Surprise Party

by TobiasDrake

4 - Questions to Answers Unwanted

Three days later, Rainbow Dash met Twilight at what had become their usual table. She slumped into her space and rest her chin grumpily on the table. She was missing her usual energy and there was nothing she could do to hide her bloodshot eyes.

“I’m guessing it’s not going well?” Twilight asked.

“I’ve barely seen Pinkie since she ditched me,” Rainbow grumbled. “I’ve got the weather to take care of and when I’m not working, she always seems to have something going on.” Hesitantly, she looked up and asked, “Do you think she’s avoiding me?”

“I can’t imagine why,” Twilight answered. “We already know that Pinkie has very strong feelings towards you. She’s probably just busy.”

“For three days?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Have you ever been to Sweet Apple Acres during harvest? Trust me, it happens.”

“Yeah. I’m sure a town this size must have so many birthdays less than a week from each other.”

“Pinkie doesn’t just do birthday parties,” Twilight explained. “She’s also responsible for cute-ceañeras, summer blockbusters, school dances, wedding receptions--”

“I get it,” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “She does a bunch of stuff and makes everypony happy. Everypony except me.”

Sternly, Twilight stated, “Being together is a partnership, Rainbow Dash. It means supporting each other and helping each other. It means caring about what your partner is thinking and feeling.”

“I’m trying!” Rainbow Dash insisted.

“What is Pinkie doing tomorrow?”

“How should I know?!”

“Have you asked her?”

“I’ve barely seen her!”

“But you have seen her.”

Defensively, Rainbow Dash answered, “Yes, a couple of times. Mostly she just said she was busy.”

“Did you ask what she’s doing?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I kinda figured we’d catch up later. But then later didn’t come.”

Twilight sighed. “Rainbow Dash, if not knowing what’s going on with her is bothering you, then you need to be asking her about it. You should be talking to her about her life anyways. You’re sure to learn things you need to know if you’re going to be a good special somepony.”

“Yeah, but that feels weird,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “What am I supposed to say? ‘Hi, Pinkie, I’m suddenly very interested in the number of sales you made today.’”

“Yes,” Twilight answered bluntly.

Rainbow Dash protested, “But I’m not interested in candy sales!”

“Doesn’t matter. Do you know how much I’ve learned about tilling soil, contrasting leaf colors, and checking soil samples since Applejack and I got together?”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t seem like the farming type.”

“I’m not.” Twilight looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes, making sure she could see her sincerity. “But I love Applejack, and talking about the things she loves makes her happy. And that makes me happy. That’s what you should be trying to do with Pinkie. Just give it a shot. I promise, you won’t regret it.”

“I’ll try it,” Rainbow Dash surrendered. “No promises, though.”

---

Passing through the door to Sugarcube Corner, Rainbow Dash spotted Mrs. Cake operating the register. “Hey, Mrs. Cake. Is Pinkie Pie here?”

“Oh, didn’t you know?” Mrs. Cake closed the cash register and gave Rainbow Dash her attention. “Pinkie’s been in Canterlot since yesterday. Princess Celestia asked her to help with the hosting for some manner of convention. I think it was something about comic books?”

“Wait, she went to Canterlot and didn’t tell me?”

“So it seems,” Mrs. Cake answered. “You’re welcome to stay if you’d like, but please try not to wake the twins. Getting them both to fall asleep at the same time is quite the…Rainbow Dash?”

Without another word, Rainbow Dash stormed out of Sugarcube Corner and took off into the sky. Canterlot wasn’t very far from Ponyville. The town rested largely in the city’s shadow. Not quite under it, but a short enough journey by the beating of wings even for pegasi who weren’t Rainbow Dash.

She didn’t know what she was going to say or do when she found Pinkie. She had no plans in her mind at all. She just knew she was angry, hurt, and hungry for Pinkie all at once. She wanted to be near her but she was also burning with outrage at the way she’d been snubbed. She wanted to lash out, but also to embrace her. Most importantly, she just wanted Pinkie to be with her now.

From the skies over Canterlot, it wasn’t hard to find the convention. Rainbow Dash scanned the ground with her eyes until she started seeing crowds of ponies moving in a general direction. Following their course, she soon saw a cone of confetti burst into the sky over a large park. “Pinkie,” she said to herself.

She flew over stands filled with memorabilia. There were ponies dressed in all manner of strange outfits. She saw several ponies walking through the park wearing colorful skintight suits. There was a light blue unicorn wearing an ill-fitting pair of glasses and what looked like a wizard’s robe. A nervous yellow pegasus glanced around at the stands, her pink mane teased into buns by her ears and the long hair coming down from her neck split into a pair of tails trailing down. A pair of earth pony colts wearing brown robes happily raced down an aisle, carrying plastic swords with glowing blades in their mouths.

Rainbow Dash spotted a few Daring Do costumes and felt relief at finally recognizing something. She took a small comfort in the fact that it wasn’t all weird nerd stuff and resumed searching for Pinkie. She’d probably be over by the--

Wait, was that…?

