Sweetie Belle was making dinner for four, as it turned out. Herself, her sister, Rainbow Dash, and somepony Rainbow Dash would never have expected: Pipsqueak.
The colt was up to his elbows in the soapy sink, scrubbing away at a colander when Dash entered the kitchen. Sweetie Belle was across the room, fussing over the stove, and as Dash watched she slurped up a long noodle and gave a thoughtful hum before turning down the gas burner. The boiling pot of pasta abruptly settled down, the foamy froth that threatened to bubble over the top vanishing in just a few seconds.
She could smell more than just the noodles – the hot kitchen was redolent with seared squash, garlic butter and tomato sauce. She could taste them in the air, setting her mouth to watering, and she stalked over to the stove. Sinful, sizzling slices of every kind of squash – delicata, black peanut, acorn and butternut and more she didn’t recognize – popped and steamed on the range. Beside them, cooling on a plate, were a dozen more slices already cooked through, and Dash leaned forward to snatch one up.
“No!” Out of nowhere a wooden spoon, wet and smelling of pasta, whacked her on the nose. “No snacking! Go help Pip with the dishes or set the table.” Sweetie gave her a squint and waved the spoon threateningly with her magic before turning back to the boiling pot.
Fine. Dash rubbed her muzzle and slunk over to the sink, where Pipsqueak greeted her with a rueful smile. A few bubbles were caught in his mane, and his coat was more mottled than usual with dark splotches of soapy water.
“Sorry, Miss Dash,” he said. His accent made him sound twice his age, but the perpetual grin and twinkle in his eye hadn’t changed from the colt she knew from years ago. He dipped his head toward her, and continued in a conspiratorial voice. “She’s a good cook, but very protective. Won’t let me near the stove.”
“I just wanted a bite!” Rainbow hissed back. She glowered over her shoulder at Sweetie Belle, who was again fully engaged with the pasta, then turned back to the sink. “Need help?”
“Hm, nah. If you wanna start setting out silverware, though, that’d be tops.”
Ugh, silverware. Another unicorn invention. Or maybe not – she’d seen earth ponies use them, somehow holding them delicately in the crook of their hoof. But all in all they were a waste of time; slower to eat with than just using her muzzle, and slower to wash than just wiping her face with a napkin.
In any other home, she would’ve opened her mouth to protest. But this was Rarity’s home, or rather Sweetie Belle’s, and of all the ponies in the world those two would be the last to abandon their precious silverware. They might, in fact, attempt to stab her with it if she were so unwise as to suggest going without in their presence. So, in the interest of not being shived with a butter knife, Rainbow Dash set out the knives and spoons and forks by each of the placemats.
Rarity chose that moment to make her entrance. She froze in the doorway, her eyes widening at the sight of the colt by the sink, and then a grin grew on her face.
“Oh, Pipsqueak! How good to see you again,” she said, sidling over to him, careful not to brush the sink with her coat. “Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?”
“I think that’s the plan, Miss Rarity. I hope you’ll be gracing us with your presence as well.”
“Oh, flatterer.” She leaned in to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. “I suppose if you’re here, I must. By the by, what’s that you’re cooking, Sweetie? It smells heavenly.”
“Linguine with tomato basil sauce and eggplant, sided with seared squash medley and a crisp pear cider I got from one of Apple Bloom’s cousins for a song.” Sweetie plucked out another noodle from the pot and nibbled at it, then gave a little nod. “And it’s just about done. Would you mind pouring the cider? The jug is in the icebox.”
Just about done turned out to be a nearly ten minute adventure while Rarity and Sweetie Belle chattered and fussed over the table and spent approximately half of forever arguing over who would sit where, which was only finally resolved when Pipsqueak and Rainbow Dash simply took seats on opposite sides of the table. After a moment of grumbling the sisters took the remaining two seats, and then dinner was served.
“So.” Rarity gave the bright red pasta sauce a long look, then carefully tied a napkin around her neck. “There we go. Ahem. So, Pipsqueak, how have you been? What are you doing these days?”
“Working with Mister Rich for a few months at Barnyard Bargains. Inventory, sales, helping with customers on busy days.” Pipsqueak said. “And next summer I’ll be heading out for Uni.”
“Uni?” Dash asked. She fumbled with her fork for a few seconds, then abandoned it and snatched up one of the squash slices with her tongue and gobbled it down.
“University, darling,” Rarity said. She looked like she wanted to say something about Dash’s table manners, but she just rolled her eyes and took a sip of her cider before turning back to Pipsqueak. “Where are you looking at going, then? Back to Trottingham?”
“Oh no, much closer. Canterlot,” he said. Rainbow Dash caught the fleeting glance he gave to Sweetie as he spoke.
Rarity must’ve seen it as well, but she held her tongue. For several moments there was silence, broken only by the sound of chewing squash, slurping noodles, and quiet exclamations of delight.
Finally, from Rarity, “Canterlot’s not that far. You could even visit Ponyville on the weekends.”
“And I might visit Canterlot, once or twice.” Sweetie said. “Can’t let him forget about us poor old Ponyvillians. Might get lonely up there, after all.”
“Ah, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say.” Rarity grinned across the table at her sister. “Perhaps much fonder.”
“I’m fond of all my friends.” Sweetie dabbed at her lips with her napkin.
“Mhm.” Rarity glanced at Pipsqueak. “And you, Pips?”
“I am also fond of Sweetie Belle’s friends,” the colt said. The ghost of a smile played on his lips.
“Not that fond, though,” Sweetie said.
