One month had passed since Winter Wrap Up and Ponyville seemed to be going back to that simple calm that everypony loved about it. One thing had certainly changed for two of residents Ponyville who had fallen in love. They never showed it that much but if anypony saw them in the town together, it was easy to tell. They didn't need mushy names for each other, they didn't need excitement and party games; they just needed each other.
The morning air was brisk but not overly so. The early morning twilight was sublime to watch, especially from the room where the pair of Big Macintosh and Rainbow Dash had spent the night. He had been very happy to move mostly out of his old room as Granny Smith had suggested and into the master bedroom of the farmhouse just on the nights when Rainbow Dash could stay. It had seen very little use since his parents had been the ones to sleep in that bed.
Rainbow Dash was gently leaning up against him as the sun started to come over the horizon. They had not had a repeat performance of the almost terrifyingly real dream when they had first shared a bed. Having little nuances when they slept, they easily learned to tolerate them. Hers was snoring which Big Mac was all too glad to ignore. His own wasn't something he was proud of yet Rainbow never seemed to mind.
Glancing up, Rainbow smiled at her lover.“I'll likely be gone for the next week. My acceptance to the Wonderbolt Academy is coming today.”
Big Mac smiled back down at her and rubbed his muzzle over hers gently before opening his own mouth, “Ah love ya, Rainbow Dash. Ah’m not gonna tie ya down, so knock'em dead up there.”
Rainbow Dash tossed her hooves around his neck and gave him another big kiss. Parting, she stared into his eyes love-struck. After a few moments, she averted her gaze as the inevitable thoughts came to to light.“I wouldn't be able to without you, now,” she whispered. Glancing back up, her eyes met his once more. “You're always in my heart, Mac.”
“Pa, used to tell me a story that Earth Ponies created rainbows you know.”He said with a wink and smile. Moving towards the bed, he laid out on his back, allowing the Pegasus to rest on his chest. As she did, he put a hoof around her, gently rubbing the crux of her wings as he had many times before. “Said we made 'em promise to always have two sides on earth as a reminder to 'em who gave 'em the Id-ear. Ah don't care how long you're away, Dash, as long as you're still willing to be with me when you're tired of the skies.”
“Ya big lug, trying to make me cry again?”
The pair looked into each others eyes and held each other very closer and kissed very deeply again only to be broken by a loud shout from the kitchen.
“Soups on ya, love birds. If ya don't hurry ya'll get none.”To the couple’s surprise, the voice was from Apple Bloom, not Applejack.
~~~~~~~Later~~~~~~~
The middle of day was now underway and waiting underneath Rainbow Dash's cloud mansion was a group of seven friends who were assembled to see if her Rainbow Dash would be accepted into the Wonderbolts Academy. Twilight Sparkle was laying under the umbrella to the far left. Rainbow Dash was standing to the right of Twilight near a table they had set out for a picnic. Rarity was standing to the right of Rainbow Dash wearing her most fashionable sunglasses with a glass of water on the table. Spike was to the right of Rarity and was gently fanning the fashionista and giving the other two a gentle breeze as well. Applejack was laying to the right of Spike and was rolling her eyes at his unyielding devotion to not miss a chance to see her. Fluttershy was the furthest to the right, and was also laying as politely as possible. Pinkie pie on the other hoof was bouncing about nervously and could hardly wait for the news.
She bounced past the group once and then came back, lightly tapping her hooves on the spot. “Ooooooh, I wish the mail pony would just come already. I can't wait another minute to find out if Rainbow Dash got in or not.”
Twilight blinked, chuckling as she spoke, “Pinkie Pie, you're more nervous than Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash waved her hoof dismissively and said, “I'm not nervous at all. When I get into the Wonderbolt Academy—”
Pinkie Pie using her fore-hooves pushed up against Rainbow Dash and started to shake her, saying, “If you get in! If you get in! Don't jinx it.”
Rainbow Dash pushed Pinkie's hooves away gently. “I'm telling you it's in the bag.”
Pinkie Pie came back even harder. “Don't jinx it!”
Applejack took a bite out of her apple, rolling her eyes briefly. “She is th’ best flier in Ponyville.”
Rainbow Dash, flew hastily past Applejack and Fluttershy up to a nearby cloud. Then Rainbow spoke again. “In Ponyville?” Zipping through the skies with her trademark speed and grace, she crafted a slide out of cloud leading towards her friends. “I'm probably the best flier in all of Equestria!” She slid down the soft ramp back first, flapping her wings as she flew upside down, past the group below her. “ I wouldn't be surprised if they just went ahead and made me a Wonderbolt on the first day.” Upon finishing her statement she collided with legs of the mail pony.The red maned male Pegasus pulled out a letter from his bag, addressing the group. “Got a letter here for Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash tore it from the mail pony's hooves and ripped it open. She started to read it, flapping in the air in front of her friends. Her eyes scanned the parchment, a crestfallen expression over taking her face as she averted her eyes, blankly staring towards her friends. “I didn't get in.”
The group gasped, shocked at the revelation. Yet, before they could move to comfort their friend, she turned the paper around and chuckled. “Gotcha!” Her friends sighed in relief, a few of them irritated from the joke. “Heh, you guys are so gullible. Like I wasn’t going to get in.”
Pinkie Pie proceeded to tackle Rainbow Dash out of the air, tumbling on the ground before they were sitting upright, the latter squeezed in a tight hug from the former.
“ I'm soooo, happy for you!” Pinkie squealed.
Chuckling, Rainbow weakly coughed in response. “ Uh, Thanks.” Pinkie Pie maintained a bright wide smile as her grip tightened on the rainbow Pegasus.“ Pinkie Pie, I kinda need to get going.”
Pinkie kept her bear hug up for a few moments before she suddenly detached, grinning. “ Ok, I'm done.”
Flexing her wings, Rainbow stretched out after Pinkie’s bone crushing hug before zipping into the air, performing a quick loop.“Sooner I get there. Sooner I get to show 'em my stuff.” Spike and Rarity held up Rainbow Dash's bag, as she dashes by catching it flawlessly on her back. and gets it on her back. Tearing into the skies she gave one final shout; “See you guy's in a week!”
“Good Luck!”the entire group shouted in unison.
“Won't need it!” Rainbow shouted back, the group becoming harder to see the further she left. Her eyes instinctively glanced towards Sweet Apple Acres, one final thought in her mind. 'I'll be back, my love.'
Pulling out a megaphone from her apparently slip-space pocket, Pinkie Pie took a huge breath into her mouth.
“DON'T FORGET TO WRITE!”The ground shook around them from the sheer sound perturbing all present at the scene. Putting the megaphone down Pinkie Pie turns to her friends, unsure.“Do you think she heard me?”
Her friends, momentarily shocked, gently nod in response as the cyan Pegasus vanished into the skies.