“Congratulation you two!”
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash. At least somepony is happy for us today…” Fluttershy said. She had promised herself she wouldn’t cry on her wedding day and was struggling to keep that promise. Applejack rested her head against Fluttershy, her eyes closed. She was trying so hard to not let that day be ruined by her extended family, and even though she tried to hide it, she was as distraught as Fluttershy over what had happened.
“Well she’s not the only pony!” Pinkie yelled, smile on her face as always.
“Thanks, all’a you. It means a lot to us.” Applejack said as she adjusted herself against Fluttershy’s neck, keeping her eyes closed all the while. If she opened them tears would come rolling down. No… if Fluttershy refused to cry then so would she! Opening her eyes she looked at her friends as they stood just in front of the door. Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. All a big smile on each of their faces, filled with cheer. This wasn’t her perfect foal-hood idea of a wedding but her friends made it oh so close.
Any possibility of tears faded completely as she turned to see Fluttershy, smiling back at her. Applejack gave her new wife a small kiss on the lips before she turned back to the door. Her friends stepped aside, letting them see out of the chapel, down to their awaiting chariot, pulled by two royal pegusi that Twilight had arranged through Princess Celestia. Walking down the stairs she turned to take one last look back at her friends before entering the carriage. Even with everything that had happened today, she knew deep down in her heart that she and Fluttershy would be together forever, no matter how long. Now, until the end of time...
~ ~
The guest at the wedding talked amongst themselves and slowly began to leave. Sadly, a number of them had already left during the ceremony. It was bad enough that so few had shown up in the first place but the idea of AJ’s own family leaving during the show even hurt Dash. Still, the look on AJ’s face when she left told Dash everything would work out. It was quite late now and Twilight had gone off to help Golden Delicious and the few other remaining Apples with the clean up. Rarity had gone off for some reason or another as well, leaving just Pinkie and Dash together, standing in front of an altar.
“Hey Dashie, you know it’s tradition for the mare of honour and the best stallion to kiss right?” Pinkie chirped.
“Um, I think you’re getting your traditions mixed up, it’s the best stallion’s meant to kiss the bride… I think. Besides there is no best stallion, we’re both mares of honour.” Dash replied, she was Fluttershy’s mare of honour and Pinkie was AJ’s.
“Oh… well can we kiss anyway? I mean it’s tradition after all!”
Dash didn’t have anything against gays in anyway and didn’t really mind that two of her friends had gotten married, she was really happy for them actually. That didn’t stop her from hating the idea of being gay herself. Ponies had always assumed she was because of how she acted most the time. Still, this was Pinkie and Pinkie was random, it would mean nothing.
“Fine… bu…” Pinkie didn’t hesitated and had quickly rushed in, kissing Dash, softly, but for quite some time. Finally breaking away from Pinkie, when she needed some more air, Dash took a breath and said “Alright Pinkie, you happy now?...” though Dash had to admit she had liked the kiss a little.
“You know… Dashie, I really like you…”
“Yeah… I like you to Pinkie.” Dash replied, she knew what saying that had meant but wasn’t quite sure Pinkie knew what it meant.
“No Dashie… I mean…”
“Pinkie, I… I like you too, but… you know I’m… not like that…” Pinkie hadn’t been involved on the gossiping of her other friends about the ‘AppleDash’ things, she had only heard about it afterwards. Dash had always thought that if Pinkie had liked anypony, it would've been Fluttershy, especially after she’d gotten her muzzle broken by AJ for kissing the filly last year.
“Oh, ok. I understand.” all the chipperness and cheer that Pinkie normally exuded was gone from her last words. “It’s just… I thought you and I could… go out somewhere sometime. I know you’re not, but I… could you… just give me a chance…?”
Dash couldn’t refuse Pinkie. She looked heart-broken; even her mane wasn’t as puffy as normal. The idea came to Dash, she’d let Pinkie take her on a date and she’d just break it to her slowly. Even if Dash said yes now, Pinkie had to know it was just so she didn’t hurt her. “Alright, Pinks. I’ll go out with you but… I can’t promise anything. I’m not just ganna fall in love with you just like that” she paused for a moment before adding “And if you tell anypony else!...”
