//------------------------------//
// It's A Wonder, Colt (part 4) 
// Story: The Truth About Girls (Vol. 1) 
// by TheMareWhoSaysNi 
//------------------------------//

The first person who had rung at the door had been Vinyl Scratch, also known as DJ Pon-3, who on the previous evening had already used her turntables at the Bellehorse Bar. The young girl was a local celebrity, who operated in a lot of places despite her young age, and that Pinkie Pie had convinced to come and play against payment in kind (food and drinks) to her best friend’s birthday party.

Shortly after her, the other guests had started to arrive, some of them even weren’t a part of CHS but of the rival school, Crystal Prep. Only for tonight, there was a truce in the fights, like it often happened when a High School party was thrown.

As a result, one hour after the official start of the evening, Rainbow Dash’s house was as crowded as a trendy nightclub on a Friday night. There were people up to the lawn outside, as well as in the stairs and second and third floor.

In order to avoid for the luxurious furniture to get wasted, white sheets had been settled on them, and the couch had been pushed on the side for more space.

Among those present, they were very few who had brought a present for the heroine of the night, and some weren’t even unaware of the main reason of this party. Did this matter to her? Not the least in the world. All that was important for her was that this party was hot, the kind of party which would be remembered for a long while.

The least one could say was that Pinkie Pie had made a great spade. If that was what her seventeenth birthday party looked like, she couldn’t wait to see what it would be next year, when she would celebrate her full age.

Seized into the rhythm of the music and fun, Rainbow Dash no longer thought about what had her so panicked two hours ago. Forgotten as well headaches and stomachaches. Seeing her, no one could have suspected how she had felt before her friends had arrived.

Her beige dress chosen by Rarity, with short sleeves and laces in the front, was a clever mix of elegance and comfort, and didn’t betray her adventurous personality.

Each time someone came and greeted her with open arms to wish her a happy birthday, she welcomed them with the brightest of smiles, never stopping moving her hips at the rhythm of the groovy music rumbling through the speakers.

She was in high spirits… Which, in Zephyr Breeze’s opinion – he was invited by default – represented the best of occasions for him to take a chance on her. He arranged the jacket on his shoulders, checked on how good his bun looked in the mirror, as well as his freshly cut beard. He thought he was so perfect there was no reason for the subject of his affection to reject him.

He stood in front of her while she was dancing with Pinkie Pie, and first proposed her to have a raspberry-flavored vodka shot. He knew from a reliable source – his little sister Fluttershy – this was Rainbow Dash’s favorite fruit and that there were fewer chances for her to refuse.

Indeed, while still dancing, she thanked him then grabbed the glass and gulped it down. Pinkie Pie warned her she should avoid drinking too much, and Zephyr didn’t even try to ask himself why her friend gave her such an advice. It was her birthday party, after all, she could do as she was pleased… Even, he counted on alcohol to achieve his aims.

But before being close to success, he had to take out what he called his secret weapon, what would show her how he could become an affectionate and obliging boyfriend if she chose him.

“I got a present for you”, he yelled above the music. “You’re going to love it.”

“Sweet!”

He put between her hands a small white squared box, with the name of a luxurious chocolate shop written on it with golden letters. Of course, there only were a few candies inside, nevertheless it had cost him a big part of his salary. With this, for sure, she would be in heaven. Who didn’t like candies, especially when coming from so prestigious a boutique?

What he hadn’t take into account was the expensive treats weren’t especially appealing to Rainbow Dash, used with her father to these kind of attentions that didn’t really have a deep meaning. She preferred what came from the heart, even if it had only cost three dollars or even nothing.

And, it raised another issue…

“Well… It’s very nice of you, Zephyr, thanks. But… I’m forbidden to eat chocolate.”

Not only her damaged liver didn’t really appreciate what she made it suffer from by drinking too much and too often, but with this, some aliments had become impossible for her to digest, even if it was just one small mouthful. It was a mystery known could explain but that was the way it was.

And she had no intention of spending the rest of her party embedded while throwing up, and writhing in pain. In fact, she even shouldn’t have accepted to have this thimble of vodka.

“I take this because it’s good-heartedly, but I won’t be able to eat them candies. I’m sorry.”

“Hahaha, there’s no problem at all”, he answered rubbing his neck.