“Of course not.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll love it there,” Rarity said. She paused to take another dainty bite of the pasta. “Twilight Sparkle is from Canterlot, and she speaks very highly of the place. Granted, my visits there tend to revolve around various sorts of disasters, but it seems like a nice place.”
“I’ve done a couple Canterlot shows with the Bolts,” Dash added. “It’s pretty neat, actually. The audience is on the mountainside, so most of our stunts are level with them or even below them. Awesome views, if you ask me.”
Discourse shifted to their respective days, then to local gossip, and finally to speculations about the weather. As Rainbow Dash was no longer the Ponyville weather captain, she had no particular insights into the weather schedule, except to say that snow was unlikely for at least several more weeks. Cold rains would probably start soon, though, and shock the last stubborn trees into their fall foliage. These few weeks before the Running of the Leaves were the most beautiful time of year in Ponyville, when the world below her became a patchwork riot of hues.
Before long dinner was finished. Clean-up was a family affair, though they left the griddle to soak overnight rather than spend hours scrubbing it clean.
“Marvelous, darling.” Rarity bumped flanks with her sister as the last of the dishes went away. “I don’t know where you learned to cook like that.”
“Trial and error! Mostly error.” Sweetie used a small dishrag to pat her hooves dry. “Are you two in for the night, then?”
Rainbow Dash glanced out the wide Boutique window. It didn’t feel late, but the sun was well below the horizon, and the world outside dark except for a faint glow in the western sky and Ponyville’s streetlamps. Fall truly had snuck up on them.
“Guess I am,” she said. “Unless you wanna hang out with the girls, Rares.”
“Mm, it’s been a day already. Perhaps tomorrow we can have a get-together at Sugarcube Corner.”
“That’s my cue, then.” Pipsqueak said. “Ladies, thank you for the company, and Sweetie, as always, thank you for a lovely meal.” He leaned in to give Sweetie a kiss on the cheek, and after a brief blushing hesitation, she returned it. The others he gave a polite nod, and with a smile he vanished out the door.
Rarity waited for him to leave before grinning at her sister. “As always? Are you having dear Pipsqueak over for meals often?”
“As often as I please.”
“Oh, don’t snip.” Rarity waved a hoof, then came alongside Sweetie and draped her leg over the younger unicorn’s shoulders. “He’s a lovely colt and you seem to be handling your relationship with him nicely. Just remember, you can always talk with me or mom. Mostly me, though.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Despite the dismissive tone, Sweetie had a small smile on her face, and she gave Rarity a peck on the cheek. “So do you want to shower first, or should I—”
She didn’t get to finish. Rarity was already halfway up the stairs.
* * *
“Thirsty?”
Rainbow Dash blinked and looked up from the book spread out between her hooves. She was stretched out on the couch again, in the same position she had spent much of the morning with Rarity at her side. Even the book was the same, though she was now quite a bit further through Sweetie Belle’s dog-eared copy of ‘The Collected Poems of Song Sparrow.’ The last line of a random stanza, one she had passed by pages ago, flitted through her head unbidden: Streak across the sky, you star with lancing light / and bring to darkened shores surcease of night.
She blinked again and shook her head, chasing away the phantom thought. “Sorry, say again?”
Sweetie Belle quirked a smile at her from the kitchen doorway. “Would you like a drink? I was thinking getting something for myself.”
Some water wouldn’t be bad, she decided. As a stunt flyer, she used to drink gallons of water a day just to keep from passing out during training or a performance. The past six sedentary months had weaned her from that habit, but if she was going to be flying again, she ought to start drinking again, even if it meant having to get up halfway through the night to pee.
“Yeah, that’d be awesome.”
“Great.” Sweetie vanished into the kitchen, and for a few moments the only sound in the room was the faint rustle of paper as Dash turned a page and the quiet hiss from the shower upstairs, where Rarity had already spent too much of her time and would, undoubtedly, spend much more before they saw her again.
Dash was almost lost in the book again when she felt the air beside her shift, and she turned to see a wine glass filled nearly to the brim with dark red liquid floating beside her, engulfed in Sweetie Belle’s pale green aura. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she reached out to take it before it could spill.
“Er, uh…” She glanced over to see Sweetie Belle settling down with another glass and the rest of the bottle both held in her magic. “Are you old enough for this?”
“I’m pretty close.” Sweetie Belle paused to take a sip. “Besides, wine is good for talking. Loosens the tongue, you know?”
“Yeah, uh, I guess.” She spent a moment in quiet contemplation of the very full wine glass in her hoof. It was probably some expensive brand, but to her wine only ever smelled like grapes and yeast and alcohol. Not a refined palate, Rarity probably would’ve said. The Wonder Bolts were more of a hard liquor organization. One time, she and Soarin spent the night pouring whiskey on each others coats and licking it clean. They only managed to drink a quarter of the bottle that way, but damn if it wasn’t a fun way to get drunk.
“To loose tongues!” She raised her glass and took a small sip. Wine had to be sipped – one of its liabilities as a drink, as far as she was concerned.
Sweetie grinned and raised her glass as well. The dark wine left a noticeable stain on her lips after she drank, which might explain why Rarity seemed to prefer whites. It was amazing the lengths that pony went through to protect her looks.
And how quickly she abandons them. Memories of all the times she’d seen Rarity covered in mud or dust or soaked to the skin during their various adventures flooded her mind.
“Whatcha smiling about?” Sweetie’s voice broke her reverie.
Rainbow Dash blinked. “Uh, just thinking about something.” A pause, and another sip. “Rarity.”
“I figured. You two seem to be spending a lot of time together.”
“We are. She’s been very nice to me lately.”
