//------------------------------// // A Blue Bolt and a Pink Pie // Story: Soarin's Pink Pie // by SparityLoveisForever //------------------------------// Chapter 2 A Blue Bolt and a Pink Pie Wednesday morning came easily to Soarin, despite dreams of a certain pink pony bounding across the clouds with him. After rising he changed into his stunt uniform and goggles, prompting his two teammates to do the same despite their obvious headaches. He was coming out onto the balcony with his two charges, Spitfire was doing the same with hers. They took to the air from their respective balconies flying out to the town hall. Doing a big sweeping motion as they spiraled down on top of the circular building, landing on a balcony outside, going inside to down to the center of the hall. Where a bunch of tables had been set up, with a long line of ponies already waiting for each pony. At the front of Spitfire's line was Rainbow Dash. At the front of Soarin's line was Pinkie Pie, which Dash didn't look too happy about. The only other noticeable pony was at the front of Blaze's line, that pony was Thunderlane who was only there to get an autograph for his brother Rumble. There was one purple dragon in the crowd about 3 ponies back in Blaze's line, there to apologize about their last meeting at his guardian’s request. The Wonderbolts started to get settled in, starting to talk to the ponies closest to them, and getting their signing requests out of the way. Pinkie smiled at Soarin as they started to talk he signed one of the photos from the stack next to him for her. She said she had brought him something for lunch, having noticed he had an affection for pie's; she pulled out a pie with light brown crispy outer crust rim and a pink looking top crust. The filling as Pinkie explained was cherries and apples which is what gave the top crust a bit of a pink appearance, she had came up with the idea it just last night. Also explaining her long debate about what to name it and deciding on just calling it a, “Pink pie.” Soarin was listening intently to every word, however, he knew he'd have to end this conversation quickly, or Spitfire would have his flank before the day was over. He took the pie from her, setting it down behind him saying,“Thanks, Pinkie Pie, that's great I'll have a great lunch thanks to you now. I think those ponies behind you have waited long enough I'll see you in the morning on Friday ok.” “Okie Dokie Lokie, Soarin,”with that Pinkie Pie began bouncing off towards the exit, appearing to leap frog every other pony on the way out. The rest of the day was uneventful for Soarin. Rainbow Dash had clearly been protesting him by avoiding his stand, she even got Fire and Lightning’s signatures before the lunch break. He didn't mind at all though, he had a pie for lunch and it was the most delicious thing he had tasted since he had been in Ponyville. This only continued to remind him of the pink mare who had made it for him. He'd be sure to ask her for another when he met up with her on Friday. Rainbow Dash finished out the day getting Blaze and Surprise's signatures completely ignoring Soarin's line. He could tell she was still upset with him and figured he'd try to go talk to her tomorrow. Soarin's line had started to dwindle near the end of the day, he then looked over at Spitfire pleadingly as the sun set. She sighed standing up from her table telling everypony in the current lines, that those outside of the town hall would have to wait till Saturday. Soarin only had two ponies left in his line, he quickly signed two more of his picture stack, then passed them out as he left. He made his way back to the hotel just wanting the day to be over. After hanging his Wonderbolt's suit up, moving over to the bed, with a lot on his mind for the next few days, he slowly drifted off to sleep. Raising to the sunrise again a similar view greeted Soarin as the past mornings. He shook out his mane again, then went to take a short shower in the hotel, having finished drying off he thought, 'My first stop today is Rainbow Dash's cloud mansion.' He went out the windows quickly doing his best not raise Fire or Lightning. Upon reaching her front door which took much less time using his wings, he knocked on her front door and called out. “Rainbow Dash, I need to talk to you!” “Ugh! Who's out there? If that's you Soarin. Leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you.” Rainbow proceeded to pull the cover of clouds over her head from her cloud bed. After hearing her response he moved up to her bedroom window going through it with speed and precision saying. “We have to talk Dash. You're more upset about me and Pinkie than you should be. You and I haven't even spent that much time together. I thought maybe you would want to start hanging out more after the wedding, yet, I didn't hear back from any of my letters...” “What the hay, Soarin? I haven't gotten any kind of letters from you since the wedding.” Rainbow tossed her covers off, looking right into his eyes with a strong view of anger and disappointment. “You didn't get any of my letters? I sent more than a few asking if you wanted to hang out in Cloudsdale for a day or two. I just assumed you were too busy to even respond. I really like your friend Pinkie. She's somepony special, and I don't know what it is she just makes me feel happy. Dash, I still want to be your friend, and I don't want to ruin your friendship with Pinkie... Tell you what... I challenge you to a race. If I win you have to accept