Dashing Through The Stroke

by WritingSpirit

At The Fifth Minute

"This way, Tassee!"

Trust only a small bunch of tulips to capture the attention of Taciturn Bleach, Rainbow told herself with a shake of her head. Immediately, with a twitch of his ears, the blanched colt galloped towards her down the dirt path, his wide, open-mouthed smile drawing the attention of many along the road.

Ponyville was certainly at the height of its Hearth's Warming spirit. Booths and vendors were pitched up at the sides of the streets like an aisle, complete with wreaths and bells hanging from the roof and goods ranging from ornaments to gingerbread houses placed on display. Snowponies outnumber the sculptures around town, lights hang from every house and there was even a pony dressed up as Santa Hooves in a red suit and white beard, mocking his deep laughter and ringing a bell that could've been heard a mile away.

All of this at nine in the morning felt pretty early for Rainbow, even though she planned to come here in the first place to gather some decorations for her house. Taciturn, of course, tagged along, which was pretty new to him; before he met Rainbow, he spent Hearth's Warming holed up in the hospital, painting just to pass the time. Now, with Rainbow to guide him, he saw his world being brighter than it ever was, capturing every inch of it with his brilliant memory.

"It's exciting, isn't it?" Rainbow asked, to which he gave a cheerful nod. She knew it was his first time going on a Hearth's Warming shopping spree, though with him by her side, it felt like it was her first time too. It was one of the new things she experienced for this year's Hearth's Warming, along with something else.

There, in the distance not too great, was the giant pine tree, moved from the northern outskirts of Ponyville, conveniently placed in front of town hall and secretly decorated before the eve of Hearth's Warming. It was there, on the day before the Winter Wrap Up, that the anonymous gift-giving session has been organized, with the entirety of Ponyville already joining in. The monumental height of the plant could be seen from her home, almost as if it was there to remind her about getting a gift. If that were the case, she would scoff about it: she wouldn't miss the session for the world.

"Rainbow Dash!" came the voice of Daisy.

"How nice of you to come! Oh, and you've brought Tassee with you! Who's the number one painter of Ponyville?"

"Dashie?"

The two mares giggled, even as he stared in bewilderment, oblivious to his mistake.

"He always says that," Rainbow explained, before turning to Taciturn.

"Again, it's you, silly, not me."

The colt looked down, almost as if in a moment of deep thought, before he nodded quickly, much to their amusement.

"So what brings you here, RD?" the florist asked.

"Are you looking for some daisies for the gallery?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah!" the cyan mare answered.

"Finally got a white vase from Rarity, so I thought it needed a couple of flowers to go with it."

"Well, you've come to the right place! How many you need?"

Rainbow turned to Taciturn, who just knocked onto the booth three times. With a grin, Daisy soon picked out from a bouquet behind her a trio of the white flowers, handing it to the white colt, who eagerly accepted it and placing them neatly into a rattan basket he had brought along, right in between a stick of charcoal and a small pouch of marbles.

"Isn't he the most adorable colt?" Daisy commented, the other mare nodding with a smile.

"So, any future plans yet? If you know what I mean, of course."

"What? Oh, no, no, not yet!" Rainbow exclaimed, shaking her hooves in denial.

"I don't think I'm ready for it, to be honest. We're just gonna take it slow. Don't wanna rush it."

"First time I hear you slowing down for something," the florist teased.

"Anyways, got a gift for the tree yet? Heard there's a lot of special gifts saved for the occasion!"

"Eh... still looking for one."

"You better be quick, Rainbow," she said.

"From what I hear from the other vendors, everything's selling pretty fast."

Rainbow nodded, thanking her for the advice before resuming her hunt once again. She was still unsure of what to get for the gift session. However exciting it may be, she was a little doubtful about her choice of gift; what if the pony who got her gift didn't like what he or she finds? Should she find something that everypony in the entire town likes? She could just get a small pendant of some sort, but that would probably cost her a hundred or so bits.

"What about you, Tassee?" she asked the colt.

