Rainbow in the Dark

by Sayer


Chapter 6: Unveiling the past

Edited and revised by kalash93. Thanks for everything, pal!

Chapter 6: Unveiling the past

The sound of his body crashing against the ground was familiar to my ears. I remembered all those times I had crashed training, learning new tricks, and such. I quickly realized what had happened. I turned back as fast as I could towards Brownie, who was now lying unconscious on the middle of the way. This idiot had pushed his limits too far again. I would have stopped if he had asked me…

I shook his body, trying to wake him up. “Brownie? Are you alright? Brownie?” He didn’t reply, but he was panting and sweating a lot, as if he were in pain. I tried to wake him up, but it didn’t work like it had last time. His condition was much worse than the first time he had fainted. Dammit, I have to find help! But I can’t leave him alone… What can I do?”

I looked around in search of anypony who could help me. Then as if Princess Celestia were watching out for me, Fluttershy appeared from between these two bushes, probably after moving a family of ducks or something like that.

I called out to her. “Fluttershy! Thank Celestia you’re here!”

Fluttershy looked startled, but her fear quickly faded as soon as she saw me. “Oh hello, Rainbow Dash. Are you taking a stroll?”

“Does it looks like I’m having a walk in the park? Brownie’s unconscious and I think he’s even going through a worse pain than last time!”

Her pupils quickly shrank, filled with fear. “Fever? Oh no! What are we going to do?”

“First of all, we need to get him home. Then we’ll call a doctor to take a look at him.”

Fluttershy timidly nodded. “O-okay.”

With her help, we carried Brownie back to his house. Fortunately, the keys were inside his pocket. I probably owe Rarity an apology from that time I told her that clothes were useless. After leaving him lying on his bed, I left him under Fluttershy’s care until I could fetch a doctor. Fortunately, it didn’t take me too long before I came back with help. I could only watch as the doctor examined him, still unconscious and oblivious from the danger he went through; I was trembling so much I felt like one of Pinkie Pie’s pastries.

The old unicorn had a grey color palette, a big white beard and a white medic coat covering his Cutie Mark I had the feeling that I had already seen him in the hospital that time I had broken my wing, but that wasn’t important right now. There were more important things at stake.

I succumbed to the urge to ask. “What’s the diagnosis, doctor Zaius? Is he going to be alright?”

The old doctor adjusted his thick glasses. “Don’t worry, lady. The poor guy only has a fever. He probably didn’t notice with all the running around and that caused him to faint. Do you know of any other illnesses?”

“Well, he was suffering from mucus buildup in his lungs not too long ago. About a week ago, it finally stopped, but he said that there was probably enough stored in his lungs to drown Ponyville.”

The old doctor caressed his beard with his hoof. “I see. From what you told me, he probably got a small infection because of the mucus, and that caused the fever. Fortunately, it’s nothing grave, but he will need to stay in bed for a few days until he’s completely healed.” A small notepad appeared, floating from his pocket along with a pen. He scribbled something on one of the pages before handing it to me. “This prescription for steroids should prevent relapse. Also, get some Ibuprofen to reduce the pain and help him to lower the fever. His life isn’t in danger, but better safe than sorry.”

I breathed a massive internal sigh of relief. “Thanks, doctor. I’ll take care of him.”

After that, I asked Fluttershy to fetch the medicines while I watched over Brownie, fearing the worst if he were left alone. He looks so cute when he’s sleeping, and... Wait, did I seriously just think that? What the buck is wrong with me? He’s my friend, sleeping in his bed, and looking so cute and adorable. Just like a big bear plushie…

Fluttershy’s voice released me from my trance. “Rainbow Dash, are you alright?”

That was a silly question. “I’m not the one stuck in bed, Fluttershy.”

She was carrying the bag of medicines in her mouth, placing them on the night table. “Did he wake up yet?”

“See for yourself. I bet his second name is ‘The snoring beauty’, or something like that.”

I could see her trying to hide her chuckle using her hoof. “Do you need help with anything else?”

“No thanks, Fluttershy, I got this. You can go; your animals need you more than me.” Did she really think I wouldn’t be able to take care of this?

She seemed to doubt, but finally agreed with me. “Uhm, alright. I’ll leave you two alone, if that’s okay…”

She disappeared around the corner, probably heading back home. But why did she have to say “I’ll leave you two alone”? That sounds wrong, as if we’re going to start bucking as soon as he wakes up. But why in Tartarus am I doing this? Loyalty is my thing, but come on! It's not like he really needs my help, but the way he laughs and looks at me, it's just so cool… My thoughts were interrupted as soon as Brownie opened his eyes, looking around his room, confused and disoriented.

