"Loyalty" Begins With an L

by shortskirtsandexplosions

ii

"Hnnngh!"

Rainbow Dash gave the cloud a swift kick and nothing happened.

"Oh, come on." She growled and bucked it again and again.

Eventually, the water within the cloud buckled, and a fresh fountain of rain fell over the south end of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash exhaled with relief, but her job wasn't done. Darting to every corner of the leaking cloud, she kneaded the dark mists with her hooves and spread the water around. Soon, what was once a tiny black clump of a raincloud had become a broad ceiling of gentle precipitation. Under her expert touch, the entire southern end of Ponyville was covered.

She observed her job from a tall tree overlooking the edge of the village. It was always a peculiarly satisfying sensation to witness the world being soaked from a weather front that she herself had molded. What was once a dry, sunlit courtyard had become utterly saturated in a matter of minutes. The rooftops turned slick. The gutters filled to the brim. The sidewalks and grass lawns formed puddles. Rainbow Dash knew that she had always made an impact on the village, and she felt a sense of pride every time she finished a job, unleashing the soothing touch of nature on Ponyville.

Except, on that day, she didn't feel proud. She hardly felt any satisfaction whatsoever. Normally, she'd be closely examining the rain, making sure that she had covered every inch of the quadrant that the Weather Commission had assigned to her. It was her job to not only drench the town when told, but to do so thoroughly.

Suddenly, the very nature of her occupation didn't feel as though it deserved such avid scrutiny. Instead of observing her task, Rainbow Dash found herself staring across the shadowed, rain-swept village to where a pair of shrieking ponies had been caught in the downpour that she had made.

It was a mare and a stallion, both unicorns. The mare was giggling like a schoolfilly, fussing with the constant sheets of rain punishing her perfectly kept mane. The stallion was doing his best to cover her head with an increasingly soggy newspaper. In mid-gallop, the mare tugged him towards a gazebo, and the two scurried up the wooden steps until they stood under the tiny shelter from the rain.

As they caught their breaths, the newspaper became so wet that not even the stallion's telekinesis could keep it levitating in one piece. It fell like a funeral veil over his head. His glowing horn broke through, and he groaned miserably as ink and flakes of paper cascaded down his muzzle and neck. The mare giggled and peeled the soiled newspaper from his face. Once they could see each other again, they shared a mutual blush and leaned in to warm their shivering selves with the gentlest of kisses. Their lips remained locked for a good ten seconds, and soon they were leaning against each other, nuzzling and watching with contentment as the rain came down softly around them.

Two, four, six minutes passed. Rainbow Dash didn't realize she was staring so fixedly at them until a bolt of lightning exploded before her. She gasped in fright. Frowning at herself for such a jittery reaction, she took it out on the cloud by giving the vaporous thing a firm kick.

"I didn't friggin' say you could spout lightning!" Her grunt of frustration dissolved with another melancholy sigh.

"Dealing with lousy weather, Rainbow Dash?"

Rainbow blinked confusedly before looking straight down from where she hovered. All she saw was the top of a large green umbrella and two sets of hooves peeking out from beneath it. It never ceased to bug her how most ponies failed to take into account what pegasi could or couldn't see from up high.

"Uhhh... Just who’s talking?" Rainbow Dash droned. "Or else I'm just going to guess that a beach table is stalking me."

"Oh, our bad," said a mare's voice with a nervous giggle. A cream-colored face with blue eyes tilted out from beyond the edge of the umbrella, squinting up through the wet drizzle. "We were just marvelling at the wonderful job you were doing today, Rainbow Dash," Bon Bon said.

"Yeah," said another voice. The umbrella hovered at a slight tilt as Lyra peeked her glowing horn out as well. "It's high time that this side of the village got a shower."

"Maybe the Mayor will finally stop whining about how badly the rosebushes are doing on the edge of town!" Bon Bon remarked.

"She should be whining about the proposed school building renovations or else Cheerilee's gonna choke her to death before the next election!" Lyra exclaimed.

Bon Bon laughed. "Now that, I would pay to see! Cheerilee the assassin!"

"Sure beats gardening during your free time."

"Heh... Yeah, I guess." Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her mane. "I wouldn't know anything about roses. The Weather Commission just points me where to go, and I deliver the rain." She shrugged. "Nothing to it."

"Awwww... Don't say that!" Bon Bon smiled, wincing as a drop or two landed on her fair cheeks. "You do so much for this town, Rainbow Dash. We're lucky to have such a loyal, dependable pony!"

"Heh, don't forget 'awesome,'" Lyra added with a wink.

