It was the end of a trying training day at the Wonderbolts Academy. Within the changing room, Rainbow pulled her goggles and mask off while taking a deep sigh, her body aching in that satisfying way she enjoyed. And as she removed the rest of her uniform, Soarin stepped into the room. "Hey Rainbow, what do you have planned this weekend?"
The mare turned to him before putting a hoof to her chin, "Hmm...nothing really." She turned back to her locker as she placed her flight suit inside. "Probably just hang out around town unless one of my friends needs me to do something awesome for them."
"Well, clear your weekend," Soarin replied, "Because we're going to Las Pegasus."
"We are?!" Rainbow spun around and went wide-eyed.
"Heck yeah we are! Because you babe, have yet to experience something that you need to do in order to really call yourself a Wonderbolt." Rainbow raised an eyebrow at this, "Riding the Wild Blue Yonder!"
"The what?"
"Only the best roller-coaster ever built!" Fleetfoot added as she and Misty Fly walked into the room. "Every Wonderbolt over the last thirty years has ridden it at least once." She pointed to one of the bulletin boards and Rainbow took a closer look, seeing photos of multiple Wonderbolts in a coaster car looking terrified and excited.
"But it's being closed down in two weeks," Misty Fly continued, "Looks like that tradition is coming to an end."
"And we're gonna end it with you," Soarin pointed at Rainbow. "The last member of the Wonderbolts to ride it before it closes for good."
"Awesome!" Rainbow had stars in her eyes, "But is this roller-coaster really that incredible?"
"Oh, you haven't lived until you've experienced its awesomeness. First, you strap yourself into the cloud rocket car, and then you're catapulted straight through a series of daring dips and terrifying turns. You're flipped upside-down so many times you don't know which way is up, till finally you climb to the highest peak on the rails! Then drop towards the ground at lightning speed before coming up to a screeching halt!"
"It's life changing," Fleetfoot finished.
Rainbow shined the biggest grin she could give, "Alright, I'm in. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow," Soarin replied, "But don't just expect to just enjoy the roller-coaster. We can spend the rest of the weekend enjoying everything else Las Pegasus has to offer."
"Awesome!" Rainbow cheered, "I've always wanted to go to Las Pegasus. But..." she grimaced at this, "It's super expensive to stay there."
"Eh, don't worry about that," Soarin responded, "My parents have a condo there with a butt ton of spare rooms. They already said we can stay there." Rainbow smiled at this, only to now remember she had never actually met Soarin's parents. "I'll pick you up from your place tomorrow at nine, then we can get a train to Las Pegasus."
"Got it!" Rainbow exclaimed as she slammed the locker shut, "I'm gonna go get packed right now!" With that, she shot out of the room so fast that the other pegasi had to brace themselves to keep from being knocked over. And when she disappeared, Fleetfoot turned to Soarin and smirked.
"So, you're really gonna do it?" She asked, "You're really gonna ask her this weekend?"
"Yeah..." Soarin slowly nodded, "I am."
"I can't believe it," Misty almost squealed like a little girl. "If this works, you and Crash will be the first married couple to ever fly together in the Wonderbolts."
"Yeah," Soarin gulped, "If she says yes."
"And why wouldn't she?!" Fleetfoot added, "It's clear how much you two love one another! What could possibly make her not want to get married to you?"
"I don't know." Soarin shrugged, "Rainbow's always been more of the 'too cool for school' kind of girl. Getting married might be too girly for her. Or she might be worried getting married will turn her from being the awesome Wonderbolt to a boring housewife, not that that's what I want her to become."
"Well hopefully she won't think like that and say yes," Misty giggled, "I bet as long as you get the moment right, she'll say yes."
Soarin sighed, "I hope you're right. Because if this doesn't work out right, I might end up ruining our relationship forever."
As soon as Rainbow was home, she started throwing everything into a dufflebag. "What else do I need?" She asked herself, "Oh, they've got pools!" She zipped out of her room and returned a moment later with goggles and a snorkel. "Perfect!"
And as she tried to zip up the bag, she heard the ringing of her doorbell. "Coming!" She flew down to the front door and opened it up, only to be greeted by the sight of Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles. "Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?"
"Hey sport," Bow chuckled as the pair flew into the building. "We thought we might surprise you with a weekend trip."
"You've been so busy lately," Windy added, "What with the Wonderbolts, the school, and whatever insane villains have likely tried to destroy Equestria over the last few months. We feared you weren't getting enough time to enjoy yourself and relax, so we thought it might be good to come and spend some quality time together."
Rainbow smiled at this, "Oh. Well uh....thanks, but I really wish you had called ahead. Cause...I kinda got plans."
"Really?" Windy asked, "What plans?"
"Soarin and I are heading to Las Pegasus." Her parents went wide eyed at this, "We're going so I can ride the Wild Blue Yonder. It's closing, and I'm the only Wonderbolt who hasn't ridden it."
"Well, that sounds like fun," Bow smirked. "Good old Soarin." Her parents had been thrilled when they learned about Rainbow and Soarin's relationship, and had welcomed the pegasus with open wings as if he was their own son. "So when are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning. I was just getting packed."
"Well then," Windy laughed, "We still have one night to enjoy ourselves together." Rainbow blinked at them before nodding, the three pegasi heading into Rainbow's kitchen so Windy could make them something great to eat.
At the same time...
Soarin was at his house, pacing back and forth in his room.
"Rainbow, you're one of the best things that's ever happened to me. The day we met, you saved my life, and I've only had more and more fun since then. You make every day awesome, and I don't want to spend a day away from you, even though I know you'll probably have to fly off somewhere to save Equestria again. So, I want to be there, waiting for you to get back when you've saved the world. Will you...will you...ahhh!" He screamed, flying over his bed and landing face down into the covers, "I can't even say it when she's not here. How the heck am I supposed to say it when she actually is?!"
He sighed and rolled onto his back, only to glance over to several pictures he had on a nearby shelf. He stared at the images of ponies he had met over the years, only to sigh, "I need help." He stood back up, glancing over to a nearby clock, seeing it wasn't too late in the day. "Alright..." he got up and shot out of the window, "Here's hoping I don't run into her when I go to see them."
