//------------------------------//
// Truth or Dare-Pt 10: Fool's Gold Still Shines 
// Story: Blue Angel 
// by V-Pony 
//------------------------------//


October 5th, Afternoon, Dash's House...
--------------------------------------


"Oh hey flyboy, where ya been?  What's up?"

Rainbow Dash...you're a real bitch, you know that?

"What the-?!"

That little trick you pulled to get Cloud Kicker to "loosen me up" instead of yourself...coward.

"W-wait a sec, flyboy!  Just lemme ex-!"

No, Dash, no more explanations, excuses, or please-forgive-me's.  We're done.  I'm moving on from you and moving in with Cloud Kicker, who's a MUCH more considerate mare and friend than you've EVER been.  You're an Element of Loyalty alright: one loyal only to yourself and YOUR interests!

"B-but I-!"

Dash, shut your trap and listen to me.  Because of you, I've hurt every single day since I've come here.  Because of you, I'm stuck here.  The only bright spot in my life has been Scootaloo...but now Cloud Kicker's become the second.  But because of you not telling Cloud Kicker everything, we bucked up big time...and now I've gotten her pregnant.

"What the hay?!"

But you know what, I'm ok with that.  Wanna know why?  Because I love her, and I HATE you...we're going to Las Pegasus this weekend to seal the deal.

"Ok, that doesn't sound like you, flyboy-whoa!"  
THUMP
"Urgh, seriously...again?"  Dash groaned and rubbed the back of her head, once again staring up at the ceiling above her bed.  She scrambled upright and shook her mane to chase the dark thoughts of her nightmare away, but like a persistent little piece of dust caught in one's eye, it just wouldn't stop bothering her.  No amount of hard wing workouts, Daring Do novels, or Wonderbolts practice could shake them or the fact that Volare had been gone for the past 3 days.  At first, she chalked it up to Volare being worn out from a night of grueling love-making with Cloud Kicker, and so she'd let him have his space, staying at her home since there wasn't any weather work requiring her supervision scheduled until Saturday.  

But Wednesday came and went, and by the end of Thursday, when Volare still hadn't returned, her mind had begun harboring those dark thoughts, leading to the nightmare she'd just awoken from.  She'd become so worried about what might have actually happened that she avoided Ponyville completely, simply staying home for the time being, alone with plenty to think about...no friendly blue Pegasus stallion to hang with, brag to, tell stories with, or simply talk with and ease her fears.

Dash glanced over at the calendar: Friday.  Game day...ugh...I could care less about the game right now.  Can't believe I'm saying this, but...I just want Volare to come home.
The more she'd thought about it, the more she'd decided that she'd probably made the wrong decision.  She'd become angry, both at herself for running from the challenge of helping Volare herself, and the fact that he'd apparently chosen Cloud Kicker over herself.  That meant that Dash wasn't good enough...that meant that she'd lost.

"What's she got that I don't?!" she'd found herself growling over breakfast, but the answer was as plain as the nose on her face: while Dash claimed to be fearless in order to screw up her own courage half the time, Cloud Kicker never claimed to be fearless because she could admit that she was afraid, and that was what allowed her to face her fears and live so care-free.  Cloud Kicker, unlike Rainbow Dash, wasn't driven by her pride; a pride that had now apparently alienated and run off the only nice stallion in her life.  A stallion she owed so much to already.  A stallion that now owed his life to Cloud Kicker, especially if he'd gotten her pregnant...was that too crazy to think?  At this point, Dash didn't think so.

"Luna Dammit!!!" she slammed a hoof on the table, overturning her cereal and splashing her chocolate milk all over the fluffy floor.  The liquid seeped through the floor and within seconds a muffled shout from beneath her house reached her ears.  "What the hay?" she muttered and trotted to a window and looked down to see Pinkie Pie rising up to her home in her crazy candy-copter. 

"Rainbow Dash, run!!  Er, fly!!!" Pinkie shouted, pedaling the copter as fast as she could to reach the house.

"Uh, why?"  Dash looked about, but saw no danger.  "What's gotten into you, Pinks?"

"Discord-*huff-puff*-he's taken over your house!!!  It's raining chocolate again!  Not that I'm complaining or anything, but-RUUUUN!!!!" the party mare shouted, but by now Dash could see that her spilled milk had leaked through the floor and splashed down on Pinkie, soaking her mane into a drippy mess.  Dash couldn't help but burst into snickering giggles as Pinkie turned back and re-approached the house.

"*GASP!!!* Oh no, Discord really IS back!  He's gotten you all crazy again and stuff!"

"Heheheheh, oh yeah?  Why ya say that, Pinkie?" Dash chuckled and leaned out the window again to watch the pink mare rise to her level.

"Cuz the real Rainbow Dash would have enough common sense to get her friends to help fight him.  Cuz even if she can't win a fight by herself, she's got enough smarts to get help so she doesn't have to back down!  Cuz that's how the real Rainbow Dash rolls!"  Pinkie grinned, apparently no longer intent on running away.  Whether she knew it or not, her words struck home within her friend, and Dash sighed and hung her head.

"Pinks it's me, honest.  That milk in your hair is mine."

"Uh, I dunno if that's physically possible, Dashie-"

"Oh Celestia, no!  I mean I knocked it over and it leaked through the floor," Dash facehoofed.

"Ooooh, I get it now," Pinkie nodded, but suddenly frowned again.  "But why would you knock over perfectly good chocolate milk?  It's not like you're a clumsy pony or anything; you're Rainbow Dash, greatest flier in Equestria and natural-"

"Pinkie, please...just..." Dash trailed off, feeling that dagger twisting yet again.  She'd never felt like this, so wracked with guilt that any praise, even the truth, felt like somepony mocking her in her pain and fear.  She knew it wasn't Pinkie's fault, and she did her best to keep from snapping at her friend-something she desperately needed right now.  "I don't feel well."

"Uh-oh, are you sick?  Cuz even though that's what I came up her to check on you in the first place for-since nopony's seen you in town since Tuesday-that's still not good news!  Wanna go to Ponyville Medical and check it out?"

"No, it's not that kinda-"

"Or I could go get a Pegasus to watch over you, since I can't walk on clouds.  How about Volare-bear?"

"NO!"  Dash couldn't stop the shout that escaped her lips, and at the sight of Pinkie's hurt expression, her ears and features drooped.  "I-I'm sorry Pinks.  P-please don't leave!"

"Aww, I'm not gonna leave, Dashie...I am getting kinda tired though," she chuckled and indicated the candy-copter still whirring around her.  "Mind if you come down to the ground so I can rest?"

"Heh, sure," Dash conceded, though she wanted to point out that she felt that Pinkie was full of it: since when did get tired?  But she swallowed her words and followed the party mare to the ground, reluctantly admitting that she needed to talk to somepony about this.

"Whew, that's better!" Pinkie smiled and hopped off the copter, stretching her hooves and hopping in place a few times before looking at Dash.

Yeah, knew it-she's not tired in the slightest.
"Sorry bout the chocolate milk, Pinks."

"Nah, it's all good," she grinned and squeezed the milk from her mane and into her mouth and causing Dash to chuckle and pull a face before the two mares trotted over and sat beneath a shady tree.  "Now then, what's got you feeling all mopey-wopey, hmm?"

"Ill," Dash corrected her, and Pinkie nodded in a humoring fashion.

"Of course.  What's got you feeling under the weather, Dashie?"

Seeing as how there didn't seem to be any escaping Pinkie's insistent nature, Dash sighed and relented somewhat.
"It's about Volare."

"Oooh, how so?  When's the last time you saw him?"

"Er..."  When he was heading into CK's to bang her...
"Tuesday."

"Interesting," Pinkie murmured and scratched a shapeless little pattern in the dirt.  "That's about the last time anypony saw you in town.  Did something happen between you two?"

"Well, nothing between us."

"Between you and somepony else?"

"Kinda, I-"

"Or between him and somepony else?  Or maybe a little of both?"

Dash had to admit: Pinkie's sense of things like this was positively uncanny sometimes...oh, who the hay was she kidding, she's Pinkie Pie!  Dash hung her head and stared at the little shapes that Pinkie had scratched in the dirt before her shoulders rose and fell in a great heaving sigh.
"...both," she mumbled almost inaudibly, and before she could act, she felt Pinkie's comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"I kinda figured," Pinkie said as Dash's eyes met her sincere little smile.  "Why haven't you been in town since Tuesday?"

"I guess cuz I'm kinda avoiding him," Dash admitted.  For some reason, she'd always felt it easy to talk to Pinkie when she was upset, and this time was no exception.  She'd rarely admitted it out loud, but although she and Pinkie had their differences, she could always count on her to spare a kind word or two if she went to her for advice.  She just never felt that Pinkie meant her harm, and she trusted her for that.

"And why're you avoiding him, Dashie?"

"Cuz I...cuz I'm worried I screwed up and he might..." the lightest of sobs choked off the end of her sentence, and it was all she could do to not get more upset at that moment.

"Well, there's only one way to find out if you did or didn't, Dashie," Pinkie patted her with a hoof.  "Go find him."

"But I-what if he-?"

"No buts, Dashie.  Go on, right now.  Get going!" Pinkie nudged her with a hoof and grinned.  "Get outta that tower of yours and go find Volare!"

"Heh-ok, alright.  I'm going already, Pinks!" Dash smiled despite herself; Pinkie's enthusiasm was contagious as all get-out, and by the time she'd taken to the air and neared the edge of town, she was already coaching herself on what to do.
Ok, Dash, you got this.  Find flyboy, find out what happened.  Who knows?  Maybe you're over-reacting to this.  Maybe he stayed in town for some other reason-probably to hang out with Scoots at Pinkie's place or something.  Or bump some music with Vinyl and Octy.  Yeah, when you see him, you're gonna-
"...oh, buck me...n-no..."

Dash nearly crashed headlong into a cabbage cart as she stared in shock north up 5th Street.  She recovered just in time to avoid the cart, landing in a shrub outside Buck Star's instead...a shrub full of pointy sticks!  
"Youch!" her cry and crash caused a bit of a scene but she quickly hopped out of the bush, brushed herself off and hid her mortification beneath a wing as she quick-trotted around to the corner of the coffee shop and peeked around it at the two Pegasi strolling down Stirrup Street.  "You gotta be bucking kidding me..."

Volare and Cloud Kicker were trotting shoulder-to-shoulder together, smiles on their faces and bumping wings every now and again as if they hadn't a care in the world and nodding at nearly everypony they passed.  So this was how her Weather Lieutenant spent her day off, eh?  By stealing her friend?!  Without thinking, she strode out to confront them when...
...not like I own him or anything, Dash's statement came back to haunt her, and she stumbled mid-step around the corner, right into view of them.

"Whoa, heya Boss!" Cloud Kicker grinned and waved a hoof.  "Where ya been?"

"Yeah, we've missed you, Dashie," Volare added with a nod as Dash regained her footing and leaned against the wall as if she meant to do that.

"Oh, you know, around here and there-mostly at my place.  Had to catch up on my Wonderbolts training and what-not.  You know how it is," Dash replied nonchalantly, trying to gauge their reactions.  But they maintained their friendly demeanor, neither of them looking terribly angry at her, and she relaxed a smidgen.  "How about you guys?"

"Heh, isn't it obvious, Boss?" Cloud Kicker said and hooked her wing in Volare's drawing him closer with a proud little smirk, while Volare simply blushed slightly behind his sheepish grin.  "It's going fantastic.  Tell her, flyboy."

Grrr...that's MY name for him! Dash nearly growled, but bit her tongue instead.

"Haha, yeah we're doing great here, Dashie.  You were right: just needed to loosen up a bit, and thanks to CK here, well..."

"Ha, you mean you loosened me up, if you know what I mean," Cloud Kicker nudged him with her wing and snickered.  "Glad you told me about him, cuz he's a pretty special guy-one of the nicest I've ever met, competitive, a gentle-stallion, and a real marathoner with his mouth if ya know what I mean," she winked again, and Dash's heart plummeted.  "Whew, that first night-how late did we stay at it, flyboy?"

