//------------------------------// // Resolution // Story: Heritage // by bahatumay //------------------------------// Without even bothering to knock, Rainbow Dash burst through the door. “Dad!” she called. Rainbow Blaze jumped, nearly knocking over the easel in front of him. He quickly shuffled a few of his canvases around, hiding the one he had been working on. “Dashie! Dashie. Dash, Dash, Dash. Hi,” he said nervously. “What’s… what’s up?” He winced as he realized that he’d opened himself up to one of his favorite bad jokes. But Rainbow Dash didn’t take the opportunity. “Not much. Can I talk to you?” This, more than anything, let Rainbow Blaze know that something was wrong. He slid over and wrapped a wing around Rainbow Dash. “What can I do, oh favorite daughter of mine?” Rainbow looked down, looked around the room, and then finally spat it out. “I’m a failure!” she blurted. Rainbow Blaze blinked. “You’re…?” “I’m a failure!” Rainbow Dash repeated. Rainbow Blaze’s mouth worked wordlessly as he tried to process this. “In what way?” he managed to stammer. “I’m half earth pony, but I don’t act like it! It took me almost a full week to adapt to Applejack’s schedule! I still can’t pull the carts as fast as she can! I can’t hold any hard cider! And don’t get me started on her stamina--it’d take two of me just to keep up! I came onto her, and she rutted me senseless! I just…” Rainbow sighed and bowed her head. “I wanted to be like mom, you know? An earth pony. And I… I kinda feel like I’m letting her down.” Rainbow Blaze laughed. Rainbow Dash squinted. Wha-? “Dashie, your mother…” Rainbow Blaze shook his head and brusquely rubbed a hoof across one eye. “I sometimes wondered what she saw in me. Amber Waves was amazing, she was strong, she knew how to bake, and she had a mean left hook; and I was… I was a crazy, foolhardy pegasus, thinking less with my ehh-” here, he gestured vaguely towards his temple, “-and more with my ehh,” and here he gestured vaguely towards his hips. “You know why she ended up marrying me? Because I was different. I was real. I was… me. You know how earth ponies are. They’re steady, they’re solid, they’re… grounded. Me? I’m… I’m like you. I fly fast first and think second.” He cracked a smile. “Turns out she was bored with her life, and I gave her life a little of the spontaneity she needed.” Rainbow Dash squinted. “That’s a big word.” Rainbow Blaze shrugged modestly. “What? I remember some words from the writing gig.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Oh, yeah. Didn’t you sell a couple books?” “Couldn’t even get a recipe published,” Rainbow Blaze admitted sheepishly. “The thing is, Applejack might need you for the same reason. It’s like having nothing but cloud candy for a while. It’s good, yeah; but eventually, you’re gonna need a change.” He poked Rainbow Dash’s barrel. “You’re that change, Dashie. You’re what she needs. You make an ok earth pony, sure; but you should probably leave being an earth pony to Applejack, and stick with being a good pegasus.” Rainbow Dash nodded. Convinced that the crisis was over, Rainbow Blaze let his teasing nature back through. “Don’t forget, as a pegasus, you’ve got an advantage others don’t. Two big advantages.” He wiggled his wings. “Don’t forget to brush your feathers over her lower stomach, and take it slow. Earth ponies love that stuff.” He grinned lecherously. “And since they can’t return the favor with wings, they usually use their tongues instead.” Rainbow Dash grinned. She knew all about earth ponies and their lingual dexterity. “And feathermark her every chance you get. It’s best when she’s not looking and doesn’t see it coming.” Rainbow chuckled. In her urge to be as earth pony as possible, she’d almost forgotten about that. “And do it in front of other earth ponies. They'll get jealous and it'll make her feel really special. Hay, do it in front of other ponies in general.” “Nah,” Rainbow said with a dismissive shrug. “She's not much for the whole public affection thing. But when she's alone…” Her voice trailed off, and a devious grin crossed her face. “Actually…” * * * Applejack poked her head back inside the barn. “Hey, Apple Bloom?” she called. “Yeah?” “You seen Rainbow Dash?” “Uh-uh,” Apple Bloom answered. “Not since last night at dinner.” “Mm. Thanks,” Applejack said distractedly as she headed back out. Where could she be? Though she did make a lousy earth pony, it had been nice to have her around all the time. She was probably asleep somewhere, the exhaustive pace finally catching up to her- And then she heard a burst of thunder, and a simultaneous sharp jab on her flank. She jumped. “What’n the hay!?” She spun around. “Rainbow!” Rainbow laughed uproariously. “Oh, AJ, you should have seen your face!” she howled. “Oh, that was perfect!” Applejack reached back and dolefully rubbed her flank where she’d been zapped, but she couldn’t help but grin. “You know, I can’t remember the last time you were on a cloud.” Rainbow stood upright on her cloud. “Yeah, well, I did a little soul-searching, and I realized something. Being half earth pony is great. Really, it is. It’s fine to be with your heritage. But you also have to be yourself. So I’m just going to be the bestest, most awesome me I can be.” She flared her wings. “And that means all of me.” She dropped to her stomach, rested her chin in her hooves and grinned. “So don’t be surprised if I start stealing apples and taking naps in your trees again.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Gee. Just be the best you, eh? Sure wish somepony would have told you that earlier.” Rainbow Dash jumped off the cloud, landed, and flicked Applejack’s cutie mark with the tip of her wing. “Yeah, me too,” she said, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. Applejack brightened. “Actually, if you’re back to doin’ pegasus-y things, would you mind takin’ a cloud over to where Macintosh is? He didn’t get as far as he needed to last week, and the earth’s as dry as a tumbleweed and hard as a rock again.” Rainbow Dash looked over her shoulder and did an exaggerated double-take. “Oh, look! A cloud! Why, I’ll just use my pegasus wings-” and here she extended them as wide as they’d go, “-and go take it over.” Applejack grinned. “Thank you kindly, Sugarcube.” Rainbow grinned as she did a loop-the-loop and pushed the cloud over to the eastern orchard. Her wings felt great, the air rushing over them felt comfortingly familiar. When was the last time she’d really flown? She couldn’t remember. But she was certain about one thing: it was good to be back.