Urohringr

by Imploding Colon

The Weight That We Bear

"...and in early November, the leaves would turn color, giving the forests beyond the fields a melting orange glow," Eagle Eye said, gazing out onto the darkening mists beneath the waterfall as the sun set beyond the Sky Stabs. Ebon leaned comfortably against his shoulder as he went on. "The harvest left the crops of Franzington bare for a month. We'd use the field for war games. Every little colt and filly was a mercenary at heart, and we'd divide ourselves up into teams and do hard tackles at full-gallop."

"Yeesh..." Ebon shuddered slightly. "Sounds painful."

"Hmmm... Maybe. Foals know how to bounce back up onto their hooves."

"And you?" Ebon exhaled, feeling the warmth of the unicorn's colt beneath his muzzle. "You're petite enough as it is. I can't imagine how dinky you must have been as a kid."

Eagle's breath squeaked with a slight giggle. "You're not exactly the biggest boulder on the block yourself."

"Heh... just saying."

Eagle shrugged. "I... bounced a lot as a kid. Got my fair share of bumps and bruises. In fact... I was never all that good at winning war games."

"Why'd you keep on trying?"

"Cuz the other kids were starting to think I was pretty cool." Eagle flicked his tail. "For... g-getting up so much after taking tons and tons of heavy falls. I guess they all thought I had guts." He gulped. "Then, one day, we all went out on our own to lose them... on some foreign field or another."

"Sounds like a tragic way to live."

"Except that the ones who made it back lived all the harder," Eagle said. "They all got married quickly and had foals... tons of foals. They made their parents proud. And I..."

Ebon waited quietly.

Eagle sighed out his nostrils. "I realized early on that I wasn't gonna be making any kids ever..."

"You say that as if you regret it."

"Heh... not a chance." Eagle smirked. "I love foals. Only... Franzington isn't all that big on adoption."

"But I thought you said that Crimson and Phoenix became surrogate brothers to Tweak in Aurum?"

"Heh... they're different. They left Franzington by doing that. I mean... I did in a way, too, but I had my heart set much... much earlier. Wish I could say the same about my mind."

Ebon sat up straight, gazing at the other stallion. "Well, I'm glad that you still have such pleasant memories to hold onto. When it comes to Franzington, I mean."

"Heh..." Eagle squirmed slightly, staring down at his folded legs. "Yeah, I guess."

"It... it must be a wonderful thing." Ebon gulped, staring off into the darkening forest. "To be able to remember things like that, for better or for worse."

Eagle sat in silence. He turned to look at Ebon.

Ebon's shoulders slumped with a prolonged sigh. Suddenly, he felt his chin being tilted towards Eagle.

"Isn't it better to dwell on where you are now?" Eagle smiled faintly. "Than on where you were once or where you're going?"

"Then what does that make me, EE?" Ebon's eyes moistened. "What does that make anything?"

"You're happy though, aren't you?" Eagle remarked. "On board the Jury? With friends and family and... and..."

"But there has to be more to me than just a feeling," Ebon murmured. "Where's the substance? What do I have to measure myself by?"

"Do you truly feel lost, Ebon?"

"Yes... and yet... n-no..." Ebon sniffled, glancing down. "It's hard t-to explain. There are nights when I just want to cry myself to sleep. But then there are moments—wonderful waking moments..." He gulped. "Like this one."

Eagle smiled. "I, for one, am a fan of happy moments. What about you?"

"I just... I-I want to know where I belong," Ebon said. "I want to be grounded. I want to have a story."

"A story?"

"A beginning a middle and an end." Ebon shuddered. "You and the rest have that. I don't."

"I'm sure Propsy would disagree," Eagle said with a smile. "Bet she could tell you in great detail how she felt the moment you blessed her by entering her life."

"Props could fall in love with a rabid manticore if she wanted to."

"Heh. Guess that explains Zaid."

"Huh?"

Eagle sighed and shook his head. "Never mind." He caressed the stallion's chin. "Ebon, listen. Maybe you feel lost at times. Maybe there isn't much to see behind or before you, but I'm telling you... you are real. You do matter. And just because things look and feel bleak now doesn't mean you can't find that subtance that you crave."

"I've tried, Eagle," Ebon murmured. "For so long on my own, I've tried. You can't make a life's story out of n-nothing."

Eagle gazed at him. He fought to keep his voice even. "Then maybe you need a place to start."

