Dashing Beyond Friendship

by advocateofpants

Letters to the Heart

Rainbow Dash was known for her contagiously—or sickeningly, depending on who was asked—good mood, especially if she had seen or accomplished something incredible or awesome. The athletic pegasus was sometimes hard to please, but mention her friends or something about performing or being a hero, and she was bouncing off the walls, sometimes literally.

Within the span of the past few days, however, her bounciness had reached a new level, and everyone took notice. While some could only guess what was up, there were those—primarily her friends—that knew why Rainbow Dash was suddenly so cheerful.

The local show-off wasn't one to get mail very often, but now, she was in the habit of checking her mailbox at least once or twice a day. What was a secret to most wasn't a secret to Rainbow Dash's friends: she had acquired a pen pal, but not just any regular pen pal—Rainbow Dash was exchanging letters with Soarin of the Wonderbolts.

After finishing up a few miscellaneous weather jobs around Ponyville, Rainbow went back home to check the mail, and went inside after finding her mailbox empty. As she headed for the kitchen to get a snack, she wondered how her friend was doing. Some might argue that her recent hobby was a bit obnoxious in the way she managed it, but she didn't care. She was getting a first-hand account of what a Wonderbolt tour was really like, much like...

This is how it felt when Mom was still on the team, Rainbow thought. Whenever she told us how things were going, it felt like we were actually there.

Rainbow Dash was accustomed to the fast life, so she was no stranger to having to operate on a tight schedule or work long days. However, there were times when she was forced to show a little patience. Usually, she'd take a pass on that, but when it came to a friend, she was willing to compromise. The friend in this case was Soarin, and Rainbow Dash eagerly awaited his next letter.

As she enjoyed her snack—a piece of an apple cake from Applejack and a glass of milk—Rainbow Dash smiled as she read Soarin's last note, a postcard from Baltimare, and sighed as she pictured the scenario described by her friend.

Rainbow Dash,

Just getting settled here in Baltimare, and so far, so good. I hope you enjoyed the stuff I sent you; a few of the others had a few jokes, but let them laugh. Ha ha ha! We're expected to have a royal mess of a schedule, but I will still make time to write to you. I love you, and I can't wait to see you again.

Soarin

As soon as she got the note and package that came with it, Rainbow Dash excitedly dove into it, in a manner of speaking, and wasted no time in sending a reply. Just as with her other replies, Rainbow gave a quick update on how she and her friends were doing, wished Soarin the best of luck, and made comments about something he had experienced. In the latest one, however, she also thanked him for the gifts he sent—a snow globe and a T-shirt, both from Manehattan—and assured him that no matter how crazy things got, he'd have a friend he could vent his frustrations to.

"Hopefully, he doesn't get the wrong idea from me saying that," Rainbow muttered. "My first rule of life has been to stick by my friends, no matter what. I've never been much of a counselor or advisor, but Soarin's going to need someone to talk to besides his teammates...if the term 'royal mess' is anything to go by."

Rainbow stood up and sighed.

"Maybe he'll send me something again," she pondered, smiling.

After sticking Soarin's postcard on the refrigerator door and putting the used dishes in the sink, Rainbow headed back outside and stood on her front porch.

"What a nice day!" she sighed, happily.

"I'll say," someone next to her replied.

"Twilight! What are you doing here?" Rainbow asked.

"Just wanted to see if you were still interested in stopping by the library for a bit," Twilight answered. "I was hoping to catch you flying around town or something, but then I had a thought to wait for you here."

"Heh heh... Well, you found me. I've done all I need to for now, so let's get to it."

With a smile and a laugh between them, the two friends headed off to Golden Oaks Library to socialize and read as they often enjoy doing. After a few hours of reading about a red-walled monastery run by woodland creatures and discussing their favorite parts of the story, Twilight and Rainbow Dash wished each other farewell and Rainbow went home, retrieved her mail, and went inside.

After placing the solitary envelope on her kitchen table, Rainbow Dash had a quick dinner, took a shower, and returned to the kitchen to read the letter waiting for her.