Brownie tried to open his eyes, barely managing to raise them. “What happened? Where am I? What did I do? Who did I do?” He turned his head, fixing his eyes on me. His voice was so soft as he whispered, “Dashie?”

Though flattered, I felt the need to correct him. “It’s Rainbow Dash for you, Brownie. Don’t go calling me that.”

He stretched a weak smile. “Sorry. So, what am I doing here? I thought we were having a race.”

The poor guy didn’t seem to remember anything of what happened yesterday. It was time for an explanation. “Yes. I called a doctor, and he said you had a fever; probably caused by an infection from that mucus in your lungs. I asked Fluttershy to get some medicine as I stayed here, just in case.” I bet he’s thinking I’m too paranoid. I read the pill bottles and give him the appropriate dosages. “Take these. They’ll help you feel better.”

He extended his right hoof towards me. “Thanks, Rainbow. You’re a great friend,” he says, swallowing them dry.

I was reluctant to give him my hoof, but after all, he’s my friend. There’s nothing wrong with shaking hooves, right? “Don’t worry. That’s what friends are for, right?”

I touched his hoof, now hot because of his fever, but it felt nice. So soft and… What the buck am I thinking?! Quick, think of something else! Like… Start a new conversation! Yeah, do it! “Well, I…” I looked around, trying to start a new thread of conversation before setting my eyes on a portfolio, which I quickly recognized as the one he used when he sketched my portrait. “Is that your portfolio?”

He looked towards the portfolio. “Yeah. That’s where I store my old drawings. Most of them are things I drew for myself when I was bored and training to be a good artist. The oldest ones are stored in different portfolios because they were threatening to burst it open.”

Yeah, this works! Keep going. “Do you mind if I take a look? If that’s okay with you, of course.” Great, now I’m turning into Fluttershy.

He ruffled his mane with a mixture of pride and sheepishness. “Yeah, don’t worry. It’s not like I have any mature stuff hiding inside. You can look if you want.” Now that’s a suspiciously specific denial, but he’s a guy. Twilight once told me that stallions show interest in porn and similar stuff, but it’s not like he would be as stupid as to leave it in front of everypony.

I took the portfolio and glanced inside, flipping through the drawings and sketches, taking my time to admire them. Brownie had stored a collection of countless different things – landscapes, characters, objects, designs… What surprised me the most was finding out there was a section filled with drawings of myself, all of them from a lower point of view and representing me as I soared through the skies. I recognized every one of his drawings from the times he had watched me as a spectator, but he had never brought his drawing tools with him on any of those occasions.

I brought the portfolio towards the bed so he could see them better. “Brownie? I know it’s a weird question, but, did you make these ones from memory?”

He examined them for a moment before focusing back on me. “Yeah. You were so fast that it would have been impossible to get a good reference.” I was flattered.

“Really? Wow, that’s impressive! But why didn’t you show them to me earlier?”

His face quickly turned as red as a tomato. “Well, I was waiting for the perfect chance, like your birthday party. I forgot I had placed them with the rest of my works…

Dammit! I had blown his chance for a birthday gift. Why did I have to be so curious? “Hey, don’t worry about that. Even though it won’t be a surprise, this will make for a great gift.” Now that was stupid.

“Thanks, but don’t worry about it. I’ll just work on a better gift. And this time, I’ll make sure to hide it better.” He chuckled a bit before coughing so hard that I thought he would spit out his lungs. “Sorry, it’s the damned mucus.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about his drawings and anything he could tell me about them, like the date, location and anything else he could remember. Before we realized it, it was already the dead of night and his condition didn’t seem to be improving, but getting worse.

He tried to convince to go home and leave him alone. “You don’t need to take care of me like this, Rainbow Dash. I know how to take care of myself.”

“Nonsense! What if the moment I leave through that door, you get a heart attack?”

He raised an eyebrow so high it almost flew off his face. “I have a fever, not a coronary problem.”

“Yeah, but you never know.” Curse you, Twilight. You and your medicine books have made me paranoid of even a slight headache!

He sighed before closing his eyes, ready to sleep. “Alright, you can do as you please. I’m too tired and apathetic to argue with you right now.”

