Chapter 25 – No Holding Back
With renewed determination, I swiftly arrive at Rainbow Dash’s cloudhouse. It looks just the same as it was before when I first arrived here to pick her up for the Gala this evening. Except when I see her house now despite how beautiful the night is, it feels… empty and gloomy. Maybe it’s just me considering all that has happened to me tonight. I brush those negative feelings aside as I concentrate on what’s important right now: Rainbow Dash.
After making my hasty landing, I approach her door and knock on it several times. Strangely enough, my rapid knocks hardly makes a sound. Of course! Her door is made out of clouds. It isn’t dense enough to produce any kind of sound. I’m just about to use the doorbell this time, but my equine ears pick up something from the upper floor. I can hear soft sobbing from a dimly lit window above me, and I think I know from whom.
I ascend slowly into the air to follow the source of the grieving sound. As I peek through the opened window, my heart breaks into two as I see what’s before me. I see Rainbow Dash, still in her Gala dress, crying brokenheartedly as she lies on her bed with her fore legs crossed over her face as she tries to muffle her constant weeping. The only source of light in the grimly dimmed room is from a small, pink-shaded lamp sitting on a nightstand. On the floor near the foot of her bed, I see the once-beautiful white rose I gave to her, now it’s a complete mess with all of its plucked petals scattered across the cloudy floor. I really despise myself for what I’ve done to her, and I know I have a lot to make up for putting her in this miserable state of hers.
After swallowing a difficult gulp in my throat and taking a deep breath, I muster my courage as I speak out to her softly, “Rainbow Dash…” After perking her ears, she looks up and stares at me in surprise with tearful eyes.
“Can we talk for a minute?” I ask her gently. And the answer to my question is in the form of a firm smack in the face with one of Rainbow’s flung pillows.
“Go away.” she frowns at my return as she turns her back against me before plopping her head on her only pillow.
“Please, Rainbow…” I plead to her as I take a few steps toward her bed. “…I really need to speak with you.” In response, she throws her remaining pillow at me as it hits me right on the muzzle.
“I said go away.” she says angrily without even looking at me. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Sorry, Rainbow…" I say with resolve as I stand my ground. “…but I’m not going anywhere until I have a chance to speak out my mind.”
Suddenly, she soars out of her bed and she hovers right into my face with a menacing stare from her infuriating, teary eyes. “GET OUT RIGHT NOW, OR I SWEAR I’LL BUCK YOU OUT OF THIS HOUSE MYSELF!” she screeches at me with all of her fury directed towards me.
Her sorrowful rage shakes me to the bone, but it only makes me more immensely regretful for what I’ve done to her as I drop on all knees before her terrifying presence. “Rainbow Dash, I’m sorry!” I apologize greatly to her. “I know I have made a terrible mistake by hurting you like that! And I know that I can’t take everything back I’ve said to you, but that wasn’t my initial plan when I asked you out onto the balcony! That’s why I came here tonight, to tell you what I really should have said in the first place! Please, just give me this one chance, and if you like, I… I promise I’ll never have to show my face in front of you ever again!”
She calms down a bit, but that did little to reduce her sour mood at me. “Why should I?” she coldly asks of me.
“Because right now, you’re the only pony important enough to deserve the absolute truth about me.” I appeal to her sincerely.
Rainbow Dash takes a moment of silence to think about my pitiful request. Without saying a word, she sharply turns around and walks toward her bed. After taking a seat on the end of the bed, she scoots over to left side of the bed, and I notice an empty spot right next to her. Once I understand her subtle gesture, I smile a little at this chance I have been given as I slowly approach my empty side of her bed. As I take my seat, while also making sure I’m not sitting too close to her so I don’t make her feel uncomfortable around me, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves before beginning my confession.
“Do you remember when we first met and I told you about how I lost my memories?” I ask her gingerly. With Rainbow Dash still not looking at me, I see her nodding lightly to my initial question.
“Well… that part was a lie unfortunately.” I admit shamefully. Then, I see her quickly turning her head as she stares at me piercingly with barely concealed anger.
“I know!” I respond remorsefully to her as I briskly turn away from her intimidating gaze. “It was terrible for me to do that, especially towards you, and I hated myself for lying like that! But you see… I did that to not only protect my own identity, but to also protect on what I know about Equestria, about your friends, and… about you!” Her frowning expression softens up a bit before turning her piercing gaze away from me.
