When Two Hearts are Daring

by Pigeonsmall


It's a Date

Chapter 5

 

After the abrupt ending of their reading session, Dumbbell realized he'd left his book behind just as he reached Cloudsdale. A definite annoyance but one that could wait till later to deal with. With his calendar substantially clearer for the week he had time to spare yet for some reason, the idea of Rainbow Dash getting ahead in the story without him was incredibly irksome. So he got up the next day, early enough that his roommate Hoops was still snoring, and flew back to collect what was his.

Luckily Rainbow Dash was already awake. As he approached he saw the little blue pegasus on the ground below her home stretching and exercising her wings and legs, probably a daily routine. It was something he was used to. He dropped down next to Rainbow Dash who stopped her routine when she saw him coming.

“I can’t believe I made it all the way back to Cloudsdale without Daring Do.” he said simply. “So I’m here to get it back.”

Dash pulled an odd face. “And good morning to you too!” she said. “Fine, fine, it’s right where you left it. Let me get it.” Dash zipped up to her cloud home and came back book in hoof moments later. “Here ya go.”

Dumbbell took the book with a skeptical eye lingering on the mare. “You’re actually handing it over without another freak-out session?”

Dash shrugged. “Yeah. It’s no big deal." She said while going into a hover. "As long as you're not belting out spoilers like a jackass, then everythings cool!"

“Hey!” Dumbbell protested but before he could say anything, Rainbow Dash was already in the air. She landed on the roof of her cloud home, surveying the valley below it. When the hydra roared it had pushed her house off the path and over the forest. She jumped off her roof, flying in big loose circles around the cloud structure. Gaining speed for a few seconds and then slowing again and landing on the roof once more. She did this several more times before Dumbbell flew up to her level.

“What are you doing?” he asked curiously. Rainbow Dash spat on her hoof and pointed it upwards, testing the wind direction.

“What does it look like I’m doing? Moving my house!” she responded.

Dumbbell looked down, just over the curve of the roof he could see a window peering into the living room. From his angle he could see the couch and an end table with a lamp sitting on top, they were all set up right and he remembered how much of a wreck Dash’s placed looked the day before.

“You’re about to move a house by yourself?” he asked.

“Uh huh.”

“With the furniture still inside?”

“Yep!”

“Are you crazy?”

Dash scoffed. “You don’t know the meaning the word.” she said as she flared her wings. “Since you’re here you may as well observe!”

“Your Sonic Rainboom is just going to obliterate everything.”

Rainbow Dash twirled in the air, turning to face him upside down with her hooves crossed. “Are you callin me a one trick pony?”

Dumbbell shrugged and then he grinned. “I dunno, am I?” He tapped on the dome surface with the tip of his hoof. Solid of course, he wondered why she put her house so close to the ground in the first place!

“I’ve helped pull a few homes before. These things are a lot heavier than they look, y’know.”

Rainbow Dash scrutinized him with a look. “Yeah, and?”

“And, miss crazy cannon ball, flying into your house at break neck speeds ain’t gonna do nothin good for it!”

“I’ll have you know that there is more to my awesomeness than just my mind-boggling speed. You’ve seen me in action, you know I’ve got great control!”

For a few moments Dumbbell considered her words. “Alright, show me.”

“Then stand back.” Was all she said before shooting straight up into the air.

Understanding the destructive capabilities behind Dash’s speed, Dumbbell did exactly that. He landed on top of a cloud a safe distance away, so he’d have some place to duck if something went wrong. Rainbow Dash quickly gained speed, going in a wide circle above her home until her form was nothing more than a streak of blue. He could see the tornado of wind forming and growing with each successful spin forming a funnel. It held for several minutes before slowly lowering around the boundary of the house. It was then that he realized with a start that she was literally creating a tornado, much like the ones used to tunnel water though only a fraction of the size, all on her own.

The wind tunnel touched down and lurched forward, first unsteadily, the column wobbled and splayed backwards and forwards, threatening to collapse and probably catapult its creator off like a rocket. Dumbbell was beginning to feel rough gusts of air cutting into the cloud he was sitting on and could see the wind blowing against the tree tops as the tornado put out its wild energy. He braced himself as the tornado slowly began to slide along the ground, taking Rainbow Dash’s home along with it. Once it reached the center of the path the twister dissipated, revealing the cloud structure was still in one piece and finally back in its original position. Rainbow Dash came to a gradual stop, landing atop the domed roof once again, her flowing wind-blown mane making her appear like a majestic queen atop a castle.