One transition to Ponyville later...
Luckily, Rainbow wasn't in town when he got there. His first trip was to the castle of friendship, where he found Flash and Heart training outside with wooden swords.
"Soarin!" Flash cheered when he saw his friend, only to accidently get bonked on the head by Heart's sword. "Ow!" He turned to glare at his apprentice, pulling the sword away from him before looking back at Soarin, "What's up bro? Or is this just a social visit?"
"I need your help," Soarin sighed, "Can you get all your friends over here, except for Rainbow. I kinda wanna keep this from her." Flash raised an eyebrow at this, but nodded back before connecting to Springer, getting him to contact the others.
Within an hour, the entire friendship council, minus Rainbow, and the Defenders were gathered in the throne room. "So...what's up?" Twilight asked as she and Spike sat in their thrones. "I hope this is important, because I've got a bunch of papers that need grading."
"And I was in the middle of assembling a very important dress," Rarity added.
"Come on everypony," Flash chimed in, "I'm sure Soarin wouldn't have asked us here if it wasn't important." He turned to the pegasus, "Right Soarin?"
"Yeah," Soarin nodded, "it's really important." He looked around at all the expectant ponies, taking a deep breath before stating his intentions. "I wanna ask Rainbow Dash to marry me."
Silence filled the room, most going wide-eyed before the silence was broken by a loud girly squeal that echoed through the castle. It was Rarity, who continued to unleash this sound while everypony else covered their ears. "I don't believe it!" She cried a few seconds later, the mare looking ready to start weeping.
"Are you...really gonna ask her to marry you?" Twilight asked, Soarin nodding back, "Well congratulations."
"This is gonna be so much fun!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing up and down on her throne. "Just wait, I'm gonna throw you two the best after wedding party EVER!" The others all nodded as Flash flew over to Soarin.
"Congrats bud," he patted him on the back. "How's it feel to be the first one to take that plunge?"
"Good...I guess," Soarin slowly replied, "But that's why I'm here. I need help."
"You need us to help plan how you're going to propose?" Fluttershy asked, Soarin scratching the back of his head in response.
"Not exactly. I already have a plan...sort of. We're going to Las Pegasus tomorrow, and I'm thinking of doing it there." They all nodded back, only for him to add, "But the problem is...I have no idea how to actually ask her. I've thought about what I'm gonna say, but every time I try and say it out loud, it didn't feel right."
"I see," Rarity instantly responded, "Yes, coming up with the right words is very important."
"Shouldn't you just say what comes from the heart?" Springer asked, "I'm assuming that's what you're supposed to do."
"Springer's right," Flash nodded, "Rainbow already likes you for who you are, so just ask her in a way that feel natural to you."
"But I've tried that and it still doesn't feel right! I feel like an idiot whenever I say it!" He slumped down at this, "I...I don't know what to do!"
The group exchanged glances, only for Lightning to turn to Grand, "Hey, how did you propose to grandma?"
"In the middle of a fight," Grand replied, everypony now turning to him. The sight made him glare back, "What?! We were in a really bad battle, and I thought we were gonna die! I wanted to know if she would marry me, so I blurted it out before I could stop myself and uh...we managed to win by the skin of our teeth."
"And then she said yes?"
"Yup." Grand nodded. "Best decision of my life."
"Yeah...let's not go with that." Flash commented, his old mentor now glaring at him.
"I don't see you having any better ideas." Grand barked back.
"I didn't say I did." Flash deadpanned, "I just don't think we should put their lives in danger."
"Well I thought it was romantic. I bet Rainbow would like some danger with her proposal." Everypony glared at Grand at this, the defender letting out a huff, "Fine...no danger then."
"Well, I'm sure we'll think of something," Rarity assured the Wonderbolt. "We have all day and tonight to help you come up with something." Soarin smiled and nodded back, "I can't believe one of our group is going to get married. I never thought Rainbow would be the first..." The mares in a relationship turned to their significant other, all of which suddenly got very interested in the ceiling and the floor.
"So...what did Rainbow's parents say when you told them you we going to propose?" Twilight asked, making Soarin raise an eyebrow. "You did tell them, right?"
"Was I supposed too?"
"Soarin!" Rarity yelped, "How could you think of proposing to Rainbow and not asking for her father's blessing?! That's just rude!"
Soarin let out a groan at this, the idea of proposing now getting more annoying in his head. "Well, I didn't." He rubbed his face, "I just wish I could fast forward to the end of the proposal."
The next morning...
At ten to five, Soarin flew for Rainbow's cloud home. He had spent the rest of the day yesterday and most of the night practicing his proposal, Flash even letting him use his training room to practice on an illusion of Rainbow. Soarin found he couldn't stop stuttering and blabbering, sounding like an idiot, but he managed to come up with a half decent proposal speech that he hoped would impress her.
He arrived at her house and knocked, the pegasus tapping his hoof impatiently until the door opened. "Morning," Rainbow smirked as Soarin smiled back. He then spotted her dufflebag on her side and shades over her eyes.
"Morning," he replied, "You ready to go?"
"You bet," Rainbow nodded. "Just...one little thing." Soarin raised an eyebrow until Rainbow stepped aside to reveal her parents, Soarin going wide-eyed at the sight.
"Soarin!" Bow cheered, stepping over to give him a powerful pat on the back. "Good to see you kiddo!"
"Thanks Bow," Soarin responded, remembering the first time Rainbow had introduced him as her boyfriend and how Bow had almost had a heart attack when Soarin called him Mr. Hothoof. "So...what are you two doing here?"
"We wanted to spend some quality time with our daughter," Windy replied, "But then we learned you two are going to Las Pegasus."
Rainbow stepped up to Soarin, "So...I was thinking. You said your parents condo is huge, so maybe my parents could come too?" Soarin went wide-eyed at this, "They wouldn't get in the way. And they've never been to Las Pegasus, so I thought-"
"It'd be fun?" Soarin asked with Rainbow nodding. "Sure, they can come. I don't see them causing any problems." Bow and Windy high-winged as Rainbow smiled, "But we'd better hurry or we're gonna miss the train." The three nodded and the pegasi all took to the air, arriving moments before the train to Las Pegasus left.