Rainbow 1, Brownie 0. “I’ll be sleeping on the couch. If you need something, just call me.”

He quickly made a joke about the situation. “The couch? Why? Are you afraid of me?”

I almost burst out laughing. “HAH! What? Of course not!” Calm down, Rainbow Dash. Let’s fight fire with fire. “Why, you want some company?” I’d totally be down with that. Hey, I’m a mare with needs and I like the guy.

He quickly grinned. “Maybe. Or maybe not. Who knows?”

He’s not getting it. “I bet you get a lot of mares with those comments.” As much as I wanted to continue this conversation, I was too tired to keep it going for the entire night. Well, I could make an exception for certain activities…

I accommodated myself on his couch, trying to get some rest, but I couldn’t stop wondering why I was working so hard to take care of him. After all, he’s a year older than me, and he can take care of himself. But at the same time, he looks so fragile, and in need of somepony who can be there for him. I was quickly overwhelmed by Luna’s influence and pulled into the valley of dreams, silencing all my thoughts and worries.

The next day, I was the first one to wake up at around eleven A.M., with Brownie still snoring in his bed. I had the urge to go and wake him up, but I decided otherwise. The poor guy ought to rest a little more. I took this chance to read some books from his Daring Do collection to pass time. I had already read all of them, but I wasn’t going to bother him or leave him by himself. By the time he finally woke up, it was already lunch and he had a craving for apples.

The way he devoured the apple remembered me of Fluttershy, -- so slow and cautious. I asked him, “So, how are you feeling? Better?”

He looked up from his apple. “A bit, I suppose.” He sounded pretty out of it. He took a big gulp of water before resuming our conversation. “Sorry, I’m the kind of guy who wouldn’t notice if a timberwolf was biting his leg.”

“Let’s check on the thermometer, just to be sure.” He placed the thermometer in his mouth, and after a short wait, we looked at the result. “100ºF. Well, looks like your fever has gone down a bit.”

He wiped the sweat off his forehead. “Finally, good news.”

I felt sorry for him. Since I was probably the best friend he had in Ponyville, I knew he talked with the others and all that, but right now, I’m the only one who can take care of him, like his personal nurse… No, take that back, take that back! I’m not a nurse! And that didn’t sound totally fantasy-related! Quick, start a new conversation! “You know, it’s a bit weird to ask you this, but… Can you tell me something about yourself? I mean, all I know is that you come from Hollow Shades and that your family consists of your parents and two younger twin sisters. What about your childhood and your hometown?”

He stared back at me as if I had struck a nerve there. I was expecting an excuse or something similar, but he only sighed. “Sorry, I should have talked earlier about this, but it never crossed my mind. Besides, I barely know you either, so I’d say this is considered a tie.”

He got me there. “Alright, we’ll get to know each other better. I’ll tell you about myself, but you go first.”

He weighed these in his head before nodding. “Sounds good to me. But no backing out!” Brownie exclaimed, pointing me overdramatically. He chuckled a bit before resuming our conversation. The brown stallion made himself comfortable on his bed, now assuming a sitting position so he could face me better. He began, “You know anything about Hollow Shades?”

I tried my best to show off my limited knowledge. “Well, my geography is a bit rusty. All I know is that the village is located deep in a giant forest, surrounded by massive trees.” He seemed to agree silently. “The reason behind that name is because the trees’ leaves shroud the entire place in darkness like a giant curtain of leaves and wood. That’s all I can remember.” This must be the only time Twilight helped me learn something useful.

He smiled, probably pleased that I knew something about his hometown. “Yeah, that’s right. Not a lot of ponies know this, but Hollow Shades runs like it’s still in the Middle Ages. We have a castle in the middle of the village with a great wall that divides the nobles from the ‘peasants’, as they call us.” There was a degrading tone when he said peasants. He probably got called that a lot. “The nobility is mostly unicorns. They have parties every day and night as their subjects work on the fields and whatever their talents dictate.” His teeth clenched so hard I thought they would break like a porcelain vase.

I felt like I should try to calm him down. Placing my hoof on his shoulder, I gave my best try at giving him a warm smile. “I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know there were still places like that in Equestria, but you’re in Ponyville, now. ” A part of me wanted to give him a hug, but the other part was against it, finally winning the battle.

