It was time!
Or at least, close to it.
Rainbow Dash was pacing her home, waiting with impatient anticipation for Comet to show up. Was she nervous? A little. But moreover, she was excited. Excited to get this date and relationship on the way. Ready to prove she was ready to be a good marefriend.
'I mean really, she's PERFECT for me! She's awesome and wild like me, not to mention she has guts and talent, she can keep up with me! What more can I ask for? It's a perfect match! A match made in Heaven! It's as if she was made for me! She's been awesome to me, so there's no way I can't back down! I never turn down a challenge! Not from a race across town and not from a round of the Quiet Game!'
Rainbow Dash paused at that last thought. She then smiled and giggled a bit, shaking her head. “Man...I remember that...”
It had been years ago, when she and Fluttershy had been fillies. It was their first “real” sleepover together, and one of the games suggested was the Quiet Game (or “Shh” as Fluttershy called it). Some reverse psychology had been the trick to get Rainbow to agree to play it and take up the challenge. Oh, but she did it. While she had lost (and almost every one after), it had been a blast when they managed to put a new spin on the game, which was to see who would crack and laugh first.
“Fun times, eh...” Rainbow glanced at a photo laying in an open photo album. It was of when they were fillies together at Flight Camp on the last day. “...Aww...come on Fluttershy...stop being cute!” She laughed, closing it up and placing it aside.
Knock knock knock!
“Finally!”
Eager, Rainbow scampered to the door, then opened it up to reveal Blazing Comet. For a moment she drank her appearance in, a little weak in the legs all of a sudden. Her mane was down, a stylish gray feminine coat on, and saddlebags that matched her mane.
“Hey, Dash!” Comet grinned, looking her over. “Whooooaaa nelly, what's with the getup?”
“Getup? It's for our date, of course!” Rainbow playfully rolled her eyes. “Why else would I dress up?”
“Ohhhh. Yeah, about that...I've got a confession to make,” Comet said, with a mischievous smile.
Uh-oh.
“I made up going to Canterlot!! Ha!” Comet grinned widely.
“WHOA!” Rainbow nearly fell over and went wide-eyed. “Faked? You mean...the Wonderbolts show isn't real, either?”
“No, that's real! We're going to that! But did you REALLY think I would take us to a FANCY restaurant? No way! Not on a first date! And even so, Dash, I don't even care for fancy frou-frou stuff!” Comet snickered. “But I thought I'd fool you just for the hay of it! And it worked! I got you, Dash!”
Rainbow blinked, then scrunched up her face before she laughed hard. “Oh, man! You got me, Comet! You got me! Ha! I even got a fancy dress and everything! Ohh, nice one! Had me fooled!”
“I guess I did! Hey, no need to change, I like it! You look great!” Comet snickered, shaking her head. “So, what say we grab some sandwiches in town, then we'll head to Canterlot for the show?”
“Now that, sounds more like my kind of date!” Rainbow grinned widely. “Let's go!”
“I'm still paying, you know.”
“Darn it!”
Sometime later, they came to a small, homey diner that had just opened a couple weeks ago near the outskirts of Ponyville's town borders known as Sweet Briar Rose. The two mares entered, despite looking a bit out of place due to their more stylish wear of the evening, but nopony seemed to care.
“You ever try this place yet?” Comet queried as they slid into one of the tables.
“Nope! Haven't had the chance, but it sure smells good!” Rainbow grinned, sliding in as well.
A light green Earth pony wearing a waitress uniform came over to the table, smiling at them warmly. She was fairly plump, middle-aged, with a tidy red mane tied back, her cutie mark hidden by her uniform. “Hey kiddo! Good to see you here again. Brought a date with you this time!”
“You got it, Rose!” Comet chuckled. “Dash, this is Rose, she's the owner of the place. Rose, this is Rainbow Dash, my date.”
“Good to meet you, Rainbow Dash. I've seen you around town a bit,” Rose smiled, nodding to her.
“Hey, likewise!” Rainbow grinned, waving her hoof. “Comet's MY date, you mean!”
“No, you are MY date!” Comet playfully argued.
“Nuh-uh! Rainbow Dash isn't anypony's date! THEY are MY date!”
