Truth or Dare-Pt 6: Playing Chicken
September 18th, Rainbow Dash's House...
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Rainbow Dash always strove to keep a cool demeanor in any endeavor, and rarely ever showed remorse for her own action-cuz that would imply she was wrong, and therefore had made a mistake, right? Can’t make a mistake, gotta be perfect…can’t fall.
Even so, Dash couldn’t help but not sleep that night, her mind too busy with the events of the past day to allow her to rest. There was no way she felt guilty for what she did to Volare to get what she wanted, cuz that meant she’d screwed up-and she had a reputation to maintain! It had to be something else. Maybe it was a because of the extra presence Volare was causing in her house? Yeah, that’s it-his extra weight is tilting the house and it’s throwing off my equilibrium…meh, I’ll just adjust it in the morning and work him till he loses some weight! Ha, that’ll fix it.
But never in the history of Equestria was a solution to so complex a problem so straight-forward and simple…nor a theory so very, very wrong…and from midnight onwards, his words, spoken out of anger she’d pushed him to, haunted her dreams.
I hate you sometimes, Rainbow Dash!
I hate you Rainbow Dash!
I hate you Dash!
Hate you Dash!
Hate you!
HATE!
“Huh-wuh-agh!!-*thump*-ow…” Rainbow Dash groaned and stared up from the floor of her bedroom, grimly chuckling that nopony had been there to catch her this time. She rubbed her eyes and stared up past her back legs still hooked over the edge of the bed and at the swirling ceiling of the room, watching the sun crawl across it as it rose. Wait a sec-it’s morning already? Dash scrambled to her hooves and made for the window to confirm that, yep it was mid-morning and that she was late for her Weather Team Shift on the-Oh wait a sec, she yawned and tried to shake the cobwebs from her brain. That’s Thursday…today’s Tuesday. Urgh, what a crappy night; wonder if Volare slept ok.
It then all came screaming back to her and she literally staggered as the words that had rebounded back and forth in her mind most of the night struck her like an oncoming buffalo, shattering any sense of self-righteousness she might have retained for her actions last evening.
I hate you, Rainbow Dash!
“N-no, I didn’t want you to-I-,” the words left Dash’s mouth and her head jerked up towards the door before she realized it wasn’t Volare saying those words at the moment; that he wasn’t there at all.
He’s not here…oh no, he hates me and he’s not here and he left! Dash’s heart shrieked in guilt and her breath came in short gasps as she clapped a hoof to her chest and reeled back, sitting down on her bed and forcing herself to focus so the room would stop spinning. “Should have said something more last night Dash-that was wrong, you were wrong, and you know it! No wonder the poor guy’s probably gone,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head and grinding her teeth until the pain brought her back to reality. “Gotta check…m-maybe he didn’t leave…”
Dash made her way downstairs as fast as she could without stumbling, coming to a halt once the couch in the living room came into sight…and he wasn’t there. The blanket was neatly folded across the back of the couch, but Volare was well and truly gone. The stairs blurred through the angry moisture welling up in her eyes as she shakily descended toward the living room floor, berating herself with every step she took towards the couch.
Nice going Dash, you pig-headed mule! First nice stallion to come into your life-into your house, even!-and you run him off because you were being selfish-again! You hurt him again cuz you were selfish! This is why you can’t have nice things-you deserve to be alone. Why, oh why did you have to treat him like crap?!
She paused by the couch and ran a hoof over the blanket, but it was cool to the touch; he’d obviously been gone awhile already, probably while she was nice and cozy and secure in her sanctimonious attitude while he shivered alone, with only his simmering anger to keep him warm, she bet. No wonder he hates you and flew the coop…hay, he probably went to Twi’s and told her all the bad things you did, how you’re a bad pony and-wait, what’s that smell?
Dash cleared her runny nose with a loud sniff and took a more focused whiff of the air-cinnamon? It was then that she realized she’d been so focused on the couch that she hadn’t noticed the light and sounds coming from her kitchen. The tiniest flame of hope sprang up in her breast and she nearly stumbled again as she made her way towards the sounds and smells of somepony cooking breakfast. “F-flyboy?” Dash barely concealed the flutter in her voice as she rounded the corner and screeched to a stop, her jaw falling open and that sliver of hope ballooning into roaring inferno-in way less than ten seconds flat.
“Oh, morning Dashie,” Volare replied cheerfully, his back to her as he balanced a wire-rack of small glass spice bottles on a wingtip he lifted into a cabinet above the stove, which was his true focus as he stirred a spoon within the bubbling mixture on the burner. Dash’s eyes roved around the room and took in the sight of her pantry door hanging open and stocked-holy hay when was the last time it was stocked?!-with bundles, bushels, and sacks of oats, alfala, potatoes, and carrots. Hanging on the wall were fresh cloves of garlic, a few sacks of onions and turnips, while sitting on the floor was a sizeable barrel of something Dash couldn’t make out as the label was turned away from her.
“Heh-gotta say you were right about that couch last night, Dashie,” Volare’s voice pulled her focus back toward the stove, where the navy blue pony was taste-testing the concoction in the kettle. “That couch was-ouch, ok that’s warm enough-was pretty comfy. Considering the semi-threat of certain ponies sneak-attacking me, I slept like a baby last night; how about you-whoa,” Volare’s face shifted from a smile to a concerned frown as he turned and beheld Rainbow Dash’s blood-shot eyes, bedraggled mane and tail, and the rather conspicuous traces of tears on her cheeks. “Dashie, are you ok?”
Dash again felt guilt stab at her heart as he approached to check on her, when he should be hating her for what she did to him last night! Dash just stood there in shock as he brushed a wing across her cheeks and felt her forehead with the back of his hoof, his eyes full of worry until she let a single word cross her lips: “Why?”
“Why?” Volare paused and cocked his head. “Are you really asking why a friend wouldn’t make sure his friend is ok, especially when she walks into the kitchen looking like three shades of hell on such a nice morning?” He leaned in to hug her but she backed away, confusion in her eyes. “Dashie?”
“No, I mean…why are you doing all this?” her eyes flicked across the room towards all the fresh goods and the bubbling pot on the stove, but Volare simply shook his head and sighed; getting her to admit a problem was like talking to a brick wall sometimes.
He humored her though and answered, “Because we had to scrimp to make a meal last night and if I’m going to be working my wings off, I’d rather not have to fly back to town every time I want a snack. So after I dropped Scoots off at school, I grabbed a few things while in town, had Trixie enchant them for me so they wouldn't fall through the floor, and flew them up here," he tapped the barrel in the pantry and grinned. "Also grabbed a little cider from AJ on the way back-regular stuff this time," he winked, but she still had that look on her face, like she didn't quite understand what was going on.
"That's not what I mean," she admitted, shaking her head and looking squarely at the floor before asking one of the dreaded questions on her mind. "D-did you...did you tell anypony in town what I did to you last night?" She expected him to say "yes, of course I did, you psychotic mare," but to her surprise, she felt Volare's wing brush through her forelock and she look up into his friendly sliver-blue eyes, completely absent of the hate she knew he had every right in the world to have there.
"Not sure what good that'd do, Dash," he did his best to smooth out a finicky piece of her mane, but quickly gave up with a chuckle. "I mean, the only one that could do much about it would be Fluttershy since she can fly, and she doesn't even live in town. And if I told Twi, that'd cause another conflict between you two, and I won't be the cause of another of those if I can help it."
"B-but, you could have told the Weather Team," Dash suggested, but again Volare shook his head.
