Some Hugs Last Longer than Others

by HoofBitingActionOverload

Part Five

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie went on a totally lame adventure across the rooftops of Ponyville, and it was girly-makeover dumb and nachos-without-hot-sauce stupid the whole way. Except when it was kind of sort of ok. Because Pinkie Pie was there, and it was hard to act too-cool-for-school while strapped to a bouncing giggling tangly pink fluff ball.

So Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie went on a lame rooftop adventure, that was cool sometimes, most times, except when it wasn’t, because Pinkie made it cool, even when she made it completely not cool.

It was confusing.

And maybe Rainbow drew it out by flying through several more somersaults, flip flops, flop flips, and corkscrews than were strictly necessary. And maybe she did all that because she knew Pinkie Pie loved somersaults, flip flops, flop flips, and corkscrews. And maybe Rainbow was starting to realize she kind of liked having Pinkie around a lot. But maybe probably not. That was confusing too.

None of that mattered anymore though, because right now Rainbow Dash was somersaulting, flip flopping, flop flipping, and corkscrewing right through Twilight’s open window. Dash braced herself for impact. Except instead of slamming into a bookshelf like usual, Dash landed upside down on a huge cushion. And instead of an avalanche of books crashing to the ground, only a handful of volumes fell in a pile around her.

Rainbow Dash relaxed. She’d made it. She made it all the way across Ponyville to Twilight’s castle without getting seen even once. And she’d only had to soak in a sticky freezing bucket of ice cream for, like, and hour or two to make it happen.

Beneath her, Pinkie Pie said, “So uh, what’re we doing here, Dashie?”

“Let’s just sit here a second,” Dash said, huffing and puffing, still out of breath from the aerial acrobatics.

“Okie dokie,” Pinkie said, and squeezed Dash a little tighter as they sank into the cushion together. Dash didn’t try to stop her. Pinkie hummed a nonsensical little melody, and Rainbow Dash allowed herself to be calmed.

A book of math equations had fallen open onto Rainbow Dash’s face. She didn’t move it. A real estate agent received a 6% commission on the selling price of a house. If his commission was $8,880, what was the selling price of the house? Rainbow could live the rest of her life like this. Buried beneath a heap of hardbacks, two-plus-twos stuck to her eyelids. She’d never have to think about any gooey embarrassing confusing frufru feelings ever again. She’d lie in the cold incomprehensible embrace of lame-brain math equations until her head turned into an actual egg. In a shop, the cost of 4 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers and 2 hats is $560. The cost of 9 shirts, 9 pairs of trousers and 6 hats is $1,290. What is the total cost of 3 shirts, 4 pair of trousers and 6 hats? Rainbow Dash imagined herself wearing four trousers and Pinkie Pie wearing six hats. Together they formed a ridiculous garishly wardrobed mathematical equation. Solve for weird social anxiety multiplied by cutie-petootie public displays of affection.

Rainbow Dash dwelt in a hypothetical word problem trouser shop until she heard Twilight say, “Aha! I got you!”

Dash cringed. She’d completely forgotten where she was and what she was doing and, most importantly, who she was still glued to. Twilight had caught her snuggling with Pinkie Pie, and even worse, apparently seriously contemplating math problems.

Rainbow Dash jumped onto her hooves, dragging Pinkie Pie up with her and shouting, “This isn’t what it looks like!”

“Oh, yeah?” Twilight said, grinning. “Because it looks to me like the Pinkie Dash Cataclysmic Impact Diminisher just completed its first successful test.”

Rainbow Dash blinked at her.

Pinkie Pie lit a sparkler in celebration.

Twilight put the books back in their places on the shelves.

“The what?” Dash asked.

Twilight pointed at the massive cushion Rainbow Dash had landed in, which Dash now noticed had been placed strategically opposite the window through which Dash usually made her most bombastic entrances. And consequently, her most destructive entrances.

“Theoretically, it should reduce the post-Pinkie Dash cataclysmic impact cleanup time by as much as ninety percent!” Twilight said, chipper as a an egghead with a new calculator. “Spike will be thrilled.”

“We love it!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Huh,” Dash muttered. “So, uh, you don’t care about…?”

“Care about what?” Twilight asked, oblivious.

“Nothing,” Dash felt her face grow hot. Stupid stupid stupid. How many times could she be totally completely wrong about her friends in one day?

Twilight finished cleaning up the books. “So what brings you girls here?”

“Uh, well, we actually kind of need your help,” Dash said, indicating the pink pony still glued to her.

“Yeah, I, um,” Pinkie started, and too her credit, sounded genuinely bashful. “I might have used that magic glue you told me not to use to do that thing you told me not to do. I’m sorry.”