He snorted derisively, “Yeah, well, In Hollow Shades, our government didn’t evolve too much.” He paused to clear his throat before he resumed his explanation. “They demand tribute each month, and anypony who doesn’t pay will be left out in case of an attack by the forest creatures. I never saw it happen, but the newspaper always mention somepony who was transferred to the hospital during an attack because they didn’t pay the tribute.” He took a small pause, rubbing his neck before resuming his conversation. “And on top of that, most of the villagers are forced to work inside the walls, only allowed to leave on weekends. My father was forced to work there for years until they replaced him by someone younger and stronger. That’s what they always do. You toil like a mule for thirty years, then you die.” His hooves were shaking.

This was like something out of the old times before the three tribes started working together. “That’s horrible! Why doesn’t anypony tell Princess Celestia about this?”

He shrugged. “Beats me, but if I had to guess, I’d say that Princess Celestia can’t just go there and change the entire system. She may be our ruler, but I think that something like this will need more than just her orders. It needs time and the will of the people to change”. He trailed off, his ears lowered as he looked away.

I didn’t know what to say. “I see…”

He continued to explain. “Most of the peasant population is made up of earth ponies, but there’s occasionally a unicorn, although never any pegasi. We always have to hire them from nearby towns and cities whenever we need help with the weather, which is always, because we’re right in the middle of a giant forest.”

I tried to change the subject of our conversation. “And what about your childhood?”

His expression turned even sadder and darker than before. Great work, Rainbow Dash. Water pooled in his eyes. “Well, it wasn’t a pleasant experience… All the fillies always made fun of my name, and I was a constant target of bullying. I had very few friends. They only using me to get at my stuff or buy them things they wanted.” His saddened expression worsened, now holding his left leg, rubbing his hoof as if there was an invisible injury he was trying to heal. I really struck a nerve there. “It took me a very long time, but I finally made some real friends after I got my Cutie Mark.” This time, a little smile appeared on his face as his ears rose again. “I started to make drawings for money, and when I had earned enough, I decided to move to a better place. This is more or less my story.”

My curiosity got the better of me. “You’ve been wearing those clothes since we first met and I’ve always wondered what your Cutie Mark looks like., among other things…”

Brownie ruffled his hair and laughed nervously, “Oh, that? Yeah, well, I always used clothes since I was a foal to hide my blank flank, but when I finally earned my cutie mark, I couldn’t shake off the habit.”

He took off his pants slowly. He started by unbuttoning his jeans, and then slowly unzipped them before standing up to allow me a better view of his flank. I had expected an artist’s palette, but instead all I found was a pencil drawing a stick figure of a pony in a blank sheet of paper. But at least he’s got a nice plot. Wait, did I really think that? It’s not that I was having these thoughts, so much as the fact that they hadn’t started until pretty recently. Normally, I know from the start whether or not I dig a stallion, and I go from there. I suppressed an internal groan, although I’m certain that it came out in my tone the next time I opened my mouth.

I had to say something quick. “Interesting…” Yeah, nice work there. There’s no way he didn’t notice me practically ogling him.

“Is not what you expected, I presume?” he replied as he dressed up again before wrapping himself under the bed sheet. He got me there.

“It was cooler when it was a mystery.”

Oblivious as ever, he replied, “Yeah, I know what you mean. I remember that Pinkie Pie asked me if I was hiding scars under my clothes.”

“That’s Pinkie Pie for you.” For a moment there, I saw him covered in scars, like a protagonist of one of those action novels. I tried to imagined him wearing a military uniform. He didn’t belong in an Afghneighnka; the image just didn’t fit. I stifled the urge to laugh.

The brown stallion shifted around on his bed, trying to find a comfortable posture. “Well, that’s more or less the story of my life. Now it’s your turn to tell me about your life” He smiled back at me, and I don’t know why or how, but it felt different, like if he had managed to get rid of a great burden. I had the urge to hug him and never let him go, but I quickly dismissed that idea.

I began to relay my own tale. After all, he had told me everything about him, I had promised to tell him my story if he told me his. “I was born In Cloudsdale, you know, the floating city, and as you can guess by the name and the fact that’s made of clouds, the only habitants are pegasi. I wasn’t picked on very much, but when I was an older foal, I was made fun by a group of bullies who made fun of my name and color palette, calling me a lesbian and other things because I always acted like a tomboy.” He listened to me, paying attention to every word I said. “One day I raced against those bullies to show them a lesson, and in the process not only did I discover my passion for speed, but I earned my Cutie Mark and created a Sonic Rainboom that incidentally earned my friends’ Cutie Marks, too.”

