//------------------------------// // Sarrarocco Stories VII // Story: Rainbow Dash Around the World // by MagicS //------------------------------// In a wide open park between the central marketplace and the northern beach of Blue Coral Island, a party of over two hundred ponies had gathered for the night. Lanterns had been set up all around to light things up as the island got ready for a weekly dance festival. It was a popular event for both tourists and locals as one could see by looking around. Senax and Breakwater had both decided to come and join in, though they weren’t sure they were going to dance, after hearing about it from the matron of the Saffron Inn earlier. It looked like a fun occasion at the least and there were ponies going around with plates of drinks and various kinds of small snacks. “I almost can’t believe they do this every week.” Senax said as she looked around. Breakwater shrugged. “I can. This is practically a party island, and with all the traffic that comes through here they want to show as best and fun a side to tourists as they can. That’s why the shrine was so… “fair” too.” “I suppose...” Senax said as she watched the first few ponies start to dance on the grassy field. A slow, partner’s dance. Breakwater watched them and shook his head. “Wish we could just get notice from the High Priestess already. This is nice but maybe we should be looking into the Order more, even though I doubt we’d find anything out they don’t want us to.” “I think they’re probably watching our moves and keeping track of what islands we go to. Rainbow Dash was definitely right, they just want us acting like we’re on a normal visit to the Archipelago and to have a good time. I don’t really know why,” as she said that, more ponies had joined in on the dancing and the pace had ramped up. Senax blinked and looked over at Breakwater as the two continued to stand around on the grass. He noticed her after a moment and raised an eyebrow at her. “What?” “Well…?” He just frowned “Well what?” “How long until you ask me to dance?” A slight blush actually came to his face. “W-Wait, what? You want to dance with me?” Senax giggled. “You’re overreacting, it’s just dancing.” Breakwater coughed. “Sorry…” “Don’t apologize either. I just want to dance, don’t you want to have some fun too as long as we’re both here?” “I guess you’re loosening up too then? Not going to worry about the Horn of Listening or what’s going on here anymore?” Senax sighed. “I suppose I don’t see the point in doing that anymore.” “I think it’s good. You out of all of us deserve to just relax and have some fun,” Breakwater said. “After all you’ve got the most reasons to, well, not be happy.” “Thank you for reminding me.” Breakwater grimaced. “Er, sorry...” Senax reached down and wrapped a hoof around his front leg. “You can make it up to me by taking me out to the dance floor.” “It’s just grass though,” Breakwater blinked. Senax rolled her eyes. “Let’s just dance.” Though neither of them were really dancers at all, and Senax didn’t actually care about dancing too much either, she still pulled him out there along with the other ponies. It was something fun to do together. Yes, fun. Not romantic. Senax and Breakwater would both vehemently deny such accusations if Rainbow, Gilbert, and Daylight were around to make them. Though it was currently the sort of dancing where you had to keep your hooves on each other for the moment. Senax and Breakwater smiled at each other as they slow-danced, hoof in hoof. “This is really not how I expected to spend the night,” Breakwater said. “Even after we decided to come here?” “I thought we were just going to watch others dance and eat some food...” “This is more fun than that though. At least I think it is.” “Well, yeah, I think so too. Still not much of a dancer though. I’ve got sea legs, not land legs.” “So you’d be able to dance better if we were on your ship?” “I—uh...” Breakwater thought for a second. “You know I’m really not sure. Maybe.” “Then maybe after we leave the Archipelago we can try. If that’s alright.” “That’d be fine.” “But only while the others are asleep. I know they’d tease us.” Breakwater chuckled. “Oh yeah, they definitely would. Rainbow Dash at least.” “If she says anything you can force her to take some dance lessons too. You’re the captain after all,” Senax grinned. “That mare would be flying off into the sky like lightning if we tried to do that.” “I could see her dancing but not slow dancing like this.” “Hm, party dancing, yeah. I could see that too.” “Loud music, a big crowd of ponies, and Rainbow Dash in the center cutting loose,” Senax laughed and Breakwater soon joined her. The two of them didn’t do anything fancy while they were out in the grass dancing with the others. They just kept in tune with the music and the other ponies around them, walking to the left, gliding to the right, keeping their eyes locked with each other. The conversation between the two of them died down as they simply enjoyed the dancing under the starry night sky. Thanks to the warm, tropical, nature of the Archipelago they didn’t feel cool at all. The bodies of all the other ponies, and the glowing lanterns probably helped too. All in all it was nice out. And it was a nice night to dance. “If we’re here for another whole week we should come back and do this again,” Senax said. “Can’t wait for the boat?” “Just thinking, because we still don’t know how long we’re going to be here.” “True.” As they continued dancing the music, and most of the ponies, stopped for a bit while the ponies with trays of wine and snacks started moving through the crowd to see who wanted any. Senax and Breakwater both decided to have their own share and relax for a second. The dancing didn’t tire them out but it looked like things were going to be changing up soon and more ponies were walking