Her short golden mane glittered in the moonlight when Rainbow Dash hovered down beside her. Glancing over, she instantly brightened. “R-Rainbow!” Gold Petals sat up from gazing beyond the mountain ledge. The sights of Windthrow glowed warmly below as the two mares stood face to face under the celestial canopy of night.
“Kind of late for a hike, don't you think?”
“Mmmm...” Gold Petals shrugged, her lips curved as she gazed into the stars once more. “I'm no longer scared. Heh... That's just the thing...” She ran a hoof through her short bangs and sighed happily. “There're no monsters, no fog, no evil portals opening up to goddess-knows-where. Everything is so still and clear and beautiful. This is my first night in as long as I can remember where I can actually stare out at the stars. It looks way better than from any caravan campfire I've made over the past decade.”
“Speaking of caravans...” Rainbow Dash murmured. “Are you going to be working with Fulltrot like always? It seemed to be your thing.”
“I... uh... I dunno...”
“Oh?”
“Heh...” Gold Petals smiled cheekishly. She glanced at Rainbow through the corner of her eyes. “Maybe you saw me earlier, or maybe you didn't. Either way... uh... things are looking up.” She gulped. “What I mean to say is that... I-I kind of got together with my parents again.”
“Is that who you were hugging earlier?”
“So you did see!” Gold Petals could barely stifle a giggle. “Yeah. Uhm. They actually wanted to see me. Apparently—according to what Fulltrot claims they said to him—they were really freaked out by all the crazy monster stuff as of late. Furthermore, something about how terribly Hushtail and Sladesteed have butted heads really bugged them.”
“They've had a change of heart?”
“I wouldn't call it a change...” Gold Petals' hooves dug at the grassy floor. “More like a fog has lifted from them just as it has from this village. They want me to come back and live with them again.”
“Even after all that's happened between you?”
“I don't know if you have a family somewhere waiting for you, Rainbow Dash...” Gold Petals took a deep breath and brushed her mane back after a gust of wind. “But when you've been gone from them for so long, no matter how horribly cruddy things may have gotten, there comes a time when you want nothing better but to be with them forever and ever.”
Rainbow Dash slowly nodded. “I think I can dig that feeling, yeah.” She gulped. “How do you feel about it?”
“Delighted. Scared. Joyful. Horrified.” Gold Petals giggled lightly and hugged herself. “So much has happened. I think Fulltrot is moving on up with the village and all. I'm happy for him; he really deserves it. Red Turnip's got his family back together again. Windthrow is gonna stop having closed doors to all outsiders. I now have so many possible career choices to pursue. Things are just... so good.” She swallowed and looked over at the pegasus. “And it's all thanks to you, Rainbow Dash...”
“Eh...” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Fate was visiting your village. I just happened to be riding the karma comet.”
“No, really...” Gold Petals took a few steps forward. “What kind of a stranger would just drop in and give so much thankless effort into saving an entire town? Who would do so many nice things for absolutely nothing?”
“It wasn't for nothing!” Rainbow Dash retorted.
“Then...” Gold Petals gazed at her innocently. “What was it for?”
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth. She stumbled, and glanced forcibly away from Gold Petals. After a clearing of her throat, she said, “I was just bored. Does it really have to be so complicated?”
“Heehee. Well...” Gold Petals' tail flicked. “You won't be bored this week! Ironhoof and Red Junior are talking about setting up fireworks atop the the nearest summit! Tomorrow's gonna have a spectacular light show! And with no fog hanging around to hide the sky, it's bound... to be... a... blast...” Her voice trailed off, as did her smile, while she gazed at Rainbow Dash's deadpan figure.
Rainbow Dash said nothing. She was avoiding Gold Petals' gaze.
Gold Petals' blinked. “You're...” She swallowed. “Y-you're leaving, aren't you?”
“I.. uh...” Rainbow Dash chuckled lightly. “I never really arrived to begin with, if you think about it.”
“But...” Gold Petals gulped. “You've proven that you can do so much to help this village.”
“This village needs to help itself,” Rainbow Dash said. “With the likes of Fulltrot's leadership and your spunk, I think both the young and old have everything covered.”
“Yes, but...” Gold Petals' face stretched painfully. “You made so many things happen. You saved so many lives. I... I don't understand...”
“I'm not here to make you understand—”
“Then what are you here for?!” Gold Petals said with a slight frown, her voice wavering. “You taught me that it was okay to pursue my dreams. You showed me that it was okay to... to be different...”