"Oh yes!" Bon Bon gasped. "I heard all about that incredible sonic rainboom that you performed at the Canterlot Royal Wedding! That had to have been fantastic!"

"I was there," Lyra said, chuckling as she levitated the umbrella. "And it was."

"Too bad I was down with the pony pox when it happened," Bon Bon muttered with a pouty face. "That's twice that I've missed you pulling off a legendary stunt, Rainbow Dash."

"Well... uhm... you know what they say," Rainbow Dash said in a wavering tone. She attempted smiling, but for some reason it only came out as a grimace. Nevertheless, she cleared her throat and uttered, "Third time's the charm, right?"

"Maybe," Bon Bon replied, then gasped with a smile. "I know! Lyra and I are headed downtown to have lunch. How'd you like to join us and share all about the stunt you pulled?"

"Bon Bon..." Lyra nudged her. "She's a busy pony. She's got weather stuff to do..."

"I'm not saying that she should spend the whole day with us," Bon Bon quietly returned before gazing back up at Rainbow Dash. "I heard that a lot of exciting things happened in Canterlot two weeks ago, and who better to fill us in than the most courageous pony in Equestria?"

"Heh..." Rainbow Dash fidgeted in midair. "I don't know if I qualify as that, you guys..."

"Come on... It'll be our treat!"

Rainbow Dash gulped. "Sorry, but I'm gonna have to pull a rain check—erm... no pun intended."

"Awww..."

"I've got stuff to do," Rainbow Dash said, gazing towards the horizon. "Just... stuff, I guess..."

"It's alright, Rainbow Dash," Lyra remarked with a sweet smile. "We both know you've got a lot of things on your plate. Thanks for making Ponyville so beautiful as always."

"I still think it would be spectacular to spend some time with you," Bon Bon said. "Would you consider having lunch with us another day? Or, better yet, anytime you feel like gabbing a bit—drop in at our place! The door's always open."

"Well, mostly open," Lyra added.

"Heeheehee..."

"I'll... uh... I'll keep that in mind," Rainbow Dash said. "Thanks. Erm... for the invitation, I mean."

"Anytime, Rainbow Dash." Lyra waved a hoof and pivoted the umbrella around to cover them as they trotted across town. "Keep doing what you're doing. Ponies love you for it."

"Bye!" Bon Bon cheerfully added as the two scurried off through the puddles, engaged in a giggling conversation.

Rainbow Dash remained hovering in place, watching the fillyfriends departing. The umbrella was like a green dome that tightly contained their echoing voices, laughter, and breaths. Lyra protectively dried Bon Bon's path, and Bon Bon lovingly leaned into her.

Just then, a loud, ear-splitting shriek shook Rainbow Dash out of her contemplation. She winced and spun around, gazing across the village for the source of the caterwauling. There was a white, fluffy thing clutching a tree branch high above Carousel Boutique. At least, it was once a white, fluffy thing. At that moment, it more closely resembled a wet mop than an actual, living feline.

"Opalescence?" Rainbow Dash squinted her ruby eyes. "What in the hay?" She darted over, pierced the rain as she would a fog, and hovered in front of the drowning persian. "Don't you ever learn?" She groaned and reached her hooves out. "Fine. Let me just get you down before Rarity has a heart attack—"

The shivering thing hissed and swung a lacerating paw at her.

"Yeowch!" Rainbow Dash brought her hoof back and frowned at three fresh rivers of blood on her forelimb. "Stinkin' little tramp!" She seethed briefly, rolled her eyes, and sighed. "Fine. If you're gonna be that way..." She gazed up at the rain cloud, reached into the mists, and grabbed a clump of vapor, holding it in her hooves like a pillow cover as she approached the cat once more. "Let's try this again..."

Comments

[mrmayortheiv]

I like this so far, but while RD is best (mane 6) pony, I guess I never thought of her as being as professional and proper about weatherwork as you show. Sure she cares deeply about Ponyville and does a good job taking care of it's weather but I always see her as being more carefree about it. My best guess would be that maybe in this fic she is trying to get past whatever problems/ depression she is having by burying herself in the work?

Also did I spy with my little eye a Night Shift Vampony Cheerilee reference?

[Csquared08]

"Sure beats gardening during your free time."

Is this a reference to Smiling Flowers I see?

[DrEggnog]

Rainbow blinked confusedly before looking straight down from where she hovered. All she saw was the top of a large green umbrella and two sets of hooves peeking out from beneath it. It never ceased to bug her how most ponies failed to take into account what pegasi could or couldn't see from up high.

This is the realest shit ever.

I work at Subway and I can't see the bread and cookies people point at through the cases cause I'm over six feet tall.