Dawn of a new day… The sun was just starting to rise… Rainbow Dash absolutely hated waking up at such and early hour, but her body had other plans. Sure, she was likely well-rested, but the half-asleep Pegasus didn't feel the need to get out of bed just yet. She wanted to sleep through the sunrise, as she always did.
Throughout the night, Rainbow awoke feeling the same kind of loneliness she had felt while reading Soarin's letters. What sleep she did get was spent dreaming of Soarin; not as a Wonderbolt, but as himself—someone she could trust no matter how rough things became, someone she could laugh with, someone who could compliment her far beyond the way she and her friends complimented one another…
He's probably feeling the same way I am, Rainbow thought.
She turned to face the window and pulled her blanket up to her chin.
No, Rainbow thought. There's no question about it; he misses me just as much as I miss him, if not more.
"Oh, Soarin," she mumbled. "Please hurry up and get here…" She closed her eyes. "I love you," she whispered before going back to sleep.
Rainbow Dash woke with a sudden start. After looking out the window and noting that the sun was shining brightly, she looked over to her clock.
"Wow, it's almost noon," she muttered. "Guess I wasn't well-rested, after all."
With a yawn and a stretch, Rainbow got up, had a quick snack, and went into her usual routine of flying around town. Watching the activity down below often made Rainbow smile, but seeing foals, especially the smaller ones, laughing and playing with each other or with their loved ones filled her heart with a great sense of longing she hadn't really felt before.
I have to ask him how he feels about kids, Rainbow thought. That'll be one of the first things we discuss when he gets here.
As the energetic flier passed over the streets of Ponyville, she thought about other potential discussion topics. While she wasn't always one to sit and chat, she was willing to make exceptions; the promised meeting with Soarin now rested at the top of that list. The two had a lot to talk about, and Soarin's visit couldn't come soon enough.
With each successful corkscrew turn or gravity-defying climb, Rainbow Dash impatiently awaited the cheerful Wonderbolt's presence. No amount of jokes or doubts could deflate her high spirit. Even when she suddenly crashed into Twilight's balcony—this time not being Applejack's fault—her heart soared higher than a foal during the holidays.
"Rainbow Dash…" Twilight muttered upon seeing the source of the noise outside her bedroom window. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Oh, lighten up!" Rainbow laughed as she recovered from her awkward landing and went into a gentle hover. "Can't I be excited about stuff?"
Twilight could only manage a sigh of annoyance.
"I guess not…"
"You can be excited," Twilight began, "but at least try to be reasonable about it. I swear, you're almost as bad as Pinkie Pie…"
"Am I really that bad?" Rainbow asked, a childish grin now plastered on her face.
A glare from Twilight was the only initial response.
"What?"
"Do I have to remind you of your antics regarding the last Daring Do book?"
"Eh heh heh… I guess I did get carried away back there…"
"I know you're looking forward to seeing Soarin again," Twilight softly began, "but it'll probably be another day or two before he's able to make it down here, you know."
"I know," Rainbow sighed as she landed in front of Twilight. "There's just so much I want to talk to him about, aside from just wanting to see him again. Besides…you know how I am when I'm expecting something important…to me…"
"Yeah, I do. I'm really happy for you—we all are—and it'll be exciting to see this work."
"I feel the same way. I want this to work, since we've gone to so much trouble over it, already."
The two friends sat in silence for a bit before a thought sprung into Rainbow Dash's mind, jolting her out of the calm stupor she had fallen into.
"Sorry to be in such a rush, but I just remembered something I have to take care of."
"Right," Twilight nodded in understanding. "See you later, then."
With a strong flap of her wings, Rainbow Dash rocketed skyward and sped toward her cloud house. Upon reaching the ornate structure, she landed and went inside. Without a word, she went to her bedroom, got a pencil and a piece of paper, made herself as comfortable as she could in her own bed, considering the weight on her heart and mind, and wrote.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I know it's been a while since you last heard from me. I'm sorry about that; I've just been so busy with stuff over the past week. You know how it is. Anyway, as I promised, I wanted to tell you how things are going between me and Soarin. A lot's happened between us, though it probably won't seem like much.
