"Winsome Falls!" Epcot grinned, sitting across a floating tea set. "Why, that sounds delightful!" A giggle. "With places as pretty as you've described, just who would need to build a Cider Space anyways?"
Rainbow lowered a cup from her lips. "Did I say 'Winsome' Falls?"
"Didn't you?"
"For some reason, I could have sworn I said 'Rainbow' Falls." She shrugged. "Eh." A sip. "Guess everything's me-colored in my head."
"Except when it comes to freckles."
"Heeeeeeeeeeeee-hehehehehe-yeahhhhhh..." Rainbow Dash sighed. She placed her teacup down and leaned back, gazing at an ocean bubbling overhead. "Mmmmm... Well, I'm friggin' stoked. It'll be just us girls... plus Trixie.."
"Uh huh..."
"Hanging out. Hoofing it. Sharing stories. Making new ones."
"Well..." Epcot smiled, pretending to sip from her own cup. "Don't you sound positively enamored?"
"It just seems so darn simple, y'know?" Rainbow sat back up and squinted across the table at her. "Like... why didn't I think of it before?"
"From what you've said, you didn't even think of it this time. You have Fluttershy to thank."
"Well, true. But still." Rainbow gulped. "It's like I'm... waking up to the fact that my friends are right frickin' there. I could have hung out with them at anytime. I could be hanging out with them at anytime!"
"Including Applejack..."
"Especially Applejack!" Rainbow smirked. "I mean, why not? She means a lot to me. I mean a lot to her."
"Love has its many degrees of expression and purpose," Epcot said. "It would be silly to sacrifice one tier for another."
"Right?" Rainbow gulped. "And... who knows? Maybe... maybe this is the sort of foundation I need."
"Hmmmm..."
"I just need to... start at the roots." She gulped. "Work my way up."
"But you use that word, though."
"Huh?" Rainbow blinked.
"'Work,'" Epcot remarked. "Seems a bit forced to me."
"In what way?"
"Friendship shouldn't have to be about labor," the chaperone said. "Of all the mortals and immortals I've ever studied, the majority of them formed social bonds through natural means—without having to resort to obligations or self-imposed commitments."
"Well... that's kinda sorta what this is." Rainbow Dash hugged herself as she spoke. "I'm just learning to... to relax."
"Well, that most definitely is a good thing, Rainbow Dash."
"I know that..." Rainbow gulped. "...it almost appears as though I'm settling."
Epcot's narrowed. "Now, I never intended to imply that..."
"Oh, for sure." Rainbow sighed. "I just... I just gotta catch up, y'know?" She cleared her throat. "Unlike Experimental Chaperones of Tomorrow, not all of us live forever."
"Of that I'm quite aware."
Rainbow winced. "Sorry."
"Don't be." Epcot smiled, leaning her head to the side. "However, you could answer a question for me, if you're of a mind."
"Shoot."
"Does any of this have anything to do with the friend you've just lost contact with?"
Rainbow blinked. "Huh...?"
"Your friend. The one you called 'Lancie,'" Epcot remarked. "With his departure, I can only assume you've received greater motivation to preserve that which you have."
Rainbow bit her lip.
Epcot leaned back, blinking. "If that's too forward of me, I apologize—"
"No. It's fine." Rainbow coughed. "And... yeah. There's some truth in that, I suppose. Even though... I-I don't think anything I could have done would have changed the fact that Lancie had to go take a hike for... p-personal reasons. For so long, he was so obsessed about changing me. And... and I get what he was trying to do? Y'know? I mean... sorta. He wanted to make a decision that was beneficial for myself... or at least my heart's desire. But... but I just couldn't, y'know? One thing or another got in the way and... and I think he lost a lot of faith in me right at the end."
"Oh?"
"These last few days and nights, I've been obsessed over... over whether or not I respect Applejack," Rainbow said. "And I still believe that the reason I never gave in to any of Lancie's offerings or temptations is because of that respect. But... but it goes deeper than that, and I think this is where Lancie was onto something... whether he knew it or not." Rainbow leaned back, brushing a hoof through her bangs. "To respect Applejack, I gotta level with her. I gotta be there by her side, instead of... y'know... what I've been doing." She gulped. "Which is... j-just obsessing with her from the shadows. No, I... I gotta be with her... to figure out where she's at... and where I'm at. And... and if there's a chance... even a snowflake's chance in Tartarus of us being in the same place... together."
Epcot gently nodded. After a while, she said, "And if you determine that there isn't such a chance?"
Rainbow sighed, her ears folding. "...then we'll always have Rainbow Falls..."
"Don't you mean Winsome Falls?"
"Pffft." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Heeheehee!" Epcot giggled.
Rainbow chuckled... then chuckled some more. With a sigh, she raised her hoof and rubbed her eyes dry.