Chapter 2
Pinkie Pie had spent the last five minutes gobbling like a turkey.
If anypony else had been doing this, it would have likely been seen as incredibly strange. For Pinkie, however, this was borderline normal. That didn't stop Twilight from regretting the very moment that she informed Pinkie of the term for bowling three strikes in a row.
"Heh...alright, Pinkie," Applejack said, patting her friend and possible distant cousin on the shoulder. "I think we all get it by now. You can probably stop." Her right eye twitched slightly as she spoke. Patience was a virtue, particularly with Pinkie, but hers was starting to run thin. The breaking point was not far off by any means.
"Probably!" Pinkie agreed. "But nooooot definitely!" She gave Applejack a wink before letting out the loudest call of them all. A glare from her friends made her giggle awkwardly. "Okay, maybe that can be the last one."
"Good," Rarity said. "Because that last one nearly interfered with Fluttershy's first strike."
"Oh no, it's alright..." Fluttershy responded. "It wasn't interfering with me, honest." The ball she had thrown just before that call was still rolling down the lane, so gently and gracefully that if one wasn't looking closely, they might have thought it was standing still.
"Nice one, Fluttershy!" Starlight said, giving her a warm smile. "It hasn't even touched one of the bumpers yet!" The group watched as Fluttershy's ball continued to roll, tapping the front pin with a tiny tink. The pin wobbled to and fro before eventually electing to topple over, taking down each pin in its wake until none were left standing. A tiny cheer escaped Fluttershy's lips,echoed by a much louder one from her friends.
"Great job, Fluttershy!" Applejack shouted. "We knew you could do it eventually!"
"Oh...thank you, everypony," Fluttershy said, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "I wish Rainbow Dash was here to see it though."
"Where is Dashie anyway?" Pinkie asked as she picked up her ball. "It's not like her to be late!"
The rest of the party gave Pinkie a look.
"Well not for bowling!" Pinkie clarified.
"It is a little odd when you put it that way," Twilight had to concur. "But I'm sure she'll be along any minute now."
The six friends all stopped what they were doing and turned towards the entrance. It was no secret that whenever somepony said another pony would be around "any minute now," they were bound to show up right then. Sure enough, not five seconds had passed before the door opened and the very pegasus they were waiting for made her entrance.
"Gosh," Pinkie said as she wound up to hurl her ball down the lane. "Why didn't somepony say that earlier?"
Nopony answered. They weren't trying to be rude, of course. They were simply distracted. Rainbow Dash tended to be a distraction when she entered a room. That was exactly the way she wanted it, after all. It was probably safe to say, however, that she didn't tend to cause a distraction in this particular manner. There were no stupendous tricks, outlandish aerial displays, or cacophonies of crashes accompanying this entrance. All they saw was a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail, a familiar cutie mark, and a little smattering of makeup.
"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity exclaimed, first to break the silence. "You're wearing makeup! Did you lose a bet? And if so, why didn't I think of such a wager?"
"Heh...it's just a little something," Dash replied.
"You even used a proper foundation!" Rarity bubbled, marveling over her dear friend. "Why, the eye shadow complements your coat magnificently! And the lipstick! Enough to say 'come hither' without looking like a harlot! I must say I'm impressed!"
"Sheesh, what brought this on?" Applejack asked, moving in to get a closer look. The others all did the same, forgetting entirely about their game as they jockeyed for position to get a good look at their friend.
"Oh, I just thought it would be nice," Dash replied, grinning slightly. "Do you really like it?" She looked between her friends as they murmured sounds of approval. Everypony wore a smile as they gushed. Everypony except Twilight. The main pony she was looking to impress. Twilight simply stood behind the group, staring silently at Dash, her expression unreadable. Dash gave her a brief puzzled look before Pinkie grabbed her hoof.
"Come on, Dashie!" Pinkie said excitedly. "We can't just look at you all day! It's your turn to bowl!"
"It is?" Dash asked, raising a brow in confusion as she was led to the alley. "But you're already in the middle of a game. How could it be my turn?"
"Oh, that's easy," Pinkie said. "Starlight studied your style and technique in our other games and has been using magic to perfectly emulate it! You're winning, by the way!"
"Heh...all in a day's work," Starlight offered, an awkward smile crossing her face.
