//------------------------------//
// Chasing Rainbows 
// Story: Chasing Rainbows 
// by Gallifrey 
//------------------------------//


Chasing Rainbows
by Gallifrey

Chapter Five
Chasing Rainbows


Dusk tossed and turned in his sleep, his subconscious gleefully presenting him with nightmares, taunting him, accusing him. His face screwed up in pain, the heartbroken face of his speedy pegasus friend kept rising, unbidden, into the forefront of his mind. 

I'm sorry!

You're sorry? said the voice of Rainbow.

Oh Blitz, please don't go, I don't know what to do. 

See you around. 

The sound of the door shutting echoed horribly in his head. 

Now he hates you, well done Dusk, snarled his nightmare. 

What other choice did I have?

You could've discussed it with him. There was so much that was left unsaid, unanswered, unresolved.

I'm sorry. 

You're sorry?

And so the cycle continued, over and over, until he jerked awake, bathed in cold sweat.

"Ew! Ewwww!"

He turned his quilt over to the non sweaty side and tried to get back to sleep, listening to the methodical ticking of his clock. He tried lying on his back, his sides, his belly, under the blankets, on top of the blankets, but to no avail, the clock kept him awake with its unceasing ticking. He was awake now, and there was nothing he could do about it. 
Cursing, he sat up, looking at the offending timepiece.

Quarter to eight, he mused. Quarter to eight. 

Dusk was being uncharacteristically immobile: he always awoke early and usually greeted the day with open hooves, but now he felt lacklustre and drained. 

Please just let me go back to bed, he pleaded to his own brain. I feel awful. 

His brain gave him a resounding no when all he succeeded in was waking up a little more. 

"Fine," he grumbled, crawling out of bed. He punctured the silence with a yawn as he slouched across his room to open his curtains. The world greeted him with a damp, grey and rainy scene. 

"What an appropriately beautiful day," he muttered, looking at the ominous rain clouds with foreboding.  "Great, just great."

He turned around and saw the pile of books that lay patiently at his writing desk.

I know what I must do. 

He began tidying up, putting each and every book back in its home.
He looked outside again and the rain was lashing down, the drops having races as they dripped down the glass. 

Will it even work in the rain? Oh I'm sure it'll be fine, I'll just give it a bit more oomph than usual. 

He made his way downstairs, determination etched upon his face. 

----------------

Rainbow Blitz awoke after just a few short hours of disturbed sleep. He could see the faintest glow behind the curtains. 

It's probably about half six. 

He shifted his position and immediately cringed. 

Of all places, why here?! Think unsexy thoughts, think unsexy thoughts, think unsexy thoughts!

After he had 'calmed down' he felt it safe to withdraw the covers and sneak quietly out of bed and across the room, past Berry, who was snoozing silently on the floor.
Upon reaching the living room, he found a scrap piece of paper and a battered quill. 

Berry, he scrawled, thank you so much for helping me out and being there for me. And thanks for letting me stay too; I owe ya one. Don't worry about me, I've gone home and will be in touch with you soon, I just need some time alone right now. 

See you soon, 
Blitz

He snuck back upstairs and placed the scrap on Berry's bed, then he crept back out. 
Once outside, Blitz looked to the sky. 

"What an appropriately beautiful day," he grumbled.

As if in spite, the first heavy drops of rain began to fall, catching him right on the snout. 

"Great, just great."

He unfurled his wings, gearing them into action, and shot into the sky. 

--------------

This was a stupid idea, he concluded, beating his heavy wings. 

With every flap they became increasingly waterlogged and they were burning in protest. 

Not much further, he reassured his poor wings. 

Soaked to the skin, and frozen to the bone, he persevered in the relentless rain. All was dark and grey, he was currently racing through a thunderhead; usually considered to be a move of pure insanity, but Blitz didn't much care anymore.
There was a blinding flash and a deafening explosion of sound as a bolt of lightning seared through the air. In a moment of terror, Blitz's heart leapt into his mouth. 

This was a really stupid idea. 

He was just beginning to wonder whether he'd make it out of the storm alive, or at least unbarbecued, when he saw his home gradually emerge from the sheets of driving rain. Putting on one final burst of speed, he made a beeline for the fluffy white island isolated in an angry sea of grey.

"Finally!"

