Pony and You: Cloud 9 With Rainbow Dash

by boardgamebrony

Cloud 9 (Complete Story)

“Hey,” Twilight Sparkle says. “I need you to do something for me.”

There’s an edge to Twilight’s voice that’s hard to ignore. She stands off to the side of her library, stares out the window and then turns back to the only person she can trust. “I know you’ve only been in Ponyville for about a month, but I need your help. Rainbow Dash hurt herself yesterday. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine, but she messed up her wing pretty bad. My friends and I can’t stay here to help her. We were called to assist with a problem in Canterlot. You’re the only one I trust.” Twilight pulled out a small key in the shape of a lightning bolt. “I need you to go to Rainbow Dash’s place and stay with her for a while. I need you to do this because I know when my friends and I are gone, she’s going to try to do something foolish like flying on that busted wing of hers. Under no circumstances is she to fly for two weeks! Understand?” She sees the nod. “Good. Do whatever necessary to make sure she doesn’t try to fly, or else she might cause some serious damage to herself. I know you can do it! You’ve been so awesome since you arrived in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash is gonna love having a bunk buddy for the next 14 days!”

“NO WAY! That ain’t happening!” Rainbow Dash rested on her bed and stared with an angry, furrowed brow. “I didn’t ask for this! You’re gonna have to find somewhere else to stay cause I ain’t budging.”

Even after hesitating and hoping for a change in her attitude, it’s hard to ignore the stern warning on Rainbow Dash’s face. She really isn’t budging. She scowls even harder.

“Come on! I told you to go!” She points a hoof out the front door. A quick look down and it’s easy to see the ground is a tad too far for someone without wings. “Oh shoot...Twilight teleported you up here, didn’t she?” After seeing the nod, Rainbow groans. “Sweet flippin’ Luna...when Twilight gets back, she and I are gonna have a long talk.” Dash peers over at a second bed, made up out of a pull-out futon across the room. “Where did that come from? Twilight bring that here? Huh...I didn’t even notice. But GOOD, because you aren’t sleeping in my bed!”

After some grumbling to herself, Rainbow Dash groans in frustration. “Well since I can’t very well kick you out, I guess you’ll have to stay. But here’s the ground rules, bucko. You stay over on your side of the room unless I need you for something. I can still buck pretty hard. I wake up and see you creeping over here, I’ll kick you out the front door myself. If I need you, I’ll tell you. But I should be fine, so hope you brought a book or something to read from Twilight’s endless collection, cause you’re gonna find I’m prettyyyyyy independent over here, even when I’m injured. Nopony can keep Rainbow Dash down!”

It’s hard to sleep tonight. Over on the bed, Rainbow Dash is snoring up a storm. She had pulled out one of her Daring Do novels and read for almost thirty minutes before passing out. Every now and then she mumbles in her sleep. She has a habit of twitching her leg with small kicks, like she’s trying to knock someone down. It’s hard not to smile when she makes little moaning noises. She almost seems like she’s enjoying...whatever it is she’s dreaming about.

Soon after, there’s a moan from her direction. Sitting up, it’s easy to see she’s starting to toss and turn. She’s leaning against the headrest of her bed, so her wings are out of harm’s way. She winces and whimpers a bit. Stepping forward slowly and with quiet steps, one is close enough to see she’s starting to cry. She holds her arms across her chest and makes a pitiful moan before sniffling.

Down on the ground by her bed is something eye-catching. It’s a small plush turtle. No wait...a tortoise, which looks very worn and overused. Stepping quietly, Rainbow Dash doesn’t notice when the tortoise plush is gently placed in her arms. She holds it and nuzzles it in a way that’s heartwarming as her frown of fear turns into a comforting smile. She leans back, eyes still closed and starts to snore again.

It’s charming to see her smile for once. Not hard to guess that this is a rare sight. After a few more moments of admiring the serenity of the scene, it’s time to go back to bed and sleep.

Morning comes soon enough. After a yawn, a stretch, and a glance at Rainbow Dash, it’s apparent she is still asleep even after all this time. Well, if anything, the next two weeks should be a piece of cake if Rainbow sleeps half of it away.

An idea comes to mind. Nearby, there is a kitchen. A quick peek inside the fridge and pantry reveal more than enough food to last an entire month for two. Small notes are hidden throughout, each with the symbol of Princess Twilight. Each note details something else Rainbow Dash likes, whether it be a recipe, a flavor, or a certain food at a certain time of the day. And today, it appears that pancakes are in order.

The sizzling of the skillet and the smell of fresh food still does not wake up Dash as she snores away on the bed. The small tortoise toy hovers precariously on the edge and falls when Dash shifts her body. It hits the ground and rolls next to the nightstand.

Several minutes later, Dash opens her eyes, only to stare down at a complete tray of food placed on a table next to her bed. “Huh…?” she asked, before widening her eyes at you and gasping. Her wings flare up and she winces before they retract. “Owww.” She sighs. “Right. I forgot. Not used to having a roommate.” She stares down at the plate. “Did...did you make this for me?” She smiles at the nod and looks down at the food. She shakes away her smile. “Well, I mean...we gotta taste it first, right? See if it’s done properly.” There is clearly a fork and knife on the side of the pancake plate. It is also very clear that Rainbow Dash doesn’t need either of them. She bends down and nips at the food with her mouth and mouth alone. Her hooves hold the plate down, but she doesn’t use them to grab anything. It’s quite a sight and a little blush-inducing.

“Whmm?” Dash says through a full mouth caked with syrup. She swallows her food. “I don’t come into your house and tell you how to eat.” It doesn’t take her long to practically engulf her food before she cleans her mouth and burps. “Wow. That was really good. I don’t know how you did it though. The ingredients of this dish are so precise that you’d have to be ultra-obsessive-compulsive just to get it done properly.”

A quick glance at the cooking area and Twilight Sparkle’s note is still visible off to the side and out of view of Rainbow Dash. It’s time to tend to the cleaning. The note is quickly pocketed.

“Hey,” Dash says. “Leave the dishes for me. You cooked. I’ll clean. Don’t let anypony tell you I’m not fair.” Rainbow gets up off her bed, walks over to the kitchen area and starts picking up. “Of course, if you want to help, I won't’t stop you.” With two working at it, the cleaning is finished in record time. Dash smirks. “So you’re pretty useful after all. Looks like this experience won’t be a total bummer.” Her voice comes out a bit harsh. She must have seen the narrowed eyes in response. “Oh come on. Don’t tell you wouldn’t rather be doing something else. You’re basically just acting like my nurse.” She starts trotting across the room. “Probably should get one of those little nurse hats while you’re at it. I bet Nurse Redheart has some extra.” She turns to see a smile. “Hey I see that look. I don’t know what it’s about, but you’re pretty weird.” She grins. “That’s cool I guess.”

So much noncommittal phrasing in her words...it’s a wonder if Rainbow Dash ever gives a full compliment to anyone.

Rainbow reaches into a cabinet and pulls out a small green box. “I got an idea. I don’t know much about you and you don’t know much about me. So here’s a perfect way to solve that.” She places the box on a bar table and sits on the chair across from her only partner in the room. “This game is called Match It Up. You got this deck of cards here and pull out six cards every turn. We use these pencils and papers to write which two of the six cards we think our partner would like the most. They say different things on them like sports and books and fashion and whatever. We’re both trying to guess for each other, and we don’t reveal what we chose for ourselves or our partner till after one minute. You guess what I like, you get a point. I guess what you like, I get a point. The goal is to know each other better by the end. Get it?” She shuffles the cards like a Los Pegasus blackjack dealer, flipping them expertly between her hooves until she flips one into the air and catches it in her mouth. It says “Butterflies.” She wipes it off on her shoulder and puts it back in the deck.

Rainbow Dash spreads out the cards for the first turn. “Okay here’s what we got:”

- Rabbits
- Hugs
- Hoofball
- Laughter
- Mythology
- Kites

“Start writing!” She covers her paper with her one good wing as she scribbles quickly with the pencil in her mouth. For a few seconds, her oral dexterity serves as a rather adorable sight, until she motions to the hourglass sand timer on the side of the table. Some quick deduction: Rainbow never said she likes rabbits, so that’s uncertain. She hasn’t said she likes physical contact, so hugs might be out. Hoofball? Maybe. Laughter? Her friend Pinkie Pie is the epitome of laughter. Does she like Pinkie Pie? Mythology is a stretch and kites are related to flying, but...not exactly. A few scribbles later and the sand runs out.

“Time!” Dash said. “What did you put that I like? Which top two?” She eyes the words on the paper. “Hoofball and Kites? Heh, close, but nope. I like Laughter cause of my friend Pinkie Pie. She’s awesome, but kinda crazy. Also like mythology, cause Daring Do fights all these awesome mythological monsters of course!” She points to her Daring Do books on her nightstand. “And you?” She eyes the bottom of the written page. “Hugs and Laughter? Huh, and here I thought you liked the cutesy stuff, like rabbits. I got laughter though. One point for me!”

Dash puts the six first cards away and pulls out six more:

- Dragons
- Games
- Saddles
- Cake
- Sleepovers
- Late Night Talks

Dash flips the sand timer over. “GO!” She starts furiously writing down her answers. Meanwhile, it’s a bit slow-going on this one. Dragons? Well, she likes mythology and Daring Do has probably fought dragons. Games is an obvious yes, but is it the most important of the six? Saddles? Um...huh. Cake? Who doesn’t like cake? Sleepovers is a no, since Dash was so hostile against the idea. Late Night Talks...at the thought of the last one, there is a realization. It could be wrong, but whether or not it’s wrong is not as important as the fact Dash will have to talk about it once it’s written, and then it may open some doors to bonding later in the night. A rush of scribbling and less than a minute later, Dash shouts “TIME!”

“Show me yours first this time,” she says. The paper is flipped over and she eyes the answers. “Hah, after ‘Hugs’ and ‘Laughter,’ I figured you’d like the other fluffy stuff. So I got ‘Sleepovers,’ but Late Night Talks? I mean...huh...I guess you seem to fit that, but you are kinda...on the quiet side. I thought ‘cake’ was the other answer, cause you’re a great cook. So only one point for me. What did you think about me?” She looks at the other side of the page. “‘Games’ and ‘Saddles?’ Umm...well games is too easy. That’s an easy point for you. But saddles...” she looks at her page. From this distance across the table, it’s easy to see she did some major erasing during the timed phase and part of the word “saddles” is still visible, while the rest of it is covered by the word “dragons.” After seeing the pencil of her partner point at the erasure mark, she gulps. “Uh...well...I mean I didn’t think it was my top TWO you know? Sorry, that’s...one point for you, two for me.” She blushes a little. “Hey let’s do another round! Okay fine, fine. I see that look on your face. This round, I won’t erase. First thing that comes to mind is what I’m going to put. Cause I’m still gonna beat you anyways. ”

She sets up six more cards:

- Fashion
- Competition
- Dresses
- Kittens
- Kisses
- Chocolate

Dash stares for a moment. Her face is clearly surprised. She seems lost in thought. She looks up. “What?” she says suddenly. She then laughs. “I got it, I got it. Tell you what: you ain’t gonna get a single point this round, cause you don’t know me well enough to pick any of these! And I bet I’ll get BOTH of yours right! Hah! You’re gonna totally bite the dust now...GO!”

She moves quickly. The field of cards looks really odd this time around. Why would she say it’s impossible? One of them is so obvious! Competition...right? But then again, is there something up there she loves more than that? Chocolate, maybe? But no, she acted as though whatever it was is totally something unimaginable for her. So maybe…

After a burst of writing, the timer ran out. “HAH! I got you this time,” Dash said. “I’ll guess yours first, cause it’s obvious based on your other super cheesy answers which you picked for yourself.” She had put down ‘kisses’ and ‘chocolate.’ “I’m right, right?” She peered at the page. “No way...’Competition’ and ‘kittens?’ Fraggin’ horseapples...” She sighs. “All right, based on how well this has been going, I believe that. Fine. But I’m still gonna win. You aren’t gonna guess mine.” She looks at the rest of the answers on the page below. “Wait, you put...no way. ‘Dresses’ and “Fashion?’ How...I mean...t-t-that’s not right, cause I meant the paper this way!” She flips around the page which obviously shows ‘dresses’ and ‘fashion’ as her likes. “No wait, it can’t be ‘kisses’ and ‘chocolate’ as my likes cause...arghhhh...” she starts to blush. “I mean, I like those too but...UM...dresses and fashion are more...interesting...YOU KNOW WHAT?” she takes the page, crumples it up and throws it out the window. “You wanna go outside? I wanna go outside. Let’s go outside.” She starts trotting nervously over to the door and looks down. “Oh.” She turns around. “Right. The whole ‘can’t fly’ thing. Um...Imma take a bath! You stay here and don’t be a dork. I know that’s impossible cause you are a super dork, but whatever, I ain’t judging STOP LOOKING AT ME WITH THAT SMILE.” She bristles but her eyes are nervous beyond measure. “I MEAN...” She runs into the bathroom and locks the door. Seconds later, there’s a muffled scream. It sounds like she held a towel up to her mouth and yelled into it with all her might. After knocking on the door, she responds back. “I’m fine, I’m fine! Go away! Go do something...you dork!”

After about an hour of locking herself in the restroom, Rainbow Dash came out as though nothing had happened. The day went by with a variety of activities, though Dash was content to be a little more quiet most of the time. At around bed time, Dash finally looked mostly at peace. The anxiety she displayed during the game and the final round seemed to have washed away. She picked up her book, Daring Do and the Monstrous Masquerade, and turned to one of the pages she left on. She looked over at her sleepover partner. “Um...well, I guess...tell you what...” she sat up and leaned against the pillow. “I think it’s awkward just to have you sit there in the dark when we can’t do anything right before bed, so why don’t I read this to you? I’ll show you why Daring Do is the most awesome character around.” She flipped through a few pages. “Let’s see...what chapter will give you the best view of what Daring Do is like…? Oh I got it! Something to show how amazing and cool she is, even when she’s tempted in some of the worst ways. I’m going to read to you what happens when Daring gets caught up in the Monstrous Masquerade!”

Chapter 2: Altar Egos

And there she stood, Daring Do, staring at the altar of the Crimson Masque. It promised power beyond measure. A holder of the Masque could use its power for whatever purpose they desired and no one would be the wiser. They would never know that the user was Daring Do. They would never question that the kind and studious professor of archaeological studies was indeed the holder of one of the most powerful artifacts in the ancient world. Daring Do could do anything she wanted and no one would be able to tell her otherwise.

How many times had she wanted to get away and start a new life? Daring thought about all the possibilities. She could evade every enemy she ever had. It would be nearly impossible for anyone to stop her. The thought made her smile. Daring Do…the master of disguises and the mare of many faces…the thought excited her. She felt a yearning she didn’t know she had surge up from within her as she grinned in grim anticipation of the power of the Masque.

She thought about the consequences and what it would mean for her life. But what did she have? How many times did Daring Do save the world from imminent destruction, only to have others completely fail to recognize her efforts and even criticize what she did? How often did she have to defend herself from the other treasure hunters, whose sole purpose was their own personal gain? Daring knew if she was in their position, she’d never treat her fellow explorers in the same way. She would be better. She would be fair and kind and caring. Because with that amount of power, she wouldn’t have to resort to harsher methods. Would she?

Daring made her decision. She reached for the Crimson Masque…

Dash stopped reading. Her gaze was distant. The crickets chirped outside in the distance as the pegasus put the book on her lap. “Hey, what do you think about Daring’s choice here? I mean…why is it so wrong to want to change yourself to be different?” Before she could wait for a response, Dash continued, lost in thought. “The author A.K. Yearling has been bugging me lately. I think she’s getting too scared of change herself. I remember reading about her views in the Cloudsdale Daily Messenger. I don’t…I don’t want to be like that.” She closed the book on her rainbow bookmark. “Why does change have to be bad? I don’t want to be the same Rainbow Dash forever. I mean, I know I’m gonna be awesome no matter what I do, but I’d at least like others to respect my choices. Ya know?” Seeing the inquisitive look at her words, she continued. “I worry sometimes that my friends are going to see me differently one day, that if I don’t keep up this constant show of who I am, that they’ll start to worry. I have to be their Rainbow Dash. I have to act like that ideal Dash they’ve already grown used to. Because if I don’t…I mean…I know they’re not the kind of friends who’d leave me for any little thing. But I don’t want the way they think about me to change.” She hugged the book and looked down. She didn’t expect to feel the soft grasp around her hoof which meant that she had finally been understand. She looked at her sleepover partner gently hold her hoof. Her face was sad. It looked as though for a second that a smile would find its way out. At the last moment, she pulled away and turned in her bed. “I’m really tired. I need to sleep. I’ll…talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

Disappointed, the futon looked surprisingly inviting. It may have been a bit firm, but after a long day, it was comfortable nonetheless.

A strange shuffling moved through Rainbow Dash’s house sometime after midnight. A quick look through sleepy eyes revealed that Dash’s bed was empty. After sitting up in a panic and moving quickly to the front door, there was no sign of Rainbow Dash anywhere on the ground or nearby. She couldn’t be flying right now, could she?

A sound came from the restroom. Ah, of course. So simple. Walking back to the futon, sleep beckons only a minute away when a slight giggle comes from the bathroom. A closer and stealthy inspection reveals another giggle from Rainbow Dash. She seems happy, as the laugh is distinctly more genuine than anything she has given during the day. There is a slight crack under the door. Large enough for someone to peek through. But…that would be an invasion of her privacy. She doesn’t sound hurt, nor in distress. She could be taking a late night bath, and how much of a breach of trust would it be to be a voyeur at such a time as that? But what exactly is she doing?

It’s hard to stand there, in the silence of the dark midnight hour moving back and forth between two decisions. A simple peek would solve the inquiry, and if Rainbow didn’t know, then what would it hurt? But after thinking that, it didn’t seem right or fair. If she did know, she wouldn’t be okay with it. And even if she never found out, it would not be the honorable thing to do. Last night she displayed an incredible amount of trust for someone who was so averse to having anyone in their home. To break that trust would put a fissure between a growing friendship.

After a look down at the thought of such a loss of a wonderful friend, it only took a quick and quiet walk back to the futon to cement the decision. Rainbow Dash deserved better and she would receive it.

Rainbow Dash looked especially happy the next morning. She ate her waffles with a sly smirk and a cheeky stare that showed she was definitely thinking about something. Rather than mention anything about it, she chose to eat waffles (with a fork this time no less) in the quiet company of her sleepover buddy. She made a show of wiping her mouth while still giving the eye of someone who knew something.

Finally, she spoke up. “I’m really impressed.” She said. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I have to say you’re probably the first person I’ve trusted this quickly in a very long time. And after last night, I know why.”

There’s a moment of pause. The waffles left on the plate are not nearly as intriguing as what Rainbow Dash is saying right now. Two pairs of eyes stare back at one another, and yet Rainbow looks calm, almost gentle in her expression.

“You were up late last night,” she said.

The room felt smaller somehow. Breathing became a little more difficult, as it often is when the heart beats faster in response to an unknown threat.

“I was in the restroom and I heard someone approach the door outside. I saw a shadow. And I expected to see your eyes peeking from underneath the door.” Her face was stone, but not harsh. It was nearly unreadable. “You could have peeked in at me at any point…but you didn’t.” She looked down. “There are not many who’d resist that temptation. Even fewer friends who would too.” She looked out the window. Then she gave a half-grin. “Thank you.” Her words were filled with a softness that she had never spoken in before. For that one moment of appreciation, it was almost as though she were a completely different pony.

“However,” she said as she stared back. Her eyebrows were raised and her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “You were creeping around my bathroom door. I can’t overlook that.” She looked at her forehoof as though it were suddenly very interesting. “So I’ve come to a conclusion. I don’t walk around a lot, since I fly everywhere, so my hooves are really tired today. And you need to make it up to me for sneaking around in the dark. So, you’re going to carry me on your back today, wherever I want to go in this house. Then, if I’m not too tired…” she flexed her back hooves as she looked down at them, “You’re going to continue to make it up to me by giving me a massage. And you better be thankful your punishment is so light.” She said. There was a hint of a smile. “Well? Saddle up!” She motioned forward and wrapped herself around, her legs now dangling down. She rested her forehooves on the head she was now using as her personal watch tower. She wasn’t that heavy actually, which made sense since pegasi needed to be light for their wings to be able to carry them wherever they went. It was almost like carrying a small dog, except that this one was sassy, smelled like rain clouds and loved squirming at every possible opportunity.

Blushing became a very common response to Rainbow Dash’s constant re-adjusting of her balance up-top. Her back hooves would occasionally rub across the chest of the partner she had come to trust. She giggled whenever she did that, on-purpose obviously, no doubt able to feel the growing tension with every bit of her movement.

“You doing okay, there, my loyal steed?” she said and giggled. She playfully kicked a little. “Hiya! Over to the window! I wanna see out.”

As the two pairs of eyes gazed out at the beauty of the Everfree Forest nearby, there was a curious melding of sensations between what was seen outside the window, and what Rainbow Dash was doing as she watched. She interlocked her legs across the chest she was balancing on and rested her hooves and head on top of the sleepover partner she was opening up to. The warmth of the sun added to the heartfelt feelings one felt when staring up at Dash. She looked down and the smile she had hidden the night before was slowly filling her expression. She suddenly tapped the chest with her hooves. “Focus outside, my steed. It’s really pretty out there,” she said, knowing full well there was a sight just a beautiful in here. A turn towards the nature outside revealed a wonderful sunrise clearing the eastern mountain range. The slow rhythm of Rainbow’s breathing calmed down even further as her grip tightened. She rested her head and rubbed it against the scalp of her sleepover partner. “Your head is like a really firm pillow,” she said. It was hard not to blush.

“I wish we could go outside,” Dash added. “Then you could take me around the marketplace like this.” Her legs kicked excitedly. It hurt a little, but Dash’s excitement was worth it. “Now you see why I liked saddles? See? It wasn’t super…weird…” She looked around, but there was no one nearby to judge her. “Did…um…did you want to see my saddles?”

A simple nod and Dash jumped off her elevated perch, landed on her bed and ran to her closet. The lack of excess weight was liberating, but Dash’s response was so quick and unexpected, that the disorientation was difficult to overcome at first. She giggled that good-natured, genuinely happy laugh that was heard in her bathroom the night before. She excitedly threw out tons of clothes that she never seemed to wear. They landed on her bed, behind the bed, below the bed, and generally anywhere there was clear space. She pulled out a large black box with silver hinges and accents. “Oh my gosh this is so EXCITING!” She turned and her expression tapered off. “Well, I mean…they’re really cool.” Her smile returned as she unclipped the fasteners and opened the box. Her motions suddenly became slower and more precise. She reached in with reverence and pulled out gleaming black saddle with silver stirrups. “This…was my first-ever pride and joy. Look at it! It’s so PRETTY! I mean…it’s so AWESOME!” She stood in front of the mirror and slipped it on in one perfect moment before jumping onto a bed full of clothes and posing. “Check it out! I am the best!” She giggled. “Hey, I see that smile over there. Yeah, I know you wanna go out and buy like five of them, but you can’t have these. They’re mine!” She pranced around with uplifted dainty hoofsteps as she posed and strutted. It seemed natural for her to do so, and she looked more magnificent with each display of confidence.

Encouraged by the smiles she was seeing, she jumped off the bed and put the first box aside before reaching for another. She still wore the first saddle as she pulled out a brown wooden box with a simple green label on it. “This is what I wore to the Renaissance Faire recently. Check it out!” She lifted up a stunning mahogany-topped saddle with green trimming atop the faux leather bottom. She was about to put it on when she realized she was still wearing the previous saddle. “Hah, forgot I had it. Well let me just tell you about this one. I wore it as part of a timber wolf costume duet I was doing with Fluttershy. She was dressed as a druid and she needed a steed. So I volunteered, because if you’re going to get a steed you should have the best, and it was so amazing that…” she held it up with one hoof while reaching into the brown box with another. She yanked out a blue ribbon “TA-DA!!! Fluttershy and I won first place in the costume contest! A whole month’s worth of cider and apples!” She turned to explain. “The Ren Faire was sponsored by the Apple Family. Good stuff, though,” she put the blue ribbon back in the box and eyed the druid saddle. “Yeah, Fluttershy was really good at leading me around, and feeding me apples, and…um…” she looked back, suddenly very red in the face. “Well, it was all for show, you know…” she crossed her legs as she moved the saddle. A small swinging black cylinder fell away from an unseen compartment at the front. Dash’s eyes widened. “UH…UM…” She held it in her hoof and stared back at the questioning eyes examining her. “All steeds have bits! How else was Fluttershy supposed to lead me around! Steeds can’t tell what you want unless you yank on the bit and…” Her face was so red it would not have looked out of place resting next to an apple. She quickly put the saddle back in its box. “W-W-We’ll just put that back for now…”

She looked very nervous, but she must’ve have seen something encouraging in her audience’s smile and eyes. She nodded and reached in the closet. “I have one more that I want to show you, but it’s not like the others. It’s…it’s different.” She hesitated. “But it’s really special to me. You’ll understand when you see it…Do you want to see it?” Her voice was unexpectedly soft and nervous at the last question. She turned and placed a diamond encrusted box on the bed. “Now…before I show it to you, you need to promise not to make fun of it. Cause if you do, I’ll never show you any of these things again. Got it?” A nod returned her words and she smiled. She took her time placing a hoof on each latch, flipping it up slowly and moving to the next one. The process was controlled, almost ritualistic. She enjoyed opening this box almost as much as the contents inside it. Dash placed her hooves on the lid and waited. She had an expression of doubt on her face. She looked down to see she wasn’t the only one grasping the edges of the box, and felt the warm, gentle touch upon her hooves. She looked over and returned the smile she saw. “Well…of course you’re excited too,” she said. “My steed better be excited to see this.” She giggled. With some help, she lifted up the lid.

Inside was the most beautiful gilded saddle ever to grace the face of Equestria. Its top surface was polished to a mirror shine with a clarity so brilliant, Dash could see herself perfectly in it, if a little distorted. It was reminiscent of the reflective shields Equestrian Royal Guards would use to reflect back magic attacks when out in the field on missions. Dash returned the favor from just moment’s before and pushed the grip of her roommate onto the shining surface. Despite the cool look, it felt warm and inviting. Dash guided the movement with her own hoof, turning the touch into a smooth caress of its surface. She smiled so large one would think someone had just proposed to her.

“This saddle is called the Light of Equestria. It’s designed to be worn by Canterlot nobility, specifically those who are magically inclined, as it reflects back any magic used upon the wearer. It’s not only magical, but absolutely beautiful. The natural eye can only see so many colors without an assisted device like a magical eye. But the surface of this is so brilliant and so pure in its reflection that is shines back colors of the spectrum that the normal eye can’t usually see. In other words, in the presence of this saddle, you can see things you can’t normally see otherwise.” She seemed so excited to be describing it all. “Isn’t that awesome?” She held it up, looked at it and sighed. “I…I’ve never worn it.” She looked down. “There has never been a situation so perfect that it warrants me wearing this. And anything which has come close always involved my friends, whom I…didn’t want to show this to. It’s too personal. Too special to me.” She glanced up. “I guess it’s hard to understand why I’m so scared of what my friends think. I’ve lived such a simple life when it comes to friends. I can’t…I don’t want to imagine what it would be like to live without them.” She closed the lid on the saddle box and clamped it shut.

She stared at her bed. “Help me clean these off. Hand them back to me and I’ll put them in the closet.” Dash talked as she put them back inside. “Rarity gave me most of these. They’re nice, and I really do like them, but eh, no one expects me to be wearing dresses all the time.” There was a quick glance back from Rainbow before she continued sorting out the clothing. After the bed was clear she jumped onto it and stood in front of her startled roommate. She looked excited about something. “Enough cleaning! You have to do one more thing for me today.” She strutted in a faux representation of royalty as she spoke. “You have been an excellent steed today, but now I am in need of a more personal touch.” She rested on her back, winced at the feeling of her hurt wing, and then moved onto her side. She flexed her backhooves. “I believe I am owed one massage? My hooves need tending too. Well…” she gestured grandly. “Tend, my steed.”

A slight hesitation marked reaching towards her hooves. They could easily knock out anyone, but Rainbow seemed content on watching. The moment they were touched, Rainbow made the slightest of winces. A look up in her direction and she blushed. “I’m…really sensitive in my back hooves. And my forehooves. All my hooves really. Just…don’t go too fast or I’ll kick you.” She said. Her face was already turning red as the massage began.

Her hooves weren’t as hard as they appeared to be. It seemed the majority of a life spent cloud-walking had resulted in possibly the softest pony hooves around. And Rainbow almost always flew. As a result, it was easy to rub the smoother parts of her features as she grimaced and smiled. “I’m fine!” she said, trying not to giggle, and failing. She squirmed as her hooves received even more attention. Before the friendly grip could be released so she could be checked on, her other hoof and leg clamped down firmly on the grasp. “Nope,” she said shaking her head. “Keep going. I’m fine.” Her face was incredibly red and she was breathing a little heavier. “I’m going to face this and I’m going to win.” She smiled. She looked incredibly adorable with such a red face framed by her grin. She hugged her pillow across her chest and start giggling uncontrollably. She bit down on the pillow and her hooves flexed even tighter. She was so tense, it was hard to massage any part of her hooves without her pulling away.

At the touch of a more firm rub against the soft parts of her hoof, Rainbow spasmed. Her other hoof shot out. Far too fast.

It sailed on a collision course towards one very shocked roommate.

“Hey!” a voice called from the distance. “Wake up! Please wake up!”

It was hard to feel anything. Anything except the throbbing pain that felt like a steamroller had decided to hug a certain unconscious roommate. Rainbow’s words were answered with a groan.

“Oh my gosh! You’re okay! –Ish. Okay-ish!” There was a feeling of a very warm and soft hug as sight came back into focus. Rainbow Dash was smiling and standing over the one person she had shared her room with.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” she said. “I didn’t mean to hit you! I didn’t…realize I was so ticklish I couldn’t control it.”

She placed her forehooves on the chest heaving up and down and looked on at her fallen friend. “You’ve been out for two hours. In that time, I got a passing pegasus to bring Nurse Redheart up here while you were out. Thanks to a bit of magical scanning from one of her unicorn assistants, she says it doesn’t look like you sustained a concussion. But you’re gonna need to take it easy for a while. Oh, I feel so stupid…”

She stood up. “I made you some food. It’s cold now, but I can reheat it so you can have something to eat. And…” she grinned, “I did find the notes from Twilight. So, perhaps you’re not super amazing at making your own stuff, but I’m glad you can follow her directions perfectly. Even I can’t do that.”

She brought over some strange mystery paste that looked like mashed potatoes and gravy blew up inside an oven. It tasted…edible.

“Hey, don’t worry about keeping me occupied for a bit, okay?” She smiled. “You’ve been a really good host to me. In my own house too. And a really good friend.” Her expression was soft and caring.

“Well, you look like you’re about ready to go to sleep again. Don’t worry. I’ll find something to occupy my time,” she sighed, “and help me get my mind off what a horrible roommate I am for nearly taking your head off. I’m sorry,” she said as she walked to her bed and pulled out her Daring Do book. She suddenly looked up. “Hey, after you wake up, if you feel up to it, maybe I can read you some more of this book. I’m sure you want to know what Daring Do decided to do when she had the chance to be herself, or anything else.” She looked down at the pages and started reading. Minutes lately, sleep arrived quickly and the room went dark.

The night was quiet. There was no giggling, no laughing, no sound coming from anywhere in the house. The headache had gone down a bit, but it was still there, nagging, making it hard to think of anything other than the basic necessities. Getting up for the bathroom was the key one right now.

There was not enough awareness in the rattled mind to glance over at Rainbow Dash’s bed to see if she was there. The restroom and its night light were on. Perhaps tomorrow things would be easier and the time would be spent with Dash playing more games and getting to know her even better. Even a buck to the head was worth it for any amount of time spent with her.

The door was unlocked and swung open easily.

Someone was already inside.

She gasped and dropped the item in her hoof. It hit the ground with a clatter as she and her roommate both stared at each other, stunned.

It was definitely Rainbow Dash, but she didn’t look the same. Her hair had been straightened into long, flowing gorgeous strands accented with a spray of glitter, framing the side of her face shining in soft, smooth makeup and colorful highlights. It was hard to tell whether she was blushing from embarrassment or if the blush applied to her cheeks was already enough to make it appear that way. Her lips had a soft application of pink lipstick and mascara and eyeliner made her eyelashes and eyes far more prominent than ever before. Even her tail was straightened into a flowing look to match her mane, as both draped over the shimmering silver sequin dress she wore. Small jeweled accents hung from each of her wing feathers not bandaged up.

Dash started to breathe very quickly. “GET OUT!” She yelled. “GET! OUT!” Tears started to fall from her eyes. She rushed the door. In one quick movement, it was closed in front of her. She hit the opposite side with her hooves. “STAY OUT!” she yelled through a strained voice. She started to cry. And then breathe rapidly in-and-out. She had stopped speaking and stopped crying. The breathing was getting faster and more labored, more deep. It sounded very off. The handle was locked. Dash had locked it out of anger only seconds before.

With one step back, a wild kick impacted the area where the lock was. Another kick and it gave a little. A third and the door flew open on its hinges, ramming into the side wall where a few tiles fell off and broke on the ground. Rainbow Dash lied on the ground with her hooves over her chest. She was having difficulty breathing.

She was propped up and held gently, so as not to construct her body in any way. After a clasp over her hooves and a soft embrace, she was held closer. With head held close to hers, Dash listened as her roommate started to hush her like a small child, soft and caring, but with a firmness that calmed down her heart just enough. “Shhh,” was all she heard, but it was all she needed to hear to focus on something other than her own panic. The embrace warmed her body and her tension began to release. Her breathing became more calm and her crying started again, although quieter this time. It was a good sign. If she had enough air in her lungs to cry again, then she was starting to breathe better. Finally, the crying stopped and her breathing took over completely. She begun to breathe deeper, longer and slower. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, two minutes later Rainbow finally spoke.

“Thank you,” she said meekly. Her eyes were red and watery. Mascara ran down her cheeks with streaks of black cutting through the soft terrain of her skillfully applied makeup. “I’m sorry,” she said, absolutely terrified. A soft touch against her cheek rubbed away some of the mascara. She sniffled. “I probably look like some goth rocker now, don’t I?” She managed to smile through her pain at the nod. “Awesome,” she said weakly.

She wasn’t very heavy, so her steed picked her up and carried her to her bed, where she was placed gently upon the pillows. She smiled and looked to have some color returning to her face. Her hoof held on and wouldn’t allow her roommate to back up.

“Stay,” she said. “With me here, on the bed. I need you,” she said. Before she could say anything else, her loyal steed lay right next to her and embraced her. She rested her face on the shoulder of her most trusted partner and smiled. Ten minutes of calm followed. Ten minutes of a loving embrace from the sweetest and most beautiful mare in the world, who needed nothing more than to feel safe at that very moment. Ten minutes of an embrace that became stronger as time went on and a smile that lost the redness of tears and started to gain its color back, even if outlined in stark black mascara which made the look all the more endearing.

“Did…did you like it?” She asked finally. “My outfit? My makeup?” The excited and loving response caused her to giggle. “Of course you did, my steed!” Her smile was different now, more loving, more jovial, with a cuteness to it that was brought out by the playful grin she had.

After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again. “I lied to you about last night. I wasn’t taking a bath. I was putting on makeup and my outfit, like I did tonight. I…I wanted to feel pretty. When I’m around you, after all we talked about, I just…just wanted to look more beautiful. I’ve always felt that way.” She said as she cuddled close. “I envy Rarity. And Fluttershy. And Twilight. And all of my friends. Each of them are so naturally beautiful. But I have to work hard at it. And when I finally do it…there’s nopony who’s around to see it.”

“I got scared,” she continued. “When you saw me, I panicked. I thought…I thought you would laugh at me.” Her eyes started to tear up. A quick brush over her eyes and she smiled again. “You…you aren’t allowed to brush my tears away anymore. Next time you…have to kiss them away,” she said with a smile. Her eyes watered again. It’s a wonder if she can actually do it on command at this point. A quick peck to both eyes causes her to make a delightful squeak with each one. “Hehe! Again!” Two more and she giggles, bringing life back to her voice the more she speaks. “I…I know I’m not the ‘awesome’ Rainbow Dash you expected, but I hope you like this deeper me just as much…if not more.” She said. She was answered by a kiss on the lips so passionate that her wings sprung up behind her. “OW!” She said as she winced and backed off. “Ohhh…what lousy timing…”

The next morning, Dash rushed up to the bed of her very groggy and very exhausted partner. Her makeup had been reapplied, though she wasn’t wearing the dress anymore. Her mane and tail were still straightened and her expression was totally thrilled.

“Morning!” She jumped on the bed and pranced in place. “You feel better? I hope you feel better, because today, I’m going to treat you!”

She leapt onto her steed and clasped her legs around them. It felt warm and wonderful. She planted a kiss on the nose. Her expression was accented by the makeup she wore and her eyes looked even brighter outlined in colorful highlights.

“I feel like such a dork,” she said. A quick boop to her nose and she squeaked in the most adorable of ways. She giggled and wrestled down the offending booper. She nipped at the every reach towards her face to caress her and playfully nibbled on any limb she managed to reach.

In a strategic move, a quick flip under her back legs caused her to fall forward. A flurry of movement and she found herself on her back, her tummy exposed. A mouth came down on her belly button and blew into it wildly. “WhaAHHHHHHHHH! HAHAHAHAH!” Rainbow Dash laughed. She kicked outwards but her protestations were adorably useless. “MY TUMMY IS SUPER SENSITAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

A quick embrace around her back (though careful to avoid her hurt wing) and Rainbow curled into herself, grinning wildly and a nibbling on the arm she managed to reach. She stopped for a second. “In case you can’t tell, I’m a nibbler. I will nibble all of you by the end of today. Hehe!”

Two partners enjoyed breakfast with one another. “I made pancakes!” Rainbow Dash said, using every opportunity she could to whip her long straightened, hair around and pose with her new playful makeup. “TA-DA!!!” She said, showing her dessert creation. “It’s called the ‘Rainboom.’ Cause it exploded in the microwave when I made it.” She sat next to her newfound crush and wrapped her dangling back hooves over the legs of her infatuation. She watched at the hoofsie-play caused her roommate to blush incredibly hard. “Ahhh I think I know what you like!” She laughed. She gave a close peck on the cheek and started eating her food before she found sitting on the lap of her partner. “This is better,” she said. An arm around her waist made her blush brightly. “Wait till we’re done!” She said and smiled. “Here,” she held up the pancake piece in a fork. “Cater to me, my steed. Feed me like your beautiful mare.” She held her hooves up in front of her almost puppy-like as though she were incapable of using them. She smiled each time she had to nip at food held in front of her, and even when they were held back purposely to antagonize her, she grinned mischievously and snapped at them, before a tickle to her tummy cause her to laugh as food was placed in her mouth. She bit down and made a show of chewing it before holding out her tongue with wide-open mouth. closed eyes and the blush on her makeup creating a rather…interesting mental image. She giggled as she turned with eyes open. “I KNEW that expression I made would get you tense! HAHA!”

Later, Dash pulled out the Match It Up game again. “That’s right!” She said, smiling. “I love cuddles and tickles! But I also know you love…DRAGONS AND KITTENS! Two points for us both.” She said triumphantly. As she played, she smiled brighter and more often than ever before. The glitter in her hair sparkled with the rays of the noon-day sun casting through the window. Her eyes caught her steed’s far more than ever before and there were times she’d just stare, with that compassionate, loving gaze with eyes warm and kind. And then, with almost no warning, she’d crawl over the table and leap into her partner’s arms. A special warmth filled the heart every time she nipped lovingly, every time she hugged or nuzzled and giggled with a smile that lit up like sunshine.

At some point in the day, while lying in bed together with arms held around one another, she said “You know, it’s going to be sad when I don’t need someone to carry me around everywhere anymore…” She thought for a moment and then threw herself onto the ground in a bit of acting. “Oh no,” she said, obviously not in distress. “I have fallen and broken my spleen! Who will take care of me for four months while it mends itself?” She turned back. “Spleens can break! Maybe. I may not know what a spleen does, but I’m sure it’s important!”

She then opened her closet and took out one of her saddle boxes. She started to pull out the black plain saddle when the diamond-encrusted box caught her eye.

Stepping forward, her partner made a show of unlatching the clasp and then raising the box. The shimmering and brilliant Light of Equestria saddle sat inside. “But I…” Rainbow Dash started to say. A firm touch from her partner righted her upward to a standing position. She started to blush at being directed around. “Did…did you want to…” she started to ask, but couldn’t get the words out. “Put a saddle on me?” She asked, blushing so hard her checks turned pinker than the makeup already applied to them.

The Light of Equestria did not feel heavy in the slightest. Holding it up, it could be seen that the underside was a smooth silk and meant to caress only the most worthy of ponies. Turning to Rainbow Dash, she smiled brightly. “Please. You do it,” she said and lowered her head. “My steed knows what I need,” she said and smiled with such compassion that her eyes started to water. Two kisses to her eyelids immediately followed and she pranced in place again, full of excitement.

The saddle was strapped to her body as Rainbow Dash held her head up proudly. Her eyes were watering, but she kept her beautiful, proud and strong smile. The Light of Equestria sat atop her back. “Lead me to the mirror, please,” she said. A gentle touch rested on her back as she was guided to a full-length mirror in the restroom. She stood by and saw the brilliant saddle gleam on her back as her partner stood beside her. Rainbow Dash started to cry. “It’s beautiful…” she said. Then she said. “I’m…I’m beautiful.”

After embracing Dash, she turned and cuddled close, looking up into eyes which had cared for her so lovingly the past few days. “Thank you,” she said. “You’re so amazing. I have never been with anyone who is so…so…awesome like you!” The tears fell freely from her shining expression. “You…you helped me see how beautiful I really am…” her voice squeaked at the last few words. “I’ve been so afraid to show anypony what I really feel sometimes…what really matters to me. This whole time I’ve been holding on to this…this ideal…thinking my friends wouldn’t love me if I didn’t live up to their expectations. But you…you love me just as I am.”

The kiss was quick, firm and unexpected. But welcome. Standing there in the light of the sun casting through the windows, Rainbow Dash held on and did not let go. There was a new life to her eyes full of newfound beauty and resolve. A strength had risen within her, filling her with happiness she never knew she could obtain. She stood, arms around the person she cared about the most, and enjoyed the serene moment where she could finally, truly be herself.

“You…know what this means right…?” Dash asked. A confused look greeted her. She laughed. “If we’re going to encourage more of my…beautiful moments,” she said with slyly playful eyes, “then I need to find a way to express this more readily. We should…” she hesitated for only a split-second before finishing the sentence. “We should talk to Rarity. See if I can find opportunities to…be beautiful more often.” She said, staring at the couple she now saw standing in the mirror. “And I’m sure at any one of these events,” she started to say with her usual boost of confident speak, “that I would need a wonderful and amazing steed, such as yourself, to help me. A mare could always have a steed at her side. Or under her,” she said and barely contained a smile, until she couldn’t any more. “I mean to ride. I MEAN to…OH you know what I mean, you big dork.” She placed a peck on the nose of her lover and laughed.

The walk back to the main room was done so holding each other, walking side-by-side, staring at the beauty of the setting sun outside the window. The sunshine really did catch the most magnificent radiance of Rainbow’s smile as she rested her head on her lover. She sighs in contentment.

“Rainbow Dash, is that you?!” Rarity asked, who had been assisted up to the cloud house by a couple of very eager stallion pegasi. She stared in shock at the beautified, straight-hair, makeup Rainbow Dash. “My dear, you’re…you’re gorgeous! You’re a vision of radiance, beauty at its finest! You’re…you’re…”

“Rarity, please,” Rainbow Dash said. “Continue.”

“I MUST make some dresses for you, my dear! What do you desire, my darling?”

“Sparkles.”

“What about Twilight?”

“No,” Dash said. She laughed. “I want sparkles all over my dresses. I want them to shimmer so magnificently that everypony will see me haul through the sky like a shooting star!”

“Oh my word! That would be GLORIOUS!” she says and turns to Dash’s steed. “What do you think?”

Dash steps forward. “My absolutely amazing and awesome steed…I mean, partner here, is so fantastic that they only speak when it absolutely needed. They made me feel like the most wonderful lady by showing me what love truly is in all its ways.”

“All…it’s ways?” Rarity said, shifting her gaze with a rather sly tone. The narrowed expression she received in return caused her to snicker. “All right, all right. I’ll be more discreet about my questions, dear steed,” She said, winking.

Rainbow Dash’s face became flush with embarrassment. Rarity started to laugh incredibly hard. “Oh look look! Her blush is making her look even MORE embarrassed! Oh my word, she is so CUTE!” She turned. “You have yourself a very special mare there, my darling.” Rarity leaned in close and whispered. “She’s ticklish in the hooves. We found that out at the spa.”

“THEY KNOW,” Dash said.

“REALLY?” Rarity said, smiling greatly. Dash blushed so hard she turned away and hid behind her newly-acquired long hair. Rarity started to laugh over and over again as she hopped around in glee. “Oh Dash! You are so adorable! I absolutely cannot WAIT until you two go on your first date together.”

“Wh..what?” Dash said, eyes suddenly wide.

Rarity leaned in. “I know of a place where the moonlight falls upon the secluded banks of a river, next to a cabin owned by Applejack. A pony who took their partner there might find that no matter how long or how hard they laughed perhaps say from…” Rarity looked at Dash “from a rather intense session of hoof tickling, nopony would hear them.” Rainbow Dash looked shocked. “And it’s stocked full of wonderful massage oils and soft, pillowy blankets and a deluxe, two person bed big enough for longggggg nights of cuddling!”

“RARITY, PLEASE!” Dash said. Her face turned stark red, until she shyly said “C…Continue.”