//------------------------------// // Spitfire To The Rescue. // Story: Over The Rainbow // by Kwisatz-Haderach //------------------------------// Sailing through the cool breeze of the night sky, glitter-like stars shining down upon her, Spitfire scanned high and low for Rainbow Dash, silently praying that the poor Pegasus had not done anything rash. "Please be okay, Rainbow Dash... Please be okay...." Desperately searching every cloud, every road and every possible place that Dash could be, the Wonderbolt cruised through the hoof-built crevices of Ponyville's alleyways and the densest clusters of nimbus clouds high above, her mind racing faster than a microprocessor as she let her eyes feel through the cottage-spotted, tree-mottled lands below. Like a bird of prey, Spitfire briefly circled around each and every place where she might go to find solace if things were not going her way, moving from one landmark to another. But because she didn't know Rainbow Dash as well as her other friends did, much of her efforts were wasted by educated guesswork, the golden mare spending so much of her energy gliding a veritable cat's cradle across Dream Valley in the hopes of spotting her in someplace she might not expect. After roughly half-an-hour of searching, Spitfire caught her breath on a lone cloud above Froggy Bottom Bog, hoping that Rainbow Dash was not only nearby, but still alive. "Rainbow Dash!" Called Spitfire, as if she was searching for a lost pet. "Rainbow Daaaaash! Where are you?" No response. "Rainbow Daaaash!" She cried out again. "It's me, Spitfire, where are you?" Still no response. "Rainbow Dash, come on out, I just want to talk with you! You're not in trouble, I just want to have a word with you!" Letting her words be carried through the air, Spitfire waited a few seconds for another response and not a single one came. Remembering Twilight once telling her that she was a hardcore fan of the Daring Doo series of books, she soared over to the Ponyville Library in the hopes that either Dash or Spike might be there. Knowing Rainbow Dash's trademark speed and without a single lead, Spitfire figured that Twilight's assistant may provide an answer if not act as an eyewitness. Landing at the library's front door, the fire-haired daredevil noticed a small note attached to the door by a small sliver of masking tape. "Hm. What's this?" Said Spitfire, taking a closer look at the message. Gone to Donut Joe's. Back eventually. Love, Spike "Well that was helpful..." Spitfire flatly said to herself, already walking away to resume the search for her biggest-fan-damsel-in-distress. Letting out an exhausted exhale, Spitz spread her wings out and took off into the air with a great push of her hooves and a plume of dust in her wake. She was a mere thirty feet off the ground when something clicked within her brain. "Wait a sec..." Thought Spitfire. "Donut Joe runs a Cafe, which is where Ponies go to unwind and discuss things...like a tavern. Hmmm....maybe Rainbow Dash went to the tavern to get her mind off of her problems like a lot of Ponies often do! That's it! Dash must be at Punch Tavern drowning her sorrows! After all, she loves that Sweet Apple Hard Cider! She has to be there!" Despite the additional concern that Dash may be an alcoholic, the rush of energy from her recent epiphany filled her whole body with hope that she was close by - and she could only hope that the invisible light bulb floating above her head wasn't going to die out soon. A few minutes later, Spitfire found herself pushing aside the heavy oak door that divided Punch Tavern from the rest of Ponyville, snaking through the opening she made and letting the door's edge softly slide against her flank as it crept shut. The inside of the tavern was not much different than any other tavern she's been to throughout the many adventures of Spitfire - a cozy atmosphere kept in place by white plastered, half-timbered cottage walls dimly lit by smoked glass lanterns hanging by chains from the ceiling. Thick, sturdy rafters penetrated the ceiling from wall-to-wall, adorned with framed paintings and photographs of historical events or famed patrons above a small population of Ponies happily conversing with another over various topics. And there, behind the long, polished mahogany bar counter and in front of a veritable library of various spirits, wines and liquors was Berry Punch; The best winemaker and bartender Ponyville has had in over 25 years. "Hey, Punch." Greeted Spitfire, making eye contact with the fuchsia-toned earth pony as she helped herself to a barstool. "Well whaddya