“Probably not. But I’m sure I’ll be able to squeeze into one of the other’s outfits. Right?”
Rainbow Dash slowly opens her eyes. A bright light is just snaking its way across her face. Groaning, she grabs a pillow and pulls it over her head as she thinks to herself.
“Of all the times for me to leave my curtains open...”
Stopping mid-sentence, Rainbow Dash carefully moves her hands outward. Feeling around for a few moments she slowly pulls back the pillow and looks around. Blinking a few times, she frowns.
“Where... am I?”
Sitting up, the young woman carefully gets to her feet and heads for the door. Opening it, Rainbow Dash instinctively peeks out cautiously. The smell of breakfast food meets her nose as she steps out into the hallway. Taking the stairs down, she finds Arc at the stove cooking. He nods to her as he flips the contents of the pan before him and speaks.
“Good morning.”
Rainbow Dash appears confused. “Um... hi.”
“Something wrong, Ra... Raine?”
“I... don’t really know. We’re still at your house on Earth, right?”
Arc nods as he flips the pan again. “Right.”
“Not that I mind, but...uh... why?
“Well... you kinda fell asleep watching television last night.”
“I did?”
“Yup. You were totally out too.”
Rainbow Dash smiles nervously. “S-sorry about that.”
Arc chuckles. “It’s fine. After all, yesterday was pretty busy for both of us.”
Rainbow Dash sits down at the kitchen table as she continues. “There wasn’t trouble with the Rainbow of Light, was there?”
Arc shakes his head as he walks over with a platter of French Toast. “Nope. Well, at least as far as I know, that is.”
“Then why are we still here? I mean... like I said, not that I mind, of course.”
“Well... I figured it was pretty late.”
“I guess it was, yeah. But won’t the others be worried about us? Twilight could come barreling through that door at any time to come check on us.”
Arc smirks as he sits down and serves the food to his date. “She probably would too. That is, if she felt we were in trouble.”
Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. “So... should we call her, or something?”
“I notified Hammer already.”
“Cupcake?”
Arc nods. “I felt it only fair to do so. After all, this whole thing was her idea.”
“Huh?”
Arc pulls a paper from his ring and sets it on the table for Rainbow Dash to see as he continues talking.
“Here’s the list of activities Hammer came up with.”
“So?”
Arc points a finger as he taps the paper. “Read the paragraph at the bottom.”
Rainbow Dash reads aloud.
“Well, that’s the best I could come up with for you two. It’s kinda a lot to try and pull off in one day, I know. But I do have a bit of a suggestion for that too, Arc. After what happened between you and Applejack during your super-long date, the others have been brainstorming what they would do were they also given such a chance. If things are going well between you and blue, why not take a longer date than just the originally planned one day? I’m sure she would like some extra alone time with you. Just give me a call if you decide to do so and I’ll let the others know.”
Looking up at Arc again, she grins before continuing.
“Does this mean...?!”
Arc nods. “Yup. That we’ll be taking an extra-long date.”
Rainbow Dash lets out a whoop as Arc pulls the paper from her hand. Holding it up, he grins.
“Lots more to do on this list.”
“And as long as we want to stay here and keep doing things, we can take all the time we need!”
“Within reason, yes. After all, I don’t think the others would be too happy if we stayed here for weeks at a time.”
Rainbow Dash smirks. “Yeah, yeah. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.”
“What did you have in mind?”
Rainbow Dash grabs her silverware. “First things first though! Eating!”
Arc chuckles as he picks up his fork. “Sounds good to me.”
The pair enjoy their meal of French Toast and milk together. Rainbow Dash grins as she finishes.
“That hits the spot! Thanks for breakfast, Arc!”
Arc smiles at her. “You’re very welcome.”
“It’s better than I can do.”
“Oh?”
Rainbow Dash smiles nervously. “Cooking’s never been my strong point.”
“What do you usually eat for breakfast then?”
“Just cereal mostly. And that’s if I wake up early enough. Which isn’t often.”
Arc tries to change the subject. “So... what should we do today?”
“I don’t really know. What did cupcake come up with?”
“A lot of outdoorsy stuff.”
Rainbow Dash gestures to the window. “Judging from those clouds, I’d say it’s going to be a cold, rainy day.”
“Are you sure?”
“Trust me. After all, I know my clouds.”
“How about we do something physical then?”
Rainbow Dash grins slyly. “What did you have in mind?”
Arc rolls his eyes. “Not what you had in mind, I’m sure.”
“Fine. What is it?”
“Swimming.”
Rainbow Dash frowns. “In this cold?!”
Arc chuckles. “Sure. We’ll just bundle up real well before jumping in.”
“I’ll pass.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Arc smirks. “This pool is indoors.”
“Like the one back in Abyssinia?”
“Exactly.”