Rainbow,

Couple days into our stay in Baltimare, and things are going as they should for now. I'm glad you enjoyed my little surprise. I wish I could talk about sightseeing here, but we've had so much stuff going on, we haven't had much time to ourselves. Don't get me wrong; I love what I do, but hasn't anyone ever considered that even we need a break? I'm looking forward to a vacation, in case you couldn't tell. The airshows and fan meetings are always fun, but those blasted press conferences... Argh!

Spitfire made sure to congratulate us on the good work so far, but we've got a flank-load of press-related stuff later in the week. There's a team interview for the Equestria Weekly that we're sort of looking forward to, but mostly...what's the point of this stuff? I know I shouldn't complain; it's all for the fans, and in the end, it's all worth it, just as you said before.

If I get the chance to mill around the town, I'll try to get you something, but don't hold me to that. As I said last time, I'll write to you as much as I can. I really appreciate hearing from you, Rainbow. I know Spitfire's probably getting annoyed with me, but I don't really care. Thinking about you is the main thing keeping my sanity intact. I'll try to stay positive, I promise. In the meantime, take care of yourself. I love you.

Soarin

After reading the note a few times, Rainbow Dash obtained paper and a pencil, and after a sigh, wrote.

Soarin,

That's really sweet of you to consider me the thing keeping you from going crazy. I really appreciate that, and I really appreciate hearing from you, too. But if Spitfire yells at you for writing to me, then do what she says; don't get yourself in trouble over me. You have responsibilities of your own; don't worry about me too much. You know I'm here cheering for you. Give it everything you have! Stay tough!

On a lighter note, everything's fine here in Ponyville. I wouldn't mind hearing about what Baltimare's like, but I won't hold anything against you. The stuff you got me from Manehattan was fine; it actually made Rarity a bit jealous, which was just Rarity being herself. I can't wait to hang out some more; we've still got a lot to talk about. Until next time, good luck! Be careful and have fun! Also, tell the others I said 'hi' and if they make any jokes, let them know what they're missing out on.

Rainbow Dash

With the letter sealed, addressed, and in the mailbox, Rainbow Dash retreated to her room and went to bed.

---

The next day began for Rainbow Dash as it always did: she got up, got breakfast and a shower, checked the mail, and went flying around town. Under the light of the sun, Rainbow enjoyed herself. Life in Ponyville happened on a relatively predictable pattern, aside from any accidents, and Rainbow was OK with that.

"What to do, what to do?" she asked herself. "Maybe I'll go visit Applejack, unless she's busy, but when has that ever stopped me?"

As she laughed at her own remark, Rainbow transitioned into a lazy hover before landing on a cloud.

"You do realize I can hear you, right?" asked a familiar southern drawl.

"Oh, hi, AJ," Rainbow said, ignoring her friend's prior question. "What's up?"

"Nothin' much. Good to hear you ownin' up to interrupin' me, Rainbow Dash."

"Oh, come on, you know you enjoy it," Rainbow answered, meeting Applejack's sly smirk with a mischievous grin of her own. "You'd be bored to tears without me around."

Applejack merely laughed and shook her head in response to her friend's comment.

“See? What did I tell you? Name someone besides me that can make you laugh the way I do, or better yet, name someone besides me that can keep you in top athletic condition.”

“OK, OK, you win this one, Rainbow. It is good to have you droppin’ in on me most of the time, but right now, I have a stand to run.”

“Of course… I’ll see you later, then.”

With the quick farewell received and returned, Rainbow Dash sped away from the town marketplace and went back to flying around town.

I wonder how things are in Baltimare, Rainbow thought as she took a corkscrew turn into a mass of clouds.

With the sudden thought of Baltimare came thoughts about the Wonderbolts and their hectic schedule. As Rainbow Dash wondered about how they were handling themselves, her mind wandered toward one ace flier in particular.

“Soarin,” Rainbow whispered as she pictured his cheerful face smiling back at her. With the image of her friend’s face at the forefront of her mind, she could hear his voice; mostly, she heard stuff from the letters he sent.

I love you, and I can’t wait to see you again, Soarin said, calmly.

I can’t wait to see you, either, Rainbow mentally answered, and I can’t wait to hear how things went for you guys.