There was nothing else he could say, anyway. He was the only one to blame. If the questions he’d asked Fluttershy had been more precise, he could have avoided to do such a mistake. It didn’t matter if her sister probably wouldn’t have answered, tired of always hearing about Rainbow Dash and to know he never really was interested about what was going on with her friends for another reason.

“Since you won’t eat them, Dashie, why don’t you give it to me?”, Pinkie Pie replied.

A bit more and they would have seen her smacking her lips in order to wipe away a trickle of drool in the corner of her mouth.

“Happy birthday in advance, Pinkie”, Rainbow Dash said putting the box between her hands.

The young pink-haired girl bounced at her neck and lengthily pecked her friend’s cheek, then they both resumed back dancing as if nothing had happened, one of them hanging at her chocolate box like a worm at the end of a fishing rod.

For Zephyr, this was a bitter failure until he realized Rainbow Dash had, for the first time, talked to him in a nice and relaxed way, with no immediate rejection, or her asking to leave her alone. It was enough for him to think that he was in the right direction, after all. If he stayed by her side and she still wouldn’t reject him, maybe after a few dances – and drinks – he had his chances to reach the goal of his dreams.

Of course, she was wriggling her hips with Pinkie Pie and didn’t pay attention to him, singing the lyrics at the same time than songs played, not even realizing the connotations of certain words, but the party had just begun, he told himself.

Their duet was soon joined by Applejack, who couldn’t leave her cowboy hat even when in fancy clothes. She patted Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, and showed her something or someone with her chin, after she had whispered in her ear words that Zephyr hadn’t been able to decipher.

Only when he turned around to have a glimpse at what her friend was trying to show her did he understand. A boy around the same age as he, but much taller, dressed in jeans and white shirt, his hair brushed back from his face though not slathered with gel, was walking looking all around him, apparently lost.

Rainbow Dash, on her tiptoes, shook a hand in his direction and as soon as their eyes met, his face was brightened up with the most benevolent of smiles.

With the agility of the one used to move on a playing field, Soarin moved forward among the crowd busy dancing in rhythm that surrounded him, and quickly joined the teenage girl, which smile had even widened, and magenta eyes were shining of a new radiance.

It didn’t take much for Zephyr to understand who had just arrived represented a huge competition for him and his plans. He would have to prevail, though it appeared to be tricky as she was no longer paying attention to him.

“Wasn’t it too difficult to find?”, Rainbow Dash asked while still dancing.

“No, it wasn’t. But I had issues with parking.”

“Yeah, it’s crowded. Pretty cool, uh? Oh, these are my best friends, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Pinkie, AJ… This is Soarin.”

“We’d guessed dat, sugar cube. All hail, Soarin”, Applejack said, lifting her hat.

“Helloooo”, Pinkie Pie hollered.

No matter how hard Zephyr fidgeted and tried to show he was here, she never introduced him to the newcomer. Disappointed, jealous and a little upset, he decided to beat in retreat. He didn’t know where that boy came from, didn’t know anything about him or his connection with Rainbow Dash and it didn’t matter. He had made up his mind… He hated him and was convinced he would never be good enough for the young woman.

“Do you want to have a drink?”

“That would be great, yeah”, Soarin answered, after he had noticed the hostile glare of the boy standing by his side.

Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash grabbed his hand, and let him through the crowded living-room. When she threw a glance backward, she saw both Pinkie Pie and Applejack winking and thumbing up at her, and she had to stay focused in order to avoid to show her happiness in an explicit manner – it would be the opposite of being cool.

Going through this crowd hand in hand wasn’t insignificant, and they both knew. Rainbow Dash didn’t want to ask herself too much questions, afraid panic would strike again or she would suddenly feel corny, what would stop her from letting go.

However, on Soarin’s side, things were a little more complicated. Which conclusions could he draw from this gesture? She probably had done it so he wouldn’t get lost among the crowd while following her… After all, they already had done this a thousand times back when they were in the same elementary school.

Yes, but they no longer where in elementary school, and the way this soft and smaller hand when compared to his made his heart beat faster had nothing in common with the carefreeness he could have felt back in Cloudsdale’s playground.

Close to where had been settled the couch swarming with couples and party animals, was a huge tank with ice, inside of which bottles of beer had been placed. That’s where their race stopped.

Rainbow Dash plunged her hand inside the basin, and grabbed a bottle she gave to Soarin. She had understood on the previous night that he wasn’t the type to get wasted, nor an amateur of strong liqueurs. It completely matched his reasonable and moderate personality.

