Off the Beaten Path

by wonderkid125

Chapter 2

The day was young. The sun had just managed to rise above the horizon a mere hour or so ago. The slight chill from the night before still lingered in the air, being aided by the wind whipping across the land.

On the outskirts of Ponyville, where the sights of the humble little town gave way to the surrounding countryside, a gathering of ponies met and lingered while waiting for their friends to arrive. Twilight Sparkle and three of her other fellow element bearers set their bags aside and rested for the day ahead of them.

Twilight didn’t bring much aside from her sleeping bag and a good book to read. A few bottles of water and a compass, maybe a multi tool or a fire starting kit. She did like being prepared after all.

Rarity had elected to bring a veritable mountain of a bag, the contents of which were most likely not limited to a sleeping bag and the essentials for a hike. It was astounding just how strong she could be when she needed to pack just one more creature comfort into her already bulging backpack.

Pinkie Pie brought a smaller bag that was just as bright and colorful as she was. Although the white and pink backpack was tiny when compared to the tote bag brought by her unicorn friend, the pink mare most likely brought things much more useful to camping out in nature… and probably a few bits of candy tucked away here and there.

Applejack had the most to carry out of the group. Most of the others were instructed to bring what they thought necessary and had small bags due to this fact, but the farm pony was tasked with carrying the group’s tent on her back. The rolled up tent was bulky looking when it was all folded up and neatly tucked into a bag, so it was doubtlessly large enough to fit everyone inside once they reached their destination.

Along with the four mares, there was a fifth member of the group. Their new guest of honor Blue Bolt was sitting casually and chatting with them. Everyone was eager to learn more about their potential new friend, and they did have some time before the others showed up.

“So… Blue Bolt, how long did you and Rainbow Dash know each other in school?” Rarity asked with a curious gleam in her eye. The cyan mare hadn’t answered many questions about the stallion when asked about him yesterday. She seemed to be ignoring the subject matter entirely in fact.

“Not long actually. I switched to public schooling like a year and a half before graduation,” Blue Bolt explained in a surprised manner. He seemed to be taken aback by realizing just how short his time with the cyan mare was.

“And what’s up with you and Rainbow Dash anyway? She didn’t even seem like she wanted to talk to you yesterday. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she was avoiding you,” Pinkie Pie asked in a bluntly oblivious manner.

The blue pegasus scratched his head and offered a brief chuckle before adopting a slightly miffed expression. He quickly returned a more casual look to his face before turning to face the still eagerly waiting group.

“That’s kind of a complicated matter. It wouldn’t feel right to just bring it up without Rainbow’s consent. What happened between us is in the past… at least I hope so,” Blue Bolt said hesitantly.

“Oh… I hope nothing bad happened between you two. Do you not like her, or does she not like you anymore or something?” Pinkie said with a more sympathetic manner.

“What…?” Blue Bolt asked while adopting a more surprised expression. “Gosh, no… we were good friends back in the day. We uh… umm…” He rubbed his foreleg uncomfortably while offering a brief glance down to his wing with the strange sleeve on it. “Let’s just say that we… had to part ways suddenly,” He finally cleared his throat and spoke with a somber tone.

“Hey, Blue Bolt,” Twilight piped up with a hesitant sense of curiosity.

“Yeah?” Blue Bolt replied, turning to face the purple unicorn.

“If you don’t mind me asking… what’s that thing on your wing? I’ve been meaning to ask you since yesterday,” Twilight asked, pointing at the small black sleeve with her hoof. The blue pegasus, along with everyone else present, drew their attention to his feathery appendage and the object on it.

“Oh… this?” Blue Bolt asked with an awkward and slightly sheepish chuckle. The pegasus hesitated for a moment before reaching over with his hoof and grabbing the sleeve. After looking down and pulling for a moment, he produced the thick looking cover and held it up for all to see. “It’s nothing really… I just wear it to remind me to stay out of trouble,” Blue explained while briefly turning the sleeve over in his hoof to show it off to the group.

