The Marriage of Heaven and Earth

by RoyalBardofCanterlot

Betrayal

Rainbow Dash reclined against a cloud, relishing the light of Celestia’s kind sun as it warmed her fur and feathers. All of her weather work was done for the day and she had already done a bunch of tricks. She felt tired out and idly contemplated visiting one of her friends. She had visited Twilight yesterday for their weekly Daring Do meet-up. She had also gone racing with Applejack and had tea with Fluttershy this week. She liked visiting her friends, but tried not to play favorites. Her awesomeness had to be shared. Pinkie Pie crossed her mind as it often did these days. She frowned. At some point in the last month Dash had all but moved in with the pink party pony. More often than not she fell asleep with her muzzle buried in Pinkie’s cotton candy-scented mane on her bed while wrapped up in a tangle of limbs and wings. She wondered if she could even go to sleep now without the scent of sugar and the soft caresses of her lover to lull her off to dreamland.

There had been a time when she had been truly free, nothing to tether her to the hard earth, as free as the wind that soared beneath her wings. Now she had something to hold her down and she wasn’t sure she minded.

What in the world is happening to me?

She had been in love before. She had flirted with Gilda and Applejack. She had even had a summer fling with Soarin.

She had never felt anything like this. Her home was the sky. She spent countless hours soaring through it. She had spent entire days swimming through clouds. Yet now, she felt an irresistible pull to the Earth.

An irresistible pull to Pinkie Pie, an irresistible longing for her gentle touch, her tinkling laughter.

Dash groaned. She couldn’t stop thinking about the party pony.

I love her. I really, truly love her. That doesn’t scare me…does it? No, I’m Rainbow Dash, NOTHING scares me! I ain’t afraid of commitment!

She spread her wings and glided from the cloud.

“Long time, no see.”

She stopped, hovering in the air. She knew that raspy voice. As she turned her suspicions were confirmed. A griffon floated a few feet from her.

“Gilda.” Dash said. “What are you doing around here?”

“Can’t a girl see her old friends?”

“You haven’t been back since you went on that frankly racist rant at the party.”

“Oh c’mon you’re too sensitive.”

“You made Fluttershy cry. Fluttershy.”

Dash had heard about that from Fluttershy herself after the party.

“Well, she shouldn’t have bumped into me.”

“She is the sweetest, kindest-Why am I even discussing this with you?”

Gilda sighed. “Look, Dash. I’m sorry, alright? I really miss you and you’re right. I was out of line.”

Dash sighed. “I miss you to.” She admitted. “And I’ve done stupid stuff. Ah, what the heck? I’ll forgive you.”

Gilda smiled. “Thanks, Dash.”

“As soon as you apologize to all my friends.”

The smile faded. “Oh, fine. But you know how I suck at apologizing.”

“Practice makes perfect.”

“I’ll make things worse.”

“Try and I’ll still forgive you.”

Gilda rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll do it. Only for you. Anyway, I went by your house this morning and you weren’t there. Ain’t like you to get up early.”

Dash blushed. “I, um, I was with Pinkie.”

“Oh? She your nest mate?”

Nest mate loosely translated into spouse.

“No, yes, sort of, I don’t know.”

Gilda chuckled. “I wonder what she thinks of it.”

Dash blushed even more. “Forget it. So, did you want to do something?”

“Actually, yeah. I got two tickets to a race in Las Pegasus.” Gilda said. “Wanna come?”

“Oh my gosh, yes!” Dash said, excitedly doing a loop in midair. She flew over and fiercely hugged Gilda who wrapped a wing around her.

…

Not many realized that Earth Ponies had a special kind of magic. It wasn’t the kind that gave them strength or allowed them to grow plants. It was a deeper magic knit into the fabric of their souls. While unicorns were connected to the ethereal powers of the Cosmos and Pegasii were one with the sky Earth Ponies were at one with the Earth. They could feel the pulse of the land, the rhythms of the eternal cycle of the seasons. They could feel the currents of life and they could borrow this energy to give them their famed strength. They could also use it to calm themselves. After the unfortunate incident with her teensy-weensy psychotic episode Pinkie had begun taking lessons from Big Mac on how to achieve this calm. She accessed it now as she rested her hooves in the grass, breathing and allowing the Earth energies to flow through her and calm her soul.