After he visited me before, he had to leave for the next part of the Wonderbolts' current tour. At first, they were in Manehattan for a few days. Then, they spent the past several days in Baltimare. Soarin and I wrote to each other throughout a major portion of that time, and he even sent me a couple gifts from Manehattan. He had fun in Manehattan, but the time in Baltimare was rather stressful for him.
The good news with the whole pen pal thing was that by keeping in touch with me, he was able to keep his sanity in one piece. I was also able to help him calm down when he was really stressed out. I've been giving him words of encouragement and stuff, and he really liked me for it, since it helped him focus.
Within the past few days, I've just felt this amazing sense, like I'm actually there with him. We both keep wishing we could be at each other's side, and we—
Rainbow took a moment to think before continuing the letter.
—think about each other constantly now. I've been seeing him in my dreams, and I'm willing to bet his sees me in his dreams. He's a real sweetheart, and he's been incredibly patient and open with me, and with the last letter I sent him, I decided it was time for me to give him that same sense of openness and accept the love he's offered me. When he's finished with his Wonderbolt stuff, he'll be coming to Ponyville to visit me again, and this time, he'll be on his vacation, which means we'll have plenty of time together. I seriously can't wait!
I can't really think of anything else to say right now, so I'll just end this here and get back to you whenever I can.
Love,
Rainbow
Just as before, she took a moment to seal and address the letter as needed, and after dropping the letter off at the post office, she made herself comfortable on a large cumulus overlooking Sweet Apple Acres.
"Aah, Soarin…" Rainbow sighed in contentment. "In some ways, we're so much alike…"
Not expecting anything else for the rest of the day, Rainbow Dash felt content with staying in her current spot for the remainder of the afternoon. With Rainbow's thoughts now focused on her favorite Wonderbolt, time raced by. Suddenly, nightfall had arrived. Taking the hint, Rainbow went home and headed off to bed.
"Sweet dreams, Soarin," Rainbow whispered after closing her eyes.
A moment later, she was asleep.
The next day began in a manner of perfection. Rainbow Dash awoke to a pleasant sun-filled morning sky. The warm rays of light washed over her like a gentle embrace, and though it was still somewhat early, Rainbow wasn't complaining; she had awoken from potentially the best night of sleep in her life, truly well-rested and ready to "attack the day," as Fluttershy had once quoted.
"Now this is more like it!" Rainbow declared as she got out of bed.
After her usual morning routine of a shower and a quick breakfast, Rainbow felt the need to tend to some of her weather assignments, and with that done, the day was hers.
"Why can't every day start out like this?" she asked as she flew over the activity down below. "Life would be so awesome, then…"
Suddenly, Rainbow Dash fell into a bit of a monolog.
"Yeah, life's already awesome, but there's nothing that compares to days like today. The weather is absolutely beautiful, the birds are singing, the townspeople are as cheerful as ever… I've got to be the luckiest mare alive right now! I've got the most amazing parents ever, I've got the best friends anyone could ever ask for, I have the best little sister in the world—it doesn't matter that we're not actually related—and I have the pride of living in one of Equestria's most welcoming communities. Oh, by the way, I've helped save Equestria multiple times, met my favorite author and adventurer, and I'm on my way toward joining the Wonderbolts."
As she graced the sky, Rainbow Dash's reference to her closeness to living her dream brought forth a number of Wonderbolt-related concerns.
"Once I'm in, Soarin and I will have to endure whatever remarks the press decides to make about us, since we'll both be on the team at the same time, except at different ranks. Actually…who cares about what the press says about us? I'm sure there have been other couples within the Wonderbolts long before us. The best part is that we'll be able to comfort each other when the drama starts. But what if that drama beaks us apart?"
