The elevator door opened and Shining Armor trotted out into the lobby of the Celestia’s Palace hotel and resort. The morning sun shone through the glass paneled ceiling overhead and bathed the faux marble in light. He took a deep breath as the sunlight hit his coat and warmed his bones. He knew soon the sun would be intolerable this far south and the roof would be covered, but for now it felt good. It helped him wake up.
Thank Celestia for that, too. Sleep had not come easily last night and it had taken its toll. How could he sleep when Rainbow Dash refused to stop flying through his head all night? Just that one kiss had filled him with interminable thoughts, the likes of which had not plagued him since his teenage years. He thought he could control himself a little better compared to those heady times, but Rainbow had proven that wrong.
“Mister Shining Armor?” A mare came out from behind the front desk, a unicorn wearing the same inaccurate silver guard armor, with an envelope held aloft in her magical grasp. “We have a letter for you, we were told to let you know it’s urgent.” She pushed the sealed letter towards him with a smile. “We do offer express postage if you need to respond. You can just come to the front desk and we’ll take care of it for you.”
“Of course, thank you.” He nodded and took the envelope in his own magic.
“Have a good day, sir!”
“You too.”
Shining held the letter aloft and looked it over. The address to the hotel was written on the front in eloquent cursive. The return address was Canterlot, but just Canterlot. It had no specific place in the city. His name was on the front, as was a depiction of his cutie mark. The stamp in the corner was Equestria’s flag. He flipped it over to check the seal, and that was when his heart sank. Imprinted in baby blue ink was Cadance’s cutie mark.
“Come on…” Shining lamented to himself. Why did she have to do this now? He was about to have a fun day watching Rainbow Dash and hopefully hanging out with her a bit more. The last thing he wanted or needed was Cadance unilaterally deciding they were a thing again through a letter. “What if it’s important though…?” That was the problem. What if it was a problem with Twilight or one of his parents? “She would’ve come herself if it was an emergency, right?” The answer he came up with was ‘definitely’. After all, a letter takes a lot longer to reach its destination than a flight in a royal chariot. “So I’ll just deal with this later…” Shining mumbled and stuffed the letter into his saddlebag.
That was a future-Shining problem. Present-Shining had a day to enjoy, a race to watch, and a mare to cheer on. That was the plan for the day and he was not going to let it get bogged down by drama from Cadance or anypony else. This was supposed to be simple, fun, and relaxing. It would be as long as he had a choice in the matter.
With a bit more frustration than he would like, the stallion trotted out of the hotel and into the sun soaked streets of Las Pegasus. Usually there would be no clouds in the sky of the city, but today was different. There were numerous rings made of clouds that hung in the air in various spots above him. If he followed their trail he could almost make out a course but it kept disappearing behind buildings. He assumed it went all through the city, but how in the world was he supposed to watch it then?
“Shining Armor!” There was no time to react to the voice as suddenly his front leg was scooped up and interlocked with a light blue hoof. “Oh, wonderful to see you! Rainbow Dash said you were going to watch her race. I’m so glad I could catch you!” It was Windy Whistles, Rainbow Dash’s mom, because of course it was. She was happily chatting away as she dragged him along beside her. “I’ll need help cheering for my Dashie since Bow-Bow is my husband-isn’t here! You’ll definitely do!”
Then he saw what she meant. Under one wing was what looked like a giant poster board, which he could see a variety of colors on and on her back was what looked to be a foam helmet of Rainbow Dash’s mane. Then she was also wearing a vest with a litany of buttons featuring her daughter’s face, cutie mark, or name.
“Oh no…” Shining whispered.
He was in it now, and there was no way Windy would let him back out. He had seen just how insistent the mare could be last night and knew that worming his way out of this was not in the cards. What he had not known was just how fanatical Windy was about her daughter. Rainbow had said her parents were suffocating and Shining thought he understood, but apparently he had absolutely no idea just what suffocating meant when it came to parenting.
“What was that, Shining?”
“Oh!” Shining cleared his throat and focused on the path in front of him and keeping in step with Rainbow’s mom. “Sorry Miss Whistles, you caught me by surprise back there! I wasn’t expecting you to whisk me away.” He turned on the charm and activated his ‘guard voice’ that he kept in his back pocket to deal with ponies just like Windy Whistles. “Here I thought I was supposed to do that to charming mares such as yourself, not the other way around!”
