Blue Angel

by V-Pony

Truth or Dare-Pt 12: The Only Thing Missing...

I could be sitting here on a cloud...

October 14th, Mid-Morning, Ponyville Library...
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Of all the ponies in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash most expected Twilight Sparkle to know at least something about everything. True, it was a bit of a lofty expectation of somepony for one to have, but Twilight had always had the answers before, or at least knew where to start looking for them. This in turn meant that when Twilight returned from an overnight search in the upper loft of her Library Tree with a look of dumbfounded confusion on her face, signalling that she in fact knew nothing about something for once, Dash's high hopes came crashing down all that much harder...try Sonic Rain-Nuke hard. And not even Volare could stop her this time.

"What the hay do ya mean you don't know!?" Dash smacked a hoof on the table, nearly launching her glass of chocolate milk all over the room in the process. The fiery mare shot Volare a look as if telling him to cut the crap and reveal that it was all a big joke of his, but this was no joke; he merely shrugged hopelessly as Dash groaned and hung backwards over her chair in frustration. She'd stayed up all night in anticipation of some answers as to what the hay had happened yesterday that made her act even more reckless than usual, making her tired and grouchy, and now she was gonna be late for the Weather Team meeting--all for nothing! "Gotta be bucking kidding me, Twilight. Thought you were some kinda genius or something."

"Yes, well not to toot my own horn, but," Twilight sniffed primly and sat down at the table. "A genius is a genius only in things she familiar with. And this is definitely not one of those; I don't have a single book on these things," she waved a hoof at the speakerbox sitting next to Volare's hoof, simultaneously as innocent as a newborn foal and the crux of the problem. Volare and Spike had done the best they could to explain what Vinyl had told them about the crystals and how they provided greater sound and image clarity than usual, but beyond that they were as much in the dark as Twilight was. How in the hoof Vinyl Scratch had known about these Appalantean Crystals and she hadn't still escaped her...then again, the crazy DJ probably knew of quite a bit more unsavory things that went on in those clubs than Twilight cared to bother herself over...yech.

"Ease up on her, Dashie," Volare gave his impatient friend a playful nudge. "I kinda doubt she's into the whole rave-dance scene anyways. Then again, I heard there was this one time in Canterlot on her birthday..." he confirmed Twilight's thoughts with a cheeky grin that brought on a roll of her eyes and a magical tweak of his nose, just like old times.

Heh, funny that I'd think that way..."old times" were barely a month and a half ago...not sure if time is flying or crawling by sometimes. Twilight rubbed her forehead with a hoof and sipped her coffee, suddenly being reminded of a history lesson that spoke of the first time ponies experimented with balefire...balefire they thought interesting and wonderful at first...balefire they didn't comprehend the explosive properties of...needless to say, it didn't end well. Little knowledge was truly a dangerous thing, the lesson had been, and it was one of the chief reasons why Twilight tended to err on the side of caution when experimenting with new things. She didn't cannonball into the pool, she eased in; less chance of braining one's self on the bottom that way, she figured. It likely annoyed friends like Rainbow Dash to no end, but she didn't get to where she was in her magic studies by being reckless...well, most of the time; there was that "want it-need it" spell incident, but that was another tangent for another day!

Twilight nudged the speakerbox with an experimental hoof, noting how the floating crystal spun a little faster when she came into contact with it, as well as the distinct absence of tweaking, twitching, jittery magical overload feelings she'd gotten when Volare moved away from the box. But as long as he was near it, it was as though the crystal was either sending out a counter-signal, absorbing it, or transforming the signal from Volare's body into something else. Twilight tended to lean towards a combination of those latter explanations, for when she sent Volare outside away from the crystal (a rather humorous-looking experiment that saw the pilot scrambling out of the room as fast as his hooves could carry him, even though hardwood flooring isn't the best traction material...she'd just have to fix the end-table later), she didn't sense any sort of signal, counter or otherwise, from the crystal itself. Therefore, it was transforming the signal from his body into something else, though what the limits (or the lack thereof) of that "something else" was exactly, she wasn't entirely certain.

True, from her earlier experiments with him, she'd found that the signal from his body could be used to power small magical objects like the speakerbox, but that only stoked her curiosity further: what else was it capable of? This could be a first in Equestrian scientific history, for no Pegasus she'd ever heard of was capable of such things (then again, he was likely Equestria's first and only magically-created Pegasus, so go figure). The opportunities and possibilities excited her, but she knew she couldn't just yank Volare away and camp out with him in the Library for days on end anymore; he had responsibilities around town now and...considering Celestia's letter...no, it just wouldn't look right, nor would it fulfill any subconscious desire to be in Volare's presence anymore, for she knew it wouldn't lead to anything further that wasn't just a matter of circumstance...and happy feelings were suddenly crushed by guilt and regret.

"Hey Twilight, you ok?" the Unicorn felt a hoof on her shoulder and she looked up to see Volare staring at her with a worried expression. "You're just kinda...mumbling under your breath there. Should I take cover or something?" He shot a look at Dash, who was already hunkered down on the other side of the couch and watching the exchange with bated breath.

"Heh-heh, no I'm good," Twilight shook her head and smiled, though it was just a tiny bit forced. "Nothing like that, I promise. Just a little frustrated is all."

"We all are a bit," Volare laid his hoof on hers, and she couldn't help the tiny bit of heat that rose into her cheeks at his touch...a touch she'd missed for so long but now she could have because of this...darned crystal she didn't understand a hoofing thing about! Twilight's eyes flicked to Dash's, expecting some sort of look of disapproval, but the rainbow mare was staring out the window, her hoof nervously pawing the floor every few moments and her wings flicking incessantly.

"Hmph, I think Dash is finding this boring," Twilight couldn't help but send a little jab her friend's way, and within moments she received a response.

"What-no! Just not as into this whole science-stuff like you two eggheads are," she took flight and landed in the middle of the table, somehow missing the speakerbox, Twilight's coffee, and her own chocolate milk, though she somehow managed to knock Volare's toast off into his lap. "I'm a take-action sorta mare, not some sit-around-and-twiddle-my-hooves-until-we're late-to-the-Weather-Team-Meeting sorta pony," the emphasis on her words hit Volare like a hammer and he face-hoofed.

"Crap, I totally forgot."

"Duh," Dash hoof-noogied him playfully and grinned. "What would ya do without me, flyboy?"

"Probably get a few less gray hairs," Volare muttered under his breath just loud enough to warrant a suppressed giggle from Twilight. He turned to Twilight and nodded towards the door. "You wanna come with?"

"Oh, um...I dunno if I should," Twilight scratched her mane and turned back to the teetering stack of books-evidence of last night's escapade into crystal education-piled in the middle of the Library floor. "I got a lot of studying left to do on the subject and-"

"Oh come on, you said you didn't have a single book on these things," Volare tapped the speakerbox with a hoof, causing it to give off an audible hum. "Plus if this thing suddenly goes haywire, your magic would count for something-rememeber yesterday?"

"Oh, heh...right," Twiligt blushed; she'd been unable to stop Dash and Volare from harping on how awesome her supercell-shredder technique had been, and how she'd probably single-hoofedly saved Ponyville from their stupidity (a fact Dash emphasized in her apology letter to Princess Celestia). She made sure to remind Dash that Trixie had helped as well, but Dash was so aloof about the apology that she'd probably left that bit out...oh well. The return letter had come back within minutes, with Celestia praising Twilight and gently reprimanding Rainbow Dash, mainly sounding relieved that nopony had been seriously hurt outside of a few bent feathers that the Princess declared that Dash likely deserved anyway.

The sheepish Dash for once didn't argue with that one, having been too occupied with preening said feathers back into place. Celestia's response also praised Volare's brave efforts at saving one of the Element Bearer's lives, and Dash had nearly inhaled one of her feathers in shock, having smugly suspected that Volare would be scolded as well. But once the surprise had worn off, and after a few playful hoof-punches to the ribs, things had settled down, and the two Pegasi had camped out at the Library, anxiously awaiting results that had never come.

"So come on," Volare grabbed up the speakerbox and tugged on Twilight's hoof and gave her a friendly smile. "We haven't hung out in forever anyway, and not even you can theorize your way outta that, Ms. Genius," he booped her nose with a hoof, missing the slightest look of jealousy that briefly passed across Dash's features. She thought he only reserved that for her...meh, it's Twilight and she's his oldest friend here-no biggie.

"But I-"

"No buts, Ms. Brains," Dash joined in, and together they hauled Twilight to the door. "You made us stay here on the hardwood floor all night, so the least you can do is sit in on this meeting."

"But you volunteered to stay!" With a groan, Twilight grabbed her scarf in preparation of her protestations' looming failure. She didn't want leave the warm Library, her books, her coffee, and-holy hoof, it's cold out here!! She wrapped the scarf around her neck as the door swung open.

"Meh, details, details," Dash smirked as they yanked the Unicorn out the door, which slammed, knocking down the barely-balanced stack of books with a dull roar that did virtually nothing to rouse the snoozing Spike from his dreams upstairs. He was too busy chasing sprinkle-donuts and rubies to be bothered with Weather Meetings...they were probably boring as hay anyway.

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North Ponyville Park, Noon......

"ROLL CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!!!!!!!" Rainbow Dash's top-of-her-lungs shout rolled across the large green park that lay between the buildings of Stirrup Street and the North District, announcing her presence with all the subtly of a minotaur in a mirror shop. The chilly breeze was blowing in gently from the Northwest, but the sun shown brightly in the cloudless sky that covered the world in all directions like a great cerulean blanket. Perfect, just like Cloudsdale ordered, Rainbow Dash thought. "Wake up, Thunderlane!!"

Thunderlane, who'd been snoozing in the warm windbreak formed by Snowflake's large body, snapped awake with a scream of "MOMMY!" and fell on his flank, much to the amusement of everypony present. "I uh, meant...Thunderlane here!"

"Heh, sure shrimp," Snowflake rumbled before standing at attention along with the rest of the Weather Team members. It was only a mid-month, Sunday meeting, but there were stiff penalties for missing them...namely being singled out by the semi-merciless teasings of the Team, who followed and emulated Dash's aggressive actions. It caused a few squabbles to break out now and again, but after Dash introduced the old-school Pegasus Challenge, everypony there was subject to its rules, and that kept all-out brawls from occurring. Even so, there were some days where somepony went too far with their jokes...and one pony in particular was notorious for stirring up "trouble" on the team, if only for her own amusement when ponies tussled and wrestled with each other.

"Ooo-hoo, what kept ya Captain?" The Cloud Kicker hooted as she caught sight of Dash, with Volare and Twilight arriving after her. "Or rather, should I say who--"two who"s, in fact," she snickered, drawing a snort from Rainbow Dash.

"Research and stuff, none of your business, Lieutenant!"

"Ouch, pulling rank on me again, Boss? You woundeth me greatly!" Cloud Kicker clasped a hoof to her chest as if mortally injured and collapsed to the ground in a heap of giggles and feathers.

"That's not even the proper context for that phrase," Twilight rolled her eyes and sat on the grass to watch, giving Volare an encouraging smile as he approached the line of Weather Ponies.

"Volare here!" the pilot called out, doing his best to help restore order, but with Cloud Kicker's usual voice of reason Blossomforth absent due to sickness, the Weather Lieutenant was in a rare mood today, and she hopped to her hooves and approached him with a smirk.

"Heh, welcome to The Team, newbie," she extended a hoof and grasped his before pulling him towards her. "So...how was the Captain and the Element of Magic, hmm?" she asked with a waggle of her eyebrows. Volare's eyes went wide and he tried to pull away, but she had him caught rather firmly. "Storm-riding yesterday, rolling in a bush afterwards, and then staying up all night long if those tired-looking eyes are any indication," she snickered before Dash intervened.

"Cloud Kicker, I swear! I told you: nothing like that went on yesterday, and I promise that nothing like that went on last night!" The rainbow mare flared her wings and narrowed her eyes, daring her Lieutenant to keep it up. Ever since they'd known each other in Summer Flight Camp, Dash and Cloud Kicker had had an on-again, off-again rivalry of sorts; in fact, even Dash had to grudgingly admit that many of the "button-pushing" techniques she'd used on Volare had been "taught" to her by Cloud Kicker in the past. It had never gone further than that, but Cloud Kicker had never ceased to find amusement in making Dash blow her top every now and again, even after she became her superior; it was just too easy sometimes. And by the looks of things, she'd never let up on her teasings from yesterday.

"Heh, you're sure getting worked up over a lot of nothing, Boss." Within moments, Dash was in her face, all teeth and blazing rose eyes.

"It's not a lot of nothing and you know why," she hissed. "So knock it off!" But just as Dash turned to re-address the Team, Cloud Kicker couldn't help one more parting shot.

"Coulda been worse," the lavender mare muttered, but Dash heard it and rounded on her so fast that she tore a chunk of turf out of the ground.

"Coulda been-you know what, you...you...you!" Dash raised a hoof as if to strike her Lieutenant, something that none of the other Weather Team members had ever seen her do before; true she could be high-strung and competitive, but deep down she loved the Weather Team members like her own little family and always looked out for their well-being. Twilight and Volare traded worried glances and made to stop her, but there was no need. Dash took a breath, stomped her hoof back down, and reached back to her left wing and yanked out a feather with her teeth. With a small smirk, she held the feather in her teeth for all to see before spitting it on the ground and glaring at Cloud Kicker with all the intensity she could muster. A murmur of conversation rippled its way up and down the Weather Team line, though Volare and Twilight exchanged confused shrugs as to what just happened.

"I challenge...Cloud Kicker!" Dash declared and turned to her team for their approval.

"Oh, you've done it now, CK!" Thunderlane laughed.

"She's gonna getcha, Kicky," Flitter chuckled.

"Come on, Kicker, don't back down!" Cloudchaser urged with a stomp of her hoof. "Give it right back!"

"Yeah, you can do it!" Snowflake bellowed, his ludicrously tiny wings buzzing in an almost Scootaloo-like fashion. Her confidence buoyed by the support of The Team, Cloud Kicker flashed a winning smile at Dash.

"What's the challenge, Captain?"

"Pick that feather up and find out, Lieutenant!"

"Again with the rank-pulling, sheesh...don't think that'll mean I'll go easy on you if you wanna little sparring match, RD," she clicked her teeth and flexed a hoof, knowing that with her Krav Pega training, she could beat Dash in a scuffle any day of the week. But to her surprise, Dash had either wised up or had other ideas in mind, because as soon as Cloud Kicker bent over and picked up the feather, Dash smirked and beckoned Volare over.

"Hey, don't drag me into this crap, Dashie-"

"You're a much a part of this as I am, flyboy, now get over here! I need a wingpony for this."

"O-oh, ok," the pilot shuffled over, a bit uncertain as to what was about to happen. "So, um...are we gonna fight her or something?"

"Pfft, if that's the case you're both in for a plot-kicking," Cloud Kicker grinned, but Dash shook her head.

