//------------------------------// // 15 - Brayside Crush // Story: Brayside Crush // by Outlaw Quadrant //------------------------------// “My beach! My precious beach!” Since the go-ahead for the Aloha Summer Festival months ago, Surfing Blossom had one misgiving about hosting such a large event above all else. As she walked onto the main festival site early Sunday morning, her fears came into inevitable reality the moment a wrapper billowing in the wind hit her square in the face. “Ewwwwww! Mustard!” She whisked away the offending item and wiped her face. “Oh, just look at all this trash! I put those ‘Please keep our beaches clean’ on the garbage cans for a reason! Can’t tourists read?” “Doesn’t look like it,” Spike responded, picking up a rolling drink cup and tossing it into the nearest can. “I bet even the water’s filled with who knows what.” Fluttershy flew above their heads. “Already on it! I’ll have some of the sea creatures help me!” Before Blossom could thank the pegasus, Applejack and Blitz trotted past them. “I’ll be bagging more trash than this slowpoke here,” the cowpony bragged. “Just watch!” “Dream on, Jack,” the burly stallion retorted. Spike marked a few boxes off his checklist. “Guess we don’t have to worry about that! With Twilight and Rarity on cleanup further up the coast, we should be right on—” A few drops landed on his sheet, “—schedule?” Blossom spotted a shifting sea of lumpy clouds gathering above her head. “Spike? My understanding is that the forecast was supposed to be mostly cloudy. Was there a change I’m not aware of?” “That’s what it says here,” the dragon assistant answered, pointing at the forecast page. “I thought Swift would’ve mentioned something like this to you at the after party last night. I actually wanted to congratulate him for a great job but I never saw him.” “Actually,” she started, rubbing her foreleg, “after he and Rainbow did their show, I didn’t see either of them. From what Fluttershy told me, she eventually found Rainbow fast asleep in the motel room. I guess she must have been exhausted. Swift, I checked his place this morning but he wasn’t there. He just, disappeared. That’s not like him.” Suddenly, a pegasus landed in front of them. “I can assure you Swift hasn’t disappeared.” “What did you say, Light Shower,” Blossom asked. “He was in the morning weather meeting but oh, you should’ve seen him, Blossom.” He threw back his head, “That poor stallion had that look as though he just lost something near and dear to him! He pretty much left me in charge here while he was going to fend off the clouds offshore all by himself. I must say that was pretty unusual.” “And why do you say that?” Pointing toward the sea, “Radar says there’s not that much out there today. Most of the clouds are right above us and — as de facto weather captain for today — I decided some light showers are in order, no pun intended. I mean, you can still smell that awful smoke from those fireworks last night and the—” “Light Shower?” She exhaled audibly. “Please do me a favor and don’t mention anything about Swift to anypony else.” He bowed toward the sand. “I would do anything for you, my dear.” Once the stallion returned to the skies, Blossom turned to the dragon assistant. “You too, Spike. I don’t want any rumors to start spreading around and worry our friends.” “Yes, ma’am,” he answered, saluting the surfer pony. “Anything you say!” She reached down and hugged him. “Oh, I’m going to miss you so much, Spike! Why can’t I have somepony like you around all the time? I know I have Swift but his priorities are the skies. Well, I guess I’ll just have to—” “Blossom! Blossom!” A blue earth mare ran across the sand, her ponytail swishing with every step. “Excuse me but, whew. One sec. That was a longer run than I thought it would be. Okay, okay. I have something to report from the south side of the beach.” “You do? Um, Coral Sands, isn’t it? Hired you last week, if I recall.” The newcomer broke out a smile. “Right. Well, I just wanted to tell you about some changes Twilight Sparkle is trying to sell us on.” Her brow lowered halfway. “What is that unicorn doing now?” “Some alterations to the duty roster and our overall deployment across the beach. That a few other things as well.” “Is that so? And you’re buying what she’s telling you?” “What? Pffff!” She broke out in laughter. “Are you kidding me? I may be new at this job but even I know she doesn’t quite get lifeguard operations. I mean, some of the things that she brought up yesterday, oh Celestia! To think she’s one of the best organizers in all of Equestria.” Blossom let her giggles go free. “Well, I’m glad there’s a voice of reason around here. Thanks for letting me know.” She watched her fellow lifeguard turn around. “Oh, um, Coral? Can I ask something from you?” “Absolutely, Blossom.” “You know what? Instead of going back to your post, I want you to help Spike and I manage things here. Consider it some additional one-on-one training.” Inside Widget’s workshop, the owner snipped a wire protruding from the prototype cannon’s console. “Whatchamacallit,” Widget mumbled, rubbing the crust building beneath her eyes. “Um, screwdriver? Yeah. That’s it.” “You need a nap,” Pinkie responded while providing the requested tool. “You’ve been up all night.” Resting her head on the barrel, “I know but I’m so close to fixing this doohickey. I just–” Her mouth stretched wide before returning to normal. “I would bet my tool kit there’s one thing I’m doing wrong.” Her head slipped on the surface, “Just one little–” Pinkie grabbed Widget before she slumped onto the floor. “No more work for you, Widge-Widge! Off to bed you go!” “But my cannon–” “She’ll still be here when you wake up. Don’t worry about it,” Pinkie answered, escorting her down the stairs. “I’ll keep working on it while you get some shut eye.” Widget rolled onto the bed and snuggled on a pillow. “You’re such a good mate, Pink. Watch out for the third wire from the–” Pinkie watched her friend succumb to sleep deprivation. Then, she looked over the diagrams pinned to the wall. It may have been unintentional but Widget Fixit gifted the party cannon that became an iconic staple of her arsenal, from anniversaries to wingdings. To return the favor, the Fireworks Super Cannon could not join the wall as another failed experiment. Whether it worked today or next month, Pinkie was going to do everything she could in the few hours she had left before leaving town. “Time to work my Pinkie magic,” she whispered. “What do you mean you’re not going on tour?” Rarity was inside a storeroom filled with musical instruments, some