"With what?" Ebon asked.

"With this." Eagle leaned in and kissed him gently. Then, raising a hoof, he softly embraced the stallion, nuzzling him cheek to cheek. "I love you, Ebon Mane. If you're looking for a story, then let's make one together." He smiled, his eyes shut. "And we can make it a happy one, from page to page, start to finish." He choked back a sob and cracked a smile. "What do you say?"

Silence.

"Ebon...?" Eagle raised his forelimb again, but felt nothing but cold air. His eyes opened.

Ebon had stood up and was not shivering several feet away. His expression was pale, hollow.

"Ebon?" Eagle stood up, jaw agape. "What's—"

"This... th-this isn't..." Ebon quivered. He hobbled backwards, his eyes watering. A slight whimper escaped his throat. "I'm so foolish. I'm doing it again!" He clenched his eyes shut, hissing at himself. "I promised myself. I promised!"

"Again?" Eagle stepped closer. "Ebon, please, talk to me! What's going—"

"St-stay back!" Ebon shrieked. Tears ran down his face as he approached the brink of hyperventilation. "Eagle, I'm so sorry. But it's just not... I mean you shouldn't..." He clenched his teeth, seethed, and spun around. "I can't! I just c-can't!"

"Ebon—!"

"I'm s-sorry!" Ebon's breath faltered, fluttering behind him in sporadic sobs. He galloped off into the night, approaching the distant glittering specks of West D.

Eagle stood dead still, alone beside the babbling brook. It was too dark to make sense of the waters or the foliage. He plopped down on his haunches, numb with shock. Slowly, as the shadows of night fell into every corner of the basin, he buried his muzzle into his forelimbs, and wept in quiet confusion.

---

Rainbow Dash's eyes fluttered. Her muzzle tensed, and she hissed a bit before turning over to flickering lamplight. At last, her lids popped open.

A gray-maned figure came into focus, bearing bright red eyes. Fawful blinked, staring down at Rainbow Dash with patient concern.

A low trilling sound escaped Rainbow's mouth. "Let me guess," she muttered. "'Gold Petals?'"

Fawful's brow furrowed. "Who?"

Rainbow smirked. "Heh." She tried getting up, only to feel a wave of dizziness still soaring through her. "Grnnngh... good t-to know some things are capable of changing."

Fawful reached down and helped the pegasus sit up. Rainbow saw a starry night twinkling just outside a wooden window. She sat on a cot inside a building located somewhere along the upper height of Central D's tower.

"You dragged me all the way out, huh?"

"A pair of First-Borns assisted. But yes."

"Hah..." Rainbow smirked through another wave of dizziness. "Guess Ebon's cooking must have finally paid off. I'm getting heavier for once."

"I'm... not sure what you mean by that."

"Don't mind me. I wake up with the worst rambling in the morning," Rainbow said. Fawful helped prop her up against a wooden post. Rainbow stared calmly out onto the misty night's sky as her head gradually stopped spinning. "I... must have given you quite a scare..."

"I'm certain it wasn't on purpose."

Rainbow gulped. "What am I talking about? It was more than one scare."

Fawful said nothing.

"I've never been the best communicator. Guess I couldn't think of a better way to show you than—well—showing you." Rainbow exhaled out her nostrils. She tilted her head down, catching a glimpse of the pendant through the corner of her eyesight. "You kept it on me." She brought a hoof up, toying with the weight of the lightning bolt. "Good girl."

Fawful nodded. "I... can't fathom how you bear to carry the weight of that thing at all times."

"Yeah, well, there are different way to m-make sacrifices, Fawful." Rainbow gulped. "Some of us give stuff up... the rest of us slap stuff on."

"What would happen if it were to come off?"

"I could tell you what would stop happening," Rainbow said. "Me."

Fawful paced slowly across the tiny hut. "You... you stated that you left Equestria as the last bearer of your kingdom's Elements."

"Did I?" Rainbow shrugged, feeling the dizziness gradually wear off. "I'm the Element of Loyalty, if you must know."

"And the other Element bearers?" Fawful squinted at her. "What became of them?"

Rainbow took a deep breath. "They're dead. All of them."

"They were faithful companions of yours?"

"They were my best friends."

"What caused them to die, if you don't mind my asking?"

