There was a long moment where neither girl moved, and everypony around them seemed to stop breathing. Then Applejack blinked.
Rainbow Dash blurred forward so fast that Applejack didn't have time to react. She brought an arm across to block the jab even as Rainbow Dash bounced backwards. The sting in her ribs was a clear indicator that she'd been too slow, even if Johnathon's hand hadn't been rising.
"Point, Rainbow Dash!" he announced. There was a surprised murmur from the crowd, and Applejack could see Rainbow Dash's smirk widen perceptibly.
"They don't call me..."
"Dash fer nothing. Heard it," Applejack interrupted roughly, keeping her guard up as she started shifting her weight side to side a little, keeping her eyes squarely on her speedy friend. "Ain't gonna catch me off guard so easily again though."
Rainbow Dash just grinned wider. "Wouldn't be as much fun if it was that easy every time," Rainbow Dash stepped forward and jabbed again, lightning swift, but Applejack was ready for her this time, and swung her left arm in a short arc to block the punch... except she blocked nothing but air as Rainbow Dash pivoted her hips like a striking snake, giving her stomach a hard snapping jab with the opposite fist.
Applejack stepped back, still on the defensive, and cursing to herself. She'd gotten used to Johnathon's larger size and slower hands. Not that the tall man was slow... but compared to Rainbow Dash, nobody was fast. Johnathon announced Rainbow's second point, but Applejack wasn't really paying attention anymore.
Rainbow Dash came in quick, eyes twinkling, and Applejack started to block, then a moment later blocked the other way, recognizing the feint for what it was this time, and knocking Rainbow Dash's strong left hook away from her body with a quick tight sweep of her forearm.
It wasn't as if Johnathon hadn't drilled her in this. She focused on Dash's body, on her hips, watching where she put her weight, not just where her hands were moving. She recognized two more feints and ignored them, then picked off another punch before it could connect.
Rainbow Dash nodded, almost to herself, dancing back lightly on her toes, and Applejack didn't hesitate, barreling forward, using her greater height and reach to step inside Rainbow's guard and bring a hard right hook toward the smaller girl's head like she planned on knocking it clean off her shoulders.
Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide, and she ducked, only to meet Applejack's left knee coming up from underneath. She put a hand on top of the incoming knee to keep it from bashing into her chin, only for Applejack to slap her lightly on the back of the head and step back.
"Point, Applejack!" Johnathon announced over the growing roar of the crowd. The ponies watching were getting excited now as the fight got more intense, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash barely seemed to notice, stepping back for a moment to assess each other once more.
"Nice moves there, slowpoke," Rainbow Dash teased.
"If'n I'm so slow, how come you ain't beat me yet?" Applejack shot back.
"Got to give the crowd their money's worth!" Rainbow Dash said with a grin.
"They ain't paid nothing!" Applejack growled back. Her eyes flashed, and she lunged forward.
Rainbow Dash leapt backwards, only for Applejack to stop her lunge abruptly and start taking her own step backwards. Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed as she started to dart forward, before she realized that Applejack had stepped back in order to have room to kick.
Applejack turned almost sideways to Rainbow Dash as she leaned her upper torso away, raising her right leg up till it was bent at a 90 degree angle, foot coming up next to her left knee before sending her foot rocketing at Rainbow Dash's stomach, her upper body going over nearly halfway to balance the movement.
Rainbow Dash barely had time to block, but she managed to get both arms in between her torso and the powerful side kick. Her arms absorbed some of the impact, but her feet left the ground regardless... and she found herself flying through the air.
Somehow she kept her feet under her, and when she landed she stayed upright, although barely, wobbling somewhat.
Johnathon raised an eyebrow, then raised a hand over Applejack's head. "Point, Applejack!"
Rainbow Dash let her arms drop. "Like hell, teach! I blocked that!"
Johnathon pointed at her feet. "You left the ring, Rainbow Dash."
She looked down, and indeed, her feet had landed almost a full foot outside the rough circle Johnathon had marked before the fight began. "Darn it!"
Johnathon turned back to Applejack and wagged a finger at her. "Watch yourself, Applejack. That was too much force for a sparring match. I'm only giving you a warning this time, but next time you hit that hard I'll award the match to Rainbow Dash."
Applejack nodded, keeping her eyes on Rainbow Dash. "Sorry coach, I'll be good," she raised her voice. "You OK Dash?"
"Are you kidding? Baby taps like that aren't going to bother me!" Rainbow Dash said confidently, stepping back into the ring.
Applejack slowly retreated back to her starting position as Rainbow Dash came towards her. "You ready to keep going, partner?"
"You know it, A.J.," Rainbow Dash assured her. "Nice kick though. That what Johnathon taught you solo?"
"Eeyup." Applejack acknowledged mildly as she started to circle to the right, causing Rainbow Dash to mirror her movements, the two girls starting to circle the ring, looking for openings, her mind flashing back to when she'd first brought the matter up.
*****************************
"I want you to show me that Applebucking kick you used..." Applejack had told the man, frowning as she tried to describe it. "You know... what you did back at the farm when I was trying to teach you to Applebuck?"
Johnathon blinked. "Oh... you mean a side thrust kick?"
Applejack shrugged. "I don't know what ya call it, but it was strong... well, fer you. You got what... three apples down with that one, right?"