“Well, Blazing Comet isn't anypony's date either! THEY are the ones who are my date!”
Rose chuckled at the two, now holding a waiter pad in her hoof. “All right, sillies. Can I get you gals something to drink to start off?”
“I'll have apple juice, please,” Comet said.
“Grape soda for me!” Rainbow grinned.
“All right, be right back,” Rose smiled and trotted off behind the counter of the bar.
“So Dash,” Comet turned back to her, resting her head against her hoof. “You have a good day?”
Biting her lip, Rainbow wasn't quite sure what to say in response to that. Her day wasn't exactly that bad, although the saddening highlight having been seeing Fluttershy feeling miserable again. Then there was the dream she'd had while napping. So vivid, so real, so...beautiful. Her mind drifted back to it before she could even try not to think about it. All those fireworks, how beautiful Fluttershy looked, and how amazing her singing was, absolute music to her ears.
Shaking off the thought, the daredevil pony cleared her throat before she managed to gather her thoughts to create a coherent response. “Oh, um...yeah! Not much! ...Darn it! I mean, my day was fine! Perfectly fine! Nothing wrong at all!”
Comet stared, raising an eyebrow.
Rainbow grinned toothily.
“Here you go, girls!” Rose placed a couple of glasses with straws onto the table, smiling. “Let me know when you're ready to order, then.”
“Thanks, Rose!” Comet said to the Earth pony as she retreated, before turning back to Rainbow. “Okay, Dash. Fess up. What's wrong?”
“N-Nothing's wrong! Nothing at all!” Rainbow managed. Even a foal would be able to tell that she was clearly lying through her teeth.
“Rainbow Dash...” Comet said with a sigh. “Not only did you hesitate in answering me, but you answered with a lack of coherence in a sentence structure, indicating you were nervous. Not to mention you sounded very nervous. Now, either there's something you're not telling me or you're nervous about this. So come on, you can tell me what's bothering you,”
A breath escaped the cyan Pegasus she had not realized she was holding. She was not sure how to explain this at all. Her stomach clenched, guilt and worry stinging her gut as she realized just how much of a mess this was. Glad as she felt that Comet was actually trying to reach out to her and talk about the situation at hoof, she knew she couldn't tell the truth. Not the entire truth, for that matter. It would only make things all the more awkward and unbearable. Not to mention it would put Comet in a very tough position she wanted to avoid. All Rainbow wanted to do was be a good marefriend to her, and the last thing she wanted was to reveal that she was caught in a love triangle she had no control over.
'How am I gonna explain this to her? I know it's only fair, I shouldn't keep secrets from her, but I can't tell her THAT! There's just some things you don't say! And I can't put Fluttershy into even more of a difficult position! She's my best friend, and I'm the Element of Loyalty. I am going to stay quiet about her feelings. Comet doesn't need to know. It will not affect us. I won't let it. But what do I tell her now? She can already see I'm nervous about everything! ...That's it! I'll just tell her I'm nervous about our date and everything going well! It's perfect! It's direct, but vague, and I won't have to talk about Fluttershy's feelings! Awesome! Okay Rainbow Dash, you can do this! Let's get this over with so that we can get over the hump!'
“Actually, I'm just nervous about this whole dating thing! My only dating experience was some guy who was married that I didn't even love! So I don't know if I'll do anything right or that you'll want to see me again! I just want it to work out and I'm nervous it won't!” Rainbow managed, her voice low enough to practically rival Fluttershy's.
Comet stared at her with widened eyes, holding the look for a moment as she took everything in. Then she sighed, smiling a bit and shaking her head. “That's what this is about? Hey, come on. Just think of it as us hanging out like we always do. It really is no different, right? We're spending time together, getting to know each other, and sure, we stick the dating label on it, but it really doesn't change anything we've done before. You don't have to be nervous.”
Swallowing, Rainbow wasn't sure whether or feel relieved or not. Was that it? Did she buy it? Did she not suspect there was a lot more she wasn't telling her? No, she wouldn't press it. She couldn't get her suspicions. “Um...yeah, I guess you're right...being on a date together isn't much different from hanging out, is it?”