~ ~
The first date went well, Pinkie hadn’t tried anything, and it was just like if they were hanging out together. Pinkie hadn’t asked Dash out again for about a month afterwards. Dash thought Pinkie had just dropped the whole idea until then. After that however, Pinkie had asked Dash out every week or so. It eventually became just a regular thing for the two, hanging out together once a week. That was, until Pinkie kissed her. They’d been on more than ten dates now and even if Dash didn’t realise it, she had started to feel something for Pinkie.
And it scared her.
“I’m sorry.” Pinkie said, both happy and ashamed at what she’d just done.
“Na, it’s cool…” Dash replied, unable to hide her nervousness at the situation. She liked Pinkie… maybe she was in love with her. But... how could she be with another mare? And an earth pony at that? Dash’s entire life was about flying, she even lived in a house made out of clouds! Her entire family lived in Cloudsdale and without unicorn magic and some way of getting up there Pinkie couldn’t even exist up there!
Pinkie didn’t pick up on Dash’s nervousness and just heard her say 'it‘s cool.’ She planted another kiss on her, this one much longer than the last. Dash didn’t resist, she enjoyed it. It felt right… but wrong. She didn’t know what she could do. She had to tell Pinkie it couldn’t be, but she also wanted it to be. She wanted to do something, anything! And as was often her first response. She flew away. Leaving Pinkie standing there, still staring at Dash as she drew further away into the distance.
Dash always tried to act brave but deep down she was always terrified of everything she did. Her aerial displays where so precise but every time she performed them she felt scared. But that was natural, moving so fast, so high up, coming so close to the ground all the time. This however was different. Even though she was terrified of those moves she performed, she still did them. Now however she wasn’t in danger in anyway, she had just fled.
She couldn’t go home, Pinkie would find her. She couldn’t hide in the mountains, Pinkie would find her. Cantalot?... Pinkie. Cloudsdale…? Pinkie… no. She had to go somewhere nopony could possibly find her, not even Pinkie. Especially Pinkie! But there was nowhere.
Actually… there was one spot. One spot she’d only ever been once in her life and almost died getting to that time. A small set of clouds, so high up that there were less than one-hundred recorded cases of pegusi getting there. It was called ‘World’s End.’
She flew for hours straight, it was just after dark when she had finally got to the point below the far-off clouds above, not visible from somewhere even this high up, in the small cloud town. She stayed the night at the ‘End’s Beginning Inn’. She sat at the small tavern, ordered a drink and started talking to the others sitting around her. A small, old radio was set to an easy listening station and a pony was playing piano alongside with it.
After she had a few drinks Dash was approached by somepony she didn’t expect to be there, an old friend. The yellow furred, pink maned pegasus she knew was Fluttershy’s brother: Butterscotch. They talked for some time and he matched Dash drink for drink, though they were quite weak compared to the Sweet Apple Cider she usually drank to get drunk. Butterscotch was nothing like his sister: strong, brave, broad-chested. He was exactly Dash’s type of stallion and when he asked if she’d like to share his room, she decline. Saying she didn’t just want a fling.
Butterscotch didn’t press the issue, he was still just as kind as his sister after all, but the whole conversation had left Dash more confused than ever. A stunning stallion like him, how tipsy she was, normally she’d be in his room in a moment, yet all she could think about was Pinkie Pie. They had a few more words and a few more drinks and soon retired to their own rooms.
~ ~
Dash woke up just before dawn the next morning, she didn’t like getting up this early, or even regular-early, but the flight was over fifteen hours long, if she didn’t leave before 6am it would be dark before she got there, even with the fact that the higher up, the longer the sun shines. At that height the sun would be visible at 3am and disappeared at 9pm. She got out of bed, ate a light breakfast and prepared for the flight up to World’s End. To her surprise Butterscotch was also preparing to make the journey. He packed a saddlebag filled with energy bars and Red Bysen drinks. Dash on the otherhoof didn’t pack anything, last time she made it there she’d just ended up dropping the bag as it had just dragged her down.