Johnathon wrinkled his nose. "I think so... it's been a while. Were you planning on doing some Applebucking as a human, then?"
Applejack grinned. "Well, that'd be good, but I'm looking for something to surprise Rainbow Dash with... something I'd be good at. And an Applebucking kick seems like it'd be right up my alley."
"It's not an Applebucking..." Johnathon sighed. "You know what, fine. It's not an easy kick for a beginner though. You have to be able to balance pretty well!"
Applejack shrugged. "I'm getting pretty good at balancing on two legs now, ain't I?"
Johnathon shrugged. "Sure, but for this you have to be good at balancing on just one," he demonstrated, bringing his right foot off the ground slowly till his foot was hanging next to his left knee, his right knee at a 90 degree angle, pointed straight ahead. His arms went out slightly to the sides to balance, and he remained that way for several seconds before putting his foot back down. "Like that."
Applejack frowned, then tried to imitate the movement, drawing up her right leg slowly, her arms going out wide immediately as she wavered, struggling to stay upright. She managed to get her foot up to her knee, then brought it down quickly to keep herself from toppling over.
Johnathon shrugged. "Balance is very important. You can't get any power behind a kick like that if you aren't balanced right... and you're certainly not going to hit what you're aiming at."
He demonstrated again, slowly bringing his foot up like before. This time he held his foot off the ground for several long seconds before slowly tilting his body to the left, and just as slowly pushing his right foot out to the right till his right leg was perfectly straight, sticking out from his body at a 90 degree angle. He held it there, then just as slowly brought his foot back to his left knee, then smoothly lowered it to the ground, never changing speed, but moving his foot at the same snails pace the entire time.
"That's what you should practice," he told her. "You should probably use something to balance against at first... but if you're going to do it right, you should do it slow first. If you can do it really slow like I just did it there, you'll be able to do it RIGHT when you have to do it quickly."
Applejack frowned. This was starting to look trickier than she'd expected, but she liked the look of that kick. It was powerful, and it used the whole body, like a good Applebuck.
"Well then..." she decided. "Let's get started!"
She'd practiced the kick for hours and hours at home, using a wall for balance. It was tiring, and difficult, but she knew immediately when she got it right. She'd shown Johnathon the next day, and while he'd had a bit of advice on straightening out her form, she knew it was a good move for her. The day after that she'd gone applebucking. And the day after that. Every moment she could spare, she was Applebucking with her new kick. She'd gotten good at it. She was up to six apples, and working on more the day before her sparring match with Rainbow Dash.
********************
Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Not bad... but don't you think it's a little slow?" she dashed in then, throwing a quick couple jabs before snapping out with a lightning fast sideways kick that brought her leg off the ground, rotated her hip to snap out her leg like the crack of a whip, and had her foot on the ground again before Johnathon could announce her point.
Applejack winced at the new bruise she knew she'd have on her upper hip, Johnathon's voice announcing to the crowd that Rainbow Dash had gotten a point wasn't telling her anything her body wasn't. That was a kick? She'd barely seen Rainbow Dash lifting her leg before it connected. How was she supposed to block that? Her lip curled up slightly in determination. It wasn't any faster than her jabs... it just came from a different direction.
She blinked as she realized she knew how to block this kick. In fact, Johnathon had used the exact same move on her during their practice sessions more than once. Again, he was a hair slower than Rainbow Dash... but she knew how to block this. Rainbow Dash took the moment of hesitation on Applejack's part as an opportunity, and tried a triple combo this time, two jabs and another lightning fast kick, but she'd seen the move now, and she blocked all three, then came back with a combo of her own, a straight right for Rainbow Dash's chin, then a quick jab at the stomach. The jab connected, and Rainbow Dash grunted as she stepped away to give herself space.
"Point, Applejack!" Applejack blinked as she realized that she was actually ahead by a point. She was winning! Despite all of her bravado when they'd talked and joked about their upcoming match, she'd never actually expected to be doing this well.
Rainbow Dash looked grim, but at the same time, Applejack could tell that the ex-pegasus was having fun. Rainbow Dash darted in again, and somehow she'd gotten faster. Applejack took a blow before she could blink and stepped away even as Rainbow Dash bounced away, her eyes alight with determination.
"Point, Rainbow Dash!" Johnathon announced. "All tied up... next point takes the match."
Applejack took a deep breath, then another, forcing herself to concentrate. She could do this. She could do this. She just needed to pay attention. She'd block Rainbow Dash's next blow and counter. The red haired speedster had speed, but Applejack had been paying attention. She left herself open when she attacked. Not a lot... but...
Rainbow Dash blurred forward, then launched herself skyward, her right leg snapping out as she reached the apex of her jump. Applejack brought her left arm instinctively to block the kick, stopping it about half a foot from the side of her head, but Rainbow Dash wasn't done. She snapped two more kicks into Applejack's left arm... each aimed for her head, then spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees in the opposite direction, her right leg spinning around behind her body and straightening out as it came around on Applejack's right side. It struck her high in the right shoulder and staggered her. Rainbow Dash was falling now... but slowly... and she kicked out one final time, this time with both feet, catching Applejack in the middle of her chest.
Applejack, already off balance, flew out of the ring even as Rainbow Dash hit the ground herself, the cocky athlete not able to get her feet back under her in time so that she hit the ground ass first, sideways, sprawling out in the middle of the chalked ring Johnathon had drawn in the grass.