She liked this about him and at the same time, each time she thought about it, her stomach writhed from stress. She could be so brash, and not in a good meaning, so fiery, so hot-headed, with this very sharp sense of competition… Maybe he thought that amusing when they were children, but now he would realize that was something difficult to cope with.

Thankfully, her thoughts were short-circuited by a hand which grabbed the lower part of her dress. It belonged to a young woman sitting on the couch, hanging at the neck and lips of a young man with a dandy look… Rarity. Obviously, her Plus One was already here and she had wasted no time.

Taken by a muffled laugh, Rainbow Dash got the message without her friend to utter the least of words, and handed two uncapped bottles of beer to the girl and her fellow.

“Thank you, darling. You’re a sweetheart.”

That was the only thing Rarity said before kissing her famous Plus One again.

Well, if Soarin wanted them to see each other often, he would have to get used to it. The whole band was a little screwy but that also was the reason why she loved them so much.

“Soarin, this is my best friend Rarity. Em… She’s the adult of the group.”

The latter granted him with a small wave from her hand, as if showing him she had taken the encounter into account, which didn’t mean she had taken off her fop. Thankfully, this comical introduction made Soarin smile. He seemed amused by anything he saw, without the least trace of hypocrisy or sarcasm on his face.

Since her friends were more important than anything else, she thought it would be best for him to know who was who right away, because they would surely see each other quite a lot in the future. All she hoped was for them to appreciate him and him to appreciate them as well, the indispensable condition for anything to ever happen between them.

“Can you see the girl over here with blue hair and two pink and mauve streaks?”

“The only one busy talking with someone?”

“Yeah. That’s my best friend Twilight. Alright, right now it’s not obvious, but I swear she’s really cool.”

“No doubt.”

“And…”

The last one of the bunch was difficult to spot. It had to be said she wasn’t the one to feel completely at ease in a room full of strangers.

Rainbow Dash finally caught a glimpse at her, gently coming closer to Big Macintosh, busy drinking a beer while delighting with the vision of the dancers. Her eyes staring at the floor, it seemed like all these bodies wriggling, these laughs and outrageous flirts scared her more than if she’d been swimming in a pool full of bloodthirsty sharks. And even with sharks would have she found a way to communicate, since she was so fond of animals and wanted to become a vet.

“Here is my best friend, Fluttershy…”

It was funny to note how each of her best friend seemed to have completely different characters, not only from one another, but also from Rainbow Dash herself. One could wonder how such an association could be working. It was by dint of being with them that it turned clear that if they were truly different, they each had in their personal way something in common, whether these were virtues, hobbies or tastes.

For example, though not at the same level than Pinkie Pie did, but they all liked a good party. Fluttershy and Rarity shared a sensitiveness to beauty and fashion, and both Rarity and Twilight liked order and organization. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were athletes who hated losing and were never afraid of a good challenge… And many other things.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” a new female voice called out.

Sunset Shimmer had just come from outside and wrapped an arm around the star of the party’s neck. Since the beginning of the party, the one who had volunteered to take care of the hot-peppered tofu sausages barbecue, had met with two boys from Canterlot High who seemed to ignore her past as a bully. She had never been so happy not to have a Plus One during a party… It opened up the scope of possibilities much more than what she’d expected.

Because of this, Rainbow Dash had forgotten to count her among her bunch of friends. Sunset Shimmer maybe was here only since a few months, but so did Fluttershy, after all. Of course, they hadn’t been through tough hardships together, but that wasn’t a reason not to take the pretty teenage girl into account.

She had to fix her mistake…

“There’s a guy who wants to know whether or not you could uncover your swimming-pool.”

“I’d avoid it if I were them… It hadn’t been cleansed since last year.”

“Ah…”

Only now did Sunset Shimmer notice the young man in front of her friend. All it took was one glimpse for her to understand this was Soarin, Rainbow Dash’s childhood friend, whom, in all likelihood, she was a bit infatuated with. In her own opinion, she had rather good tastes. And despite this impossible to miss type of height difference, they would be cute together.

“Soarin, this is my great buddy, Sunset Shimmer. She’s also a part of our little group.”

“Nice to meet you”, they both answered.