She didn’t know it when she had first thought of this place but it turned out that today was the first day of a big gathering of fliers, all attempting to reach World’s End. Among the others who were trying to reach the clouds high above were about thirty pegusi, four gryphons, a changling and two other creatures she couldn’t even identify. She was sure Twilight would know what they where. What surprised her most though: a hippogryph. She’d never seen one before and had barely even heard of them. The offspring of a pegasus and a gryphon. It made her wonder how such different creatures could exist together.
There was also something different about this hippogryph that wasn’t what she had heard. He honestly looked very different to what she had pictured a hippogryph looking like but still all the characteristics where right. His lower pony half was dark blue furred that extended from his rear legs, that ended in hooves, to just past his hips. From there, dark green-blue feathers ran all the way up to his head and along his folded wings and down his front, clawed legs, stopping at his wrists his wrists that lead into black leathery claws. His head was that of a pony but finishing with a beak that looked more like a muzzle. His face was also covered in fathers, though much finer than the ones covering his body. Most spectacualr though was his tail: that of a normal dark-green pony's tail but to each side was an even longer single feather that each had a red swirling pattern on them, almost like peecock feathers.
All of that was normal, though she’d pictured it differently in the rare times she’d thought about hippogryphs. There was one thing however that was out of place. He had a horn. She’d never been told, or even thought they could have horns. He then turned to her and just started looking at her. Why was he staring? Then Dash realised… she was the one staring at him. She quickly looked away, embarrassed a little. She remembered that Gilda, a gryphon, was a rarity in Equestria and often got stared at. He must get it even more. Sure enough, Dash looked around, she wasn’t the only pony who had been staring… wait no, they weren’t staring at him, but the line just near him…
They where watching the pillar’s shadow creep its way over the line marking 6am and as it touched the line, all as one, the nearly forty fliers took off in unison. It was practically a race, though she doubted most of, if any racers would even make it. Flying straight up for more than half a day. Most of them where here with a partner and where most likely just trying to see how far up they could get and had no intention of actually making it. Butterscotch had told her that was his intention as well. He didn’t think he could make it but just wanted to try. Have some fun and give himself a challenge.
~ ~
They ‘d been flying for more than four hours now and Butterscotch was starting to get tired. “Rainbow Dash, hold up a second.” She was starting to get some distance ahead of him again. She looked down, seeing him clearly struggling to keep flying. She came to a complete stop. “What are you doing? I just wanted you to slow down a bit.” the race didn’t matter to either of them. They were coming about twentieth from what Buttersotch could tell but they had seen a few ponies heading back down already, and one gryphon.
“You need a break. No need to push yourself harder than you have to!” Dash said and Butterscotch couldn’t deny it. He’d gotten further than he had planned and yet they were still only a third of the way there, if that.
“C’mon Rainbow Dash, we both know I’m not making it all the way there. All I want to do is get as far as I can and that’s not much further now.”
“You can’t come this far and just quit, we’re almost there, look!” Dash said, pointing skyward. It was barely visible but amongst the spicks and specks of the other fliers up above, far beyond them, the tiniest dot could be seen. At least… she could see it.
“I don’t see anything Rainbow Dash, you sure it’s not just another racer?” Dash had forgotten she had much better eye sight than most ponies, one of the reasons she was hired by the Ponyville Weather Control.
“Well, it’s there. Trust me!”
“If you say so… I’m going to have a break, have a kitkat.” he said, shuffling his saddlebag around to his front, pulling out two energy bars and a Red Bysen. “You want one?” he said, waving a bar. Dash nodded and he chucked it over to her.
They stayed there, hovering for a few minutes. They couldn’t tell if they were staying level, going up or going down, so far off the ground it was impossible to really tell but Dash always seemed to be drifting above Butterscotch. Whether that meant she was going up or he was going down wasn’t quite clear, either way she always kept flying down to meet him. Eventually they finished their bars and he finished his drink. He’d offered her one of the drinks as well but she declined. She always thought those things just tasted like orange flavoured coke and didn’t really like them.