Because she needed to be calm right now.

What if she says no? What if she says yes? Where should we have the wedding? What if her parents hate me? What if my parents hate her? What if on the day of her wedding she gets abducted by humans? No, that’s silly there haven’t been humans in Equestria since Megan left Dream Valley.

She breathed and tried to walk slowly. That didn’t work and she resorted to excitedly bouncing as she searched for the cyan speedster. She had finished her shift at Sugarcube Corner and then went and bought the betrothal hooflace. The last few months with her had been the happiest of her life. She wanted to share the rest of her life with her.

If only she could find her!

She bounced around staring up at the sky, hoping for a glimpse of a rainbow. She couldn’t see her flying along so she decided she must be in her cloud house. She bounced in that direction.

…

Dash and Gilda twirled in the sky, dancing through the clouds and around each other. Dash flew upwards, Gilda hot on her trail. Soon Gilda was soaring beside her. She bumped into her and Dash laughed as she crashed through a cloud. Dash grabbed a cloud and swatted at the griffin who deftly dodged the fluffy attack. Gilda grabbed a cloud of her own and lightly smacked Dash in the face with it. Dash yelped as she was sent into another cloud. She charged from the cloud towards Gilda. Gilda tried to dodge the speedster, but Dash got her in a chokehold.

“Oh, you wanna play Dash?” Gilda spread a wing and ran it along Dash’s side. Dash started laughing helplessly as Gilda tickled her ribs. She finally let go. Gilda chased her, continuing to stroke her sides till Dash was squirming and giggling.

“G-Gilda, stop it!” Dash retaliated by stroking her feather’s across Gilda’s unprotected belly eliciting howls of laughter from her. They separated.

“I forgot how fun you were, Gilda!”

“I forgot how fun you were.” She said. “So, where do you go for a decent meal around these parts?”

“There’s this great place, the Hay Shack. C’mon I’ll show it to you!”

Gilda followed Dash as they glided into Ponyville. Dash led her to the outdoor café and they took their seats. Dash ordered a fried hay sandwich and Gilda ordered a pork stew (they catered to carnivore customers.)

“So, what have you been up to?” Gilda asked as she blew on her stew.

Dash swallowed her bite of the hay sandwich. “I got into the Wonderbolts Academy. By the way, there’s this mare you ought to meet. Her name’s Lightning Dust, you’ll love her. Oh! And me and the girls beat Discord!”

Gilda’s eyes widened. “Discordus?” She whispered, a hint of reverence and more than a little fear in her voice. “The Evil One? The Bringer of Chaos, Most Foul Spawn of the Abyss?”

Dash nodded.

Gilda whistled. “Remind me to never really get on your bad side.”

“Oh and I singlehoofedly saved Canterlot from a Changeling Invasion!”

Gilda grinned. “Uh-huh. I read about that in the paper. I’m pretty sure Princess Cadance and Shining Armor’s spell had something to do with that.”

“Yeah, well I helped.”

“Rainbow Crash became quite the warrior, huh?”

Dash puffed out her chest. “Danged straight! They now call me…Dash the Conqueror!”

“I’m quaking in fear.” Gilda responded in such a deadpan tone Dash burst out laughing.

“So, what have you done lately?” Dash asked.

“I joined the Red Branch Knights.”

Dash’s jaw dropped. “Are you…the Red Branch Knights? The elite of the Griffon Emperor’s Guards?”

“Yep. I’m on leave. I went on my first mission not long ago to drive the Diamond Dogs from our territory. Being in the Knights has changed me a lot. It’s a lot of responsibility. I’ve grown.”

“I have too.” Dash said. “So, is it true that you have to kill a manticore to join the Knights?”

“Nah, that’s a tribal initiation. To join the Knights you have to kill a Hydra. Nasty little bastard. Tasted just like chicken.”

“That’s awesome.”

The two friends ate in silence for a while.

“I nearly died.”

“What?”

“A Diamond Dog band ambushed us with an arrow barrage. I pushed my commander from the line of fire. I got hit myself. I nearly died and I thought of you. How much I regretted saying those terrible things. I would have died without ever making amends and I’d have regretted it even if I’d been taken to Valhalla.”

