//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: My Love Soared For You Through The Rainbows // by Xiojin //------------------------------// "Thank you so much Astatine," Rainbow Dash thanked him for his help as she let go of her hoof and sat on the soft bed in the infirmary. "What are friends for?" He said shortly after before leaving her in the infirmary room shortly. He was off to look for a Team A member: Surprise. He loves her liveliness. How she's so.. everything he wants in a mare. Alright, she might be a slight bit older by a year or two but he doesn't care at all. He walked to see Surprise already hitting the showers. He felt a bit glum not to see a little more of her. He turned his head and watched the clock and gosh sweet Celestia it was getting late for him too! He rushed to the stallions' showroom and had a refreshing bath. "Rainbow Dash!" Soarin yelled a little in the infirmary. Rainbow Dash waved at him just as she was about to be discharged. They were off to their lockers as soon she was free. Soarin waited for Rainbow Dash to be out from the showers after he was done. Her mane was dripping wet as she walked out to the locker room. Soarin walked up to Rainbow Dash and said, "Why didn't you dry your hair properly? You're going to get a cold with the Windy weather outside." "Oh it's fine I can just do this," Rainbow Dash shaked her head and body aggressively. Her hair was all dry but it all splashed onto Soarin. His smile flipped upside down because now he is drenched. "Oh uh, ha...haa.. sorry..." Rainbow Dash apologized to the face of a deadpanned Soarin. She picked up his towel and said, "I will dry you myself." She flew above him and gently patted his mane. Normally, she would fly around the pony and give them the 'Rainbow Dryer'; where she flew at rapid speed around the individual. But the space was too small for her to do that. It took a while to get it to 70% dry. Time flew fast for both of them as they chatted nonstop. But to them, it felt like time transcended slowly between both of them. They didn't know they hearts were stirring and their stomachs felt like there was butterflies. The rest of the team was starting to get worried as Soarin and Rainbow Dash were not in the mess hall. Surprise who finished her meal went to find them. She strolled the academy halls and was getting frustrated when she could not find them until she heard giggles from the locker room. She peeked and smirked to herself. She rubbed her hooves together and quickly flew to her room and back to the room. "This is definitely going into my scrapbook!" Surprise said and snapped a photo. "Let's get going to the mess hall!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I am really hungry!" Surprise was alarmed and quickly rushed off back to the mess hall and sat where she sat in the beginning. The others gave her a confused look before she whispered, "They're coming!" "Sooo...why are you guys so late?" Spitfire asked seeing the last two finally sat down on the table. "We encountered problems," Soarin replied. The girls at the table giggled to themselves. Surprise already told them what happened. Soarin rolled his eyes again from the giggles and gleefully ate his food. The days passed with non-stop training. Every Wonderbolt got onto the train heading towards the Duke's castle far off Equestria. The town was built like in medieval-era; beautiful and elegant structures. Houses that were two or three stories tall, with walls made of bricks and roofs made with bricks and wood. A house that screams elegance, some even looking like a castle while being affordable to its' citizens. That's what the Wonderbolts' heard. Every pony picked their partners to sit with, except for Soarin and Rainbow Dash. Due to no pony wanting to partner with them as all have their own preferred friends to sit with. In the end, those two partnered with each other, they didn't mind it since they both mutually liked each other and enjoy each other's company. "How long is this trip going to be?" Rainbow Dash asked as she yawns as her vision starts to blur. "Probably a day and a half," Soarin replied as he looked over to see Rainbow Dash's eyes, barely open. "You should go to the bunk beds and sleep," "Really? I think so too. What if Spitfire have commands later while I'm asleep?" "I will tell you when you're refreshed. I will wake you up when it's meal time." Rainbow Dash nodded and she fell asleep in an instant, like she hasn't slept in days. Soarin wanted to ask her to move to the bunk beds into another cabin but he didn't want to wake her up. So as of now, he was stuck with her by his side. He doesn't hate the idea but he just doesn't want another photo taken...by Surprise again. He sighed and carefully carried Rainbow Dash's body onto his back. He felt his body tense up when her whole weight was on her. His face was red from the embarrassment of carrying her through the cabin of the other Wonderbolts, as he knew his colleagues would ship him and her more if they see them like that. He slowly placed her down on the bed and pulled the blanket over for her to keep her warm. He stared a little before snapping himself out of it and giving himself a pep talk, "Gosh I'm going crazy... It's so rude to stare at somepony sleeping." Soarin went back to his seat and looked out of the window of his seat. He watches the birds soaring high and the scenery change as they enter into a new domain each time. His mind kept wandering off to Rainbow Dash. Is she sleeping comfortably? What is she dreaming of? Could she be dreaming of him? He even imagined him cuddling with her. He slapped himself for even thinking such thoughts. He scolded himself for having such inappropriate thoughts of a mare. She's just a friend was all he kept telling himself. Misty who sat opposite of him witnessed the whole fiasco. She raised a brow wondering what was wrong with him until his cheeks lit up red. The gears in her brain started shifting and she already got an idea of what he was thinking and turned behind to Surprise and Fleetfoot. "Hey Soarin, what got your cheeks all red?" Misty asked with her hooves crossed while she smiled. "Nothing! I was thinking of...the embarrassing moments in the past!" Soarin replied quickly. "Sure~ not thinking about Dash right?" Surprise said before her brow wiggled. The classic signature move that Soarin hates the most. Soarin