She shook her head after making an abrupt stop.
"No! I once held the Element of Loyalty, and Soarin is far too infatuated with me to just abandon me. We'll make this work! I have to stay positive!"
After making her bold declaration, Rainbow landed on the cloud closest to her and looked down at the scenery below. During the conversation with herself, she had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Below, she could see Applejack and Big Macintosh plowing the fields and tending to whatever other chores needed taken care of.
"Heh, farm life…" Rainbow muttered. "I don't mind helping them every once in a while, but I don't think I could ever get used to living that way; they wake up way too early for my tastes."
"Then I suppose you'd be goin' without breakfast," came a familiar bass voice directly below the cloud currently occupied by Rainbow Dash.
"Big Mac!" Rainbow exclaimed. "How did you manage to hear what I was saying?"
"Because you was lookin' right at me when you said it," the farmer quipped. "'Sides, you ain't as quiet as you think."
"So you heard all of what I just said…from all the way down there?"
"Eeyup."
Rainbow laughed nervously at the awkward turn the scene had just taken.
"By the way, don't you have a date or somethin' comin' up?"
"H-how did you know about that?" Rainbow asked, her face slowly turning red.
"With the way you've been bouncin' from one end of the sky to the other, I think a better question would be of who doesn't know about it."
"Heh heh… Right," Rainbow replied as she rubbed the back of her head nervously.
"Excuse me, you two," Applejack cut in from nearby. "I hope you don't mind, but we've still got some work left to do."
"Heh heh… Of course, sis," Big Macintosh replied.
"Good morning to you, too, AJ," Rainbow sarcastically added.
"Hey, I don't mind talkin' to pass the time, but you can work while doin' it," Applejack said, firmly. "Assumin' you'd like to get down off o' that cloud and put some o' your extra energy toward helpin' us, that is."
"Nah, you guys seem to have everything under control, so I'll just leave you to it," Rainbow replied. "Catch you later!"
"That pony'll be the death of us all…" Applejack muttered as she watched her friend fly away.
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh said in agreement.
As Rainbow Dash left her friend's home behind, she wondered about how long Soarin had planned to stick around once he showed up.
He doesn't have to worry about catching an early train somewhere or anything like that, Rainbow mentally noted, which means we'll be able to hang out or something. I could show him around town, just as he wanted before. Now that I think about it, Twilight's estimate sounds pretty reasonable. That means he'll likely show up sometime today!
With that thought echoing in her mind, Rainbow Dash decided to just head for Ponyville Park and wait for Soarin there.
Considering we came here last time he visited…
The park's current state of emptiness made her somewhat nervous, but after realizing that it was still before noon and school hadn't let out for the day, she dismissed that concern and flopped onto a cloud. With nothing else to think about for the moment, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and fell into a state of meditation.
The day had proven to be rather stress-free for Rainbow, so far; no doubt, it was a perfect day in her eyes, but there actually was something that could make it beyond perfect. Slowly, a smile crept onto Rainbow Dash's face as she anticipated Soarin's arrival. With his smiling face being the only thing on her mind now, she could feel a sense of peace she didn't feel too often. With that sense of peace, her eyes began to feel heavy and her breathing softened accordingly…
…until she was slowly alerted by a gentle tap on the shoulder.
"Huh? What?" she sleepily asked.
"You're not going to fall asleep on me, are you?" a voice asked in response.
"I wasn't sleeping…" Rainbow replied.
"Of course not," came the light-hearted reply. "I don't really blame you; this weather is pretty relaxing."
"This weather isn't the only thing that relaxes me…"
"You're so sweet, Rainbow."
"Thanks…"
"Any time. Come on; open your eyes. I know I'm not the most interesting guy in the world, but—"
"OK, you got me," Rainbow cut in as she sat up. After shaking the cobwebs from her mind, she turned and lit up once she saw her visitor. "Soarin!"
