Love Is In Bloom

by Marcipie


Chapter 1

Love Is In Bloom
A My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic "A Canterlot Wedding" tribute
By junipie

xx

Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride
A handsome groom

The music was beautiful. The decorations were magnificent. Shining Armor was smiling gently at Princess Cadence as she danced to the beat beside him.

Rainbow grinned as she danced along side Fluttershy, her neatly styled hair bouncing gently around her neck and shoulders. She had to admit she was worried for a little bit because of the circumstances that occured. But now she was just glad everything had turned out alright in the end.

Two hearts becoming one
A bond that cannot be undone
Because love is in bloom

The blue rainbow-maned pegasus swayed her head back and forth and moved her legs in what she hoped was an appropriate style for the song playing. She also hoped she looked cool dancing the way she was, and wearing what she was. She knew the flowers were a bit girly for her but she figured since it was a wedding, what harm could it do for just tonight?

"Rainbow? Hey, Rainbow Dash!" A voice called out to her. She stopped dancing immediately, a swell of panic at being caught doing something silly making her freeze on the spot. Spinning around, she caught a bright blue, even brighter than her coat, colt standing there with goggles sitting atop of his mohawk-styled dark blue mane. He was wearing a blue shirt with a black tie, with two gold lightning bolts on his collar. Her eyes widened and a grin threatened to overtake her entire expression.

"Oh my gosh, Soarin!" She cried and ran up to him with a beaming smile, her mane bouncing against her neck from her swift movement. He grinned back at her and laughed a bit as he eyed her outfit.

"Last time I saw you wear something like that was at the Gala." He pointed out with a slight tilt of his head. Rainbow blinked and glanced down at what she was wearing, her cheeks burning slightly in embarrassment. She kicked out the length of her dress with her back legs begrudgingly.

"Yeaaaah, it was just something I had to wear, y'know, being the princess' bridesmaid and all." She mumbled and glanced back up at him. Her eyes widened and she quickly straightened up when she remembered she was talking with a member of the Wonderbolts. Clearing her throat, she grinned a little more confidently. "So, did you catch my sonic rainboom? Princess Celestia asked me to do one for when the newlyweds say their 'I dos', how awesome is that?" She boasted proudly.

Soarin grinned and laughed. "Yeah, man! That was incredible! You're one super fast pegasus." He agreed and Rainbow Dash felt her chest swell with pride. Her grin widened and she was glad she was able to suppress the giggle of excitement that threatened to bubble out of her throat.

"Thanks!" Rainbow beamed at him. Soarin took this opportunity to really look at her. Her rainbow mane was tied neatly together by a golden band, a three-flowered headband was resting neatly on top of her ears, and her flank was covered by a multi-colored dress that really made her cyan coat and outstretched wings stand out. She really looked beautiful dressed up, he thought with a growing grin.

"Say, Rainbow Dash," he began hesitantly as he glanced at the ground, rubbing a hoof over his other leg in growing embarrassment. The pegasus in question blinked up at him with a curious expression. Her head tilted to the side and her rainbow mane glided gently over her shoulder, catching his attention briefly.

Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride
A handsome groom

"...Yeah?" She prompted and raised a hoof and waved it as to gesture him to continue. Her curiosity was burning and she was dying to know what one of her heroes had to say to her. Soarin grinned sheepishly as the music picked up around them and ponies began pairing off to dance. Rainbow watched them go with an unimpressed look, scoffing and rolling her eyes. "I can't believe ponies actually like to -"

"Would you like to dance with me?" Soarin blurted loudly causing Rainbow Dash to take a step back in surprise. There was an awkward moment of silence as they stared wide eyed at the other - Soarin with an embarrassed grin and Rainbow Dash in shocked disbelief.

Two hearts becoming one
A bond that cannot be undone
Because love is in bloom

"Me?" Rainbow squeaked as a small blush began spreading across her cheeks and her ears lowered self-consciously.

"I-it's okay if you don't want to, but I just thought that since you were dancing by yourself earlier that you didn't have anyone to dance with and you just look so nice in your gown that I -"

Rainbow Dash listened to him ramble on nervously with wide eyes. She glanced to her left, seeing no one paying attention to them. She glanced to her right. No one was staring her down, waiting for her response. She felt a tiny bit more relaxed because of it. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and she cleared her throat.

"...and I just thought that maybe since we've met a few times before that you would -"

"Soarin." He stopped talking immediately at her voice and waited for her to speak. The experienced flyer must be so used to recieving orders that just hearing his name was enough to make him focus. Despite her normally arrogant personality, she felt her throat closing up just by having him staring at her. She swallowed and grinned nervously but she pushed past all that, being the awesome daredevil that she was. She stood tall and forced herself to keep eye contact.

"I'd love to dance with you." Rainbow murmured softly. He seemed to relax and grinned at her, causing her to smile back in response. She stepped closer to him and began swaying to the beat of the music, hoping whatever she was doing was considered some form of dancing by Canterlot standards. Soarin grinned at her and began hopping from hoof to hoof, somehow looking even more ridiculous than she had been earlier.

Laughing, she said, "What are you doing?"

Pausing long enough to laugh with her, he replied, "Dancing with a very beautiful mare." He said it so quietly, Rainbow had to strain to hear him. But when she did, she felt her face heat up and she glanced away with a small smile. Deciding to forget who saw her, she began to bob up and down, swinging back and forth, and twisting around. Soarin watched her as she laughed and he couldn't help but grin and laugh along with her.

Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride
A handsome groom

Rainbow Dash grinned up at him as she leaned forward toward the ground. She saw he was smiling and his eyes were closed, but he looked really happy. A flash nearly blinded her from off to the side but she chose to ignore it for favor of preserving the moment with one of her heroes.

I said love is in bloom
Starting a life and making room
For us

"Well, would you look at that?" Pinkie Pie glanced up from her tenth cake slice to see what Applejack was looking at. The farmpony was grinning smugly as she began laughing. "Ah knew Rainbow admired those fancy flyers but Ah didn't think she fancied one of 'em." Pinkie Pie dropped her cake with a gasp and snapped up into a sitting position.

"Dashie has a coltfriend?" The pink party pony's grin threatened to split her face open as she shook with barely supressed giggles and Applejack glanced worriedly at her.

"Are you alright, sugarcube?" Pinkie Pie grabbed Applejack's face and twisted it around to look at Rainbow Dash and Soarin again.

"We've got some planning to do, Applejack! Rainbow Dash finally has a love interest and we've got to make it happen! I need two garbage bags, some hedgeclippers, Rarity for some clothes, maybe Twilight, cupcakes, some rope, and some of your famous cider!"

Applejack blinked. "Why in Equestria do you need all that suff, Pinkie? Ah say just let things happen as they happen, you don't need t'be meddlin' in -"

"Ooooh~! That's another thing! We need a party! A party to celebrate Rainbow Dash's new coltfriend! We'll call it the 'Rainbow Dash and Her Coltfriend Getting Together' Party!" Applejack sighed and she shook her head.

"N'vermind." She muttered and walked off, trying to drown out Pinkie Pie's nonexistant party plans for a couple that wasn't going to happen. The farmpony glanced at her rainbow-maned friend and the Wonderbolt member again and couldn't help but smile. Rainbow Dash was chatting excitedly away and Soarin was laughing and responding as best he could while they continued to dance together.

"On second thought, maybe that ain't such a bad idea after all." Applejack murmured with a grin.

xx