Hearing the sound of wings flapping to their side, everyone turned to see a familiar set of pegasi approaching from the air. Blue Bolt turned and looked to see the yellow and cyan mares getting closer. With an abrupt end, he grabbed his backpack and tucked the black sleeve away inside one of the pouches.

“It’s a long story… Maybe we could talk about it later?” The blue stallion suggested briefly to finish the conversation the group was having prior to their friends showing up.

As the others nodded to their guest, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy landed and walked up to the circle of ponies. Each was carrying a relatively small bag on their back, and each looked eager and ready to enjoy the beauties of nature. However, one of them wasn’t as eager as the other.

“Hi everyone!” Fluttershy greeted warmly while walking up to her friends and looking around. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash lingered behind and kept a short distance between herself and the circle in front of her.

“Hey, Fluttershy… long time no see,” Blue Bolt spoke up with a slight smirk as the yellow pegasus greeted the rest of her friends.

Fluttershy gasped eagerly. “Oh my gosh, Blue Bolt!” She quickly walked over to her old friend and gave him a brief hug. She had heard the day before that the blue stallion had moved to town from the others, but she hadn’t managed to meet him again until now.

“How have you been?” Blue Bolt asked curiously while looking to the yellow mare with a genuine smile. Fluttershy seemed equally pleased to see him after so long.

“Great… Rainbow Dash and I have made a really good home for ourselves here in Ponyville. I hope you can do the same,” Fluttershy replied with a warm and friendly tone. The others were glad to see that the yellow pony managed to make more friends than just Rainbow Dash in school.

“So you three were all friends in high school?” Twilight asked with an intrigued inflection, briefly turning to see the cyan mare in the background. Rainbow Dash was smiling slightly, but she seemed a little quieter and distant than usual.

“Yeah, I would say so. Blue and Rainbow met after school on the flying course. He shared a lot of classes with us, so we got pretty close,” Fluttershy explained while motioning back toward the cyan pony.

“Yep… we were almost inseparable for a while there weren’t we?” Rainbow Dash finally managed to speak up while stepping forward and joining the conversation. Although she spoke in a somewhat friendly tone, she hid a twinge of sadness while looking to the blue stallion, who seemed to be doing the same thing.

Before anyone else could further the reminiscing between the trio, Twilight looked up and noticed a few clouds floating by. She also noted that the sun was gradually climbing higher and higher into the sky as the day went on around them while they talked.

“I hate to interrupt you guys, but we should probably get going. We’ve got a long way to go, and we need to keep a good pace. It’s supposed to storm in a few days, so we need to be back before then,” Twilight suggested in a more serious manner. Everyone nodded and shifted their attention to getting their bags ready for the hike.

With the wind at their backs and the fading silhouette of the town behind them, the group started walking toward the horizon. There were a few trees dotted around as they left the area around the town, but further ahead there were mostly just grassy plains and sky.

Although they had a partially set destination in mind, walking so far into the wilderness was very freeing and had a comforting and serene feel to it. The sound of the wind rustling the grass and the distant trees around them, and their own hooves crunching across the fields soon dominated the air and became the only sounds to be heard.

Minutes turned into hours as the ponies walked and walked. They all chatted to pass the time and each passed along stories and merry tales from their pasts as they bonded with each other. And all the while, instead of being her usually lively and adventurous self, Rainbow Dash was quietly walking on the outside edge of the group.

The cyan mare couldn’t stop staring at the stallion talking happily with her friends, almost as if he had never left her life and had been there all along. She tried to rationalize her feelings and talk about something, anything, to close the distance between herself and the blue pegasus. Despite all of her efforts to speak up or think about something else, she couldn’t get her mind off of the past.

Perhaps noticing the absence of the rainbow haired pony and her usual energetic personality, Pinkie Pie turned to see her friend walking by herself a short ways away from the main group. She wasn’t even really taking in the sights around her. She seemed to be troubled by something, and the pink mare wasn’t going to let one of her friends have a bad time on such a fun outing.

“Hey Rainbow Dash, what’s wrong?” Pinkie asked in a concerned tone.