The hovering had given Butterscotch time to recover, he could hover all day without effort so it was practically like they had been sitting down for the last few minutes. “Alright Dash let’s get going, I wanna make at least half way.” he said, trying to boast. He remember that that wouldn’t work with Rainbow Dash as she’d actually made it there once before which became abundantly clear when she let out a small snicker. “Gee thanks for the encouragement…”
“Hehe, sorry. Let me just get one thing first.” she said as she flew over to him, reaching into his bag and grabbing out an energy bar. She unwrapped it took a single bite before just dropping it. “There, that’ll do...” she said, still chewing the bite. She then flipped a latch and sent Butterscotch’s bag, letting it slip from his back, falling just behind the half-eaten bar.
“What the hay Rainbow Dash!?”
Dash, put her hoof to is face and pulled him from looking down at the falling bag to meet her gaze. “You want encouragement? That thing is just weighing you down and destroying your aerodynamics.”
“Yeah but…” he said, turning to look down at the falling supplies once more.
Dash turned his head to her again and added “I believe you can make it all the way to World’s End.” she said smiling, not noticing how close she was to his face. She pulled away and slowly started flying upwards again “So… you ganna let a filly beat you there?” and slowly picked up her speed.
“Not a chance!”
~ ~
It was clearly insight now, much bigger than he had expected it to be. The stories always said World’s End was a tiny bunch of clouds right at the edge of the atmosphere. Then again, always seeming so far away, it had been visible for hours now and for so long it looked miniscule. Guess it just got that reputation for being so small in the distance but now it was clear that it was big enough to hold a large house or two on it, though apparently the only things that where up there, where a few flags and very small ones at that.
It didn’t help that it was not only getting cold but also that the sun was setting, making it dark and colder still. The air this high was thin and it took nearly five flaps to cover their own height in distance, making the final stretch take so much longer than it should have. He would’ve fallen out of the sky a few times already if it wasn’t for Rainbow Dash. She’d started flying behind her just for that reason in case she needed to stop him again. He was a little embarrassed having to be saved by her so many times but it was better than the alternative.
He was this close now! Not ten minutes away, even at this slow pace. He was about to accomplish something he’d never thought he would be able to do. He’d wanted to stop so many times but each time Rainbow Dash had convinced him to continue. He couldn’t stop. All she had done for him was amazing. All the ponies they had passed, or seen turning back. They had to be the only ones left even making it this far. He had to make it! He had to... but he couldn’t.
Dash caught him, for the um-teenth time now. “Butterscotch, we’re this close! You can do it!”
“I can’t Dash…" he gasped between every few words. "Just drop me… I can glide down… I just can’t make… it any further…” he’d pushed himself past his limits more times than he thought possible. He didn’t even think he could stay aloft anymore, even if the air had been normal here.
“No! I said I believe you can make it and I still do!”
“I can barely breathe… I can barely see… I…” he was cut off.
“If you can’t make it… then I guess…” Dash’s words were forced and hard. He knew she was going to drop him. Still, he’d come this far. He could boast all he wanted when he was done. “I guess I’ll have to carry you…”
She suddenly flapped her wings much harder and faster than she had been, and in this thin air they had already been buzzing just to hold herself and him aloft. Now they were a blur, fading into the dark blue sky behind her. It was clear she was in pain, more than he had been. She was doing this for him but he couldn’t even help in this position on his back, in her front hooves.
He tried to move but she always stopped him. He’d heard from Fluttershy how stubborn this filly could be but never imaged she would, or even COULD, do something like this. They were flying faster than he had been before and what would’ve taken him ten minutes took her only three. They were just at the apex of the clouds edge and… he was there. Even if he had been carried the last stretch, he was still here. Never in his life did he expect this.