"You're their Captain; how do you think that'd make you look, Dash? No, I won't lose you the respect of your team like that," he paused before hoofing her as gently as he could in the shoulder. "Besides, I'm not one to tattle cuz you used a weakness of mine against me, cuz from a tactical point of view, that was pretty slick." But even his little compliment failed to so much as quirk a grin from her, and Volare's face fell slightly; something was definitely wrong.
"Forget tactics, flyboy," Dash sniffed and looked away from him again. "You've got every right in the world to hate me for what I did to you." But again, he simply stroked a wingtip through her forelock and spoke gently.
"Just because I have the right...doesn't mean I have to act on it, Dash." Volare's statement caused her to stare at him for a moment, her eyes searching his for the joke that had to be buried within them. But when no trace of trickery materialized, Dash felt a significant shard of guilt withdraw from her heart, and she began to breathe more easily again.
"But I don't understand," she shook her head and turned away, pacing across the kitchen a bit. "I mean, how could you just shrug something like that off? I hate being held down like that! If you'd done something like that to me, I'd have probably bit you in the face or something."
"Haha, I believe it," Volare laughed before turning at a hissing noise to find the pot was bubbling over and splashing onto the stove. "Ah, crap!" He quickly shut the stove off and slammed a lid on the pot with a sheepish grin as Dash simply shook her head incredulously. "Thing is Dash, compared to what you could have done and what I've been through...well, all I'm saying is you could have done a lot worse."
"But I should have done a lot better," Dash stomped a frustrated hoof, puffing up pieces of cloud as some of her inner fire began to return. "You deserved a better welcome than that." But Volare simply shrugged his wings.
"Meh, I'm used to being strapped down in my jet all the time." But at Dash's skeptical look, the pilot sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Ok, you wanna know why I really didn't freak out? Like I said, I knew you could have done a lot worse...but on the same token, I didn't feel you would."
"Why?"
"Because...you don't seem to have that kind of mean streak, Dash; to just hurt ponies on purpose."
"How do you know?" Dash asked, stepping forward, suddenly searching for a way she could be blamed, as if a scolding would alleviate a little more guilt.
"Trust me, I can tell," he smiled, but she continued to press, prodding him in the chest with a hoof, her eyes taking on a near-pleading expression.
"But how do you know I wouldn't want to hurt you, flyboy?" Volare reached up and took her hoof in his, closing his eyes and sighing before speaking.
Like talking to a darn brick wall...
"Because if you meant to hurt me, you wouldn't be this upset about it." Volare opened his eyes and smiled comfortingly as Dash squeezed his hoof for a moment before sniffing and growling lightly, a little embarrassed.
"-m not upset," she muttered under her breath, continuing to hold his hoof despite her insistence, just happy he didn't hate her as a little her more of self-confidence returned. I'm not a bad pony...
"Course you're not," Volare returned the squeeze with a wink before turning back to the stove, doling out the food into two smaller bowls and hoofing one to Dash. "Heh, a certain pink pony in town gave me a hint on your favorite breakfast food." Dash sniffed the brownish concoction and her rose eyes lit up as a grin crossed her face.
"Is this cinnamon oatmeal?"
"Eeyup," Volare smiled and sat down at the table, with Dash joining him moments later as they sampled his cooking.
"Mmm, this is great, if a little burnt," Dash nudged him with an elbow, mostly back to her normal self; she chalked it up to the oatmeal.
"Pfft, pardon me if it's not top-shelf," Volare stuck his tongue out, displaying a glob of oatmeal and getting another nudge in the ribs in return. "Believe it or not, Iron Will taught me how to make it while I stayed at Fluttershy's place; you know the guy's a helluva cook?" But as they ate and chatted about nothing in particular besides Scootaloo flipping out and shouting that 'her bro was living with Rainbow Dash', Dash still couldn't help her mind from drifting back to the words in her dream. And the more she thought about it, the more she subtly scooted away from him until nearly an entire wing's worth of distance stretched between them. Volare took notice of her sudden silence and distance and he bumped her with a wingtip. "Hey, you gonna be ok?"
"Huh-yeah, I'm fine," she shook her head and stuffed a spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth. Volare chewed his own food thoughtfully for a moment more before speaking up again.
"You know, if anything that little experience last night kinda set the high-bar for craziness," he chuckled, drawing a strange look from Dash. "What I mean to say is as long as we don't get that crazy again, you don't have to, well..." he nodded at the empty space between them, and she smiled sheepishly at having instinctively gone to the opposite extreme. "Not saying I want you being touchy-feely all the time, but-oof!" He grunted as Dash scooted sideways and threw a hoof around his neck with a cheeky grin, seemingly back to normal once more. "Heh, this is ok, though."
"Aww, you missed me-how sweet," Dash tossed her mane and poked his cheek with her spoon, leaving a sticky gob of oatmeal in its wake. "You know, I really didn't mean to hurt you yesterday-I care about you, dude." Taking a chance, she leaned over and licked it off, eliciting a look of shock from the pilot.
"Blech, well you got a weird way of showing it," he wiped his cheek with a hoof and gave her a squinty look before returning to his meal, his cheeks flushed and hot.
"Well just know that I do, and as for what I did...don't read too much into it, flyboy," she winked and smirked. "Just living up to your expectations of being an efficient bitch." Volare gave a short bark of laughter at that as they lapsed into silence once more. But Dash, her confidence back in full swing, just couldn't resist one more little prank; she leaned in and whispered as huskily as she could. "Besides, you think I'd let you taste the rainbow that easily?" Volare nearly choked on his oatmeal in shock as Dash laughed and pounded him on the back in laughter. She was so caught up that she didn't have time to dodge the glob of oatmeal that Volare flung, hitting her right under the ear and making her yelp in surprise. She glared at him and he smirked in return as they readied their spoons, each waiting for the other to make the first move.
It was uncertain who "shot" first, but what followed would go down as the most intense two-pony oatmeal-flinging war in Equestrian history. Nopony conceded defeat, and it ended when they ran out of oatmeal, neither the clear victor. It left the kitchen and the two Pegasi involved an absolute mess, but the friendly clean-up and banter that followed served notice that all bad feelings that may or may not have existed from the night before were forgiven or forgotten, leaving their minds clear to move onto Volare's wing strength training.
Dash took Volare to the top floor of her house, showing him the array of ice-weights, Drag Chutes, and a crazy-looking contraption built by Blossomforth back before Tornado Day that strapped onto a Pegasus' back and increased wing-flap resistance in order to build strength. "So, did Twilight say exactly why I needed to boost my wing strength?" Volare asked, gravitating towards the colorful drag-chutes and leaving the wing-contraption alone once he noticed what looked like dried blood and feather fuzz crammed into its joints.
"Nah, she didn't say exactly," Dash scratched her head. Did she ever say why? But nothing came to mind and she shrugged, helping Volare strap on a red drag-chute and helping him carry it out the window, grabbing a training whistle on the way out. "Mentioned the Sonic Rainboom, but she was pretty vague about it," she shrugged.
"Meh, I'm sure she's got a good reason for it," Volare conceded as Dash dropped the drag-chute once they were clear of her house. The red fabric billowed down and hung below the hovering pilot as he pushed those distracting thoughts out of his mind, focusing on what Dash had to say; she was the expert here. "So, what're we gonna do, coach?"
"Hah, coach eh?" Dash crossed her hooves and gave him a cocky grin. "I like the sound of that. Ok, simple stuff this week: I want you to fly reps of twenty laps a-piece around each level of my house before taking a ten minute rest. That's sixty laps, flyboy, and then we do it again; think you can handle it?"
"We're gonna find out," he matched her grin, inhaling the cool, lofty air and enjoying the crispness of it. It invigorated him, and the combination of the warm sun overhead, the good food in his belly, and Dash's confident presence made him believe he was capable of just about anything right now. "Ready when you are, coach!"
