Author's Note: For those of you that read this story before the chapter 1 edit (April 24th), I would recommend that you reread the first chapter since a significant amount of the story was changed around and edited a little bit. The overall plot remains the same, there was just some structure problems that needed to be addressed. If you already have, then awesome, continue!
~~~
One kick, and it was gone.
Rainbow grunted and panted as she soared through the air. The pain that radiated throughout her body begged her to stop, but with another defiant shift and buck of her powerful legs, another cloud dissipated over the hustle and bustle of Ponyville’s marketplace. Some ponies looked up at the sky as the sun’s light radiated down upon them, but continued with their business once they realized that it was merely another pegasi pony doing their job. Rainbow ascended above the clouds and looked down at the gray blanket, her eyes darting left and right to examine how much she had left to clear. The clouds reached over the horizon, but Rainbow seemed unfazed.
“It’ll take around a half hour, no sweat,” Rainbow muttered as she descended onto the clouds. The moment her hooves touched the vapor, she collapsed against the cloud and sighed in relief as her wings folded back against her sides. Her hoof pressed against the cloud and with a small scooping motion, she pulled out part of the cloud beneath her cheek and held it in the air. She stared at it for a moment while her breathing tried to regulate itself. She pressed the cloud against her forehead like a handkerchief, washing off the sweat before she smacked her other forehoof against the cloud puff. It disintegrated instantly and Rainbow used her now free hoof to wipe her sweaty mane out of her face.
Rainbow rose back to her hooves and pushed herself through the clouds until she was beneath them, hovering in the air. She looked left and right before she stuck her forehoof into the air.
“Not cold from there,” Rainbow muttered as she shifted her hoof to the right. Rainbow flew through the clouds once more, her hoof remaining close to her head as she pushed through. “East... the wind is coming from the east. Slight wind chill... so maybe if I were... to...”
Rainbow’s train of thought was lead askew as she looked down at the two small holes in the clouds that she made from flying through them. The outline of two ponies were standing next to each other, holding forehooves while their heads were touching. Rainbow blinked while familiar words echoed through her mind.
“We both love to read, and we both love you.”
Rainbow gritted her teeth and shook her head a little more violent than was necessary before she pounced on the clouds. She threw, tore apart, split, and disintegrated all of the vapor in front of her. The clouds diverged, opening up until a large ray of sun shone down upon the Ponyville market. Rainbow panted as she hovered in the air, stopping once the outlines were no longer visible. Another voice called out to her, catching her attention.
“Dash? Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow turned around to face the feminine voice. Sassaflash rose up through the right side of the clouds and flew over to Rainbow, stopping a few feet away from her. The light blue pony glanced at the split clouds before she flipped her weather patrol goggles over her eyes. Her usually unkempt, yellow mane was held in place by her goggles and Wonderbolt Academy outfit. Pinned to her outfit was a silver badge that shined in the recently allowed sunlight. Sassaflash adjusted the badge on her chest before she looked back to Rainbow Dash. Her eyes widened once Rainbow met her gaze and she looked away.
Rainbow turned back to the clouds once Sassaflash broke the stare. With a hard buck, she knocked away another part of the clouds. “What do you want, rookie?” she asked bitterly.
Sassaflash winced at Rainbow’s tone and raised a hoof in the air for a moment, before lowering it back to her side. “Um... I was just wondering if the Weather Factory sent you to clear these clouds?”
“No.” Rainbow continued to buck away the covering, moving further and further away from Sassaflash until the mare had to fly over to her in order to stay within earshot. Sassaflash’s voice started to grow softer as she continued.
“Well... the Weather Factory schedule said that these clouds were supposed to stay in place until 5 PM because they wanted to give Ponyville a little drizzle. Once the clouds drizzled, then they could be cleared. I mean... I was supposed to clear them... after all.”
Rainbow stopped mid-buck at Sassaflash’s words and turned towards her with a frown. Sassafash shivered and laughed nervously. “Um... b-but you are the best lead pony at Wonderbolt Academy. You... probably know what you are doing. I mean... did the Factory talk to you about the schedule?”
“No,” Rainbow Dash flatly replied, “I took today off because I had plans, but since those got called off, I figured I would knock out some clouds to get my mind off of things.” Rainbow pressed a hoof against her forehead and growled in frustration. “Of course I would clear the only cloud patch in Ponyville that was supposed to stay. Freaking stupid Weather Factory. What’s the point of drizzle anyway? Why not just have it rain, or be sunny! Drizzle doesn’t do anything!”
Sassaflash bit her lip. “Well... it doesn’t always have to be either sunny or rainy. A change is nice every now and then.”