There was a long moment of complete silence before Johnathon finally spoke, sounding as stunned as she felt. "Point... match. Rainbow Dash!"
The crowd went wild.
***************************
Rainbow Dash was in the middle of a mob of admirers, retelling for what was probably the third time, her personal perspective of her victory against Applejack, but Johnathon wasn't listening. He had caught Twilight Sparkle's eye, and noticed Princess Luna looking like she wanted a word as well, so the three of them had walked away from the rest of the crowd a ways to talk.
"Mr. Dwire..." Luna began. "Correct me if I'm wrong... but humans are not capable of... personal levitation, correct?"
Johnathon nodded. "You're right. No human could have done that... whatever it was that Rainbow Dash did. Did you catch how long she was in the air during that last bit?"
Twilight spoke up. "About three point five seconds... maybe a bit more," she said softly. "But... she doesn't have wings anymore. How did she do that?"
Johnathon glanced back toward Rainbow Dash before turning to Luna. "Are pegasi without wings able to fly at all?"
Luna shook her head. "Not that we are aware. The loss of a wing is always tragic for any pegasi, of course, as it renders them unable to fly. Never-the-less, we are not mistaken. Rainbow Dash remained airborne longer than should be possible."
"For a human," Johnathon corrected. "And correct me if I'm wrong... but Rainbow Dash isn't just any pegasus."
Twilight wrinkled her nose. "Well... she's the fastest pegasus I know of. And there was the Sonic Rainboom, of course."
"I've always said that there's no way Pegasus should be able to fly with such small wings..." Johnathon pointed out. "Obviously magic has something to do with it..."
Luna nodded somberly. "And Ms. Dash is the strongest flier we have known. The last pegasus who was capable of a... sonic rainboom, could not, for example, perform one unless she was headed downwards at the time... and I am informed that Ms. Dash has been working on performing one while flying level?"
Twilight shrugged sheepishly. "She did that a few months ago. Now she's trying to do one while climbing."
Luna blinked. "Most impressive," she glanced back toward Rainbow Dash herself. "Do you think she is aware of what she just did?"
Twilight frowned. "I... I honestly have no idea." She turned to Johnathon. "Did she do anything like that while you were practicing with her?"
He shook his head. "Not once. That was... different."
Twilight shrugged. "Well... maybe we should just ask her how she did it."
**************************
"What do you mean, how did I do it?" Rainbow Dash looked puzzled as if she didn't quite understood the question. "I just did it."
It was nearly an hour after the fight, and the crowd had finally all wandered off before they'd approached Rainbow Dash. Twilight had wanted to talk to her right away, but Luna had suggested that they discuss the matter privately, and Johnathon had agreed.
"Well, that wasn't a combination I taught you, Rainbow," Johnathon pointed out. "Did you practice that move on your own?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Not really. I mean, not as a human. It was a pretty basic Krav Pega combo though, you know?"
Johnathon snorted. "Basic my left foot. You threw what... five, six kicks before you hit the ground again?"
Rainbow Dash blinked. "Er... I didn't keep track. But yeah, something like that, why?"
Johnathon sighed, his patience ebbing slightly. "So... you didn't practice any flying kick combos like that before the fight?"
Rainbow Dash wrinkled her nose now, still looking confused. "Not as a human... but I was in the zone, you know? During the fight with Applejack, I just... you know how it goes, everything seems to slow down, and you feel like you can do anything?"
Johnathon blinked, then nodded. "OK, sure. I've been there a few times myself. So you tried a combo you knew from your Krav Pega training?"
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. It just suddenly... clicked, you know?"
Johnathon raised an eyebrow. "Sure...." His nose twitched side to side as he tried to figure out how to get around to what he was trying to find out. "OK... Rainbow, do a lot of Earth Ponies or Unicorns use Krav Pega?"
Rainbow Dash blinked. "Well, no. I mean, you need wings to pull off most of the...." she trailed off, looking even more confused. "Huh."
Twilight had been listening intently. She had never practiced a martial art, and much of what Johnathon and Rainbow Dash were talking about was outside of her areas of expertise, but she'd been formulating theories ever since she'd noticed her friend's gravity defying maneuver during her match with Applejack. She started to speak, then stopped herself. Something told her that Rainbow Dash was about to come to her own realization about what had happened, and she didn't want to spoil it for her.
Rainbow Dash blinked again, then shook her head. "No... wait," she brought her hands up and shifted her feet as if getting into a fighting stance, and she started shifting around slowly, her eyes downwards as she replayed the end of the fight in her head.
Luna watched with interest from just behind Johnathon and Twilight. She could see Rainbow Dash's body make similar, if greatly reduced movements just like the ones that came before her final flying series of kicks, and she could practically read the thoughts racing through the pegasus-turned-human's head even as she had them.
Rainbow Dash came out of her fighting stance, and put her hands on her hips. "OK... what just happened? I mean... you need wings to pull of that combo. Or... I thought you did."
Twilight frowned. "We were hoping you could tell us, Rainbow Dash. You were in the air for almost four seconds! That shouldn't be possible!"
Luna chuckled. "Except, of course, that it plainly is, seeing as we all witnessed the event."
Rainbow Dash blinked. "You mean I... flew?"