Twilight groaned. “I knew it. Pinkie, I told you no for a reason. And how did it go? Exactly like I said it would?”

“Worse,” Pinkie said.

“It’s fine,” Dash interjected, putting herself between Pinkie and a lecture. “She’s fine. I’m fine. We’re all fine. I just want to be done with this mess now, please?”

“All right,” Twilight said, looking disappointed by the lost soapbox. “The effects should wear off by the end of the day, if you can wait that long.”

“I really kind of don’t think I can wait that long,” Dash said. “Isn’t there anything else we can do?”

“I’m not sure.” Twilight considered. “I think I might have read something about a counter spell, but it would take me some time to track down, and more time to prepare.”

“Could you please do that?” Dash asked, her voice cracking a little, sounding way more pathetic and anxious than she had intended.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Twilight said quickly, looking surprised, maybe at just how desperate Dash really was. “I’ll get right on it. Just wait here.”

“Thanks,” Dash said.

Twilight turned and walked away. Then stopped. Looking back at them, she said, “Rainbow, I know this has probably been really stressful for you, and I don’t approve of what Pinkie Pie did, but…” Twilight trailed off and shook her head. “I used to think it was amazing how Celestia always knew just the right thing to say. But now that I’m a princess too, and I’m supposed to be guiding ponies like her, I realize she’s really more than just amazing, to always know just what to say. I wish I could tell you exactly what you needed to hear. But the truth is, I think relationships are something you have to figure out on your own. But I want you to know that I think both of you, both you and Pinkie, are more than capable of figuring this out together. And whatever you do, your friends will support you, okay?”

“I know,” Rainbow said. “Thanks, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded and left.

Except Rainbow Dash hadn’t known. Again and again and again she hadn’t known. Rainbow Dash considered each of her friends reactions to seeing her and Pinkie together. Applejack had barely even noticed. Twilight cared way more about her ‘cataclysmic impact diminisher’ than anything Dash and Pinkie were doing together. Rarity had even tried to help them out. It seemed like the only pony in the world who cared enough about any of this to freak out was Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, Pinkie,” Dash said.

“Mmhmm?” Pinkie sing-songed.

“I know you kind of told me before, but could you tell me again why you did all this?” Dash started to feel a bizarre confusing knot in her stomach. “You know, the gluing, and the hug, and all of it?”

PInkie Pie hesitated. “Sometimes I do silly things without really thinking…”

“Except you did think about this,” Dash said. “Just please be straight with me. I’m kind of a little dense sometimes, and I need things spelled out, even obvious things. Please?”

“I like you a lot, like more than a friend likes a friend,” Pinkie said simply. “And I’m pretty sure you like me too, but you don’t want any other ponies to see it, even me sometimes. So I thought if I made you let other ponies see us together, you’d see that it was fine, and then maybe you’d realize you like me too.”

Obviously. Duh. Dash noticed that the knot in her stomach was completely gone. And of course Rarity knew, and it seemed Twilight did too, and probably Applejack, and maybe even all of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash was the last pony in the world to know her own feelings.

“Why do feelings have to be so tangly and weird?” Dash asked. “Why do we have to talk about them? Why do we have to ruin things by naming them? Dating. Marefriend. Ugh. Why can’t we just do what makes us happy, and never talk about it, and never name it, and just be okay never saying anything to anypony?”

“We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Pinkie said.

“Rarity asked me before what I’m so afraid of,” Dash started. “Well, I’m afraid of ponies laughing at me, ok? I’m afraid of other ponies seeing me acting cuddly and dumb, and then they’ll think I am cuddly and dumb.”

“But you are cuddly and dumb!” Pinkie said. “And I love it. Especially the cuddly part.”

“I know.” Rainbow Dash fell back onto the cushion. “I know we’re all not supposed to care what anypony else thinks about us. I know I’m not supposed to care what anyone pony thinks about my feelings. I know I’m not supposed to care if anypony laughs at me. But I do. I care. I can’t stop caring. I don’t know how to stop.”

“I think it’s ok to want other ponies to like you,” Pinkie said after a while.

“Even when that makes you do totally stupid things, like hiding in tubs of ice cream?” Dash buried her face in the cushion. It was easier than looking at Pinkie.

“But you know there’s a problem, and you know what the problem is. Maybe we can just fix it?” Pinkie said.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. She was past trying to explain her feelings. She was past even trying to understand her feelings.

