Plus, Marble could not rely on her sisters forever. Especially after she got married. Even if it was not Rainbow Dash, whomever Marble married would probably want the two of them to have a place of their own away from the rock farm. Like it or not, there were going to be times that she was going to have to deal with ponies on her own. This would be a good place to start.

A knock at the door caused Marble Pie to tense up, legs locking in place.

"That's her," Pinkie said, hopping up and down. Moving behind Marble, she pushed the other mare forward until she was right in front of the door. Pinkie then moved away, leaving Marble standing there alone.

"Go on," Pinkie whispered. "Open it."

With a nod, Marble Pie turned to face the door fully. Taking a deep breath, she reached up and took a hold of the door knob.

Nervousness fluttered through her stomach as she opened it.

A Stroll Before Dinner

"Wow," Rainbow Dash said. "You look... nice. Very nice." She shifted, one ear twitching. Her wings gave a flick before pulling back in, tucking against the mare's sides again.

"Thank you," Marble said. Although her voice was so low, she doubted that it was heard. She looked at Rainbow from the corner of an eye, a warmth spreading across her face. "You... you look really nice as well."

It was easy to see that Marble's lips were moving, but Rainbow could not hear what she was saying. Still, she did think that the mare did look very pretty. Although it would have been nice to see both of her eyes instead of just one.

"Oh. Right." Reaching back, Rainbow pulled out the violets she had picked up at the flower stall. "Here. I got these for you."

The sight of the purple flowers got a small gasp from Marble. Flowers? For her? No one had ever gotten her flowers before. They were so pretty. With deep purple petals that turned nearly black further in, and the small spot of yellow in the very center. Leaning in, Marble took a deep breath, letting the scent of the violets fill her nose.

"I take it you like them," Rainbow said, smiling at the reaction.

"Mmhmm," Marble replied as she took the flowers from her date.

"I'll take those," Pinkie said, taking the flowers. "Except..." Pulling out one of the violets, she slipped it behind her sister's ear. "There. Perfect." Her grin grew brighter before she pronked off to put the flowers in a vase.

For her part, it was a relief to Rainbow Dash that Marble liked the flowers. Admittedly, picking them based off of a figure of speech -- making it a little funny to her -- may not have been the best way to go with it. Still, they were pretty, and appreciated, so it worked out well. Just so long as Marble never asked "why violets?" Explaining it was because of the term "shrinking violet" may not go well with Marble's sense of humor.

"So, are you ready?" Rainbow asked.

"Mmhmm," Marble replied, stepping out of the door and joining her as they began to walk.

"So... I was thinking that we could have dinner, and catch a play. Then, if you're up for it, maybe do some dancing. That sound good?"

"Mmhmm."

This seemed to Rainbow Dash like it was going to be a bit of a challenge. Well, she already knew that. More accurately, it was sinking in how difficult having conversations with Marble was going to be. With Marble being so shy and having a hard time speaking, Rainbow was going to have to do most of the talking. That was something that Rainbow did not mind, really. Except her friends told her it was not appropriate behavior to completely dominate a conversation. Especially when she made it entirely about herself. She would have to get Marble to open up at least a little.

Maybe she could get Marble open up if she could get her to laugh. Considering she was Pinkie's sister, maybe there was a perfect opportunity.

"So, did Pinkie ever tell you about some of the pranks she and I pulled together?"

The question got a curious look from Marble, raising one eyebrow and giving a small shake of her head.

"Well, one time, a friend of ours, a dragon named Spike..."

Rainbow then went on to tell Marble about giving Spike hiccups, painting all the apple at Sweet Apple Acres, and giving Twilight Sparkle disappearing ink. As Rainbow talked, Marble started to soften up. She gave a small smirk, which became a full smile. As Rainbow continued to talk, Marble began to snicker. Then giggle. Soon, Marble was actually laughing.

"And that was when my mane caught on fire," Rainbow finished, getting a snort from Marble.

"That didn't happen," Marble said, loud enough for Rainbow to actually hear her.

For a moment, Rainbow Dash considered claiming it was. She was even tempted to say "if I'm lying, then may lightning strike me." Except with her luck, the very well could happen.

"No," Rainbow admitted. "You got me. I made that last part up." She grinned and nudged Marble with a wing. "But it got you to laugh. You should do it more often. It's kind of cute."

The compliment caused Marble to gasp out and blush, looking away from Rainbow Dash. Marble had never really laughed out loud around anyone but her family. Really, it was only around Pinkie, with once or twice Maud when she told a joke. At least, never loud enough to be heard. Nopony else had really heard it before, to say nothing of calling it "cute."

