“Come on AJ, we haven’t hung out in ages!” Rainbow Dash moaned to the apple farmer.
Applejack bucked the apple tree making its apples fall on the basket, “Ah’m sorry sugarcube, but Ah’m mighty busy today and after work Ah’ll have dinner with Rarity.”
“Again? You have been having dinner with her almost every day of the week since hearts and hooves, I thought by now you would have cooled your relationship already.”
“Well you know how love is, remember when you met that mysterious knight on Nightmare Night?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow stared at the horizon with a blush on her face, she shook her head snapping out of it, “I mean, forget about him, I gave him my address and he never wrote, I went to my mailbox every single day after that and only got the usual, fan mail, bills, family letters, spam and strangely I’ve been getting letters from Zephyr Breeze, I have no idea how he got my address though.”
“That's weird, what does the fella say?”
“I dunno, I didn’t even bother reading them.”
Applejack put the baskets on the ground next to another apple tree, “then how do you know those are from him?”
Hovering over her friend, Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves, “they came in a green envelope and are sealed with Zephyr’s cutiemark, can you believe how egocentric that stallion is?”
Applejack chuckled, “kinda reminds me of somepony.”
“Ugh I walked right into that one, didn’t I? Are you and Rarity at least coming to the Music Box session tomorrow?”
“Sure sugarcube, we’ll be there.”
“Ok, see you then,” Rainbow flew away to do Rainbow Dash’s stuff.
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
Everypony who’s ever meet Rainbow Dash knows that she is a very confident and athletic mare, those who know her know that she is rather lazy when she is not training or at shows with the Wonderbolts, right at this time she was taking a nap on top of a cloud over Ponyville’s main plaza.
Ponies roamed around the ground with no apparent purpose, the weather was nice as always on this time of the year, thanks to the weather patrol. Rainbow Dash’s snores attracted a curious bird who landed on the mare’s belly, up and down she went with every breath the pegasus took.
The curious bird approached Rainbow’s face to check her mouth, and suddenly Rainbow Dash breathed in with more force than usual, almost swallowing the bird in the process. She began coughing until she spit the drool covered bird, still spitting a few feathers, Rainbow stared at the confused animal in front of her, “WHAT THE HAY! *cough* You could’ve *cough* choked me to death!” she cleaned her tongue with her hooves and checked the town’s clock tower, “oh crap, is almost time for the music box session, gotta go,” she took off but then looked back at the dirty bird, she sighed, grabbed it, flew down to one of the town’s fountains where the bird cleaned itself, happily chirping waved a wing to the wonderbolt, “don’t mention it… seriously don’t mention it, bleh.”
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
Rainbow Dash flew through the castle window inside the studio, “never fear, your friendly neighborhood Rainbow Dash is here!” she posed to the nonexistent crowd, “what the hay… where is everypony?”
Rainbow walked to the music box pedestal, now made out of wood due to the previous one being Yonanized, she found a note there, “what’s this? -Sorry I couldn’t find the cloud you were napping on, the session was cancelled, Sunburst and I received a letter from our parents to go to them as soon as possible, Trixie invited herself to come with us, Moondancer went to visit her sister at Canterlot, Fluttershy’s bunny got sick and she is taking care of him, Twilight got wrapped on some royal business, Rarity got a plumbing leak, Applejack is with her fixing it,- Yeah right, I bet she is fixing it really good, - Pinkie had to take care of the Cake twins, Tinker Claw is still grounded and Tube Tester is testing a new alloy for her project, sorry I couldn’t tell you, if you wish you can play a song, just make sure it’s recorded,. Your friend Starlight Glimmer. P.S. don’t bother Tube Tester, she has been pretty grumpy since Tinker hasn’t helped her due to being grounded, I think she misses him.” Rainbow put the note on the ground and groaned, ”come on! You can’t be serious, well I guess it's just me and you, music box, please give me something good this time… something catchy,” she pressed the button and an upbeat melody began playing.
“Ok… sweeter? Hehehe this song is lame,” Rainbow returned to her seat and grabbed one of the cookies that were kindly left for her “the lyrics don’t make any sense, why do you love them if you are afraid of them breaking your heart?...HEY! What’s wrong about being blue? Blue is a cool color, I would say it’s about 20% cooler than the others and more for coats…” Rainbow rubbed her coat while saying that, “but Rainbow your coat is pale, light grayish cerulean not blue… WHO SAID THAT! Oh wait it was me, why am I speaking to myself anyway?”