into the field. Senax ate a lettuce-wrapped fig and swallowed it down. “Are we going to keep dancing?” “If you want,” Breakwater shrugged. “I want,” she smiled. “Excuse me-” a voice cut in as a mare walked between them. She was a local, wearing an orange silk robe common on Blue Coral Island, with long hay-blonde hair and sweet blue eyes. “I was watching the two of you earlier and would it be alright if I danced with you?” She asked Breakwater. “You’re supposed to switch partners for this next round of dancing.” Breakwater sent a questioning glance at Senax. “Is that alright?” “Of course. If we’re supposed to switch partners I’ll find someone else to dance with too,” Senax said and waved at him. “Have fun.” Before he could really respond the other mare had carried him off into the crowd as the music started up at faster pace than before. “I’m Chrysanthemum by the way.” “I’m Breakwater,” he told her as a line of dancing ponies converged on them and he could no longer see Senax anymore even as he tried to look over them. “Were you two close? I didn’t mean to make things awkward by cutting in,” Chrysanthemum asked. “Uh, no,” Breakwater shook his head. “It’s really not like that, I just want to make sure she’s still having a good time. She’s the one who wanted to dance, not me. Uhh… speaking of, what made you interested in me?” “Well I always enjoy dancing with visitors more than the locals, especially ones who clearly spend most of their time at sea like you do. Not to mention your rugged good looks,” Chrysanthemum winked. Breakwater blushed. “R-Really now...” Chrysanthemum giggled. “I’m mostly just playing around with you. Sorry.” “That’s more than alright, I wouldn’t know what to do anyways...” Breakwater trailed off. The dancing now was much faster and there wasn’t as much direct touching, it wasn’t as much of a slow dance for couples anymore. “I think it’s sweet though that you’re more interested in making sure your friend’s having fun than enjoying your time dancing with me. Are you sure I’m getting things wrong?” She demurely blinked at him a few times with a sly grin on her face. “Yes,” Breakwater grinned back. “Really. We’re close but not in that way.” “I guess that makes it even more sweet,” Chrysanthemum shrugged. “Were you here with someone else first?” “If you mean someone I specifically came here with then no, I just found another stallion from the island to dance with for the first round. That’s how I usually spend my time here, these weekly dances don’t always have a lot of tourists and ponies from outside the Archipelago. That’s why you stuck out so much.” Breakwater looked around, noticing that although there were quite a few outsiders the vast majority was definitely locals. And he kind of stuck out even more with his look. “Huh. Well you know I might end up being here for the next dance. Maybe we can dance again if that happens?” Breakwater said. “If I see you then sure. Now what do you say we cut the chatter and start dancing for real?” She raised an amused eyebrow at him. “That sounds good to me,” Breakwater reached to grab her hooves and spun her around. She reciprocated by spinning around even further and while in the middle of a whole bunch of other ponies they both started tapping their hooves on the ground in tune with the music. The two of them hooked their legs around each other and spun in a circle while grinning widely at the other. It was just the beginning to a long night of dancing. Senax meanwhile instead of grabbing an individual partner was in a big circle with five other ponies as they all hopped and clapped together. If they were on an actual dance floor instead of just a grassy field she couldn’t imagine what the noise would be like. She was having a lot of fun though, more than if she was just dancing with some other stallion besides Breakwater. Like this it was just some silly fun and she didn’t need to make small talk with a stranger. Sometimes the ponies would swing each other around and bump flanks, which was the most activity Senax really wanted at the moment. “This is so much fun!” A mare from beside her shouted over the music and sounds of ponies dancing. Senax smiled over at her, she wasn’t wearing any sort of garment that would identify her as a local. “I know, right? Is it your first time doing this?” “Yeah, this is my first time being to the Archipelago ever actually! My friends and I came all the way from Meer!” The mare answered. “Are they here too?” The mare shook her head. “Naw, they don’t like dancing as much as me so they’re just back at our hotel right now. What about you?” “It’s the same for me—first time to the Archipelago and first time dancing here! I’ve got a friend though who I came with, right now he’s dancing with someone else.” “Sounds great! I wish they did dancing like this every night instead of just once a week!” Senax laughed. “I think ponies would get tired dancing every night!” “Not me! We came here for a vacation and this is just about the best way I can think of spending it! Give me a party all month long—I’ll take it! Did you just come here for fun too?” “Business actually but… well, it’s kind of turned into all of us having fun.” “Guess you’re lucky then!” The mare grinned. Senax weakly smiled back. “I suppose that’s one way to look at it...” Truthfully that was probably the best way to look at things for the moment. After all, Senax had wanted her and Breakwater to have fun dancing here anyways. If she got upset now she’d just be a hypocrite. Might as well keep dancing and enjoy herself—and hope Breakwater was having just as much fun as she was. How long did this dance party go on anyways? Maybe before it ended they’d have a chance to dance together once more. Despite things not being that way between the two of them she certainly had to admit it would be the perfect way to end the night.