However, Marble Pie's reaction gave Rainbow Dash a different impression. Rainbow thought that she had embarrassed Marble by drawing attention to her laugh. It was not Rainbow's intention to make Marble self-conscious. She was trying to get her to open up and come out of her shell. She was even succeeding. And with one comment, it had all been shut down.

Okay, Rainbow thought. It's no big deal. I can fix this, no problem. We're almost at the restaurant. Just a little small talk before the food arrives, then we can eat in silence. Then we just have to make it to the play. Once that's over, she'll definitely be more relaxed.

"I really like your mane," Marble said, drawing Rainbow Dash from her thoughts and plotting.

"Really?"

"Mmhmm. It's so colorful and bright. I would love to paint it some time."

The statement caused Rainbow Dash to slow down, looking at Marble curiously.

"You paint?"

"Sometimes," Marble answered. "Although not very often. I also draw a little, but mostly I sculpt. It's... my special talent actually."

"Ah," Rainbow said, giving a nod. "Well, I have no problem with it. Think a painting of me would be awesome."

"It does mean you would have to hold still for a while until I at least get the basics done," Marble pointed out.

"Okay, that might be a problem," Rainbow Dash conceded. She always had a hard time staying still, especially for any extended period of time. Unless she was sleeping, but even then she would toss and turn. The idea of having to hold perfectly still for however long was not something she liked the idea of very much.

"But I'm sure we can work something out."

Marble Pie smiled at the possibility. She had never done any figure painting before. The few paintings she had done were still lifes, either of the farm, or of the crystals in the caves underneath (and one of Holder's Boulder she had done for Limestone). The problem was that there were only so many times that you could paint the same place, especially when it was pretty much just brown and gray, with a bit of bluish-gray for the sky. The crystals were a little better since they were a nice pink, but they never really changed. So one picture of them was pretty much like another, even if at a different angle.

The opportunity to do a painting of a pony, especially one that was so colorful, and confident... lean... muscular...

Marble's smile vanished as she looked away from Rainbow Dash, a fresh blush spreading across her face. Had she been thinking that? Had she actually thought about that? Was she actually starting to find Rainbow Dash... attractive?

Carefully so as not to be noticed, Marble looked at Rainbow Dash from the corner of her eye. In a way, Rainbow Dash was a study in contrast with The Pie Family. All of the Pies were on the thick side, heavily built with functional muscles for the heavy lifting and pushing that the rock farm needed. Rainbow was all lean and toned muscle, designed less for strength and more for speed. With the exception of Pinkie and Nana, the Pies were pretty much earth colors. But Rainbow Dash was brightly colored, especially with the rainbow colored mane and tail.

But it was not all the physical appearance that Marble had noticed. Seeing how Rainbow Dash was friends with Pinkie Pie -- how she saved the whole of Equestria and individual ponies on multiple occasions -- she must have been a good mare. She also seemed so confident and certain. Rainbow Dash stood tall and was not afraid to look other ponies in the eye. She knew what she wanted, and was not afraid to go after it.

There was also... something else. Marble could not quite place it, but there was something familiar about Rainbow Dash. Something that reminded Marble of herself. A silly notion, of course. They were pretty much polar opposites. The "bold and cocky" pegasus who wanted to be a Wonderbolt and perform in front of thousands of ponies, and a shy and quiet earth pony rock farmer that just wanted to create a little bit of art.

Still... there was something.

"There it is," Rainbow Dash said, pointing forward with her nose. "Mon petit Poney. The fanciest Prench restaurant in Ponyville."

"I've never had Prench food before," Marble said, looking at the restaurant in front of her."

"Neither have I," Rainbow admitted, "but it's supposed to be an ideal location for a date."

The two then made their way to the place, a table already waiting for them.

The place was not to Rainbow Dash's liking. The whole place was all fancy looking, like they were trying to mimic the style of the castle or something. At least she thought it did. It was actually difficult to make out the finer details of the place when it was so dim from the "romantic candlelight." It also made Dash feel under-dressed, even if Rarity made the outfit and knew they were coming here.

Why did she let Rarity even talk her into coming to this place to begin with? Fine, her idea of getting hayburgers and fries was not exactly "romantic," but did they really have to come to such a fancy -- and probably uptight considering the host or whatever he called himself -- place to eat instead? Why not something a little fancy, like the cafe?

For a moment, she considered suggesting just that: that the two of them forget this place and go somewhere else to eat. Some place that is at least a little more casual, although not fast food casual. Maybe something more like a bar and grill, or a chineighse place.