Unknown to the pegasus, her rainbow colored tail was wagging at the rhythm of the song, “ok now that’s a good message, let’s make love not war, still a lame song though... Only a lame religion or a lame reason would make somepony forsake his lover, like that FAUST DAMNED KNIGHT WHO NEVER WROTE AGAIN!” Rainbow chugged the cup of milk next to the cookies, cleaning her muzzle with the back of her hoof.
The song went on, “what a lame song with lame lyrics and lame tune, lame-o lame-o lame-ooooooo,” when the song ended Rainbow picked the dirty plates and left them on the kitchen, “well since my evening was ruined with the lack of friends and a lame song, I guess I should head to the Wonderbolts HQ, if I leave right now I’ll be able to take a hot shower before lights out.”
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
The sound of water running and the steam filled the wonderbolt’s showers, “AAAH, nothing better than a hot shower after a good fly...” Rainbow grabbed the soap with her wings and spread it all over her body, suddenly her right foreleg began bouncing without her noticing, “♪I try to discover a little something to make me sweeter♫” she started singing the lyrics of the song without realizing it.
Rainbow was so distracted that she didn’t notice Soarin’ and Spitfire entering the showers, each taking a spot next to her and washing their own bodies while listening to her friend singing. Rainbow was now moving her hips from side to side while singing.
“Wow that was a funny song Crash.”
“GAAAH, what the hay!”
“Relax Crash, it’s only Soarin’ and me, I think we all had the idea of coming a day earlier to enjoy the hot shower before lights out.”
“I suppose, but what song are you talking about?”
Soarin’ was busy cleaning his face with soap so Spitfire answered, “you were just singing a song about respect or something.”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Hey Spitfire, you told her?” Asked the stallion while washing the soap from his body in the shower.
“I was coming to that,” Spitfire replied while Rainbow Dash stared at her in confusion, “yeah, well this training week will be cancelled, turns out that the tour got delayed a moon for bureaucratic crap, something about the terrain the HQ not passing health inspection this year, shenanigans I say.”
“Aww man, I was hoping to train this week, I got nothing else to do.”
Everypony grabbed a towel and dried themselves, Soarin’ picked some deodorant from his locker, “at least we can train with the guys tomorrow, but we will need to leave at the end of the day for the cleaning teams to sanitize the place.”
They each took to their bunks to sleep for the night but once Rainbow Dash was in deep slumber, she began singing again.
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
The next day all The Wonderbolts flew in perfect synchronization and as always there was nothing that could distract Rainbow Dash when she was flying, it was a second nature for her, more than walking or even eating, therefore she tended to let her mind wonder whenever she is flying, this caused to not realize things around her that wouldn’t affect her flying, “♪and if I should falter, would you open your arms out to me, we can make love not war♫” she kept singing during all her flying and the other wonderbolts took notice.
They took a lunch break after training all morning and by chance one of the cleaning workers arrived earlier, he was at one of the tables talking with one of the Wonderbolts next to Rainbow Dash who was enjoying her meal as well, “I do love myself a hayburger after training, mmMMm,” she ate her hayburger with gusto and was now sipping on her juice, “that’s the stuff...” After finishing her food she relaxed at her cafeteria, then began hitting the table with rhythm, “♪I tried to discover a little something to make me sweeter♫” she began but stopped realizing she was singing an alien song that should have been kept secret.
“♪oh baby refrain from breaking my heart♫” Soarin’ responded.
“Wait what? How do you know that song?”
“You have been singing it nonstop all weekend Dash.”
“No I haven’t, I would have noticed it.”
Spitfire laughed while in the background all The Wonderbolts kept singing the song, “yeah right, when you are flying and there is nothing blocking you, you are pretty much in trance, Crash, remember that time after a training session you realized you had a heart apron put on? That was hilarious.”
“Oh… oh no,” Rainbow thought, realizing that she let the alien music spread without her noticing, “I’m dead.”
“What’s wrong Crash?” Spitfire asked in her raspy voice.
“Oh, nothing… um… can I skip the afternoon training?”
“What? Why? You were the one who said you would miss the training this week and now you want to bail?”
“Well, something came up and I need to leave.”
“Alright, we are not doing much anyway, I guess we’ll see you in a few weeks.”
Rainbow flew back to ponyville, ‘ok Rainbow Dash, don’t panic, you just let The Wonderbolts know about a song not meant to be heard by that many ponies.’
