Rainbow Dash and Aileron
The sky above Ponyville was clear and blue, bird song filled the air, and the only groups of clouds were of Rainbow Dash’s cloud house. The sky around the area was relatively quiet until the sound of whooshing air increased in volume. Suddenly a streak of a full rainbow followed closely by one of blue and orange zipped by.
Rainbow Dash flew with great speed against her opponent, flying around trees, clouds, and flew in loops, trying to lose the other. However, her opponent, a tall dark tan-ish stallion pony with blue and orange streaked mane and tail, and a cutie mark of a red and white bar band with a blue-indigo circle in the middle of a band with a white star within it, he caught up with her with every turn she threw at him. He kept up alongside her as they flew over the town. Dash smirked at him.
“Drag slowing you down at all, dad?”
“Nope, but I bet those cloud cling-on’s must be slowing you.”
She shook off the cloud pieces and tried to lose him in an aerial loop but he had a better idea and tackled her instead, they tumbled onto the clouds of her house and laughed together on their backs.
“Ha, ha! Awe, that was fun, but I won.”
“No way, you cheated at that last loop and besides I was holding back for your sake.”
“You implying I’m slow for my age?”
“Maybe…” Rainbow lay next to her father as they caught their breath and relaxed. It was always like this when her dad,
Aileron, came to visit her from Cirrus Heights, the cloud city over Fillydephia after they moved from Cloudsdale and she to Ponyville. Aileron would get time off from his busy schedule as the city’s cloud foundation specialist to visit Rainbow; he inspects the clouds that keep the city up in the sky. But today was special, it was Father’s Day, the day everypony celebrates for their dads.
Save for missing her at the Young Flyers Competition, he never missed time to see her. Secretly she was glad he got sick that day and did miss it, if for seeing her blowing her first stages of her routine.
But he was always there to support her for anything she was down about.
She frowned at the sky, “So… you got my last letter?”
He looked to her, “…About the gala?” At her nod he replied. “Yep, sorry about missing another chance with the Wonderbolts. Sometimes that happens with celebrities, especially when publicity is involved.”
“But I was so close to my dream!” she groaned, reaching her hooves to the sky.
He smiled at her, remembering when she made that dream.
--
Pegasus ponies gathered at the coliseum, waiting for an air show of the Wonderbolts. Aileron stood at a spot seeing the bottomless coliseum floor and the opening above, with a tiny cutie mark-less Rainbow Dash sitting on his head, looking at the strange sights with curiosity. Then a rumbling thunder sound she quickly looked up and her eyes widen at the sights of the blue uniformed pegasi perform aerial loops, dives and synchronized formations with their lightning and dark contrails behind them with patterns of the sun, stars and even the moon.
“Whoa! Daddy, who’re they?” Rainbow leveled herself to her dad’s eyes by holding to his ears.
“They’re the Wonderbolts, Dashy. They’re the best flyers in all of Equestria.”
She looked back up with shining eyes. “Cool…I wanna fy wi’t them!” She took tried to hop off her father’s head toward the stadium floor. However she barely left her dad’s head when he grabbed her tail by his teeth.
“Whoa there!” he put her to the cloud seat and trapped her tail under his hoof. “You can’t go out there, you can’t even fly yet. Besides your mother would kill me if I let you out of my sight.”
“Awwww!”
He smiled as he lowered his head down to nuzzle her slouched head, “Don’t worry, once you can fly and with plenty of practice I bet someday you’ll fly higher and faster than any pony.”
She looked up to him. “Weally daddy?”
“Really.”
She smiled at him, climbed back on top of his head and they both cheered with the crowd at the next aerial maneuver.
--
Aileron smiled at his grown up daughter as she tried to shape something in the air with her hoof. “You’re still young, Dashy, there will be other chances. Besides, from what I read, that night did end on a high note.”
Rainbow smiled. “Yeah, it did, hee hee, since everypony else had a bad night too.”
“You’re must feel really lucky with your friends.”