Rainbow Dash grins. “Okay, admittedly that does sound like fun. But I’m not sure how well I’ll be able to swim in this new body.”
“It’s really not that hard. I can teach you.”
“Perfect! We can get bare together!”
Arc appears confused. “Bare?”
“I can’t imagine humans letting their clothes get wet. So I’m assuming they take them off before jumping into the pool.”
“That is true, yes. However, we do have specially designed clothes for swimming in.”
Rainbow Dash sighs. “Should’ve seen THAT coming.”
“I have a number of swimsuits here from our trips to the beach in the past.”
“You do?”
Arc nods. “Yup. Derpy, Ember, Auriel, and Hammer all went to the beach with us at some point when the weather was warmer. Well, Dinky did too. But I don’t think hers would fit you though.”
“Probably not. But I’m sure I’ll be able to squeeze into one of the other’s outfits. Right?”
“One way to find out.”
Standing, he leads Rainbow Dash upstairs to the guest room. Opening a dresser drawer, Arc begins rummaging around as the young woman hurriedly makes her bed.
“Sorry for the mess I left in this room. I wasn’t really thinking when I just up and left it this morning.”
Arc chuckles. “It’s fine. After all, what would I know about waking up in a strange room and unfamiliar bed?”
Rainbow Dash grins as she finishes her task. “Yeah, I guess you learned that the day you came to Equestria.”
“Yup. Rather jarring, admittedly.”
Pulling a few swimsuits out, he lays them on the bed before speaking.
“Here’s Hammer, Ember, and Auriel’s swimsuits.”
“What about Derpy?”
“Her suit is down the hall in my old bedroom.”
“Can I try it on too?”
Arc blushes slightly. “I... suppose you could if you really wanted to. But I don’t think you’ll like it.”
Rainbow Dash waves her hand dismissively. “You let me worry about that, alright?”
Arc shrugs. “Fine. Just give me a few minutes to find it.”
He leaves the room and heads to his former bedroom. Looking through several drawers, Arc eventually finds Derpy’s bikini top and bottoms. Sighing, he walks back to the guest room with it in hand. Knocking lightly, he calls out.
“I found it.”
“Great! Bring it in!”
“Um... are you dressed?”
“Nah. Still trying to figure out how to slip into this weird thing. Wanna give me a hoof with it?”
Arc facepalms. “I’m not sure how much Hammer told you about human females, but it’s not exactly proper for a me to come in there with you undressed.”
Rainbow Dash grunts. “Well, I don’t think I’ll be able to figure this out without help. And I have no problem with you seeing me bare.”
“Fine.”
Opening the door, he spies Rainbow Dash standing at the foot of the bed in her bra and panties. Holding up the one piece swimsuit, she looks to Arc sheepishly.
“I don’t see any buttons, snaps, or zippers on this thing anywhere.”
Arc walks over to her and takes the swimsuit from her. “That’s because you just kinda step into it. They make these things extra stretchy, after all. Both to make it fit snugly as well as aid in putting the swimsuit on.”
He gestures to her undergarments before continuing.
“But you need to take those off before trying to put on the swimsuit.”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “Fine with me.”
She begins unlatching her bra as Arc rolls his eyes.
“I meant after I left the room.”
Rainbow Dash grunts as she reaches around to fiddle with her bra hooks. “It doesn’t bother me. Remember, I’m used to being uncovered as a mare.”
Arc turns to leave. “Well, I’ll wait in the hall while you change.”
Rainbow Dash calls out quickly. “Wait! What about Derpy’s suit!”
“Oh! Right!”
Holding it up, Arc blushes slightly as Rainbow Dash looks the garment over, clearly confused.
“What the heck...?!”
“You see, Derpy has this condition where she doesn’t like to be constricted by clothes when she’s a human. That’s why she always wore dresses and other loose fitting clothing.
Rainbow Dash holds up the bikini as she speaks. “I’ll say. These look just like skimpy undergarments.”
“I know. If you don’t want to wear them, I completely understand.”
“Well, I’ll try them on anyways.”
Arc turns back to the door again. “In any case, I’ll let you get to that.”
Leaving the room, Arc closes the door behind him. Rainbow Dash looks the bikini over again as she muses to herself.
“Might as well be swimming bare. This doesn’t look like it’d cover much at all.”
Shrugging, she begins trying on the swimsuits one at a time. Meanwhile, Arc leans against the wall outside in the hallway. Eventually, Rainbow Dash opens the door and pokes her head out nervously.
“Um... I might have a bit of a problem here.”
Arc looks over. “Oh? What’s up?”
“It’d... probably just be easier to show you.”
Stepping forward, Arc enters the room. Rainbow Dash stands before him in a one piece swimsuit frowning.
“I don’t think this is on right.”
Arc shakes his head. “No, it is.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s... just too big on you.”
Rainbow Dash sighs as she bows her head. “And this was the last one too.”
