//------------------------------// // Soarin' Stumbles // Story: (SiC) Part 6 - How Much Do You Really Love Me? // by Brian Jacko //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash was now standing on the steps to Soarin's home. She knocked on the door several times. The door opened immediately and there stood Soarin' with a bouquet of flowers for her. Rainbow Dash raised her front hoof in the air slightly and turned her head away for a moment. She was blushing greatly. She normally would not accept such a gift from anypony like this, but this was Soarin' and even though she always felt a bit awkward accepting gifts like this, she did accept it and was grateful for them. She came inside his house and kissed him. "I don't know why you keep doing such nice things for me like this. I'm not much of a mare who likes to be pampered. I'm satisfied just being with you alone and that's it. Thank you so much though." Rainbow Dash took the flowers and smelled them. "I'd feel bad if I didn't get you something once in a while. I just want to show that I care about you and that you're worth it. Are you ready to make our day magical?" he asked "Rainbow Dash put the flowers aside on a near by table. She blew on her front hooves and warmed them up as she rubbed them together. "I need to warm up before we play. I was actually playing this game called Dungeons and Dragons with Twilight Sparkle and I totally forgot that we had our own special day today." "You were playing Dungeons and Dragons? I'm not much of a table top gamer, but I heard that you literally need to spend the entire day just to play. You could have stayed with your friends and played instead. We could have played another time." "It's a really cool game, but I'd rather spend my time with you," Rainbow said as she nuzzled up against her companion. Soarin' kissed her freezing cold mane on top of her head. Rainbow's nostrils began twitching. "Did you get pizza?" "I sure did and I got two boxes to share. I remembered to order extra basil and eggplant on them because you like that so much. It's right over there," Soarin' said as he pointed his front hoof over to the boxes of pizza on the floor near the giant bean bag chair that they would cuddle up and play games together on. There were two drinks and two game controllers next to each side of the bean bag chair. "I also have that apple pie you baked me waiting for us after that." "You're the best Soarin. I couldn't ask for a better stallion than you," Rainbow said. She walked over to their little cuddle spot and then jumped into the air. She turned her back mid air and landed in the comfy, warm bean bag chair. "It's too bad the arcade is closed, down the shore during winter time. I really miss going there because that's how we first met and In the Hooves Two and Pony It Up are the best games there." "We'll go again, don't worry. It's nice to play here too even though we can't play any rhythm arcade games." Soarin' said as he came over and pulled a blanket over her. He then got under the blanket and took out the remote control to turn his giant seventy inch television on. Rainbow Dash greedily took a bite out of her pizza and said, "What game are we playing tonight? I bet we'll be playing Mortal Kombat again since it's Monday night and we like to call it our Mortal Mondays, right? I bet you won't be able to beat my Kabal this time. He's the top tier fighter in every single Mortal Kombat game. Kabal is the best pony in this game and I have beaten your Scorpion so many times with him. Why don't you try a different fighter like Sub-Zero or something? That would be an appropriate time to use him right now since it's so cold outside." "Because I like to hook a cutie like you with my spear," he replied. "Oh, Soarin'. A corny pun like that is usually reserved for Pinkie Pie," Rainbow said. "So is it Mortal Monday today?" "Nah, we can play Mortal Kombat another time. Remember that game we played awhile ago? I want to pay that really cool game called Unreal Tournament. Prepare to have your meat giblets splattered everywhere," Soarin' said as he picked up his controller. "Sweet! I love that game. I have a rocket with your name on it," she said. As the game was loading, Soarin' opened up his box of pizza and ate half his pie in just a matter of seconds. Soarin' had an incredibly fast metabolism and he seemed to eat like a hard working earth pony like Applejack. Rainbow Dash took another bite out of her pizza and then took a sip of her grape juice from the cup near her side. She picked up her controller and scooted a little bit closer to Soarin' in their ultimate little cuddle fort that they had together. She mentally prepared herself for this game. She was going to make him work hard for his wins in the Death Match Arena. "Don't screen peek," she said. "Soarin' laughed and said, "I know, games like first person shooters should be played on separate screens, but if I ever peek while I'm playing, I'm actually peeking at you and not at the screen because it's hard for me to take my eyes off of you." Rainbow sighed and leaned her head against his side. Comments like that, even if they were a bit corny, still made her stomach do flip flops when those words came out of Soarin's mouth. "You're killing me already, and we haven't even started killing each other in the game yet! Don't get a head start on me now!" Rainbow teasingly said. "Guess who is going to steal the shield belt from you right before you get it again?" Soarin' asked. "Oh no you don't!" Rainbow Dash said. "That last time you used the Stinger's alternative fire to push me back just before I was able to grab the Shield Belt was cruel. You do like to tease me like that, don't you?" "I like to tease you both inside of the Death Match arenas and outside of them too," he replied. Soarin' and Rainbow Dash chose their arena and they began to play. "What!? How did you get a head shot with the Sniper Rifle while I was mid-air from propelling myself off that lift jump and was THAT far away from you?" "This pony knows how to scope out the cutest pony in all of Equestria, even from a long distance. My eyes are only for you Dash," he snickered and then gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. Rainbow Dash put down her controller quickly in order to take a bite of pizza. She then picked up her controller again and got back into the action. Several hours later they were still playing this game. "Oh, for Pete's sake! You stole the Shield Belt again and won the game because of that!" Rainbow Dash tossed her controller to the side and then wrapped her front legs around Soarin's body. "I think that's enough game time. I just want you now." Soarin' put his controller down and then kissed Rainbow Dash passionately. He then pushed her back down into the bean bag and began to make out with her as he felt the back of her body with his front