//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Holding It In Never Lets It Out 
// by democritus 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash was a mare with a plan. She flew across the skies to Sweet Apple Acres to enact the plan posthaste. She wanted desperately to pull off a few loop-de-loops or barrel rolls along the way, but not only would that make her slow down, she also wanted to save it all for Applejack. All for Applejack. Anything for Applejack. 

Favors didn't work, so Rainbow changed the plan. Her talent wasn't in good deeds, it was flying fast and performing death-defying feats! Why didn't I think of this sooner? She thought. Fly in and do an amazing trick! That'll show her for sure how awesome I am! Will it really work though? She felt the wind flowing through her fur. She loved the feeling. It was the only thing keeping her nerves from exploding. What if I fail? She tried to put it out of mind. I'll show her that I'm the bee's knees!

She saw Sweet Apple Acres, and she caught sight of Applejack, an orange shape among the green grass. She knew it was too late to back out. She began to unveil to the world her most stupendous maneuver yet. She called it the Phantasm Cannonade. To her, it was the finest act of flying known to ponykind - death-defying loops and spins, contrails colliding and crossing, and even a bit of cloud-skimming.

Rainbow turned upwards sharply then looped through the rainbow contrail. What if I fall on my face and she laughs at me? She made the turn, throwing a cloud into the rainbow loop. The impact caused the cloud to explode into sparkles. What if she thinks it was stupid? She turned downwards, zooming to the ground midst the sparkles.

Judgement was always the worst part of a routine. The endless dread between action and reaction, even when she knew she was best in show. Rainbow Dash landed, the sparkles fading, and she prepared herself for Applejack's reply. Either her fears would be realized, or Applejack would finally melt like butter into her hooves and say-

"That was a pretty good trick, Rainbow!" Applejack said.

"Yeah I kn-what?"

Applejack chuckled. "I was worried there for a bit we'd end up having to build Sweet Apple Cemetery around you, but you did some pretty amazing stunts up there!"

Rainbow scratched the back of of her head. "Aw shucks, that wasn't even the best I could do! So how about we-"

"I'd rate it four out of five. It's good, but it lacked something I can't quite place," Applejack said. "A... kick? I don't mean literally, I mean - oh, dang it, I'e got work to do on a wagon!"

"What about after that, then?" Rainbow pleaded.

"I suppose I can give you the write-up then, sugarcube. Well, see ya!" Applejack trotted away.

Rainbow Dash blankly stared forward. "What just happened?" She said to herself aloud. She looked around, confused, as though the answer would be on a tree. "So, is she into me, or..."

"If it makes you feel any better, I thought it was wonderful," a voice said from behind Rainbow.

"Whoza-whatzit?!" Rainbow turned around. "Fluttershy?" Rainbow said. "When did you get there? How didn't I see you coming?"

"Sorry, I don't know." Fluttershy grabbed her mane and wrapped it around her chin. "I mean, I'm so bright I practically glow! It's one of the reasons I have trouble looking myself in the mirror."

Rainbow blinked. "Wait, why are you here anyway?"

"Applejack told me she's fixing a wagon," Fluttershy said, "and she needed something to stress-test it."

"So little old you volunteered? I told you to lay off the bagels, but... but!" Rainbow started laughing.

"No, he did." Fluttershy pointed to the bear behind her.

"GAH!" Rainbow jumped backwards in shock and flew off, halfway to the horizon before turning around and coming back. "That sc... surprised me! What do you need a bear for anyway?!"

"Actually, I did volunteer, but Applejack needed someone a bit bigger than me, so Bearthoven here decided he could help. Isn't that right, buddy?" Bearthoven nodded. Fluttershy continued. "So, what did you mean, was she 'into' you?"

"Oh, uh, heh heh, I... said that out loud, huh?" Rainbow said, starting to blush. "Uh, promise to keep a secret?"

"Oh, of course, Rainbow. I'll never speak of it," Fluttershy replied.

"And the bear, too."

Fluttershy flew up to Bearthoven's ear and whispered to him, and he nodded and whispered something back. Fluttershy spoke up. "Bearthoven says he won't gossip to any of his bear friends." He whispered a little more. "And they wouldn't care about pony things even if he did!"

"Then, come here. I still don't want to say it out loud," Rainbow said. Fluttershy leaned in, turning her head to offer an ear. Rainbow looked around, assuring herself there was no one here except herself, Fluttershy, and a bear. She whispered into Fluttershy's ear.

Fluttershy's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "R-really? Oh my goodness! So, have you told her yet?"

Rainbow grinned sheepishly. "Nah, that flowers-and-candy stuff is totally lame." Rainbow jumped and did a flip in the air, puffing out her chest while beaming proudly. "I'm gonna show her how awesome I am!

"Except I think she missed the point." Rainbow said, relaxing.

Fluttershy gave her friend a weak smile. "Well, that trick was awesome, yes." She called it buttering as it took the sting off of the but that was coming. "But it was just a trick, you know? All it says is 'look how cool I am.' N-not that there's anything wrong with that!" she said.

"Well, yeah, I am awesome. Who doesn't know that?" Rainbow said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Hhm." Fluttershy pondered. "I suppose nopony, but that's my point. She knows you're awesome, so why would this incredible feat suddenly make her ask you on a date? What makes it different from, say, Thunderpulse Θ or The Inverse Icarus Deluxe?" Fluttershy tried to mimic the movements of the tricks with her hoof.

Rainbow thought for a moment. "I think I get what you're saying. The problem is that it was great, but it wasn't romantic."

Fluttershy beamed a giant grin. "Oh, yes, yes, that's it! At least part-"

"What I should do is make it have, like, exploding hearts or something! I gotcha, yeah, I see! Thanks!" Rainbow yelled, also grinning.

Fluttershy shook her head. "No, that's not quite it, I mean you should-" but it was too late. Rainbow zoomed off to the horizon. "-make it about not you, but about her." Fluttershy's buttering plan didn't account for Rainbow just flying off; a serious design flaw. She resolved to fix it eventually. She heard an ahem and looked over her shoulder "Oh, sorry Bearthoven, I just got so caught up in that I forgot all about the wagon!" She said to the bear tapping his foot impatiently. "Come on, let's get to the barn, and remember, not a word of what Rainbow Dash was talking about!" Fluttershy went along the way to Sweet Apple Acres, pursued by a bear.





"There, tidiest cellar in Equestria," Applejack said, walking in to the barn to wrap up for the evening. "Did I miss anything topside, Big Mac?"

"Rainbow Dash had a new trick." Big Macintosh answered. "Mighty impressive you missed it, too, since it lasted so long. I didn't know a pony could make an apple-shaped cloud."

"How long did it go-" Applejack cut herself off, shaking her head and flicking her ears. "Did you say apple?"

"Eeyup." He answered. "She don't normally use apples in her stunts, so it was a real treat to not see another lightning bolt."

Applejack thought for a moment in silence. "Apples, huh. Big Mac, could you go tell Rainbow I missed it?"

Big Macintosh smiled. "Is this another favor?"

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Why, you counting?"

"Eeyup. You owe me eight."

Applejack frowned. "Lands sakes, that's a lot! Don't collect them too soon, won't you?"

"Nine."

Applejack scowled. "And perhaps you could stop being such a jerk while you're at it."

"Ten."

Applejack stomped in frustration. "Ugh, fine, scratch that last one, be a jerk all you want. But I need you to tell Rainbow Dash I missed it. I can't ask her myself, because she's acting strange around me. I don't know if she thinks she owes me a debt or whatever other silly idea has popped into her noggin, but it's getting mighty worrying. I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."