“Very nice?” Sweetie raised an eyebrow. Coming from Rarity, the gesture would’ve looked refined and elegant, but Sweetie still had a bit too much of the foal about her face to pull it off.
“That’s what I said. And I heard you speaking with her this morning, so we can skip right to the good parts if you want.”
Sweetie gave her a mock pout. “Ah, you’re no fun. Fine.” She leaned forward. “Tell me everything.”
Rainbow Dash thought back to some of their shared dreams. “Maybe when you’re older.”
Sweetie rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I’m as old as Rarity was when you girls started saving the world. Besides, I have a coltfriend. I know what’s up.”
Well, that was an image. Dash needed another sip before she could continue. “I think Rarity covered it already. We’re close. We’re, ah…”
Were they lovers? Not in the sense that she and Soarin had been, or Rarity and her various stallions. But she’d shared things with Rarity that no other pony had known, and Rarity certainly trusted her with her deepest and darkest shames. And that didn’t even count the dreams they’d shared, the rather graphic dreams, now that she thought about it. Dreams where she’d worn Rarity’s memories and body, felt the stallions’ tongues beneath her tail, felt them enter her and climax in her and collapse upon her when they were done.
That was pretty damn intimate, actually.
Sweetie was still waiting. Her expression was carefully neutral, and she took another sip from her wine.
“It’s complicated,” Dash said. “We’ve shared things with each other that we’ve never told any other pony, and she’s helped me. Like, a lot. I don’t… I’m not sure where I’d be without her. Still lost, probably.”
“Well, I’m glad she found you.” Any hint of teasing was gone from Sweetie’s tone. “And have you been helping her?”
How much did Sweetie know about Rarity’s troubles? Not the details, or she would have long-since dragged Rarity back to Ponyville herself. But she must’ve realized something was wrong. Dash hemmed and hawed again, covering her contemplation with a show of tasting the wine.
“I think so. I…” Dash frowned at the wine. “It’s not my place to share her secrets.”
“Of course not. But I know she’s hiding things. She’s very skilled with those masks of hers, but no pony can hide everything.” Sweetie Belle fell silent and stared into her wine, as though seeking answers there. “There were some rumors about her business in Fillydelphia. Articles in fashion mags, saying she’d royally botched some season or other, and they doubted she could recover. But she must’ve, because she’s still in business. I’ve seen the clippings from her shows.”
What to say to that? “Yeah, she had some hard times.”
“Well, I wish she’d talk to me about them. It’s not good to keep things bottled up.” No sooner than the words had escaped her, Sweetie glanced at Dash and bit her lip. “Er. Sorry. I shouldn’t be saying that. You’ve been through a lot more than her.”
That’s what I once thought. But was it true? Dash had lost the most important pony in her life, but Rarity lost what must have felt like a part of her soul. Who was to say which of them had suffered more?
Sweetie must’ve taken her silence for a rebuke. She swallowed and turned to stare at the fireplace. Above them, faintly hissing, returned the sound of Rarity’s shower.
“It’s fine. I’ve, ah… I didn’t really take Soarin’s death well, and I didn’t realize how much I needed help until Rarity found me. So, you know, things are getting better.” She gave Sweetie a smile. Weak, but genuine.
“I’m glad to hear that. Everypony was worried about you. I think they still are, but, well, you look better now. Much better.”
“You can thank Rarity for that.” Dash sighed. “I don’t thank her enough for it.”
“I don’t think you need to. She just wants to see you happy again.”
A snippet of the morning’s conversation came back to her. “Is that all she wants?”
Sweetie Belle blinked at her, then smiled. “No, I don’t think it is. But that’s something you two have to work out for each other.”
For each other. Dash let her eyes close, and remembered the sound of Rarity’s heartbeat as they lay together in bed, the soft lilac and cotton scent that always seemed to cling to her, even when covered in mud and sweat.
She opened her eyes to see Sweetie still smiling. “When did you get so mature, anyway?”
“Just snuck up on me, I guess.” She took final swig from her wine, and set the empty glass on the end table. “Still don’t feel like it, though.”
“Well, whatever you’re doing, keep it up.” Now it was her time to smile. “And speaking of whatever you’re doing, how are things with Pipsqueak?”
Now that was a blush. Pale unicorns could never hide their embarrassment, and Sweetie’s cheeks and neck flushed a bright pink. Even her shoulders and chest seemed to catch a bit of the tint. She reached for her wineglass again, scowled when she remembered it was empty, and gave a little sniff. It took several seconds for her coat to return to its normal dove white.
“Ahem. Well, obviously, we’ve gotten fairly close to each other. He’s a true gentlestallion, you know. Not like a lot of colts our age. He’s kind and thoughtful and he can always make me smile.” She did smile, then. “And of course there’s that accent. It’s, like, almost unfair.”
“And how does he feel about you?”
“Well, the same, I hope. Minus the accent, of course.” She paused and glanced between Rainbow Dash and the stairway. “I’ve been thinking a lot about him lately. Especially since you two returned. That maybe we’re ready for the next step.”
A few dregs remained in Dash’s glass. She tipped her head back and let them drain across her tongue while she thought of a response to that. “Sounds serious.”
“Getting there. He’s not afraid.”
“You’re pretty young, though. Most mares keep things casual at your age.” Dash certainly had – one-night stands aplenty, and a few longer, mostly disastrous affairs that left her convinced that real relationships were for ponies who lived slower, sedate, less passionate lives. Not her, in other words.
Soarin had cured her of that delusion. It was another thing she owed him, she realized. Gone six months now, and still she accumulated debts to him. She closed her eyes.