Soon enough, the four were seated in a carriage together as they train rolled down the rails. "Ooh," Windy shook, "This is gonna be so exciting! I've always wanted to see Las Pegasus. I remember when Bow and I first got married, we were torn between going there or going to Rainbow Falls."
"But in the end, you chose to go to Rainbow Falls," her daughter remembered the story her parents had told her. She leaned over to Soarin, "That's why they gave me that name. Because that's where I came into existence."
"Huh." Soarin hummed, only to get up, "I'm gonna go get a snack. You all want anything?"
The girls shook their heads while Bow stood up, "I'll come with ya. This is gonna be a long trip, so my back's gonna thank me for getting up and walking around as much as possible." Soarin nodded and the two headed to the snack car, the two blue pegasi standing in line for service. As they stood there, Bow noticed Soarin looking at him with a huge frown, "Something wrong kid? You're looking a little nervous."
"Kinda," Soarin gulped, "I uh...need to talk to you about something."
"Oh?"
"I'm really glad I got this chance to talk to you, since my friends said it was important to do so before I try and do what I wanna do..."
"And what is it you wanna do?" He watched as Soarin looked around, making sure nopony was watching them. He then leaned in close to Bow and whispered.
"I'm gonna ask Rainbow to marry me." Bow's eyes went wide hearing this, the pegasus letting out a loud gasp until Soarin covered his mouth with his wing. "Quiet! Don't let Rainbow hear you!" Bow started to shake, looking like he was ready to start dancing around. "Can you stay cool about this? I don't wanna ruin the surprise for Rainbow." Bow nodded. "Good. Now, I'm gonna lower my wings. Stay calm." He slowly uncovered his mouth, Bow remaining silent as his mouth kept trembling, "So...do I have your blessing?"
Not daring to speak, Bow slowly nodded and Soarin smiled as they reached the front of the line. "So...what made you decide to do this?"
Soarin put a hoof to his chin, "I guess...a month or so after the Storm King's invasion and while Rainbow was off, I was worried sick that she was doing something super dangerous. That's when I realized...I can't live without her in my life. So, I decided I wanted to marry her."
"Ah...I remember that feeling." They grabbed their snacks, "You're a lucky colt Soarin. I can't wait to hand Rainbow over to you on your wedding day."
"Thanks, but I gotta ask her first. And I can't do that if this weekend is anything but perfect."
"Well, I'll make sure to keep Windy away so we don't get in your way." Soarin told him thanks as they returned to the girls, sitting down as Windy noticed Bow's smile.
"What's got you so happy? You look like someone just offered Dashie the position of Wonderbolt Captain or something."
Soarin flinched at this, only for Bow to say, "Just super excited to see Las Pegasus and all the fun shows." He sat down beside his wife with a huge grin, "I can't wait."
And as he began to distract her, Soarin let out a sigh of relief before sitting down beside Rainbow, the two beginning to talk as the train continued down that track.
Las Pegasus, a city built on the western coast of the kingdom. It's a cloud city like Cloudsdale, only accessible to non-pegasi by balloon or airship. However, the group were all pegasi, Rainbow, Windy and Bow staring at it in amazement, none having seen the city before. The place was as large as Cloudsdale, but it had a bunch of specially made platforms that could sit atop the clouds without falling through. These platforms had several buildings on them, all allowing non-pegasi ponies to walk around without needing to worry about falling to their deaths. Each platform had a bridge built between them, connecting them all together to form a full-on town.
"This place is awesome!" Rainbow cheered.
"Yeah, it is," Soarin laughed, "Now come on, my parent's place isn't too far from here."
He led them through the city, off the main strip and into an area full of houses built atop a large platform. The group spotted a swimming pool in one section, several restaurants and even what looked like an outdoor stage that likely was used to do amateur plays and performances.
"There it is." They followed Soarin's gaze and saw a house that appeared to be four stories high with a metal fence around it. He then walked up to the front gate, staring at the keypad before reaching into his bag. "Now where'd I put the code?"
"Can't we just fly over it?" Bow asked, only for Soarin to grab a pebble off the ground and toss it over the gate, the Dash family going wide eyed when the peddle was suddenly electrocuted by a barrier that was expelled from the top of the gate and formed a dome around the house. "Nevermind."
"Yeah...ah! Here it is!" Soarin pulled out a piece of paper and typed in the code, a beep ringing out as the gate opened. And as they walked in, they found it was well decorated, shining wallpaper and comfortable chairs filling the living room beside the hallway. "My parent's bedroom is the first one on the right. All the other rooms are up for grabs." The others nodded and they all headed upstairs, Rainbow and Soarin taking the next available room while her parents took another.
"I can't wait!" Rainbow commented as she dropped her bag on the bed. "I can feel the Wild Blue Yonder calling my name!"
"Heck yeah it is!" Soarin chuckled, "Wanna head over there right now and get in line?"
"You read my mind!" Rainbow cheered as the pair ran out of the room, only for the front door of the condo to suddenly open up.
Soarin went wide-eyed as he saw a light blue pegasus mare step through the doorway, dressed in a red business suit with her graying yellow mane up in a bun. Behind her was a bulky black pegasus stallion with a navy-blue mane and tail like Soarin's, who was also dressed in a suit and tie.
"Mom?!" He asked, "Dad?! What are you doing here?!"
The mare smiled back, "Well, when we heard you were bringing your girlfriend along, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to finally meet the filly." She then turned to Rainbow, "And this must be her." She trotted over and grabbed Rainbow by the chin, moving her head from side to side. "What a pretty mare. Clearly of excellent breeding considering how strong her cheek bones are." She looked over the younger pony's mane, "And what beautiful hair. Could do with a little lengthening and restyling, but I'm sure we can find you a stylist to redo it here in Las Pegasus."
"Mom!" Soarin groaned as he saw Rainbow blush, "Would you stop?!"
"I don't see why you didn't try and introduce us to her sooner son," his father chimed in, "She looks amazing. A real catch." They then heard movement upstairs and looked up, "I thought it was just going to be you two this weekend."
"I decided to invite Rainbow's parents," Soarin sighed, "They'd never seen Las Pegasus and the house was big enough to house us all, especially since we'll barely be here."
