Dash and I held our stomachs, trying to cease our hardy laughter. Recapping on such joyous moments always filled me with glee. I watched as she wiped a tear from her eye, her once soft grin now stretched upwards to form a beautiful smile.
“Man, Soarin!” she giggled, “Looking back, I never noticed how nervous you were.”
My hilarity slowly came to a halt as I responded, “Yeah, I was pretty tensed up.”
“But why?” she asked abruptly, turning this happy moment into one of stress.
“What do you mean?” I asked, pretending not to know what she was talking about. It was a pitiful excuse to stall and not answer the question.
“Why were you so worried that night?” she asked, a coy grin engraving itself over her features. She knew the answer; she just wanted me to say it. I was simply a pawn in her game of amusement.
Scratching the back of my head, eyes darting across the room, I knew there was no dodging the question. “Well…uh… you just looked really…”
“Yeah?” she said, giggling at my nervousness. I wasn’t annoyed though, it was playful and sweet. Besides, who doesn’t want to be told they looked wonderful?
“You just looked, b…beau…”
She leaned in closer to me, waiting with anticipation for me to finish the word. Her stare resembled that of a child, begging their father to read the final sentence of a bedtime story as they dangled by a cliffhanger.
“You looked beautiful,” I said, letting out a gush of air and a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders.
Dash’s response confused me. She began laughing uncontrollably, falling back over in the bed, holding her stomach in a feeble attempt to prevent her guts from spilling out.
“What’s so funny?” I said, hot headed with a face beaming a bright red. I had just admitted to something that I would have preferred to keep secret, and here she is laughing at me. It’s safe to say I was rather annoyed.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, Soarin,” she said through her amusement, “Your face was just priceless!”
I rolled my eyes playfully, revealing a grin of embarrassment. I nudged her on the shoulder, trying not to burst into laughter myself. But what happened next turned my blood cold. Her laughter turned raspy as Dash began coughing, holding her chest and choking on her own air.
My eyes went wide, nothing but black pinpoints remained of my pupils as I watched her gag and moan. I gripped her hoof in mine, staring down with an immense look of fear in my eyes. “Dash! Dash what’s wrong!? I-I’ll get a doctor!” but before I could run from my seat, she pulled my arm back, signaling that it wasn’t needed. Her coughs finally subsided and I let out a massive breathe of relief.
“It-it’s fine Soar, just a bit sore,” she said, rubbing at her throat with a raspy tone of voice.
“A-are you sure?” I asked, “I mean, that sounded… awful.”
“No, no, I don’t need a doctor, I’m fine,” she sounded much more stern this time.
Unwillingly, I sat back in my stool, letting that terrifying moment dwell in the past. An unsettling silence broke between the two of us, but
then I noticed something. Dash was still holding my hoof. I flinched a little at the realization, but that’s when I felt how cold it was. Like a
frozen tundra had just washed over the room, consuming Rainbow in ice and leaving her cold to the touch.
I was about to say something about it when Dash spoke first, “Soarin? Remember the real time we first met?”
I raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
Dash smiled, “The first time we actually talked, got to know each other.”
The memory came back into view, “Oh yeah, I remember. But why do you ask?”
Just like the last time Dash wanted to recall our past, she simply shrugged and said, “I was just thinking about it.”
I smiled warmly, still looking down on her, “Well, it went a little something like……….
*****************
After yet another long day of flying, stunt performing, and screaming fans, I hadn’t been more exhausted in my life. The thought of getting home for a hot cloud shower and a night in bed pushed me further through the setting sky. The clouds were thin, almost string like as I slowly hovered above them. The orange sun baked my fur, washing me over in fatigue, lowering my eye lids and draining the energy from my wings.
As the hot breeze brushed against my mane, the faint sound of flapping wings came to my ears. I perked up a bit, falling out of my sleepy trance to see who may be nearby. Cocking my head back-and-forth, I saw no pony, only me and my thoughts. But suddenly, like a flash of lightning, a rainbow colored beam of light came hurling in my direction. A pegasus seemed to be the source of the bright path that followed her.
A sudden thought of the Grand Galloping Gala came into my mind. I had seen that rainbow before. But before I could even fully realize who I was looking at, a shrill voice filled the air, “GET OUT OF THE WAY!”
As I poorly attempted to dodge the pony flying in my direction, it was too late, and we collided head on. The impact was much stronger than I expected. The air had been completely knocked out of me as the two of us fell with a thud on a nearby cloud. I lay there, holding my aching stomach and throbbing head.
The pegasus pony beside me shot back up to her hooves, looking down on me with eyes of sweltering rage. “HEY WHY DON’T YOU WATCH WHERE YOUR GO—“ her bombardment of screams stopped when she took better notice of who I was. Her face sunk and her eyes drained of color for a moment. “Oh my gosh, Soarin! I-I’m so so so so sorry. I- I didn’t mean to hit you, I thought you were somepony else.”
All I did was lay there, staring up at the mare. Even when angry she looked amazing, but her sympathy towards me was flattering. I remained silent, still processing if this was real or fake. She waved a hoof in my face just like the last time we met, trying to snap me out of this trace.
With a shake of the head and a chill running down my spine I finally replied, “Oh, uh… it’s not a problem.”
She extended a hoof to help me up, and with shaken innards and a wavering self-confidence, I was on my feet again.
The sky blue pony looked frighten, as if preparing for me to yell at her. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Soarin.” She said, this time in a much lower, guilty tone of voice.
I gave her a soft smile before simply asking, “What’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow Dash. That was the name I yearned to know, the name that would have haunted my dreams.
“So, Rainbow Dash, what are doing out here?” I asked.
“I was just practicing some standard flying techniques before it gets too dark. Nothing big really.”
I could tell she was still terribly nervous, little did she know I felt just as timid around her. I took notice to the large bruise on her chest.
She had obviously been more hurt than I. “You ok?” I asked, gesturing to the mark.
“What, this?” she said, pointing at it as well, “I get this kind of stuff all the time, I’ll be fine.” Her stern tone of voice was coming back and I felt relieved knowing she was alright.
The sun was beginning to lower over the horizon and the cold breeze tickled my back. Rainbow rapped her hooves around her chest
trying to keep warm. “I’m sorry Soarin, but I got to get back to my place. Whenever I run into you again… let’s talk.”
I stood petrified as Rainbow gave me a grin and soared off into the darkening sky. I may have been still and quiet, but never had I been happier.