//------------------------------// // The first, almost, kinda date // Story: Playing a Pegasus // by Eletricka //------------------------------// Chapter 2: The first-almost-kinda date “Why would you do something so stupid, Dash?” Twilight asked, her eyes holding worry. Just ten minutes ago, a slightly shocked and confused Pegasus had come here after being, well, stupid. Rainbow Dash had explained herself to the purple Unicorn, who was currently pacing in front of Dash, a rather frazzled look on her face. The pony in question shrugged, “I was, well, y’know...being my usual stupid self?” She offered, and then ducked her head so that a book, that Twilight decided would be fun to throw at her, soared past her head. Twilight groaned, “You’ll have to call it off.” She said simply, shaking her head slightly, “Right now.” The soft 'I'm really sorry about everything and please don’t hate me' feeling vanished from Dash in an instant, and the more common, brash and competitive side of her personality decided to make itself known. “No way, I’m not backing out of any bet.” She narrowed her eyes at her friend, “Even a lame one like that. I. Am. Rainbow. Dash. When I make a bet, I win it.” Another book was thrown. This one hitting Dash in the side, causing her t let out a small yelp. They sat in silence for a minute. Both not knowing what to say to get the other to see reason. Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Rainbow Dash, however, couldn’t keep her mouth shut long enough for Twilight to calm down. “I’m not backing out of a bet, Twi.” She didn’t meet the Unicorn’s eyes when she spoke. “That’s worse than losing to me.” “This isn’t about you Rainbow Dash!” Twilight shouted, her anger coming out again. Flaring her wings, Dash took a step closer to her. “Of course it’s about me! I’m the one that’s in the bet. I’m the one who is gonna win it.” She pushed her muzzle against Twilight’s her eyes burning. “And I’m th-” “-the one who is either going to get their heart broken or break their best friends’!” Twilight interrupted her, shouting so loud that it was probably heard in Canterlot. “And I, for one, do not want to see that happen. Not now,” Her voice lost all anger until it was gentle and calm once again. “Not ever.” Rainbow Dash gulped and took a step back, “This is going to hurt you both, so stop it before it starts.” Twilight whispered, placing a hoof on Dash’s face in the way a mother would do to her foal. Still utterly confused, and wondering if Twilight had some sort of strange magic sense when it came to almost everything, Rainbow Dash nodded her head dumbly and took to the sky outside of Ponyville’s library. _____________________________________________________________________________ Okay, I think that means I need to call off the bet, she thought, narrowly avoiding a tree, but, then Pinkie will tell the others and I’ll never hear the end of it! Curving her wings to the right, she rounded a corner and found herself at the Ponyville market. Swiftly landing, she turned her attention to the battle inside of her head. But what about what Twi said? Twilight was never wrong well, you know, apart from the time she thought she was gonna be sent to the moon for saying she thought Princess Celestia smelt like strawberries. That’s Twilight being crazy, and besides, Celestia smells like bananas. Everypony knows that. She slapped herself, catching the attention of a few ponies. Snorting, she faced them, “Yeah? What you lookin’ at?” They quickly hurried on their way. “Somethin’ up, RD?” An annoyingly familiar accent drawled out. Turning, Rainbow found herself being smirked at by an orange mare at an apple stand. Her stetson shielded her eyes from the sun's rays, and her mane and tail tied by the usual red ribbon. “N-no.” Rainbow Dash stuttered/ Raising a brow, Applejack grinned, “Ah ain’t the Element of Honesty for nothin’, Dash.” The cyan mare frowned, “I may or may not have started a bet with Pinkie.” She paused, looking around the market, as if checking to see if anypony was within hearing range, before whispering to Applejack, “A real lousy one.” “That’ll be fifteen bits my way if ya lose.” AJ countered, quietly looking through the apple stand with another grin playing on her lips. Her ears snapping back, a rather animalistic growl came out of Rainbow Dash’s lips. “Excuse me?” She stalked towards the now grinning orange pony who flipped an apple in there air. “Yeah,” Applejack said, the apple landing perfectly on the stand. “Me an' Rare got to Sugarcube corner just as you took off. Pinkie told us all about it, so, we made a bet. Rarity said Pinkie would go for ya first. But ah have known the Mare for a while now, and she ain't easily gonna fall for ya. At least not till you for for her.” She looked at Dash slyly. "This is one bet ah am sure yer not gonna win." If there was one pony in Equestria who knew how