Only One Speck of Dust

by TheMareWhoSaysNi

Chapter 19

The tension was palpable during the night watches. Each of the Members of the Militia had intensified their training. One of the instructions was never to leave a member alone, even if the Spotter’s message was addressed to one pony in particular. If such a thing had to happen, the Spotter in question would be interrogated about his or her intentions by the Head’s Council in question.

For this reason, a certain mood of distrust prevailed between Spotters and First Class Lieutenant. It had taken one assertive intervention from Rainbow Dash to get things straight. Yes, one of them had betrayed them yet it did not mean that trust had to vanish away or else ‘they’ would be the winners. They simply needed to be more on the outlook.

They had no choice. The Unavow Army could strike at any moment. The most puzzling was the novelty effect. For sure, they would launch another attack at the least suitable instant. That was why everyone was expecting it permanently. The day teams even had been reinforced and there was a huge recruitment campaign in the newspapers, nonetheless it did not say to Ponyville inhabitants why they needed additional hooves so desperately.

A few times before, Rainbow Dash had visited Master Crimson Moon to tell her about a project she had in mind that the Fighting Master could decide to turn it upside down if she felt like doing it. Her answer had surprised her yet it was not a surprise at all.

It was about time that each could have a break and breathe a little. Thus, when they announced this Aurora Borealis, they all seize this opportunity to be able to rest and stop being suspicious. It would not last long but at least, The Militia would have benefit from interlude stripped off danger.

Nopony would attack during an Aurora Borealis, this magical moment when time was suspended. Whether it was in the Spider God’s precepts or those of the Emgok Mythology which the unicorns believed in, it was regarded as a divine phenomenon and it was a sin to disturb it.

In honor of it, the Head’s Council had organized a gigantic assembly, gathering all the Members of the Militia, Spotters included. It should be happening in the garden of the Royal Tavern and Inn and the instruction was that each of them had to bring something to eat or drink or both.

Pinkie Pie was overjoyed. There almost was nothing that she liked more than a party and this assembly was a party in her mind. Finally, she would have the occasion to leave her tall guard tower and to meddle with the others. Without the breakfasts and the weekly lunches that she shared with her soul family, she was not able to meet a lot of ponies, although she really liked being surrounded by friends and to make them laugh. Hence she had planned songs, games, and delicious cakes… that had yet to be baked.

Her shackle’s kitchen was quite small. Consequently, she had decided to bake her pastries in one of the inn’s kitchens. Rather than disturbing the employees who had a lot of things to do during such a day of celebration, Pinkie Pie chose to go to the wing where the family lived.

It was the place they all lived together – Melrose and her adoptive daughter Apple Bloom, as well as her mother Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Firefly, Uncloudy Shelter, Knight Shelter and Spitfire. She had lived there for a period too, before moving in to her own place, partly because she could receive her coltfriend in discretion.

Her ingredients inside her saddlebag, she entered into the kitchen, her usual smile pinned on her face, thinking she would be alone.
She could not help a jostle when she saw Big Macintosh sitting at the kitchen table, with a glass of apple juice and a magazine. And, quickly, she displayed her sunny mood again, and decided to tackle her task as if everything was fine.

On the night of the Unavow Army’s attack, she had seen with surprise Big Macintosh climbing her guard tower, breathless and his eyes devoured by anxiety. He had told her he had been scared something had happened to her… Nothing had happened. This night had been like any other nights for Pinkie Pie and she only had understood the whole matter at dawn.

The stallion had taken her between his hooves, holding her tight, before leaving her unsteady and dumbfounded.

Far from taking offence, she had gone back to her positive and bouncing self, and had kept on treating Big Macintosh the way she always did, as a precious friend. Things were a bit strange on his side. She sometimes caught in staring at her. It was not the eyes of a lover. It was something else. What it was, she did not know and here was her main concern.