When they were seated and given menus, Rainbow Dash looked at some of the options. She actually felt a little bit of relief as she read through them. Although the names were kind of strange, she recognized what was in most of the dishes. A lot of them were things that she would normally eat. She had been worried about... well... admittedly, she had not actually thought about what she would be expecting them to serve. But when the only thing she knew about their food is that they eat bugs, she was not imagining what was pretty much normal food.

Maybe this was a good sign? Maybe this date would not go too badly? The walk here had been nice. So if dinner was going better than she had already expected, then maybe the whole night will be.

That idea gave Rainbow Dash a slight sense of relief, and made it easier to pick out what she wanted.

An Amazing Sight

After a delicious dinner -- and maybe Rainbow Dash overdoing it just a little with the eclairs -- the two of them then went to watch the play. The Equestrian Traveling Performers were putting on Hinny of The Hills at the open air theater in the park.

It was a good night for it too. The sky was clear and stars bright. The moon was not completely full, but the crescent of it did shine brightly. The night was still and calm, no breeze to make it more difficult to hear the performers speaking. There was a slight chill to the air. Not enough to bother most ponies, but enough that it gave an excuse to cuddle close for those who wanted to.

During the play, Marble Pie actually considered it. As she sat there on the blanket (which for some reason had been waiting for them, with a card that had "reserved for" followed by their cutie marks on it) beside Rainbow Dash, Marble found herself wondering what it would be like. Just a little shifting, and she could press up against the other mare's side. Maybe Rainbow would even lift the wing up and wrap it around Marble, pulling her closer. Pressed into that firm, warm side, feathers and fur encasing her... it all sounded so nice.

Unfortunately, Marble could never work up the courage to actually go through with it. She looked at the spot from time to time, and had even managed to start to move toward it. But her nerve always gave out before she actually got close. In the end, Marble would just move back to where she had been, watching the play and feeling embarrassed that she could not actually cuddle up to the other mare.

The behavior did not go entirely unnoticed. Rainbow Dash caught glimpses of Marble Pie, shifting back and forth as well as looking away from her. Was there something bothering Marble? Maybe Rainbow could do something to help her relax? Like wrap her wing around her. Pull her a little closer. Maybe a couple kisses along the neck... or a nip of the ear...

With a shake of her head, Rainbow Dash returned her attention back to the play. She liked Hinny of the Hills. It may not have been as good as the one they saw in Manehattan, but it was still pretty good. Besides, she should not be thinking of doing something like that to Marble Pie. Marble was a shy pony. True, she had come out of her shell some tonight, but moving too fast would scare her off. Rainbow Dash would just have to keep herself a little distracted so she would go slower, to let Marble get more comfortable with her.

At least she got to enjoy a play the she liked. Especially when one of her favorite songs began to play.

Marble could not help but snicker to herself when she saw Rainbow Dash mouthing along.

When the play had come to an end, both of them had enjoyed it very much. Rainbow Dash had to resist the urge to clap too loudly and whistle, while Marble Pie gave a soft, barely audible clap with her own hooves. Several of the ponies had done similar, while others were already getting up to leave.

Getting up, Rainbow Dash stretched out, spreading her wings and giving them a flap.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

"Mmhmm," Marble replied, giving a nod.

Rainbow moved to stand in front of Marble, and held out a hoof.

"Ready to go?"

Marble looked at the hoof for a moment, before reaching out and taking it. It pretty much felt like a normal hoof. Not any different from her own, or her sisters', or anypony's really. It was not colder, or smoother. It was just a plain, ordinary, regular pony hoof.

Yet Marble felt a thrill as she touched it, letting Rainbow Dash help her up.

It's now or never, Marble thought.

"Rainbow. There... there's something... I... Something I want to ask you?"

"What is it?" Rainbow asked, moving to look Marble in the eye.

Marble looked at Rainbow Dash, then looked away. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and blurted out, "IwantyoutodoaSonicRainboomforme."

There. She said it.

"What?" Rainbow said. "I didn't quite catch that."

Marble had been worried that might happen. At least she had said it. That would make it a little easier to say again.

"I want you to do a Sonic Rainboom for me," she repeated. "From what Pinkie Pie told me, it was really beautiful, and it is something important to her. You should have seen how excited she was when she told me about how it turned out you made the one years ago that made her want to throw parties." Her ears dropped as she let out a sigh. "I didn't see that one. I've never seen one." She returned her attention to Rainbow, perking up again. "So, can you show it to me? Please?"

That... was not something that Rainbow Dash expected. Sure, she loved to show off and always hoped that somepony would ask her to do something that would let her. She just did not think that Marble Pie would ask for anything like that, not so soon, and definitely not a Sonic Rainboom.