"Got anything planned for the gift-giving session yet?"

A shrug.

"Same here," she replied.

"Great. At this point, we wouldn't have anything left to buy."

"You could go to those booths over there, near Sweet Apple Acres. There's boatloads of stuff there."

The couple turned around, surprised to see none other than Spitfire trotting up to them. Rainbow was the first to give the enthusiastic 'hello', the mare literally bouncing on the spot in front of her favorite Wonderbolt like Pinkie Pie would in front of a gingerbread house. With a chuckle, Spitfire turned to Taciturn and scratched his chin, the colt clearly enjoying it from the way his hooves were thumping on the floor.

"You guys seem a little lost," she remarked.

"Having trouble finding the right thing, huh?"

"Are you doing that gift thingy too?"

"Gift thingy? Oh, that thing! Heard about it when I asked around," Spitfire said.

"Not really. I mean I'll be in Canterlot when you guys start unwrapping the presents. The team and I still have a show to perform there, remember?"

"F'course I do," Rainbow declared proudly.

"After all, a certain somepony's creation is going to be on display there, isn't it?"

Taciturn Bleach withdrew his glance from the big tree in the distance, flinching the moment he realized the two mares were staring right at him, before they burst out laughing. It wasn't long before the couple once again continued their quest, this time joined by a new companion. Their search eventually led them to, for some strange reason, Carousel Boutique, the sight of three familiar fillies playing around in the snow soon coming into view.

"Over here, Rainbow Dash!" the pegasus of the trio called out, hoof waving in the air.

"Hey there, squirt!" the cyan mare said, ruffling her mane.

"You guys having tons of fun out here, huh?"

"Sure did! We thought we were gonna build a snow fortress this time! We are soldiers, here to defend our glorious nation of Ponyville from the armies of-- woah, woah, woah, wait a sec!"

Immediately, with her wings buzzing, Scootaloo zipped towards Spitfire, who just glanced down confusedly at the filly. The Wonderbolt gave an uncertain glance at Rainbow, who only flashed a smug grin in return. Taciturn, of course, just switched glances between everypony, before snorting and just punching holes into the snow.

"Y-You..." the orange filly stammered.

"You... you are..."

"Yep."

Spitfire didn't bother to give her time to finish; she knew what Scootaloo was going to say anyway. She was Spitfire, the ever glorious, ever wonderful captain of the best flying team in the world, the Wonderbolts. That previous sentence could've been a good motto if it wasn't as sarcastic as she imagined.

It wasn't only Scootaloo, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle who gasped in unison. The Wonderbolt just braced herself, getting ready for the endless, swarming tirade of questions that would soon render her senseless. Of course, she did not expect, from these three very special fillies, the favor they were going to ask:

"Could you teach us how to go skydiving?!"

"How to what?" she asked, bewildered.

"You want me to do what now?"

"You heard 'em," Rainbow said, giving her a playful nudge forward.

"They want you to teach them about skydiving. Apparently, to them, it may give them their Cutie Marks."

"It will!" Scootaloo corrected her idol's sentence.

"All we needed is somepony who could do awesome tricks in the air, just like Rainbow Dash!"

"W-Well, then why didn't you ask Rainbow Dash to teach you guys instead of me?"

"Rainbow said that Tassee would scream if we did."

Scootaloo suddenly edged up to the Wonderbolt's ear, continuing her sentence in a low whisper.

"Trust me, you do not want to hear Tassee scream."

Spitfire turned to Rainbow, gritting her teeth with a glare once she saw the cheeky, growing grin on the other mare's face. Taciturn soon crept up next to his marefriend, the two standing with wings around each other as Rainbow gave her a wave, watching 'helplessly' from afar. Spitfire groaned underneath her breath: she was being dragged into teaching three fillies something beyond their limit, only because a certain mare decided to slack once again. She'll certainly have her revenge when that rookie comes back to the Academy.

"Well played, Rainbow Dash," she muttered spitefully, accepting her fate with a sigh.

"Well played."

