//------------------------------// // Eavesdropping // Story: Eyes Unclouded // by maxxxxxx //------------------------------// How did it come to this? Was it wrong? Were they wrong? No pony can say for sure, but it happened and I had a hoof in it. In the end, I have to believe what we did was right. Not right for me but for all of Equestria. In the end, I think things will get better. Y’all are probably confused by now right right? I'll start at the beginning, well the beginning for me anyway. It actually started days before that, maybe even longer than that. For me, It started when my friend came to my farm... ************************************************************************************************ “Are you sure you're alright sugar cube?” “I'm fine!” She snapped. “Then why are ya pacing?” “Didn't you say you needed help here or something?” She was still pacing back and forth, lashing her tail in frustration as she spoke, never making eye contact. “Well yeah but... I don't know, seems to me like something is on yer mind.” I had asked her earlier in the week to help around the farm, but I knew something must have happened. Her mane was unkempt and she had bags under her eyes. What ever was bothering her, it was important enough to disturb her sleep. “I told you I'm fine, you're the one who asked me to help you out.” There was a lot of bitterness in her tone. Though she felt bad for taking her stress out on her friend, she knew she couldn’t talk about it. Her problem was not that simple. “Rainbow, ya know you can talk to me if something is bothering you right?” Her pacing came to an abrupt stop. She stared into the orchard, contemplatively. She was still and silent, sorting out her thoughts. This only worried her me more. Rainbow Dash being still and quiet while not reading Daring Do or napping? Something must have been wrong and she was beginning to have an idea of what that could be. Finally Dash broke the silence she created. “No Applejack. I can't. Not with this anyway.” She She slouched, the anger she had left her leaving only grief and tiredness. She arced her tail around her, shrinking her appearance. She turned her head away from me, ashamed to be seen that way. I had never seen Rainbow Dash as Upset as she was at that moment. She looked as though she would have burst into tears if I had so much as looked at her wrong. Even so, I had to say something. I had an idea of what It could have been. “Was it Twilight?” Her head shot up and her ears twitched, slowly she met my eyes, there were so many things her eyes said, if I knew to look. She opened her mouth, but remained silent as though she would incriminate herself if she spoke even a single word. “I know you've been try'n to make things right between y'all since you broke her telescope, I'm guess'n it didn't go well?” There had to be more to it than that. I knew Twilight and Rainbow well enough to know that what ever was going on it was more important than the telescope. Dash's eyes clouded with pain, words that she wanted to say right at the tip of her tongue, but it she couldn’t bring herself to it. She simply shook her head. “I did something stupid, now she hates me. I don't know what to do. Listen, can we just forget about it? I just want to get away from it all.” “Sure thing sugar cube, but just so you know, we both know Twilight Sparkle don't hate you or any pony else for that matter.” Dash forced a smile, just wanting to drop the subject. “Thanks AJ.” “No problem. Now, if yer still itch'n to give me a hoof, you think you can bust up some of them clouds? The trees ain’t gett'n enough sunlight lately.” Her confident dare devil smile returned, she not only now had something to take her mind off Twilight, but she also got to fly and break things. For her it was the perfect stress relief. “You got it! I can get those clouds cleared in..” Her demeanor changed back, she looked distraught and sad, the memory of her first meeting with Twilight came to her. I knew then that what ever it was that Dash did, it was serious. She shook the thought's away and took off into the sky, disappearing into a rainbow blur. She darted across the sky, breaking a cloud then turning on a dime and hitting the next one. I didn't really need the clouds broken up, the trees had been getting plenty of sun, but she needed it. I smiled, staring up into the sky. I knew whatever had happened, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were good and loyal friends. What ever had come between them, with a bit of time, they would patch things up. I thought about asking Pinkie Pie to help them out, that girl was the expert of making friends! No, Pinkie Pie had a habit of going over board, they would work it out themselves. By the time I had finished this thought she was nearly done clearing the clouds. She arced high into the sky, blasting though the last remaining cloud, the scattering vapor distorted the light behind her creating a small mock rainboom. Then she let gravity pull her back, she was falling fast. Then, only seconds before she would've hit the ground her wings flew open, did a back flip and landed perfectly right in front of me. She was back to normal, cocksure grin and all. “Good work RD, those were some fancy maneuvers you were doing up there. If that don't impress the Wonderbolts I don't know what will!” Rainbow was not one to turn down a complement. “Of course it was impressive! I'm Rainbow Dash after all! And with the Wonderbolts tryouts in a couple of weeks, I can't wait to show them my stuff!” Then, it happened. I heard a rustling behind me. Dash must have heard it to cause we both turned at the same time. There she was, panting like she had just run a marathon. I glanced over to Rainbow Dash, her eyes were a complicated mix of feelings, I looked back over to her and her expression was just as bad as RD's, but more scared than anything else. I got the feeling neither of them were gonna say anything. “Hey Twilight. What brings you to our neck of the woods?” I did my best to sound normal but you could practically feel the tension. For a second I thought she didn't even hear me, she just stared at Rainbow Dash. I would have offered to leave so they could have some privacy but she beat me to it. “I-I'm sorry. Applejack, could I get a moment alone with Rainbow Dash?” She didn't so much as glance at me the whole time. I knew if it was something I needed to know they would tell me eventually and if not it was between them, but still my friends were hurt'n and I wanted to help but what could I have done? Stay anyway? “Um, sure thing sugar cube. I got to tend to the south field anyhow.” I walked off into the trees, giving them their privacy. The last thing I heard almost made me stop dead in my tracks and almost turn back around. “What do you want?” I had never heard Dash's voice like that, It was ice cold and angry. I felt bad for Twilight, I wanted to turn around and tell her that Rainbow was just being defensive cause she felt bad for what ever she did to her, Dash was never good at expressing things like that. It's none of my business. I told my self. I admit I started walking really slowly away. I didn't get far though. I turned my self around and ran as quietly as I could back to the clearing. Somepony was crying. Wait, they asked me to give them time alone. I shouldn't go barging in to it. But that crying, It sounds like Twilight, what if Dash hurt her? No, RD would never do something like that, still she is crying. In the end my curiosity got the best of me, I still wonder even now how things would have turned out if I had just walked away. I didn't though. I looked, I could see them through the trees. Twilight was crying, but into Dash's shoulder. Rainbow wrapped her wing around Twilight and pulled her close. I guess they worked things out. I guess I was right all along! I was about to walk into the clearing, they would have understood if I told them I heard Twilight crying, but then they separated and Dash stared talking. I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but curiosity got the better of me, I had to know what was hurting my friends. I strained my ears and listened in. “Thank you Rainbow Dash, I think I'm better now.” She wiped her tears away with her hoof. “Glad to hear it, and, well. Look I'm really sorry for putting you through all of this. Can we get past this and be friends again?” I was shocked and disappointed when Twilight shook her head in response, what could have happened that those two would stop being friends over? Understandably Rainbow Dash became downcast. She began walking away in defeat. “Wait!” Twilight's exclamation stopped her, but she didn't turn to face her. “I thought long and hard about all of this. After going over everything, I came to an important realization. Dash, I don't want to be your friend.” I gasped, then quickly covered my mouth with my hoof. Why was Twilight going out of her way to hurt Dash, it wasn't like her. “After all of this I don't think I would be satisfied with just being friends.” I wondered what that could have meant, but in the back of my mind I guess I knew there was only one thing it could have meant. “Rainbow Dash, I-I... Would you.. I mean, I would be happy if... I could be your special somepony.”