//------------------------------// // The Most Popular Pegasus In Town // Story: Apart From The Pegasi // by KillerChainsaw //------------------------------// Late evening soon turning into night as the small gathering at the Golden Oak library had not long ended, with the others all having left and headed to their own homes for the night, meanwhile Twilight and Rainbow Dash were now upstairs and in the young Princess's bedroom getting ready for bed after they had helped Spike to clean everything away from the little get together that they had had with their friends. Rainbow Dash sighing deeply as it seemed like her mind was still focused on Lightning, not being able to get that cold stare out of her head, as she kept wondering where it had suddenly come from and why it was directed at her for so long, 'Could she know that unlike Twilight and the others, I don't feel like she's all that trustworthy? Could she possibly resent me now? I'm so confused about her, I...I don't know what to think, just what did that stare mean?' the pegasus questioned as she rubbed her forehead a little, feeling like all these confusing thoughts were giving her a headache, wishing there was a way for her to just figure out what was going on with Lightning, but sadly that seeming like it wasn't going to be happening anytime soon for her. Meanwhile as Dash was feeling confused and unsure of things, Twilight on the other hand looked like she couldn't be more glad for Lightning suddenly walking into their lives, seeming like she was so certain that this pegasus from Cloudsdale who started off as a mystery was now the exact pony that they needed in order to give her the motivation to keep walking forward to the future that she was looking to. However it clearly being very different for Dash. "Dash aren't you excited for tomorrow?" Twilight asked as she was lay on her bed, looking over to her marefriend with a bright smile resting on her lips, clearly feeling postive about tomorrow turning out as well as this afternoon had. Dash seemed like she did't hear Twilight at first, as she stood by the bedroom door looking lost in thought, causing Twilight to frown slightly now as she hoped Dash would have perked up a little since meeting Lightning, but unfortunately that didn't seem to be the case, as it was obvious that the cyan pegasus was still stuck on thinking about things too much, and most probably getting herself worked up in the process which was something Twilight believed she really didn't need to do this time. "Dash?" the Princess questioned, causing Dash to be pulled out of her thoughts as her attention was brought back to her marefriend as she turned now and looked back to Twilight, however still seeming distracted by other things. "Yeah, sure I am," Dash simply replied as she turned back to look down to the floor, her mind continuing to spin with the same questions that she had been asking herself since Lightning Dust had left eariler, still seeming to be bothered by that almost too polite and cheerful pegasus. "Dash are you still worrying about the thought that we can't trust Lightning Dust?" Twilight asked looking concerned for her marefriend, as she had hoped that something like this happening would cheer Dash up, when in fact it may not have helped at all. Dash turning to look to Twilight again and just shaking her head and smiling slightly, trying not to focus on her thoughts and unanswered questions for a few moments, knowing that Twilight was worried for her, and didn't want her to lose that excited smile she had had on her lips for the last few hours, so just putting all her thoughts about Lightning to the back of her mind for now, knowing evetnually that they would find a way to come crawling back to the front again though. "No, don't worry about it, I was just thinking about other things," Dash lied as she now came to lay down beside Twilight on her bed, and nuzzled her cheek lightly, smiling to the Princess, and causing her frown to turn into more of a wondering expression. "What 'other things'?" she questioned the pegasus. "It's nothing...I was just thinking about the other pegasi living up in Cloudsdale, you know they aren't all going to be like Lightning," Dash stated, thinking that Lightning may be the only pegasus from Cloudsdale who was so cheerful and approachable that she had ever met, but keeping that to herself for now, not wanting to bring her marefriend's high spritis down too much. "Yeah I know, but at least we know that there are pegasi up in Cloudsdale like Lightning that really do want things to change with the two towns just like what we are aiming for," Twilight nodded with a smile now, as she snuggled up closer to Dash and was glad that it seemed like although the cyan pegasus was still thinking about things, it didn't look like those thoughts were bothering her as much as before. "Yeah, but I'm still going to be keeping an eye on her," Dash stated as as her mind started to revert back to thinking about Lightning, but trying to stay focused on Twilight and not let her thoughts worry her too much. "Dash I know you find it hard to trust her, but I