"That's...both cool and weird," Dash said as she approached the alley. She reached for one of the balls in the return, then hesitated. The ball she was reaching for was one of the heaviest in the return. This was her typical style, especially when Applejack was there and rife for the one-upping. She couldn't really match the raw physical strength of the earth pony, but it was nice to try. However, something was stopping her this time. It just felt weird to be done up in fancy makeup and lift a giant, heavy bowling ball. She couldn't put her hoof on why she suddenly felt that way, but she also couldn't put her hoof on the ball. She instead reached past the heavy ball and settled for one of the lightest balls in the return. Something about it called out to her. She wasn't quite sure whether it was the lower weight or the cute pink chiffon swirls that adorned it, nor was she sure why either should have appealed to her on the first place.
"Ouh! Nice ball, Dashie!" Pinkie said. "I didn't know you liked ones like that!"
"Heh, yeah," Applejack agreed, the slightest of grins on her face. "Figured you'd go for the heavy one like usual."
Dash hesitated again. Why wasn't she going for the heavy one again? As she pondered this, she noticed Applejack getting Rarity's ball for her. Rarity was up next, and as was her way, Applejack was more than happy to retrieve her ball for her. Rarity's ball was actually quite similar to the one Dash had chosen, both in weight and coloration. The way Rarity demurely took the ball from Applejack's grasp stuck out to Dash, as did the dreamy little smile that Applejack gave her. That was the kind of suave femininity that could wrap a pony around one's hoof. Applejack was a slave to Rarity's charm, elegance, and grace. Maybe Dash could have kept Applejack if she held even an ounce of those ideals. And, she thought as she noticed Twilight glance in her direction, maybe she could win Twilight over with those very same features.
Dash opted to ignore Applejack and Pinkie's playful remarks towards her as she made her approach. Just as she brought the ball back, concern struck her once more. Twilight clearly preferred her potential special someponies to be pretty and demure. What exactly was demure about winning a game of bowling? Surely Twilight wouldn't be impressed and attracted to somepony who showed off their athletic prowess if pretty and demure was her preferred type.
For the briefest of moments as she tossed her bowling ball with far too much of a curve, something felt utterly wrong to Rainbow Dash. Losing, especially on purpose, was just not something that she did. Then again, sometimes other things took priority over winning.
"Whoa..." Starlight mused as a she watched Dash's ball careen into the gutter. "That is not how I expected that to happen. It's contrary to my data. Maybe I need to upgrade it?"
Dash's ears folded back slightly as she heard Applejack's quiet chuckling. She knew that chuckling well. Any time Applejack happened to luck out and do better than her at a sport, she gave that very same chuckle. The chuckle that said, "I don't want to brag but I'm certainly in the position to do so." It bothered her slightly, but she supposed there were worse things than potentially losing to Applejack at bowling. And, as she looked towards Twilight once more, she figured that there were also far better things.
"Ouh!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Do you want bumpers like Fluttershy has?"
"Hah!" Applejack laughed. "There's no way Rainbow Dash is gonna want–"
"That could help," Dash responded. All the pieces added up perfectly. Twilight had a crush on Fluttershy a while back. Fluttershy was pretty and meek, therefore Twilight liked ponies who were pretty and meek. Dash was already starting to get the pretty part down. Fluttershy used bumpers to bowl because she was meek. Therefore, if Dash used bumpers, Twilight would have a crush on her. It made perfect sense.
"What?!" Applejack exclaimed. "You've gotta be kidding me! You never use bumpers! There something wrong with you?"
"Well...now I do!" Dash insisted. The instinct to defend herself was building up inside of her, but it faded just as quickly as it appeared. Applejack was being a brute and bullying her. She couldn't sink to Applejack's level. Doing so would be terribly unladylike, and she needed to be ladylike right now.
"I'll choose to ignore that, AJ," Dash said as she picked her ball back up from the return.
"Okay, now I know something's wrong with you," Applejack shot back. "Since when do we not get into arguments?"
"Now now, dear," Rarity interjected, placing a calming hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "If Rainbow Dash does not wish to argue, then she doesn't have to. Personally I think that's a good choice."
"Hmph," Applejack huffed as she relaxed back into a chair.
"I could argue with you if you want, Applejack!" Pinkie offered.
"It ain't the same," the frustrated farmer muttered, crossing her forelegs and pouting ever so slightly.
Dash lined up her next throw, trying to do so as feebly as she had the one before. She let the ball go, curving it similarly to the first one and watching it glide down the lane. The ball bounced once off of each bumper before colliding with the pins, taking out the back left corner but nothing more. Fluttershy had gotten a strike and Dash hadn't even managed a spare.