Rainbow turned to Sassaflash, who jumped slightly and smiled in a nervous fashion. Rainbow sighed and waved away Sassaflash’s comment. “Yeah, whatever. Maybe I should just go back to bed. It’s my day off, I might as well just lay in bed and sleep until tomorrow.”
Sassaflash paused and looked at the gap in the clouds before looking back to Rainbow. “Um... if you don’t mind, can I fix these clouds? Spitfire said that I needed a little more practice with my cloud forming, and this would be the perfect opportunity to do that.”
Rainbow nodded, still refusing to meet Sassaflash’s gaze. “Yeah... whatever. Cloud forming really isn’t that hard. Even a greenie like yourself should be able to handle it.”
Sassaflash winced. “I... I see. Thank you for the vote of confidence, Rainbow Dash.”
“Whatever,” Rainbow Dash said. “I get to work the clouds around the marketplace tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool. See you later.”
~~~
A soft thud resonated through the shower stall, momentarily breaking up the flow of the water as it sprayed down on the mare. Rainbow Dash stared at the imprint her hoof made in the cloudy material before she retreated her hoof back to the floor. She sighed as the small dent in the cloudy stall slowly popped back into place. Rainbow looked up at the ceiling of the shower stall, where a cloud was currently drenching her in its water. Stacked on top of the cloud were two more clouds. She looked back to the floor.
“Great, I don’t have to worry about running out of water. I’m going to be in here for a while.”
Rainbow closed her eyes as the water flowed down her fur, dripping onto another cloud beneath her. She pressed her forehooves against her face and bent her head down before letting out another sigh. She laid down on the cloud, facing the water as it patted her fur, giving her a small massage while she tried to find something to say.
“I guess it’s back to working full-time,” Rainbow muttered. “I take the day off to go spend time with my dad, the one pony that has been alone for the past seven years, and he goes and already makes plans ahead of time... with my best friend.”
Rainbow growled and slammed her hoof against the cloud. The shower stopped, one final drop of water splashing onto Rainbow’s muzzle. She sighed and smacked the cloud again, continuing her shower.
“I can’t even freaking get out my anger in the shower!”
Rainbow pressed a forehoof over her face while her other reached for the bar of soap near the corner of the stall. Once she found it, she moved back to her hooves and lathered the soap across her hooves before moving them to her chest. She washed her coat in silence, narrowing her eyes at the shower walls that surrounded her. As she raised her chest to the cloud to wash off the dirt and sweat from her trip, she flicked her tail in annoyance.
”I’m so glad that you approve of Twilight. I was worried that you would be angry with me for dating one of your friends.”
“So you knew... and never told me.”
Rainbow’s teeth gnashed against each other as she moved the bar of soap to her wings.
“When Blue Streak and I first met, I didn’t know that he was your father, Rainbow.”
“Buck that. She knows. Dad and Twilight both knew what they were to each other.”
Rainbow’s hoof started to shake as she lathered her wings up, stretching them while she got every nook and cranny.
“Is this really what he needs right now? You acting out?”
The bar of soap slipped through Rainbow’s hooves as she moved to wash her flank. Instead of picking it up, she focused on the wall. She couldn’t help but yell.
“I’m not the one who’s butting into something that isn’t her business! I’m not the one who turns somepony’s dad against them! I’m not the one who’s trying to replace my mother!”
Rainbow’s eyes started to water. Her tears melded with the shower as she continued.
“High school sweethearts. They were...”
Dash sputtered and leaned her head against the shower stall.
“They loved each other... I loved her... more than anything... and she just... Twilight... just comes in and takes Dad’s heart. She took Mom away from my dad. Twenty years of marriage... gone... because of her.”
Rainbow grit her teeth.
“Do they think I’m an idiot?! She’s trying to pass the blame onto me! Is this some kind of cruel joke!?”
She turned towards the back corner of the shower, where a small vial full of pink liquid remained. A label with the words “Never stop smiling, Dashie!” was imprinted on the front of the vial. She rinsed off her wings and grabbed the vial. After opening the lid, she let a bit-sized amount onto her hoof and started to lather her mane. She sighed and pressed her head against the corner of the stall to prevent the water from rinsing her mane so soon.
“I need to relax. I’m not going to fix anything by just being angry. There has to be some ulterior motive for what Twilight is doing. What if this is a prank, or some kind of experiment? If she got this idea from a book, she would probably want to try it out. But... she didn’t tell me beforehand. She usually does when she wants to do an experiment.”
Rainbow stopped lathering her mane for a moment. Her eyes widened and she gasped.
“Did she, not want to tell me because of some reason? Is she angry with me, and isn’t showing it? I mean... I haven’t always been the best of friends to her.”