After a long time, Pinkie said, “Gummy’s a good swimmer now, but he used to be really scared of the water. The first time I tried to help him, I just threw him right into the pool, and that didn’t work at all, and he bit me right on the nose. Then I decided I’d just let him figure it out on his own, but that didn’t work either, because he wouldn’t go anywhere near the water by himself. Friends need friends. Finally, we just went in little tiny baby alligator steps. One day, we started with the shallowest water I could find. Then the next day we went just a itty bitty little bit deeper. It took a really long time, like weeks and weeks, and I thought he’d never learn to swim. But we just kept going a little bit at a time, and now he’s not afraid anymore.”

Sure, that made sense, Dash thought. Just like not being so bothered by her feelings in the first place made sense. Not caring about what other ponies thought of her made sense too. Knowing something makes sense and then actually doing that something were a million miles apart. Dash buried her face deeper into the cushion. “How would we even start?” Dash asked, her voice muffled.

“Like this,” Pinkie said, and lifted Dash’s head up and kissed her. It was a simple and small gesture.

Looking right into Pinkie’s face, seeing her smile, hearing her sound so sure, Dash couldn’t help smiling back. “Just one step at a time?” she asked.

“Not even that,” Pinkie whispered. “One teeny tiny jelly bean sized step at a time, and we’d never go faster than you were ready for, and we’d stop however many times you want, just as long as we always take one more step.”

“I think maybe I could do that,” Dash said.

“I know you can,” Pinkie said.

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie got up of the cushion together. Suddenly, hiding with her face in the cushion felt very silly. Dash left the library with the intention of finding Twilight, but when she got to the stairs, she went down towards the foyer instead of up to the study. When she got to the study, she went to the front door. She didn't think about it. It almost felt like someone was walking for her.

“Hey!” Twilight called behind her.

Dash hesitated at the door.

“I was able to find the counter spell,” Twilight said when she reached them. “It’s an easy one, and I shouldn’t have any problem getting you two separated.”

Rainbow Dash looked between Twilight and the door, and then looked at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie smiled back. “Actually, I think we’re just gonna let it wear off on its own,” Dash said.

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked. “I could do it right now. One minute and everything could be back to normal.”

“No, I’m not sure at all. I’m so not sure that it’s kind of freaking me out,” Dash said, turning away. “But I’m pretty sure I don't want everything to go back to normal.”

With that, Rainbow Dash opened the door, and she and Pinkie went out into Ponyville together. They took one step, and another, and another. And sometimes Rainbow Dash was gonna screw up or trip, and that was okay. And sometimes Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to want to take any steps at all, and that was okay too. Because she and Pinkie Pie were going together.

Oh, and they went back to the ice cream stall and paid for that bucket of ice cream they ruined.

Author's Note:

Wow, it's finished. And it only took three years!

Comments

[hackd]

Very glad you were able to finish this one out. You've always done a great job of capturing Dash's anxieties and absurdities, and your exploration of those made this story more than just a simple, slap-stick joke. Through your tackling of definitively cartoonish prompts, I think you've been able to exhibit some fundamental morals and rich life lessons in a variety of creative and memorable ways. Consequently I've found you to be one of my favorite authors, and I appreciate the effort that you have invested in your work.

All the best.

[Crimson Dawn]

I am also glad that you finished and I enjoyed it. I always enjoyed the dynamic you give Pinkie and Dash and this does not disappoint.

[Tangerine Blast]

Really good story here! Thank you so much for finishing it. I loved the way you write

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

Heartwarming and hilarious. I like Dash working out her issues with Pinkie's help.

[HoofBitingActionOverload]

9207398
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Thank you!

[TheAccidentalBrony]

Thank you for coming back and giving us this one last gift. I've always enjoyed your characterization of Rainbow Dash, and this is no exception. It was sweet and fun (oh, and Rarity was great).

[HoofBitingActionOverload]

9213706
Thank you! It was fun writing RD again. Like an old glove, and such.

[Wydril]

Your Rarity was a great straight man to the whole problem, and it was a joy to read overall.

[HoofBitingActionOverload]

9221686
Thanks!

[BlueMoonHarlot]

Good, fun story. Cheers 🍻

[n3k1dsk1llz]

Finally.

FINALLY finishing this story after all these years.

So good. My favorite scene was definitely the distraction that Rarity and Applejack make for Rainbow Dash. 100% believable.

There was ONE plot hole: When Pinkie initially glues herself to Dash, her forelegs are wrapped so far around Dash that Dash can’t open her wings. But then she flies up to the rooftops. Minor and understandable because of time gaps. And I know the feeling of just wanting to finish a story.

But it’s good. REALLY good. Thanks for the story :D

[NONOCROSSOVEREDSTUFF]

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Oh.. ok