This Bright Blazing Future

by Dynasty-Kaine

Chapter 2: The Endless Breakfast Special

Rainbow Dash couldn't believe that this was happening in any way deep in her mind. She had boldly woke up this morning and had decided she was going to go treat Spitfire to breakfast. In her heart and mind she wondered to herself the question of why had it been so easy to do? She felt her heart racing as they entered the cafe together for breakfast.

Ethereal Soul was a higher class cafe, and as such you had to have a reservation. Despite this high class requirement the prices were shown and quite reasonable. This was the exact reason Dash had chose this cafe in particular, not to mention the endless breakfast special they had going this month. The golden mare at her side would flip when Dash showed her that on the menu.

They approached the greeter to see if their table was ready for this morning. Dash noticed that the current diners were quiet happily enjoying their meals. The atmosphere in the dinning area was one filled with nature growing all around, green tendrils crawling up the walls and pillars cared for by a single gardener it was said. The plain grey stallion seemed to be chipper this morning as the cyan mare approached.

"Table for two in reservation for Rainbow Dash." she said confidently.

"Ah miss Dash, you are early it would seem." the greeter said earnestly. "I am sorry but the table you requested out in the garden is not ready yet, but to speed things up I can take your orders right here if you'd like?"

The rainbow maned mare turned to Spitfire, "What do you think, shall we order here?"

"Why not?" the golden mare shrugged. "The faster I eat the better."

"Here you are then." the grey stallion said handing them menus.

"Hey Spitfire, might I make a suggestion to ya for what we should order?" Dash asked with a bright smile.

The fiery maned mare simply replied with a cocked eyebrow, "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"It's called the Endless Breakfast Special! Eat until your full, and take leftovers home with you!" the cyan mare said with glee. "For 52 bits we can order it for two!"

"Actually we had to raise the price recently to 73 bits for two." the grey stallion interrupted.

Dash waved her hand at him dismissively, "Not a problem, that's still cheap for all you can eat!"

Spitfire opened her menu and promptly found the page with the description on it. The cyan mare waited patiently as the Wonderbolt read it over. When she saw a smile creep in and a glimmer sparkle across Spitfire's amber eyes, she knew the golden pegasus was in.

The fiery maned mare looked up at her and stated, "Alright Dash, you got a deal!"

"Awesome!" Dash declared in victory turning back to the grey stallion. "Two orders of the traditional Endless Breakfast Special please."

"Of course I'll deliver the order immediately." he said writing it down, and as he did another worker came up and whispered in his ear. "Impeccable timing! Ladies if you will, your table awaits you in the private garden."

The grey stallion ushered them to follow him, but as Dash was about to follow she felt a nudge at her side from her companion. She turned her head to Spitfire as she strode on after their host.

"Private garden Dash?" the golden mare uttered under her breath. "What's that all about, don't tell me you have to pay extra for something like that?"

"Okay, I won't tell you then." Rainbow replied softly with a chuckle. "Come on Spits, lighten up! This was my treat to you, for all of your hard work so far. Not to mention what is yet to come right?"

As soon as Spitfire reacted to the nickname and tone of voice she used, Dash realized what she had just done. Quickly she turned away from the golden mare, her mind a flutter with thoughts that could not be contained. The look the blue pegasus had received for doing that was utterly shocked but full of embarrassment. Spitfire's face was flushed a light shade of crimson now as they faced away from one another shyly.

They were ushered to their table through a set of double glass doors, which lead to the back garden of the cafe. As the stallion opened the doors he motioned for them to go ahead and enter. As soon as they stepped inside they were greeted by a variety of lovely scents floating about from the multicolored flowers adorning the vine filled bushes lining the entire garden. The sun shone down brightly as there was no roof here, and they eventually made their way to the center where there was a large fountain spraying a gentle mist about the area.

"Hey Dash over here!" Spitfire called the rainbow maned mare back to reality.

She stood at their table a short distance to the side of the fountain, shrubberies making a deft wall encompassing it. Upon it grew deep purple flowers, that looked absolutely gorgeous. She smiled and moved over to the table, quickly noticing that the flowers smelled just as lovely as they looked. Then it hit her again, what had just happened before they came in here as Spitfire had started acting shy again.

Oh why did I do that, why did I just give her a nickname practically flirting with her? What about Jackie? I still can't let her go! And yet, if I really can't let her go, why do I keep acting like this with Spitfire?

Dash contorted her face in frustration as these thoughts shot through her mind in a heavy torrent. She wasn't sure why but she felt angry, and had not a single clue as to why.

"Well then Dash." Spitfire started breaking into the cyan mare's maddening thoughts. "It looks like a long private breakfast was a good idea. Seems like we have quite a bit we both need to talk about anyways."

"I-I'll be fine Spitfire." Rainbow stuttered.

"Dash. Sit. Now." the golden mare commanded in a seemingly forced demeanor.

"Okay, okay, no need to be pushy now." Rainbow replied playfully letting her tension slip away into her mind.