she didn’t even know existed. She did have to give credit to Hipster Amps for somehow making everything fit while keeping the narrow corridors free of any loose cords that could trip a passerby and shatter the music store’s window with the sound of falling cymbals and drums. “Told ya this was a one-time deal, Rar,” Hipster commented, sitting on an amplifier. She then favored her throat, “Besides, last night wrecked my voice.” “Sounds even better to me,” Vinyl Scratch commented while polishing her trademark glasses. “You got yourself a lot of new fans, Hip. You too, Tavi.” “The real credit should go to the orchestra,” said Octavia, walking into the room with some coffee. She stopped and took a sip. “Oooh. A bit too warm. Now, I must admit I enjoyed my time as a conductor but there’s just too much pressure involved. That and I can’t play my beloved cello. If I want ponies to remember me, I want it to be as a cellist.” Vinyl shrugged. “Your call, Tavi. As for me, I did this as a favor. This was mad fun but I can’t do special gigs like this all the time.” “How about some of the time, then?” Rarity suggested. “Maybe a once a year tradition right here in Brayside! I’m fairly certain Blossom and the committee would approve of such an idea! I’ll even do the wardrobe again! What do you say?” “A once a year gig, huh?” Vinyl placed her glasses back in place. “I can dig it!” Octavia took a drink. “Interesting. Well, I’d have to discuss it with my conductor but, hmmm… if there’s a long cello solo in next year’s program, then I’d be happy to oblige!” Hipster grabbed a stick and struck a nearby cymbal. “Three for three! Rar, can’t wait for your next hip design! Go on, now! You got a train to catch, girl!” Rarity took out her pocket watch. “Oh, dear! You’re right! In that case, I’ll send you my conceptual designs by mail!” “The three thirty to Ponyville will depart in five minutes.” Twilight – alongside Blossom and Blitz – waited on the train platform beside the open train door. Everypony headed outward had already boarded, save for one. “Where is she?” Twilight huffed, tapping her hoof on the wooden surface. “I told her a million times that—” A white unicorn dashed through the station’s sliding doors. “Finally! Rarity! Where have you’ve been?” The unicorn hugged Blossom. “My apologies! Let’s stay in touch, shall we?” Rarity then went inside the train car. “Well, I guess that’s it. I only wish the cleanup didn’t take so long,” Blossom mused. “I thought we could’ve had one last meal together.” Twilight’s stomach grumbled. “We’ll survive. Spike picked up a few snacks for us. Something tells me whatever they’re serving in the dining car hasn’t improved over the last few days.” “I suppose not. Well, I hope the next time you visit our town, you’ll actually get to have a real vacation.” Twilight chuckled. “With our luck, probably not. I’m just glad you want us back. I mean, we didn’t exactly get along, now, did we?” “I’m not sure what you mean, Twilight.” Blitz raised a hoof, “You tried hitting her with your–” “–oh, that,” Blossom spoke, yanking the stallion’s goatee. “That was only a… all right. Maybe we bumped heads a few times. Okay, many times. Twilight, I guess I’m not used to having another pony around that can really take charge of a situation like you can.” Twilight looked downwards. “Yeah, same here. Sorry if I was being incredibly annoying all this time.” Blossom extended a hoof. “I’ll forgive you if you’ll forgive me.” Rather than shake on it, Twilight went for a hug. “Of course!” Blitz decided to embrace them both. “Blitz, yeah! Power of friendship! Where’s Fly and Widge? They’re totally missing this!” Twilight teleported out of Blitz’s grasp. “According to Pinkie, Widget’s still sleeping. Swift, I have no idea.” “Work, Twilight,” Blossom exclaimed, striking the stallion right in the belly to get free. “I’m afraid he’s tied up with a lot of post-festival weather duties. He sends his regards.” “Give him my thanks!” Twilight stepped inside the passenger car. “Oh, and one last thing!” She levitated a scroll onto Blossom’s grasp. “Just some suggestions I had for a better festival next year! Trash is right at the top of my list!” Her first instinct was to hit it out of the train station with her surfboard. However, one look at Twilight’s nervous smile and she tossed it over to an aching Blitz. “That I can agree with. I’ll go over it tonight! Aloha! Have a safe trip!” Twilight waved until the door closed with a thump. Soon afterwards, the entire train lurched forward, followed by an obligatory train whistle. Wouldn’t surprise me if she doesn’t accept all my recommendations. Oh, well. She knows what she’s doing, most of the time. Twilight made her way to the passenger car and entered through the first sliding door. Inside, Pinkie snored on the bench along with Spike. Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy sat on the other side, feasting on greasy chips and candy bars. “Junk food. Should’ve expected that from Spike,” Twilight nagged. “I taught him better than that.” Applejack tossed her a bag of sliced pineapple. “Better?” She did a double take. “Um–” “What?” The cowpony then took out a melon smoothie and slurped through the straw. “Sometimes, you gotta try new stuff. Of course, let’s not forget nothing beats a Sweet Apple Farms apple.” Twilight stopped short of swallowing a piece of yellow fruit. “Hold on. Where’s Rainbow Dash?” Rarity looked around the cabin. “Oh, dear. Don’t tell me we left her behind.” “She’s here,” Fluttershy commented in a way that tried to not draw attention but utterly failed in doing so. “She said she just wanted some fresh air.” “Fresh air?” Twilight took a seat and began munching on pineapple. “Is she feeling okay?” “She said she’s still exhausted from last night. Otherwise, she seemed fine to me.” Rarity got up from her seat. “Excuse me a moment. I need to use the little mares’ room. I was in such a rush to get here, I didn’t get a chance to go earlier. You said the same thing, didn’t you, Fluttershy?” Before the pegasus could answer, Rarity pulled her off the bench. Despite curious stares from Twilight and Applejack, they allowed them to leave, no questions asked. Then, to Fluttershy’s surprise, they ended up going straight to the little mares’ room, a space clearly designed with only one occupant’s comfort in mind. “Are we really—” “Shhh!” Rarity used her magic to turn on the sink, her hooves unable to maneuver to the knob. “Better. Fluttershy? What exactly is going on here?” “What do you mean?” “Rainbow Dash, darling. What else? She didn’t show up for the after party. You find her asleep