Dash’s hind legs touched down, balanced up on them with her wings still buzzing. She slowly released Butterscotch from her arms as he slid onto his hooves. Dash collapse onto the soft clouds. So comforting… her thoughts of sleep where cut short by a very loud, very happy “We did it Rainbow Dash! YOU DID IT!!!”
It was amazing. He was at World’s End! It was all because of her. There was no way any of this would’ve been possible if it wasn’t for her. Nopony had ever done something like this for him. She’d encouraged him, she’d saved him so many times and destroyed herself helping him get here. Where less than a hundred ponies had ever been! Dash was about to say something but there came another voice, deep, with a slight Graustralian accent.
“Well congratulation! I didn’t expect to see any others getting here.” Dash looked up from her head being buried in the clouds and saw the hippogryph from before alongside another dark-blue Pegasus. The hippogryph spoke again “I ‘specially didn’t expect to see you two, the stallion bringing a saddlebag… and a slender little filly…” he was clearly just as exhausted as these two as he could barely stand.
Dash looked at him giving him a glare. Butterscotch didn’t react, still just amazed that he was even here.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to disparage you… in fact, one of you is the one-hundredth being to ever set hoof here!”
Butterscotch took notice of this. Dash had to be the one, not him. “Rainbow Dash, that’s you! You’re in the record books!”
“Na… I…” she was still panting from carrying him. “I wasn’t… you touched down… after I did… looks like… you’re famous…”
He was beyond flabbergasted! Dash had declined such a monumental feat for him. He didn’t deserve it, she did! “No Rainbow Dash, you did… trust me… this award is yours…” he said, nearly at tears from her selflessness towards him.
“Thanks…” was the last thing she said before she lay her head back into the clouds and fell asleep.
~ ~
She awoke the next morning. The light around her was weird. It was light out but it was still dark… then she remembered where she was and what she was seeing. She was ABOVE the sun as it had only just crested the horizon. Dash felt a weight over her chest, it was Butterscotch's arm. He was curled up beside her; it was funny how much he looked like Fluttershy right now.
Dash tried to move “Argh!” she yelped as her... everything hurt… of course it did. But that was the price of getting here. Butterscotch awoke to the noise. He pulled his hoof away from over her chest, he felt a bit awkward having had it there.
“Hey…” he said, tiredly, likely just as saw as she was.
“Hey, yourself…” Dash replied.
“Rainbow Dash… there’s something I want to ask.”
“Sure…” she said, still too tired to notice the in passion in his voice “what is it?”
“Rainbow Dash, it’s amazing up here. I could never have gotten here without you. You helped me, you saved me, you even carried me…” he was embarrassed by that last part but it didn’t matter. “All of this is because of you; and I wanna thank you… and, what I wanted to ask…” he didn’t have the words to express it. He just leant in and kissed her.
Dash didn’t flinch. He was kissing her. He was a perfect stallion for her, but… “No.” she said as she pulled away. “I said before I didn’t want a fling.”
“Neither do I. I want to be with you. I want you to be with me… everything you’ve done for me. Everything that you are, Rainbow Dash! I love you!”
“No. no…” she began to cry.
“I’m sorry…” Butterscotch said, trying to… something... he didn’t know what was happening. But his words only made it worse. They were the same words Pinkie had said to her. The last words Pinkie had said to her.
“No… I came here to get away from all of this… I just wanted to… escape. To get as far away from it as possible… and now…”
Butterscotch put his hoof on her face, he didn’t know what was wrong and wanted to help “Please… tell me what’s wrong.”
“I can’t be with you… there’s… there’s somepony else for me… but I…”
“I see…” he was hurt but it didn’t matter, she was in so much more pain than he was. “What’s his name?” he said with genuine concern for her.
“Her name…”
“Oh…”
“That’s it right there!” she yelled through her tears, it would be just the same as Applejack and Fluttershy. Ponies judging them, even at their own wedding! “I don’t… I’m not… I am… I love her… but I love her, and I left her… why should they judge us like that?”