"That's great," the mare clapped her hooves, "We can all get to know one another better!"
As she said that, Windy and Bow came downstairs, Soarin sighing at the sight, "Windy, Bow, I'd like to introduce you alll to my parents." He pointed at the mare, "This is Sylph Sprinter." He pointed to the stallion, "and Atmos." He gestured to Rainbow's parents, "Mom and dad, this is Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof."
Windy quickly flew over to Sylph, "Oh, it's so nice to meet you!"
"And you," Sylph shook her hoof. "I hope you enjoy your time here at Las Pegasus."
"I'm sure we will," Bow chuckled as he moved over to shake Atmos' hoof. "Here's an idea, why don't the four of us go out and see the sights so the young'ens can enjoy some quality time together?"
"Nonsense," Atmos replied, "We came to get to know Rainbow, and I'm sure she's interested to get to know us as well. We should all go out to find some of the best entertainment in Las Pegasus. There are shows, restaurants and many other exciting things to enjoy."
"Actually dad," Soarin spoke up. "Rainbow and I came so she could get the chance to ride a special roller-coaster that all the Wonderbolts are meant to ride before it closes. We wanted to do that first."
"Oh, is that all?" Sylph waved her hoof, "Well, we can all enjoy that together." The others all nodded, the group soon leaving the house as Sylph turned to Rainbow, "So Rainbow, how did you and our son meet?"
Rainbow smirked at this, "Oh, we met when he was a special guest at the best young fliers contest. A friend of mine got into a bit of trouble and pulled him into it, so I had to save him and his teammates."
"Trouble?" Atmos asked, turning to his son. "What trouble?"
"It's nothing big," Soarin responded, "I just got conked on the head during a dive."
"Rainbow told us all about it," Windy giggled, "He would have fallen to his death if Rainbow hadn't dived down and used her Sonic Rainboom to grab them all."
Soarin's parents went wide-eyed at this, turning to give their son a horrified look. "It's fine. That was a while ago. Plus, it helped me meet Rainbow, so I guess it was a good thing." As he said that, they reached the strip and Soarin turned to one of the hotels. "There it." He pointed at it and Rainbow's eyes wide as she the building had a bunch of roller-coaster tracks sticking out of the sides and roof.
"Wow..." Bow whistled, "That looks like it's gonna be one heck of a ride."
"You have no idea," Soarin chuckled, "The only downside is the line. It's so long you have to wait at least three hours to get to it."
"Three hours?!" Rainbow yelped, only to hear laughter and turned to Soarin's parents, who seemed to have a superior smirk on their lips. "What?"
"You'd have to wait in line for three hours," Sylph replied before taking a dramatic pause, "If you weren't with a pair of Silver Horseshoe members. One of the most exclusive clubs in Las Pegasus."
The others all raised an eyebrow at this, with even Soarin looking amazed as they entered the hotel. "Since when did you all become Silver Horseshoe members?" He asked as his parents trotted up to the front desk.
"We earned it two years ago," Atmos responded as he reached into his suit and showed the clerk a silver card. "Your mother and I stay here in Las Pegasus whenever we're not travelling for work. Spend so long at a place, you practically become royalty."
"So...what do you two actually do?" Rainbow asked, Soarin never having explained what it was his parents did for a living.
"I always assumed you were Wonderbolts like your son," Windy added with Bow nodding. But then Sylph and Atmos began to laugh as the clerk called a member of the hotel's staff over.
"Oh, oh dear no." Sylph shook her head. "We might be pegasi, but flying was never our foray."
"We're investors," Atmos explained as the staff arrived and began to guide them through the hotel. "We used to be accountants back when Soarin was younger, helping ponies handle their bits, but when he got older and left home, we decided to put our money control skills to better use. So, we started investing in a variety of different companies."
"We now own large shares of some of the biggest companies in Equestria," Sylph grinned, "Several of them are all located here in Las Pegasus, which is why we chose to start living here when we're not inspecting our other businesses."
"Wow," Rainbow whistled as she turned to Soarin, "Your parents are loaded!"
Soarin looked away at this, only for Atmos to sigh, "Yes, we always hoped Soarin would join the family business when he was older. But he chose to follow a career as a Wonderbolt."
Soarin was about to respond to that, only for the group to reach a section of the hotel that had a large line running through it, Rainbow seeing the line was so long that it zigzagged more times than she could count and filled the entire room.
"Excuse me," the staff member announced as the ponies in line stepped up or back, creating an opening in the zigzag that made a clear path.
"Is this okay?" Windy asked as they made their way to the roller-coaster. "These ponies have been waiting for a long time."
"Relax darling," Sylph waved her hoof again, "It's a perk of being such important ponies." Despite this, they still noticed the ponies in line frowning at them. "Just be glad there are no gold class members here, or we would have to wait behind them."
They then reached the front of the path and as the cloud cart pulled up to the platform. Once the ponies riding it had all disembarked, all were looking dizzy but very happy, Rainbow and Soarin climbing into the front and smiling as they were locked into place. Their parents were behind them and all looked extremely excited, their nerves getting the better of them as the cart began to move. Rainbow began to shake and Soarin smirked as he held out his hoof to her, Rainbow smiling back and taking it as they began to climb the first hill.
One epic roller-coaster ride later...
Rainbow laughed as she stared at the pictures taken of them all on the ride, everypony else laughing at the face she was making. "I am so putting that one on the bulletin board," Soarin laughed as he snatched it away from her.
"Hey!" Rainbow yelped, jumping into the air after Soarin as he flew away. Their parents laughed as they watched Rainbow and Soarin fly around, playing keep away like foals.
"They're such a cute couple," Windy giggled as Soarin's parents nodded. "I hope they stay together."
"If Rainbow says yes, they will," Bow instantly replied, only for the others to stare at him, the pegasi instantly slapping his own head, "Idiot."
"Bow..." Windy slowly said as she leaned up to his face, "What are you talking about?"
Bow looked up at his daughter, making sure she was out of earshot, then gestured for the three to lean in close. When they did, he whispered into their ears and they all gasped. "He's gonna prop-mmm!" Windy was stopped by Bow's wing, keeping her from screaming the rest.