“Hey Rainbow Dash.”
‘Well is not like it was a top secret, I’m sure if it doesn’t spread that much it’ll be ok.’
“Rainbow Dash?”
‘Maybe I could convince Twilight that it wasn’t my fault, it must have been alien magic or something.’
“Rainbow Dash are you ok?”
“Uh, what? Oh hi Derpy, yeah I’m always awesome, why?”
“Um… well, you were staring straight ahead and I kept talking to you and you didn’t respond, I was worried.”
“Oh sorry, I was thinking about stuff, how are ya?”
“I’m good, just about to pick my muffin from school and I saw you so I thought I could come and say hi… um hi Rainbow Dash!”
“Oh yeah hi Derpy, well don’t let me stop you, bye Derpy.”
“Bye bye,” Derpy turned around and began flying slowly to the school, “♪oh baby pleaseeeee, give a little respeeeeect♫”
“Wait a stinking minute, how do you know that song?”
Derpy stopped, “oh… I heard it on the market in the morning, it’s really catchy.”
‘Oh crap, I probably sang it when I was flying to the HQ, I need to go to the castle right now, maybe if I delete the song from the tape, they won’t realize I messed up.’
Rainbow Dash flew past Derpy directly to the castle, while she was flying over the market she could hear the entire town singing the alien song, from the little foals that were coming out of the school to the elders relaxing near the fountain. The pegasus finally arrived at her destination and entered the castle through a window, Starlight was in front of the music box listening to the recording.
‘Dammit I’m busted, I guess there is nothing else but to apologize,’ “h-hey Starlight, h-how was the trip?”
The unicorn mare slowly turned to see the pegasus, her eyes were filled with darkness. Rainbow Dash wasn’t a coward, but watching Starlight in a bad mood is a sight that would drain the courage of even the bravest warrior. She knew that the unicorn was able to go hoof to hoof with Twilight and even brought the fight to a standstill when she was still evil, if she were to go after Rainbow it would be a one sided battle that would end up with a pegasus in ER.
Starlight slowly walked to the pegasus, Rainbow Dash heard Starlight’s hooves like explosions announcing her doom, once she was in front of the paralyzed mare she let out a sigh rubbing her temples, “oh sorry Rainbow my face is tired after our trip to see mine and Sunburst’s parents,” she said while her face changed to irritated to a more neutral one, “by the way, is there a particular reason the entire town and their grandma are singing the same alien song that I just heard on the recording, I thought we agreed to just release the information in small groups until Twilight gave the ok to let everypony know.”
Starlight didn’t seem angry about it, it seems that Rainbow was saved, “oh… well… I…”
“That would be my fault,” came a strong voice from the door where Tube Tester stood.
“What?” said Rainbow Dash confused.
Tube Tester let herself in the room, “yeah, once I finished my tests which were a complete failure again so please don’t ask me about them right now, I came here and saw Rainbow Dash flying through the window, I got curious so I listened to the recording, it was a catchy song, I didn’t think much about it but I couldn’t get it off my head, this morning when I went to the market I probably sang it once or twice without noticing and several ponies heard it, it spread and before I knew it there was even a choreographed dance number around me, you ponies sure love to randomly burst into song. Anyway it spread to the entire town and I can’t still get that stupid song out of my head, I swear it’s like a damn virus,” Tube said while leaving the room.
‘I’m so lucky, I didn’t even had to do anything’
“So… aren’t you going to tell me how you also let the song spread more?”
“WHAT!? How did you know?”
Starlight giggled, “you just told me, anyway is not that bad is not like is a life threatening situation, it’ll eventually pass besides, is not like it’ll spread all over Equestria.”
“Hehehe, yeah… so… how was your trip anyway?”
Starlight’s irritated face returned, “I don’t really wanna talk about it right now, maybe tomorrow.”
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
The previous night a trio of unicorns came out of a train, the male one hurried trotting out of the train worried about his mother.
“Sunburst, we don’t know if there is something wrong!” Starlight said to the running stallion, but was for naught since he was too far.
A yawning Trixie rubbed her eyes, “Glimmy that was a long trip, remember Trixie to bring snacks next time.”
“Come on Trixie, I bet Sunburst doesn’t even remember they are living at my dad’s house now.”