“Fluttershy?!” Rainbow Dash dropped from the sky, flaring her wings as she approached the ground and angling her descent. She swooped over her friend, slowing her approach into a hover as she arrived. “You’re here?!”

“Oh, hi,” Fluttershy greeted her. “I didn’t know you were into graphic novels.”

“What, you mean all this nerd junk? I’m not. Have you seen Pinkie anywhere?”

“Oh, she’s very busy,” Fluttershy answered. “She set up a play area for the foals and Princess Celestia has been having her announce the panels. She’s very good at getting everypony’s attention. Tomorrow, it’s all supposed to end in a huge bash, celebrating thirty years of Power Ponies.”

“Okay, fine, but where is she now?” Rainbow Dash folded her forehooves impatiently.

“I’m afraid I don’t know.” Fluttershy glanced around the park, but the stands made it difficult to see over the imposing crowds. “The last time I saw her, she was announcing the panel for Dragonfly had opened up. The publishers messed up the books, but they’ve released several comics since. It’s an amazing story about--”

“Yeah, that’s great,” Rainbow Dash cut her off. “So there’s no way to find her?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I suppose you could wait until the next panel begins. She’s probably working on tomorrow’s celebration right now, but she comes out for those. She fires off her party cannon to get everypony’s attention. It’s very effective.”

“I guess I don’t have a choice.” Grumpily, Rainbow Dash lowered herself to the ground. “What are you even doing here, Fluttershy? I figured you wouldn’t be caught dead around so many other ponies.”

“It can be a little scary,” Fluttershy admitted, “but it’s the best place to find new graphic novels from Yokinawa.”

“Where?”

“Oh, they’re not in Equestria.” Seeing an opening in the crowd, she started walking. Rainbow Dash kept pace beside her. “There’s a publishing company in Manehattan that buys the rights to import and translate their graphic novels for us. I have a few series I like to pick up, but they sometimes unveil new ones here at Three C’s.”

“Three C’s?”

“Canterlot Comic-Con!”

“Okay, I really don’t know how much more nerd stuff I can take,” Rainbow Dash insisted. “I’m surprised Twilight isn’t here geeking out with you.”

“I don’t think she likes graphic novels very much,” Fluttershy admitted. “We tried to invite her, but she wasn’t very interested.”

Rainbow Dash perked up. “Wait, who’s ‘we’?”

As if to answer her question, a voice called out from behind her. “Hey, Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow Dash turned around to see Spike running down one of the aisles to greet her, followed stoically by Big Macintosh. “I didn’t know you liked comics!”

Defensively, Rainbow Dash shouted, “I don’t! I’m just here for--Big Mac?! You’re into all this nerd stuff?”

“Eeyup.” Behind a large, white domino mask, Big Macintosh grinned. He was dressed in a black suit with a rose held delicately in a breast pocket. His suit jacket lay open, revealing a white vest underneath with a white bowtie. Atop his head sat a top hat, completing his ensemble. Grinning, he leaned his head down and plucked the rose with his teeth, then turned sideways and posed.

Looking up at Rainbow Dash, Spike asked, “Are you crying?”

“No!” Rainbow Dash dabbed at her eye with the side of her hoof. “It’s just so terrible.”

“I think his costume looks amazing,” Fluttershy complimented.

Rainbow Dash fluttered back up into the air, remarking, “Okay, this is about three miles past too nerdy for me. Have fun, I’m going to find--” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught something. One of the vendor stands had a cardboard cutout of her hero propped up in front of it.

Interrupting herself, she asked, “Are those Daring Do comics?”

“Oh, yeah,” Spike answered her. “They have comics for everything.”

Transfixed, Rainbow Dash floated towards the vendor stand. Her eyes darted across the stand. Daring Do Versus the Pearl Pegasus. Daring Do and the Mysterious Sea Ponies. The Unbeatable Daring Do #15.

“Ooh, this is a good one,” Spike said, coming up beside her. He’d picked up one of the comics and showed it to Rainbow Dash. “They did a crossover with PC Comics. Daring Do teams up with Mistress Mare-velous to take down the sinister alliance of Dr. Caballeron and the Sonic Whinny.”

Behind the stand, a yellow earth pony with a cutie mark shaped like a book cleared her throat. “Can I help you find something?”

Answering quickly, Rainbow Dash said, “I want all of them. Everything. How much is everything?”

“Well, they’re two bits per issue….”

“I will be right back!” Rainbow Dash vanished into the sky, leaving a rainbow trail behind her.

It took the better part of an hour to return, but Rainbow Dash found herself standing in front of the vendor stand once more, saddlebags straddling her back. After laying her bits out on the table, Rainbow Dash drooped. “I don’t think I have enough for all of them.”

With a smile, the vendor told her, “We have a store here in Canterlot. It’s just two blocks from the train station. You’re welcome to come by any time to pick up what you can’t afford today. If we’re out of stock, we can always special order for you.”

“Okay, then today I should be able to get….ten, no, twelve comics!”