Blitz landed hard, cloud absorbing the impact like a giant pillow. He made a break to his door and as good as dove into his hallway, dripping water everywhere. 
It was times like this Blitz was glad his house was made of cloud, which soaked up the puddles he was making like blotting paper. He traipsed into his living room and inspected his reflection in a mirror. 

"Looking good, dude," he said, observing the hair that was clinging to his sodden fur, and tilting his head to see if the slight bags under his eyes looked any better at different angles. 

"No wonder Dusk turned me down if I look this bad sometimes," he said giving a half hearted chuckle. "Urgh, I need a lie down."

He clambered up his stairs and collapsed on his bed, burying his face. He lay like that for a time, until he became oxygen deprived and flipped over, staring through his ceiling into the void. Time dragged on, and Rainbow fell into a semi conscious daze, neither awake nor asleep, just staring upwards, into nothing.

Tap tap.

The bedroom was silent but for the relentless drumming of rain against the windows, accompanied by the occasional rumble of thunder. 

Tap tap. 

Blitz sighed. 

Stupid rain, he thought, slowly returning to reality. 

Tap tap. 

That's not rain. 

Tap tap tap tap.

"That's my door. But I never get visitors!"

-------------

Dusk glanced at the kitchen clock on his way out of the house. Eight o'clock. 

Right, let's do this. 

He trotted quietly into his back garden to the shed, where he kept his hot air balloon. With his magic he held it up and ignited the flame with a roar. 
Dusk cringed at the noise and hoped he wasn't irritating anypony in the vicinity. 
He hopped in as it began to rise and soon he was floating into the stormy sky. 

Sweet Solaris, what am I doing? He asked himself as a gust of wind caused the basket to sway. 

With his misgivings building and building, rain blowing in his face, basket rocking and thunder rumbling, the only reasonable course of action was to throw himself on the floor and put his hooves over his head. 

I'm gonna die! He panicked, peaking through his forelegs You're an idiot, you know what happens ponies fly in thunderstorms!

There was a brilliant flash and a reverberating crack of thunder. Dusk's pupils shrank to pinpricks and he cowered in fear.

N-not far now- I think... he thought, stuttering even in his own mind.

Dusk put two trembling hooves on the edge of the wicker basket and pulled himself up. He scanned his surroundings, looking for some sign of his destination. 

"Aha!" he cried triumphantly, spotting the fluffy white cloud house loom into view.

With his magic, he steered the balloon  and landed gently outside Blitz's home, tethering it to the pegasus' letter box with the hope that it would be enough.
Butterflies suddenly erupted in his tummy as he approached the door and knocked gently. 
He waited patiently for an answer, shifting his weight on his hooves, but none seemed to be forthcoming, so he knocked again. 

The tension winding up inside the unicorn was growing, begging for release.

Will he hate me? Will he ask me to leave like I did him? Will it be awkward? Is he even in?

He knocked for a third time. He was getting progressively wetter the longer he stood there, his purple bangs hanging limp on his head and neck. 

Once more for luck. 

He knocked four times. There was a distant rumble of thunder. A sleepy and disgruntled pegasus opened the door. Blitz looked up and his expression immediately transformed to one of surprise. 

"Dusk..." he said quietly. 

"G-good morning Rainbow," he stammered, nerves getting the best of him, though he supposed it could seem like it was the cold.

"Hey," said Rainbow, scratching the back of his head, "what brings you up here?"

"I think we both know the answer to that," he said quietly, looking at the floor. "May I come in? I'm cold and wet."

"I noticed," said Blitz, who couldn't suppress a grin. "Come inside, I've got towels you can use."

"Thank you thank you thank you! You have no idea how horrible it is out there," said the unicorn, looking around curiously, he'd never been in a cloud house before. 

"Oh, I think I do," Blitz said simply as he lead Dusk up his stairway. 

"Oh?" His gaze stayed on Dusk, "you've been flying today?"

"Yes, actually," said Blitz, procuring some fluffy white towels from his fluffy white bathroom. "I flew home this morning."

"You flew home? From where?" asked Dusk, drying himself.

Blitz walked him into his bedroom, he wanted to lie down again. 
Dusk followed him, and his first impression was how unusually tidy it seemed to be. The unicorn had always imagined that Rainbow was not a tidy nor organised pony, and although the latter was true, the former seemed otherwise. It was almost like his own room, except from the smell of freshly fallen rain and Blitz's own natural smell. 