Rainbow leaned against the corner of the stall, allowing her cheek to drag along the material as she slowly fell to her haunches. “Was it because of the Running of the Leaves? I wasn’t exactly... nice to her during that time. Was it the time where I made fun of her for being an egghead?”
Rainbow’s head hit the bottom of the stall and she turned onto her back to stare up at the cloud. The soap slowly dripped from her mane onto her shoulders as she continued.
“Or maybe... maybe it isn’t because of what I did to her. Maybe it’s what she is doing to me.”
Rainbow covered her eyes with her hooves.
“Mare-Do-Well. I remember that day like it was yesterday. All of my friends... made me look like a jerk in front of everypony in town.”
Rainbow’s hooves fell back to the floor. She frowned upon the realization.
“They played with my reputation like it was nothing! What happened when we all asked Rarity for bad dresses and it ruined her reputation? Rarity became depressed and locked herself in her room. You would think the Princess of Friendship would learn about tampering with her friend’s emotions! What if I out-partied Pinkie and made her look like the worst caterer ever, or outsmarted Twilight at... something!? And now here she is... dating my dad to teach me another lesson... that I never asked for!”
Rainbow sighed and moved back to her hooves once more, allowing the water to wash off her mane. She turned to lather her tail before she rinsed that off as well.
“Dad’s probably in on the joke too. If he thinks that it would teach me a lesson, he would agree to do it without a doubt. But... Twilight wouldn’t do that to me... would she? We’re friends... we all learned from the Mare-Do-Well incident, even though I was the one that sent the friendship letter. We all promised that we would be open and honest with each other. I trust her. We all trust her. A year later... we trusted her with our destinies... and she didn’t let us down.”
Rainbow paused. “She wouldn’t do this to me. We’re best friends... and we could tell each other anything, except for something that might completely change my life...”
Rainbow sighed. “I just... don’t know.”
With a soft knock against the wall, the water stopped, bringing the last of the soap suds into the cloud beneath her. She looked towards the exit and walked through it. The cloudy interior of her bathroom met her hooves as Rainbow descended the few steps to the floor and grabbed two nearby towels from a rack. She fastened her mane up in one towel while she dried herself off with the other and fastened that one to her waist.
Rainbow walked out of her bathroom and into her bedroom, where a comfortable cloudy bed awaited her. She rubbed the towel in her mane before she ripped it off and threw it into a corner of her room. She laid back against the bed, allowing her hind legs to dangle near the floor as she looked up at the ceiling. She sighed and stared for minutes. Her stomach rumbled, breaking her concentration. Rainbow looked down at her stomach and then pushed herself back onto her hooves.
“I’ll just get an apple or something,” she muttered as she walked out of her bedroom.
The hallway and living room were a mere blur as Rainbow walked into her kitchen and opened up her refrigerator. The cold air chilled Rainbow’s face as she looked high and low, but didn’t find any food that she could eat. Rainbow’s grip on the cold, cloudy material intensified.
“Are you freaking kidding me? I really have no food!?”
Rainbow slammed the refrigerator door, making it wobble from the force. She pressed her forehooves onto her face and smacked her head against the fridge with a soft thud.
“Buck today... I’m so not in the mood for this...”
Rainbow’s stomach growled again and she removed her face from the fridge, if only to walk over to the front door. She opened it, allowing the sunlight to shine upon her newly cleansed form. Rainbow grimaced at the sun and placed a hoof above her eyes to shield them.
“I guess I have to go out again. I’ll just go to some restaurant... then come home. If anyone asks... I’m fine,” Rainbow thought as she walked outside and spread her wings. She closed her front door and took off, heading towards Ponyville.
~~~
“Ah, hello Madame. If I may ask, how many in your party this evening?”
“One.”
The waiter paused, menu underneath his forehoof as he stared at the eloquent wooden door behind Rainbow Dash.
“Um... just one?” the waiter asked as he turned his gaze back to the mare.
“Yeah, just one.”
“Very well, Madame. Right this way.”
The elegant waiter sidestepped away from his podium and walked down the aisle, passing other ponies who were certainly dressed for the occasion. Numerous ponies stared at Rainbow as she walked to a small booth in the corner of the restaurant. She sat herself and was given a menu by the waiter. A nearby open window provided Rainbow with a refreshing breeze and view of the nearby Quills and Sofas. She turned back to the waiter, who smiled and placed a notepad on top of the table.
“Would you like a few minutes to decide on what you want to eat?”
Rainbow nodded her head while she absentmindedly scanned the menu.
“Do you know what fills you up the most?” she asked.
The waiter paused to place a hoof underneath his chin before he placed the hoof into his other forehoof. “I believe the vegetable and fruit platter is the biggest entree that we have. It even has Crystal Berries in it, which gives it that extra,” the waiter kissed his hoof to his mouth. “Kick.”
