It was a normal, uneventful day in Ponyville. Ponies roamed the streets, shopping and conversing with friends and neighbors. It was a very calm day for everypony except for Ponyville's local speedster. High above the streets, Rainbow Dash was moving from one cloud to the other, clearing them from the sky with a swift kick. Though her head was in the clouds, her eyes constantly stared at the clock on top of town hall. As the clock struck noon, Dash finished the last cloud in the sky and immediately began flying in the direction of the mountains. “Rainbow Dash! Wait up!” came a voice from below.
Looking down, she could see Twilight staring back up at her. Though she didn't really feel like the detour, she had missed her chance to fly off as though she hadn't heard. “Hey there Twilight, I almost didn't see you.” she said, descending to the ground.
“Yeah, you've been doing that a lot lately. Nopony in town has seen you during your free time for the past two weeks, are you okay?”
The worried look in Twilight's eyes would be obvious to anypony any other time, but with Dash in such a hurry, she wasn't thinking very hard. “Jeez Twi, I'm fine. I've just been going to...Well you know that colt I told you about? The fan of mine?”
“It's hard to forget.” Twilight told her. “You were going on and on about him.”
“Well after I talked with you, I went back the next day and we had another flying session. And at the end, he led me to this cliff that overlooks a lake. And I kind of....well...”
Dash paused, blushing a bit as she kicked the dirt with her hoof. By this time Twilight had leaned in, eagerly awaiting the conclusion to the sentence. “You what?”
The blush got slightly deeper on her face as she turned her head. “I kissed him...on the cheek.”
“You kissed him on the cheek? Why?”
“I don't know, he had flown me all the way back to his house, taken care of my head injury, invited me back again, showed me that amazing sunset. I guess I just felt like kissing him.”
By now Dash had dug a small hole in the dirt where her hoof was, her mind wandering back to the past two weeks. “Well, that's quite a story, I take it the story doesn't end there though, does it?” Twilight asked.
Dash shook her head, smiling a sheepish smile. “No, we've been hanging out for a while. Anyway, we're going flying through the mountains today, it should be fun. Sorry to run off on you but I'm running late as it is.”
Without a reply, Dash flew off into the sky, leaving a concerned Twilight to stay behind and wave goodbye. She shook her head and made her way back into town. “I hope you know what you're getting into Rainbow Dash.” she said quietly.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Dark looked over the horizon intently, keeping his eyes out for that telltale rainbow that would arc it's way across the sky. It wasn't long until he saw his flying partner speeding right toward the cloud home. As she sped in, she slowed to a stop in front of him, a smile on her face. “Sorry, I got caught up with work, I hope I'm not too late.”
Dark shook his head, springing into the air. “Nah, you're right on time, you ready to get going?”
Dash nodded back, rising into the air as well. “Let's get started, what's the route today?”
Dark began flying, leading Dash down the mountain range. “We're gonna start on this side of the mountain range and work our way to the other side and then back to my cloud home. I'll see you back there.”
Once the two reached the last of the mountains they made a U-turn and began flying in between the peaks of the mountains, winding back and forth. Feeling creative, Dash dove down further into the mountains and wound her way around and through straight tunnels, making her way through. Halfway through, she lost sight of Dark, but assumed he had found his own creative route. She got worried as she sat at his house. She had finished an hour ago and still hadn't seen him. It was another half hour before he came back, landing in front of her. As he landed, he winced as his front left leg hit the ground. Dash immediately stepped forward, looking at the cut he had on his leg. “What happened out there?” she asked, a worried tone in her voice.
“I went into a tunnel that turned out not to be a tunnel.” he explained. “It was dark on my way back out and I brushed against a stalactite. I'll be fine.”
“Well, as long as you're okay.”
With worries out of the way, the two sat on the porch, staring at the sunset across the sky. “Dash, I'd like to ask a favor of you.” Dark said.
“What is it?” she asked, turning toward him.
He took a pause and a deep breath, turning toward her. “You know a zebra mystic right? Do you think she can brew something that will make me unnoticeable?”
“Unnoticeable?” she asked, a bit confused and suspicious. “Why would you want to be unnoticeable?”
“Well, there's this tree in the park in northern Campolina, it's a beautiful tree. I like to sit in the park and stare at it, but the ponies of Campolina always chase me away. Do you think your zebra friend could help?”
Dash thought for a while, sitting silent as she stared at her hooves. There was a lot of concerns to think about. What would her friends think? Would Zecora even help? Eventually she decided. “Alright, I'll ask for you.”
He smiled, wrapping his hooves around her. “Thanks Dash, I knew I could count on you.”