Arc gestures to the bikini lying on the bed. “What about... Derpy’s... you know...?”
Rainbow Dash points to her chest. “Trust me, that didn’t work at all.”
Arc sighs. “I figured as much.”
“What do we do?”
“The only thing we can. Get you one that fits.”
“Where from?”
“That clothing store I took you to yesterday carries them. But I think we should probably get cleaned up first.”
Rainbow Dash runs a hand through her disheveled hair. “You mean brush my mane, right?”
“That and take a shower. Don’t want to be trying on clothes dirty, after all.”
“I guess that’s true.”
Arc points to a nearby door. “You can use the guest room shower. You’ll find soap, shampoo, towels, brushes, and whatnot in there.”
“Okay. Cupcake did mention the importance of staying clean as a human. Something about body odors, I think.”
“Yeah. Do you have any questions before I leave though?”
Rainbow Dash shakes her head. “Nah. I got this.”
“Alright. Meet you downstairs when you’re done.”
“See you in a bit.”
The pair part ways. Each enters their respective bathroom and showers. Arc descends the stairs a short time later to find Rainbow Dash waiting for him on the couch. She grins as he approaches.
“Looks like I won.”
Arc chuckles. “I wasn’t aware we were racing.”
Rainbow Dash smirks as she stands. “Life is a competition, Arc! And I always intend to come in first!”
Arc shrugs. “Fine. Why don’t we make our way to the Jeep and get moving then?”
“Sounds good!”
Leaving via the back door, the pair head for the garage. Getting into the Jeep, Arc starts it and shifts into ‘drive’. Making their way toward the freeway, he turns to Rainbow Dash and smiles at her.
“This is your favorite part I would imagine.”
Rainbow Dash nods excitedly. “It’s like flying really close to the ground. Just without the feeling of the wind on my face, that is.”
She taps the window to her right before continuing.
“These things open?”
Arc nods. “Yes, they do.”
“How do I...?”
Arc interrupts her. “But you should leave them up.”
“Why?!”
“Well, for starters, it’s winter.”
“Just for a minute then?! I wanna know what it feels like to have the wind in my face as a human!”
“Second, I don’t want you losing your head over this.”
Rainbow Dash frowns as she folds her arms over her chest. “Fine. Killjoy.”
Arc chuckles. “Just trying to keep you safe.”
Sometime later they arrive at the mall. Heading inside, the pair make their way to the clothing store. Entering it, Arc escorts Rainbow Dash to the ‘womens’ section with swimsuits. Gesturing with a wave of his hand, he speaks.
“Here you are. There has to be something here that you like.”
Rainbow Dash nods as she looks over the displays. “I’ll find something. Just give me a minute.”
“Take your time.”
Grabbing a few suits, Rainbow Dash heads for the changing rooms. Arc sits down on the now familiar bench to wait for her. He doesn’t have long to wait however, as the young woman soon opens the door to show off her new swimsuit with a grin.
“So... how do I look?”
“Great! How’s it feel?”
Rainbow Dash moves to adjust herself as she responds. “A bit tight actually.”
“Well, that’s to be expected. After all, you wouldn’t want it falling off in the pool.”
“Yeah, I get that. But are you sure this is a good suit?”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t look much like the ones I saw back at your place.”
Arc shrugs. “Just a different style, I guess.”
“So this works?”
“Yup. You want to try on the other ones first though?”
Rainbow Dash smirks. “Already done.”
Arc rolls his eyes. “Of course you did.”
Rainbow Dash grabs Arc’s hand and pulls him toward the door. “Come on! I wanna go swimming!”
Arc laughs. “Alright, alright. Just give me a chance to pay for this and then we can go.”
“All right!”
“Um... but you might want to reconsider going out like that.”
“It’s fine. I really like this thing.”
“I mean temperature wise. Remember, it’s not exactly warm outside.”
Rainbow Dash groans. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But that would mean I have to take all this off, put on my other clothes, get to the pool, and change yet again!”
“I have a bit of an idea there.”
“Listening!”
A short time later they step away from the cashier, receipt in hand. Arc holds out Rainbow Dash’s clothes as he speaks.
“Now then, just put these on over your swimsuit.”
Rainbow Dash grins. “Then I can just take my clothes off and dive right in!”
“Right. Well, you should still start off in the shallow end so I can show you have to swim as a human.”
Rainbow Dash smiles slyly. “Looking forward to that.”
Arc smiles at her. “Yes, I’m sure you are.”
After putting her clothes on over top of the swimsuit, Rainbow Dash follows Arc back to the Jeep. Getting in, he starts the vehicle and puts it into gear.
“Here we go.”
“Is this place far?”
Arc shakes his head. “Not really, no. We should be there in about ten minutes.”
Rainbow Dash grins from ear to ear. “I can’t wait!”