The words ‘great buddy’ weren’t exactly like ‘best friend’, yet Sunset Shimmer felt happy. She knew Rainbow Dash wouldn’t introduce anyone like this, especially as she’d talked about her as a member of the clique. A piece of information that set the red-haired teenager in an even sunnier mood.

After she’d pecked her friend’s cheek, she went back outside where her two charming princes of the day were waiting for her, letting them ‘lovebirds’ alone.

It didn’t take much time for Rainbow Dash to ask Soarin to dance with her, and for him to accept. A few seconds later, they were in the middle of the living-room turned into a dancefloor, wriggling face to face.

Soarin was more at ease on playing fields than on a dancefloor, and he wasn’t an amazing dancer neither, far from it, but by sticking to the minimum, he was able not to look too ridiculous with his tall body built by basketball, work-out and jogging.

However, there was someone who had something to say about it – Zephyr. He was looking at the couple dancing together in disgust, drinking his beer with long swallow. What could she find attractive about this lanky boy with bags under his eyes, soft skin, board shoulders and big hands? He had much more style than this guy, he had the soul of a dancer, and the advantage to be one of her best friend’s brother.
And, he had made researches about this odd sexuality Rainbow Dash had talked about when they first met… She needed someone she knew well, someone who also was her friend – which he was sure he was.

“Where does this moron come from? Does he really think he can come from out of nowhere and steal MY Rainbow Dash?!”

“Ah believe he’s her childhood best friend”, Big Macintosh said while apparently focused on a totally different person.

“Eeyup, dat’s exactly what he is”, Applejack, who had just arrived, added.

“Childhood? Does this mean she knows him very well?”

“Eeyup.”

Though he stuck to his guns with the rest, this new piece of information upset Zephyr a lot. If she knew him since childhood, it meant there already was a bond between them, and that, barging in like out of the blue after all these years, he had a chance to emerge unscathed.

He finished his beer in one gulp, then put the bottle on the piece of furniture behind them, where already pile up a dozens of corpses of this kind.

“I’m going to need a stronger alcohol than that. Do you guys want anything?”

“No thanks”, they all said at the same time.

Shrugging, he walked toward the bar that was settled on the terrace of the back garden. It was a hard blow for him, but for the others, it was obvious that he had no chance with Rainbow Dash, Soarin or not Soarin.

All the boys Rainbow Dash had been dating were athletes, whom she could share a passion for sportive efforts with and many hobbies that weren’t at all what Zephyr liked, him who spent the same amount of time in the bathroom than his little sister and who lacked maturity and perspective on many topics.

Not that the young woman always behaved in the most exemplary of maturity, but she had been through her share of traumas that had consequences in her life not everyone was able to deal with.

Girls from the group didn’t really know Soarin, but he seemed to be rather strong and considerate, not the judgmental kind. And, they both had been friends for a long time, which meant they probably got along on many matters.

“Please big bro, tell me ya never told him what had happened between ya and Rainbow Dash.”

“Never.”

“Well, don’t tell him. Ah think he’d make a heart attack!”

With this, Applejack went to join Pinkie Pie who was calling her from the other side of the floor, right beside the DJ.

When following Big Macintosh’s eyes, it was easy to notice that he hadn’t taken his eyes off of the curly pink-haired teenager. Of course, Fluttershy standing by his side since a little while, hadn’t seen it at all. Even if it would’ve been the case, she would’ve probably had thought it was impossible to miss Pinkie Pie, especially tonight, with this dress which perfectly highlighted the curves of her sensual body.

The moment when Applejack had hinted something had happened between her brother and Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy’s heart had skipped a beat. For it to hurt Zephyr if he ever learned, it obviously meant the thing in question had been more than friendly. She was dying to know… At the same time, she preferred to stay ignorant, fearing it would hurt her too much if she knew.

Her attraction toward tall and strong Big Macintosh hadn’t been the ‘love at first sight’ type. It had grown within her heart step by step. It wasn’t only about how good he looked… It was his kindness, his phlegm, his hard-working attitude, the way he seemed to be able to stay calm and collected in any kind of circumstances. All these qualities were the reason he had the best of her feelings.

What stopped her from doing anything was her lack of self-confidence, along with her shyness. She knew he also was the reserved type, but thought that was exactly what made him perfect for her, aware despite it all that if she wanted things to get started, she would probably have to face some of her biggest fears.

Fluttershy wasn’t there yet. For now, she only wanted him to notice she was here, like on the day he had offered to drive her home, when she had missed Applejack’s attack by her secret admirer – something that spine-chilled her each time she thought about it.