"Hey, Rainbow," he responded, happily drawing her into a hug. "It's so good to see you again!"
"It's great to see you, too! I've really missed you."
"I know; I've really missed you, as well."
"So now that you're here, what did you want to do?"
"Actually, I was hoping we could just…catch up on things. I'm interested in what you've been up to since I last wrote to you."
"About that…" Rainbow sighed. "I'd like to get caught up, as well, but there was also a bit of a…personal question I wanted to ask. Just wanted your opinion on something, really."
"Cool. We could do that. What was it you wanted to ask me? I have some questions of my own, actually. Maybe we're thinking the same thing."
"Actually, could we go back to my place? That way, we'll be safe from 'wandering ears,' as you put it."
"Sure; lead the way," Soarin replied with a laugh.
"I remember passing this place," Soarin began, awestruck by the majestic cloud structure, "but I didn't realize that you lived here."
"Well, now you do," Rainbow replied.
"It's beautiful…"
"Thanks."
"…but not as beautiful as you."
"I—I don't know what to say…"
"How about we go inside?"
With a smile and a nod, Rainbow Dash led Soarin into her home, and, upon Rainbow's invitation, the two pegasi sat down on the couch.
"So now what?" Soarin asked.
"How'd the aftermath of Baltimare turn out?" Rainbow asked.
"We were all glad to be done. Everyone was ready to go home, but Spitfire assured us that we earned it."
"How's long's your vacation?"
"A few months. So… what have you been up to?"
"Driving everybody crazy with how much I've been looking forward to seeing you," Rainbow laughed.
"Don't ever change."
"I promise."
"I'll hold you to that, Rainbow. Now what was it you wanted to get my opinion on?"
"Kids," Rainbow softly answered.
"Some of my biggest fans are kids. It always makes me smile when I get to perform or just hang out because, depending on where we perform, the kids just run right to me and some of the others. To answer your question, I love kids."
"Awesome."
"You want to know what I'm thinking?"
Rainbow nodded.
"I had a matter of my own to discuss with you. You know how I feel about you, and you feel the same way about me."
"Yeah…"
"We've wanted to see each other, but I was wondering if you'd be up for taking it… further."
"What did you have in mind?"
"I was thinking I could take you out to dinner or something, sometime."
"You mean… like a date?" Rainbow asked, remembering Big Macintosh's comment from before.
"Absolutely."
"Yeah…" Rainbow whispered, slowly leaning toward Soarin. "I'd be up for that."
"Awesome," the Wonderbolt answered, gently pulling Rainbow Dash closer.
"You're so warm…"
"Thanks; you're pretty warm, yourself. You're also soft, no matter what anyone says; like a cute little teddy bear."
The two held their embrace for a few moments, happy to be in each other's presence once again. A bit later, though she didn't want to, Rainbow broke the embrace. Sensing Soarin's concern, she managed a calm smile, which eased that concern.
"Be right back," she whispered.
After a quick bathroom break, Rainbow returned to Soarin's side, and the two smiled at one another for a bit before a knock on the door interrupted the moment.
"Darn it…" Rainbow muttered. "I'll go see who that is."
Answering the door yielded a postal worker.
"Got a letter here for you, Ms. Dash," he politely said.
"Thanks," Rainbow replied, accepting the bit of mail.
"Who's it from?" Soarin asked.
"Princess Cadance," Rainbow answered as she closed the door. "I had some things I needed to ask her; nothing to worry about."
With a reassuring nod from Soarin, Rainbow Dash sat back down and read Cadance's letter.
Dear Rainbow Dash,
It's great to hear from you, and I'm happy to hear things have been going well in Ponyville. Congratulations on the new relationship! Some advice I can give you is to stick by him, never forget what you mean to each other, and take plenty of time getting to know each other. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best. If you have any other concerns, let me know, and I'll help in any way I can.