Rainbow Dash gazed softly at her. “Yeah, well...” She smiled awkwardly. “I kind of like 'different.'”
“And... uhm...” Gold Petals shifted nervously. The starlight faded, much like the distance between them. “I... kind of like ponies who kind of like 'different...'”
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash tripped. Or, at least, that's what it looked and felt like at first. All that mattered was that her lips came into contact with Gold Petals', brazenly soft, two dark clouds merging under the moonlight. Gold Petals' took half a step back, her face and neck buckling under the startling gesture. A breath came out of her—more like a squeak—and soon her body deflated beneath her and Rainbow Dash in turn as her eyes fluttered shut.
Rainbow Dash's lips parted with hers, only for her to breathe. When she did, she was inhaling Gold Petals instead, tilting her face at an angle to kiss her more ardently, desperately. Her hooves rose to the mare's neck, cradling Gold Petals' face with the gentlest of feather-light touches, like how her wings danced in the starlight as she ended the kiss with a warm, delicate nuzzle of her cheek against the petite pony's.
Gold Petals was blushing furiously, and her legs trembled underneath her. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in Rainbow Dash's embrace, but that hug never came. Curious, she opened her eyes, gazing innocently at the visiting Equestrian.
It was then—between terrified breaths—that Rainbow Dash got a good look at Gold Petals' eyes. For the first time in days, she saw the true color, and it was the same shade as the ocean. Something deep inside of Rainbow Dash sunk, and the warmth in her face faded with the onset of a pained wince.
Gold Petals saw it. Her face trembled, and those worried blue eyes began to moisten. “R-Rainbow...?”
Rainbow Dash gulped. She clenched her eyes shut. “I'm... I'm sorry...”
Gold Petals' murmured, “Wh-why?”
Rainbow Dash stumbled back, shaking her head and gnashing her teeth. “I... I can't stay here.” She shuddered and fought back a whimper. “I c-can't stay anywhere...”
“But—”
“I'm so sorry...” Rainbow Dash bounded past Gold Petals, leapt off the mountainside, and flew into the stars.
“Rainbow!” she heard a voice calling out from behind. The wind blew in her ears, and for the briefest moment she heard the hint of a sobbing breath. That only made her flap her wings even harder.
Don't tell me, Rainbow's body is now a second chaos rift just waiting to happen.
Wow. All those characters. All those lives. That whole adventure. That's all over now.
You sir are and excellent writer. You make the reader seem like their going on this journey with Rainbow Dash. And as much as I or any other fan of this story wants to stay in Windthrow, our loyalty lies with Rainbow and we have to finish this journey with her, where ever it takes us.
Per Aspera Ad Astra.
Gah! This is the one part of the story so far that I haven't liked! Confound all things shipping! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/sillyfilly_Rainbow_Dash.png
But..But...I wanted that to happen.I wanted her to invite her to the journey,or promise to be back.I can't believe none of it went anywhere.
I had a feeling something like this would happen. Poor Golden Petals
1055283
Because Tartarus forbid an author adds another layer of emotion to a story.
I'll have some light shipping with my adventure, and you can have some cheese with your Whine.
That apostrophe shouldn't be there. In its current state it is a possessive, meaning its Gold Petals' blinked, which doesn't make sense.
"Golden Petals smiled cheekishly."
It should be "cheekily".
1055283
Heh, i'm right there with you.
But o well, no fic is perfect and not everyone likes the same thing. I just try to skip over the shipping and pretend it didn't happen. Otherwise, if i'm feeling creative, i mentally replace shipping-related actions with normal things friends would do. Like in these scene, RD and GP accidentally bro-hoof.
Boohoo, 86k words and 1k about something you're not interested in and clearly wraps up at the end.
What in the hell does Gold Petals' eyes being ocean colored have to do with crap?
1373215
Take a good, long look at Pinkie Pie's eyes for a while. Or, for that matter, consider who Gold Petals probably looks a fair bit like and the fact that Rainbow kept that one apple.
You can't leave Gold Petals! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!
*Insert Dashie post raging against shipping*
IIIIIt's Dashie's...evaluation.....time........
...
...w...why...
WHY?!?!
Why did you have to add shipping?! It's a great story!! One of the best, if not THE best fanfiction I have ever read!! Why must you add this?! And you know what, it could have been FINE. If you had Dash just explain it wouldn't work or maybe even take Gold Petals on the journey as well, FINE.
But you CAN'T ship two characters together for one chapter and then have one leave and have them never see each other again!!