back at the motel room. She wanted to sleep in today. Can’t you tell she’s been trying to avoid us?” Fluttershy shook her head the best she could in the tight quarters. “She’s done things like that before after big performances. It’s not unusual at all.” “Really?” Rarity pursed her lips. “Well, what did she say to you about last night?” “She, um, did the dance. She watched the fireworks atop the stage with Swift. She felt tired so she went back to the motel.” “That’s it?” “That’s it.” Rarity banged her head backwards. “Ohhhh! This is all my fault! There was something beautiful blooming right in front of our—” “Except it’s not.” “—eyes and I destroyed it with my… it’s not?” Fluttershy gazed at the mirror where she not only saw her reflection but also a hazy image of her pegasus friend. “Ever since she told us about what happened while we were in Manehattan, I promised myself I wouldn’t let something that important slip by me again. Right now, I feel like she’s hiding something from me. Something big.” Eyes widening, “Are you sure, Fluttershy?” “I don’t really know. Like I said, it’s just a feeling but I can’t shake it off.” “In that case, there’s only one thing to do. Fluttershy? You need to go out there and talk to her, alone.” Her wings crashed against the walls. “M–me?” “Believe me, I’d love nothing more than to be part of this but I’ve only made things worse. Besides, you’re her best friend, dear. If there’s one pony she’ll open up to, it’s you.” “But I’m not sure I can do this, Rarity. I don’t even know what to say.” “It’s all right. Just get her talking and find an opening. Now, go on, dear! I have full confidence in you!” Her face began turning red, “That, and this is rather improper to say but I wasn’t exactly kidding about what I said earlier. I’ll be, ahem, needing this room. Now!” A second later, Fluttershy tumbled out of the little mares’ room and had the door close on her. What’s wrong with me? One could understand if Rainbow had a serious case of déjà vu; same caboose, same railing she leaned on and the same question running through her mind. With each passing second, the low-lying clouds obscured more of Brayside Beach. The Trotwalk and its large Ferris Wheel disappeared in a grey haze, followed by the few tall buildings defining downtown. Even if she could no longer spot the sparkling ocean, her nose sniffed its salty scent along with a persistent damp grass smell, most likely coming from the hills surrounding the train tracks. A few drops were on the floor but one look above and she figured no more would come for the rest of the day. Minutes later, the train sounded his horn and it slowly lost momentum. All around her, what was soft green turned more into a jagged gray. The Stallihorn Zephyr was ready to enter the mountains, away from the town that was Swift Flying’s home, the point of no return. “Fluttershy? You can come out now,” said Rainbow. The door behind her creaked open and her friend peered through the opening. “Umm, Rainbow Dash? You knew I was here all this time?” “Mhm. C’mon. Don’t be shy.” Fluttershy took her time before leaning on the railing beside Rainbow. “Hi. I, um, I just wanted to see how you were doing.” Rainbow rubbed her hair, “Um, okay. I’m doing, okay.” “You don’t sound okay.” “I’m, you see, I’m a little under the weather. Must have picked up something. This morning. Or last night. After I… stop looking at me like that, Fluttershy!” Startled, her eyes drifted toward the train tracks, only to snap back in place. “Rainbow, if something’s bothering you, then just say it. Whatever it is, I want to help you. Please, let me help you. I don’t want to miss on something important again.” Rainbow switched between looking at her pleading friend and what little of Brayside Beach remained visible. Turn her down and she could close the chapter on this summer. With enough patience, everything would return to the status quo, a friendship and nothing more. Or maybe not. Five days in Brayside and her question remained unanswered – what was wrong with her. Rarity’s explanation was such a well-crafted answer and yet, Swift Flying popped it out of its socket. Rainbow needed another plug, something, anything. Her sanity depended on it. At around four o’clock on Sunday, Rainbow explained to Fluttershy the Friday night impromptu dance, every wing flap, every racing heartbeat, every time she laughed. She then connected that event with the repeat performance on Saturday night, different in maneuvers but similar with emotions. For a few minutes, this was just another pleasant conversation with a friend but when she reached the portion of the story when she and Swift stood atop the stage, everything came to a crashing halt. “Rainbow?” Fluttershy scooted closer to her sitting friend. “So what did he say to you?” She could no longer stare Fluttershy in the face. “He said, um, well. L–look. I was talking and he just… oh, geez.” “Don’t be embarrassed, Rainbow. You’ve told me so much already. What else—” “He said he really liked me!” “—could he have, said.” Fluttershy turned stiff, wings and all. “R–rainbow? He said what?” She shone brighter than the signal light on the side of the track. “He said he really liked me.” At four fifteen, Fluttershy set a new personal record for loudest exclamation. To her fortune, the train whistle blew at the exact same time but the resulting echoes and the falling rocks on a nearby slope proved a constant reminder on what an earth-shattering revelation this was, literally. “Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy cusped her mouth, realizing the volume on her chords was still too high. “Rainbow Dash. Oh, my goodness. What did you do? What did you say to him?” There was no point hiding anything at this point. If her words didn’t spill it, her writhing face muscles would. “Nothing, really.” “What?” “He said, well, what I just told you but he added that he wasn’t expecting me to feel that way about him. That I didn’t need to respond. He, um, he wanted some time apart until he got over his feelings.” “And what did you say to that?” Rainbow stared off toward Brayside Beach. “Okay,” she said in a low voice. “Just, okay. He left after that and I headed back to the motel.” Fluttershy turned in the same direction and took a deep breath. For better or worse, she was going to test the limits of their friendship. “Rainbow, you didn’t give him an answer.” She whipped her head sideways. “What? W–well, he didn’t ask for one.” “That’s not how it works, especially when it’s something like that. You should’ve said something more than just ‘okay’ because that doesn’t mean anything