In time, Sweetie Belle answered. “That’s true. Maybe it’ll work, maybe it won’t. But I can’t spend my life waiting for something better to come along.”
Rainbow Dash had nothing to say to that. Her mind spun at random, and she found herself wishing for the cold, clear air of the high skies with an urgency that set her wings to trembling. Six long months she had forsworn flying, all in mourning, and why? The skies were not her enemy. She should be out there right now, streaking across the heavens. Making up for a half a year of lost time. If she left now she could—
A faint squeal and rumble came from the pipes upstairs, and the low hiss of the shower ceased. The silence in its absence was profound.
“Sounds like Rarity’s done,” Sweetie Belle said. “You next?”
“Eh, I took one this morning. Go ahead.”
“Right, right.” Still, Sweetie Belle didn’t move from her chair until Rarity joined them, her head wrapped in an enormous towel the same electric shade as her mane.
“Hello dears. Chatting I see.” Her steps stuttered as she noticed the wine glasses, and she gave Sweetie a sharp glance as she took a seat on the couch. “And Sweetie, I see you’ve had some wine. I don’t suppose mom gave that to you?”
Sweetie returned the stare with level grace. “No, got it myself.”
The sisters held the stare for a long moment, until Rainbow Dash began to fidget and was about to speak up in Sweetie’s (and her own) defense. But just as Dash opened her mouth, Rarity sniffed and looked away.
“Well, be sure to brush your teeth again. Red wine stains, you know.”
Sweetie Belle grinned, showing off teeth that were, in fact, stained a light purple. “Thank you, mother. But I’m not going to bed quite yet.” She jumped out of the seat, and wobbled just a bit on her hooves. “Woo, hee, strong stuff. Anyway. I’m heading out for a bit, and probably won’t return. Can I trust you two alone tonight?”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Rarity answered. “Remember, you can always lean on the lampposts if you need support. That’s what they’re there for.”
“Hanging out with your friends?” Dash chimed in.
“A friend.” She gave Dash a small smile. “It was a pleasure speaking with you, Rainbow Dash. I’ll see you two in the morning.” She gave her sister a jaunty wave, and trotted out the door with a spring in her step.
“Well, she seems happy,” Rarity said. “Let me guess, going to see Pipsqueak?”
“Yeah, prolly.”
“Sleeping with him, you think?”
Dash rubbed the side of her muzzle with a hoof. “She kinda implied that, yeah. That a problem?”
Rarity let out a long breath. “No, no it isn’t. She’s an adult, or nearly so. She’s allowed to live her life, and that means making choices and mistakes. The worst that can happen is a wounded heart.”
“Uh huh. Or foals! You could have a little niece or nephew!” She gave Rarity a playful nudge with her hoof.
“Ugh, don’t even joke, Rainbow Dash—”
“Aunty Rarity! That has a nice ring to it.”
“Ha! No, we will never use that term.” She levitated over Sweetie’s empty glass, and the remains of the bottle, giving the label a careful look before shrugging and pouring the remains into the glass. “Never Aunt Rarity, Dash. Never.”
“Why? It’s cute. And I thought you didn’t like red wines?”
“Oh, nothing against them, darling.” She took a sip, swirled it around in her mouth, and nodded. “Well, Sweetie has decent taste at least. Anyway, I love reds, but they do stain. But that won’t be a problem.”
“Why not?”
“Well, you’ve already been drinking. We’ll match.”
“That’s sweet. I think.”
Rarity leaned her shoulder against Dash’s. “It is. Just go with it.”
“Sounds like a plan.” She lifted a wing and gently laid it over Rarity’s back. “By the way, thanks for everything today.”
Rarity shifted a bit closer, cooing quietly at the feathery blanket. “I should be thanking you. After last night, I wouldn’t have been surprised if you just up and left.”
“I could never do that.”
“Well, maybe not.” Rarity took another sip. “You’re too good of a pony for that. Better than me, certainly.”
“Hey.” Dash leaned down, trying to catch Rarity’s eye. The unicorn turned away, and Dash reached her hoof over Rarity’s shoulder, gently pushing their muzzles back together. “Never say that, Rarity. We all make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad pony.”
She snorted. “Tell that to Terrazo’s family.”
“We could, I guess.” Dash rubbed Rarity’s back with her primaries, the way her father did when she was a foal and came home crying from flight school. “If you feel obligated, or if it might help them. But you can still live your life. Not just… going through the motions. Like I was.”
Rarity brushed her cheek against Dash’s, then laid her head upon Dash’s withers. “Like you were. I think there must be something magnetic about suffering, Rainbow Dash. It draws ponies who are hurting together.”
“That’s a little flowery, even for you, Rares.”
“Says the mare with a book of poetry in her hooves.”
Hm, fair enough. Dash glanced down at the collected poems of Song Sparrow, then gently closed the book and set it on the end table. “Better?”
“Getting there,” Rarity breathed in her ear. She ducked her head an inch and gently nipped the skin behind Rainbow’s jaw.
Rainbow Dash was not a pony who got nervous early. Years of death-defying stunts in full view of tens of thousands of ponies, giving radio interviews, diplomatic functions and state events, not to mention her various adventures with the girls, had given her a somewhat different perspective on high pressure situations than most ponies. If anything, facing down dragons, hydras, changelings and dark spirits filled her with excitement, not dread.
But were these butterflies, dancing her stomach? Her heart began to beat faster, and her coat tingled, each individual hair attempting to stand on end. Her insides clenched, and her bladder screamed at her, suddenly deciding she needed to pee.