"Right! On your mark-get set!" Dash's rose eyes met his intense blue ones, and her heart fluttered ever so slightly. Not only had he forgiven her and didn't hate her, but he'd decided to stay, done all these nice things for her, and was now putting his trust in her. Don't fail him again Dash! He's counting on you!
BRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTT!!!!
The whistle blew and Volare took off, the chute billowing out behind him and dragging him back as designed. But one look over his shoulder at Dash made him shake his head and pull back just as hard.
Not gonna let her down...you owe her too much to be a quitter, Volare! She expects better of you and dammit you're gonna give her better!!!
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September 21st, noon...
The next four days passed by in a blur, with Volare barely having the time between helping Scootaloo with her schoolwork, monitoring the speedy progress of the Gilded Griffin (Bon-Bon was excited with how quickly Trixie and Octavia had raised the framework), reading through the delivered notes of slow progress Twilight was making on the counter-spell, and his own intense work-out sessions which left him room for little more than blissful sleep at the end of the day. He'd had a few scares during the latter events, including one on Wednesday where he thought he'd broken his left wing when a gust of wind caught his drag-chute and buffeted him right through one of Dash's (thankfully open) upper-level windows.
Dash hadn't been home at the time, having gone off to aid the Weather Team on the North side of Ponyville, and Volare was mortified that she'd come back to find he'd hurt himself yet again. But after untangling himself from the chute-cords and Blossomforth's flying contraption, he'd found his wings whole and unbroken, with only a few sensitive pinions bent out of shape. Even so, that small discrepancy in his wing profile made accurate flight all the more difficult, and as he didn't know how to straighten them correctly himself, he had to wait for Rainbow Dash to get home to help.
After the short scolding and ribbing he'd expected to receive, Dash calmly and gently straightened his pinions, doing her very best not to brush the leading edge of his wing more than necessary. When Volare had asked exactly why Pegasus wings seemed to be so sensitive on the leading edge, she simply shrugged and gently traced a feather along his wing, making him jump as she joked that she never really paid much attention in Anatomy class up at the Cloudsdale Academy; she merely "winged it." However, she did warn him to be careful because as he'd found out the hard way, if those feathers become bent or misaligned, it makes flight more difficult than necessary.
Volare strove to be more careful, flying further away from the house the next day and proudly noting that by evening, when his laps were completed, he wasn't nearly as tired as he had been the previous few days. Dash said that must mean he's improving, and it'll be time to add another drag-chute soon (she personally trained with up to a half dozen, she boasted-and Volare believed it!) By Friday morning over breakfast of hash-browns, however, Dash told him to take the day off, that there were bigger fish to fry that day.
"What bigger fish?"
"Oh, you know...the Truth or Dare kind," Dash smirked at the expression of realization and mild horror that crossed Volare's face. "Aha, so you remember, eh?" But Volare tried to be resolute and he put on a stoic expression as he methodically ate his breakfast.
"Yep, sure do...so when do we start?"
"Hmm, right now if ya want," Dash leaned into him and bumped her cheek against his before whispering. "Soo, flyboy...you gonna tell me the truth about what I wanna know?" She produced his flight patch from under the table and waved it gently in front of him.
"Tempting, Dashie," Volare gave her the cold shoulder and smiled inwardly at her little growl of frustration. "But just because you gave me a place to sleep, a roof over my head, and some cool work-out toys doesn't mean I'll lower my defenses that much." He leaned back into her touch and returned the whisper. "I am enjoying the company though, hee-hee." Her reaction was immediate and not entirely unexpected as she leaned away from him and hoofed him none-too-gently in the shoulder.
"So what-I take it you're not gonna tell me, huh?"
"That's about the size of it, Dash," Volare said as he continued to shovel the hash-browns into his mouth, hoping to fill the looming silence with his chewing. But instead of Dash moving on like he expected and daring him to do something he was sure she'd been cooking up all week, she simply cocked her head slightly and asked a familiar question.
"Why?"
Volare paused in mid-bite and sighed. With her close presence and some structure finally in his life, Volare was nearly lulled into such a sense of security that he began to consider simply telling her right then and there. But as he made to open his mouth to tell her, the reason why he couldn't rose up like a viper hidden in the shadows to strike him in the heart: Loneliness...liquor...and a laptop in the dark...no, how could he ever explain what he-no...he never could...she'd think him a freak, and she'd be right...it would overshadow any good things he associated with her, and she'd never understand why she was so important to him. Instead, Volare inhaled deeply as if to speak, steeled his nerves, and forced a sidelong smile in her direction. "That's for me to know and you to find out, Dashie."
"Grr, you're impossible!" Dash hoofed him again and sank back into her seat, tearing off a chunk of toast and grumbling through it, her hooves crossed in front of her and her wings flicking irritably.
"Heh, you know you're adorable when you're flustered-oof!-ok, I deserved that," Volare rubbed his sore ribs as she gave him an impish smirk while she chewed.
"Hmmph, not as much as you're gonna deserve the Dare I just thought up," Dash flicked his muzzle with a wingtip, gulped a glass of orange juice and belched loudly, ignoring the stallion's astonished expression. "C'mon flyboy, it's already noon; and grab that ane-whatzit."
"Well that's cuz you decided to sleep in-hey, my hash browns!" Volare cried melodramatically as she yanked him away from the kitchen table, pulling him towards the door and throwing it open. The sun splashed across Rainbow Dash's well-toned cyan form and her prismatic mane and tail caught the lofty breeze, reflecting light back into her home behind her as she stepped through the door. She inhaled the crisp air with a great pull of her mighty lungs and stretched her wings before noticing she was short one pony's company-what was taking him so long? With a small snort of irritation, she looked back over her shoulder to see Volare simply standing there, his mouth slightly open and his face wearing an expression she couldn't quite make out. "What're you looking at, hmm?"
Volare caught the implications of her tone and quickly shook his head clear of the feeling of amazement that had taken over his mind and frozen his hooves in place. "Ah-ahem, n-nothing, nothing, Dashie," he insisted as he picked up the anemometer he'd dropped, withering slightly under her glance before the corner of her lip quirked upwards.
"Nothing, eh?" she tossed her mane and flapped her wings before stepping out onto the porch, Volare at her hip. "Guess I'm not doing a good job then."
"Wha-no, I mean, you're doing a good job of-agh, crap what'm I saying?" Volare facehoofed to cover his blushing cheeks before Dash filled the sky with brash, amused laughter as she nudged his ribs mercilessly with a wing.
"Bwahahahaha, you know you're adorable when you're embarrassed, flyboy?" she echoed his earlier remark before leaning against him with a sigh. "Oh man, almost makes me feel bad for what I've got planned for ya, heh-heh-heh."
"Oh, and what's that exactly?" he asked, trying to focus his mind on anything else for the moment.
"You'll see-c'mon!" Dash took a running start down the short path leading from her door, leaped high in the air and tucked her wings before diving out of sight. "BANZAI!!!!"
"Ha, right behind ya!" Volare mirrored her dive and he squinted downwards through the frigid air, again cursing himself for forgetting his flight goggles as his eyes immediately teared up no matter how tightly he squeezed them. But he fought through it and followed the prismatic Pegasus as she flared her wings and glided slowly, allowing him to catch up before they turned as one and headed west towards Sweet Apple Acres. "So what's this Dare you got in mind, and what's the anemometer got to do with it?"
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"They're gonna do what!?" Applejack practically shouted at Big Macintosh, but the large red stallion simply shrugged and shook his head, doing his best to show that he truly didn't approve of what was about to take place.
