Rainbow Dash had a problem. She liked Twilight Sparkle, in a ‘more-than-a-friend’ kind of way. Rarity had proved that point quite well the other day, but now Rainbow Dash had no idea how to proceed. Twilight Sparkle was unlike any pony she had ever dated before. The bookish mare had only recently realized the importance of friendship, so it was highly doubtful that she had ever been in a relationship before.
At first Rainbow Dash had considered the direct approach. Fly over to Golden Oaks Library, tell Twilight that she thought she was hot, give her a kiss, then ask her on a date. Unfortunately, her mind immediately chimed in with possible reactions to such an act. Like Twilight looking terrified, before teleporting all the way to Canterlot and never coming back to Ponyville, or Twilight looking at her in disgust while saying she didn’t like mares that way, or Twilight becoming so frazzled that she became Nightmare Twilight, and shrouded the land in eternal dusk, turning her friends into her loyal servants.
Rainbow Dash had blushed at the implications of the last thought.
So, the outright approach was out, but where did that leave her? She highly doubted Twilight would pick up on subtle hints. And while Rainbow Dash knew that she was awesome, she also knew that she stunk at flirting. Like, cheesy pick up lines bad. Things that worked far better in a comedy routine.
She couldn’t come right out and say it, but she doubted that Twilight would ever notice the little things, so what could she do?
The answer was obvious, she’d just have to be awesome. Well, she was always awesome. She’d just have to show Twilight how awesome she was!
First though, she’d need an excuse to get Twilight out of the library. Something that would have the unicorn focused on her, fully exposed to Rainbow Dash’s aura of awesome.
Luckily, she’d find just such an excuse while hanging out with Applejack. It all came to her in a flash, after losing a game of horseshoes. She could prove she was the best athlete to both Applejack and Twilight, clearing two clouds with one kick!
“I challenge you to an Iron Pony competition, a series of athletic contests to decide who’s the best, once and for all.”
Applejack nodded. “Ya know what, Rainbow? You’re on!”
It was perfect. She couldn’t have asked for a better way to show off in front of Twilight. Suggesting that they would need somepony to judge the competition had been sheer brilliance, and Applejack had actually suggested Twilight be the judge, Rainbow didn’t even have to bring it up.
Thing had gone even better than she had expected. Rainbow Dash had won most of the events, proving once and for all she was the best athlete, with Twilight there to witness the whole thing! Rainbow Dash had been so pumped from winning the contest, that she she had almost asked Twilight out right then and there.
Until Applejack had to open her big mouth. Accusing her of cheating, of all things! It wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s fault she had been born a pegasus, of course she was going to use her wings!
So Applejack had challenged her to a race during the Running of the Leaves. There was no way Rainbow Dash was going to decline, especially since it was another opportunity to impress Twilight.
She was able to imagine it. She’d win the race way ahead of the other runners, and all the ponies would be cheering her name. But she wouldn’t be paying attention to that (at least, not too much). No, her focus would be on Twilight, who would come running up to her, congratulating her on such an amazing race. Then, Twilight would act all shy, saying that she thought the winner deserved a special prize. Of course, Rainbow Dash would play it cool, saying she didn’t need anything. But Twilight would insist, and then ask Rainbow Dash to close her eyes. Once Twilight’s lips met her’s, Rainbow Dash would pull her into an embrace, deepening the kiss and making Twilight yelp in surprise. Then Twilight would melt into the kiss, and once they were finished, would definitely ask Rainbow Dash to be her marefriend.
At least, that’s how things were supposed to go.
Instead, Twilight had actually joined the race as well! Not only that, but she had managed to place 5th, while Rainbow Dash had tied with Applejack for dead last. Even worse, she’d had to go run the course again with Applejack to help shake off the leaves that had been missed due to their hijinks. She hadn’t even been able to properly congratulate Twilight on her performance.
Her plan had failed, but she wasn’t about to give up! She’d prove herself to Twilight, one way or another.
Dresses were definitely not her thing. Clothes only slowed her down when she was trying to fly. Still, even with her limited interactions with clothes, she could see that Rarity was just about the best dress designer in all of Equestria. So she didn’t mind when Rarity offered to make her a dress, or when she said that she’d have to participate in some silly fashion show.
The only problem was the dress itself.
“Aren’t you going to tell me to change something too?” Rarity asked, causing Rainbow Dash to snap out of her thoughts.
Rarity wasn’t looking so great. The unicorn had obviously been quite busy designing and then redesigning all her friend’s dresses, but to Rainbow Dash she looked like she might collapse at any moment. Still...
“Nah, I just want my dress to be cool.”
“Do you not like the color?”
“The color’s fine, just make it look cooler.”
“Do you not like the shape?”
“The shape’s fine, just make the whole thing… you know, cooler!”
Seeing that Rarity still seemed a little lost, Rainbow Dash decided to elaborate. “You know, something so cool that a certain pony would totally be amazed when she saw it? And would totally be like ‘Wow, Rainbow Dash, you’re hot! You should totally be my date to the Grand Galloping Gala!’”
Rarity blinked, then smirked, looking slightly more awake. “Ah, now it makes sense. I had thought it rather odd that you’d be so willing to participate in the design process, let alone in the fashion show itself. Hoping to impress a certain somepony?”