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash turned and looked to her friends, who were all looking at her since the pink pony brought up her odd behavior.

She briefly shook her head to rid herself of all the thoughts racing around before quickly trying to find something to say that would convince the others that she was fine. After all, she was perfectly fine. Why couldn’t they see that?

“Nothing… nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?” Rainbow replied while smiling awkwardly and trying her best to sell her dodge.

“Well, you haven’t said a word since we started walking. I thought you were looking forward to this… especially since Blue Bolt is here,” Pinkie Pie said with a confused expression.

Rainbow Dash looked over to see that most of her friends were watching her now. They seemed to be concerned for why she was acting so strange. She hadn’t thought she was acting strange, but apparently, she had been so occupied with her thoughts that she hadn’t even spoken in a long time.

“I’m fine, Pinkie… I’m just… uh… taking in the scenery,” Rainbow stated while looking around and forcing an amazed expression.

Pinkie seemed unconvinced as she stared at the cyan pegasus. “Are you sure?” She asked suspiciously.

“Am I sure?” Rainbow Dash scoffed, wearing her usual smug expression and returning an air of confidence to herself. “Of course I’m sure… do I look unhappy to you?” She asked, shifting her attention back to the pink mare.

“Ok…. if you’re sure,” Pinkie shrugged, not wanting to pry any longer.

Deciding to leave their cyan companion alone for the moment, the group pressed onward through the countryside. They passed over streams, went through grassy clearings, and skirted a thick forest, all the while marveling at the sights and sounds of nature around them.

Eventually, the path they had decided on led them to a small incline beside the forest. The incline led up at a comfortable slope until eventually, they were past a rocky cliff that would have otherwise impeded their progress and forced them to cut through the forest. The cliff continued up a fair distance to their right, but the path they were on seemed to completely bypass it.

Twilight and the other non-flyers of the group stayed to the right. While there was a decent amount of room, the left side of the path terminated abruptly in a steep drop-off that led down into the trees of the forest below. The trees were thick and tall, and the group could barely see the forest floor below from how dark it was. Nobody wanted to even risk falling off.

After some time, the cliff to their right gave way to a wide open clearing. There were wild flowers growing in bunches dotted around the grassy meadow. Up ahead, there was a decently sized stream that flowed off the drop-off into the forest below, creating a waterfall that constantly filled the air with the soft sound of water falling against earth. The sights around them were breathtaking, and most of them hadn’t even come across this area before.

“Hmm…” Twilight brought a hoof up in front of her face and leveled it with the horizon. Using this as a gauge, she looked to the sun and tried to figure out how many hours of daylight they had left. Her eyes narrowed as she found her result. “It looks like we don’t have long before sunset… maybe a couple of hours at most,” She reported while turning to her companions.

Applejack looked around the vast clearing around her curiously. “Sounds like we should set up camp right quick,”

“Perhaps we should find a better place to actually camp for the night before our hastiness gets the better of us,” Rarity suggested. As pretty as her surroundings were, she wasn’t sure if this was the best location to spend the next few days in.

Twilight nodded silently while taking another look around. “Well… the cliff would provide shelter from the wind in that direction,” She thought out loud while turning to the right. The cliff went on and skirted the clearing for a good ways. Her optimism slowly faded as she noted the many rocks and boulders that seemed to be loosely sitting on the cliffside further up. “Then again, I wouldn’t want any rocks to fall down on top of us while we’re sleeping,”

“Maybe we should head further into the clearing?” Blue Bolt said, pointing ahead toward the stream and the area beyond. “It looks like there are some trees further down that way. I’m sure that would be a good spot to set up,”

Twilight and the others followed the stallion’s direction to the distant horizon. Sure enough, they could faintly see a couple of trees off by themselves in the clearing.

“You’re right… that does look like it could be a good spot,” Twilight let a slight smirk creep across her face. She then turned her attention to the stream, briefly looking for a way to cross it without getting drenched.