“Rainbow Dash. I don’t care. Even if we can’t be together, I want to be your friend and I will never judge you for what your heart wants.”
“How you said ‘oh’ I know you don’t mean it!” Dash wasn’t good at picking up tones but even she could feel the coldness in his voice when he had said it.
“You’re wrong, I don’t care… I love my sister and she married Applejack and now I love Applejack just as much as I do Fluttershy. I don’t care who you love. I just care about you…”
“You mean it?” Dash asked, though she knew fully well that he did. She didn’t need an answer as he leaned his head against her. “Thank you…” she said, resting her head against his. “and I’m sorry I couldn’t… with you…” she didn’t get a reply but she felt a tear rolling from his face onto her neck. If he felt so much for her from so little… Dash could only imagine how Pinkie Pie must be feeling right now...
~ ~
She’d been at World’s End for three more days now and it was almost night. She was departing the next morning. Butterscotch and the hippogryph where still there but the Pegasus she’d also become friends with had left earlier this morning. For the life of her though she couldn’t remember his name... he lived in Cloudsdale so she’d probably run into him again someday.
None of them had eaten in days now which didn’t help them recover from the journey they’d all taken getting here. Also as it turned out she wasn’t the one-hundredth being up here as she’d been here before so it didn’t count. Butterscotch was the ninety-ninth being here which as a feat in itself, but aside from his name in a book he wouldn’t get much fame out of it.
It was twilight now but it was twilight here for all but four hours of the day between 10 and 2, any other time and they were higher than the sun in the sky. Still it was clearly getting to what would be about 8pm and dark on the ground. She’d learnt the hippogryphs name, it was Razor Talon and she’d given him the nick name ‘Tally’. She’d talked to him a few times about various things, never asking about his horn though. She wanted to know and tonight would be the last chance she’d have to ask him before they all left and likely never saw each other again.
“So the first robot said ‘1001001110100101010101001010100100100100111001011101’ and the second robot replied ‘10100010101 her? I barely know her!’” Tally said, getting a slight laugh from Dash but it seemed to go right over Butterscotch’s head, like most of his jokes.
“Haha… yeah. Been there…” Dash said. The guy was kinda nerdy but thanks to Twilight, she actually understood most of his jokes. “So Tally, I’ve been meaning to ask something. I’ve heard about hippogryphs before, I’ve never seen one up until you.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot; even in Graustralia we’re rare. You know how we come about right?”
“Yeah, one of your parents is a gryphon and the other one's a pegasus. But what I want to ask is, I’d heard about you but, I never heard that you had horns.”
“Well, you’re half right, my father was gryphon but my mother wasn’t a pegasus, she was a unicorn. So I was born with a horn, so I guess I’m even rarer.”
Dash didn’t know what to think about it. A gryphon and a pegasus where rare enough, most of them lived in cloud cities, a unicorn though. It just seemed so unlikely, so impossible. She then realised the comparison to herself and Pinkie. “How did… your parents meet?”
“I don’t really know. They’ve just always been together. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just… there’s somepony… an earth pony and, I’m scared. I don’t want to be weighed down. I mean, look where I am! There’s no way I could ever share this with her. I mean…” Dash had used the word ‘her’ and saw the look on Tally’s face when she had. “Yeah, I said ‘her’! So what?!” she added, angrily.
“What, you think I care? I was just surprised, I thought you were with him.” he indicated towards a now-sleeping Butterscotch. “I really doubt many beings even care either way, do what you want, it’s not my thing but to each their own.”
“Thanks, and sorry… I just, don’t know what to do.”
“Hey, I don’t wanna give you the whole ‘how do you feel when you’re with her’ and ‘what’s it like when you think of her’ ‘you’re in love’ speech but just do what you feel is right. I’m sure my father felt the same way at one point. Nervous about loving somebeing who couldn’t fly. But here I am.”
Dash was glad she hadn’t been lectured. Well she had sorta, but it could’ve been much worse. She had to think about what she was going to do. Tomorrow she’d be heading back to Ponyville and she’d have to see Pinkie. She couldn’t run any longer but she just didn’t know what she was going to do. Dash and Tally talked for another hour or so before Tally went off to get some sleep, he was going to be leaving tomorrow as well.
