A Pegasus Salute

by Winged Cat

1: "Salute"

Rainbow Dash and the other pegasi had dutifully kept the skies clear for a month, as agreed. While one could say there was a chain of responsibility and orders of a sort, deciding what the weather would be like was a collaborative process. Ponies on the ground reported soil conditions, decisions were made as to how much water was needed where and when, either clouds were scavenged locally - especially from over the ocean, or inland, over places like the Everfree Forest - or requests were made to Cloudsdale if heavy weather was needed, and the local pegasi put everything into place. Small variances were inevitable - infamously, one pegasi had objected to a parade celebrating what he felt deserved condemnation by literally raining on it - but the job got done.

But it turned out the ground was now a little too dry. So, Rainbow Dash was helping construct a squall, scheduled to wash over Ponyville that night when everyone was indoors and asleep. They did not want to take too much from the forest, so Rainbow Dash had to do it in steps: pull together one large cloud from a bunch of little ones, zip around it then over to the construction site so the cloud followed in her wake, then hang around for slower pegasi - though she could not blame them much: just about every pegasus was slower than her - to measure and let her know about how much more they needed.

She was waiting for the latest measurement when Twilight flew up to her. "Rainbow Dash, a word?" And then flew off, back to her library-home.

Rainbow Dash had heard Applejack complain about this. And if it was a sort of talking that even Applejack dreaded - well, Rainbow Dash was not about to let Applejack outdo her. She steeled her nerves for whatever the problem might be and followed Twilight.

Once inside the upper-story pegasus landing, Twilight closed the window behind them. "So, Rainbow Dash. I couldn't help but notice you had a certain reaction to my, err, 'court appearance' the other day."

It took Rainbow Dash a moment to remember there had even been a court the other day. Twilight was stingy with formalities. "What reaction are you talking about?" The pegasus could not help but notice they had wound up in Twilight's bedroom - which, really, was just another book room with a bed in one corner and another telescope on a landing near the top. Perhaps it was a bit messier here than downstairs, and not a single book here showed any sign of having been allowed to gather dust.

"Wellll..." Twilight was not sure how best to broach the topic, so she just walked up to Rainbow Dash's side. "This."

The moment Twilight's hoof gently touched the leading edge of Rainbow Dash's wing, Rainbow Dash's brain rerouted enough attention from visual sensory processing to tactile sensory processing that the pegasus was practically blinded for a few seconds. At least she felt herself begin blushing immediately. "T-Twilight, tha-at's s-sensitive..."

Twilight leaning into her field of view, smiling eyes suggesting mischief, was the first thing Rainbow Dash saw once she started processing sight again.

Rainbow Dash's wings unfurled of their own accord.

Twilight grinned, though she did not stop feeling Rainbow Dash's wing. "That. I've heard bits and pieces, but - is that what they call a 'wingboner'?"

Rainbow Dash blushed harder. "...yeah. You gave me a-"

"What is it," Twilight interrupted, "some kind of pegasus salute?"

The depths of Twilight's naivete continued to amaze Rainbow Dash. "You mean you don't know?"

Twilight shook her head.

Rainbow Dash tried to pull her wings in, but Twilight's continued gentle pressure kept them stiff. "Didn't the pegasus kids tell you when you were growing up back in Canterlot?"

"Nope!" Twilight felt closely, trying to find any differences in blood flow or tension to try to figure out this obviously medical condition that her friend seemed to be implying was common to most pegasi. "It was Canterlot: most of the children were unicorns. Besides, I didn't get out and play that much. Books were always so much more fun! Anyway, I saw you have this reaction to Pinkie dancing once. What exactly are you saluting?"

Dozens of possible responses presented themselves to Rainbow Dash's increasingly distracted mind. Fortunately, she had just enough to reject metaphor or simile that Twilight might misinterpret. Her friend honestly did not know what she was doing, so Rainbow Dash simply told her. "How much I want to clop you right now."

"What." That got Twilight to stop, if only because it got her to completely freeze.

"A wingboner is, err, w-well...it happens when you're attracted to a pony, you know?"

Twilight pulled her hoof back and stared at it. "So this feels like foreplay to you?"

Rainbow Dash managed a brief nod. "I told you it's sensitive."

Twilight blinked and looked again at Rainbow Dash in confusion, still holding her hoof upturned. "But...I wasn't touching you yesterday. I barely looked at you."

"I know." With the touch removed, Rainbow Dash was finally able to slowly begin refolding her wings. "But...well...you were being YOU, you know?"

Twilight's eyes widened a bit, as several unpleasant interpretations of her friend's words suggested themselves. "What do you me, 'me'?"

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Powerful. Princess of everything, Equestria and beyond."

Twilight's mouth opened a bit in horror, but then a better means of confirmation suggested itself. As if letting herself out of her flesh - letting the essence of her flood everything nearby, a field of power that might rival dragons if not confined by her bedroom's walls - she projected her will upon the world. In a mirror she saw she was now floating, with an aura around her and eyes blazing white. Her senses just sharpened, as if everything inside her field was more real; she felt she could count the feathers on Rainbow Dash's wings, and either caress them individually or pull them out one at a time, without much effort.

It took no effort at all to register Rainbow Dash's renewed wingboner, as upright as it could get, locking her wings in position and robbing her of any chance of practicing a pegasus's birthright: flight. But this was nothing compared to Rainbow Dash's expression...and distribution of warmth, Twilight noticed. Her friend was in heat, not the natural rhythm but induced as soon as Twilight had become like this.

Twilight considered. This was certainly one form of loyalty. And she herself certainly found the mare in front of her attractive. Experimentally, she put her mouth to Rainbow Dash's.