"Well, as far as Ah can gather," he drawled, chewing his iconic hay stalk as he searched for just the right combination of words that would explain the truth without further worrying his sister. But try as he might, Big Mac gave into the fact that he was no poet, and he simply told it like it was: "Rainbow Dash has dared Volare ta fly through tha apple trees as fast as he can, and if'n he knocks one from tha branches, he's gotta start over. Oh, and she said somethin' else about'm havin' ta have 9.4 wingpower by tha end of all of it, so he'd better get it right purdy quick, or else he'll get tired...er somethin' like that," he shrugged his yoke-bedecked shoulders.
Applejack stared at him in shock before realizing he was dead serious. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me-why in Equestria are they doin' that?" she facehoofed, but Big Mac simply shrugged.
"Wouldn't say, but they asked politely enough ta use tha property, so..." Big Mac's words were interrupted by Volare streaking past, dodging trees left and right, whirling through branches and rolling through twigs as he went, feeling the air currents that weaved around the trees just as he had the first day he'd truly flown; but Dash had no idea he'd done such a thing and he'd caught her by surprise when he'd accepted her challenge without a second's hesitation. He managed to give them a short wave of his hoof before narrowly missing a low branch. The pilot tucked his wings and darted under it, scraping the ground with a wingtip and hissing in pain as he unfurled his wings and looped high over the barn, curling back down in a short dive before shooting back through the wooden pillars. "Heh, he's gettin' better, that's fer sure," Big Mac observed, but Applejack was halfway between being worried out of her mind and 'madder'n a wet hen.'
"Yeah, well what's Twi gonna say if'n she finds out he breaks a wing or worse on our property while we just stood here and let'm do it?" Big Mac's face went blank and the wheat stalk tumbled from his mouth as the thought of a raging purple Unicorn helping harvest everything not tied down on the farm came to mind.
"Uh...never thought'a that, AJ," he coughed as Volare continued to whirl through the trees, once or twice bouncing off a branch but never knocking an apple down. The impacts were relatively light, but at this new realization, Big Mac winced every time he struck a branch. "Maybe we oughta, uh...hrm, how do we stop'im?"
"Get mah rope, that's what," Applejack growled, cursing her friend Rainbow Dash for a manipulative fool. Just what the hay WAS her game with him anyway!? But Big Mac shook his head and snorted.
"So you'd wrangle'm at high speed, AJ? Yeah, that'll end well..."
"Yeah, well you got any better ideas, huh!?" Applejack squinted a green eye before her ear pricked up towards the outside border of the Acres; it was the sound of the raucous shouting of Rainbow Dash. "Oh holy horsefeed," Applejack shook her head and galloped towards the shouting, Big Mac hot on her hooves. The memories of finding Volare de-winged that night weeks ago in the Library came flying back to her, and she put on an extra burst of speed that left her larger brother in the dust; she was just thankful Applebloom wasn't around to see this...
But as she crested a short hill that blocked her view, she looked down in shock at the sight before her. "What in tarnation...?"
"Hah, whatcha think about that, Dashie?" Volare shouted, far from seriously injured as he pointed a triumphant hoof at the still-spinning anemometer. "Yeah! 9.5 even after all that!!" Rainbow Dash on the other hoof, was alternating between bouts of shouting, playful shoving, and astonished silence as she continued to return to the anemometer.
"Meh, this thing's gotta be broken or something," Dash tapped on the dial of the machine, convinced that there was no possibly way he could have done what he just did. I mean, he was slowing down and breathing hard and he had to be tired from working all week...unless he was playing possum and had just hustled her. Even so, as she tried to glare at him, she couldn't help but let a small smile of pride crack across her face as he pranced and whooped, flapping his wings and tossing his mane despite the stinging pain of the apple tree splinters that riddled his body. With a sigh of defeat, Dash shook her head and threw a hoof around his shoulders, shaking him gently as Applejack approached, a frown of confusion on her face while Big Mac observed from the top of the small hill. "Oh, heya AJ; what's up?"
"Oh, nothin' much, just wonderin' why tha hay ya'll are puttin' poor Volare through heck'n a half again," Applejack growled but stopped as Volare waved a dismissive hoof and shook his head.
"Heh, nah AJ it's not what you think," the pilot insisted. "It's just a game we agreed on, that's all." He caught the worried glance Dash shot him but he reassured her with a nudge of a wingtip. He wasn't planning on telling anypony about their little pact.
"Well your little game gotcha covered in more splinters'n a hedgehog has pricklers, Volare," Applejack winced as Volare wiped a few pieces of wood from his fur with a chuckle.
"Meh, I've had worse and you know it, AJ. Plus, Dash wouldn't dare me to do it if she didn't think it was reasonable, right?" he glanced at the cyan mare beside him.
"Right," Dash nodded, but her own grin faded as Volare's grew. "Wh-what's that smile for?"
"Cuz I passed your dare...now it's my turn, dear ol' Dashie." If he'd had hands he'd have been rubbing them together in evil glee as it was his turn to relish Dash squirming in uncertainty. But at the sight of Applejack sharing in his grin, feeling Dash deserved to get a little bit back in return, the fiery Pegasus screwed up her courage and puffed out her chest.
"Pfft, I can handle anything you can throw at me, flyboy-so bring it!" Applejack knew that was most likely true, and she too wondered what exactly Volare might challenge her with. But what Volare asked next very nearly floored Dash in shock.
"Alrighty Dashie, tell me the Truth: what bugs you the most in the world?"
"...what kind of question is that, flyboy?"
"That's not the answer I'm looking for, Dashie," Volare mussed her mane, dodging her growling swipe with a backwards hop. "What bugs you the most?"
"Grr-why ya wanna know that, huh?"
"Cuz you already know a good way of punching my buttons, Dash; I feel it's about time I return the favor," he smirked.
"Yeehaw, that'll show'er, Volare!" Applejack whooped and slapped her hat against her hoof while Dash simply stood there, flushing a shade of pink from the neck up as Volare nudged her with a wing. She'd been counting on that Truth as a safety net in case he dared her to do something a little too stupid, but there was no way in Tartarus she was going to tell him any weakness of hers, much less her greatest one! She was trapped in a game she'd agreed upon, and one look at Volare's confident smile revealed that he might have had this planned from the time she'd had a moment of good conscience and had stopped herself the first night he'd spent at her house. Oh you're good, flyboy...but I'm better! You wanna play chicken?-fine; just means losing is even LESS of an option now! And so, bereft of any other option, she threw caution to the wind, bumped her forehead right up against his and growled:
"I decline, now dare me to do something!" Volare backed off in surprise at her renewed ferocity and she smirked a bit at that and took another step forward, flaring her wings and lowering her head slightly. "So c'mon and gimme your best shot, flyboy!"
"Oh, um...hmm," Volare mumbled; he honestly hadn't had a dare in mind, really only intending to figure out how to push her buttons in return. But at this turn of events, he thought quickly and said the first thing that came to mind: "I guess I Dare you to do the same thing I just did."
"Pfft, lame!" Dash snickered.
"Alright, do it and make 17 wingpower by the end of it!"
"Ha, I could do that blindfolded!" Dash smirked before realizing how badly she'd just shot her mouth off. Her slim hopes of Volare somehow missing what she'd just said evaporated as the pilot's head cocked to the side in amusement. Ah crap...
..............................
10 Minutes Later...
"Dash c'mon, you don't have to do this!" Volare called out as Rainbow Dash picked herself off of the ground for the fourth time with an angry growl, spitting leaves and a bit of blood from a busted lip as she shot the pilot a withering glare.