As Rainbow Dash’s mind continued to wander, her wings slowed to a casual pace of flight—roughly the same pace she used when she was with her other friends—and she drifted through the sky in contentment. After a time of this, blissfully unaware of life around her, Rainbow decided to fly home and take a nap so she didn’t accidentally crash into anyone or anything.

No sooner than she landed and opened her door, Rainbow Dash was greeted by a tap on the shoulder. Upon turning to answer the gesture, Rainbow found a postal worker nervously smiling back at her.

“Hey,” she said. “What’s up?”

“Hi,” the stallion answered. “You’re Rainbow Dash, correct?”

“The one and only!” Rainbow declared.

“Got something for you,” the postal worker replied with a laugh.

Without a word, Rainbow accepted the letter and hugged the stallion in gratitude. After the odd exchange, Rainbow Dash was alone again. After staring at the bit of mail in her hooves for a while, Rainbow retreated to her bedroom to read the message.

Rainbow,

Today went really well; bit of a breather, actually. Just an airshow, then we had the whole day to ourselves. Spitfire heavily encouraged us to take advantage of it since tomorrow’s when the real storm begins. Yay… Speaking of Spitfire, she’s fine with us writing to each other like this; I’m not the only one receiving and answering fan mail. Also, her and a few others said ‘hi.’ Thanks for all the kind words, Rainbow. I needed that.

Now that I have the chance to do it, let me tell you about Baltimare. It’s a nice place; it feels a bit like Ponyville, to be honest. Not too much in the way of tourist attractions, aside from a few nice restaurants. I guess that’s a good thing, though. Manehattan had all the fun and excitement, but Baltimare is a simplified version of that bustling community; wouldn’t be a bad place to live, really. I’ll tell you more as the opportunity presents itself. Worst case scenario, you may not hear from me at all the rest of the week. I apologize in advance for that. As always, I love you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Soarin

After reading the letter, Rainbow instinctively prepared a reply.

Soarin,

I’m happy to hear you and the others are doing well. If you wind up being too busy to write to me, don’t sweat; I love hearing from you, but I understand that you have a job to do. Don’t get yourself all stressed out because of me. I wish you the best of luck, Soarin. As I have often said before, I always try to help out my friends, so giving words of encouragement is no trouble at all.

As far as Baltimare is concerned, I’ve been there before, though I’ve never bade plans to take a vacation there, so I can at least agree with you on a few of your comments. Baltimare does seem like a simpler version of Manehattan, but it is still a nice place. Don’t know about living there, but I wouldn’t mind taking a trip out that way, at the very least.

Anyway, enough about all of that! I know you didn’t really say it, but I miss you. I look forward to your letters, and I look forward to seeing you. I understand I can’t make the week pass by any quicker; no one can. I wish I could be there with you; you’re probably wishing the same exact thing. I think it’s safe to say that we’re both thinking of each other. Until the next time I hear from you or see you, take care of yourself, Soarin.

Rainbow

With a sigh of contentment, Rainbow sealed and addressed her letter to Soarin, and stepped outside.

This’ll make him happy, no doubt, she thought as she smiled at the letter in her possession. I really do miss him.

Suddenly, a new set of thoughts crossed Rainbow Dash’s mind. After carefully placing her letter to Soarin in her teeth, Rainbow dipped a hoof in her home’s rainbow waterfall, and stared at the spectrum now decorating her hoof. Proud of her great idea, she paced the letter directly in front of her door and calmly pressed her rainbow-covered hoof to the envelope’s surface.

Nothing like a rainbow hoofprint to cheer up a stressed-out friend, Rainbow happily noted.

Taking the letter in her teeth, she headed off toward the post office, partly to shake things up a bit, and partly so Soarin wouldn’t have to wait too long to read the letter. After making sure her personal embellishment had dried, Rainbow Dash placed her letter in the appropriate box, and flew off to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with her friends.

In the midst of the picnic Rainbow and her friends threw together, afternoon turned into evening, and when it became too dark to see well, the group of friends dispersed. With another day successfully behind her, Rainbow Dash headed home and went straight to bed.

---

The next day came and went rather uneventfully. Rainbow Dash did her usual morning activities, but there was no mail for her, so she chose to occupy herself with a visit to Fluttershy’s cottage.

