//------------------------------// // First Date // Story: My Son, My Soldier, My Hero // by That_Random_Pony //------------------------------// Draco gulped nervously, his hands shaking with just as much anxiety as he waited for Rainbow. He waved warmly at the ponies passing by, scanning the skies for the pegasus mare. A colorful streak of the colors of the rainbow appeared overhead, just before his friend came skidding to a halt in front of him, kicking up dirt. She laughed as he wiped off the ridiculous amount of dirt on him; he gave her a slight glare. "Ready?" Rainbow chuckled.  "I'm here right?" Draco chuckled. She punched him in his thigh, getting a small push before they broke into a full on wrestling match.  The passing ponies gave amused laughs and grins as they tumbled about, gaining and losing the advantage multiple times. Draco held her hind legs together while his hands twisted her hooves behind her back. Grunting and snickering, Rainbow reached her wings just under his chin and tickled randomly. Draco let go with a loud laugh, just as Rainbow reached around to pull a leg up and reach around his neck. His arms had a hard time reaching behind himself to grab the colorful mare, but Draco instead pushed himself off the ground and flipped over. Rainbow lost her grip, throwing her to his side. Using his full body weight to pin her lower body down while his elbows pinned her down by the shoulders and his hands kept her hooves outstretched.  Beads of sweat were running down their faces as they panted and laughed softly, before Rainbow stopped to look at him with a soon growing blush. Draco smiled nervously as he realised the position he was in, but he couldn't bring himself to get off of her. Not like she wanted him to. She felt just fine under his powerful body, the muscles in his thighs flexing against her own toned legs. Draco weakly cleared his throat, which came out as a low squeak. She chuckled softly, tapping her hoof on the ground three times. He shook his head and lifted himself off of her, helping her back up against her wishes.  "So um… ahem, should we be going?" Draco asked, doing his best to smile with a red face.  "Y-Yeah… wait. Can you even stand on clouds?" Rainbow asked. "Well, no, but my mom put a spell on me when I was little so I could," Draco said. "But… I guess I'm gonna need a ballon or chariot to get up there." "Forget that," Rainbow laughed. "I could fly ya up there, easy!" Draco rose a brow. "I'm like twice your size," Draco smirked. "Think it'll be that easy?" She spread her lean wings and fluttered over him. "Watch," she huffed. Rainbow grunted with effort as she lifted Draco off his feet and began to fly high.  Draco looked up at her with concern, seeing her struggle a bit at the added weight. "Rainbow, don't hurt yourself. Just put me on a cloud and push, I guess," Draco said. "Why?" Rainbow laughed forcibly, flapping her wings just a bit harder. "We're… almost there!" True to her word, the city upon the clouds was coming into view. Dozens of other pegasi were massing, heading to the arena for the show like them. Rainbow grunted as she dropped him into the cloud street, panting once again. Draco shook his head and nudged her along, even as she socked his side again while laughing. The city was just a mass of different cloud homes and a factory far off. Draco and Rainbow passed through the cloud town, the former marveling at her hometown. "So you lived here?" Draco asked, waving to a group of confused pegasi watching them head to the arena. "Yup," Rainbow grinned. "I fly by sometimes, but since my boss assigned me to Ponyville I just moved my house there." Draco nodded, waving and smiling to a few of the locals. "They look like they're having a hard time understanding how I'm up here," Draco laughed, sticking his foot into the cloud and feigning a shout.  "Cut it out!" Rainbow snickered. "Don't make me look bad, alright?" Smirking, Draco kneeled down and noogied her mane roughly. "Make who look bad, huh?" he smirked. "Draco!" Rainbow laughed, pushing him hard. "C'mon! The stadium's not far! And the show's about t' start!" She dragged him along the cloud street, leaving him laugh as she quickly hoofed their tickets over to the confused stallion at the front. They ran through the entrance and through the stadium halls before making it to the stands, where hundreds of pegasi were talking and conversing with Wonderbolt fan items like shirts and caps. A few banners were being waved around as well. "We made it!" Rainbow shouted over the crowd, which started to gain volume. "LOOK!" They watched as the four Wonderbolts, led by Captain Spitfire and her co-captain Soaring, stood at the