at all.’” “B–but?” “No, Rainbow. If you know for certain that you don’t feel that way about him, then you had to tell him right then and there. It’s hard, I know but you did it before. At least there would’ve been no second guessing this time. This could’ve been all over and you wouldn’t be like this.” Rainbow shook her head in silence. “And why not?” “Because, because–” She hid her face behind her forelegs “–I don’t know what my answer is! I don’t know what I really think of him, Fluttershy. Do you?” She wanted to answer with silence but that was a bad option right now. “Oh, Rainbow. I wish I could… no. I’m sorry. I don’t think I can answer that for you. Nor can Rarity or anypony else because the answer’s inside of you. I suppose the only one that could really help is Swift. After all, he’s the reason why you’re feeling this way but, um, that would be kind of—” “—I have to go back, don’t I?” Fluttershy gasped at Rainbow’s sudden outburst of courage. “Back? You’re going back?” Rainbow stood on all fours, her sights set to where the train had departed. For the first time today, rays of sunshine broke through the clouds and Brayside Beach made a slow reappearance. “That’s the only way out of this, Fluttershy. I’ve had enough. I don’t want to be like this anymore. I have to find him and then, and then… I don’t know. I really don’t know. But one way or another, I guess I’m going to find out. No. I will find out.” “You’re really going through with this, aren’t you?” “Well, isn’t that why you wanted to talk to me? To convince me that I have to confront this head on?” Fluttershy squirmed in place. “No, not exactly. I just wanted to be a good friend.” “And you are,” she answered, embracing Fluttershy for a few seconds. “The best kind of friend. Now, can you do me a favor? I don’t know when I’ll be back, so can you come up with an excuse why I disappeared? Oh, I got it! Extended vacation!” “Extended vacation. But I thought you used up all your vacation time.” Rainbow hovered onto the roof. “My friends don’t need to know that. My weather bosses, um, just make up something, okay? Bye!” Fluttershy smiled as Rainbow blasted off toward civilization. Like the clouds floating in the skies, her doubts that Rainbow wouldn’t find her answers broke apart. All she could do now is wait for her eventual return and learn of the final outcome. In the meantime, she had an immediate matter to address. “Rarity? You can come out now.” “Ahhh!” From the other side of the door, the sneaky unicorn emerged out into the open. “Hello, dearie. I just left the little mares’ room and wanted to check in. Honest!” Even with fuzzy eyesight, Widget could tell the hands on the wall clock read somewhere past six. By now, the friend that aided her to bed must have been on a train crossing over the Stallihorns. Before she could pout for sleeping through the day and unable to say goodbye, she found a pink box sitting atop the dresser drawer along with an envelope taped to the side. When she opened up the box, she found an assortment of sweet treats. As she nibbled on a cupcake, she opened up the envelope and scanned through the letter. Page one explained how Pinkie baked some treats using one of Widget’s old devices, an experimental hair dryer that functioned better as a portable oven. The other page was a crude diagram of the cannon’s innards along with an array of scribbled notes. “That’s it!” Jumping on the bed, “I got it! I got it! I know how to fix it! Wooooooo!” Sheets secured in her magical aura, Widget ran upstairs and made a beeline right to the unpainted cannon. To her surprise, the tools she needed were on a piece of cloth on the floor, shined and ready for use. “Looks like Pinkie didn’t get to finish all the repairs,” the unicorn mused, flipping open one of the panels and shining a light. “Shouldn’t be a problem. The problem’s so obvious, it was right under our snouts the whole time! I just need to reverse a few of these—” A knock on the door stopped her from further inspection. A small part of her wished it was Pinkie but based on prior history, this was either a pushy salespony or Ember Quench conducting a surprise fire inspection. “Rainbow Dash?” Widget looked up and down the dirt road in case her friends were in the area. “Wasn’t expecting you here, mate.” “Swift,” Rainbow uttered as she swiped off sweat. “Have you’ve seen him? I checked his place and he’s not there! Nopony’s at Blossom’s either!” “Haven’t seen him all day. Haven’t seen much of anything today. If he had just said yes to testing my tracking device a few weeks ago, I’d find him faster than an… oy!” Where Rainbow Dash once stood was now a cloud of dust. Widget shrugged. “Right-o! If I hurry, I can get the cannon working by nightfall!” “Why am I stuck here?” At the Juicy Fruit Fields entrance, Pineapple Blitz stood station at the makeshift stand. To his side were pineapple crates for sale but in this late afternoon, no takers. “I made the farm so much money!” He pounded the counter. “They should’ve given me a long vacation! This isn’t gnarly at all!” “Afternoon, Blitz!” Ascending the hill leading to the stand was Misty Honeydew, her hair bouncing with every peppy step. He leaned on the counter and positioned himself to display his muscly frame. “Yo. How–”He slipped and hit his chin on the wooden surface. “Ow, ow, ow!” Misty cusped her mouth, stifling her mirth. “My goodness! Are you okay?” “Me?” Blitz ran a hoof through his hair, ignoring the throbs in the muzzle area. “Oh, totally. I mean, when you’re around, everything—” A cyan blur landed on the road and slid right into the crates, spilling the fruit all over the place. “Oh, dear!” Misty helped Rainbow onto her hooves. “You’re not hurt, are you?” Rainbow yanked out a pineapple lodged to her side. “Yeow! Um, that was nothing! Nothing at all. Hey, do either of you know where Swift’s at right now?” “I’m sorry but I don’t. Blitz?” He stroked on his goatee, “Negatory. Fly’s been MIA the whole day. Hold up. Why are you here?” Rainbow flared her wings. “Um, because, reasons. Cya!” “Yo,” he bellowed at the departing streak of color. “What about this mess you’ve made?” “I can help.” Misty powered up her horn and began picking up crushed fruit pieces from the dirt. “It’s the least I could do.” Blitz broke out the dopiest grin he could. Now he was certain Misty Honeydew would continue to acknowledge his existence. He had himself a chance. Now he had to work on not blowing these chances when he had them. Progress, at least it’s progress. Surfing Blossom was anything but a frequent visitor of the Brayside Lighthouse. While the top deck provided a