As Rainbow aided her childhood friend with the miscellaneous animal-related tasks, which she found somewhat relaxing, the two happily discussed how things were going between Rainbow Dash and Soarin. Rainbow had admitted to really missing her friend, yet didn’t quite feel ready to acknowledge it as something more, which Fluttershy understood.

Not having anything else that day, Rainbow went back to her own devices for a bit. With a random encounter with the Cutie Mark Crusaders thrown in there, Rainbow finished the day with her familiar sequence of events.

---

A new day began, bringing the warm glow of sunrise with it. Rainbow Dash stirred from her sleep, gazed out the window, and looked at her clock. After noticing the time was roughly half past six in the morning, Rainbow grumbled, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

After waking at a decent—in her mind—hour, Rainbow carried out her morning routine and, with all her assigned weather tasks complete, flew to Twilight’s house. Smiling, she knocked on the door and waited. She knocked a second time; still no answer. With a sigh and a promise to return later, Rainbow Dash went home.

After taking a moment to check the mailbox and retrieve its contents, Rainbow went to her kitchen table. As she stared at the envelope, she felt a sense of anxiety. Without making a sound of any kind, Rainbow carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. After taking and releasing a deep breath, Rainbow read.

Rainbow,

I know it isn’t needed, but I’m sorry for not getting back to you right away. Yesterday was Tartarus; press conferences all morning after a team breakfast and then an airshow followed by ANOTHER Celestia-forsaken press conference. It was literally back and forth all day long; we got NO time to ourselves! I’m sorry; you said I could vent if I needed to. Wish freaking granted!

Spitfire said we’d have a royal mess of a schedule. I’ve got a more, shall we say, ‘colorful’ way of summarizing yesterday’s chaos, but as I am still in possession of my manners, I won’t say it here. I wish I could say the airshow went well, but we were so wound up from everything else, we couldn’t think straight. Half the reporters looked like they had NO idea of what was happening; seriously, guys, can’t you at least PRETEND to have a clue?

We were all glad to be done with that unmentionable nightmare. Spitfire actually went around apologizing to us for how stressful the day was and commending us on how well we handled it. Never again, Spitfire! Yeah, I yelled at my own captain; told her not to waste my time uttering an apology in place of someone else, among other things. No doubt I’ll be facing some serious heat for that. Suspend me, fire me; I couldn’t care less! We still have another couple days of this. Just let it end, already!

We’ve been assured that we’ve survived the worst. Today, we just have a couple airshows with a conference after each one; better, but still a thing of insanity. I’m ready for a break. I read your letter multiple times; seriously, thanks for that. I’m still a bit edgy thanks to yesterday; I’m probably not the only one. There is a silver lining, though; your kind words and thoughts are helping me calm down. I seriously miss you and wish I could be in Ponyville with you, so much more than I can say here. I love you with all my heart, Rainbow Dash, and I can’t wait to see you and hold you in my hooves like before.

I truly apologize for this letter being so negative, but I just couldn’t keep this to myself. Take care of yourself.

Soarin

Rainbow just couldn’t believe what she read. “Negative” was an understatement in regards to her friend’s…emotions. She did give him an invitation to vent his frustrations, but she wasn’t expecting anything like that. This prompted a concern in Rainbow Dash’s mind.

When I make the team, I’ll have to put up with drama like that, she observed.

After reading the letter a second time, Rainbow Dash obtained paper and a pencil, and one glass of water later, brainstormed a reply to Soarin’s words.

Soarin,

For the love of Celestia, PLEASE don’t do something you’ll regret! I got that you were angry, but nothing calls for yelling at a friend. I speak from personal experience. First chance you get, apologize to Spitfire. It’s not just for the sake of your job; it’s for the sake of your friendship. I’m glad my last letter helped you chill. I honestly wasn’t expecting you to be so wound up, but I’m still glad I could help.

Now, about that stuff at the end, thank you so much. Bit of a sudden change of topic, but whatever. I’m really looking forward to seeing you again, as well.

Rainbow Dash sighed and had another glass of water before continuing her message.