Rainbow smiled and nodded her head. “I’ll have that, with a glass of cider.”
“Ah, yes of course.” The waiter took Rainbow’s menu and smiled. “Thank you, Madame. I’ll be right back with your cider.”
“Thank you,” Rainbow replied as she leaned back against the booth. She groaned slightly as her back popped back into place and her smile widened at the relaxation. She laid her head against the back of the booth and closed her eyes with a yawn.
“I shoulda taken a nap.”
“Psst.”
”Or maybe I’m just tired because I’m hungry. I don’t know. I’ll see when I eat.”
“Psst.”
Rainbow opened one eye and looked towards the whisper. Scootaloo was holding onto the window, her face contorted even with a smile. Her signature helmet adorned her head as her wings flapped constantly to keep her attached to the window.
“Hey... Rainbow... Dash,” Scootaloo choked out as she managed to pull herself up and over the window. She fell into the booth and laid on the cushion while Rainbow heard a small thud from outside. Rainbow leaned her head out the window and saw Scootaloo’s scooter laying on the grass. She made the connection and laughed as she patted Scootaloo’s shoulder.
“Hey, kid, if you are going to stalk me, you can’t get caught.”
Scootaloo’s cheeks brightened and she sat up against the booth. She took her helmet off and placed it nearby her while she looked at the menu that the waiter left on the table.
“I wasn’t stalking,” Scootaloo muttered.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Aww come on, you don’t have to hide your feelings from me.” Rainbow paused once she realized what she said, and she coughed into her hoof before she continued. “I... what I mean is... I’ve stalked the Wonderbolts enough to know when I’m being stalked. No offense, but you aren’t doing a really good job at it.”
Scootaloo turned to look into Rainbow’s eyes. “I’m just... I wasn’t stalking, I swear. I saw you when you were flying into Ponyville. You looked kind of down, so I followed you because I wanted to talk to you. When you walked into here, I had to stay out because they don’t allow scooters. I also don’t carry my bitbag with me, so I couldn’t get a table.”
Scootaloo pressed her forehooves against each other and broke her gaze with Rainbow, instead focusing on the wall on the other side of the restaurant. “I just wanted to talk.”
Rainbow smiled and smacked Scootaloo’s back. “No problem, Scootaloo. We can have lunch together now!”
Scootaloo’s smile rivaled that of a foal’s on Hearth’s Warming Eve. “Really?”
Rainbow smiled. “Yep. Pick up the menu and let me know what you want. I’ll tell the waiter when he comes back.”
Scootaloo did as she was told, but her eyes widened when she scanned the appetizers. “But, how can you afford all of this?” she asked. “Does clearing clouds make you that rich?”
Rainbow shrugged. “I guess. I don’t really go out that much. I usually just buy a bunch of apples from Applejack and live off of those, give or take the few other vegetables that I buy for a good and balanced diet.” She smirked. “The diet of a champion consists of apples. Why do you think Applejack is so strong?”
Rainbow chuckled while Scootaloo placed the menu on the table and turned the page. She bit her lip and placed her hoof over a particular entree while her other hoof covered her eyes. Rainbow looked at the entree. “Ten bits, that’s it? Don’t worry, Scootaloo, I got it.”
Scootaloo smiled and hugged Rainbow Dash. “Thank you thank you thank you! I never get to go out to places. That Crystal Berry pie looks like it is going to be good.”
Rainbow smirked and nodded. “Crystal Berries are the best.”
Rainbow’s waiter returned with a mug of cider, the restaurant’s emblem emblazoned on the mug. She took a good swig of the cider and placed the mug on the table while the waiter stared at Scootaloo. “Madame, you did say you only had a table of one, am I correct?”
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, but I changed my mind. This squirt came in and wanted something to eat, so I’m paying for her as well.”
The waiter pulled out his notepad and placed it on the table. “Very well, what would you like, little filly?”
Scootaloo grimaced and looked back at the menu. “Um... I’ll have the Crystal Berry pie, please.”
“Yes of course, your entree will be ready in just a little bit. Anything to drink while you wait?”
Scootaloo turned to Rainbow. “Can I have cider?”
Rainbow nodded.
“Cider please,” Scootaloo said with a smile as she turned back to the waiter.
He nodded and smiled as well. “Very well, I’ll be right back with your cider. Enjoy your meal, little filly.”
Scootaloo nodded and once the waiter was out of earshot, she crossed her forelegs and grumbled. “I am not a little filly.”
Rainbow turned from the mug of cider to Scootaloo. “Something wrong, Scootaloo?” she asked.