"From Berry's," he explained, flopping on his bed, keeping eye contact with Dusk. 

"You were round Berry's then?"

"Yup."

"What were you doing there?" asked the unicorn puzzledly, it wasn't a threat. 

"Well, um, nothing," said Blitz quickly, not wanting to tell Dusk the terrible truth of what had happened in the pub. 

Dusk narrowed his eyes, he knew Blitz was hiding something, but he couldn't put his hoof on it, so he began jumping to conclusions. 

He was at Berry's, and Blitz is bi, so maybe...

He was surprised by the sudden surge of jealousy that rose inside him. 

What's happening to me?

"You were never a good liar Blitz," he said coolly.

The speedster pegasus exhaled deeply. 

"Do you really wanna know?"

"Why? Is it something bad?"

"Do you wanna know?"

"Blitz, I-"

"Do ya?"

"Yes, I do!"

"You'll want to take a seat then," he sighed, sitting up and patting the bed. 

"Blitz, has something happened between you and Berry?"

Blitz snorted. 

"No! No, this is between me and AJ."

"AJ? What's he got to do with any of this?"

"A surprising amount," said Blitz darkly as he began recounting yesterday's events, taking note of how Dusk's eyes grew wider and wider the further he progressed. 

"And then Berry found me in an alley, so he took me to his house and took care of me."

"I'm so sorry, Blitz! What Applejack did to you was despicable and unacceptable! I swear to Solaris I'm gonna go down there soon and give him a piece of my mind; I've been reading up on this stuff you know!"

Blitz couldn't help but laugh. 

"Oh Dusk, that's one of the things I like about you, you have to research anything you don't understand don't you?"

"Yes, I do," the unicorn replied matter of factly, blushing slightly. "Doesn't it drive you insane, not knowing or understanding?"

"Eh, it doesn't bother me that much, I think it's just you dude. Anyway, what did you discover?"

"Well, I um-" Dusk's mind formed a rapid and hasty plan in the blink of an eye.  "Um, come with me and I'll show you," he said vaguely, getting up and gesturing to the door. 

"What? Where are we going?"

"I'm not sure to be honest. Wherever fate carries us."

Confused but intrigued, Blitz ventured outside with the unicorn to his hot air balloon, the rain had all but stopped now, and the air was calm.

"Would you like to go for a ride?" asked Dusk kindly, as he began untying the rope.

"I have wings, but yeah, I'd love to."

Dusk untied the great purple balloon and jumped in, ascending high into the sky.

"So, what are we doing?" asked Blitz as they entered the clouds, tiny water droplets condensed on everything.

"You'll see," said Dusk, noticing the sparkling condensation even on Blitz's eyelashes.

They burst through the clouds and into bright, welcoming sunshine; both stallion's jaws dropped at the sight they beheld.
Above the cloud line, dotted about, were small cumulus clouds, which were still raining lightly, but from these clouds spilled the most majestic rainbows the pair had ever seen, multiple arcs of spectral light shone all around them in a display of great beauty and form.

"Wow," said Dusk, finally breaking the stunned silence, "I did not expect that!"

Rainbow only stared at it, until his eyes drifted down to what in his opinion was even more beautiful, the humble, bookish unicorn stood before him.

"Dusk, will you tell me what we're doing here now, there's gotta be a reason."

Dusk tore his eyes from the scenery and sighed lightly, looking at the floor of the basket.

"Well, where to begin?"

Rainbow remained silent, patiently awaiting Dusk's answer.
Dusk took a deep steadying breath.

"After you left yesterday afternoon, I felt awful. I hated sending you away but I simply couldn't cope, and for that, I apologise." Blitz only nodded curtly, so Dusk continued. "I simply didn't understand how being gay or bi or whatever actually worked, so I did research."

"Of course you did," said Blitz with a small smile.

"I learnt about historical attitudes to homosexuality and I must say, I was appalled. Such acts of violence simply because of a lack of understanding and lack of desire to even try to understand make me feel physically sick with anger. Now you know why I always have a sort of base instinct to learn and comprehend?"

Rainbow nodded thoughtfully.

"Is that why I got so much shit off Applejack?"

"Exactly why."

"Interesting... That's not the end of it though is it?"

"Not by a long way, after learning the history, I attempted to understand it."