By the way, Shining Armor and I are doing great! Life in the Crystal Empire is as peaceful (boring) as ever, but hey, it keeps me going…more or less. Anyway, you and the others take it easy.
Sincerely,
Cadance
"Well, that takes care of that," Rainbow sighed as she returned the letter to its envelope.
"I think we can…work with this," Soarin said. "We can just…hang out or something, just as you had wanted, and this time, I don't have to worry about any kind of schedule."
"My thoughts exactly, which makes me wonder how long you planned on sticking around."
"Well… I didn't really think of that. Heh heh… I was eager to get down here. I think I'll head home when it gets dark. I can visit at any time."
"Sounds great, Soarin. Actually, I'd love to go out to dinner with you. There aren't too many fancy places here, but I'm sure you know of some places. In the meantime, I'm fine with…sitting here…with you."
"That settles it, then; nothing will stop us from spending time together. Whether it's a picnic, or just something like this, we've got this!"
With that, the two gathered a basket of things and headed out.
With the weather still pleasant, Rainbow Dash and Soarin decided to walk to the park rather than fly. As they passed through town, Rainbow pointed out various places of interest and the two returned whatever greetings were directed their way. The walk was relaxing until a familiar bundle of hyperactivity had them in a well-intentioned, but highly unexpected, embrace.
"Darn it, Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow shouted. "Why do you always feel the need to just… appear?"
"Because hugs are funnerific," Pinkie cheerfully answered, "especially when you throw one around a friend!"
"I agree that hugs are nice," Soarin said, easing himself out of Pinkie's grip, "but Rainbow and I are a bit busy right now."
"Oh, really? What's up?" Pinkie asked. Then she noticed the basket. "You're having a picnic!"
"Yes," Soarin confessed, helping Rainbow reorganize the basket's contents. "Rainbow Dash and I are heading to the park for a picnic.
"Can I come?" Pinkie asked.
"Ugh…" Rainbow groaned.
"Actually, Pinkie," Soaring began, "this is something Rainbow and I…threw together…just moments ago. We meant for it to just be her and I. Sorry."
"That's fine," Pinkie replied. "I'll see you around, then. Enjoy your picnic!"
"Yeah, we'll do that," Rainbow mumbled.
After Pinkie Pie left, Rainbow Dash and Soarin were alone again, and after making sure they had everything, they resumed their walk to the park.
After reaching Ponyville Park and finding a suitable location, Rainbow Dash and Soarin got everything for their impromptu picnic set out as needed, and shut everything else out of their minds. The only thing that mattered to them now was each other. No schedules, no deadlines, no chores of any kind… Nothing of that sort would interrupt their plans.
As Rainbow Dash prepared herself a peanut butter sandwich, she looked over to Soarin. When she noticed him silently staring at the sky, concern set in.
"Soarin? You OK?" she asked, hoping that would get the stallion's attention.
"Yeah, I'm cool," he answered, still looking at the sky.
"I'm over here," Rainbow said, sharply. "Hello?"
"Hello, yourself, Rain," Soarin replied as he smiled at her.
"Wait. What?" Rainbow Dash shifted her eyes a bit before facing Soarin again. "N-no one's ever called me that before…" She smiled. "I like it!"
After a quick laugh, Soarin helped himself to an apple. The two mostly sat in silence as they enjoyed the impromptu lunch break and the nice weather that surrounded them. Things were rather peaceful, though Soarin couldn't help shifting his gaze between Rainbow Dash and the scenery around her. Not wanting to anger her, he sighed and cleared his throat in an effort to get her attention.
"Hmm? What's up?" Rainbow asked.
"I—" Soarin began. There was something he wanted to say, but didn't know how. "I know I've wanted you and stuff, but this… It feels too good to be true; like a dream. You understand, right?"
Rainbow nodded.