While humming, Pinkie Pie took out her book of recipes, as well as her kitchen utensils. She knew the kitchen was equipped, but liked to work with her own tools rather than borrowing the other’s. Already on the roll of her preparations, she felt Big Macintosh moving behind her.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him washing his glass, taking back his magazine he put inside the saddlebag he had put beside him on the bench. He trotted toward her, passed her by then turned around.

Pinkie Pie turned her head, while mixing her batter, with inquiring eyes. She did not expect it when he quickly pecked her lips, catching her by surprise.

“Will you attend the Aurora Borealis with the others?”, he asked after he parted from her.

“I’m not going to miss a chance to party, silly!”

“I hope I’ll see you.”

“Of course, you will. I’ll see everypony.”

Big Macintosh smiled, shaking his head from resignation. It was perfectly in-character Pinkie Pie. And that was the way everyone loved her. He had to admit, he had expected her to behave this way with him, despite all that had happened between them.

As a proof, when he left the kitchen, he heard her take up her activities again as if nothing special had occurred. And then, he felt guilty again. He did not love her, and she loved another pony. The latter sure was tolerant in some fields but there was a boundary between what they had done weeks ago and what he had just done. A boundary he cannot imagine Pinkie Pie breaking.

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He could not quite realize during the training sessions since the Head’s Council trained in his own room, but once the whole Militia gathered in one place, it made a hell lot of ponies. There was not a patch of grass of the Royal Tavern and Inn’s West garden that was not occupied. And all these society folks were meddling, talking to each other with pleasure, nay with smiles on. Seeing them smile was as stunning as seeing them fight. He was used to have a glimpse at nothing but determination in their eyes.

Exceptionally, the weather patrol had cleared the Ceaseless Night thick clouds out of the sky, and for the first time since he has arrived, Soarin was finally able to look at Ponyville’s sky and to actually see it. The moon looked absent but all the city’s lamppost torches were on, so well it was possible to believe it was broad daylight.

He quickly spotted the others. While they were the first on site – because most of them already lived there – they have settled at the back of the garden. The employees had cleared up the snow on a few yards and the grass hidden under was distinguishable – green and fresh.

For all that, the temperature outside stayed very low and all no pony around were likely to avoid bringing a blanket to put on the ground. The Council was not an exception… except that he noticed that, conversely to many others, Caramel and Applejack had their own tartan rug, a little separate from the others.

Pinkie Pie gestured energetically towards him when he stepped closer, as if she had not seen him for days though they all had shared a breakfast together this morning, faithful to their habits.

“Hey! Welcome to your first party ever in Ponyville, Soarin!”

The pink mare started to bounce all around him when he reached them, throwing a shower of streamers on his head. Of course, all those who were around noticed it and looked at them laughing. Lucky he knew she did not make things like that to humiliate but with an overrunning sincerity… That was what excused her actions each time she put one of them in the hot seat.

“What d’ya bring, Soarin?” Applejack asked while he was getting settled next to Rainbow Dash.

“I didn’t really know what to do, so I only made sandwiches. Daffodil and cheese.”

“Just like me!” Caramel claimed, showing a plate filled to the brim that was between two tartan rugs.

“Well, me, I got… cider!”

Very proud, Rainbow Dash took a huge bottle out of her saddlebag. Pinkie Pie’s reaction was not long in coming and she started to bounce while singing an improvised song about the beverage’s good taste of apple.

This Aurora Borealis really was timely. Everyone was under pressure, especially the Head’s Council, with some of the members barely recovered from their injuries. Even their breakfasts no longer had the good mood and relaxed feeling of this outdoor picnic.

The sight did not start before a few hours, which gave the Members of the Militia an occasion to meddle up, to talk with each other the way they rarely had the chance to. Pinkie Pie started games which a lot of them took part in and Soarin thought to himself while looking at them all that it was the first time he could hear some laugh.

The snacks each had brought went from hoof to hoof, to the extent that the sandwiches made by Soarin and Caramel would reach the other end of the garden, and they were able to have a taste of Surprise’s grandmother’s famous tomato pies.