“Ohohoho, you’re such a gentlecolt!” Windy giggled and patted his leg as they trotted along through the solid path atop the clouds. “So polite, but you don’t need to call me Miss Whistles. You can call me Windy.”
“Ah, of course Windy. My apologies.” Shining smiled and nodded towards her. “Now, if you don’t mind me asking, where are we watching the race from?” Even as they trotted through Las Pegasus surrounded by surging crowds all looking upwards at the airborne racetrack, he spotted no stands.
“The stands get lifted into the air once the race starts, of course!” Windy exclaimed. “So we have to hurry and find a good spot where she can see us!”
“Of course…” Shining said through clenched teeth. Rainbow Dash was going to kill him if she saw him sitting next to her mother. Somehow he would need to get ahead of this and make sure that Rainbow knew he was an innocent hostage and not a willing collaborator.
“Now let me tell you all about my Dashie-”
—-
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. It had been a very long time since she was this nervous about a race and it was a very weird feeling. A whole cloud of butterflies had taken up residence in her gut and refused to leave, even after every counterpunch she could think of to throw at them. They still remained there.
Right now her and the other dozen contestants for the race were penned up in a little cloud building right by the starting line. The building itself was nothing fancy, just a floor, four walls and a roof. It was hastily constructed to keep them out of the sun while they waited for the race to actually begin.
She knew all of the other ponies here. It seemed like there was a rotating cast of twenty something ponies that were at these things. A lot of them were from Ponyville, but a majority were from Cloudsdale. So no matter who they were, there was a good chance she knew them on some personal level. That, of course, made kicking their butts in these a lot sweeter.
Rainbow crept over to the door and pushed it open just enough so that she could see the bleachers that had been raised from the ground below. She knew that’s where her mom would be, she always wanted to be near the finish line. It was easy to pick her mother out with the big dumb foam helmet that looked like Rainbow’s mane. What she did not expect to see next to her mother was Shining Armor. Yet there he was!
She ducked back inside and could feel her face grow hot. What was her mom telling him? Probably every story she could think of and then some more on top. What was he even doing with her? Shining better not have gone looking for her, that was for sure! Or else Dash was going to make sure to give him a swift kick somewhere sensitive!
“Dash, you good?” Thunderlane poked her side. That made her aware that not only was she blushing profusely but her wings were ruffled and puffed out at her sides.
“Yeah, yeah.” She collected herself and took a deep breath. The wings on her sides ‘deflated’ quickly and she got her blush under control. “Just a tiny bit nervous, y’know? Not a lot! Just, like, a teensy tiny little bit.” Admitting even a sliver of weakness to a fellow competitor hurt, but it was better than telling the whole truth that she was flustered over some stupid Canterlot stallion.
“Aha!” Thunderlane exclaimed as he ran a dark gray hoof through his bluish-gray mohawk. “You’ve seen me practicing then. You know I’m coming for first place today.” He grinned at her and gave her a wink. Not only did Dash roll her eyes, but she threw a disgusted ‘ugh’ at him to boot.
“You wish, Thunderlane!” Dash scoffed. “I’ve seen pigeons in Ponyville fly faster than you! A heavy practice for you is a slow flight around Sugarcube Corner!” That earned more than a few chuckles from the other racers in the building and seemed to cow the stallion’s burst of confidence.
“Hey! I’ve actually been practicing for this one!” Thunderlane defended himself with a raised hoof.
“We’ll have to see, won’t we?” It was Cloudchaser, the mare with the violet coat and ridiculous blue and white mane, who spoke up next. “Placement speaks louder than words, right?” The end of her spiky tail brushed under the stallion’s chin, which caused him to stand up completely straight and for red to creep up through his dark coat. “You don’t earn first place by talking about it or practicing.”
“Exactly!” Rainbow stomped her hoof on the ground and a groundswell of determination surged through her body. Whatever she had been frustrated with before left her mind like many a thought and the butterflies finally went away as well. “Practice is to get in shape, but you don’t practice to win! You race to win!”
A chorus of agreement went up from the ponies that joined her in the room. All of their wings flared out in a mix of pride and competitiveness that tried to match her own. Rainbow knew that deep down they didn’t want it as bad as she did. She knew that their hearts weren’t in it as much as hers was. They were hobbyists, not true competitors.
