Knock knock knock.
Rainbow Dash’s heart threatened to burst out of her chest as she stood atop the welcome mat to the Golden Oaks Library. She passed a glance to the adjacent windows and upon realizing that the blinds were shut, shuffled in her spot as her wings relaxed against her back. She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and bit her lip as she turned her gaze back to the door, which gave no response.
Ten seconds passed and Rainbow beat on the door again, making sure that her forehoof was at least stinging in pain so that her message could echo through the inside. After another ten seconds, there was no answer. Rainbow’s breath caught in her throat and she stamped her forehooves onto the welcome mat, her red face contorting with an eye twitch and grinding teeth.
“Are you bucking kidding me?” Rainbow asked the door as she turned to look behind her at the numerous ponies that passed her on the road, groceries in hoof or lists to fulfill. Rainbow raised a hoof and took in a few deep breaths, allowing the color in her face to dissipate as her heart returned to a normal pace. She instead sighed and began to walk away from the library.
“The one time that I’m ready to talk to Twilight... she isn’t here. Not even Spike is home to tell me where she is,” Rainbow muttered.
Rainbow trudged up the road and stopped as a familiar building passed by her vision. She focused upon the cupcake sign and licked her lips as she stopped near the steps to the confectionery store. She quickly plastered a smile on her face and opened the door, which prompted an immediate reaction.
“Hi, Rainbow Dash!”
Rainbow stepped to the side as Pinkie Pie jumped over the counter and zipped through the air, landing exactly where Rainbow was standing before she moved. Pinkie held a circular tray of cupcakes in one forehoof while the other grasped a bag of bits that was recently given to her. Despite her two forehooves being busy, she did not fall forward and merely remained on her two back hooves. A large grin took up Pinkie’s face, and it only grew wider once she noticed that Rainbow was smiling.
“How are you today?” Pinkie asked.
Rainbow shrugged as she ascended the final step to Sugarcube Corner and walked inside. Pinkie closed the door after her.
“Doin’ okay, Pinks. I just got off work and was flying around the neighborhood. I figured I should visit ya before I went back to bed.”
Pinkie nodded. “I’m so glad that you decided to come! I’ve actually been making a new kind of treat that I know you will like!”
Pinkie bounced over to the counter until she was behind it and jerked her head in the direction of the kitchen. “Come on, Dashie! I want you to try it!”
Rainbow sighed in relief and smiled as she followed Pinkie into the kitchen.
“Why do I ever worry about anything?” Rainbow asked as she looked around the dirty kitchen, unaware that Pinkie had heard her.
Pinkie’s spatula fell into her mixing bowl as she imploringly stared at her friend. Rainbow didn’t notice that the room was quiet until she blinked and shook her head a little bit.
“I... um... what?” Rainbow asked as she met Pinkie’s gaze, blinking a few times in response.
Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “What are you worrying about, Dashie?” she asked.
Rainbow laughed nervously and shook her head. “Oh, nothing, Pinkie. I meant... why do I worry about eating too many sweets,” she replied, as she tried to inconspicuously wipe a bead of sweat from her brow.
Either Pinkie noticed, or didn’t care as her demeanor immediately softened to a smile and closed eyes. “Okie dokie lokie!” she replied as she picked up the mixing bowl and bounced over to a counter nearby the oven. The batter jumped up into the air before landing back into the bowl, completely defying the laws of physics as Pinkie poured the batter into a cake tin.
Rainbow quickly tried to break the silence. “So... you said something about a new treat?”
Pinkie gasped and disappeared from the counter in a puff of pink smoke. She reappeared next to Rainbow with a spherical cake in her hoof. The cake was colored the colors of the rainbow, starting with the center and working its way outward. Rainbow blinked and instantly recognized what it was meant to be, but Pinkie said it first.
“The Sonic Rainboom!” Pinkie cried, smiling as she placed the cake into Rainbow’s now outstretched hoof. “I made this today when I saw you clearing the clouds because I remembered that one time when you made a Sonic Rainboom during Cadance’s wedding! And then I started to think about you, and I wondered how you were doing, so I decided to make a cake as a celebration for you getting into the Wonderbolt Academy!”
Rainbow laughed as she surveyed the treat and then focused back on Pinkie. “I’ve been in the academy for a few months now, Pinkie. Isn’t it a little late for celebrations?”
Pinkie scoffed. “Nah... it’s never too late for celebrations! I mean, come on, Dashie! You’re talking to the world’s number one party pony!”
Pinkie jumped up into the air and ran over to the batter that she previously poured. After a few dials were turned and the oven was opened, another tin of batter was placed inside of the oven and Pinkie closed the door soon after. She zipped back to Rainbow and smiled brightly.
Rainbow laughed at Pinkie’s shenanigans and shook her head. “I could never get tired of you, Pinkie,” she said as she looked back to the cake. She sniffed it and closed her eyes in relaxation. It felt as if the scent was massaging her nose while at the same time, begging for her to taste the scent upon her tongue. After all, some senses could not get special treatment over others. “It smells so good,” Rainbow muttered again.
Pinkie’s smile remained as she hopped up and down. “Taste it, Dashie! I made it special for you!”
Rainbow opened her mouth and raised the cake to her muzzle, but immediately stopped. She turned to Pinkie as she stopped bouncing. “Wait a minute... you made it special for me? This isn’t a joke, is it?” she asked.
Pinkie giggled and shook her head. “Nope! Silly, if I was making this as a joke, then why would I have another twelve in the oven right now?”
Rainbow smirked. “You could have put hot sauce in this one. Do you swear that you didn’t do anything to this?” she asked.
Pinkie tilted her head to the side, but crossed her hoof over her heart. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”
Rainbow nodded and raised the cake to her muzzle once more. One bite, and it felt like she was in heaven. Flavors assaulted her senses. Cherry, blueberry, lemon, and grape rolled around on her tongue, and that was just from the side that she bit off of. Rainbow leaned against the kitchen table and rolled her tongue around in her mouth, closing her eyes as she let out a guttural moan.
“Oh, Celestia... that’s...” Rainbow took another bite of the cake, nearly taking half of it as she munched and smiled. “So freaking good!”
Rainbow met eyes with Pinkie, whose smile grew wider from Rainbow’s recognition. “Pinkie, are you some kind of magician? How did you make this taste so... amazing!?” she asked.
Pinkie waved a hoof. “Ah ah ah, a magician never reveals her secrets.”
Rainbow popped the rest of the cake into her mouth. “It’s... it’s really good, Pinks,” she replied with her mouth full.
“I’m glad that you like it, Dashie,” Pinkie said as she brought the bowl of batter back to the kitchen. “I thought of you while I made it... and now that it turned out so well, I want to make even more!”
"Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash said, "You're like some kind of famous master chef, or something!"
"Well, I'm not a famous chef yet, but I am a master baker," Pinkie Pie said, "I'm glad you like it, Dashie. I thought of you while master baking."
Rainbow’s smile widened as she reached over to hug Pinkie Pie, the joke completely going over her head. Her forearms wrapped around Pinkie’s chest, resting behind her back as she replied. “Thank you, Pinkie. I really needed that cake.”
Pinkie looked away and placed her forehooves on top of Rainbow’s shoulders, the same smile still on her face. “Anything to make my best friends smile!”
Rainbow felt a wave of feelings rush over her as she snuggled into the bubble gum scented coat of her friend. She could taste remnants of the cake on her tongue; it was an understatement to say that she wanted another. Rainbow rubbed her forehooves along Pinkie’s chest before she let go, realizing that the hug probably lasted longer than it should. Pinkie didn’t seem to notice as she filled up some cupcake tins with the same batter.