sighed and knew he couldn't lie to these three anymore. The three crowded around him and looked at him with anticipation. Soarin second guessed himself if he wanted to actually tell the trio about his 'problem'. He didn't want to at first until Misty said, "We know we make fun of you a lot, but hey we're here to listen to you. And whatever is weighing on your mind, you've got to tell us. Because by not willing to solve the problem is a form of running away." Soarin looked at Misty like she taught him, something that made his brain clicked. He understood what he was feeling, and if he approached help it could be solved. After all, it's a problem regarding mares. But what if the problem is too ridiculous? After all, a stallion should be able to be the know-it-all and has no problems to seem masculine. Soarin finally convinced himself that these are his friends and he knows they won't laugh at him. So he took a deep breath and started to ramble... "These past few days I've been so conflicted with my feelings. When Dash was with Astatine that time after our first practice for this performance. I can't help but feel angry or maybe Jealous!" Soarin finally spits out all the feelings weighing on his heart. "I'm confused, I love Dash as a friend but I'm starting to think I like her more as a friend. But it doesn't feel like that because normally if I fall in love, I know that feeling. I still remember that time when I had a relationship with my ex. That feeling of being in love." "During that time, what did that love feel to you? How will you describe it?" Fleetfoot asked with a caring tone. "It was soft and fluffy but at the same time, I felt suffocated. It felt dreadful to want to meet her at the same time. Love feels horrible. I don't want to experience it again if it is like that!" Soarin exclaimed and lightly stomped one hoof. "Ugh! I've been wanting to spill this for so long! YOUR EX WAS USING YOU FOR FAME! THAT'S WHY SHE MOVED ON SO FAST AND CHEATED ON YOU!" Misty yelled and panted after saying all those honest words. She felt so much better after a year of carrying those memories that only she knew. "What? What do you mean?" Surprise asked with her head tilted. "OK, so his ex was my friend. I've known that from the very START of the relationship that she told me that she was going to use Soarin. Obviously, I told her not to but she didn't listen! I stopped being friends with her because I couldn't see her just using ponies like that, especially my friend! I didn't bring this up because I didn't want to affect Soarin's mood," Misty sighed and apologized. "It's fine, I got over her and moved on wayyyyyyyy long ago! Thanks for telling me Misty," Soarin said with a grateful smile. "Ahem! Back to Soarin's feelings. What did you feel this time for Dash?" Fleetfoot faked a cough and all three mares looked at him with gleaming eyes. "I feel very light and there's this very fluffy feeling...and I want to be together with her and I envisioned a whole future. I want to protect her and she just seems so perfect..." Soarin said with a gentle voice, his eyes lit up as if it was glowing. "You're in love!" The three said in unison. "What!?" Soarin yelled. "Your eyes were gleaming," "Your body language was obvious," "And that tone of voice when you describe what you felt," "It's all so obvious you love her!" The three said in unison. That's when it struck him. All those feelings of jealousy when she's with other stallions. All those special soft feelings where she makes him feel comfortable around her. Soarin has a crush on Rainbow Dash. "W-what do I do now? How do I make her like me?" Soarin asked with a worried tone.ul "Oh don't worry, you got us!"Misty lightly pounded her chest. "We will do the homework for you!" Fleetfoot added. The three walked away leaving Soarin all alone with his thoughts. Soarin thought to himself and just could not believe it. He likes Rainbow Dash. His train of thoughts were cut off by Spitfire yelling lunchtime. He walked over to the cabin beds and lightly shook Rainbow Dash up. "Dash! Wake up! It's lunchtime," Soarin said to the half-awake Rainbow Dash. "Oh, thank you for waking me up," she yawned and kicked her blanket. She gave Soarin a hug mindlessly thinking it was a pillow, before walking to the cabin for lunch. Soarin blushed and calmed himself down before going into the Cabin to have his lunch. While Rainbow Dash was eating halfway she suddenly thought of her action earlier. 'I can't believed I hugged him!' Was all she thought. The mare quickly ate her lunch and went to sit at her spot on the train. She pulled out another Daring Do book to re-read for the don't know how many times she has read it but it didn't matter to her at all. After all, it's a Daring Do book. "Oh my gosh! Are you at that part where Daring Do is right before she enters the temple!?" Soarin asked excitedly. "Yes! Do you want to read it with me?" The rainbow mare asked with excitement. Soarin nodded and they sat together reading the book page by page. Each exciting part makes them so intrigued that they are so close that they don't even notice. "And Dr Caballeron was once beaten again!" They said in unison and faced each other. This is the time they finally noticed their proximity between each other. They quickly looked away making awkward noises trying to make the stifled situation better. "But knowing she's real makes it so much better!" Soarin squealed while he shook Rainbow Dash's body a little before giving a tight squeeze. Rainbow Dash's heart beat like crazy. It's like someone is playing the drums rapidly non-stop. She felt comfortable in his embrace. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and her face heating up. Although this moment was short, it felt so slow. 'He's just a friend! I don't do this sappy stuff!' That is what she kept telling herself. Soarin apologized for his sudden embrace in that light of excitement. His cheeks glowed red and it was really obvious. A part of Rainbow Dash keeps saying: 'He likes you!!' But another part of her says: 'He's just embarrassed! He doesn't like you!' "It's fine, let's keep on reading..." Rainbow Dash said making the situation lighter. They huddled together and finished the rest of the book. Then another book after that...and another one. 'CHOO CHOO' "Next stop: Elysia's kingdom. Alighting passengers please make your way to the exit."