Spotting some rocks in the stream off to the right that looked like they could be walked on, she stepped to the right eagerly before pausing and turning to her friends. “Come on, guys. I think we can get over that stream over here,” She said while motioning for the others to follow.

The group followed their purple leader along the stream until they reached the apparent crossing. The rocks in front of them were in a rough line, and they were big enough that the tops of them were above the water. Although they weren’t perfectly aligned, they would allow the ponies to walk across without making any jumps or leaps.

Twilight crossed first, testing how solid the rocks were and how easy it would be to get to the other side. After the unicorn made it past a few rocks, the others slowly filed across as well. They could feel the cold water splashing against their hooves as it rushed along beneath them, giving them an incentive to move faster.

Applejack and Rarity had a bit of difficulty with getting across some of the wider spaced rocks due to the weight they were carrying, but otherwise, everyone made it to the other side with no issues. Once they were across, the group started walking toward the cluster of trees in the distance.

Twilight looked the trees over as they approached. Two of them were fairly large, with a few smaller ones dotted around them. The many luscious branches full of leaves offered shelter from the sun, while the hefty trunks offered a reprieve from any major winds. All in all, it looked like a good place to set up camp.

“Alright… I think here is as good a place as any. We should get the tent set up and get some firewood before night falls,” Twilight reasoned.

After finding a decent spot in the middle of the area between the trees, Applejack took the bag off of her back and let it flop to the ground. With help from Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity, she started unfurling the contents of the backpack and getting the tent ready.

Twilight looked up, noticing that three of their members were free of any tasks. “Hey… why don’t you guys go get some firewood while we’re doing this?” She suggested.

Rainbow Dash glanced between Blue Bolt and Fluttershy. While the thought of working in close proximity with the stallion made her a bit uncomfortable, she wasn’t going to let her feelings get in the way of helping out.

“Sure thing,” She stated, managing a slight smirk of confidence.

“Don’t wander off too far, darling. We wouldn’t want you getting lost on us,” Rarity cautioned.

“Relax… I think between the three of us, we can handle picking up some sticks,” Rainbow assured. With their task laid out before them, the three pegasi started walking off toward some more distant trees.

Rainbow Dash and her two companions kept walking until they started to hit pay dirt. There were many more trees in closer proximity than the few grouped up by the campsite. Although there were quite a few of them, there still weren’t enough to really call the area a forest. Perhaps these trees were part of an offshoot of the forest over the distant cliff side.

As they walked, Fluttershy paid close attention to her cyan friend. Rainbow Dash was acting much different than usual. She seemed far quieter than she had ever been, and she would occasionally steal glances at the blue stallion walking ahead of them before shaking her head and darting her gaze elsewhere.

While Blue Bolt went ahead to gather a grouping of fallen wood pieces, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stayed near each other and gathered some smaller sticks.

“Hey,” Fluttershy spoke up slightly, briefly checking to see if Blue Bolt was around. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on, Rainbow Dash?” She asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

Rainbow looked over to the yellow pony in surprise. “I didn’t know something was going on…” She replied dismissively.

Fluttershy exhaled through her nose and frowned. “Rainbow… I’ve known you for long enough to know that something is wrong. You’ve been acting really strange ever since yesterday… when you learned that Blue moved into town,”

“What?” Rainbow Dash asked in a forced tone of disbelief. “Come on, Flutters… Blue was a good friend of ours. It’s… great to see him again,” She explained. One look from the yellow mare told her that she wasn’t buying it.

“Rainbow, you can tell me… what else are best friends for? If something is bothering you, you can confide in me… I won’t tell anybody,” Fluttershy said sincerely.

Rainbow Dash could feel a pit forming in her stomach and her heart melting as she saw the worry in her friend’s eyes. She hated making Fluttershy feel bad for her. Finally, she looked around and made sure that the stallion was still a fair distance away before pausing her collection of firewood and turning to her fellow pegasus.

“You really want to know?” Rainbow asked hesitantly.

Fluttershy nodded.

“Well…” Rainbow Dash paused and sighed. “You remember the last year of school when Blue moved out of Cloudsdale?”