Rainbow opened her mouth, hesitated, and eventually droned: "Discord. A supreme bad guy from Celestia-knows-where. He came in, wielded a whole bunch of 'chaos lord' powers, and the rest of my friends tried to take him out. Problem is, without me around, they didn't realize that the Elements would backfire. They all... they all turned to dust. I was the only one left alive. As you can imagine... I was... uh... pretty ticked off, to put it lightly. I grabbed the last surviving Element and took out Discord on my own, but I did so at a price. His chaos energy shot into me, and now I've gotta wear this thing at all times to keep that evil stuff corked up, ya feel me?"

Fawful was ready to ask: "And your Princesses... Celestia and Luna—?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

"They didn't intercede on your friends' behalf? They didn't use their mighty powers to stop Discord on their own?"

Rainbow exhaled heavily, shaking her head. "No."

"Why not?"

"Just because there are creatures in this world who are like gods, doesn't mean they are." Rainbow tilted her head to look squarely at Fawful. "Even your Valkyrie—for all the awesome things she's done—has her limits." She gulped. "Everything lives and everything dies. Just not everything manages to do so awesomely."

Fawful chewed on her lip. Her gaze was locked on Rainbow's pendant. "This... this chaos energy that you speak of..." Slowly, her eyes raised to Rainbow's level. "How long do you think you can fight it back?"

Rainbow simply stared back at her.

Fawful's ears folded. "How long have you known?"

"Between you and me?" Rainbow muttered. "I stopped living the very moment I saw the piles of ash that my friends had become." She gazed out at the stars again. "When Belle and Pilate hopped into my life, things changed... like a spark ignited something inside me. I learned to live once again. But even then, I knew... as I know now..." She slowly shook her head. "Nothing lasts forever. And—especially as of late—it's getting worse. I... I don't know how much time I have left. The flames of the machine world seem to help, but even that can't do the trick indefinitely."

"And yet, you stopped here." Fawful leaned her head to the side. "You have the flying Valkyrie Silver. You could have flown off to more important things on your journey, and yet you didn't. Why?"

"How could I?" Rainbow said quietly. She gulped. "You and I, Fawful? We're cut from the same cloth. Same with Sivrem, Jerrio, Kitsune, and all the little birds around the campfire." A faint smile. "We've got Equestria in our veins. It's just too good of a thing for me to pass up." She then winced. "I guess... I-I let it go to my head a little..."

Fawful nodded at that. Slowly, she pivoted about and sat right beside the cot. She faced the window full of stars, breathing evenly. At last, she said, "You aren't lying... about Commander Hurricane and the evil sky city..."

Rainbow slowly shook her head. "I'm afraid not, elder."

Fawful sighed. She closed her eyes and sat there in silence.

Rainbow fidgeted a bit. She glanced aside. "Do... uhm... er..."

Fawful opened her eyes and glanced up.

Rainbow gulped. "You and the others took me out of that place with the gold lights." Her brow furrowed. "How many know about what went down in there?"

Fawful adjusted her white bangs and said, "Only a few."

"Only a few?"

"The Gray-Feathers believe that the nature of our discussion should be kept in strictest confidence until all of the elders have reviewed it in great detail."

"Fawful... let's be real, here..." Rainbow sat up straight, wincing. "You can't keep the cork on that for long!"

"Rainbow—"

"Especially—nngh—in a secluded crater populated by flying horndogs! I mean, come on!" She smirked painfully. "That Jagold chick alone looks like a living prattle-a-minute."

"I know it must seem like an awful thing," Fawful said. "To keep a secret such as that from the Non-Grays."

"Pfft! Only because it is!"

"But you witnessed what happened down there!" Fawful exclaimed, wide-eyed. "You saw how most of the elders reacted!" She pointed at herself. "You s-saw how I reacted! You must understand, Rainbow, that we've never had a reason to challenge the scrolls in untold eons!"

"But if you just let me talk to everypony!" Rainbow said. "Someplace calm and out in the open! I promise I won't freak anyone out this time! All I need to do is sit them down and tell them all about... about..."

Fawful simply glared at Rainbow.

"Er... yeah..." Rainbow winced, her wings drooping. "Maybe it's best that your elders talk this one over."

"I'm inclined to agree," Fawful said, standing up and trotting towards a window.

Rainbow scooted up until she sat on the edge of the cot. "Do you... uh... do you have any idea what they're gonna say?"

