//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Her Favorite Mailmare // by luigilink32 //------------------------------// Dash stood by the door, waiting to throw it open the second she heard a knock on it. She had actually brushed her hair- though it hadn't done much good- and she had cleaned up all the trash and food she had left lying around. She shifted, trying to pass the interminable time. Suddenly there was a knock, and she shoved the door open so hard she almost knocked down the pony outside. "Are you okay?!"  She hadn't meant to open it with such fervor. "I'm fine!" Derpy smiled at Dash, which pretty much stopped any rational thought from her. "uh...er...heh..." "I've got another letter for you Dash!" "oh...really? Thanks..." she was about to turn around and go back inside before she remembered the whole intention of the letter. "Oh! Would you like to come in?" "uh, I dunno Dash, I've still got a lot of letters to deliver, and I really should be-" Dash ignored her excuse and pulled her inside and shut the door quickly. "I've got some...uh...food...somewhere..." Rainbow realized she really should have thought this out thoroughly before carrying it out. "Uh, sure, I guess I could stay a little bit for my lunch break..." "Great!" she rushed into the kitchen, frantically searching for anything edible. "Uh...let's see...there's the...no, that went bad last month...oh, how about...oh wait, I ate that...oh, maybe we could...no, she'd hate that...aha!" she proudly held up a loaf of half-eaten moldy bread. She dropped it and held her face in her hooves and sighed. This wasn't going to be easy at all. When she returned to the living room she found Derpy quietly munching on a sandwich. "Where- where'd you get that?" "Oh, I brought it for lunch! Where's your lunch, Rainbow Dash?" "I..." she sighed. "I don't have one." Derpy patted the seat next to her. "Well why don't you sit down and share mine?" "I dunno Derpy, it's your lunch, I don't really want to take that away from you..." "It's alright, I probly won't eat all of it anyway! It's the least I can do for a friend who let me stay for lunch!" Rainbow half-smiled and sat next to her. "I...I guess if you don't mind, then." After they had finished the sandwich, and two muffins besides, they began to chat nonchalantly, Dash forgetting her crush anxiety and relaxing. "I really ought to be getting back to work, Rainbow Dash," Derpy finally said after an hour or two of just talking. "No- please, just...stay a little while longer, okay?" "Uh, okay, Rainbow Dash," she smiled, and Dash smiled back. Rainbow couldn't help but keep glancing up and down Derpy's slim, curvy figure. The highlights of her mailmare outfit accented her golden eyes and hair. Derpy herself seemed content to just stare out the window and at the wall, sometimes both at the same time, and Dash just utterly adored that. When Derpy looked her direction, she didn't turn away. Their gazes met. And held. And held... Finally, Derpy broke the gaze, a light blush on her cheeks. "I...I should go Rainbow Dash. It was fun...thanks," and with that, she got up and left. Rainbow didn't know what to think. Her mind was way too full of ideas and images and scenarios...and when her head got too full, she always did one thing to sort her ideas out- sleep. * * * Three hours after clambering into bed, Dash still didn't feel the least bit sleepy or even tired. Way too much had happened for that. Finally she just gave in and let her mind roam wild, bringing her back to the day when she realized her own feelings for the grey mare.... "Careful Derpy!" Dash scolded, having narrowly avoided being struck by lightning. "You don't want to cause more damage than you've already done," They had been setting up the reception to send Applejack to the Equestrian Rodeo Nationals, or something like that, and Derpy had been doing more bad than good. Frankly, Dash was kind of pissed at her. "I just don't know what went wrong!" Dash sighed in annoyance. "Yeah. It's a mystery." "Good work, Rainbow Dash!" she landed quite heavily and knocked down what little was left of Town Hall. Dash groaned. "You okay Rainbow Dash? Anything I can do to help?" "No!" Dash shouted. "Nothing! In the name of Celestia herself, just sit there! And do nothing!" She did as she was told, clumsily smacking her plot on the remnants of the floor, shattering the boards and sending her tumbling down, but not before she had grabbed Dash's flanks and pulled her down as well. "Oops, my bad." Dash groaned and tried to move, but realized that they had twisted in the fall and something was on top of her. She squirmed and tried to make her escape. She wouldn't budge- then she looked up and saw those gorgeous amber eyes that she had since come to love. She wasn't sure whether Derpy was looking at her as well, or checking the ceiling for additional damage- but it didn't matter. She could feel herself being straddled, and it felt amazing. She had never experienced so tender an embrace, albeit an accidental one, and it felt so right. Derpy got up and brushed herself off, then offered a hoof to Rainbow, who eagerly accepted it. She had been "observing" her ever since. Rainbow Dash sighed and turned over on the bed. Did Derpy feel the same way for her? Could she be thinking about her right now, at this very second? Dash rolled over again. She might not even like mares...and of all the mares in Ponyville, how likely would it be that she would be the object of the clumsy pony's affections? She clutched the pillow closer to herself, feeling lonelier than ever. * * * Ding-Dong! "Urgh, five more minutes..." Dash complained and held the pillow to her ears. Ding-Dong, Ding-Dong! The doorbell ringing seemed odd to Rainbow. Who would be at her door this early in the morning? Unless it was Scootaloo, trying to get her attention, AGAIN, in which case she would tell her to screw off. Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-Dong! Suddenly, Dash sat up, realizing what had felt so strange. She didn't have a doorbell on her house. Then what the hell was making such a racket- CRASH Well whoever was at the door was most likely inside now. Dash crept downstairs, trying to figure out whose house she was in, and why. She had fallen asleep in her own bed, she distinctly remembered that, so either she sleep-flew again, or somepony had moved her there. But why? And why did all the furniture look so familiar? Then it hit her like a ton of bricks- this was Derpy's house. She entered the living room and her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Derpy sitting crossed legged on the couch. "Good morning sleepyhead! I was wondering when you'd wake up!"