wide view of the ocean she cherishes dearly, she much rather be intimate with the waves, riding over them with her signature surfboard or take a leisurely swim. Today, she had to be here for a friend who — at first – had plenty to say. Once he delivered the bombshell, though, all he wanted to do is watch the last of the clouds dissipate while the sun crept further out of sight. Blossom acquiesced and sat beside him in silent contemplation. At last, he cleared his throat. “How did you find me, by the way, Blossom?” “You can thank Light Shower. I asked him to do some surveillance while he pushed away the rain clouds. He used binoculars so you wouldn’t notice him.” He grunted. “Please don’t take it out on him. I’m the one that asked.” He mumbled agreement. “You don’t have to stay here, Blossom.” Blossom pouted, “But I want to. You’re not okay.” Swift rested on the circular railing surrounding the deck. “You’re right. I’m not and I won’t be for a while. I know you want to help but right now, I just want to be alone.” She wanted to refuse. She wanted to say the magic words that would obliterate the dark cloud hanging over his head. In the end, she gave him one long hug and proceeded down the long rounded stairs at a snail’s pace, hoping he’d call for her return. But it never came. Eventually, she emerged at ground level and took a long hard look skywards. Once she realized the futility of waiting for him, Blossom grabbed her surfboard resting by the entrance and walked down the solitary dirt path, kicking a small rock along the way. The crashing waves made its siren call but she wasn’t in the mood to do anything except shuffle along home, pondering if she had to wait for time to heal Swift’s wounds. Then, she stopped, hearing a whizzing sound. Her instincts yelled to roll and that, she did. Where she once stood, a pegasus made a fast and furious landing, leaving behind visible skid marks. “Blossom!” Rainbow galloped to close up the distance. “I’m glad to see you!” Huffing, she planted her surfboard deep onto the road and took a wide defensive stance. “You!” “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Rainbow stumbled to a stop just outside what she thought was the redhead’s striking range. “What gives?” “What gives? What gives?” Blossom stomped a foreleg. “I can’t believe you have the nerve to show your face!” Only now did she believe the local saying that sailors feared Leviathans but the mythical creature feared a fuming Surfing Blossom. “N–no! W–wait! I don’t understand! I just want to find Swift!” “For what? To break his poor heart again?” She marched right at her, surfboard firmly secured by her swaying tail, “Haven’t you done enough to him?” “Y–you’re getting the wrong idea,” she stuttered, taking fast steps back. “There’s a good, ahhh!” She tripped and fell backwards onto the road. “Blossom! Wait, wait, wait, wait! Wait!” A surfboard rose above her trembling body. “I want to give him my answer! I’m telling you the truth, please!” Blossom dropped her instrument of justice to the ground. “Your, answer?” Rainbow rattled her head up and down. “I–I wasn’t ready! He thought I was going to reject him! I never told him what I really felt about him!” She collected her breath. “Let me think but you better not be lying to me because he did… oh! You’re right! He pretty much set himself up for rejection, didn’t he?” She gasped. “Oh my goodness!” Blossom pulled up Rainbow and wiped off the dirt, “I’m so sorry, Rainbow! What was I thinking? I was incredibly upset about everything and I let myself go off like that! I didn’t mean… hold on a second.” The redhead then pulled her in close enough that their noses bumped. “Then you’re not really turning him down after all?” In the span of a few seconds, Rainbow witnessed a mare go from feared enemy to eager friend. At this distance, to upset her once more was a ticket straight to the nearest hospital. “I’m not sure yet.” “What?” Rainbow nudged out of Blossom’s grasp. “Please don’t be angry at me. I’m not sure the best way to handle all of this but I do know I can’t run away, Blossom. I need to see him again so I can sort this out once and for all.” “Then, you might break his heart again, after all.” She touched Blossom on the shoulder and mustered the gumption to stare right at her orange eyes. “I know you really care for Swift and believe me, I don’t want to hurt him. I never ever want to hurt him. The thing is, though, he deserves an honest answer from me. Whatever happens is going to happen but I know that somehow, someway, we’ll get through it. We always do. Trust us. Please?” In theory, Blossom had a choice but reality dictated there was but one path; forward. “Rainbow? He’s at the top of the lighthouse. Before you go, though, there’s one thing you should know.” “What’s that,” she blubbered, not knowing whether physical violence was imminent. It did become physical but of the soft and cuddly kind. “No matter what, I’m still glad you’re a part of his life.” “Thanks. I’m happy that you’re part of his, too.” “And who knows. In time, I may start calling you my sister.” Rainbow took a step back. “Huh? What does that mean?” “Aloha!” Blossom retrieved her surfboard and continued further down the road, humming one of the songs from yesterday. Rainbow turned back toward the lighthouse, a striped tower whose gargantuan shadow engulfed her diminutive self. The more she gazed at the top, the larger the structure grew in stature. Even so, her wings could make the ascent in seconds except they ran out of bravery, the fuel that took her this far. Stairs. I’ll just use the stairs. Shouldn’t be a problem. She walked through the entrance and began a journey that tested her wits every time her hoofstep made a hollow echo. Surely, he would notice her approach and could only imagine his response. He could welcome her at the top but there was also the possibility that he could take off to parts unknown, prolonging this saga indefinitely. Unwilling to accept the latter, she picked up the pace and then eked up just enough energy to fly the last fifty steps. I can’t let him leave! I, uh-oh! The moment she touched the top floor’s surface, she slipped and slid toward the circular railing. A grey mass got in the way and served as a soft landing cushion. “S–wift?” She rolled off him and inched away. “Um, I, um, hi?” He labored with every breath, staring at her as though he just ran into his clone. “Rainbow? W–what are you doing here?” A fair question, no doubt, but she arrived here for answers; she didn’t see herself as the one providing them. “I’m here because, um, extended vacation?” Swift’s head