to get on Rainbows nerves it was Applejack. It was like the pony had some sort of second special talent which was to annoy the Pegasus. “...I hate you.” If it wasn't for all the good times they’d had together and the deep friendship between them, there would of been a fight a long time ago. Applejack snorted, “No ya don’t.” Dash could see the laughter sparkling in those green eyes and she absolutely hated it. “Yes, I do. I’m taking that apple, by the way.” Darting forward, Rainbow Dash grabbed the apple that Applejack had placed on the stand, and zoomed away as fast as her wings could take her. ______________________________________________________________________________ “Uh-huh,” Pinkie nodded, her eyes focusing on some chocolate that had fallen onto the floor of Sugarcube corner. How could I of missed chocolate? Rainbow Dash, who had arrived there ten minutes prior to the somewhat one sided conversation, groaned, “Pinkie!” She snapped, making the pink mare jump five feet in the air. “Have you been listening to anything I've just told you?” She was met with a blank stare, Pinkie blinked, once. Twice. Then one of her cheeky smiles found it’s way onto her face. “Of course,” She let out a giggle and bounced forward so that her snout was a breathe away from Rainbow’s. “So, you've got cold hooves? No biggie, everypony gets them.” Pausing she let out a small frown, “Though that is usually on their wedding d-” A cyan hoof made sure she couldn't talk anymore, “I am not going to back out. I’m not a wimp. I just want you to know that somepony could get hurt.” Pinkie just carried on as if Rainbow Dash hadn’t talked, “Anyway, there’s this all you can eat buffet tonight!” “Pinkie...” “All the food you can eat, I mean what can be better than that?” “Pinkie.” Rainbow said firmly. “Though you’re not actually allowed to eat all of it. But then why is it called an all you can eat buffet. Seems silly to me!” With a strange pout on her lips, Pinkie continued her rant. " “Pinkie!” The pink mare stopped talking, eyes as wide as saucers as she stared at Rainbow Dash. “Yes, Dashie?” "I am not going to a buffet with you. At night, anyway." She said, prodding Pinkie lightly on the chest. Pinkie nodded her head sadly, looking down. And then she started the waterworks. No, Dash, don’t look at them! The cyan Mare screamed internally, closing her eyes tightly. Don’t break! Pinkie let out a small whimper and Rainbow peaked a look. It was her downfall. “...Fine.” _________________________________________________________________________________ It was okay to be scared, right? It's not wrong to be scared of something that could well, change your life... for better or worse. And during that time, when you go through something like that, you don't actually have to tell your friends. Surely it is easier if they don't have to know, both for yourself and them. Trotting towards home, the silhouette of a mare could be seen in the near empty streets of a moonlit Ponyville. She was talking to herself, trying to get to her home before she was spotted by anypony still outside. “Don’t worry,” She told herself, shaking her head. “You’re fine. The doc said so.” She took a moment to stand still and take a breath. Her legs were shaking and she felt as if somepony had just smashed her head in, which wasn’t helping with the horrible sick feeling she had in her stomach. Doctors were always right, there was nothing wrong with her, they were just taking precautions, just in case something was wrong. Which it wasn’t. But, better safe than sorry, right? “Okay, that’s it.” She squared her jaw. “Enough being a little filly, you can handle this.” Nodding and ignoring the voice in her head, she continued on her way. “-And did you see the look on his face? He was like ‘Ah! My whipped cream!’ before he fainted!” The high pitched, laughing voice of Pinkie could be heard from up ahead. Another, lower voice could be heard too. “I can’t believe they kicked us out!” And that could only belong to... No, it couldn’t be. Blending into the shadows, the mare walked slowly towards the two friends, making sure she could not be seen. And, sure enough, Rainbow Dash was there too. Walking alongside Pinkie, both of them with goofy, laughed too much grins. But, this was the mare that never, ever went out with her friends. She'd known it for as long as Dash knew. Yet, here they were, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. She'd never thought of them as much more than friends, but Pinkie did have that nickname for Rainbow... The mare in the shadows backed up and headed another way, still hearing the voices of both the doctors and the too-friendly-to-be-friends pair. She had to get home. Somewhere she could just relax, if only for a little while. Besides, her brain was a bit scattered at the moment, so she wouldn't think anything else until the next morning. Or afternoon.