Rainbow Dash had but limited conscious awareness, her mind flooded with want and desire. To actually be kissed - she surrendered to incoming rapture, following Twilight's lead wherever she wished to go. Then, right then, was the moment she committed herself to being Twilight's lover.

Twilight, for her part, had anticipated one of two reactions, and got the disappointing one. Rainbow Dash worked around her kiss, accepting it quite willingly - but tentatively, unsure and not daring to push back, or to venture beyond what Twilight initiated.

Reluctantly, Twilight released the kiss. "NO." Immediately she regretted speaking: her voice, in that state, was an echoing and booming copy of Luna's. Even at this close range, it would not quite deafen Rainbow Dash, but it was the polar opposite of an indoor voice. She was grateful the library had no visitors at the moment.

Ending the kiss was not an action Rainbow Dash had expected. Nor, briefly, was it one she was able to comprehend. Surely they were still mid-kiss, even if she couldn't feel Twilight's tongue, even if her lover's - no, commander's - no, master's: Twilight was so much power it was Rainbow Dash's ecstasy to drown in it - scent no longer flooded her nose. Eventually, though, rational consciousness peeked through. "...no?"

Twilight inhaled, pulling her will back inside her body until her flesh was no longer merely a puppet and source of her true self, until she was just an alicorn again, then exhaled mere air. "No. That's not who I am. I'm sorry."

Rainbow Dash's jaw worked, but the only sound to emerge from her throat was an uncomprehending squeak.

Twilight looked down and to the side, shame making her unable to meet her friend's eyes. "You love my power. I guess I can understand that. If I were in your position I guess I might too? But..." She crossed her chest with one foreleg to loop it around her other, in a limited self-hug. "...would you still love me if I didn't have any of that?"

Finally Rainbow Dash found her voice. "What are you talking about? You'll never be...well...not a Princess!"

Twilight winced. "I can think of far too many ways I could lose that title, and get exiled from Equestria."

Rainbow Dash blinked. "Well...okay, fine, political power comes and goes. But what about your magic?"

"I DID lose that a few times. Remember the poison joke? Or Discord, the first time? Those black crystals at the Crystal Empire nearly got me, too." Twilight tapped her hoof.

"Your smarts."

"There are WAYS, Rainbow Dash." Twilight blinked. "Although...that's a little scary to think about...okay, fine I am smart." Sighing, she continued, "But what if that was all I was? A clever little...no more than a pegasus, really. And that's assuming I never lose these wings I'm still getting used to."

Rainbow Dash frowned. "Twilight."

"No, Rainbow Dash." Twilight forced herself to look at her friend, allowing guilt to write itself all over her face. "I'm sorry. If you want to love me, you'll have to love the filly who loves to read and stargaze and..." She sighed. "...all sorts of normally solo activities, it's even driven Spike crazy sometimes. I'm sorry."

"Twilight!" Now Rainbow Dash had to close her eyes and look away. "Stop apologizing! It's...it's like talking to Fluttershy!" She choked back a sob.

"Sor-" Twilight caught herself. "Anyway. If you want me then you have to take ME. No power. An equal. And that's not who you want, is it?"

Rainbow Dash brought up her hooves to cover her ears, ducked, and began gently trembling. "Stop it. Stop it, Twilight!"

Twilight blinked. "Stop what? It's the truth."

"No it isn't!" Rainbow Dash sniffed. "No it isn't! You're a Princess! You ARE magic! You're the one who can save us all when we can't and...and I want to pay you back for that, but I can't if you keep denying yourself! Even if you admit you're an egghead!"

Twilight sighed. "...yeah. At least we agree on that." She bit her lip gently. "Umm. Would...would it help if you knew I'd fantasized about you?"

Rainbow Dash uncovered her ears, no longer shaking. "What?"

"You, Rainbow Dash. Don't tell anypony, but I think you're the most attractive of us. Your moves, your style, your courage..." Twilight smiled. "Even now, you're able to tell me what you feel, and I thank you for that."

"Yeah, well..." Rainbow Dash fished for something to fend off insecurity. "You know I'll tell anypony what I think of them. I'm just like that."

Twilight giggled. "You sure are. Umm...so...we're still friends, right?"

Rainbow Dash looked up at Twilight. "Of course we are."

"Good. Aaand, well..." Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling. "If I just happen to, say, get into super-mega-duper heat - I don't know how an alicorn's body cycles, but from what Luna's said there might be a possibility - I can come to you to, err, deal with it, no hard feelings or awkwardness afterward, right?"

Rainbow Dash blinked. "...yeah."

Twilight grinned. "And if I just happen to be able to schedule it...are you free next week?"

Rainbow Dash could not recall any firm appointments coming up. "Sure. What time?"

Twilight leered at Rainbow Dash. "I said 'super-mega-duper', right? Next week. You might want to get some rest first."

In the span of ten seconds, Rainbow Dash puzzled, realized, rationally calculated, pictured the result, and finally fainted.

Laughing on the inside, only chuckling on the outside, Twilight telekinetically lifted Rainbow Dash and floated the pegasus into bed. She scribbled a note, "Thank you for an amazing time," left it on the pillow next to Rainbow Dash, then flew out to try to finish Rainbow Dash's construction shift for her. She estimated her friend would wake up right about the time the squall was ready to go, and looked forward to being ambiguous about Rainbow Dash's reactions and questions until she was unable to keep a straight face.

And perhaps later she could use some stress relief.

Comments

[Zocarik]

So this story will go on to explore the Twilight, a pony vs. Twilight, Magic Incarnate internal struggle? Cool.

[PresentPerfect]

Both of them feel completely out of character. I don't find myself interested in a story about wingboners or Twilight mercilessly playing with her friend's feelings.