"Nope, somepony once told me that a great warrior picks their own battlefield," she shot Volare a sideways smirk, recalling how they'd stayed up late one night and recited a few of his favorite bits from "The Art of War." "And you're right; compared to you, we can't fight for horseapples, so why bother?"

"Nice application of military know-how; guess he taught you that one," Cloud Kicker gave Volare a respectful nod. "Cuz you sure didn't read it," she stuck her tongue out at her Captain, drawing a growl of frustration from the fiery mare.

"Just give us a few minutes here, ok Kicky?" Volare waved a hoof between the two mares.

"You got it, hawt-flank," Cloud Kicker chortled, bringing a blush to Volare's face and a narrowed set of eyes from Twilight Sparkle as he led Dash away for a moment. Once they were a safe distance away, Volare let her go. "So what's the plan Dash, really?"

"I uh...I dunno, I was seriously just gonna scrap with her but then...well, I remembered what you said, so..."

"Ugh, after throwing down the challenge...shoot first ask questions later, nice one Dashie," Volare facehoofed and looked to Twilight for help. "Any suggestions, Twi?"

"Hm...you could play a game instead."

"A game? What sorta Challenge is that?" Dash asked.

"No offense Dash, but Cloud Kicker would beat you in a fight and smarts aren't exactly your forte, so something like chess is out. Plus since Cloud Kicker was trained at Westhoof she probably knows enough strategy to play chess anyway," Twilight pondered for a moment. "So catch her by surprise; play something she's probably never seen before."

"All warfare is deception. Nice one, Twi," Volare hoof-bumped her before turning to Dash. "Can you think of anything she hasn't played before?"

"Uh...crap...I know she's played hoofball, basketball, and cloudball, but I dunno about anything else."

"Those are Pegasus games though, so try something that's got nothing to do with Pegasi," Twilight scratched her head, but sports were definitely not her area of expertise. "Balefire, I've got nothing."

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm about as in the dark as you can get on what sports you guys play here," Volare shrugged. He remembered something about horseshoes, but he sucked at horseshoes...though he also remembered the pony that Dash was playing horseshoes against! "Hang on a sec; I've got an idea. Be right back!"

"Where're you going, flyboy!?" Dash called as Volare jetted for town.

"To get some insider info!" He turned back to town and was soon over the market-stalls, searching back and forth and hoping that she'd be here on a Sunday. If anypony would know anything about non-Pegasus sports, it'd be her! Luckily, it was near-impossible to miss that iconic brown Stetson, and once he spotted it, he homed in on it like a missile, landing next to the orange mare that wore it so suddenly that she bucked in surprise, nearly knocking him into a cabbage cart with her hip.

"Tarnation! Sorry sugarcube," Applejack smiled as she helped Volare up and dusted him off with her tail. "Been just a mite bit jumpy after that big ol' storm yesterday, heh-heh."

"Totally understandable," Volare nodded, not sure if Applejack knew he and Dash were the cause of it.

"So what's gotcha flyin' round an' spookin' tha hay outta me, eh?" the farm mare asked, leaning nonchalantly on a fruit stand and cocking her head.

"I actually need your help, AJ."

"Help? What's goin' on?"

"It's Rainbow Dash, she-"

"Consarnit, Rainbow," Applejack snorted. "What's she gotten herself inta now?"

"I'll explain on the way-come on!" And with that, Volare galloped out of town, Applejack hot on his heels.

........................

"What the hay, flyboy!" Dash cried as Volare arrived with Applejack in tow. "You just run outta here and leave me high and-"

"Sugarcube, he told me everything on tha way," Applejack shook her head and thumped Dash in the shoulder before fixing the still-grinning Cloud Kicker with a small glare. "An' ya'll really stepped in it from what Ah hear. Oh heya, Twi."

"Hey, AJ. Ok, here's the scoop," Twilight nodded and further explained the situation, shooting glances towards Cloud Kicker, who'd begun to pace rather impatiently.

"I'm waiting, Captain," the Weather Lieutenant called out in a sing-song voice meant to irritate Dash into action, but her friends held her back, albeit with great difficulty. As they huddled, a small crowd of ponies began to gather from the edges of the park, having sensed the tension in the air and wondering what was about to happen. Among them were Faber and Bon-Bon, having closed up the Griffin for an hour to take lunch in the park, and confused as to the cause of the crowd.

"Ach, what's goin' on 'ere, lassehs?" Faber's voice boomed out over the crowd as he pushed his way to the front, Bon-Bon trailing behind in the wake created by the large Unicorn's body. She had to admit: as loud and brash as he could be, he had his uses beyond long hours of sampling the wine in the basement of the restaurant...among other things she wasn't privy to speak about, lest her business image be sullied.

"Rainbow Dash just threw down the Feather," Lyra Heartstrings replied, popping up next to Bon-Bon as they reached the front of the crowd.

"That anythin' like throwin' daown tha hoof-gauntlet?" Faber scratched his chin as he observed the near-distant Pegasi huddling and pacing.

"It's done in lieu of a hoof-gauntlet, yes," Octavia's voice spoke up from behind them as she too pushed through the crowd to the front, Trixie right next to her.

"Who threw down the what?" Trixie cocked her head before taking in the situation before her: Volare, Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash facing off against what looked to be the entire Weather Team. "Well that's not fair!" the magician grumbled and began to gallop out onto the field before Octavia grabbed her hoof and held her back with a shake of her head.

"Uh-uh, this is their business; the Pegasus Challenge is an old and sacred ritual among Pegasi. It's rare enough for them to let other races take part in it but I can't imagine they'd be too keen on you or anypony else rushing out there."

"You're very well read on such a subject," a black and red shape careened out of the sky, plumed up a few loose blades of grass, and landed to Octavia's left before shaking out her grey mane. "For an Earth Pony," Ravenfire cocked her head curiously. "How'd you come by such information?"

"Volare and I spoke about it at length a few days ago, not to mention I've seen Rainbow Dash and her comrades throw down the Feather more than once," the cellist chuckled and nodded towards the Weather Team. "Rather rough and tumble lot, but nopony can argue that they don't get the job done."

"Indeed," Bon-Bon nodded before a distinct feeling of semi-dread struck her, which was strange because the pony that usually caused that feeling wasn't due back until that evening-

"Hey, the gang's all here!" a voice like roughly-hewn firewood logs tumbling over each other shouted from behind the group before a pair of off-white hooves threw themselves across Bon-Bon and Lyra's shoulders and a wild, blue-maned head popped up between the two mares. "Wazzup, guys?" Vinyl Scratch grinned.

"You're supposed to be on tour," Bon-Bon wheezed before the DJ released her neck from her grip.

"Yeah, well the last place was kinda dead, so I blew that popsicle stand last night and hoofed it back here. So wazzup? What's going on-dude, is that Volare out there with the speakerbox?" Vinyl lifted her shades to confirm that it wasn't just dirt on the lenses. "Wow, guess we're gonna see what it can do, huh?"

"Actually, we already got a taste of that yesterday," Trixie replied.

"Say what? Did Volare read my warning?!" The DJ glanced towards the pilot in worry.

"Warning? What warning? About what?" Lyra cocked her head, but Vinyl was focused on the group of ponies out there as they broke their huddle.

"About the effect it can have on certain ponies if he's not careful...that and the nosebleeds..."

....................

"Alright, so what game did ya come up with, hmm?" Cloud Kicker cracked her neck and flexed her wings, confident that her opponents had either decided on a game she'd likely played before, or on a game so far out there that they likely wouldn't be very good at it themselves, giving the physically tougher Lieutenant the advantage. Dash's speed would only take her so far, after all. But to her surprise, the four ponies didn't look the least bit worried, in fact if anything they looked even more confident than Cloud Kicker was.

"We're gonna play somethin' we don't think ya'll've ever played before," Applejack grinned from under her Stetson.

"Oh, so you're going to play, eh? You're slower than a Pegasus and can't fly, so this oughta be good," but the Lieutenant's chortle died in her throat at the look of determination in Applejack's eyes. Just what the hay had they come up with?

"Eeyup, so is Twi," Applejack nodded towards the Librarian, and that little announcement did the trick of taking the wind out of Cloud Kicker's sails. Everypony in Equestria knew what Twilight was capable, and if she could cut a supercell in half...nope.

"I don't think so; no Unicorns," Cloud Kicker shook her head, but Volare stepped forward, asserting himself.

"You didn't say we couldn't have a Unicorn on our team, Kicky."

"Yeah, but I never agreed to your challenge just yet!"

"Actually, by picking up the Feather, you accepted by principle," Octavia called out from the crowd, which murmured its agreement. Irritated that the crowd wasn't really in her favor anymore, Cloud Kicker snorted her consent.

"Fine, but no crazy-flanked magic like yesterday!"

"Oh, don't worry; I won't have to do anything like that," Twilight smirked and closed her eyes for a moment, gathering energy and focusing it at the tip of her horn. Her eyes suddenly snapped open and magical tendrils of violet energy poured out of her horn all over the field, tracing white rectangular borderlines along the grass and building what looked to be two tallish, brassy half-hoops that poked out of the ground, one at either end of the Field. As the ponies looked on in awe, Twilight grinned and dimmed her horn, took a short breath, and conjured up what looked like a chubby blue and white version of a football with a small ring on either end. The ball dropped to the ground and Twilight shut the magic off entirely before looking across the gap at Cloud Kicker. "We challenge you...to a game of Buckby!"

"Buckby?" Vinyl turned the strange word over in her mouth. "What the hay's buckby?" But her question was swallowed up in the great belly-laugh of Faber, who stomped a large hoof in approval.

"Haha, it's tha national game o' me 'ome countreh o' Scoltland! Ye'd best be readeh, ponies! It's a wee bit rougher than ye might expect!" He shouted across the field.

"Ha, whatcha think about that, Lieutenant?" Rainbow Dash smirked, supremely confident that they'd taken Cloud Kicker by surprise. But to her horror, the lavender mare began to laugh, and laugh hard. It was so hard that she nearly fell on her flank, and it was suddenly Dash's turn to feel deflated.

"I think-haha-that your're gonna get your-heehee-plots bucked anyways!" Cloud Kicker wiped her eyes after a few moments and regained her balance and composure with a sly smile. "I was Captain of the Westhoof Buckby team for four years before I left the Academy. And I accept your choice of game."

"Feather it, AJ!!" Rainbow Dash whirled on her friend and swiped at her with a wing before Volare could hold her back.

"Hey, Ah didn't know she played it like that!!" the farm pony shot back. "It's an Earth Pony game after all. Hay, Ah didn't think anypony outside o' tha Apple family played it round these parts."

"Well, apparently we were wrong," Twilight scuffed the ground with a hoof before taking charge. "But we're in this together, for Rainbow Dash's sake," she thumped her cyan friend's shoulder. "And we're not going to back down just because everything's not all sunshine and rainbows, right Volare?"

"Right!" the pilot grinned fiercely. "Besides, how hard could this be?"

........................................
15 Minutes Later...

As it turned out, the rules were simple: buck the ball through your opponent's goal hoop to score a point, three points won the game, no tackling defenders-only the one with the ball, etc. But simple though they were, the execution of such a full-contact sport was another matter entirely.

"Oof! Oh gawd," Volare breath puffed out into the cold air in a groan as he hit the ground once more after receiving Thunderlane's shoulder-tackle to the ribs. He watched as the Buckby ball bounced a short distance away before the white-maned Pegasus grasped it by one of its end-rings and tried to take flight. Luckily, in order to keep within the rules of it being an Earth Pony game, the enchantment that Twilight had placed on the ball kept Thunderlane from flying as long as he had it in his mouth, forcing him to run along the ground...not the type of place that allows a Pegasus to play to its strengths.

"Oh my gosh! You ok, Volare?" Twilight Sparkle levitated him to his hooves, and he gave her a crooked, turf-filled grin.

"Yeah, just got the crap knocked outta me...again. I'm no good on the ground with this thing," he nodded back at the saddlebag which held the speakerbox and the all-important crystal inside. Without it, he couldn't stay in close proximity with Twilight but he was slower than the Pegasi on Cloud Kicker's team with it, leading to him being pummeled every time he got the ball. Smear the steer....haha, very funny, AJ, Volare muttered as he shook his mane, gave Twilight a nod, and they rushed back to the defense of their goal-hoop. But Twilight wasn't athletic, Volare was weighed down, and Thunderlane was getting away, charging towards Dash who was defending the goal against the Wingers' press of Flitter and Cloudchaser, doing her best to keep them from getting into position to catch the ball and score. But as fast as she was, not even Dash could be in two places at once!

"Heh-heh, stop this, Dash!" Thunderlane grinned as he prepared to sling the ball to Flitter with a wing, but just as he flipped it into the air to do so, an orange blur blind-sided him, knocking the wind out of him and sending the Buckby ball flying into the air towards Twilight and Volare.

"Woo-wee, don't try ta tangle with an Earth Pony at her own game, sugarcube," Applejack whooped and took off for the ball, causing Flitter and Cloudchaser to leave Dash's goal to check on their stunned comrade. While Cloud Kicker was right in that her entire team was faster than an Earth Pony could ever hope to be, they stood no chance when forced to conform to the rules and stay on the ground. And Applejack, playing the Fullbuck position, made them pay every chance she got. In fact she was the only reason they were only down 1-0 by this point as she could easily overpower the Pegasi while on the ground. With a devilish grin, Applejack snagged the Buckby ball and wheeled around to meet up with Volare and Twilight at mid-field before the trio began a charge towards the goal guarded only by Cloud Kicker.

But the Weather Lieutenant wasn't without her wiles, and knowing that she was out-numbered and couldn't defend against all three of them, tried for a different tactic. As soon as Applejack tossed the ball to Twilight, Cloud Kicker left the goal and came flying in shoulder-first, landing a solid crack of a tackle on the side of Applejack's head, causing her to pirouette slowly once or twice before landing on the ground with a thud, half the wind and all of the fight knocked out of her and drawing a chorus of boos from the large crowd of ponies gathered along the sidelines. But despite their boos, it was well within the rules to tackle cleanly, and Cloud Kicker scampered away to check on Thunderlane.

"Shit!" Volare cried, nodding to Twilight to score the ball before he doubled back to check on Applejack. "AJ! AJ, you ok?!"

"Why that nasty little Pegasus-" Trixie huffed and began to stalk out onto the field before Octavia and Ravenfire caught and held her back.

"No, you can't get involved, love," Octavia shook her head sternly.

"This is between Pegasi and shouldn't be violated. It's enough that they've allowed a Unicorn and an Earth Pony to participate, so don't force your way out there," Ravenfire added grimly. "It's a matter of honor."

"Grah, damn your crazy honor," Trixie growled but stayed her hoof, staring out onto the field as Volare reached Applejack's side.