“Nope! I mean, friends go to movies, friends go out to dinner together, go out to shows or games, right?” Comet shrugged. “The only difference is that you and I happen to be friends who are also...well...dating and loooovin' each other,” she winked.
Feeling herself grin, Rainbow nodded. “Yeah! You're right! We really are just pals hanging out, with a few perks thrown in!”
“That's the spirit, Dash!” Comet nudged her lightly with her hoof. “So, why don't we take a look at the menu, call Rose back and we'll chow down?”
Worries and anxiety put aside, Rainbow Dash nodded as she picked up the menu to look over. Hopefully, as the evening progressed, she would feel less nervous and worried about her friend, and just focus on having a good time with her marefriend. That was what dates were all about, having a good time together. Now that it was finally here, all she had to do was relax, let herself enjoy it, and remember that it was not much different from simply hanging out.
“I think...I'll go with a vegtable and flower sandwich with peppercorn sauce and some hay fries,” Comet remarked, looking over her menu at her. “What do you think, Dash?”
“That egg sandwich looks awesome!” Rainbow said eagerly. “But I might even try out that noodle dish they have here, looks pretty good!” She waved up her hooves, which caused her spoon to fall to the floor. “Horse feathers! I better get that.”
Comet chuckled as Rainbow Dash disappeared from view to pick up her spoon. The door the diner opened, the little bell hanging above the jamb tingling sweetly as two customers walked in.
“Ah'm tellin' ya, Fluttershy, the food here's ta die for!” Applejack cajoled the said Pegasus with a gin. “It'll be just what ya need!”
“Well, it does smell very nice...and has some very lovely atmosphere,” Fluttershy remarked with a little smile.
“Fluttershy?!” Rainbow gasped, bumping her head under the table. “OW!”
Applejack and Fluttershy turned to the source of the noise over to Comet and Rainbow's table, just in time for the rainbow-maned pony to come back up after picking up her spoon and bumping her head.
“Well, howdy there, ya two!” Applejack grinned, trotting over toward their table with a worried Fluttershy in tow. “Decided ta come on out here too, huh?”
“Yep!” Comet nodded with a grin. “I made Dash believe we were going to a fancy place in Canterlot...but I was totally kidding!”
Applejack laughed heartily, shaking her head. “Weell doggie! That's a mighty fine there joke ya played on her!” She winked.
“Yeah, I'll say...” Rainbow said nervously. “So uh...why are you guys here?”
“Fluttershy came ta the farm taday 'cause Ah needed some help with Winona, since she was feelin' a little under the weather. We were feelin' hungry, but none of us felt like cookin', so we're comin' ta get some o' Roses' awesome food here ta go!” Applejack explained.
A silent nod from Fluttershy confirmed her statement.
“Oh...poor Winona,” Comet frowned sadly. “Is she doing okay?”
“She's fine now, thanks ta her care!” Applejack grinned. “Thanks fer askin'! So where ya'll headin'?”
“We're on a date,” Comet said casually. “I'm taking Dash here to see a Wonderbolts show in Canterlot!”
“Well! Ah'll be!” Applejack grinned. “A date! How real nice! Ah shoulda known! Great catch there, RD!” She nudged Rainbow lightly, winking at her.
“Heh heh...yeah...nice catch...” Rainbow smiled nervously. She tried to look toward Fluttershy, but the timid mare just hid behind her mane, much to her dismay.
“Good fer you two, Ah'm happy fer ya,” Applejack smiled. “Ain't they a nice couple, Fluttershy?”
Rainbow almost wanted to strangle her friend for saying that, but it dawned on her. Applejack had NO idea what was going on. Only Twilight and Rarity knew. So naturally, she had no idea of what she was saying, and knew that speaking up against that would only further suspicions. The last thing she wanted to do was to put Fluttershy on the spot and embarrass her like that, especially in front of Comet. The secret would be revealed, and everything would be ten times more awkward than ever before. Not to mention, even worse, she would be hurting Fluttershy and betraying her.
She swallowed hard, fearing that Fluttershy would only dig herself into a deeper pit of despair now that they were unintentionally rubbing this in her face. All she wanted to do was to get out of her seat and hold her tight, to assure her that everything would be okay.