As she took her seat her fiery maned compatriot took a seat opposite her. They simply observed one another for the first few minutes, both assessing who should start.

"So Dash, care to tell me what's on your mind?" Spitfire broke the silence calmly.

"I'm not too sure honestly." the rainbow haired mare started. "There is Pinkie and her situation at the mental hospital, whatever stresses come up at work, the fact that Jackie isn't here anymore, but mostly the fact that in this past month how I've began to act around you."

Spitfire just listened to her calmly as she vented her frustrations almost completely letting them spill forth. The question lingered in her mind still, Why am I doing this?

"I haven't let go of AJ yet I know, but here I am acting flirtatious with you as if it's nothing! I mean I know you are trying to change your ways, and it has shown me the type of mare you have always been." Dash paused a moist glaze beginning to form in her eyes. "Hell it shows the mare I always knew you to be, but...but what would Jackie think of me?"

"Well now." Spitfire opened with a soft smile. "Looks like the past month has given us both quite the challenges to overcome. Wouldn't you agree Dash?"

Rainbow looked at her golden friend baffled, "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"Well now it's my turn to give you the view inside my thoughts." the fiery maned mare said with quiet conviction. "When it boils down to it, controlling myself with you has been rough but manageable. One reason for this is simply the worry of, if and when you let Applejack go, will I really be worth your effort. Worth your affections even, Celestia knows I haven't been the greatest example of a pony."

"Y-You really think that?" Dash stuttered.

"Yes I do Rainbow, I worry about it constantly." the golden mare said letting her head droop. "And yet that isn't the worst of it. The thing I promised to tell you before we came in pops in and out of my mind randomly."

Their waiter showed up about this time dropping off coffee and glasses of complimentary water while they waited. The pale green stallion worked quickly, accepted thanked for his services, and then courteously excused himself from their conversation. Spitfire picked up her mug of coffee and sipped it carefully as it was hot, and exhaled in what seemed to be delight at the warmth the black bitter liquid had brought her. Dash watched and waited for her to begin again.

"That's better." Spitfire said setting her coffee cup down. "It's my biggest mistake in my life and the worst repercussion of my actions. What I did to my best friend Soarin, I feel is completely unforgivable. He and I were like brother and sister, until I started into my downward spiral. This was most noted in my lust stages."

The expression painted across the Wonderbolt's face was almost hard to look at, with the amount of pain that was there. If she truly regretted her actions this much how could Soarin not forgive her? Dash only knew one way to find out exactly why she thought the stallion would never forgive her, and she had the feeling it wouldn't be a nice memory.

"Lust stages?" Dash said with hesitant curiosity. "Spitfire, what happened between you and Soarin?"

"I used him, and not a week later threw him away." the Wonderbolt uttered with a cringe. "I betrayed his trust in my blindness!"

Rainbow could see tears glazing over Spitfire's amber eyes now. Even though the golden mare had given no details as to what had been done, the cyan mare could tell she was reliving it in her mind still. This time with eyes wide open.

A tear broke from the orange maned mare's eyes, "He'll never forgive me for breaking his heart."

"Hey Spits?" Rainbow gently said to get the other pegasus' attention. "You won't ever know if you don't try, am I right?"

"But what if he hates me?"

"But what if he doesn't?" she answered her friend's question with another. "If he is willing to forgive you and you don't go, can you live with that regret in your heart?"

The amber eyed mare sniffled before uttering her reply, "No, you're right. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if there was even the slightest chance."

Dash smiled at her achievement. It was funny how in the last month she had always been able to find the words to help lift Spitfire's spirit back up. They had found an oddly high level of communication and support from one another, but was that really enough for them?

"By the way, you did it again Dash." the Wonderbolt said suddenly.

The cyan pegasus' wings fluttered in surprise, What did I do now?

Spitfire laughed at the rainbow fliers surprise, "You called me Spits again rainbow butt!"

"Oh did I?" Rainbow blushed and scratched the back of her mane sheepishly. "Sorry about that!"

"You know." the golden mare's expression became business like serious. "I'm okay with it Dash. But I think we both need to lay out some sort of agreement between the two of us at this point, face to face."

The blue mare's expression of surprise only grew now, "Wait what now? What kind of agreement are we talkin' about oh capi-tan?"

"One where we agree the nickname is in good spirit of our friendship." the orange maned mare replied with a smile. "Dash it is clear we both have our own problems to work out here first. You have to seek the answer behind what Applejack would want you to do, and I have to work to earn back the bond of friendship I once shared with Soarin. Both of these tasks will take every ounce of our attention don't you agree?"

Dash looked down at her coffee mug, and reached for the creamer the waiter had also left on the table. After mixing an amount she liked in she too took a drink, and it had retained quite a good deal of heat. She could see what Spitfire was suggesting and could agree with it sensibly, but did she want to know the answers that she would inevitably find for herself? She coyly nodded to the Wonderbolt to signal her to continue.