How could she say no? Especially when it must have been hard to ask in the first place, and she was being looked at with those big purple eyes.

"Okay," Rainbow said with a nod. "But not here. Come on." She then turned away from Marble and started walking.

Excited at the prospect and curious, Marble Pie followed. As they left the park and made their way through town, she looked around. Although Pinkie had shown her around, she did not remember most of Ponyville. So she was able to recognize some of the buildings, but could not quite figure out where it was they were going. While she was tempted to ask, she also wanted to keep quiet. Not because she was worried about embarrassing herself (although that was a not so small part of it), but because it kind of made it like a surprise. And while she did not enjoy them as much as Pinkie Pie, Marble did like a surprise from time to time. Provided she knew one was coming, that is.

It was not long before they had actually left the edge of the town proper, leaving the buildings behind. The two of them made their way out to an open field, with no trees around.

"Here we are," Rainbow said as she motioned with a hoof. "This is the field where I do most of my practicing."

She then undid the belt of her dress, taking it off and setting it aside.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Marble asked, her face flushing as she looked away.

"Taking off the dress," Rainbow replied. "Clothes don't do well at rainboom speeds, and Rarity would kill me if I damaged this outfit."

Besides, Rainbow mentally added, I actually kind of like it. She continued to slip it off, folding it up and setting it aside, completely oblivious to Marble Pie's discomfort at Rainbow's sudden nudity.

That was when Marble realized her discomfort, and asked herself "why?" Why was Rainbow Dash undressing making her nervous? It was not a big deal. Ponies walk around without clothes all the time. Marble included. Normally, she only wore clothes for very special occasions, such as her first date or a formal event (which were rare things for her). So why did having Rainbow Dash take her clothes off right in front of her make her nervous?

And why did she also want to peak at the other mare like it was some sort of secret?

"That is soooo much better," Rainbow groaned out as she stretched, spreading her wings wide and giving them a flap. For some reason, she always felt like clothing was restrictive. Even when it allowed her free movement and kept her wings unhindered, it felt like it was limiting her mobility. She always felt the need to stretch once she was out of them, especially her wings.

Although that was not the only reason. Rainbow Dash was pretty much a professional athlete. She knew how important it was to stretch her muscles before exercising. Especially something strenuous like the Sonic Rainboom, and more so since she had not flown for hours while getting ready for -- and going on -- this date.

As Rainbow stretched, Marble managed to work up the courage to watch and get a good look at her. As Rainbow's body shifted and flexed, Marble was able to really take in how different it was from her own. It was all lean and smooth, and looked like it would be incredibly firm. The muscles tensed and shifted with ease, gliding beneath the fur covered skin. It made Marble want to reach out. To feel those muscles as they shift and flex. To--

"Ready?"

The question caused Marble to tense, a feeling of guilt washing over her like she had been caught doing something naughty. Once again her face burned as she shifted, not looking Rainbow Dash in the eye. She could not even get out her normal "mmhmm," only managing to nod in response.

"Then watch this, and be ready to be awestruck."

With that, Rainbow Dash took off and flew up into the air. a smile spread across her face as she flapped her wings, working her way higher and higher. Already she could feel the building energy, matching her growing excitement, and a small amount of nervousness. This time, she was able to push it down. To ignore it and focus on what she was doing as she continued her ascent.

From her spot on the ground, Marble Pie watched as Rainbow Dash took off, quickly disappearing. Her eyes were wide with excitement as she watched the bright rainbow colored contrail mark the other mare's path. It was amazing to see, and it was not even what she was waiting for. Eventually, it faded from sight, leaving Marble with nothing to do but watch and wait.

After climbing and climbing, Rainbow Dash reached what she thought was the ideal height for her to give a good show for Marble. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out, preparing herself. She then shot down, wings flapping as she picked up speed. Rainbow's ears pulled back close to her head as her body stretched out, working to become as aerodynamic as possible. Her eyes narrowed as the wind whipped past her, making them sting.

Already, she could feel the air resistance pressing against her forehooves. Muscles tensing and an excited smile spreading across her face, she continued to push herself forward.

The air around her became an explosion of light and sound.

Marble Pie continued to watch, her own excitement and anxiety building. Would it look like how Pinkie Pie described it? Would Rainbow Dash actually be able to do it? What -- if anything -- would Marble feel from it?

There was a massive boom as a ring of rainbow colored light appeared in the sky.

Marble's jaw dropped open as she stared, wide-eyed.

It's...so...beautiful!

Author's Notes:

Don't worry, she does not end up doing anything like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7mZTrXKNuY

And with that, the story ends. Happy Valentine's Day and Hearts and Hooves Day.