“Thirteen,” corrected Fluttershy, laying two bits on the table next to Rainbow Dash’s.

Spike bumped Big Mac in his foreleg. “I think we can make that fifteen. What do you think, big guy?”

“Eeyup.”

As they added their bits to Rainbow Dash’s pile, she felt herself flooding with a warm feeling. It was a sense of satisfaction growing in her heart that she hadn’t felt since she shared that hug with Twilight during the Crystal Ball. She felt accepted and, more importantly, loved.

“Thanks, everypony,” she told her friends.

“Don’t worry about it,” Spike answered her. “Welcome to the Nerd Herd.”

“Don’t push it.” Rainbow Dash picked out the comics that looked the most interesting to her and loaded them into her saddlebags. She’d almost forgotten the reason she came when the thunderous explosion of Pinkie Pie’s party cannon caught her ears.

---

“HIIIIIII EVERYPONY!!!” Pinkie greeted the teeming crowd of ponies from her place atop a large, wooden stage. Six other ponies flanked her as she addressed the audience. “I wanted to let you all know that I’m opening a second play space over in the east field, just past the “Adventures of Grontle the Minotaur” stand. Bring the colts and fillies or just come over yourself if you need a fun way to relax during your busy day!”

With her announcement finished, Pinkie stepped back while the others stepped forward. She felt terribly out of place here, but she was looking forward to tomorrow’s party. After all the work she’d put into it, she was sure it was going to be one of the biggest and best she’d ever thrown.

Hopping down off the stage, Pinkie spotted her friends trotting over towards her. Cheerfully, she approached and greeted them, “Hi, Flutter--”

“Pinkie! There you are!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

“Oh, hi, Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie smiled sweetly. “I didn’t know you were into comics.”

“I’m not,” Rainbow Dash insisted. “Come on, let’s get out of here. There are way better things we can be doing than hanging out here.”

“Wait, what?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “I can’t just leave, you silly billy. I’ve worked on this all week! Tomorrow we’re having a big celebration and there’s going to be a cake shaped like--”

“Uh-huh, cool. But do we really need to stay for the whole thing?”

“You don’t have to,” Pinkie insisted. “If you don’t like it, go do something fun. We’re in Canterlot! There’s probably a…um….” She thought for a moment, but all that came to mind were snobby unicorns being posh and wearing monocles. “We’re not too far from Ponyville?” she offered weakly.

“What, you’re asking me to leave?”

“Nonono! I just don’t want you feeling like you have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

In the midst of the argument, Fluttershy whispered to Spike, “Am I missing something?”

“You got me,” Spike responded.

“Look,” Rainbow Dash insisted, “I came here to spend time with you. That’s what I’m going to do. Okay?”

---

“And then she sat there with a big grumpy face for the whole event! The whole event!” Pinkie exclaimed. Two days had passed since Rainbow Dash’s unexpected arrival in Canterlot. As soon as she’d found a moment’s peace, she’d come straight to Rarity. She sat comfortably on the fainting couch as her friend listened to her tale.

“That sounds positively dreadful,” Rarity commiserated. “However did you manage?”

Looking Rarity straight in the eyes, Pinkie grumbled, “That wasn’t even the worst part.”

---

With the second night of the convention behind her, Pinkie Pie retired to her guest room in the Canterlot royal palace. Rainbow Dash followed her, still as grumpy as she’d been before. There was something uncomfortable in her mood, but Pinkie couldn’t for the life of her place what. She just knew that Rainbow Dash had spent the day somehow resisting her best attempts at cheer.

She wanted to talk about the day she’d had, but Rainbow Dash’s sour expression made it impossible to find the words. Instead, she settled on, “Would you like to stay with me tonight?”

The offer seemed to work as Rainbow Dash perked up instantly. “You mean you want to--”

Realizing immediately what Rainbow Dash thought she was offering, Pinkie corrected herself. “Not like that,” she added hastily. “I can’t. Not tonight, Dashie. I just thought you might like to stay here since you don’t have a room.”

“Oh.” The dourness returned to Rainbow Dash’s face, much to Pinkie’s sorrow. “Yeah, sure.”

Pinkie bit down on the knob, turning it and pushing the door open. Rainbow Dash followed her inside and immediately shucked off her saddlebags, plopping down on the bed. It was a large enough bed; Pinkie felt confident that it wouldn’t be too weird.

Just like a sleepover.

Pinkie climbed up onto the bed next to Rainbow Dash, whose back was turned to her. That same cold atmosphere greeted her. She hated that feeling. It was everything she dedicated her life to stamping out. Hostility. Discontent. Sadness. The gross, scornful emotions she crusaded against had somehow followed her home.

She couldn’t imagine how she could inspire so much despair. Was she truly so horrible?

“You don’t have to come tomorrow,” she offered. “I’m going to be busy all day setting up the party, but maybe the day after, I could come find you and we could do something fun together?”

“It’s fine,” Rainbow Dash insisted. “Apology accepted or whatever.”

Pinkie blinked. “Wait, that wasn’t an apology.”