Johnathon found himself chuckling slightly as well. "Well... not flew, exactly. I'd call it falling with style," he snickered again, apparently finding something funny with his statement.
"Falling with style, huh?" Rainbow Dash looked thoughtful. "I like it!" she frowned again. "But how did I do it?"
Twilight shrugged helplessly. "Like I said, we were hoping you could tell us. Are you sure you don't know how you did it?"
Rainbow Dash hesitated, then shook her head. "I wasn't thinking about flying... just about doing that combo. I used to use that combo in practice all the time," she turned to Johnathon. "Morning Star uses the same style, remember?"
Johnathon nodded thoughtfully, remembering both the fight against the Timber Wolves and more recently, his sparring session against the agile Royal Guard. "Yeah, I remember. Hard to defend against that many kicks. Of course, he has wings...."
Rainbow Dash nodded. "Yeah," she turned to Twilight. "So... how'd I do it, Twilight?"
Twilight groaned. "How am I supposed to know?"
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Well, you're the egghead."
Twilight shook her head and chuckled. "Of course," she paused, and looked thoughtful. "Well, I do have a few ideas. I mean... it's not really a well researched area, but as Johnathon has pointed out on several occasions, Pegasi use magic to fly. I mean... we've known that for hundreds of years, but it's been so... obvious that nopony has ever really explored exactly how they do it before. Up till now, it was thought that Pegasi used their magic through their wings... but of course, it's not that simple."
Luna spoke up. "Pegasus magic is present throughout the body, naturally, or else their cloudwalking would not work as it does."
Twilight nodded. "And of course, Rainbow Dash still has all of her Pegasus magic."
Rainbow Dash nodded slowly. "Right. So I can still walk on clouds, right?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes, but more than that, the magic that makes Pegasi capable of flying with such small wings... you have that as well."
Rainbow Dash bristled. "Hey! My wings aren't small!"
Twilight winced. "No... of course not. I mean, not for a pegasus. But compared to their size and mass, all pegasi have wings that should be too small to provide lift... theoretically."
She turned to Johnathon. "Right?"
Johnathon nodded. "Sure. I've always known it was magic. Had to be. The physics just doesn't add up."
Twilight nodded earnestly. "Humans apparently have a much broader understanding of aerodynamics than we do... but everything Johnathon explained to me matches up with our understanding of the concept. It's just most of those theories haven't seen much in the way of practical application here in Equestria..."
Rainbow Dash looked surprised. "What makes you say that humans know more about flying stuff than we do? I mean... pegasi are born fliers. If there's something to know about aerodynamic flight, we know it."
Twilight just gaped at Rainbow Dash, who raised an eyebrow. "What? I did go to flight school, after all."
Twilight coughed, then continued. "Well, humans have developed fixed winged, heavier than air craft... which is something ponies have never managed, for starters... but this isn't a competition, Rainbow Dash. We're trying to figure out how you managed to levitate yourself!"
Rainbow Dash just shrugged again. "Well... maybe I could do it because I didn't know I couldn't do it?"
Twilight just gaped at her. "It... it doesn't work like that!"
"It does for me!" Pinkie Pie broke in suddenly from just behind Twilight, causing the purple unicorn to leap a foot into the air in surprise.
"Pinkie!" Twilight spun around to glare at the bubbly girl. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
Pinkie giggled. "Sorry, Twilight!"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Anyway... what do you mean by that? You can't just perform magic just because you didn't know you can't."
Pinkie looked thoughtful. "Well, not ALL the time. But if it's something you could always do, but you didn't know you could, sometimes not knowing you couldn't is the only way to do it!"
Twilight blinked. "Er... run that by me again?"
Johnathon looked thoughtful. "I think I get it. Rainbow Dash could fly... sort of, during her match with Applejack because of her Pegasus magic... even though she didn't know she could use it like that... because she forgot she couldn't and just tried."
Luna nodded slowly. "Yes... I see. Most pegasi, upon the loss of a wing, do not consider flight possible again. Certainly they do not engage in energetic physical competition where flight could be an asset... at least not generally, I would think."
Rainbow Dash blinked. "Wait... are you saying what I think you're saying?" No one spoke up, so she continued. "Are you trying to tell me that I can fly... without wings?"
Johnathon Dwire, Twilight Sparkle, and Princess Luna all looked at each other, then at Rainbow Dash. For a while, no one spoke.
Twilight shrugged sheepishly. "Maybe?"
********************
The sun has set at least an hour ago. Rainbow Dash, dirty, tired, and sore, sat dejectedly in on the torn up section of grass she'd been repeatedly falling onto for... she couldn't remember how long it'd been. Hours. It was hard to keep from crying, but she wouldn't let herself, although she did start hugging her knees as she fought to keep her emotions in check.
Almost everypony had left. Everypony but Fluttershy. Princess Luna had left first, having to return to her 'royal duties', whatever those were. Not that Rainbow Dash had minded. It had been more than a bit embarrassing, screwing up in front of the princess like that. And not just once, but over, and over, and over....
The others had stayed. For hours. They'd been encouraging. They'd been patient. Rainbow had the feeling that most of them would probably had stayed even longer, but she'd ended up yelling at them to leave her alone. She felt bad about it. Guilty. But what if she couldn't do it because they were watching, making her nervous?