His eyes quickly widened as soon as I finished my story. “Wow, that’s amazing! So young and you found your talent!” His expression quickly changed at the same time his face blushed. “I didn’t find mine until I was thirteen or so...” He gradually dropped to a whisper by the end.

I tried to cheer him up a bit. “Don’t worry. Applejack was the last one of her class to get her Cutie Mark, you know?”

He grinned. “Yeah, I know there are a lot of ponies who take a long time to find their talent, but I don’t really care about that. My mother always said that good things are worth waiting for.”

I was glad that he was smiling again, so I continued my story. “Well, I’m the fastest pony in Equestria, after all. I’m surprised I wasn’t born with a cutie mark. After that, my parents helped me to focus on my talent.”

He politely interrupted me. “Your parents? Can you tell me a bit more about them?”

“Yes, of course. My parents are both pegasi, still residing in Cloudsdale. My mother’s name is Firefly, a pink pegasus with a blue mane. Her cutie mark is a big blue lightning bolt and is currently working in the weather factory in the lightning and thunder department.”

He asked me another question. “Is that why you have a job with the weather patrol?”

I nodded. “Yeah, it was all her idea. She said that I had to work on something until I join the Wonderbolts, and since I didn’t have any better plans, I got this job. My father, Spectrum Floyd, has a rainbow mane and a gray blue coat.” His confused expression revealed to me what he was thinking. “And yeah, I inherited my rainbow mane from him. It’s a rare trait from his family line.”

He grinned a bit. “I bet your father and I would get along well.”

“Yeah, I can see you two drinking cider and talking about my embarrassing moments.” This spurted a small giggle from both of us. “They brought me to see one of the Wonderbolts acrobatic shows. Since that day, I’ve been training as hard as I can to join them, and I finally managed to enter their training academy. You already know the rest of my life, about discovering my role as the element of loyalty, saving Equestria, making friends, and all those things. I hope I didn’t miss anything.”

He smiled. “Well, now we have something in common. We had bullies harassing us and making fun of our names. My childhood was a living hell, but yours wasn’t easy either.”

The atmosphere was depressing again. What did I tell you about spelling things out? “Yes. But that’s part of the past, and you left everything behind. Try to cheer up a bit.”

“Don’t worry; I stopped doing that a long time ago.” There was a beat. “That reminds me… Could you tell Mecha that I will be absent for a while? We have to finish painting a few carriages, and right now I don’t feel like I have enough strength to even lift a brush.”

Urgh, I have to go and tell Mecha that her ‘coltfriend’ won’t be able to work because he’s ill? “Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll get to it right away.”

He held up a hoof to stop me. “You don’t have to do this right now. It can wait until tomorrow. She’s probably home sleeping.” Wait? It’s night already? Damn, time flies with this colt. I smiled and told him that I’d get to it later. He smiled back at me. “Thanks. I owe you a big one for this.” He yawned.

“Tired?” He nodded, tucking himself in between the sheets. To be honest, that bed was starting to look pretty good to me, too. It’s been a long day. I had to tease him again. “Are you sure you don’t want company, tonight?” I asked him in my most sultry tone.

He considered my offer for a moment. “Nah, I’m good.” And not even a bit of flush. He’s no fun!

I stand up to leave. I lean on the door and turn to face him one last time “Well night, Brownie.”

“Night, Dashie.”

“Hey!” My anger was cut short by the musical sound of his laughter. I turn off the lights and leave him. I really ought to – never mind. I need to figure out what’s up with me. I normally don’t act like this. I lay on the sofa just like last night. Mercifully, sleep came easily.

I woke up in the early morning. A bloody glow was just spilling over the horizon, so it might’ve been just before dawn. I felt awake, energized- alive. All of me felt that way, all of me. Damn, a few days spent caring for somepony else can really make you neglect your needs. That reminded me, he’s got needs too… I smirked as I climbed up the stairs and walked down to Brownie’s bedroom. I saw a dim light shining from under the slightly ajar door as I came near. I stopped just short of the threshold.

I heard a muffled but distinct clopping sound. I cracked the door and looked in. Brownie was bent over, concentrating on something. Should I? Hell yeah! I flourish open the door. He jumps. Folding something in his lap, he snaps round to face me with something in his hoover.

“R-Rainbow Dash! W-w-what are you doing here?” There’s a noticeable tent in the bedsheets. He’s doing a bad job of hiding it, but I pretend not to notice.

