//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Under the Stars 
// by CrystalTheUnicorn 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash sat on Pinkie Pie's bed, with her best friends- not including Twilight, for the unicorn had been called to Canterlot to help Princess Celestia with some royal duties.
The five ponies were bored. Cake was gone, presents were opened, and despite it being 1 in the morning, none of the mares were tired.
After a few moments of silence, Dash looked at each of her friends, and finally asked, "How about Truth or Dare? I know it's a really overused and lame idea, but at least it's something to keep us occupied."
Instantly Pinkie Pie jumped up with sparkling eyes, "Of course! That's a wonderful idea Dashie! Oh! Oh! Let me go first!!!"
All the ponies chuckled. 
"Of course you can start Pinkie," Rainbow Dash said with a slight smile.
"Yes!" The pink mare leaped off the bed and trotted over to Fluttershy. 
"Truth or Dare, Fluttershy?" Pinkie Pie asked, a wide smile on her face.
The shy pegasus flapped her wings once, inching back a bit. 
"Do I have to be the first one? Why not Applejack or Rainbow Dash? They'll do almost anything...." Fluttershy suggested, shaking slightly. The thought of going first scarred her, especially since Pinkie was the one asking. Who knows what crazy ideas that mare had?
Applejack trotted over to Fluttershy's side and wrapped one hoof around her, "It'll be okay, sugarcube. You can trust Pinkie, can't ya?" 
Fluttershy nodded and replied to Pinkie's question, after a hesitant sigh, "Umm, how about truth?"
"Alright!" Pinkie smiled, "Let's seeeeeeee...."
The pink mare thought for a little while, then jumped up as an idea hit her.
"What would you do, if Applejack kissed you?"
"What!?!" Both Applejack and Fluttershy gasped in confusion. Rainbow Dash, chuckled, picturing that happening. She really couldn't see Fluttershy reacting in a good way, but then again, some things about Fluttershy surprised her.
"They would be a good couple, don't you think?" Rarity asked Rainbow, her first words of the game.
Rainbow Dash nodded, but before she could get any words out, Applejack spoke.
"I would never kiss Fluttershy! She's mah friend! Nothin' more!"
"I said what if you kissed her," Pinkie Pie chuckled, then turned to Fluttershy, "Well?"
"I um.. well," She stammered, a slight blush appearing on her face, "I would be confused... But I wouldn't really be mad....."
Rainbow Dash held her hooves over her mouth, to stop herself from laughing, while Applejack blushed a little, looking at Fluttershy and trying to process what had been said. The other two ponies looked pleased. 
"Speaking of kissing," Rarity broke the awkward moment, "Who does everypony have a crush on? We haven't updated each other on this for a while."
Rainbow Dash's face turned red as Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy instantly looked at her with smirks on their faces. 
"Um... Well, Rarity, why don't you go first?" Rainbow Dash asked, choking out each word, as sweat began to trickle down her face.
"Well," Rarity began, flipping her beautiful purple mane back, "I don't necessarily have a 'crush' on anypony, I just find quite a few stallions hot."
"And these stallions are...?" Applejack pressed her on.
"Oh, well Fancy Pants, Thunderlane, oh and since Twilight's not here, Shining Armor. That's just a few," Rarity said, sounding so casual. Rainbow Dash was a little disappointed to hear only the names of stallions, but this was Rarity. Of course she was straight, she was into fashion and girly things. 
"Ohhhhh I really think Thunderlane is cute toooo!!" Pinkie Pie beamed, jerking Dash out of her thoughts. 
"What about you three?" Pinkie Pie asked looking at Applejack, Fluttershy, and finally Rainbow Dash.
"Ah don't really care that much for romance, y'all should know that by now," Applejack said simply.
"But you must have a crush on somepony, or at least find somepony a bit attractive," Rarity said looking straight at the farm pony.
Applejack shrugged, "Well, if ya want an answer, ah guess Soarin' is okay. What about you, Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy blushed hard and looked around at the other mares in the room. "I um... None of you would know him..."
"Come on Flutters, I know everypony here! Just say his name!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"Well, um..." Fluttershy trailed off.
"If she doesn't want to say, she doesn't have to," Rainbow Dash pointed out. Probably a mistake though because that made everypony turn to her.
"Then what about you Dash?" Rarity asked, eyes full of wonder.
