Flightless Rainbow
"Double chocolate chip cookies, check. Cinnamon vanilla swirls, check. Mega tasty, strawberry sponge cake surprise, check." Pinkie Pie sat behind the counter of Sugarcube corner, her forehooves rested lazily on the flat surface before her as she twirled a pencil in her mouth and counted an assortment of tasty treats.
It was closing time and she’d almost finished shutting down the store for the day, having been left in charge while Mr and Mrs Cake were away at a baking competition in Manehattan. It was a responsibility she held higher than any other. Even if she couldn't help but feel sorry for what remained of the day's produce sitting before her. It had no fate greater than being thrown away due to Sugarcube Corner's baked daily policy.
"Oh well, more for me." She thought to herself happily, as she spat out the pencil and shifted the treats to one side of the counter.
To say she'd not been waiting for closing time all day would be a lie; she'd been super excited for the evening, and not only because of the leftover treats. That wasn't to say she didn't like her job either, quite the opposite in fact. She loved meeting all of the new ponies that came in, not to mention all of the ponies she already knew. As of late however, the was a certain rainbow maned pegasus she liked to spend far more of her free time with, her new marefriend to be exact.
Both her and Rainbow Dash had been dating for a few months now, and for a good few weeks of that time Rainbow had been grounded due to a wing injury she'd sustained while attempting one of her notorious aerial stunts.
That was where the majority of Pinkie's sympathy truly lied. After all, flying was Rainbow's life and soul. Yet, she couldn't help but see the good in the fact that her marefriend was grounded. After all, the longer Rainbow was stuck down on the ground the longer they could spend with each other. It had been that time together that Pinkie had been waiting for all day, given that with Rainbow being unable to reach her cloud home, she'd temporarily moved into the store with her.
Some ponies may say it seemed a little rushed, but Pinkie didn't care. Both she and Rainbow had known each other for a long time and she knew she loved the pegasus without question. It was in that moment, just as Pinkie had anticipated, that the front door opened and a familiar cyan mare stepped in.
"Hi there Dashie." Pinkie exclaimed happily, pent up joy finally breaking free.
Rainbow paused in the entrance, seemingly surprised that she'd been noticed so quickly. Yet, her shock was short lived.
"Hi Pinkie, sorry I'm late." Rainbow said, her tone somewhat dull.
Mild confusion crossed Pinkie's mind, and she shook her head slightly.
"Don't be silly Dashie! You're not late, the store only closed a few minutes ago - and I wouldn't mind even if you were." She assured Rainbow, waving the idea away with a hoof.
Rainbow smiled at the gesture, unable to express just how much she appreciate her marefriend's understanding. Not that it made her feel any better about why she was late. Usually she’d never even consider the use of the word in the same sentence as her name - she could get almost anywhere in ten seconds flat. Of course, that had all changed when she damaged her wing, but before she could think about it for too long she was presented with the very eager looking face of her pink marefriend.
"Soooooo?" Pinkie asked, her giddy expression filled with anticipation.
Rainbow flexed her aching wings, wincing a little as sharp pain lanced through them.
"They took the bandages off just like they said, but they also said that the muscle's gonna take more time to heal then they first thought. I still have to take it easy for a few more weeks, so..." Rainbow paused, unable to help but feel she was about to bring Pinkie's hopes crashing down.
"So, still no flying." She admitted sheepishly.
It wasn't hard to see the slight hint of sadness in Pinkie's expression, but moments later it was turned into a smile.
"Oh, it's not all that bad Dashie. At least you don't have to wear that itchy bandage anymore. Besides, the longer that you're down here, the longer you can stay here with me!" She exclaimed happily, planting a small kiss on Rainbow's cheek.
Pinkie’s ability to turn even the most sorrowful situation back to joy and laughter was one of the big reasons Rainbow had fallen in love with her, not to mention how careful the usually hyper active earth pony was being in light of Rainbow's injury. Yet, the more she thought about it, the more that bright sunny reality her marefriend was so adept at creating felt like it was slipping away.
Pinkie Pie was so perfect for her, she was funny, kind, loving and not to mention adorably cute. But, what did that make Rainbow? Without her wings she didn't feel like anything, even knowing she could fly again soon didn't change the fact that being grounded left her with little else to think about. Ultimately, she didn't feel like she was worth as much to Pinkie Pie as Pinkie was to her.
"Thanks Pinkie, but...." Rainbow began, then paused as Pinkie moved back to face her.
Once again a small hint of concern surfaced in the pink mare's expression, and it didn't appear as willing to vanish as before.