"Shut up, flyboy-I've got this!" she yelled back, visualizing the path through the trees in her mind before throwing the blindfold back on and trying again. And again, within half a minute, she'd crashed into an apple tree, clipping a wing on a branch and flipping her side-long into the scratchy sticks of one already bare of apples; her earlier impacts having knocked them all down already. Big Mac and Applejack looked on from the fence-line, one in respectful silence, and the other in growing pity; what the hay was Dash thinking?! She was gonna get herself hurt, and all for a game?! But Big Mac restrained his sister with a slow shake of his massive head; if it were anypony else, intervention would have been a good idea...but not for this proud Pegasus. She intended to see it through to the finish, even if it killed her, just to prove a point. And that point was that she was infallible, excellent in flight, and unbeatable in competition.
As Dash tumbled to the ground in a heap once more, she heard hoofsteps rapidly approach her as their owner kneeled down beside her. "Dashie...you're hurt," Volare said as he ran a tentative hoof along her bent pinions, receiving an angry slap to the foreleg as Dash staggered to her hooves once more. "C'mon Dash, this is stupid; just stop."
"No way, Volare," Dash growled, glad the blindfold was hiding the grimacing pain in her face as she turned away and glared at the trees, the source of her anger and pain. "I'm not gonna give up and let you win that easily." But before she could take off again, Volare grabbed her hoof and spun her around, pulling down the blindfold as he faced her. It was then that she saw the pain in his own eyes, the realization that she was being hurt because of him...and she nearly relented and gave in right there.
"Dashie, you don't have to-" he brushed a trembling wing against her bruised face, causing her to recoil from even that light of a touch, it hurt so much. But maybe this was a trick...yeah, this was a trick so he'd get to know her weaknesses! The fiery mare shook her head, both in disagreement and to clear the ringing from her ears as she backed away once more.
All the pain you've gone through here is because of me, flyboy...maybe fate's just thought it fitting that the score be evened a little right here, she thought. "Yes I do, Volare; I've gotta play by the same rules as you do, so just back off and let me do this!" Dash growled again as she sighted her path through the trees, tying the blindfold on and stretching her creaking wings, ignoring the pain in her bent pinions that made flight all that more difficult, even for her.
"If you're not gonna have enough sense in your head to stop this Dash then I-" Volare paused, gritting his teeth as he felt his next words would seal his fate...but perhaps she'd understand he did it for her. "I'll forfeit!" Volare's sudden declaration dropped Applejack and Big Mac's jaws and caused Dash to halt in her tracks. Her wings dipped slightly as she turned back to face Volare, never removing the blindfold lest he see the solitary tear-full of an emotion she didn't understand, and was a little scared to try to-slip down her face and soak into the confining fabric. She took a wavering step towards him but stopped once more, a competitive fire flaring up from the comforting promise of automatic victory It would be so easy to say yes...so easy to win if he quit...so easy to get what she wanted. But there was no honor, no joy, no substance in beating somepony like that. It would be a hollow victory, and the spoils that came with it...would seem just as hollow and unearned...and disrespectful. No...you're not gonna be weak and make him quit like this-it's too important to him! You're better than that, Rainbow Dash!
"I'm sorry flyboy," a crooked smile peeked out from beneath the blindfold. "But if anypony wins this, its not gonna be cuz one of us quit!" Her grin widened and she blocked out his shouts of concern, blocked out the noise and the pounding in the ground of his hooves as he galloped to stop her. She blocked it all out...exhaled...inhaled...and took off, Volare's hoof missing her tail by inches as she jetted into the trees, her mind's eye full of her path and her body's other senses working at maximum overdrive as she zipped around branches, rolled through the leaves, blasted through the treetops and swung past the barn, nearly clipping the weather vane at the peak of the roof before pulling what Volare realized to be a perfect Herbst-Maneuver and diving back down over the barn and into the densely-planted apple trees once more.
Even without her eyes, Dash's Pegasus senses "saw" the wind patterns writhing through the branches, and she felt herself coming centimeters from smashing into the wooden pillars, but still she rocketed on, flying, tucking, rolling, and dodging through the trees as fast as she dared, sending a cloud of leaves and sticks sky-high in her passage before they tumbled down all over the farm. She ripped through yet another apple tree, that vicious grin still plastered on her face as she wrapped a hoof around a branch, yanked it backwards in flight, and used it to catapult herself clear of the treeline, flying past the anemometer so fast that it tipped over and crashed to the ground just as she looped back around and landed next to Volare with a mighty thud.
She ripped the blindfold off and glared triumphantly at the astonished stallion, her breath coming in ragged snorts and her heart beating twenty miles a minute as she leaned in and whispered into his ear:
"Now that's how you really fly, Volare," she nipped his ear with her teeth and growled. "And don't you ever quit on me like that, cuz I've got no intention of quitting on you or anypony else-ever!"
"D-dashie, I-" Volare began but Dash cut him off with a wing to the lips.
"Heh, I'm fine. Crashed worse than this when I-whoa, everything's spinning..." Dash moaned woozily and clapped a hoof to her face as the adrenaline of victory wore off and she became very aware of where she was hurting. "Crap...glad my head's a little tougher than those trees, heheheh..." She staggered two or three steps and saw stars before she felt her legs give out. But instead of crashing to the ground, she fell into the warm comfort of somepony's cradling embrace, keeping her head from hitting the ground-and she didn't need two guesses as to who it was again...and dammit, she was too woozy to be embarrassed! "H-hey, flyboy...what's up?"
"Holy hell, Dashie," Volare breathed, running a shaky hoof through her mane and motioning for Applejack and Big Mac to hurry to them. The pilot returned his attention to Dash and turned her head towards the sun, causing her to squint and growl in protest. "Dash, I know this is gonna suck, but I've gotta check you for a concussion-open your eyes and look at the sun."
"What're you-agh, dammit," Dash moaned as a shard of pain pierced her temple and forced her to bite her lip to keep from shouting. But, being the veteran of quite a few crashes, Dash knew he was trying to emulate the test the nurses often put her through at the hospital. Gritting her teeth, she opened her eyes and stared at the sun for a few moments before slamming them shut, brights spots clouding her vision and adding to the maelstrom of stars and bright colors zipping across her vision. But at Volare's slight sigh of relief and his grip tightening into a hug, she allowed herself to exhale and give a smile that had nothing to do with forced bravado.
"Will I live, Doc?"
"Y-yeah, you're ok; your eyes aren't dilated, Dashie," Volare's face winked in and out of focus behind the dancing spots in Dash's eyes, but she could see the tears of relief welling in his eyes and she quickly reached for the blindfold and held it up to dab at his face, nearly poking him in the eye as she did do. "Heh, thanks Dash," Volare smiled and wiped his eyes before wiping the blood spot that trickled down her temple and lip. He looked over and nodded to Applejack, and she quickly galloped back to the farm house to grab an icepack, while Big Mac kneeled down next Dash, blocking the cool wind that cut across the open farmland and made them all shiver a bit as they sat in silence for a few minutes while Dash recovered. Volare exchanged a smile with Big Mac before looking back down at Dash. Her rose-colored eyes were focusing of their own accord now, and she was craning her neck to peer at the anemometer.
"W-what did I get, Volare?"
"Hmm?"
"My wingpower...what did it measure at?"
"...you're unbelievable, you know that?" Volare shook his head and hugged her again as all three of them chuckled heartily. Applejack soon returned and laid the icepack on the angry-looking dark blue lump on Dash's temple. Applejack sighed and joined them on the ground, taking her hat off and rubbing her face with an incredulous hoof.