“Pinkie, that cake made my day so much better,” Rainbow replied as she paused to wonder why she needed to repeat herself.
Pinkie took the compliment in stride. “I’m glad! Hey! Would you like to make some more with me? The Cakes got a recent catering order and they are out right now, so I figured I would get it done for them while they are gone and deliver it! What do you say!”
Rainbow brushed her hoof against her shoulder, feigning disinterest. “Oh, I don’t know, Pinkie. I mean... I’m in the Wonderbolt Academy now. I’m not even sure if I can spend time doing stuff like this when I should be training,” she replied before she smirked.
Pinkie looked to Rainbow with a pout, but upon seeing her smirk, she lit back up into that cheery smile. Rainbow nodded as the image of Twilight’s locked house lingered in the back of her mind. It was a good thing that fur could hide goosebumps.
“Yeah, what the heck. I have nothing else that I want to do, anyway,” Rainbow replied.
"Great!" Pinkie Pie said. As if on cue, Pinkie zipped around the room, placing one more table nearby the first one while another wave of utensils followed shortly after. Rainbow felt a chef’s hat fall onto her head while Pinkie circled around her and tied an apron onto her.
"Now we can both be master bakers! Won't it be fun to master bake together?" Pinkie asked while she tied the apron.
“Woah!”
Rainbow circled around with Pinkie until she was stopped by Pinkie’s hoof and she stumbled around the kitchen until she made it back to her table, her forehooves gripping the side to avoid falling. She chuckled even though she felt the cake fighting against her stomach for a moment.
“Next time, just give me the clothes, alright? I don’t want you dressing me unless you’re buying me dinner first,” Rainbow replied.
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie said in response as she turned back to her bowl.
Rainbow realized what she just said and bit her lip, her face reddening while Pinkie focused on her bowl, not even noticing Rainbow’s broken composure. Rainbow turned to her bowl and picked up the bag of flour. She inspected it for a moment and opened the bag, only to cough as the flour expelled into her nose. She coughed a few more times and covered her muzzle before she closed the bag.
Meanwhile, Pinkie was already making more batter as she placed the whisk inside of her bowl and began to beat the batter until it was a nice and fluid texture. The smell that came from the bowl reminded Rainbow of the cake’s divinity and she sidestepped closer to Pinkie so that she could take a whiff. Pinkie turned to Rainbow and smiled.
“Didja want to just help with my side?” Pinkie asked.
Rainbow nodded and laughed nervously as she scratched a hoof behind her head. “Yeah... I uh... have no idea how to bake. Once I became a teenager... it was mostly takeout and delivery food, heh,” Rainbow admitted.
Pinkie giggled and bounced once to the side, allowing Rainbow to face the bowl. Rainbow placed her hoof on the whisk and nearly jumped to the ceiling when Pinkie moved behind her and placed her forehoof on hers.
“Alright, Dashie! Making a cake is easy! Since we are doing the Sonic Rainboom cakes, we don’t have to worry about layers and all of that! Just the filling and icing!” Pinkie said as she slowly guided Rainbow’s hoof to the whisk since it retreated previously from her touch. Rainbow followed and gripped the whisk once more.
“Gently, Dashie,” Pinkie whispered, lowering her voice since her head was on Rainbow’s shoulder. “Hold the whisk gently, but still with control. You gotta make sure that the whisk knows who’s boss! Once it’s all ready, you have to spin it gently too.”
Rainbow nodded and relaxed her grip on the whisk. She sighed in relief as Pinkie guided her hoof in a circle. She was slowly whisking the batter now, allowing the smell to waft into her nose once more. Rainbow couldn’t help but take another selfish whiff. Pinkie smiled.
“It’s relaxing, isn’t it?” Pinkie asked.
Rainbow nodded, allowing her hoof to go on autopilot as she whisked the batter. Pinkie released her hoof and Rainbow kept it going, eventually to the point where the batter was nearly perfect for baking. Pinkie pulled a cupcake tin close and stepped back. “Now, go ahead and pour the batter into the tins,” Pinkie said, her voice a little louder since she was farther away from Rainbow’s ear.
Rainbow poured the batter flawlessly and stepped back as well to admire her handiwork. “Aww yeah! Better cupcakes in ten...” Rainbow glanced at the kitchen clock and her ears drooped onto her head, “minutes flat. Did it really take that long?”
Pinkie nodded, but kept her smile. “You can’t rush perfection, Dashie!” she replied.
Immediately, Rainbow lightened back up. She smiled as she brought the batter-filled tin over to the adjacent empty oven and placed the tin inside. Rainbow then pushed it closed with her rump and smirked as Pinkie held out her hoof for a bump.
“Good job, Rainbow!” Pinkie replied. “Those cakes are going to be so awesome when we get to decorate them! We have another 50 to go, so let’s keep going!”
Rainbow nodded, but paused once she walked back to the bowl of batter. “Shouldn’t you be doing this, Pinkie? I mean...” Rainbow looked back at the bag of flour that previously almost choked her. “I’m not exactly quick when it comes to this.”
Pinkie shrugged as she walked back behind Rainbow. “You’ll get better at it. Let’s bake some more!” she replied, her wide smile eliminating any desire for Rainbow to step aside. She placed her hoof back on the whisk and felt the warmth of her friend’s hoof as the two of them whisked, dripped, panned, and placed the batter in the oven.
~~~
“Dashie?”
Rainbow looked from the batter bowl to Pinkie, who was in Rainbow’s old spot, making more batter for the cakes. She was frowning and had her eyes completely fixed on Rainbow. Rainbow smiled as she continued to whisk.
“Yeah, Pinkie?”
“Can I ask you something?”
Rainbow felt her heart sink into her chest.
“Oh no... here it comes... why else would Pinkie be so close to me during the whole time while we were baking? I don’t even know if I’m ready for that... how could I be so stupid and think that we weren’t already in this step of our friendship?!”
Rainbow turned to Pinkie and smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. Go ahead, Pinkie.”
“Are you doing okay?”
Rainbow blinked a few times at the question, obviously taken aback.
“I... is that a trick question? Is she trying to pick my brain?”
Rainbow let her whisk fall back into the bowl and she placed a hoof underneath her chin. “Um... I told you that I was doin’ okay when I came in here,” she replied. “I’ve only gotten better since you gave me that awesome little cake.”
Pinkie sighed and placed her whisk into the nearby bowl. “Dashie, I don’t like it when my friends lie to me,” she murmured.
Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Pinkie, I’m not lying to you,” Rainbow said as she placed a hoof over her heart. “I told you that I’m okay.”
“You’re okay, but you aren’t awesome,” Pinkie replied. She stepped closer to Rainbow and placed a hoof onto her shoulder, her eyes staring into Rainbow’s vacillating violet eyes. “You haven’t told me that you were okay since you came back from your dad’s house. Your day is always awesome unless something bad happens.”
Now it was Rainbow’s turn to sigh. She was as good as caught. Rainbow proceeded back to the whisk and continued making the cakes while she spoke, wondering how Pinkie was able to not only guess that she was upset, but why as well.
“I just... had a rough couple of days lately. I’m fine, really I am,” Rainbow said.
“But you didn’t want to tell me. The days must have been really, really bad!” Pinkie replied, ditching her somber tone for a more energized response.