'Darn it...Now Fluttershy found us! Why don't I start laughing and taunting her about how she isn't good enough for me while I'm at it?! Now she's going to start crying and it'll be on MY flank all over again! AJ's going to hate me for hurting her, Comet will be furious with me for lying to her, and Fluttershy's going to hate me! ...I really screwed up...'
“...Yes...they certainly are,” Fluttershy managed, her voice trembling a bit. “I hope you two have a lovely time. Excuse me, I'll go order our food, Applejack.” She turned, heading over to the counter to speak with Rose.
Applejack stared after her, confused, and then back at the two Pegasi. “What's up with her?”
Comet sighed a bit, shaking her head. “It's not our place to say, Applejack. We're sorry, though, we had no idea you guys were coming out here.”
“Think nothin' of it, it's fine,” Applejack assured. “Well, Ah'll be goin' too, y'all have fun!” She tipped her hat, then went to join Fluttershy.
'Well...that was kind of awkward...' Rainbow thought, her throat tightening. She tried hard not to look toward her friends behind her, instead trying to focus on the menu.
The words were a blur to her now, making it difficult for her to comprehend what was she was even reading. Gulping a bit, the cyan Pegasus waited for the questions. Waited for the onslaught of hurt she was certainly going to face. Already this average-turned-bad-turned-good day was slowly going downhill all over again. Why did Fluttershy have to have the misfortune of continuously running into the pony she loved, only to be reminded that she not only didn't love her back, but also was somehow related to a date she was going on?
Heart sinking, Rainbow sighed quietly, making sure the menu was hiding her face from view. How was she going to maintain her loyalty to her best friend AND being a good marefriend without hurting one or the other?
Neither Pegasus spoke a word while Applejack and Fluttershy waited for their orders to be filled. Applejack made small talk with Fluttershy, while the shyer mare would either simply utter a wordless response or maybe one sentence. Already Rainbow could sense where this would be going by the time the two mares left. Applejack would wait until they were in private, ask Fluttershy what was wrong, the shy pony would then crumble in tears and confess everything. Applejack would feel terrible for her...and also wish to kick her (Rainbow's) flank for making her cry. Either way, she figured Applejack was next to know about what was going on.
And then what?
Even she couldn't fill in a hypothetical scenario for that.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Applejack and Fluttershy finally had their order (they had to order for themselves AND the rest of the family), and departed. Rainbow felt herself relax, but knew that this would soon lead into some questions from Comet. It had to. There was no way Fluttershy's nervous response would go unnoticed.
Time to face the music.
“You ready to order now, Dash? I just wanted to wait until Applejack and Fluttershy had their food, since they were getting it to go and all,” Comet then said, interrupting her thoughts.
Lowering her menu, slowly, she could see her marefriend smiling at her. As if nothing had happened. Relief swelled in her heart. Maybe she was overthinking it. Maybe it really wasn't a big deal at all! It was likely that Comet may have taken Fluttershy's response to be one of surprise but she was too shy to express it, even. And didn't want to intrude or make things awkward.
Smiling a bit, Dash nodded. “Yeah, I'm starved. Let's order!”
Things were finally looking up for them.
Unfortunately, on the train ride to Canterlot, Rainbow Dash found she spoke way too soon.
They were sitting together in one of the passenger cars on a seat side by side, having been laughing and talking about all kinds of things together on the way to the station. Then during the ride, they made small talk, but were quiet most of the time. Usually, quiet made Rainbow restless, sometimes nervous, but oftentimes, just plain bored.
It was raining along the areas they passed, which pattered noisily along the top of the train and the windows, adding something of a soft, warming, yet morose atmosphere.
However, if there was one thing she could always count on with Fluttershy, it was teaching her that sometimes, you just needed some quiet moments.
“Listen, Dash...there's something I wanted to talk about. But before I get into it, it's not a big deal or anything. I just wanted you to know that I know,” Comet said softly.
Uh-oh.
Rainbow had a very bad feeling about this. She even trembled a bit, hoping that Comet wouldn't notice.
“Know...what?” She prompted, trying not to sound nervous.
Comet glanced at her, then straight ahead before she answered. “I know how Fluttershy feels about you.”