Scootaloo looked away. “I just... I’m not a little filly. He thinks I am just because I don’t have my cutie mark. I’m a young mare.” She turned to face Rainbow. “You don’t think I’m a filly, do you?”
Rainbow chuckled. “I know you aren’t a mare, that’s for sure.”
Scootaloo frowned.
Rainbow placed her forehooves in front of her. “Wait, let me finish. What I mean to say is,” Rainbow paused. “Um... I don’t think you are a filly. You’ll find your cutie mark soon, Scootaloo. Don’t worry about it so much.”
“But if I don’t find my cutie mark, then how am I going to know what I am good at?” Scootaloo whined.
Rainbow shrugged. “You just wait until it hits you. Believe me, you’ll know when you find your special talent.” She took another swig of the cider and wiped her mouth with a burp. “Heh.. they got a good chef back there. Anyway... I told you the story of how I got my special talent. I was a flier. I loved flying, and all I did was fly. Guess what my special talent turned out to be?”
“Flying?”
Rainbow nodded. “Yep. Just don’t worry about it, squirt. It’ll come to you when you least expect it. Just enjoy being a filly.”
Scootaloo frowned again. Rainbow realized her mistake and smiled.
“I mean... young mare. Enjoy being a young mare. Once you gotta get a job and all that, bleh.”
Both of them giggled as the waiter approached their table once more with a mug of cider in one hoof and a large plate of assorted fruits and vegetables in another. He placed the plate near Rainbow and the mug next to Scootaloo with a smile. “There you go, Madame and filly. I’m going to get your pie right now, I’ll be right back.”
Scootaloo nodded as the waiter trotted away once more. Rainbow started to dig in, completely ignoring the use of silverware as she bit out of a banana. “So Scoots, why you worrying so much about this cutie mark thing?”
Scootaloo took a drink of her cider and swirled the contents around her mug as she stared down into it. “I just... my parents have been wondering why I haven’t found my special talent yet. They haven’t been bugging me... it just... comes up every now and then. Same with my cousins, and aunts and uncles. They are all wondering and I just... don’t know why I don’t have it yet.”
Rainbow shrugged. “Buck ‘em.”
Scootaloo gasped and turned towards Rainbow, placing the mug on the table. “B...but they’re my family!”
“So?” Rainbow took another bite. “Your family doesn’t always know what’s in your best interests.”
Rainbow paused after she said that and turned towards Scootaloo. She resumed eating while the filly continued.
“I mean... they never leave me alone about it. Whenever my aunts and uncles visit, they ask. Whenever my cousins visit, they ask. My parents ask if I’ve figured out what I’m good at yet, and it doesn’t help when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon keep calling me and every other pony without a cutie mark a blank flank! It hurts...”
Rainbow nodded. “Sometimes, you just have to ignore all of it. Talking back to them isn’t going to do anything.” Her unused hoof pressed against the booth’s cushion. “They never listen. Everypony thinks that they are right just because it’s something that they said. Just because they are older than you, or smarter than you, they think they are right. It’s stupid.”
Scootaloo bit her lip while Rainbow continued.
“You try to talk to them, to tell your side of the story. But no one ever listens. They just think that you are wrong and that you should try out what they suggest. Buck that. I know I’m right. Those two are wrong.”
Scootaloo blinked. “Who?”
Rainbow paused once she realized what she said and she sighed. “Nevermind. Don’t worry about it, Scoots.”
Scootaloo shook her head. “Something is the matter, Rainbow. I want to know what it is.”
“It’s something that you aren’t going to understand for a while, Scootaloo,” Rainbow said. “I just need to keep it to myself.”
“Why won’t I understand it? It is because I’m a filly?” Scootaloo stood up on the booth to level her height with Rainbow’s. “After all of this talk about how no one will listen to your side of the story? I want to listen.”
Rainbow stared into Scootaloo’s eyes while she stuffed a piece of melon into her mouth.
“I’ve seen a defiant glare like that before. Heh. She’s not going to drop it.”
Rainbow sighed and pushed away her plate. “Fine.”
Scootaloo smiled and sat back down on the booth. The waiter quickly dropped off the Crystal Berry pie and left as quickly as he came. Rainbow wiped her mouth with a napkin before she spoke.
“I went to visit my dad this morning. I took the day off from the Cloudsdale Weather Patrol and everything. I was going to take him out to breakfast after we caught up and talked a little bit, but I didn’t know that he already had plans that day. He told me that he’s dating someone new, and that it’s someone I know.”
Rainbow’s hoof gripped the booth cushion while she refrained from clenching her teeth.
“He opens the door, and Twilight is there. Within seconds, they’re kissing.”
Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “They kissed? In front of you?”
Rainbow nodded, her eyes narrowing. “Twilight was kissing the same lips that my mother used to. My mother... Firefly... was the best thing that ever happened to him. The best thing that ever happened to me... and now Twilight... is dating him. That’s not supposed to happen.”
“Did your mother break up with your dad?” Scootaloo asked.
Rainbow gulped and looked down. “She... passed away when I was a filly.”
Scootaloo bit her lip and looked towards her mug of cider, but couldn’t bring herself to drink from it. “I... I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine... I’m... I’m over it.”
“I wish I could say that I know what you’re going through... but I can’t.”
Rainbow waved away Scootaloo’s apology. “It’s fine. I’m just... so angry at Twilight and my dad. They kept it a secret from me. They didn’t tell me anything. I had to find out myself, after I learned that the two of them were... in a relationship together, and had been dating for over a month now.”
“Do... you think you should go talk to them?” Scootaloo hesitantly asked.
Rainbow shook her head. “Already tried it. They shifted the blame to me and I had to leave. I can’t be held responsible for what I do or say if I go back there again.”
Scootaloo placed a hoof underneath her chin. “Maybe... talk to Twilight?”
“She’s not going to listen to me. She’s the one who defended my dad from me. Plus, she’ll probably just find some way to twist my words against me like she did last time.” Rainbow growled. “Freaking egghead. She treats me like I’m some kind of idiot... like dating my father is okay just because it makes him happy.”
Scootaloo was about to say something when Rainbow quickly grabbed another piece of fruit and jammed it into her mouth. Scootaloo jumped from the sudden motion. Rainbow continued, cutting the filly off.
“She’s treating me like she’s my mother. I’m not going to have that. But... I can’t talk to her about it, or my dad. I’m just... bucked either way.”
Scootaloo moved closer to Rainbow and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow’s hips. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. It sounds like your situation is very chaotic...”
Rainbow stomach felt like a bucket of cold ice was dropped into it.
“What did you just say?”
“I... I said it sounds like what you’re going through is very... chaotic?”
Rainbow looked out the window. In the distance, shining in the afternoon sun, was Canterlot. Her eyes widened. “It... it does sound chaotic... does it?”
Scootaloo shifted herself in her seat as she leaned against the table to eat her pie.
Rainbow frowned as she rummaged through her saddlebag and pulled out a bag of bits. She counted out thirty bits and dispersed them along the table before she turned to Scootaloo. “I have to go. There’s someone else that I need to talk to.”
Scootaloo nodded.
Rainbow moved out of the booth and back to her hooves. “Thanks for the talk, Scootaloo. You might have just given me the solution to my problems... or I guess...the problem.”
Scootaloo blinked as she swallowed a biteful of pie. “What did I do?”
Rainbow smirked. “Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy your pie. I’ll see you later,” she said as she walked down the aisle. Scootaloo nodded and waved at Rainbow as she closed the door to the restaurant behind her. Rainbow walked out into the street and growled as she stared at Canterlot.
“It’s at least a few hours away if I fly, and I don’t think I can spare money for a train ticket with the lunch that I just bought. Gotta save for rent.”
Rainbow laughed slightly and spread her wings. “I swear Discord, if you are behind this... the things I’m going to do to you,” she muttered as she soared into the sky, her hooves pointing directly at the erudite city.
Yes, Rainbow.
How dare your dad not ask you if it's alright to date your friend?
/eyeroll
I think Twilight's got a lot of explaining to do (cause she's not only broken Dash's trust once in Mare Do Well, but also with this now... I can see a shitstorm approaching)
I bet discord when he hears what dash will accuse her off will just respond "why didn't I think of that?
Nice heart to heart with RD and Scoot. PLUS you gave Scoot parents! I like that.
Also... What on earth could DISCORD have to do with that? I look forward to the next update.... No matter how long it will take.
~Skeeter The Lurker
did rainbow just dine and dash leaving scootaloo
Love this story... please update soon ^^ been waiting for Chapter 2... now i gotta wait for chap 3... hopfully not as long though
2702859yeah I agree that they should have explained this to her earlier in a way that was easier for dash to understand
RD is acting pretty dumb. Hopefully she'll realize it by the end of the story. But seeing as she still apparently hasn't realized that she was being a total jerk in MMDW, that may not happen.
I notice lack of Rainbow paying for that meal...
Poor Scootaloo...
Been waiting on this update...and it was well worth it!
2702823>>2702963
In the same paragraph where she says she has to go talk to someone, she counts out 30 bits.
Well, looks like I'm re-reading chapter one...
Damn, when you said you re-did the last chapter...now to read this one...