Fluttershy struggled with her thoughts for a moment before replying. “Yeah… that was right after the big dance I think?” She asked, receiving a nod in return.

“Right,” Rainbow continued. “Well… the week before the dance, I was… kind of working up to ask Blue to go with me,” She admitted sheepishly while scratching the back of her head.

“You mean… you had feelings for him?” Fluttershy whispered cautiously. She smiled giddily as she saw her friend getting red in the face. “Rainbow, that’s amazing. I didn’t think you were into having a relationship like that,”

“It wasn’t really like that… for the most part.” Rainbow Dash sighed uncomfortably. “I wasn’t really sure whether or not I wanted to… you know… But, I kinda figured that I would see how things went,” She looked down abruptly as her embarrassment turned to gloom. “It’s not like it mattered anyway… he said no.”

“Oh… oh, my,” Fluttershy frowned sympathetically.

“I probably should have seen the signs… He was acting differently all week up until the dance whenever I would drop hints. I shouldn’t have waited until the last minute and just saved us both the trouble by asking sooner,” Rainbow explained, her voice sounding as small as she probably felt.

Fluttershy looked surprised to see the cyan mare being so open and vulnerable like this. It wasn’t like her. “Was he going to the dance with someone else?” Fluttershy asked softly.

Rainbow Dash shook her head sadly. “No… he wasn’t.” She groaned and shifted to a mildly frustrated expression. “He just… told me that it would be for the best if we didn’t see each other anymore. After that, he left… and the next day we learned that he got transferred out of school,”

“Wow… and after everything you two had been through?” Fluttershy shook her head sympathetically. She softened her expression as she glanced over to see the stallion somewhere up ahead, the same friendly expression she had remembered plastered on his face. “Rainbow, I’m sure Blue had his reasons for doing what he did… He moved out to Ponyville knowing that you were here, so he must have been willing to meet again. He’s still our friend,” She said reassuringly while resting a hoof on her cyan friend’s shoulder.

Rainbow Dash smiled softly before letting her expression fall as she glanced over to the stallion. “Maybe he is, but…” She hesitated and shook her head. “I already accepted him being gone… I’m just not sure if I’m ready to let him back into my life,”

Before Fluttershy could formulate a response, the pair heard hoofsteps approaching from the side. They turned to see Blue Bolt walking over to them, a healthy amount of firewood precariously balanced on his back.

Blue looked at the pair as they went back to gathering their sticks together, almost like they never stopped. “You guys think this will be enough for a fire?” He asked curiously.

“Uh… sure,” Rainbow Dash replied after clearing her throat uncomfortably. “We’ll probably have to get some more tomorrow, though,”

“Well, it looks like we might have to,” Blue Bolt added while looking around. The light from the sun was waning fast, and soon it would be too dark to navigate around the clearing. “We should get back to camp before it gets too dark to see,” He suggested.

“Sounds like a good idea,” Fluttershy nodded. While the stallion started walking back toward the direction they came from, she looked to her cyan friend and smiled reassuringly before joining Blue Bolt in leaving.

Rainbow Dash followed her two companions with her haul of kindling material securely under one foreleg. She was eager to get some warmth and light going back at camp so she could forget about the past and focus on the present. Maybe she could count on Pinkie Pie to have brought some fixings for s’mores.

After another short walk, the trio could see the darkened shapes of their friends toiling around a bulky tent in the middle of a cluster of trees. The four mares had mostly completed the tent and were just hammering the last few stakes into the ground to secure it.

Twilight and the others were pleased to see their friends return. Although the two unicorns of the group were happy to provide light in the meantime, they were eager to be able to finally relax by a crackling campfire.

Although Applejack insisted on starting the fire ‘the ol’ fashioned way’, Twilight eventually grew frustrated with the farm pony’s attempts at rubbing two sticks together and simply produced a spark from her horn. Some careful stirring of embers and some rearranging of sticks later, and the group had a roaring campfire to complete their first night out in the wilderness.