and be happy for us Dash...” Soarin started off a bit love-struck then grinned knowing of her competitive nature he figured it would be the best way to make things right. “If I win you're going to kiss me right in front of Pinkie Pie, and blow any chance you had with her.” Rainbow Dash grinned a bit at this thought. “Fine. Show me to Carousel Boutique. I think it will make a good starting and ending point based on what Pinkie told me about its location in the town. I want to set the whole race up with your friends so we can keep it fair. You can't tell them what we're racing about or for until the race is over though.” Soarin looked back at her and put his hoof out for her to shake. Rainbow Dash just put out her hoof and shook steadily with Soarin. He was putting a lot on the line to have her be ok with him and Pinkie. He also knew that Pinkie liked to see her friends happy, since Dash hasn't been happy since they started hanging out together, this race was going to improve her mood no matter what. Rainbow Dash took off from her bed Soarin followed behind her as she led the two towards Rarity's Boutique. It was just where Pinkie had said it was in relation to the town, after arriving he said,“Alright, from the top of Carousel Boutique, we have to fly through the Town Hall, through the cupcake on top of Sugarcube Corner, over the town then through your bedroom, Over to Sweet Apple Acres through the barn, then back over through Fluttershy's cottage, through Golden Oaks Library, lastly across a finish line through the front doors of Carousel Boutique. To make sure it's fair every stop requires a mark from a pony inside to continue, the finish will be photographed for accuracy, lastly no ripping the sound barrier we don't want to disturb anypony more than necessary.” “That will take a whole day to set up! Though I suppose I don't want any pony saying I cheated.” Rainbow dash just rubbed her hooves together, nodding to agree to all of his terms. Soarin just looked back at her confidently. She was more built for direct lines he figured this sort of race would favor him in the long run. Together they went about setting up the stations at each leg of the race; making the run through her bedroom a straight away not a stop, hanging out as they flew together setting up each stop, even having lunch and dinner together, after dinner they finalizing things at Twilight's, even setting up to have Spike be the starter and the photographer at the finish line. Saying goodbye to each other for the night returning to their respective beds. Soarin rose from his hotel bed with sunrise and started to stretch out and limber up his wings putting on his Wonderbolt's uniform ready for anything as he started to head out. He flew easily over to Carousel Boutique landing near the building, he noticed a purple dragon with a camera around his neck and a starting whistle. A certain cyan Pegasus was nowhere to be seen at present though. He took the time to limber up a bit more flexing his wings steadily and flapping them confidently. There were about five minutes left before the start time was supposed to occur. Spike pulled out a blank piece of parchment with a lanyard to hold it around a pony’s neck putting it over Soarin gently saying,“Well, funny guy, I hope you know what you're doing. Rainbow Dash isn't one to just give up.” As he said this Rainbow Dash just fluttered down from the sky gently wearing only the goggles she had used for Tornado duty. Spike looked up at Dash and then gave her a parchment lanyard as well. Then Spike said,“Racers to the starting line.” Both flew up to the top of Carousel Boutique hovering above the building for a moment from on top of it they could both see the open windows at the Town Hall where Spitfire had agreed to make the first mark on the parchment. Soarin just looked forward his mind and body focused, Dash noticing this said,“You still have time to back out before you make a fool of yourself in front of Equestria's fastest flier.” “Last I checked you weren't a Bolt, yet... Dashie.”Soarin said with a bit of smugness in his voice. Reclaiming his focus as Rainbow was about to respond there was a loud whistle, and Soarin was gone from his start position. Rainbow not wanting to be left behind took off after him quick as she could. In the time Rainbow had gotten to the Town Hall, Soarin was having his parchment stamped, and rushing out of the window to Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow was clearly frustrated when she got her stamp from Spitfire leaving her with a flurry of feathers. Soarin tried to stay focused during his early lead he arrived in Pinkie's room, she gave him her stamp and a gentle kiss on the side of his muzzle, which only spurred him on flying like he never had before right over the skyline of Ponyville to his next target Rainbow's house. Rainbow had made up a few moments still coming in just behind Soarin, taking Pinkie's stamp, then darting out the window. She could see Soarin up in front of her flapping her wings faster, while maintaining their rule about the sound barrier. She caught him in the straight away, both dashing through her house at the same time, leaving behind them a windswept room; they continued to race to Sweet Apple Acres, it was still close neither pony more than a head behind at any moment. Coming into the barn Applejack gave them both the approval mark on their parchments. 