“Alright ponies!” A pegasus stallion sauntered into the building. He was light blue with a mostly bald head save for the combover that desperately tried to cover his scalp and he had a big bushy mustache. The black and white striped shirt let them all know he would be the official for the race today. “I’m Starting Gun, and I’m here to go over the rules with you all before we go out there.” There was a groan from the pegasi. “I know, boring stuff you probably already know.”
Rainbow Dash just tuned him out. She knew the spiel. Five laps. Go through the rings. If you miss one, go back and get it. No bumping, no interference, and no fights. They were the same rules that every single race had. Instead she spent that valuable time psyching herself up with images of another medal on her neck, another trophy on her shelf and Shining Ar-no, not that. This race was not about him. It was about Rainbow Dash. As all competitions and races involving flight should be. This was about winning. About superiority. About the rush of victory!
“Okay, let’s get out there and have a good race!” Starting Gun finished with a forced smile. “A good clean race.” He intimated with a raised wing that he pointed at each of them. “You all know your seeding, so you know your spots. Hop to it so we can get this shindig going.” The balding stallion pushed the doors open and ushered the ponies out.
Rainbow Dash made sure she was first in line and first into the fresh air and sunlight. As she exited the roar of the crowd filled her ears. A smile erupted across her face and she waved at the assembled ponies in the stands with a wing as she made her way to the comfortable first spot on the line.
“RAINBOW DASH! WOOOOOOOO!”
The telltale whooping of her mother reminded Dash of what she had been frustrated about earlier. Shining Armor was sitting right by Windy and was hooting and hollering all the same. Rainbow stared directly at the stallion and glared as hard as she could.
Shining immediately sat down and stopped making noise. Then he motioned at Dash’s mom with his hooves and pleaded with Dash with his eyes. He shrugged and waved his hooves about just out of Windy’s line of sight.
“Great, she got a hold of him first.” Dash had a feeling he wouldn’t try to humiliate her, it was a gut feeling but she trusted it. Of course her mom had dragged the poor stallion along in her bid to cheer Dash on. Hopefully he wasn’t having his ear talked off or being subjected to any awful stories. That was a distant hope, but it was one Rainbow Dash had to cling to.
“Rrrraaaaaacers!” Starting Gun belted out from the sideline. That was the signal for all of the pegasi to get in their stance and prepare themselves. One the official checked to see that all of them were indeed set, he continued with the ritual.
“Rrrrrrreaday!”
Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The world faded into the background. The only thing that existed were her wings, the air around her, and the course in front of her. Nothing else mattered.
“Set!”
Rainbow opened her eyes. Her wings flared out to her sides and raised up in preparation.
“TAKEOFF!”
Hooves pushed off from the cloud surface and wings all beat down with one another in almost perfect sync. There were a few seconds where Rainbow Dash did not hold the lead, just the first few moments after launch. About half of the other racers had a better first step and good initial burst. That advantage was wiped out almost immediately as Rainbow’s raw speed compensated for one of her few flaws. The gap between whatever place she had fallen to and first was closed in a few seconds.
After that, there was nothing anypony could do to take it from her. The blue blur dominated every turn, every straightaway, and every lap. The ponies who were racing her were physically gifted when it came to flying so she was never going to lap them and her lead was never going to be more than about ten lengths on the straightaways, but that was what domination looked like at these levels.
Five laps went by in a flash. It was a long course as it went all around the city and even through some tight turns between the hotels and casinos, but it was ultimately nothing. In ten minutes Rainbow Dash had completed the final lap and skidded to a halt right through the checkered tape to the appreciative roar of the crowd in the stands.
Sweat dappled Dash’s brow and she could feel her mane stick to the sides of her head and neck. The heat had taken a bit more out of her than anticipated, but that did not dampen the sweet rush of victory. It was intoxicating. Nothing else in the world could match the feeling of not just winning, but obliterating the competition. It was a high with no equal.
The victorious pegasus trotted over to the die of the track to make way for her fellow competitors and gave a bow to the crowd. One by one, the other pegasi finished and came to join her in waving to the crowd and accepting the cheers. They all had smiles as well, but they were the smiles of losers. Fake smiles held up by sore egos and bruised pride.
There was no grand ceremony here for handing out the winner’s accouterments. A medal was put over Rainbow’s head, one that featured Las Pegasus’ skyline, and a big golden trophy in the shape of Celestia’s Palace Hotel was placed at her side. The rest of it was a blur lost in the haze of victory.