Rainbow noticed the tone, and wasn’t exactly sure why, but at the same time, didn’t care enough to question it. It was probably just Pinkie being Pinkie.
“Yeah... they kind of were, Pinkie,” Rainbow said as she poured more batter into a cake tin. Pinkie placed a forehoof onto Rainbow’s own hoof and stopped her before she smiled widely.
“Come on, you know you can tell me, Dashie!” Pinkie said. “Of all the ponies in Equestria, you know that I can help turn that frown upside down!”
Pinkie’s smile spread to Rainbow and she looked away from her friend, silently cursing Pinkie for being able to lighten her mood so easily. She wanted to be frustrated with Twilight, not happy with Pinkie. Although, if that was the case, then why did she come to Sugarcube Corner in the first place? She knew that this was going to happen, but now that she felt her friend’s gaze burning a hole into the back of her head, she wasn’t sure what she preferred. Rainbow sighed.
“No, Pinkie, I’m fine. It’s nothing that you have to worry about.”
Pinkie groaned in disapproval and bounced up into the air before she landed on her hooves on the table, facing Rainbow and her averted gaze. Her hooves were right between the flour bag, batter bowl, cupcake tins, and milk, as if she perfectly positioned herself. Pinkie kept that smile on as she looked down at Rainbow.
“Come on, Dashie! If it’s nothing that I have to worry about, then you can tell me!”
“No, Pinkie.”
“If it’s something that we have to worry about, then we can worry together!”
“I don’t want anyone to worry about it.”
“Okay! Then I won’t worry about it! Just tell me!”
“No.”
Rainbow turned her back to Pinkie and looked at the ground, her expression contorting along with her rapidly sinking mood.
“Just let me handle it, Pinkie. It’s something that I have to deal with, on my own,” Rainbow said.
Pinkie stepped off of the table and let out an “Aww” in disappointment before she smiled again and hugged Rainbow’s back, squeezing her as hard as she possibly could.
“If you say so, Dashie! Just let me know that if there’s anything that you ever want to talk about, then you can tell me!” Pinkie said, accentuating some words with particularly hard squeezes. Rainbow gasped as she felt her body slowly starting to crush under the love. “Pinkie... Pie,” Rainbow choked.
Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Oop!” She let Rainbow go. “Sorry, Dashie! Sometimes, I guess I forget that I can love everypony a little too hard!” she said with a giggle.
Rainbow gasped for air and held out a hoof as if motioning Pinkie to wait a moment. She panted and sucked in air as if she was never going to acquire it again. “Pinkie... you need... to stop doing that,” Rainbow said once her breathing was back to normal.
Pinkie smiled and nodded. “Okie dokie lokie!” She turned back to the batter bowl. “I’ll just finish off these Rainboom cakes, okay? You can help if you want, but you don’t have to,” Pinkie said as she began whisking away. Once a small bell rung throughout the store, Pinkie froze, jumped up in the air, and zipped out of the kitchen.
Rainbow looked outside the kitchen at Pinkie, who was now behind the Sugarcube Corner counter while another pony began asking for cakes. Rainbow sighed in relief and sat back against the wall as she rubbed a hoof through her mane.
“I never thought Pinkie would be so... draining,” Rainbow admitted in a hushed whisper as she looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes, enjoying the small amount of quiet in the room before Pinkie came back.
“Should I tell her about it? Maybe Pinkie knows where Twilight usually goes when she isn’t at her house. I could try and get the answer out of her without mentioning Twilight, but I’ve already got her attention. I don’t exactly look like the happiest pony either, and she isn’t going to have that. She sees right through me... somehow. She knows something is wrong.”
Rainbow covered her closed eyes with her forehooves, blocking out the bright kitchen light.
“I could always tell her about Twilight... but... I doubt she would be able to help me with anything. The last thing I need is for her to spring into a song and dance about how I need to share my dad with Twilight.”
Rainbow’s eyes opened and widened as she lowered her forehooves.
“What if Pinkie already knows about the two of them? She’s friends with nearly everyone in Ponyville, and she did take my father out to a party once. The two of them could be catching up. Or...”
Rainbow grit her teeth.
“Maybe Twilight told Pinkie about it. She probably told Pinkie so that the two of them could arrange some sort of anniversary party for my dad and her. Judging by the way they were kissing... either they have no shame... or they’ve been dating for a while. And I’m sure I don’t want to bucking find out which one it is.”
Rainbow rose back to her hooves, her wings blocking the doorway to the kitchen as they extended. After a moment however, she sank back to her haunches and shook her head with a sigh. She buried her head into her forelegs once more and continued thinking.
“Come on, Rainbow, Twilight has no reason to do that to me. She may be an egghead, but she isn’t heartless. Matter of fact, if she was, then I wouldn’t be having this problem right now.”
Rainbow sighed again.
“I should talk to Pinkie. Maybe she knows where Twilight could be. I need to talk to her more than anypony else, and I’m sure that Pinkie knows all the places that Twilight goes with that memory of hers.”
“Thank you, Minty Fresh! Come again!”
Rainbow looked up from her forelegs and peeked her head around the corner. Pinkie Pie had just finished selling some cupcakes to a random pony and was walking back into the kitchen while the customer left. Rainbow quickly raised herself to her hooves and walked back over to the kitchen table, her hooves grabbing a whisk as she continued to make cakes. Pinkie smiled once she saw Rainbow and walked back over to her side.
“Thank you for helping while I was gone, Dashie,” Pinkie said as she gave a glance towards Rainbow’s mixing bowl. Rainbow hoped that Pinkie didn’t notice the lack of cakes that were made while she was gone, and that seemed to be the case as a small bell rang behind Rainbow. She turned around to see Pinkie pulling the tins out of the oven and placing them on the nearby kitchen counter to cool off. When every tin was pulled out, Pinkie walked back to Rainbow and smiled.
“Those cakes are going to be super duper good!” Pinkie said as she bounced one time to accentuate her excitement. “I was thinking of bringing them along with me to the party that I’m catering. What do you think, Dashie?”
Rainbow smiled. “Whatever you think would be best, Pinkie,”
Rainbow sighed in relief and poured some batter into the nearest cake tin. “I think that a lot of ponies will love these cakes.
Pinkie nodded and giggled as she walked to a door in the corner of the room and opened it. She pulled out a large cart and inspected it to make sure that it was structurally safe before she turned to Rainbow. Rainbow wasn’t sure if Pinkie could be smiling any wider.
“Everything that I need for the party is all set!” Pinkie said as she bounced over to the kitchen table. “The only thing that I need is a smiling friend! Then I can go prepare the party!”
As if on cue, Rainbow quickly smiled and looked up into Pinkie’s eyes so that it could be seen. “I’m smiling, Pinkie. See?”
Pinkie shook her head as she walked over to Rainbow’s side and placed a forehoof on her shoulder. Her smile softened only slightly as she brushed her mane up against Rainbow’s cheek. Rainbow’s face started to brighten and she quickly finished pouring the batter into the tin.
“Here you go, Pinkie,” Rainbow said, a little quicker than she thought she would. “Put these in the oven!”
“Thanks, Dashie!” Pinkie replied as she bounced over to an unused shelf of the oven and placed the tin inside.
Rainbow looked towards the bag of flour on the right corner of the table and smiled as she grabbed it. However, once she looked back to the batter bowl, it was gone. In its place were three pink hooves, standing on top of the table. Rainbow looked up at Pinkie and frowned.
“Uh... Pinkie, can you give me my batter bowl back? I’m trying to help you,” Rainbow asked, slight irritation oozing into her tone.
Pinkie merely smiled and shook her head. “Uh uh! You can help me by telling me what’s wrong!”
Rainbow reached up for the batter bowl and growled as she rose into the air, her wings beating lightly until she was eye level with Pinkie. However, Pinkie’s legs merely grew in length as she rose up to the ceiling. Rainbow kept staring into Pinkie’s eyes, so she didn’t notice as she reached up for the batter bowl.
“I’m not telling you,” Rainbow merely said.
Pinkie whined and stuck out her lower lip in a pout. “But Daaashie! How am I supposed to take you to the party if you’re going to be all sad and focused on something else?”
Rainbow blinked. “Um... wait. You want to take me to the party that you’re catering?”
Pinkie’s pout disappeared in an instant, replaced with that trademark smile of hers. “Mmhmm!” she said with a nod. “You looked really sad when you were walking down the street, so I thought that there was probably something on your mind. But I remembered that I shouldn’t press you too hard for the problem because that’s how I angered Cranky Doodle Donkey and almost lost him as a friend. So I waited for you to be a little happier by giving you one of the Rainboom cakes but after asking you again, you still didn’t want to talk about it. So I decided, ‘hey! Maybe I should invite Rainbow Dash to one of the parties that I am catering! She’ll have a lot of fun with that!’ And here we are!”
Pinkie dropped the batter bowl onto the table below and gripped her left ear. She started to crank it counter-clockwise while her legs slowly shrank until she was normal size. Rainbow’s eyes widened as she descended until she was back onto her forehooves. She decided not to question another law of physics breaking before her very eyes. Pinkie continued.
“So that’s why I wanted you to help with the cake baking! Because if I could get you to help, then that would give me more time to talk to you about your problem! And now that we are on the subject, what’s the problem, Dashie!?”
Pinkie hopped off of the table and zipped out of the room for a moment. When she came back in, she was holding a crimson armchair which she placed underneath Rainbow, sitting her down in it. Pinkie dashed out of the room again and came back with her own amber couch, which she placed nearby the kitchen table and sat down. Rainbow blinked while Pinkie stared at her.
“Can’t have a good story without some comfortable furniture!” Pinkie said.
Rainbow merely sighed and leaned back against the armchair. “Fine, Pinkie. I’ll tell you. But you have to promise that you will not tell anypony else. Do you promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my—”
“You don’t need to Pinkie promise, Pinkie,” Rainbow said. “Just regular promise.”
Pinkie shook her head. “I can’t promise anything unless it’s a Pinkie promise, Dashie.”
Rainbow sighed. “Fine, whatever.” She waited for Pinkie to quickly do the appropriate hoof motions before she continued. “Now, you remember my dad, right?”
“Blue Streak! His birthday is in 36 days!” Pinkie replied as she pulled a calendar out of the couch cushions and turned the page to October. “Your birthday is in ten days! What do you want for a present?”
“Nothing,” Rainbow replied. “All I care about right now is telling you what happened. So... remember that time where you took my dad out to a party to try and cheer him up?”
Pinkie nodded. “Yep! He had a blast!”
“Well... he found out a new way to cheer himself up.”
“How!?”
“He’s dating Twilight.”
Pinkie paused for a moment, her forehoof raised since she was about to say something. However, she closed her mouth and let her forehoof drop back to her lap.
“Huh... your dad is dating Twilight? I don’t think she would appreciate having fruit thrown at her,” Pinkie replied.
Rainbow groaned and pressed her forehooves to her head.
“I knew you were going to say that,” Rainbow muttered.
Pinkie frowned. “That joke killed at the comedy club. Continue!”
“Well... I went to my dad’s house yesterday morning. I wanted to take him out to breakfast or lunch because I haven’t seen him in a while. The last time I checked up on him, nothing made him happy, and I tried nearly everything!”
Pinkie nodded as she placed the calendar back into the couch cushions.
“I remember him. I’m sorry that I couldn’t help any more with him, Rainbow,” Pinkie said.
Rainbow waved away Pinkie’s apology. “It’s fine, Pinkie. It doesn’t really matter now, since Twilight took up the position of making him happy.”
Pinkie’s eyes widened and she gasped. “Do you mean... Twilight and Blue Streak are going out?”
Rainbow nodded. Pinkie immediately bounced out of her chair and ran over to the kitchen sink, where she pulled out another clean bowl from the dishwasher. She zipped back to the table and placed it nearby the rainbow cake batter bowl. She smiled as she started to crack some eggs for the batter.
“That sounds awesome, Dashie! We should throw a party to celebrate!”
Rainbow’s teeth gritted and she stood up from her chair. “No, Pinkie, we are not going to throw a party for those two,” she said, defiance lining every word.
Pinkie stopped cracking the egg she was holding and looked over to Rainbow, her head tilting slightly in confusion.
“Why not? Aren’t the two of them happy?”
Rainbow paused. “Um... yeah. At least, as far as I know.”
“Then shouldn’t we throw a party for them in order to make them more happy?”
“They shouldn’t be happy!” Rainbow yelled, her wings flaring out as she stamped a forehoof onto the floor. Her pupils turned into pinpricks once she realized what she said.
Pinkie placed a hoof underneath her chin while Rainbow fell to her haunches and bent her head down.
“Hey, Dashie? How old is your dad?” Pinkie asked.
“Forty-one.”
“Wow... and Twilight is barely even twenty-one! Your dad really robbed the cradle with this one, didn’t he, Dashie?”
Rainbow gritted her teeth, but didn’t respond.
“I wonder how the two of them met... I mean... I doubt that they met at a supermarket or something and immediately went out to dinner. Reminds me of the time when I went out with Soarin and we ate at that fancy restaurant! The food was good, although, I don’t know why Soarin asked if I wanted to go to a motel with him. We could have just went to my house if we wanted to go to sleep! Silly stallion. Why are stallions so silly, Rainbow?”
Rainbow’s right eye twitched, but she still didn’t say anything.
“Maybe it’s an experiment! Ooh ooh! Like the time when she was trying to study my Pinkie Sense! Maybe she’s discovering the sense of spread out wings when stallions turn all red! I remember I was eating some ice cream, and Soarin’s wings were all spread out and tense. I don’t even know why! I always eat ice cream in a cone!”
“PINKIE PIE!”
Pinkie stopped and turned her attention to Rainbow, whose face reddened and eyes leaked as she removed her hooves.
“Can you please... stop being yourself for a few minutes and talk to me like a normal pony? My father... is dating one of my best friends. After my mother did everything that she could in order to make him happy... there he sits... probably at some fancy restaurant with Twilight, ordering the same thing that he got when he took my mom out to dinner. She is not going to replace my mom! I have only one mom, and her name is Firefly!
“Does this mean anything to you, Pinkie? What if my dad dumps Twilight, and our friendship is hurt forever because of him? What if she dumps him, and I can never have the two of them at the same celebration because of their breakup? What if...” Rainbow sniffed and wiped her nose. “What if Twilight lives on... like Celestia and Luna, and has to endure her lover passing on before us? What if... it’s all an experiment, like you said, and she’s getting me and my dad all worked up, only for nothing since their relationship will never go anywhere!”
Rainbow buried her head into the armchair’s cushion while her right forehoof beat on it as if it was a punching bag. She raised her head and looked into Pinkie’s eyes as she continued.
“I don’t know anything! I wanted to talk to Twilight today about it. We had a fight the day that I found out, and I wanted to apologize to her today, but she wasn’t home. I don’t know where she is, or where she could be. That’s why I came to you. I wanted to try and ask you if you knew where Twilight usually hangs out, apart from her library, but then you gave me that cake, and I saw that smile on your face. I didn’t want to make you sad after you tried your hardest to lift me up, so I didn’t tell you. But you kept pushing and pushing, even though I said that I could handle this myself. But I can’t. I can’t handle this myself, Pinkie.”
Rainbow sobbed and bit her lip.
“I tried to handle it myself. I talked to Applejack, and she told me that I needed to talk to Twilight. I know that I have to talk to Twilight. I want to talk to Twilight, but I’m scared. I don’t know what I’m going to say, or if I’m going to blow up again.” Rainbow paused and lowered her voice. “Like I just... did... to you.”
Pinkie blinked a few times before she dropped the cracked egg into the bowl, abandoning it as she walked over to Rainbow and hugged her. Rainbow closed her eyes and let the tears leak down her cheeks while Pinkie brushed them away with a forehoof.
“I’m sorry, Dashie,” Pinkie said. “I’ve... never dealt with a big problem such as this before. I thought that a simple party could lighten you up... but I guess... parties don’t solve everything.”
Pinkie stood up and helped Rainbow back to her hooves before she looked over at the rainbow cake batter.
“If you want to know what I think, I think you should talk to your dad first. The last thing that you would ever want is to... have a bad past with your dad.” Pinkie smiled consolingly as she let go of Rainbow and picked up the couch behind her. She pushed it back into her pocket while Rainbow gave a glance towards the cakes.
“I’ll talk to him tonight. He’s probably out somewhere with Twilight, so he’ll be home when the two of them are done with their date. I guess... we can go to that party and I’ll leave early to go talk to him.”
Pinkie nodded and frowned slightly, her ears flattening against her head. “I wish I could go up there and talk with you, but I can’t walk on clouds. I’m sorry, Dashie.”
Rainbow laughed and walked over to Pinkie. She placed a hoof onto her shoulder and hugged her once more. “That’s one of the few things that you can’t do. Come on, Pinkie, cheer up. We still got some cakes to bake!”
Is it bad that every time I read this story, I really want to deck both Blue Streak and Twilight?
More development
Yes.
2846191 If everyone started using fourty instead of forty it would eventually become the accepted spelling. The spelling changed from fourty to forty precisely because people can spell things however they want as long as their message gets across.
Argh, and here I was hoping we were going to have a talk between Twilight and Rainbow, but things got derailed. Will probably work out for the best though in the long run, because Pinkie managed to throw out just the right question for Dash to ponder - shouldn't she be happy that her father is happy once again? I have a feeling that amidst her recent rush, that's a question she has forgotten to ask herself. And that she's going to get some thinking done on the subject before confront Twilight and her father is probably a good thing.
Though now it looks like we can add a touch of jealousy as well to Rainbow's reactions - talking to her father first might indeed be the better choice, as it's clear she needs some reassurance that he won't be replacing her with Twilight. I'm slightly surprised she would harbor such feelings in the first place though - I mean, she visits her father ... what, once every few months, as was mentioned in the first chapter? Given how rarely she shows up to catch up with her father in the first place, his newfound relationship with Twilight isn't exactly going to cut in much in to the time she gets to spend with him.
Hmm, makes me wonder if there is a bit of a hurt pride in there as well - Rainbow being Rainbow, she doesn't like losing. And having Twi step in and succeed with sweeping colors at something Rainbow herself has failed thus far - pulling her own father out of his downwards spiral, something Rainbow probably thought she herself would accomplish sooner or later ... yeah, she probably feels like she just lost bigtime, at something she should have had a home-field advantage even (her own father).
Hmm, maybe her being worried about being replaced isn't that strange after all - if we extend on that thought, something usually gets replaced when it's no longer needed or useful. And Rainbow hasn't been very useful when it comes to pulling her dad out of his flunk, while Twilight has - which, on some level, might make her feel as if she has failed at being useful to her father, and since "useless" things get replaced, that's her worry right now. Yeah, she really needs that talk with her father, preferably sooner than later. That, or I'm overthinking things.
And the over-aching problem of her mother's death resurfaces again, but that's probably something she will need to sort out between her and Twilight - along with the fact that Twi is not aiming to replace Rainbow's mother. Does she really think Twilight aims at starting to treat Rainbow like a daughter or anything of the sort? Heh.
Overall - great chapter. What started out as a slight disappointment for not being the talk between Rainbow and Twi, turned out all the better for it, as it added a new layer to the issues Rainbow has to work with and another layer to her character. You are doing a fantastic job so far at building something worth thinking about - this is so much more than a simple "Ack, my best friend is dating my father!" - amusingly enough, that's almost entirely besides the point. Simply the catalyst that brings forth the real heart of the matter, opening the door to this mini character study of Rainbow Dash, what makes her tick and revealing all the issues and scars that she has to work through in order to fully move past her mother's death all those years ago. Very nice stuff.
I hope that they can reconcile. The lovebirds should have told RD ahead of time rather than letting her found out how she did. If they had, things probably would have gone better. However, even if I understand why she did what she did, even if I would have reacted similar, that does not excuse her reaction. They are all adults, they should have treated the situation like adults. Yes, it is weird for your best friend to date your father. I know that.... It's even worse when things get serious. However, both parties should care enough for each other to try to make things work.
more and more I'm routing for Rainbow on this.
2895263 naw, Rainbow has a right to be mad, not because they're dating, but because they failed to tell her that they were.
I don't get it
I feel for Rainbow Dash, but at the same, I just want her to get over it.
I think the second she does, life will be so much better for her. And the rest, as well.
~Skeeter The Lurker
2895678
I'm not necessarily sure that's the case, actually. As we know, Rainbow goes to visit her father once per few months. In-between, she doesn't seem to have any contact with him. The last time she saw him, he was still down in the dumps. This time, he isn't - which means he and Twilight started seeing each other sometime in-between Dash's consecutive visits - and she found out during her last visit, because her father had asked Twilight over at the time. Since RD is said to be busy with Wonderbolts, I'm not sure how much she has seen of Twilight either in this time (or how much time Twi has spent in Ponyville at all in-between being a Princess and setting time aside for Blue Streak).
So the next 'family meeting' actually seems a pretty appropriate time and place to tell RD about this. While they didn't go out of their way to inform RD the second they started dating, they didn't really hide it either - she found out on her very first visit post-fact, because her father told her.
Rainbow was doing the exact same thing actually - she hadn't informed her father about her progress about Wonderbolts, and instead was keeping it as a "surprise" for their next scheduled meeting. So if we are to assume that RD and her father are close enough to inform each other immediately of anything important going on in their lives (which hasn't been shown to be the case - they only meet once per few months, so they aren't that close), then they both fluked - just that Blue Streak took Rainbow's news in stride and didn't rise a fuss about her not telling him sooner. Since they aren't that close, delivering important news on their family meetings seems to be par for the course - which is exactly what her father did. And since he and Twi started dating sometime in-between RD's visits, their relationship hasn't even been going on for that long.
2895678
I do think that she has a right to be mad at those two for dating. I believe if your best friend is dating your parent and the age difference is almost 2 to 1 (or higher), there are some serious issues that need to be worked out. If a friend of mine did this to me (luckily both parents are still happily married), not only would I completely severe ties with him/her, I'd probably leave him* with a few less teeth and probably a serious concussion. Dating the parent of a friend is just something you do not do.