main entrance to the open air stadium. They gave their own waves to the crowd, Rainbow screaming like a fan-mare beside him. The four pegasi leaped off the cloud platform, diving for a few seconds before shooting back up and twirling around Spitfire. Smoke (Draco rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things) started to trail from her tail, and sparks of what looked like electricity also formed in the plumes of smoke. The other three Wonderbolts broke off with the same after-effects and dove back down while Spitfire kept going higher. They made a sharp U-turn, hitting supersonic speeds as they ascended after Spitfire. The Wonderbolts slowly caught up to their captain, and just before they reached her, she spun around and rocketed down, creating a sonic boom and scattering her teammates.  Soaring and the two pegasi with him went off in different directions, drawing out an image in the sky. The crowd cheered when they broke off and showed the Wonderbolt insignia, just before Spitfire dispersed the cloud by reaching supersonic again. Rainbow shouted louder than most of the ponies around them, fluttering up and chanting Spit and Soaring's names. Draco clapped as the four of them landed back on their beginning cloud and bowed to them. They went back into the lockers, signalling the end of the show. Everypony continued to cheer and shout each of their names though they were halfway clear of the sound.  "Did you see that?! That was so awesome! She hit supersonic like three times!" Rainbow screamed excitedly. "And that third time she did it in two seconds! And Soaring-!" "Alright, alright!" Draco laughed, moving aside for the ponies to pass. "Let's talk about that awesomeness after we get out of here!" She huffed with annoyance and grumbled as she flew over him. "Fine," she grumbled. "But c'mon! You had to admit that was pretty cool!" Draco nodded. "It was," he smiled. "Hey… still have that Spitfire plushie?" A blush formed on her face as she began to trot beside him, now that they were back in the open halls. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," Rainbow said. "My seventh birthday, Cadence gave you it!" Draco laughed. "Right after she gave me a cape and goggles!" "She did not!" Rainbow exclaimed, nudging him after he kept snickering. "I gotta take a whizz. Be right back." "Too much information!" Draco called after her. Rainbow stuck her tongue out at him before getting hidden by the crowd.  Draco leaned against the wall, smiling softly to the ponies that passed by. He perked his head up when he heard a growing commotion coming his way. Flashes of oversized cameras blinded him, forcing him to raise a hand to see. Spitfire and Soaring had gotten out early and were being escorted by a few guards down the same path. Draco hoped to avoid the formal behavior, but his mother had made sure the guards knew him (and it was sort of his fault too, since he had joined the Solar Guard) and so the guards bowed at his presence. Some of the other ponies exclaimed that they had thought it was him and bowed as well. Spitfire and Soaring did so as well, coming up to him to his surprise. "You're Celestia's kid, right?" Spitfire asked, looking down to his feet. "So you can stand clouds too, huh?" "Nope," he chuckled. "Ma's magic. That was an awesome performance, by the way." "Thanks!" Soaring chuckled. "Coming from a prince that means a lot!" Spitfire rolled her eyes and put on her shades. "Nice meeting you," she nodded. "Come on, Soaring. We got another practice meeting with the rookies." "So long," Soaring saluted as he walked on with Spitfire. Draco rubbed his eyes from the nonstop assault of cameras that had suddenly appeared to him. "Prince Draco, is it true you were a part of the Griffon War?!" "Were you made from a spell?" "Prince Draco, have you formed a herd yet?" The last question surfaced a blush, but he was happy to see Rainbow shoving her way to the front. "No, no, and no!" Draco shouted over their questions. "Nice seeing you, let's not do this again!" Draco pulled Rainbow by her hoof and bolted out of the arena, almost dragging her. "Draco, stop!" Rainbow called, being pulled on her back. He slowed down and released his hold, smiling nervously as she stood back up. "Sorry," he chuckled. "I hate when they hound me like that." "It wasn't that bad," Rainbow snickered, bumping his side with her flank. "Besides, who wouldn't want to be live like a celebrity! Almost like the Wonderbolts!" "Trust me, Dash," Draco smirked, "It isn't so fun when they start spreading rumors. And when they just pry into your private life. And… some of them are hearing about the war." Rainbow smile faded, but she kept her grin alive and placed a hoof on his arm. "Hey, don't worry. If anything I'll blow 'em away with a twister or something," she winked. Draco smiled and ruffled her mane, which made her smack his hand away. "Alright, Ms. Tough Mare," Draco laughed. "We should get going." "Yeah. Ah, crap," Rainbow groaned, smacking her hoof into her face.  "What's wrong?" Draco asked.  Rainbow sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. Let's just get back to Ponyville." She started off, but Draco stood in place with his arms crossed. It was a few meters before Rainbow realised he wasn't following, and she turned around. "Come on, Rainbow," he smirked. "Spill it." Groaning, she trotted back over to him. "I forgot that tonight was supposed to be a thunderstorm… and cloud homes and thunderstorms don't really mix," she sighed.  "Aren't there a bunch of thunderstorms per month in every town?" Draco asked. "Yeah, and when that happens most pegasi stay at an inn or a motel," Rainbow explained. "And only a couple of pegasi can afford to double up their cloud walls. I practically made mine, and it isn't too strong. Heck, I freeze my tail off in the winter!" Draco wanted to help, he really did… but… aside from offering money, which he knew she would refuse, he could offer one other thing. "How 'bout… how about you stay at my place?" Draco offered. "Y'know… spend the night and all." Rainbow blushed just as profusely, nervously pawing at the cloud beneath her. "Uh… i-it's fine, Draco, really," she smiled sheepishly. "One night won't kill me." "These thunderstorms get real rough," Draco argued. "And if your house isn't that good… maybe mine is. It's just for the night. Think of it as a thanks for bringing me along." Just say yes! C'mon, what are you, five?! You're lucky he even offered you! Just- "S-Sure," Rainbow stammered, blushing just a shade darker. "B-But just for tonight. I don't wanna bother you or anything." Draco nodded, holding his hand out. "Ready to go?" She smirked and flew over him, gripping his shoulders. "I think I should be asking you that," Rainbow chuckled. Draco shook his head, and soon they were descending upon the small town. The clouds overhead has already started a light drizzle, and it was quickly getting worse as they made it. Draco ran with his arms over his head while Rainbow galloped behind, shivering as the winds chilled her wet body. Draco fumbled with his keys for a moment, the unbearable cold making him shiver indeliberately. He forced the key into its slot and unlocked it, quickly opening the door for him and Rainbow. They laughed as they looked over each other's wetness, Draco mostly drawn in by her slim, toned body that revealed itself with her matted fur. And the way her mane fell to the side in a wet mass gave her just a hint more of… attractiveness.  "T-The uh… I don't… have any towels," he smiled weakly. "Let me just start a fire." "Yeah. Sure," Rainbow nodded, shivering in place as if it were winter. Draco started the fire quickly in the fireplace, the fumes using a pipe that ran to the side of the building to release the fumes and keep the area dry. Rainbow sat in front of it and tried to absorb the warmth with her hooves close to it. Draco went upstairs to change from his soggy attire and into some warm, fresh sweatpants. He kept a thermal T-shirt on, but he knew Rainbow would still be freezing. Even with the warm getup, there was still the small chill he was feeling. And so, he grabbed his blanket and went downstairs with it, watching Rainbow in the fireplace for a minute.  The flickering fire made her… glow. It showed a side that rarely showed itself. Aside from the muscle and leisure, she was kind and a bit soft. Her mane glimmered from the raindrops still matting it down, and she sighed softly as the warmth fought off some of the cold. Draco quietly came over and placed the blanket around her and him, which she sighed contentedly to.  "You look like you're ready for a nap," Draco joked, receiving a nudge from her.  "Y'know how much your huge head weighs?" Rainbow laughed, getting another noogie from Draco.  They looked into the fire… hypnotised by the constant flicker of the flames. Guilt began building within him… the guilt of knowing something she deserved to know. But was now the appropriate time? Would she be mad that he kept this a secret all this time? He wouldn't blame her… but at the same time, the thought of it stung his heart. Would she end their friendship? Wish to never see him again?   … Never want to see him again? "Y'know… my dad and mom tried getting my mind off you when we first moved," Rainbow said softly, shivering soon after. "Dad tried going to work less and less, Ma was home with me all the time just encouraging me to keep practicing. If I never met Fluttershy, I probably wouldn't've stopped thinking about you." Draco placed an arm around her, not noticing her tail flick excitedly. "I missed you too… even after Twilight and I started messing around in the castle," he laughed. She shook her head with a laugh, but it died down quicker than he expected. "Still… when you got back I started thinking," Rainbow said, looking up to him. She wanted to ask him… get over with beating around the bush and just ask him.  But this was somepony she had absolutely zero information on the way he thought. A lot of ponies that grew up as friends usually kept it that way, like the way it happened to Flitter and Thunderlane. Would he friendzone her? Even after those two short years together?  "Thinking about what?" Draco asked, scratching just behind her ear. She enjoyed that very much, leaning her cheek into his hand so that he caressed it while scratching.  "Just…" SAY IT! COME ON! YOUR RAINBOW-FREAKING-DASH! PONY UP AND JUST- She groaned with annoyance at her own hesitation, looking down at the ground. Draco guided her gaze back with his thumb and index finger gently holding her chin. He looked into her eyes and silently urged her to go on. She didn't want to… even if her mind yelled for her to do so. To her surprise, she found herself staring back into his eyes. The weird and interesting way his hazel eyes were formed look… charming, as Rarity would say. They were unlike any pony, griffon, or dragon eye that she had seen. She shuffled closer absentmindedly, leaning against the rock hard muscle on his torso that was cushioned by skin. Draco blushed, unable to see Rainbow doing the same as she rested her head on his chest.  Draco's hand wandered away from her mane and to her back, where he ran his fingers through her fur tenderly. He barely grazed a wing and she twitched slightly, much to his amusement. Her tail flicked wildly under the blankets as he drew circles right above her flank. She nuzzled him gingerly, running her hooves over the scars and muscle of his shoulders and upper back. Their gazes met once again, and Draco found himself closing the distance with her. Their lips met, the pleasant sensation of her feathery lips pressed against his. He pulled her up to him, wishing he hadn't gone for the T-shirt.  Rainbow, however, wanted - no - needed to feel him. Her hooves messed with the bottom of the tight fitting thermal, and he raised his arms to let her raise it. She hugged him tightly and fell back onto the carpet as she rubbed herself against his muscled torso. Draco kept it simple enough, running his hands over her back and wings only. The warmth and feeling of it all was even better with her fur touching him. Her smell made him crave more, and he took a deep breath beside her head and kissed her ear, chuckling as it smacked him in reply. Rainbow sat back, sitting on top of him and pushing the strands of hair out of her face. "D-Done already?" Draco panted, giving her another kiss. Rainbow smiled and rested her head on his rising and falling chest, listening to the powerful heartbeat within it. "Remember? Your big head?" Rainbow laughed, circling her hoof over his shoulder. Draco gave her another kiss and lifted her up, plopping the both of them down on the couch.  They laid there for a while, kissing and nuzzling while trying to warm themselves up. Sleep overtook the both of them, and the fires died out.                                                                                       "Jrem'tok venkot i nigit vurt ot gejojop ut curt (We're sending a scout pack to investigate the area)" a large and deformed creature growled. A smaller, braver creature stood up and growled as well. "Draak'et vaska! Elsh dit druuk, jrem vriok ef wok baskit! (That's stupid! He is there, we might as well attack!)" It roared. The large mutant tackled his subordinate and clamped his jaws around his throat, spewing the black blood as he thrashed his head around. The other ones whimpered as their commanding officer devoured the body, bones and all. "Oromok turg? (Anyone else?)" He maliciously grinned, receiving whimpers and bows. "Venko, ut nigitet (Send, the scouts)" The bipedal wolves barked in understanding and fleed to the lower decks of the shuttle. There, dozens of cages filled with furless-looking, normal wolves were lined on the walls. The soldiers forced them onto their leashes, clawing and kicking them when they refused to go. They forced them onto a small shuttle and slammed the hatch shut, dialing in the coordinates. The pod fired off soon after, sending the pack to scout for the Doshu'um.