"I'm afraid I don't," Fawful muttered. She lifted one hoof and rested it on the window frame while she gazed out onto the lower huts and platforms amidst the trees. "I am still freshly initiated, and I'm too young to accurately predict what they'll decide."

"But... th-they gotta own up to what I have to share with them, r-right?" Rainbow stepped off the cot, winced, and hobbled towards the window. She managed to stand upright the whole time. "There were tons of witnesses. They all saw the gold lights down there. There's no sane point in covering that all up, right—"

"Rainbow Dash, we are not a dishonest band of silencers!" Fawful said, seething slightly. She turned to frown at the mare. "Our chief duty as former-First-Borns is to look after the sanctity and preservation of the scrolls! Believe it or not, we are not opposed to truth and the evidence of truth!"

"Then... wh-what was with all the freaked out ponies downstairs, y'know?"

Fawful sighed, her ears folding. "Regardless of how much control we have over our faculties, we are still ponies, Rainbow Dash." She gulped. "As much as I hesitate to admit it, we are still vulnerable to fear."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that."

"You see, the Valkyrie has always been a source of strength and courage for us," Fawful explained. "Dwelling on her legacy has been a means of preparing ourselves for the inevitable Windlessness beyond death and beyond the greens."

Rainbow smirked. "And—like—who says you gotta give up all that monk-like hocus pocus up, huh?"

"But Rainbow..." Fawful clenched her teeth. "If what you say is true, and the Valkyrie was... was... a mere militant—!"

"Hey... whoah whoah whoah..." Rainbow waved a hoof. "Hurricane was no mere soldier. She led an entire race of ponies. Stratopolis wouldn't have survived its horrible winters to join Equestria if it wasn't for that mare! Heck, she was even responsible for helping pegasi survive the windigoes—"

"The what?"

"The... the windigoes..." Rainbow cleared her throat. "Big... uh... freaky ghost horses that bring pestilence, famine, and—most of all—snow and ice."

Fawful blinked, her mouth agape. "The frost demons," she murmured. "The Valkyrie... b-banished their blight from the skies of Light."

Rainbow chuckled. "Heh... ya see?" She smiled. "Equestria and Durandana has more in common than you think." She cleared her throat and tilted her hoof from side to side. "Aside from—y'know—the messiah worship schtick."

Fawful glanced up at Rainbow Dash. She blinked. "How do you think you factor in all of this, Rainbow?"

"Huh?"

Fawful reached forward and caressed the mare's mane.

Rainbow's eyes followed the elder's hoof, then glanced back at Fawful.

"You... you truly are a daughter of the Valkryie, aren't you?" Fawful's jaw trembled. "A First among First-Borns everywhere?"

Rainbow exhaled calmly. She grasped Fawful's hoof and held it between them while maintaining a gentle smile. "Over the last year or so, I've been called many things. Half of them I believe are bunk. The other half—I don't really care. All that matters to me is finding the strength to fly towards the next sunrise while remaining in one piece... and then—of course—to make sure the same goes for my friends."

"But... but..."

"Fawful, I am telling you... I am promising you... I didn't have any agenda for coming here. Other than to find out the truth and share that truth." She opened her mouth again, but lingered.

Fawful took notice of it.

After a sigh, Rainbow gazed towards the floor and muttered, "Guess that's not true. There is another angle to it all."

"And what's that?"

"I... I couldn't pass this place up," Rainbow said. "The moment I saw it... heard it... smelled it and tasted it..." Rainbow shook her head, sniffled, and smiled weakly. "I didn't think that after flying in one direction for so long th-that I'd somehow end up in a place like home. At least not this early." Rainbow gulped. "The timing seems all too perfect, considering... well..."

Fawful gazed at her worriedly.

Rainbow cleared her throat and shook her head. "But screw all that noise. Your elders are stressing about it. Why should we?" Rainbow tilted her head up, bearing a brave smirk. "So, tell me, Fawful..."

"Tell you what?"

"What does a girl in Central D do to party this time of night?" Bright teeth.

Comments

[Zaid ValRoa]

I was going to make a snappy comment, but now I don't have it in me.

Is this how it must be?

Must we sacrifice one ship for another?

[Aatxe360]

And again I'm reminded about AJ and the others.

And of all the other special ones that have crossed 's path. Party hard.