The entire world around her stopped.
'No no no no no no no NO NO NO NO!!! This can't be happening!! Comet KNOWS! This isn't good at all! HORSEAPPLES! I can't even protect Fluttershy from anypony else knowing about her feelings!! I'm going to have to never see her until she's over me! All I'm doing is triggering her heartbreak! What kind of friend am I? What kind of Element of Loyalty am I?! I'm so sorry, Fluttershy! All I'm doing is ruining your life! I don't deserve your love, I don't deserve your friendship! I can't take this anymore! I can't do it! I just have to get out of this somehow! But what can I do?! I'm stuck!!'
Rainbow's mind was jumbled in a mixture of panic, worry, despair, and regret. Everything was overwhelming her, conspiring against her, and just flat out tugging at her heartstrings. She wanted to cry, scream, and then fly away aimless in a fit of fury. Mostly, she just wanted to scream. It was all building up inside of her, with her stomach churning, hooves feeling sweaty, throat tightening, awareness of stomach movement, and heart racing.
But she knew she couldn't lie her way out of it. She couldn't keep this a secret anymore. The cat was out of the bag, Comet seemed certain to the core, and she had a feeling that her own reaction, though silent, was giving it away.
Looking out the window at the rainy-filled atmosphere of the outside environment as it rolled by, the day descending into the night, Rainbow Dash sighed.
“...So you knew. Yeah, Fluttershy's in love with me,” Rainbow managed, her voice quiet. “How'd you know?”
Comet answered after a few moments thought and consideration. “Well, I always suspected it, actually. The way she looks at you, how she carries herself around you...well, none of it was really that subtle. I could just tell. But I didn't know for certain since it was never explicitly stated. Earlier today, I ran into her while I was out in town, some time before I went to pick you up. She...well, was tearfully pleading me to make you happy and take care of you. The way she said it, the inflections and just everything she was trying to say...well, she was nothing short of a pony in love who wanted her beloved to be happy. And that's when I knew for sure. I had even asked her about it after she told me, I just wanted an answer. She told me the truth of her own free will.”
Taking this in, Rainbow Dash wasn't sure what to feel. Sure, now it was out and she no longer had to worry about hiding it, but the point was that Comet knew. It was one thing when she herself knew about Fluttershy's feelings, at least there she could live with it. But now Comet had to live with it. How was she going to feel about that? At the moment, there was nothing fearful nor malicious, just simply stating the facts.
Sighing again, she fought back tears in her eyes. Fluttershy had outright told Comet to make her happy, because that was just how she was. Wanting the happiness of others, and would even wish for it at the expense of her own. All the more she was reminded of how much she didn't deserve Fluttershy's sweet, heartwarming, unconditional love. As much as she could live with that, she just couldn't live with knowing it was all at the expense of breaking Fluttershy's heart.
“Dash...is that why Fluttershy left and was upset a few nights ago, back at the fireworks? We didn't get together until that night, so, it wouldn't make much sense for her to be this heartbroken already unless that may be the case,” Comet suddenly said.
Caught on another secret.
Ears drooped, head hanging, Rainbow nodded slowly.
“So that's why you were crying the day after when I came to see you, wasn't it?”
Considering it sounded more like a statement than a question, all Rainbow could do was nod again.
'So even COMET knew. Great, who else in Equestria knew about Fluttershy's feelings? Who else saw them coming a mile away while I remained completely unaware?'
“It was,” Rainbow managed, not looking away from out the window. “I felt awful about breaking Fluttershy's heart, okay? Maybe I cried a bit.”
“Hey, hey, don't worry. I'm not about to call you out on that,” Comet said, a little bit defensive, but she then sighed, patting her shoulder. “But you know, I think that's sweet. You're obviously very compassionate about her feelings, and that's really great of you.”
“...Yeah, sure. When all I've been doing since then is breaking her heart more and more,” Rainbow managed, fighting back tears. “Now you know! Great.”
“Dash...” Comet snuggled against her a little. “Come on. I understand why you didn't tell me. You were trying to protect her, weren't you? I see why you wanted to protect her feelings and make it a lot less awkward for her, for you and for us.”