It seemed like one moment she was up at the finish line and the next she was back down on the ground and waiting for the bleachers to be lowered from their spot. She was sure she had done some small little interview with a local paper and talked with some of the other racers, but that was all lost to the wind. It had been all routine so she had simply skated through it. This next part was something else though, she had never been excited to see one of her parents after a race. Then again, it wasn’t her mom who had her excited.
Shining Armor and Windy Whistles shot out from the crowd as soon as the stands hit the ground. They made a beeline right for Rainbow and in no time flat the victorious pegasus was entombed in another vice-like hug from her mother. Platitudes of ‘I’m so proud of you’, ‘you’re the best’, and ‘amazing as always’ poured from Windy’s lips. They slid off of Rainbow’s back like water. She had heard them all before.
“You were awesome!” Shining Armor’s voice broke through the buzz of Windy’s compliments. The stallion had a mile-wide smile on his face as he stood a few feet away from the mother and daughter. “That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen a pony move!”
Rainbow Dash peeled herself away from her mother’s grip. She couldn’t be seen letting herself be babied and coddled by her mom, not in front of everypony else. So she stood up straight, puffed out her chest and leaned on her new trophy.
“Yeah, I am pretty awesome.” Rainbow declared nonchalantly. “And hey, I tried to tell you how great I was.” She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much she loved hearing him praise her.
“I never doubted you for a second.” Shining retorted.”I believed every word you told me, Rainbow. I just wasn’t prepared to see it with my own two eyes. You’re spectacular.”
Rainbow had to thank Celestia that she was still a little overheated from the race or else her red face might give away what she was feeling. When it wasn’t her parents, Dash loved hearing that kind of stuff. To hear a new pony sing her praises was akin to hearing your favorite song for the first time all over again. That heavenly tune would never fail to make her heart soar.
“Hey so…” Rainbow Dash had to play this cool, she didn’t want to seem desperate. “...I have to go put this stuff up in our room and probably take a shower, but do you wanna like…hang out some more today? Like get lunch or something?” Perfect. Not desperate and definitely not too forward. It was cool, just like her.
Now Shining Armor, he wasn’t as cool as her. Every time she spoke it seemed like it took his brain a few seconds to change gears, and during that time she could see him think through the possible responses. It was just so cute to see the smoke come out of his ears any time she did anything remotely forward.
“Uh…yeah!” He finally spoke after a few seconds. “Yeah, I’d love to! We can…meet in the lobby in like an hour? If that’s enough time for you to unwind, I mean.” He was like a nervous schoolcolt as he stumbled over his words and acquiesced to demands she hadn’t even made yet. He was such a pony pleaser. Not that Rainbow Dash minded that.
“Cool.” Rainbow said with a nod. “Sounds good, see you there.”
“I’ll meet you up in the room, sweetie.” Windy nudged her daughter. “I need to go talk to some of the photographers to see what it’ll cost to get their pictures of you crossing the finish line!”
Rainbow rolled her eyes but gave her mother a nod. As long as she did not have to be there as her mom harassed poor ponies for their pictures, then she didn’t care what the older mare did. A small hug was exchanged between the two and then Rainbow grabbed her trophy and launched herself skyward again.
It was important after a race not to push yourself. The cooldown period was just as important as the warmup, but something deep down made Dash push herself a bit harder. It was not a leisurely glide back to her hotel room, but an aggressive blitz.
She wasted no time once her hooves hit the patio. The door to her room from the balcony had been left open just a crack, just so she didn’t have to go through the interior of the hotel. Once she was inside, she tossed her new trophy onto her bed and the medal soon followed it.
The mare stood in the middle of the room and basked in the cool air spat out by the air conditioner. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths to get her heart rate back down to an acceptable level. Whether it had been raised due to her flight back here or the prospect of hanging out with Shining Armor some more was up for debate, but she was okay with both sharing the blame.
The next half hour was spent showering. She hadn’t needed that much time to get clean and most of the time was spent simply relaxing in the shower. It was a time for her mind to go blank and to get a good mental reset. It was a shift down from competitor to just being Rainbow Dash again. That was a split that in her younger years had not existed. The lines could still blur nowadays every once in a while, but she was a lot better about keeping them separate.
Once she was done and fully dried off, she went back into the main room and found her mom laying down on one of the beds. The older mare wasn’t asleep, in fact she was studying Rainbow Dash’s newest medal intently. Next to her on the bed were several photos she had somehow acquired, all of them featured Dash crossing the finish line or with her trophy.
“Hey mom.”