[Tchernobog]

4801146
I don't think so. I believe there was a question about whether or not Ebon knew he was a changeling. I get the sneaking suspicion that, at this point, he definitely is aware, and he's desperately trying to resist actively feeding on EE's love, as a promise he made to himself ages ago/for some other reason.

[Jake The Army Guy]

Are we slowly seeing Ebon come around to his true nature? Also, I think that was the calmest and most direct explanation of what happened to Rainbow we've ever seen. Still hard for her to talk about it, but she's coming to grips...

Forty situps, ):(. Knock 'em out!

[Ms_Fruit_Bat]

Dammit Ebon and Eagle!
And dammit Rainbow!
I really want to see what Josho has been up to.
Along with Belle and Pilate.

[AppleTank]

I wonder if Ebon himself wiped his own memory in order to try to live a clean slate, except its breaking.

[Sivrem]

A low trilling sound escaped Rainbow's mouth. "Let me guess," she muttered. "'Gold Petals?'"

Damnit, I forgot how much feels that caused back in Austraeoh, and now the feels are back

[Rust]

4801146
Shut up loverboy, enjoy your Props.

[Slip Kid]

Celestia and the Gray-Feathers really need to have a chat.

[Booster Spice]

Ebon had a freind before, but he drained them, possibly terminally through frenzy.

Grey Feathers now have the decision. Acknowledge the Valkyrie was lesser, and greater than they could possibly imagine, or go against all her teachings and claim nothing had happened, which would make place go boom eventually.

[Pilate]

Ebon had a freind before, but he drained them, possibly terminally through frenzy.

I subscribe to this. Ebon doesn't know who or what he is, just that something went pretty terrible awry the last time he got too close to someone.

[Jake The Army Guy]

4801450
4801491

Yes.

[Rayvinne]

"What does a girl in Central D do to party this time of night?" Bright teeth.

You find me.

[Axan Zenith]

How many other cultures do you think Rainbow is secretly a prominent figure in?

[Starlit Skies]

I love you, Ebon Mane.

I do believe that is the first time those words have been said by anyone to someone else ever in this entire story in terms of a relationship. Other than Belle and Pilate (they were already married and don't count). How the Jury has grown.

*obligatory Rainbow in Central D partying comment*

[iloveportalz0r]

>Eagle sighed out his nostrils. "I realized early on that I wasn't gonna be making any kids ever..."
Cum on, man! You gotta share dem eyes!

>I mean... I did in a way, too, but I had my heart set much... much earlier. Wish I could say the same about my heart.
Wat

>What does a girl in Central D do to party this time of night?
You enter some dark caverns

[Snublock]

What do a couple girls do for fun?

Well that's simple. They play pranks and generally party about with a crazy Pegasus named Snublock.

[SilentBird93]

Rainbow sure has become a lot more open about her past.

[aduck]

Don't ever throw away love. It is worth the pain.

[Arcanist Ascendant]

Rainbow Dash wants to die here.

I don't think 'fate' is going to let that happen.

[Sivrem]

4801525
*insert generic seventies porn music here*

[destinedjagold]

There's a Pinkie-style Party
Or a Twilight sleepover party.

[RoboRed]

This is starting to feed into my little prediction that the Jury might be picking up a Durandanan hitchhiker on their way out...

I wonder what the heck is going on with Ebon?

[holmesiv]

*witty quote about shipping and rough seas not sinking ships

[VNilla]

Alright, so:
- Fawful's gonna be all "oh, it would be improper for a Gray Feather like myself to do that"
- RD'll be all "you don't have a choice" and drag her out for fun
- There'll be some startled ponies at the club (perhaps the Feathers Lounge that was mentioned earlier?)
- Eventually RD and Fawful will end up back on the Jury around sunrise and RD will show off her sweet Sword of Solstice
- Fawful will chat with Celestia and become super convinced of Rainbow's story
- The Gray Feathers will choose to deny Rainbow's claims about the Valkyrie
- Fawful argues and gets ousted
- Fawful tells the public
- Fights and rebellion

Alternatively, RD and Rainbow have fun, the Gray Feathers are cool cats and accept Rainbow's tale, and there's happy endings (in every sense of the phrase) all around... yeah right.

4801491 Yeah. I'm guessing he doesn't quite remember it, but Eagle's kiss brought back some repressed memories.

[IceKitsune]

Damnit Eagle why are you being an idiot about this. Ebon needs and deserves to know what he is. Hopefully his silence wont last much longer after that outburst.
4801450
I'm also going to agree with this here. Basically he pulled a Rogue on someone.
4801204
I don't think he suspects that he is a changeling but I think hes figured out that there is something different about himself other then the memory loss.