“I’m glad you survived.”

“So am I.”

Then she leaned over the table and kissed her. Dash froze, unable to move away. Then she pushed her back.

“I’m sorry!” Gilda shouted.

“What the hell, Gilda?!”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me!”

Dash stood up. “Look, I had a great time, but I have a marefriend okay?!”

Gilda looked away and stood up. “I’ll just go.”

“Wait. I still wanna be friends, but I don’t wanna be with you like that.”

Gilda nodded though her wings drooped. She managed a weak smile.

“I’ll see you later. Tomorrow?” She asked, hope in her voice.

“Sure.” Dash said.

Gilda flew off. Dash shook her head. You poor lovesick filly…cub? She sat down and an unpleasant sensation settled in the pit of her stomach. Guilt. Guilt, cold and mixed with shame.

Why should I feel guilty? She kissed me! But I enjoyed it. If I really loved Pinkie would I have enjoyed it?

…

Pinkie rushed into her room and slammed the door. She threw herself upon her bed and wept. What she had seen ran through her head over and over again. Dash and that mean griffin kissing. All her darkest fears wrapped up in one image. No one really loved her. Eventually, everyone would abandon her. She couldn’t be loved because she was fundamentally unlovable. She looked up at the sound of a tap on her door. It was the special door designed especially for pegasii. She narrowed her eyes at the cyan pegasus, grabbed a lamp and threw it at her. Dash yelped and flapped away as the lamp crashed against the wood.

“Pinkie! What the hell? That could have hurt me!” Dash said as she flew back to the door.

“That was the idea!”

“Why would you want to hurt me?”

“Because you’re a stupid meanypants that goes around smooching meanypants griffons!”

Dash blushed. “Oh. You saw that.”

“I can’t believe how stupid I was! I was gonna propose to you!”

Dash’s heart skipped a beat. “You were?”

“I-I bought a ring, but then I threw it in the lake! Go away! I never wanna talk to you again! In fact, you’ll need to find a new Element of Laughter cause I don’t wanna be an Element Bearer anymore if you are to!”

“Pinkie, Gilda kissed me!”

“You kissed her back!”

Dash was silenced. The accusation was true. “I didn’t want to kiss her.” She offered lamely.

“Just go away and leave me alone forever!”

Tears welled up in Dash’s eyes. “Pinkie, please just listen.”

This time she picked up her nightstand and threw it. Dash let out a yelp and flew as the nightstand shattered into thousands of splinters as it crashed against the door.

“Go!” Pinkie ordered. Dash flew away. She hung her head and her wings drooped so that she could just barely maneuver with them. It was getting late, Luna’s moon now cresting over the horizon. Soon the stars would be shining in the ebony veil of night. Dash knew she should go home.

She couldn’t. Her wings wouldn’t carry her. She went into a just barely controlled spiral and landed on the cold, hard ground. She placed her head on the wall of Sugarcube Corner.

She had lost her. The light of her life and she had lost her. She slumped down to the ground.

Fine. If the only way she could be close to her was sleeping outside Sugarcube Corner then so be it. Hours passed and she stayed there soon falling into a fitful sleep. In her dreams she felt something soft and warm wrap around her. She snuggled into it and the scent of cotton candy filled her senses, soothed her troubled thoughts. She awoke as the soft light of the sun broke forth from the eastern sky. She yawned and awoke. At first she was confused by the surroundings she found herself in. Then the memories of last night came back to her. She struggled out of the pink blanket covering her. A letter was attached to it. She opened it.

You looked cold so I gave you my blanket. You can keep it. I’m going back to my parent’s farm till I can figure things out. Don’t follow me.

Pinkie Pie.

Comments

[RDSparkle]

Why you do this? Dem feels hurt bad.

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

5815948 Don't worry. The story's not done yet.

[Crimson Dawn]

I do like the idea of the smells associated with Pinkie as being a comfort to Dash. It is easy to forget how much smell can put you at ease or make you feel nervous.

[NightHawk114]

Still Whyyyyyyyyy??????

[VioletPony]

GOD DAMN IT GILDA! I KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!! EHHH *cries*