The sound of a Country Music song that stood out after the R&B and Hip-Hop sounds that had rumbled through the speakers until now, was suddenly played. If, during the first second, time had seemed to stop, quickly other dancers positioned themselves behind Applejack showing the steps and started some mad Texas Waltz.

Among them, Rainbow Dash and Soarin were in the front line, and even Twilight had quit her conversation to meddle with them. They all seemed to have the best of fun, and Fluttershy was envious yet she knew that she would never ever dare making a spectacle of herself in front of everyone.

“Don’t ya wanna dance?” Big Macintosh asked her.

“Oh, no. I can’t do such a thing.”

“All ya have to do is try, c’mon.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

In a sense, he could understand her since he didn’t like to be the center of attention neither. In another, he thought that was rather pity for her to miss an entertaining activity with her best friends, just because she was scared, especially as everyone was a beginner and so no one would dare judging her.

He made his tongue clack, put his beer behind him, and not asking the girl in question, took Fluttershy with him in the middle of the other dancers. She tried to run away at first, then gave in, especially since this allowed her to share something privileged with Big Macintosh. She wanted to get closer… She was closer now.

Usually, the three young girls would never have been able to come at such a party. In order to succeed, they had tricked their parents saying they would spend the night at their friend’s Scootaloo – which wasn’t completely a lie since that was the place where they were going to sleep.

When they arrived and saw everyone having fun on Country Music, they told themselves they really had one hell of an idea.

“I can feel it’s going to be awesome!”

“Yes. Even better than what I thought.”

“It’s my first party ever, I’m so excited.”

“Come on, rallying cry…”

All three gathered in a circle, and stretched out their arms. There trick had worked, there they were. Now they only had to get started…

“Crusaders queens of the party, let’s go!”

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Right before everyone arrived, Rainbow Dash had hidden her box with money in her father’s office, locked the door of the office, and concealed the key somewhere no one would ever think to search through – her drawer of undergarments.

There weren’t only friends and acquaintances at this party, and she couldn’t blindly trust people she’d never met before. She neither didn’t really want them to step into the place where her father worked, received his associates, and worse than the rest, where he drank himself to sleep. And, he would probably be furious to learn that unknown persons had sat on his precious moiré patterned wild cherry wood desk. What if they search through his cigars box and emptied his Japanese imported bottles of whisky? That would be too unsafe.

Thanks to this trick, her mind was in peace. The dark secrets of her “family” wouldn’t risk to be exposed in broad daylight by a bunch of curious teenagers.

The party was in full swing, and she was proud of herself for she hadn’t drank alcohol except for two raspberry vodka shots, among which one share with her best friends – yes, even Fluttershy and Twilight who wouldn’t do this again anytime soon. This apart, she had only her favorite brand of drank energy drinks and fizzy apple juice from the Apple Family Corporation.

After she had danced as much as possible with Soarin and her friends too, Rainbow Dash and the young man thought that would be good to take a break and chat together. And there was only one place where they could talk without being bothered or screaming above the music – her bedroom.

In parties like this, even Rainbow Dash knew what young persons did when they climbed together in bedrooms. Undoubtedly, these of the third floor were all taken and some might have been rather disappointed that her parents’ room was as locked as the office.

Seeing them both hand in hand climbing to seek for a room, it was probable that there were persons mistaking about what they were intended to do, and it wouldn’t change much the prejudices a part of the High School population had about her… Was it that important? She and her friends knew what the truth was.

And, she hoped so with all her heart, from their conversation would arise something that would bring about major changes.

It wasn’t much of a surprise to see her own bedroom was taken when she opened the door. The most unexpected, yet, was to discover who was here… Sunset Shimmer was sitting astride on a boy from their school and judging by their swollen lips, crumpled clothes and messy hair, they hadn’t satisfied each other with watching her wallpaper.

“Hem… Sorry, Sunset, I’m going to need my bedroom.”

The young woman’s blue eyes went from Rainbow Dash to Soarin, from the boy with her to her skirt lifted on her thighs, then came back on the pair, hiding their pinkish cheeks. A nervous laugh escaped her throat as she left her fop’s laps who, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be the very least embarrassed.