"Ya'll two are both crazier'n a couple'a outhouse rats, ya know that?" At that, Dash and Volare stared at each other for a moment, all battered, bloodied, bruised up, and splintery before bumping wings and laughing fit to kill. "Mercy on anypony if they ever got between both of ya."
"What's that supposed to mean, AJ?" Dash squinted out from under the ice pack.
"What she means ta say is...well," Big Mac paused for a moment. "Ah guess if'n ya'll are willin' ta get this hurt over a dumb game, no tellin' what ya'll'd do ta somepony if'n they pissed ya'll off." The three other pony's eyes widened at the sound of the gentle giant cursing before the two Pegasi exchanged another look and burst into chuckles again.
"Ah think ya'll both hit your heads er somethin'," Applejack snorted and stood up, helping Volare to his hooves and in turn helping Dash stagger upright herself. "Woo-wee, that's a nice little molehill ya got growin' there, Rainbow Dash," Applejack chuckled a bit, still feeling like Dash got her just desserts after what she'd done to Volare at the party the other night. "Might wanna take'r ta Ponyville Medical ta get her-"
"No way, that'd mean going through town," Dash interrupted her with a wave of her wing. "And there's no way I'm gonna let other ponies see me like this," she turned to Volare. "Or him like that," she pointed at the splinters embedded in his muzzle and he grinned sheepishly. "We're tough-we can handle it just fine, right flyboy?"
"Uh, eh-heh, sure," Volare rolled his eyes. "It'd be easy enough to ice your bruises, but how're ya gonna get the splinters out of my face, eh? Pull'em out with your teeth?" At his suggestion, Dash snickered and took a sliding step closer. "Oh gimme a break, Dashie."
"Heehee, that'd basically mean me kissing you," she leaned in and waggled her eyebrows before Big Mac snorted very loudly.
"Ahem-get a room," he muttered bluntly, and all three ponies stared at him; apparently he wasn't aware of the whole picture between Dash and Volare. "What, Ah'd rather'm do it there than out here in tha-"
"Oh for gawd's sake, Big Mac!" Volare shouted, and Applejack gave chase, slapping her brother with her hat while the two Pegasi simply stood there mortified, the heat radiating from their faces rivaling that of Celestia's sun before they glanced sidelong at each other.
"Uh, heh-heh, let's not and say we did, flyboy," Dash nudged him with a wing and winced.
"Heh, or let's just not and never speak of it again," he countered, leaning into her as carefully as he could and watching Applejack chase her brother into the appletrees, still cursing her head off. The pilot chuckled before looking up towards the thin stream of smoke wafting up from the treeline of the Everfree Forest, just across the farmland. "Hmm, we could ask Fluttershy to help-she was pretty good at this sort of thing during my reconditioning."
"I was actually about to suggest that," Dash nodded. "She's also fixed me up a time or two. So...shall we?"
"Ladies first," Volare smirked, but settled on trotting along beside her towards the southern end of the farm, as the northern road would take them through town.
"Oh crap, the ane-whatzit!" Dash cried suddenly, and Volare quickly retrieved it and made to set it inside her ground-bound mailbox for later, but she limped over and prodded him in the shoulder. "So, what's it say?"
"Huh?"
"Dude, I asked you this earlier; lemme see," Dash looked over his shoulder at the gauge, grinned, and hooked a hoof over his neck and laughed. "Ha, 17.2 wingpower, a new personal best!"
"Congrats, Dashie," Volare chuckled, folding the anemometer up and setting it inside the mailbox before they trotted off again, mostly in ruminating silence as they limped along, striking a strange pair indeed as they rounded the southern edge of the farm and headed north up the road that cut between Sweet Apple Acres and the Everfree Forest on the way to Fluttershy's Cottage. Volare subconsciously switched positions with Dash on the road, placing himself between her and the looming woods on their left. Dash noticed the gesture and normally would have told him off for it, protesting that she wasn't some weak little filly to be coddled like that. But, given the circumstances, she let it slide this time, nodding her thanks to him as they continued to trot along. "So, why did you keep doing it, Dash?" Volare asked after a few more minutes of silent trotting.
"Hmm, whatcha mean?"
"Why'd you keep pushing yourself like that, even though you...were getting hurt," he winced as she half-turned, revealing the angry-looking lump peeking out from the icepack she held to her head with a wing as she spoke the first thing she always told ponies when they asked her this:
"Cuz I hate losing, plain and simple," she said tersely and looked towards the path ahead, mostly so she didn't have to meet his gaze.
"I don't think it's that simple, though," Volare replied softly, and before he knew it Dash had shoved him up against an apple tree that had snuck under the fence on their right. Despite the ice-pack blocking half her face, the look in her eye was unmistakable: don't you dare second-guess me on this.
"It is that simple, so just drop it, ok?" Her words mirrored her actions as she took her hoof off his chest and stepped back, letting him fall back on all fours as she snorted and shook her head, waiting for him to rejoin her after a moment of hesitation. Silence reigned over the pair as they trotted along before Volare chanced speaking again.
"Winning's not everything, Dashie," he commented, expecting a similar outburst; but he felt like he was onto something here. Why DID she push herself like that? But to his surprise, though Dash's free wing flicked in irritation, she merely dropped her head slightly before replying defiantly:
"Well it...it is to me. Losing's no option."
"...Why?"
Volare's sincere question, mirroring her own earlier, nearly stopped Dash in her tracks to contemplate an answer. Why? Truly...why did she feel that way? But she knew why, especially around ponies like him, and she forced her hooves to keep moving as she spoke. "Because that's what's expected of me, so just drop it already." A lie...or at the very least, a half-truth... But it got Volare to shut up for a while, leaving her thoughts to wander towards other subjects. But, like a foal tugging on the mane of his parent, he inexorably dragged her back once more with his words, but this time in a way that didn't make her want to just stuff a hoof in his mouth so he'd be quiet about it.
"You remember at the party, how I told you why I didn't socially drink anymore, Dash?" She nodded wordlessly and he continued. "And you told me that, if it hurt, I didn't have to drink to prove anything to you or anypony else...what did you mean by that?"
"I-uh..." Dash's trots slowed to a near stand-still for a moment before she gathered her thoughts and turned to face him, hoofing him with a confident grin. "Cuz you'd already proved yourself by saving Scootaloo, helping Trixie, and helping with rebuilding the Griffin. Plus you're a freakin jet pilot; you didn't have to prove anything else, flyboy."
"Then why did you feel like hurting yourself like this would prove anything to me, Dashie?" Rainbow Dash halted so quickly she nearly stumbled forward, and Volare had to turn back around to face her, but she merely stared at the ground, her eye darting left and right and her lips silently moving as she tried to come up with a decent answer. But Volare moved in closer and lifted her forelock with a hoof, and her uncovered eye met his as he smiled gently. "You will never have to hurt yourself to prove to me that you're great, Rainbow Dash; I already know you are."
"Wh-what do you...huh?" Dash cocked her head in bemusement. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the compliment-on the contrary, she relished it-but...that just came out of nowhere! And for him, a stallion, to care about her safety like that, it just...it was strange. And that compliment-if only he knew the truth, he wouldn't think she was so great. What the hay's going on?! I'm Rainbow Dash, I don't brush off compliments; I live for them, right?! "I don't understand...how could you think I'm great? I mean, you've only known me for a month..."
"Heh, let's just say your reputation precedes you," Volare shot her a quick sidelong wink which merely elicited a growl from the mare as she smacked him with a wing.
"Grr, I'm gonna find out about that patch, flyboy, so don't think I'm gonna go easy on you just cuz you care about me or anything...I mean-"
"Hahaha, wouldn't expect you to, Dashie," Volare bumped her with a hip and he took off trotting again. "Couldn't call ya 'great', then eh?"