"And?"

"And I- I became conflicted," Dusk said sheepishly.

"What do you mean?" asked Blitz, brows furrowing.

"I mean, I read some more of Don't Let the Fire Die, and well, it was rather exciting."

Blitz made a gesture with a hoof that said 'of course.'

"But then, I decided to have a read of Honeyed Dreams-"

"I love that one!"

"Yes, well, I had a little read of that, and to be honest... I kinda like it."

Blitz's ears perked up at these words.

"What did you say?"

"I sort of liked it."

"Sooo... you're bi too now?"

"I'm still not sure, it's very difficult. All my life I've been straight, or, I thought I was... I don't know what's happening. Things are coming to light that I thought was irrelevant, like catching myself looking at other stallions, or apparently checking out the Prince himself when I lived in Canterlot!"

"Dusk..."

"I don't know who I am any more!" he fretted.

"Dusk."

"The Prince said I need to figure this out for myself, but I don't know how to!"

Blitz placed a hoof on the unicorn's mouth to shut him up.

"I think I know a way."

And without further ado, his pressed his lips to Dusk's.

Dusk's mind, which had been racing at a million miles an hour a second ago, now shut down entirely, drawing a blank as Rainbow kissed him, floating amongst the clouds, drifting through the skies, chasing rainbows. He stood frozen, unable to move a muscle, but eventually he tentatively returned the kiss as best he could.
Rainbow drew a hoof slowly through Dusk's mane, a move that the unicorn found surprisingly comforting and pleasurable.
Blitz pulled his head back, breaking the embrace.

"So, how was that?"

Dusk looked blankly at him for a second.

"That was... I- I liked it."

"There we go then, you're bi," said Blitz happily.

"I guess I am," said Dusk, still digesting the information.

"I do have one question, was that your first kiss?"

"Yes," Dusk whispered, cheeks going pink.

"You- you don't mind that I just kissed you do you?" he asked, fear replacing his euphoria.

"Not at all, Rainbow."

"Okay, that's cool."

"I do have one question though."

"Yes?" asked Rainbow fretfully.

"Can... can you do that again?"

Blitz's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

"With pleasure!"

----------------

"Of all the things I expected to happen today, this was actually the last," said Rainbow Blitz contentedly.

The hot air balloon was descending, and Blitz had a Dusk Shine lying lazily against him, a small smile creasing his face as Blitz gently stroked his mane.
Eventually, the balloon came to land in Dusk's back garden with a bit of a bump.

"Are you hungry?" asked the unicorn, as he folded up the now deflated balloon.

"I thought you'd never ask," said Blitz, belly growling in affirmation.

"I'll take you out to dinner then, my treat, as an apology."

Blitz chuckled.

"Dusk, you have nothing to apologise for; though I have no issues with you paying," he said sticking his tongue out.

They trotted down Ponyville high street together, looking around.

"Where would you like to go?" asked Dusk.

"Um, not sure. I kinda want to say hi to Berry, so would it be okay to just grab a sandwich then get something from Sugar Cube Corner?"

"Yeah sure, if nothing else, it's easier on my bit balance," he joked, approaching a sandwich stall.

--------------

Munching on cheese salad sandwiches, the couple sauntered into Sugar Cube Corner.

"Goooood morning you two!" squealed Berry, bouncing up and down upon their arrival. "What can I do for ya?"

Jolted by a sudden burst of elation and generosity, Blitz decided to take charge.

"Berry, I'd like two Super Duper Berry Bubble Spectaculars please."

"Woooh, what's the special occasion?"

"Roll 'em up and we'll let you know!"

"Okie dokie lokie!"

Berry bounced off behind the counter, getting to work, and Dusk and Blitz took their seats at a table by the window.
Dusk turned his head and watched ponies go about their daily business outside. Blitz looked at Dusk, the unicorn seemed far more thoughtful than the situation called for.

"You alright Dusk?" he asked casually.

"I guess so," he replied, eyes following a certain blue grey pegasus as he went about his morning deliveries; his eyes then met Blitz's. "It's all just happened so fast, I-I feel almost lost."

