Of Loyalty and Chaos

by PxDnNinja

Chapter 11: Swift Advance

Swift and Rainbow Dash looked surprised at Twilight Sparkle's revelation: the latter more than the former.

"Your brother? I didn't know you had a brother." Dash said, watching her good friend. The expression on Twilight's face seemed void of most emotion other than a faint hint of confusion. After a moment of silence between the two, she finally snapped back to reality and looked to Dash.

"Huh? Oh..yeah. Shining Armor, the Captain of the Royal Guard, is my BBBFF." She explained as she stepped over to her table and sat, or rather dropped, on the floor.
"He hasn't even told me he was seeing somepony, and now he is getting married?!" She asked, most likely to just herself judging by the volume. Rainbow Dash looked over to Swift, unsure how to react and hoping he had an idea. He simply had a single question, as he stepped towards their mutual friend.

"Um, Twilight. What's a BBBFF?" Swift asked as Dash smacked her hoof to her forehead behind him. Of all the questions about the situation, THAT was his first?!

Twilight smiled as she looked to the purple pegasus.

"BBBFF. You know, Big Brother, Best Friend Forever." Twilight explained as though it should have been clear as day.
"Or at least he used to be. Not telling me about a marefriend, and only learning of the marriage from the Princess. Why didn't he tell me." Slipping into her own thoughts, Twilight's voice faded as she tried to reason out why her big brother would keep such a thing from her. Swift placed a hoof on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"You heard the princess, he is busy with his duties. When was the last time you two spoke?" He asked, hoping to prove that it was simply a busy time for the soon to be groom.

"We haven't written each other in a while. When I first moved to Ponyville we wrote a couple of times, but even so, this is something he should have told me!" She said, getting angry at the end. Swift lifted his hoofs in a 'don't shoot the messenger' pose while trying to calm Equestria's most powerful unicorn.

"He probably doesn't want to have you worrying about him. He knows you have a life here. Besides, did you immediately tell him about being an Element of Harmony, or about defeating Discord, or even about the other not-so-grand adventures you and your friends have had?" Swift asked, hoping it helped the unicorn calm down, though even he would admit he wasn't sure how. Luckily it seemed to have an affect, as Twilight visibly relaxed.

"No, he found out about the elements from the Princess. I was too busy to write at the time." She mumbled, but it was still clear to Dash and Swift, who just smiled to each other. Twilight looked up at the two before smiling a small smile as well.

"I guess I really can't be upset, though I'm sure this 'Princess Mi Amore' isn't worthy of him. I'll need to have a talk with her as soon as possible." Twilight said, shifting her frustration to the bride to be. Swift simply nodded as Dash looked confused.

"Wait Twilight, you don't know this princess? I thought you would, living all up in the snooty capital." Dash asked, referring to Twilight growing up around the Princess. Twilight looked highly embarrassed.

"Well....I spent all my time in the library. I only knew a few ponies before moving to Ponyville." She said, embarrassed that she didn't know more of the big names around Canterlot. After a moment of thinking about how much time she wasted not getting to know people, she snapped back to the issue at hand.
"But that doesn't matter. She still has to pass my test before I consider her worthy of my big brother!" Twilight said, no longer sounding like an all powerful unicorn and keeper of the library, but rather like a younger sister watching out for her big brother. Swift nodded in agreement with Twilight, drawing a confused look from Dash.

"Most certainly. I wouldn't expect any less from you Twilight. But let's condemn her after the wedding. We have plenty of time for you to get ready, and as Princess Celestia said, you all will have jobs to do." Swift explained, showing support for Twilight without building on her frustration. Twilight simply nodded and relaxed into a more comfortable sitting position.

"Yes, of course. Thank you Swift. I need to start sorting the library again anyhow after my panic earlier. You two are free to stick around and help..." Twilight started, slowing as she presented the offer. A smile grew on her face as she watched the two pegasi reel back and look at each other in panic.

"NO NO! We...uh....gotta practice!" Dash said hastily throwing together an excuse. Swift nodded a bit to vigerously in agreement.