"That was the real reason he wanted to bring Rainbow here," he hissed.
"Oh dear..." Sylph gulped, "I guess us being here has kind of ruined it."
"I don't think so," Atmos shook his head, "If we weren't here, the pair would be stuck in line all day. Now that they've gotten to ride the roller-coaster, they can enjoy something more romantic."
The other parents nodded in agreement, only for Windy to point to Soarin's parents, "You two know this place better then anypony. Any idea where we should get them to go so he can pop the question?"
Sylph and Atmos exchanged a glance, "Hmm...what about the rainbow fountain?" Sylph suggested, "I'm sure Rainbow would enjoy that since it shares her name."
They nodded as the younger pegasi flew down, Rainbow having grabbed the picture from Soarin. "So what do you wanna do now?" She asked, "We've got the rest of the day to have fun now that the Wild Blue Yonder's behind us."
"Why don't we go see the water show?" Atmos chimed in, "That's always a fun thing to do." Rainbow nodded as Soarin flew down next to her, spotting the smiles on all their parent's faces. His eyes connected to Bow's and he realized what he must have done, giving him a look that said 'seriously' while Bow tried to give an apologetic smile back.
Atmos and Sylph then led them to the water show, an area of the strip that had a series of fountains. When they arrived, they found a spot right next to the fountain. "Wonder what this thing does?" Rainbow asked as the parents slowly stepped away.
"No idea," Soarin added, "I've only been to Las Pegasus two times before, except when I'm with the Wonderbolts, and I was so focused on the other activities that I never got a chance to see this place." Rainbow soon got her answer when the fountain suddenly burst into light, unleashing a stream of red colored water. An orange stream then fired, followed by a yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet streams.
The pegasi watched in awe the streams fired and overlapping, making all sorts of colors. More water streams of the seven different colors fired again and again, practically dancing around the fountain.
"Whoa," Rainbow whispered, "That's cool. Too bad Rarity's not here, I can just imagine what she'd say." She restyled her mane to imitate the fashionista. "Oh darlings, isn't this the most romantically beautiful thing you ever did see?" Soarin burst out laughing, Rainbow following as the pair continued watching.
"She'd probably be right you know," Soarin chuckled, "I guess this is pretty romantic." As he said that, the fountain's water shot out to form an actual rainbow atop the water. Seeing this, he knew he had to do it now. "Rainbow, do you ever think about the future?"
"Huh?" Rainbow turned to him, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, do you ever think about what the future might hold for us?"
"Oh, sure I do. One day, I'll be captain of the Wonderbolts."
Soarin rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah right, I'll be made captain way before you do. By the time I'm ready to retire, you'll be so old, you can't even beat your wings without throwing out your back."
Rainbow gave him a playful stare. "Is that a challenge?"
"Sure it is," Soarin smirked back. "But that's not what I meant." He looked back at the fountain, "I mean, do you ever think about what your life outside the Wonderbolts will be like in the future?"
"Not really," Rainbow put her head in her hooves. "I used to, but over the last few years, things have gotten super crazy. I never thought I'd end up saving all of Equestria more times than I can count. And I never thought I'd end up teaching at a school like some egghead." She then turned to grin at Soarin, "And I definitely never thought I'd end up dating one of my favorite Wonderbolts." Soarin smiled as Rainbow looked back at the fountain. "Honestly, I gave up trying to guess what the future would hold for me a long time ago. What I've got right now is awesome, and I wouldn't want a single thing about it to change."
"Even if that change makes your life better?" Soarin asked, Rainbow turning to him with a raised eyebrow.
"What's this all about?" Soarin blinked at her, opening his mouth to pop the ultimate question. But as he did this, his throat suddenly dried up. The speech he had practiced with his friends completely vanished from his brain. Fear that Rainbow would say no and ruin their relationship.
"I...er...well...nothing," he squeaked out, "Nothing important. I was just...wondering." Rainbow tilted her head at this, only to nod as the fountain's display came to an end.
"Come on," she replied, "Let's go play a game or something. If your parents have Silver Horseshoe Membership, we can play any game in any hotel."
"Sure," Soarin nodded as the pair spun around, "Hey, where'd our parents go?"
Their parents had been watching from far back, the four expecting Rainbow to suddenly start screaming and hugging Soarin...only to do nothing.
"What happened?" Sylph asked, Atmos letting out a sigh.
"I think Soarin chickened out." The others frowned at this as Rainbow finally spotted them and gestured them over.
"Where'd you all go? You missed the rainbow fountain."
"Sorry honey," Windy responded, "We got distracted by some of the other fountain displays."
"Well, why don't we head to one of the hotels and have some fun?" They all nodded, Rainbow turning to Sylph and Atmos. "You said you know this place better then anypony else. Any idea which hotel has the best games?" The older ponies gestured to them to follow, soon walking down the strip again.
As Rainbow flew ahead, Bow and Windy stepped up next to Soarin. "What happened?!" Bow huffed, "You had the perfect opportunity!"
"Did something happen to make you stop?" Windy asked, Soarin blushing at this.
"I...I don't know. I was about to ask her, but then I...I froze. I just...I suddenly got scared she would say no and our relationship would be ruined."
"Don't be silly," Windy nudged him, "Of course she'd say yes!" She then turned to her husband, "Right?" Bow flinched at this, thinking about his daughter's attitude. Suddenly, he too overcome with fear that she would say no.
Soarin groaned at Bow's lack of response, the thought of her saying no now repeating in his head. He now knew that if he didn't ask her soon, he might never get the nerve to ask...and he would regret it for the rest of his life. But still, fear washed over him, and he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was stuck in a loop.
"Here we are," he heard Atmos say, making him look up at one of the hotels. "This is one of the best places for fun and games."
They soon headed in, Atmos using his silver card to get them in despite not staying at the hotel. "There's a lot to do here," Sylph commented, "Why don't we split up and find something we really enjoy? Honey, that city building game you really like is probably still on." Atmos nodded and the two flew off, leaving Rainbow behind as the mare raised an eyebrow.
"I thought they wanted to get to know me better?" She asked, turning to Soarin. "Why are they suddenly so eager to not be around me?"