don't expect you to be her best friend or anything. I'm just saying that you should as least give her a chance, can you do that for me Dash?" Twilight asked, as she rested her hoof over Dash's, looking to the pegasus with an understanding expression, causing Dash to look a little unsure of what to say, before she just smiled back in return and sighed slightly. "Yeah, I think I can do that at least," Dash replied with a nod, pushing all her thoughts to the back of her mind again, knowing that she did need to give Lightning the benefit of the doubt before judging her at all, or at least try and get to know her better before she went jumping to any conclusions too soon. Twilight chuckling slightly as she nuzzled into Dash's neck, coping the pegasus's slight sigh, "Thank you Dash," she whsipered as Dash nuzzled her back, lying a wing over the Princess, as the two lay in a peaceful silence for a few moments. Before Twilight pulled her marefriend into a sweet kiss, causing Dash to be a little surprised at first, but soon slowly closed her eyes and melted into the kiss, letting her mind go completely blank for a few precious seconds as she kinda wished her thoughts would go away altogether, but she knowing that that wouldn't be happening anytime soon for her. It not being long before Twilight had drifted off to a soundless sleep, lying underneath Dash's wing as the pegasus pulled the covers over them both, smiling to her sleeping marefriend as she leaned into her and pecked her forehead. Twilight stirring in her sleep a little, but not waking up as she just smiled and snuggled closer against Dash, nuzzling into her more. 'Give Lightning a chance huh? I wonder if I can really do that,' Dash thought as she now turned to look out of Twilight's bedroom window, her thoughts and questions from eariler coming back to the front of her mind yet again, as she wondred just what tomorrow would hold for both her and Twilight, knowing that she would have to face Lightning again, and give her a chance to prove to her that she could be trusted, however still also feeling that there was more to that turquiose pegasus then everyone else seemed to be seeing in her. .... Twilight and Dash getting up bright and early the next morning, as the young Princess was busy helping Spike with cleaning the dishes from their breakfast, while Dash was sitting lost in thought at the kitchen table, not looking like she was as worried as before, and instead just seeming like she was figuring things out. Dash knowing that she had said she would give Lightning a chance, which she thought was something she could do she just needed to keep her mind open and not let her own thoughts and assumptions cloud it up too much. Sighing slightly Dash looked down to the kitchen table, tracing the patterns in the wood with her hoof, working out what she should say to Lightning once she got here, but everything seeming to end the same way; with a awkward silence between the two peagsi, 'Maybe I need to get to know her better, after all we hardly know anything about each other,' Dash thought as she figured that maybe she should try and get along with Lightning, although she didn't yet see that being a very easy task for her. A slight knocking interrupting Dash's train of thought as her ears perked up to the sound and she lifted her head a little, turning to look to the front door, and taking a guess of just who could be coming to visit them right about now. Hearing Twilight calling to her from the other side of the room. "Could you please get that Dash?" the Princess asked with a smile to her marefriend, and Dash just simply nodding to Twilight as she now stood up from her chair. "Yeah, sure," Dash answered as she slowly made her way over to the front door, taking a deep breath as she tried to clear her mind, resting her hoof on the wood, not feeling quite ready to face just who might be behind the door, but knowing that she would eventually have to, and so pushing herself to do so. Slowly opening the door to find that she couldn't have been more right when guessing who was going to be standing in front of her, seeing that familiar turquoise coat, and golden, blonde combed back mane, feeling her throat dry up upon seeing the pegasus's cheerful smile again as she greeted her kindly, her delighted voice causing Dash to cringe slightly. "Good morning Rainbow Dash," "Err...yeah hey," Dash replied in a low voice, averting her eyes from looking to the other pegasus, and biting her bottom lip, that cheerful smile still giving her an uncomfortable feeling it seemed, thinking that it was just her luck that her guessing had been completely correct. "Who's at the door Dash?" Twilight called from the kitchen, coming to peek her head around the wall as she had stopped washing the dishes along with Spike for a minute, looking to her marefriend with a wondering expression now. 