Stop it! Calm down. You’re not a filly. Dash took a long, slow breath and pulled Rarity closer with her wing. After a few heartbeats her body quieted, and they were back to two mares sitting beside each other on the couch, one of them no doubt waiting for her kiss to be reciprocated.
So, she did. Dash turned her head and pressed her lips against Rarity’s muzzle. Their mouths opened, and for a moment their tongues touched, each tasting of wine. Rarity’s hoof found Dash’s, and she clenched it tight against her chest.
“Mm,” Rarity mumbled as they broke away. She pressed her face against Dash’s neck and drew a deep breath, drinking in her scent, and when she let it out it burned against Dash’s skin. “You know, we did get up very early this morning. Perhaps an early bedtime would be in order.”
“Uh huh. Sleepy?”
“Not really.” Rarity gave her a grin, then quickly dispatched the rest of her wine. “Would you like to take a shower first?”
Dash gave herself a quick mental once-over. She still felt clean. “Nah, I’m good.”
Rarity blinked. “Are you sure, darling?”
“Yeah, I took one this morning, remember?”
It was a long moment before Rarity answered, and Dash could’ve sworn she saw the unicorn roll her eyes for some reason. “Yes, of course, how silly of me to forget. Well, come on then.” She flicked Dash’s flank with her tail, still a bit damp from her own shower, and trotted up the stairs with a coy look over her shoulder.
Rarity was not in the bedroom waiting for her. Instead the unicorn was in the bathroom, unwrapping the towel from her mane. It still smelled damp, and as she watched from the doorway Rarity felt it with her hoof and frowned.
“Could just blow-dry it,” Dash said.
Rarity flicked her hoof dismissively. “That would take twenty minutes, darling. I have something better I’d like to do with my time tonight.” The doorway wasn’t especially narrow, but she pressed her body heavily against Dash’s as she passed by. She stepped up onto the bed with a slow, languid motion, made a show of stretching, demonstrating all the long lines and curves of her body, and when she had Dash’s full and undivided attention, she plopped onto her side, giggling like a schoolfilly.
“Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Rarity?” Dash asked, smiling, as she climbed up on the bed beside the unicorn.
“Maybe.” Rarity hooked a foreleg around Dash’s neck and drew her down for a long, lingering kiss. No subtlety now, just tongues twining together, redolent of wine and the odd, suspicious, enticing taste of another pony’s saliva. They broke apart after a moment, and Rarity nipped playfully at her chin. “Is it working?”
“I’ll tell you in a few minutes,” Dash whispered. She stepped over Rarity’s prone form, careful with her footing on the soft mattress, and placed another kiss on Rarity’s neck. The unicorn hummed beneath her, low enough for Dash to feel the rumble in her breast, and when she squirmed the ruff of fur on her chest tickled Dash’s belly.
She settled down slowly, her hips straddling Rarity’s flank, her teats and crotch pressing against the unicorn’s cutie mark. There was something subtly taboo about such an act. Cutie marks were sacred, a pure distillation of the pony they represented, a visualization of their very soul. And here she was, inches away from grinding her junk against Rarity’s mark.
If that bothered Rarity at all, she didn’t show it. She giggled as Rainbow nipped at the skin beneath her neck, and she ran a hoof along Dash’s side, gently caressing her. Then she found Dash’s wing, and she ruffled the short covert feathers with her hoof.
“Hmm… Stop a moment, darling?”
Dash pushed herself up on her forelegs, looking down at Rarity’s pinned form. “You okay?”
“Of course. I just want to see these.” She wriggled out from beneath Dash and sat up, so their chests pressed together. She twisted around, grasping Dash’s wing in her hooves tugging at it with a gentle insistence.
“My wings?” Dash extended it before Rarity could pull too hard. “What about them?”
Rarity ran a hoof along her leading edge. The feathers there were short and smooth, densely packed to create the airfoil pegasi needed to generate lift. Rainbow couldn’t manipulate them the way she could her primaries, but they were all well-supplied with blood vessels and nerves. They had to be, for her to feel the wind and the slightest changes in air pressure as she flew.
“They’re so soft.” Rarity leaned down and brushed her cheek against the feathers. “Like down.”
“It is down.”
Rarity grinned at her. “Better than a down pillow, though. Soft and warm.” She gave Dash a gentle push, following her down onto the mattress, and snuggled there with her face pressed against the underside of Dash’s wing.
Now Dash’s hooves were free, and she used them to explore Rarity’s body. Her mane was still damp and cool, but against it her coat blazed with warmth, as though a bonfire burned within that perfect chest. She wrapped her legs around Rarity’s chest and enjoyed the faint beat of her heart.
She could get used to this.
After a moment Rarity lifted her head, staring intently at Dash’s feathers. She pursed her lips and blew, setting them to shake and tremble, then eased her nose down to brush against their tips. It tickled, and Dash couldn’t help the grin that broke out on her face.
Rarity didn’t notice, so intently was she staring at Dash’s feathers. “This… this is an intimate thing for pegasi, isn’t it? Letting someone preen your feathers?”
“Kinda? It’s like letting someone brush you, or comb your mane, except they have to use their lips. That makes it a bit more personal, you know?” She ran a hoof through Rarity’s mane, struck for a moment with the question of what it must taste like. Fruity shampoo, probably. Still, she had plenty of time to find out. She lifted her head, trying to nab a bit, but with Rarity’s weight on her chest she couldn’t quite reach.
“Hmm. How do I… you know. Do that?”
“Uh…” Rainbow Dash frowned. How to distill years of thoughtless practice, an instinct woven into her bones, into mere words? “Just pretend you’re brushing them, I guess. You can feel the ones out of alignment with your lips. Try to nudge them back into place. Gently, though. And don’t pull any.”