"So why don't we agree to keep things within a simple friendship for now?" Spitfire stated plainly holding her smile. "We can still get together when we have the time in our schedules. The best thing we can do for each other right now is be friends, and see what cards will be played as we go about resolving our problems."

Dash was about to reply when three waiters arrived, one announcing himself, "Good morning ladies! One complete traditional Endless Breakfast Special starting with the first dish, veggie links and blueberry pancakes with a side of strawberries and creme!"

"Oh wow!" Spitfire's amber eyes lit up with barely contained joy. "This looks delicious!"

"That's not all as you can see here miss!" the pale green waiter said directing her attention to a newly set up table of buffet proportions. "Help yourselves to what your heart desires after that first stack. Should you need more than is here, find any one of us and ask for more. Bon appitite ladies!"

The three waiters bowed graciously and then exited the gardens quietly. Dash saw her friend reach for the maple syrup instantly, she could tell the Wonderbolt was hungry. Yet she had to stop her a moment.

"Spits." Rainbow said with conviction and a grin.

The golden pegasus stopped for a second, "Yeah, what's up?"

She smiled because she knew it would take one word to make her point clear, "I understand completely, Friend."

Spitfire smiled the widest grin she hadn't seen since Applejack, and while the memory hurt, it also warmed her heart. With that one statement they both began to dig in to their food as if they had been starved for months, and in Dash's case that had been almost true.

She had only been eating small portions of excessively healthy foods. Foods intended for building the athletic and perfectly lithe muscular build she now had--a figure basically devoid of any fatty tissues. A move her friend Twilight Sparkle had contested quite furiously, but Rainbow had made her choice against her friend's wishes.

______________________________________________________________________________________

A few hours later...

Both mares had stuffed themselves to great extent, well at least Dash made it seem that way for herself. Her golden friend had already packed up a few boxes of her take home meals she organized to last her more than a day. The waiter came over and handed the bill to Dash, which she knew wouldn't be cheap in any way. She simply did not care though.

"Ah, Dash, that was a great meal!" Spitfire roared with vigor. "I feel like I could take on a manticore right now!"

Dash smiled at her friend as she looked at the bill. Yup the bill sucks. Dash had been prepared though, and after adding the changed price on the meal to the little bit pouch she had brought along she got up.

"Hey Imma go pay the bill real quick kay Spits?" Dash said with a genuine smile.

"How much is it Dash?" the amber eyes stared her down as if to petrify her.

She felt a dread encompassing her but she resisted it, "Well that's for me to know, and you to never find out now isn't it, Captain?"

She ran away from her friend before she could interrogate the answer out of her. Dash was by no means that stupid, she knew that given incentive enough Spitfire could pull any answer out of a pony. It was better the fiery mare not know the amount the blue pegasus was paying for her today, better she understand it was an act of kindness unto her than anything else.

Upon returning from paying the bill though, Dash was instantly met with a death glare.

"Oh come on Spitfire does it really matter weather or not you know how much I paid for this morning?" Dash uttered in exasperation.

"You ran away from my interrogation. You cheated me...therefore you suck." the Wonderbolt said with a pouty look upon her face.

The cyan pegasus looked smug now, "Oh? You mad Spitty? Too bad!"

The two mares stared at one another for a second before bursting out into uncontrolled laughter. Breakfast had been a good diversion for both of them, and unbeknownst to Spitfire, there was far more on Dash's mind than she had let on.

Pinkie's scarred mind actually was a major concern to the rainbow flier. She wanted her old friend back, but in every one of her weekly visits this month none of her words broke through to her friend. It was like she was entirely gone, but Dash would never give up on her friend as long as there was a speck of hope. Following Pinkie's break was Big Macintosh on her worry list.

Dash then realized Spitfire had been utterly right about things. She chuckled to herself, a moment that seemed to confuse the mare sitting across from her. Guess we do need time to work out the maelstroms around us Spitfire.

The minute the golden mare stood up Rainbow strode over and embraced her in a hug. Spitfire returned the hug gratefully after a moment of confusion.

Thank Celestia for you being here as your true self Spitfire. Without you, I wonder how despondent I'd be to the world by now?

Comments

[contodaslasganas]

Wonder where Conto is though.

Right here!
Finally, I read the two chapters! Screw the workers at Starbucks and their constant glares, I'm using their wi-fi for important things!
Anyways, loved it so far, and it's good to see that you included Pinkie and "Jackie" (As I read the chapters, I was thinking, "Wait, Dash, what about App—" and then you included it in. ).

Now, as is customary...

NEED MOAR!

[Dynasty-Kaine]

4482279 Hehe as the blog you posted on says...Monday gets you chapter 3! And I'm just about to finish writing 4 right now! Glad you are still quite alive!

[Dynasty-Kaine]

Everyone I know I'm late on chapter 3 and I apologize for that, been kind of sucked into writing up chapters following it...not to mention a ton of other things! Will most likely post it tomorrow.....after my driving test