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash perked up again. Giving no sign that she’d heard Pinkie, she rolled over and suggested with a wry grin, “If you really want to make it up to me, we could--”

Knowing exactly where she was going with that, Pinkie scowled. “I said no, Dashie.”

Dumping herself back where she’d lain, Rainbow Dash replied, “Fine. Sooner we get tomorrow over and done with, the better.”

---

Rarity was taken aback. “She did not!”

“She did,” Pinkie confirmed. “She actually thought I was going to sleep with her because she didn’t like the convention. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s not acting like the Dashie I know.” Pinkie pouted. “I want my friend back.”

With a sigh, Rarity stated, “This has gotten entirely out of control. Something must be done about this.”

Pinkie nodded. “I just don’t know what. I don’t want to hurt her.”

Rarity reached a hoof over and gently strokes Pinkie’s mane. “I know, darling, but sometimes you must. A small hurt is sometimes necessary to avoid a larger one down the road. It’s never easy, but if we can nip this in the bud now, there may still be time to salvage your friendship.”

“That’s all I want,” Pinkie agreed, letting out a small sob.

---

Arriving at the boutique, Rainbow Dash found the door open and waiting for her. She stepped inside slowly, looking around. She saw Pinkie seated on Rarity’s fainting couch and looking half-deflated. Rarity sat on her haunches beside it. Both had their eyes fixed straight on her.

“Come in,” Rarity said somberly. Her horn glowed as she closed the door behind Rainbow Dash.

“We need to talk,” Pinkie said somberly.

“Okay?” Rainbow Dash stepped forward and sat before the two of them, shooting looks between them. “What’s going on?”

Pinkie shot a nervous look at Rarity, who placed a comforting hoof on her side. Looking back to Rainbow Dash, she explained, “I think we need to talk about our friendship.”

“What about it?”

Pinkie turned her eyes back to Rarity, pleading silently for help. Rarity sighed and explained, “She is trying to tell you that you aren’t a couple.”

“What, this again?” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “We had--”

“And no, having sex does not make you a couple. There is more to a working relationship than just sex.”

“That can’t be what she means,” Rainbow Dash insisted. A feeling of dread began to grow in the pit of her stomach. “Pinkie and I are--”

“She’s right,” Pinkie insisted. “You’re one of my best friends--”

“I’m more than that!” Rainbow Dash insisted. “Pinkie, I love you.”

“I love you too,” Pinkie told her. “It’s just not the right kind of love.”

“What’s that supposed to--”

Before Rainbow Dash could finish getting defensive, Rarity stepped in between the two. “I believe what Pinkie is trying to say is that she doesn’t feel a romantic love towards you.” She shot a glance at Pinkie who nodded affirmatively to her. “You are a dear friend to her.”

Rainbow Dash took a step back, trying to fend of feelings of panic. She looked straight at Pinkie, asking, “Are you breaking up with me?”

Lost for an answer, Pinkie Pie tried to shrink deeper into the couch. Her pleading eyes glanced to Rarity, who promptly shook her head.

“I can’t answer this for you, darling.”

“I don’t know,” Pinkie squeaked.

“Why don’t you know?” Rainbow Dash took a couple steps towards the couch. “This isn’t hard, Pinkie. Do you want to be my Very Special Somepony or not?”

“I don’t want to be a Very Special Somepony,” Pinkie insisted. “Why can’t I just play with my friends and have fun? Is that so awful?”

Rainbow Dash’s breathing quickened. She stepped forward, frantically insisting, “Pinkie, I love you. I love you! That means something!”

“Does it?” Rarity asked curiously. “It seems strange to me, Rainbow Dash. It’s hardly been over a week since you said you had no special feelings for Pinkie. You seem to be moving terribly fast.”

“Maybe I’m just like that,” Rainbow Dash answered her. “I don’t waste time. What’s wrong with that?”

“That you’re scaring me,” Pinkie answered.

Rarity stepped towards Rainbow Dash. “I believe that you’re attracted to her, Rainbow Dash, but love sounds too strong. I worry that you might be rushing into things.”

“I’m not!” Rainbow Dash insisted. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Then prove it.” Both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie stopped to look at Rarity, uncertain of where she was going with this. She continued, “I would like you to take some time away from Pinkie. Cool off. Get your head turned around. Reconnect with the activities you enjoy in your life. Do anything other than pine over her.”

“Oooh, that’s a good idea,” Pinkie agreed. “Maybe you could try being with some other ponies while you’re at it.”

Rainbow Dash recoiled in horror at the suggestion. “You’re asking me to cheat on you?”

Rarity interjected, “Not every relationship is identical, Rainbow Dash. The only rules are the ones two lovers lay out between themselves. Even if Pinkie had agreed to be your special somepony, which I remind you she has not, it is not cheating if you have permission ahead of time.”

“You have permission!” Pinkie exclaimed. “You have SO MUCH permission. Like, if permission was a cupcake, you would have so many cupcakes that you’d balloon up to the size of a house! And then we’d have to load you into a catapult and shoot you at the clouds. …that actually sounds kind of fun.”

Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion at Pinkie’s thought train. “Right,” she hesitantly agreed. “Permission cupcakes.” The rising panic had faded inside of her, replaced by a dull ache in her heart. Every passing moment of this conversation made it more and more clear that Pinkie wanted to go along with Rarity’s abhorrent plan. She hated the sound of it, but it was still better than the break-up she thought Pinkie wanted earlier. “How long do I have to do this?” she asked.

Rarity looked at Pinkie, giving her the chance to speak, but Pinkie subtly shook her head. Taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she answered, “I believe one moon should be sufficient. One moon, no interaction with Pinkie Pie unless the rest of us are there. At the end of that period, you can see if you still feel as strongly about her as you do right now.”

Rainbow Dash desperately didn’t want to be doing this, but as she watched Pinkie nod in agreement with Rarity’s suggestion, she didn’t see another way out. “A whole moon?” she asked.

“Please,” Pinkie pleaded with her. “We can have a ‘Congratulations, Dashie Made It’ party at the end. Whether you still want to be with me or not, you’ll get a party, okay?”

Pinkie’s parties were definitely the best around. There was no question about that in Rainbow Dash’s mind. “Fine,” she grumbled. “I guess I’ll see you in a moon, Pinkie.”

---

On the first day without Pinkie, Rainbow Dash refused to leave her bed except to fill Tank’s food dish. She was distantly grateful when he landed on the mattress to keep her company and wrapped her forelegs around him, squeezing him close. She’d never admit to anypony how much she cried that day. It was a secret for Tank’s eyes only.

She might have had a conversation with another weather pegasus, come to check on her when she didn’t show up for cloudbusting. Or it might have been her day off. The whole day felt like a blur to her and she wasn’t really sure what had gone on around her as she lay miserably in her bed.

On the second day, she was angry. She alternated between lying in bed crying dry tears and storming about her cloudominium, ranting about Pinkie. It was all Pinkie’s fault for starting this in the first place. It was her fault for not understanding Rainbow Dash’s feelings. It was her fault for teasing her, for leading her on, for manipulating her.

Then it was Rarity’s fault. It was Rarity’s fault for getting in the way. It was Rarity who interrupted this great thing she and Pinkie had going. Rarity who coerced Pinkie into this awful idea. And what about Twilight? Twilight had been nothing but a fountain of bad advice since this all started. It was Twilight’s fault for being so unhelpful. Twilight’s fault for making her look foolish.

On the third day, it was Rainbow Dash’s fault. She held her beloved pet turtle and cried into his shell. “I screwed up,” she admitted only to the empty room and her greatest confidante. She’d been mean. She’d pushed too hard. She’d barely listened to Pinkie at all and now here she was with an empty bed and a broken heart to show for it.

On the fourth day, she went outside for the first time. She stayed in the air and followed the other weather pegasi, arranging the weather patterns where they were needed. She never spoke to any of them, nor did she greet the friends she occasionally saw below. When she noticed Pinkie pass by, she felt a pang of hurt deep inside of her. She wanted to call out to her, but she’d agreed not to, and so she finished out the longest work day of her life and went home.

On the sixth day, she came home after her work and opened her saddlebags for the first time. The comics she’d bought at the convention were still inside, and seeing them reminded her of how she had felt when her friends had stepped up to help her buy them. She picked out the one that Spike had suggested and opened it.

Despite the pain inside her, she found herself chuckling along at the adventures of her hero contained within. She cheered for Daring Do as she faced off with her nemesis. By the end of the comic, she was hooked. She wanted more, so she picked out the next comic and read that one next. When she’d read them all, she went back and read them again with a satisfied smile on her face.

On the seventh day, she had a visitor. Answering a gentle knock at her door, she was greeted by the sight of her friend Fluttershy. “I’m sorry to bother you,” she said, “but I wanted to see if you’re okay. Rarity said we should give you time to process your feelings and let you come to us when you’re ready, but she wouldn’t say what it was about.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rainbow Dash lied. “Just going through some stuff. You want to come in?”

She spent the day chatting with Fluttershy like she used to before Pinkie, and in that time she even managed to forget how much she was hurting. She also noticed for the first time that the way Fluttershy’s mane curled around her ear was actually very cute. Had Fluttershy always been this pretty? She wasn’t sure.

On the ninth day, she visited Twilight and Applejack. “I’m not gonna go easy on you just ‘cause you’re all gimpy,” she teased Twilight. She wasn’t sure what had compelled the bookworm to join in the friendly game of basketball with them, especially in her condition, but the knowing grin on Applejack’s face made her uneasy.

To Rainbow Dash’s surprise, Twilight seemed to have become quite adept at moving her wheelchair through magic in the past weeks. As Rainbow Dash moved to steal the ball from Applejack, Twilight swept it up from between the both of them.