A short time later they pull up to a large building. Getting out, Arc leads Rainbow Dash inside and up to a counter. After speaking to the clerk and paying a fee, the pair head deeper inside. Rainbow Dash sniffs the air and grins.
“It smells like the pool back in Abyssinia in here!”
“That’s the chlorine.”
“The what?”
“It’s a chemical added to the water to kill germs in it and prevent algae growth. Didn’t they tell you that back in Abyssinia though?”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “Applejack said it was important, I guess. But I wasn’t really paying attention to the whys.”
“Humans, like ponies, have bacteria and whatnot on the surface of their bodies. Especially around our genitals. The chlorine kills that bacteria so that germs from one person don’t infect someone else. Otherwise, at the very best, it would be like swimming in bath water.”
“And at the worst?”
“More like a toilet bowl.”
Rainbow Dash makes a face. “Ick!”
Arc chuckles as they approach two opposing doors. “My sentiments exactly. Now then, these are the changing areas for men and women. Simply take off your outer clothes, put them in a locker, shower off, and follow the signs to the pool.
Rainbow Dash grins as she play salutes. “See you there!”
They part ways and enter their respective changing areas. A short time Arc and Rainbow Dash meet at the pool. She looks around before turning to him.
“Not many humans like to swim?”
Arc shakes his head. “It’s usually this way on weekday mornings. Kids are in school and adults are at work.”
“Well, at least we pretty much have the place to ourselves.”
“That we do. Now then, how about we see what you can do?”
Rainbow Dash grins. “Alright. Here I go!”
Taking a deep breath, Rainbow Dash lunges forward and begins doggie paddling as Arc watches. Stopping, she turns back and calls out.
“How was that?!”
Arc nods as he hops in and walks through the water towards her. “That’s kinda what I expected to see.”
“Huh?”
Arc lowers his voice as he approaches. “A pony is pretty much limited to ‘doggie paddling’, as humans call it.”
Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. “What else would there be?”
“I’ll show you.”
Diving underwater, Arc cups his hands in front of his face as he pushes hard with his feet. Moving quickly through the water he surfaces some distance from Rainbow Dash. Waving to him, she cheers.
“That was awesome! My turn to try!”
She dives underwater and does the same. Coming up in front of Arc, Rainbow Dash grins hugely as she speaks.
“Nailed it!”
Arc smiles at her. “That you did. Want to try some more swimming moves?”
“Yeah!”
Showing Rainbow Dash various human swimming techniques, Arc notices that she picks up nearly all that he shows her immediately. Nodding in approval, he speaks.
“That’s everything.”
Rainbow Dash appears confused. “Huh?”
“You now know everything about swimming that I do.”
“I do?!”
Arc shrugs. “Remember, I’m no expert.”
Rainbow Dash pumps her fist into the air triumphantly. “I am the Iron Pony!”
Arc chuckles. That you are.”
His earring chirps. Looking to Rainbow Dash he motions to it as he speaks.
“Looks like someone needs something.”
Rainbow Dash grins. “Better take care of it right away then, hero.”
“You going to be okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll just keep practicing while you’re gone.”
“Alright. I’ll try to keep it short.”
Making his way over to the ladder, Arc steps out of the pool. Walking over to a nearby table, he grabs a towel and puts it over his shoulders before touching his earring and speaking.
“Arc here.”
“Hey! This here’s Hammer!”
“Hi, Hammer. How are things going back home?”
Hammer chuckles. “I could ask the same of you, handsome!”
“Rainbow Dash and I are swimming at the moment.”
“I was hoping you’d do that! Loads of fun! But that’s not what I called you about.”
“Something wrong?”
“Not really. Are you alone though? Wanted to keep this matter under wraps.”
Arc nods. “Yeah. Well, I’m out of earshot of anyone that is.”
“Just don’t want blue to hear about this.”
“Oh?”
“I was calling to ask how she was handling being a human.”
Arc turns and looks out at the pool as Rainbow Dash swims by doing a backstroke. “Okay, I guess. Why?”
“Because... uh... blue isn’t very good at... letting others know when something is bothering them.”
“What do you mean?”
Hammer sighs. “I’m sure you already know this, but she likes being the best at everything. So competitive, I mean. But at the same time she’ll also bottle up any problems she has inside and just try to power on through a situation. Like this one time she volunteered to run a sack of official scrolls from Canterlot Castle to the Ponyville Town Hall.”
“That was nice of her.”
“I thought so too. But several of them were damaged when she crashed through the mayor’s office window.”
“Wait, what?!”
Hammer groans. “Apparently she underestimated how big and heavy the sack was. The official report said that she was gasping for breath when she went through the window and had to be rushed to the hospital.”
“What did they find out?!”
“Just that she pushed herself too hard. Doctor Horse had her on bedrest for a few days to monitor and recuperate. It was just as a precaution, of course. But you know blue.”