Carried away by the moment’s euphoria, Pinkie Pie got close to Applejack and threw herself into her neck to tell her she loved her. The mare, dumbfounded, patted her back swearing she loved her too but it did not stop her. She said the words again, assuring her friend did not understand but that she loved her.

Freaked out, Applejack glanced begging at Caramel. When he shook Pinkie Pie’s shoulder, the latter threw herself into his neck and claimed she loved him. The same way, when he answered he loved her too – with no ulterior motive, that went without saying – she told him he didn’t understand and that she loved him.

Just like his marefriend before him, he decided to pass the torch on to his closest neighbor… who was Rainbow Dash. She also had her enthusiastic “I love you”… The performance was going to start again. Soarin did not want to take the reins of it, since he was the last of the group, Big Macintosh having suddenly disappear.

Rainbow Dash also patted her friend’s back.

“Thank you, Pinkie.”

Immediately, Pinkie Pie let her go, and declared she was going to pick up the cakes she had baked for them, before getting away gamboling.
They all stared at their Head, flabbergasted, but she only shrugged.

“When she does this… Just say ‘thank you’ to her.”

General roar of laughter.

It did a power of good to be able to laugh heartily, to finally let go to positive emotions. To feel the weigh leaving your shoulders and stomachs, muscles loosen, cheeks and zygomaticus hurting in the end.

Yet, as they all get prepared to look at the Aurora, as Applejack and Caramel went to lie their blanket a little further in order to get more privacy, Soarin felt the need to ask a question.

In the moments of intense joy, it often thought about deeper topics, always wondering whether it was going to last long and how long it would last. In the circumstances that was theirs, these issues appeared to be all the more reasonable. The future seemed to be something rather uncertain.

“Rainbow Dash… I know we’ve told we wouldn’t talk about it tonight, but I wanted to know…”

She looked at him, her eyes wide open, while she was trying to put their own blanket in place which corners were rolled into a ball, preventing from having the maximum comfort.

Once sure he had her attention, Soarin kept on talking:

“What are you going to do about the Unavow Army? Do you have a plan? Since you came to visit Master Crimson Moon, the other day…”

“I have a plan, indeed”, she said once the blanket was flat again.

She sat down, visibly peaceful, and not really understanding why, he felt by the way she settled herself on the right edge of the tartan rug, she encouraged him to sit down as well, close to her. There was no need to ask him twice.

“Can I ask you what’s your plan?”

“You can.”

In light of her proud attitude when she had answered, Soarin expected a huge revelation, something that would make the ground under his hooves shake.

“We’re going to steal them one of their major pawns, the one that make them think they’ll always have the advantage… Twilight Sparkle!”

Admittedly, the ground had not shaken yet the surprise was big. Why her? She had been the one who had brought them back Double Diamond’s mutilated body, the one by whom cause the scandal. Even if Rainbow Dash happened to convince her to take The Militia’s side, no pony would ever trust her.

Yet, he knew it, Rainbow Dash never took her decision about The Militia haphazardly. She always had something in the back of her mind when she decided to give a job to a pony.

It was clear it deserved a little explanation that, in front of his bewildered face, she hurried to give to him.

“Do you remember your first night watch? I’ve told you about Master Crimson Moon and I’ve told you she’d cut one of her student’s hoof because she had fixed one of her mistake.”

“I could never forget it.”

“Well, this student was Twilight Sparkle.”

Immediately, a flash struck in his mind. Soarin made the vital connections by himself and quickly went to the conclusion that Twilight might have been a part of the Militia at some point. As surprising as it was. A Fighting Master such as Crimson Moon only trained ponies from elite organizations. It was impossible to become her pupil just with money. In fact, money was not even important. Honor and distinction only mattered.

Rainbow Dash could see the information was a little hard to swallow for Soarin.