Blitz's eyes widened. He hadn't considered Dusk's position at all. It was an easy choice for himself, he'd had feelings for the unicorn for years, and naturally had leapt at the chance to express those feelings. But for Dusk it was very different. For Dusk this was a monumental turn in his life, perhaps even on par with being told he was Solaris' personal student. Not only had Dusk just shared his first kiss with a pony, it was with a male pony, which the unicorn hadn't consciously considered before, both of which were life defining moments, and both had happened at the same time.

"Dusk, I'm sorry if you feel rushed by this," he said, leaning forwards, "I didn't think."

"No, it's not that," he said quietly. Blitz gave him a skeptical look. "Okay, maybe it is," he said, folding, with a small grin.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Rainbow holding out a hoof.

"You talk like it's your fault," commented Dusk.

"It is though isn't it? I'm the one who started this all off," he said, ears flattening.

"Did you ask for me to visit you in my balloon this morning?"

"Good point, but still, can I do anything?"

"Not really... Unless you don't mind me taking the reins?"

"Not at all," he said ears perking back up.

"Do you promise?"

"I promise. Anyway, you don't mind Berry knowing do ya?"

Dusk looked over to the opposite side of the room, where Berry was busily preparing their food.

"No, I don't mind. I trust Berry."

"Trust him? What's that got to with it?"

"Well, think about it. Applejack isn't exactly happy with you at the moment is he?"

"That's one way of putting it."

"So he'll think the same of me won't he?"

"Oh shit yeah..."

"I'd rather keep this quiet for now, not because I'm ashamed of you or anything, but because I don't want to lose a friend."

"He's no friend," said the pegasus darkly. 

The mood was suddenly brightened by the arrival of Berry, carrying two enormous glass bowls, each chocked full with ice cream from a whole pantheon of flavours. Lashings of chocolate and strawberry sauce were strewn over the ice cream, and to finish it off, crunchy wafers were jammed hither and thither on the top. 

"Oh wow, this looks amazing, Berry!" said Blitz, all but drooling over the dessert before him. 

"I know right?" he said, pulling up a chair and joining them. "So what's the special occasion?"

He looked at them, eyes glowing, already suspecting the answer. 

"Come on Berry, you know why," teased Blitz. 

"Has somepony got together with another somepony?" he asked with barely contained glee. 

"Well duh," said Blitz flatly. 

"Eeeee!" burst Berry, "I knew it! Oh I'm so happy for you both! My Berry sense was going haywire this morning, I tasted like all sorts of flavours, and only a doozy would do that!"

"Huh," commented Dusk, who still found the Berry sense an irritation.

"Now Berry," said Blitz seriously, "do you promise not to tell anypony? The last thing we need right now is AJ or any other dickhead to know about this right now."

"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

"Awesome, now go and get a muffin or something and join us!"

----------

After the little improv celebration, Dusk and Blitz were back to wandering Ponyville's streets together.

"Hey," said Dusk, breaking the contented silence that had fallen between them. 

"Yeah?"

"D'you wanna come the library, to read together? We never finished that book yesterday did we?"

"An invitation by my coltfriend to read sexy books at his house? I am there!"

Dusk lead the way to the library, Blitz trotting eagerly at his side. 

"Do you want something to drink?" asked Dusk kindly, after they had settled down in the tree house.

"Lemonade please, if you have any."

"I think I do, I'll find out."

Dusk walked to the kitchen and Blitz made himself comfortable on the unicorn's sofa, sinking into it. He closed his eyes and to a second to reflect on the roller coaster of emotions he had been through recently, not just his either, Dusk's feelings too.

"Ah, we do have some!" came Dusk's voice. 

"Great!"

Yeah, it's been crazy alright, very crazy. 

"Here you are," said the unicorn as he reentered the room. 

"Thanks, Dusk."

The purple stallion joined him on the sofa, snuggling up to Blitz and nuzzling him affectionately. 

"Where were we anyway?" asked Dusk, levitating the books over. 

"Somewhere near the middle I think."

"Eh, we'll find it."

Once they had found their place, they began reading in synchrony, occasionally commenting or discussing certain points together. The times in between the talking were filled with calm serenity.
Blitz turned a page and started sniggering uncontrollably. 

"What is it?" asked Dusk curiously. 

Blitz said nothing but showed Dusk the page he was reading, still laughing. The unicorn's eyes widened as they scanned the page. 

"Oh my..." said Dusk softly. "They're certainly amorous aren't they?"

"You can say that again!"