Touched, Rainbow didn't resist her snuggling, and then snuggled back. “...Thanks. I was trying to protect her. Although the story about the bird dying IS true, it happened a month ago. I just didn't want her to feel any worse. That's...yeah, kinda why I lied.”
“I'm not surprised. Hey, you know what? I've got a bit of a story of my own. I didn't even really think I'd tell you so soon, but what the hay. I think it's time to let you in on it,” Comet cleared her throat and pulled away.
“I also have a best friend I knew since fillyhood. I did live in Cloudsdale for some of my life, but eventually my family and I moved to Canterlot when I was still a filly. I met this unicorn when I went to school there, her name was Moon Dancer. She was a bit of an outcast in school, really. Because of the fact that she not only was a late bloomer in learning her magic or getting her cutie mark, but because she had two different coloured eyes. One blue, the other one golden. A bit of a birth defect, but nothing at all serious. Anyway, so I was a bit of a popular girl in my class, and I saw them picking on her when she transferred from one grade down to join our class. Well, I didn't like appreciate them making fun of her like that, so I stepped in and stopped them. Since then, I got to know her, and she became my best friend ever. We did everything together.
When we got older, we went to this party for a mutual friend of ours. We played Truth or Dare, and when it was my turn at one point, I picked dare. They dared me to make out with her. I did, and...well, at the time, I was kind of...well, in the closet. Moon Dancer was the only one who knew I liked mares. We made out, and boy, I think I lost myself. It lasted for about two or three minutes. After that, I was hooked. I realized I was in love with her. When I was accepted into the Wonderbolts, I had to move back to Cloudsdale for training, and after that I would be on the road a lot. I told Moon Dancer I loved her...but she didn't feel the same way. In fact, she was already seeing somepony else and I didn't know about it at the time. Well, it had only started about two days before I told her, and she was planning to tell me.
So...I felt a little heartbroken. I didn't do so well in the first couple performances as a Wonderbolt. But that's another story. The point is, I know how Fluttershy feels. And I...well, can see it must not be easy for you, is it? I'm sure Moon Dancer felt the same way you did... Having to live with that, you know?”
Turning from the window, Rainbow looked at her with stunned eyes. To think they even had something of similar pasts. Befriending an outcast who soon became their best friends ever, despite the minor differences in the details. Only Comet this time came from Fluttershy's point of view in that she fell in love with her best friend, who didn't feel the same way. Her heart swelled with empathy, and though she couldn't respond with words, she offered a little nuzzle.
Comet chuckled a bit, smiling. “So anyway, I understand why you wanted to protect her. ...Fluttershy is really lucky to have a friend like you, she really is. And you're very lucky to have a friend like her,”
Letting all of this sink in some more, Rainbow looked out the window again. Out at the rain falling, running down the window pane in crystal clear streaks. There was so much she had to think about, so much to take in about this whole entire situation. Comet knew about Fluttershy's feelings, understood, and even had something relating to this in her backstory. She felt so relieved to know that her own marefriend didn't look to Fluttershy like a jealous vicious monster, but instead not only was compassionate, but empathetic. Something she was sure Fluttershy must have needed.
She could now see a whole new side of Comet. Just as always, they were so alike, and so perfect for each other, it wasn't even funny. But now she saw a deep side of her that even somewhat related to how much of a good pony she was, how kind and compassionate she could be toward the ponies in her life she cared about. Her best friend, her parents, her aunt, her little sister, to name a few.
Maybe this really was for real. Maybe it really would work out.
Although Rainbow Dash was always more of an introvert when it came to her feelings and emotions, she just couldn't hold this back any longer. Comet was awesome in how she opened up, freely expressed herself, and yet still maintained her cool, awesome image. Maybe, just this once, especially since she came this far, she could do the same and open up.