"I'm sure it's nothing," Soarin replied, "They probably don't want to cramp your style. They're not exactly the most extreme ponies in the world."
"I don't care about how cool they are," Rainbow responded, "They're your parents, so of course I want to get to know them more! My parents practically treat you like we're married already," she laughed, Soarin going wide-eyed before letting out a tiny laugh. That is, till Rainbow noticed that her parents were strangely absent. "They're gone too. What, did I pick up a bad smell or something?" She lifted her wings to sniff them until Soarin used his to push hers down.
"You're fine," he quickly said, "That's just something that happens at Las Pegasus. You see something you like, and everything else around you suddenly flies out of your head."
"I guess you're right," Rainbow nodded. "So, what should we do to pass the time?"
"You choose," Soarin told her. "There's gotta be something here we can enjoy." Rainbow nodded and the pair flew through the hotel, arriving at an arcade area that had a bunch of different games. Rainbow ran over to an unoccupied air hockey table, the two playing, both appearing completely even.
Every now and then, Soarin would look up at Rainbow and smile when he saw her let out a laugh. The look on her face made him blush, his mind going back to being with her forever. That is, till the thought of rejection drifted back into his head.
He and Rainbow continued playing a variety of games, both winning and losing for a long amount of time. They played racing games, ball games and even a few shooters. Time around them seemed to fade away, neither realizing how long they had been playing for.
Eventually, Rainbow's stomach started moaning as she found that they had been playing so long that they had missed lunch. As such, the pair left the arcade and headed for one of the hotel's restaurants. "Rainbow, Soarin." They spun around to see their parents, "Having fun?" Windy asked, her daughter nodding. "I'm guessing you two were having such a good time you forgot about lunch and now you're starving." Both nodded at this, "Same with us."
"It's a common occurrence here," Sylph added, "Luckily, this restaurant is one of the best in Las Pegasus. The best part is it also does live performances all day, so we'll be well entertained while we wait for our food."
"Awesome," Rainbow cheered, "Let's go." She flew inside and the others followed, Soarin's parents getting them a great seat near the front of the stage, the six sitting down as a comedian stepped out. Soarin had to admit, he was quite funny. The pegasus had a hard time looking at his menu, not wanting to miss a joke. They all eventually made an order and as they waited for their meal, they enjoyed the rest of the comedy routine. Their food arrived just as the comedian finished his final joke, telling them they had been a wonderful audience. The pegasi were all still laughing as they ate, barely able to focus on the rabbit performance that followed.
Rainbow was the first to finish her meal, letting out a loud belch that she would usually be proud of, only to blush as her eyes turned to Soarin's parents. That is, till Atmos let out an equally loud belch that caused Sylph to laugh and made Rainbow smile. And as Soarin got close to finishing his meal, Rainbow suddenly needed to go to the little mare's room. Windy accompanied her while Bow went to the snack bar to get himself some cheese nachos, leaving Soarin and his parents at the table.
Sylph finished off her salad next as she commented, "Rainbow's such a nice girl. You've certainly found yourself a keeper."
"Yeah..." Soarin sighed, "I know."
"So then what's stopping you from making her yours forever?" Atmos asked, Soarin turning to glare at him. "You had the perfect chance to propose and you choked. What's stopping you?"
"I got scared, okay?!" He almost yelled, making his parents flinch. "I was about to ask her, but then I got scared that Rainbow would reject me and...and I couldn't do it. Happy?!"
Both his parents stared at him, "Soarin..." Sylph placed a wing on his shoulder, "Why would you be scared? It's clear just by looking at her that Rainbow loves you."
"You don't know Rainbow like I do," Soarin replied, "She's a badass who hates being seen as girly. I'm scared she'd think that me proposing would mean she would have to start acting all girly, which would freak her out. Plus, she's a mare that always does her own thing. What if I ask her to marry me and she thinks I'm trying to turn her into an object I can own?!"
"Do you really think she would do that?" Atmos asked.
"Her parents are worried it might happen, so I think it could too! And even if it's not, just the thought that she could reject me and ruin our relationship makes me feel like I'm gonna throw up." He pushed his plate away and got up, "Maybe this was a mistake." He flew out of his seat and over to the restaurant's bar, clearly planning to wash away his sorrows with a stiff drink.
Atmos and Sylph shared a glance, only for Atmos to get up and gestured for her to follow. They got to the bar as Soarin's drink arrived, Atmos pulling it away before Soarin could even grab it. "I don't think that's gonna help you."
"You don't know. I might get so drunk I'll just blurt out a proposal."
"I don't think that's how Rainbow wants you to ask her to marry you," Sylph added.
"At least I'll actually ask her that way," Soarin moaned.
"Son, let me tell you something. When we were your age, your mother was a lot like Rainbow." Soarin went wide-eyed at this, Atmos chuckling, "It's true. She's was quite the tomcolt. She enjoyed extreme sports and hated just sitting around doing nothing." Soarin turned to his mother and she nodded as Atmos continued. "I was worried she wouldn't want to marry me for the same reason you're worried. But I didn't let that stop me."
"Well...I guess I'm just not as brave as you are," Soarin sighed as he slumped against the bar.
"Not true son. You're one of the bravest ponies imaginable. Even when you're scared, you've always chased after the things you wanted. Don't you remember when you were younger?" Soarin thought back to the time he first learned how to fly, which resulted in him falling off of Cloudsdale and plummeting for a mile before Atmos caught him. "After your accident, you were so scared of flying, you didn't even open your wings again for a month."
"Is there a point to this humiliating journey down memory lane?"
"You were terrified of flying, but look at you now. You're a Wonderbolt because you overcame that fear you had. Ever since you first saw them perform, you were determined to become the best flyer you could possibly be. When you want something, truly want something, you're able to overcome any obstacle. You overcame your fear of flying, you proved us wrong when we thought you couldn't be a Wonderbolt, and you defeated all the ponies in the best young fliers competition. And even after becoming a Wonderbolt, you continued to push yourself."
"I remember you telling us about your adventures in that lost city," Sylph added, "You faced all sorts of things there, but you still overcame them because you wanted to help your friends. You've done so much more than we ever thought you could. It's why we're so proud of you." Soarin smiled at this, only for Slyph to ask, "Son, do you want to make Rainbow your wife?"