"Sweet Solaris, what's she doing?!" exclaimed the unicorn, "that can't be enjoyable."

"Oh it will be for him," snorted Blitz.

"This book's worse than I thought, why did Solaris put this in the library?"

"You know what he's like."

"What he's like?" asked Dusk, drawing a blank.

"Dusk, you seriously need to open your eyes sometimes."

"What?" asked the confused unicorn.

Blitz just looked at him in sympathy.

"You're so cute when you're clueless."

"That's a good thing right?"

"You tell me," said Blitz, putting down the book and pressing his lips to Dusk's.

The bookish stallion was taken by surprise, but was more than happy to return it. Blitz manoeuvred himself so that he was bearing down on the unicorn, kissing him passionately. Both of them lost themselves to the embrace, the real world melted around them, and Dusk felt himself melting under Blitz in the heat of the moment.

Knock knock.

As soon it had started, it was over. Rainbow broke the kiss, visibly irritated that they had been interrupted by whoever was knocking at the door.

"I wonder who it is?" grunted Dusk, extraditing himself from underneath Blitz.

Grumbling about poor timing and how 'typical' it was, Blitz got up. 

"I won't be a minute," said Dusk to the pegasus as he left the room. 

Blitz picked up the book and continued reading, but it slipped straight out of his hooves when he heard a southern twang float into the room from the door. 

"Howdy, Dusk. How are y'all today?"

"Oh shit," muttered the pegasus, swiftly crossing the room to hide in a small broom cupboard. He deftly closed the door and nestled himself between a mop and some old rags. 

"Oh, good afternoon AJ!" said Dusk brightly, "is there anything I can do for you?"

"It's more a case of is there anything I can do fer you? May ah come in?"

"Of course! Make yourself at home."

Through the tiny slats in the door, Blitz could see Applejack enter the room. A surge of anger pulsed through him, but he didn't move. Dusk followed, and he was wearing the most convincing fake smile he'd ever seen. 

"Would you like a drink?" asked the unicorn politely, sitting in his armchair while Applejack took the sofa. 

"Nah ah'm good thanks. Now, tell me, are y'all okay Dusk?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Because o' what happened yesterday. It must've been shocking for ya."

"I must say, I didn't expect it," said the unicorn honestly. 

"Ah don't think any of us did sugar cube. He always seemed like a ladies man to me," said Applejack, shaking his head. 

"Well, he still is, isn't he?"

Though he better not be while I'm with him, he thought. 

"Of course he isn't! He's gay isn't he?"

"No, actually, h-he's bisex-"

"Confused then, whatever," said Applejack, waving a hoof. 

Dusk sighed. 

"He's not confused, AJ."

"And how d'ya know that?"

"Being bi is a thing you know."

"No it ain't."

"Yes, it is," he said firmly. 

"Then how come they dun' know who to choose then?"

Dusk took a moment to ponder upon the extreme stupidity of this question. 

"That's the definition," he said slowly, with the air of telling a foal that one plus one equals two, "a pony who is sexually attracted to both genders."

"Whatever, it's still not normal."

"Maybe not, in the literal sense of it deviating from the norm. But how is that in any way wrong?"

"You tell him Dusk," whispered Blitz from his hiding place.

"I just hate the thought of it."

"Right, I can work with this; what's your opinion on lesbians?"

"Oh, they're hot. "

"Are you actually being serious," Dusk deadpanned.

"What?"

"There are few things in this world that make me angry AJ, but double standards are one of them," he said dangerously.

"Lesbians are fine, I like them."

Dusk suddenly stood up, eyes now burning with anger. 

"Okay. I was hoping we could talk this out with reason and logic, alas."

"And what's that supposed ta mean? You calling me stupid?"

"If this is gonna be your attitude, then yes! Yes I am! You are so incredibly dense and narrow minded that you actually believe the shit that's spewing out of your mouth!"

"Is it a crime to not like them?"

"No it's not, in the same way it's not a crime to dislike cider. But openly attacking ponies? Verbally and or physically? Directly or indirectly harming them because of who they are? Then it becomes a crime AJ, and I for one will not stand for it! Imagine if ponies ganged up on you just because you liked cider!"
Applejack suddenly looked very uneasy.
"Oh look, someone is beginning to see the big picture," Dusk growled.
The farmpony was looking anywhere but Dusk's eyes.
"Don't like homosexuality, AJ? If that's your opinion, fine, you can keep it," he hissed through clenched teeth, "But you keep it to yourself, and stop trying to force your harmful views on a harmless lifestyle choice. Perhaps now you realise that YOU are and always have been the problem, and YOU have caused direct harm to one of our friends. You betrayed him, you allowed him to be beaten up and worst of all, you broke his heart, just because he didn't conform to what you judge to be 'right.' Now that, that is sick."

