//------------------------------// // Mishaps // Story: Spirit Dash // by CutieMarkCrusaders //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash trotted along the streets of Ponyville searching for Thunderlane. She could feel Lyra and Bon Bon's eyes on her as they watched her incognito. The plan had very few flaws, but she was still unbearably nervous. The saddle was too tight, and she wanted to stretch her wings. Her mane was tied back in a side ponytail, and it kept getting in her face. She tried to tell herself everything was fine and was going to go according to plan, but the sensible part of her kept running over everything that could possibly go wrong. Thunderlane came into view and Rainbow Dash could feel her face getting hot as it connected with her hoof. Why am I doing this? Rainbow Dash thought. She peeked over her shoulder to make sure her saddle was straight and to make sure her hair was right. Her two friends winked at her, giving her the OK. She sighed as she began to trot forward. "Hey, Thunderlane," she said cautiously. "Hey, Dash! What's up?" Rainbow Dash mentally facehoofed as she pulled a blank on what to say. "Uh, Dash?" Thunderlane asked. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I guess I just, blanked out a little." Rainbow Dash looked at her secret followers as they waved their hooves in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. "Wanna hang at Sugarcube Corner?" she asked. "Sure!" Thunderlane replied to Rainbow's delight. Everything was going according to plan. So far. The pair entered the bakery as they talked about what to order. Dash looked around the brightly lit room and was pleased to see Spirit and her friends sitting at one of the tables. Applejack shot her a particularly dirty look as she passed. She noticed Lyra and Bon Bon sitting at a table near the wall, so Rainbow selected a table where she could see them, and Spirit could get a good look at who she was with. "Thunder, could you do me a favor?" Rainbow asked her companion. "Sure, Dash. Anything," he replied. "Could you order me a couple of zapapple cupcakes?" she asked. "Of course," he said as he began to trot away. Rainbow's gaze drifted to her sister and she noticed Spirit suck her cheeks way in and turn away from Thunderlane. The plan was unfolding perfectly. A small fold of paper encased in golden magic floated to the place Rainbow Dash was sitting and opened up so she could read it. "Ask him if he's in a relationship," it said in Lyra's writing. Dash turned to face her friend and nodded as the paper floated away. A minute or two later, Thunderlane trotted back to the table with a tray of four rainbow colored cupcakes in his teeth. He carefully set the tray on the table and took one. "So," Dash said before taking a cupcake off the tray. "What's going on in your life?" 'Well, not much. Do you know who that pony over there is?" he asked, gesturing towards Spirit Dash. "Oh her? That's my um, sister," she replied. Once again, she explained the whole dreadful story. "Wow," he replied looking shocked. "That must have been hard on you." He leaned over and laid his head on his hooves. "Yeah." Rainbow Dash finished off her first cupcake, then took the second. When she turned her head to take a bite, she noticed Thunderlane looking into her eyes. This had never happened to her before. She looked back into his eyes, and that went on for a moment. Rainbow Dash shook the feeling away when she got butterflies in her stomach. She knew that if she formed an emotional attachment to him, the plan would ultimately fail. So, she looked away and finished eating her cupcake. Rainbow Dash swallowed her last bite of cupcake and looked over at Thunderlane just in time to see him lean forward and plant a quick kiss on her forehead. Dash felt her face turn red and a smile spread on her lips. She turned away to hide her embarrassment just in time to see a tear form in her sister's eye. ... Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane trotted out of Sugarcube Corner. "So, do you want to meet here again? Same time tomorrow?" Thunderlane asked. "Sure! Can't wait!" Rainbow Dash said. She blushed and poked the ground with her hoof. After a second of silence, she felt Thunderlane's forelegs wrap around her in a quick hug. "Bye," he said before spreading his wings and taking off. Rainbow stood still for a moment, watching him fly off as she took in the events of the afternoon. After just one split second, she had completely abandoned the plan. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she had feelings for him. Multiple emotional sonic rainbooms had taken place in the past ten minutes. "Rainbow Dash!" Bon Bon said as she trotted out of Sugarcube Corner. "What happened? Why did he kiss you? Why did you blush?" She threw many more questions at Dash who simply tuned them all out. "I- I gotta go," she said as she spread her wings to fly. She took off and looked down just in time to see Lyra run out to accompany Bon Bon. Rainbow Dash flew the air letting the wind rush through her mane. She had never felt so alive! She looped around and swerved downward, brushing the water with her hoof. She swooped upward and landed on a cloud as she realized her saddle was gone. She slowly flew over the town, as she retraced her route. Soon she saw Lyra and Bon Bon walking along, with her saddle. Feeling relieved, she flew back to her cloud home. Rainbow Dash landed on the front steps and entered. She darted through the halls and flopped on her bed. Dash quickly buried her face in a pillow and screamed. She got up and darted to her desk where she picked up the paper that concealed her plan for that day, and clutched it to her chest. She was so happy that she had made that plan that she could barely breathe. The lighthearted pony dropped the paper and buried her face again. It was going to be a long wait until tomorrow. ... "Rainbow Dash!" The pegasus pony slowly opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep while she was laying on her bed thinking about Thunderlane. "Rainbow Dash! Open this door!" Spirit Dash was pounding her hooves furiously on Rainbow's bedroom door. Dash slowly stood up and walked over the door. Slowly she opened it to reveal her sister's angry, tear stained face. "What is it, Spirit?" Dash asked. "Who do you think you are? How dare you steal him from me!" "What are you talking about?" "You know! Your little date with Thunderlane! How dare you!" "Look, it wasn't a date. Me and him are friends. Just like me and Big Mac." Spirit Dash looked stunned. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Rainbow said just before she slammed the door in Spirit's face.