A sigh escaped her as the rainbow Pegasus stared sadly, but smiling a bit, out the window. “...You have no idea. Fluttershy's my best friend, she's always been there for me. I met her during flight school, back when we lived in Cloudsdale as fillies. We met in our room that we shared together, and we became fast friends. I just liked her the minute I met her. She was a bit of an outcast herself, and well...so was I, we both were. I found some punks making fun of her because she couldn't fly, so I told them off. And I just kinda appointed myself as her protector. After that, we were inseparable even more. Like I said, we were both outcasts in our own ways, so we kind of stuck together. Eventually, I found two enemies of mine, Billy and Hoops, making fun of her after she fell down from trying to fly. I told them to leave her alone, and then they challenged me to a race. By then, I'd had enough, and had enough of her being teased. I was ready to race and defend Fluttershy's honour!”
A chuckle came from Comet. “I see. That's an interesting story. Good for you in defending her like that. What happened next?”
“We raced, and not only did I beat them by a mile, but I also performed the Sonic Rainboom. It was even how I got my cutie mark,” Rainbow smiled a bit at the memory, but it didn't fully reach her eyes. “But after it was over, I couldn't find Fluttershy anywhere. I panicked and worried for two days. I wanted to do something, I looked everywhere I could, and they even had a search party trying to find her. Eventually, they did, and brought her back to our room. I was so happy... And I asked her what happened, turned out during the race...she fell off the cloud and onto the ground. I was devastated and scared she could've been killed. Because of ME. When all I wanted was to defend her honour, I could've killed her. But she told me what happened, that she was caught by a horde of butterflies, and even earned her cutie mark because she could communicate with the animals. After that...well, I guess we were closer than ever.”
“Wow...” Comet murmured, and gave her a nuzzle in comfort. “She really means a lot to you, doesn't she?”
A sniffle escaped the cyan mare as she stared out the window some more, fidgeting her hooves a bit. “Yeah. She does. And I wish I could tell her that more and more, but sometimes I just can't. Sometimes I was even mean to her...because of my impatience with the way she acted sometimes.”
“Hey, don't feel bad. We all get mad at our loved ones sometimes. They can sometimes bring out the worst in us, it happens.”
“I know,” Rainbow sighed, laying her head against the window. “And now I've hurt Fluttershy more than I can say, and it kills me. Fluttershy's always been...well, sunshine. She could always make everypony around her feel good, to be the sunshine on a cloudy day. Now seeing her this sad, this heartbroken, it's just not right for her. And it's because of me that she's so sad. Fluttershy's always been my rock, my tower of strength, she was always somepony I could count on. Her sunshine just warmed and lit up my otherwise cloudy world! The cherry on top of my sundae. Ever since I've known her, I was her protector, and all I wanted was for her to be happy, to do her best in her life. ...I just wish I could protect her from myself.”
Finally, she looked from the window over to her marefriend. The smokey-haired Pegasus and kissed her nose, smiling in a meaningful way.
“And I still want to be a good friend to her, to still be loyal to her. But I also...well, want to be a good girlfriend to you, too. I'm sorry you were dragged into this.”
“Hey, it's not your fault. It's nopony's fault. It's just how things turned out. Don't worry about it. If you're not ready for this, you can tell me so.”
“No! I am! I really am. I just want Fluttershy to be okay, that's all.”
Comet chuckled, nodding. “I understand. Well, Dash, I want to do the same. And if it makes you feel better, we'll let Fluttershy have her space for a while. I think she needs that.”
“You're telling me,” Rainbow agreed. “All I'm doing is rubbing it in her face, and that's the LAST thing I want to do.”
“Don't worry, I get you,” Comet assured, patting her back. “We'll do what we can to make all of this work, okay? Together.”
Smiling more, the daredevil pony nodded. “Yeah...together.”
As the train neared Canterlot, the two leaned in and shared a kiss. Closer than ever, more certain than they had been before, there was something of a new lease on their bond together. It would surely come into play when they stepped off the train feeling like new ponies. They were truly perfect for each other.
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Before anypony asks, no. Comet did NOT set it up on purpose. Running into Fluttershy and AJ was entirely coincidental. XD No worry. The joke Comet made was 100% real and planned all along. Just because she too can be a prankster.
Letter (From The Lost Days) from Silent Hill 3 was the song inspiration during the train ride to Canterlot.
Oh yes, Rose and the Sweet Briar Rose Diner is a reference to Stephen King's Under The Dome :D
And yes, Dashie's backstory is in reference to two of my other stories. XD "Worry" and "Pegasi Introspection"