"More than anything."
"More than you wanting to be a Wonderbolt?" Atmos asked, Soarin nodding back. "Then you know what you have to do. You were able to overcome your fear of flying to get that, you can overcome your fear of rejection to ask her that one simple question."
"Its not a simple question."
"It actually is. You just don't realize it."
Soarin sighed before getting back up, "Thanks."
"We're always here to help son," Sylph replied, "Especially if it's helping you earn the hoof of such an amazing pony."
Soarin nodded, then moaned. "Aww...I wish I hadn't chickened out back at the water fountain. Now how am I supposed to find a romantic opportunity to ask her?"
"Well, it's like you said: Rainbow doesn't seem like the romantic type." Soarin turned to his mother, "And I don't think this is something she would want an audience for. I think if she was surrounded, she would feel compelled to say yes. That might make her start to doubt her decision."
"So you're saying I should ask her someplace private?"
"And do so in a way that's more her style," Atmos added, "And actually, I might have an idea." Soarin raised an eyebrow at this. "Honey, can you keep Rainbow distracted while Soarin and I go get things ready? If you can, meet us back at the condo at sunset."
"Alright," Sylph nodded as Atmos grabbed Soarin and flew away. Sylph returned to their table and found Bow sitting there, eating his nachos and watching the magic act. At the same time, Rainbow and Windy returned to the table.
"Hey," Rainbow glanced around, "Where's Soarin?"
"Oh, he and his dad had to go get something special prepared for tonight." Rainbow raised an eyebrow while her parents stared at her, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll enjoy the surprise when it's ready."
"Ooookay," Rainbow said slowly. "So...what are we gonna do until then?"
"Good question," Sylph replied, only to clap her hooves, "I've got it. Follow me." The four left the restaurant and headed off to an area of the strip that had a putt putt golf course. Rainbow was more than happy at this, quickly grabbing the clubs and balls.
"What's Soarin and Atmos doing?" Windy asked when her daughter was out of earshot.
"I don't know. I think we were able to convince him not to be afraid, but Atmos is the only one that knows what they're planning. All we have to do is keep Rainbow distracted until sunset, then we can head back to the condo."
They nodded as Rainbow returned. "Hey dad," Rainbow threw a club at him. "Ready to get destroyed in putt putt?"
"Ha!" Bow cackled, "Well, you are a master golfer. I'm happy to play if it means ponies get to see you in action." Rainbow smirked at this, passing Sylph and Windy their clubs before they all headed to the first hole. As it turned out, Rainbow wasn't the master golfer Bow claimed she was. When she hit the ball, she did it so hard that her ball went flying off the course...and off the cloud. It would have been lost if Rainbow hadn't flown after it. She barely managed to grab it in time, giving the others the opportunity to sink their balls.
They spent the next hour and a half playing the game, which would have only been an hour had Rainbow not constantly almost lost her ball. After that, they went to see a magic show in the same hotel that the Wild Blue Yonder was located in. They then went to see a movie in another hotel, enjoying a lot of snacks that the theater provided. By the time the film was over, the sun began to set.
"Where are Soarin and his dad?!" Rainbow asked, "How long does it take to set up...whatever the heck they're doing?!"
"I'm sure they're fine," Sylph replied, "They said to meet back up at the condo at sunset, which is right this moment."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?!" Rainbow yelped, taking to the air. "Let's get over there and see what's so special that they had to ditch us for the rest of the day!"
She flew off before the older ponies could stop her, Bow, Windy and Sylph all chuckling before following. When they arrived, they spotted Soarin and his dad standing at the front gate. As Rainbow got closer, she noticed a nervous look appear on Soarin's face.
"Hey!" she landed in front of him, "Where the heck have you been?! You missed me totally shredding up the putt putt field!"
"Sorry," Soarin responded, "My dad and I were working on something really special." Rainbow raised an eyebrow at this as Soarin spread his wings. "Come on, you're gonna enjoy this." He took to the air, Rainbow following before looking back at their parents.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Nope," Atmos replied, "This is a special surprise just for you."
"Have fun," Windy added before the four headed back into the condo. Rainbow blinked at this, only for Soarin to fly down next to her.
"Come on!" He flew ahead, Rainbow following. They flew away from the residential area of Las Pegasus and even the clouds holding up the city entirely, flying further and further away.
"Where are we going?" Soarin then stopped and pointed. Rainbow followed his hoof and saw he was staring at a mountain about a mile or so away.
"That's where we're going," he replied, "Or more importantly, that's where we're racing too." Rainbow's eyes went wide at hearing this, a smirk appearing on her lips.
"Now you're talking my language." She was about to shoot off, but Soarin put his hoof in front of her.
"Hang on. There's a certain area on the other side of that mountain that's the finish line. My dad and I set up a picnic for us to enjoy. First one there gets first pick of the snacks." Rainbow cricked her hooves at this, the pair getting into an aerial pre-race position, Soarin beginning the countdown. "Three...two...one...GO!"
With that, the pair shot for the mountain as fast as they could. But as they started flying, Soarin held back, letting Rainbow to get to the mountain first. The pegasus mare laughed as she glanced back and saw her boyfriend falling behind. "Later Soar!" She then pulled ahead, getting to the mountain within a minute before searching for the picnic area.
That is, till she couldn't find it, now knowing Soarin had the advantage, since he actually knew where the finish line was. She quickly zipped around the place, only to find nothing...and Soarin was nowhere in sight. And as she kept flying, she saw a ledge that had a blanket laid out on it with a picnic basket.
"Huh," Rainbow flew down and landed on the blanket with a smirk on her face. "I win!" She cheered, only to glance around, ready to gloat at Soarin...but he was till MIA. "What the-he should have been here by now! Where the heck is he?!"
And as she said those words, a firework shot up and exploded with red light right above the picnic site. Rainbow's eyes went wide as she turned to it just as another firework exploded into an orange light. More and more fireworks appeared, exploding one after the other in each of the seven colors that made up her mane. The mare stared at the display in awe, only for her mind to go back to why this was happening where nopony in Las Pegasus could see it. She then remembered what Atmos had said, knowing he and Soarin had set this all up for her.