"Eh-heh, heya Grannysmith...is it harvest time again?" Applejack giggled woozily, her green eyes doing a very good Derpy impression before her tongue lolled out and she passed out entirely. Volare ignored the loud chime that rang out and signaled Twilight's goal, instead focusing on getting Applejack off the field. Twilight soon joined him and they propped Applejack up near Trixie, who did her best to revive their stunned comrade, but to no avail. She wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, and that left them down a player. Luckily, Thunderlane didn't seem to be faring any better as Cloudchaser and Flitter carried him back to the Weather Team, the stallion mumbling something about Santa Hooves coming to Ponyville that evening.

"That was feathering dirty and you know it, Cloud Kicker!" Rainbow Dash roared from her goal-hoop as the lavender Lieutenant trotted past.

"Clean tackle, Boss. Besides, you know I did the smart thing by taking out your strongest teammate. Why else would you be so flustered?" she smirked and kicked off the ground to rejoin her two remaining team-mates. "All in good fun, Dashie!"

"Grah, dammit!" Dash growled, not taking the loss of her friend from the field very well, not even tying the game made up for it! "Alright, huddle you guys," she beckoned Twilight and Volare over, trying to keep Cloud Kicker from frustrating her...but nopony hurt her friends like that, even if it was part of a game!

"AJ's gonna be ok, Dash," Twilight reassured her when she caught the sneer directed towards Cloud Kicker. "She's just dazed, but I think she's done for the day."

"Yeah, no kidding," Volare winced. "So what's the plan, Boss?"

Knock Cloud Kicker's head in!
"I...I dunno...Twi, you got anything?"

"Yeah...Volare's faster than both Cloudchaser and Cloud Kicker based on their wingpower numbers, but as long as he carries that saddlebag with the crystal, he's too slow," Twilight gave him a pained look. "The only reason why he's carrying it is because of me, so..."

"Don't even think about it, Twi," Volare laid a hoof on her shoulder, but the Unicorn brushed him off with a brave smile, tugging him away from Dash before the cyan mare could get a word in edgewise.

"When we get the ball back, I'll take it in, and you follow me, Volare. When Cloudchaser and Flitter attack me, I'll pass you the ball, and you take it in past Cloud Kicker. Dash, stay back and guard the goal," she instructed, knowing that Dash would likely stop her from carrying out her plan if she got the chance. Besides, that would leave Volare, a slower flyer, to defend the goal, and that just wouldn't do. No, since she'd agreed not to use magic, this was the only way. Sometimes a leader had to make tough decisions, and if she was out of the game, Volare wouldn't need to carry the saddlebag anymore, giving him the advantage once more. "You ready, Volare?"

"Not particularly," he replied as Derpy, acting as referee (which in Volare's opinion probably wasn't the best idea), brought the ball to the center of the field for the opening scrum. They'd won the earlier scrum due to Applejack's superior strength, but without her, whoever emerged from the scrum with the ball was essentially a crap-shoot. Twilight and Volare faced Cloudchaser and Flitter on the opposite side of the ball, waiting for Derpy to drop it to the ground.

"You guys ready?" the cross-eyed Pegasus asked.

"Ready!" Twilight nodded.

"Bring it!" Cloudchaser barked.

"Hey Dashie, we're comin for ya!" Cloud Kicker laughed loudly.

"Stuff it, Kicky!" Dash growled back, yearning to be something other than goal-keeper this round, but she was the fastest so that settled that argument fairly quickly. With a nod of her head, Derpy dropped the ball, and the scrum was on! Twilight, surprising everypony, dove in first, shoved Flitter out of the way, grabbed the ball in her teeth and flung it over her head, nearly smacking the unsuspecting Volare in the face with it.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!" he kept up a constant chorus of curses as he galloped away from the pile and headed towards the goal, the plan from earlier forgotten as Twilight was quite literally sat on by Cloudchaser and Flitter, leaving the pilot to face Cloud Kicker on his own.

"Well, well, playing the hero, hawt-flank?" the lavender Lieutenant left her goal and flew alongside the pilot, taunting him with little flicks of her wing-tips across his nose, teasing him with the fact that she could knock him flat any second she chose.

"Something like that!" Volare tried to ignore her, but just as he thought that she'd overestimated her recovery speed and decided to buck the ball at the goal, the Weather Lieutenant knocked his legs out from under him, grabbed the ball out of his mouth, and promptly sat on his chest and stared down at him with a wicked smirk.

"Heh-heh, you should see the look on your face, Volare...it's kinda cute," she batted her eyes at him for a moment before shooting off in the opposite direction. Volare had enough time to roll to his hooves and see Flitter, Cloudchaser, and Cloud Kicker triple-team Rainbow Dash, easily out-maneuver her, and score the goal before Twilight could get there and help.

"Volare, you're an idiot!!" Dash berated him when he sheepishly returned to the huddle. "What happened to the plan, huh?!"

"Well the plan kinda fell apart when I-"

"Don't try to defend him, Twilight," Dash cut her friend off before snapping back around at the pilot. "He didn't listen and tried to grab the glory for himself!"

"Hey, that's not true, Dashie-!"

"Don't Dashie me," the incensed mare prodded him in the chest with an angry hoof. "Cuz of you going all hero, we're one point away from losing!"

"Well what would you have rather me do, Dash?" Volare shot back, his wings flaring in irritation.

"Guys, we should-"

"Stay out of it, Twilight!" Dash cut her friend off again. "This is between me and hooves for brains here! I swear he'd do more good if he played for the other team!"

"Don't treat him like that, Rainbow!" Twilight stood her ground and glared at her friend, realizing all too late that yet again they were arguing over him. "He's doing his best!"

"Well his best isn't good enough for me," Dash growled back. But Volare saw what was happening and he'd be damned if they got into another fight over him again!

"You know what-fine!" Volare shouted suddenly, gaining both mares' attentions as he threw up his hooves and stalked off across the field. "Hey Kicky, care if I join your team?"

"What the bucking hay!?" Dash stomped a hoof, but Twilight didn't try to stop him as she had a feeling she knew why Volare was removing himself from the situation: he was trying to keep them safe from each other.

"Heh, sure! Switch places with Flitter" Cloud Kicker grinned and hoof-bumped Volare as Flitter groaned in protest before heading to Dash and Twilight's team. "Finally wised up and joined the winning side; we'll make you a Weather Pony yet, flyboy" Cloud Kicker chuckled as she hoof-noogied him, and Rainbow Dash nearly exploded in jealous rage.

"That's my nickname for him, dammit!" she started to shout but Twilight magically closed her mouth and gave her a stern look.

"Don't, Dash. She's toying with you till you get mad enough to screw up. Don't fall for it!"

"But I-"

"Hey, I care about him too, ok?" she locked eyes with Dash, and the fiery mare calmed down a smidge. "Take a breath and relax. We're going to win this, but if Cloud Kicker wants to play dirty...then I've got no problem with a little subterfuge myself," she grinned. "All warfare is deception," she recited from her and Volare's lessons from weeks ago.

"Heh, I think I get it. You got a plan, Smartyflank?"

"You bet your wings I do," Twilight winked and beckoned Flitter closer. "Ok guys, here's what we do..."

"So, whatcha think they're cooking up over there, flyboy?" Cloud Kicker nudged him, not bothering to retract her hoof afterwards and leaving it on his shoulder. Volare winced slightly, knowing that Cloud Kicker was only doing this to get under her Captain's skin, but still not feeling totally comfortable with her using Dash's nickname for him like this.

"With Twilight Sparkle, you never can tell," he shrugged, more in an effort to remove her hoof from him, but it stuck as if glued there.

"You think they'll try a head-on attack, LT?" Cloudchaser mused, but Cloud Kicker shook her head.

"Nah, that's a Dash-style move. Like Volare said, with Twilight Sparkle pulling the strings, expect anything but the obvious." And with that, Cloud Kicker and Volare approached the ball-drop circle, with the pilot feeling more like a turnfeather every step he took towards his former teammates. True it was just as spur-of-the-moment as Dash's outburst had been, but that didn't make it any less awkward.

"Ah don't feel right watchin' this, all o' a sudden," Faber mumbled.

"Took the words outta my mouth, big guy," Vinyl nodded in agreement. "They should be on the same team, not going at it like this. Crazy Pegasi..."

"It's not crazy, it's tradition," Ravenfire snorted, but that brought little comfort to the ponies watching the intense match.

"Whatever you say, old-timer," Vinyl replied, and Octavia's eyes reflexively searched the noon sky for a blue moon once she realized that she had no argument with her wild friend for once. This was madness.

"You guys ready?" Derpy asked, but the players merely nodded, neither taking their eyes off their opponents this time. "And...go!" Derpy dropped the ball, and this time it was Cloud Kicker that came up with it, forcing Twilight and Flitter to drop back on defense. Cloud Kicker flicked the ball over to Volare and flew in front of him, intent on shouldering her former comrade or Twilight out of the way if it came to it. But just as they closed to within spitting distance of the two, Rainbow Dash left the goal area and looped high up above the field, backlighting herself with the sun and forcing Volare to refocus on the field.

"What the hay's she doing?" Cloud Kicker muttered, but it became quite clear as Dash came zooming out of the sky and hit Volare broadside as he drew even with Twilight, knocking the wind out of his chest and the ball out of his mouth with a grunt of pain and sending him tumbling to the ground in a heap.

"Oops," Dash leaned over and whispered in Volare's ear before tossing the ball to Twilight and heading back to her goal. Volare wobbled to his hooves in time to see Twilight and Flitter closing in on the opposite goal, with Cloud Kicker in hot pursuit from behind. Cloudchaser, alone in goal and seeing that the slower Twilight had the ball, rushed the Unicorn, intent on taking it by force. But Twilight glanced over her shoulder at Flitter pushing on her left flank and grinned toothily. Cloud Kicker caught the grin and realized that she was up to something, but too late!

"Cloudchaser, stop!!" The Weather Lieutenant had just enough time to shout a warning before Twilight intentionally dropped to her knees, causing Flitter to shoot over the Librarian and collide head-on with her sister. The Pegasi rolled in a heap, tangling up hooves, wings, and manes along with Twilight, but the damage was done as the Unicorn tossed the ball in the air and gave it a good buck with a hind-hoof before being smooshed between the two sisters. Cloud Kicker could only watch helplessly as the ball flew through the air, bounced once, and rolled through the undefended goal to tie the score.

"You...that was..." Cloud Kicker gasped and glared at Twilight and the unconscious sisters, but the Unicorn merely smiled smugly.

"Deceptive, just like I'm sure you've learned at Westhoof," Twilight said pointedly, causing the Weather Lieutenant to growl and paw the ground.

"Y-you're disqualified for cheating!"

"No need-agh," Twilight untangled herself from the downed sisters, favoring her right foreleg with a grimace. "I'm not gonna be running for a while on this anyway." She limped away towards Dash, giving her a small, pained grin as she did so before settling on the ground near Lyra, taking herself out of the game and leaving Cloud Kicker and Volare to face Dash, hoping that her friends would catch on and see the reason for her strategy.

"Twilight, you alright?" Volare cried as he approached, but she waved him off.

"I'm fine, but you've got a game to finish."

"But I-"

"No buts, Volare!" Trixie suddenly shouted and took to her hooves. "Don't let Twilight's sacrifice be for nothing! Now get back out there!"

"Shit...fine," Volare muttered, wondering what she meant by that as Flitter and Cloudchaser were carted from the field. Dash was forced to come to the drop-ball circle, which meant that she had to get the ball out of the scrum, or else her goal would be undefended.

"Can't go easy on you now, flyboy," Dash narrowed her eyes at him as Derpy prepared to drop the ball for the final time. The pilot was bruised and battered, but still standing, and Dash nodded her grudging respect towards him.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Dashie," he smirked as Derpy dropped the ball...and Dash promptly tripped him and grabbed the ball right out of his hooves before backing off, her rose eyes darting left and right to try to figure out how she could possibly win this without flying. Volare got to his hooves, glancing sideways at Cloud Kicker, who dropped back slightly to cover the goal in case Dash managed to launch it past the pilot.

"What're you waiting for? Get her!" Cloud Kicker shouted, but Volare hesitated.

"But she's faster than me!"

"Not on the ground she's not!" The Weather Lieutenant shot back and waved him onwards. With a grim nod, he took to the air and circled Dash like a shark after a meal, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"This is stupid, this is stupid, this is stupid," Lyra kept muttering, and Faber gently patted her on the back.

"For hoof's sake, just get it over with!" Bon-Bon cried, unable to stand the sight of the two blue Pegasi going at it like this, game or not. At her words, Volare dipped into a dive, gave Dash an apologetic look, and then zipped back up into the sky, forcing the defiant Dash to keep her attention on him. Cloud Kicker saw her chance and zoomed in, and it was only by divine providence that Dash managed to dodge her wild tackle, leaving the goal at the end of the field unprotected! But just as Dash lined up the buck, Volare smashed into her left flank just below her Cutie Mark, stunning the muscles in her leg and causing her shot to fly off-target and out of bounds, necessitating a time-out as Derpy retrieved the ball from the Ponyville Stream.

"Dammit," Dash hissed in pain as she tried to get to her hooves, but failed again and again like a foal trying to walk for the first time. "Nice shot, flyboy," she muttered grudgingly, unable to feel her lower leg as she fell once more while Cloud Kicker eagerly awaited the arrival of the ball. But as she tried to haul herself upright again, a dark blue hoof entered her field of vision, and she looked up in confusion to find Volare standing over her. "Back off flyboy, I got this-ah!" she fell again.

"Dash, come on," Volare grasped at her forehoof, his heart in pain at the injury he'd caused her.

"Buck you, you're on the other team!"

"So what, we're just gonna keep pummeling each other till we can't stand up straight?" Volare finally took hold of her hoof and pulled, forcing her to look at him again, and it was then that she saw the pain in his eyes. "This is stupid, you know that?"

"Yeah, well it's part of the game."

"If part of the game means hurting you like that, then I won't do it," he replied just as defiantly.

"You'd quit on your own team?" Dash looked up at him in shock, and he nodded.

"If it meant keeping you safe, then yes."

"But...I don't...you-"

"No, you, Dashie," he pulled her too her hooves and smiled. "Cuz of you...cuz you're worth it, remember?"

"Flyboy, you're just a...feather head," she punched him with a forehoof and nearly fell over before he caught her once more.

"For you? Yep," he smiled and looked up at Cloud Kicker. "Hey Kicky, Dash can't trot anymore so I'm switching sides to give her a chance!"

"What the-for real dude? We're just about to win this and you go turnfeather again?"

"Turn-about's fair play, Kicky," he shrugged helplessly. "Besides, this is about you and her, remember? Not me."

"Grr, fine! I'll just knock the crap outta both your plots, then!"

"Fair enough," he nodded and helped Dash to the sidelines near Twilight.

"Heh, guess I screwed up again, huh?" Dash chuckled sheepishly and Twilight could only nod in agreement.

"Not as royally as yesterday, but this is a close second," the Unicorn eyed the knotted muscle beneath Dash's Cutie Mark with a frown. "That's going to cramp up if we don't fix it."