know, it's Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts herself!" Berry Punch exclaimed as she cleaned another tankard with a dishrag-coated hoof. "I take it ol' Rainbow Dash's welcome party into the Wonderbolts went as planned?" "No, not exactly..." The Wonderbolt replied. "Look, this is a bit of an emergency; I don't have much time to explain what happened, but Rainbow Dash had a bit of a meltdown and flew off somewhere. Have you seen her?" Gears of thought turned and turned inside the bartender's head. "Hmm... No, I'm afraid I can't say that I have, sorry..." Said Berry Punch. "But I will tell you this: a couple of ponies here at the bar said that they saw a shooting rainbow of all things flying across the sky northwest of here, so you might want to check there." "Thanks, Punch. You're a real help." Said Spitfire, giving her a friendly smile. "Sure you don't want a shot of Everfree to loosen up a bit?" Berry Punch offered. "No thanks, I don't drink and fly, remember?" The Pegasus replied with a nervous smile. "Oh right, I forgot all about that one time..." "Well, I'm glad you did. Anyway, I'm off!" Said Spitz, hopping off of her seat. "Happy hunting!" Said Punch, waving goodbye. Spitfire trotted out the door to resume her search, letting in a brief draft of cool night air before it closed shut. Nearly twenty-five minutes later, Spitfire was well-winded, asking the last pony she'd asked in the fourteen-house neighborhood where Dash had gone, standing at the door of a small wooden shanty at the very edge of town face-to-face with its owner. "Nope. Sorry, I haven't seen Rainbow Dash at all tonight. Spent the whole day with my boyfriend, I'm afraid." Said Meadow Song. "But good luck on your search!" The wandering bard then shut the flimsy homemade door on the yellow Pegasus before returning to "quality time" with a stack of back issues of Playmare. Tired and defeated, Spitfire sauntered slowly down the adjacent dirt road, reflecting on where it all went wrong with her and Rainbow. Spitfire sighed heavily. "What in the world happened to you, Rainbow Dash?" She asked herself. "First you pounce on me and then run off absolutely devastated...Why? What happened that made you do such a thing? Was it mating season? Was it jealousy over Soarin' and I? And why were you so terrified of me afterwards? Why do you feel this way towards me?" Leaving matters into Celestia's hooves, the fiery mare slowly flew her way back towards her home in Cloudsdale, hoping that Rainbow hadn't ran away from Ponyville - or worse yet, committed suicide. She had just began her climb up to the cloud layer when she heard an odd noise high above her. "That noise... It sounds like...crying, almost. Could it be...?" Making her way to the source of the sound, Spitfire felt a cold lance through her heart once she was close enough to hear it clearly. It was a long, drawn-out, dolorous wail of despair and extreme emotional pain, punctuated by deep, heavy sobs of hurt and anger before resuming its almost infantile, heart-broken song of woe. Whoever it was that was crying like this must have been a Pegasus having the absolute worst day of his or her life. And then it struck her... "Rainbow Dash?!" Cried Spitfire. Ascending as fast as she could to the source of the sound, she slowed down her approach, gradually decreasing her speed circling around a particularly dark storm cloud. Or rather, what was on top of it... Spitfire found Rainbow Dash having completely fallen apart on the soot-grey cloud, sprawled out onto her side like a dying animal; her reddened face drenched with tears as she released another episode of unrestrained bawling, desperately crying out for help like an injured newborn. The poor Pegasus had felt like her life truly was over, wallowing in her grief as she silently begged Celestia to put an end to her suffering and let herself be swallowed whole by the blackness of oblivion. Thirteen years of her life spent obsessing over the Wonderbolts only to blow her chance, assault her idol and humiliate herself in front of everypony in Dream Valley was the cruelest hand that fate could ever deal to her. From the secret shame she had about being a mare that loved mares, to the cruelty she endured for it, to the years of bottling up emotions and all the way to the disaster that was today, the only thing that could possibly turn her life around was a complete miracle. And fortunately, a miracle was about to touch down next to her. Feeling the weight of another two pairs of hooves land softly on her cloud, a teary-eyed Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder with bloodshot, waterlogged eyes to find