Fluttershy had stayed. Rainbow hadn't protested. If she could be herself... be unselfconscious in front of anypony in the world, it'd be in front of Fluttershy. But it hadn't mattered. Nothing seemed to work. She'd leapt into the air so many times she could barely feel her legs. She was so far beyond sore, she wondered if she'd be able to stand for long enough to walk back to the Library.
She'd tried sparring with Johnathon... tried to do the same move again. When that hadn't worked, she'd asked Applejack to go another round with her. The farmer had agreed willingly enough, and Rainbow Dash felt another pulse of guilt, stronger this time, as she remembered how many new bruises Applejack would probably have from all the flying kicks she'd had to block. She'd taken it all without a word of complaint... but Rainbow Dash knew she owed her. Owed her big time.
And for what? Nothing. She hadn't floated... hadn't levitated, or done anything remotely like flying. Not once. She'd practically killed herself trying, and nothing had worked.
She sniffed, forcing herself to fight back the tears that were trying to worm their way out of her rebellious eyes, but she didn't know how much longer she could hold them back.
Fluttershy's arms came around her shoulders, and Rainbow Dash stiffened as the taller, willowy girl wrapped herself around her from behind. Rainbow Dash felt something loosen in her chest, and she started to cry. She didn't stop for a long time.
**************************
"I believe in you, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy told her quietly.
They were sitting side by side on the grass now. Rainbow Dash had pulled loose after she'd stopped crying, and they hadn't spoken since. It felt comfortable, just sitting together, but her words brought a snarl to Rainbow's lips.
"Why?" Rainbow Dash snapped almost angrily at her. "I can't fly! I just can't do it!"
"Of course you can," Fluttershy told her calmly.
"But I can't!" Rainbow Dash protested. "You saw... I did everything I could think of! I tried a hundred, a thousand times! And nothing!"
Fluttershy nodded. "But you did it once. And I remember something else you did once. Something you couldn't do again no matter how hard you tried, no matter how much you practiced."
Rainbow Dash's breathing stilled. "The Sonic Rainboom."
Fluttershy nodded. "You did it once. Just once. And then you couldn't do it again. Not for years and years. I watched you practice. I know how hard you tried to do it again. But you couldn't."
Rainbow Dash frowned. "Yeah. I just couldn't get enough speed..."
Fluttershy nodded again. "Unless you had to. When you had to. When it was the only way to save Rarity, you did it."
Rainbow Dash thought about that. "Well... I had to. I couldn't let her die, right?"
Fluttershy smiled softly. "Of course you couldn't. And that's why you were able to do it."
Rainbow Dash blinked. "So... what does that mean?"
Fluttershy shrugged. "I'm not a genius, like Twilight, and I don't know the future, like Pinkie Pie sometimes can... but I know this. Rainbow Dash doesn't leave her friends hanging. When you need to be able to do it again. When it's important, you'll do it again."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. How cheesy is that? I'll be able to fly without wings when I need to? I need to be able to do it NOW!"
Fluttershy hid her face behind her hair with a squeak, and Rainbow Dash sighed. "OK... maybe I don't NEED to do it now. It's just... flying is my life. I mean... literally. I can't remember not being able to fly...." she trailed off. "OK, except for when I got hurt really bad." Rainbow Dash frowned deeper. "Wow. What I would have given to be able to fly while my wing was busted. I HATED being stuck in bed. And remember what Princess Luna said about Pegasi who lost their wings? You know what it could mean for ponies if they could fly again?"
Fluttershy sighed. "I have thought about that. I'm not sure if it's something just anypony could do. I mean... you're Rainbow Dash. The one and only pegasus to perform the Sonic Rainboom!" she held up her hands helplessly. "I think... I think that if even you're having this much trouble with it, that it must be unbelievably, incredibly, unimaginably difficult."
Rainbow Dash groaned. "Yeah... that makes me feel a LOT better."
Fluttershy spontaneously hugged her again. "I'm sorry. But I do believe in you. I know that when it matters, if you really need to. You'll manage to figure out how to do it again."
Rainbow Dash frowned. "But... I'm only going to be a human for a little while longer. What if I never really need to be able to fly while I'm like this?"
Fluttershy looked thoughtful. "I suppose then you won't. Probably."
Rainbow Dash sighed. "Yeah... that's what I thought."
Fluttershy patted her on the shoulder. "If you really want to, you can stay human for a while longer. Until you figure it out, that is."
Rainbow Dash hesitated. "You mean after we get back from Johnathon's world?"
Fluttershy nodded. "If you really want to figure this out... I don't see why you couldn't."
Rainbow Dash grimaced. "You have NO idea how badly I want to be myself again though. I mean... seriously. I haven't flown in over a week now!"
Fluttershy nodded. "I know. And I wouldn't blame you in the slightest for changing back as soon as you could."
Rainbow Dash wrinkled her nose. "Darn it... now I don't know. I HATE not being able to fly... but..." she looked at Fluttershy, then shook her head. "Nah. It's probably impossible anyway."
Fluttershy smiled shyly. "Now that's a word I never thought I'd hear you use."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Hey, I know what it means. It's just I hate giving up, you know?"
Fluttershy nodded. "I know, Rainbow Dash."
***********************
Several more days passed as they all prepared for the expedition to Johnathon's world... and the upcoming wedding.