"Uh, three or four in the morning, I think," Volare scratched his mane and blushed again.  "It was a real eye-opener, I think you put it?"

"Yep, sure was.  Well hey Boss, we gotta head back to my place; still got a little bit of the day off, ya know?  Gotta make it count," she hoofed the stunned Dash in the shoulder before Volare spoke.

"Hey Dashie, don't forget that The Griffin's grand pre-opening is tonight.  The Element Holders are all invited, as are a buncha yours and CK's friends.  You're welcome to come too," he laid a hoof on Dash's shoulder, but she subtly shrugged his touch off.  She felt filthy and horrid, and more than a touch nauseous.  "Hey Dashie, you look a little green there; you ok?"

"Yeah, fine-just fine, never better, abso-hoofin-positively awesome, Volare," she forced the words through a clench-jawed smile and put on her best "congratulations for finally getting banged and over your problems I couldn't bring myself to admit I couldn't help you with, so good luck with your life" face.

"O-ok, just...don't forget about tonight, ok?  It's really important you show up," he leaned in and gave Dash a quick nuzzle and she had to resist the urge to bite him for mocking her like this.  "So, um...see ya tonight?"

"Yeah, sure...whatev," Dash muttered and fixed Cloud Kicker with a listless smile.  "Thanks for the help, CK...hope it was worth it," she mumbled the last words in a near-silent tone before spreading her wings to leave.  As she flew off, she doubled-back and watched as Cloud Kicker and Volare hooked their wings together and headed for the Weather Lieutenant's house, bursting into uproarious laughter the moment they rounded the corner of the nearest building.  They were serious and were rubbing it in Dash's face the whole time.

"Yeah, well...b-buck both of you too!" Dash wiped the angry tears from her face before turning to regard the squeaky weather vane in the shape of the silhouette of a grinning pony head atop the roof of the house she'd settled on.  "Oh yeah, what're you laughing at, huh?  You wanna pile on, is that it?" she growled at the metal face turning gently in the warm afternoon breeze that further mocked the frigidness in her heart.  It was a coldness she'd brought upon herself, but why'd the whole world have to laugh at her for it?!  

"Grah, feather yourself!!!" she roared and smashed a hoof into the weather vane, tearing it from the roof and gashing her hoof in the process.  "Son of a Diamond Dog," she hissed and stuffed her bleeding hoof in her mouth, tears leaking out of her eyes to mingle with the crimson that dribbled down her foreleg.  She pulled her hoof out and glared at the offending gash, knowing she'd need medical attention for it.  With a growling sigh of frustration, she spread her wings to fly west for Fluttershy's Cottage when she heard a voice call her name from below.

"Rainbow Dash!  Rainbow, is that you up there?"  Dash looked over the edge of the roof to see Twilight Sparkle craning her neck backwards and wearing a look of abject concern.  "What happened?  I heard you shout and then this weathervane nearly fell on Spike," she nodded towards the mangled piece of metal and her dragon assistant who was examining the end of his tail to make sure the tip hadn't been sliced off.  Satisfied that his tail wasn't suddenly shorter, he shot Dash a glare that demanded answers.

"Oh, I uh...kinda hit the weathervane and...well," Dash fumbled for an explanation, but Twilight gave her a skeptical look.

"Dash, I can see you're bleeding from here, so if you're not going to tell me the truth, at least come down here so I can get a look at you."

"No-no, it's ok.  I'll just head to Fluttershy's and-"

"Fluttershy's taken Shae out for a hunt at Froggy Bottom Bog with Iron Will, so if you go there, you'll only have Angel Bunny to doctor you up," Twilight said matter-of-factly, and Dash winced at the prospect.  "So come on down."

"Grrr, fine," the rainbow mare grumbled, still a little apprehensive around Twilight, but more embarrassed than anything at this point as she fluttered to the ground and held out her injured hoof.  "There, happy?"

"Oh my gosh, Dash," Twilight frowned and cradled the bloody hoof gently with her magic and lead her across the street to the Library.  They trotted in silence for a moment, Spike right behind them before Twilight cast Dash a sideways glance.  "You sure you did this by crashing?"

"Huh, no I said I hit it...that's all you need to know," Dash turned away and muttered, her eyes searching the street for Volare and Cloud Kicker, but they were well and truly gone now.

"Dash, what's been going on with you?  Nopony's seen you in town since Tuesday and the first day back you knock a weathervane off a roof and cut yourself up and won't tell me why," Twilight said as they reached the tree and Spike unlocked the front door to let them in.  "I'm your friend, Dash.  Please tell me what's wrong."

"Was it you that sent Pinkie after me?" Dash asked suddenly, her injured hoof tensed to pull away from Twilight.

"Wha-no, she mentioned looking for you herself.  Why?  Have you spoken to her yet?"

"Yeah, she's the one that got me to come back to town in the first place," Dash said as she was lead into the kitchen and Twilight flicked the light on to examine her wound.  Dash really didn't want to have the same conversation with Twilight that she'd had with Pinkie.  The rather violent encounter in the hospital weeks ago non-withstanding, she'd just never trusted Twilight as much as Pinkie Pie; she seemed too analytical and detached for Dash's comfort sometimes, not to mention she'd always been a little leery of Twilight's propensity to probe into everything in her search for solutions, especially the sensitive subjects.  Dash felt she didn't do it on purpose, but that possibility was always there.  At least Pinkie was a bit more subtle and less scientific in her approach.

"...yeah she seemed pretty worried," Twilight's voice zoned back into Dash's ears as she cleaned the stinging gash in the edge of her hoof with a warm washcloth.  "Wow, you really must have walloped that weathervane, Rainbow Dash-you cut yourself nearly to the bone."

"Eh-heh, guess I don't know my own strength," Dash chuckled sheepishly before Twilight paused and cocked her head.  "What?"

"So you really did hit it, huh?  Not just a crash?"

"Well I...ugh, yeah, I did," Dash gave up fighting it and Twilight resumed her cleaning.  

"What made you that mad to wanna do that?"

"I..." Dash paused once more, thoroughly embarrassed now.  She still had her suspicions about Twilight having feelings for Volare, and that kept her from really telling the truth, but she could at least explain some of it.  "Oh, I kinda...got a little mad when I saw Cloud Kicker and Volare together...yeah."

"Oh?" Twilight cocked a brow as she wiped the rest of the blood away, applying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding while she prepared to heal the wound.  "Volare wasn't at your place?"

"No, he's been in town the past few days.  I think he's been staying at Cloud Kicker's place."  At this revelation, Twilight nearly dropped Dash's hoof on the counter in shock; she too knew of the Weather Lieutenant's wild reputation and worry began to set in almost immediately.

"W-why would he be there, Dash?" Twilight stuttered before going back to preparing the healing spell.

"I...I dunno, but I've been worried about him."

"And with good reason," Twilight nodded as a wispy blue light emanated from her horn, taking the form of a thin glowing thread that descended upon Dash's wound and began threading its way along the edges of the gash.

"Agh-yeah, no kidding...what do you think of that, Twi?"

"Uh-oh, I um...I dunno," the Unicorn lied, trying to concentrate on the spell so she didn't accidentally unzip Dash's hoof entirely.  "I guess he's his own stallion and...not to say I don't think he could do better in his choice of mares, but-"

"I totally agree, Twilight."

"You do?"  That caught the Unicorn off-guard; she and Dash's different personalities and approaches to problem-solving very rarely allowed them to agree on much of anything.

"Yeah...I think I'm gonna talk to him about that and see what's up," Dash suggested.  As pissed as she herself was, and knowing what might likely happen if Twilight spoke to Cloud Kicker...she might likely be out one Weather Lieutenant if Twilight's outburst in the hospital was any indicator of how strongly she felt for Volare's well-being.  Dash didn't need that, and since it was pretty much her fault anyway, she decided it was best for her to do the talking.

"That sounds like a good idea, Rainbow Dash," Twilight nodded and smiled as she snipped off the glowing thread with a burst of magic.  The remains of the thread evaporated into mist that trailed back into her horn and she leaned back to examine her hoof-work.

"Heh, wow nice job, Twi," Dash flexed her hoof and grinned.  "Gotten better at this kinda thing, huh?"

"Yep, I figured I'd start practicing in case Volare or anypony else got dinged up again, eh?" Twilight hoofed Dash in the shoulder and smiled as Dash sat her hoof down and gave her a nod of approval.

"Thanks Twi...for the talk and for fixing me up."

"It's no problem, Dash; it's the least I could do," Twilight replied as she cleaned the washrag in the sink.  But after noticing that Dash hadn't left yet, she regarded her friend curiously.  "Something else on your mind?"

"Uh, yeah...trying to decide when I'll talk to him."

"I see...you going to talk with him about just this situation, or...?"

"No.  No, Twi, I dunno when or even how I'll ever tell him about that," Dash shook her head sadly.  Twilight placed a comforting hoof on Dash's shoulder and she leaned her cheek into the touch.  "I'm just...I'm scared of what he'll say."

"Rainbow Dash scared, huh?  Must be pretty serious," Twilight gave her a nudge, but Dash continued to stare at the floor.

"I-it is.  I can't explain why, but...it just is, ok?"

"What're you afraid he'll say, Rainbow?"

"I dunno, I...I mean, I know how I'd react if somepony admitted to ruining my dreams forever...I mean, if somepony ruined your dreams of study and everything, how would you react, Twi?"  

Twilight's ears drooped as the realization hit her like a hammer.  She gave Spike a look and the young dragon got the message and left the kitchen.
"Oh...I see what you mean.  I guess I..."

"You'd be pretty pissed, huh?"

"I...yeah, I probably would if they did it on purpose.  But you didn't-"

"How do you know I didn't, Twilight?" Dash asked, her rose-tinted eyes wide and pleading for answers.  "You weren't there.  How do you know I didn't do it on purpose?"

"Rainbow Dash, that's crazy," Twilight shook her head.  "You'd never hurt anypony unless they had it coming-"

"Yeah, but I hurt you!" Dash protested as a guilty tear snuck out of her eye.  "And you didn't deserve that."

"That...that was different, Rainbow Dash," Twilight insisted with a sigh around the knot growing in her throat.  "We were both in the wrong there."

"But I still hurt you, Twilight!" Dash hung her head and whimpered.  "What if I meant it when I made Volare's jet crash?"

"Dash, don't feel like you're the only guilty one there," Twilight replied and laid a hoof across her friend's shaking shoulders.  "But that's between us and has no bearing on what happened between you and Volare.  Let me ask you this: did you want to hurt him?"

"I...I dunno anymore, Twilight," Dash's eyes leaked steadily now.  "I'm afraid to know the answer, cuz I know I wanted to race him...what if I wanted him to do something stupid so he'd crash and lose?"

"Dash, I can't believe that sort of talk coming out of you," Twilight scolded her lightly and hoofed her in the shoulder.  "I feel you didn't mean to do it, and if you've got doubts about it, I also feel the best way to chase them away for good is to talk to him about it.  You can't keep running from this forever; it's going to eat you up inside and only you can stop that."

"I know, I know," Dash wiped her eyes and sniffed.  Her friends were right; she had to talk to him soon before this guilt tore her apart and made her really get hurt.  She glanced down at her healed injury, the scar very visible along the edge of her hoof and she tapped it on the floor in determined fashion.  No more running...no more.  Gonna face the music for real now.  Gotta tell him and if he hates me...then he hates me.  At least I'll be free of this guilt.
"I...I'll talk with him soon."

"Tonight at the Griffin opening, then," Twilight suggested, not about to give Dash a chance to lose her nerve and reconsider.  "I need you to go and help run interference between Volare and I since you know about our little issue," she chuckled sheepishly.

"Heh-heh, yeah.  Definitely don't need you freaking out in the brand-new restaurant," Dash returned the chuckle and hoofed her friend lightly, any real sense of apprehension about her friend quickly dissipating by the moment.  "Poor Bon-Bon'd have a cow."