There were so many things she had not told him yet, after those long weeks side by side during which she had learned to know him better. It was not that she did not trust him nor that she did not regard him as somepony important for her…

Conversely, after all those training sessions and night watches together, she could say she was feeling good in his presence and she was glad she had said yes to him. He no longer even had to ask to be sitting next to her at breakfast, and unnoticing, she had started to offer him little attentions, such as making sure there always was a slice of apple pie left for him, and small things like this.

The problem with her was always the same. To accept her own feelings was quite easy. To say them out loud was another issue. Affection came with time, and with small steps. She still had a lot to learn about intimacy.

Rainbow Dash felt it was the right time to make a move, to make him understand she trusted him enough to tell him things about her past, or about the Militia’s past, deeply linked to hers.

“This mishap had completely ruined her life… Before this, she was the Quartermaster chosen by the former Head.”

Upon those words, she kept quiet. Not for a novelty effect, but because mentioning her former coltfriend in front of her new stallion felt quite sensitive.

Soarin had not had to ask her to learn about his existence. Shortly after the events with Double Diamond, he had been brought up to date by Big Macintosh, in the course of an innocent conversation. He had asked her no question, undoubtedly because he was expecting it to come from her but from that moment on, each time an issue led to Time Stellar, Rainbow Dash could feel something arising from Soarin. Like a new tension in his neck and hooves, that gave him a little bit of poise.

She cleared her throat before she began to speak again. The tension between us should not have the time to develop. Time Stellar was not the main topic, Twilight Sparkle was.

“It’s a very important role, as you may know. Even if, in principle, the Quartermaster isn’t supposed to fight, like the mail ponies, it’s better to be able to fight at least a minimum. Master Crimson Moon often held her up as an example, especially as she was Princess Celestia’s protégée. And, she had made that mistaking of fixing a mistake the Master had said and her life has turned into hell ever since.

“Master Crimson Moon demanded her to be banished from Ponyville or she would not hesitate to humiliate her publicly. The Princess insisted, as well as the rest of the Greater Council where she still sits. It was no use. It was Master Crimson Moon or Twilight Sparkle. As you may know as well, a sovereign can’t take actions in the Greater Council’s decision and the Greater Council couldn’t afford to lose Master Crimson Moon. They chose to sacrifice Twilight.

“Do you want to know what’s the most ironic thing about it? When I visited Master Crimson Moon so that she would agree to restore Twilight Sparkle, she told me ‘do you really think I still remember all the little snots I hurt? I only remember you because you’re the Head’s Militia. By the by, Rainbow Dash, go and make sixty laps”. What’s worse is that I did them sixty laps because orders from Master Crimson Moon should never be call into question.”

Deep inside, Soarin begged for his new marefriend never to send him to the famous Fight Master in order to improve. The more he learned the truth about her, the darker and twisted the picture got, like some kind of a breathing phantasmagoria, a pony back from the Blaze to haunt the world of the livings.

What she had done to Twilight Sparkle, just to forget her afterwards, could explained the bitterness she seemed to feel toward Rainbow Dash in particular and the Militia in general. They were supposed to be there one of another, yet none had supported her. They all was scared of Crimson Moon and chose to act like her doormats. Even Rainbow Dash, who gave the impression of being scared of nothing.

Soarin wondered how she would do it, and almost asked her when the light of the lamppost torches went out one after the other. He felt a new tension holding his stomach like pincers. Then, seeing Rainbow Dash’s calm, he understood this was nothing but the signal of the Aurora’s beginning.

His whole body relaxed, and he looked up, the sky being still dark and starless. Out of the corner of his eye, he had a glimpse at Applejack and Caramel, stuck together. Her head rested against his shoulder. Once again, something displayed inside his stomach, but it was not tension. It was raw envy.

Rainbow Dash was lying by his side, her magenta eyes staring at the sky. It was as if her child’s soul was reflected inside her expression… She was pretty, and Soarin felt his heart racing inside his chest.

Her hoof was so close to him yet so far. He knew it, she was not very fond of public displays of affection but the mood was right and he wanted to feel closer to her than he ever had felt before, just like during their one and only kiss, as brief as it had been.