I flash him a smile. “Nothing. Everything’s fine.”

He was blushing furiously. “Then could you please go?”

“Well actually, I’ve got a problem you can help me with Brownie.”

He sits at attention. “What is it?”

I flash him another smile and lie down on the bed, giving him a perfect view of everything. He started blushing redder than ever. He’s dumbstruck by the hotness that it me. I tease with the sweetest voice I can muster. “Draw me like one of your French mares.”

“Okay, just let me grab my tools,” he stutters, standing up. I only intend for him to need one tool for this. I grab him by the hoof. Then I push him onto his back. I look down and grin, pleased by his body’s reaction. I’m going to enjoy this a lot. Sweet contact.

I wake up. What the buck did I just dream? And why? Ugh! “I really need to get laid." I wouldn't mind doing it with Brownie, but he'd never go through with it. Besides, if he wants that, then it’s his duty to come to me. I took a shower. The initial blast of cold eased my heat, but it soon warmed up, helping me to relax and freshen up after spending two days watching over him. During the shower, the warm water refreshed my body and swept away dirt and stress I didn’t even know I’d gotten from the last two days. I also thought about my dream. So I know what I like and I’m aggressive at getting what I want, but that so was not me. For starters, “Draw me like one of your French mares.” How cheesy can you get? Secondly, there are two kinds of stallions, stallions I’ll befriend and stallions I’ll buck. The two should never cross and for good reasons! I dry myself off and go get breakfast. Afterwards, I brought him an apple.

To my surprise, Brownie was already awake and sitting up in the middle of the bed with a comic book in his hooves. I tossed him the apple and he dug into it enthusiastically, thanking me for it. “It’s cool,” I said, batting at his words with my hoof. I thought back on last night’s dream. There’s no doubt about it: I like him. I wondered if he likes me. I have to know. I watched him the whole time. He seemed at ease around me, or at least I didn’t scare him. I sat next to him on the edge of the bed. Brownie immediately got flustered. Damn, that’s cute. I scooted closer to him, looking for a reaction.

When we touched, he blinked and stared at me. That didn’t prove anything besides the fact that he can feel. I moved my hoof onto his. He tentatively held it for a few seconds before pulling his away, obviously confused. “Rainbow, what are you doing?” He inquired with a blush and a tremor. Okay, there’s real naïve, where a guy doesn’t understand, and then there’s sorta naïve, where a guy’s got an idea, but he doesn’t know what to do. Brownie was definitely the second. I just had to know if I was too sexy for him, or if he really didn’t know what to do.

“I was hoping you’d show me a good time,” I tease, reclining against him, giving him a good look down my front and placing his hooves on me. Once went just below my chest and the other one was right by my plot. I relaxed my grip and snuggled against him. His touch felt nice and relaxing. He didn’t enjoy this as much as me; he was all stiff and still, like he was scared of doing something bad. “Y’know, you can touch me.” Brownie relaxed a little bit, but he still stayed stiff. He didn’t feel me up or anything like that.

We kinda cuddled for a while, but he eventually spoke up. “Uh, Rainbow, are you just going to lie on me? I mean, it’s nice and all, but it’s making me uncomfortable.” He ruffled his mane, shifting awkwardly, trying to avoid my plot. At least he was enjoying it, that’s what his body was telling me. Just as I thought, he’s into me but doesn’t know what to do with mares because he’s probably never had one before. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be somepony’s first.

We played videogames at first. We had to do a cooperative one because I’m not too good at them and I hate losing. The next several hours were a lot of fun. We has just beaten a tough midlevel boss when he said, “Please don’t forget to go talk to mecha. Now’s the best time.” I got the implication.

I could feel a smile spreading across my face. “Oh, don’t worry. That’s what friends are for. Where’s the garage?”

“It’s in Rusty Gear street twelve. Do you need any directions?”

“Don’t worry, I know Ponyville like the sole of my hoof.”

I left his house, heading straight for the garage. I didn’t enjoy the idea of talking with her, since most of the times he couldn’t race with me he always told me he had work to do. Yeah, right. I bet they were dating instead of doing their job, and that’s really why he’d been avoided me for the past two weeks.

I wasn’t too familiar with this mare and her garage since I never stopped by, but I recognized it as soon as I got close. The place was very dirty, with all kind of tools scattered everywhere. Obviously, their work didn’t cover cleaning. A few carriages were resting inside, but only one of them had its paint job finished. I quickly recognized the design as one of Brownie’s works; his style was as distinct as his Cutie Mark. I felt like visiting a museum, now admiring the latest work of a famous artist.