Spitfire looking back at her with a concerned smile on her face, hoping to reassure her. In response, Dash buried her head in her arms and continued weeping, refusing to let her idol see her like this. "Rainbow Dash? Are you okay?" Spitfire calmly asked, even though she knew damn well that the answer was clearly a "no." "Go away..." Dash croaked weakly, ending her response with a few sniffles. "What's the matter, why are you so sad?" The yellow mare added, reaching a hoof out towards her rainbow-haired friend. Placing it gently on her shoulder, Spitfire gently started rubbing it in circles to calm Rainbow down, even though she recoiled from the touch. Sliding the tip of her hoof gently up and down Dash's back, she noticed that, despite her resistance, Rainbow Dash's muscles already started to loosen up from her gentle ministrations. "Just go away..." Groaned Dash, slowly pushing Spitfire's arm away from her. "I'm not a Wonderbolt anymore - I hate the Wonderbolts... I hate you, I hate myself, I hate my life..." Rainbow exhaled. "...And after what I did to you, it's only fitting that you hate a filly-fooler like me..." "I don't hate you..." "Yes, yes you do! And I hate you!" Dash tearfully snapped. "But Rainbow Dash..." "Just go away and LET ME DIE!!" The poor filly shrieked. Dash nearly would have bolted straight off of the cloud and flown away were it not for the captain's grasping hooves and powerful muscles chained around her breast, trying with all her might to keep her from flying off to who-knows-where, anchoring her hind legs firmly into the cloud's pillowy form to prevent her from getting carried away with her. Rainbow screwed her puffy, tear-soaked eyes shut tight as her wings flapped violently in vain to get away. Spitfire suffered a couple kicks to the cheek, nose and jaw as she tried to maintain her grip on the hysterical filly as she thrashed, bucked and kicked in her arms. Rainbow Dash struggled, strained and writhed to loosen herself from the Wonderbolt's muscles, but to no avail - Spitfire's grip was just too much. Her wings simply gave up, as did the rest of her body as they both plummeted to the cloud below like a wet towel, hitting the wispy cushion beneath her. Almost instantly, Rainbow Dash swallowed a lungful of air before forcing it out into the cloud's muffling consistency in a tortured, drawn-out scream of raw despair, banging and flailing all four legs against the bevapored floor below her like a spoiled child. Spitfire felt terrible. Seeing such a strong, devoted mare and fangirl reduced to a wailing and broken heap of agony simply tore her heart apart - feeling somehow culpable for this whole ugly mess. Was it something she said or did? Could she have talked to Rainbow before the show to calm her nerves? Was it because she never got to spend time with her at the Gala? A million questions flooded the captain's mind, all of them asking just what went wrong. Spitfire had enough of witnessing such an ugly scene and soon realized just what to do. Gently picking her up from the waist with both hooves, Spitfire lifted Rainbow Dash off of the cloud and across her lap, letting her head and arms hang limply over her arm, jostled only by the infrequent heaves of her dry, mournful sobs. Raising a free hoof as the other one supported Dash's weight, Spitfire took to gently stroking her cape-lined back, sweeping it softly across the contour of her spine with firm, deliberate strokes. "I could never hate you, Rainbow Dash..." Spitfire murmured. "...I would never even think of it..." Rainbow Dash suddenly felt her heart, once heavy with agony, lighten a little from the Wonderbolt's words and . There was something about the softness and sensitivity of Spitfire's voice, along with its content that helped to calm her down - something that made her ask herself so many questions inside. Why did she spend such time and effort looking for her after forcibly pinning her down and kissing her in public? Why was she acting so gentle like this when she's known for the feisty, fiery attitude of her namesake? Why was she acting so...affectionate towards her? "But...But I threw myself at you..." Quivered Rainbow Dash. "...And kissed you...In front of everypony..." Spitfire responded by slowly lifting the cyan filly off her hooves and placing her on top of her with her head leaning on her shoulder, continuing the comforting ministrations of her hoof against her back. Rainbow, as utterly miserable as she was right now, felt her whole body slowly fill with a sort of...warmth - A kind that seemed to comfort and caress her from the inside out. A kind that made her feel