“Oh, Dashie!” Windy sat up in bed. “Good, I wanted to ask you-”
“-the race is over, mom.” Rainbow had to interrupt her mother. Getting into a bunch of technicalities over what she had done was not something she wanted to do right now. “I know, my get-off was slow again. But hey, I made up for it like I always do. Turn five gave me some trouble, but Thunderlane kept trying to push me from the inside. Trust me, I know.”
“Nonono!” Windy got to her hooves and approached her daughter. “Well, those are very good points, but that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Your father will be happy to know you’re self-scouting though, very important.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “No, I wanted to just say that Shining Armor seems like a very nice stallion. He’s very polite.”
“Okay, yeah. I wanted to talk to you about him too.” Rainbow was reminded that they had sat together in the stands and was suddenly feeling annoyed again. “Did you really have to drag him up there with you? I mean, he’s just a guy I’m talking to and hanging out with! It’s just like, y’know, a little thing for Las Pegasus. After today we probably won’t even see each other again.”
“Well sure, I get that.” Windy nodded, but Rainbow Dash knew she didn’t mean it. She didn’t get it. It was a mom thing to be charmed by some stallion she saw her daughter with and try to get something out of it. “I’m just saying, he’s very nice. He’s handsome…maybe just….give him your address or get his. Stay in touch.”
“Ugh. Moooom.” Rainbow sounded whiny and she knew it, but it was the only way that her parents ever listened to her. “Look, okay. It’s nothing. Right now he’s not even a friend. He’s a guy I met last night who’s just fun to talk to. So just drop it. We’re going to hang out and have lunch and just have a good day. Alright? No expectations.”
“I’m just saying that I approve!” Windy said with a shrug. “That’s all.”
“Yeah, okay.” Rainbow Dash knew her mother. She knew how the mare thought. This was just more overreach, more involvement in Dash’s life. “I’m just going to head down to the lobby and wait, I guess. I’ll be back…later.”
The way Windy just had to hover over everything she did was infuriating. She was a grown mare! She had a job and her own place! Her mother was lucky that she had even been invited out here and now Rainbow was sincerely regretting that kindness. Nopony else would decide or have any say in how she lived her life and she would not let them influence her.
“Okay. Love you, Dashie.”
“...love you too, mom.”
—-
Shining Armor closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he walked out of the elevator. He had spent the last hour trying to make sure he didn’t smell like sweat and nerves for his date-was it a date?-for his hangout session with Rainbow Dash. The shower could wash away the sweat, but he already knew that nothing he did could prevent the electric mare from smelling the nerves. It was something that she seemed to pick out like a hawk.
He was reminded of his first date with Cadance, back in those halcyon days where they actually had time for one another. They had gone to a mall together, had lunch at a pizza place, and then went to a movie together. He had been so nervous the whole time that the trembles still echoed through his limbs. Of course the two royal guards that followed Cadance around like they were chained to her didn’t help his nerves back then.
Then again, what was Windy Whistles if not a guard for her daughter? It sure felt like the mare was chained to the younger pegasus. Rainbow Dash probably would’ve preferred a cold stoic guard over her mother, though. He had no doubt about that. It might make her look cool, unlike Windy.
Rainbow Dash was already down in the lobby and waiting. She was sitting on one of the stone benches that lined the walls, this one on the same side as the restaurant they had formally met at last night. Shining picked his way through the crowd until he made his way over to the spot she was posted up at.
As soon as he emerged from behind a group of tourists, Rainbow Dash’s bright magenta eyes lit up. He waved and then reached out to offer a hoof. She took it and he pulled her up from the stone bench she had been waiting on.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Shining rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. “If I had known you were already down here I would’ve moved a lot faster.” It wasn’t a great feeling to keep a mare waiting on him. He had meant to be down here before her.
“Nah, it’s okay.” Rainbow waved him off. “I just really needed to get away from my mom. It’s not your fault.”
“Ah, yeah. Makes sense.” He felt less bad about it now, but he knew that his guilt was not absolved quite yet. “So, wanna just take a walk and see if anything sticks out?”
“Sure, I’m game.”
So the pair began walking. They stayed relatively close together, close enough so that the edge of Rainbow’s wing brushed his side so he could feel when she began to turn he could easily follow. Their hooves carried them out of the hotel and into the southern sun.
“My mom…” Rainbow Dash started as they trotted out into the busy streets. “...she didn’t like, tell you any embarrassing stories or anything, right?” The mare tensed up as she spoke and her feathers bristled.