"Yes yes! Practice. You know how it is, weather ponies gotta stay in perfect health, and with Wonderbolt training and other stuff we simply don't have the time!" Swift added as the two started moving slowly towards the door as if slow movement would hide them from Twilight's gaze. The purple unicorn laughed at the predictable antics and simply nodded.

"I figured as much. You two have fun practicing. I'll see you next time I guess." Twilight waved to her friends, who were now by the door and ready to run for their lives. The two relaxed once they knew they weren't being roped into helping reorganize the library.

"Sure thing Twilight. If you need help, be sure to let AJ know!" Dash said before opening the door and jetting out with a cocky grin on her face. Swift started out the door behind her, but stopped and looked back to Twilight, his conscience getting the better of him.

"You sure you don't need help?" He asked, willing to help, but also hoping the answer was....

"No no. I can handle it. I have done this several times before and have a system. You two have fun." Twilight waved him out the door with a shooing motion before turning to face her wall of books, all in the wrong spot. She heard the door shut behind her as Swift left as the task ahead of her sunk in. The only words in her mind sounded more like Rainbow Dash than her own thoughts.

"This sucks."

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Outside the library, Rainbow Dash and Swift stood looking out at the town of Ponyville. Silence stood between the two of them for a bit before Dash finally spoke up.

"Well, I guess I'll head on home. Haven't eaten yet and have some daisy sandwiches I can make." She said, unsure of what to do. The deal with Twilight's brother had helped distract her from the comments made by the Princess in regards to the colt standing next to her, but now out under the afternoon sun, all the thoughts were returning in force. The look of uncertainty on her face showed her inner thoughts more than she would care, and she was worried Swift would notice.

Had she had a clearer mind, she would have instead noticed the same look on Swift's face as well. The conversation with Scootaloo earlier was back in his mind, and with the object of the discussion standing beside him now, he wasn't sure what to do. Should he take the risk? Was it worth risking their friendship? He had just about decided to escape as well when Dash spoke about food. Somehow that hit him in a way he hadn't expected. The thought of her flying off bothered him more than other thoughts he had had, and even more so the idea of her eating alone in her house. Before he even knew what he was doing, he found himself speaking up.

"Actually Dash, how about we go get food. Together." Swift's own heart froze as he spoke, realizing he was opening a door that couldn't be closed. Dash stopped cold dead in her tracks and looked over to the purple stallion, directly into his eyes.

'Did he just ask me to dinner?' Her thoughts started racing about what was intended by the request. Food as friends? Or food as a date?

"Swift, did you just ask me on a date?" Dash asked, trying to sound playful, but a bit of uneasiness creeping into her voice. Swift didn't respond, but simply nodded. That simple nod, a gesture requiring minimal movement, nailed down the final resistances Dash had put up to any sort of date with her best friend. The tension in her stance relaxed as she grinned to the stallion.
"Dinner sounds wonderful. How about we meet here in a couple of hours. I need to get ready and check on Tank." She explained.

Swift saw the muscles relax in Dash's stance and his own followed suit. Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, he smiled warmly back to the daredevil.
"Sounds wonderful. Two hours from now, we will have dinner together. I can't wait." He replied, accepting the time. Now he just needed to find a place to get cleaned up and ready. Before he had a chance to consider his options on that front, the door to the library swung open with Twilight using her magic to carry a book.

"Rainbow Dash? Oh, it's just you Swift." Twilight said, bringing a confused look to Swift's face, along with a sly grin.

"Wow, way to make a colt feel special Twi." Swift joked. Twilight realized how she had sounded and had the good decency to blush in embarrassment.

"Oh, sorry about that. I just found the book Rainbow had been here to pick up and heard you outside. I was hoping to give it to her now, but I will just hold it until next time." Twilight explained as she turned back to step into the library. Swift realized he might have found an answer to his problem and stepped forward.

"Actually, Dash and I are having dinner this evening, so I can give it to her then if you want so it isn't taking up space." He explained, building up to ask to borrow her shower. Unfortunately he didn't get to continue before Twilight's head jerked around suddenly.