"Cutie Mark Crusader skydivers! Yay!"

---

"Celestia... how much energy do the three of them have?"

"A lot, but not as much as Pinkie Pie," Rainbow answered, the two chuckling at the mention of her hyperactive friend.

"Now you see why I said no?"

"Definitely."

Teaching three over-enthusiastic fillies on something as difficult as skydiving was surely not something she was good at. Apparently, they'd prefer starting from an extreme, deadly height that could've probably killed ponies twice their age and inexperienced as them rather than just leaping off the branch of a tree and landing into a mound of pillows. Spitfire wanted to protest, though they were too busy trying their best to find a way to reach for their cords of their parachutes to pay attention. It was the sound of Rarity calling for her sister that freed her, dispersing the Crusaders once again and saying their farewells, leaving Spitfire back in the company of Rainbow and Taciturn Bleach.

"You know that means you still owe me, right?"

"Even if you put practice at six in the morning," Rainbow retorted.

"I don't think anypony can ever get more tired than teaching those three."

"Still, it's amazing, the things they would bring themselves to do."

"Yeah! I mean, skydiving? C'mon! Some of us could just faint at the thought of it!"

Both mares chuckled at that, their journey taking them back to the giant tree. There were many ponies standing around it, some taking photos with their friends, some already placing their gifts at the bottom and some just admiring its dazzling display of ornaments and sheer size. Taciturn was soon entranced by it as well, pulling Rainbow's hoof frantically as he dragged himself towards the tree.

"Go on, then!" Rainbow said, petting his head.

"We'll be watching from here."

With a fervent kick of his hooves, the colt raced up to the bottom of the tree, tail wagging faster with all his might and surprising the two mares with his speed. Chuckling quietly, Rainbow turned to Spitfire, giving her an inquisitive look that could've asked many questions, but Spitfire knew she only wanted to know the answer of one.

"Yes," she sighed.

"I've talked to Firefly about it."

"What did she say?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"She told me to leave before she could give me an answer. Of course, judging from how... angry she looks, I don't think she liked the news."

"Not one bit?" Rainbow asked, a little desperate for the opposite.

"Not even the slightest, teensy-weensy bit?"

"No."

"Great!" the cyan mare sighed in defeat, throwing her hooves up in the air.

"What are we going to do now? If she doesn't give a 'yes', how else could I propose or anything? I can't expect to marry him in secret, right? The whole of Equestria would know about it eventually!"

"Hold it, Rainbow," Spitfire said, placing a hoof on her rookie's shoulder.

"You gotta give her some time. Just because she didn't like the fact that you would propose to him doesn't mean that she would not allow it. She's still your mother, Rainbow Dash. She would want what's best for you."

"If she doesn't allow it?"

Spitfire shrugged. With a gruff sigh, Rainbow just glanced longingly back at Taciturn, who was busy examining some of the ornaments hanging from the leaves by simply knocking it about, mesmerized by the jingling it makes and the way it bounces about. He looked so innocent and so adorable, she told herself, yet she knew he was a responsible pony in his own right. If only her mother could see how worthy of a stallion he is...

"Taciturn..." she muttered his full name, for once.

"If only you knew what was happening..."

---

"Toy train set or notebook?"

Taciturn pointed at the former, to which Rainbow soon wrapped up quickly yet meticulously and putting it aside for now. It was going to be the gift she would place underneath the tree, which she finally managed to get her hooves on after a long and rushed search through the near-empty shelves of the toy store. It might not be everypony's taste, but at least it could be better than just a bunch of carrots.

The couple were back in their house, killing time by wrapping gifts they had planned to give their friends during Pinkie's planned Hearth's Warming party. Their shopping spree managed to take up most of the day, having tried to find the right present that all of their friends were sure to like.

"And that's the last one!" Rainbow declared, tying up the last strand of ribbon into a bow.

"There! All done, Tassee!"