“Yeah…” she frowned. “Considering past ones.”
He looked at her with an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry your friendship with Gilda ended like it did.”
Rainbow looked at him incredulously. “I thought you would be happy with that. I mean… You didn’t really like it that I was friends with her. You basically told me not to hang out with her when I first introduced Gilda to you.”
Aileron sighed. “Well… I’ve actually seen her before you brought her home after school.”
Her eyes widen and she turned on her belly to face him. “You did?! When?!”
Her dad turned on his belly to look at her. “It wasn’t a personal meeting. It was the very day you met her, but this was just
after I dropped you off at flight school that morning.”
--
Aileron flew around the cloud shops with his saddlebag of groceries. Suddenly a flash of brown flew by him; the air from it caused him to go unbalanced.
“Whoa!” He got himself stable then frowned as he watched the brown mass fly behind a produce cart. He blinked in surprise as the mass turned out to be a small brown and white griffon with purple highlights.
‘A griffin? That’s rare.’
He watched she looked to the sides then stalked up to the cart. With a silent cackle, she used her tail to release the wheel block from the cart, and the cart slowly rolled away from the unsuspecting merchant until a customer pointed him to its sudden departure.
“Gasp! My cabbages!”
The merchant chased the cart, leaving his unprotected pears and oranges to being pilfered by the little griffin.
Aileron frowned. ‘That little…’ He could have caught her, but she disappeared from his sight. ‘I hope Dashy never becomes like that.’
--
“Imagine my surprise at seeing her again so soon.”
Rainbow just gaped at him. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Three reasons. One, you didn’t really what to listen to me; you thought I was being ‘a big downer at being cool’. Remember our little squabble later that night.”
“Oh.”
“Two…Well you were passing your classes, only skipped a couple of days, because you were sick, and hardly caused real trouble.”
Her eyes widened at him, “Whoa, you certainly kept track of me. Talk about protective.”
He smiled at her, “You never know what would happen with you at that age. And Three… I had faith that despite whoever you meet, I knew you would continue to be the pony I know you would be. And that no matter what, your happiness is more important to me, so I’ll be there when ever you need me.”
She blushed at him. “Dad, that’s so mushy.”
“But I am happy you have great friends today, and hope they help you with all that comes your way.”
Rainbow smiled then shot up to her feet. “You know I still haven’t shown you the Sonic Rainboom.”
“…Yeah,” he was glad for the change in subject. “I was surprised that you were able to recreate it. That was the second time I missed it.”
She started to hover. “Well you won’t miss this one and you know what use? I modified it a bit just for today.”
Aileron raised an eyebrow. “Why just for today?”
“You’ll see!” She called as she took off to the sky.
He followed her as she started to gain a higher altitude. She was more than a little dot when she started to dive. He followed her dive as she went faster and faster. His eyes widen as he started to hear the pressuring air surrounding her keen and start to form like a triangular barrier around her body.
Suddenly…
BOOM!
He cringed at the sudden explosion but he kept his eyes on his little pony, and gasped at the speeding contrail rainbow following her flight path and the rainbow shockwave spreading the sky. He smiled in awe at the display, and then suddenly Aileron saw her change direction and start to form a big shape in the sky. He followed her as she seemed to create something with the rainbow.
The end result left him breathless.
He continued to stare at it, even as Rainbow Dash landed next to him, with a sheepish blushing look.
“I couldn’t really come up with a good present this year, but my friend Twilight came up with this, considering all that that happened this year.”
She waited anxiously as he turned to her.
She continued, “I know it’s a bit girly, but when I think about it, it’s my way of saying how much I appreciate you really trusting me and believing in me and being here.” She looked at him with moist eyes. “…I love you, Dad.”
He stared at her then smiled, and they hugged with all their strength.
“And I you Dashy.”
They both looked back up at the shape of a giant rainbow heart with ‘I LOVE YOU DAD’ within it.
Aileron chuckled after a bit, “I bet all of Equestria is seeing this.”