Hmm...I'm pretty sure you'll make it so that Discord isn't the reason this is all happening...
2702818
Cadance wanted to hook Twilight up with somepony now that she's a Princess, and Discord mentioned he knew of a stallion who was her type and single. Cadance doesn't know Dash as well as she knows Twilight, so she didn't make the connection.
Umm... it's not Discord, Dash. Your dad is just trying to get on with his life. Do you think your mom would like him to just stay alone for the rest of his life?
My my, I hope that Rainbow Dash is not over-reacting enough to even consider that her father would do something cruel like this to his one and beloved daughter. Nice way to present a "man vs man" conflict about having this feelings that soon Rainbow Dash have to confront and accept. I wonder what other conflicts will show up or how does the situation worsens when RD is still trying to digest the situation. I hope that confronting Discord doesn't break the "Slice-of-life" situation and turns it into something more, but it'll be amusing to see what would be his response to RD's accusations.
It'll be nice too see some scenes with Twilight being Blue Streak's girlfriend and how they interact together, not only it'll show how Blue Streak finds comfort to make him happy since the passing of his wife that he cherish very much, but how much more it'll infuriates RD even further.
Overall, nice chapter that is focused in RD's perspective. Can't wait to see more and wonder what happens at the next chapter. Keep up the good work man.
Oh dear...
Rainbow is too unstable to realize that she's crafting scenarios and evil acts while deluding herself into thinking them truths.
And now she will visit the being who stole reality?!
Awaiting further releases.
2703274
Dash's reaction was different.
Personally, I am on Dash's side about this. Dash's dad I am a little less mad with, is he rarely gets to see Rainbow I can understand him not getting the chance to tell her before then. Twilight however, knew very very well this would have been a very bad idea and would have ended their friendship. How could she, the 'princess of friendship' totally betray Rainbow like that? Maybe it's the Changeling Queen.
Scoots is stuck with the bill
2702763 its not needed to ask dash's permission to date her dad after all he is a free man/ stallion but it would be the right thing to do. basically it shows that you care how dash feels about the relationship and that her opinion matters. going around without even trying shows that you dont care what she thinks. and if she was telling the truth about not knowing it was dash's dad then she is defiantly not acting like twilight cause she would of gotten to know him enough to know he had a daughter and who it was before dating him.
Good chapter, looking forward to Discord.
2703446
Or maybe she really liked the guy without knowing that he had a daughter.
2703676
She didn't really try to stay and talk about it, though. Rainbow ran off before anypony could say much. She's being more than a bit of a brat. Also... Twilight doesn't really seem to study people as much as books. So I don't see how she's "not acting like Twilight".
2703712 this is true but she loves information and it seems less like her to overlook info like that or she could be in on it as dash thinks, and i never said dash was not being a brat im just saying twi could of tried to ask dash about it beforehand or at least done things differently is all.
2703723
She probably just overlooked it.
Also, asked her about what? It would have been strange to randomly ask about her dad. She didn't know at first that they were even related. Then afterwards, well, you see Rainbow's reaction.
I'll be honest, this wasn't going to go well as soon as it was Rainbow's dad. Either she would have broken it off... in which case she's likely unhappy and so is Rainbow's dad. Or she would have kept it going, and Rainbow wouldn't have been happy because... well, Rainbow is looking so far into things she's seeing things that aren't there.
Rainbow Dash is brash and unrational, just like in the show so you got that down to an art.
I'm curious to see what this leads into.
Lol dat Dashie, this has nothing to do with anything else, except love.
Best line yet? ...
...
I'm just waiting for the conversation that starts with the phrase "we are thinking abut foals" and ends with "Estrus" ...
Ugh, Rainbow confronting Discord about Twilight and Blue dating? This can't end well...
2703923
Agreed. That line is gold. It's a good thing Pinkie wasn't at the table, because she probably would've asked something like "So, you don't want him to be happy?"; and with her, it wouldn't have been a rhetorical question either. It's the question Rainbow needs to ask herself: Are her father and her best friend happy together? Are her own feelings and insecurities more important than that?
Now there's no easy answer to this. Her own feelings do matter; she's entitled to happiness as much as Blue and Twilight are. However, and this will be painful for her to learn, what Blue and Twilight do is ultimately their decision. Unless she travels to Canterlot and makes Pegasus/Alicorn relationships illegal she can do very little.
Addendum: A lot of folks seem to think Twilight deliberately kept Rainbow in the dark about dating her father. Twilight Sparkle, the same mare who didn't make the connection between "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza" and "Princess Cadance". Just sayin'.
Normally, I'd dismiss the idea of Discord being involved entirely... but this definitely seems like something he'd do just for the hell of it.