Rainbow Dash felt her face heat up, but no there was no sense denying it to Rarity of all ponies. “Yeah. I figured I’d play along, and maybe let Twilight see me in something totally awesome! I’m willing to get all dressed up and strut around if it’ll make her happy.”
“I see, we shall have to work doubly hard to ensure your dress is perfect then. Now, how can we make this dress capture Twilight’s attention?”
Rainbow Dash stared at the fabric on the ponyquin. It still didn’t seem right, like there was something just a little…
“It needs to be about twenty percent cooler.”
Rarity simply groaned in response.
So the dressed had been a flop. Okay, flop was putting it too kindly. They had been a disaster. Not only had they all looked ridiculous, but Twilight hadn’t spared her so much as a second glance, even when she was wearing Rarity’s (original, and much improved) design. Apparently Twilight cared about clothing as little as Rainbow Dash did.
That was okay, though. She had a new plan: The Best Young Flyer Competition! This was it! Her chance to shine, show that she was the best. She’d win first place, which would obviously impress Twilight enough that the unicorn would have no choice but to ask her out!
Then, Twilight had to go and be even more amazing. If Rainbow Dash hadn’t already been in love with her, then Twilight making sure all her friends could be there to cheer her on might have done it. As it was, Rainbow Dash felt like she might just actually be able to cause a sonic rainboom out of pure happiness.
Right before the competition, her nerves began to get the best of her. Twilight was there, at the competition! She’d be watching her, watching her try to do a stunt she’d only ever pulled off once! A stunt that, despite years of training, she had never been able to recreate. What if she wasn’t able to do it? What if, she crashed and burned in front of everypony, with Twilight there to see?
Twilight would never go out with a loser like that! Not only did Rainbow Dash see her dreams of winning the competition start to fade, but also any chance she might have had at a relationship with Twilight.
Yet, as much as she wished otherwise, she couldn’t just quit. That wasn’t who she was. She’d go out there, and she’d give it her best shot. Because if she didn’t try at all, then she’d already failed, and Rainbow Dash was not cool with failing.
So, at the very last opportunity, she had flown. It wasn’t her best work by any stretch, she’d messed up on two parts of her act.
But then Rarity had fallen, her magical wings had disappeared somehow, and Rainbow Dash stopped thinking. There was no contest, there was no crush, there was only a friend who needed her.
And she’d done it, her second sonic rainboom, just in time to save her friend, and the Wonderbolts!
Could you say Best Day Ever?
She certainly had, until she realized that, in the rush of having won the competition and getting to spend time with her idols, she had totally forgotten about Twilight.
It would have been the perfect opportunity! She had been a hero! She’d saved four ponies from falling to their deaths while pulling off the most legendary aerial stunt known to pegasi! If she’d even glanced at Twilight at after that, the unicorn probably would have fainted from pure desire!
Well, maybe Rainbow Dash hadn’t been able to get a congratulatory kiss from Twilight, but she had still won the contest, and Twilight had seen her pull off a sonic rainboom! There was no way Twilight wouldn’t be interested in her now!
It turned out that Rainbow Dash was right. The day after the Best Young Flyer Competition, Twilight had found her and asked her a question.
Unfortunately it wasn't the question Rainbow Dash had been hoping for.
“You want to what now?” Rainbow Dash was not entirely sure she had heard correctly. There was no way Twilight had just walked up to her and asked…
“I’d like to study you! Well, your ability to do the sonic rainboom, I mean.” Twilight was smiling, positively giddy at the prospect of something new to research. Which had the side-effect of making Rainbow Dash’s brain turn to mush. “It’s an amazing technique, but there’s so little known about it. So I wanted to record as much as I could about it, maybe even publish the findings in a book for future ponies to read!” Twilight made that happy little squee sound that she did whenever she was excited, and clapped her front hooves together. At that point, Twilight could have asked Rainbow Dash to go back and start flight school over from the beginning, and she’d have done it.
“Uh, sure, I guess.” Rainbow Dash said, though her mind was still trying to catch up, having been stopped completely at Twilight’s adorable actions.
“Are you sure? I mean, it’ll probably mean weeks worth of testing, you’d have to perform under various circumstances while we recorded the data. I wouldn’t want you to get bored.”
The word test immediately got Rainbow Dash’s attention, and she realized what she had just agreed to. Honestly, even with the potential to understand the sonic rainboom better, the whole thing sounded boring.
“Sure! I mean, it’s important for that kind of junk to be around for the future, right?” In her mind she groaned, but there was no way she could pass up the opportunity to spend time with Twilight.
Apparently that was the right answer. Twilight gasped in happiness, and Rainbow Dash found her mind come crashing to a halt once again as Twilight wrapped her in a hug.
“Ohhhh! Thank you so much, Rainbow Dash! This is so exciting, first we’ll have to…”
Rainbow Dash wasn’t paying attention. She could still feel the warmth of Twilight’s forelegs wrapped around her. The warmth seemed to flow through her whole body, like she was wrapped up in the softest blanket in the world.
So what if it meant spending hours doing some boring sciencey stuff? If it meant getting to spend time with Twilight, or the possibility of another one of those hugs, then Rainbow Dash would do just about anything.