*Note: I'd only would I do this with a male. Call me chauvinistic, but I do not believe in harming women, unless in extreme circumstances (ex: in combat, or in self-defense). However, if I was a female, both genders would be on the table for a beat down.
EDIT:
2895805
There is a major difference between telling your daughter that you are dating someone young enough to be her sister and telling your parent that you are on your way to completing a dream. Comparing the two doesn't work. RD is completely clear of any wrong doing in this. Her father on the other hand has some serious explaining to do.
2895708 There's a type of fruit called a date.
Yes, please do master bake together.
2895708
There's a type of fruit called a date. And the joke is that he's throwing that fruit at Twilight.
2895708
Throwing Dates at her.
The fruit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_dactylifera
Also I love the downvoting wars on this. The one's who feel rainbow should suck it up are downvoting anyone who disagrees.
2895809
No, it is the same thing - saying otherwise is just attempting to play favorites. RD making Wonderbolts doesn't "directly" concern her father, same as her father dating doesn't "directly" concern her. That they choose to inform the other is common family courtesy, and they did inform each other - at the exact same time.
Did we miss the point where her father did tell RD the fact he and Twilight were dating? In the first chapter he came out with it - she didn't find it out on her own, she didn't hear it from rumors, she didn't stumble on to them - her father told her, simply and honestly.
Not soon enough? What would constitute "soon enough"? The moment the thought crossed his mind? After the first date? A day later? Three days after? After a little more time had passed and the two were sure it was something that was actually going to last before stirring the nest? Remember that they haven't even been dating for long - a couple of months at most, or maybe as little as a week.
So yes, they did tell her - and not at all "too late", given how often RD is in contact with her father in the first place. RD has no reason to expect them to rush and track them down the first second it happened, that would just be her being a selfish, entitled brat on an issue where she isn't the primary concern to begin with.
--
Though like I said a few posts prior, this is almost besides the point, and Twilight dating RD's dad in the first place seems like a minor plot point, mainly serving as a catalyst to bring forth the real issue - being Rainbow and the fact she hasn't actually gotten over her mother's death, and now possibly a newfound feeling of uselesness in her inability to help her father and fear of being replaced. This isn't about Twi and Blue Streak, not really; it's about Rainbow, the psychological scars her mother's passing has truly left in her and (hopefully) her finally letting go and moving on by the time this is done. Twi and Blue streak are merely a distraction compared to the real issue.
Twi vs. Dash
Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Ding, ding!
Soarin and pinkie??? Ya dun goofed
2895893
No, comparing the two is completely wrong. You don't just say "Surprise! You are going to have a new mom, and she happens to be a very good friend of yours!" out of nowhere. That doesn't work, nor will it end well. As for her father dating, it does concern Dash peripherally. It is who he is dating that makes it directly affect Dash. Blue Streak's "surprise" affects more than just Blue Streak, while Dash's surprise affects only her. You are trying to compare apples and oranges here.
As for when, the answer is the moment when they realized that they were dating, in other words ASAP, especially since Dash is directly affected. Trying to say she isn't affected shows how little of the current issue you truly understand.
As for being an entitled brat, Blue Streak and Twilight acted exactly like that, not Dash. Dash acted completely reasonably (it could have been handled better by both parties, but Dash's actions are still reasonable) when this is tossed at her from the left field. Those two thought that, "Just because Rainbow Dash is a close friend/my daughter, means that she will completely support our decision." That's total BS and you know it. Dash acted excited when her father started dating, but who he is/was dating is the major issue.
Overall, in this situation, like I said before. I'd completely severe ties with both. Twilight showed that she is no longer interested in being a friend, and Blue Streak has shown that he has no interest in truly being a father (though if he were to completely break it off, his relationship would be the easiest to fix).
---
Don't really care. The above is where I have issues. I know all too well about psychological issue when those close to you die. F, a close friend of mine has PTSD and pyrophobia because of watching a mutual friend burn to death in a HMMWV during an ambush while deployed to a combat zone. They will never go away fully, and the only thing you can do is learn how to cope with them.
2895809 true, but i'm not sexist. so if i find out one of my friends is dating one of my parents, they get a punch in the stomach hard enough to make 'em heave.
2896009
Sorry, but you are severally trying to overplay the effect on Dash's life that Twi dating her father would have, and the haste she needs to be informed with, and this is exactly what I mean by being a self-entitled brat. Twilight and Blue Streak dating each does does not affect Dash's life any more than Dash making the Wonderbolts does Blue Streak's life in any way, shape or form. How exactly would it? What does it change in Dash's daily life? Nothing, at all.
It would be of utmost importance if Dash was still a little filly, living in her father's house, coming home each day and barely understanding how the world works and what's happening - a child still being taken care of, in other words. But she is not; she doesn't even live there, past showing up once in a while. Thus she isn't the primary concern in Twi's and Blue's relationship - Twi and Blue themselves are, as it should be. Neither can be asked to tailor their relationship around Dash as the No1 immediate concern out of the gate - well, they can, but as I said - selfish and unreasonable.
And I find the notion of calling Twilight as Rainbow's new mom to be somewhat silly and a cheap way to try and generate shock value - seriously, is that the dynamic you expect Twi and Blue to try and establish with Rainbow? For Twi start to try and act like one, for it to even be a consideration? Why would that even be a concern (aside from Rainbow's lingering issues with her mother's passing) - Dash is a grown adult living in an another city entirely, calling Twilight Rainbow's new mother as anything other than a technicality, provided Twi and Blue marry, is ... unwarranted and wouldn't even come in to play.
And if one would seriously try and sever a friendship because of this, I would call them a shallow friend and have no respect for them. Let's not forget that Blue Streak has been sinking in depression for years, living a mirthless life and simply going through motions from day to day, ever since his wife's death. Twilight, essentially, has saved him. If Dash were to reject this, then she is essentially saying that she doesn't care for her father's happiness (unless it's happiness on her terms ... but then again this is about her father, not her, so that's not exactly the message one would want to send), and all that talk about her wanting him to be happy turns out to be a lie, only being told to make herself feel better about herself. Is that the right attitude to have?
Thankfully Dash hasn't done anything quite as silly as that, and is simply brooding on the issue while learning to consider the right questions along the way, instead of throwing what amounts to a petulant temper tantrum from a grown adult.
I still don't get how it isn't obvious that RD is wrong to some people.
Was it completely considerate to not tell her sooner? No.
Was her reaction warranted? NO!
Really, when it comes down it, the problem is less about Twilight and more about the fact that RD likely wouldn't have liked anyone that her dad dated. Because it'd be "ruining the memory" or some crap like that. Notice how this chapter first has her mentioning her dad doing the same things as he had done with RD's mom... in terms of a date (in her explanation to Pinkie).
That's what she cares about most, keeping the memory of her (dead) mom special and sacred at the apparent cost of being happy in the present. So... she doesn't really care if her dad is happy.
How can people agree with that?
I think some in the comments section are taking this story a liiittle too seriously. Fan fiction is serious business or something.
That said ... not too big on all the suggestive dialogue and actions in this chapter--kinda came out of nowhere. Just author appeal, I guess.
Also, I kinda hope Dash gets a chance to talk to either her dad or Twilight soon, for better or for worse, or this is gonna start dragging--this chapter didn't really advance the story much, and it kinda felt like filler.