2704481 No, he wouldn't. Remember that Discord is as subtle as a nuclear blast, so this doesn't match with him.
2705156
Dash's reaction to Twilight and Blue Streak was different. She got pissed and threw a fit, leaving. She also didn't think about Discord until Chapter 2.
I dunno dude, I gotta say I think Twi and Dash's Dad are in the wrong here, Twi especially. I don't take issue with May-December romances but I think dating your daughter's friend is just crossing a boundary. It'd be likely you'd lose the trust of your kid and potentially they would lose that friendship. Which wouldn't be such a big deal except for the elements thing. As well the way Twi was acting was so perfectly idiotically Twilight I wish I could smack her.
2705184
Males are genetically inclined to seek out younger mares, as they have a better choice to produce healthy off spring. Females are inclined to look towards a stable mate, who can also provide for the child as a father. Usually older males are more established in life, and can have an easier time providing for the child. Giving the fact Twilight thinks heavily with her head more so than her heart, it does make perfect sense for her.
That's not to say that if I were to find out my father were suddenly dating a female friend I had that I would be alright with it. I would be just as freaked out as poor Rainbow Dash here, but that doesn't make me right. That just means it makes me understandably uncomfortable.
Well, I was just so taken in by this story's novel concept, it's excellent execution, and interesting character drama that I fell into an odd meditative trance. When I awoke, I discovered I had created this TV Tropes page for your story. Hopefully, this will be an incentive on getting me another chapter of this story already.
So ... if this is alicorn princess Twilight, doesn't that mean that this is certified-rehabilitated Discord? Where does Rainbow get off suspecting him as soon as anything weird happens? And will Fluttershy tear her a new one?
2705544
Um... I'm not worthy... x.x I'm honored. Completely honored. But like... wow. Words cannot speak it.
I do not know what to think just, but I think Rainbow's dad wants to have a younger mare to make sure she does not die like Firefly or he just loves his daughter so he feels that by dating one of Rainbow's friends he can spend more time with her.
2705588
Nonsense! You, made a good story, and there are only two types of good stories in the world: those with trope pages and those we tropers haven't gotten around to making one for yet. I'm glad to be the troper that makes the one for you!
As for "words to thank me," the only words you need is one. Thousand. Or more. Of the next chapter you're writing. Which you should write as soon as you can.
2705625
I have *counts* 1647 currently written. You have my promise that the delay between chapter 2 and 3 will definitely not be as long as the delay between chapter 1 and 2.
I can't believe people are seriously taking Dash's side.
Especially after this line.
Twilight's under no obligation to inform Dash of anything. Dash is an adult and what her friend or father do is none of her business. And will you please stop with the "she's trying to replace my mom." I expect that from a five year old, or angsty teenager. Not a fully grown adult who has (supposedly) already dealt with her mom's death. Get over it and stop acting like a spoiled brat.
2702763 I am absolutely amazed at some of these comments, I mean really this is the highest form of betrayal imaginable (Dash, loyalty, get it?)! Imagine if your best friend was dating (not to mention all the questions this raises like what kind of relationship they are or were in, good luck having your mind comprehend that) your mother in secret for months, then tells you and scolds you for not being open enough and welcoming you into the family. If that was my friend I would beat the ever living shit out of him.
It's too bad Dash didn't write a friendship report to Princess Celestia instead of running after discord. That would have been.... interesting. Then again I'm sure Discord will make everything better . Although Celestia's reaction considering she's like a mother figure on steroids to Twilight would have been extremely fascinating to witness, wether she approves or not.
No, Dash, you're NOT "over it." That's why you are so angry. You said it yourself: How DARE Twilight kiss the lips that belong to Firefly? Because apparently finding another girlfriend when death do they part makes the last marriage meaningless. Rainbow Dash, you are being a selfish beyatch, and I wish there was a way for me to reach through my screen and slap you. Hey, maybe Discord can do it for me? Seriously, I have never seen Rainbow Dash this irrational before, and that's saying a lot!
Kudos for the author on characterization, though; you made it real enough for me that her behavior is seriously pissing me off for real. Though Twilight being my waifu and my sympathy for the meek nobody that is Blue Streak might have as much to do with that.
this is going to be AWESOME!!!
Here's hoping Dash actually gets to buck Twilight in the face for once for being an impressive cunt.
Now for the interesting part.
When your dad kisses your best friend, it gets awkward.
When your best friend protects your dad, it gets more awkward.
When you accuse the Spirit of Chaos even though he didn't do it, all hell breaks loose.
2706111 I wouldn't care. Void I don't even understand the over protective brothers that won't let their sisters date.
Oh Dash...all this theorizing and paranoia. Just deal with it and embrace Twilight as your new mother!