//------------------------------// // Lilli // Story: Rainbow Dash's Lament // by Lilli //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash sat at the bar. She had barely been here for half an hour and it looked like it was already shaping up to be another one of those nights. She sat there sipping on the beer that rested in front of her, maybe she’d call it a night early tonight. She didn’t have many bits on her and probably couldn’t afford another night of drinking anyways. She took another swig of her drink, and looked inside the bottle. Its contents were running dangerously low. She decided that maybe now would be a good time to make her exit. She finished off the last few drops and was getting up to leave when the bartender set another one down in front of her. “Courtesy of the unicorn,” he said pointing with his forehoof down at the end of the bar. She turned her head to look at who he was pointing to and was greeted by the sight of a pale yellow mare with an auburn mane shyly smiling at her and waving. Rainbow dash internally groaned and turned away, not even bothering to return the wave. She took the drink though, no point in letting good alcohol go to waste. She sat there and stewed in her misery as music thumped in the background. Behind her mares and stallions moved in rhythmic patterns with the beat of the music. She sighed just thinking about it. Not once had she been asked to dance by someone in whom she was actually interested. From behind her someone tapped her on the shoulder and a feminine wafted down saying, “Looking to dance, sweet cheeks?” Dash’s only response was to pull away and bury her head in her hooves. If she was going to make it through the night she’d need more alcohol. She lifted her head and put her hoof up, “Hey barkeep, get me another,” as she puts three more of her bits down on the counter. “Sure thing,” he reaches underneath the bar pulling up another bottle that he hands to her. Clouds ‘Ale, her drink of choice. After she had left Cloudsdale for Ponyville she hadn’t gone back very often. There wasn’t much about the place that she missed, but she definitely missed the beer. This was the only bar in Ponyville that even bothered carrying it, and as a result was her favorite bar. Importing stuff from Cloudsdale tended to be expensive, especially considering most of the locals preferred the more earthy brews. She had thought at times about learning how to brew it herself, but she was much too antsy. Loathe as she was to admit it, brewing required a level of patience that she just didn’t have. She was a speedster, the thought of slowing down to do anything was simply beyond her. She had just settled down into enjoying her drink again when someone fluttered into the seat adjacent to her. The new mare called to the barkeep, “I’ll have one of whatever she’s drinking,” indicating Dash’s slowly growing army of beer bottles. Turning to face Dash she said, “So what’s it like to taste the rainbow?” Dash scowled, not this again. Without looking at the pegasus she took another nip of her drink and growled, “You’re wasting your time, I’m not interested.” “Oh, is the great Rainbow Dash too good for us common folk from Ponyville?” Feigned injury filled the mare’s voice. Dash’s scowl deepened, this girl was gnawing at what little patience she had left. “Buck off, I told you I’m not interested.” The mare rolled her eyes and walked away, sarcastically remarking, “Must be saving herself for Spitfire.” Ugh, everyone in this Celestia-forsaken town thought she was a damned fillyfooler. Not once in her life had she hit on another mare or even looked at one like that, she just wasn’t into mares. Not even her friends believed her when she told them. Rarity had even gone so far as to try and set her up on a date with Cloud Kicker. No offense to Cloud Kicker or anything, she was nice and all, but Dash just didn’t swing that way. “Hey, let me buy you a drink. You look like you could use another.” Dash looked over, beside her sat an azure stallion. His raggedy mane was black and hung loosely about his head. Her breath caught in her throat for a split second before she regained her cool. “Thanks, always a fan of a free drink.” “So what brings a beautiful mare like you to a place like this?” Dash lifts her drink up slightly she says, “Easily the best watering hole in town.” Giving him a pointed look she adds, “and maybe find a bit of fun on the side.” He chuckles and pauses for a second as if sizing her up, “Well then I might have a proposition that interests you.” “Oh yeah, what’s that?” “Well, I have a friend in town who just came out as a fillyf-” Something inside of Dash snapped. She lashed out, kicking him in the flank and screamed at the top of her lungs, “I am not a bucking fillyfooler! How many times do I have to tell you jackasses before it gets through your thick bucking skulls!” With a quick beat of her wings she was gone, flown out the front door into the chilly night air. Just another one of those nights.