Johnathon had asked if they could hold the ceremony on Sweet Apple Acres, and Applejack had enthusiastically agreed. They'd erected a small but ornate wooden archway out in a large empty section of field between rows of apple trees, and they'd spent several days sprucing up the place.
Rarity had been working non-stop on Cheerilee's wedding dress, once she'd finished with her and Twilight's outfits for their expedition, and Pinkie Pie and the Cakes had prepared quite a spread for the reception.
Twilight had been distracted with preparations for the expedition, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash were still practicing martial arts with their new bodies several hours a day. Rainbow Dash hadn't managed to replicate her short burst of levitation since the match with Applejack, but she'd decided to stop worrying about it and focus on simply improving what she could.
In the final days before the wedding, Rarity had been forced to get Fluttershy's help with the sewing on Cheerilee's dress, the soft spoken pegasus turning out to be just as good at sewing with her human hands as she had been with hooves. Rarity herself was quite dexterous with her new appendages, but she was simply nowhere near as fast as she was with her magic.
Never-the-less, the night before the wedding, the dress was complete.
Johnathon had been running himself ragged between training everyone who would learn in human style self defense and lessons on human culture and customs. There was far more than they could cover in the time they had left before the time they'd planned for their departure, but he'd done his best to prepare everyone.
It was just getting dark on the night before the wedding when Johnathon burst into the boutique, looking tired but with an urgent expression on his face.
Rarity shrieked and threw herself in front of the dress form she had been working on. "Johnathon Dwire! Turn around this instant!"
The man caught a glimpse of white lace and satin before obediently turning his back. "Sorry... sorry. Not supposed to see the dress before the wedding, right?" he scratched behind his right ear. "Huh. It's always weird to me how many things are the same between our cultures..."
Rarity pushed the dress form into her work room and closed the door behind it, concealing it from view. "Yes... fascinating, truly. But what brings you here at such an hour? And on the night before your wedding as well!"
Johnathon turned around to face her, still scratching behind his ear, looking a bit nervous. "Well... I'm not sure how to say this. It's kind of embarrassing, really..."
Rarity studied the man curiously, noticing his reddening face before she started to blush lightly as well. "Oh... does this have something to do with human wedding customs? Do you have some sort of... ritual... or... er...?" she swallowed. "This isn't about the bachelor party, is it?"
Johnathon blinked. "Bachelor party? You have those here?"
Rarity frowned. "Well of course... not that I'm quite the right pony to come to about such things... I mean, I do do some occasional design work for discreet clients who are looking for... shall we say, proper entertainment at such affairs, but given your cultural differences, I imagine such an affair would be quite a bit different among humans..." she trailed off, blushing deeper. "Not that I'd be opposed, necessarily to helping a good friend... if he needed something to make his special day... er... more romantic...."
Johnathon blinked, then quickly shook his head. "Oh! No!" he raised his hands to stop her. "No... no. That's fine. That's not what I'm here for at all."
Rarity raised an eyebrow, then sighed in relief. "Oh. Well. What can I help you with then?"
Johnathon hesitated, then blurted it out. "Money! I need money," he coughed. "I mean... we do. For the expedition I mean."
Rarity blinked. "Money?"
Johnathon shook his head. "Not money... but something we can use for money when we get to my world. Gems... gold, silver. Something like that."
Rarity nodded in sudden understanding. "Oh! Yes, of course. You mentioned something about that a while back, didn't you? Something about gemstones being considerably more valuable on your world than they were here, correct?"
He nodded. "Right. I didn't have any money on me when I got sucked through that portal... but having some when we get to the far side could be really useful, especially if we get into any trouble. Of course, having a bunch of gems and gold could cause a problem or two as well, but I think we're better off being prepared for all the possibilities that we can, don't you?"
Rarity nodded thoughtfully. "I certainly agree..." she frowned. "But I'm afraid I've just about used up my supply. I usually go searching for gems to fill specific orders, and, thanks to Sapphire Shore most recent purchases, I'm nearly all out. Perhaps you could ask Princess Luna or Princess Celestia to loan you some from the royal treasury?"
Johnathon winced. "Ah... well, if you don't have any, I suppose I'll have to."
Rarity smiled. "Well, before you go, you might as well take what's left of my supply. I'm sure it won't be enough,but at least it'll be pocket change."
Johnathon shrugged. "Sure. Let's see what you've got."
Rarity turned to look at a chest resting against the far wall and knotted her brow in that direction for a long moment before sighing and walking over to it. "I keep forgetting that I can't levitate things right now," she admitted wryly as she opened up the chest and knelt beside it.
"Perfectly understandable. I'm really sorry about that, Rarity," Johnathon told her sympathetically. "I can't imagine how difficult it is, going without an ability you've had all your life."
"Well, hardly my entire life, darling." Rarity said calmly. "And hands are simply marvelously dexterous. Still, it will be nice to be myself again, once this little adventure is all over."
She turned to look at Johnathon, who was crouched at her side, his face dumbstruck as he stared into the chest. "I'm sorry, Darling... I know there isn't much..."
Johnathon shook his head. "Not enough! Rarity, I could buy a small island with this much! In fact... this is way too much. And most of these are too big. There's no way we could sell half of these without a major fuss. Most of these are the size of the crown jewels!"
Rarity blinked. "Really? Hmm. Well, why didn't you say so, Darling? I do have a number of the really small stones for accents..."