"You all know, I told you all before," Dash said, hoping three of the ponies wouldn't point out Rarity didn't know.
"You told Rarity?" Fluttershy asked, sounding astonished.
"Of course I did! Remember Rarity? You me and Applejack were at that festival, and I told you I liked Braeburn?" The lie was almost see-through, but she hoped nopony would notice.
"Braeburn?!?!" Applejack exclaimed, though she soon realized her mistake, and tried her best to fix what she had said, but being the element of honesty made it very hard for her to lie. "Oh... Yes Braeburn, I remember now..."
Rarity looked unconvinced. "Really Dash. Having a crush isn't bad just tell me who he is. I won't judge."
Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack started snickering a little, and Pinkie leaned over to Dash's ear to whisper, "'he.'"
Rainbow's face instantly turned a bright red.
"Shut up!" She hissed to the three laughing ponies.
Rarity looked more confused than ever as she eyed Rainbow Dash.
"I am so confused. How about I guess? Is it Soarin? Big Mac? Thunderlane?" Rarity asked, her eyes filled with wonder. 
"Nope!" Pinkie bounced up.
Rainbow Dash glared at her. She would have been fine with saying it was Soarin, but of course, she knew her friends actually wanted her to tell her. Then an idea hit her.
"It actually is Soarin. I never told any of you. I told you all it was somepony else because I wanted to cover it up.." Rainbow Dash said, trying to look as serious as she could.
"Really?" Applejack asked.
Rainbow Dash nodded and glanced at Rarity. She was happy to see she looked content with the answer.
"But, you sounded soooo sure when you talked about the other pony!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"I uh... well I um used to have a crush on that pony.." Dash said quickly, blushing hard.
Rarity smiled, "Well if you don't have a crush on him anymore, why can't you tell me who he is?"
Rainbow Dash slapped her hoof onto her face and sighed. 
"I don't see why that information is needed anymore," The rainbow maned mare growled.
"Well we're friends, so I would love to know," Rarity said blinking her beautiful blue eyes.
Applejack stood up and looked at Pinkie Pie then Fluttershy, "Come on, y'all. Rainbow would probably like it better if we weren't hear."
The three other ponies left the room. Rainbow Dash sighed, then looked at Rarity, feeling her heart beat faster. 
She screamed as the door flung open again as Pinkie Pie yelled in, "Rainbow Dash is not straight by the way!!!"
"PINKIE PIE!!!" Dash yelled in anger and worry. Her face was brighter than a tomato, when she looked back at Rarity.
"Sooooo... It's a mare?" Rarity asked, making Rainbow's face feel like it would burn off.
The pegasus nodded slowly. She put her head down on the bed. 
Rarity thought for a moment. "Is it Twilight?"
Dash shook her head. Rarity would most likely get it right in the next few guesses.
There was a long pause. Rainbow Dash's heart started to beat faster than she could fly, and her face was getting even hotter. Having her face buried in the bed sheets didn't help her much either. 
After a while, Rarity touched Rainbow's hoof, making the cyan mare blush uncontrollably, and look up at Rarity in astonishment.
Rarity blinked, "Raibow Dash.... Is it me?"
Dash felt her heart race. She thought about saying no, but that would ruin the moment. And this was a moment she didn't want to ruin. Plus at this point she had hesitated for to long to say no.
She tried to speak, but couldn't, so she just nodded. Rarity smiled. "It's fine with me, I won't judge you."
Rainbow sat up and smiled. 
Her three other friends came rushing into the room. They all looked excited, and obviously were eavesdropping on them, but Dash couldn't care less at the moment. She was just so glad to have that off her chest.
"So, do you like her back?" Dash heard Pinkie ask.
"Why, no, of course not, you all know I like stallions. It doesn't matter anyway, Dash said she only used to have a crush on me, remember?" Rarity replied. Dash chuckled and smiled.
"Yeah, remember? I told you guys I like Soarin now," Dash replied. On the inside though, Rainbow was dying. She had felt such a connection with Rarity and was certain she liked her back. But, it was probably true, Dash thought. The unicorn had never shown any interest in mares anyway.
Fluttershy yawned, "I'm tired."
"Me too," Applejack said.
The others nodded in agreemant. With that, they all headed for their sleeping bags, and started to fall into sleep.
All except Dash, whose mind was set on what had happened that night.