"I-"

"Get out of my house," Dusk spat. 

"But-"

"I said GET OUT!"

Applejack was about to argue, but decided not to as Dusk's eyes flashed.

He made for the door, and Blitz stuck his head out of the cupboard. 
Applejack turned his head around, his face mottled with conflict, anguish, anger, and the traces of regret.

"What?" asked Blitz coldly.

"What's he doing here?"

"He's my coltfriend and is allowed round whenever he wants," said Dusk, as Blitz joined him at his side. 

"Coltfrie-" 

"Yup, and there's nothing you can do about it," said Dusk smugly, giving Blitz a swift kiss on the lips. 

"So both of yers are like that now are ya?"  

"If you're even thinking of trying to fight us, you're even more stupid than I imagined, and believe me, I don't think very much of you right now. And so help me if I didn't report you to the Prince, you're damn lucky I haven't already. Now, I'll say it again, get out of my house."

With one last desperate look, Applejack turned tail, and ran.
Blitz was stunned. 

"Wow. You're sexy when you're mad."

"Oh shut up," said Dusk playfully, nudging the pegasus with a hoof. 

----------

Blitz spent the rest of the day at the library with Dusk, where they read, talked, and played games together. 
It was late in the evening, and they were playing a game of snakes and ladders. 

"Oh for pony's sake!" exclaimed Blitz as he landed on a snake for the third turn in a row. Dusk grinned with barely concealed amusement. 

"You're just happy because I thrashed you at monopony and guess hoof."

"Well, it's nice for me to be winning for a change. I just need a four now," he said, shaking the die in a small cup. "And would you look at that," he said gloatingly as the four small dots stood resolutely upwards. "I win."

Rainbow pouted and knocked his counter over. 

"Didn't wanna play anyway," he grumbled.

"Play nice," teased Dusk. 

"I do! You wanna see me play rough?"

"I dunno," said the unicorn, lowering his eyelids suggestively, "maybe I do."

"What, really?" asked a surprised pegasus.

"Perhaps, though not now, it's much too early for that sort of stuff."

"You're right... When?" he asked, wings beginning to unfurl.

"Simmer down you, all in good time."

"Heh, sorry."

"No worries," he said, yawning widely.

"Naw, is it past Dusky's bedtime?"

The unicorn looked at the clock on the wall. 

"As a matter of fact, it is," he said sleepily; Blitz just rolled his eyes. 

"Okay, let's put you to bed."

----------

As Dusk brushed his teeth, Blitz lay on the bed and was marvelling on how anypony could possibly go bed at nine o'clock in the evening. He shook his head and took in his surroundings. He had rarely been in Dusk's bedroom before, and never for this long. The first thing that struck Blitz was of course books. Books here, there, and everywhere. Second was parchment and quills. Third was the noticeable lack of Dusk Shine himself. 

Come on dude, hurry up. 

As if Dusk had read the pegasus' mind, the bathroom door opened to reaveal a purple stallion with a damp and tousled mane, steam spilling out behind him.

"Wow... you look great!"

"Thanks," said Dusk, blushing. The unicorn's horn then started glowing and Blitz was lifted up into the air. 

"Hey!" Blitz protested, "What are you doing?"

"You can have a shower too, I'm not letting you in my bed if you're all sweaty."

"But I'm not! I'm actually not!" he said indignantly, sniffing his fur.

"Be that as it may, it's the principle, Blitz; now go have a shower."

"But I don't wanna!" he whined, flailing his limbs futilely in the air.

Dusk flew him into the bathroom, and shut the door. 

Blitz tried opening the door, but it was locked. 

"Aw c'mon Dusk!" he said, pawing at the door, to no avail. "Urgh, fine!"

He stomped grumpily to the shower and stepped inside. 

Now how the hell do you work this thing?

As was always the case, if Rainbow tried to operate a shower that wasn't his own, he may as well have been in the dark.
He experimentally turned a knob, nothing happened. He turned another one, again, no effect. 