"Grr-it already is!" Dash shook her mane and gritted her teeth as she attempted to stand up straight, but she couldn't put any weight on it without feeling like someone was stabbing a red-hot poker into her Cutie Mark. Volare hooked his wing under hers and she gasped in shock before relaxing slightly and leaning into him.

"This is my fault, Dashie...I'm sorry," he began before she slapped him with her wing.

"No, you cut that out, flyboy. No more of this 'poor me' crap," she said sternly to keep up appearances, though inwardly she was grateful and maybe a little proud. "I pushed you onto the other team and...well, look, I smacked your wing too," she nodded at the bent-up primaries poking off the end of his right wing and winced, knowing that the pain in her leg was likely nothing compared to how his wing felt right now. He was either hiding it well or the adrenaline was keeping him from feeling it. Either way, she felt just as guilty if not more so. "If anything you got even, so just shut it. Let's focus on how we're gonna win cuz that'll make this worth it!"

"Heh, yeah," he nodded and forced a grin through the knife-like pain lancing through his right wing; it felt like something had popped when she hit him, though he wasn't sure what. He had to be strong for her though...man up, Volare! "So what's the plan?"

"Well, you could start by losing that saddlebag," Twilight patted the bag before leaning in towards his ear. "You know, since I'm not out there anymore." Dash heard her though and her eyes went wide in realization. "You'll be faster without it weighing you down."

"You planned this, Twi?" Dash asked in shock.

"Something like that," Twilight smiled. "You two'll probably beat the hay out of yourselves if you oppose each other, and what'll that get you besides more of this?" she nodded towards their well-deserved injuries. "If yesterday proved anything, you're better off working together, for better or worse. Besides, I'd only slow you down anyway," Twilight glanced past the duo at the impatient and uninjured Cloud Kicker. "So go get her!"

"You heard her, flyboy," Dash tugged at the saddlebag impatiently, her fighting spirit flaming back to life. "Lose the weight and let's get back out there! Win or lose, we'll go down fighting together!" She thumped him in the chest. "Am I right or am I right?"

"Heh, you got it, Boss," he grinned, but before he dropped the bag he had a second thought and pulled out the speaker box, remembering how it had helped them reach a different level yesterday. Solo Wing and Cipher at it again, eh? This is for you, Dashie...for us... He popped the earbuds in and concentrated on a song he felt fitting for this situation. Win or lose, they'd all know that she and him did it together today! He felt that sting of a pinch between his eyes, and wiped the blood from his nose before Twilight could notice before placing the box back on the ground and the earbuds back in the saddlebag. "Twi, when Derpy drops the ball, you hit that red button and levitate it where it's not pointed at anypony."

"The 11 one?"

"The 11 one," he winked and gave her a quick salute before jogging onto the field, Dash at his side. Twilight eyed the box leerily as Vinyl approached.

"What're you gonna do with that?" the DJ pointed at the box.

"Volare wants me to hit the 11 button when Derpy drops the ball-" But no sooner had she spoken then Vinyl's eyes went wide and she started waving everypony in the crowd back in a semi-panicked fashion. "Was it something I said?" Twilight cocked her head before shrugging and turning back to the field to levitate the speakerbox above the players.

"Heh, you're barely standing and you probably can't fly with your wing like that," Cloud Kicker chuckled as the two blue Pegasi approached, defiant and unrelenting as ever. "Still, I gotta give you guys props for having some stones. Hardly a complete Pegasus between ya, though-"

"Stuff it, Lieutenant!" Dash growled and flared her wings. "I can fly and he can run, and that's all we need...plus we got a secret weapon."

"You do?"

"We do?" Volare whispered, but Dash ignored him.

"Hay yeah we do! Just drop that ball and you'll find out what it is!" Dash looked back at Volare and winked. "Gotta warn ya though-it's a real doozy!" Volare understood what she meant and he matched her grin with one of his own. She was trying to beat Cloud Kicker at her own game and psyche her out. Barring that, they truly did have a secret weapon if that music worked like it did yesterday and pushed them to a new and unexpected level...he hoped that was enough to give them the edge.

"I'm ready," Cloud Kicker flared her wings and bared her teeth. "Hope you are!"

"Nah, better hope you are!" Dash shot back, and Volare had to resist facehoofing; gotta move above kindergarten level psyche-outs, Dashie.

"Heh, we'll see. Derpy!" Cloud Kicker looked up at the grey and blonde mare. "Drop it!"

"Righto! Go!" As the ball left Derpy's hooves, Twilight magically flicked the 11 button and pointed the box skywards as the music started...and would have blown a hole through any unfortunate low-hanging clouds had they drifted overhead.

The Buckby ball bounced once up in a lazy arc, and Cloud Kicker made a grab for it before the cowbell of the song's intro caught her by surprise, giving Dash just the split second she needed to kick off the ground and snatch the ball right out of Cloud Kicker's reach. The enchanted weight immediately dragged her groundwards, but as Cloud Kicker dove to snag the ball, Volare jumped in the way and threw a shoulder block into her ribs, knocking her sideways and giving them space to separate from their opponent.

"Not gonna be that easy, Kicky!" the pilot smirked and put himself between Dash and the weather mare, feeling the rock music's energy crackle through the air around them like lightning while the bass boomed like thunder, giving the blue duo a backing track unlike anything anypony had ever heard before. The sight of the two Pegasi poised to attack sent a strange feeling down their opponent's back...maybe this wouldn't be as easy as she thought!

"Damn," Cloud Kicker hissed and immediately retreated a few steps to see what they'd do. But instead of another head-on assault, Dash tossed the ball to Volare and together they charged her full-speed ahead. Hmph, nice try she snorted and backpedaled, deciding to put her back against the goal and dare them to get it past her. That strategy worked for a while as Dash and Volare took turns bucking and tossing the ball towards the goal-hoop, but to no avail. Time and again she only had to move a few feet in order to block the shots, and smirked, knowing they were at an impasse. She couldn't attack, and they couldn't break through her defenses.

Dash and Volare realized the same thing and fell back for a moment to contemplate their next move. "Damn, she's good," Dash gasped and wiped the sweat from her forehead, every other heaving breath loaded with curses towards her throbbing leg.

"She wasn't bluffing, that's for sure," Volare conceded. "She must have been listening during those Westhoof classes, cuz she's matching us move-for-move!"

"We gotta change things up flyboy, cuz if she catches the ball there's no way in Ponyhell we can stop her from taking it past us and scoring," Dash growled and pawed at the ground. "But how?!"

"That's it-we'll throw her a change-up," Volare grinned, both at his idea and the realization that the loud music was making it practically impossible for Cloud Kicker to hear their strategy.

"Say what?"

"It's a trick baseball pitchers use when the batter gets used to their pitch pattern. We change the speed and delivery up, it'll throw her off, and that's all the chance we need!" He nudged her shoulder. "You with me, Dashie?"

"To the end, flyboy," she grinned and nudged him back, neither one concerned with the significance of her words at the time, both only caring about winning a Buckby game at all costs. The simple game was their whole world, and they had no intention of losing as long as they could move.

"Alright then...remember that Thach-Weave Maneuver I told ya about?"

"Yeah, I do," she nodded, remembering that it was meant to force an opponent to split their attention between two wingmen. "But that only works in the air and the ball keeps us on the ground."

"Only if we hang onto it, Dashie," he winked and smirked. "Just follow my lead and she won't be able to stop us. You ready?"

"Ready," she nodded.

"Get airborne, Dashie!" he shouted and to Cloud Kicker's surprise, he galloped towards the opposite end of the field, Dash flying just above him.

"Hey flyboy!"

"Yep?"

"What's this music from?" Dash grinned down at him, bobbing her head to the grinding guitar beat, letting it flow through her just like yesterday.

"Zero!"

"Ha, I figured!" She threw her head back and laughed wildly. "So, you ready to do this, Solo Wing?"

"That's a stupid question, Dashie!"

"What the Ponyhell..." the Lieutenant muttered, utterly confused as to what they were doing. "Haha, running away?" she taunted, but something about the way they'd whispered and winked unsettled her. They had a plan, alright. Without warning, the duo turned and charged once more, but this time they began to touch-pass the ball between each other, Volare on the ground and Dash in the air. Because Dash wasn't holding it, she didn't have to run, and soon Volare gained enough speed to spread his own wings and fly at a low altitude, still passing the ball between himself and her. "That's cheating!" Cloud Kicker shouted in desperation, her eyes threatening to go Derpy on her as she tried to keep track of the rapidly-moving ball as the passes and running/flying routes crossed and recrossed each other in a blur of light and dark blue fur and feathers. Back and forth, up and down, side to side, faster and faster, closer and closer and closer!

"Apparently not!" Dash crowed as she batted the ball back to Volare a final time before diving straight at Cloud Kicker, a merciless grin on her face.

"Hey, hey, hey, no tackling defenders!" Cloud Kicker shouted and threw up her hooves to defend herself. But at the last moment, Dash pulled up and Volare tossed the ball up and slapped it with his wing, sending it spiraling towards the top of the goal hoop. It bounced off the brass ring just as Dash finished executing a forward loop. She saw the blue and white ball in sailing into her periphery and felt the music flow from her mind to her heart like a surge of lightning, and she cocked a devilish grin of anticipation. The prismatic mare focused on the ball, breathed out, and kicked downwards in an arc, catching the ball with her good back-leg and redirecting it with a mighty kick off of the distracted Cloud Kicker's back...and through the goal hoop.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGG!!!! went the goal chime as Dash crashed towards the ground, a satisfied smile on her face as she grinned up into the sun, distantly realizing that her landing was going to hurt like Ponyhell. But to her pleasant surprise, instead of the hard ground, a soft set of hooves caught her, their owner landing on his flank with an oof as her full weight struck him. Dash turned to look, but as this point wasn't terribly surprised to see who'd caught her.

"Heh-*gasp*-you ok-*huff*-Dashie?" Volare winced at the pain in his wing as the music and adrenaline faded.

"D-did...did we...w-win?" Dash gasped as Volare hugged her, glad she wasn't injured any worse.

"Yeah...yeah we did!"

"Cool," she chuckled and brushed a hoof across his mane. "You may suck at first, but you're alright, flyboy," she said just as the other ponies in attendance rushed in to help them up.

"That was rad!" Vinyl pumped a hoof and thumped Volare on the back. "The way you guys just...synced up like that was nuts! It's gotta be that crystal!"

"Vinyl, there you are!" Twilight collared the DJ and hauled her to the side. "You've got some explaining to do about these crazy crystals you turned into a weapon of potential mass destruction!"

"Whoa, whoa, what the hay did I miss while I was gone?" Vinyl lifted her shades in worry before Cloud Kicker spoke up.

"Guys, guys, give'em room!" the Weather Lieutenant shoved the other ponies away from the barely-standing Dash and Volare. Satisfied that they had enough to space to breathe, the lavender mare turned and faced her victorious challengers and grasped both their forehooves in turn. "You won fair and square. Sorry I was such a plot-hole, Boss...Volare. Can you forgive me?"

"Yeah, it's cool-agh," Dash winced as she gingerly tested her back leg-nope! "Just...good meeting you guys...c'mon, Volare. Let's just get back to my place."

"Hey, lemme at least fly you guys up there!" Cloud Kicker protested, feeling like an absolute jackass for causing those two to injure each other like that. But try as she might, they refused her help; the best she could offer was to retrieve Volare's speakerbox and saddlebag before following them to Dash's home in case they fell out of the air, leaving Twilight and the others behind before they realized the trio had even left during the post-game confusion. It was just as well, as Twilight felt that she'd wring all three of their necks, Volare and Dash's with hugs and Cloud Kicker's with her bare hooves!

...................................
Rainbow Dash's House, Late Afternoon...

"Ahh....that feels soooo good," Volare groaned as he stood under the shower cloud in Dash's bathroom, letting the steaming water roll off his aching limbs and wing, the heat soothing his body like nothing else he imagined could possibly do at the moment. He didn't even bother scrubbing himself of the turf and dirt crammed into his wing feathers and fur; he just stood there, his forehead resting against the cloud-wall, alone with the pounding roar of the water...nearly drifting off to sleep on his hooves...

"Heya, flyboy," a husky voice right next to his ear snapped him back to reality and he jumped sideways in surprise at the sight of Rainbow Dash standing just outside the shower. She was filthy and disheveled, and favoring her injured left hindleg, but that did almost nothing to hide the small smirk of amusement at the sight of Volare practically leaping through the cloud wall, all because she walked in on him in the shower. Seriously, what was his deal with that?

"Jesus, Dash," Volare shook his mane. "Scared the hell outta me. Um...you mind?" he motioned for her to leave, but she simply rolled her eyes incredulously and made to step in. "Dash, what're you-?"

"Look dude, I don't care about your crazy naked taboos, ok?" she hopped over the lip of the tub with her front hooves. "I'm hot, I'm filthy, I stink, and I'm tired and sore, so either move over or get the hay out."

"But-"

"My shower, my rules," she replied defiantly, and he rubbed his face with a hoof as he considered his options. On the one hoof, the water felt great on his aching body, but on the other hoof, he'd be showering with Rainbow Dash...or was that second option on the first hoof? Was it bad or good? Either way, he apparently took too long in his decision because Dash simply snorted and hopped all the way in the tub, forcing herself under the warm water with him and sighing in relief. "Ahh...man there's nothing better than that, eh flyboy?" she nudged him with her muzzle and he chuckled nervously before stepping back to give her some room.

"Not much matches it," he nodded and made to finally start scrubbing himself so he could get out, deciding that showering with her risked too many...strange behaviors. Not strange in a bad sense, and he'd be lying if this wasn't some sort of every brony's fantasy-showering with Rainbow Dash-but it was...gah, whether it mattered to her or not, it was too soon and weird for him, and furthermore-

"Agh...ow," Dash hissed in pain as she attempted to place her weight on her back leg and received a lancing pain from the cramped muscle beneath her Cutie Mark. Volare paused in the action of leaving the shower to look back at her with concern. "I'm fine, just...just get out if you want to," Dash waved a wing and set her teeth again, tears starting from her eyes as she tried once more to put weight on her leg. But all she managed to do was make a noise that Volare never in his life would have believed could have come out of her throat: an absolutely pitiful whimper of pain that she did her best to hide only because she wasn't alone. It tore at Volare's heart, it made him want to hug her, to comfort her, to do whatever it took to make the pain stop...the fact that it was a pain he'd put there made it hurt all the more, and he stepped back into the shower.

"Dashie, I-"

"I said I'm fine, dude," Dash insisted, trying to reach her back leg with a hoof to rub the muscle knot away, but that meant she was standing on two legs and could neither keep her balance, nor could she get enough leverage to massage the cramped muscle. With a groan of frustration, she toppled sideways into Volare, and he caught her, drawing a mortified chuckle from her lips. "Sorry flyboy...I'm just...damn. You mind lending a hoof here?"

"How?"