Rainbow Dash untangled herself from Applejack and leapt to block Twilight’s shot, but the shot went wild and never approached the basket. The gloat was already fresh on her tongue when she saw the ball hit a tree branch, ricochet upwards, pass over the backboard, and land perfectly in the basket. Happily, Twilight congratulated herself, “Four points!”

Applejack gave her an affectionate peck on the nose. “That’s a two-point shot, sugar, and you know that.” The unicorn’s giggle betrayed her; Rainbow Dash was sure she’d probably memorized a rulebook.

“That was luck,” Rainbow Dash insisted.

Twilight shook her head. “It’s math. There are many versions of the game, but they all operate on the same principles: use precisely calculated trajectories to put a ball into a target zone. The math is easy. The hard part is the throw.”

“I may have created a monster,” Applejack whispered to Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash watched Twilight wipe her brow and roll herself over to the ball. Despite her own injury, she was still living her life. She was brilliant in ways Rainbow Dash couldn’t fully understand and she kept going, no matter what happened to her. She was easy to underestimate, but she was much stronger than Rainbow Dash thought nerds were supposed to be.

And she was pretty. Much like Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash had found her eyes exploring Twilight at awkward moments throughout the day. She’d pushed it to the back of her mind, but now here it was again.

“I think I finally get what you see in her,” Rainbow Dash whispered back.

On the eleventh day, Rainbow Dash was hard at work busting clouds when her vision was suddenly filled with a blue mane and black hide. “Hey!” she shouted. “Watch where you’re going, Thunderlane!”

“Sorry, Rainbow Dash!” Thunderlane responded as he shoved the cloud she’d been targeting eastwards.

Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself and beat her wings to gain altitude for another dive, but her eyes kept drawing back towards Thunderlane. He was a dolt at times, but she had to admit that there was something to the curves of his wings she hadn’t quite seen before.

On the thirteenth day, Rainbow Dash met Twilight at the Hay Burger. She’d thought a lot about something Pinkie and Rarity had said to her, but it still just didn’t feel right.

“You haven’t asked to meet in a while. Have there been new developments?” Twilight asked curiously.

“More like an old one I can’t get past,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “Pinkie asked me to give her space a couple weeks ago. We set a time, but there’s something that’s bugging me.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Twilight commiserated. “Did she break up with you, or does she just need some time to herself?”

“I’m not really sure.” Rainbow Dash sighed. “She said we’ll talk about it when the time comes.”

“That’s hopeful,” Twilight offered. “Then again, she might just have been letting you down easily. Pinkie Pie’s pretty soft. She may not have had it in her to just break up with you like that.”

“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash looked down at her burger, her appetite rapidly fading. “She told me that I should try knocking hooves with other ponies, too. But I don’t understand that. Rarity agreed, but isn’t that cheating?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the question. “Of course it’s not cheating. Don’t be ridiculous, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash perked up. “It’s not?”

“I do it all the time. I knock hooves with Cadance every time we see each other. Why would Applejack be bothered by that?”

Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight for several seconds. “Your brother doesn’t mind?”

Twilight shrugged. “I tried to get him to knock hooves with me once, but he wasn’t very good at it. It’s really just my and Cadance’s thing.”

For a few more seconds, Rainbow Dash struggled to make sense of the words pouring out of Twilight’s mouth. Then they clicked and, to the unicorn’s confusion, she burst out laughing, falling over to the ground in the process.

“What?” Twilight asked. “What is so funny?”

Pulling herself back up to the table, Rainbow Dash told her, “It means sex, Twilight. Knocking hooves means having sex.”

“Oh,” Twilight answered, blushing from mild embarrassment and glancing away from the conversation. Then the reality of what she’d just said dawned on her and she blushed furiously. “Oh! I-I-I don’t…with Cadance and…and Shining Armor! I….”

Still laughing, Rainbow Dash told her, “One of these days, I am buying you a book on sexy phrases and no, you are never living this down.”

Grimacing, Rainbow Dash looked away while Twilight gulped down half of her burger. She knew she’d never get used to that. When her mouth was free and Rainbow Dash had suitable time to quit laughing at her, Twilight explained, “Well, doing…that…with another pony is absolutely cheating. That’s only the case if Pinkie intends to be in a relationship with you when all of this is done, however. If she’s telling you that she wants to be with other ponies, then--”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, she’s saying that I should be with other ponies.”

“They’re the same thing. What she’s saying is that she doesn’t want to be connected to you romantically. That was probably just her way of telling you she wants to just be friends. It’s over, Rainbow Dash. I’m sorry.”

On the fourteenth day, Rainbow Dash stayed inside with Tank and cried again. She’d been pretty sure that was what Pinkie meant, but hearing Twilight confirm it made it hurt all over again. Pinkie didn’t love her, she didn’t want to be with her, and that was the end of it. She was alone. She’d been alone before, but it hadn’t hurt like this. Before, she just wasn’t with anypony, but now she felt truly alone.

It was just twenty-three days into Rainbow Dash’s exile from Pinkie’s life when everypony gathered outside Ponyville General. It was finally time to remove Twilight’s cast. Rainbow Dash met Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie as they waited for Twilight and Applejack to come out.