"Dusk!" he called, still scrutinising the mysterious buttons and knobs in front if him. "How does this thing work?"

A magenta aura glowed around a big button with 'on/off' written on it. 

"Oh... I'm so stupid," he mumbled, hitting the button. A blast of scalding water jetted out of the shower head, catching him on his flank. 

"AARRGHH! Fuck!" he yelped, jumping out of the way and banging into the wall.

He fumbled at a knob that he hoped was the temperature control. He spun it counterclockwise, breathing a sigh of relief as the temperature came down, then began to swear and curse again as the water turned ice cold.
Meanwhile, Dusk was lying in his bed, grinning like an idiot as he heard a continuous string of profanities emenate from the bathroom. Eventually, the unicorn took pity and magically adjusted the controls to a more pleasant heat.
He picked up a book and began reading it, patiently waiting for Rainbow to finish. 

Oh come on, it doesn't take this long to have a wash. 

At last, Blitz emerged from the bathroom, wings ruffled and hair messy.

"What took you so long?" asked Dusk. 

"Have you ever tried to wash wings before? It's a pain!" he said, sitting at the end of the bed and beginning to preen his powerful blue wings.
Dusk watched, fascinated, as Blitz expertly rearranged each feather with pinpoint precision. He'd never seen a pegasus perform this intimate act before. 

"It's weird," said Dusk, more to himself than to Blitz. 

"What is?" asked Blitz, mouth full of feathers. 

"You doing that, you're so delicate, it's weird. 

"And what is that supposed to mean?" teased the pegasus. 

"You know exactly what it means," replied Dusk, sticking his tongue out. 

"Oh yeah? Would a namby pamby pegasus do this?"

In a split second, Blitz had gone from the end of the bed, to being on top of Dusk, pinning him down.

"Okay, I didn't expect that," said the breathless unicorn from underneath him.

"Damn straight, the element of surprise, gotta keep it nice and sharp."

Dusk just rolled his eyes. 

"Oh the things I could do to you right now," the pegasus continued slyly, voice dropping to a deeper, more sultry tone as he traced a hoof slowly over Dusk's chest. 

"R-Rainbow," said Dusk nervously, "that all sounds very exciting, but you promised me-"

"I remember, I was just messin' with ya," said Blitz honestly. 

"So you remember that I have the reins then?"

"Yeah, I- whoa!"

He was magically flipped over so that Dusk was now on top of him. 

"Hey, no fair!"

"Shhhh," whispered Dusk as he pressed his lips to Blitz's.
Blitz's eyes fluttered shut and his wings fluttered outward. 
"Let's see how well you straightened those wings," said Dusk slyly, running a hoof slowly and deliberately along the wing, from the base to the tip of his largest primary feather. 

Pegasus wings were very sensitive appendages, they had to be to monitor tiny air currents as they flew. As such, there was a dense network of nerve endings running through each wing, and Dusk used this knowledge to his advantage, making the pegasus putty in his hooves. 
Blitz shuddered and his eyes flew open as Dusk applied pressure to the very base of his left wing. 
Eventually, the pegasus broke the kiss and simply looked into the kind and loving face of his coltfriend. Feeling a strong  surge of happiness, he threw his hooves over the unicorn, bringing him into a crushing hug.

"Whoa!"

"I'm so happy to be here with you, here and now."

"Jeez, Blitz, when did you get so sappy?"

"I mean it."

"I know you do," said Dusk, leaning back and booping him on the snout. "I'm really happy too."

Dusk then dived under the covers, patting next to him in clear invitation. Like Blitz needed one. He followed suit, spending a few minutes getting comfy under the blankets.
Once he was cosy, he reached out with a tentative hoof to find Dusk, who reached back to hold it; then Dusk started scooting back, until his back was pressed against Rainbow's belly. Blitz could feel Dusk's heart beat astride his own, smell the sweet scent of his purple mane, and hear his slow, soft breathing. 

"Goodnight, Dusk," Blitz whispered, leaning forward to kiss the purple unicorn on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Rainbow," he murmured back, returning it. 

Blitz extended his hooves over the unicorn, hugging him close. 
And there they lay, together, taking quiet comfort and joy in each other's company, as they drifted slowly and soundly, to sleep. 


The End