Soarin, you are truly one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. Your vacation can’t come soon enough; we both can agree on that. I can’t wait to hang out some more; we’ve still got so much to talk about. But you know, if you want to, we can share our thoughts by mail. It would keep your mind off the drama. Either way, it’s time I make a decision.

She closed her eyes and sighed. After placing a hoof over her heart, she opened her eyes and continued writing.

Soarin, you have already opened your heart to me, so now it’s time for me to do the same. I accepted you as a friend, and you were fine with that. As I’ve been exchanging these letters with you, I’ve felt as though I’m there with you. Whenever you’ve mentioned feeling stressed out or exhausted, I’ve offered words of encouragement and wished I really could be at your side. Now, I wish you were here with me. I miss you so much, Soarin. I’m finally ready to accept the love that you’ve offered me. I’m finally ready to move past a simple, or not so simple, friendship. You’ve sincerely loved me for more than a couple months now, and now I’m finally ready to embrace that.

I sincerely apologize for being so blind to your true feelings that day we talked in Canterlot. I’m well aware that others could likely see how you felt from a mile away. Well, I’m not blind, anymore! I’ve already thanked you for the stuff you said at the end of your last letter, and I’ve already said how much I want to spend time with you when you’re done touring. Now, it’s time I say the one thing that hasn’t been said yet: I love you, Soarin. I haven’t just missed you; I’m actually quite lonely without you around. Yeah, I still have my friends, but it’s just not the same. I’ll see you when you’re done with your Wonderbolt stuff. Again, I love you, Soarin.

Rainbow

Having that weight lifted from her heart, Rainbow carefully set the letter aside and got a new sheet of paper. With a quick smile and glance at the message to Soarin, Rainbow grabbed the pencil and began a new letter.

Dear Princess Cadance,

I know you’re not expecting to hear from me, but I have a concern I think you can address. I don’t know if you’re aware or not, but not too far back—about a week and a half ago—a guy I know pretty well told me he was in love with me. I didn’t feel that way at first, but after some advice from my friends and my mom, I chose to give him a chance. I accepted him as a friend and decided to see where that went. We’ve been keeping in touch with each other, and we both really care about each other. He loves me, and I was finally able to tell him that I love him.

This is where I need your help. What do I do next? I’m not expecting you to just give me the answer, but I am asking for some advice. You’re the Princess of Love, so you’re the best one to ask, in my opinion. Anyway, tell Shining Armor I said ‘hi,’ and you two take care of yourselves.

Respectfully yours,

Rainbow Dash

After reading over both letters and finding their contents appropriate, Rainbow Dash sealed and addressed them both as needed, and headed out again. After mailing both letters, one of which had a rainbow hoofprint stamped on it, Rainbow revisited Twilight’s house, and calmly knocked on the door. After a short wait, Rainbow raised a hoof to knock a second time, but found that unnecessary once the door opened.

“Hi, Rainbow,” Twilight said. “What brings you here?”

“I came by earlier, but you weren’t home,” Rainbow explained. “I just wanted to hang out here for a bit.”

“Oh, cool!” Twilight happily replied. “Come on in!”

With gratitude, Rainbow Dash accepted her friend’s invitation. As Rainbow made herself comfortable, Twilight retreated to her kitchen and returned with a tray containing a kettle of freshly-brewed tea and two small cups.

“I bet I know why you’re here,” Twilight mused. “I’ll bet you’re wanting to read something.”

“Since I’m here, sure,” Rainbow replied.

With a smile and a bit of magic, Twilight levitated two books from one of the shelves.

“This is the direct sequel to the one we read the other day,” she explained as she passed a copy to her friend.

“Actually, there’s another thing on my mind,” Rainbow said as she opened her book to the first page. “A bit of a personal announcement, if you will.”

“Oh, really? What is it?” Twilight asked, simultaneously pouring some tea for herself and Rainbow Dash and opening her own copy of the book to its first page.

“When I came by here, I just wanted to hang out for a bit, but since you were out, I went home. There was another letter from Soarin. I read it and sent a reply.”

“Sorry I missed you, earlier.”

“It’s cool. Anyway, in my reply, I decided it was time for me to open my heart the way Soarin did. I told him the truth about how I feel: I miss him, I can’t wait to spend time with him, and I love him. Now, I just have to wait for him to get back to me and go from there.”