Pinkie Pie bounced in circles, still as full of boundless energy as ever. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” she cried out in excitement. “I’m throwing Twilight the biggest, boldest, most exciting ‘Congratulations on Not Being Crippled by Your Awful Choices Anymore’ party EVER!”

“That sounds great,” Rainbow Dash agreed awkwardly. She hovered by Rarity and Fluttershy and was trying to avoid spending too much time looking at Pinkie Pie. “Uh…what do you two think? Doesn’t that sound great?”

“Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“Never been better!” Rainbow Dash lied. “I’m fine, everything’s fine, why wouldn’t things be fine, how are you?”

Fluttershy watched Rainbow Dash skeptically for a few seconds, then dropped the thought. “I’m okay. I hope Twilight’s procedure goes smoothly. I’d hate for her to be stuck in that wheelchair any longer than she has to.”

“I agree,” Rarity spoke up. “And I for one think the party sounds like a lovely idea, but let’s make certain Twilight’s leg has healed before we get ahead of ourselves.”

As if on cue, Applejack emerged from the hospital. She passed around the front door and held it open with a hoof. The group stepped closer to the doors, watching Twilight take tentative steps out into the bright midday sun.

“Thank you,” Twilight said to Applejack before greeting her friends. “Hello, everypony.”

“You’re all better!” Pinkie shouted. “That means the party can go on!”

Letting the door close, Applejack clarified. “Doc said she’s to go easy on the leg. No runnin’, keep off it when she can, and no dancin’.”

“I make no promises on that last one,” Twilight responded. “I spent the entire Crystal Ball in a chair. My hooves are aching.”

---

Pinkie had rushed on ahead to set up the party while the rest of the ponies congratulated Twilight on her recovery and spread well wishes. After a group dinner at the Café Hay, Rainbow Dash and her friends drifted over towards Sugarcube Corner to see what Pinkie had managed to assemble. It did not take long for Rainbow Dash to find herself engrossed in bitter argument.

“It’s not the same, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight insisted. “It might feel similar at times, but it isn’t real. It’s the illusion of substance.”

“Who decides what’s real?” Rainbow Dash argued back. “What, is there some immortal arbiter of what we’re allowed to like now?”

“No, but I happen to think there should be some standards when--”

“What, for enjoying things?” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Have you even given it a chance?”

“I’ve….” Twilight hesitated a moment before answering, undecided as to how honest she wanted to be right now. “I’ve thought about it,” she settled on. “It’s crossed my mind a couple of times, but I just don’t think I’d like it very much. The very idea seems hollow to me, and I’d rather not waste my time on something I’m not going to enjoy.”

“Twilight, you have to give it a shot. You’ll never know if you like it otherwise. You don’t want to be missing out, do you?”

“I…Applejack, help?” She shot a panicked look over at her partner, walking with Fluttershy and Rarity.

“Ain’t none of my business,” the farm pony answered. “This is between y’all.”

“Look,” Rainbow Dash offered, “How about I come over to the library in a couple days and we’ll try going through it together. It’ll be new for me too.”

More sternly, Twilight insisted, “I appreciate the offer but I just don’t think I’d be very interested in the Daring Do comics. What if my mental image of Daring Do conflicts with what the illustrator decided on? And how can they possibly fit a satisfactory Daring Do adventure into so few pages?”

“That’s why there’s multiple issues,” Rainbow Dash explained. “Some arcs take up multiple comics. And I have no idea what you’re on about with ‘artist’s renditions’. You know each book has a cover, right? Daring Do is right there on the cover of each one.”

“But that’s just the cover,” Twilight explained. “There’s nothing that says Daring Do has to look like that. Based solely on the descriptions of her that we’ve seen, she’s a pegasus with a nice hat and a lasso. If I want her to have an orange hide and a long, flowing blonde mane tied up in a ponytail, nothing precludes me from imagining her that way.”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “You just described Applejack with wings.”

“It’s my imagination,” Twilight insisted. “I can picture her how I want to. You can’t do that with comics. Plus, they aren’t even written by A.K. Yearling so I doubt they’re actually canon. They’re licensed.” Her voice hung on that last word, dripping venom as though she were describing some rotting horror emerging from the ground.

“Who cares if they’re canon?” Rainbow Dash asked. “They’re fun stories and Daring Do gets to be awesome in them. What’s not to like?”

“If they aren’t canon, then nothing that happens in them actually matters. They might as well be fanfiction.”

Defensively, Rainbow Dash asked, “What’s wrong with fanfiction?!”

Twilight recoiled in horror at the question. Diplomatically, she answered, “I just don’t like reading stories that weren’t written by actual authors.”

“Who says what counts as an ‘author’?! Just because your name isn’t on a book somewhere, that doesn’t make you not a writer!” Rainbow Dash thought back for a moment. “Didn’t you once tell me that Ghost Writer helped out with some of the Daring Do books? Why’s that okay but fanfiction isn’t?”

