The sun set on a day of soaring, napping, and practicing my new Wonderbolts moves.  Orange and purple bathed Twilight's castle as I landed on the golden balcony with a clatter.  The arched green stained-glass doors swung open.  Probably the wind.  

I peered into the dusky hall past the purple drapes.  "Twi?"

I perked an ear.  

The breeze whistled, nothing more.

"Fluttershy sent me."  Yeah, [i]anything[/i] to avoid thinking about the Wonderbolt promotion exams on Monday.

Nothing.  

Of course Twilight [i]would[/i] get a castle for two—no three ponies.  I walked in, looked both ways into a really [i]long empty[/i] hall.  My skin tingled for a moment and I heard a faint [i]whir-whir-whir[/i].  

"Sheesh, Twilight.  Enough room for books?"

Orange, pink, and purple streamed through the skylight leaving clinging shadows.  I shivered, then smiled.  I [i]liked[/i] spooky.  "Hey, Twilight?"

The balcony doors slammed behind me.

I jumped into the air, fur rising on my spine, hovering, staring at the doors.  I kept smiling; nopony had seen me act uncool.  I fluttered left toward the bend in the corridor, then landed, hoping to find stairs.  The [i]clop-clop[/i] of my horseshoes echoed until I peered around the corner.

Directly behind me, I heard the pop you'd hear opening a thermos.  My shadow appeared before me.  My ears swiveled back before I turned and—

A brown door finished opening.  I gasped, shielded my eyes with a wing, looking through feathers at— 

"Another secret room, like Starlight found!"  I glanced furtively around, swishing my tail.  No ponies.  

I smelled apples.  "Awesooome."

I crept forward, stuck my nose into a tiny purple and blue crystal room.  

Books.  Shelves of books.  "A library?  Really?  Boooooo."

But… nice and warm.  I stepped further in.  A fire (wood not magic) crackled fragrantly in a cozy fireplace.  Next to it stood an amazing sight.  

Was it?

It was!  Woven of fine cirrus to mold to the body of the most discerning pegasus, me, stood a Char and Ray Aims Cloud® chair.  I trotted over, admiring the grey and white curving chillaxing cushions in the firelight.  I glanced at the bookshelf behind.

I blinked, tilted my head.   [i]Wonderbolt History of—  Aeronautical Principles—[/i]  Flying books?   Dozens of pegasus self-help titles.  Ones on speed and stunt flying.  

Apples.  I smelled apples.

[i]Slam![/i]

Again midair, I looked and gulped.  The door had vanished.  

I darted to the blank wall, the corners of the ceiling, examined the bookcases.  The room, lit only by the fire, was sealed but for hoof-sized vents.  "Really [i]really[/i] spooky, Twilight," I said.

Maybe it wasn't Twilight.

The castle had made a secret room for Starlight.  Had it made one for me?  I nodded.  Of course it had, I thought as I landed, because—I was awesome.  And I liked spooky.  And it was a "friendship" castle so how dangerous could it be?

"Heh-heh," I said, nervously.  I put a hoof to my mouth though nopony was there.

And looked at the knotty pine table before me.  On it sat a [i]gi[/i]normous stein of—yes!  It was hot cider!  Beside it sat a white china plate stacked with double fudge chocolate chocolate-chip cookies.  And at the table's edge lay a yellow and black book.

The title read [i]Aeronautics for Dummies[/i].

"Thank you, Twilight," I growled at the crystal walled room.  The firelight flickered from a thousand facets back at me.

Actually, I felt oddly okay with it.  I looked at the fire, the awesome chair, the crunchy (Oh.  So. [i]Wonderful[/i].) cookies, and the cider that steamed and smelled so good.  Even the book looked—  Maybe a little awesome, because, well… I was a bit of a dummy.  

[i]Don't tell anypony![/i]  You tell anypony, I'll deny it.

I pushed the table close to the cloud chair.  I sipped the cider, closing my eyes in pure unadulterated completely involuntary ecstasy!  It wasn't a Daring Doo, but—  I wriggled myself into the snuggly grip of the chair, felt the fire warm my wings, and cracked the book.



[center][i]A considerably long time later…  [/i][/center]

Spike said, "Rainbow Dash reading, [i]check![/i]"

Cozy, laying on my back, legs crossed, I looked at the little green dragon in the doorway through narrowed eyes.  He checked a parchment with a yellow pencil.

Twilight, wings flared, asked, "What's the coefficient of drag?"

I— I knew that!  "The resistance of a pegasus through a fluid environment… like air!  C sub d equals—"

Starlight stepped forward.  "My new [i]Twilight Zone[/i] study spell?"

Spike said, "Check and check."

I laughed.  "Getting me to study?  [i]Awesome![/i]"