Dash hugged him back, and they stood that way for a while. Finally, as the sun fell beyond the horizon, and the moon rose from it's resting place, Dash began making her way back toward Ponyville. Once she was out of sight, Dark made his way in, limping on his hurt leg. He stopped to take a look at himself in a large ice mirror, looking at the cut on his leg. “Obviously doing this alone isn't an option.” he said, an agitated frown across his face.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
It was well into the night before Dash made it back to her cloud home. It had been a tiring day, but as she looked down at the small orange filly sleeping on her front porch, she knew it wasn't over. “Scootaloo?” she asked.
Slowly, Scootaloo began to stir, yawning softly and stretching. “Hi Rainbow Dash, welcome home.”
“Welcome....What are you doing here anyway?”
“You said we could hang out today remember?” she explained. “I've been waiting here all day for you to come home, I guess I dozed off.”
Dash got a knot in her chest as she remembered, feeling guilty. Her mind was so focused on her own endeavors, she had forgotten about her promise to the little fan at her doorstep. “Oh right, I....Well I was really busy with the clouds today, and I had a lot of chores to do so....Sorry, how about next week?”
The excitement in Scootaloo's eyes left and were replaced with disappointment as she looked to the ground. “Oh, I guess that's alright. I mean, I can't help it if you're busy. Can you give me a hand to the ground? I'm still not so great at flying.”
Dash nodded as she picked her up, flying her slowly down to the ground. “How'd you get up there anyway?”
Scootaloo yawned again as she hit the ground. “Pinkie helped me. After the first hour when you didn't show up at my house I thought you might've forgotten.” she told her, making her way toward home. “I'll see you next week Rainbow Dash.”
“Uh, yeah, see you then.” Dash replied, waving goodbye.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
The sun shone high in the skies over Ponyville, sending down strong rays of heat on the town. A little heat, however, wasn't stopping the town's local apple farmer from getting her work done. Applejack was hard at work in the orchard, bucking the trees hard to get every last apple off the trees. She wiped some sweat from her brow as she looked out at the rest of the orchard left to pick. It was lucky she was in no hurry, otherwise the sight of the trees would have her head over hooves panicked. As she looked out at the orchard, she spotted her rainbow hued friend casually flying toward the forest. “Rainbow Dash!” she called out, galloping up.
She was able to catch the pegasus' attention immediately, and met her halfway through the orchard. “Hi Applejack, what's up?” she asked, hovering in the air.
“I just wanted to talk.” she explained. “Feels like I haven't seen ya in a long time. Applebloom told me you postponed on Scootaloo yesterday, too.”
Dash sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, trying to brush off the guilt. “Yeah, my bad. I've just been busy lately is all.”
“Is this about that colt friend o' yers in Campolina across the way?”
Dash flew back a bit, surprised. “H-how did you know about that?”
Applejack shook her head as she tapped her stetson. “Twi told me 'bout it the other day, she said you've been spending an awful lot of time over there. Just don't forget about your duties here in Ponyville alright? I'm counting on you to avert that storm tomorrow or our vegetable harvest is gonna be flooded out.”
Dash was only half paying attention as she looked up at the sun. “Yeah yeah, listen Applejack I'm fine, I just lost track of time yesterday. I'll see you later, I've got stuff I need to do.”
Without waiting for a reply, she sped off toward the Everfree Forest. Applejack tried to call her back, but her mind was in another place. Applejack sighed as her stetson fell back down her face. “You can't lie to the Element of Honesty, sugarcube.”
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Deep in the Everfree forest, in a hollowed out tree, Zecora was stirring up a brew in her potions room, when a knock came on the door. “The door is open.” she said. “Please come in.”
Dash stepped in, making her way down the steps and toward her zebra friend. “Hey Zecora, what's up.”
Zecora smiled, setting down a jar in her mouth. “Ah, if it isn't my spectrum colored friend, what brings you around my bend?”
Dash took a moment to decipher Zecora's clever wordplay before she was able to reply. “Well, I have a little favor to ask you, I need you to brew me a potion, it's for a friend.”
“well, a brew I can make I'm sure, but first please tell me the customer.”
“What? Oh, I see. Well it's like this....”
Zecora listened as Dash explained about Dark Streak and his intentions with the potion.
“The answer I can clearly see.” Zecora told her. “What you need is a potion of invisibility.”
Dash smiled, relieved that she could keep her promise. “Thanks Zecora, that'd work great.”
“However,” she continued, “invisibility is a powerful potion, I'm not sure this is a positive notion.”
Dash sighed, it was like all the others. “Ugh,” she said, frustrated, “Why does nopony trust me? Dark is a good colt, a great colt even! He's really nice and an amazing flier!”