“You see, I was never a pony to begin with!” I continue my confession. “I was… a different species as well as from a different world for that matter! Maybe even from a different dimension all together! Yet somehow I ended up here as this pathetic pony you see before you!” She looks at me again, but this time with an unemotional, yet confusing expression on her face.
“Initially, I started to fear on my own actions when I came to magical world of yours, and I sought to return to my world as soon as possible! But overtime, I grew to love it here! I’ve enjoyed company of your friends, I’ve enjoyed the benefits on being a Pegasus Pony, but more importantly, I’ve enjoyed being here... with you!” I glance at Rainbow to see her showing a softer, sympathetic expression before continuing my statement.
“You were my first friend when I arrived in Ponyville.” I smile warmly to myself as I recall those wonderful memories we had together. “You were the first one to offer me your home, even though I couldn't properly fly yet. You were the one to show me the joys of flight despite my struggling fear of heights. You were the one who took care of me when I was sick, and I was glad to return the favor when you caught my illness. You’ve done so much for me and more, that I don’t think I’ll be able to make it up to you in full return. I know that I’ve lied to you about my initial appearance, but the one thing that will never be a lie is my true feelings for you! And that’s why I came here tonight! To tell you what I should have told you at the Gala this evening! What I really wanted to say to you… is that I love you, Rainbow Dash!” After finally admitting the truth, I finally catch Rainbow off-guard as she stares at me with wide-eyed surprise and perhaps a rosy blush on her cheeks.
“Yes, I was to going to tell you on how much I love you, and how much you matter to me so much! But all that changed when Twilight Sparkle informed me that she found a way back to my homeworld. I was so focused on wanting to tell you about my personal feelings tonight, that I completely forgot about on how Twilight was going to help me get back home. I was so disarrayed from this unexpected news, that I figured that it was pointless tell you about my affection for you! And I handled that very poorly when I was saying my goodbyes to you, but more importantly, I was a complete fool for not realizing on how much I’ve hurt you after that, and for that, I am so, so sorry, Rainbow!” I wrap it up sobbingly. “I’ve never intend to break your heart like that, but I was too stubborn and selfish for not foreseeing the grief that I’ve caused against you!”
As I shed a few tears, I look at Rainbow Dash once more to see if she’ll finally be able to forgive me. However, to my disappointment, I only see the back of her lowered head. Seeing this heart-stricken gesture, I know now when to cut my losses. “Well, thank you for taking the time to listen to me.” I say to her as I wipe my small tears. “I know I must have sounded really pathetic right now. I guess… I should just take my leave now--”
But before I get up from the bed, I’m pulled by an unforeseen force as my head comes into contact with a cushion of blue fur semi-wrapped in a glittery, silky, purple fabric. With wide, startling eyes, I look up to see a familiar face. I see Rainbow Dash nuzzling on my mane, with her eyes shut tightly as soft tears flow through them. And not only that, but I feel a tight, warm embrace around me as I continue to look at her warm smile. Understanding on what’s going on here, I cry uncontrollably as I immediately return her affection by clingingly wrapping my forelegs around her body. It feels just like the first time she hugged me like this when I was breaking down at my welcoming party. Only this time, this kind of embrace isn’t just to comfort me; it’s also to show me on how much she really cares about me. I continue to break down into blissful tears while we are still locked into each other's forelegs.
“Can you ever forgive me?” I ask her whimperingly.
“I’ve already have, Ford.” she answers sweetly as she pats my mane softly.
Eventually, once our tears have dried up, I lift my head up to gaze into Rainbow’s beautiful, magenta eyes. She smiles dreamily at me, and I smile the same way back. Then, to my surprise, I see her leaning her muzzle towards my own. I have a good feeling that I know what she’s about to do. And although I’m excited for what’s to come, I know that I’m not out of the woods just yet.
“Wait, Rainbow!” I interrupt her as I raise my hoof between our lips. “Before you do anything that you might regret later, I think it’s time that I tell you the truth first!”
“You don’t have to do that for me, Mustang.” she sympathizes with me. “If your secret is that important to you, I understand, and I won’t force you into revealing it for me.”