Arc sighs. “But she IS okay, right?”
“Yeah. Just... see about getting her to open up about this. Blue really needs to think before she does some things.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Other than that, things are going okay, right?”
“Nice, yes. We had breakfast at...”
Hammer interrupts him as she cries out. “No, no! Don’t tell me the details! I’d never hear the end of it!”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “End of it?”
“All the gals wanna hear about this latest date. Myself included, of course. But I don’t want any inside information ahead of time.”
“That’s surprising. I was sure you’d be more interested than they were to hear about it. Given your relationship with Rainbow Dash, that is.”
Hammer chuckles. “It’s like keeping up with viewing a show with friends. You don’t want to watch episodes ahead of them, as it takes away from the fun.”
“Alright. We’ll have to get together and tell the full story to the group when we get back.”
“Any idea when that might be?”
“Not really. I’ll keep you posted when I do though.”
“Then I’ll let Twilight know that you two are generally doing well over there.”
“She was worried?”
Hammer sighs. “I don’t think ‘worried’ is the right word for it. ‘Hopeful’ might be closer though. But I’ll let you get back to it with cupcake.”
“Okay. Feel free to call if something comes up though.”
“I will. And Arc?”
“Yes?”
“Take good care of her for me.”
Arc smiles and nods. “I will.”
“Thanks. Hammer out.”
Arc touches his earring, severing the connection. He looks over to see Rainbow Dash swimming laps underwater. Making the short trip back to the pool, he hops in and swims over to her. Breaking the surface, Rainbow Dash breathes heavily as she speaks.
“Almost... got it... that time!”
“Got what?”
Rainbow Dash points to the end of the pool. “I’m trying to swim from one end to the other. Underwater, that is.”
Arc chuckles. “I used to try and do that too. Never could make it though.”
“How far did you get?”
“About two thirds of the way there.”
“So roughly where I get?”
Arc shrugs. “I guess.”
Rainbow Dash frowns. “I don’t understand. This usually isn’t so hard for me.”
“Well, going from hooves to arms and feet might have something to do with it.”
“Maybe. I feel like my pony legs are a bit stronger too.”
“That and this pool appears to be a bit bigger than the one back in Abyssinia.”
“It is?”
Arc nods. I think so. “Didn’t measure it or anything, but I believe it’s about a quarter bigger.”
Rainbow Dash groans. “That makes this even more difficult!”
“It’s fine if you can’t do it though.”
“But I still wanna!”
“Well, why don’t we stop for a bit of refreshments? There’s a snack bar over there that has some things you’d like.”
Rainbow Dash shakes her head. “Food? I can’t even think about eating right now.”
Arc smirks. “They have a dozen different types of soda.”
“Let’s go!”
Swimming quickly to the edge of the pool, she hops out and makes a beeline for the food court nearby. Arc follows and joins Rainbow Dash at the concession stand. Purchasing them both a soda and snack, they sit down at a table together. Rainbow Dash grins as she munches away happily.
“What did you call this thing again, Arc?”
“It’s an elephant ear.”
Rainbow Dash looks down at it and gives it a poke with her finger. “Thought it’d be less bready.”
Arc chuckles. “It’s not a real ear, you know.”
Rainbow Dash smirks. “Yeah, I know. But what’s with that name?”
“No idea. But they are tasty.”
“That they are! And so is this... what flavor did we get again?”
“Doctor Pepper.”
“Can’t really place it, but this is really good!”
“Glad you like it.”
Rainbow Dash licks her fingers as she finishes her snack. “So what was that call about?”
“It was Hammer. She just wanted to check in on us. Make sure everything was going okay over here.”
Rainbow Dash grins. “Earth is easily four stars! Two hooves way, WAY up!”
“She also told me you had a bit of an accident a while back.”
“Which time?”
“Something to do with scrolls, the mayor, and a Town Hall window.”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “I just... kinda miscalculated.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
“Yeah. That and... I might have taken things a bit too far.”
“How so?”
“I had wanted to challenge myself, so I was seeing if I could go the rest of the way without landing. Ironponying it.”
“And you didn’t quite have enough strength to make it?”
Rainbow Dash scoffs. “I made it there!”
“I meant safely.”
“The hospital visit was just for a week!”
“Not really helping your case here, Raine.”
Rainbow Dash moans as she rolls her eyes. “You don’t get it, Arc! That’s how you get better at something! By pushing yourself!”
Arc sighs. “No, I do get it. Remember, I’ve had my own grand falls.”
“The mana pool thing?”
“The mana pool thing, yes.”
“I don’t really understand that whole thing personally.”
“It’s roughly what happened to you, I think. Coming to the end of your reserves and just...”
Rainbow Dash smacks the table with a hand. “Crashing?”