hooves and traveled all the way down to her flanks. After a few moments, he picked himself up and stared into her eyes. "Hey Dash," he said. "Yeah?" she asked. "Want to take it all the way tonight?" he asked. "What do you mean by that?" she nervously asked him. "We have been together for a long time now and I thought maybe we can have sex now," he said. "I have a condom on the table." Rainbow's stomach did flip flops. She loved this stallion so much and he was incredibly handsome. Her flesh was lusting after him, but the Spirit was convicting her greatly right now. "So would that be okay?" Soarin' asked as he leaned over her and was about to kiss her again. "Yes," she said abruptly. "Wait! I mean no! I can't do it! I'm so sorry," she said as she gently pushed him away from her. Soarin' looked shocked that she would deny him like this. "Why not, Dash? We have been together for so long. I have done so much for you and I want to do this to show you that I love you. I saved my virginity all this time for somepony special like you." "I thought you told me that you were a Christian, Soarin'. We can't do that until we are married. Don't you remember that?" "Yeah," he said. "My grandparents are Christian, so that makes me a Christian too, right?" "No! It doesn't! I thought you knew that being a Christian involves surrendering your life to Christ and trying to stay pure in the faith." "So you literally want me to wait until we get married to have sex? Is sex like evil or something?" he asked. "We have to do it the right way if we want to be blessed as a couple. Sex is a wonderful creation by God and it's intended for a mare and a stallion to enjoy in marriage only." "That's ridiculous!" Soarin' said. "We have been together for a while now and you're telling me that you won't let me have sex with you because God won't like that? I believe that sexual experiences are always beautiful and they should be done to love and to pleasure each other when two ponies truly love each other. I don't understand what the big deal is. How the hay are we supposed to know if we are even good in the sack if we don't try it before marriage? Don't you want to see how I perform first? Don't you love me? Don't you know that we were meant for each other? Do you know that I have the power to get you into the Wonderbolts? Don't you want to be a Wonderbolt like me?" "This is flawed thinking, Soarin'. You're taking the most beautiful thing a stallion and mare can possibly do with each other and turning it into a cheap night instead of going out and doing something romantic with each other. If you really, really, loved me, then you would wait until marriage to prove that. You can't' be like those ponies who care about having sex so much. I'd much rather risk not knowing if my potential mate is not good in bed or has some kind of flaw, than to sin against God. If you really care for me and love me, then don't you think you would be humble enough to look over any flaws even if they are sexual!? I could care less how good you are in the sack. I love you for who you are regardless of what flaws you might have, even if you couldn't perform sexually at all. I know the lust of the flesh is difficult. I have already committed adultery with you in my heart. You know I want to be a Wonderbolt and that it would mean so much to me, but if it would mean giving up something that I'm called not to do at this moment in my life, then I'd rather never become a Wonderbolt." Soarin' was getting desperate now and his hormones weren't helping him stay calm either. "But I have been waiting for so long and if we are going to end up getting married anyway then what's the difference? You seem very ungrateful toward me and I deserve your body after all that I have done for you. If this is what being a Christian is all about then I don't want anything to do with Christianity!" "Soarin," Rainbow Dash said with tears in her eyes. "Please stop. You're hurting me very much. I already answered all of your questions. I saved your life in the past and this is how you're going to repay me? If you can't respect me or you are lusting after me, then I can go home so that we don't give into temptation." "That's a good idea," Soarin' said. "I'm sorry I have to leave, but we're doing the right thing by staying pure. The Bible says to walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. I have been going over some verses about lust myself lately because I am often tempted with lusting after you as well. We can meet up another time. I'll be praying for us as a couple." "There's no need to do that Dash," Soarin' said. His voice now sounded dark and angry. "Why not?" she asked. "Because I don't even want to see your face again and your God is ridiculous." "Rainbow Dash's lips began to quiver and she broke down crying. "Please don't do this to me Soarin', I want to work with you and I love you so much. It would devastate me if you left me." "I said get out and go find a sompeony special who will treat you as well as me. I know that you'll never find a stallion like me," he said. "But..." Rainbow Dash said. "Soarin' took his drink and hurled it across the room at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash was just barely able to dodge the glass as it shattered against the wall behind her. "Get out of my house now!" he demanded. Rainbow Dash opened the door as fast as she could and sped off into the night sobbing. This was not how she would have ever imagined Soarin' behaving. Rainbow Dash's emotions were running wild. She wanted to get away from all of the hurt and find an isolated spot where she could mourn. She flew away to some woods nearby where Soarin' and Rainbow Dash would sometimes take walks through. There was a little pond that she hurried over to and sat down by it. She looked up and remembered the fireworks from when she had first been here. She remembered the weather being so perfect and that cool refreshing breeze that would sweep past her. She looked at the tree nearby that held great meaning to her. She couldn't bear to look at it now because of what had happened. The weather was now freezing and it made her mood that much more depressed. She looked down at the fish through the newly formed ice that covered the top of the pond. As she stared at them, her mind began to drift back to more memories of her former mate. Meanwhile, at Soarin's home, Soarin' went up to his television and knocked his favorite picture of he and Rainbow Dash together, off the television stand. The frame that held the picture shattered against the wall. He walked over to it and then slammed his front hoof on top of it. He picked his front hoof back up and stared at the picture that was now destroyed. The memories also began to replay in his mind as well, from when he and Rainbow Dash had been dating. The story was recalled through both of their memories.