She stayed seated for a while after he left, thinking she’d just sleep there. She tossed and turned for a bit before just standing up and heading off to find a better spot to sleep. It would be nice to sleep next to Butterscotch as it got quite cold up here but she thought against it, even though she’d done so the last few days. Eventually she found herself walking up a rather steep hill that over looked a drop-off. From there she could see as far as the world curved.
It was literally the highest point in the world, if you fell, you would fall for at least ten minutes. Truly, World’s End. She lay down and drifted to sleep. Wishing she knew what to do the next day.
~ ~
Dash awoke the next morning, her head hanging over the edge of the cloud, she saw everything from here. It probably would’ve scared her if she had been able to think of anything else than Pinkie. She’d even had a dream that Pinkie had met her mother in a mansion in Cloudsdale. It didn’t matter though; she just left her head hanging off the cloud-cliff, staring at the world below. She had no idea what to do when she got back to Ponyville.
Would Pinkie forgive here for what she’d done, then again, did Pinkie even know that she had run away? It had only been five days since she left, even if when she left was in the middle of one of their dates. She’d have to say something but she just didn’t know what. Maybe she wouldn’t head back to Ponyville at all. She’d go to Cloudsdale or that place in Graustralia that Tally was from.
The idea was stupid… she had to go back to Ponyville. She turned to look down to see if Butterscotch or Tally where up yet. When she turned however, she saw Pinkie, curled up asleep beside her, giving Dash a hug. “You’re not here...” she muttered, closing her eyes. She couldn’t stop thinking about Pinkie and now she was even seeing her.
She opened her eyes and Pinkie was still there. In fact, she was snoring. Pinkie was really there. Pinkie was really... HERE! How was this possible? It wasn’t! Nothing made sense to her in the moment. “You’re kidding me…” was all that she could think to say. She gave Pinkie a small poke. “Pinkie, wake up!”
Pinkie stretch and yawned. She sat up as Dash did as well, sitting on their haunches Pinkie exclaimed “Hi Dashie!” before taking a look around “Oh yeah, we’re here and all that… uh, hi again!”
“Pinkie I… I’m sorry I ran, I didn’t know what else to do.” Dash said, tears already bursting from her eyes.
“Its ok Dashie, I forgive you. I’m here for you now, even if you don’t want me to be… I’m here.”
That was just it though… she was here. HERE! At World’s End. The highest place in Equestia. An earth pony! Where in the last however-many-years, only so many pegusi had been, and so many hundreds of thousands had tried. This flightless earth pony had made it here... for her! Dash had been afraid Pinkie would hold her back? It almost seemed stupid now. Pinkie wouldn’t hold her back, if anything she would drag her forward. Pinkie could do anything. It wasn’t just an exaggeration, Pinkie could literally do ANYTHING!
Dash didn’t reply. Pinkie had done all this for her. Dash put her arms around Pinkie and gave her a small kiss before leaning her head onto Pinkie’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Pinkie did the same, wrapping her arms around Dash. They stayed like this for what seemed like an eternity which to Dash didn’t seem long enough. Dash finally opened her eyes and pulled away.
They sun had moved from down on the horizon to directly behind Pinkie. It was beautiful. The sun was caught in every one of her pink, curly locks and her head perfectly covered the most of the sun leaving just the golden glow that surrounded Pinkie’s face. While Dash was perfectly fine with just letting the moment last forever, Pinkie broke the silence. “Dashie. What would you do if I fell through the clouds right now?”
Dash instantly unfurled her wings to the question, ready to dive at less than a seconds notice. But it didn’t come to that. “Don’t joke about that Pinkie! I would’ve… I would dive after you and stop you from falling. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“Well that’s good because Twilight’s windwaker spell should’ve wore off hours ago. I don’t know how I’m still up here.”