tilted off center. “What?” Rainbow double facehoofed. “No, no, no! Forget about that. I’m, I’m here about last night. We have to talk about last night, Swift.” “No, we don’t,” he countered. “There’s nothing else to say!” “Yes, there is!” She struck the floor. “Darnit, Swift! You lay something that big on me and then you tell me I don’t need to answer you? Yes, I do! I mean, don’t I get a say in this?” In response, he could only say her name. She got up and provided him a lift back to all fours. “Swift, there was no way I could leave you hanging like this. It’s not right! That’s why I came back so that I could, I could, um—” “—you could what,” he said with a tremble in his voice. “I, I, you and me, we… I, don’t know.” “Eh?” “I don’t know! Darnit. I’ve been saying way too many times already.” Rainbow sighed before walking around him, “I know I feel, something, something that wasn’t there before but I kept thinking I was sure of what we were. Friends. Great friends. We agreed on that months ago but for whatever reason, I was never sure. I thought it wouldn’t matter because there was nothing that was going to change about us.” She stopped a few feet away from him. “And then you tell me you really like me? That changes everything but to what, I’m not sure. When I look at you, I’m… geez. It’s like I should know and yet, I don’t.” Swift took a seat and put his head down. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. All I did was made things worse. Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut.” “No, no. Don’t say that. It’s just that… give me a minute.” Rainbow then moved to where she could gaze at the vast blue expanse where a few distant sailboats traveled on the setting sun’s reflection. Moments later, the world surrounding Brayside Beach switched to nighttime. On cue, a bright light shone from behind her, ensuring safe passage to those that were comfortable using the stars as their main navigational guide. “Who turns that on,” Rainbow mused, turning back her head. “It’s automatic,” Swift answered. “Widget figured out a way to make that happen but Blitz and I had to do the actual install. She doesn’t like coming up here. Too high for her.” “Huh. Didn’t know that. What if it breaks down, though?” “Widge taught me a few things. If it isn’t anything too complicated, I might be able to fix it myself.” Rainbow chuckled once. “So, you can do that too, huh?” Swift raised an amused eyebrow. “And what’s supposed to mean? I’m more than just a pony with great agility, you know. I’ve picked up a lot of things here and there.” “That’s definitely pegasus pride I’m hearing,” she chided, taking a seat closer to him. “You just love bringing that up, don’t you? You can never let me off the hook. Even the slightest opening and you gotta bring it up. It’s not pegasus pride, Rainbow. I’m only giving myself a bit of credit.” “Heh.” She leaned toward his face, “That’s not what I hear, Swift. I, um, what I hear is, what I—” “Eh?” A faraway explosion broke their stare-off. Thanks to the darkness, neither could tell that it was Widget’s experiment – parked behind her workshop – having a loud enough misfire to startle the whole town. “This.” Rainbow chomped on her lip. “I don’t want to lose this.” “Lose what?” “What we have. The way our friendship works right now, I can do a lot of great things with you, racing, jokes, games, whatever. If we change what we are, then we won’t do those things anymore. We’ll do different stuff, you know, the mushy stuff. I’m not sure I want that.” Swift clutched his mane and stared off into the dark horizon. “Oh. Well, I have to be honest about something, Rainbow. I really don’t want that either.” “Huh? I don’t get it. I thought you said you really—” “—I know, Rainbow. I can explain this.” He faced her again. “I guess I had some time to think about, stuff, b–before we did our dance last night. You know that my mom and dad, well, they do a lot of mushy things that is just, eck! For a while, I thought that because I was seeing you more than just a friend, I’ll end up doing what they do. You know what I figured out?” “What?” “I don’t want to be some super mushy stallion. That’s not who I am, Rainbow, and there’s no way I would ditch the things we do now. I guess the only thing that might change is that we would start doing a little more.” Rainbow caressed her foreleg, “More? What do you mean by more?” That turned on his heaters, “Well, I–I’m not sure. I guess we would, um, figure out what would work for us. B–but I wasn’t thinking that far ahead! I just, I had to understand myself a little more because I have to admit even now, I’m not sure about everything. What I know for certain is that I can’t help but feel how I feel about you.” “Are you sure about that?” Swift’s body turned cold. “Rainbow? How can you say that?” “Just listen to yourself!” She grabbed him for a shake. “You’re Swift Flying, the pony that, a few months ago, couldn’t even stand the idea of romance! What happened to you? How do you know what you’re feeling isn’t because of what you did for me back in Ponyville? How do you know it’s not just a silly crush because you spent all that time with me, alone?” Swift gently pushed away her hooves. “You know, I thought about that too. It kinda made sense that it was one of those things until I realized it didn’t. There’s a good answer for that and it was right in front of me.” “And what’s that? I need to know!” In a meek voice, “Well, it was you.” “M–me?” “Yeah. What I thought of you only grew stronger over time. Because of you, I changed. Rainbow, you made me better than I thought I could ever be.” His eyes had developed a shimmering glow brighter than the northern star and she sat there as a pleasant observer. “I, I did?” “The first time we met, you kept pushing my buttons and you know what? You drove me bonkers, Rainbow. Shoot. I almost walked out on you because I couldn’t stand what you were. The truth is that I needed a pony like you to push those buttons. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be where I am right now, more confident, more willing to take chances and just have more fun in my life. I can even put up with my name. Who else but you could pull that off?” She countered his widening smile with one of her own. “Yeah, well, I just wanted to pay you back for helping me. I mean, you always found a way to surprise me or crack me up, even when you weren’t trying to. You kept helping me with a lot of things after I was cured, too. Like my bad habits. Always working to fix them.” “Well, they’re not all bad habits. I mean, for example, a lot of times, you just go out and, do what you want to do. You don’t worry about the danger or the consequences. There’s something really wicked about that, especially when you’re doing it for the ponies you care about.” “It helps taking chances when I have someone like you watching my back.” “You, um—” His voice wavered “—you’re worth, watching. You look after yourself and your hair, the colors and how… it smells nice.” She’d be lying to herself that his face right now wasn’t puppy dog adorable. Had it been for a little more courage, she’d actually say it aloud. Swift paused for a prolonged blink. “But there’s more to you than that. You’re just so… no. Rainbow? You know how you always say you’re awesome?” “Yeah?” “Well, to me, you’re not. You can’t be.” Rainbow’s ears emitted smoke. An insult was the last thing she expected but the deepening glow in his face suggested that it wasn’t meant to be one at all. He was going in a different direction, one she couldn’t predict. “Rainbow? Awesome’s got nothing on you.” Praise, it was a compliment except this was far more than what she would receive from a competitor, a mentor, even a friend. The phrase that slipped out of his tongue was the light shining through the fog as she fought through a choppy emotional sea. Her instincts cried out to follow this light and when she did, Rainbow found the land along with the mark denoting treasure. Once she dug up and opened the chest, she found a surprise. It was a part of her that she had locked away, a side that she refused to acknowledge until now. Curiosity would destroy who she was, she had believed. No longer. When she opened her heart to what she found, she achieved a clarity that had dogged her all this time. The stallion sitting right in front of her was the answer. While her head drifted downwards, it was not due to embarrassment but because of an indescribable joy of realizing there was one pony in the world that thought that she deserved to be ranked above the word awesome. Others could’ve matched his words but it would be a mere feeding of her ego, a platitude that she would forget over time. Only Swift Flying could say it and make her believe it was a undisputable fact and more importantly, touch her in a way nopony else ever could. It was the nicest thing anypony had ever said about her. Within her, there was an overflow of unfiltered emotion and she had to let it out. She must. No more pushing it back inside, no more restraining her impulses with thought. She could’ve used words as the release but they were poor translators of her true self and besides, that wasn’t her style. Rainbow Dash was a pony of action. In Swift’s eyes, though, he had broken her mind. She just sat there, oblivious to anything and everything around her. What he just said must have been a colossal blunder, somehow even worse than his initial confession last night. Surely, the damage caused is critical, if not irreparable. “Oh, shoot,” Swift exclaimed, slapping his forehead with an audible thwack. “That’s the cheesiest thing I’ve ever said in my entire life! What’s wrong with me? Rainbow? I know I can’t take that back but I want you to know that—” He never finished his statement. A soft, warm press from her lips ensured he would never remember what it was, not in the present or ever again. Swift knew what this was and yet, shattered every presumption, every worry, every doubt that this was anything other than the right thing to do. She gave him her very essence, her deepest dreams and desires, overflowing with such searing passion that his eyelids slowly succumbed to it. When her hooves stroked the sides of his face, ecstasy surged from his heart and traveled all the way to where they connected the deepest. Their wings swung open hard enough to shed feathers and their bodies burned the fuel of life, sparking a fuse leading to the night sky. Suddenly, sparks, spirals and swirls flashed their full spectrum of colors, starting with a few followed by hundreds, thousands, millions and then so numerous, the stars had neither the real estate nor the sheer brightness to compete for attention from every Brayside Beach denizen. They stepped outside and reveled at not only the wondrous splendor unfolding in front of their very eyes but also how the window-shaking outbursts were more than random noises. A close enough listen and there was a song playing, much like the ones played at the festival. Altogether, the complete package was worth dancing in the streets or taking pictures of a fireworks show that made yesterday a distant memory and yet, the town wondered what special occasion would merit such a dazzling display. At the Ponyville train station, a few ponies that had just arrived gazed at the distant fireworks and pondered that very question. Before any of them could audibly ask, Pinkie hugged both Rarity and Fluttershy.“ Woo, hoo! It’s like I told, Widge. Once that cannon goes off, we’ll remember it for the right reasons.” “Huh?” the two ponies mumbled, perplexed at Pinkie’s nonsense. “Am I seeing right,” Twilight stammered, stumbling back when the patterns started to include red heart shapes. “We’re so far away and… I bet you could see this from just about anywhere in Equestria! That must be one special cannon!” Back by Widget’s workshop, the unicorn pranced gleefully all around her backyard, her cannon spitting out its plentiful ammunition. Success! There would be no comical explosion, no nay-sayers, no calamity that would ruin her triumphant romp. Except a stray firework that landed on her roof and ignited one of the tiles. “Oh, bugger! Extinguisher! Where’s my extinguisher?” Widget ran back into her shop, desperate to stop her one alarm fire from becoming two. However, no amount of foam could put out the flames of passion atop the lighthouse. In the span of ten seconds, Rainbow discovered how wonderfully inebriated and short of breath she could be by letting her lips do the talking. Apple cider had met its match. “I, um.” Rainbow dared to look him in the eye but quickly stared aside. She’d melt if she stared too long. “I, guess that’s my answer.” If his head wasn’t attached to his body, it would’ve floated up past the fireworks and toward the moon. Coherent thought was impossible so it was left up to the most basic of his instincts to answer on his behalf. A whinny, a terse but content whinny. Rainbow had the perfect reason to giggle except there was a subsequent reason to panic. Out of the corner of her eye, a stray firework whizzed in their direction. Realizing Swift was in no condition to act, Rainbow tackled him what she thought was out of harm’s way. Instead, they crashed headfirst right