Out of the ordinary awkwardness of such a situation, added for Sunset Shimmer a little something of shame. She knew her friend didn’t share her interest when it came to flirting with the opposite sex, and more if they get on. The feeling it conveyed was that she wasn’t any different from the rest of the world, throwing in the faces of everyone what was considered by many as essential to happiness.

Muttering an apology that was received by a friendly pat on her shoulders, she slipped out of the bedroom in order to let her friend and childhood fellow do whatever they wanted to do. And, she would bet, it wouldn’t be something very nasty.

Rainbow Dash closed the door behind her, while Soarin stepped further into her huge bedroom, watching her decoration in detail. It sketched an uncontrollable smile on his face…

This place was even a better reflection of the teenage girl’s character than a psychological profile. Though it wasn’t as chaotic as it had been in the ‘morning’, he suspected the place not to be so sparkling and neat on a daily basis. Her double bed was in the left corner, with a thunder printed bedspread, white cushions and her cloud-shaped plushy that he recognized immediately. On her bedside table, a frame with a picture of Rainbow Dash and her mother, Firefly, was leaned against her lamp. Under a large window, her desk was still messy. Above an aquarium filled with gravels, rocks, salad and grass, was a shelf overloaded with trophies and cups. On the wall, was hanging a few posters of her favorite basketball female and male players, and beside her bed was pinned a large cork panel with pictures.

She thought she had nothing to be ashamed of, since she had decorated this room with her own tastes. For sure, it broke with the rest of the house luxurious pare-down style. That was probably the reason why her room was her favorite room of the whole place, the one where she was feeling more comfortable.

While Soarin sat on her bed, she tried to discreetly hide a bubble pack on her bedside table by making it fall on the floor. Unfortunately, he noticed her trick and picked up the object of crime.

Seeing the brand name written on the silver matter, he didn’t even raise an eyebrow… Should she draw the conclusion that the fact she sometimes needed sleeping pill wasn’t going to be a problem? She hoped so.

“I really like your room”, he said in a peaceful voice. “It’s just like you.”

“And that’s a good thing, right?”

“Of course it is.”

It was a little something, but this little something gave her hopes. Nothing had repelled him until now, and he didn’t seem neither to draw hasty and embarrassing conclusions from some facts. Conversely, shoulders loosen and gestures filled with serenity, he never took off a tender smile Rainbow Dash thought was irresistible.

How a ‘normal’ girl felt when in front of a pretty boy she fancied, she didn’t know… Which thoughts went through their minds, what actions they fantasized about and which ones they really got started, it was something foreign to her. But she could sense, deep inside, that it was rather different from her own feelings.

Soarin seemed to be particularly interested by her cork panel, and he was looking at the pictures pinned on it one by one, his eyes always drawn to the multicolored hair. On each of the photos, he thought she was the cutest one, the sweetest one… Not that her friend didn’t seem to be full of high qualities, but he just couldn’t help himself.

What was sure was that there was something rare and strong with this bunch of good friends, and it was obvious how they were important to each other.

Discreetly, she had stepped closer to look at the pictures with him. If he regarded her with high-esteem, comparatively, Rainbow Dash thought she was the scruffiest one, and that she looked like a fiend. It was particularly striking when she was next to Fluttershy or Rarity, who in her mind were the definition of what she would never be.

However, she had no clue about the boys’ tastes. In reality, she only labored under the impression of a perfect womanliness with what she saw on TV and on the cover of magazines. Herself wasn’t usually interested in this topic. She asked herself questions only because she wondered if she could at least look attractive to Soarin’s eyes.

A green shape popped suddenly between the young man’s legs, who jumped from surprise. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help laughing out loud, and she leaned other to pick up this ‘thing’ which was nothing but her tortoise.

In theory, it was quite a shock to see the teenage girl with this kind of pet. Because of her character, out of this huge aquarium rather was expected to appear some big snake or goanna, something a little scary and extreme.

When, under the advices of her friends who thought it would lessen her feelings of loneliness to have a pet, they went to the pet shop, Rainbow Dash had no intention of buying a tortoise. She had envisioned a rat, a trapdoor spider, even a coconut crab… Nothing had seemed awesome enough to match with her personality, and she’d been about to give up.

If she had chosen this slow and quiet animal, it was because the saleswoman had explained her the poor creature had lost its whole family during the trip to the shop, and was the only survivor. She hadn’t need more to make a parallel with her own story, since she felt she was forgotten by her own blood. It was the reason why she had called him Tank.