The green and grey mare with the blue jumpsuit quickly noticed my presence and rolled out from underneath a carriage, greeting me. “Hello. Can I help you?”

Yeah, don’t act like as if you never did anything wrong. “Do I look like I have a carriage? I only came to tell you that Brownie won’t be able to work tomorrow.”

Her cheerful smile quickly faded away. “Brownie? Is he alright?” I didn’t feel like chatting with this mare.

“Your coltfriend has a fever and will have to stay home for a few days. He asked me to give you this message.”

This caught her off-guard. “Wait, what? Coltfriend?” She first stuttered and then lauched, “I think you got something wrong here. He’s not my coltfriend! Besides, I already have a marefriend.”

Alright, now I royally screwed up everything. “Marefriend? So you’re lesbian?”

“Bisexual, but I’m more interested in mares,” she replied, gesturing with her hoof. I’ve tried it; it’s okay. I’ll pass. “But what led you to think we’re a couple?”

“Well, I…” She got me there. “These past two weeks, whenever I asked him to race with me, most of the time he said something along the lines of ‘I have to work at the garage’, and given all the time he was spending here… Well, I mistook you two for a couple.”

She shook her head vigorously and raised her voice. “Working with me? He only appeared a few times. I only ask his help when there’s a paint job, or when a client asks for a drawing or design for their carriage. I don’t have a big demand, so I usually ask for his help one day, and the next one he can have a day off.”

I was dumbstruck. “So he lied to me? But why?”

“I don’t know, but you should ask him yourself. Besides, why do you care so much about him? From what you said, you two are friends, but it seems like you think of him as being more than a friend.”

My face quickly turned red. “What are you talking about? Are you saying that I have feelings for him?” Shut up, heart!

“If you don't have feelings for him, then why are you getting so defensive? And why are you acting jealous at the idea of him being with me? You wouldn't be doing this if you didn't have feelings for him. Admit it, you like him." I didn’t know then that Mecha liked messing with heads. I was the only one taking any of this at all seriously.

I was starting to feel embarrassed. “I-I don’t like him! He’s just my friend!”

“Look, I’m not the one you should talk to. You should go and discuss it with him. And while you’re at it, tell him that he can come back when he starts feeling better.”

I didn’t like to admit it, but she was right. I would gain nothing from discussing with her whether or not I feel something about Brownie. But what if she was right? After all, he’s the first stallion whom I can talk with, since Big Mac doesn’t say too much and I don’t know any others. He’s cool and funny and likes to read Daring Do, and that portrait he did for me was amazing! He’s just a good friend… Right?

My thoughts disappeared as soon as somepony called me. “Hey, Rainbow Dash!”

To my surprise, it was no other pony than my number one fan. “Hey, Squirt. Having another crusade to find a cutie mark?”

“Yes. I was going to the arcade, to see if I can find my game master. He’s the best player I’ve never seen in Ponyville.”

I chuckled. “Oh, really? I bet he wouldn’t be able to beat me.”

“Well, of course, you would win, but he’s amazing! He managed to beat Metal Bug with only three bits! I can’t even reach the third level without inserting seven coins.”

“Three bits?” That sounded very familiar. “I have a friend named Brownie who managed to do that same feat because he memorized most of the enemies’ positions’.”

Her small ears perked up as soon as I mentioned his name. “Brownie? Yeah, that’s him! He’s been coming to the arcade these last two weeks, teaching me tricks and how to become a better player!”

“These last two weeks?” It couldn’t be a coincidence, and I knew exactly what to ask. “Did he always appear every afternoon? As in the last two weeks?”

She quickly nodded. “Yeah. He said that he likes to play videogames on his free time. Why do you ask?”

So he had been avoiding me to go play videogames with Scootaloo. Well, at least now I know where he went during those escapades. But why did he do that? Why was he trying to avoid me? Or maybe he’s just obsessed with videogames? Either way, I had to tell the truth to Scootaloo, so she wouldn’t waste the whole day waiting for him at the arcade.

“I’m sorry, but Brownie’s sick in bed. The poor guy has a fever and won’t be able to play with you for a few days until he gets better. But I’ll tell him that you’re waiting for him, alright?”

The poor filly didn’t take my news well. “That stinks.” Her mood quickly changed. “Well, thanks for telling me, Rainbow Dash. You’re the greatest!” She suddenly hugged me before speeding off through the streets.