"Right; then you may know where I'm going, here. I'm a bit worried, you see. I'm overjoyed to be here with you, but I have this…nagging feeling that something'll…force us apart, and it'll be like this wasn't meant to happen. I don't want that. I don't want to lose you, Rain. I love you."
"I feel the same way, Soarin," Rainbow replied. "Just as I told Twilight before, I want this to work. I think it will."
"Works for me, I guess," Soarin sighed with a smile.
"You guess? What the hay's that supposed to mean?!"
"Never mind. Forget I said that."
The two sat under a veil of tense silence for a while before Rainbow perked up and looked from side to side.
"What is it?" Soarin asked.
"I think we're being watched," Rainbow whispered.
"Let me guess…" Soarin looked toward some bushes nearby. "There's an Earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus hiding in the bushes I'm staring at now. They're curious about our picnic, it seems." He raised his voice a little. "No need to be shy, kids."
"Wait… 'Kids!?'" Rainbow exclaimed; then it hit her. "Crusaders…" she whispered. "For the love of Celestia, not now…" With the imminent interruption, she buried her face in her hooves, and groaned. "No… No… No!"
"Oh, come on, you big baby," Soarin teased.
Rainbow shot Soarin an angry glare, then faced the trio in question.
"I was certain that place would keep us hidden," the pegasus muttered.
"How'd you find us?" the unicorn asked.
"I didn't get into the Wonderbolts by being blind to my surroundings," Soarin laughed.
"I don't mean to be rude," Rainbow impatiently cut in, "but Soarin and I would like to have a nice, quiet picnic…alone."
"Sorry we interrupted you guys…" the three said in unison.
"Look…" Rainbow sighed. "Apple Bloom… Sweetie Belle… Scootaloo… I don't mind seeing you every so often, but your random appearances…and attempts at spying on others…aren't always as innocent as you want them to be." She stood up. "I'll see you guys around, hopefully when I'm not in the middle of something." She managed a smile.
The three nodded in understanding, and with a cheerful farewell, they raced off.
"So cute…" Soarin whispered.
"Not always…" Rainbow muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Let's get back to what we were doing," Soarin offered.
"What's the point?" Rainbow snapped. "We'll just get bothered again…"
"Would you rather call this off?"
"Huh? Call what off? The picnic?"
"Yeah, sure. Considering the park is a public place and all…"
"Please stop."
"Maybe I was just deluding myself…" Soarin muttered under his breath.
"Excuse me?" Rainbow asked.
"Hey, at least we made an effort at this…" Soarin managed a weak laugh.
"Knock it off, Soarin, seriously. You really want to just drop this after the progress we've made on it?"
The stallion sighed and shook his head, yet avoided Rainbow Dash's gaze.
"Neither do I," Rainbow said, softly, sitting down next to Soarin. "Think about what we've said to each other… Think about the letters we've exchanged and those gifts you sent me…" With a hoof, she pulled his face close to hers. "Think about that letter I got from Princess Cadance. We both mean a great deal to each other. We know each other quite well, especially from the letters we've exchanged. Sticking together is what I'm known for."
Soarin managed a small smile.
"No turning back, Soarin," Rainbow added. "We've come way too far for it to fall apart now."
"You're right," Soarin replied. "I'm very sorry, Rain."
"Apology accepted."
"So this is it, then? Take it slowly like we agreed?" Soarin asked.
"Among other things…" Rainbow answered, seductively.
"Oh, really?" Soarin asked back, catching the mare's hint. "Like what?"
"I wasn't granted the Element of Loyalty for nothing, you know."
"Come here, you," Soarin laughed, drawing Rainbow Dash close. "Just know that I'll be holding you to all of those promises of loyalty you like to make."
"That's cool. I'll be doing the same for you."
With all doubts and disagreements resolved, Soarin gently placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's cheek, and pulled her into a long-awaited and passionate kiss, and with that gesture, the two had officially accepted their new relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend.