Rainbow's Choice

by Metaphor

Chapter 11

It was passed lunchtime as Rainbow found herself seated at a table in Sugarcube Corner. An empty plate sat in front of her which held the remaining crumbs of a muffin and a glass that held the remaining drops of apple juice that had made up her lunch. Yet again she had found herself ordering sweet things, it wasn’t good for her waistline but she couldn’t help herself. If there hadn’t been so many ponies queuing up with her she may have ordered a few more muffins but she hadn’t wanted to appear greedy.

Speaking of the crowded shop though, there was something missing. Rainbow scanned the collected ponies but yet again her suspicious was confirmed, Pinkie Pie was not here. Away to her left Cherry Berry and Golden Harvest sat discussing the prices of carrots. Starhunter was kicked back in the far corner, the midnight blue Pegasus enjoying a small snooze in his chair after his meal. Sea Swirl and Twinkleshine were stood at the counter running their noses back and forth across the array of fresh cupcakes Mrs Cake had just finished icing. Yet there was no sight of Pinkie anywhere.

“Uh uh, can I have a raspberry one?” came a gleeful voice.

Rainbow’s head snapped round, the words not even registering but the tone making her expect to see Pinkie bouncing in the front door. A pony was certainly bouncing but it wasn’t Pinkie Pie, it was Dinky Doo. The small unicorn foal was beaming from ear to ear as she skipped along besides her mother Derpy Hooves. The wall eyed pony was smiling too, one eye seemingly casting glances at Dinky continuously as she walked towards the counter. Rainbow blinked, you had to be careful around Derpy, her skewed eyes had a tendency to draw your gaze and you could find yourself being incredibly insulting if you weren’t careful.

Rainbow was usually quite good at this having worked with the Pegasus on multiple occasions…occasions that usually ended with something getting broken. Derpy didn’t mean it of course, she may be a natural klutz but she also had a heart of gold. Rainbow watched as the pair stopped by the counter, Dinky having to constantly bounce up and down so she could see into the glass display.

“Hello Mrs Cake!” announced Derpy in a loud but friendly tone.

“Oh hello deary!” chimed Mrs Cake in response, her gaze passing over to the bouncing filly, “I see you’ve brought company today.”

“Well the mail was a short run today so I thought I’d treat her, don’t get much time together these days.”

“I can understand dear, working a full time job and taking care of a foal all on your own, can’t be easy. I have my hooves full taking care of Pound and Pumpkin and I have a helping hoof.”

“You get used to it,” replied Derpy with a smile as she looked down at Dinky, “Now my little muffin, what did you want?”

“Raspberry one!” beamed Dinky, the filly still bouncing up and down on the spot and seemingly not getting tired at all.

“Two raspberry muffins!” announced Derpy, her hoof snapping forwards to point at a lemon cupcake before she quickly blinked and realigned her hoof to point at the right item, “Uh…sorry.”

“Oh no fuss deary, anything to drink?”

“Chocolate milkshake?” asked Derpy as she glanced at Dinky.

The filly just nodded enthusiastically as Mrs Cake smiled to herself and went off to prepare the afore mentioned milkshakes. Rainbow watched the whole scene unfold before her. She hadn’t given much thought to Derpy’s situation previously. She was a single mum, Dinky’s father having left town before she had even been born, nopony even knew if he was still alive. Derpy had raised Dinky all on her own and she had done an excellent job so far…but it hadn’t been easy for her. Rainbow could count at least four jobs that she knew of that Derpy had been sacked from due to one reason or another. Weather pony, removal agent, decorator, the list went on and on. Her current job as a mailmare seemed to be working out for her but apparently it wasn’t giving her much time to spend with Dinky.

Rainbow continued to watch as the pair trotted off to a far table with their order, both mother and daughter talking happily as they sat down. The blue Pegasus found herself musing on the idea of what it would be like to be in Derpy’s position. It wasn’t a far flung scenario, like Derpy she would have no help in raising her foals…she didn’t even know who the father was. The more Rainbow though the more terrifying the prospect became. She didn’t know the first thing! She didn’t know how to change diapers, she didn’t know how to feed or burp a baby…she didn’t even know any good bedtime stories! All her life had been dedicated to getting into the Wonderbolts, a life that was all but hers and yet…

Rainbow pressed her hooves to her head. She couldn’t do it! What sort of life would her foals have? She wasn’t a mother, she couldn’t even look after Scootaloo properly. She ripped her eyes away from the laughing mother and daughter, glaring across the café at nopony in particular. The yellow Pegasus her eyes fell on though meeped and shied away slightly at the dagger like gaze. Rainbow instantly felt her face drop as she realised what she had just done. The Pegasus must have noticed the blush of embarrassment spreading across Rainbow’s face though as a small smile returned to her face.

She trotted over to the table, smiling slightly as she approached, “Hi Rainbow Dash.”

“Fluttershy…I…sorry, I didn’t mean to glare at you,” replied Rainbow as she brushed a hoof against her foreleg in embarrassment.

“It’s ok Rainbow, no harm done,” replied Fluttershy as she slipped into a seat opposite Rainbow, “Actually I’m happy that you’re not mad at me.”

“Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?”

“Oh well…you see…um…” Fluttershy looked away, shifting in her seat as she bit her lip slightly, “Well…it’s just that…oh I’m so sorry Rainbow Dash!”

Fluttershy almost looked like she was on the verge of tears as she descended into incomprehensible squeaks. Rainbow gave a small sigh and hurriedly placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Calm down Fluttershy, what’s the matter?” she asked as calmly as she could.

“I…I…I’m sorry I ran out of your hospital room the other day…” whispered Fluttershy in a shaky voice.

“Huh?!” replied Rainbow as she rose an eyebrow at the trembling Pegasus, “That’s what all this is about?”

“I was just so confused,” continued Fluttershy, seemingly not noticing Rainbow’s reply, “I…I just couldn’t think straight and I got scared and…ran.”

She paused, looking up at Rainbow with a pair of sorry looking eyes, “When I calmed down I couldn’t stop thinking about what you must have thought of us all…leaving you alone like that. But then I was too afraid to go back and…and…”

“Easy there Fluttershy, it’s all ok,” replied Rainbow in an assuring coo.

In truth part of her was still annoyed and upset over what had happened that day, mostly towards Twilight who she had always considered a friend and ally…despite her being a colossal egghead! But seeing Fluttershy like that caused all that anger and resentment to vanish like a morning mist. She couldn’t be angry at her, not now anyway.

“You mean that…?” whimpered Fluttershy.

“Sure I do, have I ever lied to you before?”

“N…no, you haven’t…thank you Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow felt another blush passing over her face. She looked away sharply, trying to hide her emotions from the yellow Pegasus but it seemed she had already noticed them. She sprung from her chair, pulling Rainbow forwards across the table as she embraced her. Rainbow felt another blush crossing her face as she noticed the odd looks they were getting from various corners of the café. She allowed Fluttershy another moment before she forced her back into her seat and sat back herself.

“Actually I wanted to talk to you about something,” murmured Fluttershy after a moment of silence between them.

“Oh…sure, what is it?”

“Well I’ve been thinking and…I think I understand why you said what you did back in the hospital…about…aborting…”

The word didn’t come easy to the Pegasus, it was almost like she was speaking a foreign language.

“Ever since I’ve know you you’ve been training to be a Wonderbolt. It’s all you’ve ever talked about…all you’ve ever wanted to be. You’re flying skills have helped save Equestria and you’ve worked so hard to get where you are. I…I look up to you really, you’re always so confident and sure of yourself…you know what you want and you do everything you can to get it.”

As Fluttershy spoke her words drifted softly through Rainbow’s head. All that she said was true, it was just like Rainbow had told herself. All the sob stories she had heard from Applejack and Blossomforth. All the disapproving looks and stern words that had been shot in her direction from her friends and the other ponies around her. All her inner doubts and emotional quandaries. None of them seemed to matter right now. She was Rainbow Dash, best flier in Equestria and future Wonderbolt captain in the making. She had battled villains and unimaginable evil and had risen to the challenge…and she was going to overcome this as well.

“You’re right Fluttershy!” she said quickly, interrupting the Pegasus with a broad grin, “I can’t just throw it all away! I’ve come too far quit now and nothing is going to stop me from reaching my goal! I knew you’d understand me Flutters!”

She reached forwards, grabbing the Pegasus and drawing her into another hug, not caring about the second round of odd looks she was getting from around the café.

“You’re a true friend you know that!” she continued, “Thank you!”

“Oh….uh…it’s…” mumbled Fluttershy, trying to get her words out but failing miserably.

Rainbow pulled back, the Pegasus looking renewed with a sense of determination and optimism.

“This has definitely made up my mind,” she announced with a grin, “my appointment isn’t for another day yet but nopony is going to change my mind now! All thanks to you Fluttershy, I knew I could count on you.”

Fluttershy looked like she wanted to say something but her lower jaw only quivered slightly as Rainbow continued to speak.

“Well I think I’m due a well deserved rest, Rarity’s spare bed might not be as good as my cloud bed but it’s not bad all the same. I’ll see you later Fluttershy!”

With that Rainbow jumped from her seat and strode from the café, her smile growing with each step she took. There was no doubt any more, no reservations or concerns. She knew what she was going to do and that was that.

Behind her Fluttershy’s hoof was raised slightly in a vain attempt to reach out towards the departing Pegasus. In the corner of her eyes tears were starting to form and her lower jaw began to quiver even more. Slowly she shut her eyes, placing both her front hooves over them as a barely audible whimper escaped her lips.

“You’re such a coward Fluttershy…why didn’t you tell her? Why didn’t you tell her what you really thought? Now it’s too late…it’s all your fault…”