Rainbow chuckled back, “That’s the idea.”
HighStature, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle
“UNACCEPTIBLE!”
“I know, father.”
“Highly improper behavior!”
“I know, father.”
Rarity looked to the ground as the very pale lavender unicorn stallion paced in front of her, a look of anger graced his face and blue eyes. His blue-indigo mane was styled like Rarity’s, but without the curls, and his tail swayed to show his irritation. He had a cutie mark of a darker indigo oval cut sparkling jewel, and he wore a dark grayish blue collor with a red ruffled neck scarf, and white cuffs on his front hooves.
“To think a lady such as yourself had been…”
“I know, father.”
*Snort*
“At the Grand Galloping Gala of all places!”
“Yes, father.”
*Snort* “Hee!”
“I have never been more embarrassed!”
“I’m sorry, daddy.”
“Heehee!”
“Shh!”
“That-that pompous, chauvinistic so-called prince, Blueblood, dare put my precious gem in the path of an oncoming cake to protect himself?! I have never been more embarrassed to call myself a gentleman!”
“Heehee, ha-ha!” Sweetie Belle giggles next to her sister, who tried to keep herself from laughing with her, but she had a tiny smile.
“Shh!”
“What if the sugars in it had ruined your complexion,” their father looked anxiously at them. “Or the icings stained your gorgeous gown?!”
“Daddy…”
“No one dishonors my Rarity into treating her like a maid!”
“Heehee!”
“Daddy!”
“I have half the mind to march to Princess Celestia to demand that I teach that colt what it means to be a gentleman of high stature, such as my name entails! Let’s see if he’ll stay a prince after that!”
“Heehee! Don’t worry daddy, Rarity already told that guy off!”
“Sweetie!”
“…” He raised an eyebrow at his eldest daughter. “You did?”
Rarity blushed as she poured tea into her cup with her horn magic from her tea setup on a table in her sewing room.
“Well at that point I basically, as my friend Rainbow Dash would say, ‘blew a fuse’. I had enough of Blueblood and confronted him by stating that he was the most un-charming prince I had ever met, and that he was a royal pain,” she sipped her tea. “And all the time he was more concerned about his grooming when he saw the dripping cake on me.”
Sweetie Belle giggled more than, looking to her dad. “This is the best part.”
“Then I said ‘Afraid to get dirty?’ and shook myself at him and he got splattered by the cake pieces,” Rarity finished chomping into a scone.
Sweetie Bell fully laughed then, but Rarity was slightly surprised that her father’s booming laugh joined in. He clapped his hooves as well.
“HA, HA, Ha, Ha! Bravo Rarity! Well done. Oh, when your mother hears this, she would be so proud.”
Rarity bashfully tapped her hoof on the floor, a look on anxiety on her face. “You’re not upset with my lapse of temper control, father?”
HighStature looked to her with wide eyes. “Upset? ...Well… ‘a lady must never lose her temper’.” He interpreted her as she started to lower her head in shame. “But, but, but, but, but! ... You had to defend your dignity and honor as a lady. That clout downright deserved it.” He smiled at her surprised face. “Your mother was like that as well when her suitors were like Blueblood. So don’t you worry about it.”
“Are you sure, daddy? I wasn’t being a perfect lady.”
He walked up to her and nuzzled her. “My precious gem, nothing is more important than seeing you being yourself, one of being a true lady; perfection is just an empty goal. Like I would say to all my students including yourself, ‘I would be proud of a true lady, than a perfect one’.”
She smiled at him, than when she tried to refill his cup, the teapot was empty.
“Would you like more tea, father?”
“Please and I would love a couple more of those fabulous apple scones. You were right about your friend’s apple treats. Oh, they are divine.”
Rarity took the teapot out of the room to her kitchen. It was father’s day and she loved it when her father came to visit her and Sweetie Belle, taking time off from teaching etiquette at the Manehattan Academy. He taught Rarity everything she knew, supporting her with all her accomplishments. As she places the scones on a tray, she smiled, remembering her father’s surprise and prancing joy when she told him of recent successes with Hoity Toity and Sapphire Shores.