Today, she couldn’t see herself coming back from school without her pet to welcome her. When her tortoise had to hibernate, she always lived it like another abandonment.

The animal in her arms, she felt no shame doing in front of Soarin what she never did in front of anyone, and nuzzled the small green head of her pet, who was blinking as a sign of happiness.

“He’s my tortoise, Tank. Did he scare you?”

“No. Well, yes, because I wasn’t expecting him…”

He seemed to be very sheepish and it made Rainbow Dash burst out laughing again. In her memories, he’d always been a little naïve and clumsy, and sometimes could make others mistaking him for some sort of a goofball. She knew he wasn’t, of course, and even thought this childish side of him made him even more charming.

The more they were together; the more not only did she feel their bond was untouched but could be reinforced with it. The more they were together; the sweetest she thought he was and wanted to be with him. It happened to her rather rarely and she still was afraid about some details… Also, being who she was, it was a bit hard for her to make the first step, in fear she’d be touched by too much sappiness.

“It’s a surprise to see your father let you have a pet. I remember, there was a litter of Swiss dogs in our area. You wanted one so much, but your father never agreed.”

“You remember details like this?”

“I told you… I remember everything about you.”

Of course, she could follow up with a conversation about her father, and about the fact that he was home so rarely it no longer matter to him whether she’d even trained lions in their garden… Yes, she could talk about topics like this, but she didn’t want to. Not tonight.

What Soarin had told her with a softness even she was able to detect couldn’t be pushed aside, or ignored. Rainbow Dash perhaps wasn’t the most persistent person of the world in many areas, it didn’t mean she couldn’t give the best of herself in order to make some of her wish come true.

She put Tank back inside the aquarium so he wouldn’t risk to bother them again, and sat by Soarin on her bed. To be honest, her hands were clammy and her heart beat like Pinkie Pie in front of drums. Never in her life had she done with a boy what she was about to do.

Maybe he would be shocked, but she had to do it. Before even thinking about the start of something more than friendly between them, she needed to make sure he wanted this as much as she did, and also that he wouldn’t reject her like all the others before just because this strange thing called sex was really far from her main concerns.

“I’m going to ask you a question, and maybe it’s going to feel weird, because I’m going to be very direct. Please, don’t get upset, but I need to know before going too far…”

He said nothing, and nodded, putting his hand on hers. It didn’t miss to make her heart accelerate again, but Rainbow Dash chose not to pay too much attention at this, in order not to lose her train of thoughts.

“Do you want us to be together?”

A spark brightened Soarin’s emerald eyes.

“I do”, he simply answered, his hand softly intertwining hers.

“I also do want us to be together… But first, I have something very important to confess, because maybe once you’ll hear this, you’re going to change your mind.”

She hadn’t said this with a very serious voice yet nevertheless saw the young man’s eyebrow raise, and his expression changing completely. At first guess, she thought he didn’t know what to expect at all and didn’t know whether or not it was a good thing.

What she was about to confess, she had never told to any of her former boyfriends. Applejack had convinced her that was because she’d hidden this detail to them that her other relationships had ended so badly. Thinking it through, Rainbow Dash had thought her best friend was right… However, now she had to tell the truth to a boy she really liked a lot, and with who a lot of things were possible, it was much harder that she had imagined it to be.

Fine. All she had to do was to take the plunge, just like she had done a few minutes before. The young woman took a deep breath, and started:

“I’m demisexual…”

Soarin’s reaction:

“Demi-what now?”

Of course, it was neither good nor bad. Rainbow Dash would’ve preferred him to already know about this sexuality so she wouldn’t have to explain. However, what other choice did she have? She was scared he would flee her, and at the same time, she knew it was too late.

If he happened to be disheartened by her revelation, she would be disappointed, but at least, things would be clear.

“Roughly, it means I can’t be sexually attracted toward anyone unless I’ve created a deep emotional bond.”

“Is that a problem?”

Soarin’s question made her eyes open wide. She wasn’t sure of what she expected him to say, but hadn’t envisioned it would turn out to be so easy.

All the time she had talked, she had stared at her aquarium in front of her, and now she looked in his direction, she realized he’d never taken his eyes off of her, and that the same tender smile floated on his lips.

“Well… Depends on you, what you’re ready to accept and support. A lot of boys had troubles thinking they would date a girl who’s sexually anorexic.”