"You know...could you rub my...my flank? I mean, I'd go to Fluttershy's, but we're already here and...yeah," Dash asked, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at both the request itself as well as its nature: she was angry that she couldn't help herself and, no matter how much she trusted Volare, she was still basically asking a stallion to feel her up. Meanwhile, Volare's mind was fogged over a few miles away, realizing that he was not only showering with Rainbow Dash, but she wanted him to give her a rubdown as well.

No, no dude, she needs your help! He physically slapped himself hard enough to draw a strange look from Rainbow Dash, but he blinked twice and nodded nervously. "Y-yeah, I guess so," he licked his lips and added: "But only cuz you need my help, ok?"

"Ok," Dash nodded, feeling a little better that he'd pointed that out himself without the need for a reminder from her. Even so, she couldn't help but moan slightly as he tentatively touched her flank, lightly running his hoof over her toned form despite himself before realizing he had no idea what to do; he was a pilot, not a masseuse!

"Um...where's it hurt?" he asked dumbly, and received an eye-roll and a tail-flick from Dash in response.

"Oh pretty much around the big swollen spot," Dash replied with a sardonic snort, and Volare again ran his hooves along her leg, searching for it. But he was trying too low, and Dash finally facehoofed and placed his hoof on it herself. "Ugh, do I have to spell it out for ya? There, right under my Cutie Mark."

"Ah...r-right," he nodded and withheld the crack about the irony of a pony getting a Charley Horse as he began to rub the swollen muscle knot in gentle circles, starting from the outside and working his way inwards, subconsciously avoiding touching her Cutie Mark as much as he could to the point that she took notice and softened her tone.

"Hey," she nudged him with a wing and met his eyes with hers peeking out from behind her fiery forelock. "You can touch my Cutie Mark; it won't bite," she chuckled softly as Volare's hoof finally trailed up onto it, and he noted that it felt smoother than the surrounding fur, as well as warmer, and it twitched slightly beneath his hoof as he massaged it. "You kinda touched the Tartarus outta it earlier anyway!"

"Yeah...sorry," he apologized yet again, and once more received an eye-roll and a tail flick.

"Will you stop apologizing, dude? You've got nothing to feel sorry for, ok?" she nuzzled his shoulder for a moment before pulling back. "Hey, your Captain just asked you a question. Ok?"

"Pulling rank on me too, eh?" Volare's attempt at a joke eased Dash's worries and she flicked him with her tail again, this time playfully across the nose.

"Don't you forget it. And stop fooling around back there," she felt his touch leave her for a moment before he caught her smirk and realized it was just a dirty joke. "Stop being nice and put a little something into it, dude."

"That could be dirty," he remarked, and she hoofed him with a laugh as he went back to massaging the knot.

"Heh, not giving yourself much credit, flyboy," she smirked at him until he realized what she meant by that, and he snorted indignantly.

"Hmph, like you'd know."

"How do you know I wouldn't?" Dash's eyes flashed devilishly and Volare sensed his feeble defenses begin to crumble as he felt a stirring along his wings.

"Cuz I'd just know, ok?" he shot back lamely, but she merely chuckled again.

"You gotta sleep sometime-ow!" she yelped as he tweaked the muscle knot. "Easy back there or I'll be trotting funny for a week!" Volare paused and their eyes met once more, and after a short pause where both tried to hold back their laughter, the dam broke and a rather immature flood of giggles burst from their mouths.

"Oho, who's giving me credit now, Dashie?" Volare teased as he seized the offensive.

"Dream on, dude. You couldn't handle me," she shot back as he continued to massage the knot, and she reflexively ground her forehead into his shoulder as a fresh bout of pain lanced through her leg. "Ah, that feels good...anyway, you'd be done in-ouch-ten seconds...flat-yah!" she felt her right leg nearly collapse beneath her and her wings flare in alarm as she swore Volare had stabbed her with a wingblade right in the Cutie Mark.

"Jeez, I'm sorry, Dashie!"

"Stop apologizing dammit!" she growled and ground her teeth together. "Just...you've almost got it...press harder, I can feel it loosening!"

"Ok, but it's gonna hurt-"

"I know it's gonna hurt, and it's ok," she cracked an eye and looked up at him with an expression halfway between pleading and dread. "Just...do it...please, for me...no cabbages, ok?"

"Ok," he folded a comforting wing over her back and nodded grimly before resuming his task. But after a few moments of her trying to hold back by grinding her teeth, he halted once more and held up his hoof to her mouth.

"Volare, what're you-?"

"Bite," his order was a strange one and she cocked her head in confusion. "Dash, I can hear you grinding your teeth, so just...just bite my hoof, ok?"

"Dude, no that's stupid. I'll just-"

"Dash, I'm not gonna have you breaking your teeth cuz of me," he snorted and stared at her, his silver-blue eyes blazing with an intensity she'd seen before. "So just...bite, ok?"

"O-ok," she nodded and took his hoof in her mouth for a moment. "But I-"

"Bruises heal, broken teeth don't, and it's as simple as that. Now bite if you have to, Dashie," he felt her tears run down on his hoof as she took it in her mouth once more and he resumed his massaging. "It'll be ok...it'll be ok...it'll be ok," he repeated softly and squinched his eyes shut as she felt her teeth mash painfully into his hoof, but he knew that every bit of pain he felt was one less bit she had to feel...and in some crazy portion of his mind, that made it all ok. Her grunts and whimpers echoed through the bathroom and out into her house, and Volare found himself thankful they were so far up in the air...and swearing that if Cloud Kicker was eavesdropping on them right now that he'd talk Trixie into turning her into a rat or something. At the very least the thoughts distracted him from the pain in his hoof as Dash ground down and simply let the tears flow. Towards the end, when the knot finally loosened and he heard Dash cry out in pain and relief, he thought he felt the skin of his hoof break, but when she withdrew her teeth as she panted, he saw that it was just deep bruising, and nothing more.

"Heh-held back for ya, flyboy," she smiled and rested her head on his shoulder for a moment before lowering her leg to the shower floor with a sigh of relief. "Wow...thanks...thank you," she reflexively reached up and for the second time in as many days, she kissed him gently below the ear before she even realized what she was doing. Once again, Volare froze up and stared at her in shock, while she cleared her throat loudly and aloofly tossed the water off her mane to hide her blushing face. "Right...so yeah, thanks."

"Yep, you're welcome," Volare said tersely before stumbling out of the shower. But before he could get half a step, he heard a small gasp from behind him, and he whirled around, thinking that Dash's leg had locked back up or something. But instead of her clutching her leg, she was staring at the bent-up feathers on his right wing. "What?"

"Dude, your wing."

"Yeah, the feathers are a little bent, so?" but his shrug was cut off as Dash grabbed him by the shoulder and nearly yanked him off his hooves back into the shower. Yep, her leg was just fine! "Whoa, what the hell?!"

"Don't you know anything about feathers, Volare?" Dash rolled her eyes and before Volare could stop her, she brushed a hoof along the darkened mark encircling the base of his right wing, causing the wing to extend against his will.

"Whoa, whoa, hang on a sec here!" he cried and tried to pull away, but she buffeted him across the muzzle with a wing and glared at him.

"Dude, If you don't fix these feathers they'll set that way and then you won't be able to fly right!"

"Oh...I thought you were-"

"Really, dude?" she rolled her eyes and hoofed him. "What kinda mare you take me for?"

"Well, considering our past wing encounters plus our conversation just a second ago..."

"Pfft, trust me as unlikely as that is, if I ever get that interested, you'll be the first to know and there won't be any if's, buts, or maybe's," she smirked up at him. "Plus you got your other little taboo."

"And yet you still find amusement in tormenting me with it."

"Only cuz it's too easy and I'm an efficient bitch and all," she chuckled and snapped her tail at his flank.

"Oh hardy-hard-har...and that's no fair," he grumbled and swished his short tail feebly. "You've got a longer tail than me...can't even fight back there."

"Pfft, I'm sure you'll figure out something," she nipped his shoulder playfully before turning back to his wing. "Now settle down and relax so I can figure out what the hay you did here."

"You mean what you did," he replied as Dash spread his wing and blocked his view of her for the moment.

"Oh...right," Dash chuckled to hide the sting she felt from that little comment before re-focusing on the feathers. "Well, let's see...got three bent-up primaries...two bent-secondaries...and oh, a broken primary."

"Is that bad?" Volare asked, unable to see what she was doing...what was she doing? It felt like...it felt...like...wait, why'm I getting all light-headed? "Dashie, what're you doing back there?"

"Preening your feathers back into place," Dash answered matter of factly as a sharp twinge of pain cut through his wing for a moment before she held up the broken feather with a hoof for him to see. But as she dropped it to the floor that strange tingling sensation returned.

"With your mouth?"

"Duh, how else?" Dash pulled his wing back down till she was in view once more. "Wanna watch?"

"Uh, actually-whoa..." Volare couldn't help the little moan that escaped his lips as Dash's lips went back to work on the sensitive leading edge of his wing. The sight of her preening his wing, her mouth working up and down and along the barbs of the shafts and the fluffy down around their bases coupled with the feeling of absolute, total bliss caused Volare's eyes to roll into his head and his tongue to loll out slightly. "Dashie, this is...wow...wow..."

"Heh, feels good, huh?" she smiled and continued. "All Pegasi gotta preen their wings or else they'll get dirty, won't stay oily, and won't grow right, ya know? We only preen the feathers of other Pegasi we know and care for, like family...or..." Loved ones. she nearly said before realizing how that might sound and how that might ruin the good mood she'd put him in. "...really close friends. Ya know, like you and me."

"Heh...we're really close friends, Dashie?" Volare murmured through the steam of the shower water that bled into the fog of his mind, and Dash paused once more before scolding herself for even thinking twice about that.

"Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be? I mean, we've saved each other's plots half a dozen times combined, probably..." And...and he respects me like a mare instead of...some trophy... "...I think I'm winning that one though. Got like four saves to my name since you got here, heh-heh."

"You're keeping score?"

"I don't see why not."

"Forgive me for sounding like a broken record here, but is everything a game to you?"

"Yep, and I play to win 24/7," she poked his shoulder in emphasis and smirked. "But...maybe I'll let ya win every now and again, ya know, like a change of pace or something."

"Thanks, Dashie," she felt his chin on top of her head and she looked up to see him smiling gratefully. The sight of his silver-blue eyes and smile framed by the falling water and steam made her heart flutter for a moment, but she quickly stomped it down with a gentle nip to his wing, making him jump in surprise.

"Heehee, oh don't thank me for having fun, flyboy," she returned to his wing and made sure she kept eye contact with him this time, batting her eyes every so often as she moved up his wing, licking, biting, and preening all the way to the shoulder...and then all the way back down again, never breaking her stare with him as she did so, moving as slowly, sensually, and teasingly as she possibly could, punctuating her actions with the gentle sucking of the shower water from the shafts every few seconds. She giggled in her throat as she felt his wing trying to lift, and saw his left one rising until it stood straight as a ship's mast, but he was so focused on her that he either didn't notice or didn't care.

He was getting lost in her eyes and actions to the point that he'd forgotten he was sharing a shower with her. To his mind, the falling rainwater was just that: falling rainwater, and every fiber of his being yearned for more, threatening to burst the dam of his self-control.
It was only the sudden realization that Dash would probably break his nose that brought him out of the growing fog of his thoughts...
Freak.
Liar.
Pervert.
...and his wing suddenly snapped out of her grasp to his side, causing her to give him a look of confusion. "Sorry Dashie, I um...ahem...think I'm done showering."

"Whoa, I don't think so, dude," Dash grasped his wing again with a smirk. "Still gotta straighten out a few shafts and-"

"I'll figure it out, thank you very much," he replied, but she had his wing grasped tightly in her teeth.

"With my help," she mumbled through the feathers, which caused her tongue to tickle right against the Alula nerve, making Volare yelp in surprise and yank Dash off her hooves into him. The pair crashed out of the shower and onto the floor in a wet heap, and Volare barely had time to scramble to his hooves in embarrassment before Dash snagged him by the tail and tried to yank him back down. "Where ya going, flyboy?" she teased as he broke free and clamored on top of the bathroom cabinet.

"I have no idea, but it's not gonna be in a shower with you, you, you...back off, you crazy bitch!"

"Hey, efficient bitch, and I know what I'm doing, buddy!" she grinned.

"Gah, stop being so damn ironic!" Volare grabbed up a long-handled scrub-brush and used it to fend off Dash for a few moments before she grabbed him by a hoof and yanked him off the counter-top, tossing him across the bathroom and into the cloud-wall with a puff of fluff. Her fighting blood was up again, and though she really hated to admit it to even herself, she might have been a tiny bit turned on from their little "post-awesome, rubbed-it-in-Cloud Kicker's-face" victory preening session.

"Rawr, get back here, flyboy!" Dash growled and leaped for him again, but he scrambled to his hooves and out the door, flying down the staircase as if he'd never had a problem with his wings to begin with. Dash quickly followed though she kinda regretted it, as the cold wind blowing through the house struck her wet body, and it wasn't until she looked back in the bathroom that she realized that Volare had taken the only towel on his way out the door. Damn!
"Dude, where're ya hiding? You took the only towel and it's freezing in here!"

"Heh, who's winning now, Dashie?" Volare's voice rang out from downstairs, and the cyan mare fluffed her feathers and fur up before heading downstairs, grumbling at every step.

"C'mon, gimme the towel, Volare!" she shouted, but all she heard was his chuckle. Cocking a brow, Dash keyed in on the laughter and took to the air. It only took a single lap around the room before she spotted his short tail poking out from under the dining room tablecloth. "Ha, gotcha!" she cried and dove, but he heard her shout and leaped out of the way at the last moment, causing Dash to crash into the table and send it flying across the room.

"Ha, missed me-heeheeheehahahahaha!!!" Volare couldn't help the giggle-fit that struck him as he caught sight of Rainbow Dash all fluffed up and flustered.

"What's so funny?" she cried and shook the table cloth from her head.

"L-look at you...you're so...fluffy! Bwahahaha!!!" The pilot fell on his flank, laughing fit to kill and helpless to move as Dash stalked over and stood over him, a blush of anger and embarrassment spread across her face.

"I'll show you fluffy!" she growled and fell upon him once more, pinning him to the floor and running her wingtips over his chest and belly, tickling him mercilessly.

"Agh-ohahahah-n-noonono-hohohahahaha-staaaawp!" Volare tried to wiggle away, but she had him firmly pinned to the floor.

"Oh no, you thought it'd be funny to laugh at me, buddy, and now you're gonna learn the hard way why ya don't!" she smirked deviously as she continued her tickle attack, and in desperation Volare snapped the towel he still had grasped in his hoof off her flank, causing her to yelp in surprise. He took the opportunity to grab her forehooves and pull them off himself, but that merely made her fall forward, leaving them chest to chest and muzzle to muzzle. Their eyes met, they realized their rather compromised position, and they instantly froze. Time seemed to stand still as their ragged, gasping breaths intermingled and their hammering hearts pounded out a desperate, simultaneous tattoo of fiery energy.

"Uh...h-hi," Volare said the first thing that came to mind.