She walked across her shop to another chest and started opening drawers. "Now where did I put... ah, here it is!"
Rarity walked back, carrying a small box with several compartments. Each compartment was filled nearly to the brim with dozens of small gemstones of different types.
Johnathon whistled low under his breath. "Well now... that's more like it. It'll still be tricky, but I expect I'd be able to manage to pawn some of those if I'm careful about it," he shook his head. "Of course... I'm honestly not all that experienced in selling gemstones... but I'm hoping all those hours reading detective stories and watching crime shows on TV haven't gone to waste!"
*************************
In all the rush to prepare for the expedition to Earth, Johnathon had almost managed to ignore his anxiety about his upcoming wedding.
It wasn't, after all, like he'd never done this before. He'd tried not to think too much about the last time he had been standing in an open field, waiting for his bride to be in front of a crowd of his friends and family.
Not that his family was here. The girls were great, of course. Some of the best friends he'd ever had, and that was saying something. And Cheerilee's family was here. Cheerilee's parents were both there, standing in front. Cheerilee's father had been giving him the hairy eyeball the entire time, although Radiant Song kept glaring at her husband whenever she caught him at it. She, at least, approved of the wedding. Johnathon was pretty sure that Ironsides, on the other hand, wasn't pleased about his daughter's choice of husband at all.
Princess Luna stood under the archway, looking majestic in her royal tiara, peytral and shoes. Fluttershy, after much persuasion, had agreed to be his 'best mare' and she stood by his side, doing her best not to cower in front of the large, happy crowd. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity and Twilight made up the rest of Johnathon's "groom's mares." He'd thought about asking Big Mac. Or some of the other stallions in town, but realized that he really didn't have many real friends among the town colts, although he was certainly friendly enough with Big Mac, he'd never formed any real friendships outside of the girls now standing at his side.
On the other side, the flower trio were standing with Bon-Bon and Lyra Heartstrings, all acting as Cheerilee's bridesmaids. In the case of Rose, Daisy and Lily, they seemed to be even more nervous than Fluttershy, although he suspected it was the prospect of Princess Luna's disapproval that they were nervous about, more than the fact that they were nearly surrounded by humans.
Most of Ponyville had turned out for the event. Miss Cheerilee was remarkably popular among the townsfolk, and if you combined that with Princess Luna herself showing up to perform the ceremony, there were few ponies indeed that hadn't wanted to attend.
As was Equestrian tradition, Cheerilee walked alone into her place at the far end of the field they were using for the ceremony. Spike started playing a traditional wedding theme on the piano they'd set up on a small stage behind Luna, and a chorus of birds trilled along with the song, perched on top of the piano and on the archway overhead of the Princess.
As Cheerilee walked slowly but steadily toward him, face alight with a calm smile, Johnathon caught her eyes, smiling back. She shared a long gaze with him, both acknowledging each other, before she faced Princess Luna again, continuing to walk smoothly along.
The wedding dress was, for one of Rarity's designs, remarkably simple. It was all white, with a veil, and even a short train, although Cheerilee had requested that it not be overly long, as she didn't wish to trip on the way up to the altar. Months of practice walking as a human or not, she was still not quite perfectly confident about her stability on two legs.
The gown was sleeveless, and daringly low cut in front, but she wore long white gloves up past her elbows, and lace ruffles softened the front of the gown, making it more demure than sexy... not that seeing her in it didn't cause Johnathon's heart to beat faster. She was, in this moment, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. For just an instant, his mind flashed back to the last time he'd watched the woman he loved walk up an aisle toward him like this... but the strangeness of this scene, of ponies standing in rows where he could remember rows of people sitting in chairs... it robbed the memory of its sting, and he pushed it out of his head. He'd been a widow long enough. Cheerilee was his future now.
Cheerilee reached his side, and he reached out a hand to take hers. Together, they faced Luna, sharing a quick glance and smile before turning their full attention on the Princess.
"Mares and Gentlecolts," Luna began. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Miss Cheerilee and Mister Johnathon Dwire. The truth of their love is clear, the strength of their commitment to each other, undeniable. If anypony would speak against this union, speak now, or forever hold thy tongue."
She waited several moments, gazing over the crowd as if daring anypony to speak up, then continued, turning to Fluttershy. "May we have the rings?"
Fluttershy quailed under the gaze of so many ponies suddenly turning to focus on her, but she swallowed and held out her hand, opening it to show off the pair of rings Johnathon and Cheerilee had gotten specially made just in time for the ceremony.
The aura of Luna's magic surrounded the rings, and they floated toward Johnathon and Cheerilee, who both held out their hands. Luna levitated the rings onto their outstretched ring fingers simultaneously.
"I now pronounce you mare and..." Luna blinked as she realized her error, then continued. "Er... wife, and husband."
Ignoring the slight faux pas, the crowd cheered happily for the newly married couple. Johnathon grinned and stepped into Cheerilee, putting an arm around her waist, then kissed her deeply.
Luna coughed once, then chuckled. "Ah yes. You may kiss your bride, Mister Dwire."
If anything, the cheering got louder.
********************
The party had gone on for hours. Aside from taking a moment aside to lower the moon, Princess Luna had been there for the entire affair, and, she was pleased to note, the ponies of Ponyville were finally starting to relax around her.
Although, she had to admit, part of that might have something to do with the copious amounts of hard cider that had been consumed during the festivities.
Still, she couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself quite so much. If there was one sour note to the festivities, it was the disapproval of the father of the bride, who even now, was making his concerns known.
"What do you mean you aren't going to have a honeymoon?" Ironsides said with an angry frown. "What kind of cheap bastard have you married, anyway?"
"Daddy!" Cheerilee protested, looking furious. "You did NOT just call my husband cheap on my wedding night!"
Ironsides huffed at that, the rosy tint to his cheeks betraying just how much cider he'd overindulged in before becoming inebriated enough to make a scene. Luna considered intervening, but decided to wait a bit longer to see how things played out.
"If he's too cheap to take you on a proper honeymoon, then he's too cheap for my little filly..." Ironsides began.
"Daddy... you've got no idea what you're talking about. Money isn't an issue, and we ARE going away for our honeymoon... sort of," Cheerilee explained, trying to calm her father down before he made too much of a scene.
"Oh?" Radiant Song looked interested. She'd been trying to shush her husband all night, but she had to admit she was a bit curious as to why her daughter wasn't going on a proper honeymoon herself. "Where are you two going?"
Cheerilee hesitated. This was not a topic she wanted to broach to her parents on her wedding night... if ever, but it was obvious that she was going to have to tell them something.
"We're going on an archeological expedition. Johnathon's leading it... well, he's one of those in charge, at any rate," Cheerilee hedged. "It's very important."
Radiant Song's eyes narrowed. "An expedition? For your honeymoon? Dear... that's not terribly romantic, now is it? A working honeymoon?"
Ironsides snorted. "Cheap!"
Cheerilee sighed. "Mother, it's not like that," she hesitated. "OK... it's a little bit like that, but...." she sighed. "We wanted to get married before the expedition... it's... it's because..." she trailed off, not sure how to proceed. How did you tell your parents you were going to another world, and you couldn't be certain you'd survive to return?
Luna decided to step in at this point. "I'm afraid it's our fault," she said calmly. "This expedition is of extreme significance to the crown... and both my sister and I are deeply invested in its success. Mister Dwire bravely volunteered his services as guide, and without his aid, the odds of success would be greatly reduced. We are greatly indebted to both Mister Dwire and your daughter as well for volunteering."
Ironsides blinked, looking a bit stunned at the idea that his daughter was being praised by one of the Princesses of Equestria, but Radiant Song was a bit quicker on the uptake.
"Where... exactly is this expedition heading, Princess?" she asked sharply.
Luna hesitated, glancing at Cheerilee. Cheerilee sighed and nodded.
Luna took a breath before explaining. "The expedition is to Johnathon's home world, where, we believe the lost library of the unicorns may be located. As you can surely understand, this is an extremely important..."
"You're going to another world?!?" Radiant Song shouted, turning on her daughter in a flash. "What are you thinking! You can't go hopping blindly to an entirely different planet! You're a schoolteacher for Celestia's sake!"
Cheerilee's blush at her mother's interrupting the Princess quickly changed to a flush of rage. "I'm an adult, and more than competent enough to decide my own fate, thank you mother," she said coldly. "Would you have me send my husband off to his homeworld alone?"
Radiant Song wilted slightly, growing uncertain. "Well... no... I suppose not, but dear... won't it be dangerous?"
Cheerilee took several deep breaths before answering. "Probably. It doesn't matter. I love him, and I'm going with him."
Radiant Song just stared at her daughter for what seemed like an eternity, her sharp eyes reading her daughter's face as only a mother could before finally sighing in defeat. "I suppose you are."
Ironsides had finally started to catch up to the conversation. "You're what!?!"
"Be quiet dear. Don't embarrass your daughter in front of the Princess," Radiant Song said in a mild tone... but the look she shot her husband caused him to sober up faster than a bucket of ice to the face.
Ironsides swallowed, glancing at Princess Luna nervously. Luna immediately put on her 'I'm important and powerful and mysterious... don't question me' face, and the large former steelworker seemed to wilt further.
"My apologies for my behavior, Princess...." he began meekly, and Luna's glare softened.
"No apologies needed, gentlecolt. You are only concerned for your offspring, as any good father would be," she assured him.
Ironsides bowed, as did his wife, and they turned to their daughter, hugging her around the waist before saying their goodnights.
"We'll see you before you go, won't we, dear?" Radiant Song asked plaintively as she prepared to leave.
"Of course mother," Cheerilee said before kneeling and hugging her mother around the neck. She turned and hugged her father the same way. "We'll be fine. Twilight Sparkle and her friends won't let anything happen to either of us."
"They'd better not..." Ironsides muttered under his breath before hugging his daughter goodnight once more and letting himself be drawn away by his wife.
"Well, that was awkward," Cheerilee said with a sigh before turning to Princess Luna with a grateful smile. "Thanks for your help with that, Princess."
Luna nodded once, her face serious. "It is the least we can do for one of our loyal subjects," her eyes softened. "You will take care of yourself though, Mrs. Cheerilee? I can make it a royal command if you wish."
Cheerilee nodded somberly. "I'll do my best. I'll do my best to keep all of them safe as well, although I know how little that means."
Luna smiled softly. "In fact, Mrs. Cheerilee, it means a great deal indeed."