'This is a quite a race,' thought Rainbow Dash. Both of them flew out the other side of the barn doing an aerial U-turn at a hectic pace, both flying like their lives depended on it, both blowing through Fluttershy's like a hurricane after getting her mark. Rainbow knew her next chance to overtake Soarin was at the library she seemed to kick things up a gear getting to the library. Soarin never turned his head he did see a Rainbow streak trying to overtake him. Kicking up his own speed when he noticed something wrong with the Rainbow streak it was going out of control, he came to land in the library as planned, when everypony heard the crash of Rainbow through one of the lower windows, and into one of the bookshelves. Soarin and Twilight rushed to Rainbow's aid quickly he placed her onto his back letting Twilight guide them to the hospital. After arriving Rainbow Dash was turned over to the emergency medics, whom noted her slight bruising, cuts, her unconsciousness. Soarin offered to tell Twilight's friends so she could stay with Dash until they arrived. He rushed to the Boutique first to retrieve Spike and Rarity first, after rounding everyone up, Soarin came in with Applejack last who was followed by her big brother who didn't want her walking back in the dark alone. Soarin was now a very exhausted pony, he and the others waited patiently to hear from the doctors; just as Soarin was starting to relax in his chair a little, Doctor Stable came out saying she was fine. Yet, she was unconscious and would need watching for few days to make sure she was really alright. Doctor Stable had told the group it was alright to see her even though she was quite out at the moment. Neither had wanted the other to get hurt in the process of the race. As Soarin looked over her friends he couldn't help but feeling responsible. He thought Dash would have limbered up before arriving at the race as well. Her friends looked over him incredulously, he could not help but sigh telling them the whole reason for the race was to boost Rainbow's spirits. That in his own words she hadn't been able to accept that he liked Pinkie a lot more than her, he offered her the race to make things right in her own mind. Figuring with her competitive spirit, if she lost in a race she'd be more accepting. He never wanted her to get hurt, and a race all over Ponyville was going to be a big challenge for Dash. In the middle of his explanation Rainbow Dash woke up listening in to some of Soarin saying he was sorry to them. Rainbow Dash then shook her head which was covered in bandages not shaking any of them off but she felt one of her wings in splint saying,“You don't need to apologize Soarin. I got myself into this mess as usual. I let my selfishness overcome my loyalty to Pinkie. I don't have any right to tell you or her who you can be with. We can still be Friends though right?” She finished hopefully. A resounding,“Yes,” came from Soarin looking over at Pinkie he put a foreleg around her gently. He looked right into her eyes, they slowly moved to gave each other a kiss just as the sun was setting. They pulled back at their friends letting out a resounding cheer for them both blushing a bit. Night started to set in the hospital staff told them they needed to leave, and that Rainbow would be able to be out on her own on Sunday though she couldn't participate in, “The Running of the Leaves” or risk further injury. Everypony started to head back to their respective homes with Soarin making sure Pinkie got back to her place safely. Upon reaching the front of Sugarcube Corner they gently kissed again slowly enjoying a slow tender moment as new relationship budded in the early evening. Truly Luna's night was for lovers. (Epilogue) The party after the Wonderbolt's astounding show had been Pinkie's best party, yet. The classic wondrous styling of Vinyl Scratch blaring out the beats at Sugarcube Corner had died down as a significant number of the ponies who had been their earlier had gone home or sought refuge with friends. By the end of the night the only ones left to leave were; Twilight Sparkle who was trying to get her cup to refill without magic, Spike who had to make sure Twilight got home safely, Applejack who had been talking Fluttershy's ear off about all the preparations for cider season, Fluttershy who had been unable to pry herself from her slightly inebriated friends rant, Big Mac who had been making sure his sister didn't go too far over the edge, Spitfire who had been talking about her own entrance into the Wonderbolts to Rainbow Dash, and Rainbow Dash who seemed to hang on Spitfire's every word. Pinkie Pie and Soarin had been playing a game of catch the pie all night, with Pinkie's brand new pie cannon. It had ended up being quite a messy game they were down to the last pie and it was 3-4 in favor of Pinkie. Soarin knew he had to catch this one if he wanted to make it even. Pinkie readied the cannon and shot a Pink Pie aiming at the ceiling above Twilight. Soarin darted up caught the pie, did an astounding aerial flip, then landed on the other side of the cannon. Setting the pie down to share with his special somepony, as they started to attack the pie together the remainder of her friends left Sugarcube Corner, primarily being ushered out by Big Mac. When they finished the pie, proceeding to lick each others lips clean, Soarin finished giving her one slow long kiss. When it broke he said,“I have to go back to Cloudsdale tomorrow...” Before he could say any more he was interrupted with a hoof in his mouth, then Pinkie said with a smile, “Let's make tonight last then.”