“Well, congratulations!” Twilight beamed. “I hope everything works out for you two.”

“Thanks,” Rainbow replied.

After a time of drinking tea, socializing, and reading, Rainbow Dash and Twilight made note of the late hour, and agreed to finish their reading session another time. With a heartfelt hug between them, the two friends wished each other a good night and Rainbow Dash went home, got into bed, and drifted off into dreams of a certain Wonderbolt.

---

The next day began with a gentle flourish. Rejuvenated by a good night’s sleep, Rainbow Dash went through her morning routine, humming and singing to herself along the way, and thanked Celestia for the beautiful sky above. After a mental check to make sure she didn’t miss anything, Rainbow went into an energetic flight around town.

As she flew over Ponyville, Rainbow happily returned any greetings sent her way and greeted each of her friends as she passed them. A few laps around Ponyville, and Rainbow Dash felt the need for a quick snack. After a short stop at Sugarcube Corner, which included a discussion about pranking with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow went home to check the mail.

Finding the mailbox currently empty did nothing to deflate Rainbow Dash’s spirits. After making a mental note that the mail likely hadn’t gone yet, Rainbow laid back in the grass and stared at the clear skies above. With a sigh of happiness, she closed her eyes and thought about how fortunate she was to have so many wonderful friends and such an amazing family.

As she thought about her friends and family, Rainbow smiled at the memories she had with all of them, both good and bad, and looked to the past, present, and future with a sense of pride and joy. From her friends and family, her thoughts returned to Soarin. With the comfort his presence in her mind provided, Rainbow fell asleep.

A short time later, she awoke to see that the flag on her mailbox had been raised.

Probably someone who doesn’t understand what that’s for lifted it, Rainbow thought as she lowered the flag on the mailbox and retrieved the lone letter inside.

With anticipation filling her body, Rainbow went inside and dashed straight for her bedroom. After making herself comfortable on her bed, Rainbow eagerly opened the envelope and read the message inside.

Rainbow,

Words can’t express how happy I am right now. I did take time to apologize to everyone for losing my temper, so that’s dealt with. Rainbow Dash, you are amazing. Thank you so much for your kind words. I literally cried when I read the last letter you sent. I can’t thank you enough for that. I was also quite fond of the rainbow hoofprint on your last couple letters. You’re so sweet, Rainbow. Anyway, I have good news for you. Turns out, our schedule changed, so we’ll be done a day early. After we wrap things up in Baltimare, it’s back to Cloudsdale for some housekeeping details, then we’re on break. I’ll be in Ponyville, first chance I get. Don’t worry about writing back to me; we’ll be able to talk all we want when we see each other. I love you, Rainbow.

Soarin

After reading the letter a few times, Rainbow carefully returned it to its envelope and danced a jig of sorts out of sheer happiness. When she had calmed to a respectable level, she left her home and sped toward the library with exciting news to share and a book to finish.

Upon reaching her friend’s home, Rainbow Dash went and knocked on the door. The call was answered in little time at all, and Rainbow was warmly welcomed inside. After sharing the news that Soarin would be visiting sooner than originally planned, Rainbow requested the conclusion to what they had started the night before; Twilight was more than happy to oblige.

With no other interruptions, Rainbow Dash and Twilight finished their little book club meeting, and Rainbow went off to occupy herself while awaiting Soarin’s next visit, just as she had done earlier that day. Rainbow Dash flew around town and visited with the rest of her friends, making sure to pass along the announcement of Soarin’s upcoming visit. Remembering her earlier talk with Pinkie Pie, Rainbow returned to Sugarcube Corner, and the two spent the rest of the day pulling pranks on unsuspecting victims.

When evening had arrived, Rainbow Dash went home and went to bed after dinner and a shower. With a glance out the window and a sigh of contentment, Rainbow closed her eyes and cleared her mind as much as she could in an effort to sleep. Some time later, she drifted off.

Comments

[LeopardCay]

Alrightyyy
A little rushed, not gonna lie. But it is acceptable.
It seems like you forgot to turn of Italic too. I give you the advice to do that, so you don't confuse readers.

Good story. Enjoying it so far. Will read the rest and hope for the best.