into the lighthouse wall. “Owwwww!” Rainbow pressed the sides of her head. In retrospect, the singe from a small rocket was better than losing most of her marbles. “Darnit. That really smarts.” On the positive side, it seemed to have knocked some sense into the stallion. “Oh, shoot. What in Equestria was that?” He leaned against the lighthouse wall, rubbing his temple. “I didn’t even… f–fireworks? There’s fireworks? Whoa! They’re everywhere! W–when did… how did I miss that?” Rainbow smiled at his innocence. “I think we were a little, distracted. That’s why.” “Di–distracted?” There went any hopes of cooling off his face anytime soon. “Hold on. This is going to sound really silly but um, did what just happened, happened?” Rainbow pinched him in the foreleg. “Heh, heh, heh. You’re not dreaming, if that’s what you’re asking.” “Sorta but, ahem. Sorry. It’s that I wasn’t expecting that kind of answer, you know. Um, another silly question but does that mean that, you know.” “If you mean giving you and me a shot, pretty much. Heh. Never thought I’d ever say that but, hey, you changed my mind about that.” “I–I did?” Swift rubbed his forelocks, “How did I do that? Was it what I said?” “Well,” she played with her long hair strands, “I suppose that helped, a lot. You reminded me of the type of pony you are, Swift. I mean, there’s so many awesome things about you but, well, I’m almost embarrassed to say this. Um, there are times when you’re, sweet. In a good way. And I really like it. Not just that but you, all of you.” His heart took that as her confession to him. “Oh. Heh. Shoot.” Rainbow gave her head a small shake. “But, um, yeah. This is going to sound weird coming out of me but I don’t want to go too fast with this, you understand? We don’t need to tell anypony our deal just yet, you know. Oh, and I liked where you were going earlier. Let’s not do anything overly sappy.” Swift coughed, generating some organized thoughts. “Oh, gotcha. I hear ya. No love poetry, cuddly wuddly pictures or, ugh, pet names!” “Don’t forget PDA,” she added. “PDA?” “Public display of affection. You know, what your parents love to do all the time for everypony to see, the snuggling, the muzzling or the,” She looked away from him, “kissing.” “Oh.” He tapped his forelegs together, “So that was just a one-time thing, huh?” “What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no! No,” she corrected, her hooves flopping about. “It’s not that I didn’t like it. If anything, it was, it was really really—” The memories of their intimate moment proved ticklish enough for some giggles. Swift shared in her debilitating mirth. “Distracting?” “Huh? Oh. Y–yeah. Let’s stick to that. We don’t want to be distracted too often. It’s kinda, well, you know, distracting. Not that it’s a bad thing but we don’t want to overdo it and make it less, distracting.” Just reflecting on their ten seconds of passion made his head swim. “Y–yeah. Gotcha. Like, right now, I don’t think I can do much of anything.” “Yeah, I’m kinda stuck up here too. Hey, um, since we’re both up here, how about we just watch the fireworks? I didn’t get to enjoy the ones yesterday.” “Okay. I can—” Rainbow reached out and held onto his hoof, ensuring they’d have a healthy share of blush. “Since nopony’s looking, I guess this is okay.” Swift had nothing else to add except maybe his wing as a makeshift blanket. A little too much, he thought, and it was rather warm anyways. Therefore, he settled for what he had – a gentle squeeze from Rainbow and a light show that seemed to go on for hours. If this moment continued until the sun made its august appearance, he’d have no complaints. For all the ups and downs over the past few days, serenity was just what he needed. “Um, Swift?” Rainbow pointed toward the hills veiled in darkness. “I might be imagining things but is that a fire over there? It’s right where the fireworks are coming from.” The stallion released his hold. “Ah, shoot. Widge lives out there.” “She does? Maybe we should check it out. She might be in trouble.” “Eh, her workshop’s quite fire-resistant. It’s dragon-proof, she once told me.” Then, off in the distance, he picked up the sounds of a fire wagon. “But let’s not take any chances. Better see if she needs help.” He floated in the air but right before he took off, the stallion turned to Rainbow. “My bad. C’mon.” There he was, extending a foreleg as a gentlecolt should, an act worthy to chew him out for being overly sappy. Yet she took it and basked in the wonderful sensation that only he could bring, a relaxing and yet palpating feeling that she was somepony special, awesome incarnate. Then, she tugged him downwards and tucked him in so she could rub all she could against his head. “Hey! W–what are... ha ha! Rainbow!” “Don’t you go all soft on me! You were supposed to ask me to race over there! I don’t care what we are but you’re going to keep challenging me! You got that?” In between aching laughter, he nodded. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to.” She hit pause on the noogie. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. I’ll keep you in line.” Moments later, she resumed at a pace that was more of a soothing brush against his soft blue strands. “But I’m not going to lie to you. I, um, kinda missed doing this.” Finally, she patted him on the top before freeing him. “So, um, you don’t mind if I keep doing that to you?” “Under one condition. You’ll have to catch me first.” Any other day, that answer deserved another noogie attack. Yet she found herself in his trap and all he had to do was smile. There was a dash of confidence in the way he looked under the last few fireworks in the skies but there was also that sense that through all this, he was still the same old Swift Flying, a loyal friend with messy hair, sparkling blue orbs and an undersized slimmer body that the typical stallion. And he was cute, quite so. Even his youthful voice was nice to hear. “Threetwoone, go!” There he went, taking full advantage of her dreamy mood. “Swift!” She chuckled. “Darn you! I’m so gonna get you for that!” Rainbow and Swift sped off into the night, an extra pep in the wing flaps and their spirits at an all-time high. They finally had the answer to the big question looming in their minds for months. What’s wrong with me? The answer, nothing at all. They were just dealing with another part of the puzzle known as life. Where these maturing emotions would take them, they couldn’t even begin to imagine but on this balmy Sunday night, Rainbow and Swift finally mustered the courage to rise up and travel down this newfound path. Together.