“Already forgot all of them.” Shining Armor said with a nod. “Don’t worry, I tried not to listen.” Windy had been insistent on regaling him with everything Rainbow Dash had ever done and even some of the more…questionable memorabilia that the parents of the speedster had collected. Shining had done his best to just smile and nod without absorbing any of it. “Braces, forgot about it. That time you got your head stuck in a bannister and the fire department was called? Out of my mind.” That didn’t mean he wouldn’t tease her just a little bit with the more harmless ones. “Your first kiss ending with his lips getting caught on your braces? Never heard it once in my life.”
“I’m going to kill her…” Rainbow grumbled through gritted teeth. Her face was bright red and her wings were fully fluffed up in frustration. “Ohhh I’m going to…” She devolved into little grumbles and curses beneath her breath.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Shining was trying not to laugh, but a few chuckles slipped out as he spoke. “I really did my best to ignore her but she talks a lot. You weren’t exaggerating when it came to your parents.” Rainbow’s ear twitched and he knew that meant it was time to switch tracks. This line of teasing would do him no favors over the course of the day. “You were amazing today, by the way. During the race, I mean.”
“Yeah?” That got her ears to perk up again and the rest of her body language followed with it. Frustration began to melt away and she looked at him with the expectation of more praise for her efforts.
“I mean, you were just sensational.” A breathy excitedness permeated his words. “The second turn of lap three, the green mare got inside and was about to overtake you but then you pulled a fifth gear out of nowhere and shut her down. Then there was the very first straightaway after the first turn on lap one where you just rocketed ahead of everypony else. It was like you were shot from a cannon.” Shining could not help himself from heaping compliments on the mare as they walked. “You were in such command the entire time that it was like you could see the entire track at any given moment. Every time one of the others tried something to even attempt to get ahead, you were on top of it. You were brilliant.”
“I-” Rainbow Dash’s mouth was agape. Her jaw moved for a few moments but it found no sounds to hold onto. Eventually the mare swallowed and took a little breath. “Y-you picked all of that up…? Really…?” For once, she was in awe of him.
“Your mom pointed some stuff out, but once she explained a few things the rest I picked up pretty easily.” They stopped in the middle of the path, the stream of ponies split around them like they were a rock in a gentle river. “I didn’t know racing was so…tactical. I always thought it was all about speed, but it seems like you have a brain to match even your wings.”
“Half of the time I don’t even think about it.” The usual supreme confidence did not fill those words. It was not a boast, it was a simple statement of fact. “I feel something and react, I don’t even think about it like a strategy or something.” She mulled on that for a moment. “Except when I mess up, then I do.” The mare looked at her hooves. “Like my stupid first step…I can’t get it right no matter how much I practice. I always feel like I’m late.”
“Maybe I can help?” He offered. “I’m not much of an athlete, but I’m a fast learner.”
“Sure, Champ.” There came that little nickname again and the associated smirk. “Maybe after we eat, though.”
“Yeah, alright.” Shining could agree to that. His natural urge to be helpful was supplanted by the rumbling in his stomach. “What are you feeling? Anything in particular?” He followed her eyes as they went up and down the street until they fell on one particular building down and across the street.
“I would kill for some pizza right now, actually.”
“Sounds good to me.” The comparison to his first date was once again not lost on him. It stung a little bit, but he wasn’t going to tell Rainbow Dash ‘oh can we do something else? You’re reminding me of my probably-ex.’ That wasn’t a recipe for success.
The duo made their way to the pizza place. The name on the front read ‘Geraldo’s’ and the open door let the smell of cooking pizzas waft into the street. Both ponies licked their lips and went inside. A little sign right inside instructed them to seat themselves in what was a surprisingly empty eatery. They chose a booth with a large menu already on the table.
“I’m feeling a Canterlot Style deep dish pizza…” Shining’s eyes settled on his favorite right away. “Some mushrooms and peppers.” No onions though. Usually he would opt for them, but the smell was not something he would put up with today.
“Ugh, no deep dish.” Rainbow stuck out her tongue and gave an exaggerated ‘bleh’. “Anything but that. Pizzas are meant to flat triangles, not…pies made of sauce and cheese.”