'Who do you think?' Dash felt like saying, but refrained herself from doing so, instead she looked back to Twilight with a sigh and stepped aside so that the Princess could now see just who their early morning visitor was. Twilight's eyes going a little wide as although she was expecting to see Lightning at their door this morning, she didn't think she would be seeing her this early, "Lightning Dust, you're here awfully early," the Princess said as she came walking over to greet the turquoise pegasus, while Lightning just politely smiled back to her. "Yeah I know, sorry, I kinda couldn't wait any longer I guess. Hope I'm not being an inconvenience to you and Rainbow Dash," Lightning smiled nervously, looking a little embarrassed, causing Dash to raise her eyebrow to her for a moment, before she looked to Twilight and wondered just how she was able to talk to Lightning so easily, while she could bearly even get a single sentence out without it being a struggle for her. "Not at all, I'm glad to see that you made your way here all on your own, you didn't get lost right?" Twilight asked with a smile, seeming to Dash that she found it easy to speak to this pegasus from Cloudsdale, who she didn't know all that well, not only that but the other two seemed to talk to each other like they had know one another for much more than a couple of days. "Well actually...I did have to ask around a little, but once I mentioned 'Princess Twilight' they soon pointed me in the right direction, and they were so nice about it too," Lightning explained causing Dash to widen her eyes a little, feeling sursprised that Lightning was daring enough to talk to the ponies of Ponyville, 'Wait if Lightning used to be one of the pegasi from Cloudsdale that mostly just kept to themselves, then of course she wouldn't be all that anxious about talking to the ponies from here, after all there's no reason for them to hold a grudge against her like they used to and sometimes still do with me,' Dash thought as she had to keep reminding herself that Lightning was very different from her in a lot of ways, so it really shouldn't have been a sursprise that she would be treated differently than she was by the other poines of the town. "Well I'm glad to see that you got here regardless, why don't you come inside?" Twilight asked as Lightning just nodded back to her with her classic cheerful smile. "Thank you Princess Twilight," Lightning replied with a polite bow of her head to the Princess, before Twilight stepped aside and allowed for their guest to enter the library, pointing her towards the kitchen, and telling her to go and make herself comfortable. As she was about to follow after her, however stopping as she glanced back for a moment and noticed that Dash was still standing in the open doorway seeming to be lost in thought once again. Looking a little concerned for her marefriend as she walked over to her and rested a hoof on her shoulder, causing the pegasus to be pulled out of her own thoughts, "Are you okay Dash?" the Princess asked as Dash now looked to her and shook her head quickly. Dash composed herself, pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind again as she forced a smile to Twilight, "Yeah I'm fine Twi," she replied, causing to Twilight to happily nod and smile back to her, turning round a moment later and walking into the kitchen, while Dash let her forced smile form back into a slight frown, as she just sighed deeply and closed the front door to the library, turning and following after her marefriend, guessing that the rest of the morning wouldn't be much different from how the last few moments had just gone for her. .... Twilight, Lightning and Dash now all sitting at the kitchen table, talking and working out just where they were going to be heading from here with their plans for the future. It mostly just being Twilight and Lightning talking, along with Spike chiming in every so often, while Dash was pretty much just seeming to be in her own world, and when she did try to take part in the conversation she would soon find that both her confidence and speech would quickly leave her, so she preferred to just stay silent instead. "Well why doesn't Rainbow Dash just come back to Cloudsdale? I mean I know there are some pegasi that won't be willing to change their way of thinking, but the best way to find the other pegasi that do what things to change is to go looking for them just like Fluttershy did with me," Lightning suggested, smiling to both Twilight and Dash, clearly meaning well, but seeming that she had struck a cord with the other two as they both widened their eyes a little, and looked to each other with slight frowns now, causing Lightning to just look to them with a confused expression. "You say that like it's easily done," Dash chuckled slightly with a saddened smile, speaking in a low tone as she turned her head away and just looked to the table, not wanting to see the other pegasus's confused expression, guessing that she was unaware of just how most of the other pegasi in Cloudsdale would treat her now after she had told them all the truth about her and Twilight's relationship. Lightning looked a little concerned as she wondered if she had said something that she wasn't supposed to, getting the feeling that she may have just caused the atmosphere to shift slightly. Twilight now catching Lightning's attention as