Time went by much faster than the ponies anticipated as the crackling flames accompanied their lighthearted antics. As many of them had already guessed, the resident party pony had indeed packed some smores, which were soon being roasted over the fire as everyone talked and shared stories with each other, whether they were tales from their own lives or spooky stories to get a laugh and maybe even a scare.

As the wind blew through the trees around them, and the crickets chirping mixed in with the owls and other signs of wildlife, the ponies were happy and relaxed. Even Rainbow Dash was managing to have a good time.

Still, the cyan mare occasionally took time while someone else was speaking to steal a glance at the stallion sitting across from her. Although she was still feeling a conflict of emotions, she was starting to get used to his presence.

Maybe I should clear the air with him? She thought to herself. While it was true that they hadn’t parted on good terms, they were still really close for the short time they knew each other. Rainbow felt that it would be a mockery of their former friendship if she didn’t at least give it a try.

Then again, the longer she stared at him, the more she remembered the last time she saw him. His happy-go-lucky attitude and the smile on his face weren’t present then, being replaced by a frown and a solemn expression. She had never actually figured out just why he acted the way he did; why he hurt her so much during a time when she had opened up to him.

…Maybe tomorrow… She reasoned. The idea of waiting was much more agreeable than doing it right now in front of everyone. She didn’t want to embarrass the stallion in front of the others, or herself for that matter.

After saying their goodnights, the group gradually retired to the tent one by one. And after some more quiet discussions, Rainbow Dash was one of the last ones awake.

Pinkie Pie was still up due to her manic energy. The cyan mare wouldn’t be surprised if she just stayed up all night and tried to make shapes out of stars.

Twilight was awake as well, being the designated member to tend to the fire. Nobody had actually designated her, but she figured that she might as well be the one to do it since she was already up.

Finally, Rainbow Dash yawned and stretched as her exhaustion caught up with her. She turned to her two companions before glancing to the doubtlessly warm and cozy tent where the others were already settled in.

“Well guys, I think I’m going to hit the hay,” She said quietly while getting up.

“Night, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight whispered.

“Nighty night,” Pinkie added. “Sleep tight… and don’t let the bed bugs bite!”

Rainbow Dash briefly waved to the pair before unzipping the entrance to the tent and stepping inside. She could feel the grass poking at her from underneath the thin lining of the tent floor. The area was mostly clean, but there was some dirt and debris here and there.

All around her, her friends were already tucked away in their own sleeping bags and mostly fast asleep. Although there was enough room for all seven of them, their unexpected guest had made things a little more crowded, so they had to sleep a little close together.

Rarity and Applejack were in the back left corner of the tent, spaced apart and facing away from each other. Blue Bolt was to Rainbow’s immediate left up against the front edge of the tent. And finally, Fluttershy was off by herself over by the back right corner.

Rainbow Dash looked around to find the spot where her sleeping bag had been placed. She had been absent during the process where her friends had decided where to sleep inside the tent, so she had no idea. She was currently standing on Twilight’s sleeping bag, with Pinkie’s bag to the side closer to Blue Bolt. The pegasus was incredibly thankful that she didn’t have to sleep near him.

Finally, she spotted her bag toward the back. Apparently, Fluttershy had opted to place their bags next to each other, with Rainbow’s tucked away near the edge of the tent. She couldn’t help but smile as she made her way around her other sleeping friends to get to her makeshift bed.

Carefully making sure that she didn’t step on the sleeping pegasus, Rainbow Dash stepped over and made it to the front of her bag. She quietly unzipped it and wriggled her way inside. There was a small buffer of space between her and Fluttershy, allowing both of them some room to maneuver if they felt like it.

Despite how careful she had been, Rainbow cringed slightly as she heard Fluttershy moving. The yellow mare lifted her head up slightly and drowsily opened an eye. As she saw her friend settling in next to her, she smiled before nestling her head back down on her pillow and going back to sleep.

Rainbow Dash smiled as well once she laid back and stared at the ceiling. Despite how apprehensive she was at first, today had been a good day. She was certain that she would have more good times in the days ahead as they continued their outing. Perhaps she could even talk to Blue Bolt some more, a few words at a time.