"Hi," Dash breathed back, unsure of what was about to happen. Just like yesterday, she felt a swirl of emotions rush through her, but unlike yesterday she couldn't chalk it up to some life or death crisis...this was just a little tussle in the living room floor...nothing more...right? "We...um..."

"Yeah..." he swallowed nodded slightly, causing his cotton-dry mouth to come within a fraction of hers.

Dash held her breath, part of her telling her to get off of him and chew him out for trying to get a little action, and another, smaller though even noisier part of her saying it was ok...
"Volare, I..."

"Dash," Volare's eyes searched her own as he too struggled inwardly...but there was too much in the way, too many secrets, too many lies...and not enough truth and trust...and as competitive as Dash was, if they kept going, they wouldn't stop until she- No...it's not right. Plus she was kinda his boss now, so... "We kinda trashed the table," his eyes broke from hers and flicked towards the collapsed food furnishing.

"Hmph, I suppose we did," Dash breathed a sigh of (relief, regret? What the hay's wrong with me?!) and rolled off of him and onto her back on the fluffy floor, doing her best to catch her breath before noticing the chill in the air again. She shivered and sat up, only to find the towel being draped across her shoulders by the madly-blushing pilot.

"S-sorry bout that," he twiddled his hooves and she dried her mane and wings.

"Sorry for what?"

"The table. I'll pay for it-"

"Oh feather the table," Dash stood and helped him to his hooves. Her heart was still pounding and she felt a little light-headed. She fluttered to the couch and flopped down on it, beckoning Volare to join her. "C'mon, I can see you all wet and shivering from here. Let's sit a bit, catch our breath and dry off."

"C-can't argue with that logic-brrrr!" Volare shivered once more as a gust of wind blew through the house. "G-gotta get some central heating in here or something," he chuckled as he joined Dash on the couch. Before he could argue, she snuggled up against him, gave him a look that brooked no argument, and laid her head against his shoulder. Within moments, he felt much warmer, and their combined body heat helped to dry them fairly quickly.

Close proximity sit and chat sessions had become somewhat of a norm for Dash and him since Autumn had been brought in due to the problems inherent with having a house made of clouds, such as not being able to have a fireplace for example. Dash explained that in Cloudsdale the houses were kept warm via strong enchantments that blocked the wind, and via skylights that trapped the sun's warmth, but the buildings there were massive and able to hold much more heat than her relatively small house. She dealt with it by wearing scarves and earmuffs, as well as simply moving the house closer to the ground in the winter.

Even so, it was an imperfect system, and on days like today, where the wind was howling like a timberwolf at higher altitudes, the chill of early winter sliced right through the cloud walls of her tower and raised goosebumps on their necks even after they were dry and warm. What Dash didn't tell him however, was that rare was the time when she had another pony around to help keep her warm...or vice versa. It was a rather pleasant change of pace, but since she didn't want to seem weird and needy, she kept it to herself. Still...it was nice.

"Feeling better?" Dash broke the silence of the cloud tower with a nudge of her temple on Volare's neck.

"Hmm?"

"You stopped shivering, so I figured...yeah." Dash sat up and stretched her hooves over her head, allowing the pilot a little space of his own. He unintentionally matched her in movement and cracked his neck, met with an even louder crack from Dash's vertebrae.

"Hmph, deja vue, eh Dashie?" he cocked a brow, recalling the day they'd "competed" in cracking their joints.

"Heh, a little bit, yep," she smirked and popped her jaw before standing up and tossing the damp towel over Volare's head. "So, I got a question."

"Yep?" Volare pitched the towel aside and cocked his head up at her.

"You said that music was from Zero, right? Why that music?"

"Hmm, whatcha mean?"

"I mean, you coulda picked any old song outta your noggin," she booped his nose. "But why that one?"

"Oh, I see whatcha mean," he nodded and scratched his chin for a moment, searching for the right way to put it. "Well...in the game's story, Cipher and Solo Wing got involved in a big air fight where their allies were getting beaten pretty badly. They showed up in the nick of time, turned the tide of battle against all odds, and earned the respect and admiration of every enemy and ally that saw them there that day. I just figured that, win or lose, that music would fit because it'd show that we kicked ass together...I dunno," he grinned sheepishly. "It was a stupid thought."

"No, I don't think so," Dash smiled and hopped up on the back of the couch and strutted along it. "I mean, you're right: we were just like Solo Wing and Cipher. We went out there, didn't show fear, worked together and bam!" She looped up into the air and flopped down next to him with a grin. "We won...great game by the way," she held out her hoof and he bumped it.

"Heh, thanks."

"Great music too...man, you didn't say that game had rock music in it!"

"Actually, that one doesn't have a lot of rock music. It's more along the lines of that flamenco music and dramatic orchestral stuff."

"Yeah, as cool as that is...what other rock music you got in your head?" she flicked his mane and smiled expectantly.

"You were playing the subtly game fairly well, Dashie, why the sudden lack of patience?"

"Pfft, would you just get your crazy music stuff and bring it over here?" Dash practically bounced in place as Volare retrieved the speakerbox and earbuds and noticed her fidgeting.

"Heh, somepony's excited."

"Yeah, well...it's cuz it's good stuff, ok?" Dash fixed him with a look that he couldn't quite read...was that a pleading look in her eye?

"Mhm, it sure is," Volare nodded and took his time setting up, relishing in pushing her buttons for once.

"Grrr, hurry up, dude! I wanna rock out!"

"Haha, ok, ok! Ever heard the phrase patience is a virtue?" Dash replied with a glare that could send a Cockatrice packing. "Oh, right...ok then, just say please," he smirked and had to dodge as she took a swipe at his nose.

"Ha, when pigs fly!"

"Didn't they when Discord was here?"

"...you're really gonna make me say 'please', huh?"

"Eeyup."

"Gah, alright fine," she winced and groaned loudly. "...please."

"Good enough," Volare smiled, figuring he'd pushed his luck far enough. "Ok, let's see here...I'd ask who you'd wanna listen to, but I doubt you'd know anyone from Earth...do you?"

"Um...well, I mean I saw some things on billboards and stuff while flying around, but I don't think they were rock bands," Dash shrugged. "I think I remember something called Burger King, though....who's the king and what's a burger?"

"Uh, eh-heh...his name escapes me," Volare chuckled nervously, deciding he'd better change the subject from burgers to something else, cuz although Twilight had taken it with a scientific grain of salt, he seriously doubted Rainbow Dash would react as calmly. "That does answer something I've been wondering though."

"Huh, what's that?"

"I noticed you use a good bit more Earth slang than other ponies around here, and I was wondering if you'd picked it up from billboards or something," he smiled and fiddled with the speakerbox for a moment, setting the volume near the low end so as to not blast the house apart. "Guess I was right."

"Yeah, you humans are kinda weird. Those billboards take up all that sky and flying space and have got some weird messages on them. Like, there's this big checkmark-shaped one that said "Just Do It." Just do what?" She shrugged and squinted at Volare's suppressed chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Dashie, nothing," he shook his head and popped an earbud in. "Ok, don't freak out, but this makes my nose bleed when I use it."

"Eww, why?"

"I dunno, Vinyl left a message but she spilled coffee on it. Plus she's not supposed to be back till this evening, so..."

"What the-but I saw her in the crowd today."

"Crap, lemme go ask her about this stuff real quick-" he began to fly off but she caught his hoof and gave him a look.

"Please stay," she said firmly and pulled him back to the couch, worried that if he left and Twilight or Vinyl said not to use the speakerbox then she wouldn't get to hear the music again. It was a little selfish, but besides a little weird behavior they were ok so far, right? "I'll get you a towel for your nose." She zipped into the kitchen and returned with a roll of paper towels before Volare could argue and plopped herself back down next to him. She motioned with a hoof towards the speakerbox and when Volare hesitated she did something he never would have expected: she gave him the puppy eyes...or at least she tried to. She must have been really out of practice because it looked more like a combination of fish eyes and Derpy Hooves.

Note to self: puppy eyes only work with foals. Still, it was a good try and he finally sighed and relented.
"Heh, ok...I'll bleed a little for you."

"Sweet, thanks!" she pumped a hoof, nuzzled him, blushing slightly before bouncing a bit again. For the first time since he'd met her, Volare thought she looked kinda adorable, but he feared his nose might bleed more than he planned, so he kept it to himself. "Play something, um...say, you got any girl rockers on your planet?"

"Ha, as a matter of fact we do have some good ones," Volare smirked and put in the earbuds, thankful that Vinyl had said he only had to bleed once for each song; once they were in the box, they were there for good. "There weren't many lead female rockers, and so the ones that made it big kinda had to develop this tough-girl image, I guess so they didn't seem vulnerable...kinda reminds me of you, actually," Volare's frank words resonated within Dash, but before she could say anything he gave her a little grin and a nod. A small pinch and a wipe of the nose later, and the music began...

...................................
Vinyl and Octavia's Duplex...

"Ok, so these things do what, exactly?" Twilight levitated one of the Appalantean crystals that had tumbled from the small bag Vinyl had showed her when she'd taken the Librarian back to her place to explain the crystals in detail. Vinyl levitated one of the clear crystals and held it up so it caught the light. She'd been polishing them lately to increase their clarity. A half-filled cup of vodka sat next to the DJ's hoof, the other half already swilling in her belly.

"They work just like the focusing gems in my sound equipment," the DJ waved a hoof at the collection of amplifiers and subwoofers piled by the back wall. "They help focus and amplify my musical thoughts through my horn. These crystals work the same way, except their structure is so much more uniform than any old gem, which puts the clarity of the sound generated through the roof. This one little baby here powered everything on my tour," she grinned proudly. "The imagery totally blew those ponies' minds up in Manehattan too."

"Imagery?"

"Oh yeah, what I'm seeing in my head can be projected through my equipment too. Remember The Griffin opening?"

"Oh, so that's what that was. Kinda like a full live show, right?"

"Exactly," Vinyl took a sip of her drink before continuing. "Anyway, that can be done with enough practice with any gem, but that sorta spell can really wear a mare out, ya know? These crystals are so sought after cuz they make it that much easier to put your thought images out there for everypony to see. Hay, I'll bet even ol' Volare could probably do it without my help if he practiced with that red one enough...although there's a bit of an issue with that one."

"This sort of red one?" Twilight held up the second red crystal, and Vinyl nodded.

"Yeah, it's...got a lot more potential beyond simple sound and imagery amplification." The DJ looked left and right (though there was obviously nopony there) and leaned across the table in conspiratorial fashion. "Some say the red ones were hidden away by Celestia herself because of what they can do, and that they're not even originally from Appalantea. You haven't told Celestia about them, have you?"

"What? Why would they be hidden? And no, I haven't told her," Twilight recoiled slightly, feeling like she really shouldn't be hearing this. "Where are they originally from?"

"I honestly don't know, I'm just going by what I heard on the grapevine," Vinyl shrugged and took another sip before pausing and speaking into her cup. "Still...rumors gotta start somewhere, right?"

"Yeah, but...why would she hide them? What's so bad about them?" Twilight looked at the red crystal in a cautiously curious new light, like a scientist might a snake they suddenly realized was poisonous, making it all that much more fascinating.

"It's not necessarily that they're bad, though I can see how they could be abused," Vinyl sat her drink down and picked up the crystal. "Check this out." With a flick of energy from her horn, she squinted her eyes shut, the crystal began to glow, and suddenly Twilight's mind was washed over by a flood of imagery from Vinyl's tour...no not just imagery, emotion! She felt everything Vinyl did at every single moment in the memory chain, from excitement when the show began, to horror and disbelief when the ceiling caught fire (again), to wobbly drunkenness and nausea at the after-party. In fact, the feeling of sickness was so strong that when Vinyl's short demonstration ended, Twilight very nearly ran for the bathroom before stopping herself once she realized she was just fine.

"Whoa, that was...what the hay was that?!" she gaped as Vinyl fumbled around under the table, coming back up with a bloody nose and a rag. "Oh, did you hurt yourself?"

"Nah, it's a freaky side-effect of these things," Vinyl wiped her nose and snorted lightly. "That doesn't come free, you know. Kinda tweaks your brain when you use it and I guess that's what causes the nose bleeds."

"What was that?"

"It's tough getting info on these things, which kinda lends weight to the whole "Celestia is covering something up" conspiracy if you ask me, but it could be cuz these things are so rare and old that nopony knows exactly," Vinyl caught herself once she realized she was going on a very Twilight-esque ramble. "Anyway, the best I can figure out is these red ones allow the listener to feel the emotions of the one using it. You felt them?"

"Yeah, I did," Twilight wiped her mouth and nodded. "And I guess I could see how that could be abused. Nearly made me vomit against my will."

"Eh-heh yeah, that was a crazy party," Vinyl grinned sheepishly. "Kinda goes beyond making ponies vomit, though. Imagine if a DJ like me could make the audience not only see or hear what's going on in my head, but actually feel it."

"You could bend them to your will," Twilight muttered in worry.

"Yeah, if I was evil," Vinyl hoofed Twilight in the shoulder and laughed. "But I don't think anypony like that's ever existed except for maybe Luna when she was Nightmare Moon, but I don't think making us her slaves was her goal anyway," she shrugged. "Meh, I guess if somepony was bad enough they could do it like that, but like I said: you ever heard of anypony like that in history?"

"No, actually I haven't," Twilight shook her head, wracking her brains for a moment but coming up empty. Vinyl was right: the only prominent evil pony in their history was Nightmare Moon, and she'd been defeated before any real harm was done. The history books and Twilight's personal encounter with the Mare in the Moon proved that! "So why the secrecy?"

"Dunno, like I said, it's probably cuz they're just really rare. But just in case, let's keep this on the down-low till we figure out more on these things, ok?" Vinyl held out a hoof, and with reluctance, Twilight bumped it.

"I'm just worried a bit," the lavender Unicorn said as Vinyl investigated the bottom of her suddenly-empty cup.

"Bout what?"

"Well, Volare's got that other red crystal, right?"

"Yep."

"Well...is there any chance of him passing on his emotions like that if he plays music through that box?" Twilight winced at the memory of the nightmare she's scried into a while back. The dead bodies, the flaming skull, the blood-filled envelope...she couldn't imagine that would go over well if he played something and everypony was suddenly hit by something like that.

"Huh-nah, he doesn't have a way of passing them on or projecting them that I know of," Vinyl tossed her mane and sat her cup down with a sigh. "Kinda lacking in the horn department, ya know...though he could sync somepony up with another crystal or use those earbuds or something...I dunno the specifics of how his body works," she shrugged again. "I mean, somepony'd have to be magic-sensitive like you and me, or really receptive to begin with for them to feel anything at all besides the sound of the music; like desiring to feel that way. In any case, it'd be pretty obvious if they were cuz they'd act in a way they normally wouldn't. Like, above and beyond the norm."

In a way they normally wouldn't...oh holy horseapples, Twilight's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she looked South towards Rainbow Dash's house, hoping against hope that Volare and Dash weren't doing strange things with that crystal. Normally she'd consider the idea of turning the Library Basement into a blast shelter to be a bit excessive, but at the rate of crazy those two were going, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

..............................