She used her magic to carry the tray back, listening to her father talk with Sweetie Belle.
“Now, Sweetie, I have heard that you are part of a club with friends, what is it called, ‘the Cutie Mark Crusaders’?”
“Yeah, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and me don’t have cutie marks yet so we’re trying to find out how to get them.”
“Scootaloo, Applebloom, and ‘I’, Sweetie. And what have you accomplished so far?”
“Oh, sorry. Well, yeah, we tried lots of things like baking, putting on a school show and we even tried zip-”
Sweetie suddenly saw Rarity behind her father, franticly motioning her hoof in cutting fashion at her neck, while shaking her head. Sweetie stopped momentarily then looked back up to her father, who raised an eyebrow at her sudden pause.
“uh-just zip-zip-zipping through lots of ideas to getting our cutie marks,” she ends with a big grin.
HighStature stared for a bit when Rarity presented him with the tray, sighing in relief.
“Well…” he started. “As long as you are being careful doing that. I’m sure with all your determination you’ll get your cutie mark soon enough.”
“I hope so too, daddy.”
“How’s mother?” asked Rarity trying to distract him from learning what the Crusaders really do.
“She’s as fit as rain and happy with all your successes lately,” HighStature sipped his tea and nibbled a scone. “She recently saw one of your gowns in a designer store and she got the feeling of looking for past ones.”
“Past ones?”
“You know the past dresses and outfits that you made when you were a filly. That reminds me.” He got up to his traveling case and opened it. The two girls couldn’t really see what it was he was looking for. When he cried out “Ah Ha!” he found what he wanted and turned to present it to them.
It was a tiny frill laced dress, with flowers made of small colored jewels.
“Your mother found this in the attic while searching and thought this would be something wonderful to show today.”
“What is it, it’s teeny,” asked Sweetie Belle.
“GASP! Oh, you and mummy kept that?” gasped Rarity as she walked over to it with a smile.
“Of course we did,” said HighStature. “It’s one of your first dresses, and holds great sentimental value.”
“But what is it?” asked Sweetie Belle again.
“Well my sweetest bell,” smiled her father. “This was your first party dress when you were just a newborn foal.”
“Really?!” she looked at it with wide eyes. “I was this small?”
“Yes,” softly said HighStature. “This was made just after your mother and I brought you home.”
--
Carousel Boutique was much smaller than it is today, is even wasn’t always a fashion boutique. It was the Carousel Dance and Dress Etiquette School, a smaller building of two stories with a dance studio and jointing lecture room. Today was a special day, for the teachers had brought home their second little foal and were throwing a grand welcoming party that evening.
In the main lobby banner’s, wall hangings, and balloons decorated the place, elegant tables placed with food and drinks, and gift bags adjoining them. Laughter of a little voice filled with joy echoed out from a crib, holding a tiny foal of pale lavender and a mane of purple and pink. She smiled up to her parents, HighStature, and TruePoise, a white unicorn with wavy violet mane and curled tail, golden eyes, and a cutie mark of purple ballet slippers, who gathered by.
“Oh, listen to her Stat, her laughter even sounds like many bells,” cooed TruePoise.
HighStature nuzzled her, “Well she is our sweet little bell. Our Sweetie Belle. I can only imagine what she will sound like when she learns to talk or even sing.”
“Yes.” TruePoise smiled, then suddenly frowned and looked around. “Stat, have you seen Rarity?”
HighStature looked around then looked up to the upper level hallway and seeing a light from one of the doors. He faintly hears the sound of the sewing machine.
“Hmm, she’s in the sewing room.”
“You know,” TruePoise apprehensively started. “I’ve hardly seen Rarity since we brought Sweetie Belle home. You don’t think she may be jealous, do you?”