"Heh, sure," Dash rolled her eyes before catching up to him and swiftly reaching out and entangling her aching pinions in Volare's for a moment, drawing a quick gasp from him before she craned her neck and gave him a quick nuzzle. "Still, thanks."
"A-anytime, Dashie," Volare nodded as she released his wing and they trotted along under the canopy that stretched over and darkened the road, nearing the place where Volare and Shae had encountered what he was almost certain by now had been Ray and Jill. He shuddered visibly as they passed through, and Dash took notice, draping a comforting wing over his back; she'd heard what went on that night, how he'd stood up to the terrors of the night like that despite how scared and weak he'd been compared to how he was now.
"Owe it to ya, ya know," she said, trying to take his mind off of what was obviously bothering him.
"Hmm?"
"I mean, my new record; probably wouldn't have gotten it if you hadn't pissed me off so bad, heh-heh," she continued to hold her wing across his back until she felt him relax. "You know, this could be the beginning of a beautiful...hmm, rivalry, I guess," she winked and stuck her tongue out at him and he merely rolled his eyes and laughed.
"Ha, if you say so, Dashie."
"Hmm, maybe we should have a safe word," Dash mused, smirking as Volare nearly stumbled at her statement.
"Come again, Dash?"
"You know, a safe word so we don't take things too far," she waggled her eyebrows and snickered as his cheeks flushed. "If we're gonna keep playing chicken like this, I mean."
"Riiiight..." he gave her a squinty look that she matched with her uncovered eye. They held like that for nearly half a minute as they trotted, not paying an ounce of attention to where they were going before they both tripped and fell head over wings on a tree root that snaked across the road. As they lay there in the dusty road, Dash sat up and leaned on an elbow, cocking her head as Volare did the same before they both started snickering, then chuckling, then full-out laughing again so hard that it hurt their aching ribs and were probably heard halfway into the Everfree Forest and back up the farm.
"Hahahaha, maybe you're right, Dashie."
"Huh-heeheehee-about what?"
"That safe word," Volare continued to chuckle as they stood up and dusted themselves off. "Cabbages or something."
"Cabbages? What the hay," Dash shook her head as they cleared the rise that led down to Fluttershy's cottage in the near distance. "Why that?"
"Cuz it sounds like nothing else you'd probably say on accident while doing things."
"Hmm, doing things, eh?" Dash said in a suggestive tone as she ran a wing up his neck before wincing in pain. "Ow-extrapolate."
"Oh for gawds-sake, Dash," he rolled his eyes and folded her wing back down as she snickered. "You're crazy."
"Nah, I know exactly what I'm doing," she imitated him with a grin.
"That's what scares me sometimes," Volare replied with a snort. "So, what're we gonna tell Fluttershy when she asks how we got so beat up, eh?" he asked as they neared her front door; he couldn't imagine she'd be too terribly pleased if they told her they'd hurt themselves playing Truth or Dare.
"That's easy: we'll just say you crashed through a tree and fell off a cliff, and so I swooped in and saved ya, getting heroically roughed up in the process of course-cuz that's how bad the fall was!" Dash pumped a hoof and threw it around the neck of her facehoofing friend. "You got a better idea, flyboy?"
"...nope, sure don't."
"Heehee, good answer!"
"Cabbages, Dashie, cabbages..."
---------------------------------------------
Notes: Whew, sorry this chapter is a day late-had it mostly done last night but felt I had to add some better closure this morning! Hope you all enjoyed it!
Extra note: With luck, all future chapters of this arc should be about this length or shorter, so hopefully the story moves a little quicker from here on out!
Also, credit for the artwork goes to johnjoseco while the "flying contraption goes to Chengar Qordath and his story The Life and Times of a Winning Pony
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Chapter title should be "Playing Scootaloo".
Aww yeah, its pony time... now to read.
That's just eerie. "Hey, Blue Angel updated!" Suddenly a Hornet goes over my head.
Yay update!!!
Too bad I'll have to read this later.
Galdangit. Why does everybody post the best things during Finals?
V-PONY STAHP PLS
"
Taste the Rainbow that easily."
*eating Skittles*
…
…
…
*reads*
OH GAWDZ!!!
Goodness they are so adorable together!
And I'm pretty sure rubbing your hooves together can be as effective. Gifs of Twilight around the net doing it proves it to possible.
Well as always that was great and we are really getting into the heart of the story.
With this done time to go back to work!
1825739
Not as eerie as reading a favorite character sacrifice themselves in the story and hear TAPS play all a sudden. I am on a military base so at ten everynight TAPS play to signal lights out. When that happen to me the first time I stopped reading mid chapter and went to bed after I got my heart rate down, think it was one of yours. That almost happen in this story TWICE! But thankfully not yet in this great story.
1825709WHO YA CALLING CHICKEN?
t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-CPYhQZCKDm1YXPGYnIjZjr31E15uYMTsL-MdWg6I0BZlq8xvNXOwks7z
1825888
I still think Twi is a better match, in that Volare will have a much longer life expectancy and the unicorn is less of a bitch.
If it wouldn't make a sentence by its self it needs a comma, not a semicolon.
Two spaces.
I laughed for a minute. This is my new favorite line.
It's SO true.
Am I the only one wondering how this is a word they know? Meh, they speak English somehow, what's some Japanese too?
You can't start off after a semicolon with a conjunction.
Ended with a comma.
1825990
Word of God pretty much said its VolDash (am I doing this right?).
Word of Two Gods if you count what that meddlesome princess had apparently done.
Great reconciliation there, and wow, Dash was really feeling regretful about her "teasing".
... and this is just the first set of dares? Shesh, they're both going to be dead by the time the truth comes out.
17.2, nice. Though to be honest, I've always been a little irritated at the 16.5 they gave Dash back in the show. Either as a test of speed or acceleration, just seems too close to the numbers everyone else got for Dash to have her Sonic Rainboom edge, especially with the improvements some of them showed from just a few days of practicing.
Wow, they just don't stop flirting, do they. I love it!
1826061
Even as a god, she better have a REALLY good reason to deprive her student of her feelings.
Once Twilight finds a counter spell I think she may still have a say in how she really feels about Volare. Then we may get a clue as to what Tia is really up to.
1825959 Scoo-scoo-scootaloo!
1826085
From what I gather she actually doesn't need a counterspell to begin with.
And so the teasing continues for ten chapters and they never admit their love for each other. The end!
1826233
Yeah, but she thinks she does and once she still likes him when she finds this spell...
*Sees the update*
i1268.photobucket.com/albums/jj580/charlieg1999/SPARTANS/tumblr_m9zj24S9bZ1qcakl4o1_r1_500.gif
(Deam this gif is too awesome, cant stop using it on my favourite fics)
Stockholm syndrome that fast, Volare? Well, you are a pony.
V-Pony has done it again with these amazing Chapters.
OK...
Dashie has the secret that she was the reason that Volare crashed. She is scared to tell him this because he is one of the few stallions as it were that are not looking for a piece of tail. He is according to her. The first stallion that was nice to her and she is afraid that if she tells him then he will hate her forever.
On the other end of the spectrum you have Volare. Volare has the secret that he knew about her long before he arrived. That it was her who inspired him to come out of his darkness of his and into the light. She helped him inspire and achieve his dream about joining the Blue Angels. The problem is, one night when he was alone he did something terribly wrong and now he knows that if he tells her, she will lose her trust forever.
I'm not sure who will tell first or if they will tell it at the same time but it will not end well at all. I could see Volare getting over Rainbow Dash's crime but, I am not sure if she could get over his crime. There is no way this will end well.