"No kidding," Twilight returned the hoof and smiled.

"Sooo...I just make sure you guys stay-what was it?  Ten feet apart?"

"About that, yeah.  Opposite sides of the room should be ok."

"Hey, speaking of which, how's the counter-spell coming along?"

"Meh, not so great.  I'm making a little progress, but it's kinda slow going.  However, I think I may be onto an enchantment I can use on an amulet or something like that to block the effects, but testing it is gonna be...interesting," she chuckled dryly.

"I'll pass the word onto Volare about it; I'm sure he's been wondering."

"Thanks, Rainbow Dash.  Oh, and you may wanna get dressed up a bit before you go tonight."

"Huh, why's that?"

"The guest of honor might appreciate it," Twilight smiled knowingly, and Dash's eyes widened in realization.

"Guest of honor...oh horseapples, I totally forgot!  See ya, Twi!  Thanks again!"  And with that, Dash zoomed out the door, leaving a whirlwind of paper and a chuckling Unicorn in her wake, glad that her friend was back to her old self once more, but more importantly was beginning to see a little reason as well.

"Heh, better get ready myself, too," Twilight mused as she headed upstairs to her room.

...................

"You think that was a little too harsh, CK?" Volare asked as soon they reached her house.

"Nah, she'll get over it," Cloud Kicker patted Volare on the shoulder as he heaved a small sigh.  "Hey, this is for her own good, dude...and yours.  You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I do, it's just...I care a lot for her CK...I don't wanna hurt her too bad."

"Hey, I know you do.  But Dash is tough...too tough to be nice to sometimes," she shook her head and opened the door.  "You just gotta grit your teeth and knock her in the head every now and again so she sees reason.  Then you can be nice."

"Don't I know it," Volare chuckled and followed Cloud Kicker into her home.  Tonight was gonna be a big night, in more ways than one.  One of the "most important ponies in Canterlot" was going to be there at the Griffin soon, and they all had to look their best!  And according to Cloud Kicker, she knew just what to give Volare to help him out with that...


--------------------------------------------
Froggy Bottom Bog, Late Afternoon...


"Well Fluttershy, I'd say that was a pretty successful huntin' session for Shae," Iron Will laughed boomingly at the sight of the contented-looking osprey nestled on a log next to a sizable pile of fish bones on the shore of the Bog.  The black and white bird of prey cracked an eye and gave him an annoyed chirk for disturbing the peace before settling back down again.

"Mhm, indeed Will.  She looked to really be enjoying herself today," Fluttershy nodded as she offered the great blue minotaur a rice cake, which he took with an appreciative nod.  Fluttershy smiled at the progress of Iron Will's manners which, although vastly improved over his previous rambunctious self, had still experienced slip-ups every now and again.  But lately, especially after Volare's arrival she'd noted, the minotaur had greatly improved himself.  Perhaps all he'd needed was a little genteel motivation from a fellow stallion in the house, and Volare had fit the bill quite nicely.  True, there was still his occasional spats with Angel Bunny, but that seemed pretty much par for the course for the little rabbit for most of the creatures he encountered anyway.  Sigh, as strange as it might sound, that little bunny's attitude was a mountain compared to the mere molehill that Iron Will's reformation had been...

"Ahh, is it just me, or does the air smell...fresher since we were last here, Fluttershy?" Iron Will spoke up suddenly, pulling the Element of Kindness out of her musings.  She sniffed the air experimentally, having avoided doing so for the most part due to the usual sulfurous stench that accompanied the Bog, but to her surprise, he was right.  It was still there, but it was much more faint.

"Hmm, you're right Will.  Strange, isn't it?"

"Yeah.  Wonder if that means that ol' dragon up on the hill finally left?" he jerked a thumb towards the cave across the marsh, and Fluttershy gave a small squeak of fright, glad she'd brought the mighty minotaur along with her.  Even Shae looked up in alarm, chireeking softly at the cave.

"D-dragon?"

"Oh yeah, big ol' smelly guy that gave this side of the swamp its stink.  Belched sulfur and ash all over the place," Iron Will scratched his chin and peered towards the cave.  "He's a pretty decent fellah if you leave his hoard and cave alone; in fact he hardly ever left it that I know of.  Makes me wonder if he left for good."

"Wait..." Fluttershy thought for a moment before realizing which dragon Iron Will was speaking of.  "That's the dragon that Volare ran into earlier this week."

"Whoa, Spike-head took on a dragon?"  Iron Will raised an impressed eyebrow before Fluttershy filled him in on the situation.  "I see...huh, maybe that dragon got all sore at what happened and took off, hahaha!"

"Maybe..." Fluttershy frowned; something just seemed...off about it.  It was too clean-cut to happen that way, and she'd have seen or at least heard signs of such a large creature leaving the area.  But there had been nothing to indicate its passage.  Here one day and gone the next for no reason other than a rock to the wing?  Fluttershy didn't like it, but she wasn't about to argue the fact that the swamp was likely that much safer without a territorial dragon lurking about, and she eventually pushed it aside in her mind and shrugged off the uneasy feeling before it grew any larger.

After a few more minutes of scattered conversation and jokes about the weather, the trio cleaned up their area, tossed the fish bones into the swamp, and headed home, not noticing the fact that the fish bones only sank a few inches below the surface of the mire before being stopped by the massive corpse of a dragon, its body weighted down by stones stuffed into its body and keeping it pinned to the bottom of the bog.  All the while, from a shriveled mangrove tree on the edge of the swamp, a white-necked raven watched them intently, and once they (and especially the sharp-eyed osprey) had left, it croaked softly to itself and made a spitting sound, rousing the equine-shaped creature beside it.

"Hmph, guess Ray and Twisted did a decent job of hiding that dragon corpse after all," Agent F mused as she watched the shapes retreat south.

"Blech!" the raven made the spitting sound again and ruffled his wings in a revolted manner.  "Twisted...damn nag...crazy!" it spoke in its broken fashion, its croaking voice a mixture of an imitation of Nyctos, F, Ray, and multiple other ponies overlaid with the tone of somepony with a ridiculously sore throat.  "Blech!"

"I take it you don't like her much?" Agent F cocked a brow and had to dodge as Corax lashed a wingtip at her face and squawked loudly.

"Never!  Never have, never will!  Ever since Corvus found her and took her in, she's been...CRAWK, she'll ruin everything...take my place...GRAWK!"

"Heh, sounds like some-feather's a little jealous," F nudged the raven but had to withdraw her hoof as the moody avian jabbed at her with his dagger-like beak.

"Snap your beak!  Keep watch on Ponyville...I'll relay to Corvus...meet here tomorrow."

"Got it," F nodded.  Corax clacked his beak twice before taking wing and heading further northwest over the dark peaks of the Drackenridge Mountains and into the misty woods beyond.  Shortly after leaving, F took off as well and headed East and then curving south around Ponyville, keeping her watchful eye on the town.  Something was happening tonight, she could feel it in her bones.  There was an air of excitement about the burg; somepony important was coming to Ponyville...


---------------------------------------------
Ponyville, Evening, The Gilded Griffin...


"I dunno if I can wear this, Cloud Kicker," Volare said hesitantly.  "I mean, I'm not a Royal Guard and...isn't this kinda disrespectful to your folks?"  The lavender mare turned to regard him with a grin and a shake of her head; she thought he looked great and more than well-dressed enough for the re-opening of The Griffin.

"Jeez Volare, that's the fourth time you've said that and the second time you've loosened that Peytral," she reached a hoof up to readjust the leather straps that held up the red and silver-chased Barding that had been made for Cloud Kicker in preparation of her graduation from West Hoof Academy and becoming a Royal Guard.  But life had happened along the way, and though she'd been fairly vague about why, literally weeks before graduating she'd dropped out, much to the chagrin of her family who'd spent a small fortune on having her armor made.  It was created from Thunderforged Steel, very strong, very lightweight, and fit her frame perfectly, making it awkward for anypony else to use the entire suit.  

Fortunately, pony necks tended to be about the same thickness, and the decorative peytral had slipped around Volare's neck without too much of a fuss.  The size was off just enough to warrant adjustment via the uncomfortable leather straps though, and Volare was reminded of military parade dress: nice to look at but hell to wear.  The former had been the intention behind Cloud Kicker's suggestion for him to wear part of her armor, and she kept admiring it on him and spit polishing the little smudges she spotted in the steel that had spent years gathering dust in her attic.  

"Volare, it's fine.  I haven't worn it in years, and I think you look great.  Besides, coulda been worse; coulda had you wear the rest of the suit," she nudged him in the ribs and he rolled his eyes at the memory of her trying to cram the helmet and the lamed criniere barding over a head and neck that were too long to wear them and not look like a total fool.  Cloud Kicker wore the crested helm instead, preferring to leave the pinching criniere and flank-hugging flanchards at home.  "And it's only for a night; I seriously doubt my mom or any other Kicker member is gonna be here tonight, so don't worry about it, ok?  Besides, if they do and if they find out what you've done and been through since you've come here...well, they'd feel as honored as I do to have you wear it.  Anyways, I'm a Lieutenant, you're a Lieutenant, so if anything we'll just justify it that way," she punctuated her words with a hoof that clanked lightly on the peytral, and he stood up a little straighter in reassurance.

"Heh, if you say so."

"I do say so," Cloud Kicker winked and grinned before nudging him.  "Let's not keep'm waiting!" she shoved him semi-roughly and he nearly stumbled onto Stirrup Street before shooting her a short glare and regaining his balance, missing the little smirk that slipped across her face at the sight of his unbarded flank.  A half-dressed soldier was kinda hot in her book, but tonight was about much more than that.  Tonight was about a little payback towards a certain cyan mare whom they'd seen flutter into the proud-looking, high-roofed Gilded Griffin.  She quick-trotted and caught up with the pilot, walking side-by-side with him as they reached the newly-finished oaken doors, the snarling brass griffin head door handles brightly polished and gleaming in the light of the dozens of new firefly lanterns that hung along the edge of the overhanging porch.  The smell of fresh varnish and paint was masked by the scent of incense drifting from torches at the corners of the porch, and the brand-new hardwood decking gave not a single creak as they crossed it; Trixie and Octavia had done a damn fine job on the outside, but it was the inside that was the real surprise.

"Here goes nothing...and for the record, I still feel like a fool," Volare hissed out of the corner of his mouth, catching a thump in the ribs from Cloud Kicker.

"Pfft, you look hot, now get in there!" she snickered, and he barely had time to extinguish the quick blush that crept into his features before the Weather Lieutenant pushed open the doors and announced their presence.  "Flyboy's in the building!!" she crowed, and everypony of the select crowd already seated turned to stare, while Twilight, Pinkie, Octavia, and Trixie, already seated off to the right, gave him friendly waves of their hooves; Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy had volunteered to take care of the CMC.  It was all Volare could do not to turn and smack the rambunctious mare, but as she'd already demonstrated, she could easily kick his ass if he tried.  And so he settled for flicking her in the nose with his tail and scanning the room, taking in the myriad of human artifacts that had previously been piled in Lyra's storeroom and now occupied every single open space on the walls.  Over the past two days, she'd picked through her collection with his help, deciding which pieces would go where in order to give the restaurant its own particular feng-shui...which happened to be more like controlled chaos. 

Even so, and although Bon-Bon had objected at first, even she had to admit that the massive array of artifacts proudly displayed on shelves, hanging from the ceiling, and filling the open spaces in corners and windowsills all illuminated by hanging torchlight did lend the place a personality unlike anything else anypony had ever seen.  And with Celestia's apparent OK of having human artifacts displayed (or so Lyra's reasoning told her as she hadn't arrived and banished Volare to the moon yet), the decorating had commenced.  Volare didn't have the heart or the gumption to tell her that the mess of chairs, socks, magazine covers, and assorted nick-nacks festooning the place reminded him of what a hoarder's house probably looked like on the inside, but compared to the other buildings he'd seen in town...well, it certainly stood out!  