Rarity shifted her weight, sliding up Dash’s body until her lips could reach the base of Dash’s wing. She dipped her head haltingly, hesitating a hair away, and Dash could feel the warm wash of her breath filling the spaces between her feathers. It was like flying on a warm summer day, and she closed her eyes with a quiet sigh.
Rarity’s first touch was electric. Her lips barely brushed Dash’s feathers, but after a moment she grew bolder, pressing her muzzle harder, letting the feathers slide between her lips one at a time as she angled her head along the grain. She felt Rarity’s tongue slip out, sweeping across the vanes, leaving them wet and hot.
It wasn’t particularly skillful, but that wasn’t the point. Rainbow Dash felt her breath catch, and her skin tingled with each light tug of a feather by Rarity’s lips. She preened her own wings every day, of course, but the feeling of another pony with their mouth on her skin, gently tugging at this most sensitive part of her body, seemed to reach into her very soul, as though Rarity had broken her open and ran her tongue along the beating surface of Dash’s heart.
Not the most sensitive part of her body, she concluded with a shuddering exhalation. That would be the hot coal between her legs, where Rarity’s thigh was pressed, and where she no doubt felt Dash’s growing arousal.
And that was the tipping point for this encounter, she realized. Granted, things were already getting pretty hot and heavy, what with Rarity practically licking her wing, but every liaison had a point where it crossed from merely intimate to downright sexual, and judging by the way Rarity was moving her thigh, grinding it against Dash’s crotch, that point was in the past.
“Stop squirming, darling,” Rarity whispered. But she smiled as she spoke, and she pressed her thigh firmly between Dash’s legs. The resulting shudder shook them both, and Rarity hooked a foreleg over Dash’s shoulder to stay in place. When Dash could breathe again, Rarity returned her attention to preening, and for a while she alternated between nibbling at Dash’s feathers with her lips and teasing Dash’s sex with her thigh.
Then it was her other wing’s turn.
It wasn’t long before the sheets beneath them grew damp with sweat. The air wrapped around Dash’s head like a wool blanket, hot and thick with musk and the mingled odors of their sweat and arousal. She grasped Rarity’s foreleg and pulled it up to her muzzle and dragged her tongue up it all the way to the unicorn’s shoulder. It tasted like cotton and salt, defiled with the heavy, heady tang of sex.
Rarity lifted her lips from Dash’s wing. Strands of mane were plastered across her face, and her unfocused eyes blinked owlishly in the dim room. She giggled at the touch of Dash’s tongue and tried to pull her arm free.
Which, of course, could never be allowed to happen. A tug turned into a scuffle, and soon they were rolling on the bed, arms and legs and wings all tangled, mouths kissing and licking. An errant hoof bopped Dash’s nose, and she growled, pushing with all her strength until finally Rarity was pinned beneath her. They paused there, both panting, with their hooves wrapped around each other's shoulders. Rarity’s neck was just inches away, and Dash lowered her lips to it, kissing the skin gently, then nibbling, then biting, over and over until Rarity squealed.
The sound was a song to her ears, the taste of Rarity’s skin better than any candy. The cloying odor of musk clouded her mind, and she drew in a deep, shuddering breath when a sharp pain in her ear broke through the fog. Rarity’s teeth fastened on it, and she twisted her head, rolling Dash onto her back. Rarity wasn’t a heavy mare, but she bore down with all her weight, pressing Dash into the mattress. Her teeth were needles, her jaw a vice, and Dash gasped. A weak, fillyish cry escaped her lungs, and her face burned with humiliation at the sound.
“Shh… shh…” Rarity’s voice was an exhalation. She slowly let up the pressure with her jaws, and a moment later the pain was replaced by the soothing touch of Rarity’s tongue lapping at the insulted flesh. “Ah, darling I’m sorry. You’re bleeding just a bit.”
It was several moments before Dash could respond. She chuckled and closed her eyes, revelling in the feel of Rarity’s tongue. “I’m fine. Just, you know, startled me.”
“Mhm.” Rarity’s lips twitched against Dash’s ear. The little bitch was smiling – she’d get her for that later.
Rainbow Dash ran a hoof along Rarity’s side. It was hot and slick with sweat. Funny, the Rarity she knew should have been appalled at this, clawing her way toward the shower, but instead they lay tangled in each other, dripping on each other, while Rarity’s tongue soothed her wounds.
“Are you always like this in the sack?” she asked.
Rarity lifted her head to nuzzle Dash’s cheek, then gave her a long, lingering kiss before answering. “I try to adapt to my partner.”
“Considerate of you.” Dash flicked her ear, and couldn’t help but grin. It already felt swollen and hot. “Leaving marks, though. What will ponies say.”
“Who cares?” Rarity gave her another kiss, then pushed up with her forelegs, looming over Dash’s prone form. Her mane spilled in tangles and ringlets over her shoulders, long enough to tickle at Dash’s chest, and she rested a hoof on Dash’s belly, tracing it in circles that slowly descended, lower and lower, well past her navel.
There. Dash squeezed her eyes shut, her whole body giving a tiny jerk as Rarity’s hoof brushed against her nipples. They both froze, aware that some new boundary between them was on the verge of falling.
“Last chance, darling,” Rarity whispered. “Do you want to keep going?”
Duh. Normally Dash would’ve had some sarcastic quip ready to go here, but instead all she could do was give a small, jerky nod.