As she sank deeper into her pillow and relaxed, she thought back to some of the better memories from when she knew the blue stallion. She still fondly remembered the first time her circle of best friends had grown from one to two.

---

-A few years ago-

The ring of the bell sounded throughout the entirety of the building, signaling the end of the school day. Many pegasi of varying shapes, sizes, genders, and colors started filing out into the halls to gather their things and either head home or hang out for a little while.

Rainbow Dash moved with the crowd that had formed on her way to her locker. She was mentally exhausted from her classes, and she was more than ready to be free to do whatever she wanted.

As the many ponies ahead of her started thinning out, she could see the lockers coming into view up ahead. She could also see her dear friend Fluttershy already there, getting the stuff out of her own locker.

Before the cyan mare could walk up to the shy pegasus and greet her, a different pony walked up to her and slammed her locker shut abruptly, causing her to jump.

“Where do you think you’re going, Fluttercry?” An orange stallion with a brown mane asked with a smug expression and a superior tone of voice.

Another stallion with brown fur and a cream mane walked up next to the first, forcing Fluttershy to back into the lockers nervously. “Yeah… don’t you want to stick around?”

“Not these guys again,” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes as she recognized the two ponies. Ever since she had known the pair from when she got her cutie mark, they had been nothing but trouble for Fluttershy and anyone else they thought they could pick on.

Fluttershy shifted her shaking eyes back and forth between the pair as they looked to her with devilish smirks. “Guys… I-I don’t want any trouble,”

“Trouble?” The orange stallion scoffed. “Do you really think so bad of us?”

The brown pony chuckled alongside his friend. “Maybe we should show you just how much trouble we can be,”

“Hey, featherbrains…” Rainbow Dash announced her presence while walking up to the three ponies. She casually strolled past the two stallions and stood between them and Fluttershy. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” She asked while glaring at the pair.

“Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy smiled in relief as she saw her friend standing up for her.

The orange stallion narrowed his eyes to meet Rainbow’s icy stare. “Well, well, if it isn’t little miss hotshot. Have you come to rescue your marefriend?”

“I can’t help but notice a lot of attitude coming from this direction. Do you want me to drop you down a peg or two, for old time’s sake?” Rainbow Dash smirked while nodding to her cutie mark. The two ponies’ smug expressions faded as she refused to back down.

“Don’t act like that stupid race meant anything. We all know you cheated, anyway,” The orange stallion scoffed dismissively.

Before Rainbow Dash and the stubborn stallion could get any closer to ripping each other apart verbally or otherwise, the group heard footsteps approaching as someone else walked up to them.

“Is there a problem over here?” A familiar voice asked from the side.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy turned their heads and saw a blue stallion walking up and standing with them. While Fluttershy had no idea who the strange pony was, Rainbow Dash recognized him.

“Blue Bolt…? What are you doing here?” Rainbow asked while looking to the stallion with a confused expression.

“I saw that these hoofheads were giving you some trouble… figured I might as well step in,” Blue Bolt glanced to the cyan mare and smirked before looking back to the other two stallions with a serious expression.

“Really? You’re just going to let the new kid bail you out like this?” The orange stallion asked while looking to Rainbow Dash in a condescending manner. He lowered his expression before glaring at the bold newcomer. “You’re making one hay of a first impression newbie… we’ll have to remember this the next time we see you,”

“Yeah… what he said,” The other pony added, glaring at the trio along with his companion.

“How about you two run along? Isn’t there someone else you could be flaunting your insecurities to?” Blue Bolt smirked while nodding to the side, eliciting an angry growl from the orange pony.

“This isn’t over, Rainbow Crash.” The orange stallion glared at the cyan mare before walking away with his companion in tow. The trio watched the pair walking down the hallway until they were out of sight.

“Man… and they say puberty hits us hard,” Rainbow Dash shook her head at the two ponies. She then settled her attention on Fluttershy. “Are you alright, Flutters?”