"Yeah?" Pinkie asked, somewhat cautiously.
Rainbow Dash looked back to her wings, considering exactly what it was she was feeling. In the end, the words died in her throat and she simply shook her head.
"Nevermind, I...." She began, but was stopped by the touch of Pinkie's forehoof on her shoulder.
"You know if there's something wrong you can always tell me, right Dashie?" She asked, and the caring look in her eyes made Rainbow's heart skip a beat.
The pegasus let out a staggered breath, before she shifted back slightly.
"I know Pinkie... It's just I..." Once again her throat felt as if it were stuffed with wool, and the words failed to formulate.
Pinkie only smiled and removed her hoof from Rainbow's shoulder.
"It's okay Dashie, I won't make you tell me anything if you don't want to." She assured her kindly, and once again Rainbow's heart began to ache.
Pinkie Pie turned back to the counter, before making her way round towards the stairs.
"I'm done closing up down here, so I'm gonna head up stairs if you need me." She told Rainbow softly.
That concern was still evident in her expression regardless of the mask of joy that often resided there. Rainbow looked at her for a long moment, unable to meet Pinkie's eyes with her own. She could feel that dull aching in her injured wing and that sinking idea that there was nothing else for her to offer to such a perfect mare.
Finally, she caught a glimpse of Pinkie's smiling face as the mare stopped at the base of the stairs. Even now, it was that perfectly adorable face of loving happiness and joy that Rainbow admired like no other, and it was just enough to break the mental dam blocking her thoughts.
"Pinkie, do you think I'm still me without... Well?" She finally sighed, looking over her wings shamefully.
Pinkie considered that for a moment, before a wash of realisation came over her and she dashed back to Rainbow's side.
"I don't think there's any other pony like you Dashie, you're the most perfectly awesome pony I know, and I know an awful lot of ponies. Not to mention you're the best marefriend I could ask for." Pinkie assured her.
Even so, Rainbow Dash still couldn't help but feel the immense difference between them. And Pinkie’s pure disinterest in anything other than her happiness only made the pegasus's doubts grow.
"Even without my wings? Think about it Pinkie, they're all I am. It's all I've been able to think about while I've been stuck down here, and it's not like the last time where I had the boring, old hospital or Daring Do to distract me." Rainbow finally explained, waving a forehoof in frustration with herself.
Pinkie stepped back, her worry too evident to hide as she looked for the right words.
"I just feel so useless being grounded, I don't think I'd have even been able to cope if it weren't for you, and that only makes me think..." Rainbow went on, only for her words to fade as her empty feelings came to light.
"It's just, you're always so happy and funny. You're the greatest pony I've ever met, and me? I feel like some dumb one trick pony compared to you." She said, head drooping as the thoughts finally found their way out of her muzzle.
Pinkie remained silent for a long moment, and Rainbow took that as a cue to do the same. The urge to simply flee through fear she might have upset her marefriend even surfaced, yet the silence was broken before she could. But it was interrupted, not by words, but by Pinkie's hoof wrapping gently around Rainbow's neck.
"You're not some dumb one trick pony Dashie, don't say that." Pinkie whispered softly, nuzzling the side of Rainbow's neck softly, before she once again moved to face her.
The pegasus felt the subtle urge to glance away again, yet her heart demanded her focus remain locked on those clean, blue spheres.
"I can promise that I love you for a lot more reasons than just your wings Dashie, and I always will." She assured her kindly.
Rainbow sighed, her muzzle curling into a small smile. She was about to speak, but once again Pinkie stopped her by placing a hoof over her mouth gently.
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She added, exercising the perfect routine of the pinkie promise.
Pinkie paused at that, awaiting the pegasus's response. But for a long moment, no such answer came. Worry once again began to bubble in her mind, but then Rainbow finally wrapped her hoof around Pinkie and pulled her close.
"I really love you Pinkie." She told her marefriend simply.
Before either of them could say anything more their muzzles pressed together in a passionate kiss. It felt far shorter than either would have liked, but Pinkie spoke as it concluded.
"I love you too Dashie." She responded, then smiled wryly. "Besides, if I didn't then I'd have no pony to share all of those with." She added, pointing to the day's spare sweets still sitting on the counter as she laughed a little.
Rainbow looked between the treats and her giggling marefriend, then she shook her head as she began to chuckle herself.
"Don't you ever dare change, Pinkie Pie." She said whimsically.
All the pink pony did was pull away and bounce happily towards the stairs, the energetic swing in her step that Rainbow loved back in full force.
"Don't worry Dashie, I never will if you don't." She laughed happily.