“You know, that’s not the reason why I’m so fond of you. I mean… You’re my type of girl. You’ve always been my type of girl. Or I’ve modeled my type of girl with your image, unconsciously. So… I don’t really care whether you’re demisexual, asexual, you can as well be bisexual, or I don’t know what, that’s not what matters to me. I only want to be with you. I’m sure you and I could be a very great thing.”

Rather convincing for a boy who only had one girlfriend in the past and was clumsy with girls. If she still was looking for a reason why he was the perfect match for her, she didn’t need to look any further. She hadn’t pictured anything much, but what had just been said fit her better than any fervent speech – she would probably had found this ridiculous, anyway.

“So… You haven’t changed your mind?”

“Not at all. I’m not one of these jerks only thinking about having girls in their beds. Sex isn’t what matters the most to me in a relationship. We’ll do things our way, little by little. There’s only one thing…”

“Yes?”, she asked with quavers in her voice.

“Does this mean you don’t want me to hold your hand like I do now?”

This time, Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. Since they had met again, they had had this kind of touch together many times, sometimes that she even started herself. How in the world could he believe this would be a problem? Conversely, it was the kind of intimacy she liked the most in a relationship. Sex didn’t matter to her, not affection.

“You can hold my hand whenever you want to… Just try not to be too sappy. I’m not really into this type of things.”

“Got it.”

“Anything else?”

“Yes. Are kisses forbidden?”

“No”, she said shaking her head at the same time. “Kisses are fine.”

“Good. Because I really want to kiss you right now.”

She softly smiled, and felt his face coming closer. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but remember this summer camp they both had gone to where they had kissed for the first time, hidden under a blanket, out of sheer curiosity… For sure, things were going to be different. They no longer were nine and eleven.

When she felt Soarin’s lips pressed on hers, she closed her eyes, their hands still intertwined, yet a little more passionately clasped. His moves were soft, never in a rush, and at no moment did he try an intrusion. It was roughly like in her memories, but with more experience and skills.

Their mouths parted and another sweet smile outlined on their faces. It was a bit strange, because she was feeling closer to him than ever, and she only felt this way with her very close friends, but it had something more with him, like her heart dancing under her chest.

This birthday party was a complete success.

“I almost forgot”, Soarin said by searching through the pockets of his jeans. “I got a little something for you… Not the big deal but when I saw it behind a window after work, I thought it would look fine on you. Maybe that’s too girly… Well. I hope you’ll like it, anyway. Happy birthday, Dashie.”

There were few allowed to call her this way, and among those, Pinkie Pie was the only one to dare for real. Unlike many thought, however, it wasn’t because it sounded to ridiculous for a girl as awesome as she was. The real reason was that this nickname had only been used by two persons until then – Soarin, and her mother, Firefly.

He put a small cloud-shaped hair clip between her hands. When he said he remembered everything, it wasn’t a lie. Since always, she had loved clouds because she dreamed of touching them by flying. And even if today she was scared of planes, she had kept this favorite – along with rainbows, of course, but this was name-related.

“It’s perfect, Soarin”, she said clipping the object in her hair. “How do I look like?”

“More awesome than awesomeness.”

He’d earned a good point for he hadn’t said something cute. Of course, compliments were all good to take, yet, as always, she preferred those that weren’t cloying. Sentimentalism, for her, was like sugar treats: good in a small amount, in order not to risk any indigestion.

It was about time for them to go back down. Rainbow Dash didn’t want to miss her cake, and more importantly, she couldn’t wait to open her presents from her friends.

What they both discovered when they went back downstairs wasn’t at all what they expected. Yet, they hadn’t been gone for a very long time…

Pinkie Pie had probably drunk more than one bottle of beer since she was up on a table, dancing as if a demon had taken over her body. Big Macintosh passed them by at full throttle, holding by his shoulders a restless and vociferating Zephyr Breeze, on the verge of throwing up. As for Rarity and Applejack, they were running out of breath by screaming after the three Crusaders, that Rainbow Dash hadn’t noticed until now. She had no idea of how and when they’d arrived…

And above it all, she had no idea about how things had gone so wrong in so short an amount of time. Maybe that was because usually, she herself drank as much as her guests and ended up barefooted and scruffy, swearing to anyone who could hear her that no, she wasn’t drunk at all, and she most of the time had forgotten everything on the next morning – with her liver reminding her of her mistake for days…