THAT.
MAKES.
NO.
SENSE.
Ugh...I think I can honestly say that this is my least favorite Austraeoh chapter to date. But I suppose it could have been worse...These are my thoughts so far.
-MASH
P.S.1437037Thanks for that. It made my day.It's nice to know that there are people who follow my evaluation time!
Not a shipping fan, but it didn't hurt the story. I just hope it doesn't turn cliche
Well, now I have to kill things. Good thing I never liked my family anyway.
Good job Rainbow Dash, fly as far away from the unnecessary shipping as you possibly can.
Whaa!? So many questions!
Also: NOOOOOOO!!! Poor Gold Petals!! GP RD otp. -Sam
Air mail has brought Golden her shipment of RD.
The ship blasting here is unnecessary. It does NOTHING to hurt the story.
Silver out!
1619841
this is not the adventure stroy you are looking for
Ocean blue, or ocean green? This is important.
Okay, I'm not wanting to start some big controversy or anything, but I have to ask, because I'm genuinely curious: Why are some people SO against shipping? I understand that tastes will vary, but some people treat it like some super-serious position they're taking, as if it were a matter of principle. So many people seem to have this knee-jerk reaction of "shipping = bad", and it just doesn't make sense to me.
Are you just generally against romantic elements in stories? Do you feel that it inherently cheapens a story? Do you have this same reaction to every story/movie/show that incorporates a romantic sub-plot?
Or is it just the fact that it involves a canon character in a non-canon relationship (the classical definition of shipping)? Is that ALWAYS a bad thing? If so, it seems like a strange complaint, since almost everything in this story is non-canon.
OR is it that they're both mares? Would you be LESS offended if Gold Petals were a stallion?
Or what?
Now, I'm not necessarily PRO-shipping, in the sense that I need shipping to enjoy a story. There's a time and a place for it, as there is for ALL things. But as far as I can tell, there's nothing intrinsically wrong with incorporating romance into a story. It can even add a new emotional element. And looking at this story in particular, I don't see how it hurt the story in any way. Heck, it's been hinting at it and leading up to it for a while now, so it's not like it just came out of left field. On top of that, I think it opens up new opportunities for character development for Dash, especially considering how it ended. It's clear to me that there's something else going on there, in terms of WHY she was drawn to Gold Petals. And I'm curious to see what.
tl;dr People should stop getting their knickers in a twist and just enjoy the story, rather than let their preconceived notions take the fun out of it for them. Life is too short.
Ouch. My heart.
Ergh. Not a fan of this chapter based on principle. I have absolutely nothing against shipping, or even gay/lesbian shipping, but I do have a problem with Mane6xOC ships. I just do not like them.
That being said, it's still a great chapter in a great story.
114 chapters to go!
I guess you could say that their relationship was over...
Poots on shades
in ten seconds flat!
YEEEEEAAAAAHHHH!!!
2114441 cuz aj's eyes are green
2292745 too soon
I was rolling around giggling like I was being tickled by a hundred tiny Pinkie's when Dash kissed her.
Hopefully GP appears in the story again.
Goddammit.
You're so cruel, IC.
And everyone whining about the shipping really needs to loosen up. It fitted plotwise, and you could see it coming from a mile away.
Don't like, don't read. And if you read it anyway, don't bitch about it.
Story
No! Don't leave her, not after that amazing shipping moment. You broke ny heart, author. Please bring Gold Petals back
Sometimes, love cannot be. I would have loved the ship, but it wouldn't make sense for Gold Petals.
Ah yes, this famous chapter. My opinion? It's one of my favorite chapters in the story.
While the shipping might not make sense, seem bad, or out of the blue (seriously how do you SUDDENLY trip into a kiss while standing still?) I have another view on it.
Rainbow Dash is obviously lonely, it's been stated multiple times. It could just be she had a moment of weakness. What with everypony else having somepony to be with, she might have felt the need to be with somepony.
And assuming both Gold Petals' and Rainbow Dash's statement about "different" ponies, they both like mares. Gold Petals very much dropped the hint she was interested along with other more subtle hints throughout the story. So it seems reasonable for Dash to connect with her in her lonely state. So she does without really thinking about what she's doing or it's consequences.
Of course Rainbow Dash has to continue her journey east, this is top priority from Luna (most likely) and the who point of the story. (that we know) But she can't stay behind and be with Gold Petals. She can't be loyal to two ponys and be at two places they want or need her to be, at the same time. A relationship with Gold Petals would just hurt her if Rainbow continued east. Which is probably what Rainbow Dash realized after her kiss. So she said she was sorry and decided to break it off before it became anything more for them to lose and be hurt over, and fly away.