Twilight released a sigh of frustration. “That’s different. Some books wind up being collaboration projects between multiple authors, but even in those instances, the author still reviews and signs off on the work that’s being released in her name.”

“So, just like she does with the comics, then?”

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but nothing was coming to her. After a couple of seconds she closed it and considered what Rainbow Dash had just said. Behind her, Applejack whispered to Rarity, “Did Rainbow just beat Twilight in a nerd-off?”

“No,” Twilight answered grumpily. “I just need time to formulate my response.”

“Hearin’s sharp as ever, sugarcube!” Applejack called back, grinning innocently.

The group rounded a corner to Sugarcube Corner, whereupon Twilight abruptly stopped in front of the store and stared at the large banner hanging in front of it. “She did not seriously name it that.”

Rarity stepped forward and put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “She means well, darling.”

---

Once the party began to wind down, Rainbow Dash excused herself to get some fresh air. Sitting at the top of the candy store’s front steps, she stared up at the moon, making its ascent from the horizon.

“Hi, Dashie,” came the familiar high-pitched voice of Pinkie Pie behind her. “Can I sit down?”

Awkwardly, Rainbow Dash shuffled sideways, trying not to look directly at her. “Sure,” she answered uncertainly. “What’s up?”

“I know it hasn’t been a moon yet,” Pinkie told her as she took a seat beside her, closer than Rainbow Dash had anticipated. “But avoiding you feels icky and I hate doing it. You’re my friend and I want to spend time with you. I just need you to not be all weird about it.”

“I’m not trying to be weird,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time. I just know I like you. Of course I like you. We wouldn’t be friends otherwise. And then that night happened and it all changed.”

Pinkie Pie nodded, following Rainbow Dash’s gaze up to the moon. “I’m sorry I took away your special first time, Dashie. I wouldn’t have done it if I knew.”

After the emotional roller coaster that these last few weeks had been, Rainbow Dash thought she finally understood why Pinkie was apologizing. “It happens,” she answered. “I’m trying to get over it. Rarity said some time away from you would be good and y’know, I think she was right. I feel like I lost myself somewhere. I got so crazy trying to be with you that I kind of forgot how to be me.”

“Don’t ever stop being Dashie!” Pinkie cried. “You have to be Dashie, because if you aren’t, then somepony else has to be Dashie!” She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “I don’t think Fluttershy’s up to it.”

Despite herself, Rainbow Dash chuckled. She turned her head to look at Pinkie for the first time since the conversation began. Yep. Still as pretty as she’d first noticed, the morning after. Pinkie’s mouth stretched into a wide smile, prompting Rainbow Dash to look down and shake her head.

“I’m glad you found Dashie,” Pinkie told her. She took a deep breath, then confessed, “I’ve missed you a lot and I’m really glad you’ve been doing so good. I want to offer you something for making all this progress but I don’t know if it’s a good idea. I don’t want to hurt you, and it wouldn’t mean anything special. It’d just be something nice for being my friend.”

“I….” Rainbow Dash was lost for an answer. She felt her heart rate beginning to pick up. In the back of her mind, a now familiar urge was beginning to stir. She knew what Pinkie was talking about and she wanted it. Desperately.

“And you have to promise that you’re not going to get pushy about it. I’ve been really patient with you and maybe I shouldn’t have. I want to be able to do nice things for you without having to feel like it’s hurting our friendship to do them.”

Rainbow Dash thought about what Pinkie was saying to her. “You know you don’t have to, right? I want to, but we’re still friends even if you don’t.”

“Pfft,” came Pinkie’s answer. “Of course I know that, silly billy. I do it because I want to.”

Something about that answer didn’t settle right in Rainbow Dash’s mind. “Okay,” she replied tentatively. “I mean, it does feel pretty nice,” she offered, probing for Pinkie to say more.

“Well, yeah, there’s that, I suppose,” Pinkie answered, but was not forthcoming with anything more.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but the words just weren’t coming. Closing it, she rearranged her thoughts, then told her friend, “Okay, Pinkie. I promise not to be pushy.” She accepted Pinkie’s offer, but something still didn’t feel right. Her mind raced with unanswered questions.

Why do you do this? You don’t want to be special someponies. You’re not in love with me. You outright said I should find other partners. Are you just really attracted to me? I don’t understand. I know why I say yes, but why do you keep offering? What are you getting out of this?

Those questions weighed heavily on her as the party fizzled out. They were still on her mind as she waited in Pinkie’s room, having slipped upstairs to avoid anypony’s notice, and let Pinkie say her goodbyes to the ponies downstairs. They were still with her when Pinkie arrived in the bedroom.

But they were gone with the closing of the door. Her concerns were left on the floor by the bedside, and before long Rainbow Dash found herself adrift in the ocean of Pinkie’s sweet embrace and her candy-flavored kiss.

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

Rainbow really was getting awful (again) there- good to see her come back up out of it and reach some sort of equilibrium with Pinkie (and the world, really), even if things aren't totally resolved (but then, are they ever?).