I dunno man. If one of my best friends started dating my mom... It would feel really wrong. Relationship dynamics would change completely. I don't get how you guys could just be like 'whatev, no different than anyone else'
I mean, have you guys put yourself in Rainbow's shoes? Imagine your best friend and one of your parents dating. Seeing them all lovey-dovey with each other, as a couple at family events or when you visit either one of them, etc.
Could you honestly just put everything aside? Sure, the 'right' answer is to say 'yes of course, it's for their happiness', but would you honestly be completely okay with it? I know I wouldn't be. I wouldn't try to break them up or anything, but I don't know if I could still be friends with my buddy since it would likely get awkward, and it would be uncomfortable to see them together at family functions and the like. So relationships would certainly change for the involved parties I'd imagine. Not trying to say whether Rainbow is right or wrong here, mind you, just going off how I imagine it would feel if I were in her position.
Both sides of the argument have their merits. Hell, I'd say there isn't a clear cut right or wrong answer. It's about whether the involved parties can handle the potential consequences of their decisions.
2896298
That's true x)
Although, I must say, it's an interesting discussion. Not one that happens very often One of the benefits of a divided audience is that a lot of good discussion comes up.
2896196
And you are severely underplaying how this affect Dash. I have just as close of a relationship with my parents as Dash does, and yet they keep me informed of anything that could possibly affect me. Something like this would qualify. However, reread my statement:
How is Dash not affected when her best friend is dating her father? You have been dodging this point by just blowing it off by saying nothing changes. Prove it! Everything in the relationship between Twilight and Dash changes, and yet you claim nothing does. That makes no logical sense. Dash's trust in her father changes, and the same happens with Twilight. How should Dash treat Twilight? Like a mother, as a step-daughter should? Or as a friend? I do not treat either the same. I do stuff with my mom that I never would with my friends and visa versa. There is a very distinct line between friend and mother that Twilight's trying to bridge and in real life, it has never ended well. BTW, don't be stupid and just claim "as a friend" without dealing with the fact that Twilight is in a relationship with Dash's father (so she would be Dash's step-mother). You are too smart to do something dumb like that.
I'm all for allowing couples to do with themselves as they please, so long as it affects no one else. This one does, and they seem to have forgotten that their relationship affects Dash significantly. The simple fact that they didn't even try to talk to her before about this shows that they obviously didn't think this through, and how negatively she reacted shows that it does seriously affect her.
Twilight indicated as much! Here's the statement:
-Twilight Sparkle
Through out the conversation she subtly hinted that that's the role she would be filling. H, even read the story's title! The relationship between the two will change, and it does not seem to be for the better.
Given that everything points to all of them living in Ponyvill (save Streak), that little thing about them living apart and having no interaction with each other is completely false.
I dove on top of a frag grenade for my squad, and you're calling me a shallow friend? Really? A man who was willing to die so that his friends could live is shallow? Try again. Twilight betrayed Dash's trust, and that's what is shallow here. Also, if you are going to try to insult me, do so directly asshole.
Ask a father, if it comes down to your child's happiness or yours, which do you think is going to be chosen? Blue Streak should just man the f up and end things before it gets worse. He's dating someone half his age, and his daughter's friend, all because he wanted to be happy at the expense of his daughter. If I got to chose between being happy for the rest of my life at the cost of fing over my buddy or miserable, the answer is that I'd rather be miserable. My friends and family mean a f-ton more to me than my own personal happiness. If I have to deny myself what I want in order to let them be happy, then I'm content. This is what Streak here has seems to have forgotten, "Sometimes life isn't about your happiness, but rather those who you are supposed to take care of and lead." In all honesty, I'd rather be content, than happy.
Really? A childish temper tantrum? If this is childish, so is the PTSD that warriors go through. Get your head out of your ass and realize that this is just as adult of a reaction as anything. It's the reaction you get when you feel betrayed by those you hold close.
PS. I know what real friendship is, the friendship that is forged through trials like combat and war. Those are the friends that I have. Two of those friend, that read your post over my shoulder, take extreme exception to you calling me a "shallow friend" after everything I had sacrificed to aid them like I have. H, they even stated 100% agreement with me on this, and have mentioned that you should be glad that you aren't in the room (harsh doesn't even begin to describe the words being thrown around right now).
PPS. It seems they also brought in a few of their squadmates, who also want to take a few swings at you as well. Never thought I'd see the day that a civie pissed off both an US Army infantry squad as well as an US Marine rifle squad at the same time, by insulting the same person.
:I ..... I read that completely wrong, and nearly died laughing.
XD Stop doing that, author. YOU'RE DOIN' IT ON PURPOSE D:
2896587
Save your high and mighty Army speech for where it's appropriate, as if that makes you some sort of an ultimate authority on what constitutes a good friend in the context. While I'll respect camaraderie where its due, I'll fully reserve the right to call a decision to end a friendship and cut ties with a parent over what is going on here a shallow one.
The sheer self-entitlement on Dash's behalf of the sentiment that Twi and Streak shouldn't be seeing each other if she somehow doesn't like it is ... boggling, to say the least. It's not her call to make, same as it isn't Streak's call to make whom Dash eventually decides to go out with it. News flash: parents exist as their own persons as well, and they most certainly don't have any sort of obligation to sacrifice their own happiness in order to satisfy the antics of their now fully grown and independent children. It's incredibly selfish of the child to want otherwise, especially since said relationship is fixing some very real issues Dash's father has.
And how about you bring up some examples of how Twi's relationship with Dash would necessarily change? Why does it have to change? Because Rainbow can't handle it for some silly, non-logical reasons and is going on an emotion-inducted tangent? Then she should just deal with it. From how things are looking, the relationship will only change as much as Dash will force it to change - and the world and other people are not supposed or expected to tailor their lives according to her whims. That she chooses to make it a negative change instead of a positive or neutral one is her own doing, not an inherent negative of the relationship in question. What Dash makes of it is her own choice.
Of course Twilight will say she loves Dash - they have been through thick and thin together for who knows how long. Are you seriously trying to tell me she meant that in a motherly way, looking to scoop up and dawwww over her new "daughter"?
And of course your relationship with your mother would differ from that you have with your friends. Because she is your mother who has been there beside you since you were little and was taking care of you! This obviously doesn't apply to Twilight and Dash in any way; apples and oranges. So yes - I fail to see why they couldn't remain the same old friends they always have. Unless Twilight actually starts looking to play the mother role for Rainbow (a notion I find ridiculous to even consider), what exactly changes about their relationship dynamic? That Dash now knows whom Twilight shares her bed with? There doesn't have to be a change unless one is literally forced upon the situation.
Yes, some change is likely - but let's not forget that there are good things happening because of the relationship. Some of the best things in years for Rainbow's old man - so some slight initial, self-imposed discomfort on a third party's behalf isn't necessarily a bad thing overall. The relationship isn't about Rainbow, even if the fic is from her perspective.
And if they can't help but end up with a negative change - well then, so be it. The fic might be from Dash's perspective, but the world does not revolve around her and her insecurities, and no one should be asked to give up their happiness for her emotional comfy blanket. Note that I am not saying they should just blow her off - no one has, and I'm pretty dang sure both her father and Twi will do their best to ease the transition over and do what they can to be there for her in a way she wants them to - but there is a limit to how far you can reasonably expect people to bend over their personal lives and happiness for your enjoyment.
---
Now thankfully, Dash isn't being quite as insufferable as the above discussion, as she hasn't actually made any unreasonable demands -- not yet, anyways. She is mostly stewing on the issue and hasn't yet had a chance to really sit down and discuss it with the involved parties - and it will be interesting to see how that goes and how the relationships change (or not) in the end. But world doesn't revolve around Dash - and neither does her father's and Twilight's right to be happy.