He heard she clicked her tongue from irritation, and the second after, she saw her bringing his hoof closer and their hooves intertwine. It was not much but for Soarin it embodied a giant step. The fact that the display had come from herself was more than he ever had dreamed of.

“I thought you didn’t like this kind of things”, he whispered to her.

“I don’t like this kind of things in front of everyone. Now, everyone only has eyes for the Aurora. And you’d better as well because it’s awesome. Oh, it begins…”

Immediately, Soarin looked up again. And what he saw was beyond imagination. Some kind of green cloud, made with a million of droplets, was shining brightly, while moving through the skies, with a hint of pink sometimes. It was mind-blowing. Some ponies from the audience could be heard squealing from admiration.

From time to time, he lowered his eyes toward Rainbow Dash, and looked at the fluorescent reflections dancing on her mane and coat. She never looked away, smiling with her mouth ajar.

He knew… She had no idea how adorable she was in such moments. How she looked peaceful, almost innocent. Of course, he did not tell her, since she probably did not like to be said things like that. It did not matter. He had the chance to see her this way and would cherish the memory as long as he breathed. Their hooves still intertwined added to the whole a taste of heaven he did not think he would go through any time soon.

None had noticed that two ponies were missing.

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Pinkie Pie had not seen anything. Neither when she had gone through the long corridors in order to go to the kitchen nor when she has stepped into the room. Only when the oil lamp she had just lit started to flicker had she understand she had been followed.

Her heart thumping, she had waited, ready to let her survival instinct out if needed. The shadow of a stallion had stood out against the wall in front of her. Big Macintosh. As soon as she had recognized him, all her senses on alert had calmed down.

One question remained. Why had he turned off the light? He did not answer. Alright. She knew he was shy by nature and did not insist.

She looked away and put one of the cakes she had baked unstable on the top of her head. She could not wait to see her friends’ eyes when they would see this wonder she had prepared for their exclusive taste. They would never believe it.

Big Macintosh stepped closer. Slowly. Naive, Pinkie Pie immediately though he wanted to help her.

“There’s another cake in the icy tray if you want…”

But instead of going to the shown place, he settled behind her, and nuzzled the pit of her neck. She still smelled the same fragrance, like strawberry bubblegum. It was reassuring, almost soothing. A synonym of comfort and warmth.

Since he usually never took the initiative, he felt suddenly ashamed he had made the first move. It gave the impression that he thought Pinkie Pie was a love vending-machine, as if there were no heart racing under this pink coat. She deserved better.

Every time, he thought about the stallion of the picture, and forbidden images rushed through his brain. Her, with him. Him who was different, obviously, who loved her for real, obviously. Him who would not hurt her thanks to their agreement and actions.

He should have leave her alone, he knew it. If she told him to stop, he would stop. At the least sign of pain from her, he would stop everything and would never go back.

Pinkie Pie did not say anything. She looked up and whispered “it’s starting” as soon as the lights outside went off. The cake unstable on her head came to crush against the floor, pieces of the icing touching her hooves which she knew were shaking.

Too bad for the Aurora Borealis, too bad for the cakes. She missed her stallion’s tenderness and if she closed her eyes, she could imagine he was the one behind her, slipping his lips along her throat.

Author's Note:

There's a friend of mine at home so I can't fix any mistakes right now, I'm so sorry

Hope you'll like it anyway

Comments

[Dusk_Writer]

Wow…I can only imagine how Twilight felt after that incident with Crimson. O.O

Pinkie and Mac are so complex together…I love it U

[Crimson Dawn]

I am a big fan of Big Mac and Pinkie and really not a fan of the other pairing but even though I do feel bad about this. Or at least sort of since we only have some of the information for instance if her other stallion is dead and she has been holding a torch for him then I should be happy but if it is more like cheating and he does not deserve that then I am a bit sad. Which is all too bad because those two really work well together.