“They’re called ‘pizza pies’, Rainbow Dash.” Shining scoffed. He felt personally offended on behalf of his hometown and now he had to defend one of their specialties. “Princess Celestia was the one who asked if they could make it deeper like one-hundred years ago and even provided one of her very own royal cake pans to make it in. If it’s good enough for Princess Celestia, then surely it’s good enough for you.”
“Nope.” Dash answered as soon as he had finished speaking. “Just can’t eat it. Sorry Shining, but I’m not budging an inch here.” She seemed resolute in that position and Shining didn’t want to push her.
“Well who am I to argue?” He gave it up with a shrug. “Just a normal pizza then, no deep dish.” He was more than a little disappointed, but this was supposed to be a vacation from home. It wouldn’t hurt him to break from his habits. “Any specific toppings?”
“What you said earlier sounded great. Just throw some extra cheese on there and I’ll be happy.”
Eventually the waiter came around, delivered two glasses of water, and took their order. They both grumbled a bit about the pace of the service but fell into a silence afterwards. Shining didn’t want to heap too much adoration upon her and was worried about controlling the conversation.
“What does it feel like to fly?” The question just kind of slipped out. It had been on his mind for years at this point, but he had never bothered to ask anypony around him who could. “So many ponies I know have wings and never use them, so I guess I’ve never thought about it. Your race today really made me wonder, though.”
“Oh man…” A dopey grin spread across Rainbow’s face and she closed her eyes. The wings on her back spread out a bit in an attempt to catch a nonexistent breeze. “It’s the most freeing thing in the world. When I’m up there, it’s like nothing can touch me. I can focus and feel everything around me and be in total control of everything. I can move in every direction and I’m only limited by who I am.”
“So you have no limitations, is what you’re saying.”
“Now you’re catching on, Shining.” She smiled and opened her eyes again and that pleased blissful look turned cocky. “When I’m up there, nopony can stop me. Nopony. I’m the only thing that matters in the sky.”
“The only mare in the sky…” Shining recited the line from a very messed up comic he read in his youth. Rainbow Dash wasn’t the same as the character who said it, well maybe her ego was in the same general vicinity but she wasn’t as insane as the comic book character. Or at least Shining hoped she wasn’t.
“Yeah you get it.”
Shining wanted to tell her not to agree with the words of a murderous ‘superhero’ but she already suspected he was a nerd. Better to let her just think that than open his mouth and confirm it or to let her know what kind of weird comic books he read when he was younger.
“Yeah…” Well, it was time to change that subject or at least get back on track. “How long have you been doing all of this for? Racing competitively, I mean.”
“Since I got my cutie mark.” She put her wings back against her side and leaned against the padded back of the booth. “So about ten years now, I guess? Believe it or not, I didn’t always win either. I used to think all I needed was my speed and I could just burn myself out at full speed and coast once I ran out of juice.”
“So you learned to pace yourself.”
“Mostly.” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck and showed a rare ounce of humility. “Sometimes I still kinda let go and fly off of the handle. I have fun when I’m doing it, though.” There was a beat. “So what’s your special talent? Your cutie mark is a shield, right?”
“Defensive magic.” Shining Armor clarified. “I don’t like to brag, but I can make some really strong shields. Like, I doubt any mortal pony could break one if I really put my mind to it.” Maybe even an immortal pony. He had stood up to some of Cadance’s magic on a few occasions for a little bit when he had been practicing for the exams.
“Hey, that’s pretty cool! I mean, I hope you don’t ever have to use it. It’s cool though.” She pondered something for a moment. “Do you think one of them could stand up to a sonic rainboom?”
“Those are a myth, right?” Shining had heard of it at some point, he was sure of it. “Hey, wait…didn’t your mom say-noooooo.” He looked at her incredulously, his brow furrowed and mouth agape. “No way. She was serious about that?”
“Oh yeah.” Rainbow grinned and flexed her wings a few times. “The only pony in the last thousand years to pull it off! That was when I was just a filly too! It’s how I got my cutie mark.”
“That’s insane.” Shining had no words for how truly unbelievable that was. “I mean, the speed required to break the magic barrier is-”
“-I told you, I’m one-of-one.”
He had believed that for attitude alone yesterday. Now he believed it on a much deeper level. That level of speed wasn’t just unique, it was extraordinary. He was at a loss for just how the revelation made him feel, so he decided to instead heap more adoration upon the mare across from him.
“I’ve met many ponies in my life, and so many of them would leave an ordinary pony in awe.” He drew a breath and looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes. “Somehow you are more special than any of them, Rainbow. I mean that. You’re…awesome in the truest sense of the word.”