Are you sure? She’s a friend, and you remember what happened the last time you crossed those lines. Memories of her past two lovers returned – Soarin panting with her atop a cloud, their race finished, about to start the wrestling match that would end with her pinned and pinned beneath him. Cloud Fire following her into the shower after her first air show.
And, after a few seconds of thought, not noticing Rarity’s raised eyebrow, she realized she didn’t care. Transgressing the boundaries of friendship, smearing over them with love (or lust, or sex, or whatever this was about) had never hurt her. Life had hurt her, but she needed to keep living.
Rarity was still waiting, she realized. Apparently a nod wasn’t enough. She licked her lips, finding them suddenly dry as parchment. “Yeah. I do.”
“Good.” Rarity gave her a smile. “So do I.” She lowered her head to place a kiss on Dash’s navel, and she scooted her body down until she could lie comfortably on the mattress, her shoulders level with Dash’s hips. She kissed Dash’s belly again and gently wrapped her forelegs around Dash’s thighs, pulling them apart to expose her most intimate areas to the night.
Dash swallowed. Her breath came in hitches and starts. “Have you, uh, ever done this? With a mare, I mean?”
Rarity paused between kisses. “With a mare? No. But I think I know a little bit about what mares like. We’ll see, I suppose.” She lowered her head, and the tip of her tongue darted out to lick Dash’s nipple. And again, and again.
The first touch of Rarity’s tongue was like an electrode. The feel of a hot, wet tongue rasping against such a sensitive, intimate part of her body convulsed her. When Rarity’s teeth joined the act, it was all Dash could do not to yelp and pull away.
But Rarity was gentle. Her teeth merely held Dash in place while her tongue laved the nipple trapped between them. Each rasp sent a jolt racing between her legs, and she found her hips bucking rhythmically, attempting to grind her crotch against Rarity’s chest.
What a mess that must be making. Rainbow shuddered at the thought, and tried to wrap her ankles around Rarity’s back to trap her. Alas, she wasn’t quite flexible enough for that, and Rarity looked up, a wicked grin splitting her face.
“Patience, darling.” She closed her teeth on Dash’s nipple, just hard enough to draw out a yelp, but in a flash she was back to kissing, her soft lips tracing their way down the last inches of Dash’s belly to the junction of her thighs. She paused there, her eyes drinking in the sight, then turned her head to the side to place a few light nibbles on the inside of Dash’s leg.
“Please, please…” Dash’s hooves pressed Rarity’s head down, sliding through her mane, anything to get her to use that tongue where was needed most.
Rarity froze. Her head tilted enough for their eyes to lock, and she spent a long moment meeting Dash’s gaze. Then, her eyes never moving, she lowered her muzzle, slowly, a hair at a time, until Dash felt her hot breath, and then a light touch, gentle as a feather, as Rarity’s lips met her crotch.
Dash couldn’t see what happened next; she could only watch Rarity’s eyes. But she felt Rarity’s tongue dart out to lap at her sex. Once, twice, then firmly, sliding it between Dash’s lips and dragging it up to the little nub hidden at the top, and this time Rainbow Dash did shout. She gasped for breath as Rarity attacked her bud. Dainty hooves, now remorseless, held her open, peeled her lips apart to reveal the hot, wet, secret flesh that only Dash’s lovers had ever known. Her slick folds offered no resistance to Rarity’s probing tongue.
Rarity was done with teasing, it seemed. She bore down, her lips surrounding the tiny nub enfolded in Dash’s sex, drawing it out for her tongue to ravage. It was fast, hard and merciless.
Rainbow Dash barely lasted ten seconds. A pressure grew within her, like a balloon about to burst, only needing a pin. She gasped for breath, jerking, desperate for the final nudge to push her over the edge. Don't stop! Don't stop! Oh Celestia don't stop!
Rarity didn't. Her tongue played inside Dash for another few moments, then slid back up her slit to the tiny nub hiding between her folds. A brush, a touch and a lick were all it took. The pressure between her legs peaked; the balloon burst; the powder keg exploded. She cried out as the orgasm shook her body, and the dark room filled with a brilliant white light, after which came only darkness.
She might have passed out for a moment. Or perhaps not. But for several seconds all she could see were little sparks dancing in the corners of her vision, and feel Rarity’s weight bearing down on her hips. When she finally remembered to breathe, air flooded into her lungs, tainted with musk and sex and Rarity’s breath as the unicorn pressed their lips together for a long, slow kiss.
The kiss broke, and Rainbow Dash ran her tongue along Rarity’s muzzle. Her own fluids darkened Rarity’s jaw, and they were sour and sharp, but she licked until she could taste nothing but Rarity’s skin and the salt of her sweat.
At some point they had flipped over, and now Rarity lay beneath her, mumbling quiet nothings as Dash nipped at her neck. There were a few red welts lurking beneath the short, fine hairs of her coat, left from their earlier play, and Dash placed little kisses on them by way of apology.
She nibbled her way up to Rarity’s ear. “First time with a mare? Really?”
A hoof swatted her shoulder. “Are you complaining?”
“After that?” Dash snickered. “I feel lucky to have survived.” She punctuated this with another kiss on Rarity’s chest, then another, and another, each lower than the one before.
Rarity murmured a quiet approval, her body shivering beneath Dash's. She waited until Dash was licking at her belly before interrupting. “You don't have to reciprocate, darling. I assure you, I enjoyed that as much as you did.”
“Yeah, well... maybe I want to.”
Rarity chuckled. “By all means, then. Proceed.” She set her head back on a pillow, and spread her legs without the slightest hesitation.