she caused her to look towards her. "Lightning Dust ever since Dash told all the pegasi in Cloudsdale about the relationship that she and I have, they haven't been all that...accepting of the fact that we're together and that we want to change things, so I'm sure you can imagine why she wouldn't feel comfortable with going back up there right now, and you can probably guess that I feel the same way too," Twilight explained, causing Lightning to now widen her eyes and realize just why what she had said had caused the other two to act the way they had, instantly looking like she was regretting all that she had just said. "Oh of course, I'm sorry I should've known that you or Rainbow Dash going up there at the moment wouldn't exactly be the best decision for right now. I'll keep thinking," Lightning nervously spoke in a rushed voice, quickly going back on what she had said, seeming to be feeling foolish for even suggesting such a thing as she wouldn't want to push Twilight or Dash into something they either weren't yet ready for, or didn't feel comfortable with doing at this moment in time. "It's okay Lightning, it's not your fault that you didn't know," Twilight said as she looked to Lightning with an softened expression, letting her know that she hadn't made her or Dash upset or anything really, reassuring her with a smile, as her and Dash were kind of thinking the same thing right about now; 'Lightning really does keep to herself if she didn't know just how the pegasi would react if either one of us risked going up there,' both Twilight and Dash thought as they looked to Lightning with slightly uneasy expressions, wondering just how isolated the turquoise pegasus might be, and now understanding a little why she seemed so different from most other pegasi from Cloudsdale. An awkward silence now falling on the three mares as not one of them dared to speak, as both Twilight and Dash were looking a little down, while Lightning shifted her eyes nervously back and forth between the other two, as she tried to think of something to say, wanting to lessen the heavy tension that was currently in the room, searching for any words at all that would get them all out of this uncomfortable situation, and onto another subject. Dash just sighing deeply, as she figured things would turn sour soon enough for her, but not thinking that the same thing would happen for Twilight as well. The cyan pegasus looking to her marefriend with a concerned expression, thinking that she could maybe try and say something to lighten the mood, but seeming to come up with nothing, and it being exactly the same for Twilight. Lightning's eyes then widening a little as an idea suddenly entered her mind as she smiled now, clearing her throat, and catching Twilight and Rainbow Dash's attention, as they turned to look to her. "Hey I've got an idea, do you think you two could show me around Ponyville a little? I mean I haven't really gotten to know the town all that well just yet, and if I'm going to be coming down here more often now, I would kind of like to get to know both the area and the ponies that live here," she explained, hoping that she could lighten the mood and change the subject with this, causing Twilight and Dash to look to each other again for a moment, the both of them seeming to be taking a moment to think over the idea that Lightning had come up with, before deciding and soon agreeing to go along with the pegasus's suggestion, which made Lightning breathe a small sigh of relief that they were going to be moving on from that eariler uncomfortable conversation thankfully. .... The three mares soon having made their way into town, Twilight deciding to start off with Lightning meeting the Mayor of the town, then from there her and Rainbow Dash could both show the turquoise pegasus around Ponyville. However things not exactly going all to plan as it seemed that Lightning was becoming quite the popular pony as she would happily wave to most of the poines that they came across, causing the other ponies to either wave back to her simply, or come over to greet and welcome her, it ending up being a while before they were all able to keep moving to where they were originally headed. Twilight having thought that the Mayor would have been the best to meet first, but not minding the fact that Lightning was meeting other ponies before getting to where they were going, after all everyone that Lightning came across seemed to get along with her really well. The meeting with the Mayor not seeming to be any different as the three had finally come to town hall, and met up with Mayor Mare, Twilight introducing Lightning Dust to the Mayor and just like everyone else she had met so far they were able to get on really well with each other. "Well it really has been a delight to meet you Lightning Dust, and I look forward to seeing you around town more," the Mayor stated with a kind smile to Lightning, while Lightning just nodded back to her with a returned smile. "Oh no the pleasure's all mine really, and with everypony being as nice as they are, I can't think of anything that could keep me away from this