“And there you have it.” she said victoriously. “Didnt even break a sweat!”

“Impressive.” Dumbbell said when he flew over. Even he had to admit that pulling a house this size on nothing but self-made wind power was a spectacle. It usually took a harness and a strong back. “Good job. You moved a really big cloud.”

Dash’s high countenance immediately fell. “Leave.” she grumbled, turning away and gliding down to her front door.

“What? I was giving a compliment!” Dumbbell laughed and followed her down to the large double doors.

“Come on then, I’ll show you.” Rainbow Dash went inside and he followed. Upon reaching the living room he noticed that the place was spotless. Not even a single overturned vace, crooked picture frame, or toppled lamp. The complete opposite of what he had seen the day before.

“Wow, okay I’m givin it to ya. This is pretty sweet.”

“Like you had a reason to doubt..”

Dumbbell smirked. “Yeah well thanks for the book, Dash .” He turned to leave, he needed to get back before anyone noticed him missing but paused at the door.”So when do we meet up again? Same time, different place?”

Rainbow Dash looked at him quizzically. “Same time, same place if that's okay with you." She nervously scratched the back of her head. "I’m not expecting any more surprises, heh.”

Dumbbell understood and felt a smile afflicting the corners of his mouth despite himself. His thoughts returned to that late evening. Flipping pages, the setting sun, the socks. He coughed, suddenly becoming aware of the approaching winter air. It would be snowing soon.

"Cool, well, uh, see ya then."


The door opened soundlessly to a dark apartment when he finally returned home. A good sign, he wouldn’t have to worry about explaining where he’d been-

“Well well well...looks who’s back from their little rendezvous.”

Dumbbell froze in the darkness of the apartment. Trying to see through it was pointless but it didn’t matter, he recognized the voice.

“I’m surprised you know what that word means.” Dumbbell sighed. “And why aren’t you at work?” On the far side of the living room a lamp clicked on revealing Hoops sitting on the couch, legs crossed, putting on his best impression of some mad scientist. Both he and Dumbbell had been best friends since foalhood and were currently sharing a rented space in Cloudsdale.

“I could ask you the same thing and-hey!”

Dumbbell walked towards his bedroom on the left side while thinking up a quick lie.

“Score needed my help with something at the gym so I took the day off and flew over early.” He said. He hoped Hoops wasn’t privy to yesterday's weather factory incident. “Why are you still here?” he asked. He placed his bag on top of his bed and turned around just in time to slap Hoops’ face with his noise.

“Gah-” he stepped back rubbing his nostrils. “What?”

“Dude I don’t believe you. Nothing at the gym would need you to take your saddlebag.” The orange stallion straightened. Given his natural height, which was a comfortable head taller than the average stallion, it was easy to see over his friend.

“What's in that anyway?” Hoops asked suspiciously, pointing towards the bag.

“None of your business is what's in it!” Dumbbell bristled in an attempt to be intimidating, it may have worked on any other pony. Hoops respectively left his friend’s personal bubble but he wasn’t phased.

“Right...” He tapped his chin with a hoof. “So, who’s the girl?”

“What?” The look on Dumbbell’s face was incredulous.

“You heard me, bro. So what’s her name? Someone I know?” Hoops asked behind a gradually expanding grin.

“You actually think I went to see a girl at this time of day?” Dumbbell asked lamely.


“Dude! Any time of day is a good time to see a girl!”

Dumbbell nodded. “Yeah. Right.” He knew there was no point to argue. Let Hoops believe what he will as long as he didn’t learn the truth. "No one important."

Hoops continued. “Well if we’re both playin hookie today lets go out and hang some place!”

Dumbbell looked at him wryly. “So you’re admitting that you’re bumming out today.”

“Pssh, thought I was catching a head cold or somethin but I think the extra sleep did me some good. And there’s no point going in this late. We can’t sneak in and we’d just get chewed out by the boss.

‘You’d get chewed out’ Dumbbell thought, he was free the whole week. He smiled at the thought, so Hoops didn’t know about Rainbow Dash headbutting him on the winter work floor .

“If you’re not worried about anybody from the complex spotting ya, we can go the Clouddoseum. They’re having some games today, right?”

Hoops draped a foreleg across Dumbbell’s shoulders. “You read my mind. C’mon lets get over there before they start making those soft pretzels. The only way to eat em is fresh!”