Dash stared at the bounty before her. Rarity's crotch was just like the rest of her – beautiful. A tight stomach met perfectly curved legs, and between them a pair of dainty, perfect lips waited for her. They were swollen now, slick with moisture, and a pair of darker folds spilled from between them. She felt herself starting to grow hot again just seeing it.
Okay, you can do this. It's just like with Soarin. Except it wasn't. Soarin had a cock, for one. Rarity most certainly did not. Dash lowered her head until her muzzle was just inches away. A tantalizing musky scent teased her brain, egging her on to ravage the sweet, sensitive flesh before her. No, definitely no cock here.
That's fine. Just do what Rarity did. Right. She could do that. Simple. Dash took a breath and blew it out gently. Rarity moaned quietly, and a drop of that clear fluid ran down her lips. C'mon, champ. Now or never.
She started with a kiss, pressing her muzzle lightly against Rarity's lips. Her tongue darted out cautiously, flicking at the moist folds. The taste was... unusual. Salty and sharp, but not unpleasant. She licked at Rarity again, eager for more. The unicorn moaned again, her hips bucking gently against Dash's snout.
That was all the encouragement she needed. Her tongue pressed deeper with each stroke, and she used her hoof to hold Rarity open, exposing more of that wet flesh. Rarity's inner lips spread like the petals on a flower. Dash nibbled at them curiously, and was rewarded with another sharp gasp and buck from Rarity's hips.
Dash grinned and slid her tongue deeper between Rarity's folds, teasing at the entrance to her passage. Rarity's hooves grasped at her mane, pressing her snout harder into her crotch. Each brush of Dash's tongue was met with a low moan and a spasm deep inside the unicorn. Her fluids ran freely down Dash's chin, soaking Rarity's tail and the sheets beneath them.
Eventually Rarity's moans faded, and even the most athletic licking did little more than provoke a quiet, satisfied coo. Dash pulled away for a moment, ignoring the disappointed groan, and considered her options. What had Soarin always done next? Oh, duh. Equestria to idiot. With both her hooves, she spread Rarity's lips apart, exposing the shy bud nestled at their peak. It bobbed gently with each breath from the unicorn, almost invisible in the darkness. Slowly, carefully, Dash brushed it with the tip of her tongue. The reaction was everything she hoped for.
“Yes!” Rarity shouted. The hooves in Dash's mane twisted, pulling her closer and tighter, mashing her snout against Rarity's mound.
Dash grinned at the sound and licked harder at the tiny nub of firm flesh. Rarity's hips shuddered, bucking against Dash's muzzle like she was a stallion trying to rut. Dash leaned forward to press her against the bed. For such a seemingly unathletic unicorn, Rarity could sure put up a fight.
Ultimately, it didn't matter; each lick seemed to drive her a bit more wild, and only a minute later she let out a final gasp, her hips straining up, her hooves tearing at Dash's mane. The heat pouring from her crotch was like a furnace, soaking and burning Dash's muzzle. Her entire body shuddered, and then she collapsed in a boneless heap. Her chest shuddered with each breath, and her eyes stared wide and unfocused into the dark.
Dash wormed her way back up Rarity’s body. They were both slick with sweat and other fluids, and the sheets clung to them, and the air stank of sex, and Rainbow Dash loved every bit of it. She rolled onto the mattress, fast against Rarity’s side, and draped her foreleg over the unicorn’s chest while she caught her breath.
“So…” She stopped to nibble on a lock of Rarity’s mane. As expected, it tasted like fruity shampoo. “Good enough?”
Rarity chuckled. “That’s not how it works, darling.” She rolled onto her side, so their chests pressed against each other and their breath mingled between them.
“Yeah, but… c’mon, my ego’s on the line here.”
“Ah, of course.” Rarity kissed the tip of her nose. “It was… good enough.”
“Awesome.” She tried to stifle the yawn that overtook her jaws, but it was hopeless. “So, uh, what now?”
“Now?” Rarity was silent for a time. She seemed wide awake. “Now we sleep, I suppose. We can figure the rest out in the morning.”
That was good advice. Dash meant to say so, to compliment Rarity’s wisdom, but the night was already pressing at her mind, and the bed beneath her was soft, and she felt safe wrapped in Rarity’s embrace.
So, she slept.
* * *
It was hours later when Rainbow Dash awoke.
The moon was high in the southern sky. Its cold light filled the room, painting the floor near the window with square shadows. For Dash’s pegasus eyes, it may as well have been noon.
Rarity was splayed out beside her, dead asleep. At some point they had become disentangled, and now a few inches of damp sheets separated them. Rainbow scooted over to close the gap and pressed her muzzle into the crook of Rarity’s neck. The delicious, intoxicating stink of sex still clung to her, clung to them both, and Rainbow breathed it in jealously.
Rarity stirred. Her eyes flickered open, and the ghost of a smile danced across her lips. She snuggled closer, mumbled something just below Dash’s hearing, and then her lights went out again. Only the slow sound of her breathing filled the room.
What are we?
The question sprung from nothing. Rainbow Dash turned it over in her mind as she watched Rarity sleep. Were they friends? Lovers? Something in between?
She needed to think, and again the cold skies called to her. The empty, frigid expanse of the heavens, where she could soar with her eyes closed for days, letting the freezing air strip away her fear and passion. Where she could be herself.
Slowly, so as not to wake Rarity, she stole from the bed. There was a loose blanket on the floor, kicked off in their passion, and she grabbed it with her mouth, draping it over Rarity’s sleeping form. The unicorn mumbled quietly and gripped it closer with her hooves.
Their room was on the second floor. Dash slipped out the window, closed it behind her, and vanished into the vast dark ocean of the night.