like literally nothing could harm or hurt her in any way, shape or form... "I know, I was there..." The yellow filly replied. "As inappropriate as it was, I still forgive you. We all make mistakes, Rainbow Dash and this was just one of them. I know how embarrassing it was for you, but deep down, I know that you are not a bad pony at all and would never do anything that you know would harm me, Soarin' or the rest of the Wonderbolts..." Feeling utterly confused by Spitfire's intimate gestures and reassurances in spite of her humiliating faux pas, Rainbow Dash had no idea what to think of what her idol was doing or having in mind right now, torn between whether to feel pampered and forgiven of her actions or ashamed of herself for throwing herself at her personal hero. Overcome by shame and confusion, Rainbow felt tears well up in her eyes once more and began weeping softly into Spitfire's shoulder as she continued to stroke her back in reassurance. "It's okay, don't hold back..." Cooed Spitfire into Dash's ear. "Just let it all out, Rainbow Dash - Everything is going to be alright..." Rainbow promptly did so, emptying whatever she had left in her tear ducts onto the soft spandex suit of her idol as she listened to the dull thud of her heartbeat. Cradled gently in the maternal embrace of her idol and hearing her whisper reassuring messages into her ear, it did not take long for the poor initiate to slowly feel the smooth, gentle creep of comfort blanket her being, its feeling contrasting brilliantly in the wake of such a disaster. After twenty minutes in the warm embrace of Spitfire, Rainbow Dash felt the urge to speak her mind about their present situation. "Spitfire...?" She said, meekly. "Yes, Dash?" "Why are you doing all this?" Rainbow released her grip from Spitfire, now looking at her eye-to-eye; her own eyes no longer bleary nor bloodshot. "Because you're my biggest fan, Rainbow Dash..." Replied Spitfire. "...and I'm your biggest fan, also. And I just..." She suddenly felt a knot tie itself in her throat; she knew exactly what she was going to say, but it felt like something was preventing her from doing so - as if her body felt that it wasn't time for her to say that yet. "...I just...I just can't stand to see you like this. It hurts..." Slowly returning to her place on Spitfire's shoulder out of shyness, Rainbow Dash blushed a bright sanguine red, fully realizing how...intimate she was with her idol, captain and crush. She was as close to her as platonically possible, feeling the other mare's pulse, heartbeat and warmth resonate with her own. "So tell me..." The golden mare started. "Why did you lunge at me like that in the first place?" Rainbow was unsure of how to respond to the question directed at her, but now that she felt so secure in Spitfire's arms, she felt like she could fully disclose the confusion, panic and turmoil she had gone through from morning til' night and finally divulge her deepest, darkest secret to the her number one hero: "I...I remember waking up this morning feeling very...aroused; like more so than I ever have since I had my first estrus cycle when I reached adulthood. It felt like I was drugged and pushed into a kiln; I felt so hot and I couldn't think straight at all. It felt like nearly every gesture that other ponies gave me were sexual in nature and I had to fight back these fantasies and daydreams that kept invading my mind. I knew that if I gave into them, I'd humiliate myself so badly and I would never be able to live it down. I'm a world-class athlete and I knew that I had to be tough in order to, well, be tough! I wanted to be tough just like you, Spitfire! Just like you! I hated getting sappy and emotional over really sad or mushy things, let alone showing interest in anything girly or romantic - I was an athlete! A hero! A Pegasus that would never let anything as lame as emotions prevent me from reaching my goals or making me look like a weakling! But I guess because I've kept all those feelings inside of me...they had to find a way out after building up for so long..." Dash cringed, letting her head hang down in pure shame. Though she felt the intense urge to start bawling again, she would have to save that for later if she was going to get her message across - at risk of having her life's hero abandon her in her in disgust and perturbation. "...And that way out was you..." Dash choked. "...Because Spitfire...I love you...Because..." And then, sending all caution to the wind, Rainbow let her idol finally know the truth, no matter how hard she knew it would hurt. "...I'm...I'm a lesbian..." Spitfire looked back