"Dinner?! Seriously? Drat, I'll owe Rarity twenty bits now." Twilight said, not realizing exactly what she was admitting to as she looked to the side in slight frustration. Swift's eyes narrowed as he realized what she was talking about.

"You will owe Rarity twenty bits why?" He asked bluntly. He wasn't really upset, but if it was as he thought, then Twilight had apparently bet against him, which sort of hurt the pegasus.

"Oh...um....he..he..." Twilight started backpedaling to find a way out of her foot-in-mouth moment, but realized she had dug a ten foot pit with no ladder.
"Well see. Rarity thought the two of you would end up on a date, but I never imaged Rainbow Dash would ever be into something like that, given that all she thinks about is flying. Serves me right for agreeing to a bet with a socialite like Rarity on a social issue..." Twilight explained, bringing a grin to Swift's face. She hadn't bet against him, she had bet against Rainbow Dash. Most importantly, she realized how ridiculous that bet was to begin with, considering her opponent.

"That's ok, Twilight. You seem to have learned your lesson, so we can leave it at that. That being said, can I borrow your shower to get ready? You can box the book and I'll take it with me when I meet Dash in a couple of hours." Swift explained, following Twilight back into the library. Twilight nodded in agreement as the door closed.

Outside, just around the corner, a certain purple haired unicorn who had overhead everything grinned and held back a very girlish giggle.
'Oh I KNEW those two would end up together. Though if I know our dear Rainbow Dash, she isn't going to get ready properly at all. She simply HAS to let us take her to the spa for this.' She thought as she took off running towards Rainbow Dash's cloud home.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: HI EVERYONE, BEEN A WHILE SINCE I DID AN AUTHOR'S NOTE. THIS CHAPTER IS VERY SHORT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT PEOPLE THINKING I HAVE ABANDONED IT BUT WORK HAS KEPT ME TOO BUSY THIS PAST WEEK AND A HALF. LUCKILY I PROMISE IT WILL SPEED UP FROM HERE.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE EXCITED THAT THE SHIPPING MIGHT BE ABOUT TO HAPPEN, YOU'RE WELCOME.

Comments

[MC BR0N3]

[Zellor]

LET THE SHIPPING COMMENCE!

[PxDnNinja]

1330249 Ah, good catch on the Hands reference. That is now fixed.

I try to go through and catch things like that, but some still slip through the cracks lol.

[Midnight Blues]

I usually prefer fics with more action but this is alright. Worth the read. keep it up.

[PxDnNinja]

1332456 Thanks for sticking with it. Later on I plan on a bit more action but this is more a slice of life with a taste of action.

[PxDnNinja]

1335857 Haha, both are very good catches. Well done Fixed. :)

[Alordex]

Dis gon' be gud.

[musicluvr1974]

See, now, hetero shipping that happens in a believable manner, that I like and can get behind. Nice job going against the regular flow around here, kudos!

[PxDnNinja]

1337684 Thank you very much I try to keep the emotional development at a reasonable level. Too often I see the characters thrown together without any buildup, especially with RD who would be the least likely to fall for someone on sight of all the mane six. Glad you are enjoying the story and thanks for the comments and feedback Keep it coming, and stay tuned.

[musicluvr1974]

Have you been too busy to write, or did you just lose interest in Of Loyalty and Chaos? I've been checking back every so often to see if you updated...

[PxDnNinja]

1413643 I have just been very busy lately. Work picked up and now I am out of state visiting family. While out here I am working on the next couple of chapters so expect an update in about a week.

[Dragon]

1416930 He said 8 days ago. Jk. I can wait.

[PxDnNinja]

1464889 I'm actually working on the chapter right now :)

I drove my 69 mustang from Utah to Kentucky and on the drive back it broke down, so been dealing with that lol

[The Night Aegis]

OMG! RD GOING ON DATE!? So very awesome! Good chapter, and I liked Swift's handling of not just the development between him and Dash but also his dealing and helping Scoots with her own issue ^^ Great chapter! On to the next.

[nevergone]

1464952 nice innuendo you got there, be a shame if someone found it.

[Kit-San]

There nothing I hate more then Rarity playing match-maker.