"Well...it was a good try, Dash," Starlight offered, doing her best to hide her confusion at her friend's sudden decrease in athletic acumen.
"Oh well," Dash said with a smirk and a shrug. "Can't win them all."
The sound of Applejack's drink falling from her hoof was loud enough to even permeate Pinkie's repeated efforts to argue with her. Dash, however, did not seem to notice it in the slightest. Now that she was free from her athletic obligations until the next frame, she was free to spend time with the object of her desires. Twilight had been sitting in the same seat since Dash had arrived, and the seat next to her was empty and just begging for Dash's butt. As Dash approached, adding a slight saunter to her step, she hoped that the latter of those descriptions of the chair would also apply to Twilight.
Dash couldn't help but notice an odd, almost deer-in-the-headlights look from Twilight as she reached her table. She hoped that this was a good sign as she had herself a seat next to the alicorn.
"That was very mature of you."
Dash's ear perked towards Twilight. Her statement was so quiet that she only just barely managed to hear it. Twilight wasn't normally the loudest of ponies–save for when she was employing the use of voice amplifying spells–but this was Fluttershy degrees of quiet.
"Huh?" Dash asked. "What was very mature of me?"
"Not getting into an argument with Applejack just then," Twilight told her. "And you're taking a potential loss very well. I'm proud of you."
Dash's heart swelled with pride. It wasn't quite the admission of love that she'd have liked, but it was great to hear nonetheless.
"Aw, thanks Twilight," Dash said. She even managed to flutter her eyelashes, hoping to charm the target of her affection. For this carefully-planned move to have an effect, however, would have required Twilight to be making eye contact. As it turned out, Twilight's eyes were instead focused squarely on Dash's lap. Dash, for her part, was stunned. Twilight was moving a little faster than she had anticipated.
"What are you doing?" Twilight asked.
Dash raised a brow. She didn't realize that she was doing anything, other than sitting with Twilight. Hopefully Twilight wasn't questioning that particular behavior. The last thing she wanted was to feel unwanted. As she followed Twilight's eyes back down to her lap, things became clearer. Dash wasn't quite sure when her tail had ended up in her lap, but there it was, looking like a prismatic blanket of sorts. And there was one of her hooves, carefully and lovingly stroking it.
Dash hadn't even noticed herself beginning to do this, and her mind began trying to search for an answer. Luckily, as well as unexpectedly, the answer came quick as a whip.
"Just brushing my tail out," Dash said simply. "I have to make sure it looks good, after all."
Dash didn't even have to pretend that this answer was real, because this answer was real. Nothing about it seemed forced or fabricated. Obviously she was brushing her tail out to look pretty and presentable for Twilight, because that was absolutely what both of them wanted.
"Oh," Twilight responded. She looked away for a moment, one hoof coming up and twirling the side of her mane. "Well...it does look good."
Dash's heart threatened to burst with pride right there on the spot. Thankfully, it chose to instead keep beating as normal, albeit at a slightly faster pace.
"Thanks," Dash said. A little giggle involuntarily escaped her lips, but she was quite alright with it having done so. A cute little giggle would certainly show off her femininity and endear her to Twilight that much more. Everything was going according to plan.
~~~~~~~~~~
Dash's first stop upon arriving home was her room. Actually, that was a lie. Her first stop was the bathroom, as the one at the bowling alley was too unsavory for her. But after that, her first stop was her room.
Dash stopped to look at herself in the mirror as she headed towards her bed. The mirror was never a very common stop for her before. She'd often stop just long enough to catch a quick look at herself and make sure she wasn't a complete mess, but that was it. This stop at the mirror was much different. Time was spent making sure her makeup was still looking good. Nothing had happened that could really ruin it, but it was best to make sure anyway.
"Don't forget your mane..."
Dash didn't even bat an eye at the voice emanating from the open book's general vicinity. It had certainly startled her the first time she heard it, back when she first got the book home and had finished reading a bit of it. It didn't take long for her to decide that it wasn't worth being worried about though. After all, it seemed to have her best intentions in mind. It was the voice that had suggested the makeup, and that had certainly seemed to impress Twilight, so how could it possibly be bad?
"Right, my mane," Dash responded, glancing up at it. "How should I style it?"
"Beautifully, dear," the voice replied.