Arc nods. “Yeah. But you were right about limits. That is how we get better at things.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Just... worried about you.”
“Worried?!”
“What if you’re flying a little higher next time? Going a little faster? Carrying a heavier load?”
Rainbow Dash groans. “Then I’d do what I had to do! Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is here!”
They are silent for a time as Rainbow Dash stews and Arc finishes his own snack. Sighing, she turns to him.
“Look... I get that you want me to be safe, and all. But that’s just not who I am, Arc.”
“Just... try to be a bit more careful next time.”
“Fine, fine, whatever! Now then, how about we get some more swimming in?!”
Arc shrugs. “You know, there’s more to this place than just swimming.”
“Oh? Like what?”
“They have a fully stocked gym too.”
“That sounds cool!”
Arc motions to his swim trunks. “Not sure we’re dressed for that though.”
“And we’re all wet too.”
“I have some shorts and t-shirts stashed in my ring. Okay workout gear, I guess. They’d be a bit big on you though.”
“Then why don’t we do something else?”
“Anything but more swimming though.”
“Right. We did that all morning.”
Arc chuckles. “Lunch?”
“Not sure I’m quite ready for that. Especially after that elephant ear.”
Arc puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “So we need to kill some time and work up an appetite.”
“But it probably shouldn’t be strenuous either.”
“I think I have an idea. Follow me.”
Leading Rainbow Dash down a corridor, they come to a small locker room. Arc gestures to a door on the opposite wall as he presses a button nearby.
“This is a sauna. It’s a...”
Rainbow Dash interrupts him. “...a steam bath.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Yes. But how did you know? Did Hammer tell you about this?”
“Nah. There’s one in the Ponyville Spa. The girls and I go there all the time.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that. And here I thought I was being original. Um... do you... want to do something else?”
“Nah, this is cool. That and it’ll be a new experience for me too.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “But I thought you said that you used the one back in Ponyville all the time.”
“Yeah. But not as a human mare.”
“Is that important?”
“Kinda, yeah. It always seemed sorta funny for us to be in there with fur coats on. I want to know what it would be like to do it with just skin.”
“Alright. It should be warmed up in a few minutes. Now then, what do ponies wear when going to a steam bath?”
“It varies. Some wear a robe. Others just put a towel over their manes to try and protect it from the steam. Occasionally both at the same time. But I guess it doesn’t really matter, as ponies don’t really have an issue with others seeing everything.”
“Humans being more modest tends to be a big part of most things. All except for this, I guess.”
Rainbow Dash appears confused. “What do you mean?”
“It’s not uncommon for a human to go into a sauna with little or even nothing on to cover themselves.”
Rainbow Dash smirks. “Really?!”
Arc nods. “Yup. But some do wear a towel around their midsection or some light clothing. It’s kinda whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“What about you?”
“I used to come here with Shelly, Lily, and Frank sometimes. Swimming was good for Shelly’s condition a number of years ago, so we would make an outing of it.”
“The four of you?”
“We’d wait for the restaurant to close at two in the afternoon then take the girls here for some fun in the pool.”
“And then a trip to the sauna?”
“Yup. Shelly and Lily would just wear their swimsuits in here though, as they couldn’t stay very long.”
“How about you and Frank?”
Arc chuckles. “We used to stay in there and see who could last the longest.”
Rainbow Dash grins. “A competition?!”
“Just one between friends. But yes.”
“What was the prize?!”
“Bragging rights mostly. Other than that we would sometimes bet a soda, or something else small, prior to starting a few times.”
“How about we do that too?!”
“Huh?”
Rainbow Dash rubs her hands together slyly. “I wanna make a bet!”
“On who can stay in the sauna longer?”
“Right!”
“Why?”
“Just a friendly competition with a prize on the line.”
Arc chuckles. “Little miss competitive.”
Rainbow Dash smirks mischievously. “Unless, of course, you’re afraid you’ll lose.”
“Well, alright. What’s the bet?”
“If you win, I’ll give you a sport’s rub.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
“It’s something ponies like to get after a strenuous activity.”
“Like after sport’s practice?”
Rainbow Dash nods. “Hence the name, yes.”
“Alright. Sounds good. And you know how to do this?”
“Yup. I learned it when I was just a filly. You see, foals whom played sports liked to get them after practice. But it wasn’t fair for only certain foals to get massages. So it was a give and recieve thing.”
“They gave you one and then you gave them one?”
“Exactly. So those whom didn’t know how to do it wouldn’t get one either. So there was an incentive for everypony to learn early on.”
Arc chuckles. “Were there competitions for that too?”
“Actually, yeah. How’d you know that?”
“I was just making a joke. You mean that you competed in massages too?”
“Sports rubs, yes. That and when foals paired up after practice it was always along skill lines. The best at it could get somepony about as good as they were to give them one before returning the favor.”