But that's just what I see.
Wow, all the people who flipped their shit over this chapter in a bygone age.
So many people who evidently didn't see this coming a mile away. It was obvious, dozens of chapters ago, that Rainbow is pining for Applejack. It was obvious, dozens of chapters ago, that Gold Petals reminds Rainbow of Applejack.
It was obvious, dozens of chapters ago, that Rainbow saw Gold Petals as a surrogate Applejack. But reality just slapped her upside the head, and she couldn't deal with it.
So yeah, there's nothing surprising or unusual about this chapter. It's completely, solidly logical.
huh? I never even realized so many people disliked shipping. maybe because I mainly read shipping fics? but in reality I've been reading almost exclusively SS&E fics for a while now. I just hope it's not because it's two mares. man, I'm so glad rainbow likes mares in this story. I can't stand straight ships, who would even do such a thing?
this was the most beautiful chapter yet. dunno what else to say, It would have been predictable, but the non existing romance tag actually made me doubt it up until it happened. And I'm so happy it did.
Now youve done it Goldylocks.
I'm pretty swell with the DashPetals ship. Pretty sure I made a comment like thirty chapters ago saying I dig it, but I can't say I really dig this chapter. The delivery just felt really cliched and dramatic for my tastes.
Dammit, I was off by 64 chapters.
Despite all of the romantic buildup, I didn't actually expect them to kiss. But I'm happy that they were at least able to have that before Rainbow Dash had to take off.
The point of the chapter wasn't so much the kiss though as Rainbow leaving afterwards. She has to continue her journey, and if ponies get attached to her in the meantime, they're probably going to get hurt, which is a bit tragic. I think some people got too wrapped up in the fact that it's romance. The sting that Gold Petals feels is sharper and more effective because of the romantic feelings than it would've been if she just thought Dash was a cool pony in a platonic way, but the idea still would have been similar. The point was more that Gold Petals cared about Rainbow Dash than that she wanted to slam her lips against her. That just kicked it all up a notch
I guess some people just can't handle romantic elements in their action story. I just finished all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so it seems perfectly natural to me.
Oh my g...
Okay, FUCK YOU RAINBOW DASH!!!!!!!!!
I don't care how fucked up you are in the brain, you DO NOT do that shit! Trust someone for once, and spill the beans. You might be trying to "not burden others with your issues" but I will bet billions on the fact that not talking is hurting them worse.
I cant hold it against Dash. i didn't mind the shipping, but her mission required her to continue, and it has a time limit apparently. In the end, it would've hurt more had she stayed. Also, i'd imagine Dash wouldn't be able to connect with others on that level as she is still dealing with whatever Discord had done and whatever happened to her friends.
Gold, you wont be forgotten
Darn. I liked Gold Petals too.
However, I look forward to the next destination. Especially if it's as good as this arc was.
1441885 This one time I have to downvote your comment. As someone pointed below it adds another layer of emotion to the story and makes it a bit more complicated, making it a bit more like real life. Also I think it was fine piece of writing, this chapter, and you could totally expect an ending like that based on what we knew about their interactions and the fact that Dash must fly east, and fly alone. All that hoping for Dash to take Gold Petals with her was just, well, like waiting for a miracle. You say you hope, but you don't believe that. You can't believe that.. And that ending was beautiful. Incredibly sad, but beautiful.
Wow, didn't see that reaction coming in the comments.
I'm mixed on it, myself. It clearly cannot go anywhere given Dash's journey, and it really can't be much of anything more than a light crush or simple lust considering the very short amount amount of they spent together. They really barely know each other.
Similarly, I'm not sure if it was a good or bad idea for Dash. It probably depends on how it effects the future trip. An unwelcome distraction? Something worth fighting for? Or maybe even just something that will quickly fade under the weight of future events? Only time and more chapters will tell.
Anyway, last comment for a while, gotta stay quiet and speedy or I'll never catch up.
4250214 She noticed her eyes were blue as the ocean then took off? Golden Petals reminded her of Pinkie Pie who is Dash's one true love.
Just because I saw this ship was never going to sail doesn't make it hurt less
So many emotions! All the happiness because they kissed! They finally kissed! But then sadness because she's gotta go and can't stick around. And that was made all the more painful by the way it happened.
~SolidFire