That is, till Soarin suddenly flew past where the fireworks were exploding, Rainbow calling out to him, but Soarin remained silent. He then stopped and turned back to Rainbow, smiling at her as several fireworks shot into the air. And as they exploded, Soarin began flying around and unleashing a trail of smoke behind him like he did during Wonderbolt shows. He zipped around, Rainbow stared at the smoke as she saw that the smoke trail was making a bunch of words.
And slowly, as the sentence formed in the sky, Rainbow's eyes went wide as Soarin completed six words, the fireworks exploding behind him to form a rainbow.
RAINBOW DASH,
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
The words remained where they were as Soarin shot down and landed in front of the mare he loved, panting and staring at the mare as she continued to look up at the sky writing with eyes so wide, it was amazing they didn't fall out.
Then, she shifted her gaze towards Soarin. "You...you're serious? This...this isn't a joke, is it?"
Soarin shook his head as the sky letters began to fade. "No, I'm serious." He slowly walked up, all the fear he had felt about her answer slowly fading away. "Rainbow Dash, you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. If some super being like Discord appeared and told me he was gonna change my entire life and I could only keep one thing about it the same, I would choose meeting you and becoming your boyfriend over anything else. Even becoming a Wonderbolt."
"Soarin..." Rainbow whispered.
"When the Storm King attacked and you had to leave to protect Twilight and Equestria, I wanted you to be safe. That's when I realized I wanted to be the thing that gave you a reason to keep pushing, to give you something to come back to. And that's what I want you to be for me. I...I realized I didn't want to live my life without you, no matter what. When I realized that, it was obvious what I had to do." He reached into the picnic basket and pulled something out. A jewelry box, which he held out to Rainbow Dash.
The mare stared at it as he opened it up, revealing a silver colored ring with a red gemstone on it.
"Rainbow Dash, will you marry me?"
Rainbow's brain stopped at this as her heart beat a million times a minute, the whole situation washing over her. Then, she did something Soarin hadn't heard from her in a long time. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" She covered her mouth with her hooves as tears filled her eyes. "I...I can't believe this is happening!" Soarin's fears began to return, but then Rainbow spoke up again. "Of course I'll marry you!"
"Really?" Soarin asked, Rainbow nodding as he felt a great amount of relief overwhelm him.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I?!"
Soarin blushed and slightly glanced away, "I uh...I was a little worried you'd think getting married would be to girly for you."
Rainbow laughed at this, "Maybe. But if getting to have you in my life forever means being a little girly, I can handle it." Soarin smiled back and took the ring out, Rainbow seeing it had a string wrapped around it that allowed her to wear it around her neck. He put it on, and Rainbow felt an amazing sense of devotion overflow her. She had always thought becoming a Wonderbolt would make her feel the most happy, but this moment right now overshadowed that moment a thousand fold.
She looked down at the ring, then back to Soarin as she leaned up and started kissing him. Soarin went wide-eyed, only to start kissing her back. They did this for several minutes before pulling away, then moved over to sit on the blanket to enjoy the picnic.
"So have you been planning this all day?"
"Nope," Soarin instantly replied, "I didn't really have a plan for this. I was just gonna ask you when the time was right and...well, our parents showing up kinda complicated things, but it also helped since we didn't have to spend all day in line."
Rainbow let out a guffaw, only to ask, "Wait...did our parents know about all this?"
"Well...not at first," he responded, "I had to tell your dad because apparently, I needed his blessing." Rainbow laughed at this, now knowing her father must have spilled all the beans. Yup, she loved her family. "You can also thank my parents for helping me get up the nerve to do this. I was gonna ask you at the fountain, but I chickened out." Rainbow raised an eyebrow at this, "I got scared that you'd say no, and it'd ruin our relationship. But they helped me realize I needed to do this."
"Well, I'm glad they did," she giggled, "I might have only known your parents for a day, but they're pretty cool." Soarin nodded at this as Rainbow leaned in and started kissing him again. But as they started to fully make out, screams and cheers suddenly rang out above them. Looking up, they saw their parents dressed in hats and scarves designed around the pair.
"You did it!" Atmos cheered.
"We're so proud of you son," Sylph added as Windy looked ready to start crying. Bow was clapping and the pair just smiled at them, glad they were so happy about the situation. They shared one more glance, knowing they had both made the right choice.
Bells rang through the air at Ponyville Town Hall, the place now with clouds and lightning bolts along with several Wonderbolt banners. The place was packed, all sitting on different sides of the hall as the door opened to reveal Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, Soul and Mira, all throwing flowers as they walked in.
Five of the Mane Seven then trotted in, all in beautiful dresses and carrying bouquets. Beside them were their significant other, though Applejack was walking with Rogue, and when they reached the front, they stepped aside to allow the mare of the day to walk in.
Rainbow was slightly blushing in a beautiful white dress that highlighted her more feminine aspects. Bow was walking beside her, dressed in a suit and looking ready to start crying. And as they reached the front of the hall, Rainbow spotted Soarin standing there in his Wonderbolt dress clothes, his whole form shaking even more than she was.
Spitfire was standing beside him, the other bolts grinning as she got closer and closer, eventually reaching the front with Bow giving her off to Soarin. "Take care of her," he whispered, Soarin slowly nodding as Bow flew over to her crying mother. He then turned back to Rainbow as Mayor Mare stepped up to begin the ceremony.
Rainbow couldn't believe this was actually happening, and she couldn't believe how happy she was about it. Despite how tough and hardcore she liked to be, today she felt like a princess...and that was okay. She had the stallion of her dreams by her side and with everything she had been through, she couldn't be happier about starting a new page in her life.
She didn't know what married life would be like, but she knew that as long as Soarin was by her side, nothing would stop her. For the longest time, she had always figured being somepony's wife would mean the end of her adventurous life, but standing there, staring at the stallion she loved, she knew that wouldn't be true. Marriage was just the start of a new adventure, with many new trials for them to overcome. An adventure she couldn't wait to experience. So, when the question was asked of her, she wasn't able to say anything except those special two words even if it killed her. "I do."