He smiled and waved a hoof at the mint-green Unicorn leaning on the massive bronze globe they'd built the new bar around before letting his eyes resume their scan and quickly spotting the mare he was looking for; as if she were hard to find though.  Strangely enough, while everypony else had looked up and stared for a good while before returning to their previous conversations, this normally fiery mare was seated alone in a far corner booth, and had peeked up for only a moment before burying her muzzle in her menu.
"Well, here goes nothing," he muttered and received a friendly nudge from Cloud Kicker.  He grinned his thanks before trotting over, focusing on the mare of the moment before him.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was battling her emotions once more.  True, she'd screwed up her courage enough to be here while she was styling her mane in a slightly less messy fashion for the occasion and straightened and preened her pinions until they gleamed, but once she'd arrived, her worries crept up on her once more.  Could she do this?  How would Volare react?  Would he hate her?  Would he be ok with it?  Could she hurt him again?  By the time that Cloud Kicker shoved the doors open and shouted the arrival of Volare, Dash's stomach was doing flip-flops, and it took everything she had not to zoom out of the building right then and there.  
Dammit, Dash!  What're you, a chicken?!  She was so deep in thought and trying to distract herself with the menu that by the time she was aware of nervously shuffling hoofsteps next to her table, she realized there was no turning back now.  With a gulp and a mental slap to steel herself, she laid the menu down, prepared to greet Volare...but her tongue got in the way as she finally got a good look at the armor he was wearing.

"Whoa...you look-" she started to say, but caught herself once she saw the matching armor that Cloud Kicker was wearing and shook her head instead.  "Heh, got all dressed up, eh?" she changed her tone to disguise her worry, and Volare tossed his mane and smiled.

"A little bit; kinda a big night, ya know?" he glanced back over the room, but the guest of honor was nowhere to be found..yet.  It was then that he saw how she'd fixed the musses in her mane, and how her feathers were shinier than normal.  Even her face seemed to be glowing more than usual and it was then that he realized she was wearing a little rouge on her cheeks.  It wasn't much, but the little touch was nice, and it accentuated her best features just enough to quicken his pulse and make him chuckle nervously.  "You um..ahem, you look good too, Dashie."

"Hmph, if you say so, flyboy," she cocked a brow at the compliment before remembering why she was really here.  It wasn't to look good for him, it was to get and give answers.  She glanced at Cloud Kicker and resisted the urge to tell her to buzz off, that she wanted to talk with Volare alone, but she figured what the hay, this probably won't take long anyway, and spoke her mind in a low enough tone that the conversation didn't go beyond the three of them.  "So, where ya been the past few days?"

"In town," he answered matter-of-factly, feeling a gentle pat on his flank from Cloud Kicker-hold steady, we'll get through this.  "Why?"

"Because you...you never came home on Tuesday night," Dash looked up and fixed him with an expression he couldn't read. At first it seemed like irritation, but underneath...he detected a hint of hurt.

"I um..." he licked his suddenly dry lips.  "...think we kinda already clarified that, Dash.  CK and I were up pretty late, and-"

"Her bed too comfy to leave?" Dash asked sharply, letting her pain affect her, and the tone of the conversation changed from somewhat tense to downright uncomfortable.  If it weren't for Cloud Kicker standing right next to him, Volare might have backed down at the fierce look in Dash's eyes.  But the Weather Lieutenant's presence reassured him and convinced him that he could see this through.  He composed himself by breathing in, then out, and then replied as honestly as he could:

"Well, her couch was.  Wouldn't know about the bed though."

Rainbow Dash likely would have inhaled any food she might have been eating at the time in surprise, and her rose-tinted eyes widened in confusion, searching his features for a hint of a lie before Cloud Kicker trotted up behind her, grabbed her shoulders, and shook her gently as she began to tremble with barely-suppressed snickers.  "Wha-huh-what the-?"

"Hahaha, you sound a little stunned there, Boss.  Flyboy that good-looking or a manticore got your tongue?  Whatcha think: should Volare and I get married and get a couch built for two, or just share the floor?"  Volare nearly exploded into laughter at the thought, but barely managed to remain composed and continued to wear his sincere expression.

"Why you-what the feather's your game-!?" was all Dash managed to sputter in abject bemusement, her jaw hanging open and her eyes flicking back and forth between the two before Volare and Cloud Kicker's eyes met...and they burst into helpless giggles that slowly built up into near-uproarious laughter.  Dash's face burned red through her rouge and the only thing that kept her from smacking the crap out of them was the fact that they were wearing armor.  Volare eventually struggled to stand up, he was laughing so hard, and Cloud Kicker gently but firmly pushed him down onto the bench across from Rainbow Dash, preferring to stand herself.  "Ok, just what the hay's going on here?!" Dash finally growled, preparing to kick Volare under the table if need be; she'd deal with her Lieutenant later.

"I gotta hand it to ya, Dash," Volare finally said as his chuckles subsided a bit.  "That was a helluva way to get me to loosen up the other night.  Giving CK a few days off to cover it was pretty slick too.  Efficient as always," though his smile was sincere, Dash still couldn't help but feel like he was mocking her, though that feeling was still being overwhelmed by the revelation that Volare and Cloud Kicker had apparently done terrible things to the couch...or something along those lines!  Thankfully, her Lieutenant's next words cleared up her confusion.

"Yeah, but seems you left a few little details out of the equation, Boss.  Volare and I stayed up way into Wednesday morning and found out all sorts of news things about each other," she shot Volare a quick smirk, reveling in making Dash squirm a little bit in anticipation.  Finally, when she felt she'd made her wait long enough, she revealed the truth.  "...things like our origins."

Dash felt a little more guilt seep into her features as she realized what Cloud Kicker was getting at.
"Oh, right..um..."

"Yeah, not so smooth there, Dashie," Volare reached across the table and patted her hoof, giving her a smile as he did so.  It was a teasing sort of smile, but it wasn't mocking, and he was right: she might have goofed on that a bit.

"Haha, you never told me Volare was an ultra-exotic, Boss," Cloud Kicker chuckled and thumped the table, though the chuckle was more dry than cheerful.  "I mean, as cool as it'd be to be known as the first pony to bang an alien...that little detail was kinda important.  He wasn't just nervous and in need of loosening up; he's got a frickin' deeply-ingrained social taboo to overcome, and believe it or not, I've got rules against forcing ponies to do stuff against their will like that.  Rule Number Two: Never bang somepony if there are complications involved.  Cuz that'd violate Rule One: No banging if there's a chance of regrets.  And I'd say trying to break a taboo by force would definitely cause more than a few of those," she snorted in mild irritation of being used like that.  "Plus me doing that under those pretenses would be kinda like violating Rule Six: No lying to get sex.  Not cool, Boss."

"I...I just wanted to..." Dash trailed off, thoroughly embarrassed now and more than a little thankful they weren't calling her out publicly; in fact, she noticed that Cloud Kicker had even positioned herself in such a way as to prevent anypony from approaching or seeing any part of the conversation.  Even so, she tried to defend herself.  "But I saw you getting him drunk and taking him home with you.  I...I saw you push him through the door, and-"

"That all you saw?  Hmph, never figured you for a stalker, Boss," Cloud Kicker chortled, her overall mood still remaining surprisingly light.  "And you're one to talk about getting him all boozed up, eh?  Remember the party at Vinyl's?" she nudged Dash teasingly.  "Nah, he might have been a little buzzed, but that's cuz I was still under the impression of him being nervous; a little liquid courage never hurts, but he was more tired from dancing than wobbly from wine," she hoofed Volare in the shoulder before her expression turned more serious.  "Besides, having him totally out of it violates Rule Three: Never take a pony to bed when their judgement is compromised.  I could tell he was buzzed, but trust me when I say he was well within his abilities to say no.  So why were you following us, hmm?"

"Yeah well, he's my friend and..." she turned to regard Volare who was sitting silently by and observing Dash try to justify her actions.  "I just wanted to make sure he was ok...I guess...I dunno."  In response, Volare reached across the table again and squeezed her hoof in his, leaving it there and smiling encouragingly.  He still wasn't mad, but she couldn't understand why; if it had been her in his position, she'd have been furious!

"So you weren't...doing the deed?" Dash finally put it to words, wincing as she did so.

"Probably would have if he didn't have such a quick mouth," Cloud Kicker snickered at the double entendre as Volare facehoofed.  "He must be learning cuz he escaped my flying tackle pretty well, heheh.  The furniture kinda paid the price, though."

"Yeah, sorry bout the lamp, CK," Volare grimaced, but she waved a dismissive hoof.

"Meh, it was an ugly lamp anyways," Cloud Kicker trailed off as her eyes roved over the room and caught sight of Vinyl Scratch setting up her equipment on the newly-built performance stage.  "Hey guys, I think you can take it from here; I gotta go hit up a certain DJ, if ya know what I mean," she waggled her eyebrows and flashed a huge grin before patting the tabletop.  "Good luck, you two," she winked and trotted off, taking a less-direct route that allowed her to sneak up behind Vinyl and tackle-hug her from behind, knocking her off the stage in a giggling mess of nuzzles and playful growls that drew the raucous laughter of nearly everypony in the room.

Volare shook his head in disbelief before turning back to Dash and noticing he still held her hoof in his.  "Eh-heh...so..."

"So," Dash tilted her head, not relinquishing the grip on his hoof.  Instead, she pulled him halfway across the table by it and stared directly into his eyes.  "Flyboy, if this is all a huge joke to you...please...just drop the gag and tell me the truth: did you and Cloud Kicker do anything?"

"Isn't that what you wanted, Dashie?" Volare asked, and Dash's grip tightened slightly as she swallowed the growing lump in her throat.

"Just...please answer the question," she blinked her eyes twice to clear a little blur building up there.  "I want to hear it from your mouth.  If you didn't do anything, then why didn't you come home that night?"  Volare reached his other hoof across the table and gripped Dash's tightly before smiling softly in his reply.

"Because I didn't wanna come home late, wake you up, and startle you, Dashie.  It may not seem that way, but I do value my health...plus you need your rest.  Pinkie and Cloud Kicker said you were pretty upset that day.  And if you must know, I stayed at Lyra's the last few days so we could clean up the decorations for this place."  At his words, the remaining anger she had towards him vanished, leaving nothing holding up the dam of emotions that now tore itself asunder in her heart.  Throughout it all, he'd had her in mind, unlike her...she'd only cared about her own feathering herself!

"I-I...f-flyboy, I...Volare...p-please, I'm...s-sorry..." Dash stuttered and stammered, trying to find her voice but she was shaking so hard she couldn't.  She was terrified of what she might say if it all started flooding out.  Volare, never releasing his hold on her hoof, scooted around the bench until he was next to her and shielding what was left of her pride from the curious glances of others in the restaurant.

"It's ok, Dashie...they can't see," he wrapped a wing around her and she leaned into his shoulder, pressing her muzzle into neck and shaking, not caring of the edge of the armor biting into her fur and barely holding back the silent sobs of guilt that wracked her body.  "I won't let them," he whispered, and held her hooves in his as she finally let the tears slide from her eyes and wet his shoulder.  It was embarrassing, but at the same time, it felt good to cry.  She knew he had every right in the world to laugh while she did so, but he didn't...he didn't.  After nearly a minute, she finally composed her thoughts enough to take a shaky breath and speak, to try to explain herself.

"Volare, I...I swear I did this for you," she said lamely, and he pulled back a bit to regard her more directly.  "I mean...just...I can't stand seeing you hurt anymore."

"Pain's a part of life, Dashie.  It's not your fault I-"

"Yes it is my fault, flyboy, because I'm the one that's been hurting you...that's why I wanted you to just...just be interested in somepony else and get away from me, so you wouldn't have to hurt anymore," she growled and half-heartedly tried to shove his hug away, but he wouldn't relent and she quickly gave up.  "Those burns...they," the imagery of his burnt flesh and twitching, hurting nerves slammed into her skull and she nearly gagged once more.  "Celestia, I'm sorry."