A few minutes later after picking a confused Sunburst, the trio was at the door of the house Firelight and Stellar Flare shared, Starlight knocked at the door and her dad opened it, “Pumpkin Wumpkin, Sunburst you came, I’m so happy to see you.”
“I’m here too Papa!”
“Trixie what a surprise! how is my daughter in law?”
“Great and Powerful as always!”
“DAD! I already explained to you, Trixie and I are NOT DATING!”
“Oh yeah Pumpkin Wumpkin, Papa knows you are not dating right Trixie? wink.”
“Yeah indeed Papa, wink wink.”
“Firelight love, who is at the door?” came a female voice from inside the house.
“Our children came to visit Gorgeous, come on you three.”
The group entered the house and sat in the living room where Stellar was waiting for them wearing a bathrobe and a towel around her mane.
“MOTHER!” Sunburst ran next to his mother, “are you ok? The letter sounded urgent.”
“Oh my baby boy, such a manly gentlecolt, you make your mother proud but, where is your marefriend, I thought that you’ll bring her since Starlight brought hers.”
“OH COME ON, NOT YOU TOO! Wait you know what? I don’t care anymore, what did you want to tell us.”
“Oh sorry Starlight, you know we are just messing with you, right? but tonight is too late and you must be tired, we’ll talk in the morning.”
“You and Trixie can take your old room, everything is as you left it except the bed, I got a bigger one for it and Sunburst can take the guest room.”
Everypony went to their respective rooms, Starlight and Trixie laid in the same bed back to back, “Glimmy, what do you think they wanted to tell us?”
Starlight yawned, her tiredness finally getting to her, “since obviously they are not in any kind of distress and it didn’t seem urgent enough to tell us tonight, I bet they are going to tell us they are tying the knot.”
“Really? Wow, you are taking it pretty good for that kind of news.”
“I think I got over it since last Hearth's Warming, or maybe I just accepted the idea they were going to get together, or maybe I’m kinda glad my dad is not going to be alone… I just hope it ends better than the previous one.”
“Hehehe, it seems that I’ll have a mother in law as well.”
Starlight’s eye twitched, she ignited her horn, “you know Trix, maybe you are right, maybe we should be a couple,” Starlight got up and hovered over a blushing Trixie trapping her between her hooves, “you know, I’ve been thinking, maybe all this time our friendship actually was hiding our true feelings.”
“G-G-G-Glimmy?”
“Surely you aren’t so naive to think that all this teasing wouldn’t get to me?”
“I-I-I EEK!” Starlight put a hoof on one of Trixie’s cheeks.
“Now you have done it, you are now completely defenceless against me,” Trixie squished herself out of the bed, “I’ve finally bought what you were selling.”
“What’s wrong with you Glimmy?”
“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? I thought this is what you wanted,” Starlight slowly walked to the nervous mare while she backed away to the door, “how does it feel Trix?”
“What?”
“To be deconstructed, to be the victim, to see your dreams come true?”
Trixie reached the door and tried to open it but it was locked with a magic aura, too strong for her to open it, Starlight finally reached her and turned Trixie so they were face to face, “you, this isn’t you, you don’t do this.”
Starlight grabbed Trixie by the neck and pulled closer “I do now.”
“I-I-I’m sorry,” Starlight stopped mere millimeters from their lips touching, “I’m sorry Glimmy, I’m sorry for teasing you, I didn’t think it would make you do this, I’m terribly sorry, I don’t want you all evilly, I want my kind and sweet Glimmy ba-ha-ha-ck!” Trixie said while crying.
“Ok, but on one condition,” Trixie looked up again, her eyes filled with tears, “you will stop teasing me about any kind of relationship between us.”
“Trixie swears on her honor, or her name isn’t Beatrix Lulamoon.”
A smile went back to Starlight’s face, “good, wait is that your real name?”
“Oh… yeah, I just haven’t used it, well since I left home… we should get to bed, we are all exhausted,” both mares returned to the bed back to back but then Trixie turned back, “Glimmy?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you p-p-please hug Trixie?”
“Trixie come o-” Starlight turned to see Trixie, her eyes were puffed and her tears rolled from them, “gosh Trixie, I’m sorry, it was too much wasn’t it?” Starlight cleaned Trixie’s tears.
“No, I deserved that, I’m actually angry at myself, to think that my teasing would affect you this badly, what kind of friend am I?”
Starlight hugged Trixie, “I’m sorry Trixie, if I knew it would affect you this badly I would have acted differently.”
