//------------------------------// // Run Dashie Run // Story: World's End. // by Bysen //------------------------------// Dash always tried to act brave but deep down she was always terrified of everything she did. Her aerial displays were so precise but every time she performed them she felt scared. But that was natural, moving so fast, so high up, coming so close to the ground all the time. This however was different. Even though she was terrified of those moves she performed, she still did them. Now though; she wasn’t in danger in anyway, she had just fled. She couldn’t go home, Pinkie would find her. She couldn’t hide in the mountains, Pinkie would find her. Cantalot?... Pinkie. Cloudsdale…? Pinkie… no, she had to go somewhere nopony could possibly find her, not even Pinkie Pie. Especially Pinkie Pie! But there wasn't anywhere like that. Actually… there was one spot. One spot she’d only ever been once in her life, and had almost died getting there in the first place. A small set of clouds, so high up that there were fewer than one-hundred recorded cases of pegasi getting there. It was called ‘World’s End.’ She flew for hours straight before she arrived in the small cloud town. It was just before dark when she finally got to the point below the far-off clouds above, they weren't even visible from already this high up to begin with. Dash booked a night at at the first place she came across, the End’s Beginning Inn, and she sat at its small tavern, ordered a drink and just started talking to the others sitting around her. A small, old radio was set to an easy listening station and a pony was playing piano alongside with it. A short time passed and Dash had already had a few drinks, with everything going on right now how couldn’t she? She needed a distraction to just stop thinking about it. And soon enough, she got one. “Rainbow Dash?” a voice came from behind her. She turned to see who’d called her name. “It is you. I haven’t seen you since you got kicked out of flight school.” the guy chuckled. It was somepony she didn’t expect to be there, an old friend. The yellow coated, pink maned pegasus she knew was Fluttershy’s brother: Butterscotch. “I didn’t get kicked out. I dropped out to enroll in uni. Incase you forgot, you need a degree to be the the town weather patrol captain. So what have you been doing with YOUR life, hmm?” Butterscotch took a seat down beside Dash at the bar and called for the patron. “Two more of whatever this one’s drinking!” he then turned to face her. “Oh you know, just bumming drinks of people. Your shout right?” “How about no.” “How about you still owe me for last time.” he said as he began to mock her voice. "‘I must’ve left my wallet at home’. Didn’t leave it again did you?” “Some gentlestallion you are…” “Some lady you are.” he stated back and got a death-glare for it. They then both just burst into laughter. “Oh thank Celestia, I thought you were actually mad at me for a moment. So how’ve you been?” “Pretty good. Fluttershy’s pretty good too. How about you, what’re you doing here?” “I’m up here on a small holiday. Week off work, I thought I’d come here.” he asked as the bartender placed the two drinks in front of them. “What brings you here? It’s pretty far from Ponyville and Cloudsdale. “Uh.. just, you know.” Dash replied. She wanted to quickly get off the topic of why. She reached for her drink and took a sip. What she’d been drinking was far weaker than the Sweet Apple Cider she was used to but it helped her nonetheless. Butterscotch reached for his drink too, but before taking a sip he asked “You are paying right?” jokingly but also seriously. “Only if you can keep up!” Dash emphasised her point by pounding her mug as fast as she could. She then placed a hoof her to mouth and tried to quiet her burp as much as possible. It didn’t work. Butterscotch chuckled for a second before “You’re on.” as he skulled his drink too. Though not as fast. He slammed the mug down on the counter and let out a loud refreshed gasp. He called out “Another two!” “Haha, oh you are so screwed pal!” she said. And it kept up like this for another hour or so. They didn’t chug their drinks like they had the first two but they’d managed to match each other drink for drink. Of course Dash had already drunk a few already, not to mention she was smaller so it hit her harder than it did him. Luckily for her, he was a light weight. It wasn’t that late, but it was approaching the end of the night for the two of them. “I take it a future Wonderbolts going to be heading up to Worlds End?” he both asked and complimented. “Yeah, I’m heading up there… again. I’ve been up there once before. As the youngest to ever make it there I might add.” she bragged as she slapped Butterscotch in the shoulder. But she leant over too far though and nearly fell out of her seat in the process. “Heh, not bad. But I think you’ve had enough.” he said as he stood and pushed her back into her seat before falling back into his own. “I think I may’ve too.” he laughed and so did she. “You got the tab right?” “Yeah sheesh... I got it ya dead beat.” she said, waving for the bar tender. He came over and she asked “How much we owe ya?” he told her, she paid, she then asked “How much do we owe you?” he stared for a moment before she realised “Oh wait, I already paid didn’t I? What’s the deal tryin’ ta make us pay twice, huh!?” “Hey, calm down Rainbow.” Butterscotch said, pulling her away from being half over the counter in the barkeep’s face. “Let’s just head off for the night a’ight?” he then pulled her from the seat and pointed themselves towards the rooms. “Right, you lean on me and I lean on you.” “Won’t we just both fall if we do that?” she said from experience. “Well there’s only one way to find out mac.” “Big Mac’s here?” “No, it’s an expre… nevermind.” he said as he started walking and tugged her along with him. By some miracle, don’t ask how, they managed to make it up the stair to the a hallway full of room. “So where’s yours?” he asked. “Don’t know. I think I was room 13… I think.” she said, trying to remember. She’d booked the room and just went right to the pub instead of checking it out or anything. “Well, my room’s right here.” he said, pointing a few steps away from them. Which was probably half a minute away in their state but still a lot closer than room 13 sounded. “You wanna come in, spend the night.” Dash knew what he meant. Butterscotch was nothing like his sister. He was strong, brave and broad-chested: exactly Dash’s type of stallion. She gave him a look up and down. Of course, he actually hadn’t meant it that way but he saw her checking him out and the idea came to his head. Rainbow Dash surprised herself though when she said “No.” “Is it because I made you pay for the drinks? Because I... “look, I… I’m not looking for a fling. I’ll just find my room. Goodnight.” “Rainbow?” “I said goodnight.” she stated, slightly pissed off that he would try something like this when she was drunk. Butterscotch didn’t press the issue, despite what Dash though of him right now he was still just as kind as his sister in a few ways. He hadn’t planned to do anything at all. It had all been in her own head. Dash walked off and shortly later, heard a door close behind her. Soon enough she found her own room and went on it. Dash collapsed onto her bed and ran through what had just happened in her head. She knew Butterscotch was a good guy and the whole conversation had left Dash more confused than ever. She loved flings, so why did she want something more serious now? A stunning stallion like him, how tipsy she was, normally she’d be in his room in a moment. Yet all she could think about right now was Pinkie Pie.