//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Secrets of the Rainbow // by HappySalesman //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Dash gave a sigh and laid back on the bed. What’s taking them so long? I jus- Her thoughts were cut off by a soft knock at the door. “I’d open it, but Rarity locked it,” she called. “I know dear, I’m right here.” With a faint pop, the door unlatched and opened, revealing a smiling Rarity and an uncomfortable looking Cloud Chaser. Dash felt her heart flutter in her chest, hope growing with it. She quickly crushed it, her memory of the coliseum reminding her that this wasn’t going to end well. “Hi,” Cloud said, stepping in. “H-hi,” Dash replied, a touch of dread in her voice. “I’ll uh, leave you two alone,” Rarity said before gently closing the door. Dash noted that she didn’t replace the locking spell, and considered making a run for it. No, she told herself, you need to end this. No matter how much it hurts. “So,” Cloud said, taking a tentative step into the room. “So what?” Dash replied, wincing. She hadn’t meant to sound so harsh. “I er, saw you. At the coliseum, I mean.” “Oh.” What was she supposed to say to that? “What did you see?” Dash looked up at him, annoyance crossing her features for a split second. Why ask that? Why delay what they both knew was coming? Was this some kind of punishment? “What I saw.. It doesn’t matter.” “It matters to me,” he said, this time it was his turn to put an edge in his voice. “Well, it doesn’t to me,” she shot back defiantly, a spark of anger igniting inside her. “Dash, calm down.” “Who are you to order me around?” she snapped. Woah, how was this getting so out of hoof already? “You don’t hold that position anymore.” Cloud grimaced, as the memory of their last conversation surfaced in his mind. I let out a whinny of annoyance as I checked the clock at the top of the dean’s tower. 30, cloud-bucking minutes. I glanced at the field below, double checking to make sure that I hadn’t missed the cyan pegasus amongst the sprinting and dodging ponies. Disappointment settled in my stomach as I verified she wasn’t there. “Rainbow Dash, where are you?” As if summoned by my words, I noticed the Pegasus slowly making her way out of the far entrance onto the field. Angrily, I dove down, landing roughly a few feet in front of her. She stopped, wariness in her eyes. “Where in Celestia’s mane have you been!?” I asked roughly, taking a step towards her. Dash scratched the back of her neck and looked down, “I’m sorry Cloud,” she said quietly. “Sorry isn’t good enough!” I snapped, trying to keep my voice low for her benefit, “we went over this! You apologize all the time and nothing ever changes! This is the fifth time in the last two months you’ve been late!” Dash shrank back, her eyes downcast. “Cloud… I-“ “I don’t want to hear it,” I said coldly, my eyes narrowing as anger coursed through me. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm slightly, as I knew there were a few other pressing matters. “How did your test go?” If possible, Dash looked even more downcast. “I… I failed.” “What!?” I exploded, causing nearly everypony to stop and stare. “How could you have failed!? Dash do you know what that means!?” Suddenly, all of the anger I had just fought away came rushing back twofold, filling me to the point that I no longer cared that every pony on the field had stopped practicing to watch the spectacle between me and my friend. “Yes..” Dash responded quietly, “I.. I don’t know what happened.” “Back to practice!” I yelled over my shoulder, signaling that this conversation was none of our teammates’ business. I ran a hoof down my snout, trying to calm myself. “Cloud, I-I’m sorry! I’m trying really! I-“ “I don’t want to hear it,” I said again, fighting to keep control of my temper. I failed. I glared at Dash through narrowed eyes, “Go back to your dorm and study. You aren’t practicing with the team today.” “What!?” she exclaimed, her mouth hanging open. “Y-you can’t do that!” “Yes I can,” I responded coldly. “B-but what about coach?” I glared, “I’m the team Captain Dash. You wanna be a Wonderbolt? Learn to take orders. Now go.” Dash opened her mouth as if to continue