"Dash, those burns weren't your fault."

"Yes they were!" she shook her head and wiped her eyes with a hoof.  "If I hadn't hit those trees and hurt my head...and had to go off and leave you.  If I'd just mare'd up and stayed, then I could have-"

"Hey, you stop that crazy talk right there, Rainbow Dash," Volare scolded, but she wouldn't hear it, and forged on ahead, her voice becoming nearly hysterical and her attitude more self-demeaning the more she let her frustration take over.

"I made you crash into trees because I cared too much about winning.  I wasn't there to stop this place from falling in on you; I was off being a hard-headed bitch.  And I wasn't there to stop Ray and Jill from attacking you and Scoots cuz I was more concerned about winning a damn race-"

"Dashie," he whispered, feeling tears in his eyes, terrified that Dash, a constant dependable source of strength, could be hurt so much like this. "Please stop-"

"No!" she pressed her forehead into his neck to escape his hoof and continued, an unstoppable torrent of sobbing, hiccuping emotion now.  "And I made you get your wing torn off...I made you fall out of the air cuz you were hungry and I was impatient...and if I hadn't brought you here, none of this would have happened, you wouldn't be in pain all the time, and it's all my fault because I'm the one that-" she was cut off as Volare crushed her into a hug that pressed her mouth into the crook of his neck, silencing her stream of self-deprecation.  He leaned his chin against her temple, and she felt something drip down her neck: tears of his own.  Tears of pain at the sight of her hurting so much, and for no logical reason in his mind.  It upset him that she was hurt, he was angry that she was in pain, that something could hurt her so badly, and he set his mind to it to eliminate the culprit, whatever the cost.

"Dashie, please listen to me," he whispered near her ear, his chin gently brushing that sensitive spot beneath it, but she didn't care.  "I'm alive because of you.  Without you I'd have crashed and burned.  Without you, Ray and Jill would have killed both me and Scoots.  Without you...my life'd be so much less brighter," he gently ran a hoof through her mane as he spoke from the heart.  I'd have NEVER flown if it weren't for you.  "You've saved my ass so many times that...that the little bumps and bruises and burns, they...they're small bones," he lifted her chin so her eyes met his.  "They're nothing compared to what you've done for me.  How could I blame you for aches and pains when I'd be dead without you?  That's crazy talk."

"But I-"

"No buts...no more explanations, excuses, or please-forgive-me's, Rainbow Dash."  She was shaken at the similarity of his words to her dream as he leaned his forehead in until it was pressed against her own.  "No more blaming yourself for every little nick and cut I get."  It was then that his hooves felt the unfamiliar scar along the ridge of her right hoof, and he brought it up to look at it.  "My god...Dash, what happened?"

"Oh, heh...I kinda, um...remember how you and Cloud Kicker and I ran into each other earlier today?" she blushed through her tear-smeared rouge.  "Well, I kinda got mad and...maybe sorta punched a weather vane off a roof."

"Holy shit, Rainbow," he pulled her hoof closer and did something that nearly made her jerk away on instinct: he gently kissed the scar as a parent would do to an injured child to take away the pain.

"It-it doesn't hurt, flyboy; Twilight fixed me up," Dash muttered, her eyes flicking out towards the restaurant, but nopony was taking notice; everypony was more focused on the antics of Cloud Kicker and Vinyl on the stage, and her Lieutenant shot a grin in her direction: she was causing the distraction on purpose to give them time to talk it out.  Bless you, CK...I gotta put a word in for her at Cloudsdale to give her a raise...a big one.

"I know-you're tough," Volare's face flushed after realizing what he'd done, although he didn't release her hoof.  "Still, if anypony here should be apologizing, it's me for getting you hurt."

"Hey, you didn't make me do this," Dash nudged him with an elbow, but he shook his head.

"But if CK and I hadn't pulled this little prank to get back at you...I didn't know how badly you hurt about this, and-"

"Exactly," she nuzzled him briefly.  "You didn't know, and it wasn't your fault," she squeezed his hoof, simply enjoying the company now as well as the brief turning of the tables.  "But what I've been doing is my fault, especially when I tease you...because I know it pushed your buttons and bugs you...hurts you..." her ears fell flat before Volare reached up with a napkin from the tabletop and carefully blotted her runny rouge.  It was then that he also noticed the pinch in her fur the armor was causing.

"Grr, damn armor," he growled and pulled it over his head, laying it down on the table with a clank.  "Ahh, better," he rolled his shoulders and Dash smiled as she leaned back into him, able to fully feel the comforting warmth of his touch now.  After a moment of thought, he chuckled lightly, and she cocked a curious brow.  "You think you hurt me when you push my buttons, Dashie?"

"Well, it obviously bothers you," she replied, still seeking justification for her self-deprecation, but he wasn't about to have any of it.

"Dash, compared to the good things you've done for me, those little moments of "what the hell" are worth it."

Dash felt hope rise in her chest, a sneaky little voice that urged her to play along; that maybe she could get out of this without him being mad after all.  But she quickly beat it down, scolding herself for thinking like that and trying to win at all costs...but if things turned out that way, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth either.  No, whatever would be, would be, and she'd roll with it.  Still, his words made her more curious than cautious now, and she pressed him a bit.
"So...are you saying you like it when I mess with you?" she leaned back to regard him with a half-smile.

"Heh, well like is kinda a strong word for it, but," he scratched his head and grinned sheepishly.  "It's certainly keeping things interesting.  Kinda fun in a weird cat-and-mouse sorta way."  He looked her in the eyes and patted her shoulder.  "But trust me when I say this: it doesn't hurt me nearly as bad as you think."

"But what about-?"

"Hey," he hoofed her gently.  "When did I ever say cabbages eh?"  His words threw her for a loop before she allowed herself a small chuckle of relief...a chuckle that built into a snicker, then a giggle, and then finally a shoulder-hoofing, play-growling, fit of laughter they both took part in that escalated nearly to the point of them knocking each other out of the booth before they realized they were causing a larger scene than even Cloud Kicker and Vinyl were.  "Heh, just uh...good joke over here, that's all," Volare explained.

"Hmph, good joke indeed," Dash whispered and nipped his ear.  "That was a heck of a prank you pulled, flyboy.  I owe both you and Cloud Kicker big time."

"Well, I'll be on my guard, then," she smirked back before her face softened and her ears drooped slightly as she looked away for a moment.

"How can you...be so forgiving of me?  I don't get it, I mean, I nearly got you laid so you'd go and leave me alone...that's just...ugh," she shook her head before he brushed her mane with a hoof.

"Because as bad as it sounds now, you thought it was the right thing to do at the time, Dash."

"Yeah, but-"

"And your heart was in the right place...well, mostly," he chuckled and flicked her ear with a wingtip.  "Even though you kinda took it to the extreme, it's the thought that counts; and that's why I forgive you," he leaned forward and booped her nose with a hoof.  "Besides, you were right all along: I need to adjust and loosen up."

"What about me?  I can back off on the teasing and stuff if you wanna," Dash offered, but Volare shook his head and chuckled.

"Nah, but I do promise to tell ya if you're crossing the line too much.  Heh, can't believe I'm saying this, but you don't need to change, Dashie; I like ya just the way you are," he tucked a loose red piece of her mane back behind her ear and smiled at her little blush that he had to admit was adorable.  She felt the blush as their eyes met and felt a feeling she promised herself she'd never give into since there'd never be any stallion she could trust that much.  It was just a smidgen of a feeling, but it was there, and for a moment, she didn't care.

Maybe he's...maybe it wouldn't be such a...
"Meh, keep running your mouth, flyboy," she finally growled softly, hoofing him and looked away once more, fumbling her hooves together for an awkward moment before speaking.  "Um...can I ask a question?"

"Sure."

"...........can I have a hug?"

"Heh, Dashie, you know how they say there're no such things as dumb questions?" Volare smiled teasingly, but gently.  "Well, this might be an exception to that-oof!"  He returned the rib-creaking hug that Dash had wrapped him in and held her there like that for nearly half a minute before she whispered into his ear again.

"Hey, this is just between you and me, ok?"

"When has it ever been anything but, Dashie?" he replied, and she squeezed him a little harder for a moment before somepony cleared their throat next to the table, startling them so badly that Volare nearly knocked the armor off the table.

"Ahh, sorry if I interrupted something here," Bon-Bon waved a defensive hoof.  "But Fancypants has just arrived outside.  Volare, I need you up here to help greet him!"

"Oh crap!  Uh, right," Volare glanced back at Dash and smiled sheepishly.  Dash shook her head in response and helped him throw the armor back on, quickly straightening it up and grinning.

"Looks good to me, flyboy," she hoofed him in the shoulder and pulled him close for a moment.  "Real good...that ok?" she asked tentatively, her voice losing its husky tone for a moment and nearly making Volare burst into laughter.  

"Eeyup," Volare pulled his best Big Mac impersonation and received another hoof in response.

"Good, now get up there and get in tight with Fancypants again."  Volare rolled his eyes and shook his head before following  the nervous Bon-Bon to the front door.

"Hey you ok, Bon-Bon?  You're shaking like a leaf," he noted, and she snorted in reply.

"Y-yes, fine, just fine.  First impressions are...yeah."  She knew she'd already met Fancypants before, but...for Celestia's sake it was Fancypants, the most important pony in Canterlot!!  There had been a damn good reason why she hadn't served anypony yet and risked their wrath: she'd promised Fancypants he'd be the first customer to dine in the newly rebuilt restaurant and she intended to keep that promise!  Plus, he'd more than subtly implied he wished to dine with her as well.  Imagine that: Bon-Bon, on a date with Fancypants!  Her mind swam with the possibilities and implications that would bring about, the success it could generate for the business and her own reputation...not to mention if he took a further interest in her...well, she'd never have to worry about money and working with Lyra again, that was for sure!

"...my, my, this place certainly has improved on the outside, that much is clear," the cultured chuckle of Fancypants trickled through the door, and Bon-Bon's spirits rose with the compliments.  "New thatching, firefly lanterns, new hardwood decking, and even the dooknobs have been diligently polished.  Heh, perhaps it's not so bad it fell down earlier; truly makes me crave a peek at the interior."

"He likes it already," Bon-Bon whisper/squealed as the hoofsteps stopped outside the door.

"Come my dear, let us go dine!"

"My dear?" Bon-Bon had enough time to mutter before the oak door opened and Fancypants strode through, looking as dapper as ever in his tuxedo and lavender bowtie.  His blue mane and mustache had been neatly groomed, and even his monocle looked polished and bright.  His jaw gaped slightly at the sight of the interior of The Griffin for a moment before his vision alighted on Bon-Bon.

"Ah, Bon-Bon, this place is positively smashing!  And you did it without changing its rustic endearment as well," he reached out and took her hoof before bringing it to his lips and smiling.  "Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on a job well done.  And Volare, wonderful to see you again, my dear boy.  Whew, looking a bit more up in the world since we last met, eh?" he nodded towards Volare's armor.

"Heh, well, not having a building falling on me's definitely an improvement," he nearly said something about the armor being Cloud Kicker's before its owner winked at him and made the 'zip-it' gesture.  "Had a good trip down here?"

"Uneventful for the most part.  However, just between you, me and the gatepost, I'm positively famished!  I just hope the cooking's as good as the view," he winked as he turned towards Bon-Bon, and she felt her face flush.

"W-well I-ahem!  I hope it is as well.  Would you like to meet the ponies responsible for its construction?"

"Oh absolutely," Fancypants nodded and motioned out the door.  "Come my dear, let's get acquainted with the talented architects."  Bon-Bon watched in bemusement as a tall, slender, white-coated Unicorn with a pink mane and violet eyes stepped daintily through the door.  She wore a gold-chased and jewel-encrusted necklace and her flank was imprinted with a triple fleur de lis cutie mark.  She smiled sweetly at Bon-Bon and Volare before leaning easily against Fancypants and taking in the room with wide-eyed appreciation, though her admiration was furthest from Bon-Bon's mind.