lovely little town," Lightning replied with her signature cheerful and polite smile, it seeming to have drawn pretty much everyone in the town to her, and Lightning seeming to have been enjoying all the attention she was getting, while Twilight was glad to see that everyone was getting along with Lightning so well, getting the feeling that the pegasus was just a pony that was able to get along with practically everyone that she met. Twilight then deciding to continue showing Lightning Dust around the town of Ponyville once they had finished meeting the Mayor, but as expected not getting very far before more of the townsfolk came over to meet Lightning, it not being long before the turquiose pegasus was surrounded, happily just standing and smiling to all of the other ponies as she greeted each and every one of them politely. Twilight and Dash watching from a far as the Princess chuckled slightly and was glad that she kind of knew that she wouldn't need to worry about Lightning at all when it came her meeting other poines, after all she seemed to get along with Applejack and the others so well, so she was pretty convinced that that it would likely be the same for the other poines in the town as well. "She really is quite popular huh?" the Princess asked with a smile, looking to Dash while the cyan pegasus just stood looking to Lightning and rolling her eyes slightly. "Yeah...I guess you could say that," Dash replied in a low toned voice as she now turned away from Lightning, really not understanding what everyone else saw in the turquoise pegasus, and kind of wondering just how Lightning was able to get along with practically anyone and everyone that she met. 'It's been the same thing with everypony that we've come across, they meet Lightning and end up hitting it off with her in no time, just what is it that everypony sees in her? I still get stares and ponies whispering about me, but her...Lightning's different from me, nopony has any reason to stare or gossip about her to others, so should I really surprised by all this? Maybe I'm just not used to seeing this kinda thing happening right in front of me, maybe Lightning is just really easy to approach and get along with. But if that's the case then why does it still feel like she's somepony that can't be trusted to me? Could I...could I possibly be jealous of her?' Dash questioned as she was lost in thought yet again, remembering just how the ponies of Ponyville acted around her, and comparing that to how they would act around Lightning Dust, wondering if she really just should have expected things to be different for Lightning then they were for her. Lightning was liking all the attention she was getting right now, and she was happy that she had been able to get along with a lot of the ponies from Ponyville, but she was feeling a little overwhelmed by all this, plus she also felt kinda guilty for just having to keep Twilight and Dash waiting, when they were supposed to be showing her around the town. Lightning looking over to the other two, as she sighed upon seeing Dash looking like she didn't want to be here right now, seeing that the cyan pegasus was preoccupied by her own thoughts at the moment. Wondering what she could do as she did want to get along with Dash just like she had been able to do with everyone else, but not really coming up with anything as it always seemed like the other pegasus just wasn't comfortable whenever she was around her. Her golden eyes then soon widening as it seemed like an idea had now entered her mind, a smile forming on her lips as she pushed past the crowd of poines that were surrounding her and walked up to Twilight and Dash, "Hey Princess Twilight, do you think you could keep everypony else busy for a bit? I'd like to see if I can talk to Rainbow Dash for a little while," she asked the Princess with a polite smile, gesturing to all the other ponies, before she looked to Dash and sighed slightly. Twilight looking to her marefriend for a moment, before looking back to Lightning and just nodding with a smile as she did want Dash and Lightning to finally get along somehow, and hoped that that would be the result of them talking for a little bit, or at least make it so that Dash wouldn't be so weary around the other pegasus anymore. "Thank you Princess," Lightning replied with a greatful smile to Twilight, glad that she had agreed to let her go and talk with Dash more privately, watching as the Princess just winked to her slightly, before she went off to deal with the other poines of Ponyville, while Lightning took a deep breath and now came walking over to Dash, catching her attention and seeming to pull her out of her own thoughts quite easily. "Hey Rainbow Dash...umm you wanna go for a fly?" Lightning asked with a nervous smile to Dash as she hoped that the other pegasus would accept her offer, figuring that if she wanted to get along with Dash than the best thing for them might just be some alone time spent together. Dash looked to Lightning with a questioning expression, wondering just how she should answer, as she glanced over to Twilight, and sighed a little when she