“No, Rainbow!” I dismiss it steadfastly. “I need to do this! I’ve already put you in enough turmoil from keeping secrets to myself, and if I want to make this work between us, then it’s only fair you get to know the real me!”
She nods to my resolve before giving me a bit of space after breaking our hug. As I stare down at the floor, I hesitate as I start to tremble uncontrollably once my fears start to work their way into my aching heart.
“Ford, are you okay?” Rainbow asks out of concern.
“Sorry, Rainbow… I’m just… so scared.” I admit fearfully as I continue to shake like an autumn leaf. As I struggle with myself, I feel something resting on my hoof as it surprisingly calms down my nerves. Inspecting my grasped hoof, I see it another hoof belong to Rainbow Dash, who smiles warmly at me.
“It’s alright, Ford.” she assures me tenderly. “I’ll be here for you no matter what.”
“Promise?” I inquire softly.
“Pinkie Promise.” she grins at my while going through the usual motions of a Pinkie Promise.
“Okay, here it goes…” I say to her with relaxing smile before taking a heavy sigh and beginning my story. “First off, what do you know about humans?”
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And so from there, I tell Rainbow Dash just about everything there is to know about me when I was a human. I told her where I lived, what kind of life I’ve led, what were my hopes and dreams as an artist, and what were some of my interests that I partook in. Astonishingly, Rainbow Dash is silent the whole time as I was speaking to her. Never did she interrupt me, nor ask me questions right away. She just listens attentively with a very stoic expression. Eventually, I’ve decided that it’s for the best that I tell her the truth about the My Little Pony cartoon that’s connected with this world I’m in now. Although I did decide to leave out some of the details regarding with the fanfiction craze; I figure it would be best to not mention them at all. I know that there might be some risk in revealing something so obscured, but for Rainbow Dash, she is well worth it. After my explanation of the cartoon, Rainbow is still very silent as she takes the time to gather up her thoughts before speaking to me.
“So, let me get this straight, Ford… you’re a human… from another world called ‘Earth.’”
“Yes.”
“And on ‘Earth’, there’s a cartoon called ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’, where it stars Twilight, myself, and the rest our friends as main characters for this show.”
“Yes.”
“And it’s gotten so popular, that not only is there a huge fan service dedicated towards us, but despite the fact that it was intended as a show for girls, a lot of those fans happened to be an older, male audience who called themselves ‘Bronies.’”
“Yes.”
“And you happened to be one of them.”
“Well, I don’t usually like to address myself like that, but… yes.”
“Wow… that sounds…” Strange? Weird? Deplorable? Overwhelming?
“…AWESOME!” she surprisingly shouts in unbridled joy.
…
“WHAAAAAAAT?!” I yell out loud in perplexity after taking a brief moment to comprehend on what she just said to me.
“I can’t believe we’re the stars of a hit TV show on another world!” Rainbow continues to glee ecstatically with an exciting grin. “This is so cool!”
“Rainbow, you’re scaring me.” I say to her with a twinge of fear. “You’re taking this all way too well.”
“Oh come on, Ford!” she chuckles grinningly. “Can’t I just enjoy my moment in the spotlight? Wait, this show doesn’t record everything we do, does it?!” Rainbow asks worryingly.
“No no no! Of course not!” I reassure her hastily. “This is a kids’ show! Not some sick reality TV show! Well… more or less.”
“Oh, thank Celestia!” she sighs in relief.
“Then… you don’t have a problem with me being a fan of some fictional show based off your actual adventures?” I ask her cautiously.
“Not at all! It’s no different from me being a fan of the Wonderbolts or Daring Do, is it? Although, the title of this show does sound a bit too… girly for my tastes.”
“Yeah, that’s what my initial reaction was before being hooked on it.” We take a moment to share a brief laugh together at the agreement over the distasteful title. Once that is over, I feel more comfortable and relaxed now that Rainbow Dash seems to have accepted me.
“So… does that mean you still like me?” I ask her.
“No, silly… I don’t like you.” she giggles with a smile. I ponder in confusion over this contradictive sentence, but then I feel her soft hoof on my cheek as she directs my attention to her mesmerizing eyes and her gorgeous smile as she devotedly says to me, “I love you.”