“And you wanted the best for yourself.”
“Right! Give the best, get the best! So you up for maybe getting to experience the magical hooves of Rainbow... er... magical fingers of Raine?!”
Arc shrugs. “Sure, why not? But what if you win?”
“Well... um... how about... a smack?”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “A what?”
Rainbow Dash blushes feverishly. “I mean a kiss!”
“Oh! Um... well...”
“It wouldn’t have to be anything too fancy. Just a peck on my cheek if you want.”
Arc shrugs. “Sure, I guess.”
Rainbow Dash extends a hand. “Shake hooves, er... hands on it?!”
“Alright.”
Taking Rainbow Dash’s hand Arc gives it a shake as the young woman before him grins widely. Gesturing toward the door, Arc continues.
“Now all that’s left to do is decide what we should wear in there.”
“I’m part of the body towel group myself. You, Arc?”
Arc shrugs. “Frank and I would just wear our swimsuits in here just like Shelly and Lily did.”
“That’s surprising.”
“It is?”
Rainbow Dash nods. “Yeah. As close as your four are I would have thought you’d have had no problem being uncovered with your friends. Or at the very least, Frank.”
“Frank and I didn’t want to make Shelly and Lily feel like they had to strip down too. So it was just unspoken that we would all stay modestly covered.”
“So you’re going to keep your swim... bottoms on?”
“Swim trunks. And yes.”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “Fine. And I’ll put on a towel.”
Walking over to a rack, Rainbow Dash grabs a towel and tosses it onto a bench. As she begins pulling off her swimsuit Arc turns away respectfully. As she finishes kicking her swim bottoms off she looks to Arc to speak. However, nothing comes out. Blushing slightly, the young woman quickly wraps the towel around her midsection and hurries over to Arc.
“I’m ready!”
“Alright. Wanna say it?”
Rainbow Dash appears confused. “Say what?”
Arc grins. “Ready, set, go?”
“Okay, GO!”
She quickly pulls open the sauna door. A wave of heat blasts them as the pair hurry inside together. Arc pulls the door shut and turns to Rainbow Dash whom is just sitting down. She looks to him, determined.
“And so it begins! Our competition will be epic!”
Arc chuckles as he sits down next to her. “If you say so.”
“So... what should we do now?”
“Shelly and Lily used to like to talk about recipe ideas in here.”
Rainbow Dash smiles nervously. “Like I said before, I’m not much for cooking.”
“Well, we could talk about something else.”
“Like what?”
“How about... your thoughts on the others?”
Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. “Others?”
“Your fellow herdmates.”
“Um... they’re my friends.”
“Yes, but do you feel that everyone in the herd is equal?”
“Equal in terms of what?”
“Affection. Remember, Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, and Derpy are the only ones officially engaged to me. Is anyone feeling like they’re less important because they aren’t one of those four?”
Rainbow Dash shakes her head. “Not at all! We’re happy for them, of course!”
Arc appears relieved. “That’s good to hear. I was kinda worried that things would start to fall apart due to jealousy, or something.”
“I... kinda was too.”
“Really?”
“Not because of my friends though. But... for lack of a better term... the newcomers.”
“Newcomers?”
Rainbow Dash nods. “Especially the non-ponies. I know that sounds really bad, and I guess it is. But I... I didn’t think that we could possibly have anything in common with a dragon, demon, or a female human.
“And how do you feel now?”
“That they’re actually about the same as we are. Cupcake, Ember, and Auriel really are cool when you get to know them, after all.”
Arc smiles. “Yes, I believe you’re right. So why the initial hesitancy?”
“I just... I figured they would complicate things.”
“How?”
“Bedtime mostly.”
“What do you mean?”
Rainbow Dash sighs. “Okay, don’t think less of me for saying this, but I always envisioned myself and the rest of my friends lying in an oversized bed together with you and Derpy. Ponies being smaller than a human would make such a thing possible.”
“Then the other three came along.”
“And I just kinda viewed them as pushing us ponies out of the way to get to you.”
“And do you still believe that?”
Rainbow Dash shakes her head. “Not at all! If anything, they’ve proven to be more inclusive than I ever dreamed possible!”
“How so?”
Rainbow Dash smirks. “Cupcake’s really interested in threesomes.”
Arc wipes the sweat from his forehead as he sighs. “I don’t think I’m ready for something like that though.”
“Yeah, somepony said as much recently. Which is why I haven’t been pushing the idea.”
“Can we talk about that though?”
“Uh... about what?”
“Threesomes.”
Rainbow Dash raises an eyebrow. “But I thought you just said...!”
Arc interrupts her. “I just want you opinion on them.”
“Well, if you want the absolute truth, I’m all for ‘em!”
“Can you explain why though?”