After a short flight, I was back with Brownie, ready to find out the truth. It was hard to not just storm up there and beat it out of him. I approached with a plainly false smile. “Feeling better?”

He smiled back at me. “Yeah, a bit. Thanks for taking care of me.” Yeah, smile while you can, liar.


“Don’t worry. That’s what friends are for, remember? I already told Mecha that you would be absent for a few days from your work. Oh, and guess what? She told me that you didn’t spend the last two weeks working on stuff at her garage during the afternoon.” His expression told me everything. Gotcha! “And then I met Scootaloo, who told me that she played you in the arcade during the same time you were supposed to be working.”

He tried to talk. “Rainbow, I…”

I shot my hoof past him and against the wall. I looked him in the eyes. He saw my fury. “No excuses! Why did you lie to me? Were you trying to avoid me? Tell me!”

Brownie shrank surprisingly like Fluttershy. He diaverted his eyes, not daring to look at me, like a colt that had been caught by his mother after breaking something. He sighed before coming up with a reply. “I’m sorry. It’s just that… I didn’t have the guts to tell you the truth, but I didn’t want to lie, so I avoided that subject of conversation.”

“You avoided what? What else are you hiding? Did you lie about your past, too? About your hometown and your family?” I knew that I should’ve probably been more tactful, but I was too furious to care.

Silence invaded the room, observing every one of our movements and reactions. Brownie was as immobile as a statue; his chest moving so slowly it also seemed as if he wasn’t breathing. He slowly opened the top drawer of his night table, revealing a collection of comic books lying inside before searching through the bottom, stopping only to extract a small plastic device.

He was the first to break the silence. “This is what I’ve been hiding from you… Do you know what is this used for?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I think I’ve seen one of these before, but I’m not sure. Don’t tell me that you’re taking drugs.”

“This thing is an inhaler. It’s for people with breathing problems. Or to put it simply, I’m an asthmatic.” He allowed the inhaler to rest beside him, avoiding any visual contact with me. I could feel his embarrassment and sorrow, and I hoped he felt my hurt and sense of betrayal.

I didn’t understand it. “But why didn’t you tell me about your asthma? I mean, what’s wrong with having an illness?”

He could only squeak pitifully. I expected him to hide under his bed or something similar. “I… I was afraid that you would reject me” Operation: Open Mouth Insert Foot has been accomplished.

The hey? “Reject you? For being an asthmatic?! What made you think I’d do something like that?” I’m Rainbow Dash! I AM loyalty!

He took a few seconds to think of his next excuse. “Ever since I was a colt, my parents never allowed me to play and run like other foals because they were afraid that I would suffer an asthma attack. My condition improved when I grew older, but it left me with low stamina and endurance; that means that I’m a slow runner and that I can’t run for more than a few minutes before getting exhausted. That’s why I fainted during the Running of the Leaves.” Wait – that wasn’t an excuse!

I suddenly exclaimed “Hello? I’m the element of LOYALTY! Why didn’t you talk about this before?” He tried hide again.

“I didn’t tell you anything because I know how much you love to run and compete with your friends. I feared the day where you found out my secret and reject me because of my condition. I know how much you love to run, and having asthma doesn’t allow me to run like other ponies.” Small crystal tears started to leak from his eyes, splashing against his cheek. He sniffled, “I did it because I like you…”

His declaration was unexpected for me. I would have never imagined that he had asthma, although it wasn’t hard to tell that that he had a crush on me. I should have noticed that something was wrong with him earlier. I stopped shouting. I lectured him coldly, as if I didn’t even care. “I’m not angry at you because of your asthma. What I really hate is that you lied to me instead of telling me the truth. You could have killed yourself because you were willing to risk your life rather than confessing that you shouldn’t go too far. I’ve never lied to you. Why couldn’t you do the same for me?”

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? I only wanted to be your friend! I always wanted to find somepony who would stay at my side, who wouldn’t betray me…” He turned his head back at me, tears filling his eyes. “That somepony was you. But all I did was screw everything up.”

“Yes, you really screwed everything up, Brownie… You really did. I need some time alone to think about this…”

I had the urge to slap him- to hit him as hard as I could, but I stopped myself. I wasn’t violent. I closed the door, leaving him and his confessions behind before heading back home to organize my feelings and thoughts about everything he had confessed to me. This was going to take a while.