saw the Princess just nodding to her with an encouraging smile resting on her lips. Taking a moment to think before deciding if she should agree to go with Lightning or not, 'I guess this could give us the chance to get to know each other a little better,' she thought before she now looked back to the other pegasus again and nodded to her. "Sure," Dash simply replied after a long pause, speaking in a low tone, and caused Lightning to beam brightly to her in return, clearly happy that Dash had agreed to go with her, nodding back to the cyan pegasus before they both headed off together. Twilight watching them walking away from her and the crowd of other poines and smiling slightly as it wasn't long before the two pegasi had taken off into the sky and flown out of sight, leaving the Princess hoping that all would go well between them. .... Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust now flying side by side through the skies, slowly gliding above the clouds as although they had gone off together to talk, they had mostly just been quiet for a good while, an awkward silence having fallen on them both as it seemed like neither one of them really knew what to talk about, and each time they did start a conversation with the each other it would quickly get shut down by the other in one way or another. "So you seem to be quite popular with the poines of Ponyville," Dash stated, trying to start another conversation with the other pegasus but guessing that it most probably wouldn't last all that long just like alll their other conversations. "Yeah...it was a little overwhelming, but they all were so kind to me," Lightning smiled to Dash, however their conversation not really going anywhere from there it seemed as Dash just nodded slowly in return and silence fell on them both once again. 'Dammit I asked Rainbow Dash to come with me so that we could talk and hopefully get to know each other a little better, but we've hardly done any talking, and it just seems like we can't hold a conversation at all. Just what should I say to her?' Lightning questioned inside her mind as she tried to think of another topic to bring up, but nothing really coming to mind, and guessing if she did say something it would most probably just get shut down with a one sentence answer and they would be back to this awkward silence yet again. Sighing heavily for a moment, as a thought entered her mind from eariler, wondering if it was really okay for her to talk about a certain topic, but at this point she was out of other options, and so just decided to go along with it and hope for the best outcome, "Hey Rainbow Dash I was just wondering...do you want to go back up to Cloudsdale?" she now asked the other pegasus, causing Dash to look surprised while Lightning just looked to her with a curious expression. "Of course I do, Cloudsdale is my home...but you can guess what going back there would be like for me right now," Dash's voice got quieter as she went on, her tone being very low once she finished, as she did want to go back to her hometown, but just didn't see how she would be able to go back there without having to deal with a situation that she just wasn't ready to cope with just yet. "Yeah, but you're going to have to face them someday you know?" Lightning asked glad that this conversation didn't seem like it was getting shut down like all their other ones had, and hoped that they could at least keep it going for a good amount of time. "Yeah, I know," Dash replied with a deep sigh, knowing that she couldn't hide away from her problems forever, or wait for them to just fix themselves, she knew that someday soon she would have to face her troubles head on, and not let her worries and fears get to her anymore. But although she didn't want to just keep avoiding her problems she also felt like she couldn't deal with them just yet, whether that would change overtime she didn't know. Stopping for a moment Dash just hovered as she looked up to where Cloudsdale was off in the distance, as she thought for a little while, 'Will I ever be ready to face them?' she questioned as she looked slightly worried for how things might just go if she were to go to Cloudsdale right now, and knowing she wouldn't be able to handle it, but wondering if she ever would be ready for that kind of situation. Her eyes now widening as she heard the other pegasus calling to her, as she must have noticed that Dash had stopped and was no longer following her anymore, "Rainbow Dash?" Lightning caught Dash's attention and snapped her out of her thoughts as she now shook her head and composed herself. "Coming," Dash simply replied as she pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind, and flew to catch up with Lightning, the two continuing to fly side be side as they soon started talking again, seeing just how long they could keep their conversations going for and luckily it seeming to be for much longer than before as the two glided through the air and were slowly beginning to become more and more comfortable with talking to one another, it looking like they were both warming up to each other a little now.