"Wh-who's she?" the Earth Pony blurted out before catching herself.  The slender mare looked down at her, dipped her head in a short bow, and spoke with a Prancian accent.

"Bonjour, Madame Bon-Bon.  Fancypants 'as told me so much about you and zis wonderful little town.  My name is Fleur De Lis, please to meet you," she dipped her horn again before resuming leaning upon Fancypants.  "I am his wife."

"His...wife..." Bon-Bon murmured, her heart sinking somewhere past her fetlocks as the two Canterlotian ponies smiled politely and waited to be escorted to their table.  Volare caught the stunned expression on Bon-Bon's face and stepped in quickly.

"Right this way," the pilot nodded, motioning with his wing towards the table with Octavia and Trixie.

"Ah, Octavia Philharmonica!  My dear, it's been ages!" Fancypants grinned and trotted forward, leading Fleur to the table.  Once they'd moved on, Volare turned to nudge Bon-Bon, whose mouth was moving soundlessly.

"Hey, you ok?"

"Y-yes, just...fine-no, no I'm not ok...in fact I feel ill," Bon-Bon winced and trotted quickly towards the kitchen.  "So ill in fact that I may not come out the rest of the night.  Please keep the situation in hoof, Volare.  Thank you."  And with that, she disappeared into the kitchen.

"N-no problem...jeez," Volare cringed and looked towards the table.  Twilight and the others caught his expression, and the Librarian shrugged helplessly-she couldn't get near him still.  Instead, Pinkie came hopping over and Volare explained that he thought that Bon-Bon believed Fancypants had asked her out on a date, but once he'd showed up with his wife...

"Ouch," Pinkie frowned and scratched her chin before brightening.  "I've got an idea of how to cheer her up!  Don't you worry, cuz Pinkie Pie's on the case!"  She zipped out of the restaurant leaving Volare bewildered and more than a little worried about what she had in mind.

"Where'd Pinkie go and what's up with Bon-Bon?" Dash asked as he returned to the table.

"Bon-Bon had some feelings beyond business for Fancypants that were crushed when his wife showed up...and I think Pinkie's got an idea for fixing it."

"Oh boy," Dash chewed her bottom lip for a moment before patting the menu in front of her.  "Sooo...um...you wanna eat with me, or you wanna go hang with Fancypants and company?"

"Heh, I probably should, but with Twilight over there..."

"Oh, right.  Forgot, heheh."

"Well, I'm not complaining terribly about the alternative," he smiled and prepared to settle back down before a hoof tapped him on the back.  He gave Dash a helpless little look before turning to find Lyra standing there.  And she looked worried.  "Uh-oh, what's up Lyra?"

"Well, it's nothing terribly important, but...well," she scuffed the floor with a hoof and looked towards the front door.  "There's something at my place you gotta see."  Dash raised a brow for a moment before nodding her consent; she had a feeling doing anything crazy with Lyra or anypony else right now was the furthest thing from his mind, plus she'd seen how much he cared for his friend's feelings firsthoof, no matter how silly or small they might be.

"Well, it's big enough to bother you, so let's go check it out."

"Want me to order for ya, flyboy?" Dash tapped her menu.

"Um...yeah, mushroom and potato soup if you don't mind," he said over his shoulder as he followed Lyra out the door.

"Gotcha!"  Dash nodded and perused the menu herself for a while before noticing Twilight excuse herself from the group around Fancypants and trot over to her.  "Sup, Twi?"

"So...how'd it go?  With you and Volare, I mean," Twilight asked in concern.  Despite Volare's attempt to shield her and Cloud Kicker's distraction, she'd noticed how distraught Dash had gotten even from all the way across the room.  That and the half-cleaned rouge on Dash's cheeks didn't do much to disguise the fact that she'd been crying.

"Go?  Oh, it went as good as it could, I suppose," Dash replied, her mind now focused on dinner.  But Twilight wasn't satisfied and pushed the menu to the tabletop to get Dash's full attention.

"Did you tell him?"

"I...I tried to, Twilight," Dash groaned and hung her head.  "I nearly did, but he stopped me, and told me I didn't need to blame myself for everything he's gone through and that...that I made his life a little bit brighter."  She sniffed and looked back up at her friend.  "I couldn't do it, Twi.  I couldn't hurt him again."

"I...I understand," Twilight sighed and patted Dash on the shoulder.  "Do you feel a little better though?"

"Yeah, a lot actually.  He said he didn't want me to change, that he needed to be the one to do that.  He...said he liked me just the way I am."  That little confirmation set off the tiniest of warning bells in Twilight's head, but she held her tongue and remained composed.

"That's good that he's finally wanting to adjust to things, just...you be careful with him, ok?"

"I will, Twi.  Trust me on that one.  He may not want me to change, but I'm gonna figure out a way to be a better friend somehow.  And you can take that to Ponyville Bank," she thumped a hoof on the table and grinned, as did Twilight.  Hopefully Dash would tell him everything soon, but for now, she was just happy to see Dash smiling again.


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


"Ok, so what'd you wanna show me, Lyra?" Volare asked as the lyricist led him into her home.  He stumbled over the remains of the cleaning materials they'd been polishing up the human items with over the past few days, nearly toppling over a massive mountain of well-used dishrags as they went along.

"Eh-heh, sorry Volare.  Man, I gotta do my laundry," Lyra chuckled and ducked under a precariously-balanced arch of human junk ranging from barstools and lunch-pails, to picture frames, beer mugs, and car parts.

"Yeah, among other things," Volare chuckled as she halted in front of a narrow-framed closet door.

"Ok, I kinda remember what you told me about how humans made weapons and such to fight each other," Lyra reached for the doorknob and turned back to regard him with a serious look.  "And, well...I dunno what this is, but it looks like some of the things you've described before and I was hoping you could enlighten me and let me know if it's safe to put up in The Griffin on this perfect little empty piece of wall behind the bar."

Oh gawd what had she found?  Volare's mind raced as she pulled the closet door open, thinking that she'd found a bomb, a missile warhead, a land mine, or something of the like that might detonate and blow up either her own house or a significant chunk of the town.  "Uh, hang on a sec-holy shit!" Volare shouted as a long, aged piece wood and steel fell out the door and bounced once before settling down, the barrel pointed right at his leg.

"Yeah that-what the hay is it?" Lyra obliviously scratched her mane as Volare jumped out of the potential line of fire, eyes wide as dinner plates and his heart pounding a mile a minute.  After the initial shock wore off, the pilot relaxed somewhat, that was until Lyra levitated the object and started inspecting it.

"L-Lyra, that's a rifle; an M1 Garand.  Be very careful with tha-oh dear gawd," he moaned as Lyra flipped it around and stared down the barrel end.

"Ooh, an M1, what's it do?" she grinned, trying to see the bottom of the metal tube and noting that there were spiral grooves cut into the inside edge of it.

"For the love of-Lyra, a rifle shoots bullets: little hot pieces of metal that kill things!"

"Oh wow, interesting.  How's that work?" Volare's stomach flipped as he saw her magic trailing over the action, fiddling with the bolt and trigger guard.

"The bullets come out of the end you're staring into!" he practically shouted, and she finally got the gist, tossing it away from herself in a panic.  "Oh shit, don't do that!"  She quickly caught it before it hit the ground and turned with it...pointing it right at him on accident!  "Jesus Christ Lyra, just-put it down, put it down!  Butt on the ground!"

"Butt on the ground?" she muttered and shrugged.  "Um, ok," and she flopped down on her plot, the rifle across her knees and a huge grin across her face.  "Like that?"  Volare facehoofed and groaned before composing himself.

"No, the fat end is the butt-stock.  Just...set it up in the corner, and gently!"

"Like this?" Lyra finally got it right, standing the rifle up next to the closet door before rising to her hooves and patting Volare on the shoulder.  "Jeez dude, you oughta calm down before you drop dead."

"Haha, very funny," Volare muttered and trotted forward to inspect the old rifle.  "Ok, lemme explain this real quick: Butt-stock, trigger, action, bolt, hand guard, barrel, sights.  Pull the trigger to fire it, and that's how it works in a nutshell," he pointed out the features on the gun and pulled the bolt back slightly to see that, yes it was indeed loaded...and the safety had either been broken or rusted off.  Great...

"What's wrong?"

"It's loaded with bullets that can travel over half a mile easy and can blow a pony's leg off...or worse," they both cringed at the thought.  "As long as it's loaded, it's very dangerous."

"So how do we unload it?" Lyra lifted her hoof to approach it once more, thought better of it, and backtracked, looking to Volare for answers.

"Well, there're two ways.  Eject the ammo or fire it," the pilot leaned over the action, and sighed once more.  "Problem is, I've never personally handled one of these things before, and since what looks like the safety is missing," he nodded at the broken latch.  "If I start fiddling with it, it could go off at any time, even if we simply drop it."

"So let's just shoot it off then.  We'll aim it at the wall so it doesn't hit anypony," Lyra grinned at the brilliance of her plan, but Volare shook his head.

"Uh...probably not a good idea.  Not only is it loud as hell, but-how thick are these walls?"

"Hmm...about 6 inches of wood and brick.  Why?"

"The shell this thing fires is...well, humans on Earth stopped using it because it was too powerful.  It'd go through 5 or 6 enemy soldiers before slowing down, leaving a hole the size of my hoof in each one of them."  At his description, Lyra's face took on a darker shade of green.

"Eesh...and I've just tossed this thing in here once or twice without knowing.  Heh, you humans are crazy," she slapped him on the rump and rubbed her chin.  "So, what do we do with it?"

"Put it somewhere safe, somewhere solid."

"Oooh, I got it," Lyra's face brightened and she levitated the gun off the floor to her bedroom, where she swung a large picture of Princess Celestia out of the way to reveal a medium-sized square steel door with a combination lock dial in the middle of it.  "Somewhere safe, right?" she chuckled as she unlocked it and slid the rifle inside barrel-first.

"Huh, kinda redundant but brilliant," Volare shook his head in relief as the rifle just barely fit and Lyra closed the door over it, spinning the dial to lock it and replacing the picture.  "What the heck else ya got in there?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out...or not," she poked him in the chest with her magic and trotted out of the room.  "C'mon, at least I know what to watch out for."

"Where the hell'd you find that thing anyways?" 

"Oh, some little old Unicorn in Baltimare had it.  I honestly thought it was some sorta crazy plumbing fixture so I figured 'what the hay', and snagged it last week.  Crazy, huh?"

"Yeah, no kidding," Volare muttered, wondering what other crazy crap had made its way to Equestria.  He stepped over a small wooden box that had fallen out of the closet as he followed her, wincing as his hoof somehow managed to clip it and kick it across the floor where it struck the wall and opened up, spilling its lone content and causing Volare to pause in his tracks.

"Whatcha got there, Volare?" Lyra asked as he picked up the smallish, round brass object.

"I dunno...looks like a pocket watch, but-" he pressed the little dial on top of the object and it flipped open, revealing a whirling little dial.  But this wasn't a watch.  "Whoa...it's a compass."

"A compass?" Lyra peered down at the little brass circle in awe.  "What's that?"

"Wait, you seriously don't know what a compass is?" the pilot tilted his head in disbelief as he watched the red arrow pointer in the center of the compass continue to whirl about.  He held it flat in his hoof, but it still didn't stop spinning, and it perplexed him.

"Nope."

"Well, on Earth a magnetic compass is used to help someone find which direction is North," he said as he trotted outside, thinking maybe the junk in Lyra's house was throwing the compass off.  But moving outside didn't change a thing; if anything, it was whirling faster now, as if it had no idea where North was.  "But this one's messed up or something."  Or their planet doesn't have a magnetic field...great.  What protects them from Mr. Sun Ray Cancer?  Celestia's Love?!

"Weird, we don't need compasses here to find North," Lyra replied.

"Then how do you know where it is?"