Zecora looked into Dash's eyes. She saw in them desperation, frustration, and a spark of deep emotion. With a sigh, she went over to her work bench and got to work. It didn't take long for her to finish, placing the resulting liquid into a sealed jar. “A mere sip of this powerful poultice and your friend should go unnoticed.”
Dash reached out to take it, but Zecora held her back for a moment. “But before you disappear, there is a warning that you must hear.”
Dash sighed, sitting up and rolling her eyes. “Alright, go ahead, you aren't the first pony to scold me about this.”
Zecora sighed, chewing some leaves and spitting them onto her fire. They created a small presentation in the air, adding to her point. “For some ponies, it is easy to lie, be sure you are looking, in their third eye.”
Dash, once again, was barely paying attention, wanting to get on with her day. “Yeah yeah, I get the idea.” she said, taking the potion. “Thanks Zecora, I'll see you around.”
As she finished, she sped out the door, intent on getting to Dark's cloud home for some flying time before it got dark.
Zecora sighed, shaking her head as she shut the door to her hut. “Love and loyalty blind your eyes. I pray you don't uncover a dreadful surprise.”
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
The sun stood at noon, another day past. Dash sped down and landed with a crash on Dark's cloud home, out of breath. Dark came in behind her, also out of breath. The two sat and smiled at each other, catching their breath after their race. “Looks like I win.” Dash said, victorious. “So, did you get to use the potion yet?”
Dark nodded, looking over into the town. “The fruit is blooming on the tree, it's nice.”
Dash nodded, happy to have helped him out.
For a while the two were silent, staring out at the sky around them. After a while, Dash noticed that Dark had been staring at her instead. She couldn't help but blush as she looked back. “What is it?”
“You have the most beautiful eyes.” he said with a chuckle. “They're like a set of amethyst jewels.”
Dash looked away with embarrassment, smiling as her blush grew deeper. “Y-you're just saying that.”
Dark shook his head. “No it's true, and you know what goes well with Amethyst?” he asked, producing an object from the feathers in his wings.
She turned and saw him putting a beautiful ruby pendant on her. It was supported with a lovely gold chain. “Rubies.” he told her.
Dash was speechless, looking down at the pendant. “Dark I....I....”
She looked over at him, they were both blushing. Slowly, she began to lean in. He took the hint and leaned in as well, the two shutting their eyes in tandem. Finally, the two met in the middle and shared a kiss. They held it for what felt like eternity, but after five minutes it was over. “I...” Dash stuttered, “I have to get going, I'll...see you tomorrow, alright?”
Dark nodded, waving goodby as she sped off. She made her way quickly back to Ponyville, her heart aflutter. As she glided toward home in the evening sun, she moved her way through a storm, and remembered her job for the day. Speeding up, she landed amongst a group of pegasi and apple family members, all crowded around the Twilight and the mayor. “There she is!” Twilight yelled, galloping up to her friend. “Where were you?....Where did you get that necklace?”
Dash caught her breath as the group surrounded her. “I-I'm sorry! I lost track of time and I-”
“You abandoned us!” Applejack yelled back. “We were counting on you! Now the year's crops have been cut in half! You're just lucky the weather team got there in time to save the other half.”
Dash backed up as the group loomed over her, feeling frustrated and, more importantly, contained, a feeling she hated more than anything. “Alright, I'm sorry. I know I left you high and dry, and-”
“If we were high and dry we wouldn't have a problem.” Big Macintosh added.
Following that statement, it wasn't long before everyone was chiming in with their own criticisms, filling the air with yelling. Dash's anger was rising, reaching it's boiling point. “Enough!” she yelled, raising herself into the air. “I don't need to take this! I'm outta here, I'll be back when everypony's calmed down!”
She sped off toward the mountains, leaving behind an angry mob, a guilty Applejack, and a curious Twilight. “Rainbow Dash! Wait!” Applejack yelled out. “Twilight, can you bring her....Twilight?”
Applejack turned around and saw Twilight making her way toward home, a suspicious thought in her mind. “I know I've seen that pendant somewhere before.”
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
Dark Streak was laying in the living room, relaxing on his couch, when he heard a knock on the door amongst thunder and lightning from the storm that had rolled in. When he answered it, he found a sopping wet Rainbow Dash sitting there, her face was streaked with droplets, none from the rain. “Rainbow Dash?”
Dash sniffled, standing in the doorway. “Hi...Can I stay the night? I...I don't think I'm welcome in Ponyville right now.”
Dark nodded, stepping out of the way. “Of course, of course.”
Once she passed by, a devious grin went across his face. “Make yourself at home.” he told her, shutting the door.