at a shameful-looking Rainbow Dash, mildly taken aback by such an...out-of-the-blue response. "You're...you're a lesbian?" She asked. Dash weakly nodded, her eyes staring straight down and away from the fire-maned mare in guilt. "I was bullied in high school for loving other mares, so I just bottled up all those feelings until mating season came around today and...I just couldn't hold them in anymore...I'm so sorry..." She reiterated, as hot saline tears began to well up in her eyes again. Much to the surprise of Rainbow Dash, Spitfire simply gave her nothing but a warm smile in response, gently lifting the blue filly's muzzle upwards so that their eyes met, Dash now blushing a heavy shade of pink on her cheeks. "Rainbow Dash, you should never bottle up feelings inside you like that... It's unhealthy! And the only shame you should ever have about your sexual orientation is to have any shame about it at all. In fact - I, Spitfire of the Wonderbolts myself, am bisexual; so I'm attracted to both mares and stallions equally! Not only that, but from you said, both you and I are polyamorous, so we don't have to feel guilty about being unfaithful so long as our other partners know and understand about it." "'Poly-what', now?" Asked Rainbow Dash, puzzled. "'Polyamorous.'" Spitfire clarified. "It's when a pony has feelings and relationships will multiple partners that he or she loves equally. You'd be surprised how many ponies are like that..." "So the rumors are true, then..." Said Rainbow. "...that you've dated both Soarin' and Fleetfoot both separately and at the same time?" "Precisely." The Wonderbolt responded. "Soarin' and I are just very close friends and the same goes for Fleetfoot, even though she's not exactly the most...talented behind closed doors..." Spitfire scratched her head and gave a nervous smile in the sort of "if you know what I mean" kind of way. Rainbow went bright red after realizing what her hero was implying. "You...y-you mean..." She stuttered, shortly after letting out a shocked gasp. Spitfire humbly nodded "yes" as her answer. "But...but wouldn't that make you..." Dash was struggling to find a proper word that wouldn't offend the beautiful mare she was holding right now. Failing to find the right term to use in her vocabulary, she gulped nervously, taking a risk by letting the word just creep out of her mouth and hopefully not creep her idol out. "...a slut?" Spitfire cocked her head in a rather sheepish manner. "Well...technically, yeah... But to tell you the truth, every mare is like that, because no matter how sophisticated or conservative they may be, there's always a part of them that likes to be a slut every now and then when it's appropriate; and stallions are certainly no exception at all - It's just Equine nature! And if you deny that part of your nature without letting it off in a healthy way - letting it build up inside of you like that, it's...well...just downright unhealthy! Plus, it makes for a great...team-building exercise and helps to relax frayed nerves and reduce stress. Plus, it's a great way to spend a rainy day between racing seasons, too." Rainbow Dash was just blown away, plain and simple. Feeling her wings stiffen a bit, as well as the slightest bit of sadness and regret that she didn't know about all this before, she simply stared at the glossy, coffee-brown pupils that Spitfire's sultry eyes held, along with the soft contours of her muzzle, which sported an innocent, yet suggestive smirk. Those details alone should have been a dead giveaway that this was a mare that she was a sexual animal with a heart of gold, hidden her laid-back, casual demeanor. If Dash wasn't so sure that this was all really happening, she would've been convinced that this was either a really vivid dream or that she simply went stark raving mad from her estrus some time ago. Spitfire was so...perfect in her eyes, it almost felt like she was too perfect, even though she was far from anything resembling perfection. "You don't have to stare at me that much, Rainbow..." Said Spitfire in a rather nervous tone. "It's embarrassing and...kinda creepy..." "Oh! Uh...sorry..." Blurted Dash, quickly leaning back and turning her head away from her newfound friend, cheeks glowing a slight shade of pink. Daring to stare back at her out of the corners of her eyes, she saw Spitfire looking back with an amused expression. "But you do look rather cute when you're shy like that..." Spitfire commented, prompting a weak laugh and a more intense blush from her colorful friend. "So are you feeling better at all?" "Yeah...I guess..." Dash replied with a tone of