arguing, but instead closed it and nodded. Without another word she turned and walked away. Cloud let out a small sigh. That was the last time he’d ever spoken to her. A small part of him cringed as he realized his opportunity to explain that Dash had seen him with his sister had momentarily disappeared. Now, a more pressing issue had come up. “Dash… a-about that practice-“ “Don’t.” Cloud blinked, “What?” “Don’t apologize. You were right, I deserved it.” Cloud frowned, confusion settling in, “Th-then why did you leave?” “I had to.” “What?” Dash let out a small sigh, this was what she had been dreading. She closed her eyes, summoning up her courage. “I… I-I failed... Again.” “What?” Dash felt her heart wrench a little, “I failed more than just that test Cloud. Th-they… they told me I had to leave.” Cloud sat down, confusion evident in his expression. “Why…” he trailed off, “why didn’t you say anything to me?” Dash looked at him, then looked back down, “I couldn’t,” she murmured, “I.. I was too ashamed.” Cloud stared at her wide-eyed. A whirlwind of emotion shot through him, confusing him and leaving him feeling lost. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone, leaving him feeling empty and numb. Too ashamed? He thought, as a spark of anger ignited in him, she was too ashamed?! “Ashamed!?” He asked, his voice raised. Dash winced, but nodded once. “You were too ashamed to tell me what in Celestia’s mane happened to you?! Five years Rainbow Dash! Five!” He was shouting now, back on his hooves and taking an angry step towards her. Part of him tried to reel him back, knowing what had happened last time he lost his temper with her. “I spent five years feeling miserable because I thought I drove you away! I blamed myself for it!” “Oh yeah,” Dash shot back, the anger she had felt before flaring up, “I can tell you’re sooo miserable, being a Wonderbolt and all.” “That’s just a job! Do you know what I went through Dash? Thinking I’d been the one who drove you away?” Dash looked down, her guilt replacing her anger in a flash. Cloud was right, she’d failed him again. Not only had she let down her team, but she’d hurt the stallion in ways she couldn’t imagine. An ache settled in her heart as she realized there was no way she could fix what she had done. An even deeper ache settled when she realized she didn’t deserve a chance anyway. “I want to hate you.” Dash nodded, not knowing what to say. “I want to hate you so much Dash. But… I can’t.” “What?” Dash’s head shot up, surprise in her eyes. “It’s been five years,” he said, looking at her with pain in his eyes, “and I’ve spent those five years trying to hate you. But I can’t. Even after everything that happened I-“ Cloud seemed to choke on his words. He shook his head and gave Dash a soft look. “Despite everything, I…” he trailed off, his face screwed up in a frown. “Despite everything you….?” Cloud let out a long sigh, then, with his eyes still shut tightly, “I still love you.” “W-what?” Dash repeated, her mind reeling. “I know... I know I should’ve told you a long time ago… before you left. I-I’m so sorry Dash, I-I wasn’t sure then... but I know now. I love you, Rainbow Dash.” No… ‘What do you mean, “no”?’ After… after everything I did. Abandoning… No. I-I don’t deserve it. Cloud took a step forward, a hint of hope in his eyes. “Dash I’d… like to be with you… if you’ll have me.” NO! Dash’s mind reeled, the force of her mental shout drowning out any other thoughts. You can’t Cloud… I can’t… I can’t ask that of you. T-to give up everything like that… Tears began welling up in her eyes as she realized that things would never work. She couldn’t ask him to leave his marefriend, to change his life like that. Not after what she did. ‘What are you doing?’ Cloud took a step forward, his hoof reaching out to touch Dash’s shoulder. Warmth radiated from the contact. Dash relished in it, Maybe… just for a few moments… I can... Tentatively, Dash slid into Cloud, her hooves reaching up to wrap around him in a soft embrace. A smile grew on Cloud’s face as he wrapped his hooves around the cyan Pegasus, warmth and happiness exploding in his chest as a wound five years old closed up. Gently, he nuzzled her mane, giving her a light squeeze as he felt her body jerk with a sob. “It’s okay,” he said softly, wanting nothing more than to stay in this position forever. He gently stroked her back with a hoof, “I’m here now, everything’s alright.” Much to Cloud's chagrin, he felt her pull away until she stood in front of him, her face pointed at the floor. “Dash?” he asked, trying to look under the curtain of rainbow mane. She looked up at him, another sob wracking her body as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I-I’m sorry Cloud,” she said, her voice cracking, “I… I can’t.” ‘What.’ “What?” Cloud echoed. “I can’t.. I don’t… I’m so sorry Cloud. I just… can’t.” Cloud felt his hind legs give out, his rump hitting the floor with an impact he didn’t feel as his whole body went numb. Cloud stared at her, the wound in his heart reopening, twice as large as it was before. “I’m sorry,” Dash whispered, stumbling back, looking down into his eyes. Eyes that were bleak, full of hurt and confusion. Dash took another step back, her tail brushing the door. Her hoof reached out behind her, finding the latch, she slid it open silently and stepped into the hallway without another word. Cloud continued to sit there, his eyes locked on the door, the pain of his broken heart mingling with the numbness his body felt to leave him in some sort of limbo. --- “Ah hope that shoutin’ weren’t those two,” AJ muttered, gently holding her coffee cup between her hooves. Around a table sat the other four mares, all with cups of varying shades of brown and black, all waiting for the same thing. “I’m sure it wasn’t,” Rarity said, “Cloud Chaser seems like quite a gentlestallion.” “Hmph,” Applejack replied, shooting a glare at the stairwell, “Ah dunno. Those Flim Flam brothers seemed ‘gentle’ enough and look what they did to mah farm!” “I’m sure things are going fine,” Twilight said, telekinetically lifting her coffee and taking a sip, “I do wish they’d hurry up though, I’m starting to get-“ she paused as she let out a particularly loud yawn “-tired.” “You don’t think they’re…” Applejack trailed off, giving her eyebrows a suggestive wiggle. “Applejack!” Rarity admonished. AJ shrugged, “What? You know it’s a possibility.” “No,” Rarity replied, blushing slightly, “I.. discussed that with Rainbow Dash earlier. Still, you’ve got a point Twilight, it’s getting rather late. Perhaps we should check on them?” “That sounds like a good idea,” Twilight said, standing up from her seat, “though I think we should be quiet, just in case they’re um…” Twilight trailed off, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. “Doin’ it?” Applejack supplied. “Applejack!” Rarity admonished again. Rolling her eyes, Applejack stood from the table and began creeping her way up the stairs, her friends in tow. “Ah don’t hear nuthin,” Applejack whispered, her ear against the door. “Are they asleep?” Applejack stared at Twilight, “Could be doin' it quietly?” Twilight deadpanned, "You are obsessed AJ. Just knock.” AJ reached up and gave a solid rap on the door. “RD? Cloud Chaser? Y’all in there?” Silence. Frowning, AJ pushed on the latch and opened the door, revealing a dark room with a green stallion huddled on the ground. “Oh my,” Rarity said, another spark floating out of her horn towards the burnt out candle, “Where did Rainbow Dash go?” Applejack stepped in and shook Cloud gently, who woke with a start, his eyes wild for a few moments before recognition set in. “Oh, it’s you guys,” he said, pulling himself into a sitting position. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?” Cloud winced, “She… left.” “What!? Why would she leave? Was she just going to get fresh air leave or was she like leaving for good leave? Or maybe she wanted to get us all a surprise for helping her! Oooh, I bet it’s cupcakes. I love cupcakes!” “Pinkie Pie!” the four mares shouted. Pinkie jumped, “Sorry,” she said, looking bashful. “Alright, we need to split up. Applejack, you and I will stay here with Cloud Chaser. Rarity, you, Pinkie, and Fluttershy need to go find Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie mock saluted, “Aye aye ma’am!” before dashing out the door, Fluttershy and Rarity in tow. Turning to Cloud, Twilight’s expression softened at the miserable look on his face, “Alright, would you mind telling us what happened?” --- ‘What is wrong with you?!’ Dash flinched, the harshness of her own thoughts taking her by surprise. ‘You had what you wanted, everything you had hoped for, for five years and you threw it away!’ It’s not that easy, she reasoned, even if we were together… what would happen? I’d either have to give up my job with the weather team, or I would be asking him to give up his life here. I… there’s no way I could do that. “Rainbow Dash?” Dash let out a small groan, her internal argument interrupted by Pinkie Pie’s high pitched voice. Hastily wiping away any remaining tears, Dash cautiously peeked over the edge of the rainbow factory roof. Below her, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy stood at the base of the factory. “See! I told you! My Pinkie Sense always points to Rainbow Dash!” “Good job Pinkie,” she heard Rarity say, “Now, Rainbow darling, why don’t you come down from there and talk to us?” Dash opted instead to ignore her friend and turn away from the roof, silently hoping they would leave her in peace. --- “And she just left you like that?” Cloud nodded. He’d barely moved since Applejack had opened the door, changing from his position on the floor to sitting in one of the cushioned chairs in the room. “What in tarnation is goin’ through that ponies’ head? Ah swear she makes some of the dumbest decisions…” --- “Oh come now Rainbow Dash, let’s not be difficult about this. Silence. “Are you really going to sit up there and ignore me?” More silence. Rarity nickered in annoyance, “Alright then, have it your way. Girls, if you could hold on to me for a moment? Thank you.” After a few seconds a brilliant flash of blue light erupted in front of Dash, dissolving into the shape of her friends. “Phew,” Rarity said, wiping a few beads of sweat from her brow, “I don’t know how Twilight can cast that spell so easily.” She turned towards Rainbow Dash, “Now, are you going to talk to us or are you going to sit here until the guards discover you and take you away?” Dash let out a sigh, “Just leave me alone,” she muttered. “We can’t help you if we leave you alone,” Rarity countered. “I don’t want your help.” “Dash,” Rarity said, her lady-like mask temporarily disappearing, “don’t be stupid about this.” --- “She said she was sorry.” “Fer what though? Fer leavin’? The first time or tha second? --- ‘Are you really willing to give him up?’ Shut up. ‘I’m serious.’ I said shut up. ‘Oh no, not anymore. I told you before, if you didn't tell him how you felt, I was going to make you regret it. ... ‘Ahem. I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, there they are all standing in a row…’ I said shut up! ‘Fine. You have two options. Go back and make this right, or live the rest of your life cold and alone.’ Dash winced, fantasies of her spending every night by herself, getting old, watching as her friends moved on, found their own lives. “Dash?” Dash sighed, “I… I don’t deserve him.” “Why?” Fluttershy asked, stepping forward to sit next to her friend. “I’ve done too much… I… I abandoned him when I left the flight academy. I hurt him. I hurt him worse than I can imagine. And now, to ask him to make sacrifices for me? I.. I can’t.” “Don’t you think that’s his choice to make dear?” “But what if it’s wrong? What if we don’t work out? T-then I’ll have asked him to give up his marefriend, someone he could be happy with, for me?” “Marefriend?” Rarity asked confusing flitting across her face. “There was a mare he was with… I saw them at the Wonderbolt’s practice today.” “Oh, you must mean Cloud Kicker!” Dash looked up at Pinkie, confusion evident on her face. “H-how…?” “We met them at the diner you told us about silly filly! How do you think we met Cloud?” Dash let out a small groan as what she had suspected was confirmed, the mare she had seen him with was indeed his marefriend. “Alright Rainbow Dash, it’s time to get up. We need to go back and get a few things straightened out.” Dash frowned, looking up at Rarity. “What things?” “Like who Cloud Kicker really is,” she responded with a light chuckle. --- Dun, dun, dun, and another one bites the dust.