"Heh, simple.  North is always left of East, and West is always right of South," she pointed her hooves in the appropriate directions.  "At least, that's how I was taught.  See, no compass required."

"Oookay...this place just keeps getting crazier and crazier," he muttered and sat the compass back in the house.  "Come on, let's get back to everypony else.  Oh, and do not mess with that gun again unless I'm there, ok?"

"Roger!" Lyra tossed a salute and together they trotted back to dinner.

................................

Meanwhile, as Bon-Bon sulked in the kitchen of The Gilded Griffin with a whiskey barrel she'd tapped for the night's occasion and took wine-glass shots in disappointment of discovering that Fancypants was married and hadn't actually been interested in a date with her after all, Pinkie Pie re-entered the restaurant with a rather loud pony she thought would be good for injecting a little life into the place as well as cheering Bon-Bon up.  Heck, she had fun with him, why couldn't mopey-wopey Bon-Bon?

"Ach, 'ello an' good evenin' everyponeh!" a boisterous voice boomed from the front of the restaurant and catching Bon-Bon's ear.

"I say, a Scoltspony!" she heard Fancypants' declaration accompany the scraping of a chair on the floorboards.  "Good evening to you sir.  Haha, I'm a quarter Scolts on my mum's side and it's a delight to meet somepony from the old country.  The name's Fancypants."

"Faber McIronshod, great nephew of Ferrum Smithshoe, who Ah've been told provided tha materials ta build this place," he said with a low whistle.  Bon-Bon leaned out of the kitchen door and gasped at the sight of the Unicorn that towered a head higher than even the lofty Fancypants.  Perhaps it was the whiskey, but...she felt a little stirring in her chest as her eyes inspected his strong form, wondering if he-

Snap out of it, Bon-Bon...this isn't a night for that.  This is a night for...for...celebrating, she groaned and returned to the whiskey keg, slumping on the floor as she sampled the biting liquor once more.  After nearly 15 minutes, she heard Pinkie Pie say something inaudible, and then felt heavy, but tentative hoofsteps approaching the kitchen before a large cornflower blue head ducked through the doorway.  

"Halloo?  Pinkie told meh ta check for a poneh named Bon-Bon in here-ach, there ya are, lasseh," he grinned and approached the pink and navy-maned mare.  "Name's Faber Mc-"

"Yep, I heard you out there.  Wow, you're bigger in person-hic!" Bon-Bon said before she could stop herself, and she felt a deeper blush from something other than the liquor creep into her cream-colored face.

"Heh, so Ah've been told.  What're ye doin' all cooped oop in 'ere while everyponeh else is celebratin' oot there?" he nodded towards the door with a friendly smile.

"Meh, I've got nothing to celebrate," Bon-Bon replied sullenly, and Faber's face fell.  He got closer and sat down on the floor next to her.

"Ach, what's got ye daown, lasseh?  Aren't ye tha owner o' this new place?"

"Co-owner, yeah.  Lyra's the other."

"Ah see...well, Ah don't see any Lyra 'ere right naow, so..." he spied the keg of whiskey on the counter and his brow raised.  "Does that mean you're enjoyin' that whiskeh all by your lonesome?  Whiskeh from me 'ome o' Scoltland, if Ah'm not mistaken," he eyed the label.  "Ach, Spurside.  Good stuff, that."

"Be my guest--glasses are in the cabinet-hic!" Bon-Bon waved a hoof in the general direction of the cupboards, and the large Unicorn gave her a concerned look before locating two shot glasses, replacing the wine glass in her hoof with one of them.  "Hey, what's the big-"

"Lass, if ye drink whiskeh like that, ye'll be shite-faced before ya 'ave a chance ta enjoy it," he filled his shot glass and poured it into hers before refilling his.  "Naow then, let's find somethin' ta toast to."

"I dunno," Bon-Bon eyed the liquor for a moment before looking back up at Faber.  He seemed sincere and friendly...perhaps a little too friendly.  "What do you want?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"Pinkeh told meh a little Earth Poneh mare that shoulda been happeh wasn't doin' so well, and thought Ah could try mah hoof at cheerin' ye oop," he smiled and raised his glass.  "Or at tha very least keep ye company so ye dinnae have ta be sad alone."

"Hmph, what've you got to be sad for?"

"Ah can't go 'ome for one, nor do Ah 'ave any bits to me name save what Ah've earned these past two days workin' for Ferrum," he levitated three bits out of his bag and winked.  "So ye don't think Ah'm robbin' ye o' such fine liquor an' companeh," he made to lay the bits on the counter, but Bon-Bon laid her hoof on his foreleg.

"No...no, that's ok.  You can keep the bits.  The conversation....it's payment enough," she managed a small smile and raised her shot glass.  "To...good talks."

"Aye, an' ta many more."

Clink!

--------------------------
Half an hour later...


Volare and Lyra returned without much fanfare, the Unicorn resuming her post at the bar and Volare rejoining Dash at their table, a pot of steaming soup waiting for him.  Dash had already started without him, and he shot her a grateful grin before digging in himself, swapping small talk about the rifle with Dash, while she filled him in on Faber's arrival as they ate.  Meanwhile, at the table with Fancypants, they had nearly finished the main course, and everypony was feeling full and happy.  Twilight had just finished telling Fleur and husband about how Volare had saved Trixie from the collapse of the original Gilded Griffin when the Unicorn in question cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the entire table.

"Ahem, yes...I um, want to thank you all for being so supportive of me and allowing me to redeem myself through this project.  But the true honor goes to Octavia, who thought up the plan at the outset.  Without her intervention, both during our duel and afterwards, I'd likely be rotting in the dungeons of Canterlot right now, or worse.  Without her, this building wouldn't have been erected.  And without her...well...I don't think I'd be who I am today," she smiled and brushed her hoof across Octavia's beneath the table.

"You're too kind, Trixie," the cellist blushed modestly, though under the table she returned the brush two-fold, squeezing Trixie's hoof with her own.

"No, I'm being honest...finally, no more lies and illusion.  And so," Trixie placed her hat on the table, lit her horn, and with a flourish of her hoof, she caused a pop and a blue flash beneath the pointy hat.  "I went back into the Everfree two nights ago, to gather what I could find of my old wagon that the manticore destroyed.  I couldn't find much, though I did recover something I hope you'll accept, Octy."  She raised her hat, and beneath it lay a small, incomplete porcelain teaset.  Small cracks laced along the outside of the teapot, but it was sound, as were the gold-rimmed little cups, and Octavia's eyes widened as she brushed one with a careful hoof and raised her eyes to Trixie's.

"What's this?"

"This was my personal set, before...well, before everything happened," she scratched her mane nervously.  "And I remember how I broke your favorite teacup that night and...I know it won't make up for it, but I was just wondering if you'd-"  Trixie was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and a small brown colt with a green mane cantered inside with a huge grin on his face.  He seemed vaguely familiar to Trixie until he spoke, and the memories of him back in the hospital came rushing back to her, leaving her momentarily stunned.  He'd seemed so sick and weak then...but now, he practically danced across the hardwood as he gazed about The Griffin.

"Aunty Octy!" the young colt cried when he spotted the cellist and rushed to her side, nuzzling her hoof and smiling brightly.

"Why Loam, it's been some time since I last saw you," Octavia wrapped a hoof around him and sat him on her leg.  "Everypony, this is my nephew Loam."

"Hi," he waved a hoof shyly as he realized he was now the center of attention.  But that shyness evaporated once he locked eyes with the blue magician seated across from his aunt.  "Oh my gosh, Trixie!" he said as reached a hoof towards her.  "How're you doing?"

"Oh, much better since we last met, Loam," she bumped her hoof against his and smiled.  "You're looking fairly chipper yourself, little one."

"Oh yeah, mom keeps telling me I've got so much energy now that if I had wings I'd be flying in my sleep!"  His comment drew laughs from everypony all around for well over a minute, including Dash and Volare.

"Aww, you know him, flyboy?" she nudged his shoulder.

"Yep, his mom brought him into the hospital with the flu while Trixie was there.  The place was full and they were about to turn him away when Trixie gave up her bed for him."

"Wow...she seriously did that herself?"

"All by herself, yep," he nodded, proud of her.  "We teased her about it afterwards, and I know she denies it, but deep down...I know she had no problem with what she did."  As he spoke, Loam gave Octavia a final nuzzle and headed out the door, saying he was just checking the place out for now and that his mom would get him good if he were late to bed.

"So, Trixie..." Octavia turned to regard the magician once her nephew had left.  Trixie caught a strange look in her eye, and combined with her tone it set her on edge, though she wasn't entirely sure why.

"Um yes, Octy?"

"Let me get this straight," Octavia daintily dabbed at her mouth with a napkin before neatly folding it and fixing her entire attention upon her friend.  "You attack my friends, attack me, break my cello bows, tear up my mother's mother's cello, and caused the collapse of this building?"

"Uh, y-yes, that's true," Trixie shrank away from the smolder in the cellist's lavender eyes, and Twilight tensed, sensing trouble.

"And you also destroyed my favorite teacup and try to pay me back by offering me your crude little set?"

"...yes?"

"And you have the bollocks to call me your friend and say you care about me, that you wouldn't be the same pony you are now without me?" Octavia's voice remained steady, though she was now standing up and leaning across the table, while Trixie had practically begun to retreat beneath it.

"........yes."

"You want to know what I say to that, Trixie?" Octavia leaned up a little further and looked down at the magician.  "I say I'm absolutely, one hundred percent alright with all of that.  But when you got involved with my little nephew...and saved his life...that's when you crossed the line.  And now," she reached down and grabbed Trixie by the jeweled broach of her cape and hauled her upright.  "You've forced me to cross it as well."

"W-what line is th-that?"  Trixie's eyes were wide with confusion and fear, and she missed the tiniest of impish smirks that crossed Octavia's mouth.

"This one."  And with that, she closed her eyes, pulled Trixie closer, and mashed her lips against the Unicorn's in a fierce and passionate kiss, right in the middle of the dinner table!  Fancypants' monocle fell off his face, Twilight's jaw dropped, Fleur blushed scarlet, Dash and Volare's eyes went wide, and Pinkie merely grinned as Octavia moaned lightly into the kiss, finally pulling away and allowing the flush-faced Trixie to gasp for air.  

"I say..." Fancypants muttered quietly, the only noise to break the awkward silence that had fallen upon the table.  Octavia wiped her mouth with her napkin once more and leaned back across the table to peck the stunned Trixie on the lips.

"Trixie, how would you like to go and um...test out this marvelous teaset at my place?" she glanced briefly at the teapot and smiled devilishly.  Tea was the last thing on her mind.

"...ch-check please!" Trixie called out after finding her voice.  She paid their bill, and together the two mares trotted out of the restaurant without another word besides a brief goodbye to their company.

"Dude, I told ya," Dash snickered and nudged the similarly stunned Volare with an elbow.  "Whipped!"

"I believe you now, Dashie," he shook his head and downed his ice water with a gulp.  "Whew, that was nuts!"  Pinkie sensed the still-lingering awkward silence in the room and hopped her way up to the sound stage, looking for Vinyl.  "Oh hey, there you two are," Pinkie giggled as she poked her head over the back edge of the stage.  "Vinyl, we need some music, stat!"

"Whoa, knock next time!" Cloud Kicker play-scolded and shook a hoof at her pink friend, while Vinyl fumbled about for the shades that had been knocked askew by the Weather Lieutenant's exploratory hooves.

"What happened?" the DJ asked as she finally found her shades under the sound stage and stuck them back on.

"Well, Octavia kinda confessed her love for Trixie, kissed her, and then they both left.  Kinda shocked everypony, though I dunno why," she glanced back at the silent restaurant.  "It was only a matter of time plus it was pretty obvious, heeheehee!"

"Haha, well if that don't beat all," Cloud Kicker snickered and hauled herself and Vinyl back onto the stage.  "Whew you're right, this place is kinda stunned-ish.  Hey Scratchy, you got something to liven this place up with?"