“She hasn’t pressed the issue,” He made his way to the spiral staircase and smiled at his mate. “Don’t worry Truly, I’ll speck with her.”
He walked up the stairs and toward the open door. He opened it so see his eldest daughter work on the sewing machine. She had been working with many dresses and outfits ever since she got her cutie mark, getting better every time, with help from her parents. He couldn’t really tell what she was making, so he walked up and called to her.
“Rarity, what are you making?”
“DON’T LOOK!”
He raised an eyebrow at her trying to hide the work she was working on, and stopped.
“Alright, but Rarity, ‘a lady mustn’t shout.’ And she can’t hide secrets from her parents.”
“It’s not a secret, it’s-”
He waited as she turned with a blush as she held up a little dress with frilled lace and near complete patterns of jeweled flowers.
“It’s a party dress for Sweetie, for the party tonight. I thought since she should look as pretty as a princess, I wanted to make this.”
HighStature stared wide eyed at the dress. “Rarity, this is wonderful. She’ll defiantly look like a princess with this.” He smiled at her. “So… you aren’t jealous of having another little filly in the house?”
“Well… not really, since I now have someone to model for my dresses.”
“Rarity. We didn’t bring Sweetie Belle home to be your personal model.”
“… I know. But I can still dress her up right?”
He really can’t resist her big eyes, and now he had another pair downstairs.
“With supervision, dear.”
“Okay,” with that said she went back to work, then paused. “Daddy?”
“Yes, my precious gem?” he walked up beside her.
“…Will I…always be you and mummy’s precious gem?” she asked hesitantly.
He immediately took his leg and hugged her to him. “But of course. You are our rarest, one of a kind gem, as will Sweetie
Belle be our sweetest little bell, we love you both so much, it could fill all of Equestria and more some.”
Rarity smiled and hugged her father’s leg, then went to her work. “So…do you think the last pattern should be red or blue?”
Her father smiled and looked to the little dress with an appraising look. “I would think this would look fabulous with violet.”
“Gasp! IDEA! How about violet and magenta?”
“Brilliant!”
--
Rarity held the little dress, reexamining it with a smile.
“Now that I think about it, marigold and chartreuse should have gone with this.”
“I can’t wear it anymore Rarity,” said Sweetie. “So there’s no point in adding more on it.”
“…You’re probably right. But I have new ideas for future dresses.”
“I’M NOT YOUR PERSONAL MODEL! Daddy said so.”
HighStature laughed at them. “Yes, but this was your first dress and it’s fine as it is, along with the wondrous memory with it.”
The two girls smiled at him then at each other when…
BOOM!
All three jumped at the sudden explosion.
“Great Glimmering Gold! What was that?!” HighStature looked around.
Sweetie Belle gasped and turned to Rarity. “Rarity, it’s time!”
Her sister had the same look and with her little sister tried to move their father to the door.
“Oh yes we must hurry!”
“What’s going on?!” asked HighStature, confused as his daughter moved him to the entrance door.
“You’ll see!” said Sweetie Belle.
They were moved out the door to the outside lawns.
“Now see here girls, you don’t…have…to.” The rest of his sentence faded as he saw a great ring of colors cross the sky. He
gasped in awe as the speeding rainbow that caused it flew in the sky and made a shape of a heart then the written ‘I LOVE YOU DAD’ in the center.
All he could do was stare and feel his heart tighten with emotion.
He flinched in surprise as he felt his two girls nuzzle his sides.
“I promise to continue being the lady you taught me to be father, and continue on making a future for myself, making you proud to call me your precious gem,” said Rarity.
“And I promise to let you know the moment I get my cutie mark, so you can be proud of me too,” smiled Sweetie Belle.
“We love you, Daddy.”
HighStature looked to them both in silence for a moment then smiled and looked back up to the rainbow heart. “Don’t be silly girls.”
They both look at him in surprise.
“I was already proud of you both the second you were born.”
The three unicorns watched the heart in the sky, embracing each other.