Dash just looked at her, fully aware why she wasn’t falling and what it meant meant so much to her. “You’re not falling because something that belongs to a pegasus won’t fall through clouds. And Pinkie, what you are… is mine.”
~ ~
The big rush from the race had died down and the End’s Beginning Inn wouldn’t see much traffic for some time now. The radio was still tuned into the easy listen station and a slow pop song was being playing. The light-brown furred, dark-brown maned, former prospector, bar-keep with one gold tooth was a little surprised to hear the doorbell jingle. Even more surprised to see who it was. "Food. Now!" Dash proclaimed as she entered.
“Welcome back, you’re blue friend told me you had gotten up ta World’s End. It’s about time you got back here, gotta add your names to the record book.” he stated as that all plopped down onto the stools in front of the counter.
Tally took the lead saying “Well, we’ve got three names for you then.”
“Three names aye? So who got there second, that Prism Slash fella got there first outta the race. Go figure that forth place is the real winner though, hehe.”
“I was there second, my name is ‘Razor Talon’.”
“Then I got there. ‘Butter Leopold Scotch’.”
“Mhm… got it, so I guess that make you the hundredth, little mare.”
“Na, sorry old timer, I’m already in that book, as the youngest to ever make there I might add.” Dash said, full of pride and back to her normal self.
“So the hundredth still up there I take it.”
“Nope, I’m right here!” Pinkie chirped.
The bar-keep just stared, giving Pinkie an eye before saying “I beggen your pardon missy but, how did an earth pony get to World’s End exactly, you mind telling me?”
“Well it’s simple really!” Pinkie said. Dash was just as eager to hear this, as was everypony else. “I have no idea!”
Dash practically prat-fell from her response… but hay, it seemed about right for Pinkie. Butterscotch and Tally both spent hours trying to convince the bar-keep that it was true but he wasn’t buying it. “Alright, but whether you write it down or not, it happened.” Tally said. Eventually they got him to add Pinkiamina Diane Pie to the register and of course Pinkie had to add her own little touch to it as well, drawing her Cutie Mark next to her name.
The night was starting to get dark; something that Dash had to re-adjust to now that the day wasn’t eighteen hours long like it was up there. The others where a bit buzzed, having had a few drinks by now but Dash and Pinkie didn’t need anything to enjoy this moment together. Well, except one thing. “Oh, I love this song!” Pinkie said as the previous song ended and the new one began. How Pinkie knew any slow songs Dash didn’t know, but nothing could surprised her about Pinkie anymore.
“Pinkie, do… do you wanna dance?” Dash asked. She didn’t like dancing but for Pinkie she’d do anything. She didn’t need a response as she stood up from the counter, with Pinkies hoof in hers she pulled to her the open floor. The bar-keep saw it and turned the music up for them. Both Pinkie and Dash rose up onto their hind legs and leant against one-another. They stood there, slowly swaying back and forth to the music. And just listened to the music play.
In this quiet night, I’m waiting for you. Forgiving the past, and dreaming of you.
Time passes by, and memories fade. But time can’t erase, the love that we’ve made.
And the stars in the sky, that I wish upon can’t bring you back to my side.
Though you’re not here with me, I dream of the day we’ll meet again.
Hold me close, so deep in your heart, I will find you, no matter where I have to go.
And dream of me, for I will be there.
Follow the stars that lead…
In to the quiet night… into the quiet night… Into the quiet night…
Into the quiet night.
It didn’t last; the song was only about two minutes long. Even if Dash didn’t like dancing, she had enjoyed the moment and was sad to see it gone. They stayed together, just swaying as the next song began. “What was that song called Pinkie?” Dash really hoped Pinkie knew. The lyrics where beautiful and fit perfectly for them.
“It’s called ‘In This Quiet Night’ by Lacus Clyne” Pinkie said, clearly as touched by the song as Dash had been. “It’s always been my favourite song…”
Dash just kept Pinkie in her arms, “It’s my favourite song too…” resting her head against Pinkie’s, she added “No, actually it’s not…”
“It’s ours.”