“Because it would show just how committed we all are to one another. Trusting each other when we’re the most vulnerable.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Vulnerable?”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “I just can’t really think of any other word to describe it. But I also can’t think of anything that would make me more vulnerable than literally being in the act of having sex. Totally exposed... completely at your mercy... while my friends sit there and watch.”
Arc sighs. “It sounds like you’ve given this matter... quite a bit of thought.”
“Yeah. I mean... we all have though. But admittedly, just Cupcake and I are openly into the whole group sex idea.”
“Has that been an actual conversation though?”
“A pretty in depth one actually. It stemmed from the question of how to handle intimacy.”
“Sounds like kind of a big jump though.”
“I guess so. But at some point somepony brought up the fact that there are currently ten mares... ten FEMALES potentially willing to marry you, Arc. Assuming you took one of us to bed with you every night, that would still leave about a week and a half between intimate encounters. And that’s assuming you had sex with somepony every night.”
“Purely a theory here, but... it’s likely I’m not going to always be in the mood to do... that.”
“That too. Which makes things even more difficult in terms of romance. So that’s when the idea of threesomes came up. It would bring that week and a half down to every five days.”
Arc rolls his eyes. “Let’s hear it for math.”
“Going out on a limb here, but I don’t think everypony would be compatible with each other in terms of threesome intimacy. Just theorizing here, but I think I’d personally be okay with either cupcake or Fluttershy.”
“Why Fluttershy?”
“Like I told you during our trip to Cloudsdale, our families go way back. That and I’ve known her my whole life too.”
“So no one else?”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “We could try it with other combinations. But that might end badly. Might want to start off with double dates and see where things go from there.”
“You really have thought about this at length.”
“Yup. Got a few other suggested pairings too.”
“Have you now?”
Rainbow Dash nods. “Rarity and Derpy, for starters. They’ve gotten closer since it came out that she’s actually Sweetie Belle’s mother. Both of them are single mothers with similar backstories, so it makes sense that they’d gravitate to one another for emotional support.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“Then there’s Twilight and Auriel. The two eggheads have really hit it off since Auriel moved in with Twilight at Ponyville’s Golden Oaks Library.”
“They do get along well, yes.”
“And I was thinking Ember with Applejack.”
Arc appears confused. “Really? I don’t see how that would work.”
“They actually started bonding some time ago.”
“Something in common?”
“Strange as it may sound... pregnancy.”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Wait, what?!”
“Both of them REALLY want you to get them pregnant. So they’re constantly talking about that when it’s just the two of them.”
“But if they’re only talking about it alone how do you know about it?”
Rainbow Dash looks away nervously. “I... might have overheard them a few times.”
“And did they know you were listening?”
Rainbow Dash shakes her head. “Nah. I listen in from overhead though. You see, clouds, trees, and rooftops are all potential cover for me. Now I do want to say that pretty much everypony involved with the herd wants to have you put a bun in their oven. But those two are the most talkative about it.”
“And you?”
Rainbow Dash frowns. “I already said that I wanted you to do me.”
Arc shakes his head. “No, no. I meant how do you feel about getting pregnant?”
“Oh! Um... well... I... haven’t actually thought about that too much.”
“If you don’t want foals, I completely understand though.”
Rainbow Dash wrings her hands slightly. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”
“How so?”
“You see, I... uh... it’s not that I don’t...”
Rainbow Dash struggles to find the right words for a few moments before groaning and continuing.
“Okay, I admit it... I don’t really want foals.”
Arc smiles at her. “See? Was that so hard?”
“But doesn’t that make me a terrible mare?!”
“No, of course not.”
“You’ve said in the past that you really want a family! And I honestly don’t! How could that possibly work for us?!”
“If it’s not something that you want, I’m not going to try and force you into it.”
Rainbow Dash bows her head. “Does... does that mean that I’m out of the herd?”
Arc shakes his head. “Not in the least. Remember, I just want to make you and the others happy. And if having a family isn’t one of those things, than I won’t try to make you do it nor disallow you from joining the herd. Again, if that’s what you want.”
Rainbow Dash smiles as she leans back heavily on the wood bench. “Thanks! That’s... that’s a... a load off of... um...”
“Happy to help.”
“I, uh...”
Arc turns to her. “Hey, you okay?”
Rainbow Dash puts a hand to her belly. “I... I don’t... feel so good.”
Arc stands up and pushes the door open “Let’s get you out of here then. Don’t want you to...”
“What?! No! I...!”
Turning to her just in time, Arc sees Rainbow Dash’s eyes roll into the back of her head as she falls forward. Catching her before she hits the floor, Arc wraps his arms around her and quickly picks her up.
“I got you!”
Backing through the doorway, he carefully carries Rainbow Dash out into the significantly cooler outer room. Putting a hand to her forehead he frowns. Calling forth his gauntlet, Arc opens a portal and quickly hurries through with the young woman in his arms.