Volare wiped his nose once more and tossed the blood-spotted towel into the ever-growing pile of crimson-stained cloths. He shook his head and sighed as he looked up to see Dash doing a crazy looping, diving, dodging flight routine to the music, grinning and tossing her mane at every other strum of the guitar. He'd exhausted his knowledge of classic female rockers, from Pat Benetar, to Anne and Nancy Wilson of Heart, and even played a little Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks, but even though Dash grinned widely and pranced to each song like a wild desert wind spirit, she was still wanting for more. And when she came down from the latest song, she was wearing a look almost akin to disappointment.

"Man, I thought female rockers would have, like...better stuff than that," she grumbled a bit as she flopped back down next to Volare. The heat from her flight radiated from her body and her breath came in quick gasps, but her eyes burned passionately, still yearning for something more. "I mean, the other stuff you played by guy rockers was really kick flank, but all these girls wanna sing about is lovey-dovey crap...yech."

"Heh-heh, that's kinda how it was back then," Volare shrugged, having a feeling that explaining that rock culture still somewhat forced women to sing about "acceptable" topics like love in order to make a living would only upset her and earn him a buffet upside the head. But as Dash growled and kicked her hooves in frustration, a smirk sprang to Volare's lips. "However..." Dash's ears perked up. "There was one rocker I'll bet you'd like, if harder rock is what you want."

"Oh yeah, who is she? What's she like?" Dash grinned excitedly.

"She's a lot like you, didn't take any crap, and refused to play by the rules," Volare matched her grin and put the earbuds back in. "And her name...is Joan Jett."

"Now that's more like it!" Dash shouted and took to the air once more, her heart pounding and wings slashing at the air as she whipped the air in the cloud tower into an absolute frenzy with her flight. Volare simply laughed and continued to play, although he couldn't stop Dash from yanking him off the couch and joining her in her mid-air antics.

Dash found it funny that here was something she'd been craving all her life, she just couldn't put a name to it...in fact she still couldn't, but as she looked back at Volare flying above her and blasting the music that set her soul aflame, she knew that had to be it. But the more she thought about it, the more she wondered what it was she'd been craving more: the music, or...no, it's gotta be the music, she shook her head and focused on pulling off a a flat loop turn around the Lightning Bolt banner hanging from the ceiling before bouncing off the house's central column and back past Volare once more.

Volare slowly made his way back to the couch as Dash continued to prance and whirl, a picture of simultaneous elegance, power, speed, and raw, unadulterated, fiery energy. To watch her headbang and shoot him purposeful little grins every few seconds at the words so we can be alone sent a thrill through him and made his heart quicken to the point that he had a little trouble breathing. Dash caught the flush in his face, pulled off a few more loop-de-loops and landed on the couch next to him, breath puffing in the cool air, mane sweaty and wilder than usual, and a few feathers out of place that she set to preening, though she never took her eyes off the pilot.

"Dude...you're good," Dash conceded and hoofed him in the shoulder once she was done preening and the music had faded once more. In fact, he was more than good. In the light-headed after-glow of her flight and the echo of the music, he looked, well...almost handsome...if you didn't count the blood-stain on his upper lip, she chuckled and wiped his face with a towel. "Got a spot there, flyboy."

"Haha, very funny," he rolled his eyes and snatched the towel from her before sinking into the couch and sighing, his mind buzzing and exhausted from the mental strain of playing so much in such a short time. How Vinyl kept this up on a whole tour was beyond him. Then again, she was a Unicorn. "Whew, I'm a little woozy," he chuckled and received a short nuzzle from Dash in response.

"Heh, same here," she nodded, though she still retained that look of longing. "One more before bed...er, couch for you-heheh."

"I dunno," Volare teased.

"Dude, come on, don't make me say please again," Dash groaned and leaned her full weight on him. "Just one more and I'll leave ya alone."

"Pfft, as if I had a choice, right?"

"Now you're getting it," she remarked cheekily and flicked his mane before settling down again.

"Ok, one more," Volare smiled and recalled a song from memory that he felt was safe enough to play. A pinch and some blood, and the music began anew.

[The original video is lost to time and I don't think the composer will post it back up again...song is the same though]
{Here's the original song itself if you prefer: Rainbow Dash Rock Theme }

If Rainbow Dash had flown with all the skill and grace she could muster before, it was thrown to the wind as she took flight again, this time like a near-reckless mad-mare. The music before had sparked something within her, and now it exploded into a veritable lightning storm in her veins that begged her to move, and move as fast as she could. She flipped, soared, dove, spun, bucked, tossed her mane, laughed in that cracking tone that Volare had grown fond of, and generally went a little crazy. From the floor to the ceiling and even out and in one of the windows she flew like a prismatic bullet, zinging off the walls and furniture like a giggling, amazing pinball possessed.
She let her spirit soar as she only had when she was alone and didn't care if she screwed up because nopony would be there to see it; she didn't care if this stallion was sitting right there and watching her every move for he and the music were the source of her joy. She had an audience and she intended to give a damn good show, no matter what furniture suffered in the process! Volare didn't have time to be concerned though as she suddenly flew right at him like she'd done with Cloud Kicker...except this time she had no intention of pulling up.

"Oh shit, look out, Dashie!" was all he had time to cry before she crashed into him, knocking him over the back of the couch as she landed on him in a whooping, giggling heap of fur and feathers.

"Dude, this song rocks! Who wrote it?"

"Ugh...name escapes me," Volare muttered before realizing one of the earbuds had been dislodged in the collision. His eyes searched the cloud floor, worrying that it could easily get lost in the fluff before he spotted it a short distance away. If only Dash wasn't sitting on top of him...

"Dropped something, flyboy?" Dash said as she spotted him reaching for the earbud. But as she leaned over and grabbed it, something happened when her hoof made contact with it. It was like interrupting a current between Volare, the earbuds, and the speakerbox crystal, and Dash felt her whole body buzz with energy as she tumbled backwards off of Volare, the earbud still clutched in her hoof and the music still blasting away. Her mind was assaulted with imagery she didn't understand, a wash of feelings she couldn't comprehend-was that grief she felt? But mixed in with joy, but why? How?

"Ah! Dashie, you ok?" Volare cried as he helped sit her up against the back of the couch, the scene going from wild, fun, and crazy to terrifying in half a heartbeat's time. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her lips mumbled wordlessly as her head thwacked backwards against the couch twice before Volare grabbed her in a hug and held her against his chest, unsure of what was going on and suddenly scared for her safety. "Dashie? Dashie?" he shook her gently, but to no avail as she continued to mutter all the way through the end of the song. But once it ended, she relaxed, and the earbud fell from her hoof to Volare's lap. He snatched it up and glared at it like an unruly child and tossed the buds onto the table before turning back to his friend.

"Huh...wha-appened?" Dash mumbled as her eyes flickered open to the sight of her cloud house stretching away above her and Volare's face hovering near. At the sight of his worried frown, she nuzzled his chest and shivered slightly. "I'm cold."

"I'm here," he answered and held her for a moment before she regained her senses and sat up, rubbing her face and blinking her eyes. "You ok?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," she replied with a toss of her mane, trying to make sense of the images that had suddenly flooded her mind. But it was like a tangle of movie film all balled up and hanging in one's face. Some of the images were out of focus, and none of them were in order and making any sense, and after a few more moments, she gave up and sighed, leaning back against the couch and chuckling. "Man, what a rush, Volare."

"Freaked me out over here," he replied with a wry smile, though she hoofed him in reply.

"I'm good. Just a little pooped," she giggled and staggered to her hooves, prepared to fly to her room, thought better of it, and decided to trot there instead. She was halfway to the stairs before something in the back of her mind told her she'd forgotten something. "Hey," she turned and trotted back to Volare, leaning up and getting very much into his personal space all of a sudden.

"Y-yep, Dashie?"

"Today was fun...thanks," she smirked and blew on his nose, holding the smirk until he had no choice but to fight his wings once more. "Night, flyboy," she nuzzled him briefly before flicking him playfully with her tail and heading to her room, leaving the pilot bemused, bothered, and blue-winged.

What the hell just happened?

..............................
Post-midnight...

Try as she might to force herself to dream about flight stunts, Wonderbolts, and even the Buckby match that day, that balled-up film reel of imagery kept invading Dash's dreams and bled back in from the darkness at the edge of her mind. Finally realizing that she likely wouldn't sleep if she didn't address it, Dash conceded temporary defeat and turned her attention to the images. But this time, instead of a jumbled mess of pictures and feelings, it began to unravel itself and play across her consciousness. At first it was a bit of a welcome relief for things to make sense, but as the reel flickered by, Dash was once again struck by emotions that occupied every single image.

There were pictures of jet fighters...and she felt joy.
Flashing images of a jet cockpit looking outward as the machine pulled loops, banks, and dives...and she felt an adrenaline rush.
Pictures of war heroes...and she felt admiration.
Pictures of Twilight and her friends...and she felt curiosity.
Pictures of Scootaloo...and she felt joy once more along with the fleeting image of a little girl with red hair far, far out towards the edge of her vision, but she was swept away into the dark...and she felt the first tendrils of worry clutching at her...worry and doubt, feelings she feared above all else.
Pictures of Volare's...mom and dad?! But how could she know that's who they were? And she felt warmth, but they were gone before she could stop them...and she felt that fear blossom like an evil black rose and branch into thorny branches that scratched and tore at her heart.
Blood...bones...bodies and the stench of decay...horror.
Pictures of flames, the pain of burns, of the ground rushing up to greet her...terror. Stark terror and hopelessness.
Eyes...malevolent draconic eyes in the dark circling her like a starving shark...helpless lonesomeness.
But then...a flash of light in the dark...hope.
A rainbow streak across the black sky...longing...a cry for salvation.
And then, what scared her most of all...herself...then regretful yearning and shame...and then all the previous emotions crashing down upon her like a crushing tidal wave that forced her eyes shut, stole her breath, burned her limbs and in one final staggering, desperate effort forced her to scream at the top of her lungs. No words...just a long, drawn-out, pitiful scream.

She thought she heard hoofsteps and imagined that somepony's weight fell down beside her, but that had to be the images, right? What the Ponyhell was going on?! It wasn't until she felt something electrical touch her hoof that the illusion finally evaporated and she sat up screaming once more, throwing her blankets off as her eyes darted all over the room, searching for her assailant. She saw a shadow in the bed next to her, and before she could think, she swung a wild haymaker hoof at it, connecting with a satisfyingly meaty thud that staggered her foe and made him groan in Volare's voice...oh crap...
"V-Volare...is that y-you?" she whispered.

"Jeez, Dashie," Volare rubbed his shoulder and squeezed her hoof in his, prepared to block her if she tried that again. But his irritation was again crushed by the sense of worry that had sent him galloping up the stairs when he'd heard Dash shriek in a tone that brought his blood to a boil-who the hell'd snuck in and dared hurt her?! He realized it was the first time he'd been in her room just as he kicked the door in and ran to her side, not having time to take in the scenery before being smacked by his screaming friend. He squeezed her hoof in his and ran a comforting wingtip down her shoulder, staring into a wide pair of rose eyes that were full of fear. "It's me, it's ok. What happened?"

"I...I dunno, I just..." Dash pushed her hooves into her eyes, doing her best to slow her racing heart and calm her breathing lest she look like a scared little filly in front of him. "You just freaked me out when you flopped on the bed, that's all. Speaking of which, why're you in my room while I'm sleeping, hmm? I don't like Peeping Toms, you know."

"What the-no, it's not like that at all!" Volare shook his head. "I heard you screaming and I just got worried, and-"

"Yeah, I screamed cuz you jumped on my bed," she snorted lightly and yanked the blankets back over her shoulders, doing her best to give him the cold shoulder so he'd just leave and she wouldn't have to think about what the hay all those images about her were about...they came from that song out of his head, but why? Why am I connected to all that stuff? It...it doesn't make sense...unless he...no, that's crazy, he can't...he...I...we're too...he swears he doesn't...gah! "J-just...go back to bed, ok?"

"But I'm worried about you, Dashie-"

"What're you, my nanny? Go back downstairs already...it's the middle of the night and stuff," she faked a yawn and threw the blankets over her head, wrapping herself in a protective little cocoon, hiding away from the world. I'm not hiding! I just...it's too late to deal with this crap...yeah.

"Ok," she heard Volare mumble and felt his hoof brush one last time across the outside of the blankets, and she had to fight the sudden urge to press her hoof up against his through the blankets, a part of her not wanting him to leave her alone in the dark. But by the time she could have acted, his touch was gone, and she rolled over with a snort, trying to force herself to fall asleep again. But it was just so tough because she kept feeling a draft on her cheeks...damn roof must be leaking again...meh, I'll fix it later...

----------------------------

October 15th, Morning, Rainbow Dash's House...

For what seemed the first time in a while, a strange dream didn't wake Dash up by causing her to fall out of the bed, and she wondered why for a moment before remembering what happened last night. "Ugh, guess I got it outta the way early," she muttered and sat up to stretch. But before the blankets fell away from her head, she felt a presence in the room with her, and heard the sound of somepony breathing. Immediately on her guard, Dash tensed herself for a fight as the blankets slid away to reveal...
"What the hay, Volare..." Dash shook her head first in annoyance, then in a sense of growing gratefulness as she took in the sight before her: the navy blue stallion had fallen asleep Lyra-style in the chair across the room. His breath came in soft snores and his head lolled off to the side as he continued to slumber. He must have stayed in my room all night to keep watch, Dash smiled as she softly approached him, noting with amusement the thin string of drool that hung off his lip and pooled on his shoulder as he snored.

"Heh, gimme a break, flyboy. What am I gonna do with you," she rolled her eyes and ran a hoof through his mane, causing his wings to twitch gently and bringing a wordless mutter to his lips. As she looked down on him, she was vividly reminded of the time where she was spying on him instead of staying away from him as per Twilight's orders. She remembered how she couldn't touch him then, wasn't even supposed to let him know she was near, but now...now things had changed. For better or worse, they'd changed and there was no going back.

She smirked once more as Volare's hooves twitched and his nose wiggled as if he were about to sneeze...but after a moment's tension he relaxed and went back to snoring softly. Dash breathed a sigh of relief and had to fight the urge to thank him for watching out for her in a way she didn't want anypony knowing of, least of all him. But she had a feeling it'd likely wake him up, and he looked like he hadn't slept well, so she settled for a sigh and a head shake as she trotted to the mirror and stared at her bedraggled reflection. Her mane was askew, her feathers once more out of place, and her tail looked like somepony had tried to drown a rainbow-colored rat, thought better of it, and then beat the water out of it with a thorny branch. Rainbow Dash wasn't a pony that primped and propered herself like Rarity did, but she did have a bit of an image to upkeep. As she reached for her mane brush, she was once again reminded of her dream and she snorted slightly.

"Jeez, I think I'm losing my mind or something," she muttered to her reflection as she brought the brush up to her mane.

