You have to do this, Dash. Better now than later, when it would hurt much worse. She has given it her best shot, honest. When Pinkie came in and just blurted out of the blue that she wanted to date her, Dash couldn’t say she was surprised. Like that whole thing with Gilda? Pinks was totally crushing on her, anypony could see that, But she kinda hoped that Pinkie would forget about it, move on. But with Dash’s luck, of course Pinkie didn’t.
And she was totally ready to set Pinkie down gently, Celestia as her witness. But Pinkie and her big blue eyes filled with tears … Nopony could say no to it. And she did love Pinkie, as a best friend. It could’ve evolved into something more as they dated, she had foolishly thought. So against all her better instincts, she said yes.
And sure, it was great at first. They still went pranking, Pinkie still watched her practice her tricks, and all the other stuff they do together, only more often. Dash could’ve lived with that. But then there were the dinners and the dates, where Dash could see Pinkie falling more in love with her every day. The kisses were the worst. All she could think was that she was kissing Pinkie. Not that Pinkie’s ugly, of course not. But she’s her best friend! She’s a sister to her! It just felt wrong. But pinkie deserved a nice girlfriend and a good kiss, so Dash gave her both. Screw anypony who said she wasn’t the Element of Loyalty.
But it had to stop. You can’t force these things, and Pinkie was getting more serious while Dash was just staying the same and ugh! The longer you put off the end, the more it hurts when it comes, right? Right? She had to believe that. Believe it was in Pinkie’s best interest. So here she was, standing outside of Sugarcube Corner. It was a slow day, Wednesday, which meant there’d be privacy. She psyched herself up, took a deep breath and went in. There was Pinkie, bored out of her mind, but her eyes went up at the sight of Rainbow. Darn it, darn it! She was even ready to go into one of her happy ‘Oh, Dashie, I missed you so much’ babbles that were so endearing when they were just best friends and everything was simple but now would just be another spike of guilt into her heart. She couldn’t listen to it, not today. Couldn’t let anything guilt her from doing this.
Pinkie was jumping towards her, ready to go into motor mouth mode, but Dash intercepted her. “Pinks, not today, ok? I … I gotta say something, and I can’t let you stop me, kay?”
She could see the words ready to form the words, confused, and worse, worried. She couldn’t hear that. Not today. “Not a word, Pinks, not until I’m finished. Pinkie Promise, without words!” She turned her head. She couldn’t even look at that whole routine. It’d just remind her whose innocent heart she was breaking.
Pinkie nodded, eagerly and energetically like a stinkin’ puppy. Dang it! Why did you have to get us in this situation, Pinkie? Rainbow closed her eyes. Don’t look at those blue eyes, Dash. “Pinkie, you know I love you, right?” Pinkie was abiding to her Promise, but she could picture the words in her buckin’ head. Ignore em, Dash. “Who wouldn’t, right? You’re caring. Like, you never let anypony in this whole big town be alone for a second. And-and you’re hilarious, like when we were making fun of those fancy schmancy ponies at that big restaurant Rarity forced us to go to on our first date. You’re beautiful and adorable and anypony would love to be in my hooves. And..” Look at her, Dash. She deserves that. She forced herself to look into Pinkie’s eyes, already moistening up as if knowing what was coming. “there will be another pony. Cause you’re a catch, Pinks, but I can’t love you as anything else but my best friend and you’re the most important pony in the world to me, but not like that!” Pinkie was whimpering and closing her eyes, shaking her head as if that would somehow push away this conversation. “Pinkie!” she shouted, shocking Pinkie’s eyes awake. she forced Pinkie’s head to face hers, hoping Pinkie was looking into her eyes. And she said with more certainty than anything else before, “I still love you. So much.”
Pinkie collapsed into her arms. Others may have left, figuring it wasn’t their part to comfort an ex, or that the ex wouldn’t want them around. Dash wouldn’t do that, couldn’t. Because she was the Element of Loyalty, and she would never abandon her best friend when she needed her.