The colt did a gleeful hop, landing next to his chuckling marefriend, who wrapped a hoof around his shoulder and bringing him close, their cheeks nuzzling against each other. He purred out of satisfaction, the puffy smile of his once again lighting up her heart. Rainbow sighed to herself; another day gone, another job done. She got a present for each of her friends and, as a bonus, one to place under the tree as well. Two problems down!

"Y'know, I think I've forgotten somepony else," the mare said suddenly, hiding her grin.

"Lemme think about it for a sec... yep, I've forgotten to get a gift for somepony."

Taciturn nudged her with his snout, curious on knowing who.

"Well, who else?" she retorted, giggling.

"It's you, of course!"

"Dashie?"

"Yep! Only you left, Tassee!" she exclaimed.

"So, whatcha want? A new paintbrush? A Santa Hooves cap?"

Taciturn just shrugged, much to her disappointment. Of course, when it comes to something as trivial as that, Rainbow knew that there's still time to think of a present for him. She has an idea of what he might like, though knowing him, he would already be happy if she gave him a sack of potatoes.

"I'll think about it," she promised the bleached colt.

"All I can say is that it'll be a good present. I promise."

The two soon settled down on the couch, both simultaneously letting out a yawn. It was the second night in a row that they would sleep there instead of dragging themselves to the bed, but they didn't really care. Taciturn nearly dozed off at the fifth minute, before a tap on his shoulder snapped his eyes right open.

"Tassee, I know you might not answer me, but," Rainbow stopped to sigh.

"Remember yesterday morning?"

A reluctant nod.

"What happened to you?"

"N-Nightmare..."

Rainbow would've laughed her head off, though she stopped, knowing how hurt he would be if she did. He was worked up throughout the whole day yesterday, with all the sobbing and crying and worried her and probably all of their friends, all because of a nightmare? She could clearly see why he didn't want her to know about it; he inherited her sense of dignity, after all.

"Everypony has a nightmare, y'know. I have some too," she said, trying to comfort him.

"What's yours about?"

Taciturn pointed at the door, Rainbow's gaze following along. Her blank stare made him roll his eyes, before he pressed a hoof onto her chest, practically surprising her, and once again, pointed at the door. Quietly he mewled, leaving Rainbow to gather her thoughts, the answer finally clicking into her head.

"You had a nightmare..." she gave her guess.

"Of me leaving you here? Alone? Without ever coming back?"

A dismal nod.

"Why would you think I might leave you here, Tassee?" Rainbow asked, slightly shocked.

"I'm the Element of Loyalty and I don't leave my friends behind. You know how special are you to me? You're my coltfriend, for Celestia's sake! There's no way in Tartarus I would leave you. Ever."

"Dashie?"

"Promise," she affirmed. With a squeal, Taciturn suddenly snuggled against his marefriend, making her chuckle. Rainbow felt a weight lift of her shoulders; it was never about her troubles after all!

"Well, at least I know why you were so happy when I came back yesterday."

The colt just blushed, giving his widest grin. With a quiet sigh, Rainbow rested her head down onto the couch, glancing up right at the ceiling, silently thinking through the troubles she was now facing. She still didn't know if Taciturn wouldn't mind her inclusion into the Wonderbolts and touring around the world. On the other hoof, the chances of her mother giving her consent are looking bleak. Of course, she could just take a risk and marry him already, but she doesn't want to, not when it involves the fragile feelings of her coltfriend.

"Tassee?" she called to him.

A purr.

"Would you promise me something?" she asked.

"Promise me if there was ever something bothering you, you gotta let me know, alright?"

Rainbow couldn't see it, but she could feel his chin gently petting her head twice. With a grin, the two pegasi closed their eyes, the mare of the couple silently wading through the darkness of her mind, searching for a happy thought or a hopeful dream. She opened her eyes just to shift herself around and face the colt, before she dug her head into his chest, smiling as she felt his hooves wrap around her.

"Soon, Rainbow Dash," she whispered to herself.

"Soon..."

Comments

[SilverShimmer]

Yay! Update!
I need moarrrrrrr

[Rainbow87dash]

im gonna read the rest later, i feel dead