"Uh, yeah, I know that," Dash said with a bit of a huff.
"A lady does not talk back," the voice told her. As it did, the book began to glow a faint red. Dash's attention was instantly drawn to it, and her eyes soon took on the range color.
"They don't?" Dash asked quietly.
"They do not," the voice said. "And you wish to be the essence of femininity for Twilight, don't you?" The glow of the book became brighter, and so too did the glow in Dash's eyes. "A lady apologizes for her mistakes."
"Sorry..." Dash said, the usual fire in her voice gone.
"Good girl," the voice said. "You'll be the perfect model of femininity yet. Now, let's fix our mane and choose some nice accessories for when you see Twilight again tomorrow. You will be the prettiest mare in all of Equestria." The glow faded from both the book and Dash, leaving the mare smiling lightly.
"Totally," Dash replied.
"A lady does not use common words like that," the voice said, casting its glow in Dash's eyes once more.
"Of course not..." Dash said softly. "I'm sorry."
A low, quiet cackling filled the room as the glow faded. Had Dash approached the book, she might have noticed that the page or was open to was illustrated with a very accurate picture of her. This picture had appeared the night before as a simple outline. Dash hadn't questioned it, seeing no reason to do so. Had she noticed the outline begin to fill with color down towards the hooves just now, though, it might have raised some questions. As it stood, though, she noticed nothing of the sort. There was mane styling to be done, after all.
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Ayyy.
Yeah, this is going EXACTLY where I'm expecting it to go...
Yet, I can't help but eagerly await the next chapter.
I shall reclaim what is mine, darlings. Rainbow Dash always dresses in style.
Applejack is speechless, Rarity is taking it in stride, Pinkie is being Pinkie, Starlight is confused, and Twilight is nebulous.
Overall, Rainbow is quickly spiralling into cursed insanity that may or may not be reversible. I must say, I am surprised at how fast the curse is working already.
Whoop! Keep writing! This is awesome!
I reckon the book is stealing Dash's personality, with the drawing thing mentioned.....
Moar. I demand Moar.
PINKIE PIE
Also a little something. RAINBOW DASH ALWAYS DRESSES IN STYLE! IT WILL BE TRUE!
Is this moving into a mind-control fic? Because if it is, that'll be pretty interesting...
The idea of Rainbow's thoughts and personality being reworked one step at a time is a wonderful angle. I'd love to see this progress some more. The mind altering element is being done extremely well.
Oh man, Twilight is going to feel so guilty when she realizes that she drove Dash to this.
Heh, I'm liking this. The slow decrease in will power, the confused but hesitantly accepting reaction of her friends, the ominous ending... well done. I'm going to be keeping an eye on this one.
More, please.
All of my yes!
Or how ever that phrase goes.
When is next chapter?
Kewl
8404928
I just started work on it a few days ago but this weekend was a busy one so progress is slow. Hopefully soon!
8406250
Okay. I'm really into this story, it seems so cool.
Hope it's done soon!
Interesting. Based on this chapter, it looks like this story might be exploring the danger associated with considering submissiveness a feminine trait. At least, that's what I read out of this, as it looks like the book is using femininity as an excuse to demand subservience out of Rainbow Dash.
It's interesting that you've chosen Rainbow Dash to be the subject of this attack, as she's the least stereotypically-feminine female character in the show. I suppose that makes some sense, as someone like Rarity has already demonstrated that she is capable of being feminine without being subservient. For someone like Rainbow Dash, who occasionally seems to see Rarity as prissy and airheaded, it makes more sense that she could be pressured into subservience with the promise of it making her more feminine.
Of course, this could simply be me projecting my own thoughts on the matter onto your story, and maybe none of this was intended, or will continue to be touched upon. Still, it's an interesting thing to note.
8414906
Nothing wrong with a bit of flair. Of course, the sexy long mane look is always welcome as well. orig05.deviantart.net/9e43/f/2012/162/5/c/motherly_rainbow_dash_by_ponyvector-d53599q.png
Hmm.. I wonder what the book's intentions are. I don't think it's just to give the reader what they desire like this. That would be too simple. Maybe when Dash has been turned completely feminine with no hint of her old personality by the curse, the book can control her? I dunno. It just seems weird if the only thing it wants is to make it's reader 'fabulous'.
This is a pretty interesting plot for a TwiDash story though. The book is an interesting character, and I'm excited to see what happens next
May the TwiDash be with you