“I guess we both made big oopsies, right? Glimmy, I promise to never tease you again, but please promise me you will never turn evil again.”
“I promise Trixie, I promise.”
There in the night laid both mares, for the rest of the night in an embrace, healing the wounds they gave each other, but as a bone that heals and becomes stronger, so their friendship became stronger after this.
The next day everypony were at the table eating breakfast, Stellar Flare was next to Firelight while the other three took the remaining sides of the table, Stellar Flare was wearing a long nightgown that covered her from neck to bottom.
“It’s nice to have all the family at home, isn’t it Stella?”
Stellar Flare nuzzled him, “Indeed love, you me, our children, I just wish Sunburst had invited his marefriend.”
“You mean like Starlight did,” Firelight said, winking at Trixie, Starlight sighed annoyed.
“Um.. Mister Firelight?” Trixie said which confused the Stallion, “I believe we should stop teasing Starlight, she doesn’t appreciate it and frankly hurts her.”
“Oh… ooooh, I see, I’m sorry Chipmunk Cheeks, I suppose I got excited over the prospect of… well you know, don’t worry it won’t happen again.”
Starlight smiled, “thanks dad, so what were you going to tell us.”
“Oh yeah, you wanna tell them Gorgeous?”
“Oh no-no-no, you tell them honey.”
The young trio stared at the couple’s interchange, ‘get on with it, just tell us you are getting married so we can all leave,’ Starlight thought.
“Together?”
“Together.”
‘Here it comes, I’m glad I mentally prepared for this, poor Sunburst I bet he has no idea,’ Starlight said in her mind while sporting a tiny smirk.
“We are having a baby!” Firelight and Stellar Flare said in unison. Starlight lost the tiny smirk when the news made her jaw fall lower than tartarus, Sunburst wasn’t faring better, his eyes were totally empty of life, his mouth so open that he could touch the ground with his goatee.
“OH MY GOODNESS! A baby?” Trixie jumped from her seat, hugging Stellar Flare, “can I touch it?”
“Sure but it’s only a little bump for now, according to the doctor I’m in about three moons now.”
Trixie softly pressed her hoof on Stellar’s belly, while Starlight snapped out of her stasis, “wait, three moons, that means you conceived around Hearth’s Warming… at the castle,” Stalright’s eye twitched.
“Yeah, it could have been that night, or the previous, or the night after Hearthwarming… it could be any night of that week, or the previous… or the one after that,” Firelight said a bit proud of himself, “am I wrong you insatiable tigress,” he said to his lover , who blushed and playfully pushed him with her hoof.
“GOSH DAD, that was way too much info! You see you broke Sunburst,” Starlight waved her hoof in front of Sunburst but got no response from him.
Trixie was in another plan, she felt happy for the adult couple, “have you decided on the names? Because I could help with that, you know the Name Tristan for a colt is pretty awesome, almost as awesome as… what is it? Oh yeah Trixie for a filly.”
Stellar Flare and Firelight laughed, “well Trixie, Firelight and I have thought about that, we decided that if it’s a colt we will name him Moonblast and if it’s a filly, we will name her Luster Dawn.”
Starlight was getting a headache, and Sunburst was finally coming out of his trance, he shook his head “Mom, mister Firelight, are you sure you want another foal? I mean...”
“That we are too old? Don’t worry Sunburst, I’m still young enough for another child, I was even younger than you when I had you remember?”
Starlight was breathing slower now, “ok, listen you two, I’m glad you found love and that you will share this love with a new life, just promise me something. Please promise me that you won’t make the same mistakes you did with us.”
“Starlight sweetheart.”
“Don’t Starlight sweetheart me right now dad, I’m pretty serious, I don’t want to be here in twenty years and find out he or she became an evil villain, or worse that has no friends, promise me you two!”
Both parents promised and with that it was time for the trio to leave, they escorted them to the door and watched them as they left until they couldn’t see them anymore.
“Honey?”
“Yes beautiful?”
“We are still sending our foal to the School for Gifted Unicorns right?”
“But of course love, nothing can go wrong sending our foal there, and even less now that Princess Twilight will run it.”
“Good, yeah what could go wrong?”
~♥~♦~♣~♠~
Starlight sighed, “well Dash, let’s just say that I have a bad feeling about the future...” Rainbow Dash accompanied Starlight to the door, “♪I hear you calling♫ Oh crap now I got it, at least it's a good song,” both mares left the room singing the alien song.
To be continued