Also, the "Taste the Rainbow" Comment. I actually did something like a double take.
Anyway cannot wait for the next chapter.
Cabbages...
1826565 you sir have just given me a new gif to abuse and abuse i shall but not here i shall just say i second that fimfiction-static.net/images/emoticons/trollestia.png
Volare you must go.... ON A QUEST FOR CABBAGE!
1826277
Ah yes quite, and when she finds out I expect fireworks.
And also,
Sure, rivalry. Yep, cause that is totally what is going on here. cough*Love*cough
1828289 but it must be done uncle bourbon style
My reaction to half of this chapter:
fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/117/b/6/dm__facefloor_by_marionette14-d3f0byf.jpg
Another awesome chapter, hehe, Big Mac in this chapter, lets just say that's the hardest I've laughed all day. But ya know... I'm kinda worried about what all Volare supposedly did in the past to make him want to go to such lengths to keep it secret, I have a slight idea but hopefully I'm wrong. Anyway, looking forward to the next chapter!
Yay update!!!
We're getting closer to the truth about the show existing on Earth going to be interesting to see how that works, you think they would of seen something about it or at least heard someone talk about it, guess not it's a good thing that that portal spell hasn't brought through any mlp stuff yet!
1826005thats exactly what i was thinking when i read that!!! cabbage guy ftw!!
`another hilarious blue angel chapter with anti-subtle flustering and one sided flirting,here be my comments:
the wine bottle, dark room, laptop bit:
taste the rainbow: i may have vomited had i been eating skittles, which is why i never do when reading a story with RD in it, especially this one
also, am i the only one who would be fooled into thinking scoots was volare and RD's kid? they would be an adorable family
i thought the safe word would be "Brony."
but "Cabbage" is good. sooner or later, i bet something will slip. 1829666 does have a point. what if some MLP stuff has been pulled into Equestria? there might be ponies that have the stuff and not know why is tells of everyday ponies from Ponyville....
You have no idea how happy it makes me to click to my dashboard and see a new chapter of Blue Angel. Keep up the Awesomeness V-pony!
Alright, you've hinted at Rainbow Dash's love for Volare multiple times this arc...... But the real question is when she will admit it!
Arrghh. All the comedy is driving me up the wall with laughter!
1800613 I hope this latest chapter helped alleviate a few of these gripes
It's moving along, finally!
1800617 Hee-hee, very true, but it'll all make sense in the end (that and I don't think she's quite old enough to be Dash's mom)
Her age hasn't been touched on yet (in fact she's brushed that question off at least once), but perhaps she'll say soon, eh?
1800626
1800798 Because it's Ace Combat-freakin-Zero!
1801017 Thanks (I'm trying my best)
1801140 I hope you're enjoying it!
1801452 Wow, I've gotta congratulate your dedication, good sir! Have a mustache:
And I'm glad you're enjoying it so far
1801613 Orly?
1801971
1802106
1802353 Eh-heh, yet...what if that happens?
(the finding of MLP stuff, I mean)
1802413 Volare:
1802662 Volare: Ex, eh? The Blue Angels motto says: "Once a Blue Angel, Always a Blue Angel", so watch it!
1802848 Heh, except that sounds almost "wintery"....perhaps when the weather gets colder
1804321 You're right-I need to pick it up a bit (and I am, promise!)
1804359 Heh, you'll see
1804816 As we've already beaten this horse to death in PM's, I'll let this comment stand
(we already know the general plan for it anyways)
And yep, RD has problems with making middle of the road decisions, as she's not exactly a "middle-of-the-road" pony
1808319 It'll officially be a month by the next chapter actually (but each chapter will now cover roughly a week's worth of events, so it'll certainly be speeding up from here on out for a while!
1810346 Whoever said it was her?
But thank you!
1810910 Eh-heh, guess I kinda did
1812412 Wow, thank you so much for those compliments!
I'm just trying to tell a little tale, but the fact that you guys thank so much of it is...just wow, thank you!
1813095 You and everypony else (she has her reasons, though)
1813148 I'm glad you liked the chapter so much (and sorry for the science-I had to think of a believable measurement of wingpower that didn't involve weight-as I can't reliably measure that). As for Dash being under-hoofed there, I hope the next chapter (and her feelings towards what she'd done) made up for it
And in regards to what Volare would wanna know, since he knows A LOT about her already...that could be one of them, but you'll see
1814005 I hope the next chapter made up for any bad feelings that may have caused (trust me, they hit Dash harder than she'd care to admit out loud)
1814984 I'm trying!
And thank you!
1819035
1821324
1822591
1823816 LOL it's not as bad as you think!
1825709 I figured someone would make that joke
1825733 Hope ya liked eet!
1825739 Badassed! (even more badassed if it was a Blue Engel Hornet)
1825740 Aww, well I hope ya liked it
1825772 Sorry!!
1825789 Volare: How ya think I felt!?
1825855
1825888 Heh, thanks!
1825898 Oh wow
1825959 Volare: Not you, Scoots
1825990 LOL perhaps...thing is, Twi's life has been so sheltered in comparison to Volare's. Except for their shared interest in physics, they don't have that much in common
1826005 Thanks for the assist!
1826061 You never can tell with this story
1826071 Yeah, it REALLY hit her hard
And as for Volare's moment of weakness...yeah
And in regards to Dash's 16.5, that was her acceleration over a set distance, which would still put her way ahead of everypony else in terms of raw power/ability. Stretch that distance out, and of course the number will be higher as she'll have more room to accelerate with!
(that and I think she held back a bit so she didn't blow everypony up with the Sonic Rainboom)
1826085 We shall see, eh?
1826173 Scoots:
1826233 Good theory
1826565 LOL I love it!
1827226 Volare: Hey man, she was sorry and I need her help (plus now I think I've figured out a weakness of hers-her pride)
Question is: will I use that?
1827350 Thank you!
1827444 Very good synopsis of the story so far, sir
As for how it'll go...hopefully they trust each other enough to overlook those crimes when the time comes
1828127
1828289 Volare:
1828357 Among other things
1828465
Perhaps 
1828825 Is that good or bad?
1829015 Thanks! And...we'll see eventually
1829666 YET!
Volare:
1830099
to all of that 
(sorry I nearly made ya sick, though)
1830505 LOL Volare's not THAT unsubtle
And in response to that: nothing's showed up...yet
1830516 Thankies!
You too!
1833045 Trust me, there're a few things in the way:
Her desire to "fly solo" and not be held back by anypony
Her propensity to hide her weaknesses and secrets
And her over-arcing mistrust of stallions (why, though?)
All mysteries to uncover...and obstacles for her to get over or else nothing can ever happen between them (same from Volare's side-too many secrets to trust anypony)
1834462 You're welcome!
1835656
Volare. You do know what stockholm sydrom is, don't you?
Actually, you've never addressed me before.
Rowr. I am a morterbrickin tyrannosaur.
1835656
No problem. Any (or every) time!
It is good I like denting my flooring from time to time.seriously tho I other than the stupidly hawkward scenes it was good (who am I kidding? The whole thing is great!) so then now for a more definante reaction pic:1.bp.blogspot.com/-E4PkWdgh8x4/Tg4XVOymk8I/AAAAAAAAADE/O0sSLUhgSW8/s1600/thor-gif.gif
1835677
not sick, just surprised (there's a reason they call it "mission impossible" and so many have died trying to complete it (if you know what i mean
))
Safe word should have been "Chariots-Chariots"
[THIS POST BROUGHT TO YOU BY CAVE JOHNSON]