...Whatcha talking about? I've been here the whole time, Dashie!

"......AAAAAHHHH!!" Dash shouted and stumbled backwards, certain that her reflection had just spoken to her. Her shout woke Volare with a snort just in time to bellow in surprise himself as Dash tripped and fell over him, knocking him out of the chair and off onto the floor in a jumbled, groaning pile.

"Damn...good morning to you too, Rainbow Dash," he grunted as he tried to sit up, but she was once again laying across his back, still trying to figure out what had just happened when the voice spoke up again and she finally realized who, or rather what it belonged to.

...You should be nice and tell him good morning as well, Dashie.
What the hay?! You sure picked a fine time to show the buck back up! Where've you been!?
...Like I said, I've been here the whole time. And I gotta say, things have certainly gotten interesting lately.
Ugh...this is ri-feathering-diculous...
Dash let her face sink into the cloudy floor of her home with a groan, wishing she'd just stayed in bed that morning.

"Dash, what the hell happened?" Volare asked as he pulled himself from underneath her.

"Flyboy, you wouldn't believe me if I told you..."

---------------------------------

Author: Heehee, the plot thickens!
Volare: And the Conscience returns. About time, I say!
Author: Hey, things could be worse.
Volare: Don't I know it...don't I know it...I wonder if the readers are as curious to find out the origins of those red crystals as I am!
Author: Except you already know their origins
Volare: It's called building suspense!
Author: If I wanted melodrama I'd go find Rarity.
Volare GAH!
Author: ;P

Also, Fluffy Dash courtesy of PonyKim:

X3

Author's Note:

The Mandopony song was originally released in November of 2011, see his channel for why it was taken down and re-uploaded in 2014

Comments

[Anonymous Assassin]

Buck yeah, update on my favorite fic! Time to read...

[142 with an 8]

AW YEAH!!!! NEW CHAPTER!!!!
Now sitting in and reading.....

[Gnifle]

New chapter? Best birthday present ever!

Let the reading commence! ^^

[TheVirtuousOne]

Before I start reading I just have to say...... damn that's a long story :D
This is gonna curb my boredom for a while.

[Rough Boulder]

The Only Thing Missing...

IS YOU BY MY SIDE.

[totallynotabrony]

I used to get nosebleeds a lot. Then they chemically burned the capillaries out of my nose.

It was not a good day.

[Chadbane]

I hate swearing and rated M themes, but this story is impressive.
I cannot believe how much time was put into this story. Simply... powerful.

Interesting, interesting, interesting!

[Cades]

YOU. ARE. A. LIAR. You PROMISED to stop with the long ass chapters! And here is ANOTHER long ass chapter! You took all trust I had in you, crushed it into a tiny ball, left your fecal matter on it and then proceeded to urinate on it.

[Pony of Passchendaele]

2198363 HOW DARE HE PROVIDE YOU WITH MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF AMAZING CONTENT?

[Assasin_Asha]

2198363
You, dear sir, spelled "Such a short chapter. Make them longer!" wrong.

[Ranakastrasz]

I would note that the last scene here kinda invalidates the whole "Rainbow Dash'es Decision making being represented as an argument" thing.

[LtCWest]

The red crystal....
farm6.staticflickr.com/5147/5849188876_d49d0b5767_z.jpg
Lets hope Nyctos wont get his dirty hooves one one of those.....I just jinxed it, didnt I?

Anyway, once more a good chapter and nice music selection.
Trixie: Was there ever any doubt?
Indeed, Trix, indeed.

Oh btw, a little personal add-in. Made this after Ace Combat: Assault Horizon came out on PC just a few weeks ago.
I know its not Rainbow Dash-esque but only because making a correct RD is pretty hard in that game.
Consider this a cookie from me for your awesome storytelling skills.
cloud-2.steampowered.com/ugc/921253447672674126/3BAF31E9E0739201BCF8B04C9F5EC55EA9F2F721/
Euro Sparkle is at go!

[AtlasAbove]

Still waiting for this fic to actually go somewhere.

[Matdat]

Another chapter with both hilarous, awkward, interesting and curiosity-building parts. All weaved togheter greatly.
Haha, It's a bit late here for me to sum it up better than that, sorry.
Just wanted to say, eventhough the chapters are 20k words (which, as mentioned before), this fic progresses at a really interesting rate. You have multiple characters having their story beeing told in the same timeframe.
I'm going to go with a partly lazy/tired comment, but its fully true: Another amazing chapter
-------
I caught some typos/stuff, if you want them:

"Hey, I care about him to, ok?"

too*

We're going to win this, but if Cloud Kciker wants to play dirty...

"Fair enough," he nodded and helped Dash to the sidelines near Twilight."

Extra quotationmark at the end.

"Ugh,do I have to spell it out for ya? There, right under my Cutie Mark."

No space between comma and "do".

"Heehee, oh don't think me for having fun, flyboy,"

thank*, I think at least

Dash quickly followed though she kinda regretted it, as she cold wind blowing through the house struck her wet body,

the*

but he heard he shout and leaped out of the way at the last moment,

her*

but like I said: you every heard of anypony like that in history?

ever*

their history was NIghtmare Moon

Lowercase 'I'.
---
And there we go. Heh, good night all folks. And, V-Pony (and Volare), thanks for another fun/interesting chapter
M

[Cades]

2198445
No. He lied to us. LIED TO US ALL! Weeks ago, he made a promise to not produce such long chapters!

I'm voicing my opinion. Freedom of speech!

[Lord One Fish]

her books, her coffee,

twilight, you disappoint me. everyone knows tea is the superior drink.

[Pale Sky]

Yes! An update! Take that 12 hour shift! Thank you kind author for granting me that tools needed to combat such a boring job.

[Biker_Dash]

2198864 Sad, sad pony... you should know by now that coffee is the Manna of the Gods.

[Lord One Fish]

2198984
Coffey + time = breakdown.
tea + toast + + fire = inner peace

Coffey + cream + sugar * life = fat
tea + milk + sugar * life = reduced stress

Coffey = fast lane
tea = enjoying life

and so, using simple math's, I have proved tea is superior!

P.S. I have no problem continuing this, but I'm British. tea is a Serious business

[Terolie]

Don't stop with the long chapters. I love them dearly. And I enjoy this fic more than it has a right to. Scratch that, I love this fic. The music sections are pure gold!

[Snowy]

2198434
THE NERVE OF SUCH A THING!

2198864
Tea is the superior drink, but coffee is a superior caffeine delivery system, and that's what's really important to an academic. Tea is 6E-4 to 2E-3 M caffeine, and drip coffee is 3E-3 to 4e-3 M caffeine (and a typical coffee mug is larger than a typical tea cup). Espresso is even better, being in the vicinity of 1E-2 M caffeine, but it is made one or two shots at a time, and one shot of espresso is less caffeine than a cup of coffee (which is made several cups at a time in most drip machines). So there are some tradeoffs there with additional volume of liquid for given caffeine content vs additional effort for given caffeine content, and the extra expense of an espresso machine.

[V-Pony]

2198523 Except if you recall earlier in the story, she basically scared off (repressed) her own conscience after the fight with Twilight. She's been making decisions on her own for the most part since then, some good, and some not so good. But now it's back, and not a moment too soon.

[Biker_Dash]

2199128
Tea = acceptable if that is all there is.
Coffee = Oh HELL YEAH, I am in heaven!

Coffee + cream + sugar = You ruined a good cup of coffee.
Tea + cream + sugar = I still don't think this can be saved.

Coffee + end of a hard day's work = Finally, time to relax for a bit.
Tea + end of a hard day's work = Who the hell have me this luke warm water with brown food coloring in it?

[Ranakastrasz]

2199362

Still, I had been under the impression that it was external artistic licence representation of her various thought processes, as opposed to a literal in-universe entity-like thing that could be interacted with and the direct consequences observered by others.
(like Pinkie talking with Pinkimena in a lot of fics)

[clonezero]

V-pony you really are such a tease sometimes!

Anyway the more you get stuff from AC Zero the more apprehensive I get about possible future events. For obvious reasons.

Also nice to see the Conscience back, I missed her so!

[Voltaje]

Hey V-Pony, how about give the conscience a name, like, I dunno, Rushie?

[Mursac]

Funny chapter, and lots of music; an excellent addition to my day! While I'm thinking of it, I found a joy/thrill-of-flight styled song that you might be able to make use of.

Now... back to my English composition due this Sunday.

[V-Pony]

2199523 How dare you read my future chapter notes!!

2199423 Heh, it's really all how you interpret it. Dash considers it her conscience, then again it could be a bi-product of her living off on her own for so long. Not so much "a voice in her head", but a piece of herself that helps her reason and make good decisions (since she's too proud half the time to ask for help, this is the next best thing). Kinda like having a self-debate...the closest name I could put to it would be a semi-sentient conscience. (or a bi-product of Dashie being REALLY stressed out)

2199440 Heh, oops
And yes, I know what you mean...
Indeed, Dash has needed her/its help for some time now...the only question is what caused it to reassert itself all of a sudden?

[Dapurple]

Oh God, quote at the beginning. Shit's going down!
Post-read edit: And serious shit at that!

[Starscape]

New comment: READ! Awesomeness!

I could be sitting here on a cloud,
Watching the sun as it starts to go down;
The only thing missing,
Is you by my side...

[Ranakastrasz]

2199565
Still, Physical shock is kinda a giveaway.

On the other hand, some universes take a lot of the cartoon features and assume them to be cartoonish exaggeration.

Hence why I am uncertain. Its not clear.

[Astarea]

I know the story has to keep going... but sometimes I just wish they'd end up as a pair (Volare and Dash) and then a triple relationship (Volare, Dash and Twi)

[V-Pony]

2199735 It's kinda up to interpretation anyway (it's mainly for dramatic/comedic effect)

[Eve_brea]

darnit! feathers and horseapples, one chapter now and then isn't enough! I want more!!

[Johannes Gutenpress]

rememeber

FIX

Kciker

AND THIS

vue

AND THIS (deja vu only has a v and a u...)

Carriage returns missing, no indents in the paragraphs--my carefully constructed world is falling down around me!

[Chiman1293]

So a lot happened. Its a good thing Dashie's conscience came back, because there is a lot to go over what just happened.

Just based off of what happened when they are trying to avoid each other, imagine what they are going to do once they figure out their feelings and admit them to each other.

And there is a serious lack of Scootaloo over the last few chapters.

[kooarbiter]

another chapter, awesome buckby game, borderline clop scene, jam session, and RD's nightmare rape train-caused-conscience returning, yep a regular chapter in the life of volare in co.

as for the tea vs. coffee debate, I am sorry to inform you lads that soda is the superior beverage, sure it has a fuck brick load of caffeen and sugar, it tastes better than either of the other contendants, and some have opiates (the root of heroin, like the log to a wooden pickaxe to put in gaming terms) and is a great pick-me-up, tea is a close secog though :P

[Lazaro Sol]

Meh I think he should have played YGGFK by the offspring (I made the name into an anagram)

[Lazaro Sol]

2200239 buck tea and soda LONG LIVE COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[blazikenking]

You know what I think RD would like? A picture of every combo of Kamen Rider OOO. He's a one-rider rainbow like that. From red to violet, you have TaJaDor, BuraKaWani, LaToraTah, GataKiriBa, ShaUTa, and PuToTyrano. Other combos include the gray SaGoZo and triple color TaToBa. All together, an awesome rider.
4.bp.blogspot.com/-WD1mskiUAXA/TjLh5g1x5-I/AAAAAAAAG1w/SPq8GiwKMSY/s1600/OOOPosrt.jpg
2200239 2200680 I'll stick with plain water, thank you very much. I don't drink soda because the nation of Carbo (see what I did there?) has too much influence, coffee is rather bitter from my experiences, and tea, while good on occasion, is tough to figure out. And water (unless bottled) is free at restaurants, so that's a money saver.

[Amethyst_Spark]

Lolz fluffy dashie

[DeltaOsprey]

That red crystal seems to be an important plot point.

Volare you must cast it into the fire from which it came only then will you be able to stop the nightmare ponies from eating the stars! To do this you must under go a fantastic adventure. You will face vampire jackalopes and cave trolls. There will be danger at ever turn and you may not make it back alive! So really it'll be like every other day you've had so far only this time you must do it without your friends and family. At the dawn of the sixth day look to the north and you will find a thrush being eaten by a snail and from there you will travel north by northwest to start you're new quest. Best of luck to you.

Pinkie isn't the only one who can go crazy at the drop of a hat.

DeOs AWAY!

[Jazzaman]

best chapter by far because:
shower ans preening scene XD

[Jess887cp]

Such beautiful long chapters. So many feels.
And foreboding.

Lets hope ol' Volare doesn't die of blood loss, or leave one of the crystals to mr. green.

One more thing. ALL. THE. INNUENDO.

[Anonymous Assassin]

OMG... you are such a freaking tease! The sexual tension in the air between Dash and Volare is so dense you could scoop it up and have a snowball fight with it. Not only has Dash left him with a serious case of the blue wings several times now, but then she goes and gives him a wing job while showering with him. Then after that little show of blatant sensual behavior, they end up in the typical accidentally fell on top of you while staring deeply in your eyes position. The whole time all I could think was: Ferr feck's sake laddy kess er' already! Poor Volare, he has been a stallion trapped in equestria for a long while now. Constantly gets left with a massive wingie by Dash who seems to have no qualms with giving him a severe case of blue wings. He has been in equestria this whole time, and from what we are led to believe he hasn't go tten any *ahem* action at all... not to mention he is at disadvantage, because his knowledge of the "mechanics" of the Pegasus stallions body is rather limited. Poor guy must be going crazy by now...

All that being said this was a great chapter, as usual it was a lot of fun to read, I love it man!

[AggroViking]

Don't know why I thought of this, but I have a nagging feeling that her conscience is there through some foreign force (AKA: someone else is acting as her conscience, like the wonderbolt in the photo, or one of the evil guys ETC). But I have a wild imagination capable of blowing things way out of proportion, so it's probably nothing.

[Thunder-Fly]

Update on 1st March? Best birthday present ever
As always great chapter. And it was big one too. Love it. Thanks V-Pony

[Lord One Fish]

2199399 you, my dear sir, have failed at mathematics.
tea + milk + sugar

[Lord One Fish]

2199350
true my dear friend. due to the fact that a large number of brony's on the site are not only american, but also students, it is understandable that many fail to appreciate the drink.
Coffey is the drink you take in order to complete your coursework at 4 AM.
tea is what you drink after a massive riot sweeps your capitol, or you hear your mum had just died.

2199399 Coffey shall always be a drink, a method to get as much calories and caffeine into your system.
but tea is better. I'm guessing your an american, so it's likely that you don't get much of the good stuff...
tea shall always stand above Coffey, if only for its importance. What did they start the american revolution over? the government changing the price of tea. Its like the difference between sugar and honey. sugar is just sweet, a quick burst before a crash. honey actually tastes nice on stuff.