My heart must have skipped a beat when she said that to me. Then, my cardiovascular organ pumps like mad as I try to figure out what my next move should be from here. I’m certain that this is the right moment for me to just go for it. As I slowly lean closer to her face, I see her mimicking my subtle movement. I then see her closing her eyes and I do the same. With my instincts guiding me, my lips finally make first contact as I’m finally sharing my first kiss with Rainbow Dash!
It’s everything that I have ever imagined and more! Our lips pressed against each other’s gently, yet I can feel the raw passion from this heartwarming affection she’s giving to me! I’m lost in the vast sea of love as it feels like time itself has frozen before us! As we continue our tender kiss, I get to sample the taste of her sweet lips! She tastes… so refreshing! It makes me think of morning dew during a sunrise setting, or the cool, fresh springs of some exotic location! It was this kind of cool sensation that I never want it to leave from me! As we slowly separate our first kiss, time starts to flow again as we gaze into each others’ eyes lovingly.
“Wow.” She grins dreamily.
“Yeah… wow.” I agree with a dazed smile.
We sigh in content as we pull each other into another affectionate embrace. She nuzzles into my chest while I rest my head on her nicely brushed mane as I stroke her soft, exposed back. As I gently caress her smooth coat, Rainbow quietly purrs to herself like an adorable kitten getting the attention she deserves.
“So, Ford… can you tell me which one is your favorite character from the show?” she asks with an all-knowing grin.
“As if you need to ask!” I chuckle heartily while I continue to stroke her back.
“Then humor me!” she goads at me. “Tell me what she’s like! Describe her for me!”
“Well let’s see…” I ponder for a bit as I tap my chin with a free hoof. “She’s a blue-coated Pegasus with rainbow-colored hair just like you, who’s courageous, daring, athletic, awesome, and above all else, loyal.”
“Mmm… Go on…” Rainbow eggs me on with a self-absorbed grin as she moans at my affectionate petting of her.
“Of course, she’s also hotheaded, impatience, stubborn, extremely egotistical…” I knowingly tease her with a smirk.
“Alright, alright. I get it.” she responds grumpily.
“…and she’s quite beautiful.” I say to her sincerely.
She stares at me in surprise at my latest compliment as she blushes intensely. “I’m… b-b-beautiful?” she stammers in disbelief.
“Oh yes… very beautiful.” I coo to her tenderly as I brush some of her hair with my hoof.
She smiles a little at my kind gesture before turning her head away from mine as her smile starts to fade away. “Ford… I-I appreciate the compliment…” says Rainbow Dash as she nervously fiddles with her flowing hair that’s laid across her shoulder. “…but I know that I’m nowhere near as beautiful as the rest of the girls in town like Fluttershy or Rarity.”
“Why would you say that to yourself?” I ask in skepticism.
“I’ve… never cared much about fixing up my mane or applying any that makeup stuff.” she admits faintheartedly to herself. “It would just get in the way when I perform my stunts out there. That’s why I wanted Rarity to make this dress special for me, so that I can show you that I can be just as pretty as any other girl when I need to be.”
“Rainbow Dash… you didn’t need do that for me.” I say to her with a sincere smile as I direct her attention towards me with a gentle fore hoof. “Don’t get me wrong. You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress, but you didn’t need that to show me just how truly beautiful you are already! Besides, in my opinion, too much makeup would just unnecessarily cover up that radiant beauty of yours.” I see her breaking into a lovely smile again after acknowledging her beauty.
“And I know I was just teasing about you being hotheaded and arrogant.” I continue with my uplifting speech for her. “But you know what? I like all those characteristics too! I like how expressive you are when you speak your mind out loud! I like how cool you act whenever you boast about your latest aerodynamic accomplishment! Those are some of the characteristics that I don’t have, and yet surprisingly, what I look up to as well! I love you, Rainbow Dash! I love everything that makes you who you are to this day, and I don’t want you to change one bit for me!”
She is completely stunned by my affectionate words for her. Rainbow struggles on what to say in return for my kindhearted sincerity. After being lost for words, she expresses herself better through action as she surprisingly lunges at me for another kiss. This time, the second kiss is rougher than the first, but nevertheless, I welcome it endearingly. I feel her tongue exploring the insides of my mouth as it tries to maintain domination over my own tongue. I try to put up a good fight with hers, but I’m too drawn in with that deep kiss she’s giving me. Suddenly, she breaks up our kiss as she looks at me with hungry eyes and an appealing smile on her face, and before I even know it, she says something to me with such anticipation upon which I never would have expected so quickly from her!