uncertainty in her voice. "Uhh...thanks for...being there for me..." She added, her voice faint enough to be reminiscent of Fluttershy's. "Don't sweat it, kid." Spitfire said, releasing her hooves from Rainbow Dash, save for a brief pat on the back. "You're much braver than you look - a trait of a true, blue Wonderbolt." Rainbow's face lit up with a puree of shock, awe and happiness. "You...you mean that you're still going to make me a member of the team?!" "Of course! You saved my life and you're the only pony in existence to pull off a Sonic Rainboom...on command. Besides, you're a real friend of mine, you know that?" Dash felt her heart soar with confidence; This was proof that there was a chance that she could make her romantic fantasies involving Spitfire a reality, showing her happiness through the bright, sunny grin she now had on her face. No longer was her world now full of black clouds, heavy rain and black, thorny vines, but of bright, clear blue skies full of wonder and limitless potential - All thanks to that beautiful mare across from her, illuminated by the pale moonlight. "In fact, Soarin' and I felt so terrible for being separated from you by those snobs at the Grand Galloping Gala..." Spitfire added. "We really, truly wanted to hang out with you, but our wealthier fans just...kept us busy! So I thought I'd make you a deal: Whaddya say you, Soarin' and I make up for lost time tomorrow night at Cafe Equus at seven? It'll be our treat!" If Rainbow Dash's adorable smile got any brighter or cuter, it would probably blind poor Spitfire. Especially with those eyes of hers - they possessed enough sparkles to fill an entire issue of Hoof Beat magazine, which she enjoyed reading from time to time. Spitfire on the other hoof, couldn't care less; it was far too simple for her tastes, even going so far as to openly mock the magazine in one of its own interview articles! But that was besides the point; what really mattered now, was that Dash was looking and feeling like a true fangirl right now. "Of..of course! I'd love to!" Dash replied, holding back a joyous squeal. "It's good to know you're alright - you really were down in the dumps..." Said Spitfire. "...But I gotta head back to the ballroom and tell the others what happened exactly so they die of fright wondering if you're okay. Is that alright if I do?" Dash nodded happily. "Good to know! And Rainbow Dash? I just want to tell you one last thing..." Spitfire said, her voice becoming suspiciously softer and slower in its tone. "W-what's that?" Dash nervously responded, watching with wide eyes the Wonderbolt slowly sauntering close by her. Spitfire stopped right by Rainbow's side and leaned her head very closely towards her friend's twitching cyan ear, her muzzle only an inch away from its furry contours. As if that wasn't enough to send Dash's heart racing, she gently picked up and massaged one of her hooves, which were somewhat known for their sensitivity. "...You have no idea just how much you really mean to me..." She gently hissed, before softly blowing her hot, wine-scented breath into Rainbow's sensitive ear. The cerulean Pegasi's eyes widened two-fold, their pupils shrinking to tiny slivers as her own breath became slow and heavy, her heart pounding like a jackhammer. Blushing the deepest shade of scarlet known to Ponykind, Rainbow Dash turned around to find Spitfire standing on the edge of the cloud; Wings outstretched and ready for takeoff, looking back at her with gentle eyes and a warm smile. Rainbow Dash had her poor mind blown out of her head, nearly failing to form a complete sentence. "S-spit...Spitfire... D-does this mean that you..." She sputtered. "...that you love me, too?" Her golden-furred idol blushed, trying to force out words of her own. "Well, You'll... We'll... You'll understand in time." She smiled nervously, leaving Dash frozen in wonder from such a thinly-veiled excuse. "Well, I gotta get going." Said Spitfire, breaking the awkward silence between them. "I'll see you at the next Wonderbolts show this weekend! Gotta dash!" And with that catchphrase, Spitfire took off like a bolt of her team's namesake, leaving behind both a contrail of billowing smoke and crackling electricity, along with a lovestruck Rainbow Dash, who gave only a gentle hoof-wave goodbye before watching her hero speed off towards Canterlot until she could not be seen anymore. "Bye, Spitfire." Muttered Rainbow Dash, eyes bejeweled with tears of joy. The newfound Wonderbolt reluctantly soared off towards her home in Cloudsdale, ready to end such a long day with a letter to Celestia and a good-night's sleep.