Rainbow Dash turned red and she looked away from him. She loved the loud and obvious praise, the kind that complimented her ability and prowess. The kind that was superficial. When it got deeper, that’s when it got to her. When it was earnest and sincere, that was when it stopped feeding her ego and actually hit her heart.
“You’re so…” She wanted to say ‘corny’ and mean it, but something stopped her. He had expected admonishment but that fell away. “...thanks.” Her hoof reached across the table and laid on top of his. “You’re corny, but thanks.”
They talked a little more about him and his talents and work. Then the food came and they got busy devouring the sad flat non-deep dish pizza set before them. It wasn’t bad, but he was sure it would’ve been better if it had some filling to it. They each had a few pieces with a side of conversation, but they definitely couldn’t polish it off. Rainbow had decided she’d take the rest back to her room for a future meal.
Shining paid, of course, and the two left. As they walked out, he found Rainbow’s wing draped across his back once more. It was a bit harder now that he was standing and the height difference between them, but she did her best to get it over his back. He didn’t address it, he just leaned into the contact.
They just kind of wandered around the city in the midday sun after that. It was easy to enjoy her company, even as she lobbed the occasional playful barb his way. In fact, that made her a bit more tolerable if he wanted to be honest. It was her way of flirting and showing interest, just like his corny little moments were his. He thought they complimented each other well in that regard.
“Can I be honest about something…?” Rainbow led them to a bench on the side of the road, a little awning above provided shade from the sun. Even as they sat down she kept her wing on his back and the feathers flexed against his spine. “If I sound lame or whatever, I’m sorry.
“Please do.”
“You’re a huge nerd.” Rainbow Dash started out strong. “You’re corny and you always seem to mean what you say and it’s kinda lame, but in a good way.” Her wing flexed a bit more against his back and he shivered a bit from the light feathers going over his skin. “It’s really dumb how much it works on me.”
“Thanks, I guess?” It was a compliment, or at least that’s how he would take it. He received a frustrated bump from the mare and a little grumble. “Unless that wasn’t a good thing, in which case I’m sorry?”
“No it’s-argh!” Rainbow finally withdrew her wing and used it to cover her face. “I’m not good at this stuff, okay!” She huffed and Shining could see her face turn from blue to red. “Okay, I guess what I want to ask is…is…like, what are you looking for?”
“I don’t know.” He took no time to respond because there was no doubt in the answer. “I came here to relax and get away from everything before I had to go back to my life.” He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. “Can I be honest about something…?”
“Yeah, of course…”
“I got something this morning-a letter.” His magic snaked its way into his saddleback and he retrieved the envelope from inside and flashed it to Rainbow. He made sure to not show her the side with the royal seal. “It’s from the mare I told you about last night.” Rainbow’s face fell and her shoulders slumped a bit. “I haven’t read it yet, but knowing her it’s an impassioned plea to get back together…because what else would it be…”
“What if…” Rainbow Dash spoke after a minute of silence between them. “...you just didn’t read it until you left?” She bit her lip and eyed the letter and then him. “I mean, you came here to get away, right? To relax? Just pretend the letter doesn’t exist, at least for today.” The pegasus shifted uncomfortably and leaned against him. “You’re the only stallion who’s not a meathead who’s ever…I don’t know, who I’ve ever felt like I’ve had some sort of connection with.”
“Yeah, it can wait.” Shining Armor didn’t even need to think about it. “Today’s for us, for you.” He could live with that, and so could Cadance. “The world doesn’t matter right now, but you do.”
The two ponies kissed again, this time with a bit more urgency. They had settled that question and now they would have to live with the answer. Hesitancy had gone out of the window. It was not a long kiss like last night, but it was certainly a bit more passionate.
“Sweet Celestia, you are amazing.” Shining spoke breathlessly when the kiss finally broke. He pressed his forehead against Dash’s and used his magic to trace up her spine and down each of her wings. He felt her shiver and then he saw a new fire spring to life in her eyes.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet, Champ…” Rainbow leaned in and bit his lower lip and gave it a small tug before letting it go with a playful growl. “How about we go back to your room and I can make this a night you won’t forget?”
“Y-yeah…” Shining was at a loss for words. The predatory grin from the day prior returned, fresh and hungry. Rainbow Dash got up and made sure to trail her tail right under his chin. “Just for tonight…”