Fluttershy took a moment to recompose herself before smiling slightly. “Yes… I’m fine now, thanks to you and…” She paused as she turned to the blue stallion.

“Oh, right… you two haven’t met yet,” Rainbow Dash kicked herself mentally. “Um… Fluttershy, this is Blue Bolt… the new student who may also be sort of stalking me,” She added with a hesitant chuckle.

Blue Bolt raised his eyebrows in surprise. “What? No… Running into you twice is hardly stalking you,” He stammered defensively.

Fluttershy giggled slightly before trailing off and smiling at the stallion. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Blue Bolt. Thanks for standing up to those guys for me,” She said while reaching out to shake the stallion’s hoof.

“My pleasure,” Blue Bolt replied, happily accepting the yellow mare’s gesture.

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck pensively while looking down at the floor. “You know, Blue Bolt… me and Fluttershy were going to go hang out over on the flying course for a while before heading home. Since you seem to be running into us a lot, why don’t you come along with us so we can get to know you a bit better?” She offered.

Blue Bolt was surprised to receive such an invitation so soon after meeting the two mares. Still, he seemed flattered to have the opportunity. “Sure… I’ve got nothing planned for today,”

With their potential new friend in tow, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walked out of the school and flew over to the side of the building where the flying course was. They found a nice spot behind one of the bleachers meant for spectators and relaxed.

While they watched the clouds rolling by in the sky above, the three pegasi talked and got better acquainted with each other. They shared a few laughs, told a few relatable tales from their past, and otherwise talked the time away.

Blue Bolt looked over to see Rainbow Dash lying down with her head on top of her forelegs, and Fluttershy sitting next to her. He smiled slightly as a thought occurred to him. “So… what are you guys planning on doing once you get out of here?” He asked curiously.

“Heh…” Rainbow Dash smirked eagerly as she thought of her answer. “I know what I’m doing… I’m going to join the Wonderbolts and travel around… showing everyone how awesome I can be,”

“Not a bad choice,” Blue Bolt nodded with an impressed expression. “How about you, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy thought about the question for a moment, seemingly struggling to come up with an answer. “Umm… I guess I would want to be a veterinarian. That way, I can help sick animals get better,”

Rainbow Dash nodded to herself. She figured the yellow mare would say something like that, given her personality and love of animals. “So, what are you going to be, Blue?” Rainbow asked, turning to the stallion curiously.

Blue Bolt looked down in embarrassment as his question was suddenly turned back on him. “I don’t know… it seems kind of stupid when compared to awesome careers like a Wonderbolt… or a vet,” He said reluctantly.

“Come on… tell us. We told you ours,” Rainbow Dash persisted with a slight smirk.

“It’s alright… we won’t judge you,” Fluttershy added softly.

Blue Bolt turned to see the two mares looking at him reassuringly. They seemed genuinely curious about what his dream was. He smiled softly before looking back away. “You know what…? Maybe some other time,” He said while getting up. “It was nice hanging out with you two, but I’ve got to get going. My parents will probably flip if I stay out any longer,”

“Aww… come on, Blue,” Rainbow Dash frowned in disappointment as the stallion spread his wings and took off.

The blue pony hovered in the air and turned to look down at the pair one last time. “I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow in class,” He said, flying off before either of them could get out another word.

“Why do you always have to scare off our new friends?” Fluttershy asked with a sigh while looking at her cyan companion.

Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t think guys could be shy like that… Maybe I need to work on my people skills?” She pondered briefly before shaking her head and lying back down. “Nah…”

Fluttershy couldn’t help but laugh and shake her head as she watched Rainbow Dash lazing around without a care in the world. “You really know how to attract the shy ones, don’t you?”

Rainbow joined her friend in laughing as she stared up at the sky. She briefly turned her head toward the side, smiling slightly as she thought back to the blue stallion. She looked forward to meeting him again.

Comments

[CrossoverFanficReader]

.....how has no one commented on this?

i seem to have found something good whilst looking for something good

"it's ironic"

[wonderkid125]

9318177
Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.