---
And that's probably last I want to say on this chapter, as this will just devolve in to a circular argument with neither of us agreeing what the other has to say and rehashed arguments. Suffice to say, I'm not of a habit to ask others to bend over backwards for my own benefit, so I'm quite happy with where I stand on the issue morally.
2896797
It's obvious you're high on your own delusions. I'm not going to waste my time replying. If you are too stupid to realize that the relationship will change, then I pity you. I honestly do.
Oh, and for the record, it's called betrayal. I severe ties with anyone that betrays me, my friends and family.
Yes, Dash. God forbid your dad find somepony who makes him happy and helps him get over the death of his wife. But no, it's all about you, isn't it? Equestria's not geocentric, it's Dashcentric.
What an absolute bitch.
A decade. Your mom's been dead for at least a decade. You need to move past it. Accept that she's dead and more importantly let your dad live his fucking life.
We're really supposed to be on Dash's side here? God damn, there really is no way my jimmies won't be rustled, is there? It's inevitable.
This isn't turning into a Rainbow Dash ship fic, is it?
Ignoring the Great Wall of Argumentina down there...
It's really no business of Dash's who her dad dates however long after his wife died. A single parent's relationship decisions shouldn't be affected by a child's approval or disapproval.
HOWEVER
Blue Streak is a middle-aged man dating a chick who's barely old enough to drink. That's really creepy. And the fact that Dash was kept out of the loop for so long by both her dad and her best friend doesn't speak well of either of them. They could have cushioned the blow, too -- just dropping this massive shift on her head and saying "this is your world now, just deal with it yo" isn't the way to endear oneself to anyone, let alone a beloved child. My parents haven't dumped a world-changer of that magnitude on me since I was six, and even then we were just moving to a new state.
TL;DR: Blue Streak and Twilight are their own people and are free to do their own thing, but with the age situation and their incredible lack of tact in explaining it to Dash, no one should be surprised she's not taking it at all well.
2896825 I have to say, if you think knocking someone's teeth out is an appropriate way to signal your disapproval of their choice in romantic interest (given that it is legal, moral, etc.), he is at the very least not alone in being delusional.
And it's "sever".
On a completely different topic, who else has had this update fail to ping on the "updated favorites" system? I found this because I happened to click on "View all favorites".
2897116
Ever hear of something called an exaggeration. Its purpose is to show, in an overly dramatic way, an emotion. The idea is that the emotion is stronger than what the verbal expression can convey. In this situation, it conveys a large amount of anger.
There is this pair of wonderful words in the English language that describes this situation perfectly. These words are, and say it with me now, "typographical error", and it can easily be shortened to "typo".
2896797
Just a quick note. I want to apologize for being rude. I'm going through a fairly rough spot right now, and I ended up venting out on you. A friend of mine isn't doing so well, and I'm unable to help him despite every fiber of my being wanting to. Anyway, you didn't deserve me dumping on you like I did, and so, I'm sorry.
2895893 true, but seriously, put yourself in RD's situation, your mom died while you were young, and you've done a lot to try to get your dad happy, and now he's dating someone who is young enough to be her sister, not just any 'someone' a 'someone' who is her best friend. and they act like the age difference is like, 3 years, and not twenty years, as if it's not a big deal when in fact it is. honestly would you want your dad dating his mother's best friend? or your kid dating your old high school teacher? -no i don't think so...
but yes, i do agree that dash could have handled it better and at least try to calmly voice her opinion. but if they try to get married after one month of dating, and the huge age difference, then she has every right to be upset. i wouldn't want to call one of my best friends 'mom'
Twilight is barely old enough to drink, in my country barely or more than enough means pretty much the same thing.
1- that's the fact, she is already legal and biologically mature, I don't see the creepiness anywhere
2- If Twilight and Blue Streak ever get married, Rainbow Dash doesn't need to start calling her "mom", hell, not even "step mother"
Dash needs to get over it, she will feel liberated. And understand that if any of her fears come true, then it won't her fault at all, and it will only prove that she was right from the beginning
2897849
Three quick things:
1 - Dash doesn't need to get over it. Streak and Twilight need to accept that she doesn't support them, and deal with that consequence of their actions. If she wants to permanently cut all ties with them, then that's the consequence they have to deal with.
2 - Dash has the right to voice whatever complaint she wants. She can cuss them out and remove them from her life if she wants. As long as she doesn't physically try to hurt them, they just have to deal with it. Dash is under no obligation to change her opinion n the matter.
3 - If worse does come to worse, then the relationships between the three can be (and most likely would be) irreparably ruined. So Dash being right in that case, is a moot point.
2897212 OK, but when you do the same typo on THREE separate occasions, I figure it's at least somewhat likely you are genuinely confused as to the correct spelling.
2898339
Ah s, I forgot. I also wanted to apologize to you for snapping like I did. Sorry about that.
I believe it was the autocorrect on my stupid web browser (tablet variant...Foxtrot Mike Lima). I'm looking at replacing the GI one that's on this thing and get a third-party one. It has a habit of "correcting" words to those I don't want it to correct to without notifying me, and since I was just doing a basic once over, I didn't notice that mistake.
2898373 It's not a problem. After all, you can't be too bad when you're so awesome that FimFiction says I have 100 new notifications when you reply to me!
2898383
Had the same thing happening earlier, though one of them was "00000 new notifications". And there were no new notifications. FimFic, y u me?
2896587 2896196
Honestly, I think you're both (Along with most of the other commentors) overreacting to this. It's just a freaking story! Stop arguing about how Dash should react! The author probably knows how this story is going to go, so how about we all just be patient and wait for the next chapter like civilized adults, okay?
2898472
Almost six hours late buddy. We already let things go and de facto agreed to disagree.
2898499
Note how I had said
I wasn't just talking to you two. Also, typing on a mobile device is horrid.
2897038
I think the biggest part of this conflict stems from Dash herself. She never properly grieved for her mom. Never got it out of her system. Now that her dad's moved on, that lack of grieving is coming back to bite her in the ass hard.
Oh darn it, I was getting wound up for nothing! This chapter title was wholly accurate.
The innuendos and other Pinkiedash bits seemed to jar with the overall tone of the story so far- I mean, it's always welcome as far as I'm concerned, but it just sort of pops up in the middle of everything else like it's been going on the whole time. "Master baking" made me laugh, but I'd generally expect something like that in a crackier fic than this had been so far.
2898525
Didn't see that when I first typed the comment...Wow, it's tomorrow already...
Last point before I clock out for the night, I know the feeling. Though, I'd rather be typing on a cell phone than a tablet (FimFic hates tablets with a passion).
2898562
That was because it was an edit made right after I posted the original comment. And what kind of tablet? My only problem with the Kindle Fire HD is the keyboard.
2898578
HP ElitePad, though it works wonderfully on most sites. For whatever reason, when I'm typing comments on FimFic, it likes to move the cursor back to the start a lot.
2898619
So you're having problems with just the comment box?
...Lucky... I have to worry about the whole keyboard everywhere... D:
2898635
That's mostly because it only shows up when I "click" on a text box. It also has a habit of changing the key I press, one key to the left or right*. Also, it uses Windows 8, which takes a lot of getting used to. It's great once you get used to it, but until then it's a pain.
*Note: Not sure if you know this, but the ElitePad is a touchscreen. And since that is still fairly new tech, I'm guessing that accounts for most of my problems.