“You. Me. Bed. Now.”
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After an immeasurable amount of time, we were just finishing up our very first, passionate lovemaking as we lay in bed together. While an exhaustive Rainbow Dash hugs closely onto my naked chest, I enjoyably stroke her slightly messy hair. As I lie awake in her bed, I begin to reflect all that has happened here tonight. Everything is going so perfectly for me, and yet, I feel that there’s only one thing I need to make sure of before I come to my final decision, which could change my life forever!
“Hey Rainbow?” I coo to her softly.
“Mm-hmm?” she responds in a near-sleepy state.
“Why do you love me?”
“Why do you even need to ask?” She asks bewilderedly as she opens her eyes for me.
“I mean… what is that makes me so special to you compared to the rest out there? I’m just a stranger in these lands, and I still don’t even have my own Cutie Mark! Sigh… sometimes, I feel like that I just don’t deserve to be with you at all--.” Quickly, she diverts me from my moping by bopping me right on the forehead.
“Ow!” I groan as I rub my slightly sore head. "Geez! What was that for?!”
“Are you still going on about that?!” she chastises me with conviction. “So what if you still haven’t found your Cutie Mark yet! So what if you’re from another world! Those petty things don’t matter to me! You have a lot of things that I admire about you! You’re kind, gentle, caring, hardworking, and very humble towards others! But you know what I really love about you? You’re always there for me in so many ways!” she affirms with a blushing, recollective smile. “You were there when I needed somepony to cheer for my awesomeness! You were there for me when I needed somepony to fly with! You were there for me when I need somepony to read along with! You were there for me when I was really sick, and you actually took good care of me! And just recently, you were there for me when I needed somepony to see me just as an attractive mare! If anything else, your loyalty matches that with my own! I love you, Ford Mustang, and don’t you ever forget that!”
I feel a single tear running down on my cheek as I beam brightly at her expressive devotion towards me. Without hesitation, I pull her in for another tender hug as I wrap my forelegs tightly around her, never wanting to let her go no matter what.
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” I say to her with immense gratitude for her affection for me. “I really needed to hear that.” At last, I am certain on what my ultimate decision is going to be! One in which I will go all the way as long as I have her at my side! After loosening my grip a bit, I come face to face with Rainbow Dash to announce my resolve.
“I’ve decided!” I say with determination.
“Decided on what exactly?” Rainbow asks perplexingly.
“I’ve decided to stay here in Ponyville!” I confirm happily.
“Like… for a little while longer?” she inquires hopefully.
“I was thinking more like forever actually!” I answer grinningly.
“R-really?!” she gasps in startling surprise by my decision. “But I thought you really wanted to go home as soon as possible! Surely you must have missed it an awful lot by now, right?!”
“You're right, I do miss it. I’ve missed a whole lot of things back home. But there’s only one thing that Earth will never have compared to what I’ve already found here in Equestria.”
“And what’s that, Ford?” she says puzzlingly.
“It wouldn’t have you, of course.” I answer with tender sincerity. Rainbow smiles very warmly towards my response.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is this…” I press onward as I gently grasp hooves with my beloved mare next to me. “Rainbow Dash, will you be my marefriend?”
From this huge step I’m making for both of us, Rainbow Dash takes the time to comprehend this improvised proposal I’ve made to her. Fortunately enough, I know what her answer is going to be as I see her eyes getting watery once more and an endearing smile emerging on her face. And before long, she dives in for another deep kiss, and this time, I am well-prepared to return it in full force.
Once we take a moment to catch our breath from that kiss, she finally answers to me with an affectionate grin, “I thought you would’ve never asked!”
After one last gentle peck on the lips, we finally succumb to our overdue slumber as we continue to be in each other’s embrace for the rest of this magical night of ours.
“I love you, Rainbow.” I smilingly whisper at her.
“I love you too, Ford.” she whispers back at me as sleep takes hold of her.
As I drift off into dreamland, I take one moment to myself upon reflecting this memorable night we’ve shared together. If I were to describe how all this went for me, it would just be in three little words:
BEST. NIGHT. EVER.