[CasualMarshmallow]

I have a bad feeling about Ebon. EE will have to tell him the truth sometime... but hopefully not right now.

"I'm so foolish. I'm doing it again!" He clenched his eyes shut, hissing at himself. "I promised myself. I promised!"

Random alternative long-shot theory: Ebon knew he was a changeling for a while now, and he's hiding it from EE. Maybe the promise he is talking about is a promise to not feed off of EE's love.

Edit: someone beat me to it

[Khao]

4801608 Twenty seven.

[Jonathon Smythe]

Ebon seems like he knows that something bad happens when love is involved. If he knows he's a changeling, he's probably staying away from the Jury for a while. If he doesn't, he's smart enough to figure it out very soon. And if he's blocked it off in his mind... I suspect a rude awakening.

4801741 Hey, guys, what's happen- Oh, man, you didn't invite me?

[Axan Zenith]

4802802

Rainbow Dash canon confirmed for Vishnu.

[xXshaydXx]

I think Ebon knows he's a changeling. I would LOVE it if fawful joined the jury. The machine world flames help so maybe she should find more? Party hard rainbow. I still miss gold petals.

[Lightning Bearer]

I suspect Booster Spice hit the nail on the head with his prediction. I just hope the two of them can work it out, though that might mean Eagle Eye coming clean, which will be a whole different can of worms.

"What does a girl in Central D do to party this time of night?"

Knowing these Durandanans, the answer probably lies in the question.

[Relevant Heavy Metal]

4801608 42, duh.

Boston - More Than A Feeling

[Swan Song]

4801146 Nope! Ship Rainbow Dash with EVERYPONY!

Also, EE already knows about Ebon's "condition", so I doubt that confusion will last long. All of Ebon's frustration stems from an inability to accept (or maybe even understand) himself, and he makes it worse by projecting that fear/anxiety onto others, assuming they'll be the same way. Once EE tells him that he knows and is okay with it (which this entire post-Stratopolis arc has implied), Ebon should be right as rain.

[Swan Song]

4801296 I want to enjoy Props too =(

[YoshiFawful64]

Interesting... the way Ebon reacted, it seems like he might actually know he's a changeling. That could actually make things easier for him and Eagle, since he wouldn't need to go through an identity crisis. At least, I hope so.
PS: Did IC actually just hint at the possibility of Ebon and Eagle adopting?

[Rayvinne]

4801608

Yes.

(Probably 5 or 6)

[Tillion]

EEE moment cut short by emotional tension..... get the feeling it's changeling problems.......

4803506

PS: Did IC actually just hint at the possibility of Ebon and Eagle adopting?

I sincerely hope this happens; unfortunately, I doubt that they would stay with the jury if they adopted. If they did (for some unforeseeable reason) stay with the Jury, the adoptee could do wonders for Kera's mental health.

[not_a_rainbow]

fimfiction-static.net/images/story_images/42991.jpg?1344138281

[Cynderfall]

Poor Ebonling...

[Nevlamas]

[Super Trampoline]

Rainbow dash wants the (Central) D.

[Zecoro]

4976168 i was wondering when a D joke was going to pop up...pun intended huehuehuehue

but anyways, youre late sir

[whizzball1]

The Elders have to believe. And if they don't? Sword of Solstice them up.

-Spirit

[JustAnotherTimeLord]

4976168
i.ytimg.com/vi/BD0ivRR48Mk/hqdefault.jpg

[JustAnotherTimeLord]

Damn . . . this isn't good. Ebon and Eagle have to solve this problem sometime because they are, you know, traveling together. You can't just put this aside the whole time.

[Seraphimus]

I theorize that Ebon KNOWS he's a changeling, but Eagle thinks ebon doesn't, and ebon doesn't know that eagle knows. and It's making their lives complicated because neither of them wants to talk about it for fear of the others reaction.

[Hazard]

You already know the answer to that, Rainbow Dash...

[Regidar]

God dammit, no! You can't do this to me, skirts! I NEED MY GAY PONIES DAMMIT

But hey, at least Dash will get out of the house (so to speak) and let her feathers down in a way that won't hurt anypony for once.

[Ditherer the Fussbudget]

Love the callback to Petals.