"Hay yeah I do, and it'll gimme a good chance to test the equipment out," Vinyl's horn glowed and plucked up a freshly-created disk with music pulled straight from Volare's consciousness the day before, a song for both the cultured present and the ponies who wanted to move!  "Alright everypony!  I'll let you say it, Pinkie," she grinned.

"LET'S PAAAARRRRTAAAYYYY!!!"  Pinkie shouted, the disk dropped, and the music began.



As the music played and swirled about them on the new system Vinyl and Trixie had erected, imagery of the notes, beats, riffs, and counter-melodies flashed over the walls using the projection system on the opposite wall in a laser-light show of epic proportions.  Even Fancypants was nodding his head in approval and shaking congratulatory hooves with Lyra on a job well done on the restaurant.  Dash looked at Volare, her question eaten up by the sound, but he could read her lips.  He nodded: yep, this is from my mind.  The fiery mare simply shook her head in wonderment and grinned, hoofing him roughly before tapping her hooves to the music on the table.

Before long, a booming, laughing voice could be heard coming from the kitchen even over the music, and everypony turned to see Faber, obviously fairly inebriated, come stumbling out of the kitchen with Bon-Bon in tow.  The two were grinning like fools and both wore heavy blushes from the whiskey and from laughter as they danced across the floor, kicking up their hooves in wild abandon and simply having a good time.  Volare winced and turned to see Fancypants' reaction, but rather than disapproving, he was laughing and cheering them on louder than anypony else!

"Well, I'll be damned," Volare laughed and bobbed his head to the music, glancing sideways at Rainbow Dash and noticing just how happy she was...and once again noting just how striking she looked when the light hit her mane just right.  Combined with the remainder of the rouge and her contagious, voice-cracking laugh he'd come to enjoy...and he very nearly found himself wishing he'd been born here...that things had been different.  That maybe his original discovery of her wouldn't carry so much baggage and then maybe they could-

Dash caught him looking at her and she grinned, leaning in to shout into his ear so he'd hear her over the music; in doing so, her lips brushed against his cheek and she felt the blush break out on his face.  "Hmph, guess I still got the touch, eh flyboy?" she said as she leaned back and grinned roguishly.

"Heh, you hear me complaining, Dashie?"

"Huh?" she called back, and leaned in to hear better, but he mistook her actions for something else, and he leaned away just as somepony huge and blue crashed onto their table between them, collapsing it beneath his huge laughing weight.  Dash and Volare looked down to see Faber on his back, face red with drink and exertion, while Bon-Bon stood nearby, facehoofing and giggling despite herself.

"Ach, hehehahaha, may Ah 'ave this dance, lasseh?" he winked at Dash, who raised a skeptical eyebrow.  She and Volare both exchanged glances before raising their right hooves back and simultaneously punching Faber in the chin, cold-cocking the drunken Scoltspony on the spot.  The two Pegasi exchanged glances once more at their completely unrehearsed actions, and immediately burst out laughing.

"Hey, let's get outta here before something else crazy happens," Dash leaned in and chuckled, and for once, Volare had no argument about that.

"Right behind ya, Dashie."

"Yeah, I bet I know why," she flicked her tail and teasingly swatted him in the face as she stood up.

"To stare at your skinny flank?  Pfft, nah, I prefer Fluttershy," Volare shot back, and Dash burst into guffaws again.

"You're getting better flyboy, I'll give ya that," she admitted as they waved their goodbyes to Fancypants, Twilight, and the others, Volare leaving the armor by the door for Cloud Kicker to find.  "But..." she said once they were outside of the restaurant, and she shoved him up against the wall, placed her hooves on his chest and looked him in the eye, snickering at his quickened breathing.  "I'll always be the best," she smirked and blew air on his face before letting him down, snickering at his rising wings.

"I'll get you back just like that one of these days, Dashie," he growled and hip-checked her, ignoring his wings for the moment.

"Ha, fat chance!  You'll never turn me on bad enough to get me to pop a wingy in public," Dash shot back and attempted to trip him, but he smoothly cantered over it and returned her smirk with his own.

"That a challenge, Dashie?"

"Pfft, that's a promise," she hoofed him in the shoulder and they lapsed into silence for a moment, simply trotting along and enjoying the sudden peace that contrasted with the noise and lights of the restaurant.  "Some crazy good job you guys worked there, Volare."

"Yeah, hard to believe we pulled it off.  You think Fancypants'll sponsor it?"

"By the way he was enjoying himself...I'd leans towards 'hay yeah'," she nudged him with a wing.  "You did good, flyboy."

"Thanks Dash...just kinda confused now, I guess," he mused as he looked up at the sparkling stars above.

"Whatcha mean?"

"Well, I mean I don't have a job, I don't have a place of my own-"

"Hey, my place is your place, flyboy," she insisted before realizing how that sounded.  "Ahem, I mean...till you can build your own house...yeah."

"Thanks, Dash," he grazed his wingtip along hers.  "You're an awesome friend."

"Heh, course I am," she puffed out her chest for a moment before glancing about to confirm that nopony else was watching.  "But, just between you and me...a little reminder now and again is totally cool too," she nuzzled him briefly and grinned.

"Keep earning'em and I'll keep giving'em."

"Will do, flyboy," she saluted and bumped him with her hip as she walked.  He soon picked up on the slight limp she carried herself with due to her scarred hoof, and he offered her his wing in support, which she took after a moment of hesitation.  Heh, maybe he IS different...but I know how he feels about it so...well, crap.  Gimme a break, he says a few nice words and you change?  You're not that petty; you're Rainbow Dash!  It'll take more than a little sweet talk and forgiveness to change my mind...and you still never told him everything...still, it'd be a nice start.  "So, um...what about your job situation?"

"Oh, I dunno...I was going to ask Ferrum if he wanted help around the store, but now that Faber's working for him, that seems outta the question.  And I got a little tour cut coming in from Vinyl, but she's about to pack it up until next spring, so there that goes too," he blew out his chops and sighed.  "Got any suggestions?"

"Well...there's always the Weather Team," she suggested and he chuckled.

"Two problems with that: one, I don't know a thing about weather control; two: you'd be my boss, and I dunno how I'd deal with you having more control over me," he said and stuck his tongue out.

"Pfft, as if."

"Oh come on, don't you pride yourself on being able to make me do just about anything, or have I been totally misinterpreting everything from you as a misguided attempt to make me fall madly in love with you?" Volare teased and received the expected wing to the face in response.

"Haha, very funny, flyboy.  But while you're feathering around, I'm dead serious."

"You want me on the Weather Team for real?" he glanced sideways to see if she was smiling, but she wasn't.  "Oh...but I don't know-"

"Pfft, it's easy enough.  Just gotta know a little weather theory and practice it, that's all.  Come on, I reviewed Ravenfire in less than a week and she was really rusty."

"There's a difference between rusty and non-existent, Dashie," he muttered, but she placed her wing comfortingly over him.

"Come on, I wouldn't suggest it if I didn't think you could hack it.  Ravenfire and Cloud Kicker can whip you into shape pretty quick."

"What about you?"

"I have a seasonal review Sunday in Cloudsdale that won't have me back until Thursday, so I'm kinda out."

"I hope it goes well."

"Yeah, me too," Dash's brow furrowed.  "Been kinda a crazy year, what with Discord showing up with chocolate rain all over the place."

"Oh come on, that doesn't count!"

"I'm just hoping the Weather Bosses there see that and cut me some slack.  We did do well with Tornado Day, so that's a plus."

"True that...so you think I can do it?"

"I know you can do it," she grinned and hoofed him.  "Plus, if you learn well enough...it'll set us up for some pretty neat Dares later."

"Oh I just knew you had some kinda crazy agenda, Dashie!" he swiped a wing at her as she galloped off and took flight.

"Hey, you know me!"

"Not sure whether that's fortunate or unfortunate," he replied as he took off after her.  "Where we headed?"

"Home, duh!"

"For what, may I ask?"  At his words, Dash stopped in mid air, did a 180, and flew past him, swiping at him with her own wing before pulling back alongside him.

"To sleep, you knucklehead!"

"Aha, I knew that."

"Riiight...race you there?"

"You're gonna win, Dashie."

"Might let you win this time, flyboy."

"Nah, I'd rather earn it," he matched her fierce grin with one of his own.

"Good, cuz I don't do charity," she hoofed him and sighted in on the distant house.  "Ready?"

"Nope."

"Too bad-set!"

"...dammit, Dashie," he tensed his wings.

"Go!!!"  She took off like a rocket, leaving him eating her clouds.  Strangely enough, he didn't care...he was just happy they were still friends and understood each other better now.  Besides, he'd get her later when she least expected it...

...............................
Hours later...


"Alright guys, you ready for this night to really kick off?" Cloud Kicker grinned and glanced sideways at the two mares she had her hooves tossed over: Vinyl Scratch and Lyra; the DJ wearing the peytral and Lyra wearing her helmet. The three turned out to be the last ponies remaining once the dinner concluded with Fancypants confirming his sponsorship...well all except for the unconscious Faber of course, whom they'd left propped up in the booth, with Bon-Bon volunteering to stay the night with him to keep him out of trouble.  After passing that information onto Ferrum, the trio decided to head to Vinyl's place, as it had the most room...plus the DJ's bed was more than accommodating enough for the three of them.

But as they opened the door of the musician's duplex, they came upon the strange sight of Trixie's hat on the floor...followed by Octavia's tie...and then Trixie's cape...and then-
"Oh holy hay, sorry you two!" Cloud Kicker cried when she turned on the lights and found the owners of the clothing to be....very currently involved on the sofa.  The pair barely glanced at the intruders before resuming their congressional session...and by the sound of things, it was one hell of a debate.  Lyra simply stared for a moment in shock before Cloud Kicker pulled her out of the room, leaving Vinyl by herself for a moment.

"Oh-ah, yeah well, um...you guys look busy so...yeah, we're just gonna leave ya to it," the madly blushing DJ sputtered and flicked the lights off before heading out the door.  "Oh yeah, there's a button on the sofa that makes it fold out into a bed if you're interested-"

"Come on, Scratchy!"  Cloud Kicker yanked the lingering DJ out the door and shut it, shaking her head at the craziness of it all.  "Well, um...party at my place?"

"That works," Lyra snickered, bumping her hip against Cloud Kicker's before noticing the worried expression their DJ friend's face.  "What's wrong, Vinyl?"

"Uh nothing, just uh...got this sneaking suspicion I forgot to warn them about something..." she trailed off as they trotted, and it wasn't until they reached the corner before she realized what it was...which was right about the time a loud shout of ecstasy rang out from the confines of the duplex.  It sounded like Octavia had just hit a high C...and Vinyl didn't even know she could sing.  "Oh yeah, I forgot to warn them about the 11 button on the sofa.  Oh well, sounds like they found it anyway."

"Why've you got an 11 button on a feathering sofa?" Cloud Kicker cocked a brow.

"You wouldn't be asking why if you knew the what that it did," Vinyl Scratch cocked a grin and patted her saddlebag.  "Good thing I carry my travel one.  Gotta come prepared, ya dig?"

"That a double entendre, Vinyl?" Lyra giggled.

"Only one way to find out, eh?" the DJ winked over her shades just before Cloud Kicker grabbed both her friends by the hooves and hauled flank full speed to her house.  It was a night of celebration, and as far as the Weather Lieutenant was concerned, they had plenty to celebrate and all night to do it!!!  Her only regret was that Ravenfire was missing; she'd love to talk that crazy cougar into a foursome some day...oh well: Rule One: No Regrets, right?


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


Notes: This...this chapter was fun to write.
Volare: Yeah, and I know why
Author: Oh shut it, Volare...you know you liked it.
Volare: Not about to give you the pleasure of confirming that!
Author: In time, buddy...in time...but for now, we're all just glad the situation around you got fixed somewhat, and that now you're not such a stick in the flank!
Volare: Yeah well...I guess I could get used to it.